Abstract:
A sliding device ( 13 ), guided on the ceiling ( 3 ) or under the floor ( 7 ) of a cabinet ( 1 ) with a rail element ( 19 ), which allows a sliding door ( 15 ) to be synchronously pulled away from the closet ( 1 ) in a parallel manner and then slid. In order to also guide the lower edge of the sliding door ( 15 ), the motion of the sliding door can be transmitted from the upper edge of the sliding door to the lower edge by a transmission shaft. No cavities or guide grooves have to be formed on the cabinet ( 1 ) or the floor ( 7 ), ceiling ( 9 ), side walls ( 3 ), or partition wall ( 5 ) thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The subject matter of the present invention is a running gear arrangement with a guide rail for a sliding door. 
     Sliding doors are used to make a cabinet accessible without having to require room for doors to swing outward. When a cabinet exceeds a certain width, often more than two sliding doors are provided for closing the cabinet. Such known sliding doors move on rails attached to the ceiling and/or in the floor of the cabinet. When one sliding door is opened, it moves in front of or behind the adjacent sliding door. A disadvantage in these sliding doors is the fact that optimal sealing of the cabinet interior is not possible. Furthermore, sliding doors offset in parallel are often not satisfactory in aesthetic terms. 
     From the prior art, additional sliding doors are known in which each of the at least two sliding doors lie in a common plane in the closed state and can be moved away for opening the cabinet before a sliding motion is possible. In such a known sliding door, the latter must first be pulled away from the cabinet in the area where the two sliding doors bump against each other on their ends or lie next to one another. Here, the sliding door pivots outward, i.e., initially it does not make a parallel motion, but instead a pivoting motion. In the subsequent pushing-to-the-side motion, the remaining part of the sliding door also pivots outward and is pushed in front of the adjacent sliding door parallel to this adjacent sliding door. The sliding doors are here each held by a displacement device that is arranged above or below the cabinet and is guided on two adjacent rails screwed individually to the cabinet. For triggering the pivoting and subsequent parallel adjustment movement, a guide curve in which a guide element attached to the displacement device engages is attached on top of the cabinet or under the cabinet, in order to generate the specified parallel offset. So that the sliding door is also guided exactly parallel at its bottom edge or top edge, if it is supported at the bottom, additional guide means are necessary. These are activated from the supported side by means of suitable synchronization elements. For this purpose, a groove in which a guide element is supported and guided in a pivoting manner must be set in the side opposite the displacement device in the base or the top of the cabinet. A smooth sliding and also an exact parallel guidance of the sliding doors is thus questionable. Due to the non-precise guidance, the sliding doors must be shifted in parallel strongly by the supporting device, in order to prevent mutual contact during the lateral sliding. 
     SUMMARY 
     One objective of the present invention is in creating a running gear arrangement with a guide rail for sliding doors that can slide in parallel, wherein this arrangement overcomes the disadvantages of the known arrangements and is possible with a smooth, easily installed mechanism that can be installed with low expense by a carpenter. 
     This objective is met by a running gear arrangement with a guide rail with the features of the invention. Advantageous constructions of the displacement device are described in the specification and claims which follow. 
     With the help of a pivoting operating handle that is attached to the support, it is possible to reduce the guide plate needed for the parallel displacement with a curved track to the 90° area of the curved track and to perform the guidance during the displacement of the sliding door by the pivoted operating handle that can be guided longitudinally on an existing guide rail. The installation of the running gear arrangement is therefore reduced to a few manual actions and no complicated or exactly performed milling cuts have to be performed at the carpenter&#39;s shop or in the furniture factory. In addition, during the installation work, the rail element can be cut to length to fit the furniture to be manufactured. Additional work, whether at this time in the assembly plant or at the manufacturer of the running gear, is eliminated completely. 
     The joining of the two parallel guided rails for the support of the displacement device during the longitudinal displacement into a single part made from cut sheet metal or advantageously as an aluminum continuous extrusion part allows the manufacturer of sliding door cabinets (carpenters, furniture factories) to mount the rails on or under a cabinet in a very simple way, wherein the manufacturer only has to set the distance of this single mono-block element to the front edge of the cabinet during installation. The guide curve can also be set in the rail element and only the location of the attachment of the sliding door to the displacement device must be measured and the guide curve must be fixed with a screw. The rail element could also have a narrower construction, i.e., the two rails could lie closer to each other than in known displacement devices, wherein the rail element could also be mounted in cabinets with little depth. The stability of the guide of the sliding door is guaranteed by a longer length of the displacement device in the sliding direction. Alternatively, the displacement device could also be divided into two sections. The guide means for the edge of the sliding door spaced farther away from the displacement device have very simple constructions and are attached to the back side of the sliding door. Only the device for transmitting the movement from top to bottom must be attached to the cabinet itself. In addition, no recesses or the like have to be formed in the cabinet, so that when the sliding doors are closed, an optimal all-around sealing of the sliding doors can be achieved. In addition, the structural height of the displacement device can be reduced compared with known constructions, which results in larger cabinet interior space. With the displacement device according to the invention, sliding doors according to the invention can consequently be attached to any cabinet, e.g., also existing, built-in cabinets, without additional actions, such as forming grooves for guide rails, etc. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described in more detail with reference to an illustrated embodiment. Shown are: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cabinet before installation of the sliding doors and sliding mechanisms, 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective partial top view of the cabinet in  FIG. 1  when the sliding doors are closed and of the running gear arrangement arranged on the cabinet for the right sliding door, 
         FIG. 3  is an end-side view of the running gear arrangement with partial view of the cabinet, 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective representation of the running gear arrangement with removed cover when the sliding door is closed, 
         FIG. 4   a  is an enlarged cross section through a cross beam, 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the running gear arrangement for partially opened sliding door shifted in parallel, 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the right cabinet part with partially shifted sliding door and representation of the synchronization of the upper and lower guides of the sliding door, 
         FIG. 7  is a detail view of the lower guide of the sliding door in another construction, 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the running gear arrangement with another construction of the invention for a partially opened sliding door, 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the running gear arrangement with another construction of the invention for a partially opened sliding door, 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the running gear arrangement according to  FIG. 9  when the sliding door is closed, 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of the running gear arrangement according to  FIG. 9  when the sliding door is opened, 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the right cabinet part with partially shifted sliding door and representation of the synchronization of the upper and the lower guides of the sliding door according to  FIG. 8  or  9 , lower running gear arrangement, 
         FIG. 13  is an enlarged cross section through the guide elements on the ceiling of the cabinet according to  FIG. 12 , 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of a cabinet from below with a running gear arrangement according to  FIG. 8 , 
         FIG. 15  is an enlarged perspective view of the lower synchronization element when the sliding door is closed, and 
         FIG. 16  is an enlarged perspective representation of the lower synchronization element when the sliding door is opened. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In  FIG. 1 , a cabinet  1  is shown with two side walls  3 , two partition walls  5 , a base  7 , and a top  9 , as well as a back wall  11 . All of the elements of the cabinet  1  are made from rectangular cut pieces. No modifications, such as cuts, grooves for guide rails, openings, etc. are required for installing a running gear arrangement according to the invention for sliding doors  15 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , which shows the upper right half of the cabinet  1 , the right side wall  3  is extended upward past the top  9  as a side closure for the running gear arrangement. On the top side of the top  9 , a displacement device  13  is visible with a cover  17 . The latter is used as dust protection for the functional elements of the displacement device  13  lying underneath. In addition, the cover  17  also acts as an upper rotational bearing for a shaft  45  ( FIG. 4 ), as well as for attachment of the sliding door  15 . The displacement device  13  is supported on a rail element  19  that extends across the entire width of the cabinet  1  and is attached to the top  9  or below the base  7 . The rail element  19  comprises on each side a lower roller track  21  for support rollers  23  that receive the mass of the sliding door  15 . The support rollers  23  are mounted so that they can rotate easily on horizontal shafts or shaft stubs. Upper roller tracks  25  that are arranged parallel to the lower roller tracks  21  and at a distance from these tracks that is only slightly greater than the diameter of the support rollers  23  are formed above the lower roller tracks  21 . Between the roller tracks  21 ,  25  there are, at a constant distance from each other, two additional guide tracks  27  between paired vertical legs  29 . These are used for the lateral guidance of guide rollers  31  that are supported so that they can rotate about vertical axes and guide the displacement device  13  laterally and exactly. The distance of the two legs  29  of each guide track  27  is slightly greater, in turn, than the diameter of the guide rollers  31 , such that these are guided approximately without play, i.e., when rolling, these are in contact only with one of the two legs  29  as a function of the forces acting on the displacement device  13 . 
     The rail element  19  with the features listed above is advantageously manufactured as a continuous extrusion made from aluminum. Obviously it could also be produced as a bent sheet-metal part made from steel. 
     The displacement device  13  further comprises two cross beams  33  arranged at a distance from each other and connected to each other by the cover  17 . The four support rollers  23  are supported at the ends of these cross beams ( FIGS. 3 to 5 ). A guide channel  35  that is open at the top and has paired, opposing side walls  37  running parallel to each other is formed in the cross beams  33 . Two rollers  39  supported so that they can rotate about a vertical axis and spaced apart from each other engage in this channel from above. The rollers  39  are attached to roller supports  41 . The rollers  39  lie with little play between the side walls  37 . The two roller supports  41  are connected with screws  40  to the cover  17  used as a bridge. On the roller supports  41 , an additional four support rollers  42  are supported so that they can rotate on horizontal axes. The support rollers  42  are guided at the top and bottom in a track  44  formed laterally on the roller support  41  ( FIG. 4   a ). 
     Furthermore, a shaft  45  as a rotational bearing for a sleeve  43  is attached to the cover  17 . An operating lever  47  whose free end carries a support roller  55  is attached in a pivoting manner on the sleeve  43 . A curve roller  48  is arranged on the lower end of the shaft  45 . 
     A laterally guided guide plate  51  is attached with a locking screw  59  on the base plate  49  of the rail element  19  connecting the two edges to the roller  21  and guide tracks  27  between the roller track  21  and one guide track  27 . On its surface, the guide plate  51  comprises a curved track  53  running over approximately 90° and in which the curve roller  48  is guided on both sides. The curve roller  48  is supported on the lower end of the shaft  45  so that it can rotate and projects into the curved track  53 . Furthermore, on the guide plate  51  close to the roller track  27  there is a recess  57  that is open in the sliding direction and in which the support roller  55  travels when the displacement device  13  slides over the guide plate  51  when the sliding door  15  is being closed. 
     The guide plate  51  is held in the vertical and horizontal directions by legs  29  of the roller track  27 . In the direction of travel of the sliding doors  15 , the guide plate  51  is held by the advantageously self-tapping screw  59  that can be screwed into the base plate  49 . The guide plate  51  is attached to the rail element  19  before or after the attachment of the rail element  19  on the cabinet  1 . 
     The cover  17  on which the cross beams  33  are attached is pulled into the retracted position by at least one spring (not shown) according to  FIG. 4 . A spring  61  that is shown in  FIG. 5  and is connected to the end of the operating lever  47  and the cover  17  is used to hold the operating lever  47  in a position oriented at a right angle to the driving direction of the sliding doors  15  or to pull it into this position. 
     A support rail  63  is attached to the back side of the sliding door  15  with screws in the region of its upper edge. Holding pegs  65  with conical, peripheral grooves are arranged on the support rail  63 . The holding pegs  65  engage in closely dimensioned drill holes  67  on a holding bar  69 . Fixing screws  70  are screwed into threaded holes at a right angle above the horizontal holes  67  in the holding bar  69 . The holding pegs  65  can be fixed without play in the holding bar  69  with these fixing screws. The holding bar  69  is held adjustable on the cover  17  with suitable means, such as screws  70 , both in the vertical and also horizontal directions, in order to be able to orient the sliding door  15  relative to the cabinet  1 . 
     Below the function of the displacement device  13  will be described in more detail. The sliding door  15  is pulled at a right angle away from the cabinet  1  from its closed position, i.e., contacting the front edges of the walls of the cabinet  1 , at a not shown handle (e.g., shell grip) or directly at a side or top edge of the sliding door  15 . Here the curve roller  48  slides along the curved track  53  running initially at a right angle to the rail element  19  and then in an arc shape from the position according to  FIG. 4  into the position according to  FIG. 5 . The support roller  55  here remains in the recess  57 . Therefore, at the beginning of the pulling movement, only a parallel displacement of the sliding door  15  away from the front side of the cabinet takes place. The operating lever  47  here rotates about the rotational axis of the support roller  55  remaining in the recess  57 . Then the sliding door  15  can move to the left and releases the interior of the cabinet  1 . The sliding door  15  can now be pushed so far to the left until it essentially completely overlaps with the adjacent sliding door  15 . During the sliding movement, the support roller rolls on the legs  29  of the rear guide track  27 . 
     If the sliding door  15  is closed, i.e., pushed to the right, then at the end of the sliding movement the support roller  55  runs into the recess  57 . Then the curve roller  48  slides into the curved track  53  and pulls the sliding door  15  in a translating movement relative to the cabinet  1 . Through the straight, last section at the end of the curved track  53 , the sliding door  15  cannot open by itself, i.e., move to the left, but instead opens only after being pulled forward manually or electrically by an electric drive. 
     So that, on one hand, the lower area of the sliding door  15  is also lifted synchronously from the front of the cabinet  1  reliably in a translating motion and, on the other hand, a part of the mass of the sliding door  15  can be supported, a synchronization and support device  71  is attached to the partition wall  5  or only to a holder arranged there. This device comprises an attachment plate  73  on which a transmission shaft  83  is supported so that it can pivot and is held axially by a bracket  75 . At the lower end of the transmission shaft  83 , a pivot lever  85  is arranged locked in rotation on whose free end a roller support  77  is held so that it can pivot about a vertical axis  87 . On the roller support  77 , at the top two holding rollers  79  and at the bottom one guide roller  79  are supported so that they can rotate on horizontal axes. The holding rollers  79  lie on the upper edge and on the lower edge of a guide bar  81  attached to the inside of the sliding door  15 , wherein the upper holding rollers  79  have a recess, so that the rollers can partially surround the upper edge  81 ′ of the guide bar  81 . 
     An identically constructed synchronization device  71  is also attached to the partition wall  5  in the area of the top  9  of the cabinet  1  and engages there in a guide bar  81  that is connected by screws to the sliding door  15 . With a first end, a tension spring  95  is attached to the attachment plates  73 . The second end of the tension spring  95  is connected to the roller support  77 . 
     During the translating displacement of the sliding door  15  away from the cabinet  1 , the transmission shaft  83  rotates, because it is guided outward by the two roller supports  77  that are connected to the sliding door  15  by means of the guide bars  81 . In this way it is guaranteed that the upper edge and the lower edge of the sliding door  15  are likewise simultaneously, i.e., synchronously, displaced in a translating motion. The synchronization device  71  consequently guarantees the parallelism of the translating displacement of the sliding door  15 . Furthermore, the synchronization device  71  is also used to support the sliding door  15  on the edge away from the displacement device  13 . In each position of the sliding door  15 , the lower holding roller  79  supports the sliding door  15  by means of the guide bar  81  and thus prevents torque on the running gear arrangement. 
     For very wide sliding doors, for better load distribution and for avoiding a large torque on the running gear arrangement, two running gear arrangements are arranged at a distance and next to each other. 
     In the construction of the invention according to  FIG. 8 , instead of one single operating lever  47 , there is also another that synchronizes the pivoting movements of the two levers  47  by means of a synchronization element in the form of a toothed belt  97 . The toothed belt  97  meshes with two pinions  99  that are locked in rotation to the levers  47 . The pinions  99  sit on the end of the lever  47  that is pivoted by approximately 90° in the clockwise direction by the curved track  53  when the sliding door  15  is lifted. In the construction of the invention according to  FIG. 9 , instead of a toothed belt  97  there is an articulated rod  101  whose ends are connected in an articulated manner to the ends of the two operating levers  47 . As in the example according to  FIG. 8 , the articulated rod  101  causes an exact synchronization of the pivoting movements of the two operating levers  47 . 
     For the pivoting movement of the operating levers  47  when the sliding door  15  is pulled away from the cabinet  1 , a curved track  53  is consequently sufficient that interacts with one of the two operating levers  47 . Obviously two curved tracks  53  could also be formed. 
     Through these synchronous pivoting movements of the operating levers  47  it is guaranteed that the sliding door  15  performs an exact translating movement away from the cabinet  1  and can be displaced laterally into the extended position in a twist-proof manner. 
     In order to prevent unintentional pivoting of the operating levers  47  during displacement of the sliding door  15 , these are held not exactly at a right angle to the rail elements  19   a  and  19   b , but instead contact them—loaded by springs—somewhat past the dead center point in a stable position (springs not shown). 
     In order to also guarantee a similarly secure and stable guidance of the lower edge of the sliding door  15 , as in the first construction of the invention according to  FIG. 7  on the back side of the sliding door  15 , there is a guide bar  81  on which the roller support  77  is guided. The roller support  77  is attached to the transmission shaft  83 , in turn, by means of the extension  85 . The transmission shaft  83  connects another roller support  77  that is constructed in the same way and attached to a rail  81  in the area of the upper edge of the sliding door. In order to guarantee an additional guidance of the sliding door  15  at each of its edges coming to lie in the area of the side walls  3 , a plate  103  with a guide groove  105  can be attached to the top  9  of the cabinet  1 . A guide lever  107  attached in an articulated manner to the sliding door  15  engages in the guide groove  105 . The guide groove  105  in the plate  103  is connected to a guide rail  109  running parallel to the front edge of the cabinet  1 . The guide lever  107  is hinged in an articulated manner to a support bracket  111  and supports, on its free end, a holding roller  113  that is guided in the guide rail  109  during the displacement of the sliding door and slides, at the end of the sliding movement, when the sliding door  15  moves from the extended into the retracted position, out from the guide rail  109  into the guide groove  105  and is held there by a spring on the guide lever in the retracted position or is forced by the spring into the retracted position. Therefore the upper edge lies completely on the cabinet  1  also for use of the displacement device  13  on the bottom side of a cabinet, in particular, a sideboard. During the displacement of the sliding door, the guide lever  7  is used so that the sliding door  15  is always guided at a constant distance to the front edge of the cabinet, even if a person grabs and moves the door in the area of the sliding door edge ( FIGS. 12 and 13 ). 
     The displacement devices  13  shown in  FIGS. 1-11  are each mounted on the top  9  of the cabinet, i.e., the sliding door  15  hangs on the displacement device  13 . To be able to also attach a displacement device  13  to a low cabinet, e.g., a sideboard, so that it cannot be seen, the displacement device can be attached underneath the base  7  from below. The support rollers  23  then lie on the upper roller track  25  and support the sliding door  15  ( FIG. 14 ).