EP1199432A1

EP1199432A1 - Door assembly including a braking mechanism

Info

Publication number: EP1199432A1
Application number: EP00203580A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bengt Hagglund
Original assignee: Cardo Door Continental BV
Current assignee: Assa Abloy Entrance Systems Production Netherlands BV
Priority date: 2000-10-16
Filing date: 2000-10-16
Publication date: 2002-04-24

Abstract

A door assembly comprising guide rails (4), which can be mounted on either side of a door opening (2) formed in a wall (1), and a door (3) which can be moved in vertical direction and which is fitted with guide means (6) on its vertical edges, which guide means (6) cooperate with said guide rails (4). The door assembly includes a braking element (10) which is mounted along at least one side of the door opening (2), which braking element (10) is capable of cooperation with a locking element (11) attached to the door (3), whereby in that both the braking element (10) and the guide rail (4) are directly fixed to the wall (1) by means (9) of attachment.

Description

The invention relates to a door assembly comprising guide rails, which can be mounted on either side of a door opening formed in a wall, and to a door which can be moved in vertical direction and which is fitted with guide means on its vertical edges, which guide means cooperate with said guide rails, which door assembly includes a braking element which is mounted along at least one side of the door opening, which braking element is capable of cooperation with a locking element attached to the door.
EP-A-0 149 692 discloses a door assembly of this kind, wherein the locking element is maintained in an inoperative position as long as the cables by which the door is suspended are under tension. As soon as this tension drops out, the locking element is moved to its operative position, wherein the locking element engages in the braking element, thus blocking possible downward movement of the door. As a result, the door is prevented from falling down in an uncontrolled manner. The risk of the door falling down is practically excluded by mounting such a braking mechanism on either side of the door.
According to EP-A-0 149 692 the braking element is attached to a steel section, which is mounted along the side of the door opening and which at the same time functions as the guide rail.
The attachment of the braking element must be sufficiently strong, so that the braking element can also function properly under extreme conditions.
The object of the invention is to provide a door assembly fitted with a braking mechanism which operates reliably and/or which is mounted in an effective manner.
According to the invention, both the braking element and the guide rail are to that end directly fixed to the wall by means of attachment. Direct attachment of the braking element to the wall results in the most optimal fixation thereof.
From EP-A-0 678 641 it is known to fix a steel section, part of which functions as a braking element, to the wall along the door opening. When the braking element forms an integral part of the section, however, which also functions to guide the guide means of the door, the freedom to give the braking element an optimum form and/or to form it of the most suitable material is limited. The only way to have the braking element form part of a section is to form recesses in the material of the section or strongly deform the material locally.
Preferably, the braking element consists substantially of a metal strip, which includes vertical parts and horizontal parts and also sloping parts may be provided as shown per se in EP-A-0 149 692. Preferably, holes are present in the vertically extending parts, through which the means of attachment can be fitted.
In one preferred embodiment the braking element and the guide rail abut against each other and they are fixed to the wall by the same means of attachment, preferably screws. By using the same means of attachment, for example screws, both for the guide rail and for the braking element, an efficient attachment is obtained while using a limited number of holes in the wall.
It is noted that the term guide rail is meant to include a section as well, to which the rail in which the guide means move is attached, for example by means of spot welds or by means of bolts.
When the guide rail and the braking element abut against each other and they are both attached to the wall by the same means of attachment, the guide rail and the braking element can also be attached together, for example by means of spot welds.
In one preferred embodiment the locking element can pivot about an axis which extends substantially in horizontal direction, parallel to the door, between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which the locking element is in engagement with the braking element. Preferably, the locking element engages the braking element in two places in its operative position. On the one hand a firmer engagement is obtained in this manner, but in addition a certain damping effect is obtained when braking the falling door, since the locking element does not engage in two places at exactly the same moment as a result of the fact that there will always be slight dimensional differences. Although the differences are extremely small, they nevertheless appear to have a certain effect.
The invention furthermore relates to a braking element, which consists substantially of a metal strip including, in mounted condition, alternating vertical parts, sloping parts and horizontal parts, wherein holes are formed in said vertical parts, through which means of attachment can be fitted for the purpose of attaching the braking element to a wall.
The invention furthermore relates to a braking element, which consists substantially of a metal strip including, in mounted condition, alternating vertical parts and horizontal parts, wherein holes are formed in vertical parts, through which means of attachment can be fitted for the purpose of attaching the braking element to a wall.
The invention furthermore relates to a method for mounting a door assembly, wherein guide rails are mounted on either side of a door opening formed in a wall, in which guide rail a door can be moved in vertical direction, wherein guide means fixed to the door cooperate with said guide rails, wherein a braking element is mounted along at least one side of the door opening, which braking element is capable of cooperation with a locking element attached to the door, characterised in that both the braking element and the guide rail are directly fixed to the wall by using means of attachment.
Preferably, the braking element and the guide rail abut against each other and they are fixed to the wall by the same means of attachment, preferably screws.
In order to explain the invention more fully, an embodiment of a door assembly will be described hereafter with reference to the drawing.
Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view at the location of one side of the door opening in the closed position of the door;
Figure 2 is a sectional view according to II-II in Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows the locking element in the operative position;
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the braking element, and
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of the braking element.
Figure 1 shows a wall 1 with a door opening 2, which door opening 2 is closed by a door 3. Door 3 can be moved in vertical direction (perpendicularly to the plane of Figure 1), with door 3 being guided by guide rail 4, which is in the form of a section. Said section 4 includes a part 5 which cooperates with the guide means of door 3.
The guide means of door 3 comprise a wheel 6, which is rotatably journalled in support 7, which is attached to door 3 by means of (schematically indicated) bolts 8.
Door 3 consists of a number of panels which extend in horizontal direction along the width of door 3, and which are pivotally interconnected. Each panel is fitted with one or more wheels 6 on each of its vertical edges.
Guide rail 4 is attached to the wall 1 by means of (schematically indicated) screws 9, near the edge of door opening 2.
Figure 1 furthermore shows a braking element 10, which is capable of cooperation with a locking element 11. Figure 1 shows locking element 11 in its inoperative position, in which it is not in engagement with braking element 10.
Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1, with guide rail 4 being shown in elevation in the lower part of Figure 2.
Figure 2 shows the lower part of door 3 as well as the locking element 11 that is pivotally attached thereto in elevational view. Locking element 11 can pivot about a horizontal axis 12 between the inoperative position as illustrated and the operative position as shown in Figure 3, in which position locking element 11 is in engagement with braking element 10.
Fixed to door 3 is a pin 13, which is positioned in slot 14 of locking element 11 and which limits the pivoting movement of locking element 11 to pivoting between the inoperative position (Figure 2) and the operative position (Figure 3).
Locking element 11 is so connected to the cable by which the door 3 is suspended, for example in the manner as disclosed in EP-A-0 149 692, that the locking element 11 remains in the inoperative position as long as said cable is not stressed in tension. As soon as said stress in tension drops out, for example because the cable breaks, the locking element 11 will be moved to the operative position by spring means (not shown), so that the locking element 11 engages the catching element 10, as is shown in Figure 3.
Locking element 11 includes two engagement parts 15, 16, which can each engage different parts 17 (see Figure 5) of braking element 10.
As is shown both in Figure 2 and in Figure 3, braking element 10 is fixed to wall 1, together with guide rail 4, by means of screws 9. Both the braking element 10 and the guide rail 4 are to that end provided with holes.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the braking element 10. Figure 4 in elevation view, Figure 5 in side view and Figure 6 in top plan view. Braking element 10 consists of a bent metal strip, which includes alternating horizontal parts 17, vertical parts 18 and sloping parts 19. The vertical parts 18 are provided with holes 20 for attaching the braking element 10. Holes 20 are elongated, so that two screws 9 can be fixed one beside another.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show an other embodiment of the braking element 10, in the same views of figures 4, 5 and 6 respectively. In this embodiment there are no sloping parts 19 but only horizontal parts 17 and vertical parts 18, 22. This embodiment has the advantage that the braking element 10 is symmetrical with respect to a horizontal plane, so that the braking element 10 can be mounted in two ways.
The above-described embodiment is merely an example of a practical implementation of the invention, a great many other embodiments are possible.

Claims

A door assembly comprising guide rails (4), which can be mounted on either side of a door opening (2) formed in a wall (1), and a door (3) which can be moved in vertical direction and which is fitted with guide means (6) on its vertical edges, which guide means (6) cooperate with said guide rails (4), which door assembly includes a braking element (10) which is mounted along at least one side of the door opening (2), which braking element (10) is capable of cooperation with a locking element (11) attached to the door (3), characterised in that both the braking element (10) and the guide rail (4) are directly fixed to the wall (1) by means (9) of attachment.
A door assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the braking element (10) consists substantially of a metal strip, which includes vertical parts (18) and horizontal parts (17).
A door assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that holes (20) are present in the vertically extending parts (18), through which means (9) of attachment can be fitted.
A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the braking element (10) and the guide rail (4) abut against each other and in that they are fixed to the wall (1) by the same means (9) of attachment, preferably screws.
A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guide rail (4) and the braking element (10) are attached together, for example by means of spot welds.
A door assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the locking element (11) can pivot about an axis (12) which extends substantially in horizontal direction, parallel to the door (3), between an inoperative position and an operative position in which the locking element (11) is in engagement with the braking element (10).
A door assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that the locking element (11) engages the braking element (10) in two places in its operative position.
A braking element substantially consisting of a metal strip including, in mounted condition, alternating vertical parts (18), sloping parts (19) and horizontal parts (17), wherein holes (20) are formed in said vertical parts (18), through which means (9) of attachment can be fitted for the purpose of attaching the braking element (10) to a wall (1).
A braking element substantially consisting of a metal strip including, in mounted condition, alternating vertical parts (18) and horizontal parts (17,22), wherein holes (20) are formed in vertical parts (18), through which means (9) of attachment can be fitted for the purpose of attaching the braking element (10) to a wall (1).
A method for mounting a door assembly, wherein guide rails (4) are mounted on either side of a door opening (2) formed in a wall (1), in which guide rail (4) a door (3) can be moved in vertical direction, wherein guide means fixed to the door (3) cooperate with said guide rails (4), wherein a braking element (10) is mounted along at least one side of the door opening (2), which braking element (10) is capable of cooperation with a locking element (11) attached to the door (3), characterised in that both the braking element (10) and the guide rail (4) are directly fixed to the wall (1) by using means (9) of attachment.