EP4107356B1

EP4107356B1 - Retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield

Info

Publication number: EP4107356B1
Application number: EP21710060.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Raffaele LAZAZZERA
Original assignee: MV Line SpA
Current assignee: MV Line SpA
Priority date: 2020-02-19
Filing date: 2021-02-17
Publication date: 2023-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-17
Also published as: PT4107356T; SI4107356T1; HRP20240280T1; ES2972234T3; EP4107356A1; IT202000003404A1; WO2021165851A1

Description

The present invention relates to a retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield.
In particular, the present invention relates to a retractable sliding guide for a sliding shield of the type comprising a sliding towel in a pair of uprights of the frame of an opening to delimit, such as a blackout blind or alternatively a network for mosquito nets, both horizontally and vertically sliding or, alternatively, any type of screen.
As it is known, a shielding comprises a towel configured to shield an opening, such as a plastic or a fabric cloth, driven by a cord, by a motor or by a rod to be retracted during the opening and allow the passage of light, or to be stretched out while darkening. The opening and closing of the curtain system is for example a vertical fall, in which case the cloth is slidable in a pair of guide uprights of a frame. Generally, the guide uprights are perpendicular to the floor and the cloth can slide vertically, alternatively the uprights can be vertical and the cloth can be slidable in a horizontal direction. Typically, in opposite sides of the cloth are inserted buttons, preferably made of plastics, which slide inside the guide uprights and that having a size greater than the geometric opening of the uprights, allow the cloth to remain inside of the guides without coming out during operation.
Moreover, it's known that the sliding shielding, either mosquito nets or curtains, are installed within a compartment of a wall and are constituted mainly by: a shield attached at one end to a lateral winding cassette and at the other end to a handle bar; an upper fixed guide; a lower fixed guide; a closing upright; and a movable lower foldable guide, sliding on the lower fixed guide and insertable in a handle bar.
Furthermore, as is known, the edge of the cloth can be slidably inserted into a specific seat through an opening in the section, allowing the rest of the cloth to protrude from the guide through the slot. To avoid that the cloth can slip off from its seat, numerous locking systems have been developed, typically rods inserted into a pocket created by a webbing fastened to the lateral edges of the cloth.
Also cushioning systems are known that comprise a tab or a plurality of tabs attached to a profile and able to cushion the impact of the profile on the sliding guide. However, the additional profiles are extruded in metal or plastic and must be cut to the necessary size, with consequent waste of material and problems related to transport. Furthermore, the application of said tabs is laborious, especially if carried out manually.
An example of known solution is described in patent application WO2013/182956A which concerns, in particular, a shock absorber for shielding and of the type comprising a cloth fastened in a sliding manner to a bar of an upright guide. A guide with a substantially C-shaped cross section serves to attach the shock absorber to one edge of the bar and a flexible plastic tab, having one end on the guide and an opposite end in contact with the guide upright, acts as an elastic element allowing the bar to approach the guide upright in a compression step or to be spaced in a predetermined manner in the absence of compression.
However, although functional in various aspects, currently known retractable sliding guides do not guarantee optimum tensioning of the cloth and are not adaptable to curved, non-linear or not perfectly straight containment profiles.
In addition, the systems for shielding currently known do not allow to hide from view the guide during use, consequently resulting neither aesthetically nor technically optimized.
EP1640554A1 discloses a retractable sliding guide.
Purpose of the present invention is to provide a retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield that allow to tend the shielding and to ensure its seal under the action of the wind, thus having characteristics such as to overcome the limits affecting the currently known sliding guides.
According to the present invention, a retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield is provided, as defined in claim 1.
For a better understanding of the present invention it is now described a form in the preferred embodiment, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows a schematic three-dimensional view of a plurality of modules of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention;
Figures 3 and 4 show respectively a schematic sectional and three-dimensional view of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention;
Figures and 5 and 6 show respectively a schematic cross-section and three-dimensional view of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention;
Figure 7 shows a three - dimensional schematic view of a module of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention;
Figure 8 shows a three-dimensional view of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield, according to the invention.

In reference to these figures, and in particular to the figure 2, a retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield is shown, according to the invention. In detail, the retractable sliding guide 150 provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield is applied to a shield 200, purely as an example to a mosquito net, or to a curtain, comprising a cloth 201 horizontally slidable, at least one sliding guide 202, shown in figure 3 and 4 for reference. The cloth 201 forms pockets along its lateral edges, these pockets housing a blocking element 203, configured to avoid that the cloth 201 can slide out from the sliding guide 202 in which the cloth 201 is inserted.
More specifically, as best shown in Figure 3, the retractable sliding guide 150 for a sliding shield 200 equipped with a tensioning system comprises a plurality of modules (151a, 151b, ... 151n) consecutively coupled to each other by means of a first couple of hinges 160a and a second couple of hinges 160b present on each module, for example on a module 151a, equal to modules 151b ... 151n, and suitable for connecting the front and rear of the module 151a to two other similar modules 151b, 151c to form a single body that can be folded and inserted into the sliding guide 202.
Advantageously according to the invention the connection between the plurality of modules 151a, 151b, ... 151n by means of the first and the second couple of the hinges 160a, 160b allows the application of the retractable sliding guide 150 at different conditions, both in terms of length of the guide, advantageously adaptable to the width of the opening on which the sliding shield 200 has to be installed, both to uprights not perfectly straight, guaranteeing optimal tension of the cloth in all conditions.
In particular, each module of the plurality of modules 151a, 151b ... 151n, for example, the module 151a, consists in a hollow body, comprising on two opposing surfaces thereof, the first couple of hinges 160a and the second couple of hinges 160b, an opening 154 in which the blocking element 203 of the cloth 201 is insertable, a curvilinear tensioning element 153 having a at least a first end 153a connected to the hollow body in a direction orthogonal to the opening 154, and at least a second free end 153b which, in use, is in contact with a sliding guide 202 and such as to keep the cloth 201 in tension.
Advantageously according to the invention, each module 151a allows the optimum tension of the cloth 201 by means of the curvilinear tensioning element 153 which acts as a resilient biasing element which is opposed to forces which would tend to loosen the tension on the cloth. In fact, while the blocking element 203 opposes the removal of the cloth 201 from its seat in the sliding guide 202, the curvilinear tensioning element 153 provides an opposite thrust, which prevents the cloth from losing tension.
Advantageously according to the invention, the curvilinear tensioning element 153 tends automatically the cloth 201 of the mosquito net and keeps tense.
Advantageously according to the invention, the curvilinear a tensioning element 153 is integrated in each module 151a of the plurality of modules 151a, 151b, ... 151n of the retractable sliding guide 150, resulting in a practical and versatile system.
Advantageously according to the invention, the retractable sliding guide and guide retractable comprising the plurality of modules 151a, 151b, ... 151n each integrating a curvilinear tensioning element 153, allows the optimal and uniform tensioning of the cloth.
According to an aspect of the invention, the tensioning element 153 is of plastic material.
According to an aspect of the invention, the tensioning element 153 is of metallic material.
According to an aspect of the invention, the tensioning element (153) is an elastic element having shape memory.
According to another aspect of the invention, the plurality of modules 151a, 151b, ... 151c is made of plastic material.
Thus, the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield according to the invention allows that the cloth always remains anchored uniformly to it, also under the action of the wind.
Another advantage of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield according to the invention is the simplicity of construction and installation.
A further advantage of the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield according to the invention consists in being economic.
Finally, it is clear that the retractable sliding guide provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield here described and illustrated to may be subject to modifications and variations without thereby go out and from the field of protection of the present invention, as defined in the claims attached.

Claims

Retractable sliding guide (150) provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield (200) comprising a sliding cloth (201), a sliding guide (202) in which the sliding cloth (201) is inserted, a blocking element (203) placed along side edges of the cloth (201), said retractable sliding guide (150) comprising a plurality of modules (151a, 151b, ... 151n) consecutively coupled together by means of a first couple of hinges (160a) and a second couple of hinges (160b) present over each module (151a), so as to form a single body able to be folded and inserted in the sliding guide (202), in which each module (151a) comprised in the plurality of modules (151a, 151b, ... 151n), consists of a hollow body, comprising on two opposite sides the first couple of hinges (160a) and the second couple of hinges (160b), an opening (154) into which is able to be inserted the blocking element (203) of the cloth (201), characterized in that each module (151a) comprised in the plurality of modules (151a, 151b, ... 151n) comprises a curvilinear tensioning element (153) having at least a first end (153a) connected to the hollow body orthogonally with respect to opening (154), and at least a second free end (153b) that, in use, is in contact with the sliding guide (202) and is able to keep the cloth (201) in tension.
Retractable sliding guide (150) provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensioning element (153) is integrated into each module (151a) of the retractable sliding guide (150).
Retractable sliding guide (150) provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensioning element (153) is made of a metallic material.
Retractable sliding guide (150) provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensioning element (153) is made of a plastic material.
Retractable sliding guide (150) provided with a tensioning system for a sliding shield (200) according to claim 1, characterized in that the tensioning element (153) is an elastic element having shape memory.