AU2007100733A4 - Wardrobe folding door system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Palents Act 1990 03 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT For The Invention Entitled WARDROBE FOLDING DOOR SYSTEM Applicant JOHN MARTIN The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: (N This invention relates generally to folding doors and relates in particular to a horizontally-sliding and folding door system for wardrobes.

C- One disadvantage of horizontally sliding wardrobe doors is that there are large overlapping panels each panel slides on a separate track of a double track. Because of the M S large overlap of door panels a large part of the wardrobe space is directly inaccessible from the front at any one time. Another disadvantage of prior wardrobe systems is that the sliding doors are made of large panels of MDF which tend to bow and jamb in tracks with or without Srollers A further disadvantage of prior sliding overlapping wardrobe door panels systems is that they require and occupy a large amount of floor space. A further disadvantage of prior sliding wardrobe door systems is that because of warpage MDF panels a minimum thickness of less than 45mm cannot be used It is an object of the present invention to provide a horizontally sliding and folding door system for wardrobes which obviates door panel overlap of dual track sliding doors for wardrobes and provides greater width of access to wardrobe space.

According to the invention there is provided a horizontally-folding and sliding door system fcor wardrobes which comprises, a single top, guide roller track or rail attachable to an overhead cross-frame member and a single bottom roller track attachable to a floor, a plurality of horizontally-slidable, door-panel-support columns each having mounted on or adjacent the top thereol a top guide-roller unit having at least one roller adapted to run in the single top _7 C) guide rail for horizontal reciprocatable longitudinal movement of the columns in directions parallel to the tracks or rail, each support column further having mounted thereon, a bottom roller unit fixed to the bottom outer corner thereof, there being mounted upon the bottom roller unit, a vertically-rotatable, single roller, a first door panel having a longitudinally-outwardly facing side edge hingedly mounted to a longitudinally inwardly-facing side edge of a first column, with respect to longitudinal directions of the tracks when installed in a wardrobe, the longitudinally inwardly-facing side edge of the said first door panel being pivotally, hingedly mounted to a longitudinally outwardly-facing side edge of an adjacent door panel placed in juxtaposition thereto in an articulated folding door panel arrangement whereby, when in r or adjacent to the longitudinally outwardly-facing side edge of the second panel with respect to ;Zlongitudinal directions of the tracks when installed in a wardrobe, the longitudinally inwardly- <facing side edge of the said first door panel being pivotally, hingedly mounted to a longitudinally 0 outwardly-facing side edge of an adjacent door panel placed in juxtaposition thereto in an articulated folding door panel arrangement whereby, when in wardrobe door -closed position, a longitudinally outwardly disposed side edge corner of a door panel support column is hingedly Sjoined to a longitudinally-outwardly disposed side edge of the said second door panel and with the longitudinally outwardly disposed side edge of the second panel abutting against or in close proximity to a vertical door frame member or jamb whereby when a user opens the door by pulling on a handle on the outside surface of a first door front panel, the support column is constrained to glide across the door opening upon the bottom roller along the bottom track towards an opposite vertical door frame member and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one of the door panels, whereby columns come to rest in juxtaposition on one side of the door opening and in synchronicity, wardrobe hinged door panels swing away from the support columns and swing towards each other and at angle to columns and close up in a folding door-opening action and swing away from each other to a door fully closed position with columns and door panels all aligned in one plane.

More particularly, the door panel-supporting column comprise members of lesser height and width than that of the door panels.

0 In one form of the invention, each door panel support column is provided with two mutually independently adjustable top and bottom means for adjusting the height thereof by means of vertically adjusting the correct contact distance of the rollers between the top guide rail and the bottom track.

In one form of the invention, the panel and thus door height adjustment means comprise a first or top adjustment means and second or bottom adjustment means respectively and wherein the first adjustment means comprises plate-like upper apertured mounting brackets for mounting on top of a respective support column panel, an upper twin guide roller unit or yoke carrying a pair of horizontally-rotatable, upper, and anti-track jumping and non-weight- 3 bearing) rollers each rotating on a respective vertical axis and being longitudinally spaced apart parallel to the top guide rail.

More particularly, according to one form of the invention, each top guide roller is mounted upon a vertical shaft formed as a vertical top extension of a steel wire support rod 57 each of which has an upper part formed as divergent angled arms upstanding from a lower portion with a closed bottom loop bent upwards to form a pair of vertical uprights slidably housed within its respective bracket and fastened or tightened therein by screws which can be unscrewed for sliding the yoke up an down the adjust the contact setting of the top rollers with respect to the (top rollers) guide rail.

1 Still more particularly, the independent height-adjustment means of the or each support column comprise top guide rollers running in a single track above the top of the column and a weight-bearing bottom roller below the bottom of the column and the adjustment means alternately comprise in a first form, horizontally rotating top guide rollers mounted upon a respective vertical metal shaft formed as a vertical top extension of a common support rod each which has an upper part formed as a yoke of divergent angled arms or, in a second form, two straight arms upstanding from a lower looped portion in the form of a closed bottom loop bent upwards to form a pair of vertical uprights slidably housed in a first form within a yokesupporting bracket or in a second form, housed within a plastic block but, in both forms, fastened or tightened within the bracket or block by one or more adjustment screws unscrewed Q0 for sliding the bracket or block up or down the rod shaft to adjust the contact setting of the top rollers with respect to the guide rail and wherein.all upper rollers of upper roller units are adapted to run in the same single upper track for horizontal reciprocatable movement of the support panels in directions parallel to the tracks and to produce corresponding pivotal, swinging folding and unfolding movements whereby door panels swing away from support 2 panels when the support panels are slid in one direction along single top and bottom tracks respectively, but fold towards each other in a door opening movement when the support columns slide in the opposite direction in response to a door-closing, panel-pushing movement by a user from outside the wardrobe door whereby when in the wardrobe door closed position, .Th&7 each support column acts as a roller mount and anchorage for a door panel or series of ;Z articulated pivotally mounted door panels and a support panel is disposed respectively at each end of the opening and a side edge of one the columns abuts against a vertical door frame member or jamb and when the door is moved to open it by pulling on a handle on a front surface of a door panel, one support column glides on its bottom roller along the bottom track across the door opening towards the other column and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one or more door panels hingedly joined to side edges of the column, Swhereby both columns come to rest in juxtaposition on one side of the door opening in synchronicity with the sliding movement of the support column panels the two hinged-together wardrobe door panels swing outwards away from the support column panels.

A salient feature of the invention is that all rollers are configured for horizontal reciprocatable movement of any or all support columns in directions parallel to the tracks and to produce corresponding unfolding pivotal swinging/ folding movements of mutually-hinged door panels whereby door panels swing away from support panels when the support panels are slid I b in one direction along single top and bottom tracks respectively, but fold towards each other in a door opening movement when the support column panels slide in the opposite direction in response to a door-closing, panel-pushing movement by a user from outside the wardrobe door.

In a particular arrangement of the wardrobe system of the invention, each bottom :o roller unit is mounted at the bottom outer comer of a respective column and comprises a rectangular plate-like bracket fixed to the bottom outer comer of a respective support panel, each bracket having slidably, adjustably mounted within it, a door panel height and levelling adjustable roller carriage with a single, vertically-rotatable roller and respectively mounted within it, an adjustment screw is threaded through a roller carriage to enable height adjustment of the bottom roller carriage when installed in situ In an optional arrangement, longitudinally outwardly-facing and side edge of an outer door panel may be hinged directly to either a left hand or right-hand a door jamb in a pivotal mounting arrangement to swing frontwards and outwards from the plane of the tracks.

Some non-limiting examples of alternative embodiments and practical arrangements of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear assembly partial view of one embodiment of a folding door system for wardrobes constructed, arranged and adapted to operate in accordance with the present invention and in door-closed position.

Figure 2 is rear assembly partial view of the folding door system of Figure 1 but with a door in open position.

Figure 3 is a profile of an upper guide-roller single track Figure 4 is a profile view of the lower roller track.

1 0 Figure 5 is a profile view of a top guide rail Figure 6 is a front view of a wardrobe fully closed by the folding door with flush surfaced door panels in abutment Figure 7 is a profile view of an alternative top guide rail upper guide roller single track 1i Figure 8 is a profile view of an alternative lower roller track.

Figure 9 is a profile view of an alternative embodiment of the bottom track.

Figures 10 to 12 are progressive overhead diagrammatic drawings of opening and shutting movements of panels of the folding wardrobe door system according to the invention Figure 13 shows another embodiment with several structural modifications of the .O invention and is a top, left-hand comer, rear fragmental view in perspective from below of a top track guide roller unit of the wardrobe folding/gliding door system wherein the wooden panel support column has been replaced by a channel extrusion the roller yoke of the first embodiment has been replaced by a yoke housing block.

Figure 14 further shows the embodiment of Figure 13 as a bottom left-hand corner S fragmented perspective view from above of a height adjustable roller assembly mounted within the bottom of the same channel extrusion sliding support member of Figure 13 and with projecting bottom-track weight-supporting roller.

Figure 15 shows in profile a section of the metal channel extrusion which is the support column of the embodiment of Figures 13 and 14 ;Z Figure 16 is a rear perspective view from beneath of the bottom track door height- Sand levelling adjusting roller assembly for fitment in the channel shown in Figure 14.

0 Figure 17 is a rear perspective view of a concealed hinge for hinging an end door panel to a doorway vertical frame member.

Figure 18 is a diagrammatic view of a folding multi-fold wardrobe door showing hinged panel and support column arrangements extending across a wardrobe opening as viewed from above SReferring to the drawings and first of all to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown in rear tO0 view, a hand-operated folding door opening and closing mechanism in assembled mode mounted (in this example) as a forward-opening folding door system for wardrobes and in these views because of the height of wardrobe doors and large width or span for clarity and necessity only door panels of an entire system has been shown Figure 1 depicts the position of the mechanism of the folding door system when the door panels are flush and thus the door I is fully closed and in Figure 2 when fully-opened the door panels are folded out behind. The door system including its opening and closing mechanism is adapted to be installed between fixed side frame members 10 and 11 on either side of the wardrobe opening and between an overhead member and floor. The system and its components comprise a single top roller guide rail 12 (in Figure 3 or 12a in Figure attached to an overhead, timber cross-frame 2 o member 13 or the guide rail may be a channel or groove formed as part of a timber or metalframed e.g aluminium overhead member) and a single bottom track 14 for a single bottom roller which supports the weight of a door panel or a plurality of door panels) as well as the weight of a door panel-carrying sliding or "gliding"column. The single bottom track 14 for the bottom rollers can be directly attached to a floor 14a of a room. Lengths of roller tracks 12 and S 14 are cut to length to extend between both the abovementioned vertical timber side frame members 10 and 11 Extending vertically between the roller tracks there is adapted to be installed via rollers contacting the tracks, narrow vertical and height-adjustable slidable or gliding door-panel support panels such as the one 15 shown which function as door panel 3 77 .o7 weight bearing columns and which in this example are made of thick chip board and which bear the weight of the folding door panels 15 and 16 which are made of MDF which has a tendency to bow in long vertical lengths and with this in mind the sliding or gliding, door panel weight bearing column 17 has one side edge 17a hingedly attached to a longitudinally-outwardly facing side edge 16a of folding door panel 16 The door panel-supporting column 15 is provided with two different means for adjusting the height hereof (and thus adjusting the height and for leveling the height of sets of folding door panels spanning a wardrobe opening by means of vertically adjusting the correct contact distance of the rollers between the top roller guide rail 12 and the bottom rollers track 14 for optimum performance. The rollers adjustment means \O comprise a first or top rollers adjustment means 18 and second or bottom rollers adjustment means 20 respectively. In more detail, the first or top rollers adjustment means comprises upper apertured mounting brackets 18c, for mounting on top of support column 17; an upper twin guide roller unit or yoke 18 which has a pair of horizontally-rotatable, upper, and anti-track jumping and non-weight-bearing) rollers 18a, 18b, which are longitudinally spaced apart I parallel to the single top guide rail 12 for top guide rollers and each top guide roller 1 Ba, 18b is mounted upon a vertical shaft formed as a vertical top extension of a steel wire support rod each of which is formed by or as upper part of a yoke formed by divergent angled arms upstanding from a lower portion with a closed bottom loop bent upwards to form a pair of vertical uprights slidably and adjustably housed within a respective bracket 18c, and fastened S or tightened therein by screws (also used to mount the brackets onto the support column 17.

The screws can be slackened for sliding the yoke up and down within the confines of the bracket apertures and tightened to the adjust the contact setting of the top rollers with respect to the (top rollers) guide rail. The upper rollers 18a and ,18b of the upper roller units are adapted to run in the single top track or upper roller guide rail 12 for horizontal reciprocatable 2. gliding movement of the folding door panel gliding support column (or columns of a complete doorway spanning set) in directions parallel to the tracks and to produce corresponding unfolding pivotal swinging/folding movements of door panels 15 and 16 to swing away from door panel support column 17 when the column is slid in one direction along single top and ),07 8 bottom tracks respectively, but fold towards each other in a door opening movement when the support column slides in the opposite direction in response to a door-folding, door-closing, panel-pushing movement by a user from outside the wardrobe door.

The bottom roller unit 19 is mounted as an assembly at the bottom outer comer of a respective support panel or column and comprises a rectangle plate-like bracket 20 fixed to the bottom outer and rear comer of a respective support panel 15 and 16. The bracket 20 has slidably, adjustably mounted within it, a door panel height and levelling adjustable roller carriage 21 with a single, vertically-rotatable roller 22 mounted within it. A support column vertical height adjustment screw 23 extends through the top of the fixed plate of the bracket and is 1 0 threaded through the roller carriage unit to enable height adjustment of the bottom roller carriage when installed in situ and to thus very the height setting of the column and thus that of door panel to which it is fitted. Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, a longitudinally outwardlyfacing side edge of the first( in this drawing left-hand-side panel) door panel 15 is pivotally fixed to the left hand when viewed from the rear) door- frame vertical side member 10 via upper I$ and lower hinges such as the butt hinges 24 and 25 to enable opening and closing folding movements of the door panels with respect to the support panel due to the right-hand or other non-fixed and slidable and foldable door panel 16 having a side edge hingedly mounted to an longitudinally-outwardly facing "outer" side edge of the support column 17. It will be noted that the right-hand door panel (when views from the rear in Figure 2) is not fixed to the right-hand vertical frame member of the doorway. Longitudinally inwardly-facing side edges 15b and 16a of each door panel (opposite to outer side edges 15a and 16a) are hinged together by suitable hinges such as the butt hinges 26 and 27 in an articulated concertina folding panel arrangement The single roller 22 of the bottom roller carriage 21 is adapted to run vertically in the bottom roller single track 14.

2 When in the wardrobe door closed position shown in Figure 1, a panel-supporting column 17 acts as a roller mount and anchorage for a door panel or series of articulated pivotally mounted door panels and this free-gliding support column 17 is disposed respectively at the free right-hand end of the door opening and when the door is closed up the column also abuts against a vertical door frame member or jamb and when the door is moved to open it ;Zoutwardly towards a user by pulling on a handle 30 mounted on a front surface of a door panel, M the support column glides on its bottom roller along the bottom track away from one vertical O door frame member and across the door opening and as shown on the right-hand side of Figure M 2, towards the opposite vertical frame member of the door opening, because of its pivotal hinge t" connection to an outer panel and the panels hinge connection to other panels, the support column moves with it one or more door panels hingedly joined by side edges to a column and 0adjacent panels and after the door is folded open, the column comes to rest in juxtaposition against the doorway frame member on the left side of the door opening as shown in Figure 2.

I 0 In synchronicity with the sliding movement of the support column panels, the two hingedtogether wardrobe door panels swing outwards away from the support column panels. Instead of the left-hand door panel fixed by hinges to the left-hand vertical frame member an outwardlyfacing side edge of the right-hand door panel may optionally be hinged to the right-hand vertical frame member or door jamb by suitable hinges as before in a pivotal mounting arrangement allowing the panel to swing out without sliding along the direction of the tracks with the support column.

Referring now to the overhead sequential views of Figures 10 to 12 of the drawings, there is shown two typical folding wardrobe door panels 15 and 16 in fully-closed position with outer faces aligned in one plane and with inner facing sides hinged together by panel-to panel 2O hinges such as the top one shown and labelled 26. There is also shown in fully spread apart door-closed position, a wardrobe door-panel support column 17 with a pair of nil weightbearing anti-track jumping roller sets mounted thereon and with rollers anti-jump and nonweight bearing rollers 18a and 18b attached to the top of each column and which are adapted to run within a common top and overhead guide rail 12 extending between door jambs 10 and 11, and which is mounted across a wardrobe doorway and upon frame cross member 13. The outer facing side edge of one column 17 shown on the left-hand side) is slidably attached to ta sliding door panel by a hinge. In Figure 10 which follows in sequence upon Figure 9, the door panels 15 and 16 are shown in partly opened position with sliding column 17 partway along the i0 guide rail 12 in response to a person pulling upon the door handle 30. In Figure 11 the sliding/folding wardrobe door is shown in fully-opened position with an outer side of the column 17 in abutment with doorway right-hand vertical side frame member 11.

In the modifications of the invention shown Figures 13 and 14 of the drawings S referring firstly to that shown in Figure 13, channel member 117 of extruded aluminium replaces particle board door panel support column 17 of the first embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 also of Figures 10 to 12) and furthermore the Y-shaped roller yoke 18 of top track guide roller unit of the wardrobe folding/gliding door system of the first and wooden column embodiment) is replaced by a roller-supporting U-shaped rod 118 and the metal bracket 18c housing the C) adjustable roller yoke 18 of the first embodiment has been replaced by a roller-supporting

U-

shaped rod slidably housed in a block 119 of synthetic plastics or resin material. In other respects, the mechanism of height adjustable top (guide) roller assembly is of the same construction and functions in the same manner as in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, 1 In Figure 14 of the drawings, the bottom track adjustable and weight-bearing roller unit is the same as the unit 19 of Figures 1 and 2 but instead has its side and bottom flanges 20b, 20c of its plate 20 fixedly mounted by an interference fit in firm contact against the inside surfaces adjacent the bottom of the channel extrusion 117 forming the support column.

The bottom track adjustable roller unit is also mounted within the bottom of the same channel ZO extrusion sliding support column 117 of Figure 13 having projecting therefrom the same bottomtrack weight-supporting roller of Figures 1 and 2 Figure 15 is a profile of the column of Figure 14 and the sliding support colmn is in the form of an aluminium channel extrusion 117 and both the plastic block which slidably supports guide roller support arms at the top of the channel column and the metal plate 20 of the weight bearing roller carriage assembly 19 shown in Figures 1 and 2 and separately in Figure 16) are non-movably fixed inside the grooves formed by flanges of the same channel like sliding, folding panel support column 117; Figure 18 is a diagrammatic view of a folding multi-fold wardrobe door showing 11 hinged panel arrangements extending across a wardrobe opening as viewed from above, and for installing multiple folding door panels hinged together at side edges across a wardrobe doorway with one side of sliding support columns such as the one labelled 17 and 117 hinged to a side of alternative panels; one end of the set of folding panels is directly hinged to a door S jamb or vertical door frame member in a non-sliding arrangement while the other or opposite end of the set of folding door panels is slidable and is hinged to the side of a sliding support column but is free of the door jamb opposite the first mentioned jamb or vertical door frame member.

When in the wardrobe door closed position, each support panel acts as a roller I 0 mount and anchorage for a door panel or series of articulated pivotally mounted door panels and a support panel is disposed respectively at each end of the opening and one of the columns abuts against a vertical door frame member or jamb and when the door is moved to open it by pulling on a handle on a front surface of a door panel, one support column glides on its bottom roller along the bottom track across the door opening towards the other column and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one or more door panels hingedly joined to side edges of the support column, whereby both support columns come to rest in juxtaposition on the left side of the door opening. In synchronicity with the sliding movement of the support column panels the two hinged-together wardrobe door panels swing outwards away from the support column panels The horizontal limit of travel of the gliding column during the door 2.O opening folding movement is denoted by the arrow in Figure 10 and that of the panels by the arrow in Figure 12 In a multiple panel (and support column situation such as across a doorway) all door panels are hinged together and alternate panels are also hingedly and pivotally joined.

to a gliding support column.

2 Advantages of the wardrobe folding door system of the invention are that it can be opened from either side and the whole structure is supported from the floor. The column panel controls the top roller system and counteracts rollers shimmying around. A plurality of panels can be used in a multi-fold door system. The door panel support columns need only to be -7.c7 hingedly connected to door panels and not to the fixed vertical frame members.of the wardrobe.

Abutting door panels provide one flush exterior door surface across the wardrobe door opening.

If desired, the panels can be made of aluminium fixed to aluminium framework.

The sliding/folding wardrobe door panels of the invention can be used which are of MDF material thinner than 45mm; for instance within a thickness range of from 4 mm up to 26mm and preferably of 16mm and can be used across a wardrobe door opening of 1800 mm.

This is because the panels are hingedly attached to columns or a doorjamb on one side and are suspended via sliding columns which are narrower than panels but are of much thicker MDF material or heavier timber than that of the panels.

Claims (4)

1. A horizontally-folding and sliding door system for wardrobes which comprises a plurality of door panels hinged together at side edges, at least one top, guide rail attachable to an overhead cross-frame member and at least one single bottom roller track attachable to a floor; a plurality of horizontally-slidable, door-panel-support columns each having mounted on or adjacent the top thereof a top guide-roller unit having mounted thereon at least one anti- jump and non-weight-bearing, horizontally rotatable roller adapted to run within the single top guide rail for horizontal reciprocatable longitudinal movement of the support columns in directions parallel to the track and rail, each support column further having mounted on the bottom thereof, a weight-bearing, bottom roller unit which has mounted therein, a vertically- rotatable, height-adjustable roller; a first and longitudinally outermost door panel having a longitudinally-outwardly facing side edge directly hingedly mounted to a vertical door frame member, a second door panel with a longitudinally outwardly facing edge hinged to a longitudinally inward facing edge of the first door panel a first support column with an outwardly longitudinally-facing side edge hingedly mounted upon or adjacent to the longitudinally outwardly-facing side edge of the second panel with respect to longitudinal directions of the tracks when installed in a wardrobe, the longitudinally inwardly-facing side edge of the said first door panel being pivotally, hingedly mounted to a longitudinally outwardly- facing side edge of an adjacent door panel placed in juxtaposition thereto in an articulated folding door panel arrangement whereby, when in wardrobe door -closed position, a longitudinally outwardly disposed side edge corner of a door panel support column is hingedly joined to a longitudinally-outwardly disposed side edge of the said second door panel and with the longitudinally outwardly disposed side edge of the second panel abutting against or in close proximity to a vertical door frame member or jamb whereby when a user opens the door by pulling on a handle on the outside surface of a first door front panel, the support column is constrained to glide across the door opening upon the bottom roller along the bottom track towards an opposite vertical door frame member and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one of the door panels, whereby columns come to rest in juxtaposition on one side of the door opening and in synchronicity, wardrobe hinged door panels swing away from the support columns and swing towards each other and at angle to columns and close up in a folding door-opening action and swing away from each other to a door fully closed position with columns and door panels all aligned in one plane.

2. The system according claim 1 wherein the door-panel-supporting columns comprise members of lesser height and width than that of the door panels.

3. The system according to claim1 or 2 wherein each door panel support column is provided with mutually independently adjustable top and bottom means for varying the height thereof by adjusting contact distance of respective sets of rollers between the top guide rail and the bottom track for optimum performance.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the panel and door height adjustment means comprise a first or top adjustment means and second or bottom adjustment means respectively and wherein the first adjustment means comprises a plate-like upper apertured mounting bracket for mounting on top of a respective support column and an upper twin guide roller unit or yoke carrying a pair of horizontally-rotatable, upper, and anti-track jumping and non-weight-bearing) rollers each rotating on a respective vertical axis and being longitudinally spaced apart parallel to the top guide rail, the second adjustment means being a roller carriage assembly with a height-adjustable roller unit with a single roller adapted to run on the single bottom track and mounted at the bottom of the support column 10/9 The system according to any preceding claim wherein the independent height- adjustment means of the or each support column comprise a pair of horizontally-aligned and horizontally rotatable top guide rollers adapted to run in a single track above the top of a column and a weight-bearing vertically- rotatable bottom roller adapted to run in a single track below the bottom of the column and the adjustment means alternately comprise in a first form, horizontally rotating top guide rollers mounted upon a respective vertical metal shaft formed as a vertical top extension of a common support rod each which has an upper part formed as a yoke of divergent angled arms or, in a second form, two straight arms upstanding from a lower looped portion in the form of a closed bottom loop bent upwards to form a pair of vertical uprights slidably housed in a first form within a yoke-supporting bracket or in a second form, housed within a plastic block but, in both forms, fastened or tightened within the bracket or block by one or more adjustment screws unscrewed for sliding the bracket or block up or down the rod shaft to adjust the contact setting of the top rollers with respect to the guide rail and wherein.all upper rollers of upper roller units are adapted to run in the same single upper track for horizontal reciprocatable movement of the support panels in directions parallel to the tracks and to produce corresponding pivotal, swinging folding and unfolding movements whereby door panels swing away from support panels when the support panels are slid in one direction along single top and bottom tracks respectively, but fold towards each other in a door opening movement when the support columns slide in the opposite direction in response to a door- closing, panel-pushing movement by a user from outside the wardrobe door whereby when in the wardrobe door closed position, each support column acts as a roller mount and anchorage for a door panel or series of articulated pivotally mounted door panels and a support panel is disposed respectively at each end of the opening and a side edge of one the columns abuts against a vertical door frame member or jamb and when the door is moved to open it by pulling on a handle on a front surface of a door panel, one support column glides on its bottom roller along the bottom track across the door opening towards the other column and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one or more door panels hingedly joined to side edges of the column, whereby both columns come to rest in juxtaposition on one side of the door opening in synchronicity with the sliding movement of the support column panels the two hinged-together wardrobe door panels swing outwards away from the support column.. Dated this day of July 2007 JOHN MARTIN By My Patent Attorney JOHN L.DAVIES CO uprights slidably housed in a first form within a yoke-supporting bracket or in a second form, housed within a plastic block but, in both forms, fastened or tightened within the bracket or block by one or more adjustment screws unscrewed for sliding the bracket or block up or down the rod shaft to adjust the contact setting of the top rollers with respect to the guide rail and wherein.all upper rollers of upper roller units are adapted to run in the same single upper track for horizontal reciprocatable movement of the support panels in directions parallel to the tracks and to produce corresponding pivotal, swinging folding and unfolding movements whereby door panels swing away from support panels when the support panels are slid in one direction along single top and bottom tracks respectively, but fold towards each other in a door opening movement when the support columns slide in the opposite direction in response to a door- closing, panel-pushing movement by a user from outside the wardrobe door whereby when in the wardrobe door closed position, each support column acts as a roller mount and anchorage for a door panel or series of articulated pivotally mounted door panels and a support panel is disposed respectively at each end of the opening and a side edge of one the columns abuts against a vertical door frame member or jamb and when the door is moved to open it by pulling on a handle on a front surface of a door panel, one support column glides on its bottom roller along the bottom track across the door opening towards the other column and, because of the pivotal hinge connection, carries with it one or more door panels hingedly joined to side edges of the column, whereby both columns come to rest in juxtaposition on one side of the door opening in synchronicity with the sliding movement of the support column panels the two hinged-together wardrobe door panels swing outwards away from the support column.. Dated this 2 'iday of Ault 2007 JOHN MARTIN By My Patent Attorney JOHN L.DAVIES CO