SUSPENSION MECHANISM FOR NESTABLE SLIDING DOORS

Abstract: The specific object of the suspension mechanism is to ensure, during the fitting and unfitting operations of the door (1), a movement of the door which is perfectly perpendicular to the general closing plane, in order to improve the conditions of said closing operation. This is obtained by fixing the telescopic guide (3) for the sliding of the door (1) to a support (5) from which extend integrally a pair of axis (6) projecting horizontally towards the inside of the carriage (4) or like element and which are conventionally guided by a pair of sheaves (8) and (9) or by any other appropriate means. The longitudinal motion of said axis is synchronized so as to avoid the nodding of the doors or out-of-adjustment of one door with respect to the other when it concerns two complementary doors.

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers to a suspension mechanism for fitting, sliding doors, as for example those used in railroad carriages and the like, doors, which in locked position, remain fitted inside the carriage carbody, establishing external surface smoothness with the same, in order to improve the aerodynamic penetration conditions, and which must be initially disengaged in order to open them from said carbody, for the subsequent conduction of the longitudinal sliding, which is necessary for their aperture. The object of the invention is to improve the fitting conditions of the door inside the carbody, for an improved closure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Specifically within the field of railroad carriages, as well as in other practical examples in which similar functions are required, folding doors pose a wide and varied range of problems which make them, at the present moment to be found totally in disuse, having been replaced by sliding or runner doors. Different solutions are in existence for moving these sliding doors, and which range from a simple, external runner, along which these doors are displaced, parallel to the wall of the carriage or elements involved, up to doors which, besides being sliding doors, are also of the fitting type, as has been previously indicated. Specifically, one of the solutions, which has been used as being the most appropriate for this type of doors, consists in using a horizontal and upper, telescopic guide, from which the door is suspended, said guide, besides being capable of telescopically extending and shortening, is capable of displacement of the totality of its assembly, when it is unfolded, towards the front, with the purpose of establishing the fitting and unfitting operations of the same, from the corresponding housing of the carriage carbody. However, this front displacement is only from the theoretical point of view, since in practice, it is achieved by means of a pair of tie rods, which, at one of their ends are joined articulated, to the telescopic guide, whilst, on the other, it is joined to fixed points of the carriage carbody. This signifies, that during the tilting movement of the tie rods, the doors describe an arched trajectory, that is to say, that the movement of the same as regards the carriage, is not perfectly perpendicular to the general plane of said carriage in which the door plays, but that it is in real fact oblique, and with arched trajectory. Consequently, the housing of the carriage carbody must be conceived, designed and dimensioned to permit this slanting movement of the doors, which signifies a structural complexity of the closure which is appreciably greater than if said doors conducted the fitting and disengaging operation with a perfectly perpendicular trajectory to the general plane of its mouth in the carriage carbody. Document GB-2 191 528 is known, which discloses a door support having two extensible bars upon which the support profile and doors rolling are fastened. These extensible bars allow the door take out or get in to facilitate its opening. Documento FR-1 461 213 is also know relating to a device coupled to lorries, wagons, etc..., having a profile which is constituted in the welding and support of sliding doors, which is supported by extensible elements of approach or retreat of these doors with respect to the vehicle. Document DE-A-2 219 176 is known relating to a mechanism for sliding doors that uses a runner mechanism for the door displacement, the said door being suspended through both arms that allow the door to effect a revolving displacement movement both on its fitting and unfitting from the opening of the vehicle door. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a sliding door having the features according to claim 1. The sliding door which the invention proposes, solves in a completely satisfactory manner, the previously indicated problem, permitting, in compliance with the main objective of said invention, that the sliding door conducts its fitting and disengaging operations with a perfectly perpendicular movement as regards the general fitting plane of the same. To achieve this, more specifically and parting from a conventional structurization, according to which, the pair of doors which generally establish as a whole, the closure of a specific gap, are assembled on respective telescopic guides, each one of these guides forming integral part of a support to which in turn, a, pair of rods form integral part, which emerge perpendicular to the end zones of said support and which are capable of sliding in relation to the carbody of the carriage or element involved, in the direction of its own rods, that is to say, in a perfectly perpendicular direction to the locking plane. More specifically, it has been provided, that each one of these rods shall be guided by a pair of sheaves, said rods being also preferably equipped with a run limiting stop, which, obviously, limits the displacement of the door in disengaging direction of the same. According to another of the characteristics of the invention, and with the object of achieving a perfect synchronism, both for the two rods which participate in one same door, and in its case, for the two rods of one of the doors as regards the two of the complementary door, it has been provided that each one of these rods include a rack in correspondence with the abutment generatrix of one of the sheaves, whilst the corresponding sheave includes a complementary toothing, the respective sheaves of the different rods remaining related to each other by means of a common rod which forces them to a synchronized movement, which is the equivalent to an also synchronized movement of the corresponding rods through the respective racks. However, this solution may be replaced by a torsion bar, suitably forming integral part of the rear and free end of the rods, said bar forcing them, in a like manner, to a parallel and synchronized movement. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to complement the description which is being carried out, and with the object of helping to a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the present Specification is enclosed, forming integral part of the same, with a set of drawings in which, with illustrative and non limitative character, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows a partial, cross sectional detail of a carriage, at the level of the suspension zone of one of its doors, in which the structure of the suspension mechanism which constitutes the object of the present invention, can be observed. Figure 2 shows a cross sectional detail of the assembly, represented in the previous figure, according to the cut line A-B of said figure. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In view of said figures, and especially from figure 1, it can be observed how the sliding door (1), by means of an appropriate anchorage (2), remains suspended from a telescopic guide (3) capable of remaining tied-down in the cavity of the carbody (4) of the carriage in closed situation, for the door represented in figure 1, or of a transversal movement towards the outside, so as to be placed outside said carbody (4), permitting, by means of its extension, the longitudinal movement of the door (1) which is necessary for the opening of the same. Thus, as from this basic and conventional structurization, the mechanism of the invention centres its characteristics in the fact, that the telescopic guide module (3) placed in counterposition to that for the attachment of the door (1), forms integral part of a support (5), elongated in correspondence with the actual guide (3), to which, in turn, various rods (6) form integral part in the proximity of its end which, attached perpendicular to the support (5), extend horizontally towards the inside of the carriage (4), finished off at its free end by various stops (7), which shall be herewith described. These rods (6), intended for supporting the telescopic guide (3), and through the same, the sliding door (1), is related to the carriage (4) or element involved, each one of them, through a pair of sheaves (8) and (9), and each, peripherically grooved in correspondence with the rods (6) curvature, one placed below, which is referenced with (8), in the proximities of the support (5), whilst the other, the one referenced with (9), is placed above, and in a considerably more removed location, with the object of absorbing the stresses tending towards the tilting of the rods (6), generated by the actual weight of the door (1). The upper-interior sheave (9) in addition to acting as guiding means for the rods (6), acts as limiting stop for the axial run of said rods (6), when the stop (7) incides on the same, which forms integral part with the free end of said rods (6), said stop however, may incide, in order to limit said movement, on any other fixed element of the carriage structure (4). In this manner, and parting from the closed position represented in figure 1, the door (1) is capable of outwards displacement, in a perfectly perpendicular movement as regards the general closing plane, due to the displacement of its pair of rods (6), on the corresponding pair of sheaves (8) and (9), up to a limit situation defined by the stop (7) in which the telescopic guide (3) is placed totally outside the carbody (4) of the carriage, remaining in a condition which permits the transversal displacement of the door (1), for the corresponding opening operation, an opposing operation being obviously established for the closing operation. The door (1), or in its case, the pair of complementary doors (1), shall be activated by any suitable pushing means, such as for example, a pneumatic circuit which acts, for example, on the support (5), pushing or pulling the same. Thus, in this sense, and with the purpose of avoiding possible pitching of a door or disarrangement in the mobility of a door as regards its complementary door, it has been provided that the different rods (6) move in a perfectly synchronized manner. In this sense, each rod (6) may be equipped with a rack (10), for example on the upper support generatrix of the sheave (9), said sheave (9) being provided with a complementary toothing (11), and the sheaves (9) corresponding to the different rods (6) of the door or doors (1), forming integral part to each other through a common axis (12), which forces them to a synchronized movement, in such a manner that it is impossible that any of said rods (6) may become misadjusted in their advancing or retreating longitudinal movement as regards the rest of the group. However, as has been previously indicated, this synchronization in the movement of the different rods (6), may be also conducted by means of a torsion bar, conveniently forming integral part with the rear and free end of the same. In any case, according to the main objective of the invention, it has been achieved that versus the slanting movement of the conventional fitted doors, for its uncoupling from the carbody of the carriage or element involved by means of the mechanism of the invention the disengaging operation, as well as the subsequent disengaging during the locking, it is conducted by means of a trajectory of the door, which is perfectly perpendicular to the locking plane and, in consequence, in optimum conditions for said locking.

Claims: Sliding door for closing an opening in the bodywork (4) of a wagon or element at issue with the assistance of a telescopic guide (3), said door being movable from a closing position in which the door is inserted in the opening forming a continuous smooth surface with the external surface of the body or vehicle (4) and a position in which the door is extracted in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening and in which position said door can slide over runners along the horizontal telescopic guide from which the door is suspended parallel to the external surface of the body or vehicle characterised in that it comprises an elongate body as a telescopic guide supporting element which extends within the vehicle into a plurality of rods (6) arranged at a right angle to the support, each of these rods (6) being supported by a single pair of sheaves (8 and 9) having a grooved periphery corresponding to the curvature of the rod (6), and in that in order to achieve a perfect synchronism of the longitudinal movement of the rods (6), which prevents pitchings of the door (1) and/or synchronises the movement of two complementary doors, each rod (6) presents, in correspondence with the support periphery of one of its sheaves, a rack, said one sheave being complementary toothed, the toothed sheaves of the different rods (6) forming additionally integral part of a common bar (12) which determines a synchronized rotational movement of all of them. Sliding door according to claim 1, characterised in that the single pair of sheaves (8, 9) comprises a lower sheave (8) located close to the elongate supporting body (5) being attached to the telescopic guide (3) and a top sheave (9) located much further from the supporting body (5), the top sheave (9) acting as a stop limiting the axial travel of the rod (6) since that rod (6) has a stop (7) solidly attached to the free end of the rod (6).

Inventors: CARRION ESPELTA JUAN, CARRION ESPELTA, JUAN, CARRION ESPELTA, Juan, Faiveley Espanola, S.A.
Applicants: FAIVELEY ESPANOLA, FAIVELEY ESPANOLA, S.A.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E05D15
IPC codes: E05D15