Tolerance adaptive slide connection assemblies

Abstract

A tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly for use in connecting an implement to an article of furniture is configured to provide tolerance forgiveness with respect to deviations from parallelism of slide connections between the implement and the article of furniture that may be the result of variations in the construction of the article of furniture, the implement or other connecting hardware. The tolerance adaptive connection allows slidable movement of the implement between a closed position within the article of furniture and an open position extending outward from the article of furniture and allows movement of the implement in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second slide assembly.

1 . A tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly for use in connecting an implement to an article of furniture, the tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly comprising:
 a first slide assembly having a first longitudinal axis and having a fixed connection between the article of furniture and a first portion of the first slide assembly and having a fixed connection between the implement and a second portion of the first slide assembly, the first slide assembly providing slidable movement of the implement between a closed position within the article of furniture and an open position extending outward from the article of furniture;   a second slide assembly having a second longitudinal axis and having at least one tolerance adaptive connection between the article of furniture and the implement, the second slide assembly providing slidable movement of the implement between a closed position within the article of furniture and an open position extending outward from the article of furniture;   wherein the at least one tolerance adaptive connection between the article of furniture and the implement also allows movement of the implement in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tolerance adaptive connection allows substantially lateral movement of the implement relative to the second longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tolerance adaptive connection allows substantially vertical movement of the implement relative to the second longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tolerance adaptive connection allows movement of the implement and the second slide assembly in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis and is relative to the article of furniture to which the tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly is to be connected. 
     
     
         5 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tolerance adaptive connection further comprises a fastener disposed within a slot. 
     
     
         6 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 5 , wherein the fastener is a screw having a threaded portion. 
     
     
         7 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 5 , wherein the fastener is a rivet. 
     
     
         8 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 5 , wherein the fastener has an elongated portion having a first diameter and a standoff portion having a relatively larger second diameter, and the second slide assembly further comprising a slide member, the slide member further comprising a tab having a slot that has a length that is substantially greater than the relatively larger second diameter of the standoff portion. 
     
     
         9 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 5 , further comprising a standoff washer through which the fastener passes and which is disposed within the slot. 
     
     
         10 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 5 , wherein the fastener comprises a tab on the second slide assembly and the implement further comprises a wire with the slot formed in the wire and the tab engaging the slot. 
     
     
         11 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the implement is a storage device. 
     
     
         12 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the implement is a wire cage. 
     
     
         13 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the implement is a shelf. 
     
     
         14 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , wherein the implement is a drawer. 
     
     
         15 . The tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 1 , further comprising a handle having at least one tolerance adaptive connection to the first or second slide assembly. 
     
     
         16 . A tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly for use in connecting a slidably moveable implement to an article of furniture, the tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly comprising:
 a first slide assembly having a first inner slide member having a fixed connection to a first portion of an article of furniture and having a first outer slide member having a fixed connection to an implement, wherein the first outer slide member is slidably movable along a first longitudinal axis and is slidably movable relative to the first inner slide member;   a second slide assembly having a tolerance adaptive connection between the article of furniture and the implement, wherein the second slide assembly has a second inner slide member connected to a second portion of the article of furniture and a second outer slide member connected to the implement, wherein the second outer slide member is slidably movable along a second longitudinal axis and is slidably movable relative to the second inner slide member; and   wherein the implement is slidably movable with the first and second outer slide members with respect to the respective first and second inner slide members, and the implement is allowed to move in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         17 . An article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly comprising:
 a furniture body having walls in a configuration of at least first and second spaced apart side walls connected to a bottom wall and to a rear wall;   an implement that is connected to at least one wall of the furniture body;   a first slide assembly having a first inner slide member having a fixed connection to at least one wall of the furniture body, the first slide assembly having a first outer slide member having a fixed connection to the implement, wherein the first outer slide member is slidably movable relative to the first inner slide member along a first longitudinal axis;   a second slide assembly having a tolerance adaptive connection between the implement and at least one wall of the furniture body, wherein the second slide assembly has a second outer slide member connected to the implement and a second inner slide member connected to the at least one wall of the furniture body to which the second slide assembly has a tolerance adaptive connection, and wherein the second outer slide member is slidably movable relative to the second inner slide member along a second longitudinal axis; and   wherein the implement and the first and second outer slide members are slidably movable with respect to the respective first and second inner slide members, and the implement is further slidably movable with respect to the at least one wall of the furniture body to which the second slide assembly has a tolerance adaptive connection in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         18 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one wall of the furniture body to which the first inner slide member has a fixed connection is the same wall of the furniture body to which the second inner slide member is connected. 
     
     
         19 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one wall of the furniture body to which the first inner slide member has a fixed connection is a first side wall and the at least one wall of the furniture body to which the second inner slide member is connected is a second side wall that is spaced apart from the first side wall. 
     
     
         20 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly of  claim 17 , wherein implement is one of a wire cage, a shelf or a drawer. 
     
     
         21 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 17 , wherein the tolerance adaptive slide connection comprises a fastener that is one of a screw or a rivet. 
     
     
         22 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 21 , wherein the tolerance adaptive slide connection comprises a fastener that includes an elongated portion having a first diameter and a standoff portion having a relatively larger second diameter. 
     
     
         23 . The article of furniture having a slidably movable implement having a tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly in  claim 21 , wherein the tolerance adaptive slide connection further comprises a standoff washer through which the fastener is disposed. 
     
     
         24 . A tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly for use in connecting a slidably moveable implement to an article of furniture, wherein the implement is slidably movable between a closed position within the article of furniture and an open position wherein the implement extends outward from the article of furniture, the tolerance adaptive slide connection assembly comprising:
 a first slide assembly having a first longitudinal axis and a first inner slide member having a fixed connection to the article of furniture and a first outer slide member having a separate fixed connection to the implement, wherein the first outer slide member is slidably movable relative to the first inner slide member, and wherein the fixed connections to the first slide assembly limit the movement of the implement to be substantially along the first longitudinal axis;   a second slide assembly having a second longitudinal axis and at least one tolerance adaptive connection between the article of furniture, the second slide assembly and the implement, wherein the tolerance adaptive connection allows slidable movement of the implement between a closed position within the article of furniture and an open position extending outward from the article of furniture and allows movement of the implement relative to the article of furniture in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis.