EP1447507A2

EP1447507A2 - Sliding system for frames, panels and the like, such as wings of doors, windows and pieces of furniture

Info

Publication number: EP1447507A2
Application number: EP04002897A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pietro De Poli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-02-14
Filing date: 2004-02-10
Publication date: 2004-08-18
Also published as: EP1447507A3; ITTO20030109A1

Abstract

Two wings are arranged slidably relative to a fixed structure, between a mutual side by side disposition and a disposition of substantial mutual superposition, to determine alternatively the closing and the opening of a space. In the fixed structure (10) are provided upper and/or lower guiding means (17, 18) relative to which each wing (11, 12) is slidably supported by means of respective supports (20, 21) provided with sliding means.

According to the invention, the supports (20, 21) are fastened in pairs to each wing (11, 12) and comprise respective rollers (20.1, 21.1) freely rotatable and slidably guided in corresponding tracks (17.10, 17.1, 17.3, 18.21, 18.1, 18.3) each formed by a guide of a central switch, an intermediate guide segment and a terminal guide segment.

Each guide roller (20.1) is freely rotatable about a respective pivot (20.10). At said central switch (17.2) of the guiding means (17) is positioned a guide template (17.4) for said pivots (20.10) which support the respective guide rollers (20.1).

Description

The present invention relates to a sliding system for frames, panels and the like, such as wings of doors, windows and pieces of furniture.

In particular, the invention relates to a sliding system of the type specified, in which at least two frames, panels or the like, hereafter called, for the sake of brevity, "wings" are arranged slidably relative to a fixed structure, between a mutual side by side position to a substantially mutual superposition, to determine alternatively the closing and opening of a space, such as a space of a door, window, piece of furniture or the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide a sliding system as specified above, which allows to place sliding wings or the like to completely close a space, avoiding the presence of sliding organs outside the space itself.

Another object is to provide a sliding system as stated above, which allows to obtain a quiet and uniform translation of the wings.

An additional object is to provide a sliding system as mentioned above, which has a simplified structure and a safe and reliable operation, and which is simple to construct.

In view of said objects, the present invention provides a sliding system for frames, panels and the like, such as wings of doors, windows and pieces of furniture, whose essential characteristic is the subject of the main claim, which is integrally incorporated herein.

Further advantageous characteristics are readily apparent in the subordinated claims, which are also integrally incorporated herein.

The present invention is described in detail in the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, provided purely by way of non limiting example, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a cabinet with substantially parallelepiped body, provided with wings and incorporating the sliding system of the present invention, said wings being illustrated side by side in the closed condition of the space enclosed by the cabinet itself;
Figures 2 and 3 are section views, respectively according to the lines II-II and III-III of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a detailed view, in enlarged scale, of the detail IV of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a detailed view, in enlarged scale, of the detail V of Fig. 2;
Fig. 6 is a similar view to that of Fig. 1, but with the doors shown substantially superposed on each other in a condition of partial opening of the space enclosed by the cabinet;
Figures 7 and 8 are section views, respectively according to the lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII of Fig. 6;
Fig. 9 is a section view according to the line IX-IX of Fig. 4;
Fig. 10 is a section view, in enlarged scale, according to the line X-X of Fig. 5;
Fig. 11 is a schematic view, in plan section according to the line XI-XI of Fig. 9, of a top central switch of the cabinet of Fig. 1;
Fig. 12 is a section view according to the line XII-XII of Fig. 4.

With reference to the drawings, the number 10 (Figg. 1, 6) globally designates a cabinet having two sliding wings, positioned side by side in closure and substantially superposable on each other in opening, which are constituted by respective identical

planar panels

11 and 12.

Said cabinet 10 comprises a fixed box structure, formed by lateral panels or vertical flanks 13, by a horizontal top or roof panel 14, by a horizontal base or bottom panel 15 and by a vertical rear or back panel 16 (Figs. 2, 3, 7, 8).

On the horizontal face 14.1 of the roof panel 14, internal to the cabinet 10, are fastened upper guiding means 17 (Figs. 3, 4, 8), substantially channel-shaped. Said channel-like guiding means 17 comprise two intermediate rectilinear guiding segments 17.1 (aligned to each other and according to the longitudinal direction of said panel 14, as well as parallel to said

wings

11, 12 set side by side in the closed position). Said intermediate guiding segments 17.1 are each connected, at an end, to a respective guide 17.10 of corresponding width in a central switch 17.2 (Figs. 4, 9. Said guides 17.10 are mutually identical, specularly intersecting each other (according to the transverse vertical median plane of the cabinet 10, identified in Figs. 4 and 5 by the track line Y-Y) and each curved, for example, according to a circumference arc substantially of 90°. At the other end, said rectilinear guide segments 17.1 are connected with respect to a corresponding terminal guide segment 17.3 of corresponding width and with curvilinear profile, for instance according to a circumference arc substantially of 90°.

On the horizontal face 15.1 of the bottom panel 15, internal to the cabinet 10, are fastened lower guiding means 18 (Figs. 2, 5, 7), substantially rail-like. Said rail-like guiding means 18 comprise two intermediate rectilinear guiding segments 18.1, aligned to each other and according to the longitudinal direction of said panel 15, as well as parallel to said

wings

11, 12 set side by side in the closed position. Said intermediate guide segments 18.1 are connected each, at one end, to a respective guide 18.21 of a central switch 18.2. Said two guides 18.21 are identical and specularly intersect each other (according to the transverse vertical median plane Y-Y of the cabinet 10) and each curved according to a circumference arc substantially of 90°. At the other end, said intermediate guide segments 18.1 are connected each to a corresponding terminal guide segment 18.3 with curvilinear profile, for instance according to a circumference arc substantially of 90°.

Said guiding means 17 and 18 are, moreover, specularly symmetrical relative to a horizontal median plane cutting through the cabinet 10. Said intermediate rectilinear guide segments 17.1, 18.1 are displaced rearwards relative to the front longitudinal edge (i.e. the distal one from the back 16) of the respective roof panel 14 and bottom panel 15, according to a greater distance, for instance double the distance, of the thickness of each sliding

wing

11, 12.

In each of the central switches 17.2, 18.2 of the guiding means 17, 18, each of the two intersected guides 17.10 and 18.21 substantially ends near the front edge of the

respective panel

14, 15.

On the other hand, in said guiding means 17, 18, each terminal guide segment 17.3 and 18.3 ends near the corresponding lateral panel 13 and the front edge of the

respective panel

14, 15.

Each

wing

11, 12 is supported in slidable fashion relative to said upper guide means 17 by means of its own pair of supports 20 (Figs. 1, 3, 4, 9), each provided with a guide roller 20.1 (Fig. 9). Each of said rollers 20.1 is freely rotatable around a respective pivot 20.10 with substantially vertical axis. The outer diameter of the guide rollers 20.1 corresponds, with play, to the width of the guide means 17.3, 17.1, 17.10, connected to each other in the manner of a track.

It should be noted that in each

wing

11, 12 the supports 20 are respectively fastened in its two inner upper angle areas, by means of respective brackets 20.2 (Fig. 4).

On the other hand, each

wing

11, 12 is supported in slidable fashion relative to the lower guiding means 18 by its own pair of supports 21, each provided with a respective load bearing and pivoting roller 21.1 (Figs. 2, 5, 7 and 10). Said roller 21.1 is supported freely rotatable around a substantially horizontal axis 21.10 by means of an inverted U-bolt 21.11, which is mounted, relative to the support 21, rotatable around a substantially vertical axis 21.11'. Moreover, said load bearing roller 21.1 has an edge 21.12 with cone frustum shaped active surface, arranged in rolling fashion on a corresponding face of the track formed by the rail-like guides 18.3, 18.1, 18.21 of the lower guiding means 18 themselves (Fig. 10). It should be noted that said edge 21.12 is conically tapered towards the interior of the cabinet 10. Specifically, a support 21 with load bearing roller 21.1 is fastened substantially near each lower angle area of each

wing

11, 12 by means of a respective support bracket 21.2 (Fig. 5).

At the upper central switch 17.2 is provided a guiding template 17.4 (Figs. 4, 9, 11, 12) for the pivots 20.10 which support the guide rollers 20.1. In particular, said guide template 17.4 is substantially formed by parts of plate fastened to the lower face of said central switch 17.2 and has, at the two intersected guides 17.10 of the switch itself, two respective slit-like counter-guides 17.40 (Figs. 4, 11), having the same arrangement and curvature of said guides 17.10, but smaller width than the guides themselves and increasing from the central intersection area of the counter-guides 17.40 towards both ends of the counter-guides themselves, which are considerably flared.

In said counter-guides 17.40 is positioned respectively in sliding fashion, during the opening and closing of the

wings

11, 12, a corresponding contoured part 17.5 of the pivots 20.10 of the two guiding rollers 20.1 (one for each wing 11, 12) proximal to each other and to the transverse vertical median plane Y-Y of the cabinet 10 (Figs. 4, 9, 12). Said contoured part 17.5 of the pivots 20.10 is constituted by a plate body 17.50, fastened to said pivot and with substantially elliptical contour with cusp-shaped end (seen in plan view, Fig. 11), in which the centre of the axes of the ellipse is positioned substantially on the axis of the respective pivot 20.10.

The elliptical conformation with cusp end of said plate body 17.50, as well as the conformation of the intersected counter-guides 17.40 with their width increasing from the central intersection area towards both their ends, is selected in such a way as to determine the guided sliding with play of said body 17.50 along the related counter-guide 17.40, maintaining the axis of the respective pivot 21.10 always substantially on the median line of the counter-guide 17.40 itself and of the corresponding guide 17.10, which the pivot 20.10 itself traverses, integral with its guiding roller 20.1, in the opening and closing phases of the

related wing

11, 12. In this regard, it should be noted that, by construction, when a body 17.50 of a pivot 20.10 enters the corresponding counter-guide 17.40, it is forced to follow its development, even at the intersecting area of the counter-guides 17.40, which said body 17.50 traverses without undergoing any deviations (see Fig. 11, in which with dashed lines is schematically shown a body 17.50 in different positions of translation through the intersection area of the counter-guides 17.40).

Respective adjustable end-stops 17.6 (Fig. 4) are provided at the front end of the guides 17.10 of the upper central switch 17.2, in such a way as to arrest each of the guide rollers 20.1 at the end of its travel in the corresponding guide of the switch.

Similarly, respective adjustable end-stops 18.4 (Fig. 5) are provided at the front end of the guides 18.21 of the upper central switch 18.2, in such a way as to arrest each of the guide rollers 21.1 at the end of its travel in the corresponding guide of the switch.

On the other hand, each

door

11, 12 has semi-automatic lock means 23 (Fig. 1), known in themselves and including a pawl (not shown in the drawings) able to be engaged by elastic snapping and to be disengaged manually relative to a corresponding seat (also not shown in the drawings) provided in each of the flanks 13 of the cabinet 10.

By means of this arrangement of semi-automatic locks 23 and of end stops 17.6, 18.4, when the load bearing rollers 21.1 and the guide rollers 20.1 have travelled to the end the respective guides in the central switch plates 17.2, 18.2 and in the terminal guide segments 17.3 and 18.3, the

wings

11, 12 are correctly situated in the vertical position and mutually side by side in closure, whilst being secured in a stable co-planar disposition.

It should be noted that in the brackets 20.2 of the supports 20 (Figs. 9 and 12) the pivots 20.10, which support the guide rollers 20.1, are prevented from rotating about their own axis by means of a key 20.11. A radial threaded pressure dowel 20.12 allows to adjust the position in the axial direction of each pivot 20.10 in the respective support 20. Said pivot 20.10 is locked in position by means of a threaded nut 20.13, in screwed-on engagement with respect to a correspondingly threaded axial end thereof.

Operation:

When the

wings

11, 12 are set mutually side by side in closed position (Figs. 1, 2, 3), the two load bearing rollers 21.1 of the lower supports 21 of each wing occupy respectively the end stop of a lower terminal guide segment 18.3 and of the guide 18.21 of the lower central switch 18.2 proximal to said terminal guide segment 18.3. Moreover, the two guide rollers 20.1 of each of the

doors

11, 12 respectively occupy the end stop of an upper terminal guide segment 17.3 and of the guide 17.10 of the upper central switch 17.2 proximal to said terminal guide segment 17.3. It should be noted that the pivots 20.10 of the two adjacent guide rollers 20.1 (each belonging to one of the two doors 11, 12), slidably engage respectively the counter-guides 17.40 of the guiding template 17.4 by means of their bodies 17.50. The pawls of the semi-automatic locks 23 are engaged in elastic snap-on fashion in the corresponding seats of the flanks 13 of the cabinet.

To allow, for example, to open the wing 12 (Figs. 6 - 8), the user first manually disengages the corresponding pawl of the lock means 23. The user then thrusts with slight manual pressure the wing 12 inwards and to the left, starting from the position illustrated in Fig. 1.

While the load bearing rollers 21.1 of the two lower supports 21 of the door 12 respectively traverse the lower terminal guide segment 18.3 and the guide 18.21 of the lower central switch 18.2 proximal to said terminal guide segment 18.3, until engaging respectively the two intermediate rectilinear guide segments 18.1, the two guide rollers 20.1 of the upper supports 20 of the wing 12 respectively slide along the corresponding upper terminal guide segment 17.3 and the guide 17.10 of the upper central switch 17.2 proximal to said segment of terminal guide 17.3, until engaging respectively the two intermediate rectilinear terminal guide segments 17.1. It should be noted that the body 17.50 of the pivot 20.10 of the guide roller 20.1 which traverses the guide 17.10 is simultaneously engaged in the counter-guide 17.40 of the guide template 17.4, which forces its translation movement along the counter-guide itself, until said roller 20.1 enters said contiguous rectilinear segment 17.1. The displacement of the door 12 continues relative to the aligned upper rectilinear guides 17.1 and lower rectilinear guides 18.1, until the wing itself is positioned behind the other wing 11, which remained in the closed state.

By inverse operation, the wing 12 is closed in immediate, safe and quiet fashion, assured by the automatic engagement in elastic snap-on fashion of the pawl of the lock means 23 within the corresponding set in the panel of the contiguous flank 13.

The door 11 has the same opening and closing operation, i.e., for instance, when opening, whilst an upper guiding roller 20.1 of an upper support 20 slides along the guide 17.10 of the upper central switch 17.2, the corresponding body 17.50 of its pivot 20.10 is simultaneously engaged in the counter-guide 17.40 of the guide template 17.4, which forces it to move until said roller 20.1 enters the contiguous intermediate rectilinear guide segment 17.1. Its other upper guide roller 20.1 is, instead, brought to travel first along the terminal guide segment 17.3 and then the other contiguous intermediate rectilinear guide segment 17.1, until entering the corresponding curvilinear guide segment 17.10 of the central switch 17.2.

Claims

A sliding system for frames, panels and the like, such as wings of doors, windows and pieces of furniture, in which at least two frames, panels or the like (called, for the sake of brevity, "wings"), are positioned slidably relative to a fixed structure, between a mutual side by side disposition and a disposition of substantial mutual superposition, to determine alternatively the closure and the opening of a space, such as a space of a door, of a window, of a piece of furniture or the like, and in which in said fixed structure (10) are provided upper and/or lower guiding means (17, 18) with respect to which each wing (11, 12) is slidably supported by means of respective supports (20, 21) provided with sliding means (called, for the sake of brevity, "rollers"), characterised in that, in said guiding means (17, 18), is provided a central switch (17.2, 18.2) comprising two guides (17.10, 18.21) specularly intersected with each other and curvilinear, each connected to a corresponding intermediate rectilinear guide segment (17.1, 18.1), in turn connected to a corresponding terminal curvilinear guide segment (17.3, 18.3), in that, in said central switch (17.2, 18.2), each of the two intersected guides (17.10, 18.21) ends substantially in proximity to the front edge of said space, and in said upper and/or lower guiding means (17, 18), each terminal guide segment (17.3, 18.3) ends in proximity to the front edge of said space, whilst said intermediate rectilinear guide segments (17.1, 18.1) are substantially aligned parallel to said wings set side by side in the position of closure of said space, and in that said supports (20, 21) are fastened in pairs to each wing (11, 12) and comprise respective rollers (20.1, 21.1) freely rotating and slidably guided in corresponding tracks (17.10, 17.1, 17.3, 18.21, 18.1, 18.3) each formed, in said guiding means (17, 18), by a guide of said switch, a corresponding intermediate guide segment and a corresponding terminal guide segment, so that each wing (11, 12) can be selectively brought, by sliding relative to said track, substantially to be superposed to the other wing, partially opening said space, or to be side by side with the other wing, closing said space.
A sliding system as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said guiding means (17) comprise at least two tracks (17.10, 17.1, 17.3) formed by channel-like guides, and in that said supports (20), fastened in pairs to each of said doors (11, 12), comprise in each pair a guide roller (20.1) slidably guided in one of said tracks (17.10, 17.1, 17.3) and a guide roller (20.1) slidably guided in the other of said tracks (17.10, 17.1, 17.3).
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that, in said supports (20), each of said guide rollers (20.1) is freely rotatable about a respective pivot (20.10), and in that at said central switch (17.2) of said guiding means (17) is positioned a guide template (17.4) for said pivots (20.10) which support the respective guide rollers (20.1).
A sliding system as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said guide template (17.4) has, at the two intersected guides (17.10) of said central switch (17.2), respective slit-like counter-guides (17.40) having the same disposition and curvature as said guides (17.10).
A sliding system as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said counter-guides (17.40) have smaller width than the guides (17.10) and increasing from the central intersection area of the counter-guides (17.40) towards both ends of the counter-guides themselves, which are considerably flared.
A sliding system as claimed in claim 3, 4 and/or 5, characterised in that each of said pivots (20.10) of the guide rollers (20.1) comprises a respective contoured part (17.5) and in that in said counter-guides (17.40) is positioned respectively in sliding fashion, during the opening and closing of the wings (11, 12), said contoured part (17.5) of the pivots (20.10) of the two guide rollers (20.1) (one for each door 11, 12) proximal to each other.
A sliding system as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that said contoured part (17.5) of each pivot (20.10) is constituted by a plate body (17.50), fixed to said pivot and with substantially elliptical contour (seen in plan view), in which the centre of the axes of the ellipse is located on the axis of the pivot (20.10) itself.
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the claims from 5 through 7, characterised in that said substantially elliptical conformation of said plate body (17.50), as well as the conformation of the intersected counter-guides (17.40) with their width increasing from the central intersection area towards both their ends, determines the guided sliding of said body (17.50) along the related counter-guide (17.40), maintaining the axis of the respective pivot (21.10) always substantially on the median line of the counter-guide (17.40) itself and of the corresponding guide (17.10), which the pivot (20.10) itself traverses, integrally with its guiding roller (20.1), in the opening and closing phases of the related wing (11, 12), so that, by construction, when the body (17.50) of a pivot (20.10) enters the corresponding counter-guide (17.40), it is forced to follow its development, even at the intersecting area of the counter-guides (17.40), which said body (17.50) traverses without undergoing any deviations.
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that said pivots (20.10), which support said guide rollers (20.1), are prevented from rotating about their own axis in the respective support (20) by means of a key (20.11), whilst a radial threaded pressure dowel (20.12) allows to adjust the position in the axial direction of each pivot (20.10) in the respective support (20), said pivot (20.10) being locked in position by means of a threaded nut (20.13), in screwed-on engagement with respect to a correspondingly threaded axial end thereof.
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that said guiding means (18) comprise at least two tracks (18.21, 18.1, 18.3) formed by track-like guides, and in that said supports (21), fastened in pairs to each of said doors (11, 12), comprise in each pair a load bearing and pivoting roller (21.1) slidably guided in one of said tracks (18.21, 18.1, 18.3) and a load bearing and pivoting roller (21.1) slidably guided in the other of said tracks (18.21, 18.1, 18.3).
A sliding system as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that said load bearing roller (21.1) is supported freely rotatable about a first axis (21.10) by means of an inverted U-bolt (21.11), which is mounted, relative to said support (21), rotatable about a second axis (21.11'), which lies in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to said first axis.
A sliding system as claimed in claim 10 and/or 11, characterised in that said load bearing roller (21.1) has an edge (21.12) with cone frustum active surface, arranged in rolling fashion on a corresponding face of the track formed by said rail guides (18.3, 18.1, 18.21).
A sliding system as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that said edge (21.12) of the load bearing roller (21.1) has conically tapered profile towards the interior of said fixed structure (10).
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that each wing (11, 12) has semi-automatic lock means (23), including a pawl able to be engaged in elastic snap-on fashion and to be manually disengaged relative to a corresponding seat provided in said fixed structure (10), so that, when said wings (11, 12) are correctly side mutually side by side in closure, they are secured in a stable coplanar arrangement by the closure of said lock means (23).
A sliding system as claimed in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that, in said central switch (17.2, 18.2), at the front end of each curvilinear (17.10, 18.21) is provided a respective end stop (17.6, 18.4), adjustable in such a way as to arrest each of the rollers (20.1, 21.1) at the end of their travel in the corresponding guide of the switch.