Releasable latch for a telescoping slide assembly

A telescoping slide assembly comprising

• interconnected load-carrying, intermediate, and stationary slide members movable relative to one another to extend and retracting the load-carrying and intermediate slide members relative to the stationary slide member between fully extended and retracted positions, the intermediate slide member moving in a channel formed in the stationary slide member, the load-carrying slide member moving in a channel formed in the intermediate slide member,
• a latch blade pivotably coupled to the intermediate slide member the latch blade including means for latching the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member toward its fully retracted position once it reaches its fully extended position and latch-release means for preventing the latching means from latching the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member relative to the intermediate slide member and pivoting movement of the latch blade caused by engagement of the latch blade with the moving load-carrying slide member,
• wherein the stationary slide member includes a latching lip and the latch-release means includes a blade-pivoting ramp portion on the latch blade and the latching means includes a retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade a base portion on the latch blade, pivot means for pivotably mounting the base portion to the intermediate slide member at a pivot point so that the latch blade pivots between a locking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position and an unlocking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to allow movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position,
• wherein the latching means further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the latch blade to its locking position engaging the stationary slide member once the intermediate slide member reaches its fully extended position, and
• wherein the latch-release means includes cam means on the load-carrying slide member for engaging the blade-pivoting ramp portion on the latch blade while the retraction-blocking latch-portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to pivot the latch blade against the spring means from its locking position to its unlocking position in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member toward its fully retracted position so that the retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member automatically to permit the intermediate slide member to move from its fully extended position toward its fully retracted position.

A telescoping slide assembly comprising

• interconnected load-carrying, intermediate, and stationary slide members movable relative to one another to extend and retracting the load-carrying and intermediate slide members relative to the stationary slide member between fully extended and retracted positions, the intermediate slide member moving in a channel formed in the stationary slide member, the load-carrying slide member moving in a channel formed in the intermediate slide member,
• a latch blade pivotably coupled to the intermediate slide member, the latch blade including means for latching the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member toward its fully retracted position once it reaches its fully extended position and latch-release means for preventing the latching means from latching the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member relative to the intermediate slide member and pivoting movement of the latch blade caused by engagement of the latch blade with the moving load-carrying slide member,
• wherein the stationary slide member includes a latching lip and the latch-release means includes a blade-pivoting ramp portion on the latch blade, and the latching means includes a retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade, a base portion on the latch blade, pivot means for pivotably mounting the base portion to the intermediate slide member at a pivot point so that the latch blade pivots between a locking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position and an unlocking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to allow movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position,
• wherein the latching means further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the latch blade to its locking position engaging the stationary slide member once the intermediate slide member reaches its fully extended position, and
• wherein the spring means is coupled to the intermediate slide member and positioned to lie between the retraction-blocking latch portion and the pivot point.

A telescoping slide assembly comprising

• interconnected load-carrying, intermediate, and stationary slide members movable relative to one another to extend and retract the load-carrying and intermediate slide members relative to the stationary slide member between fully extended and retracted positions, the intermediate slide member moving in a channel formed in the stationary slide member, the load-carrying slide member moving in a channel formed in the intermediate slide member, and the stationary slide member including a latching lip,
• means for locking the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member to prevent relative movement between the intermediate slide member and the stationary slide member upon movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully extended position, the locking means including a latch blade having in series a blade-pivoting ramp portion next to a retraction-blocking latch portion, next to a base portion, pivot means on the base portion for pivotably mounting the base portion to the intermediate slide member at a pivot point so that the latch blade pivots between a locking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position and an unlocking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to allow movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position, and spring means for yieldably biasing the latch blade to its locking position engaging the stationary slide member once the intermediate slide member reaches its fully extended position,
• cam means on the load-carrying slide member for engaging the blade-pivoting ramp portion of the latch blade while the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to pivot the latch blade against the spring means from its locking position to its unlocking position in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member toward its fully retracted position so that the retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member automatically to permit the intermediate slide member to move from its fully extended position toward its fully retracted position.

A telescoping slide assembly comprising

• vertically nested interconnected load-carrying, intermediate, and stationary slide members-movable relative to one another to extend and retract the load-carrying and intermediate slide members relative to the stationary slide member between fully extended and retracted positions, the intermediate slide member moving horizontally in a channel formed in the stationary slide member, the load-carrying slide member moving horizontally in a channel formed in the intermediate slide member, vertically disposed rollers horizontally axeled on the slide-members, the vertical nesting providing horizontally extending runways on the intermediate and stationary slide members to vertically support the vertical disposed rollers to provide horizontal relative movement between slide members, and the stationary slide member including a latching lip within its runway,
• means for locking the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member to prevent relative movement between the intermediate slide member and the stationary slide member upon movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully extended position, the locking means including a latch blade having a blade-pivoting ramp portion, a retraction-blocking latch portion, and a base portion, a horizontally disposed pivot means for pivotably mounting the base portion to the intermediate slide member at a pivot point above its runway so that the latch blade pivots between a locking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion moves vertical downward to engage the latching lip on the runway of the stationary slide member to block movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position and an unlocking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to allow movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position, and spring means for yieldably biasing the latch blade to its locking position engaging the stationary slide member once the intermediate slide member reaches its fully extended position,
• cam means on the load-carrying slide member for engaging the blade-pivoting ramp portion of the latch blade while the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to pivot the latch blade against the spring means from its locking position to its unlocking position in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member toward its fully retracted position so that the retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member automatically to permit the intermediate slide member to move from its fully extended position toward its fully retracted position.

A telescoping slide assembly comprising

• interconnected load-carrying, intermediate, and stationary slide members movable relative to one another to extend and retract the load-carrying and intermediate slide members relative to the stationary slide member between fully extended and retracted positions, the intermediate slide member moving in a channel formed in the stationary slide member, the load-carrying slide member moving in a channel formed in the intermediate slide member, and the stationary slide member including an aperture with a latching lip,
• means for locking the intermediate slide member to the stationary slide member to prevent relative movement between the intermediate slide member and the stationary slide member upon movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully extended position, the locking means including a latch blade having a blade-pivoting ramp portion, a retraction-blocking latch portion, and a base portion, the retraction-blocking portion having an abutting surface at an extremity thereof, pivot means for pivotably mounting the base portion to the intermediate slide member at a pivot point so that the latch blade pivots between a locking position, wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion extends through the aperture sufficiently to allow the abutting surface thereof to extend behind the latching lip whereby the latch blade is restrained by the interaction of the lip of the stationary slide member engaging the abutting surface to inhibit pivoting to an unlocked position and thus couple the intermediate and the stationary slide member together to block movement of the intermediate slide member to its fully retracted position and an unlocking position wherein the retraction-blocking latch portion disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to allow movement of the intermediate slide member-to its fully retracted position, and spring means for yieldably biasing the latch blade to its locking position engaging the stationary slide member once the intermediate slide member reaches its fully extended position,
• cam means on the load-carrying slide member for engaging the blade-pivoting ramp portion of the latch blade while the retraction-blocking latch portion engages the latching lip on the stationary slide member to pivot the latch blade against the spring means from its locking position to its unlocking position in response to movement of the load-carrying slide member toward its fully retracted position so that the retraction-blocking latch portion on the latch blade disengages the latching lip on the stationary slide member automatically to permit the intermediate slide member to move from its fully extended position toward its fully retracted position.