The conventional slide system includes a drawer member and a cabinet member, and may also include an intermediate member. The slide system facilitates the opening and closing of a drawer in a cabinet. Typically, the slide system is mounted between a side of a drawer and a sidewall of a cabinet, with the drawer member affixed to the drawer, and the cabinet member affixed to the cabinet.
The conventional slide system may also include a self-closing mechanism. A typical self-closing mechanism includes a slide component slidably mounted on the cabinet member of the slide system and spring biased in the closing direction, and an engagement component fixedly mounted on the drawer member of the slide system. When the drawer is in the closed position, the engagement component is fully engaged with the slide component. As the drawer is pulled open, the engagement component pulls the slide component in the opening direction of the drawer against the spring force. When the slide component reaches a certain point, it locks into position and releases the engagement component. The slide component remains in the locked position until it is released by the engagement component when the drawer is pushed back to a closed position. Once it is released, the spring biased slide component, now back in full engagement with the engagement component, pulls the engagement component in the closing direction of the drawer, thereby pulling the drawer to a closed position.
Such self-closing mechanisms, however, provide assistance only in the closing direction of the drawer. As such, movement of the drawer in the opening direction is completely unassisted. In addition, even in the closing direction, the typical self-closing mechanism provides assistance only in the latter portion of the drawer's travel, when the drawer has already been pushed inwards most of the way. There is therefore a need for systems that provide assistance in both the opening and closing directions of the drawer and, preferably, along a larger portion of the drawer's travel. In addition, to avoid hard slamming, “bounce-back”, and/or noise that may exist at the end of the assisted motion in each of the opening and closing directions, there is a need for assisted-motion systems that include and/or incorporate a damping mechanism to provide a “soft”, or damped, end-of-travel effect in both the opening and closing directions.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds