EP0417000A1 - Suspended pocket door - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns sliding doors and more particularly those which are intended to be fitted inside dwellings. In order to facilitate the transport and fitting of sliding doors, it is proposed to firstly produce a rigid monoblock metallic structure based on profiles comprising two vertical uprights (14, 16), two intermediate uprights (24), a threshold bar (22) and a lintel (18). The profiles corresponding to this structure are separated from each other in such a way that the door (12) can be inserted into the structure from the side which will form the door frame. The door is suspended by bolts (38) screwed into mobile carriages (38) moving in a suspended slide (20). Slots (46) closed by a metal plate are provided at the top of the door to ensure the fixing of the door to the bolts. A complementary profile (145) positioned after insertion of the door defines both a stop piece for the latter and an exterior facing masking the front edge of the door in the closed position. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to sliding doors, and more particularly those which are intended to be mounted inside dwellings.

Sliding doors have the advantage over sliding doors of consuming less living space. The pivoting space of the pivoting door must in fact be reserved, while the sliding door occupies only its own volume even when it is opened and closed.

Sliding doors are particularly suitable for small dwellings such as one or two-room studios.

However, these doors pose a transport problem and an assembly problem.

We know that the pivoting doors are prepared in the factory with their frame, so that the dimensions of the door are exactly adapted to those of the frame. They are transported mounted in their frame, in the closed position, and the door gives sufficient rigidity to the assembly during transport; there is no deformation of the frame thanks to the presence of the door.

It is not the same for a sliding door. Indeed, the part that can be called "dormant" in the case of a sliding door should include both the door frame (jambs, lintel, threshold bar) and the built-in structure in which the door slides when it arrives in the open position. Consequently, the frame is overall twice as large as the frame of a pivoting door; he is therefore already more difficult to transport; and above all, the door does not give any rigidity to the frame, whether in the open or closed position. On the contrary, its weight is not distributed over the whole of the structure and tends to deform the whole. It is therefore practically neither advantageous nor even possible to transport the complete structure pre-assembled in the factory.

The other problem is that of assembly. Since one cannot wedge in place an assembly in one piece assembled in the factory, there are inevitably problems of installation, adjustments, rectifications, which ultimately make the assembly expensive as a result of the artisanal labor which is necessary. It would therefore be desirable for most of the structure to be prefabricated in the factory and for manufacturing to be such that it minimizes or facilitates on-site assembly operations as much as possible.

One of the aims of the invention is to propose an industrial solution in which a rigid structure forming the frame is completely manufactured in the factory and transported to the place of installation, the door being transported separately from the frame and being mounted in the frame once the frame installed in its final place.

If we manufacture a rigid structure in one piece that does not include the door, then we must solve at the place of installation the problem of inserting the door into the structure. This problem is not an easy problem taking into account the respective dimensions of the door and the structure which must receive it. One of the objects of the invention is to propose a construction facilitating the insertion of the door into the prefabricated frame structure.

Among the other problems which the present invention aims to solve, it is also possible to mention the possibility of subsequently removing the door in order to carry out repairs on the door or on the structure.

Finally, an important object of the invention is to ensure that the possibilities of prefabrication in the factory remain compatible with good aesthetics of the visible frame of the door.

In an embodiment already imagined by the Applicant, the door is inserted into the structure on the side which is embedded in a fixed partition; then, this recessed side is covered with a wall covering (plasterboard and coating). Consequently, the door can no longer be removed without destroying the wall covering.

The invention proposes a solution in which the door is inserted into the structure on the side of the door frame, that is to say on the side of the free space which will be opened and closed by the door in operation.

The invention comprises several aspects, each of which is of importance, without the invention having to be considered restrictively as being the combination of these various aspects; among these aspects, we will find in particular:
- an upper slide in which a carriage can slide from which the door is suspended;
- a suspension of the sliding door to a mobile carriage by means of a support piece fixed on one side to the upper part of the door and on the other side to the carriage, the attachment between the door and the support piece which can be made laterally when the door is inserted laterally into the frame;
- a suspension of the sliding door to a mobile carriage by means of a bolt whose head is at the bottom and whose rod, oriented upwards, is screwed into the carriage, the rotation of the bolt head allowing a displacement in height of the head relative to the carriage and the hanging of the door being done by means of the bolt head so that the door can be lifted more or less by screwing the bolt;
a means of attachment to the upper part of the door, constituted by a notch in the door or in an integral part of the door, this notch having a lateral opening, so that a means of hanging the door (such that a bolt) can be inserted laterally in the notch and can then allow the door to be lifted; the notch with lateral opening is preferably made in a metal plate screwed to the top of the door;
- Another important aspect of the invention is the constitution of the rigid frame of the structure with at its upper part (lintel) a profile of particular section. The general section of the profile is chosen on the one hand to ensure sufficient mechanical strength and on the other hand to ensure an esthetics of the lintel of the door where this lintel is visible; here the profile is more widely open on the side where the door must be inserted than on the opposite side. After mounting the door, the frame profile is too narrow to hide the top of the door; another profile is then reported, which can also be held by simple fitting, in front of the top of the door, to hide it. Likewise, the vertical uprights of the rigid frame are more widely spaced from one another on the side where the door is to be inserted, and additional profiles are provided from masking to reduce the width of the door opening to a value compatible with correct closing of the opening by the door.
- according to a particularly important aspect of the invention, provision is made for a vertical upright of the prefabricated rigid structure to be shaped so as to be able to receive, by simple fitting, an additional profile, put in place after introduction of the door into the rigid structure, this complementary profile defining both a stop limiting the movement of the door in the sliding direction towards the closed position and a facing masking the front edge of the door when it is in the closed position and retaining the door transversely to the sliding plane .

According to the invention, there is proposed, mainly but not limited to, a sliding door assembly comprising a rigid frame structure forming both the door frame and a concealed housing for the door, this structure comprising an upper slide in which can slide at least one movable carriage, a support part capable of being fixed on one side to the carriage and on the other to the sliding door, this part making it possible to suspend the door vertically from the carriage and to move the door with the carriage when the carriage moves in the slide, the door having at its upper part a hooking means cooperating with the support piece so as to allow lateral positioning of the hooking means relative to the support piece, this means attachment comprising a fixing part provided with a lateral notch, characterized in that the rigid structure comprises profiles (140, 240, 180) li s with each other, whose mutual spacing is sufficient to allow the introduction of the door into the structure by the side which will constitute the visible frame of the door opening, in that there are provided auxiliary profiles (145, 245, 185) for adjusting the dimensions of the door frame, attached to the first profiles after mounting the door in the rigid structure, one of these auxiliary profiles constituting both a stop limiting the sliding of the door towards its closed position and a facing masking the front edge of the door in the closed position and retaining the door transversely to the sliding plane. This auxiliary profile is preferably maintained by simple fitting into a vertical upright of the rigid structure, so that no screws or bolts protrude.

The support piece will preferably be a bolt screwed into the carriage, and the hooking means (cooperating with the bolt head) will preferably be a plate screwed to the upper part of the door, the plate comprising a notch with lateral opening. into which the support piece can be inserted laterally. But preferably, the door will include not only this plate but also a second plate screwed to the upper part of the door, this plate this time having a notch whose opening is in the longitudinal direction and not in the lateral direction. This second plate then cooperates with a second support piece carried by a second carriage.

• - la figure 1 représente une vue générale d'une porte coulissante installée dans une cloison.
• - la figure 2 représente un exemple de réalisation de la structure de cadre rigide transportable réalisée en usine;
• - la figure 3 représente en coupe transversale un exemple de réalisation de la glissière avec un chariot mobile et le système d'accrochage de la porte au chariot;
• - la figure 4 représente en perspective le moyen d'accrochage prévu sur la porte;
• - la figure 5 représente une vue longitudinale du système d'accrochage de la porte au chariot;
• - la figure 6 représente plus précisément des formes de profilés métalliques utilisés pour la constitution des montants verticaux du dormant, avec des profilés auxiliaires pour parfaire l'aspect extérieur de l'encadrement de porte et assurer la butée de la porte en position avant;
• - la figure 7 est une vue analogue à la figure 6 mais pour le linteau de la porte.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows and which is given with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• - Figure 1 shows a general view of a sliding door installed in a partition.
• - Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the transportable rigid frame structure made in the factory;
• - Figure 3 shows in cross section an embodiment of the slide with a mobile carriage and the system for hooking the door to the carriage;
• - Figure 4 shows in perspective the attachment means provided on the door;
• - Figure 5 shows a longitudinal view of the system for hooking the door to the carriage;
• - Figure 6 shows more precisely shapes of metal profiles used for the constitution of the vertical uprights of the frame, with auxiliary profiles to perfect the external appearance of the door frame and ensure the door stop in the front position;
• - Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but for the lintel of the door.

To make the context of the invention understood, FIG. 1 shows a general view of a sliding door installed in a partition.

The partition is in the plane of the figure and designated by the reference 10; it is schematized by cross hatching. The parts of the structure that are hidden (because they are embedded in the partition) are shown in dotted lines.

The sliding door is designated by the reference 12; the mounting structure of this door essentially comprises a rigid (preferably metallic) rectangular frame whose surface (height x width) is substantially double the surface of the door 12; half of this frame is visible (in solid lines), the other half is recessed in the partition (dotted lines).

The frame comprises two vertical uprights, respectively 14 and 16 forming two vertical sides of the rectangle; it further comprises a lintel 18 and a threshold bar 22, respectively forming the two horizontal sides of the rectangle. Finally, the frame comprises two intermediate vertical uprights, only one of which (reference 24) is visible in FIG. 1, the other being masked by the first; these amounts indeed extend parallel to each other, vis-à-vis on either side of the partition, substantially in the middle of the rectangular frame; they define between them a slot in which the door can slide.

The space between one of the vertical sides of the rectangle and the intermediate uprights is the opening space that the door can close or leave free according to its position (in Figure 1 is the space between the vertical upright 14 and the intermediate amounts); the space between the other vertical upright (16) and the intermediate uprights is embedded in the partition 10; in fact the partition at this point is constituted by the metal frame and by wall plates covering masking this frame.

The uprights and lintels are made mainly from metal profiles, preferably galvanized steel with a thickness of about 1 mm.

2 shows a general view of the metal structure forming the frame of the door according to the invention, as it is manufactured in the factory and transported to the place of installation.

The structure forms a single block of parts integral with each other; it is preferably produced by welding metal profiles, the sections are roughly shown in Figure 2. The reference numerals in this figure are the same as in Figure 1.

Preferably, to reinforce the rigidity of the one-piece structure in the part which will be embedded, reinforcing bars 25, for example horizontal bars, are welded between the vertical upright 16 and the intermediate uprights 24, either on one side or preferably on both sides of the structure. These reinforcement bars will also serve as a support for the wall cladding plates which will be installed later.

The lintel 18 of the structure comprises a slide 20. This slide 20 extends continuously over almost the entire length of the lintel, both in the left part and in the right (to be built in) part of the structure. This slide serves as a sliding rail for one or more mobile carriages 26. In the left part, the slide is fixed to a profile which is always visible. In the right part, it is fixed to another non-visible, narrower profile. In the left part, the slide is shorter than the visible profile so as to allow the positioning of the carriages.

The carriages can nevertheless be permanently installed in the slide at the factory. In this case they cannot be repaired.

To these carriages are fixed support pieces which will serve to support the sliding door. One or more support pieces are provided on each carriage. These support pieces come out below the slide so that they are accessible to be fixed to the top of the door when it is in place.

The shape and width of the sections 14 and 24 are such that the door can be inserted into the structure by the non-recessed side (here between the upright 14 and the intermediate uprights 24). After that the top of the door is fixed to the support parts of the carriages. Finally, as will be seen below, after installation of the door, the profiles of the one-piece structure are completed with added profiles which reduce the width of the door frame.

The threshold bar 22 at the bottom of the monoblock structure is preferably a thin flat profile which is provided with a central guide rib in the masked part although this is not essential taking into account the method of support of the door. .

In Figure 3, there is shown in more detail the fixing of the door to a movable carriage, in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The slide 20 serving to guide the carriage is a hollow section having bearing surfaces 34 for the wheels 32 of a movable carriage 30. The carriage may for example have four wheels. Between the bearing surfaces, the slide has a longitudinal slot 36 allowing the passage of a support piece fixed to the carriage and intended to support the door.

Here, the support piece is a bolt 38 whose head 40 is turned down and hangs below the slide to serve for hanging the door. The rod 42 of the bolt 38 passes through the slot 36 at the bottom of the slide, and its threaded end is screwed into a corresponding threaded bore 44 machined in the body of the mobile carriage 30.

The door 12 is suspended from the bolt head as shown in FIG. 3 and in the perspective view of FIG. 4: a fixing piece, constituted by a metal plate 48, is screwed to the upper part of the door. . This room is provided a notch 50 and it is shaped so that the rod 42 of the bolt can engage in the notch 50, the head 40 sliding under the plate 48 so that the door can be suspended from the head of the bolt through the plate.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 4, there are at least two carriages for supporting the door, with consequently at least two fixing parts such as the notched plate 48 And preferably one of these parts has a notch 50 opening laterally (perpendicular to the plane of the door), while the other opens longitudinally (in the sliding direction of the door). When the door is put in place, the first carriage is fixed to the plate whose notch opens laterally, then the second carriage is fixed to the plate whose notch opens longitudinally.

FIG. 5 also represents, seen in a longitudinal direction, the same elements as in FIGS. 3 and 4, with the exception of the slide which is not shown there.

For the installation of the door, the door is placed in the frame as it will be in the closed position during use; the door is applied against the bolts hanging under the movable carriages, placing the carriages in such a way that the bolt heads penetrate under the metal plates and the bolt rods penetrate into the notches 50. The carriages corresponding to the plates whose notches are s 'open laterally are placed before those which correspond to the notches opening longitudinally.

We screw the bolts by their heads (the space located under the metal plates at the place of the heads sufficient bolt to pass a tightening key) until the door is suspended in a balanced manner from the various mobile carriages. A lock nut may be provided on the bolt to tighten the closure plate between this lock nut and the bolt head.

The rest of the installation consists of mounting auxiliary profiles on the one hand to ensure complete closure of the door opening and closing space, and on the other hand to improve the aesthetics of the door frame. . These operations will now be described with reference in more detail to the shapes of profiles used for producing the one-piece frame manufactured in the factory.

In Figure 6, there is shown vis-à-vis the constitution of the left vertical upright 14 and the intermediate uprights 24 forming the frame of the door 12 when it is mounted. The upright 14 is constituted on the one hand by a main profile 140 (in solid lines) which forms a part of the one-piece structure assembled in the factory, and on the other hand by an auxiliary profile 145 (in dotted lines) which is mounted after door installation.

Likewise, the intermediate uprights 24 may comprise main sections (in solid lines) 240, in two parts since they must be separated by a sliding slot in the door, and an auxiliary section 245 (in dotted lines). The main sections are part of the one-piece structure fitted at the factory; the auxiliary profile 245 is mounted after the door has been fitted.

The auxiliary profiles 145 and 245 serve to improve the aesthetics of the door frame, while adjusting the opening width of this frame so that it corresponds to the possibilities of displacement of the sliding door taking into account the dimensions of the latter.

If the width of the door is Lp, the width L of the door frame must be less than Lp so that the door closes the entire space of the door frame. But since the door must be put in place by insertion into the frame, the space Lm between the sections 140 and 240 of the one-piece structure must be greater than Lp, at least on the side by which the door will be introduced. The auxiliary profiles added after fitting the door make it possible to make up the difference between Lm and L.

In the example shown, the sections 140 and 240 are formed asymmetrically. On one side of the door they have their final shape, that is to say that they do not need additional profiles to acquire their final shape and to give the door frame on this side its appearance final. They are separated by the distance L defining the final opening of the door. On the other side of the door, the section 140 and the section 240 are further apart from one another.

The auxiliary profile 145, applied against the bottom of the profile 140 first serves as a shim E to reduce the movement of the door in the closing direction: the profile 145 serves as a stop for the door in its sliding movement towards the closed posititon. Then, it is shaped so that all of the sections 140 and 145 constitute an aesthetic frame which has the same appearance on either side of the door and which masks the front edge of the door in the closed position.

This profile 145 is preferably mounted by simple fitting into the section 140 over the entire height thereof; this avoids having annoying screws or bolts which make the assembly longer. To this end, the lateral edges of the profile 145 (as opposed to the front edge against which the door abuts) are preferably very slightly flared to remain held resiliently after installation.

The auxiliary profile 245 contributes to reducing the width of the door frame from Lm to L and also contributes to giving an aesthetic appearance, identical to that found on the other side of the door. It is possible to do without this auxiliary profile 245 if the retrofitting of the width of the frame can be carried out with the auxiliary profile 145 on its own. The latter solution then also has the advantage of simplifying assembly.

In exactly the same way, as shown in Figure 7, it is expected that the lintel of the door includes not only a main profile 180 and the slide 20 which are two elements (solid lines) forming part of the rigid one-piece frame factory fitted, but also an auxiliary profile designed to improve the aesthetics of the upper part of the door frame. This complementary profile 185 (dotted lines) masks the bolt rods used to support the door; it also conceals the attachment means constituted by the notches and metal plates at the top of the door. It is mounted after the door has been put in place, at the same time as the sections 145 and 245. Here again, the section 185 gives the door on the side where it is introduced the same appearance as on the other side. Profile 185 also contributes to the correct guiding of the door.

The mounting of all additional profiles is practically done by simple interlocking; one can provide for example that one of the profiles (145 preferably) is slightly shorter than the height it should have, a separate shim of the same profile to then complete this height. Profiles 145 and 245 and profile 185, which rests at its ends on profiles 145 and 245, are put in place in the manner of a keystone, and all you have to do is slide the wedge under the profile too short, this wedge quite naturally wedging the whole. Additional fixing means could be provided in addition if desired (screws, etc.).

Claims (4)

1. A sliding door assembly comprising a rigid frame structure forming both the door frame and a concealed housing for the door, this structure comprising an upper slide (20) in which at least one movable carriage (30) can slide ), a support part (38) capable of being fixed on one side to the carriage and on the other to the sliding door, this part making it possible to suspend the door vertically from the carriage and to move the door (12) with the carriage when the carriage moves in the slide, the door comprising at its upper part a hooking means (48, 50) cooperating with the support piece (38) so as to allow lateral positioning of the hooking means by relative to the support part, this hooking means comprising a fixing part provided with a lateral notch (50), characterized in that the rigid structure comprises profiles (140, 240, 180) linked together, the l '' spread t mutual is sufficient to allow the introduction of the door into the structure by the side which will constitute the visible frame of the door opening, in that auxiliary profiles (145, 245, 185) for adjusting the dimensions of the door frame are attached to the first profiles after mounting the door in the rigid structure, and in that one of these auxiliary profiles constitutes both a stop limiting the sliding of the door towards its closed position and a exterior facing hiding the front edge of the door in the closed position. 2. Sliding door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary profile is mounted by simple fitting in a vertical upright of the rigid structure. 3. Sliding door assembly according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least two fixing parts are provided intended to cooperate with respective carriages, one having a notch opening transversely to the plane of the door and the other having a notch opening in the sliding direction of the door. 4. Assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the support part (38) is a bolt having a head which hangs below the slide and a threaded rod screwed into the carriage.

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