U.S. patent application number 10/547921 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-31 for guide device for a sliding door.
Invention is credited to Hubert Elmer.
Application Number | 20060191101 10/547921 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33546769 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060191101 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Elmer; Hubert |
August 31, 2006 |
Guide device for a sliding door
Abstract
The invention relates to a guide device for a sliding door
guided by means of a carriage in a guiding rail. The guiding rail
has a channel disposed on its inside, in which the carriage is
guided, and is provided with two profile parts releasably connected
to each other.
Inventors: |
Elmer; Hubert; (Innsbruck,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COHEN, PONTANI, LIEBERMAN & PAVANE
551 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 1210
NEW YORK
NY
10176
US
|
Family ID: |
33546769 |
Appl. No.: |
10/547921 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
June 28, 2004 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP04/06983 |
371 Date: |
September 8, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 16/364 20150115;
E05D 15/0652 20130101; E05Y 2201/684 20130101; E05D 15/063
20130101; E05Y 2600/20 20130101; E05Y 2201/11 20130101; E05Y
2201/638 20130101; E05Y 2800/16 20130101; E05Y 2900/132 20130101;
E05Y 2800/672 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
016/091 |
International
Class: |
A47H 15/00 20060101
A47H015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 30, 2003 |
DE |
103 29 518.6 |
Claims
1.-13. (canceled)
14. A guide device for a sliding door comprising: first and second
parts detachably coupled to one another to configure an elongated
rail provided with spaced elongated curved and planar faces, the
elongated rail having an elongated inner channel opening outwards
between the curved and planar faces upon coupling the first and
second parts, the elongated inner channel being provided with a
first elongated undercut, and a second elongated undercut provided
in the planar face and spaced at about 90.degree. angle from the
first elongated undercut; an attachment member engageable in the
second elongated undercut and extending laterally therefrom for
mounting the elongated rail upon a sub-construction; and at least
one carriage for supporting the sliding door, the at least one
carriage being mounted within the elongated inner channel and
guided along the first elongated undercut.
15. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the at least one carriage
comprises: a carrying body, a first axle extending through carrying
body transversely to a rail axis of the elongated rail, a roller
unit rotatably mounted to the first axle and guidable along the
first undercut, and a second axle extending parallel to the rail
axis through the carrying body and through the first axle, the
first axle and the second axle being pivotable relative to one
another.
16. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the attachment member
comprises a sliding block engaging the second elongated undercut of
the elongated rail with play.
17. The guide device of claim 16, further comprising at least one
second attachment member engageable in the second elongated
undercut of the elongated rail, the attachment members each
comprising a bearing block spaced laterally from the sliding block,
and an attachment bolt having one of opposite ends thereof mounted
to the bearing block.
18. The guide device of claim 17, wherein the attachment bolt is
eccentric.
19. The guide device of claim 17, further comprising an elongated
cover strip configured to detachably cover the bearing blocks of
the attachment members.
20. The guide device of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of
end caps each configured to cover an axial end of the cover strip
and the elongated rail.
21. The guide device of claim 15, wherein the at least one
cartridge further comprises: two elongated spaced-apart cheeks
spaced laterally equidistantly from the rail axis and flanking the
carrying body, and at least two carrying bolts spaced substantially
equidistantly from the first axle in opposite directions along the
rail axis and penetrating through the two cheeks so as to connect
the cheeks together, the roller unit comprising a plurality of
rollers rotatably supported on laterally spaced elongated running
paths defined by the first elongated under.
22. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the cheeks each comprise
at least two spaced apart apertures configured to receive
respective rollers so that each of the plurality of rollers extends
substantially flush with an exterior surface of a respective one of
the two cheeks.
23. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of rollers
each comprises a ball and a rolling surface provided with an
endless plastic layer.
24. The guide device of claim 21, wherein the two cheeks each
comprise a longitudinally curved edge facing the first elongated
undercut.
25. The guide device of claim 14, wherein the elongated guiding
rail being mounted upon spaced apart panels of the substructure,
the sliding door and the pair of panels being made from one
material or from different materials.
26. The guide device of claim 25, wherein the one material
comprises glass.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a guide device for a sliding door,
which device is fastened at a sub-construction.
[0002] Such guiding devices are well known. Generally, they consist
of a substantially circular guiding rail, with a carriage,
respectively rollers running on the upper side thereof. The
carriage, respectively the rollers are connected to the sliding
door via holding elements. Due to structural requirements, these
holding elements can be provided only on one side of the guiding
rail. This circumstance leads to an off-centred suspension of the
sliding door and is therefore unsatisfactory from the technical
point of view. In addition, the overall suspension of the sliding
door is unsuitable from the visual point of view, as the rollers
and the holding elements are visible from the outside and they can
only be covered at very significant expense.
[0003] A device of this species according to the generic part of
patent claim 1 is known from DE 299 19 191 U1. The prior art roller
rail profile substantially consists of two profiles, which are
homogeneously united to an integral profile forming a channel,
which enables the rollers of a carriage to run therein. The running
surfaces of the rollers practically form a first undercut of the
profile; as the profile is designed to be mounted at a ceiling
construction located above the profile, two undercuts are provided,
in a side-by-side disposition, above the channel accommodating the
carriages, which undercuts accommodate the attachment members for
the connection to the ceiling construction. As a prerequisite, the
known roller rail profile requires mandatory accessibility from the
upper side of the ceiling construction to enable the insertion of
the attachment members into the undercuts provided for this
purpose.
[0004] The document DE 297 02 221 U1 describes a sliding door,
which is slidably disposed at a wall of a building. The roller rail
for the sliding door is formed as a circular tube, which, in the
lower portion thereof, presents a slot for the passage of the
carrying members of the sliding door. The circular shape of the
guiding rail and an additional joint, disposed between the sliding
door and the building wall, on the one hand, should avoid
penetration of contaminations into the guiding rail and, on the
other hand, achieve sealing of the sliding door in relation to the
building wall, and moreover the easiest possible cleaning of the
guiding rail.
[0005] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
create a guide device according to the species explained above,
which provides a technically and visually appealing conception for
a guide device and is particularly suitable for mounting at a
sub-construction, which may consist for example of a glass wall
extending parallel to the sliding door.
[0006] This problem is solved with the characteristics specified in
patent claim 1. Advantageous further developments result from the
dependent claims.
[0007] According to the invention, a first undercut, guiding
carrying rollers of a carriage, and a second undercut, being
disposed off-set by 90.degree., are disposed at the guiding rail,
the guiding rail, in the region of the first undercut, being formed
as a profile part having a curved front face, and, in the region of
the second undercut, as a profile part having a planar back face,
and in that the profile part presenting the first undercut is
releasably connected to the profile part presenting the second
undercut. Therefore, the sliding door can by suspended in the
centre, such that the sliding door and the suspension are not
affected by any lateral moment. In addition, the carriage is
covered by the guiding rail such that only the guiding rail is
perceived from the outside. The latter can be designed visually
appealing and thus become an inconspicuous part of the overall
impression. The result is a suspension of the sliding door which is
satisfactory from the technical, as well as from the aesthetic
point of view. The releasability of both profile parts in
particular allows for an installation, for example at a walling,
which means a sub-construction, which is inaccessible from the rear
side.
[0008] With the intention to guarantee a reliable guiding of the
carriage in the guiding rail, the channel is provided with an
undercut at the open end thereof, oriented to the underside, the
undercut forming two lateral running paths for the carriage, which
paths are located in the region of the open end. In this way, an
additional narrowing of the guiding rail is achieved in the lower
portion, such that penetration of contamination into the channel of
the guiding rail can be largely avoided.
[0009] The guiding rail is formed as a profile part having a planar
back face and an arcuate-shaped curved front face. The planar back
face of the guiding rail allows for a tight fit at the lateral
panels and the rounded front face enhances the visual
impression.
[0010] One characteristic of independent importance will become
apparent through the fact that the carrying rollers of the carriage
are supported at an axle, penetrating a cross hole of a carrying
body of the carriage, which axle is restrictedly pivotable in
vertical direction about an axle which passes through the centre of
the carrying body in axial direction of the carriage. A reliable
support of respectively both rollers of a rolling carriage on both
guiding paths is achieved with this measure; thereby avoiding an
oblique position of the sliding door, if, for example due to
construction tolerances, not both rollers of a rolling carriage are
permanently supported in the assigned running paths.
[0011] In order to be able to reliably attach the guiding rail at
the lateral panels, an undercut, extending in the longitudinal
direction of the guiding rail, is provided in the back face, which
undercut serves to accommodate attachment members for the guiding
rail. This undercut allows for the disposition of attachment
members at an optional location and thus allows for easy adaptation
to structural conditions.
[0012] Each attachment member presents a sliding block engaging
with play into the undercut, such that tolerances can be easily and
quickly compensated.
[0013] According to one advantageous embodiment, the sliding block
cooperates with an attachment bolt penetrating the lateral panel,
which bolt, on the side opposite to the guiding rail, is held in a
bearing block sitting close to the lateral panel. This measure
allows for a reliable bearing of the guiding rail at the lateral
panels, which preferably consist of glass.
[0014] With the intention to allow for tolerance compensation in a
simple way, advantageously, the attachment bolt is eccentrically
disposed or formed as an eccentric.
[0015] According to an advantageous further development for
covering the bearing blocks, a common cover strip is provided for
the bearing blocks, which is preferably snapped onto the bearing
blocks.
[0016] To avoid penetration of dirt or other contamination into the
open ends of the guiding rail respectively the cover strip, the
ends of the guiding rail and of the cover strip can be closed off
by profile end caps. The visual impression of the guide device is
thus additionally enhanced.
[0017] The carriage carrying the sliding door advantageously
presents two cheeks sitting laterally at the sliding door, which
cheeks are penetrated by carrying bolts in the region of both ends
of the cheeks. Therefore, a reliable support of the sliding door at
the carriage is guaranteed.
[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, in the center
region between the cheeks, the carriage presents a carrying body,
which accommodates an axle at the ends of which carrying rollers
are supported, running on the lateral running paths in the guiding
rail. A good and reliable introduction of forces into the guiding
rail results from this construction.
[0019] The carrying rollers are advantageously seated in apertures
of the cheeks and are substantially flush with the exterior
surfaces of the cheeks. This allows for a good lateral guidance of
the carriage in the guiding rail.
[0020] According to another advantageous further embodiment, the
downwards oriented surfaces of the cheeks extend in an
arcuate-shaped way to the outside, when seen from the perspective
of the carrying roller. It is therefore avoided that, with settling
of the overall construction, there might be contact between the
carriage and the guiding rail and thus stalling during the
translational motion.
[0021] According to a preferred further development, the guiding
rail is fastened at two lateral panels disposed laterally in the
vicinity of the sliding door, which panels are preferably made from
the same material as the sliding door, particularly from glass.
Especially with a sliding door being part of a glass front, the
inventive construction provides a guide device, which positively
influences the overall visual impression.
[0022] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following description of one preferred
embodiment example, in which
[0023] FIG. 1 is a view of a glass front comprising a sliding door
guided at the inventive guide device,
[0024] FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the inventive guide
device,
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guiding rail, which is
part of the guide device,
[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inventive guide
device;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bearing block,
[0028] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cover strip,
[0029] FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of two profile end
caps,
[0030] FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views of the carriage,
[0031] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stopper,
[0032] FIG. 13 is a cross-section through a guiding rail in the
region of the stopper,
[0033] FIG. 14 is a view of the sliding door in the region of the
carriage,
[0034] FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment according to FIG. 2 with a
guiding rail executed in two pieces,
[0035] FIG. 16 shows the carriage comprising rollers which are
restrictedly pivotable in a vertical direction, and
[0036] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the roller axle, which is
restrictedly pivotally supported.
[0037] The inventive guide device for a sliding door is illustrated
in all details in FIGS. 1 to 17.
[0038] FIG. 1 shows a glass front consisting of two lateral panels
1, 2, an opening, which can be closed by a sliding door 3, and an
overpanel 4 provided above the sliding door 3. The sliding door 3
is disposed in a plane in front of the plane of the lateral panels
1, 2, und therefore overlaps the opening. A guide device 5 fastened
at both lateral panels 1, 2, and possibly likewise at the overpanel
4 extends above the sliding door.
[0039] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section through the guide device 5 in
the region of one of the lateral panels 1, 2, and through the
sliding door 3, whereas in FIG. 3 a perspective view of a guiding
rail 6 is shown. The guiding rail 6 is provided with a channel 7
extending in the longitudinal direction thereof and open to the
underside. In the region of the open side thereof, this channel 7
is provided with undercuts 8 extending laterally into the channel
7, the inner surfaces thereof serving as the guiding paths for the
carriages 9 carrying the sliding door 3. The inner surfaces of the
guiding paths can be executed even or crowned.
[0040] The guiding rail 6 is equipped with a planar back face 10,
with which the guiding rail 6 sits close at the lateral panels 1,
2. An undercut 11, into which attachment members 12 are supposed to
engage, is provided in the back face 10 and extends in the
longitudinal direction of the guiding rail 6. The front face of the
guiding rail 6 can be rounded for design reasons and for reducing
material.
[0041] FIG. 4 shows the guiding rail 6 including the associated
attachment member 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment
member 12 consists of two sliding blocks 13 engaging with lateral
play into the undercut 11, of two attachment bolts 14 cooperating
with the sliding blocks 13 and penetrating the lateral panels 1, 2,
and of a bearing block 15 accommodating the attachment bolt 14,
which is illustrated in detail in FIG. 5. In the installed
condition, the guiding rail 6 is sitting with the back face 10
thereof at one side of the lateral panels 1, 2, whereas the bearing
blocks 15 are sitting at the other side of the lateral panels 1, 2,
close to them.
[0042] The attachment bolts 14 can be disposed eccentrically or
they can be provided with an eccentric to compensate tolerances and
in order to guarantee a perfect alignment of the guiding rail
6.
[0043] Only one attachment member 12 is illustrated in FIG. 4,
although it is obvious that over the length of the guiding rail 6
several attachment members 12 have to be disposed, spaced apart
from each other.
[0044] The bearing blocks 15 of all attachment members 12 can be
covered by a common cover strip 16, shown in FIG. 6, which is
preferably snapped onto the bearing blocks 15 (see FIG. 2). In
addition, the cover strip 16 is penetrated by one of the attachment
bolts 14, whereas the other attachment bolt terminates in the
bearing block 15.
[0045] The attachment bolt 14 penetrating the cover strip 16 is
supported in a bushing 17, which itself is supported in the cover
strip 16. The bushing 17 is additionally secured by a screw 18,
which penetrates the bushing 17 and terminates in the bearing block
15. The attachment bolt 14 penetrating the bushing and the screw 18
are provided with a common decorative cap 19. Furthermore, the
attachment member 12 presents spacer sleeves 20 surrounding the
attachment bolts 14. In addition, the open ends of the guiding rail
6 and of the cover strip 16 can be closed off by profile end caps
21, 22, which are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0046] Stoppers 23, which will be explained in detail hereinafter
in connection with FIGS. 12 and 13, can be used in the guiding rail
6 for limiting the translational path of the sliding door 3.
[0047] The carriages 9, carrying the sliding door 3, are guided in
the channel 7 of the guiding rail 6. Such carriage 9 is illustrated
as a whole in FIG. 9 and in details in FIGS. 10 and 11.
[0048] The carriage 9 consists of two lateral cheeks 24, 25, which
are maintained at a defined distance to each other, corresponding
substantially to the thickness of the sliding door 3, by means of a
carrying body 26 disposed in the center of the cheeks 24, 25. The
cheeks 24, 25 are provided with boreholes 27 at the end region
thereof, which boreholes are penetrated by carrying screws 28
passing likewise through the sliding door 3. The heads of the
carrying screws 28 are disposed counter-sunk in the cheeks 24, 25,
such that they do not protrude from the exterior side of the cheeks
24, 25.
[0049] The carrying body 26, disposed in the center between both
cheeks 24, 25, substantially presents the shape of a semi-cylinder,
the straight side thereof being oriented to the top and the curved
side being oriented to the bottom. At the underside, in the region
of its vertex, the carrying body 26 is provided with an axle 29
protruding from the carrying body 26 on both sides and extending as
far as into the region of the cheeks 24, 25. Carrying rollers 30,
located in the apertures 31 in the cheeks 24, 25 and being disposed
substantially flush with the exterior surface of the cheeks 24, 25,
are supported at the projecting ends of the axle. The carrying
rollers 30 protrude from the cheeks 24, 25 at the lower edge, such
that they are able to roll on the crowned guiding paths in the
channel 7.
[0050] When seen from the carrying rollers 30, the lower edges of
the cheeks 24, 25 extend in a curve towards the respective ends
(see FIGS. 10 and 11), in order to avoid bottoming of the cheeks
24, 25 on the guiding paths of the undercut 8 during the movement
of the sliding door 3.
[0051] FIG. 12 represents a stopper 23, usable in connection with
the guiding rail 6. FIG. 13 shows the positioning of the stopper 23
in the guiding rail 6.
[0052] The stopper 23 substantially consists of a U-shaped profile,
which is open at the underside, into which bottom 32 clamping
members 33 are inserted by means of which the stopper 23 can be
tightly clamped or blocked within the guiding rail 6. In the
illustrated embodiment example, the clamping members 33 are formed
by two nuts, by means of which a clamping part can be pressed
against the bottom of channel 7.
[0053] FIG. 14 shows a view of the sliding door 3 in the region of
the carriage 9. The aperture 34 for the carrying body 26 disposed
in the carriage 9 and the through holes 35 for the carrying screws
28 are visible. These through holes 35 are cut out from the sliding
door 3 made from glass, they are not drilled.
[0054] According to the embodiment example corresponding to FIG. 2,
FIG. 15 shows the profile parts 39 and 40, releasable by means of a
screw connection 41, which parts, after detaching the profile part
39, allow for connecting the guiding rail 6 at a wall which is
inaccessible from the rear side.
[0055] FIG. 16 shows the carriage according to FIG. 9 with a
riveted connection 42 between the carrying body 26 and the cheeks
24 and 25, as well as the arrow X indicating the restrictedly
pivoting distance of the carrying rollers 30.
[0056] FIG. 17 shows likewise the restrictedly pivotable support of
the axle 29 about the axle 38 passing through the carrying body 26
in the axial direction of the carriage 9.
[0057] It has yet to be pointed out that all members in contact
with the glass are not directly sitting on the glass, but that a
glass protection 36 is provided between the respective member and
the glass.
REFERENCES
[0058] 1 lateral panel [0059] 2 lateral panel [0060] 3 sliding door
[0061] 4 overpanel [0062] 5 guide device [0063] 6 guiding rail
[0064] 7 channel [0065] 8 undercut [0066] 9 carriage [0067] 10 back
face [0068] 11 undercut [0069] 12 attachment member [0070] 13
sliding block [0071] 14 attachment bolt [0072] 15 bearing block
[0073] 16 cover strip [0074] 17 bushing [0075] 18 screw [0076] 19
decorative cap [0077] 20 spacer sleeve [0078] 21 profile end cap
[0079] 22 profile end cap [0080] 23 stopper [0081] 24 cheek [0082]
25 cheek [0083] 26 carrying body [0084] 27 borehole [0085] 28
carrying bolt [0086] 29 axle [0087] 30 carrying roller [0088] 31
aperture [0089] 32 bottom [0090] 33 clamping member [0091] 34
aperture [0092] 35 through-hole [0093] 36 glass protection [0094]
37 cross hole [0095] 38 axle [0096] 39 profile part [0097] 40
profile part [0098] 41 screw connection [0099] 42 riveted
connection [0100] X Arrow
* * * * *