NZ213614A - Drawer with rotary damper - Google Patents

Description

JC - ffa Priorsiy Date(f): Compieio Specification Filed: cuu: .n.m&M/?.« ^Z^ZxMiw." P.O. Journal, No: IQ9& PATENTS FORM NO. 5 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "DRAWER DEVICE" -I- WE NIFCO INC. of 184-1 Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan, a Japanese corporation hereby declare the invention, for which -I-/we pray that a patent may be granted to -sie/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 213614 2. - This invention relates to a drawer device, in which a drawer can be proj ected from and accommodated into a frame.

U.S. Patent Specification No. 4576252 discloses a drawer device, in which a drawer-like member constituting a keyboard musical instrument can be projected from and accommodated into a frame of a tape recorder. In this device, a pair of stationary rails are provided along opposite sides of a drawer accommodation space of the frame, and the drawer is slidably supported on the stationary rails via slide rails such that it can be moved for a predetermined stroke.

In this prior art drawer device, a constant speed pusher including a flywheel, tension spring, etc. is used for projecting the accommodated drawer to the outside of the frame. The device, therefore, requires as essential elements locking means for locking the drawer in the accommodation space in the device against the force of the constant speed pusher and means for releasing the lock of the locking means. Therefore, the assembly of the device requires a large number of operations. In addition, a large space is necessary for accommodating the means noted above, so that the overall size of the device is inevitably large.

Further since the stationary rails and slide rails are in direct contact with one another and also the slide rails and drawer are in direct contact with one another, much friction is generated, and the frictional surfaces are worn out with use, which results in rattling.

An object of the invention is to provide a drawer device, which is small in size and can withstand use for a long time.

According to the invention, there is provided a drawer device, which comprises a drawer, a frame having an accommodation space for accommodating the drawer and a slider provided in the accommodation space of the frame and movable in the direction of movement of the drawer, the drawer being movable relative to the slider in said direction, a rotary damper being provided between the frame and the slider, and bearings being provided between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of the frame and slider and also between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of the slider and drawer.

When the drawer is pushed into the accommodation space of the frame, a spiral spring of the rotary damper is wound from one end. When the drawer is perfectly accommodated in the accommodation space, the spring is substantially completely wound up and is locked in this state by a locking member. The drawer thus can be held accommodated in the accommodation space. When the accommodated drawer is pushed slightly inwardly, the spring is released from the locking member. As a result, the gear is rotated by the restoring force of the spring being unwound to force out the drawer from the frame. At this time the gear is braked against rotation by the viscosity of a braking fluid, so that the drawer is projected slowly. When the restoring force of the spring is exhausted as a result of substantially complete unwinding of the spring, the drawer is held at a position substantially completely projected from the frame. Since the bearings are provided between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of the frame and slider and also between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of the slider and drawer, light and smooth movement of the drawer can be ensured.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the description having reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the drawer device according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section, showing the drawer device shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged front view showing the drawer device shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a different embodiment of the drawer device according to the invention; Figure 5 is an enlarged front view showing a cross roller bearing provided between the drawer and frame; Figure 6 is a plan view showing a rotary damper used in the drawer device according to the invention; Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a plan view showing a spiral groove formed in a gear of the rotary damper shown in Figure 4; and Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the rotary damper shown in Figure 6.

Referring now to the Figures, reference numeral 1 designates a frame with an accommodation space 11, numeral 2 a drawer, and numeral 3 sliders. Left and right beams 4 are provided on the bottom wall of the accommodation space 1 ' to slidably support and guide the sliders 3 in the direction of movement of the drawer. The drawer is provided with left and right rails 5 in slidable engagement with the sliders. 213614 In a first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the rails 5 of the drawer and the beams 4 of the frame are disposed such that they sandwich the sliders 3 from above and below. In a second embodiment shown in Figure 4, the rails 5 of the drawer 2 and the sliders 3 are slightly raised from the bottom of the accommodation space, and the beams 4 and rails 5 sandwich the sliders 3 from the left and right sides. The two embodiments are based on the same principle.

The sliders 3, beams 4 and rails 5 have the same length. In the above embodiments, the sliders 3 have substantially a rectangular sectional profile. The beams 4 and rails 5 have the same channel-like sectional profile having two side portions 4' and 5' cooperating with the sliders 3. The inner surface of each side portion of the beams and rails and the corresponding portions of each slider 3 are formed with longitudinal triangular grooves 3a facing each other. A cross roller bearing 6 is provided between the paired grooves (Figure 3). The bearings 6 serve to prevent detachment of the sliders 3 from the beams 4 and the detachment of the rails 5 from the sliders 3, and they also permit light and smooth relative movement of these parts. In other words, in the present embodiment each bearing has a function of preventing the detachment of the slider, beam and rail from one another as well as permitting light and smooth sliding between the slider and beam and also between the slider and rail. The slider and beam and also the slider and rail are assembled such that they can slide relative to each other. This is, however, by no means limitative. For instance, the bearings 6 may be provided for the sole purpose of permitting light and smooth sliding, and means for holding the slider and beam for sliding 2 13 relative to each other and holding the beam and slider for sliding relative to each other may be provided separately.

The beam 4 and rail 5 respectively have longitudinal racks 7 and 8 provided on the central inner surface, while the slider 3 has an intermediate gear 9, which is in mesh with neither the rack 7 of the beam 4 nor the rack 8 of the rail 5, a gear 7' in mesh with the rack 7 and intermediate gear 9, and a gear 8' in mesh with the rack 8 and intermediate gear 9, the gears 9, 7' and 8' being provided in a longitudinally intermediate space 31. When the drawer 2 is completely accommodated in the accommodation space 1' of the frame, the sliders 3, beams 4 and rails 5 overlap one another. When the sliders 3 are moved from this state in the direction of projecting the drawer out of the accommodation space 3, the rails 5 are moved outwardly twice the extent of movement of the sliders owing to the mesh of the gears 7', 81 and 9 and the racks 7 and 8. Thus, when the sliders are withdrawn substantially by one half of their length from the accommodation space, the rails 5 and drawer 2 are withdrawn substantially entirely. Likewise, when substantially one half the length of the withdrawn sliders are accommodated into the accommodation space to overlap the beams, the entire length of the rails are accommodated into the accommodation space to overlap the beams and sliders. In order to permit the drawer to be moved into and out of the accommodation space with the operation of the sliders in the manner as described above, the sliders are each provided with a longitudinally extending driven rack 10 projecting from the gap between the associated beam and rack, while a rotary damper 11 with a stopper mechanism is secured to o o o 213614 the frame or the associated beam 4, the rotary damper 11 having an input gear 12 in mesh with the rack 10.

The rotary damper 11 with stopper mechanism may be of any structure so long as it is capable of braking the gear 12 against rotation in both the forward and reverse directions by the viscosity of silicone oil or the like and, at the time of rotation in either the forward or reverse direction, stores a restoring force in a spring, e.g., a spiral spring, the gear being prevented by a stopper utilizing a heart cam or the like against rotation in the opposite direction toward the end of rotation in one direction, the gear having been prevented by the stopper against rotation in the opposite direction being slightly rotated in one direction until a block mechanism is released, whereupon the gear is caused to rotate in the opposite direction by restoring force of the spring while under a brake force.

Figures 4 to 7 show another embodiment of the invention including a damper different to that described above. The following description relates to the embodiment of Figures 4 to 7.

The gear 12 is rotatably mounted on a mounting base 13. A brake disk 14 secured to the base is fitted in a bottom recess of the gear. Silicone grease is provided between the bottom surface of the brake disk to brake the gear against rotation in the forward and reverse directions. The top surface of the gear is formed with a spiral groove 15 with an inner end unidirectional path 15' surrounding an island 16. The top of the gear also has a boss 12', to which the inner end of a spiral spring 17 is secured. A cover 18 which is assembled separately of the base 13 covers the top J 2 13614 8 - of the gear. A portion of the edge of the gear projects through the cover and meshes with the rack 10 provided on the drawer 3 noted above. An elastic stop pin 19 is provided in the cover 18. The stop pin 19 has a downwardly bent end portion extending into the spiral groove 15. The spiral spring 17 has an outer end secured to the cover 18, and it is accommodated in the cover above the stop pin 19. The damper has its base secured to the frame or beam 4.

When the drawer is accommodated in the accommodation space 1', the spiral spring 17 is in a contracted state with the restoring force stored in it.

In this state, the end of the stop pin 19 is hooked on a notched portion 16' of the island, so that the gear 12 is locked against rotation by the restoring force of the spring.

When the drawer 3 is slightly pushed inwardly from this state from the open front of the frame with a finger, the stop pin 19 is detached from the notch of the island. As a result, the gear 12 is rotated slowly by the restoring force of the spring while being damped by a braking force provided by the silicone grease, causing the drawer to be projected from the accommodation space along the rack 10 coupled to it.

In this way, the drawer is projected out of the frame. The spiral spring may be designed such that its restoring force is exhausted at this time. If necessary, a stopper 20 may be provided between one or both sliders or beams and the frame and/or between one or both rails and the frame or one or both sliders so that the drawer will not be projected by more than a predetermined extent. In the illustrated example, the stopper 20 includes a pawl 20a provided on a beam and a projection 20b provided on a slider, the projection 20b striking the pawl 20a when substantially one half the length of the slider is projected out of the accommodation space.

When the drawer 3 in the projected state is pushed into the accommodation space 2, the gear 12 is rotated in the reverse direction to wind the spiral spring 17 from the inner end thereof, and the stop pin 1 9 is moved back along the spiral groove 15. Toward the end of this stroke when the drawer has been substantially accommodated in the accommodation space, the stop pin 19 is moved along the unidirectional path 15' around the island 16. When the pushing force is removed at the end of a slight overshoot of the drawer into the accommodation space, the gear 12 is rotated in the reverse direction by the restoring force stored in the spring 17 to move the drawer slightly in the outward direction until the end of the stop pin 19 is hooked in the notch 16' of the island 16. Thus, the drawer is no longer moved outwardly but is held accommodated in the accommodation space. To project the drawer, the drawer is again pushed slightly inwardly to detach the stop pin 19 from the notch 16' of the island.

The driven rack 10 may be provided on either one of the two sliders so that the drawer is projected from the accommodation space by a single rotary damper 11. However, lighter and smoother motion can be ensured by providing the two sliders with respective driven racks 10 which are in mesh with the gears of respective rotary dampers. Where the sliders are sandwiched between the rails of the drawer and the beams of the frame from above and below as in the first embodiment noted above, the intermediate gears 9 of the left and right sliders may be coupled together by a coupling shaft 9' as shown in Figure 1, and the gear of a single - 1 0 - rotary damper may be coupled to the driven rack 10 of either the left or right slider. This arrangement has an effect or permitting smooth motion on both the left and right sides.

In the above embodiments, the gears 7 1, 81 and 9 are provided between two bearing plates 21 accommodated in an intermediate space and secured to the slider. However, the bearing plates may be dispensed with, and the gears may be directly mounted by shafts in the slider space. Further, in the above embodiments the cross roller bearing 8 is used, in which rollers 8a are arranged in a row in a strip 8a of celluloid or the like such that adjacent ones of them are in mutually perpendicular orientations. However, it is possible to use a bearing of a different type. Further, in the above embodiments two, i.e., left and right, sets of sliders 3, beams 4 and rails 5 are provided. However, only a single set will suffice.

As has been made apparent in the foregoing, according to the invention it is possible to provide a drawer device, which may be very small in size, has a reduced number of components, can ensure smooth operation for a long time, and is suited particularly for an automotive drawer type ashtray, a compact disk player to be projected for use from the body of an electronic musical apparatus, or a drawer of a keyboard musical instrument.

Claims (3)

n o 2136 1 * ~ 11 ~ WHAT-WWE C-A!*1 IS-. •The* o4ra4ms_ defining- the- j nvonn on a^e -«-» f ollowc t

1. A drawer device comprising a drawer, a frame having an accommodation space for accommodating said drawer and a slider provided in said accommodation space of said frame and movable in the direction of movement of said drawer, said drawer being movable relative to said slider in said direction, a rotary damper being provided between said frame and said slider, said rotary damper including a spiral spring being wound from one end thereof as said drawer is pushed into said accommodation space, a locking member for locking said spiral spring against unwinding when said drawer is pushed into said accommodation space and a gear capable of being rotated in the forward and reverse directions under a braking force with the movement of said drawer, bearings being provided between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of said frame and slider and also between cooperating, relatively slidable surfaces of said slider and drawer.

2. The drawer device according to claim 1, wherein said bearings are cross roller bearings held by strip-like retainers.

3. The drawer device substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings. & CAREY /v_ attorneys for the applicants