EP2871315B1

EP2871315B1 - Supporting device for doors

Info

Publication number: EP2871315B1
Application number: EP13005270.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Vincenzo Maiolino
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-11-08
Filing date: 2013-11-08
Publication date: 2017-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 2033-11-08
Also published as: ES2647905T3; EP2871315A1

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a supporting device for sliding doors according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 1.
The present invention also relates to a door comprising the supporting device of the invention according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 24.
The present invention also relates to a piece of furniture comprising the supporting device of the invention according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 25.

Definitions

In the present description and in the appended claims the following terms must be understood according to the definitions given in the following.
In the present description and in the appended claims the terms "front" and "at the front" refer to the opposite side of the piece of furniture with respect to the side of the piece of furniture that is usually placed next to the wall and the terms "back" and "at the back" refer to the side of the piece of furniture that is placed next to the wall, namely the opposite side with respect to the front side of the piece of furniture. In a similar way the term "lateral" refers to the parts of the piece of furniture commonly called sides of the piece of furniture. In the present description and in the appended claims the term "door" must be understood as referring to a generic panel for closing a corresponding space that is made concealed or accessible by opening the panel itself.

Prior art

In the field of production of sliding doors solutions are known in which each door is equipped with wheels that slide in corresponding guides installed on the piece of furniture. Generally such solutions are designed in such a way that the door slides horizontally always remaining on the same sliding plane, which coincides with the plane on which the door is in a closed condition of the internal space of the piece of furniture.
Solutions are known in which a piece of furniture is equipped with several guides in which different doors slide in such a way as to allow the overlap of a door with respect to the adjacent one because one of the doors always slides on a plane spaced at the front or at the back with respect to the adjacent door.
The patent application WO 2010/038127 A2 describes an opening mechanism that includes a longitudinal guide that is fastened to the frame of a piece of furniture and that, for each of the doors, further includes a first slide sliding along the longitudinal guide and a second slide that supports the door and that slides transversely on the first slide from a retracted position to an extracted position and vice-versa, and return means to bring the second slide in the retracted position.
The patent application WO 2012/049667 A1 describes a mechanism for moving the doors of a piece of furniture in a coplanar way that comprises at least one moving unit for moving at least one of the doors, this moving unit comprising a supporting element which is mobile in a longitudinal direction and a connection bracket supported by the supporting element and connectable to the door, the mechanism further comprising a guiding element for guiding the bracket between a first coplanar position and a second non-coplanar position.
The patent application US 2012/066978 A1 describes a device for moving doors which includes a straight guide that can be installed along the width of an opening closable by means of a door, a first carriage slidingly mobile along the straight guide and connected to a connection element fixable to the door, an auxiliary carriage connected to the connection element, wherein said auxiliary carriage is free to slide in a direction substantially perpendicular to the straight guide.
The patent application WO 2009/043701 A1 describes doors that are able to slide with respect to each other and that are intended to be placed on each other's side on a common vertical plane, such doors including laterally sliding means, a pair of lower or upper guides having different lengths, in which such guides are curvilinear and extend parallel to each other with different bending radii, the doors being equipped with connection elements and rotation pins with respect to a supporting plate.

Problems of the prior art

The solutions in which the doors slide always remaining on the same plane have some drawbacks, such as the fact that one cannot obtain an effective closing of the space covered by the door because clearances and chinks are always present, which are essential to ensure the sliding of the door.
Furthermore, this problem is made worse in the case of adjacent doors that slide on different planes because it is necessary to leave a gap not only between the door and the frame of the piece of furniture but also between a door and the adjacent one, that is to say, between the respective sliding planes.
Moreover, in the prior art solutions the doors are generally simply resting on the guides making it possible for derailments of the door from the rails to occur with the consequence that the mechanism gets jammed and that then it is necessary to act on the door to lift it for the purpose of bringing it back to the correct position on the guiding rails.
Moreover, in many of the prior art solutions the doors do not include means for keeping the closed position and, as a result, there are often conditions in which the door is not closed correctly increasing the effect of the gaps present and the exposure of the content of the space to dust or dirt.
Furthermore, the conditions in which the doors are left in a condition in which they are not closed correctly can, in some cases, also be an obstacle to the opening of other doors of the piece of furniture, which may be subject to a condition of interference with the door that was not closed correctly.

Aim of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a supporting device for sliding doors that enables an effective closing of the space of the piece of furniture.

Concept of the invention

Said aim is achieved with the characteristics of the main claim. The sub-claims represent advantageous solutions.

Advantageous effects of the invention

The solution according to the present invention, by the considerable creative contribution the effect of which constitutes an immediate and important technical progress, presents some advantages.
First of all the solution according to the present invention allows to obtain a piece of furniture in which the internal space is accessible by means of sliding doors that can close effectively the space itself preventing the presence of too many gaps that may let dust or dirt in.
Furthermore, the solution according to the present invention prevents the problem related to the fact that the door could be left in a partially open position, facilitating the return of the door itself to the correct closed position.

Description of the drawings

In the following a solution is described with reference to the enclosed drawings to be considered as a non-exhaustive example of the present invention in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a piece of furniture integrating the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention in the condition in which the doors are closed.
Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the piece of furniture of Fig. 1 integrating the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention in the condition in which one of the doors is in the opening phase.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the piece of furniture of Fig. 2 integrating the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention in the condition in which one of the doors is open.
Fig. 4 shows an exploded schematic perspective view of the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention.
Fig. 5 shows an exploded schematic perspective view of the guiding means of the supporting device for sliding doors of Fig. 4 and made according to the present invention.
Fig. 6 shows a partially exploded schematic perspective view of the supporting device for sliding doors of Fig. 4 in which the guiding means are reciprocally assembled and represented partially in section and showing the insertion of the supporting trolley of the door within the guiding means.
Fig. 7 shows a partially exploded schematic perspective view of the supporting device for sliding doors of Fig. 6 in which the guiding means are reciprocally assembled and represented partially in section and showing the supporting trolley of the door inserted in the guiding means.
Fig. 8 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting device for sliding doors of
Fig. 7 in an assembled condition in which the guiding means are shown according to a partially sectional view.
Fig. 9 shows a schematic sectional view of the guiding means of the supporting device for sliding doors according to the present invention.
Fig. 10 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door of the supporting device for sliding doors according to the present invention, which is shown in a first position of use that is a retracted position.
Fig. 11 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door of the supporting device for sliding doors according to the present invention, which is shown in a first position of use that is an extracted position.
Fig. 12 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door of the supporting device for sliding doors according to the present invention, which is shown in a first position of use that is an extracted position and showing the addressing means of a device for locking the movement between the extracted position and the retracted position of the trolley.
Fig. 13 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door in the extracted condition and during the coupling with the corresponding guiding means.
Fig. 14 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door showing the coupling of the shock-absorber in correspondence of the retracted position of the trolley.
Fig. 15 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door showing the coupling of the shock-absorber in correspondence of the extracted position of the trolley.
Fig. 16 shows a schematic perspective view of the supporting trolley of the door showing the coupling of the sliding wheels with the corresponding guides.
Fig. 17 shows a schematic perspective view of the exploded supporting trolley according to a view from the bottom.
Fig. 18 shows a schematic perspective view of the exploded supporting trolley according to a top view.
Fig. 19 shows a schematic plan view of the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention comprising driving means of the doors in which the supporting device is installed on the piece of furniture and furthermore in which the frame of the piece of furniture and the bottom of the piece of furniture have been partially removed to let catch sight of the supporting device installed at the bottom of the piece of furniture.
Fig. 20 schematically shows an embodiment of the driving means of the doors of Fig. 19.
Fig. 21 schematically shows a perspective view from the bottom of the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention according to a different embodiment of the device for locking the movement between the extracted position and the retracted position of the trolley in which the trolley is in an extracted position.
Fig. 22 schematically shows a perspective view from the bottom of the supporting device for sliding doors made according to the present invention according to the embodiment of Fig. 21 in which the trolley is in a retracted position.

Description of the invention

With reference to the figures (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3) the present invention relates to a supporting device for sliding doors (2) for closing at least one space (38) of a piece of furniture (3) in which the door (2) is supported by a trolley (1) sliding on guiding means. The trolley (1), as will be explained in the following of the present description, includes a bracket that constitutes the support of the door and said bracket is mobile (Fig. 1) according to a direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) at least partially inclined with respect to the sliding direction (37) of the door (2) that corresponds to the movement of opening of the space (38) concealed by the door (2). Preferably the inclination according to which the movement of the door (2) occurs according to the direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) is an essentially transverse direction with respect to the sliding direction (37) so that before the sliding of the door in the sliding direction (37), the door (2) is moved away from the body of the piece of furniture (3) according to said direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) and orthogonally with respect to the sliding direction (37), separating the door (2) from the closing contour of the space. With said movement of extraction of the door (2), the latter is brought from a first closed position of the space (38) to a second position in which the door (2) is placed essentially in front of the space (38) and spaced with respect to the space (38) by a distance (39) greater than the thickness of the door (2), so that the door (2) can slide laterally according to the sliding direction (37) without interfering with the sides of the piece of furniture (3) or with a second door (2). In the embodiment shown the piece of furniture (3) is equipped with two doors (2) and, therefore, in the opening phase of one of the two doors, it slides laterally placing itself in a condition of overlap with the other door that remains closed. Obviously, embodiments in which there is a number of doors higher than those shown will also be possible.
In general, therefore (Fig. 4, Fig. 7, 10), the present invention relates to a supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) for closing at least one space (38), in which the supporting device (36) includes guiding means (4) essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of the space. The guiding means (4) are intended to guide the sliding of a trolley (1) that supports the door (2), the sliding occurring according to a sliding direction (37) essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of the space. The trolley (1) includes a plate (14) equipped with wheels (15, 16, 17, 18) intended for the sliding in a condition of coupling with the guiding means (4). The plate (14) supports a bracket (13) intended to support the door (2). The bracket (13) is, as previously observed, a bracket mobile with respect to the plate (14) according to a direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) at least partially inclined with respect to the sliding direction (37). The movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) is driven (Fig. 10, Fig. 11) by means of coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) between at least two positions of which:

a first position is a closed position (Fig. 1) of the space (38) in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition (Fig. 10, Fig. 14) and in a condition of approach with respect to the body of the space with the door (2) in a closed condition of the space (38);
a second position is a sliding position (Fig. 2) of the door (2) in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition (Fig. 11, Fig. 15) and in a condition of moving away with respect to the body of the space with the door (2) placed essentially in front of the space (38) and spaced with respect to the space (38) by a distance (39) which is preferably greater than the thickness of the door (2).

However, it will be evident that in the case of application with two doors only, these may be slid open according to opposite directions without reciprocal overlap and, therefore, the distance (39) could be, in general, also smaller with respect to the thickness of the door. The coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) that guide the movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) include (Fig. 10, Fig. 11) at least one slot (25, 26) and at least one pin (27, 28), in the case shown, that is to say, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention there being two slots and two corresponding pins. However, one can also provide solutions in which there is only one guiding slot, while the function of the second slot or of the other slots could be performed by a reciprocal sliding of the interface surfaces of two plates in an abutment condition. In general the at least one slot (25, 26) constitutes a guiding profile within which the movement of the corresponding pin (27, 28) is guided. The slot (25, 26) is of an oblong shape with a longitudinal extension essentially parallel with respect to the direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) as it is the slot that determines the direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) and its inclination with respect to the sliding direction (39). While in the embodiment shown the direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) is essentially transverse and orthogonal with respect to the sliding direction (39), it will be evident that it is possible, without departing from the principles of the present invention, to provide that the slot (25, 26) is inclined with respect to said
orthogonal direction so that the door (2), in its phase of movement between the first position and the second position of said bracket, comes out according to a more or less inclined direction.
As observed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are two slots and two corresponding pins, in such a way that the coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) that guide the movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) include a first slot (25) and a second slot (26) respectively coupling with a first pin (27) and a second pin (28), in which the first slot (25) constitutes the guiding profile within which the movement of the first pin (27) is guided and in which the second slot (26) constitutes the guiding profile within which the movement of the second pin (28) is guided. Therefore, the first slot (25) and the second slot (26) form a pair of reciprocally parallel guiding profiles.
To facilitate the movement of opening and reduce friction, the pin (27, 28) is made (Fig. 10, Fig. 11) in the form of a bearing or roller whose perimeter is intended to slide with a rotation of the bearing itself along the inner edge of the corresponding slot (25, 26).
In an embodiment (not shown) the slot or slots (25, 26) can be obtained in correspondence of the bracket (13), while the corresponding pin or pins (27, 28) will be fastened on the plate (14). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention (Fig. 10, Fig. 11) the slot or slots (25, 26) are obtained on the plate (14) and the pin or pins (27, 28) are fastened on the bracket (13).
To facilitate the movement of coming out of the door (2) obtaining a fluid movement of the door itself between the first position and the second position, the coupling devices that guide the movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) further include (Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 17, Fig. 18) two circular plates (19, 20). Each circular plate (19, 20) is rotationally fastened to the plate (14) in a corresponding hinging point (21, 22) and the bracket (13) is fastened to and is integral with the circular plate (19, 20). In this configuration the slot (25, 26) is in the shape of an arc of a circle with the centre corresponding to the hinging point (21, 22) of the circular plate (19, 20). In this way the rotation of the circular plate (19, 20) involves the movement of the bracket (13) with
respect to the plate (14) between the two described positions, that is to say, the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the coupling devices that guide the movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) include two circular plates (19, 20). A first circular plate (19) is rotationally fastened to the plate (14) in a corresponding first hinging point (21). A second circular plate (20) is rotationally fastened to the plate (14) in a corresponding second hinging point (22). The bracket (13) is fastened on the circular plates (19, 20) in correspondence of the pins (27, 28), made in the form of bearings. That is to say, the bracket (13) is fastened in correspondence of the first pin (27) in the form of a bearing sliding within the first slot (25) and the bracket (13) is fastened in correspondence of the second pin (28) in the form of a bearing sliding within the second slot (26). In this way the movement of rotation of the circular plates is guided by the slots and the fastening of the bracket on the pins in the form of bearings allows to obtain an at least partial counter-rotation of the bracket therefore keeping the door essentially parallel to itself during the movement between the first position and the second position, or vice-versa during the movement between the second position and the first position. The at least two circular plates (19, 20) are connected to each other by means of a rod (23) hinged on the circular plates (19, 20) themselves. The rod (23) coordinating the rotation of the corresponding circular plates (19, 20) reciprocally restraining the rotation of the latter according to corresponding angles of rotation. In this way one prevents possible jamming due to a rotation also slightly different between the two circular plates. In order to prevent that, during the sliding movement of the door (2) in the second position or extracted position it may move back towards the first position or retracted position bumping into or scratching the surface of the other door that is fixed, it is provided that (Fig. 21, Fig. 22) at least one of the circular plates (19, 20) comprises a notch (51) in correspondence of at least one perimeter portion of the circular shape. A lever (50), on which a first elastic means or first spring (52) acts, is rotationally fastened on the plate (14) by means of hinging. The lever (50) includes an end shaped to interact and couple with the notch (51). The first elastic means or first spring (52) exerts a force on the lever (50) intended to stop the rotation of the circular plate (19, 20) by means of the coupling between the end of the lever (50) and the notch (51). The stopping of the rotation of the circular plate (19, 20) occurs in correspondence of the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition so that, when the bracket is in such position and the trolley slides in the guiding means, the return of the bracket is locked and it is firmly kept in the second extracted position. Furthermore, for the unlocking of the described system there is an abutment element (49) constituting a disengagement means of the lever (50) intended to control the rotation of the lever (50) with the consequent disengagement of the coupling between the end of the lever (50) and the notch (51). The abutment element (49) is fastened on the guiding means (4) in correspondence of the position of the trolley (1) along the sliding on the guiding means that is the position in which the bracket (13) passes from the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition to the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition. As a consequence, when the trolley slides in the guiding means towards the return position of the door and gets near the abutment element (49), the lever (50) interacts with the abutment element (49) which causes the rotation of the lever (50) on its hinging point giving rise to the uncoupling between the end of the lever and the notch (51) and unlocking the return of the bracket (13).
The guiding means (4) include (Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 9, Fig. 16) at least one first guide (5) and at least one second guide (6) parallel to each other and extending essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of the piece of furniture (3). The first guide (5) is intended to guide (Fig. 6, Fig. 13) corresponding first wheels (15) and/or second wheels (16) fastened on the trolley (1). The second guide (6) is provided with a sliding seat (12) intended to guide (Fig. 6, Fig. 13) corresponding third wheels (17) and/or fourth wheels (18) fastened on the trolley (1). The first wheels (15) and/or second wheels (16) are placed on the opposite side of the trolley (1) with respect to the side on which the third wheels (17) and/or fourth wheels (18) are placed, that is to say, the first wheels (15) and/or second wheels (16) are placed at the front with respect to the body of the piece of furniture and the third wheels (17) and/or fourth wheels (18) are placed at the back with respect to the body of the piece of furniture.
The first guide (5) is preferably shaped (Fig. 9) in section with an essentially "C"-shaped profile.
The guides (Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 9) are fastened on a support of the guides (8), made in the form of a supporting plate of the guides provided with holes for fastening the guides themselves by means of screws. By this solution one advantageously creates a single body of the guiding means that favours the precise positioning of the guides with respect to one another, preventing possible errors of assembly of the guides on the piece of furniture that would jeopardize the correct sliding of the trolley within the guides.
For the purpose of facilitating the sliding of the trolley and prevent it from bending inside its guides, the first wheels (15) and/or the second wheels (16) are respectively made up (Fig. 6, Fig. 10, Fig. 13, Fig. 16) of a pair of first wheels (15) and/or of a pair of second wheels (16) whose centres of rotation are placed (Fig. 16) on a conjunction line (41) inclined with respect to the sliding direction (37). The centre of rotation of one of the wheels of said pair of wheels is placed on the opposite side with respect to the position of the centre of the other wheel of said pair of wheels, opposite referring to the line parallel to the sliding direction (37) and passing through the centre of the segment joining the centres of said pair of wheels. In this way a wheel of said pair of wheels slides in correspondence of an end of the "C"-shaped profile of the first guide (5) constituting a first sliding profile (9) and the other wheel of said pair of wheels slides in correspondence of the other end of the "C"-shaped profile of the first guide (5) constituting a second sliding profile (10). So, while a wheel rests on the lower part inside the first guide (5), the other wheel rests on the upper part inside the first guide (5) preventing the trolley (1) from tilting within the guides and at the same time ensuring a low-friction sliding.
In order to prevent that, during the movement of sliding of the door (2) in the second position or extracted position it may move back towards the first position or retracted position bumping into or scratching the surface of the other door that is fixed, it is provided, alternatively or in combination with the solution previously described with reference to the system made up of the coupling between the lever (50) and the notch (51), that the guiding means (4) comprise (Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 12, Fig. 13) a third guide (7) that extends essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of the piece of furniture (3), that is to say, parallel to the other guides present.
The third guide (7) is intended to guide (Fig. 10, Fig. 12, Fig. 13) at least one locking device (24). The locking device (24) is integral with one of the coupling devices (27, 28) and the locking device (24) is mobile between the at least two previously described positions, that is to say, the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition. In the second position the locking device (24) enters a locking seat (11) obtained on the third guide (7) and the sliding of the trolley (1) on the guiding means (4) involves the sliding of the locking device (24) within said locking seat (11) with the corresponding locking of the bracket (13) in the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition preventing the movement of the bracket (13) towards the first position during the sliding of the trolley (1) on the guiding means (4). For the purpose of reducing friction the locking device is made in the form of a fifth wheel (24) intended to slide within the third guide (7). Preferably the fifth wheel (24) is pivotally applied in correspondence of an end of one of the first pin (27) and second pin (28). In this way the movement of the corresponding pin will bring the fifth wheel in a condition of insertion within the third guide for locking the movement of return from the second position to the first position of the bracket.
Preferably (Fig. 4, Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 12) the supporting device (36) includes an addressing lock (29) provided with an addressing channel (31). The addressing lock (29) is placed in correspondence of the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition. In said position the addressing lock (29) is in a condition in which the locking device (24) is inserted within the addressing channel (31). The addressing channel (31) guides (Fig. 12) the movement of the locking device (24) between the two described positions. The addressing channel (31) is open in correspondence of a surface of coupling with the third guide (7) so that the third guide (7) constitutes the extension of the addressing channel (31) itself and vice-versa the addressing channel (31) constitutes the extension of the third guide (7). In this way when the bracket is moved from the first retracted position to the second extracted position the addressing lock (29) guides the insertion of the locking device (24) within the third guide. For the purpose of slowing down the door (2) in the closing phase when it moves towards the first position it is provided that the supporting device (36) comprises (Fig. 4, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 14, Fig. 15) a shock-absorber (32) applying a damping force (42) on the trolley (1) in correspondence of the positions close to the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition. Said damping force (42) opposes the movement of the bracket (13) with respect to the plate (14) between the first position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and the second position in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition slowing down the return in the closed position that occurs (Fig. 14) by means of a second elastic means or second return spring (47) that is wound in correspondence of the second hinging point (22) and acts between a point of fastening on the plate and the second pin (28) to perform the return action. Obviously the second return spring may be made also according to different embodiments by means of the application of even different second elastic means that are considered included within the present invention. Therefore, the shock-absorber (42) is a slowdown means in the phase of return of the door (2) upon closing of the latter. In the embodiment shown the shock-absorber (42) is made up of an oblong pushing arm (33) that is hinged at a fulcrum point (34) arranged between the ends of the pushing arm (33) itself. In correspondence of a first end of the pushing arm (33) is a pushing means (35) preferably in the form of a piston applying said pushing force (42) on the arm (33) which transmits it to the trolley (1) for the slowdown of the latter in the closing phase. It will be evident that, while in the
embodiment shown the pushing means is made in the form of a piston, many other equivalent solutions are possible, for example based on the use of elastic means of any type and that are considered included within the present invention and appended claims, the application of a pushing means (35) in the form of a piston having to be considered illustrative.
Advantageously, the presence of the second return spring (47) facilitates the repositioning of the door in the correct closed position because, once the bracket is in the position corresponding to the return position, the second spring (47) withdraws the locking device (24) which thus enters the addressing channel (31) pulling the bracket towards the first closed position of the space (38), while the shock-absorber (42) slows down its effect obtaining a gentle movement of return of the door without sudden movements or impacts. Advantageously, therefore, in the solution according to the present invention, the door, in the closed position, is well adherent to the frame of the piece of furniture effectively closing the internal space. If necessary, in order to improve closing, one can also provide gaskets on the abutment profile of the door against the frame of the piece of furniture.
In the embodiment shown the guiding means (4) are curvilinear according to a bending radius having a size much greater than the lengthwise extension of the guiding means (4), the sliding of the door (2) occurring along said curvilinear guiding means. Alternatively, the guiding means (4) can also be rectilinear (solution not shown). In general the guiding means (4) can be selected from the group consisting of:

guiding means (4) essentially curvilinear according to a bending radius having a size much greater than the lengthwise extension of the guiding means (4), the sliding of the door (2) occurring along said curvilinear guiding means;
essentially rectilinear guiding means (4), the sliding of the door (2) occurring along said rectilinear guiding means;
guiding means (4) made up of the joining of essentially curvilinear portions in which each portion is essentially curved according to a bending radius of a size much greater than the lengthwise extension of the corresponding portion of said guiding means (4), the sliding of the door (2) occurring along said joined portions of said guiding means. In this case, therefore, one can also provide elaborate conformations of the guiding means, such as "S"-shaped or more complex.

For the purpose of reducing the effort necessary to start the opening movement, the trolley (1) is supported by said guiding means (4) in a position (Fig. 13) inclined by an angle (a) with respect to the sliding plane of said trolley (1). In some embodiments one can also provide that said inclination is opposite with respect to that shown so that the weight of the door tends to keep the door itself in a closed position, that is to say, in the first position. Preferably the angle (a) is between 0 degrees and 45 degrees, even more preferably between 0 degrees and 30 degrees, the preferred value being between 0 degrees and 20 degrees. Possible greater or smaller inclinations may be preferable according to the weight of the door and to its assembly, in the sense that if the door is very heavy a smaller inclination will be sufficient to obtain the described effect of facilitation of the start of the opening movement, and vice-versa. Similar considerations also apply to the modes of installation of the door on the bracket because the weight force acting on the door will be transmitted to the trolley according to different values depending on said inclination. In the solution with the plate in an inclined position the first wheels, second wheels, third wheels, fourth wheels will be supported by correspondingly angled brackets in order to ensure the correct sliding of the wheels on the guides in a support condition.
The shock-absorber as well as the addressing lock are fastened on the support of the guides (8), thus favouring the obtainment of a precise coupling of the various components. The present invention also relates to a sliding door (2) for closing at least one space (38) in which the door (2) is supported by a supporting device (36) made according to the present invention and as previously described.
The present invention also relates to a piece of furniture (3) provided with at least one sliding door (2) for closing at least one space (38) in which the door (2) is supported by a supporting device (36) made according to the present invention and as previously
described.
The assembly of the supporting device (36) according to the present invention can advantageously occur independently of the assembly on the piece of furniture itself so that it is possible for example to test the mechanism before its installation for checking any possible problems in construction tolerances.
For example, the assembly will occur first assembling (Fig. 5) the first guide (4), the second guide (6) and the third guide (7) on the corresponding support of the guides (8), for example by means of screws. At the same time one can assemble (Fig. 16, Fig. 17, Fig. 10) the trolley (1) and in this case, too, it will be possible to preliminarily test the correct operation of the trolley prior to its use. Afterwards (Fig. 6) one or more trolleys (1) can be inserted into the seats defined by the guides. Each trolley (1) will be inserted into the guides with the respective addressing lock (29) so that the first wheels (15) and/or the second wheels (16) enter the seat defined by the first guide (4) and by the respective first sliding profile (9) and second sliding profile (10) and so that the third wheels (17) and/or the fourth wheels (18) enter the sliding seat (12) defined by the second guide (5). Finally, one will apply the shock-absorber (32) that acts as a slowdown device during the closing of the door and also prevents the trolley (1) from coming off the guides.
Although in the embodiments shown reference is made to a door (2) that is supported on the lower part with respect to the body of the piece of furniture (3), it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the same solution is also usable to support a door (2) on the upper part with respect to the body of the piece of furniture (3), for example by means of the rotation of the elements making up the supporting device (36) and if necessary changing the previously described inclination according to the angle (a) of the plate (14) of the trolley (1) to restore the condition of use described and shown, for example by means of an inclination corresponding to the difference between 180 degrees and the inclination used in the configuration with the door supported from below with respect to the body of the piece of furniture (3). For example this solution can be useful in the case of cupboards with sliding doors or in the case of hanging units that are considered included in the aim of the present invention and in the appended claims, although the illustrative figures are related only to the application of the present invention in the case of a piece of furniture lying on the floor with the door supported on the lower part of the piece of furniture.
Although in the figures explicit reference is made to the application on a piece of furniture, the present invention is intended to be applied and claim its protection also for other embodiments using the mechanism of the invention for the movement of any panel for closing a space, also a space intended as a recess of a wall closable by a sliding panel. The term "door" must be understood as referring to a generic panel for closing a corresponding space that is made concealed or accessible by means of the opening of said panel.
In one embodiment (Fig. 19) the supporting device (36) for sliding doors made according to the present invention can comprise driving means (43) of the doors. The driving means (43) of the shutter (2) exert a tensile force on the shutter (2) and/or on the trolley (1), the tensile force being intended for the automatic movement of the trolley (1) when the trolley (1) is in the second sliding position. In this way once the door has been brought in the sliding position, that is to say, in the second position, the driving means (43) will move the door up to the complete opening of the space. The supporting device is mounted on the piece of furniture (3) on its lower part and, in the example shown, it includes two trolleys (1) sliding on the same guiding means (4), but it will be evident that the same solution is applicable also to the case in which the supporting trolley (1) of the doors is single or if the trolleys are in a number greater than two. The driving means (43) of the doors are preferably made (Fig. 19, Fig. 20) by means of a case (44) inside which an energy storage means (48) is helically wound, preferably in the form of a metal tape. On the outside of the case (44) a traction means is wound (45), which can take various shapes and be made of various materials, such as and without limits, a rope, a tape, etc. The traction means (45) is wound on the external surface of the case (44) so that when the case is rotated it is wound or unwound with respect to the case according to the rotational direction of the case (44). The driving means (43) is fastened on one of the two trolleys and the traction
means (44) is connected in a fixed way to the other of the trolleys (1). Centrally with respect to the winding spiral of the energy storage means (48) it is engaged on a slowdown means (46) whose function will be explained in the following of the present description. When the two trolleys (1) are (Fig. 1) with the respective brackets in the position in which the corresponding doors (2) close the space (38) inside the piece of furniture (3), the traction means (45) is (Fig. 19) almost completely unwound with respect to the case (44) and connects the two trolleys (1) to each other. In this condition the mechanical energy storage means (48) is in a charged condition, that is to say completely helically wound within the case. When the supporting bracket of the door of one of the two trolleys (1) is brought in the second sliding position (Fig. 2) in which the bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition (Fig. 11, Fig. 15) and in a condition of moving away with respect to the body of the space, the energy storage means (48) tends to discharge the stored energy putting the case (44) in rotation and, therefore, controlling the winding of the traction means (45) which in its turn withdraws the trolley (1) whose bracket is in the second sliding position towards the other of the two trolleys (1). Obviously, said operation will be carried out both in the case in which the trolley (1) whose bracket is extracted is that on which the driving means (43) is mounted and in the case in which the trolley (1) whose bracket is extracted is that on which the end of the traction means (45) opposite with respect to that of winding on the case (44) is fastened. The slowdown means (46) acts to slow down the movement of the door (2) during the return phase carried out by the traction means (45) in order to prevent the trolleys from bumping into each other. For example, the slowdown means (46) can be made in the form of a slowdown device based on the putting in rotation of a rotor within a viscous fluid that slows down its rotation speed, this slowdown being transmitted to the spiral made up of the energy storage means (48) whose movement is thus slowed down. When the door that has been opened is closed exerting a traction on it and bringing back the trolley (1) to the retracted end position, the energy storage means (48) is charged again in order to be able to act in a following opening phase of one of the two doors. The solution can also be implemented
with a driving means (43) for each trolley for example fastening the other end of the traction means (45) on the frame of the piece of furniture. This solution can be advantageous for example in the case in which the number of doors of the piece of furniture is odd. In conclusion, the driving means (43) are preferably made in the form of a case (44), an energy storage means (48) being helically wound inside the case (44), preferably in the form of a helically wound metal tape, a traction means (45) being wound outside the case (44) and being connected to another trolley (1) or to the frame of the piece of furniture or to the walls of the space that bound it. The energy storage means (48) is wound in a charged condition when the bracket of the trolley (1) is in the first position and is progressively unwound discharging the energy stored in the spiral when the bracket of the trolley (1) is brought in the second position, the discharge of the energy of the spiral putting in rotation the case (44) with the consequent winding of the traction means (45) on the case (44) and the return action of the trolley whose bracket has been brought in the second position, which can be the trolley on which the driving means (43) is mounted or another trolley (1) connected to it by means of the traction means (45). In practice the winding of the traction means (45) causes a pulling action of the supporting device (36) along the guiding means (4).
The description of the present invention has been made with reference to the enclosed figures in a preferred embodiment, but it is evident that many possible changes, modifications and variants will be immediately clear to those skilled in the art in the light of the previous description. Therefore, it should be underlined that the invention is not limited by the previous description, but contains all the changes, modifications and variants in accordance with the appended claims.

Nomenclature used

With reference to the identification numbers shown in the enclosed figures, the following nomenclature has been used:

1. Trolley
2. Door
3. Piece of furniture
4. Guiding means
5. First guide
6. Second guide
7. Third guide
8. Support of the guides
9. First sliding profile
10. Second sliding profile
11. Locking seat
12. Sliding seat
13. Bracket
14. Plate
15. First wheel or pair of first wheels
16. Second wheel or pair of second wheels
17. Third wheel
18. Fourth wheel
19. First circular plate
20. Second circular plate
21. First hinging point
22. Second hinging point
23. Rod
24. Fifth wheel or locking device or locking wheel
25. First slot
26. Second slot
27. First pin
28. Second pin
29. Addressing lock
30. Insertion and guiding seat
31. Addressing channel
32. Shock-absorber
33. Arm
34. Fulcrum
35. Pushing means or piston
36. Supporting device
37. Sliding direction
38. Space
39. Distance
40. Direction of extraction and/or insertion
41. Conjunction line
42. Pushing force
43. Driving means
44. Case
45. Traction means
46. Slowdown means
47. Second elastic means or second spring
48. Energy storage means
49. Abutment element
50. Lever
51. Notch
52. First elastic means or first spring
a. Angle

Claims

Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) for closing at least one space (38), wherein said supporting device (36) includes guiding means (4) essentially parallel to the width extension of said space, said guiding means (4) being intended to guide the sliding of at least one trolley (1) supporting said door (2) and wherein the sliding of said trolley (1) occurs according to a sliding direction (37) essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of said space and wherein said trolley (1) includes a plate (14) provided with wheels (15, 16, 17, 18) intended for sliding in a condition of coupling with said guiding means (4), said plate (14) supporting a bracket (13) intended to support said door (2), said bracket (13) being mobile with respect to said plate (14) according to a direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) at least partially inclined with respect to said sliding direction (37), the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) being guided by means of coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) between at least two positions of which:
- a first position is a closed position of said space (38) in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and in a condition of approach with respect to the body of said space with said door (2) in a closed condition of said space (38);

- a second position is a sliding position of said door (2) in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition and in a condition of moving away with respect to the body of said space with said door (2) placed essentially in front of said space (38) and spaced with respect to said space (38) by a distance (39);
wherein said coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) guiding the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) include at least one slot (25, 26) and at least one pin (27, 28), in which said at least one slot (25, 26) constitutes a guiding profile within which the movement of said at least one pin (27, 28) is guided, said at least one slot (25, 26) being of an oblong shape with a longitudinal extension essentially parallel with respect to said direction of extraction and/or insertion (40), said at least one slot (25, 26) being obtained on said plate (14) and said at least one pin (27, 28) being fastened to said bracket (13), said supporting device (36) being characterised in that said coupling devices guiding the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) further include at least one circular plate (19, 20), said at least one circular plate (19, 20) being rotationally fastened to said plate (14) at a corresponding hinging point (21, 22) and said bracket (13) being fastened to and integral with said at least one circular plate (19, 20), and further characterised in that said at least one slot (25, 26) is shaped as an arc of a circle with the centre corresponding to said hinging point (21, 22) so that the rotation of said at least one circular plate (19, 20) causes the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) between said at least two positions, that is to say, said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition, said coupling devices guiding the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) including two of said circular plates (19, 20), a first circular plate (19) being rotationally fastened to said plate (14) at a corresponding first hinging point (21) and a second circular plate (20) being rotationally fastened to said plate (14) at a corresponding second hinging point (22), said bracket (13) being rotatably fastened on said circular plates (19, 20) in correspondence of said at least one pin (27, 28) made in the form of a bearing sliding in said at least one slot (25, 26), said at least two of said circular plates (19, 20) being connected to each other by means of a rod (23) hinged on said circular plates (19, 20), said rod (23) coordinating the rotation of the corresponding circular plates (19, 20) reciprocally restraining the rotation of the latter according to corresponding angles of rotation.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that the movement of said bracket (14) with respect to said plate (14) occurs according to said direction of extraction and/or insertion (40) that is a direction essentially transverse to said sliding direction (37).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 2, characterised in that in said second position said door (2) is placed essentially in front of said space (38) and spaced with respect to said space (38) by a distance (39) greater than the thickness of said door (2).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) guiding the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) include a first slot (25) and a second slot (26) coupling with a first pin (27) and a second pin (28) respectively, wherein said first slot (25) constitutes the guiding profile within which the movement of said first pin (27) is guided and wherein said second slot (26) constitutes the guiding profile within which the movement of said second pin (28) is guided, said first slot (25) and said second slot (26) constituting a pair of reciprocally parallel guiding sections.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said at least one pin (27, 28) is made in the form of a bearing whose perimeter is intended to slide with the rotation of the bearing itself along the inner edge of the corresponding slot (25, 26).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said at least one slot (25, 26) is obtained in correspondence of said bracket (13) and said at least one pin (27, 28) is fastened to said plate (14).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the claims 1 to 3 and according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that said bracket (13) is fastened in correspondence of said first pin (27) in the form of a bearing sliding within said first slot (25) and said bracket (13)) is fastened in correspondence of said second pin (28) in the form of a bearing sliding within said second slot (26).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 7, characterised in that at least one of said circular plates (19, 20) includes a notch (51) in correspondence of at least one perimeter portion of the circular shape and further characterised in that a lever (50) is rotationally fastened by means of hinging on said plate (14), a first elastic means or first spring (52) acting on said lever (50), said lever (50) comprising an end shaped to interact and couple with said notch (51), said first elastic means or first spring (52) exerting a force on said lever (50) intended to stop the rotation of said circular plate (19, 20) by means of the coupling between said end of said lever (50) and said notch (51), the stopping of the rotation of said circular plate (19, 20) occurring in correspondence of said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that
it includes an abutment element (49) constituting a disengagement means of said lever (50) intended to control the rotation of said lever (50) with the consequent disengagement of the coupling between said end of said lever (50) and said notch (51), said abutment element (49) being fastened on said guiding means (4) in correspondence of the position of said trolley (1) along the sliding on said guiding means that is the position in which said bracket (13) passes from said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition to said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 9, characterised in that said guiding means (4) include at least one first guide (5) and at least one second guide (6) that are guides parallel to each other and extending essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of said space, said first guide (5) being intended to guide said wheels made up of corresponding first wheels (15) and/or second wheels (16) fastened on said trolley (1), said second guide (6) being provided with a sliding seat (12) intended to guide said wheels made up of corresponding third wheels (17) and/or fourth wheels (18) fastened on said trolley (1), said first wheels (15) and/or second wheels (16) being placed on the opposite side of said trolley (1) with respect to the side on which said third wheels (17) and/or fourth wheels (18) are placed.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said first guide (5) is shaped in section with an essentially "C"- shaped profile, said first wheels (15) and/or said second wheels (16) being respectively made up of a pair of first wheels (15) and/or of a pair of second wheels (16) whose centres of rotation are placed on a conjunction line (41) inclined with respect to said sliding direction (37), the centre of rotation of one of the wheels of said pair of wheels being placed on the opposite side with respect to the position of the centre of the other wheel of said pair of wheels, opposite referring to the line parallel to said sliding direction (37) and passing through the centre of the segment joining the centres of said pair of wheels, so that one wheel of said pair of wheels slides in correspondence of an end of said "C"-shaped profile of said first guide (5) constituting a first sliding profile (9) and the other wheel of said pair of wheels slides in correspondence of the other end of said "C"- shaped profile of said first guide (5) constituting a second sliding profile (10).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 11, characterised in that said guiding means (4) include a third guide (7) that is a guide extending in a direction essentially parallel to the width extension of the body of said space, said third guide (7) being intended to guide at least one locking device (24) wherein said locking device (24) is integral with one of said coupling devices (25, 26, 27, 28) and said locking device (24) is mobile between said at least two positions, that is to say, said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition, in said second position said locking device (24) entering a locking seat (11) obtained on said third guide (7) and the sliding of said trolley (1) on said guiding means (4) involving the sliding of said locking device (24) within said locking seat (11) with the corresponding locking of said bracket (13) in said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition preventing the movement of said bracket (13) towards said first position during the sliding of said trolley (1) on said guiding means (4).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said locking device is a fifth wheel (24) intended to slide within said third guide (7).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim and according to claim 4, characterised in that said fifth wheel (24) is pivotally applied in correspondence of an end of one of said first pin (27) and second pin (28).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 12 to 14, characterised in that it includes an addressing lock (29) provided with an addressing channel (31), said addressing lock (29) being placed in correspondence of said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and being placed in a condition in which said locking device (24) is inserted within said addressing channel (31), said addressing channel (31) guiding the movement of said locking device (24) between said at least two positions and said addressing channel (31) being open in correspondence of a surface of coupling with said third guide (7) so that said third guide (7) constitutes the extension of said addressing channel (31) and vice-versa said addressing channel (31) constitutes the extension of said third guide (7).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 15, characterised in that it includes a shock-absorber (32) applying a pushing force (42) on said trolley (1) in correspondence of said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition, said pushing force (42) opposing the movement of said bracket (13) with respect to said plate (14) between said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition and said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition, said shock-absorber (42) constituting a slowdown means of the bracket in the return phase from said second position to said first position and/or constituting a locking means.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said shock-absorber (42) is made up of an oblong pushing arm (33) that is hinged at a fulcrum point (34) placed between the ends of said pushing arm (33), in correspondence of a first end of said pushing arm (33) there being a pushing means (35) preferably in the form of a piston applying said pushing force (42) on said arm (33) which transmits it to said trolley (1).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 17, characterised in that said guiding means (4) are selected from the group consisting of:
- guiding means (4) essentially curvilinear according to a bending radius of a size much greater than the lengthwise extension of said guiding means (4), the sliding of said door (2) occurring along said curvilinear guiding means;

- essentially rectilinear guiding means (4), the sliding of said door (2) occurring along said rectilinear guiding means;

- guiding means (4) made up of the joining of essentially curvilinear portions in which each portion is essentially curved according to a bending radius of a size much greater than the lengthwise extension of the corresponding portion of said guiding means (4), the sliding of said door (2) occurring along said joined portions of said guiding means.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 18, characterised in tha said trolley (1) is supported by said guiding means (4) in an inclined position that is inclined by an angle (a) with respect to the sliding plane of said trolley (1), said angle (a) being preferably between 0 degrees and 45 degrees, even more preferably between 0 degrees and 30 degrees, the preferred value being between 0 degrees and 20 degrees.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 19, characterised in that said trolley (1) includes a second elastic means or second spring (47) of return of said bracket (13), the second elastic means or second spring (47) being intended to withdraw said bracket (13) from said second position to said first position, that is to say, from said second position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially extracted condition to said first position in which said bracket (13) is in an essentially retracted condition.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to any of the previous claims 1 to 20, characterised in that
said trolley (1) includes driving means (43) of said door (2) exerting a tensile force on said door (2) and/or on said trolley (1), said tensile force being intended for the movement of said trolley (1) when said trolley (1) is in said second position that is a sliding position of said door from the closed condition to the open condition of said space.
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that
said driving means (43) are made in the form of a case (44), a mechanical energy storage means (48) being helically wound within said case (44), preferably in the form of a helically wound metal tape, a traction means (45) being wound outside said casing (44) and connected to another trolley (1) or to the walls of said space, said energy storage means (48) being wound on itself in a charged condition when said bracket of said trolley (1) is in said first position and progressively unwinding discharging the energy stored in said spiral when said bracket of said trolley (1) is brought in said second position, the discharge of the energy of said spiral putting in rotation said case (44) with the consequent winding action of said traction means (45) on said case (44) giving rise to a pulling action of said supporting device (36) along said guiding means (4).
Supporting device (36) for at least one sliding door (2) according to the previous claim, characterised in that said driving means (43) include a slowdown means (46) intended to slow down the movement of said trolley (1) during the traction action exerted by said energy storage means (48) and by said traction means (45), said slowdown means (46) being provided with one rotor that is put in rotation within a viscous fluid that slows down its rotation, said rotor being put in rotation by said energy storage means (48) during said traction action.
Sliding door (2) for closing at least one of said spaces (38), characterised in that said door (2) is supported by a supporting device (36) made in accordance with any of the previous claims 1 to 23.
Piece of furniture (3) provided with at least one of said sliding doors (2) for closing at least one of said spaces (38), characterised in that said door (2) is supported by a supporting device (36) made in accordance with any of the previous claims 1 to 23.