EP0012453B1 - Suspension device for a sliding door - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the present invention is a device for suspending a suspended sliding door closing under the effect of its own weight, in particular for a refrigeration installation comprising at least two suspension rods hinged to the door about a horizontal axis and connected to a sliding device made up of several rolling rollers having a groove and a cylindrical bar ensuring the sliding of the door parallel to its plane, the spacing of the door from its frame being ensured by at least one integral roller of the door and cooperating with a ramp followed by a raceway.

Several devices for suspending sliding doors are known. All known devices have a common characteristic: they comprise a fixed rail extending over the entire length of the travel of the sliding door. This rail is either a U-profile rail, as in FR - A - 2 245 845 or a cylindrical rail according to DE - A - 2 151 063. In addition, the device described in FR - A - 2 245 845 has a relatively complicated mechanism to facilitate the upward movement of the door. However, in certain cases, for example in the case of cold storage warehouse doors, in which the goods are transported on a rail fixed to the ceiling and leaving the cold room through an orifice cut above the door allowing the passage of butcher hooks, the path of the butcher rail crosses the door running rail. It is then necessary to interrupt the door rail to let the butcher rail pass, which complicates the installation and requires additional parts. In addition, the rail must be dimensioned, in the factory, to the length corresponding to the movement of the door, an adaptation on site being generally difficult, if not impossible to execute.

The present invention aims to eliminate the fixed running rail, to simplify the entire device and to make its use and mounting much more flexible, that is to say much better adaptable to all door widths. To this end, the device according to the invention is characterized in that the rollers are fixed above the door by their approximately horizontal axes, that the suspension rods are rigidly connected to the cylindrical bar by a bent part and that the rollers support and support the cylindrical bar by their groove in which the cylindrical bar can move both in translation and in rotation about its axis.

The fixed rail is replaced by rollers between which it is without other possibility to pass a transport rail, for example a butcher rail. The number of rollers can be chosen according to the width and weight of the door. The cylindrical suspension bar can be constituted by a simple cylindrical tube, preferably reinforced inside by a tube of polygonal section, for example a square tube. This bar can be cut to length on site, the ends of the tube then being provided with frustoconical ends so as to facilitate the engagement of the ends of the tube on the rollers. By using rollers made of self-lubricating material, for example Delrin (registered trademark) which is a commercial designation for Polymethylenoxide, the door is moved almost without friction and silent. All the suspension elements can be delivered as a kit and mounted without difficulty by the user on doors of different dimensions.

It is also possible to automate the movement of the doors using a short movement initialization cylinder, the door then being driven by one or more of the rollers.

• La figure 1 représente une vue en élévation de face d'une porte suspendue.
• La figure 2 représente une vue partielle, de face, du dispositif de suspension.
• La figure 3 représente une vue en coupe selon III-III de la figure 2, a biellette de suspension étant en face des galets de manière à faire appraître également cette biellette en coupe.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

• Figure 1 shows a front elevation view of a hanging door.
• FIG. 2 represents a partial front view of the suspension device.
• 3 shows a sectional view along III-III of Figure 2, a suspension link being opposite the rollers so as to also appear this link in section.

FIG. 1 shows a hanging door 1 closing an opening 2 of a wall 3. At the upper part of the door are fixed two rods 4 and 5 rigidly secured to a horizontal suspension bar 6 supported by rollers 7, 8 and 9 with a horizontal axis, fixed to the wall 3. Next to the opening 2 are fixed two other identical rollers 10 and 11. Above and opposite the rollers 7 to 11 are mounted identical rollers, respectively 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. These rollers 12 to 16 have the function of preventing the derailment of the bar 6. Since to prevent such a derailment it is sufficient that the bar is retained at a point at all times during its displacement it suffices in principle to mount the retaining rollers 13 and 15, the rollers 12, 14 and 16 can be removed. The rollers 12 to 16 are therefore safety rollers and, as such, are optional. It would be possible, to a certain extent to oppose a derailment by slightly inclining the axes of the rollers 7 to 11. The suspension bar 6 has frustoconical ends 17 and 18 which facilitate the engagement of the end of the bar on, respectively between the rollers.

The door 1 is further provided, so known per se, of two rollers 19 and 20 integral with the door 1, of vertical axis intended to roll on ramps 21 and 22, to separate the door from its frame, as described in FR - A - 2 245 845, these ramps being followed respectively by a raceway 23, 24. At its lower end the door is provided, in a manner known per se, with two ramps 25 and 26 cooperating respectively with rollers 27 and 28 fixed to the ground to apply the door, more precisely the seal thereof, against the frame in the closed position. The door can be opened manually by means of a recessed handle 29. It is generally provided, in a manner known per se, to control a thrust cylinder by means of the handle to initiate the movement of the door, ie -to say the rise of the rollers 19 and 20 on the ramps 21 and 22. The subsequent movement of the door can also be ensured by means of a long-stroke cylinder, but it may be advantageous to ensure this movement by means of one or more of rollers 7 to 11, for example by means of the roller 9 driven by a motor. The advantage of such a drive is that it is very safe, especially when closing, because if a user gets stuck between the door and the frame, the drive roller can slip on the suspension bar 6.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3. The rollers of the suspension device, for example the rollers 9 and 14, are preferably made of Delrin (registered trademark) and are mounted, by means of ball bearings such as 30, on fixed axes 31 and 32 constituted by bolts the heads of which are welded onto a plate 33 aimed in the wall 3 by means of four bolts 34, 35, 36 and 37. Spacers 38 and 39 ensure the positioning of the ball bearings held by a nut 40. The rollers have a groove 41 of trapezoidal section.

The link 5 consists of several parts so as to simultaneously form a shock absorber. It comprises a casing 42 constituted by a rectangular tube open at its lower part. This casing is closed at its upper part by a plate 43 from which is suspended a rod 44 constituted by a bolt retained by a nut 45 and whose head 46 retains a rectangular block 47 capable of sliding in the casing 42. The rod 44 is surrounded by a spring 48 working in compression between the block 47 and the plate 43. The rectangular block 47 is pierced with a hole 49 over its entire length, in which are engaged two articulation axes 50 and 51 fixed in the part 47 by means of two locking screws such as 52 accessible through two holes 53 and 54 formed in the wall of the casing 42. The axes 50 and 51 are articulated respectively in two vertical wings 55 and 56 of a support plate 57 fixed to a frame 58 of the door 1 by means of bolt. We see that it is possible to adjust the length of the connecting rod, that is to say the position in the vertical direction, of the door relative to its frame, by acting on the nut 45. The axes 50 and 51 pass through the lateral walls of the casing 42 through two oblong holes allowing adjustment, as well as a flap of the rod 44 in the casing, the spring 48 ensuring a certain flexibility of the connecting rod in the direction of compression.

The cylindrical suspension bar 6 is constituted by a tube 63 of common circular section, for example made of aluminum, reinforced by a tube of square section 59 whose outer diagonal is equal to the inside diameter of the tube 63. The tubes 63 and 59 are connected rigidly to the links, for example to the link 5, by two bolts 60 and 61, the heads of which rest on the square tube 59 and which pass through the casing 42, a nut 62 being interposed between the casing 42 and the tube 63.

Figure 3 shows the suspension device while the door is closed. When the door is opened by moving it in the direction of arrow F1 (fig. 1), the rollers 19 and 20 mount on the ramps 21 and 22 and the door departs from its frame in the approximate direction of arrow F2 (fig. 3). As its articulation with the links 4 and 5 remains at a fixed distance from the bar 6, this articulation drives the bar 6 in rotation about its virtual axis in the direction F3. The movement of the door is a translational movement in the approximate direction of arrow F4, that is to say that the clearance of the door is obtained by lifting and moving door 1 from the frame, door 1 under the effect of its own weight always remaining vertical. Since the rollers (7 to 11) simultaneously roll on the bar 6, the displacement of the bar on the rollers (7 to 11) is carried out practically without friction. The jolts of door 1 during a somewhat abrupt closing or opening are absorbed by the springs 48, so that these shocks are not transmitted to the bar 6, to the rollers (7 to 11) at their bearing 30.

It is obvious that one can envisage the numerous variant embodiments in accordance with the content of the claims without departing from the scope of the present invention. In its simplest form, the suspension rods could consist of a single piece welded or screwed to the bar 6. The bend between the rod and its means of attachment to the tube need not necessarily form an angle of 90 °.

Claims (7)

1. Suspension device for a sliding door adapted to be closed by its inherent weight, notably for refrigerating installations, which comprises at least two suspension links (4, 5) pivoted to the door (1) about a horizontal pin (50, 51) and connected to sliding means consisting of a plurality of rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) having peripheral grooves (41) and of a cylindrical bar (6) for guiding the sliding movement of the door parallel to its main plane, the separation of the door from its fixed frame being provided by at least one roller (19, 20) carried by the door (1) and adapted to cooperate with a ramp (21, 22) followed by a guide-path (23, 24), characterized in that the grooved rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) are secured by means of substantially horizontal axle-pins (32) to the door top, that the suspension links (4, 5) are rigidly connected to said cylindrical bar (6) through a bent portion of each link, and that the grooved rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) support and hold said_' cylindrical bar (6) by means of their grooves (41) in which the bar (6) is movable not only for translation but also for rotation about its axis.

2. The door suspension device of claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least two retaining rollers (13, 15) similar to the grooved rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) which are secured by means of their axle-pins (31) parallel to the axle-pins (32) of the grooved rollers and so arranged that, irrespective of the position of the cylindrical bar (6) along its path, the groove (41) of one of the retaining rollers (13, 15) encompasses the upper portion of said bar (6).

3. The door suspension device of any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cylindrical bar (6) consists of a circular- sectioned tube (63) reinforced internally by a polygonal-sectioned tube (59).

4. The door suspension device of claim 1, characterized in that the grooves of said rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) have a trapezoidal cross- section.

5. The door suspension device of claim 1, characterized in that the links (4, 5) consist of two sections (42, 47) adapted to slide telescopically in each other and to compress a damping spring (48) therebetween.

6. The door suspension device of claim 5, characterized in that the links (4, 5) consist on the one hand of a tubular member (42) closed at its top and having mounted therein a sliding member (47) rigid with the pivot pin (50, 51) of the door (1), and on the other hand of a rod (44) retained by the opposite closed end of the tubular member (42), the damping spring (48) being a helical spring surrounding said rod (48).

7. The door suspension device of claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the grooved rollers (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) is a power roller adapted to drive the cylindrical bar (6).

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