US-12628306-B2 - Double unlocking mechanism for slide rails

US12628306B2US 12628306 B2US12628306 B2US 12628306B2US-12628306-B2

Abstract

A server slide can include a first rail and a second rail configured to slidably receive the first rail. In one example, a first pull rod for a locking mechanism can be slidably mounted to the first rail. A second pull rod for the locking mechanism can be slidably mounted to the first rail. The first and second pull rods can be mechanically connected such that actuation of the first pull rod simultaneously actuates the second pull rod to operate the locking mechanism.

Inventors

Qi Yu
Sheng Pang

Assignees

Asia Pacific CIS Wuxi Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230922
Priority Date: 20220922

Claims (19)

1 . A server slide, comprising: a first rail; a second rail that slidably receives the first rail; a first pull rod defining a first slot having a first length, the first pull rod slidably mounted to the first rail via a fastener arranged through the first slot; and a second pull rod defining a second slot having a second length, the second pull rod slidably mounted to the first rail via a fastener arranged through the second slot; a first locking pawl rotatably supported on the first rail to engage a locking block extending from the second rail; and a second locking pawl rotatable supported on the first rail to engage a locking block extending from the second rail; wherein the second length of the second slot of the second pull rod is greater than the first length of the first slot of the first pull rod; and wherein the first and second pull rods are mechanically connected such that actuation of the first pull rod simultaneously actuates the second pull rod.
2 . The server slide of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pull rods are connected via a fastener arranged through a connection slot defined by the second pull rod.
3 . The server slide of claim 1 , wherein the second pull rod includes a first arcuate surface configured to selectively contact the first locking pawl during actuation of the second pull rod via a first handle of the first pull rod.
4 . The server slide of claim 3 , wherein the second pull rod includes a second arcuate surface configured to selectively contact the second locking pawl during actuation of the second pull rod via a second handle of the second pull rod.
5 . The server slide of claim 3 , wherein actuation of the first pull rod rotates the first locking pawl to permit unidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail.
6 . The server slide of claim 5 , wherein actuation of the second pull rod rotates both the first and second locking pawls to permit bidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail.
7 . The server slide of claim 1 , further comprising: a biasing element arranged between the second pull rod and the first rail; wherein the biasing element is configured to bias the second pull rod into a locked position; and wherein, with the second pull rod in the locked position, relative movement of the first rail with respect to the second rail is restricted.
8 . A server slide, comprising: a first rail; a second rail that slidably receives the first rail; a first pull rod, the first pull rod slidably mounted to the first rail; a second pull rod, the second pull rod slidably mounted to the first rail; a first locking pawl rotatably supported on the first rail to engage a locking block extending from the second rail; and a second locking pawl rotatably supported on the first rail to engage a locking block extending from the second rail; wherein the first and second pull rods are mechanically connected such that actuation of the first pull rod simultaneously actuates the second pull rod; wherein actuation of the first pull rod causes the second pull rod to rotate the first locking pawl to permit unidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail; and wherein actuation of the second pull rod causes the second pull rod to rotate both the first and second locking pawls to permit bidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail.
9 . The server slide of claim 8 , wherein the first pull rod is slidably mounted to the first rail via a first fastener arranged through a first slot, and wherein the first slot defines a first length.
10 . The server slide of claim 9 , wherein the second pull rod is slidably mounted to the first rail via a second fastener arranged through a second slot that defines a second length.
11 . The server slide of claim 10 , wherein the first length of the first slot permits a first distance of travel of the first rail relative to the first fastener, the second length of the second slot permits a second distance of travel of the second rail relative to the second fastener, and the second distance of travel is greater than the first distance of travel.
12 . The server slide of claim 8 , wherein the first and second pull rods are connected via a fastener arranged through a connection slot defined by the second pull rod.
13 . The server slide of claim 8 , wherein the second pull rod includes a first engagement surface configured to selectively contact the first locking pawl, during actuation of the second pull rod via engagement of the first pull rod.
14 . The server slide of claim 13 , wherein the second pull rod includes a second engagement surface configured to selectively contact the second locking pawl during actuation of the second pull rod.
15 . The server slide of claim 8 , further comprising: a first handle formed in the first pull rod; and a second handle formed in the second pull rod; wherein the first handle is configured to actuate the second pull rod via the first pull rod; and wherein the second handle is configured to actuate only the second pull rod.
16 . A method of actuating a server slide, comprising: actuating, via a first handle of a first pull rod, a first pull rod secured to a first rail and a second pull rod secured to a first rail, to rotate a first locking pawl of the server slide via contact with a first engagement portion of the second pull rod and thereby permit slidable movement of the first rail relative to a second rail in a first direction; and actuating the second pull rod via a second handle of the second pull rod to rotate the first locking pawl via contact with the first engagement portions of the second pull rod and rotate a second locking pawl via contact with a second engagement portion of the second pull rod and thereby permit slidable movement of the first rail in both a first direction and a second, opposite, direction.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first pull rod slidably actuated along the first rail as guided by a first fastener arranged through a first slot.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second pull rod is slidably actuated along the first rail as guided by a second fastener arranged through a second slot.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein a first length of the first slot along the first pull rod is smaller than a second length of the second slot along the second pull rod.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202211160304.5, filed on Sep. 22, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND Servers are usually installed in server cabinets including one or more slide rails to facilitate telescopic movement (e.g., expansion or contraction) of the server in relation to the server cabinet. For example, slide rails may be extended for repair, maintenance, or other operations for a supported server. SUMMARY Some embodiments of the invention provide a server rail assembly configured to mitigate the risk of accidental removal of a server from a server rack. The server slide can include a first rail and a second rail configured to slidably receive the first rail. In one example, a first pull rod having a first slot of a first length is slidably mounted to the first rail via a fastener arranged through the first slot. Correspondingly, a second pull rod having one or more second slots each of a second length is slidably mounted to the first rail via a fastener arranged through each of the second slots. In one example, the second length of the second slots of the second pull rod is greater than the first length of the first slot of the first pull rod. In another example, the first and second pull rods are mechanically connected such that actuation of the first pull rod simultaneously actuates the second pull rod. Some embodiments of the invention provide a server slide having a first rail and a second rail that slidably receives the first rail. The server slide may further include a first pull rod and a second pull rod each slidably mounted to the first rail. In one example, a first locking pawl and a second locking pawl are rotatably supported on the first rail to engage a locking block extending from the second rail. In one example, the first and second pull rods are mechanically connected such that actuation of the first pull rod simultaneously actuates the second pull rod. In another example, actuation of the first pull rod rotates the first locking pawl to permit unidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail. Correspondingly, actuation of the second pull rod rotates both the first and second locking pawls to permit bidirectional movement of the first rail relative to the second rail. Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of actuating a server slide. In one example, the method includes actuating both a first pull rod and a second pull rod via a first handle defined by the first pull rod. The method further includes, rotating a first locking pawl of the server slide via contact with a first arcuate portion of the second pull rod, permitting slidable movement of the first rail relative to a second rail in a first direction. In another example, the method includes actuating the second pull rod via a second handle defined by the second pull rod, rotating both the first locking pawl and a second locking pawl via contact with respective first and second arcuate portions of the second pull rod, and permitting slidable movement of the first rail in both a first direction and a second, opposite, direction. In one example, a slide rail assembly may include a double unlocking mechanism having a first rail and a second rail, which can slide relative to each other along a longitudinal direction. The slide rail assembly may further include a slide latch assembly mounted between the first rail and the second rail. In one example, the slide latch assembly may include a first pull rod and a second pull rod linkable with the first pull rod. The first and second pull rods may be slidably mounted to the first rail via one or more fasteners (e.g., rivets). The slide latch assembly may further include a first rotatable locking pawl and a second rotatable locking pawl, which may be selectively rotated via the actuation of the second pull rod. To facilitate locking of the second slide rail assembly, a locking block extends away from the second rail towards the first rail. The locking block is configured to engage the first and second locking pawls to prevent actuation of the slide rail assembly. In another example, the first pull rod includes a first slide slot and a first handle arranged along a longitudinal direction. The first pull rod may be slidably mounted to an inner side of the first rail via one or more fasteners (e.g., rivets) arranged through the first slide slot. Correspondingly, the second pull rod includes one or more second slide slots and a second handle arranged along a longitudinal direction. The second pull rod may be slidably mounted to the inner side of the first rail via one or more fasteners (e.g., rivets) arranged through each of the second slide slots. In one example, the first pull rod and the second pull rod are connected via a fastener (e.g., rivet) arranged through a connection slot of the second pull rod. In one example, the firs