EP1366262B1

EP1366262B1 - Device in door arrangements

Info

Publication number: EP1366262B1
Application number: EP02704002A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bo Olsson
Original assignee: Crawford Group AB
Current assignee: Crawford Group AB
Priority date: 2001-03-09
Filing date: 2002-03-08
Publication date: 2008-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-08
Also published as: ATE418666T1; EP1366262A1; SE0100788D0; WO2002072991A1; DE60230485D1; SE521825C2; SE0100788L

Abstract

A device in an overhead sliding door, which comprises guide rails (4) extending along the vertical sides of a door opening and a door panel (1) comprised of a number of door-panel sections (3), said door-panel sections being hingedly interconnected via horizontal pivot joints (2) and supporting runners (10) at the side portions of the door panel, which runners are guided along the guide rails (4). The door panel (1) is formed with an outer face (22) and an inner face (21). The inner door-panel face is formed with an extended part (12) such that as seen from the inner face the runners (10) essentially are covered by the side portions of said door panel (1). The runners (10) are disposed essentially within a space that is delimited by the associated guide rail (4), by the side edge of the door panel, and by the inner face (21) of said door panel.

Description

Technical Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a device in overhead sliding doors comprising guide rails extending along the vertical sides of a door opening, and a door panel comprised of a number of door-panel sections, said door-panel sections being hingedly interconnected via horizontal pivot joints and supporting runners at the side portions of the door panel, which runners are guided along the guide rails.

Technical Background of the Invention

An overhead sliding door of the kind defined in the introduction is previously known from e.g. SE 505 815 and US-A-5 566 740 . Doors of this kind usually comprise guide rails wherein a runner, for example in the shape of a roller, is received so as to travel in a track devised for that purpose. The roller in turn is carried by a support, which is connected with the door panel. In prior-art overhead sliding doors, the guide-rail tracks therefore are open along a slit, at least in the direction where the roller support is positioned for engagement with the door panel. The reason therefor is to allow the sliding door to be displaced backwards and forwards along the guide rail to open and close the garage door.
The open slit formed in the tracks in combination with the rollers arranged for sliding motion therein are potential causes of serious clamping injuries, particularly when the door is being opening and closed, the reason therefore being the existence of numerous passages, along which the moving unprotected rollers are freely accessible. Sliding doors are comparatively heavy and they are hazardous to persons nearby inasmuch as they may inflict serious bodily clamping injuries owing to their considerable mass. The tracks often are designed to offer good roller fit and comparatively serious clamping incidents therefore may occur, should a moving roller come into contact with e.g. a person's fingers.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide an overhead sliding door device arranged to minimise the risk of clamping injuries, particularly in conjunction with opening and closing of the door. Another object of the present invention is to provide a robust and safe high-quality overhead sliding door device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an overhead sliding door device, which device makes the overhead sliding door simple to mount and allows the mounting operation to be performed efficiently.
These objects are achieved in according with the teachings of the invention in that the device of the kind outlined in the introduction exhibits the characterising features defined in the appended claim 1. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims 2-12.
The inventive device comprises guide rails extending along the vertical sides of a door opening, and a door panel comprised of a number of door-panel sections, said door-panel sections being hingedly interconnected via horizontal pivot joints and supporting runners at the side portions of the door panel, which runners are guided along the guide rails, said door panel having an outer face and an inner face and being characterised in that on both side portions, the inner door-panel face is formed with an extended part such that as seen from the inner face the runners essentially are covered by the side portions of said door panel, said runners essentially being disposed within a space that is delimited by the associated guide rail, by the side edge of the door panel and by the extended part of the inner face of said door panel.
This solution offers numerous advantages, for example elimination of the risk that clamping injuries are incurred in the area between for example the runners and the guide rails as also between the side edge and the guide rail of any one of the door-panel sections. The invention allows the runners and the track, wherein the runners are received, to be substantially encapsulated, with the consequence that the clamping risk associated with these elements, which in prior-art doors normally are potential causes of clamping injuries, is now considerably reduced.
In accordance with the invention, the vertical and horizontal parts of the guide rail are spaced from the door panel by a distance amounting to less than 15 mm, preferably to between 1 and 8 mm and most preferably to between 1 and 6 mm.
Because the guide rail and the door panel, in accordance with the teachings of the invention, may be disposed in such close proximity to one another as indicated above the clamping injury risks are reduced. In order to ensure that an even spacing be maintained between the guide rail and the door panel, the inner face of the door panel is formed with an essentially even side edge vertically along the door opening. Also the distance between the guide rail and e.g. the outer face of the door panel preferably is within the parameters mentioned above in order to reduce the risks of clamping and clamping injuries.
In accordance with the invention, the runners comprise rollers. This ensures even, low-friction travel of the runners in accordance with the invention. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the runners comprise slide means. Obviously, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the runners may also comprise both rollers and slide means, which preferably are arranged in mutually different places on the door panel.
It should be appreciated that the extended part of the inner face of the door panel could comprise separate cover members. The part of the door panel, herein referred to as the inner face, which is used together with the side edge to form part of the encapsulating device in accordance with the invention, advantageously is configured as a separate profiled element, which may be attached to the door panel. Owing to this arrangement, one and the same door panel may be given differently shaped inner faces by the application to said door panel of differently configured profiled-section cover elements. Obviously, the extended part of the inner face of the door panel could be given a specific configuration from the start in a compression-moulding process. In this manner, it likewise becomes possible to manufacture one-piece door-panel sections formed integrally with the desired extended part.
The runners preferably are enclosed in a track the extension of which in the transverse direction of the door panel essentially may be contained within the limits of the door panel thickness. Because the extension of the track that encloses the runners may be contained within this area, the track is easily encapsulated so as to minimise clamping-injury risks without being so space-requiring that it becomes difficult to mount the overhead sliding door within the door opening.
In addition, the runners preferably are disposed essentially level with and preferably somewhat above the horizontal pivot joints and preferably at the upper edge of a door-panel section. However, it is likewise possible to mount the runners at the lower edge of the associated door-panel section. In the latter case the runners should be positioned somewhat below the pivot joint. The position of the runners essentially level with the horizontal pivot joints on the door panel allows the door panel to slide in a controlled manner in a curved track comprised in the overhead sliding door. In order to facilitate mounting and enhance the sliding properties of the overhead sliding door, at least most of the runners are supported by runner-body carriers, which are insertable in a guide of complementary configuration arranged at the side edge of the door-panel section. Preferably, the complementary-shaped guide at the door-panel section is formed by inter-engaging profiled elements. For example, in accordance with the invention one of the complementary-shaped profiled elements could be formed by the inner face of the door panel.
Obviously, it lies within the scope of the invention to combine freely the embodiments as also the different steps of the inventive the method. It should also be appreciated that a lifting means could be arranged in the overhead sliding door in order to provide a lifting force, thus avoiding that the opening and closing movements are felt to be heavy. The lifting means preferably is associated with some kind of power supply. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the opening and closing movements are automated and may be controlled from a control panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be described in the following in more detail by means of one embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a perspective view of an overhead sliding door designed with the encapsulating rail in accordance with present embodiment of the invention as seen from the inside of a space having a door opening.
Fig 2 an exploded view of a part of the overhead sliding door in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
Fig 3 is an exploded view of a part of the overhead sliding door of Fig 2 formed with a roller engaging in accordance with one embodiment of the invention with the encapsulating rail.
Fig 4a is a horizontal sectional view as seen from above of an encapsulating rail in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
Fig 4b is a horizontal sectional view as seen from above of an encapsulating rail in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention.
Fig 5 is a vertical sectional view of a part of the door.
Fig 6 is an enlargement of a part of Fig 5.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in the following. The examples described should not be regarded as restricting but merely as examples.
Fig 1 illustrates an essentially conventional overhead sliding door consisting of a door panel, generally designated by reference 1 and divided into a number of door-panel sections 3, which are hingedly joined together along horizontal pivot elements 2. The number of door-panel sections depends on the height of the door opening for which the overhead sliding door is intended. At each one of the vertical side edges of the door opening extends a vertical guide rail portion 4. The door-panel sections 3 are connected with and guided by the guide rails via runners, which preferably are rollers disposed in said rails, said rollers being mounted on shafts attached to the door-panel sections. The weight of the door is balanced by means of a balancing spring 8. Numeral reference 9 designates a drive means designed to actuate the door panel for movement between a raised open position and a lowered closed position, in which latter position the door panel covers said door opening (not shown in the drawing).
Fig 2 is an exploded schematic view of a part of a door-panel section provided with a profiled element 12 designed to extend the inner face of the door-panel section 3 in accordance with a preferred method for mounting a preferred embodiment. The extended part of the inner face 21 of the door-panel section may be obtained also by configuring the inner face 21 of the door-panel section in a suitable manner already during the manufacturing of the panel section. The profiled element 12 is fixedly secured to the side edge of the door-panel section. In addition, a support 13 is arranged in the profiled element 12 in order to support a runner-body carrier 11. Preferably, the support is located at a level ensuring that the runner 10 itself will be level with the upper face of the door-panel section, preferably somewhat above the pivot joint and thus somewhat above the prolongation of the pivot joint with respect to the mounted door panel. In accordance with one embodiment, the runner-body carrier 11 is configured as a profiled element designed for complementary engagement with the inner face 21 of the extended part of the door-panel section 3.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the door-panel section 3 is designed to form the inventive device for overhead sliding doors in the immediate vicinity of the essentially vertical guide rail 4. The runner is inserted in the intended track in the guide rail 4 and is received in the profiled element 12 configured for complementary engagement therewith.
Fig 3 shows the manner of fixedly securing the runner-body carrier 11 relative to the door-panel section 3. Other characteristic features shown in the drawing figure appear from the previous drawing figure 2 and therefore will not be repeated. The runner-body carrier 11 preferably is attached in this position to the door-panel section 3 by means of fasteners designed for the purpose but not shown in this drawing figure.
Once the first door-panel section 3 is placed in position in this manner, the procedure described above is continued by mounting the door-panel section to be located immediately above the first one, and so on, panel section by panel section, until the entire door panel is completed. The runner 10 of the uppermost door-panel section 3, referred to herein as top runner, preferably is arranged in a corresponding manner but also in a separate guide track in accordance with prior-art to make it possible to obtain also in the case of low-ceiling spaces an essentially vertical door panel 1 when the door is closed.
The door-panel sections are thereafter interconnected along horizontal pivot joints in accordance with one preferred embodiment. Preferably, the pivot joint 2 is arranged in a predetermined manner to minimise the risks that clamping injuries are incurred between panel-door sections 3, as will be described in closer detail with reference to Fig 5.
Fig 4a is a cross-sectional view of the essentially vertical guide rail 4 and shows the manner in which it co-operates with the door-panel section 3. In order to provide an indication of direction, the outer face of the door panel is identified by numeral 22 and its inner face by numeral 21. Also a part of the hinge 7 in the area of the pivot joint is shown in the sectional view. As appears from this drawing figure, the fact that the extended part of the inner face 21 covers the runner 10 and the runner track in the guide rail 4 makes it possible to reduce to a minimum the spacing between the edges of the guide rail 4 and the door-panel section 3. Because these elements also enclose the runner in an encapsulated manner, the risks that clamping injuries might be caused between e.g. the door and the rails as also between runner and track are largely reduced.
The configuration of the extended part of the inner face in accordance with a preferred embodiment is shown in Fig 4a, wherein said part is formed by a profiled element 12 having a substantially right-angled configuration so as to allow it to be applied against the side portions of the door-panel section 3. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the runner 10 preferably is a roller.
Fig 4b shows an alternative embodiment of the profiled element 12 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the inventive device. In accordance with this alternative, the profiled element 12 is bent so as to abut against both faces of the door-panel section while at the same time serving to guide and engaging with the runner-body carrier 11. In accordance with the two embodiments shown in Fig 4, the guide rail 4 provides a track receiving the runner 10 for displacement of the latter therein in the axial direction of the track. Thanks to its shape, it simultaneously serves to encapsulate the runner 10 since its edges abut closely against the door-panel section along the essentially vertical extended part of the latter. As a result, the overhead sliding door in accordance with the invention becomes less bulky in this area compared with many prior-art doors.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig 5 in a lateral view, from which the hinged joints interconnecting the door-panel sections 3 of the door panel 1 appear. Because the hinge is located oppositely the pivot joint, the distance between the door-panel sections is kept substantially constant, also when the door follows an arcuate track while moving. This feature adds to making the door safe against clamping injuries that might otherwise be incurred between the door-panel sections and has been made possible because the sections of the door panel are specially designed to fit into one another.
The fit between one upper and one lower door-panel section 3 preferably is designed to allow the sections to be moved into a position at an angle relative to one another without the pivot joint being exposed to crushing damages during movements of this kind.
The invention has been described above in the form of various embodiments including some suggestions for alternative embodiments but it should be appreciated that it could be modified in a variety of ways within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the device in accordance with the invention obviously could be applied to doors designed differently from the one shown herein.

Claims

A device in an overhead sliding door, which comprises guide rails (4) extending along the vertical sides of a door opening and a door panel (1) comprised of a number of door-panel sections (3), said door-panel sections being hingedly interconnected via horizontal pivot joints (2) and supporting runners (10) at the side portions of the door panel, which runners are guided along the guide rails (4), said door panel (1) having an outer face (22) and an inner face (21),
characterised in that the inner door-panel face is formed with an extended part (12) such that as seen from the inner face the runners (10) essentially are covered by the side portions of said door panel (1), said runners (10) essentially being disposed within a space that is delimited by the associated guide rail (4), by the side edge of the door panel, and by the extended part of the inner face (21) of said door panel.
A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein along the door opening the guide rail (4) and the door panel are spaced apart by a distance amounting to less than 15 mm, preferably to between 1 and 8 mm and most preferably to between 1 and 6 mm.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-2, wherein the inner face (21) of the door panel is formed with an essentially even side edge vertically along the door opening.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, wherein the runners (10) comprise rollers.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the runners (10) comprise slide means.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, wherein the extended part of the inner face (21) of the door panel comprises separate cover elements.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the runners (10) are disposed in a track the extension of which in the transverse direction of the door panel may be contained within the external limits of the pivot joints of the door panel.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, wherein the runners (10) preferably are disposed in a track the extension of which in the transverse direction of the door panel may essentially be contained within the limits of the door panel thickness.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the runner (10) preferably is disposed at the upper edge of a door-panel section and in the area of the horizontal pivot joint (2), preferably somewhat above the latter.
A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein at least the majority of the runners (10) are supported by runner-body carriers (11), which may be inserted in a guide means of complementary configuration at the side edge of the section (3) of the door panel.
A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the guide means of complementary configuration at the door-panel section is formed by inter-engaging profiled elements.
A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the complementary-configured profiled elements is formed by the inner face (21) of the door panel.