US20090188878A1

US20090188878A1 - Sliding rail of a pull-out guide

Info

Publication number: US20090188878A1
Application number: US12/304,692
Authority: US
Inventors: Jürgen Bachor
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2006-06-21
Filing date: 2007-06-19
Publication date: 2009-07-30
Also published as: DE202006009809U1; EP2029944A2; WO2007147821A2; WO2007147821A3

Abstract

A sliding rail of a pull-out guide includes a sliding rail defining a front end, a rear end, a top, a bottom, and longitudinally-extending slot on the bottom. The sliding rail also includes a molded part. The molded part includes a spring steel strip configured to define a central web with a top end and a bottom end, a rounded portion defined at the bottom end, the rounded portion extending below the bottom of the sliding rail, and a loop-like section defined at the top end, the loop-like section protruding above the top of the sliding rail, toward the rear end of the sliding rail. The rounded portion engages the bottom of the sliding rail and the loop-like section engages the top of the sliding rail so that the molded part is secured to and covers the front end of the sliding rail.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a Non-Provisional United States Patent Application that relies for priority on PCT Patent Application No. PCT/EP2007/056076, filed on Jun. 19, 2007, and also on German Patent Application No. 20 2006 009 809.7, filed on Jun. 21, 2006, the contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sliding rail of a pull-out guide for accommodating an oven tray for cooked food. The sliding rail includes a molded part, which is secured to the front end of the tubular sliding rail on the end face facing an oven door and covers the sliding rail at the front. The sliding rail is slotted in the longitudinal direction, and the molded part is rounded or beveled at its underside and inclined at its end that protrudes beyond the top side of the sliding rail in the direction of the rear of the sliding rail.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Sliding rails of the abovementioned type are known per se. On the one hand, it is known for the molded part that closes off the sliding rails at the front face to be tailored so that, when the oven door is being closed, these types of pull-out guides can be pushed back into the interior of the oven through the movement of the oven door, this being guaranteed by a rounding or a beveling. On the other hand, it is known for the molded part to enable an oven tray for cooked food to be slid comfortably onto the sliding rails, this being achieved by means of the ends of the molded parts, which incline towards the rear side of the sliding rails and protrude upwards beyond the sliding rails.
In addition, an oven tray for cooked food that is positioned in the correct manner is protected against both longitudinal displacement and horizontal movements by means of the upper ends of the molded parts.
The molded parts also serve as an end stop when pushing in the sliding rails.
On account of the relatively high temperatures that can be set in an oven, metal is the only material that can be considered for producing the corresponding molded parts.
Cast parts made of light metal are widely used, preferably produced from aluminum, and in view of the requirement for a pleasing appearance, have to be provided with a costly surface treatment.
These types of cast parts are fixedly anchored to the sliding rails by means of impressions on the sliding rails, which project into corresponding indentations of the casting plugs.
As the molded parts are not only exposed to high temperatures when used in an oven, but also to other influences such as moisture, fruit acids (where cakes are being cooked) or the like, a high degree of corrosion resistance is required, which cannot be guaranteed reliably in the long term by surface treated light metal parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of the present invention to create a sliding rail of the generic type with a molded part secured to its front end, the molded part being distinguished in that it can be produced and mounted simply and economically and has a high degree of corrosion resistance.
In one contemplated embodiment of the invention, the molded part is produced from a spring steel strip and is clamped in a form-fitting manner to the sliding rail.
The use of spring steel to produce the molded part achieves a high degree of corrosion resistance, which is also guaranteed to be almost unlimited in time (i.e., long-lasting). In addition, the spring characteristics of the molded part mean that simple securing to the sliding rail by means of form-fitting clamping can be achieved, the retaining forces achieved being practically tolerance-independent because of the spring characteristics of the molded part. The secure connection is not impaired in practice, even after years of use, as the spring forces of the molded part always ensure a fixed seat relative to the sliding rail.
Further features of the invention will be made apparent from the discussion below and from the drawings appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail below by way of various exemplified embodiments and illustrations in which:

FIGS. 1-4 are perspective representations of a first embodiment of a molded part for a sliding rail of a pull-out guide, showing various assembly positions when the molded part is being mounted on a sliding rail;

FIGS. 5-8 are representations of a second exemplified embodiment of the invention corresponding to FIGS. 1-4; and

FIGS. 9-12 are perspective representations of a third embodiment of a molded part and of a sliding rail of a pull-out guide, showing various assembly positions when the molded part is being mounted on the sliding rail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described in connection with the drawings appended hereto. The embodiments described are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. To the contrary, the embodiments are intended to illustrate the breadth of the invention. As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there are numerous variations and equivalents that are intended to be encompassed by the invention.
In each of the Figures, the reference 1 is given to a partially represented sliding rail of a pull-out guide for accommodating an oven tray for cooked food. For reasons of clarity, the sliding rail 1 is shown, in each case, in the region of its front end, at the end face 4 situated facing a door of an oven. As should be immediately apparent, the sliding rail 1 is shown in its position of use.
The reference 2 refers, in each embodiment, to a molded part that is secured at the front end of the sliding rail 1. As such, the front end of the sliding rail 1, at the end face 4, is covered in each case by the molded part 2.
The molded part 2 is, in each of the illustrated embodiments, produced from a spring steel strip and includes a central web 3 that abuts against the end face 4 of the sliding rail 1, when the molded part 2 is in the mounted state. The molded part 2 extends downward, below the central web 3, beyond the underside of the sliding rail 1. By means of a circular bending-round 5, the molded part 2 defines an upwardly directed flange 6 that extends approximately parallel to the central web 3. The flange 6 extends into the cross-sectional region of the sliding rail 1.
The upper end region of the molded part 2 protrudes beyond the sliding rail 1. Specifically, in the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the central web 3 merges into a loop-like section 7. The upper material layer 8 of the loop-like section 7 extends inclinedly (or inclines upwardly) in the direction of the rear side of the sliding rail 1. The lower material layer 9 of the loop-like section 7 points back in the direction of the central web 3, and the free end region of the lower material layer 9 is curved so as to extend approximately parallel to the central web 3. The lower material layer 9 is provided with a tongue 10, which points in the direction of the sliding rail 1 and extends into its cross-sectional region.
In the front end region at the end face 4 on its top side, the sliding rail 1 is provided with an opening 11, in which the tongue 10 engages when the molded part 2 is secured to the sliding rail 1.
The upwardly extending flange 6 is provided with two notches 12 in its free end region. The notches 12 correspond, as regards their width, to the thickness of the side walls 13 of the sliding rail 1. The spacing between the two notches 12 also corresponds to the spacing between the two side walls 13 of the sliding rail 1. The two side walls of the sliding rail 1 are each given the reference 13. The sliding rail 1, as normal, is in the form of a tube that is slotted in the longitudinal direction and has a substantially rectangular cross section. The two side walls 13 extend parallel to each other. Through the longitudinal slot, the sliding rail 1 is substantially open downwards so that it is possible for a web of a supporting rail (not shown), provided with a ball cage, to engage the sliding rail 1.
As FIGS. 2-4 clearly show, the longitudinal slot is realized such that one side wall 13 of the sliding rail 1 extends further down than the oppositely situated, adjacent side wall 13. In other words, one of the side walls 13 is taller (or presents a greater height) than the other side wall 13. The side wall 13 that extends further down is provided in the front region at the end face with a cutout 14. One of the two notches 12 of the flange 6 of the molded part 2 engages the side wall 13 in the region of the cutout 14.
The molded part 2 is affixed to the end part 4 of the sliding rail 1 by the tongue 10 that projects into the opening 11 in the region of the top side of the sliding rail 1 and by the form-fitting engagement between a side wall region and one of the notches 12 in the region of the lower flange 6 of the molded part 2. The molded part 2, which is produced from a spring steel strip, is therefore clamped in a form-fitting manner onto the sliding rail 1. The spring characteristics of the molded part 2 permit tolerances to be comfortably bridged so that a fixed, rattle-free connection between the molded part 2 and the sliding rail 1 can be guaranteed.
The two notches 12 at the free end of the flange 6 enable the molded part 2 to be used both on a left-hand and a right-hand specific embodiment of a sliding rail 1.
The second exemplified embodiment of the invention, which is shown in FIGS. 5-8, differs from the first exemplified embodiment simply in that an upwardly directed tongue 15 is provided at the lower flange 6. In a fashion similar to the tongue 10, the tongue 15 engages an opening 11 of the sliding rail 1 in the upper end region of the molded part 2.
In this second embodiment, as in the prior embodiment, the molded part 2 is clamped in a form-fitting manner to the sliding rail 1. As before, it is possible to bridge relatively large tolerances. Moreover, through corresponding prestressing, it is always possible to be able to introduce the tongues 10 and 15 into the opening 11 of the sliding rail 1.
In this second embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, the molded part 2 can be used quite readily on right-sided as well as left-sided sliding rails 1.
In the first exemplified embodiment of the invention in FIGS. 1-4 as also in the second exemplified embodiment in FIGS. 5-8, the molded part 2 is mounted on the sliding rail 1 extending from the end face 4 of the sliding rail 1. This is shown equally clearly by FIGS. 2-4 and FIGS. 6-8. In other words, the molded part 2 is attached to the end face 4 from the end thereof.
In the third exemplified embodiment, shown in FIGS. 9-12, contrary to the first and second embodiments, the molded part 2 can be mounted transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the sliding rail 1.
This transverse mounting is achieved by way of the tongue 10 that is provided on the lower material layer 9 of the upper, loop-shaped section 7, which is contoured as a semi-circle.
This makes it possible in this third embodiment for the molded part 2 with its central web 3 to move forward as far as the front end face 4 of the sliding rail 1 and then, by displacing the molded part 2 transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the sliding rail 1, to allow the tongue 10 to lock into the opening 11 of the sliding rail 1. The underside of the flange 6 of the molded part is provided with corner-type notches 16 in its free end region at the end face. As illustrated, the corner-type notches 16 define a flange section 6 a, the width of which corresponds to the clearance between the two side walls 13 of the sliding rail 1. The region protruding further downwards of one of the side walls 13 is provided with a cutout 17, through which the flange 6 of the molded part 2 can extend into the cross-sectional region of the sliding rail 1, this being illustrated particularly well in FIG. 10.
The molded part 2 according to FIGS. 9-12 can also be mounted easily on sliding rails 1 of a pull-out guide provided on the right-hand side or the left-hand side.
In all the exemplified embodiments, the molded part 2 is produced from a spring steel strip that has been deburred on both sides. This means that any finishing work to the molded part 2—which may not be necessary at all—only has to be carried out to the end regions at the end face of the respective molded parts 2.
As the spring steel strip has a very smooth surface through the rolling procedure, a molded part 2 realized according to the invention, where required, can also be easily and thoroughly cleaned on its visible side. In other words, the side visible to the user may be cleaned so that the molded part 2 presents an aesthetically-pleasing appearance.
Through the resilience of the molded part 2, high impact forces caused by the positive locking to the sliding rail 1 that may be produced when the sliding rail 1 is inserted, can be absorbed with no appearances of loosening. In other words, it is contemplated that high impact forces will not loosen the molded part 2 from the sliding rail 1.
It is possible for the lower bending-round 5 of the molded part 2 to have a relatively large radius. A relatively large radius considerably simplifies the procedure of the pull-out guide being pushed in by means of the door of an oven.
All in all, the development of the molded part 2 achieves cost-effective production, simple assembly and continuous toughness.
Other embodiments and variations may be appreciated by those skilled in the art based upon the embodiments described and illustrated herein. Those variations and embodiments are intended to be encompassed by the invention.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A sliding rail of a pull-out guide, comprising:

a sliding rail defining a front end, a rear end, a top, a bottom, and longitudinally-extending slot on the bottom; and

a molded part comprising a spring steel strip configured to define a central web with a top end and a bottom end, a rounded portion defined at the bottom end, the rounded portion extending below the bottom of the sliding rail, and a loop-like section defined at the top end, the loop-like section protruding above the top of the sliding rail, toward the rear end of the sliding rail,

wherein the rounded portion engages the bottom of the sliding rail and the loop-like section engages the top of the sliding rail so that the molded part is secured to and covers the front end of the sliding rail.

14. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the sliding rail is configured for a pull-out guide that accommodates an oven tray and wherein the front end faces an oven door.

15. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the molded part is deburred.

16. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the molded part further comprises:

a tongue defined on the loop-like section; and

an opening in the top of the sliding rail,

wherein the tongue engages the opening.

17. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded portion further comprises:

a flange defined on the rounded portion,

wherein the rounded portion has at least a partially circular shape and the flange extends upwardly into the longitudinally-extending slot.

18. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded portion further comprises:

a flange defined on the rounded portion; and

a cutout defined by at least one side wall of the sliding rail,

wherein the flange extends upwardly into the longitudinally-extending slot and the cutout.

19. The sliding rail of claim 18, wherein the molded portion further comprises:

two notches, one on either side of the flange, the notches having widths corresponding to a thickness of the side walls, the notches being separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the a spacing between the side walls.

20. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the loop-like section comprises an upper material layer that is inclined toward the rear end of the sliding rail and a lower material layer that defines the tongue.

21. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded part further comprises:

a flange defined on the rounded portion; and

an upwardly directed tongue that extends from the flange, through the longitudinally-extending slot, and through the opening in the top of the sliding rail.

22. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded part further comprises:

a flange defined on the rounded part; and

two corner-type notches disposed on either side of the flange, thereby defining a free flange section, a width of the free flange section permitting placement of the free flange section between side walls of the sliding rail.

23. The sliding rail of claim 22, wherein the sliding rail includes a cutout and the molded part is mounted, via a transverse engagement, to the end face of the sliding rail.

23. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the tongue has a semi-circular shape.

24. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the central web is pressed against the end face of the sliding rail in a form-fitting manner.

25. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the sliding rail is at least one of a left-hand or a right-hand sliding rail and the molded part is securable to the end face of at least one of a left-hand or a right-hand sliding rail.