EP4030028A1

EP4030028A1 - System for the damped closing of a sliding door leaf, as well as a refrigerator cabinet including this system

Info

Publication number: EP4030028A1
Application number: EP22150996.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Walter Valentini; Stefano Mazzara
Original assignee: Valentini Glass & Components Srl
Current assignee: Valentini Glass & Components Srl
Priority date: 2021-01-13
Filing date: 2022-01-11
Publication date: 2022-07-20
Also published as: IT202100000515A1

Abstract

A system for the damped closing of an opening (P), comprising: at least one closing element (10); at least one element (20) for guiding the sliding of the at least one closing element (10); means (30) for the elastic return of the at least one closing element (10) from the opening position toward the closing position; damping means (40) acting upon the closing of the at least one closing element (10) to counteract the action of the elastic return means (30). The latter include or consist of at least one elongated elastic element (30) having a first fixed end (31) and an opposite second end (32) fixed to the at least one closing element (10).

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the technical field of closing systems, and in particular it relates to a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf, in particular a glass sliding door or door leaf of a refrigerator cabinet.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a refrigerator cabinet on which this system is mounted.

State of the Art

Systems for closing sliding doors or door leaves of refrigerator cabinets are known.
For example, document US2016324335A1 discloses one of these systems, which includes magnetic damping means and a counterweight suitable to promote the return of the sliding door leaf or door to the closed position once opened.
Such known system reveals several disadvantages, especially in the light of the presence of the counterweight for closing. As a matter fact, in order to house the latter there arises the need for a vertical space for the sliding thereof on the side of each sliding door or door leaf, which significantly increases the overall dimensions of the refrigerator cabinet on which the system is mounted.
Besides generally being expensive and difficult to assemble and handle, this makes this system also aesthetically unpleasant.
A further disadvantage lies in the fact that in case of minimum openings of the sliding door leaf or door, like it often happens in a supermarket when the customer opens the refrigerator cabinet to pick the product closest thereto, the closing weight force could be insufficient to ensure the complete closure of the sliding door leaf or door.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks outlined above by providing a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf that is highly effective and relatively cost-effective.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf with minimum overall dimensions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf with high aesthetic appeal.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf capable of always guaranteeing the return of the sliding door leaf or door to the closed position, even in case of minimum opening.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system for the damped closing of a sliding door or door leaf that is easy to assemble.
These and other objects which will be more apparent hereinafter, are attained by a system for the damped closing of an element for closing an opening as described and/or claimed and/or illustrated herein.
The dependent claims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in light of the detailed description of some preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a refrigerator cabinet F in form of a vertical refrigerator cabinet which includes the system 1;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of some details of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3a and 3b are cross-sectional views taken along planes IIIa - IIIa and IIIb - IIIb of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a refrigerator cabinet F in form of a horizontal well refrigerator which includes the system 1, with FIG. 4a showing some enlarged details;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a cover C for a refrigerator cabinet in form of a horizontal well refrigerator which includes the system 1, with FIGS. 5a and 5b showing some enlarged details;
FIGS. 6a and 6b are schematic views of the damping device 40 with the abutment element 42 respectively in operative and inoperative position.

Detailed description of some preferred embodiments

With reference to the mentioned figures, herein described is a system 1 for the damped closing of an opening P of any stationary support structure, for example a wall or a cabinet, without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.
However, preferably, the stationary support structure may be a refrigerator cabinet F, for example as illustrated in FIG. 1, a vertical refrigerator cabinet of the type present in supermarkets or the like or, as illustrated in FIG. 4 or 5, a horizontal well refrigerator. On the other hand, the stationary support structure may be a frame T or a cover C of the refrigerator F.
Suitably, the opening P may be an access compartment in the refrigerator cabinet F. In these types of refrigerator cabinets F, the opening P is defined by a substantially vertical or horizontal plane, and one or more door leaves or panels 10, generally configured as an insulated glazing or a flat or curved monolithic sheet, slide in this sliding plane to close or open the opening P.
It is clear that although hereinafter reference will be made to a door leaf or panel 10 for the sake of simplicity, any closing element, with any structure and/or geometry, may be provided for without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.
The door leaf or panel 10 may be generally rectangular-shaped with a pair of substantially horizontal edges 11, 11' and a pair of substantially vertical edges 12, 12'.
One of the substantially horizontal edges 11, 11', and preferably the upper one 11, may be inserted into an element 20 suitable to guide the sliding of the door leaf 10 by means of appropriate sliding wheels 13.
Possibly, the stationary support structure of the system 1 may consist of the sliding element 20, which in turn may be fixed to the refrigerator F.
As particularly illustrated in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a and 5b, the guide element 20 may have at least one guide wall 22 of the sliding wheels 13.
More particularly, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3a and 3b the guide element 20 may be a single or double capsized generally U-shaped rail with a bottom wall 21, two facing side walls 22, 22' and an opening 23 opposite to the bottom wall 21. Advantageously, the bottom wall 21 and the two facing side walls 22, 22' may define the inner surface of the guide rail 20.
It is clear that the guide element 20 may be arranged above or below the door leaf or panel 10, and therefore the bottom wall 21 may be upper or lower with respect to the door leaf or panel 10, without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims. Likewise, the guide element may be shaped to form a U or a capsized U.
On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 4a, the guide element 20 may provide for a guide wall 22 and an abutment wall 21, while in the embodiment of FIGS. 5a and 5b the guide element 20 may provide for a horizontal guide wall 22.
A transmission pulley 14 and the main body 15 of a damping device 40, whose function will be clearer hereinafter, may be fixed to the upper edge 11 of the door leaf or panel 10. Both the transmission pulley 14 and the damping device 40 may slide integrally joined with the door leaf or panel 10.
Preferably, the transmission pulley 14 may be idle, so as not to exert any braking action on the elastic cord 30.
It is clear that both the transmission pulley 14 and the damping device 40 may be positioned in any manner. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 5a and 5b are both fixed to the stationary support structure C.
Means for the elastic return of the door leaf or panel 10 from the open position towards the closed position, for example once opened manually by a user, may also be provided for.
These elastic return means may comprise or consist of one or more elongated elastic elements 30, for example a rope, a cord or elastic band.
Although hereinafter reference will be made to an individual elastic cord 30 for the sake of simplicity, it is clear that the elongated elastic element may be of any type and it may vary in number without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.
The end 31 of the elastic cord 30 may be fixed to the guide element 20, for example to the wall 21 or 22, while the opposite end 32 may be fixed to the door leaf or panel 10 through the damping device 40. More particularly, the end 32 of the elastic cord 30 may be fixed to the main body 15 of the damping device 40, which is in turn fixed to the upper edge 11 of the door leaf or panel 10.
It is clear that the end 31 of the elastic cord 30 may be fixed to any point of the stationary support structure without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.
Suitably, the elastic cord 30 may have an intermediate portion 33 engaged in the pulley 14.
The aforementioned configuration allows the elastic cord 30 to return the door leaf or panel 10 towards the closed position once opened.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the point for fixing the end 31 to the guide element 20 and the point for fixing the transmission pulley 14 to the edge 11 may be positioned on opposite sides with respect to the substantially perpendicular median plane IIIb - IIIb passing through the door leaf or panel 10 and the guide element 20, while the point for fixing the end 32 to the edge 11 may be interposed therebetween.
In order to dampen the closing movement of the door leaf or panel 10, any damping means, not necessarily the device 40, may be provided for. Likewise, the end 32 may be connected to the door leaf or panel 10 in any position and in any manner, directly or indirectly for example by means of a plate or eyelet integrally joined with the door leaf or panel 10.
However, preferably, the system 1 may include the damping device 40, which - during the sliding thereof integrally joined with the door leaf or panel 10 - is designed to interact with an activation pin 41 internally fixed to the guide element 20 so as to be selectively activated when the door leaf or panel 10 is in proximity of the closed position.
Suitably, no braking means shall act on the elastic cord 30 before the interaction of the damping device 40 with the activation pin 41, so that the interaction between the latter occurs with a force sufficient to activate the damping device 40 properly.
Furthermore, the absence of braking means before damping will allow to have a good closing speed of the door leaf or panel 10 before the interaction of the damping device 40 with the activation pin 41, therefore minimise the entry of hot air into the refrigerator cabinet F and preserve the cold chain for the food contained therein.
It is clear that the damping device 40 and the activation pin 41 may be equivalently fixed respectively to the stationary support structure and to the door leaf or panel 10 without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.
The device 40 is per se known in the industry by the name "soft close", and it may have a generally plate-like main body 15, that is defining a plane, with an abutment element 42 designed to selectively interact with the activation pin 41 to move from an inoperative position, that it takes for example when the door leaf or panel 10 is in the open position, to an operative position, that it takes for example upon interacting with the pin 41.
For example, FIG. 6a illustrates the closed position of the door leaf or panel 10 with the abutment element 42 in operative position, while FIG. 6b illustrates the closing movement of the door leaf or panel 10, with the abutment element 42 in inoperative position just before interacting with the activation pin 41.
For example, the abutment element 42 may be a tooth or similar element suitable to impact against the activation pin 41 during the sliding of the main body 15.
In a per se known manner, the abutment element 42 may be connected with a damper 43, for example a gas damper, consisting of a jacket 44 and a stem 45. Once the abutment element 42 interacts with the activation pin 41, it passes from the inoperative position to the operative position to activate the damper 43 which dampens the closing movement of the door leaf or panel 10.
Furthermore, in a per se known manner, the activation element 42 may also be connected with a traction spring 46. Furthermore, in a per se known manner, during the movement thereof, the activation element 42 may be guided in a curved guide element 47.
Suitably, when the door leaf or panel 10 is in the opening position, the activation pin 41 may be interposed between the fixing point of the end 31 and the damping device 40.
Advantageously, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3a and 3b the generally plate-like main body 15 of the device 40 may be fixed to the edge 11 of the door leaf or panel 10, by means of a C-shaped bracket, parallel to the edge 11, also substantially flat.
Therefore, the generally plate-like main body 15 will be substantially perpendicular to the side walls 22, 22' and substantially parallel to the bottom wall 21.
Therefore, any crushing of the bottom wall 21 due to loads acting thereon will not affect the operation of the device 40.
In the light of the above, it is clear that the invention attains the pre-set objectives.
The damped closing system described above actually has minimum overall dimensions, and it is entirely contained inside the guide element 20.
Furthermore, this confers a high aesthetic appeal to the system 1.
Furthermore, using the elastic force instead of the weight force always guarantees the return of the door leaf or panel 10 to the closed position even in case of minimum opening.
The invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants all falling within the inventive concept outlined in the attached claims. All details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials can be different depending on the technical needs, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.
Even though the invention has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, the reference numbers utilised in the description and in the claims are meant for improving the intelligibility of the invention and thus do not limit the claimed scope of protection in any manner whatsoever.

Claims

A system for the damped closing of an opening (P), the latter being in particular an access opening within a refrigerator cabinet (F), comprising:
- at least one closing element (10) slidable between a closing position in which it closes said opening (P) and an opening position in which said opening (P) is open;

- at least one stationary support structure (T, C) which includes at least one element (20) for guiding the sliding of said at least one closing element (10);

- elastic means (30) for returning said at least one closing element (10) from the opening position towards the closing position;

- damping means (40, 41) acting upon closing said at least one closing element (10) to counteract the action of said elastic return means (30);
wherein said elastic return means include or consist of at least one elongated elastic element (30) having a first end (31) fixed to said at least one stationary support structure (T, C) and a second opposite end (32) fixed to said at least one closing element (10).
System according to claim 1, further comprising at least one transmission pulley (14) fixed to said at least one closing element (10) or said at least one stationary support structure (T, C), said at least one elongated elastic element (30) comprising an intermediate portion (33) interposed between said first and second end (31, 32) engaged in said at least one transmission pulley (14), the latter preferably being an idler pulley.
System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one closing element (10) comprises at least one sliding wheel (13), said at least one guide element (20) having at least one wall (22) for guiding said at least one sliding wheel (13).
System according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said at least one guide element (20) is a guide rail having an inner surface (21, 22, 22') and an opening (23) for access thereto, said at least one closing element (10) including at least one edge (11) inserted into said opening (23) to remain faced to said inner surface (21, 22, 22'), the first end (31) of said at least one elongated elastic element (30) being fixed to said inner surface (21, 22, 22'), the second end (32) of said at least one elongated elastic element (30) being fixed to said edge (11) so as to also remain faced to said inner surface (21, 22, 22'), so as to remain concealed inside said at least one guide rail (20), said transmission pulley (14) also being preferably fixed to said edge (11) so as to also remain faced to said inner surface (21, 22, 22').
System according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said damping means include at least one damping device (40) and at least one activation pin (41) mutually slidable and cooperating so that the damping device (40) is selectively activated when said at least one closing element (10) is in proximity of the closing position, said at least one damping device (40) being fixed to one of said at least one closing element (10) and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C), said at least one activation pin (41) being fixed to the other of said at least one closing element (10) and said at least one stationary support structure (T, C).
System according to the preceding claim, wherein said damping device (40) includes a substantially plate-like main body (15) fixed to said at least one closing element (10).
System according to claim 4 and 6, wherein said at least one edge (11) of said at least one closing element (10) is substantially flat, said substantially plate-like main body (15) being fixed to said at least one closing element (10) so as to be substantially parallel to said at least one edge (11).
System according to claims 4 and 6 or 4, 6 and 7, wherein the inner surface (21, 22, 22') of said at least one guide element (20) is substantially U-shaped with a bottom wall (21) opposite to said opening (23) and facing side walls (22, 22') substantially flat and parallel with respect to each other, said main body (15) being substantially perpendicular to said facing side walls (22, 22'), said bottom wall (21) also preferably being substantially flat and perpendicular to said facing side walls (22, 22'), said main body (15) being preferably substantially parallel to said bottom wall (21).
System according to claims 3 and 4 or 3, 4 and 8, wherein said at least one sliding wheel (13) is fixed to said at least one edge (11), said inner surface (21, 22, 22') of said at least one guide element (20) comprising said at least one wall (22) for guiding said at least one sliding wheel (13), at least one of said facing side portions (22, 22') of said inner surface (21, 22, 22') preferably comprising said at least one wall (22) for guiding said at least one sliding wheel (13).
System according to one or more of claims 5 to 9, wherein said damping device (40) includes at least one abutment element (42) movable between an inoperative position and an operative position, said at least one abutment element (42) being designed to selectively interact with said activation pin (41) to pass from the inoperative position to the operative position, said damping device (40) including at least one damper (43) having a jacket (44) and a stem (45), one of the latter being integrally joined with said at least one closing element (10), the other of said jacket (44) and said stem (45) being operatively connected with said at least one abutment element (42) to dampen the closing movement of said closing element (10) after the at least one abutment element (42) passes to the operative position.
System according to one or more of claims 5 to 10, wherein the system is without braking means which act on said elastic return means (30) before the mutual interaction between at least one damping device (40) and said at least one activation pin (41).
System according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second end (32) of said elongated elastic element (30) is fixed to said main body (15).
System according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein when said at least one closing element (10) is in the opening position, said activation pin (41) is interposed between the fixing point of the first end (31) of said elongated elastic element (30) and said damping device (40).
System according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one elongated elastic element (30) is a cord or an elastic band.
A refrigerator cabinet which includes at least one opening (P) for access thereinto and a system for the damped closing of said opening (P) according to one or more of the preceding claims.