Slide rail having front release latch

A slide rail assembly comprising:

• a first slide rail having a first elongated body, wherein said first elongated body has first track members being spaced apart to extend in an oppositely facing arrangement along at least part of a longitudinal length of said first elongated body;
• a catch member mounted to said first elongate body;
• a second slide rail having a second elongated body, wherein said second elongated body has forward section, a rearward section and an intermediate section disposed between said forward and rearward sections, and said second elongated body further including second track members which extend lengthwise along at least part of said second elongated body in a spaced apart, oppositely facing alignment for moveably engaging said first track members of said first elongated body;
• a latch member mounted to said second elongate body in said intermediate section of said second elongate body for lineally moving relative to said second elongate body to engage said catch member of said first elongate body;
• wherein second slide rail is telescopically extensible relative to said first slide rail along a longitudinal axis of said first and second slide rails, from a retracted position to a fixed, forward position in which said forward section and at least part of said intermediate section is disposed forward of said first slide rail in which said latch member is aligned with said catch member, such that said latch member will releasibly engage said catch member to engage said second slide rail in said fixed, forward position;
• said second slide rail having a plurality of tabs which extend from edge regions of said second slide rail toward opposite edge regions of said second slide rail, such that said tabs extend transverse to said longitudinal axis of said first and second slide rails, spaced apart from a main portion of said second elongated body and aside of a rigid release member;
• and
• said rigid release member formed of a strip of metal, having a length which extends parallel to longitudinal axes of said first and second slide rails, said rigid release member slidably extending between said plurality of tabs and said main portion of said elongated body of said second slide rail, from said forward section to said intermediate section of said second slide rail, such that said rigid release member is disposed in alignment for slidably moving relative to said second slide rail to engage said latch member to move said latch member from engaging said catch member and unlatch said second slide rail for moving from said fixed, forward position relative to said first slide rail.

In a slide rail assembly having first and second slide rails, said first and second slide rails having respective elongated bodies which define a longitudinal axis and edge portions which slidably engage, such that said second slide rail is moveable relative to said first slide rail along said longitudinal axis, the improvement comprising:

• a latch having a first latch member included as part of said first slide rail, said first latch member having a catch tab, and a second latch member included as part of said second slide rail, said second latch member having a protuberant member, wherein one of said first and second latch members is lineally moveable relative to an other of said first and second latch members along a latch axis which, at least in part, extends orthogonal to said longitudinal axis defined by said first and second slide rails, and movement of said second slide rail relative to said first slide rail and along said longitudinal axis into a latch position aligns said catch tab of said first latch member with said protuberant member of and second latch member such that said one of said first and second latch members lineally moves along said latch axis and releasibly engages said other of first and second latch members to secure said second slide rail in said latch position, in fixed relation to said first slide rail;
• and
• a rigid release member moveably mounted to said second slide rail, said rigid release member extending from a portion of said second slide rail which is distally disposed from said first slide rail to said one of said first and second latch members when said second slide rail is disposed in said latch position, such that said rigid release member is moveable for urging said one of said first and second latch members to lineally move along said latch axis and release said first and second latch members from engaging, moving one of said catch tab and said protuberant member relative to said other of said catch tab and said protuberant member, to release said second slide rail for moving relative to said first slide rail and from said latch position.