EP1980703A2

EP1980703A2 - Sliding guide for wardrobe doors

Info

Publication number: EP1980703A2
Application number: EP08002015A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giovanni Terno
Original assignee: Terno Scorrevoli SpA
Current assignee: Terno Scorrevoli SpA
Priority date: 2007-04-12
Filing date: 2008-02-04
Publication date: 2008-10-15
Also published as: ITMI20070130U1; EP1980703A3

Abstract

A sliding guide (10) for doors of wardrobes, in particular for engaging and disengaging the bottom part of said doors from the respective sliding track, comprises a support plate with substantially "L" shaped section, composed of a vertical wall (14) and an integral base (16) orthogonal to one another, and a wheel (26) oriented parallel to said base (16) wherefrom it protrudes for abutting in sliding a vertical wall of a section bar wherein two seats for receiving a part of said sliding guide (10) are formed. Said guide (10) comprises a small chamfered frame or block (42) arranged adjacent one of the side heads of the base (16) and supported by an elastic sheet (48) longitudinally extended underneath the base (16) itself.

Description

This invention relates to an improved sliding guide for wardrobe doors.
More in particular, this invention relates to a lower guide for wardrobe doors with automatic engagement and disengagement from the respective sliding track.
As known, a widespread type of wardrobes envisages the use of sliding doors rather than with projecting opening.
This embodiment is advantageous both from the functional point of view, since projecting parts are eliminated and it can therefore be adopted also in the presence of limited spaces, and from the aesthetic point of view, since it does not require the use of hinges that would remain partially visible and the door sliding devices are equally hidden.
Traditionally, said sliding devices are composed of small carriages provided with wheels or bearings, which are fixed at the top and bottom edges of the doors and slide along tracks composed of metal section bars; said last are constrained to the carrying frame of the wardrobe by self-threading screws or other equivalent means and typically comprise two paired seats or sliding tracks for as many doors, outside and inside. During assembly, the doors are hooked to the top track and afterwards, the bottom carriage is led to abut into the corresponding bottom sliding seat. In this way, the doors remain connected to the wardrobe and slide in opening and closing thanks to the carriages, whose wheels or bearings are arranged in the respective seats of the section bars.
With particular reference to the connection of the lower part of the doors to the wardrobe frame, different solutions are known for coupling the carriage or sliding guide to the trail fixed to the lower front of the carrying frame, along the front edge of the same. A first very widespread and inexpensive solution relates to both carriages with single wheel and double decentralised, envisages the possibility of automatically fitting, by pressure exerted on the door, the carriages themselves in the respective section bar seat, but requires a difficult manual action, sometimes to be carried out with the aid of disengaging means. If such action is performed by unskilled people, the risk of damaging even seriously the carriage is real.
Another known solution, wherein generally the wheel is one and is located centrally, allows automatically carrying out both the fitting and the disengagement of the carriage or sliding guide relative to the sliding track; however, it is a complex solution and implies quite high costs. However, in all the cases there is the need to manually operate the different lower carriages to position and fix a device thereon that prevents the accidental release of the door; this operation is complicated by the carriage position and by the fact that the door is hooked at the top only. The reverse operation for removing the above device is even more complex when the doors need to be removed. Besides requiring the intervention of expert staff, both fixing and removing the non-unhooking device give rise to an extension of the door installation-removal times.
The object of this invention is to obviate the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove.
More in particular, the object of this invention is to provide an improved sliding guide wardrobe doors, both with one and optionally with two decentralised wheels, suitable for being fitted and disengaged automatically, quickly and easily relative to the respective sliding track.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sliding guide as defined above which during the door installation does not require manual operations for installing the non-unhooking device of the doors themselves.
A further object of the invention is to provide the users with an improved sliding guide for wardrobe doors suitable for ensuring high level of resistance and reliability over time, also such as to be easily and inexpensively constructed.
These and other objects are attained by the improved sliding guide of this invention, in particular for engaging and disengaging the bottom part of said doors from the respective sliding track, which comprises a support plate with substantially "L" shaped section, composed of a vertical wall and an integral base orthogonal to one another, a wheel oriented parallel to said base wherefrom it protrudes for abutting in sliding a vertical wall of a section bar
wherein two seats for receiving a part of said sliding guide are formed and which is fundamentally characterised in that it comprises a small chamfered frame or block arranged adjacent one of the side heads of the base and supported by an elastic sheet longitudinally extended underneath the base itself.
The construction and functional features of the improved sliding guide of this invention shall be better highlighted in the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the annexed drawings showing a preferred and non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:

figure 1 shows a schematic exploded view of the improved sliding guide of this invention;
figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view from the front face of the same guide, in a totally assembled condition of the various components;
figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view from the front face of an improved sliding guide mirror to that of figure 2;
figure 4 shows a schematic perspective side view of the guide according to figure 2;
figures 5, 5A, 5B and 5C schematically show a side view of as many progressive seating steps of the sliding guide 4 in the relevant outermost seat formed in a metal section bar;
figures 6, 6A, 6B and 6C schematically show a side view of as many progressive seating steps of the sliding guide in the relevant innermost seat formed in a metal section bar;
figure 7 is a partial enlargement of figure 5.

With initial reference to figures 1 to 4, the improved sliding guide of this invention is globally indicated with 10 and is suitable for being fixed along the lower edge of the doors for arranging the rotating member it is provided with in the relevant seat of the metal section bar, fixed to the wardrobe frame.
Said sliding guide comprises a support plate 12 having a substantially "L" shaped section, which defines a vertical wall 14 and an integral horizontal wall or base 16 orthogonal to one another; the vertical wall 14 is provided with conventional flared through holes 18 for as many fixing screws 20 of the guide 10 of the door, schematised with 22 at figures 5, 5A, 5B and 5C and with 22' at figures 6, 6A, 6B and 6C. The horizontal wall or base 16 of the sliding guide 10 preferably has a shorter length than the corresponding dimension of the vertical wall 14 and is provided with a plurality of through holes 24 for at least one sliding wheel 26 and for the non-unhooking device, globally indicated with 28 at figures 1 and 4. The same horizontal wall or base 16 has a different depth according to whether it is set up for external or internal doors; in the second case, said base is indicated with 16'. The metal section bar suitable for receiving the sliding guide 10, in particular the base 16 that carries the wheel 26 of the guide itself, is indicated with 30 and therefore defines two paired seats 32 and 34; the outermost seat 32 receives part of the guide 10 fixed to the internal door 22'. The two seats 32 and 34 are made on different levels, lower for the internal seat 34, so that there are no interferences between the guides 10 during the installation or removal of the doors 22 and 22'.
The sliding wheel 26 is fixed to the upper front of the base 16 of the guide 10 through a rivet 36 or the like, inserted into one of the holes 24, and protrudes from the front edge of the same base 16 for abutting systematically in sliding a vertical wall 33 or 35 of the seat 32 or 34 of the section bar 30.
Advantageously, the wheel 26 surmounts the non-unhooking 28, which is fixed to the base 16 at the same time as the wheel itself and through the same pin 36. Said non-unhooking device 28, made of plastic, metal or other suitable material, comprises a base 38, fixed to said base 16 wherefrom it does not protrude at the front, and an integral shaped shoulder 40 which develops vertically from the back front of the base itself with parallel profile relative to the vertical wall 14 of the guide 10. The front part facing the wheel 26 of the shaped shoulder 40 is preferably concave for following the profile of the wheel itself wherefrom in any case it is suitably spaced.
The height of said shoulder 40, as explained hereinafter, is defined according to the height of the vertical walls of the section bar 30.
According to a further advantageous feature, the guide 10 of this invention comprises a chamfered frame or block 42, of substantially prismatic shape, arranged at one of the side ends of the base 16; said ends are preferably folded upwards for forming as many edges 44 which have, or may have, the function of abutting a suitable stop, known per se, arranged inside the section bar 30 and thus determining the stop of the travel of guide 10 and of door 22 or 22' connected thereto. A seat shaped as a window 46 is obtained along the bottom base of the chamfered frame 42, which is composed of a substantially hollow body and open on opposite sides, suitable for receiving one of the ends of an elastic sheet 48 which extends underneath the base 16 whereto it is fixed by at least one rivet 50. The rivet 50 is preferably arranged in one of the holes 24 of the base 16 close to one of the edges 44, being delimited by the edge itself, on one side, and by the base 38 of the non-unhooking device 28 on the other side. Preferably, the sheet 48 is fixed to the lower front of the base 16 also by means of the rivet 36, which connects the wheel 26 and the base 38 of the non-unhooking device 28 to the base itself; the sheet 48 is correspondingly provided with through holes 50' and 36'. The opposite free end of the sheet 48 is inserted in the window 46 of the block 42; to easily stabilise the block itself relative to the sheet 48, the latter is sized so as to protrude from said window by a considerable height and by way of an example comprised between 10 and 20 mm.. A projection 52 is obtained along such protruding zone, indicated with 48' at figure 4, for example projecting on the upper face of the sheet 48 and by way of an example composed of an indentation or a circular impression obtained by pressing or half-shearing; the projection 52, adjacent the window 46, prevents the possible extraction of the non-unhooking device 28 from the elastic sheet 48.
Said latter is capable of bending, lowering under the effect of a pressure and returning to the original position automatically once such pressure has ended, acting as a spring; in lowering and raising, the above sheet carries therewith the block 42 or 42', since it is inserted in the window 46 of the same.
This vertical movement has specific importance in the seating step of the base 16 of the guide 10 in the seat 32 or 34 of the section bar 30, as specified hereinafter.
The upper front of the chamfered frame or block 42 defines an inclined surface 42', which from the inner zone facing the vertical wall 14 lowers with angle by way of an example comprised between 15° and 45° in the direction of the front edge of the base 16.
Said inclined surface 42' is suitable for abutting the end of one of the vertical branches of the section bar 30, schematised in detail at figure 7 and of substantially known type. Said section bar defines three vertical branches 31, 33, 35, parallel to one another and of progressively increasing height; the branches 31 and 33 delimit the outermost seat 32, whereas the branches 33 and 35 delimit the innermost seat 34, formed at a lower level than the previous one. The branches 31 and 33 are provided with integral and opposite projections 37, 37' facing the direction of the longitudinal axis of the seat 32; in parallel, the branches 33 and 35, along which the wheels 26 of the blocks 42 or 42' slide, carry integral and opposite projections 39, 39', made at a lower level than projections 37, 37' and facing the direction of the longitudinal axis of the seat 34. Said projections have the function of fixing a plate of the door bumper device, known per se and not belonging to the subject of the invention.
The installation step of the doors 22 or 22' to the wardrobe, inferred from the above, is carried out as follows, considering that said wardrobe is supported by a base 54 that spaces it from the floor, indicated with "P" at figure 6, by a height sufficient for allowing the passage of the guide 10; the wardrobe base is indicated with 56 and the section bar 30 is fixed to the lower front thereof, along the front edge, in a known manner.
The door 22 or 22' is first hooked to the upper part of the wardrobe through the respective carriage inserted in the corresponding guides (not shown). At this point, with reference to figures 5, 5A, 5B and 5C the door 22 is free to oscillate in the lower part thereof and is moved close to section bar 30, in particular to the outermost seat 32 of the same. Figure 5A shows the condition that happens when the door 22 is approached to the section bar 30: the inclined surface 42' of the block 42 of the guide 10 abuts the lower end of the branch 31 of the section bar 30, detailed at figure 7, so that the same block 42 is forced to lower pushing on the elastic sheet 48. Figure 5B shows such lowering step of the block 42 which, under the effect of the thrust exerted on the door 22, continues to lower up to passing over the lower end of the branch 31 of the section bar 30. At this point, as schematised at figure 5C, the block 42 lifts by the effect of the elastic sheet 48 and abuts in the seat 32, thus making the connection between the door 22 and the section bar 30.
The wheel 26, which projects from the base 16 of the guide 10, abuts the inner face of the branch 33, along which it slides during the movement of the door 22.
Having to proceed to the reverse operation for unhooking the lower part of the door 22 from the seat 32 it will be sufficient to exert a towing force on the lower part of the door 22 or 22' to force the chamfered frame or block 42 or 42' to lower and pass over the branch 31 or the branch 33 of the section bar 30 for disengaging from the section bar 30. The procedure is similar for both arranging the block 42 carried by the base 16' into the seat 34 of the section bar 30, thus hooking the door 22', and for disengaging the door itself from the above section bar.
At this point the door 22 or 22' can be lifted to be disengaged also from the upper part of the wardrobe frame.
The accidental disengagement of the door 22 or 22' from the upper part of the frame however is not possible, due to the presence of the device 28 which is fixed to the base 16 of the sliding guide 10 along with the wheel 26 and through the rivet 36. Said device 28, in fact, comprises the shoulder 40 which develops vertically, parallel to the wall 14 of the same guide 10. When the door 22 or 22' is also hooked in the lower part, the base 42 or 42' is abutted in the seat 32 or 34 of the section bar 30. In such conditions, respectively schematised at figures 5C and 6C, the shoulder 40 of the non-unhooking device 28 is placed at a slightly lower level than the branch 31 or 33 of the section bar 30 and is aligned to one or the other of the branches themselves. The distance existing between the end of said branches and the shoulder 40 is suitably predetermined so as to be less than the lifting height required to release the door 22 or 22' from the upper part of the frame. In this way, should said door be accidentally lifted, the shoulder 40 will abut the branch end 31 or 33 and the same door will not disengage from the upper part.
The sliding guide 10 of this invention can of course be set up in the two versions, right and left, according to the specific installation needs.
As it can be noticed from the above, the advantages achieved by the invention are clear.
The improved sliding guide for wardrobe doors of this invention allows to be easily inserted, by a simple pressure of the door, into the lower sliding guide and it also allows being inserted as easily by a reverse towing operation.
The possibility of applying the non-unhooking device to the sliding guide of this invention during the installation of the guide itself thus preventing complex and difficult operations during the wardrobe assembly is further advantageous.
Even if the invention has been hereinabove described with particular reference to an embodiment thereof, made by way of a non-limiting example, several changes and variations will appear clear to a man skilled in the art in the light of the above description. This invention therefore is intended to include any changes and variations thereof falling within the spirit and the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

An improved sliding guide (10) for doors (22-22') of wardrobes, in particular for engaging and disengaging the bottom part of said doors from the respective sliding track, comprising a support plate (12) with substantially "L" shaped section, composed of a vertical wall (14) and an integral base (16) or (16') orthogonal to one another, and a wheel (26) oriented parallel to said base wherefrom it protrudes for abutting in sliding a vertical wall (33) or (35) of a section bar (30) wherein two seats (32), (34) for receiving a part of said sliding guide are formed, characterised in that it comprises a small chamfered frame or block (42) arranged adjacent one of the side heads of the base (16) or (16') and supported by an elastic sheet (48) longitudinally extended underneath the base itself.
The sliding guide according to claim 1, characterised in that the wheel 26 is constrained to the upper front of the base (16) or (16') by a rivet (36) or the like and surmounts the base (38) of a non-unhooking device (28) fixed by the same rivet to said base.
The sliding guide according to the previous claims, characterised in that the non-unhooking device (28) comprises an integral shoulder (40) that develops vertically from the base (38) in the proximity of the vertical wall (14) and parallel thereto.
The sliding guide according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that opposite side heads of the base (16) or (16') are bent orthogonally upwards for forming respective edges (44) at one of which there is arranged the block (42) supported by the elastic sheet (48), said block (42) having a substantially prismatic shape with upper base (42') inclined in the direction of said base (16) or (16').
The sliding guide according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the block (42) is provided with a window (46) wherein it is arranged and wherefrom one of the ends (48') of the elastic sheet (48) protrudes, said end having a projection (52) formed projecting on the upper front of the elastic sheet itself.
The sliding guide according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the shoulder (40) of the non-unhooking device (28) is aligned to one of the vertical branches (31) or (33) of the section bar (30) when the block (42) is arranged in the seat (32) or (42) of the section bar itself and the wheel (26) abuts and slides along the vertical branch (33) or (35) of said section bar.
The sliding guide according to one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that the blocks (42) carried by the bases (16) and (16') are arranged at different heights in the respective seats (32), (34) of the section bar (30).