US20100033070A1

US20100033070A1 - Electronic box-drawer with auxiliary supporter

Info

Publication number: US20100033070A1
Application number: US12/228,051
Authority: US
Inventors: Don-Hua Cheng
Original assignee: Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp
Current assignee: Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp
Priority date: 2008-08-08
Filing date: 2008-08-08
Publication date: 2010-02-11

Abstract

An electronic box-drawer with at least one auxiliary supporter is characterized in the auxiliary supporter that is capable of pivoting with respect to a drawer body of the electronic box-drawer between a retracted position and a supporting position so that the electronic box-drawer is enabled to provide larger operational space and bear heavy loads.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to electronic racks and, more particularly, to an electronic box-drawer with at least one auxiliary supporter.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic racks are extensively used to enclose and support electronic devices. Therein, electronic box-drawers are especially designed for protecting electric circuits and electronic wires from exposing outside and easily getting damaged. Such electronic box-drawers can be configured in an electronic rack to facilitate wire repair and replacement. For example, a conventional electronic box-drawer for holding an AKT device or a PDI device typically comprises a drawer body slidably assembled in a housing by means of a rail assembly. When a user intends to repair or replace some part of the electric circuits and electronic wires in the electronic box-drawer, he can easily draw out the drawer body outward the housing and open a lid removably covered on the drawer body to access the electric circuits and electronic wires to be repaired or replaced.
In the aforementioned conventional electronic box-drawer, when the drawer body is drawn extremely out the housing, the whole weight of the drawer body and the circuits as well as wires therein is merely born by a very small part of the rail assembly. Thus, for preventing the rail assembly from deformation under undue weight load and ensuring smooth operation of the drawer body, the drawer body is traditionally designed with restriction means that restrict the drawer body from stretching out the housing for farther than two-thirds of the entire length of the housing. However, such restriction substantially impairs the convenience of the electronic box-drawer by limiting the available operational space for wire repairing or replacement. Moreover, even though the conventional electronic box-drawer is designed with such restriction, the rail assembly tends to suffer from deformation after long-term use. Hence, a need exists for an electronic box-drawer free from the worry of deformation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the forgoing need, the present invention provides an electronic box-drawer with at least one auxiliary supporter, which comprises a drawer body, a rail assembly, a housing and the auxiliary supporter. Therein, the drawer body contains therein an accommodating space and has a removably lid. The rail assembly includes at least one sliding rail affixed to the drawer body and at least one guiding rail affixed to the housing for slidably receiving the sliding rail so that when the sliding rail moves along the guiding rail, the drawer body moves with respect to the housing stably. The electronic box-drawer is characterized in the auxiliary supporter that is capable of pivoting with respect to the drawer body between a retracted position and a supporting position.
By the implement of the auxiliary supporter, when the drawer body is fully drawn out form the housing, the auxiliary supporter at its supporting position serves to support the drawer body in cooperation with the rail assembly, so as to prevent the rail assembly from receiving undue load and deforming. As a result, the electronic box-drawer is enabled to provide larger operational space and bear larger loads, thereby improving the practicability and facility thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an electronic box-drawer with an auxiliary supporter according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another schematic drawing of an electronic box-drawer with the auxiliary supporter showing a drawer body drawn out from a housing and the auxiliary supporter set at a supporting positing for supporting the drawer body according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the auxiliary supporter showing its retracted position according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is another partially enlarged view of the auxiliary supporter showing its supporting position according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic box-drawer according to the present invention, showing the drawer body drawn out and the auxiliary supporter set at its retracted position; and

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the electronic box-drawer according to the present invention, showing the drawer body drawn out and the auxiliary supporter set at its supporting position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 for an electronic box-drawer with an auxiliary supporter of the present invention. As can be seen in the drawings, the electronic box-drawer comprises a drawer body 10, a housing 20, a rail assembly 30, and the auxiliary supporter 40. The configuration of these components will be given below.
The drawer body 10 contains therein an accommodating space (not shown) and has a removably lid 11. The lid 11 is combined with the drawer body 10 with a plurality of fasteners 12. Furthermore, a pair of pullers 13 is provided at a front of the drawer body 10 allowing a user to hold for pulling out the drawer body 10.
The housing 20 is substantially a forward-opened case for receiving the drawer body 10 therein. The housing 20 is to be mounted onto or assembled in an external electronic open rack or cabinet rack.
The rail assembly 30 includes at least one sliding rail 31 affixed to the drawer body 10 and at least one guiding rail 32 affixed to the housing 20. In the present embodiment, two said sliding rails 31 are parallel and provided at each outer lateral of the drawer body 10 while two said guiding rails 32 are parallel and provided at each inner side of the housing 20 for slidably receiving the sliding rails 31.
Thereby, when a user holds the pullers 13 at the front side of the drawer body 10 and exerts a pulling force, the sliding rails 31 moves along the guiding rails 32 so as to ensure that the drawer body 10 moves with respect to the housing 20 smoothly and stably.
The electronic box-drawer of the present invention is particularized characterized in the auxiliary supporter 40. The auxiliary supporter 40, as shown clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprise a pivot portion 41 and a leg portion 42. The pivot portion 41 is formed with a pivot hole 411 and an arched guiding hole 412. Two fastening pins 413, 414 are pierced through the pivot hole 411 and guiding hole 412, respectively, to combine the auxiliary supporter 40 with the drawer body 10. Thus, when a user pulls the leg portion 42 to rotate the auxiliary supporter 40, the pivot portion 41 pivots upon the fastening pin 413 located in the pivot hole 411 and the arched guiding hole 412 moves with respect to the other fastening pin 414 so that the auxiliary supporter 40 pivots between a retracted position, as shown in FIG. 3, and a supporting position, as shown in FIG. 4.
Now please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6 for further understanding the retracted position and the supporting position of the auxiliary supporter 40 with respect to the drawer body 10 and the housing 20. In FIG. 5, the drawer body 10 is drawn out from the housing 20 and the auxiliary supporter 40 is set at its retracted position while, in FIG. 6, the drawer body 10 is drawn out from the housing 20 and the auxiliary supporter 40 is set at its supporting position.
When the auxiliary supporter 40 is at the retracted position thereof, the fastening pin 414 is at a first end 4121 of the arched guiding hole 412. When the auxiliary supporter 40 is at the supporting position thereof, the fastening pin 414 is at a second end 4122 of the arched guiding hole 412. More particularly, when the auxiliary supporter 40 is at the supporting position thereof, it is set perpendicular to the rail assembly 30 and jutting out the bottom edge of the drawer body 10. When the auxiliary supporter 40 is at the retracted position thereof, it is laid parallel to the rail assembly 30 and not jutting out a bottom edge of the drawer body 10.
Due to the aforementioned configuration, when the drawer body 10 stretches out the weight the housing 20, the weight of the stretched-out drawer body 10 is born by the auxiliary supporter 40 but not the sliding rails 31 and guiding rails 32 of the rail assembly 30, so that the rail assembly 30 is free from undue load and assured integrity. Hence, the drawer body 10 can be fully drawn out form the housing 20 even when it is bearing a heavy load so as to provide larger operational space for wire repairing and replacement, thereby improving the practicability and facility thereof. Although the particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiment without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims.

Claims

1. An electronic box-drawer with an auxiliary supporter, comprising:

a drawer body, containing therein an accommodating space and having a removably lid;

a housing, for receiving the drawer body therein;

a rail assembly, including at least one sliding rail affixed to the drawer body and at least one guiding rail affixed to the housing for slidably receiving the sliding rail so that when the sliding rail moves along the guiding rail, the drawer body moves with respect to the housing stably; and

an auxiliary supporter, which is pivotable with respect to the drawer body between a retracted position and a supporting position.

2. The electronic box-drawer as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the auxiliary supporter is at the retracted position, the auxiliary supporter is parallel to the rail assembly and not jutting out the bottom edge of the drawer body.

3. The electronic box-drawer as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the auxiliary supporter is at the supporting position, the auxiliary supporter is perpendicular to the rail assembly and jutting out a bottom edge of the drawer body.

4. The electronic box-drawer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary supporter comprises a pivot portion and a leg portion, in which the pivot portion is formed with a pivot hole and an arched guiding hole for receiving two fastening pins pierced therethrough, respectively, to combine the auxiliary supporter with the drawer body so that when the leg portion is pulled and the auxiliary supporter rotates from the retracted position to the supporting position accordingly, the pivot portion pivots upon the fastening pin located in the pivot hole and the arched guiding hole moves with respect to the other fastening pin.

5. The electronic box-drawer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the arched hole has a first end and a second end that are opposite to each other, and wherein when the auxiliary supporter is at the retracted position thereof, the fastening pin in the arched guiding hole is at the first end of the arched guiding hole and when the auxiliary supporter is at the supporting position thereof, the fastening pin in the arched guiding hole is at the second end of the arched guiding hole.