EP1644607B1 - Folding door and shutter guide device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flexible folding curtain door and a device for guiding the curtain of the door.

In the field of soft curtain doors, there are said winding doors in which a flexible curtain is wound on a shaft and said folding doors in which, during the opening of the curtain, it folds accordion at the top of the door.

The doors of the latter type have, schematically, two vertical slides at the top of which is placed a shaft driven by an electric motor. The curtain is suspended from a crossbar below the winding shaft and has at its lower end a threshold bar. Two vertical and parallel straps attached, on the one hand, to the threshold bar and, on the other hand, to the winding shaft can raise the curtain during the rotation of the shaft.

The curtain in its raised position collapses in an accordion in the upper part of the door and opens the passage.

Usually, the curtain is provided with several sleeves in which are inserted stiffening bars.

An important problem that arises for these doors is that of the management of the seal between the lateral edges of the curtain and the vertical uprights.

Indeed, to receive the curtain in the high position, the slides generally have a C-shaped cross section whose two wings are spaced from 300 to 600 mm. This distance allows to receive, between the two wings of the amount, the accordion folds of the curtain when it is raised.

The consequence of the large opening of the uprights is that, when the wind blows, the curtain tends to beat and an air exchange occurs by the lateral edges of it.

The invention aims to overcome these disadvantages and aims to improve the sealing of a folding door.

US 5394926 A discloses a door according to the preamble of claim 1.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a door comprising, in a manner known per se, two vertical rails, and at least one curtain flexible can be folded in the upper part of the slides, having at least one transverse bar stiffening.

According to the invention, a guiding device is engaged in the extension of at least one stiffening bar providing guidance of the curtain in at least one of the slides in a plane offset from the plane of the curtain, the curtain coming into Applies against a surface of the slide.

Thus, the basic idea of the invention is to provide a guide of the curtain to prevent it from beating when exposed to gusts of wind, this guidance being offset from the plane of the curtain to allow a surface support of the curtain on a surface of the slides. This application of the curtain against a surface of each slide prevents air exchange from occurring at the side edges of the curtain. This provision is quite remarkable since it allows the folding of the curtain at the top of the door, and this outside the slide, while preserving the seal.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the guiding device has at least one guide member whose axis is offset relative to the plane of the curtain.

In order for the folding of the curtain to be done smoothly, the connection between the guiding device and the stiffening bar allows rotation of the guiding device with respect to the stiffening bar.

To prevent accidental action against the curtain does not result in expensive damage to repair on it, at least one of the links between the guide devices and on the one hand the stiffening bar and secondly the slide is likely to dislocate without an external stress exceeding a predetermined value. Thus before a permanent deformation of the stiffening bar or the slide, the guiding device breaks to avoid irreversible damage to the door. Preferably, the guiding device (14) has at least one rupture or deformation zone capable of disengaging the guide device from the stiffening bar (12) or from the slide (2).

According to one possible embodiment of the door in which it comprises two parallel curtains, it comprises a guiding device, engageable on a stiffener belonging to each of the curtains, having at least one guide member offset from the plane of each of the curtains.

In this possibility of realization, a connecting spacer connects two stiffening bars, which allows to create a set with high inertia while being of limited mass.

Preferably, each of the slideway has a first flange against the outer face of which the curtain bears and a second flange delimiting with the first flange a groove receiving a guide member of the guide device.

In addition, the curtain has a window at the end of each stiffening bar through which the guide device protrudes.

The invention also relates to a guiding device which comprises a body presenting
at one of its ends, at least one engagement means on a stiffening bar, and
at its second end, at least one guide member whose axis is offset with respect to the axis of the engagement means on the stiffening bar.

Again, the basic idea of the invention is found, since the guiding device makes it possible to guide the curtain in a plane remote from the plane of the curtain, which allows to provide a space to put the one it bears against a surface of a slide.

According to one possible embodiment, the guiding device consists of a body having a large base and a small parallel base, connected by a semicylindrical wall perpendicular to the two bases, the large base being equipped with at least one guide member and the small base having a blind hole capable of receiving a stiffening bar.

• une bague ayant une paroi hémicylindrique et une paroi plane placée dans le prolongement de la paroi hémicylindrique, et
• un galet rotatif.

Advantageously, the guiding members comprise:

• a ring having a hemicylindrical wall and a flat wall placed in the extension of the hemi-cylindrical wall, and
• a rotary roller.

The hemicylindrical ring extends the stiffening bar and avoids the formation of folds in the curtain of the curtain at the end thereof.

Advantageously, the hemi-cylindrical ring contains a roller.

According to another possible embodiment, the guide members consist of two rollers oriented at V with respect to one another, capable of bearing against a rib having a V-section.

In the case of a door having two parallel curtains the guiding device comprises a body having a large base and two small bases symmetrical with respect to the median plane, each of the bases being connected to the large base by a semicylindrical wall, the large base being equipped with at least one guide member and each of the small bases has a blind hole capable of receiving a stiffening bar.

• un galet rotatif et
• deux bagues symétriques par rapport au galet rotatif ayant chacune une paroi hémicylindrique placée dans le prolongement de chaque paroi hémicylindrique.

In this case, according to one possibility, the guide members comprise:

• a rotary roller and
• two rings symmetrical relative to the rotary roller each having a semicylindrical wall placed in the extension of each semicylindrical wall.

• Figure 1 représente une porte vue de l'extérieure avec arrachement partiel du rideau au niveau de l'extrémité des barres de raidissement,
• Figure 2 représente en perspective depuis la zone intérieure délimitée par la porte deux dispositifs de guidage engagés dans une glissière,
• Figure 3 représente en perspective et en coupe le dispositif de guidage engagé dans une glissière,
• Figure 4 est une vue en coupe transversale au niveau de l'extrémité d'une barre de raidissement,
• Figure 5 est une vue également en coupe selon V-V de figure 2,
• Figure 6 représente la coupe VI-VI de la figure 4,
• Figure 7 représente une variante de réalisation du dispositif de guidage,
• Figure 8 représente en coupe une autre forme de réalisation possible de du dispositif de guidage,
• Figure 9 représente en coupe une porte ayant deux rideaux parallèles.

For a good understanding the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings showing by way of non-limiting examples several embodiments of folding doors and guiding devices according thereto.

• Figure 1 represents a view from the outside with partial tearing of the curtain at the end of the stiffening bars,
• Figure 2 represents in perspective from the inner zone delimited by the door two guiding devices engaged in a slide,
• Figure 3 represents in perspective and in section the guiding device engaged in a slide,
• Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view at the end of a stiffening bar,
• Figure 5 is a view also in section according to VV of figure 2 ,
• Figure 6 represents the VI-VI section of the figure 4 ,
• Figure 7 represents an alternative embodiment of the guiding device,
• Figure 8 represents in section another possible embodiment of the guiding device,
• Figure 9 represents in section a door having two parallel curtains.

For simplicity, the elements found in these different embodiments, or which are similar from one embodiment to another, are designated by the same reference numerals.

Referring first to the figure 1 it can be seen that the guiding device according to the invention finds its application for a door comprising two lateral rails 2 supporting at their upper end a winding shaft.

On the figure 1 , the winding shaft is hidden by a transverse cover 3.

A flexible curtain 4 is suspended between the two side rails 2 by a suspension bar. At its lower end, the flexible curtain 4 is equipped with a threshold bar 6 which is connected by straps 8 to the winding shaft located in the housing 3. The straps 8 appear through the transparent windows 9 made in the curtain 4.

In the following description, by convention, the interior of the door on which the straps are mounted and the outer side of the door without strap as it appears on the figure 1 . This corresponds to the usual mounting arrangement of these doors. It is understood, however, that the distinction between interior and exterior is simply to simplify the description of these doors but the door can of course separate two rooms each located in a building.

In the usual manner, the curtain 4 has at regular intervals sleeves extending over its entire width in which stiffening bars 12 are inserted.

Referring to the figure 2 or at figure 3 it can be seen that a guiding device 14 is arranged in the extension of each of the stiffening bars.

The guiding device 14 comprises a body of substantially trapezoidal shape having a large base 16 and a small base 17 parallel, these two bases being connected on the one hand by a semicylindrical wall perpendicular to the two bases and by an oblique hemicylindrical wall 19.

It is also noted that the body of the guide device consists of two half-shells 20a, 20b made by molding in a material having a certain elasticity.

As clearly depicted figure 3 , the large base of the body is equipped with a hemicylindrical ring 22 and a rotary roller 23.

The hemicylindrical ring 22 as well as the roller 23 are mounted on two axes 25,26 sandwiched between the two half-shells 20a, 20b. An important feature, as will be seen below, is that the hemicylindrical ring 22 is in the extension of the hemicylindrical wall 18 of the body.

At the level of the small base 16, the body has a blind hole extended by a collar 28.

An element to be considered in the door according to the invention is constituted by the two side rails 2.

As can be seen in cross-section on the figure 6 each of the slides has an outer wing 28 and an inner wing 29, both wings being parallel.

It is also noted that the slide 2 has an outward extension 30, perpendicular to the outer wing 28.

Another characteristic element of this door is constituted by windows 32 formed in the curtain at the end of each stiffening bar.

It is recalled that the curtain has a multilayer structure, especially at the level of the stiffening bars 12. These are inserted into a sleeve consisting of a strip 34 of flexible material welded to a nut 35 to form the sleeve.

The operation of the door is therefore the following.

As can be seen on the figure 2 or on the figure 3 the guiding device 14 is fitted on each end of the stiffening bars 12. The diameter of the blind hole relative to that of the stiffening bar is such that the guiding device is free to rotate with respect to the stiffening bar 12. The locking in translation of the guiding device is achieved by the window 32 since at its oblique wall the guiding device protrudes from this window, but as can be seen on the figure 4 , is retained in the axial direction of the stiffening bar 12 by the edges of the window 32. The curtain is then guided by the hemicylindrical ring 22 whose flat wall bears against the outer face of the flange 28 and whose roller 23 is bordered by the face 28 of the outer wing and by the outer face of the wing 29.

With this guiding device it is therefore found that the curtain is perfectly guided with respect to the slides 2 and that, as shown in FIG. figure 5 , which shows a cross section of the door between two stiffening bars 12, the curtain 4 comes into application against the outer face of the outer wing.

This characteristic is particularly advantageous when the wind is blowing since the action of the wind tends to then press the lateral edges of the curtain 4 against each of the wings 28 whose runners are provided.

It should also be noted that when wind is blowing in a transverse direction, that is to say parallel to the plane of the curtain 4, the extension 30 whose runners are equipped protects from the inlet of a lateral air flow. .

In case of raising of the curtain, the guiding device 14 thus slides with respect to the slides 2. A point that is important to note is that the formation of folds in the upper part of the door is harmoniously on the one hand because that the guide devices 14 can pivot relative to the stiffening bars and secondly because the hemicylindrical rings 22 located in the extension of the body together with the stiffening bars 12 a hemicylindrical element over the entire width of the curtain.

Finally, it should be noted that the door thus defined has a remarkable behavior vis-à-vis shocks it could suffer.

It is indeed noted that when the door is accidentally solicited from the outside, it offers a possibility of disengaging the ends of the slides without irreversible damage curtain 4. Indeed, during an accidental action against the curtain 4, the stiffening bar 12 bent and guiding devices emerge slides. This release can be done in two ways. Either the deflection of the bar causes the release of the roller 23 and the hemispherical ring 22 of each of the wings 28,29; it is noted in passing that it is necessary to overcome the reaction of two bearing surfaces since the hemispherical ring 22 is in abutment against the outer flange 28 and the roller 23 is in abutment against the inner wing 29. In a second embodiment of the guide device, the clearance is obtained by opening the two half-shells 20a, 20b relative to each other since, as we have seen, they are realized in an elastic material. Thus, the end of the stiffening bar can escape from the device by the opening of these two half-shells 20a, 20b because of their elastic deformation.

During an accidental shock from the inside, the same mode of clearance occurs, knowing that in this case only the roller 23 bears against the outer wing 28.

The figure 7 represents an alternative embodiment in which a roller 39 is inserted into the hemicylindrical ring. This roller 39 protrudes from the curtain 4 by a specific window made in it which allows the roller 39 to be in contact with the outer wing 29. This embodiment allows to preserve the integrity of the curtain 4 at the level of its zone of friction against the outer wing 28.

The figure 8 represents another embodiment in which the guide members consist of two rollers 41 oriented at V with respect to each other, capable of bearing against a rib 42 having a V-section.

The figure 9 represents a door having two curtains. According to this embodiment, it comprises a guiding device, engageable on a stiffener belonging to each of the curtains, having a remote guide member relative to the plane of each of the curtains. The guiding device comprises two hemicylindrical rings 22 flanking a roller 23.

In this embodiment, a connecting strut 44 connects two stiffening bars 12, which allows to create a set of high inertia while being of limited mass.

The door thus described therefore has many advantages since it guarantees a lateral guidance of its curtain as well as a very large lateral sealing.

The invention has been described above with reference to a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, but it obviously embraces all the embodiments. Thus the slides appear to be in two parts, the extension 30 being formed by an attached cover.

Claims (16)

1. A door comprising two vertical guideways (2), and at least one flexible shutter (4) able to be folded into the upper part of the guideways, having at least one stiffening crossbar (12),
   characterized in that a guide device (14) is engaged in the extension of at least one stiffening bar (12) guiding the shutter (4) in at least one of the guideways (2) in a plane that is offset relative to the plane of the shutter (4), the shutter (4) pressing against a surface of the guideway (2).
2. The door according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide device (14) has at least one guide member whose axis is offset relative to the plane of the shutter (4).
3. The door according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the connection between the guide device (14) and the stiffening bar (12) allows the guide device (14) to rotate relative to the stiffening bar (12).
4. The door according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one of the connections between the guide devices (14) and the stiffening bar (12) on the one hand, and the guideway (2) on the other hand, may be dislocated under an outside stress exceeding a predetermined value.
5. The door according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the guide device (14) has at least one breaking or deformation zone able to free the guide device from the stiffening bar (12) or the guideway (2).
6. The door according to one of claims 1 to 5, comprising two parallel flexible shutters (4), characterized in that it comprises a guide device (14), able to engage on a stiffener (12) belonging to each of the shutters, having at least one guide member offset relative to the plane of each of the flexible shutters (4).
7. The door according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one connecting spacer (44) connects two stiffening bars (12).
8. The door according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each of the guideways has a first wing (28) against the outer face of which the shutter bears and a second wing (29) defining, with the first wing, a slot receiving a guide member of the guide device.
9. The door according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the shutter has a window (32) at the end of each stiffening bar (12) from which the guide device (14) protrudes.
10. A guide device for a door according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a body having, at one of its ends, at least one engaging means in the extension of the stiffening bar (12), and
    at its second end, at least one guide member whose axis is offset relative to the axis of the engaging means on the stiffening bar (12).
11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a body having a large base (16) and a small base (17) that are parallel to one another, connected by a semi-cylindrical wall (18) perpendicular to the two bases, the large base (16) being equipped with at least one guide member and the small base (17) having a blind hole able to receive a stiffening bar.
12. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the guide members comprise:

    - a ring having a semi-cylindrical wall (22) placed in the extension of the semi-cylindrical wall and a planar wall, and

    - a rotating roller (23).
13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the semi-cylindrical ring (22) contains a roller (39).
14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the guide members are made up of two rollers (41) oriented in a V relative to one another, able to bear against a rib (42) having a V-shaped section.
15. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises a body having a large base (16) and two small bases (17) and that is symmetrical relative to the median plane, each of the bases being connected to the large base by a semi-cylindrical wall (18), the large base being equipped with a guide member and each of the small bases having a blind hole able to receive a stiffening bar (12).
16. The device according to claim 15, characterized in that the guide members comprise:

    - a rotating roller (23), and

    - two rings that are symmetrical relative to the rotating roller (23) with a semi-cylindrical wall (22) placed in the extension of the semi-cylindrical wall and a planar wall.

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