Disclosed is a multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device configured to automatically close a door moving along a rail straightly aligned with an extension rail. The self-closing device includes: a damper provided with a roller at its rear end and configured to move along the rail to automatically close the door and smoothen a closing speed; a roller assembly multi-directionally rotatably connected to a front end of the damper and configured to move along the rail; and a roller bracket connected to the roller assembly and fixed to an upper end of the door; and a coil spring inserted into an insertion hole provided in the roller assembly and configured to abut on a tip of the damper when the damper and the roller assembly are straightly aligned. The rail can be appropriately driven even when the rail is deformed. The damper and the roller assembly can be easily removed through a short space of the extension rail.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims benefit of and priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0003177, filed in the Korean Patent Office on Jan. 11, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a sliding door self-closing device, and more particularly, to a multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device capable of allowing a sliding door to be appropriately driven even on a deformed rail and facilitating removal of the sliding door from the deformed rail.

BACKGROUND

In general, doors are classified into a hinged type and a sliding type depending on its open/close mechanism. In the case of the hinged type, a hinge structure is installed between a wall and a door to allow the door to be opened or closed as the door is pushed or pulled. In the case of the sliding type, a rail is installed above or below the door, and the door is opened or closed by sliding along the rail.

In the sliding type, an integrated module of a roller assembly and a damper also slides along the rail provided above the door. In this case, if the rail is significantly long and is deformed by an external force, it is difficult to appropriately drive the roller assembly and the damper designed to internally slide along the rail due to the deformed rail.

Typically, an extension rail is provided in straight alignment with the rail in order to allow a user to perform maintenance or inspection by removing the roller assembly and the damper from the rail. As described above, if the rail is deformed, it is difficult to remove the extension rail and then remove the roller assembly and the damper from the rail through the removed space.

Even if the roller assembly and the damper are designed to rotate in a certain direction as discussed in Korean Utility Registration Model No. 20-0474484, it is also difficult to appropriately drive the damper and the roller assembly along the deformed rail and remove them from the rail.

CITATION LIST

SUMMARY

In view of the aforementioned problems, the present disclosure provides a multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device by which the damper and the roller assembly can be appropriately driven on the rail even when the rail is deformed, and the damper and the roller assembly can be easily removed through a short space of the extension rail.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a self-closing device configured to automatically close a door moving along a rail straightly aligned with an extension rail, including: a damper provided with a roller at its rear end and configured to move along the rail to automatically close the door and smoothen a closing speed; a roller assembly multi-directionally rotatably connected to a front end of the damper and configured to move along the rail; a roller bracket connected to the roller assembly and fixed to an upper end of the door; and a coil spring inserted into an insertion hole provided in the roller assembly and configured to abut on a tip of the damper when the damper and the roller assembly are straightly aligned.

In the sliding door self-closing device described above, the roller assembly has a support protruding from its rear end and a ring connector formed at a tip of the support and provided with a through-hole, the damper has a connector receptacle cavity formed at its front end where the ring connector is inserted and is rotated in multiple directions, a fixing pin is provided to penetrate through a portion of the connector receptacle cavity of the damper and the through-hole of the ring connector, and the through-hole has a diameter decreasing and increasing from one side to the other side.

In the sliding door self-closing device described above, a lower side of the connector receptacle cavity may be opened, and the support may be inserted into the opened lower side of the connector receptacle cavity when the roller assembly is rotated downward with respect to the damper.

In the sliding door self-closing device described above, the damper may have a body, a block disposed at a front end of the body and provided with a connector receptacle cavity at its front end, a metal casing provided on an outer side surfaces of the body and the block10to fix the body and the block, and a roller provided at a rear end of the metal casing.

In the sliding door self-closing device described above, the block may have a first block provided with a first circular recess, and a second block assembled with the first block and provided with a second circular recess combined with the first circular recess to form the connector receptacle cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3are partially enlarged views and perspective views illustrating a multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention.FIG. 4is an exploded perspective view illustrating a rail and an extension rail of the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention.FIGS. 5A to 5Care partially enlarged views illustrating rotation of the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6is a cross-sectional view illustrating the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention.FIGS. 7A and 7Bare perspective views illustrating how the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention is installed in the rail.FIG. 8is a perspective view illustrating how the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention is removed from the rail.

The multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention is a device for automatically closing a door D sliding along a rail R straightly aligned with an extension rail E.

The multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device includes a damper100, a roller assembly200multi-directionally rotatably connected to a front end of the damper100, a roller bracket300connected to the roller assembly200, and a coil spring400provided in the roller assembly200.

The damper100is operated to automatically and perfectly close the door D at the door closing end of the rail D. In addition, the damper100is operated to smoothen a closing speed of the door D.

The damper100is provided with a roller140at its rear end to allow sliding along the rail R and a connector receptacle cavity120aat its front end.

More specifically, the damper100includes a body110, a block120provided at a front end of the body110, a metal casing130provided on outer side surfaces of the body110and the block120, and a roller140provided in a rear end of the metal casing130.

The body110is internally provided with a cylinder or spring (not shown), a switch, or the like to smoothen the closing speed while perfectly closing the door D. These components such as the cylinder or spring are well known in the art, and will not be described in detail herein for simplicity purposes.

The block120is fabricated in a hexahedral shape and is disposed at the front end of the body110. In addition, the block120has the connector receptacle cavity120aat its front end as described above. More specifically, the block120includes a first block121and a second block122assembled with the first block121in a surface contact manner.

The first block121has a first circular recess121aon its one surface. The second block122has a second circular recess122aon its one surface. The second circular recess122aand the first circular recess121aare combined with each other to form the connector receptacle cavity120a.

Meanwhile, if the block120and the roller assembly200are connected to each other to form a single module, this module can be applied to another damper100. This can improve versatility.

The metal casing130is provided on outer side surfaces of the body110and the block120to fix the body110and the block120. The metal casing130is formed of, for example, an aluminum-based material to reinforce the body110. If the self-closing device is used for a long time, the body110formed of a plastic material may be stressed for a long time. In some cases, the body110may be fractured on its side surface due to such a stress. In order to reinforce the body110, the body110is fixed to the metal casing130on its both side surfaces.

A pair of rollers140are provided in both sides of the rear end of the metal casing130to allow sliding along the rail R.

The roller assembly200guides the door D when the door D is opened or closed. The roller assembly200is multi-directionally rotatably connected to the front end of the damper100and moves along the rail R. The roller assembly200is provided with a support211at its rear end, and a ring connector212is provided at a tip of the support211.

More specifically, the roller assembly200includes a roller body210and at least four rollers220mounted to both sides of front and rear ends. The roller body210is provided with the support2111at its rear end, and the ring connector212is provided at the tip of the support211.

The support211is integrally formed at the rear end of the roller assembly200, that is, at the rear end of the roller body210to horizontally extend toward the block120. The ring connector212is integrally formed at the tip of the support211in a ring shape having a through-hole212ain its center.

The through-hole212adoes not have a constant diameter. Instead, the diameter of the through-hole212adecreases and then increases from one side to the other side. That is, the through-hole212ais formed in a rounded shape such that its diameter is minimized in the center, and the through-hole212ahorizontally penetrates through the ring connector212.

Meanwhile, the fixing pin230is provided to penetrate through the through-hole212aof the ring connector212shaped as described above and a portion of the damper100where the connector receptacle cavity120ais provided. The fixing pin230locks the roller assembly200to the block120and serves as a center of rotation when the roller assembly200is rotated with respect to the damper100.

That is, the roller assembly200is allowed to vertically and horizontally rotate with respect to the fixing pin230. In addition, the roller assembly200is allowed to rotate with respect to the fixing pin230in any direction in addition to the horizontal and vertical directions. A rotatable range in an arbitrary direction other than the horizontal and vertical directions is determined by a distance between the fixing pin230and a surface of the through-hole212a.

In other words, if the roller assembly200is twisted, the ring connector212rotates inside the connector receptacle cavity120a. In the middle of this rotation, a surface of the through-hole212acomes into contact with the fixing pin230inside the connector receptacle cavity120a. As a result, the ring connector212is not rotatable any more in that direction. That is, the fixing pin230serves as a stopper for restricting a rotation angle of the ring connector212.

In this structure, the ring connector212is inserted into the connector receptacle cavity120aand rotates in multiple directions. As a result, the roller assembly200can be multi-directionally rotated or bent with respect to the damper100.

The lower side of the connector receptacle cavity120ais opened. Therefore, the support211can be inserted into the opened lower side of the connector receptacle cavity120aby rotating the roller assembly200downward with respect to the damper100.

Since the lower side of the connector receptacle cavity120ais opened as described above, the ring connector212has a vertical rotation angle larger than rotation angles of other directions (including the horizontal direction or any direction other than the horizontal and vertical directions).

The roller bracket300is connected to a lower side of the roller body210of the roller assembly200and is fixed to an upper end of the door D. Specifically, the roller bracket300is connected to the door D outside the rail R and is also connected to the roller body210. In addition, the rollers220of the roller assembly200are placed inside the rail R such that the door D is movably supported.

The coil spring400is installed in the roller assembly200. An insertion hole213is formed at the rear end of the roller body210of the roller assembly200. The coil spring400is inserted into the insertion hole213.

The damper100and the roller assembly200are rotatable with respect to each other as described above. When the damper100and the roller assembly200are straightly aligned with each other during this rotation, the coil spring400abuts on the tip of the damper100. That is, the coil spring400abuts on the leading end surface of the block120.

The multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention will now be described in more detail. The extension rail E is placed in a door opening start position in the door opening direction such that the rail R is straightly aligned with the extension rail E. The self-closing device obtained by assembling the damper100, the roller assembly200, the roller bracket300, and the coil spring400is installed in an upper end of the door D and is then inserted into the rail R.

If the rail R is deformed by an external force in this state, it is difficult to appropriately drive the damper100and the roller assembly200sliding along the rail R only by a rectilinear motion.

According to the present invention, the ring connector212of the roller assembly200is rotated in response to deformation of the rail R inside the connector receptacle cavity120a. Therefore, the roller assembly200is horizontally or vertically rotated at a certain angle with respect to the damper100. In other words, the roller assembly200is rotated at a certain angle about the fixing pin230so that the door D can be appropriately driven even along the deformed rail D.

In this manner, the self-closing device according to the present invention is appropriately driven even along the deformed rail R by virtue of a motion of the ring connector212rotated inside the connector receptacle cavity120a.

Meanwhile, in order to check the damper100or the roller assembly200installed inside the rail R for maintenance or inspection purposes, it is necessary to remove the extension rail E and then remove the damper100or the roller assembly200from the rail R.

However, it is difficult to remove the damper100and the roller assembly200from the rail R because the extension rail E typically has a length of 10 cm, and a total length of the damper100and the roller assembly200is typically much longer than that of the extension rail E. For this reason, according to the present invention, the damper100and the roller assembly200are rotatably connected. Since the damper100and the roller assembly200are not fixed to each other, the coil spring400is provided to evenly transmit a force to the damper100and the roller assembly200. In this configuration according to the present invention, it is possible to easily remove the damper100and the roller assembly200from the rail R by rotating the damper100and the roller assembly200in a space formed by removing the extension rail E.

In the multi-directional rotational sliding door self-closing device according to the present invention, the damper and the roller assembly are connected to each other in a multi-directional rotational manner. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately drive the damper and the roller assembly on the rail even when the rail is deformed. In addition, it is possible to easily remove the damper and the roller assembly through a short space of the extension rail.

Specifically, since the ring connector is rotated inside the connector receptacle cavity, it is possible to rotate the roller assembly horizontally and vertically with respect to the roller assembly. In addition, it is possible to rotate the roller assembly in various directions such as clockwise or counterclockwise. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately drive the damper and the roller assembly regardless of the rail is deformed in any shape.

An elastic force of the coil spring is evenly transmitted to the damper and the roller assembly when the damper and the roller assembly are straightly aligned. Therefore, the rollers of the damper and the rollers of the roller assembly appropriately abut on the rail. Accordingly, it is possible to facilitate sliding of the door.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described hereinbefore, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit of the present invention. All such changes, modifications and alterations should therefore be seen as within the scope of the present invention.