대표
청구항
▼
1. A system, in combination with a pull-out component and an associated housing, for assisting the opening and closing movement of the pull-out component relative to the housing with an integrated damping mechanism, said housing having a slide member coupled to an interior wall thereof, and said pull-out component being linearly slidable into and out of said housing, the system comprising: a first bracket coupled to said slide member of the housing;a second bracket coupled proximate a rear end of said pull-out component;a strut having a first end coupled...
1. A system, in combination with a pull-out component and an associated housing, for assisting the opening and closing movement of the pull-out component relative to the housing with an integrated damping mechanism, said housing having a slide member coupled to an interior wall thereof, and said pull-out component being linearly slidable into and out of said housing, the system comprising: a first bracket coupled to said slide member of the housing;a second bracket coupled proximate a rear end of said pull-out component;a strut having a first end coupled to the first bracket and an opposing second end coupled to the second bracket, said strut comprising: an outer straight hollow member having opposing first and second ends;a first spring having opposing first and second ends and being housed within said straight hollow member; anda cylindrical piston having first, second, and third longitudinal portions, wherein the first longitudinal portion extends axially through the spring's second end, the second longitudinal portion extends axially outside of the spring's second end, and the third longitudinal portion extends from the second longitudinal portion in a direction opposite that of the first longitudinal portion so as to translate axially through said second end of the outer straight hollow member, said second longitudinal portion having a larger diameter than said first and third longitudinal portions; anda damping mechanism contained entirely within said strut and including a damper that counteracts the force exerted by the first spring on the cylindrical piston to dampen the movement of the pull-out component from a neutral region towards a fully-open position and from the neutral region towards a fully-closed position;wherein said housing is a cabinet, and said slide member is a cabinet slide member;wherein the first bracket includes a lower horizontal surface and a clevis pin extending vertically upwards from said lower horizontal surface;wherein the strut further includes a cabinet bracket clevis, said cabinet bracket clevis being coupled to said first end of the outer hollow member and being configured to pivotally engage said clevis pin;wherein the cabinet bracket clevis includes a substantially C-shaped coupling member and the first bracket's clevis pin is configured to snap into said cabinet bracket clevis; andwherein said first end of the first spring is disposed on a portion of said cabinet bracket clevis opposite said coupling member. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet bracket clevis detachably engages the clevis pin. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet bracket clevis is detachably coupled to said outer hollow member via a pin. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first bracket's lower horizontal surface is configured to be coupled to the cabinet slide member. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first bracket further includes an upper horizontal surface and a vertical spine connecting said lower and upper horizontal surfaces, said upper horizontal surface being configured to be coupled to said cabinet slide member. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet bracket clevis includes a substantially fork-shaped coupling member having opposing elastic fingers, said fingers being configured to releasably engage the first bracket's clevis pin. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the coupling member is configured to pivot about the clevis pin during linear opening and closing movement of the pull-out component. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first spring is a compression spring. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second bracket includes a horizontal section, a vertical section, and a clevis pin extending vertically downwards from an undersurface of said horizontal section. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the vertical section includes transverse attachment holes for coupling the second bracket to a rear end of the pull-out component. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the pull-out component is a drawer having a rear panel at a rear end thereof, and the piston's third longitudinal portion receives a drawer bracket clevis at a free end thereof. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second bracket includes a horizontal section, a vertical section that is configured to be attached to the drawer's rear panel, and a clevis pin extending vertically downwards from an undersurface of the horizontal section, and wherein the drawer bracket clevis includes a substantially C-shaped coupling portion configured to releasably engage said second bracket's clevis pin. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the coupling portion of the drawer bracket clevis is configured to pivot about the second bracket's clevis pin during linear opening and closing movement of the drawer. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second bracket includes a horizontal section and a clevis pin extending vertically downwards from an undersurface of said horizontal section, and wherein the drawer bracket clevis includes a clamshell coupling portion configured to releasably engage said second bracket's clevis pin. 15. The system of claim 1, the strut further including a cap, said cap having an axial orifice and being coupled to said second end of the outer hollow member. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein said third longitudinal portion of the cylindrical piston is configured to translate through said axial orifice along the majority of the length thereof. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the cap is detachably coupled to said outer hollow member via a pin. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first bracket is coupled to the slide member of the housing so as to be positioned thereon at approximately a longitudinal midpoint of the pull-out component travel. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the strut is oriented such that, when the pull-out component is in a middle region of travel, the strut is substantially perpendicular to the slide member of the housing. 20. The system of claim 1, wherein the damper is an air damper. 21. A system, in combination with a pull-out component and an associated housing, for assisting the opening and closing movement of the pull-out component relative to the housing with an integrated damping mechanism, said housing having a slide member coupled to an interior wall thereof, and said pull-out component being linearly slidable into and out of said housing, the system comprising: a first bracket coupled to said slide member of the housing;a second bracket coupled proximate a rear end of said pull-out component;a strut having a first end coupled to the first bracket and an opposing second end coupled to the second bracket, said strut comprising: an outer straight hollow member having opposing first and second ends;a first spring having opposing first and second ends and being housed within said straight hollow member; anda cylindrical piston having first, second, and third longitudinal portions, wherein the first longitudinal portion extends axially through the spring's second end, the second longitudinal portion extends axially outside of the spring's second end, and the third longitudinal portion extends from the second longitudinal portion in a direction opposite that of the first longitudinal portion so as to translate axially through said second end of the outer straight hollow member, said second longitudinal portion having a larger diameter than said first and third longitudinal portions; anda damping mechanism contained entirely within said strut and including a damper that counteracts the force exerted by the first spring on the cylindrical piston to dampen the movement of the pull-out component from a neutral region towards a fully-open position and from the neutral region towards a fully-closed position;wherein the pull-out component is a drawer having a rear panel at a rear end thereof, and the piston's third longitudinal portion receives a drawer bracket clevis at a free end thereof;wherein the second bracket includes a horizontal section and a clevis pin extending vertically downwards from an undersurface of said horizontal section, and wherein the drawer bracket clevis includes a clamshell coupling portion configured to releasably engage said second bracket's clevis pin; andwherein the drawer bracket clevis further includes opposing elastic handle members such that, when the handle members are pressed toward each other, the clamshell opens to receive said clevis pin. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first bracket includes a lower horizontal surface and a clevis pin extending vertically upwards from said lower horizontal surface. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said housing is a cabinet, and said slide member is a cabinet slide member. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the strut further includes a cabinet bracket clevis, said cabinet bracket clevis being coupled to said first end of the outer hollow member. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the cabinet bracket clevis includes a coupling member to engage the first bracket's clevis pin. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the coupling member is substantially fork-shaped and has opposing elastic fingers configured to releasably engage the first bracket's clevis pin. 27. The system of claim 25, wherein the coupling member is substantially C-shaped, and the first bracket's clevis pin is configured to releasably snap into said coupling member. 28. The system of claim 25, wherein the coupling member is configured to pivot about the clevis pin during linear opening and closing movement of the pull-out component. 29. The system of claim 25, wherein the first bracket's lower horizontal surface is configured to be coupled to the cabinet slide member. 30. A system, in combination with a pull-out component and an associated housing, for assisting the opening and closing movement of the pull-out component relative to the housing with an integrated damping mechanism, said housing having a slide member coupled to an interior wall thereof, and said pull-out component being linearly slidable into and out of said housing, the system comprising: a first bracket coupled to said slide member of the housing;a second bracket coupled proximate a rear end of said pull-out component;a strut having a first end coupled to the first bracket and an opposing second end coupled to the second bracket, said strut comprising: an outer straight hollow member having opposing first and second ends;a first spring having opposing first and second ends and being housed within said straight hollow member; anda cylindrical piston having first, second, and third longitudinal portions, wherein the first longitudinal portion extends axially through the spring's second end, the second longitudinal portion extends axially outside of the spring's second end, and the third longitudinal portion extends from the second longitudinal portion in a direction opposite that of the first longitudinal portion so as to translate axially through said second end of the outer straight hollow member, said second longitudinal portion having a larger diameter than said first and third longitudinal portions; anda damping mechanism contained entirely within said strut and including a damper that counteracts the force exerted by the first spring on the cylindrical piston to dampen the movement of the pull-out component from a neutral region towards a fully-open position and from the neutral region towards a fully-closed position,wherein the damper includes an axial shaft and is housed within said third longitudinal portion of the cylindrical piston, and wherein the damping mechanism further includes:an inner hollow member that extends from the first end of said strut and axially through said first spring, said inner hollow member being configured to slide at least partially through, and with respect to, said cylindrical piston; anda second spring that is housed in said inner hollow member between the first end of said strut and a spring seat slidably coupled to said damper axial shaft. 31. The system of claim 29, wherein said housing is a cabinet, the first bracket includes a clevis pin, the strut further includes a cabinet bracket clevis coupled to said first end of the outer hollow member and having a coupling member to detachably engage said clevis pin, said first end of the first spring is disposed on an opposite portion of the cabinet bracket clevis opposite said coupling member, and on said opposite portion of the cabinet bracket clevis, the cabinet bracket clevis includes a longitudinal stud that detachably couples said inner hollow member to said cabinet bracket clevis. 32. The system of claim 30, wherein said second spring is a compression spring. 33. The system of claim 30, wherein said spring seat is a cold head feature. 34. The system of claim 30, wherein said spring seat is a machined feature. 35. The system of claim 30, wherein said spring seat is a formed fastener. 36. The system of claim 30, said inner hollow member having opposing first and second ends, wherein said first end substantially coincides with the strut's first end, and wherein the damping mechanism further includes a cap defining an axial opening therethrough and being coupled to said second end of the inner hollow member. 37. The system of claim 36, wherein the spring seat is configured such that the spring seat does not pass through the axial opening in the inner hollow member's cap. 38. The system of claim 37, wherein, proximate a free end of the damper shaft, the damper shaft includes a radial indentation that engages the spring seat, thereby preventing further withdrawal of the shaft through the spring seat and towards the strut's second end. 39. The system of claim 38, wherein the second spring is configured such that, once the spring seat has been engaged by the damper shaft, as the first spring expands further and the cylindrical piston slides through the strut's second end, an end of the damper shaft opposite said free end is pulled out of the damper, thereby damping the piston's continued outward movement. 40. The system of claim 30, wherein the damping mechanism is configured such that, when the strut moves from a fully-extended position, in which the pull-out component is either fully open or fully closed, to a fully-retracted position, in which the pull-out component is in said neutral region, the damper shaft retracts first, and wherein, when the strut moves from the fully-retracted position to the fully-extended position, the damper shaft is extended last.
