EP1584778A1

EP1584778A1 - Connection element for sliding members of sectional frames

Info

Publication number: EP1584778A1
Application number: EP05102593A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Breda
Original assignee: Breda Sistemi Industriali SpA
Current assignee: Breda Sistemi Industriali SpA
Priority date: 2004-04-05
Filing date: 2005-04-01
Publication date: 2005-10-12
Also published as: ITUD20040064A1

Abstract

Connection element (10) for a sliding member (11) of a sectional frame (12), wherein the sectional frame (12) comprises a plurality of sections (14), hinged together, wherein at least one of the sections (14) is laterally associated with a supporting shaft (18) of the sliding member (11), wherein the sliding member (11) is able to slide inside a groove (16) of a relative guide (13), and wherein filling means (23) are housed inside the groove (16) and are able to be connected to the sliding member (11) in order to fill the groove (16) upstream and/or downstream thereof. The connection element (10) comprises at least a coupling portion (20), with a substantially tubular conformation, in which the supporting shaft (18) of the sliding member is able to be inserted, and at least an attachment portion (21) to which the filling means (23) are able to be connected.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a connection element suitable to be used in association with the sliding members able to slide inside the lateral guides of sectional frames, such as doors, main doors, rolling gates or suchlike.
To be more exact, the connection element according to the invention is able to be used to connect the sliding members to the protection devices inserted inside the lateral guides of the sectional frames.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sectional frames are known, such as doors, main doors, rolling gates or suchlike, comprising a plurality of panels or sections, hinged one to the other and associated with sliding members, such as carriages, wheels, sliders or suchlike able to slide in mating fixed lateral guides in order to allow the movement of the frames from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal open position, and vice versa.
To be more exact, the sliding members are mounted in correspondence with the hinges that connect the panels, and are inserted, at a distance from each other, inside the lateral guides, which have a substantially C-shaped section and define a vertical and a horizontal segment connected by an intermediate curved segment.
To prevent the user from being able to accidentally insert his fingers inside the guide, in the space between one sliding member and the other, or to prevent extraneous bodies and/or dirt from penetrating in said space, it is known to provide filling means which fill the space, allowing the sliding members to move in any case.
In some solutions, such as for example that described in the Italian patent application n. UD2002A000219 and the corresponding European patent application n. 03103878.9, in the name of the present Applicant, said filling means consist of articulated strips, advantageously of the modular type, able to be connected upstream and downstream of the sliding members and to move drawn by the latter, deforming according to the segment of the guides that they must follow.
In large-size sectional frames, the sliding members consist of carriages, for example with two wheels, and the two articulated strips are each connected in correspondence with a relative shaft of said wheels, with the possibility of oscillating with respect to said shaft in order to deform during the movement of the frame.
In simpler and smaller sectional frames, each sliding member generally comprises a single wheel the shaft of which is directly associated with the hinge of the relative panel, free to move axially with respect thereto. In these solutions it is therefore difficult to achieve a secure connection of two articulated strips directly to a single shaft, except by providing complex attachment means which however do not ensure the necessary reliability during use.
Another disadvantage is that the frame, during its movement from the closed position to the open position and vice versa, enjoys a certain possibility of moving transversely, due to the play between its flanks and the lateral guides; this transverse movement can lead it to knock against the lateral guides or the filling means, with the risk of damaging them.
One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a connection element for sliding members of sectional frames which will allow a secure and reliable connection of the filling means of the lateral guides of said frames, both upstream and downstream of the sliding members.
Another purpose of the invention is to achieve a connection element for sliding members of sectional frames that is simple and economical from the constructional point of view and that substantially prevents the sectional frames from knocking against the relative lateral guides or against the filling means inserted therein.
The Applicant has devised and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art in order to achieve the above purposes and to obtain other advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized essentially in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other innovative characteristics of the invention.
The connection element according to the invention is able to be associated with a sliding member of sectional frames comprising a plurality of sections, hinged together, wherein at least one of said sections is laterally associated with a supporting shaft of said sliding member, and wherein the latter is able to slide inside a groove of a relative guide.
The connection element is able to be partly inserted inside said groove, in order to connect mating filling means to the supporting shaft of the sliding member, which are able to fill the groove upstream and/or downstream of the sliding member.
The connection element according to the invention comprises at least a coupling portion, substantially tubular in shape, into which the supporting shaft of the sliding member is able to be inserted, and at least an attachment portion to which said filling means are able to be connected.
If the filling means are disposed both upstream and downstream of the sliding member, the connection element comprises two attachment portions, arranged on opposite sides with respect to the coupling portion, to which respective filling means are able to be connected.
Advantageously, both the coupling portion and also the attachment portions have a circular section.
According to a variant, the coupling portion and/or the attachment portions have a polygonal, elliptical or other section, both regular and irregular.
According to another variant, the attachment portions too have a tubular shape.
In one embodiment of the invention, the attachment portions comprise an outer surface with a conformation mating with that of a terminal part of the filling means, so that the latter are able to be connected thereto because of their coupling shape.
In one possible solution, the attachment portions comprise a curved outer surface and are able to cooperate with C-shaped terminal connecting elements present on the filling means.
According to a variant, the attachment portions have a C-shaped conformation and are able to cooperate with terminal elements of a substantially annular or cylindrical shape present on the filling means.
In a preferential embodiment of the invention, at least the coupling portion is partly protruding from the guide in which the sliding member is inserted and is able to cooperate with a containing body in which the supporting shaft of the sliding member is inserted, movable longitudinally.
To be more exact, the containing body is solidly associated with the sectional frame, so that the latter is partly movable transversely towards/away from said guide.
In this embodiment, the coupling portion is located at a distance from said containing body less than the gap between the sectional frame and the guide, that is, between the sectional frame and the filling means, so that even in the event of a considerable transverse movement, the sectional frame cannot knock against either the guide or the filling means.
According to a variant, the coupling portion is located in contact with, or at a very close distance from, the containing body, in order to substantially prevent the transverse displacement of the sectional frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

fig. 1 shows a sectional door using connection elements according to the invention;
fig. 2 shows a detail of the sectional door in fig. 1;
fig. 3 shows a side view of the connection element according to the invention;
fig. 4 shows an articulated filling strip used in the guides of the sectional door in fig. 2;
fig. 5 shows a front view of the connection element in fig. 3 coupled with two articulated strips of fig. 4;
fig. 6 shows a detail of a sectional door provided with the connection element according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the attached drawings, number 10 denotes generally a connection element according to the invention used in association with the sliding members 11 of a sectional door 12 movable along guides 13, from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal open position, and vice versa.
The sectional door 12 comprises a plurality of sections 14 connected together by means of hinges 15 which allow them to be reciprocally folded according to the displacement along the guides 13.
Each guide 13 has a substantially C-shaped section and comprises a vertical segment 13a, a curved intermediate segment 13b and a horizontal segment 13c; each guide 13 also defines, on the inner side, a groove 16 which extends for its entire length (figs. 1 and 2).
Each sliding member 11 comprises, in this case, a single wheel 17 mounted on a substantially horizontal shaft 18, and able to slide inside the groove 16 of the guide 13.
On each hinge 15 a tube 19 is made, inside which the shaft 18 is inserted, free to slide longitudinally (fig. 2).
The connection element 10 according to the invention comprises in a single piece a coupling portion 20 and two attachment portions 21, opposite each other with respect to said coupling portion 20, all having a tubular conformation, advantageously with a circular section (fig. 3).
In a preferential form of embodiment, the connection element 10 is made by molding plastic material.
The connection element 10 is able to be partly inserted inside the groove 16 of the guide 13, in order to connect the shaft 18 of the wheel 17 to two filling strips 23 of the articulated type, housed inside the groove 16 itself, respectively upstream and downstream of the wheel 17.
The coupling portion 20 is longer than the two attachment portions 21 and the shaft 18 of the wheel 17 is able to be inserted inside it.
To be more exact, during use, the coupling portion 20, which partly protrudes from the guide 13 towards the tube 19, is able to house the segment of the shaft 18 comprised between the wheel 17 and the tube 19 itself (fig. 6).
According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the protrusion of the coupling portion 20 with respect to the guide 13 reduces the possibility of transverse movement of the sectional door 12, since between the coupling portion 20 and the tube 19 there is a minimum gap "1" which prevents the sectional door 12 from knocking against the guides 13 or against the filling strips 23.
To be more exact, the gap "1" is less than the distance between the sectional door 12 and the guides 13, or in the case where the filling strips 23 partly protrude from the guides 13, for example in the embodiment shown in fig. 6, it is less than the distance between the sectional door 12 and said filling strips 23.
The value of the gap "1" can be varied, or zeroed, for example by providing a longer or shorter coupling portion 20 and/or a tube 19, according to how much transverse play is to be allowed to the sectional door 12.
In this case, the coupling portion 20 also has a protruding edge 22 able to abut on the hub of the wheel 17.
The two articulated strips 23 are able to be connected to the two attachment portions 21, in this case also partly protruding with respect to the guide 13.
In the embodiment shown, the filling strips 23 have two gripping terminals 24 at the ends, C-shaped and at least partly elastic, able to be connected due to their coupling shape to the curved outer surface of the attachment portions 21.
To be more exact, thanks to their elasticity, the gripping terminals 24 are able to widen and then close again around the attachment portions 21, with the possibility of rotating around them, allowing the filling strips 23 to follow the travel of the wheels 17 along the guide 13 (fig. 5).
The connection element 10 also allows to connect the filling strips 23 of a different type with respect to the one shown here, for example having hook-type appendixes or suchlike, instead of the gripping terminals 24, able to be inserted inside the attachment portions 21.
It comes within the field of the present invention to provide attachment portions 21 having a different conformation according to the type of filling strip 23 used and/or provided with coupling means able to cooperate with mating coupling means provided on said filling strips 23.
For example, according to a variant, the attachment portions 21 can have a C-shaped conformation and cooperate with mating substantially cylindrical or annular coupling means able to be connected, with the possibility of rotation, inside them.
It also comes within the field of the present invention to provide a connection element 10 comprising a single attachment portion 21 usable in association with the terminal wheels 17 connected to a single filling strip 23.
It is clear, however, that other modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the connection element 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.
For example, the coupling portion 20 can have a different tubular section, such as hexagonal, square or other, according to the section of the shaft 18 which has to be inserted inside it.
Or the attachment portions 21 can be full instead of axially hollow.
Moreover, the connection element 10 according to the invention is usable substantially for any type of sliding member 11, such as a shoe, a carriage or other, supported by a shaft 18 associated with the sectional door 12.
It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of connection element for sliding members of sectional frames, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

Claims

Connection element for a sliding member (11) of a sectional frame (12), wherein said sectional frame (12) comprises a plurality of sections (14), hinged together, wherein at least one of said sections (14) is laterally associated with a supporting shaft (18) of said sliding member (11), wherein said sliding member (11) is able to slide inside a groove (16) of a relative guide (13), and wherein filling means (23) are housed inside said groove (16) and are able to be connected to said sliding member (11) in order to fill said groove (16) upstream and/or downstream thereof, characterized in that it comprises at least a coupling portion (20), with a substantially tubular conformation, in which said supporting shaft (18) is able to be inserted, and at least an attachment portion (21) to which said filling means (23) are able to be connected.
Connection element as in claim 1, wherein said filling means (23) are disposed inside said groove (16) both upstream and downstream of said sliding member (11), characterized in that it further comprises two attachment portions (21) arranged on opposite sides with respect to said coupling portion (20) and to which respective filling means (23) are able to be connected.
Connection element as in claim 1 or 2, wherein said filling means (23) have respective terminal connecting elements (24), characterized in that said attachment portions (21) comprise an outer surface with a conformation mating with that of said terminal elements (24), so that said terminal elements (24) are able to be connected due to their coupling shape to said attachment portions (21), with the possibility of rotating with respect thereto.
Connection element as in claim 3, characterized in that said attachment portions (21) comprise a curved outer surface and are able to cooperate with C-shaped terminal elements (24).
Connection element as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said attachment portions (21) have a tubular conformation.
Connection element as in claim 3, characterized in that said attachment portions (21) have a C-shaped conformation and are able to cooperate with terminal elements (24) of a substantially annular or cylindrical shape.
Connection element as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said coupling portion (20) and/or said attachment portions (21) have a circular section.
Connection element as in any claim hereinbefore, wherein said supporting shaft (18) is able to slide longitudinally with respect to a containing body (19) solid with the relative section (14), so that said sectional frame (12) is partly movable transversely towards/away from said guide (13), characterized in that at least said coupling portion (20) is partly protruding from said guide (13) towards said containing body (19) and is located at a distance (1) from said containing body (19) less than the shorter distance of the two between the distance of said sectional frame (12) from said guide (13) and the distance of said sectional frame (12) from said filling means (23), so as to limit the transverse mobility of said sectional frame (12), substantially preventing contact with said guide (13) and with said filling means (23).
Connection element as in claim 8, characterized in that said coupling portion (20) is located in contact with, or substantially in contact with, said containing body (19), in order to substantially prevent the transverse displacement of said sectional frame (12).
Connection element as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said coupling portion (20) comprises a protruding edge (22) able to cooperate with said sliding member (11).
Connection element as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said coupling portion (20) and said attachment portions (21) are made in a single piece by means of molding.