FR2739652A1 - Sliding door for motor vehicle cargo container - Google Patents

Abstract

The door has a panel (4) which s slidable. The panel is supported and guided on its lower edge (19) by a rail (12) and on its upper edge (40) by an upper rail (13). The door can slide between an open position (16) for a container (2) and an open position. The upper part of the door has at least one upper lock (54) formed by a hook (55) fixed to the panel cooperating with a keeper (50) fixed to the container.

Description

IMPROVED FOR SLIDING DOOR
The present invention relates to a door intended to close an opening and more particularly a sliding door for the bodywork of industrial vehicles, in particular for a cell of the refrigerated type.

 Sliding doors are already known, the leaf of which moves laterally while swaying. These doors are guided at the bottom by a bottom rail and at the top by a top rail. This is for example the case of doors described in French patent 2,126,621 and in application 9,310,940. We also know the door described in the patent application, the final locking of which is effected by means of a central vertical rod controlling a upper locking hook. However, all current doors have a certain number of drawbacks and in particular the complexity of their mechanism which cannot be used for doors of large dimensions.

 The present invention aims to solve the drawbacks of previous devices and proposes a new sliding door which is particularly simple and reliable.

 Thus, the sliding door according to the invention is of the type comprising a movable leaf in sliding sliding, said leaf being supported and guided at its lower part by a lower guide rail and guided at its upper part by an upper guide rail, between a position for closing an opening of an enclosure such as a cell and a position for opening the latter, said door being characterized in that said upper part comprises at least one upper locking means constituted by a first element or fixed hook secured to the leaf cooperating by engagement with a second element or keeper secured to the cell.

 According to additional characteristics, the sliding door comprises complementary guide means arranged at the upper part constituted by an upper guide roller secured to the cell, intended to cooperate with a ramp secured to the leaf, while the locking means are arranged substantially in the median plane of the opening.

 In a preferred arrangement, the central lower part of the door comprises a lock intended for locking the leaf and constituted by a locking lever pivoting on the leaf around a vertical axis and comprising a hook intended to be engaged in the closed position in a locking housing secured to the lower rail, while two upper locking means are provided.

 According to another characteristic, there are provided means for locking and retaining complementary to the rear vertical edge which are constituted by a hollow profile integral with the frame of the opening in which comes into engagement at the end of closing a wall in projection secured to the corresponding side edge of the leaf.

 Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the leaf comprises two carriages cooperating with the lower rail, each of the carriages being pivotally mounted on a corresponding arm fixed to said lower door of the leaf and comprising support and rolling means, means guide and pivoting means, each of the carriages comprising a pivoting plate pivotally mounted on the corresponding arm, about a vertical axis, and carries a large central horizontal guide roller, as well as two smaller horizontal side rollers and a roller vertical bearing.

It goes without saying that the invention also relates to the cell as such, as well as the truck equipped with said cell.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings which are given only by way of nonlimiting examples.

 Figure 1 is a side view of a refrigerated truck whose cell is closed by the door according to the invention.

 Figure 2 is a partial sectional view along II-II of the wall comprising the door.

 Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2, but in the open position of the cell door according to the invention, Figure 4 illustrating, by flush, details of execution.

 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the door according to the invention during its opening or closing.

 Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the lower guide carriages, in this case, the right carriage.

 Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating how one of the lower guides of the leaf is produced.

 Figure 7 is a side view of the guide carriage with a partial cutaway of the rail.

 Figure 8 is a top view of the guide carriage with partial cutaway of the upper wall of the guide rail.

 Figure 9 is a schematic sectional view along tx-rX.

 Figure 10 is a schematic sectional view along X-X.

 Figures 11 and 12 show, seen from above and schematically, how is the lower guide of the leaf. Figure 11 shows it in the open position, while Figure 12 shows it in the closed position.

 Figures 13, 14 and 15 schematically show how the upper part of the leaf is guided and locked. FIG. 13 shows it in the open position, while FIG. 14 is an illustration of an intermediate position in which complementary guide means come into action, and FIG. 15 shows it in the closed position.

 Figures 16, 17 and 18 are perspective views showing details of execution of the main guide, the complementary guide and the locking of the upper part of the leaf.

 Figures 19 and 20 show the door lock which is also already partially illustrated by Figure 6. Figure 19 is a perspective showing the locking lever, and Figure 20 is a schematic view from above.

 Figure 21 is a view similar to Figure 15 showing an alternative embodiment.

 Figures 22 and 23 illustrate alternative embodiments of the lower lock. Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 19 showing one of these variants, while Figure 23 is a view similar to Figure 20 showing the door locked in the open position.

 In a preferred but nonlimiting embodiment, the invention is applied to a sliding door intended to be mounted on a bodywork for an industrial vehicle of the insulated truck type.

 Thus, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 illustrate such a truck (1) constituted by an isothermal cell (2) carried in a manner known per se by a chassis (3) towed by a tractor (4).

 It goes without saying that this type of use of the invention is given only by way of nonlimiting example, knowing that it could just as easily be used in any other field or application other than that of industrial vehicles .

 The sliding door according to the invention is constituted by a leaf (4) movable in sliding swaying on one of the side walls (5) of the cell (2) comprising an opening (6) bordered by a frame (7). Said leaf being movable between a closed position for closing the opening (FIGS. 1 and 2), and an open position for releasing the opening (FIGS. 3 and 4).

 In the closed closed position, the movable leaf (4) is housed in the opening and is retracted in the thickness of the wall (5), as illustrated in the figures, while in the open position said leaf is laterally retracted and outwards (EX) to come to be placed in front of the side wall (5) and thus completely free the opening (6), as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 11 and 13.

 To pass from its closed position to the retracted open position and vice versa, the leaf moves laterally while swaying, in a manner known per se. In the closed position, the leaf takes place in the opening so that the front face (8) of the leaf is in the plane of the front face (9) of the corresponding side wall (5).

 The leaf (4) consists of an insulated wall of square or rectangular shape and is supported at its lower part by two carriages (10, 11) cooperating with a lower guide and support rail (12) providing support and guidance of said leaf, while the upper part of said leaf is guided by an upper rail (13).

 The lower rail (12) consists of a metal profile having the general shape of a U open towards the outside (EX) and is fixed under the cell. Said rail comprises three successive rectilinear longitudinal portions (14, 15, 17) offset from one another. Thus, it comprises a first portion (14) connected to a second portion (15) by a first intermediate bias portion (16) for connection, while said second portion (15) is connected to an end portion (17) by a second intermediate bias portion (18). Note, moreover, that the three portions (14, 15, 17) extend parallel to each other.

Of course, the offset d between the different longitudinal portions corresponds to the movement towards the inside of the leaf when it is closed.

 Said rail profile (12) forms in an transverse section an open box, constituted by a lower horizontal support wall (31) and two vertical guide walls (32, 33), the latter being connected by an upper wall (34 ). One of the walls (33) or internal wall extends over the entire height of the profile to connect the lower wall (31) and the upper wall (34), while the other side wall (32) or external wall does not does not extend over the entire height to form a longitudinal opening (35). Furthermore, the lower wall (31) is extended on the side opposite to the internal wall (33) by a vertical stiffening wall (36) extending downward and which contributes to the rigidity of the assembly and more particularly to the rigidity of the bottom wall (31).

 The lower part (19) of the leaf (4) comprises a right carriage (11) and a left carriage (10), while the central part comprises a locking lever (51). Each of the carriages is pivotally mounted on a corresponding arm (21) fixed to the lower part (19) of the leaf (4), each of the arms (21) extending from the lower frame of the leaf inwards (IN) of divergent way.

 Furthermore, each of the carriages (10, 11) comprises support and rolling means, guide means and pivoting means. Note that the two carriages, namely, the right carriage (11) and the left carriage (10) are advantageously identical and we will therefore describe only one, knowing that the other is identical and carries, in this respect, the same references on the drawings. Thus, the carriage (10, 11) comprises a pivoting plate (22) pivotally mounted on the corresponding arm (21), around a vertical axis (YY ') and carries a large central horizontal guide roller (23), two smaller horizontal side rollers (24, 25) and a vertical running roller (26). The carriage (10, 11) advantageously comprises a general plane of symmetry (PP ') and said horizontal rolling roller (26) constituting the support and rolling means for the door is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis (XX' ) perpendicular to the plane of symmetry (PP ') of said carriage (10, 11) in which it extends. Furthermore, it is located in such a way that its fulcrum (27) on the lower rail (12) is in the axis (YY ') of pivoting of the carriage around which the large central roller (23) pivots. The latter is, moreover, cylindrical and its diameter is substantially equal to the internal width (L) of the lower rail (12) in which it moves. Said large roller constituting the guide means for the carriage, while the two lateral rollers (24, 25) constitute the pivoting means. To this end, said two lateral rollers are arranged on either side of the general plane of symmetry (PP ') and are pivotally mounted around vertical axes, respectively (28, 29) carried by an end wall (30 ) of the pivoting plate, folded inwards, as is more clearly seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

 Note that the diameter of the two rollers (24, 25) and their distance are such that the overall external width of the two rollers is substantially equal to the internal width (L) between the two lateral vertical walls (32, 33) of the rail.

 The upper part (40) of the leaf (4) is guided by a guide roller (41) cooperating with the upper guide rail (13). Said roller (41) being mounted in rotation about a vertical axis of rotation (42) carried by the end of a retaining arm (43) fixed to the upper right part (48) of the leaf, said arm extending horizontally inward (IN) and to the right. The upper guide rail (13) consists of a downwardly open U-shaped metal profile which is fixed to the rear of the upper portion (44) of the frame (7), that is to say inner side (IN) of the cell. Said upper rail comprises a first main portion (45) connected to an end portion (46) by an intermediate oblique portion (47). Note that the axis of the end portion (46) is offset inward relative to the axis of the main portion (45), the offset (d) being, of course, equal to the value of the displacement towards the inside of the leaf when it is closed.

 According to a complementary arrangement of the invention, the sliding door comprises a lock (50) intended for locking the closed position of the leaf (4) relative to the cell. Said lock (50) is arranged in the center of the central lower part of the door and comprises a locking lever (51) pivoting on the leaf around a vertical axis (YIY'1) and comprising a locking hook (52) intended to be engaged in the closed position in a locking housing (53) integral with the lower wall of the lower rail (12). Furthermore, and as appears more particularly in FIG. 20, the lever (51) is retained in the locked position by a bolt (65) movable in translation and biased towards the lever by a compression spring (66), the end said bolt engaging in an axial locking hole (67) formed in the lever (51).

 The locking of the upper part of the leaf is carried out by an upper locking means (54) consisting of the interlocking of two elements, namely, a first element or hook (55) fixed and integral with the leaf (4) cooperating by engagement with a second element or keeper (56) integral with the cell and more particularly with the upper horizontal beam (44) of the frame (7), said keeper (56) being advantageously located in the middle in the middle zone of said frame, c that is to say substantially in the median plane (Q) of the opening.

 In order to cause a good interlocking of the two upper locking elements (55, 56), it is advantageously provided with additional guide means (57) for this interlocking constituted by an upper guide roller (58) integral with the upper horizontal part ( 44) of the frame, said roller being intended to cooperate with a ramp (60) integral with the leaf (4). Note that the upper guide roller is located in the upper right part of the frame between the upper keeper (56) and the right edge (61) of the opening.

 11 is advantageously provided with means for locking and retaining complementary to the rear vertical edge (60). To this end, the corresponding vertical beam (65) of the frame (7) comprises a hollow profile (62) formed by an inclined wall (63) in which a projecting wall (64) engages at the end of the closure. secured to the corresponding side edge (60) of the leaf, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4.

 It goes without saying that one could also provide two upper locking means (54, 54 ′), as illustrated in FIG. 21, or in addition to the means (54) provided in the previous embodiment, additional means (54 ') identical to the first means (54) and which are arranged at the left part of the upper part (40) of the leaf (4).

 It should be noted that the upper (54) and lower (50) locking means are arranged respectively in the respective upper and lower central zone of the leaf.

 Figures 22 and 23 illustrate alternative embodiments of the lower lock. FIG. 22 illustrates a lock according to which the movable bolt (65) is housed in the lever (51) while the locking hole (67) is on the frame of the leaf.

 In the variant shown in Figure 23, the lower lock also serves to lock the leaf in its open position as illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 11 and 13. For this purpose, the locking lever (51) further comprises of the locking hook (52) a second hook (520) intended to hang in the open position of the leaf on a hooking piece (521). Furthermore, the lever (51) comprises a front projection (522) intended to force the door to open.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of examples, but it also includes all the technical equivalents and their combinations.

Claims (12)

 1. Sliding door of the type comprising a leaf (4) movable in sliding sliding, said leaf being supported and guided at its lower part (19) by a lower guide rail (12) and guided at its upper part (40) by a upper guide rail (13), between a closed position of an opening (16) of an enclosure such as a cell (2) and an open position of the latter, characterized in that said upper part comprises at least one upper locking means (54) constituted by a first element or hook (55) fixed and integral with the leaf cooperating by engagement with a second element or keeper (50) integral with the cell (2).  2 sliding door according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises complementary guide means (57) disposed at the upper part constituted by an upper guide roller (58) integral with the cell (2), intended to cooperate with a ramp (60) integral with the leaf.  3. Sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking means (54) are arranged substantially in the median plane (Q) of the opening (6).  4 sliding door according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper locking means (54) are constituted by the interlocking of two elements, namely, a first element or hook (55) fixed and integral with the leaf (4) cooperating by engagement with a second element or keeper (56) integral with the cell.  5. Sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central lower part of the door comprises a lock (50) intended for locking the leaf (4) and constituted by a locking lever (51) pivoting on the leaf around a vertical axis (Y1, Y'1) and comprising a hook (52) intended to be engaged in the closed position in a locking housing (53) secured to the lower rail (12).  6. Sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two upper locking means (54, 54 ').  7. Sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that there is provided an upper locking means (54) constituted by a first element or fixed hook and integral with the leaf cooperating by engagement with a second element or keeper attached to the cell.  8. Sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the leaf comprises two carriages (10, 11) cooperating with the lower rail (12), each of the carriages being pivotally mounted on a corresponding arm (21) fixed to said lower door (19) of the leaf and comprising support and rolling means (26), guide means (23) and pivoting means (24, 25).  9. Sliding door according to claim 8, characterized in that each of the carriages comprises a pivoting plate (22) pivotally mounted on the corresponding arm (21), around a vertical axis (YY '), and carries a large horizontal roller central guide (23), as well as two smaller lateral horizontal rollers (24, 25) and a vertical rolling roller (26).  10. Truck unit comprising the sliding door according to any one of the preceding claims.  11. truck unit according to claim 10, characterized in that the sliding door is arranged on one of the side walls (5).  12. Truck equipped with the cell according to any one of the preceding claims.