EP1563154B1 - Building door guided along a rail - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a building door, guided along at least one curvilinear rail comprising a rectilinear part at least approximately vertical and a rectilinear part at least approximately horizontal connected by a curved part, by movable guide elements in the rail. and linked to the door, at least one guide element being connected to the door by an intermediate element, this intermediate element being provided with an arm and being rotatably mounted, between two extreme positions, on the door about an axis and whose position is determined by the action of a device on the arm of the intermediate element according to the position of the door relative to the rail.

Such a door, known from the prior art, is described with reference to the figure 1 of the attached drawing. The door 1 shown allows to close an opening 2 made in a building 3 such as a garage opening. This door 1 retracts vertically to allow passage through the opening 2. To do this, on either side of the opening, symmetrical rails 4, 5 are fixed inside the building 3 on its structure and a device 40 makes it possible to compensate for the weight of the door. The door 1 consists of several panels 6 whose length is equal to the width of the opening 3 to be closed. These panels 6 allow the door 1 to follow as closely as possible the direction of movement defined by the rails 4, 5 and to reduce as much as possible the technical space required for its opening. They are articulated relative to each other about axes perpendicular to the rails defined by hinges and guided in the rails by rollers 8 connected to the door at the joints between the panels and at the lower end of the door and by rollers 9 at the upper end of the door.

A pair of upper rails 5 is intended for guiding the rollers 9 and a pair of lower rails 4 for guiding the rollers 8.

This door structure reduces the volume of the technical space required for the displacement of the panels during opening and, in particular to reduce, the height of the lintel 7. In fact, this height must be such that the bottom of the lintel 7 arrives substantially at the level of the rails 5 at the opening. It is thus possible to use, despite a small height of the lintel, a relatively large radius of curvature for connecting the straight portions of the rails 4. The use of a large radius of curvature ensures proper operation of the door. Indeed, various factors such as the height of the panels and the maximum allowable angle between two adjacent panels impose a minimum radius of curvature.

However, these doors have a disadvantage.

This solution requires the use of two pairs of rails. It is therefore expensive. In addition, it affects the aesthetics of the installation, the guide rails constituting massive parts suspended from the ceiling inside the building.

These disadvantages have been partially solved by achievements described in the publications DE 31 35 400 , DE 30 37 439 and FR 2 467 952 . These documents in fact describe doors whose upper panels are in pivot connection with arms at the end of which are mounted guide rollers. Stops are provided inside the curvilinear part of the rail. They allow by their action on the arms to rotate the arms relative to the top panel and to press the panel in the door frame in alignment with the lower panels.

Some disadvantages remain. In all these embodiments, when the door is in the open position, the arms protrude from the surface of the panels. This is dangerous, especially when the ceiling of the room is relatively low, there is a risk of head injuries for users of the premises. In addition, such doors are not aesthetic, arms always protruding door panels.

The invention aims to provide a building door improving the doors of the prior art and overcoming the disadvantages mentioned. In particular, the invention proposes to make a simple door, aesthetic and whose structure minimizes the risk of injury to users.

The door according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1.

Different variants of the door are defined by the dependent claims 2 to 6.

The figure 1 is a sectional view of a known door of the prior art.

The Figures 2 to 7 are a succession of views of doors not forming part of the invention.

The figure 8 is a detail view of an embodiment of the door according to the invention at the intermediate element connecting the door to one of the guide elements.

The door 10 represented at figure 2 allows to close an opening 2 made in a building 3 such as a garage opening. This door 1 retracts vertically to allow passage through the opening 2. To do this, on either side of the opening, symmetrical rails 14 are fixed inside the building 3 on its structure . The rails 14 have a curvilinear shape, consisting of a vertical rectilinear portion 14a connected by a curved connecting portion 14b to a horizontal rectilinear portion 14c away from the opening 2 towards the interior of the building. The door 10, once opened, is horizontal under the ceiling of the building. These rails are made for example by means of a steel section whose section has a shape of C.

The door is composed of four panels 15 having a length substantially equal to the width of the opening 2. The walls 16, 17 of these panels respectively defining the inner and outer faces of the door 10 are made of sheet steel or synthetic material. The space between the inner 16 and outer 17 walls is filled with a material 18 of thermal and acoustic insulation such as a polyurethane foam. The adjacent panels 15, 15a are connected to each other by hinges regularly distributed over the entire length of the panels or other means not subject of the present invention. These hinges allow the rotation of adjacent panels relative to each other about pivot axes parallel to the length of the panels 15, 15a. In the articulation zone between two panels and at the lower end of the door are, on either side of the door, connected to it, rollers 19 of horizontal axes intended for The diameter of these rollers is equal to the operating clearance near the distance between the upper wings of the rails 14 of their lower wings. These rollers are mounted free to rotate on brackets fixed on either side of each panel at the bottom of its inner face.

Two upper rollers 20, also intended to roll in the rails 14, are fixed at the top of the upper panel on either side of the door. They are each mounted, as shown in the figure 3 in pivot connection axis 21 perpendicular to the rails on an intermediate element 22 made of sheet metal and having an arm 23. The intermediate elements and the arms have flat shapes to minimize the space required between the door panels and the rails . They can be made of sheet metal or any other material having sufficient mechanical strength. The intermediate elements 22 are connected to the upper panel 15a of the door 10 by an axis pivot connection 24 perpendicular to the rails. These intermediate elements are movable between stops (not shown) defining on the one hand, a position in which the arms 23 are substantially perpendicular to the upper panel 15a and, on the other hand, a position in which the arms 23 are substantially parallel to the upper panel 11. The arms 23 each cooperate with a finger 25 secured to the rail 14 to guide the intermediate members 22 relative to the upper panel 15a of the door. The fingers 25 are located outside the curved portion 14b of the rails 14, that is to say above the rail as shown in FIG. figure 4 . Thus, the arms 23 and the fingers 25 are careened by the door panels during almost all of the door travel. This fairing improves the aesthetics of the door and its security. In particular, when the door is open, the arms do not protrude under the door panels.

The operation of the door is described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 having a closing sequence of a door not forming part of the invention.

To the figure 4 , the door is partially open. The intermediate elements 22 are in a position such that their arms 23 are substantially perpendicular to the upper panel 15a.

To the figure 5 , the door has been moved to its closed position. It is practically closed. The intermediate elements 22 are always in a position such that their arms 23 are substantially perpendicular to the upper panel 15a.

To the figure 6 , the door is close to its closed position. The arms 23 of the intermediate elements come into contact with the fingers 25 secured to the rails 14 and located at the connecting radii 14b of the rectilinear portions 14a and 14c of the rails. These actions of contact of the fingers 25 on the intermediate elements 22 cause their rotation about their hinge axis 24 to the upper panel 15a, so as to position the latter in alignment with the other panels when the lower panel of the door arrives. contact with the ground.

To the figure 7 , the door is closed. All the panels are aligned and the arms 23 of the intermediate pieces 22 are in contact with the fingers 25.

When the door is opened, all the panels move vertically until the fingers 25 come into contact with stops 26 provided on the arms of the intermediate pieces. The contacts of the fingers against the stops cause, given their position (represented in FIG. figure 3 ) relative to the hinge pin 24 of the intermediate parts on the upper panel, the rotation of the intermediate parts 22 relative to the upper panel 15a.

In order to avoid friction between the arms of the intermediate elements and the fingers, the latter are provided with rollers. Thus, the fingers 25 roll on the arms 23 of the intermediate elements 22.

The arms of the intermediate elements are substantially perpendicular to the ceiling and the door panels when the latter is open. This forces to arrange, between the rails and the ceiling, a sufficient space to allow the movement of these arms.

The door according to the invention makes it possible to reduce this space and, consequently, the height of the lintel. This door differs from the previously described door in that, as shown in FIG. figure 8 , the arms 33 are connected in rotation between two stops 34, 35 on the intermediate elements 32 about an axis 31. These arms 33 are returned by torsion springs or traction springs 50 in a so-called "lying" position towards the hinge axis 24 of the intermediate elements on the upper panel.

When the arms 33 are not in contact with the fingers 25, they are in contact with stops 35 on the intermediate elements 32. The arms 33 are then in the so-called "lying" position as shown in phantom at the right. figure 8 .

When the door is moved to its closed position, the arms 33 come into contact with the fingers 25. These contact actions cause, at first, the rotation of the arms about their hinge axis 31 with respect to the intermediate elements 32 until they come into contact with abutments 34 and then, in a second step, the rotation of the intermediate parts around their axis hinge relative to the door to bring the top panel 15a in alignment with the lower panels 15.

This door further differs from the previously described embodiment in that torsion springs or tension springs 51 recall the intermediate members 32 in a position in which they are substantially aligned with the top panel 15a. Thus, it is not necessary to provide stops on the arms to cause the rotation of the intermediate elements 32 relative to the upper panel 15a.

The previously described embodiments can be applied to a horizontally moving garage door. To allow this movement, at the top of the opening and at ground level, two symmetrical horizontal rails are fixed inside the building on its structure. These two rails have a curvilinear shape, consisting of a horizontal rectilinear part connected by a connecting radius to a horizontal rectilinear part away from the opening towards the interior of the building. Thus, once opened, the door is perpendicular to the opening for example against a wall of the building.

The arms 23, 33 and the intermediate elements 22, 32 are preferably made of sheet metal, for example sheet steel. Thus, their lateral dimensions are minimized and the door panels can move very close to the rails. Aesthetics and safety are here again improved. With such arms and intermediate elements, it is possible to locate the guide rollers of the door in the thickness of the upper door panel. Thus, when the door is open, the rail is located in the thickness of the top panel. This improves the aesthetics of the door.

Claims (6)

1. A building door (10), guided along at least one curved rail (14) comprising an at least approximately vertical straight part (14a) and an at least approximately horizontal straight part (14c) connected by a curved part (14b), by guide elements (19, 20) movable in the rail (14) and connected to the door (10), at least one guide element (20) being connected to the door (10) by an intermediate element (22; 32), that intermediate element (22, 33) being connected with an arm (23, 33) and being rotatably mounted, between two extreme positions, on the door (10) around an axis (24) and the position of which is determined by the action of a device (25) on the arm (23, 33) of the intermediate element (22; 32) based on the position of the door relative to the rail, said device (25) being situated above and outside the curved part (14b) and said arm (23, 33) being designed to extend during the movement of the door in the space situated above and outside the curved part (14b) and above the at least approximately horizontal part (14c) of the rail, characterized in that the arm (33) is mounted in a pivoting connection, between two extreme positions, on the intermediate element (32) around an axis (31) and in that the arm (33) is recalled by an elastic element (50) in one of the so-called "lying down" extreme positions.
2. The door (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate element (32) is recalled by an elastic element (51) into one of these extreme positions relative to the door.
3. The door (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises several panels (15, 15a) articulated to each other perpendicular to the direction of the rail (14).
4. The door (10) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the device comprises a finger (25) acting by contact on the arm (23, 33) of the intermediate element (22, 32).
5. The door (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arms (23; 33) and the intermediate elements (22; 32) have planar shapes.
6. The door (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each guide element (19, 20) comprises at least one roller designed to roll in the rail.

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