Telescoping self-closing mechanism

Abstract

A self-closing telescoping mechanism that is used in a drawer slide having three telescoping sections. A floater is slidably mounted at the inner end of the outer section. The floater interacts with the inner section. When the drawer is opened, the floater slides along the outer section towards the outer end to a fully extended position. The floater is locked in the fully extended position and it released from the inner section. A spring biases the floater toward the closed end. As the drawer is closed, the floater is engaged by the inner section and becomes unlocked. The spring draws the floater along with the inner section and the middle section to a fully closed position. The floater can be mounted directly in the outer section or in a covering that is mounted in the outer section.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism having an inner end and an outer end, said mechanism having at least two sections, said at least two sections being a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater that is slidably mounted in said first section near said inner end and is removably attached to said second section within a predetermined range near said inner end, said floater being biased toward said inner end by an elastic tether extending between said inner end and said floater, said floater being attached to said second section when said second section is within said predetermined range and detached from said second section when said second section is beyond said range.  
     
     
         2 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism comprising at least two longitudinal sections that are sized and mounted to telescopingly slide relative to one another, said mechanism having an inner end and an outer end as well as a closed position and an open position, said at least two longitudinal sections comprising a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater, said floater being slidably mounted in said first section near said inner end, said floater having an extended position and a retracted position, said floater being connected to an elastic tether that biases said floater to said retracted position, 
 (a) commencing with said floater in said retracted position and said mechanism in said closed position, said floater being constructed to move with said second section to an extended position as said mechanism is opened, the movement of said floater to said extended position being controlled by movement of said second section, said floater having a maximum extended position wherein said floater is automatically fixed in a locked position in relation to said first section,    (b) said floater being automatically released from said locked position as said mechanism closes and said second section reaches a trigger point for said floater, said second section being constructed to automatically disconnect from said floater when said mechanism is being opened and said floater reaches said locked position, said second section being constructed to automatically re-attach to said floater as said mechanism is being closed and said floater is released from said locked position, said tether forcing said floater to said retracted position and moving said mechanism to said closed position when said floater is released from said locked position.    
     
     
         3 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism comprising at least two longitudinal sections that are sized and mounted to telescopingly slide relative to one another, said mechanism having an inner end and an outer end as well as a closed position and an open position, said at least two longitudinal sections comprising a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater, said floater being slidably mounted in said first section near said inner end, said floater having an extended position and a retracted position, said floater being connected to an elastic tether that biases said floater to said retracted position, 
 (a) commencing with said floater in said retracted position and said mechanism in a closed position, said floater being attached to said second section, said floater moving with said second section to an extended position as said mechanism is opened, the movement of said floater to said extended position being controlled by movement of said second section, said floater having a maximum extended position wherein said floater is automatically fixed in a locked position in relation to said first section and is automatically released from said second section as said second section continues to open,    (b) as said mechanism closes, said second section being constructed to automatically re-attach to said floater and said floater being automatically released from said locked position, said tether forcing said floater to said retracted position when said floater is released from said first locked position in relation to said first section, thereby pulling said second section and moving said mechanism to said closed position.    
     
     
         4 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said second section has side edges and said floater is sized and shaped to slide along said side edges.  
     
     
         5 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said first section has side edges, said side edges each having a covering thereon, said floater being sized and shaped to slide along said covering.  
     
     
         6 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein there is a third section of said at least two longitudinal sections, said third section being slidably located between said first section and said second section.  
     
     
         7 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said mechanism is a drawer slide and there are two drawer slides, said drawer slides being mounted in a housing and supporting a drawer that moves in and out of said housing on said drawer slides.  
     
     
         8 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said mechanism has a closed position and an open position, said floater having an extended position and a retracted position corresponding to an extended position and a retracted position of said tether.  
     
     
         9 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said floater has a maximum extended position wherein said floater is automatically fixed in a locked position in relation to said first section, said maximum extended position corresponding to an outer limit of said predetermined range.  
     
     
         10 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said floater has a movable protrusion thereon, said first section containing an opening that is located to receive said protrusion, said second section being shaped to force said protrusion into said opening when said opening is aligned with said protrusion, said opening corresponding to said maximum extended position of said floater, said floater having a release thereon for said protrusion, said release being shaped to activate when said second section moves from an open position toward a closed position, said second section contacting said floater and said release to cause said protrusion to move out of said opening, thereby releasing said floater.  
     
     
         11 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  said floater having a release thereon for said protrusion, said release being shaped to activate when said second section moves from an open position toward a closed position, said second section contacting said floater and said release to cause said protrusion to move out of said opening, thereby releasing said floater.  
     
     
         12 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  2 ,  3 . or  4  wherein said floater moves more than two and a half inches along said first section between said retracted position and said extended position.  
     
     
         13 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  2 ,  3  or  4  wherein said floater moves more than three inches along said final section between said retracted position and said maximum extended position.  
     
     
         14 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  2 ,  3  or  4  wherein said tether is a spring connected between said floater and an inner end of said first section, said spring being sized and located so that said floater and said mechanism are located in said closed position when said spring is retracted.  
     
     
         15 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said floater has a maximum extended position in which said floater is removably locked into position relative to said first section.  
     
     
         16 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there is a first locked position and a second locked position for said floater in said first section, said first locked position being closable, a length of said predetermined range being adjustable so that said first locked position is used when said first locked position is open and said second locked position is used when said first locked position is closed.  
     
     
         17 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said tether is removed and replaced with a different tether when said second locked position is used in place of said first locked position.  
     
     
         18 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism comprising at least two longitudinal sections that are sized and mounted to telescopingly slide relative to one another, said mechanism having an inner end and an outer end as well as a closed position and an open position, said at least two longitudinal sections comprising a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater that is slidably mounted in said first section near said inner end, said floater being slidable relative to said first section from a closed position of said mechanism to a maximum extended position of said floater, said floater being in a locked position relative to said first section in said maximum extended position, said floater being attached to said second section between said closed position and said locked position, said floater being detached from said second section whenever said second section moves beyond said maximum extended position away from said inner end, said floater being constructed to automatically detach from said second section at said maximum extended position as said mechanism is being opened and to automatically attach to said second section at said maximum extended position as said mechanism is being closed, said tether being strong enough to move said mechanism to said closed position when external forces are removed from said mechanism and said floater is released from said locked position.  
     
     
         19 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said floater has a movable protrusion thereon, said first section containing an opening that is located to receive said protrusion, said second section being shaped to force said protrusion into said opening when said opening is aligned with said protrusion, said opening corresponding to a maximum extended position of said floater, said floater having a release thereon said release being shaped to be activated by said second section as said second section moves from said open position towards said closed position, said second section contacting said floater and said release to cause said protrusion to move out of said opening, thereby releasing said floater and simultaneously attaching to said floater.  
     
     
         20 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in any one of claims  1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said tether is a spring extending between said inner end and said floater said spring being corrosion resistant.  
     
     
         21 . A self-closing telescoping mechanism as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there is a bumper in said first section at said inner end, said tether extending between said bumper and said floater.  
     
     
         22 . A method of constructing a self-closing telescoping mechanism having at least two longitudinal sections that are sized and mounted to telescopingly slide relative to one another, said mechanism having an inner end and an outer end as well as a closed position and an open position, said at least two longitudinal sections comprising a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater, said floater being slidably mounted in said first section near said inner end, said floater having an extended position and a retracted position, said method comprising opening said mechanism by manually moving said second section from said closed position to said open position, said floater in said second section being sized and shaped so that said floater is attached to said second section between said closed position and a maximum extended position, constructing said floater so that said floater is automatically locked into position relative to said first section at said maximum extended position, constructing said floater and said second section so that said floater becomes detached from said second section as said floater moves beyond said predetermined range, constructing said floater and said second section so that said floater automatically attaches to said second section as said second section is being closed and said second section contacts said floater in said maximum extended position, said second section automatically releasing said floater from said locked position, said tether moving said floater to said inner end and causing said mechanism to move to said closed position when external forces are removed from said mechanism.  
     
     
         23 . A method of constructing a self-closing telescoping mechanism, said mechanism having at least two longitudinal sections that are sized and mounted to telescopingly slide relative to one another, said mechanism having an inner end and an outer end as well as a closed position and an open position, said at least two longitudinal sections comprising a first section and a second section, said mechanism having a floater, said floater being slidably mounted within said first section near said inner end, said method comprising constructing said floater to slide within said first section near said inner end in a predetermined range between said inner end and a maximum extended position wherein said floater is locked in position relative to said first section, tethering said floater to a retracted position at said inner end, shaping said second section and said floater so that said floater is attached to said second section within said predetermined range and detached from said second section beyond said predetermined range, said floater attaching and detaching automatically and causing said floater to be locked into said first section in a maximum extended position.