ARRANGEMENT FOR A CLOSE-FITTING SLIDING DOOR

Abstract: An arrangement for a close-fitting sliding door, particularly to a cold or freeze store, comprises a door panel (1) onto which various components are mounted and a travel rail (8) as well as elements (22, 23) for guiding the door. In order to produce a door of this type which may be used as a leftwards as well as a rightwards closing door and which is at the same time readily assembled, the travel rail (8) is constituted by a profile (10) forming a track (9) in which the support rollers (7) of the door are provided when the door is in a closed position, at least one additional profile (11) which jointly with the first profile (10) form a sliding rail (14) for the support rollers (7) when the door is in an open position, and a taper piece (15) connecting the two rails (9, 14). The elements for guiding the opposite side of the door is constituted by a profile (22) having a face sloping downwards and inwards towards the frame structure (4), and guide members (23) provided with a similarly sloping face (26) co-acting with the face of the guide rail. Said travel rail and such guide elements impart to the door a slopingly downwards and inwards translatory motion towards the frame (4) when the door is closed by the support rollers (7) being placed in the track (9).

Description: arrangement for a close-fitting sliding door. Background of the invention. The present invention relates to an arrangement for a close-fitting sliding door, particularly for cold and freeze stores, comprising a door panel with gaskets intended for contact with the frame and optio¬ nally the floor, said door panel continguously joining the intrados, and support rollers runningly engaged in a travel rail providing a track for the support rollers in the closed position of the door, and a sliding rail placed in a position upwardly and outwardly from the frame in relation to the track for the closed position of the door, a guide rail placed at the side of the door opposite the side on which the support rollers are placed and which co-acts with fixed guide mem¬ bers for imparting to the door jointly with the support rollers a slo- pingly downwards translatory motion towards the frame or a slopingly upwards motion away from the frame. This type of door is known i.a. from brochures from the company Dan- doors of Stilling, Denmark. With known door arrangements it is decided during production whether a door should close to the right or to the left. In case of such close- fitting sliding doors a slopingly downwards and inwards translatory motion towards the frame of the door is imparted to the door by the end of its traverse towards its closed position. This motion should be established since the gaskets of the door should be in close contact with frame and floor in the closed position. On displacement of the door these gaskets should be lifted clear of frame as well as floor in order to minimize wearing of the gaskets and to obtain a smoothly tra¬ velling sliding door. With known doors the travel rail is provided by a profile having a sliding rail for the support rollers. At the end of the traverse of a support roller, i.e. upon closing of the door, a recess of the profile is carried out for establishment of the downwardly and inwardly placed track for the support roller in the closed position of the door. The consequence of such mechanical machining is that the door arrangement in question is provided as an either leftwards or rightwards closing door. Moreover, at its ends the guide rail is provided with bent flanges which co-act with the support rollers in order to impart to the side opposite the door a corresponding travelling direction towards the frame. Once the guide rail is bent it will also determine whether the door is intended to be rightwards or leftwards closing. The mechanical machining of the travel rail presupposes a high degree of accuracy since the track provided in the travel rail by the mechani¬ cal machining should be placed accurately in relation to the travel rail and in turn the travel rail should be placed very accurately in relation to the door opening in order to obtain a correct closing func¬ tion. An arrangement is also known in which the guide rail provides a travel rail from the support roller and in which the rail is provided by ex¬ trusion of a sliding rail profile flange for the closed position of the door. This extrusion is associated with the same inconveniences as the above recess. Thus, the known door arrangements suffer from several drawbacks. Hence, a supplier should carry a large stock comprising both leftwards and rightwards closing doors. Furthermore, a high degree of accuracy is required for the machining and the assembly of the door arrangement. It is the object of the present invention to remedy the above drawbacks and to provide an arrangement of the initially mentioned type which arrangement may be used for both leftwards and rightwards closing doors and which is readily assembled. This object is achieved according to the present invention with an arrangement characterized in that the travel rail is constituted by a profile forming the track for the support rollers in a closed position of the door, at least one additional profile which jointly with the first profile form the sliding rail for the support rollers in the open position of the door, and a taper piece connecting said two rails; that the guide rail is constituted by a profile having a face sloping downwardly and inwardly towards the frame structure; and that the guide members are intended for co-action with the face of the guide rail. Hence, it is rendered possible to mount initially the travel rail pro¬ file forming the track for the support rollers in the closed position of the door. Subsequently the minimum of one additional profile is (are) mounted, preferably by placing this minimum of one additional profile inside the first profile. Then the taper piece is placed end to any desired end of at least one additional profile depending on the door being leftwards closing or rightwards closing. Subsequently profi¬ les and the taper piece may be mutually displaced for correct position¬ ing prior to the establishment of a permanent attachment, e.g. by means of screws which are screwed through the taper piece and the profiles. Since the guide rail is constituted by a profile having a downwardly sloping face across its entire length few requirements are made to the positioning of the guide rail in the longitudinal direction. Conse- quently the only thing to be ensured is thus the correct positioning of the co-acting guide members in relation to the guide rail, and the positioning of guide members as well as of guide rail at the correct distance from the frame. Since the displacement of the door, which is brought about by the guide rail and the guide members, is established through the sloping faces it is irrelevant whether the door closes rightwards or leftwards as an inwardly orientated motion is imparted to the door due to the sloping faces when it is lowered by the traverse of the support rollers from the sliding rail across the taper piece to the rail for the closed position of the door. It should be noted that optionally the support rollers and the sliding rail may, according to one's wishes, be provided above or below the doorway of the arrangement of the invention. Sliding doors according to the invention may be opened and closed au¬ tomatically or manually. Even though the sliding door is intended for automatic opening and closing it may be provided with a handle corre- sponding to the one used for a manual door. According to a preferred embodiment a sliding door intended for manual opening by means of a lever-type handle to be grasped, which handle comprises a rotatably attached body portion and a substantially verti- cal downwardly extending leg, is characterized in the body portion having two drillings placed substantially symmetrically in relation to the first leg and intended for receiving the one end of the second leg. intended for co-acting with a door folding for opening the door and.. said one end being provided with a plane contact face for contacting a flat face in the body portion. Hereby, a handle is provided which may be used in connection with a leftwards closing as well as a rightwards closing door. Due to the lever reaction the handle facilitates the manual opening during which the door should be lifted clear in a first stage. Other advantages and unique features of the subject invention will appear from the subclaims and the following detailed description. Description of the Drawings. In the following the invention is described more in detail with refe¬ rence to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding door arrangement according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view, partially in section, illustrating the connection between a sliding rail and a support roller, Figures 3 and 4 are section views through a sliding door arrangement according to the invention in an open and closed position of the door, respectively, Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary sections corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating a further embodiment for guide members accord¬ ing to the invention, Figure 7 shows a section through a sliding rail comprising a covered cable channel, and Figure 8 is a fragmentary, broken view illustrating a handle accord¬ ing to the invention. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the arrangement for a close-fit¬ ting sliding door intended for cold and feeze stores. The arrangement comprises a door panel 1 provided with gaskets 2,3. The gaskets 2 are intended for contact with the frame 4 of the door and the gasket 3 is intended for contact with the floor 5 contiguously joining the door intrados 6. The illustrated door is a top-suspended door and at the upper end of the door support rollers 7 are positioned travelling along a travel rail 8. As it appears more clearly from Figs. 2-4 said travel rail provides a track 9 in which the support roller 7 is present in a closed position of the door. The track 9 is produced by a first profile 10 along which the support roller 7 travels which profile is C-shaped in the shown embodiment. Inside the profile 10 a second and smaller profile 11 is placed which is displacable in relation to the first profile 10. As best illustra¬ ted in figure 7 the two profiles are inter-connected by a protrusion 12 and a groove 13 which form a dovetail joint in the illustrated em¬ bodiment. The two profiles jointly form a sliding rail 14 along which a support roller 7 travels in an open position of the door. It appears from Fig. 2 that the sliding rail 14 is placed at a position upwards and outwards from the frame structure 4 in relation to the track 9 in the closed position of the door. On the one hand this dif¬ ference in the positioning of the two tracks ensures that the door remains in a closed position since gravity alone keeps the support roller 7 in the subjacent track 9. On the other hand the inwardly orientated positioning of said track ensures that the door is displaced towards the frame thus contacting the gaskets 2,3 with the frame and the floor 5, respectively. The door and/or the support rollers co- act(s) with stop so that instead of the support roller 7 travelling along the track 9 it is engaged therein only in the correct closing position of the door. The two tracks 9,14 are connected by a taper piece 15. The taper piece is provided at the end of the internal profile 11 and has at its one end 16 a cross-section of a shape substantially similar to that of the internal profile. The taper piece cross-section decreases towards the other end 17 so that the track 9 runs evenly into the track 14. It should be noted that the taper piece is not necessarily provided, as' a separate element; it may be constituted by an integral part at the end of the profile 11 to which end part a shape corresponding to the one illustrated for the taper piece is imparted. The support roller 7, vide especially Fig. 2, is connected to the door panel 1 via a support bracket 18 and a threaded axle 19 which axle passes through a vertical aperture 20 in the support bracket. The axle 19 and thus the support roller 7 may be adjustably secured in relation to the door panel by two nuts 21 which are urged against the support bracket 18. This allows for easy adjustment of the positioning of the guide roller 7 in relation to the door panel 1. Moreover, the door arrangement comprises a guide rail 22 which is pla- ced at the bottom side of the top-suspended door in the illustrated top-suspended door. The guide rail 22 co-acts with fixed guide members 23. The guide rail is constituted by a V-shaped profile 22 the one flange 24 of which runs slopingly downwards and inwards towards the frame structure. The flange 24 is provided with a surface 25 that co- acts with a face 26 provided on the guide members. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the guide members 23 are con¬ stituted by a guide block 27 providing the sloping face 26. The guide members comprise a further sloping block 28 so as to guide the flange 24 of the profile 22 within a sloping aperture formed between the two guide blocks 27,28. Thus a very secure guiding of the bottom side of the door is obtained as the movement of the inner side of the door is limited inwardly as well as outwardly from the frame. In Figs. 5 and 6 a further embodiment is shown in which the guide mem¬ bers are constituted by a frustoconical guide roller 29 which is rota- tably attached to an axle 30. According to this embodiment the flange 24 of the profile 22 co-acts with a beveled edge 26' ' provided by a provider for the frustoconical guide roller. According to this embodi- ment for the guide members 23 alone a guiding or forced displacement of the bottom side of the door inwards towards the frame is obtained. According to this embodiment for the guide members 23 other means should be employed to secure that the door is led outwards away from the frame in an open position. This may conveniently be achieved by the way in which the door is suspended from the guide rail 8 or by means of an additianal reversely mounted frustoconical guide roller for formation of an aperture corresponding to the aperture between the guide blocks 27,28. In the illustrated embodiment the guide members are secured to the floor whereas the guide rail is secured to the door; it goes without saying, however, that the opposite may equally apply. The guide mem¬ bers 23 are secured to the floor by a plate 31. The plate 31 is provi- ded with grooves 32 ensuring that the guide members 23 are adjustably secured to the floor. This allows for displacement of the guide mem¬ bers 23 in the direction towards and away from the frame in order to achieve a correct positioning of the door. Jointly with the movement of the support rollers in the travel rail 8 the guide rail 22 and the guide members 23 impart a slopingly down¬ wards translatory movement towards the frame or a slopingly upwards translatory movement away from the frame to the door when it has reach¬ ed its fully closed position or when it begins its opening movement, respectively. Fig. 7 shows that the profile 10 is designed so as to permit a further profile 33 to be snap-attached thereto for formation of a cable channel 34. Furthermore, the profile 10 is provided with a track 35 intended for receiving a pin (not shown). Thus two successive travel rails may be attached and positioned correctly to each other. In Fig. 1 such two successive sections are designated 8a and 8b, respectively. Of course, the travel rail may be produced integrally, however, a separation of the travel rail 8 into two sections 8a,8b makes both assembly, trans- port, and storage more convenient. As it appears from Fig. 1 the door is suspended from two support rol¬ lers 7 and therefore the travel rail is obviously designed in accor¬ dance with the above description of a single support roller 7 at the end of each traverse of the support rollers. Fig. 8 is a more detailed view of a handle 36 used for manual opening of the door. The handle 36 is a lever-type handle and comprises a ro- tatably attached body portion 37. A leg 38 extends vertically downwards from the body portion which leg is intended for being grasped by the user. The body portion is provided with two drillings (only one of which is shown in Fig. 8) placed substantially symmetrically with the first leg 38. The drillings 39 are intended for receiving the second leg 40 of the handle. In the position depicted by solid lines the other leg equals the handle shown in Fig. 1, i.e. the one for a leftwards closing door. If the second leg 40 is placed in the position depicted by broken lines the handle may be used for a rightwards closing door. The other leg comprises an angularly bent portion 41 which co-acts with a door folding 42. When the door is to be opened the angularly bent portion 41 is bent towards the door folding 42 thus lifting the door from its closed position. Additionally, the door folding 42 is provided with a stop block 43 acting as an end stop for the movement of the door. Corresponding stop blocks may also be placed within the travel rail proper (not shown) in order to stop the door travelling in either direction. In order to ensure that the angular portion 41 of the handle is posi¬ tioned correctly the end 44 of the handle opposite the angularly bent end 41 is provided with a plane contact face 45 intended for contact with a plane face 46 in the body portion 37. The other leg 40 is fixed in relation to the body portion by a nut and moreover, it is secured by a fitting pin (not shown) which has been inserted through one of the holes 48, and a drilling 49 provided in the other leg. Apart from the above components of the door arrangement the door com¬ prises other elements, like e.g. locks, wear panels, windows, devices for automatic opening and closing and sensors ensuring that nobody is caught in the door. Such elements do not have any impact on the door being leftwards closing or rightwards closing and consequently they are not subject to detailed description herein. The resulting construction permits a supplier to limit his stock con¬ siderably since the same components may be used for both leftwards and rightwards closing doors. Upon delivery and assembly the second leg 40 of the handle is positioned in the appropriate of the drillings 39 and fixed to the body portion 37. Then the guide rail is established by the profile 10 being fixed in the correct position above the door open¬ ing or on the frame 4 proper. If separate profiles are used the profi- le section 8a is placed above the intrados and subsequently the travel rail section 8b is placed either to the right or to the left of the dcor opening depending on the door being rightwards or leftwards clos¬ ing. Subsequent to the correct positioning of the profile 10 the pro- file 11 is inserted into the profile 10 and the taper piece is mounted at any end of the profile 11. Now it is possible to straighten up the door panel 1 in rel tion to the frame structure 4 by means of the sup¬ port bracket 18 and the threaded axle 19, and at the same time the guide members may be positioned correctly. This being done the door is placed at the correct distance from the door frame and now the correct establishment of the closing position of the door in the displacement direction of the door may be established by displacing the profile 11 and the taper piece 15 in the profile 10 and subsequently securing said elements to the same by any known means, such as screws.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. An arrangement for a close-fitting sliding door, particularly for cold and freeze stores, comprising a door panel (1)-. provided with gas- kets (2,3) which are intended for contact with the frame (4) and opti¬ onally with the floor (5) and which are contiguously joining the door intrados (6), support rollers (7) travelling along a travel rail (8) which provides a track (9) for the support rollers when the door is in a closed position, and a sliding rail (14) placed in a position upwards and outwards from the frame in relation to the track for the closed position of the door, a guide rail (22) mounted at the side of the door opposite the one on which the support rollers are mounted and which co-acts with solid guide members (23) for imparting to the door jointly with the support rollers a slopingly downwards translatory motion towards the frame or a slopingly upwards translatory motion away from the frame, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the travel rail (8) is constituted by a profile (10) forming the track (9) for the support rollers when the door is in a closed position, at least one additional profile (11) which jointly with the first profile (10) forms the sliding rail (14) for the support rollers in the open posi¬ tion of the door, and a taper piece (15) connecting said two rails; that the guide rail is constituted by a profile (22) having a face (25) sloping downwardly and inwardly towards the frame (4); and that the guide members (23) are provided with a similarly sloping face (26,26') intended for co-action with the face of the guide rail. 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the guide members are constituted by frustoconical guide rol¬ lers (29). 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the guide members are constituted by guide blocks (27,28) pro¬ vided with a guide aperture; and that the guide rail profile comprises a flange (24) which is displaced in the guide aperture in order to guide the do.or in the direction towards as well as away from the frame during the displacement of the door along the travel rail. 4. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims where¬ in the door is intended for manual opening by means of a lever-type handle (36) comprising a rotatably attached body portion (37) and hav¬ ing a substantially vertical downwardly orientated leg (38) to be gras¬ ped, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the body portion (37) compri¬ ses 2 drillings (39) placed substantially symmetrically in relation to the first leg (38) and intended for receiving the other end (44) of the second leg (40) intended for co-action with a door folding (42) for opening the door; and that the above one end (44) is provided with a plane contact face (45) for contact with a plane face (46) in the body portion (37). 5. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the travel rail (8) is constituted by two sections (8a,8b) intended for end to end mounting and said two sections being inter-connected by means of pins urged into tracks (35) inside the profiles. 6. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each support roller (4) is connect¬ ed to the door panel (1) by a support bracket (18) having a vertical aperture (20) and a threaded axle (19) positioned inside the aperture and provided with two nuts (21) for adjustaby securing the axle onto the support bracket. 7. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the profiles (10,11,22) are consti¬ tuted by extruded profiles of a stainless material, preferably alumina. 8. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the travel rail (8) is constituted by two separate profiles (10,11) the one (11) of which having a pro¬ truding flange (12) intended for engagement with a travelling groove (13) positioned in the other profile (10) for mutual displacement in the longitudinal direction. 9. An arrangement according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the taper piece (15) is at its one end (16) provided with a cross-section of a shape corresponding to the one(s) of at least one additional profile; and in that towards its other end (17) its diame¬ ter is evenly tapering. 10. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding- .claims, y- c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the guide members are mounted:on a" support bracket (31) having apertures permitting adjustment in a direc¬ tion perpendicular to the face of the door.

Inventors: ULDALL-JESSEN ERLING, ULDALL-JESSEN, ERLING
Applicants: DAN INSULATED DOORS, DAN INSULATED DOORS A/S
Application year: 1988
Main classification: E05D15
IPC codes: E05D15, E05F11, E05F13