FR2969685A1 - UNIVERSAL DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC CLOSURE OF A SLIDING OPENER, ESPECIALLY A CLOSET DOOR - Google Patents

Abstract

Device (1) for automatically closing a sliding leaf, in particular a door (2) of a cabinet, comprising at least one housing (4) fixed at the bottom or at the top of the door (2), and an axis on which is mounted a wheel (3) cooperating with a guide rail (5) of the door (2), characterized in that the wheel is integrated in the housing (4) and is subject to a spiral spring (6), an outer end (6a ) is secured to a fixed point (7) of the housing (4), and whose other end (6b) is secured to a point (8) of the wheel (3), or vice versa, so that when a rotation thereof in a manually opening direction of the door (2), the spring (6) wraps and stores energy, which it returns to the wheel (3) which becomes motor, for a return in automatic closing of the door (2)

Description

The present invention relates to a closure device for a sliding leaf, in particular a closet door.

It has often been observed that if a closet door does not pose any particular problem at the opening, it is often not the same in closing.

Indeed, once the door is open and objects or clothing prebend by a user, it finds his hands and arms cluttered, and has difficulty closing the closet door.

This remains open and causes an unsightly effect in the room, or the user tries to close the door with his elbow or foot, which is unpleasant for him.

He can of course return to close the door after he has deposited the objects or clothes, but this leads to unnecessary steps.

Therefore, it has been proposed automatic closing devices to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, but these have proved complicated and expensive in their design and implementation, because the system of automatic return of the door is distinct from the wheel, and consequently its assembly also.

In addition, the known devices must be adapted and adjusted for each type of door.

The present invention aims to overcome this disadvantage by providing a compact device, universal and autonomous, containing in a single box, to report on the door, all the elements necessary to allow a user on the one hand to open a closet door locking when it loose, and this in any position, and secondly its release for automatic closure.

To this end, the invention relates to a device for automatically closing a sliding leaf, in particular a cupboard door, comprising at least one housing fixed at the bottom or at the top of the door, and an axis on which is mounted a cooperating wheel. with a guide rail of the door, characterized in that the wheel is integrated in the housing and is subject to a spiral spring whose outer end is secured to a fixed point of the housing, and the other end is secured to a point of the wheel, or vice versa, so that during a rotation thereof in a manually opening direction of the door, the spring winds and stores energy, which it returns to the wheel that becomes driving, for a return in automatic closing of the door.

The invention also relates to the features which will emerge during the following description, which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible technical combinations.

This description given by way of nonlimiting example, will better understand how the invention can be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of an automatic closure device according to the invention, in particular for closet door. FIG. 2 represents, partially and on an enlarged scale, the lower part of a drive wheel in its rail according to FIG. 1, according to a first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 represents a cross-section along the line II-II of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 represents, in cross-section, the lower part of the driving wheel in its rail, according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 5 represents a sectional view of a braking system of the driving wheel, associated with a freewheel, along line II of FIG. 1. FIGS. 6 and 7 represent, in plan and on an enlarged scale, the system braking associated with a free wheel, according to Figures 1 and 5, respectively in disengaged and engaged positions. Figures 8 to 12 show, in plan and on an enlarged scale, a device for locking / unlocking the wheel, respectively opening and closing.

The device 1 designated as a whole is intended for the automatic closing of a door 2. This device is associated with a wheel 3, the assembly being enclosed in a housing 4 fixed at the bottom or top of the door 2.

In the case where the housing 4 is fixed at the bottom of the door 2, the wheel 3 is facing a guide rail 5. In the case where the housing 4 is fixed at the top of the door 2, the wheel 3 is located under the upper support, including the ceiling, under which is fixed the rack. For a good balance of the door 2, in the case where the housing 4 is fixed at the bottom of the door, a second wheel, traditional this time, is fixed at a distance from the first and cooperates with the same rail 5, 15 and in the case where the housing 4 is fixed at the top of the door, it is the two traditional original wheels that carry the door cooperating also with the rail 5.

According to the invention, the wheel 3 is integrated in the housing 4 and is subject to a spiral spring 6, an outer end 6a is integral with a fixed point 7 of the housing 4, and the other end 6b is integral with a point 8 of the wheel 3, or vice versa, so that during a rotation thereof in an opening direction of the door 2 is effected manually, the spring 6 is wound and stored energy, it restores to the wheel 3 which becomes driving, for a return in automatic closing of the door 2. 30 preferably, the wheel 3 is mounted on a double-row ball bearing angular contact ball. The latter is either overmoulded or forced into the wheel as far as the outer ring is concerned, and slidably mounted on a rivet which acts as an internal shaft at the level of the inner ring.

Nevertheless, this does not allow to control the speed of return of the door, proportional to the force of the spiral spring 6.

To remedy this, the driving wheel 3 comprises on the one hand an inner blind and concentric housing 9, made on one of its faces, to contain the spiral spring 6, and on the other hand an external peripheral zone provided with a toothing 10 intended to cooperate with the pinion 11 of a grease retarder 12 mounted on the housing 4, the satellite of the toothed wheel 3, so as to act in braking thereon, in particular during the automatic closing of the door 2.

If this arrangement advantageously controls the closing speed of the door 2, it also controls opening, which is not necessary and is even a drawback.

To avoid this problem, the grease retarder 12 is associated with a free wheel 13, interposed concentrically between an outgoing axis 14 of the retarder 12 and an internal bore of its pinion 11, so as to allow on the one hand the release of the retarder 12 in a direction of rotation of the freewheel 13, corresponding to the direction of the opening of the door 2, so that it is carried out freely, and secondly the clutch of said retarder 12, in a reverse direction of the freewheel 13, corresponding to the closure.

The axial connection between the freewheel 13 and the retarder 12 is effected by means of a sleeve 15 interposed between the freewheel 13 and the outgoing axis 14 of the retarder 12, itself secured to blades 16 internal to the housing. 17 of the retarder 12, immersed in the grease 18.

The retarder 12 is fixed, at its lower part, on the inner wall of the housing 4 enclosing the entire device 1, by screws or rivets 19, or held by the legs of the housing 4, and at its upper part, by the top of the sleeve 15 being housed in a hole opening from a protective cover of the assembly.

The control of the speed of the closing gate 2 being controlled, the invention proposes to control its locking in opening.

For this purpose, and according to another characteristic of the invention, the device 1 further comprises a locking-unlocking assembly 20 of the door 2, constituted by a pinion 21 interposed between the toothing 10 movable in rotation of the wheel 3 and the toothing 22 of a slider 23 fixed in rotation, but movable in vertical translation in a housing 24 of the housing 4.

The pinion 21 is in permanent contact against the wheel 3, and punctually, against the slider 23, its relative position with respect to the wheel 3 and the slider 23 varying between two end cages 25a, 25b, made in the housing 4, by means of an axis of said pinion 21 able to slide freely in a guiding light 26, oblong and concentric with the wheel, made in the bottom of the same housing 4, and counter-guided in the same light made in a room attached to the protective cover, so that the pinion 21 can slide with its axis protruding from both sides in two identical lights on each side.

In this way, the pinion 21 rotates freely and without effect under the driving action of the wheel 3, whatever the cage 25a, 25b where it is, for an opening direction of the door 2, the reversal of rotation of the wheel 3 corresponding to the closure of said door 2, in progress or at the end of travel, causing the pinion 21 to move from one cage 25a to the other 25b until it encounters the toothed slide 22 acting by means of a spring 27, force adjustable by the screw 28, against the pinion 21 to cause its blocking, and therefore that of the door 2.

The unlocking thereof in closing is effected by exerting a manual push on said door 2, having the effect of overcoming the force of the spring 27 of the slider 23 and allow the passage of the pinion 21 to the other cage 25b and finalize the closing.

Figures 8 to 12 illustrate particularly well this operation: - According to Figure 8, opening, the pinion 21 rotates freely and without effect in the cage 25a. - According to Figure 9, the user has released the door 2 which starts closing under the effect of the spring 6 of the wheel 3. The pinion 21 leaves its cage 25a, by driving the toothing 10 of the wheel 3, and is moving towards the slider 23. - According to Figure 10, when the pinion 21 comes into contact with the slider 23, the door 2 is blocked by the resistance of the spring 27, which holds the slider 23 downwards. - According to Figure 11, to unlock the door 2, it is necessary to pull the door in the direction of closing. The slide 23 then slides upwards (the spring 27 compresses) and lets the pinion 21 on the other side. - According to Figure 12, the pinion 21 rotates in the other cage 25b, until complete closure.

At a next opening, the pinion 21 acts in the same way, but in the other direction.

A screw 28 provides adjustment of the compression of the spring 27 of the slider 23.

In fact, the housing 4 incorporating the drive wheel 3 constitutes a sliding assembly capable of moving in vertical translation in a support 29 forming slides 30, in the manner of a drawer, itself fixed to the door 2 by legs 31, so as to allow the free movement of the wheel 3 and its support 4, in a vertical course of predetermined value through adjustment means.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sliding case 4 integrating the drive wheel 3 further comprises locking means in the upper position in the support 29, integral with the door 2, thus raising said wheel 3 with respect to the rail 5, when mounting the door 2, and unlocking means to a low operational position of said housing 4 and its wheel 3, after mounting the door 2.

These locking and unlocking means of the sliding housing 4 and its wheel 3, with respect to their support 29, are constituted by at least one clip 44 elastically deformable and made on an upper part of the housing 4 and cooperating with a fixed upper wall 33 of the support 29, in lock, and at least one non-deformable clip 48 made on one side of the housing 4 and cooperating with a lower wall 45 also fixed support 29, in unblocking, said walls 33,45 being parallel and distant the one of the other which allows the sliding housing 4 to be locked in the upper position and, once unlocked, to slide freely between two high and low positions.

According to the present embodiment, the housing 4 comprises two clips 44 made vis-a-vis on two upper side walls 46 thereof, vis-à-vis two clearances 47.

These means of vertical adjustment of the travel of the housing 4 and its wheel 3 relative to its fixed support 29 are effected by means of a screw 32 interposed between a fixed part 33 of the support 29 and a part fixed 34 of the housing 4 with which it is engaged, so as to allow a height adjustment of said housing 4.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device 1 comprises anti-wheeling means of the wheel constituted either by two rods 35 arranged fixedly on either side of the support 29, each of them being integral with a part fixed 36 of the support 29 and freely traversing a zone 37 of the housing 4, the elastic connection being effected by means of a compression spring 38, concentric with the rod, interposed between the support 29 and the housing 4, or by anti-derailment hooks secured to the housing 4, in the case where the wheel is fixed at the bottom of the door, clipping into the rail 5, which prevent the wheel 3 from dislodging the rail 5 by obstruction ..

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toothed wheel 3 cooperates positively with the rail 5 by means of a rack 39 disposed at the bottom of the latter.

According to an alternative embodiment of FIG. 4, the toothed drive wheel 3 cooperates positively in driving with the rail 5, by means of two bandages 40, 41 arranged around the wheel 3, on either side of its zone. central peripheral toothed 10, to cooperate with the upper lateral edges 42,43 of the rail 5, U-shaped.

This has the effect of reducing noise and increasing the feeling of comfort and quality.

The solution shown in FIG. 4 is bivalent, in that it associates the bandage drive 40, 41 and / or the rack 39.

In the case where there is a rack 39, the toothing 10 of the wheel 3 has a triple function, namely: the drive of the door 2 by the wheel 3; the retarder 12 drive; the drive gear 21 of the locking-unlocking system.

In the case where there is no rack 39 (caster at the bottom of the door), the toothing 10 has only a dual function. There is no longer the drive of the door 2 by the wheel 3, which is then by adhesion of the wheel 3 on the rail 5.

Claims (13)

REVENDICATIONS1. Device (1) for automatically closing a sliding leaf, in particular a door (2) of a cabinet, comprising at least one housing (4) fixed at the bottom or at the top of the door (2), and an axis on which is mounted a wheel (3) cooperating with a guide rail (5) of the door (2), characterized in that the wheel is integrated in the housing (4) and is subject to a spiral spring (6), an outer end (6a ) is secured to a fixed point (7) of the housing (4), and whose other end (6b) is secured to a point (8) of the wheel (3), or vice versa, so that when a rotation thereof in a manually opening direction of the door (2), the spring (6) wraps and stores energy, which it returns to the wheel (3) which becomes motor, for a return in automatic closing of the door (2). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving wheel (3) comprises on the one hand an inner housing (9) blind and concentric, made on one of its faces, for containing the spiral spring (6) , and on the other hand an outer peripheral zone provided with a toothing (10) intended to cooperate with the pinion (11) of a grease retarder (12) mounted on the housing (4), as a satellite of the toothed wheel (3), so as to act in braking thereon, in particular during the automatic closing of the door (2). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the grease retarder (12) is associated with a free wheel (13) interposed concentrically between an outgoing axis (14) of the retarder (12) and an internal bore of its pinion. (11), so as to allow on the one hand the disengagement of the retarder (12) in a direction of rotation of the freewheel (13), corresponding to the direction of the opening of the door (2), so that it it is carried out freely, and secondly the clutch of said retarder (12), in a direction opposite to the free wheel (13), corresponding to the closure. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the axial connection between the free wheel (13) and the retarder (12) is effected by means of a sleeve (15) interposed between the free wheel (13) and the outgoing axis (14) of the retarder (12), itself secured to blades (16) internal to the housing (17) of the retarder (12), immersed in the grease (18). 5. Device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that it further comprises a locking-unlocking assembly (20) of the door (2), consisting of a pinion (21) interposed between the toothing ( 10) mobile in rotation of the wheel (3) and the toothing (22) of a slider (23) fixed in rotation, but movable in vertical translation in a housing (24) of the housing (4), the pinion (21) being in permanent contact against the wheel (3), and punctually, against the slider (23), its relative position with respect to the larva (3) and the slider (23) varying between two end cages (25a, 25b), made in the housing (4), via an axis of said pinion (21) able to slide freely in a guiding light (26), oblong and concentric with the wheel, made in the bottom of the same housing (4). ), so that the pinion (21) rotates freely and without effect under the driving action of the wheel (3), whatever the cage (25a, 25b) where it is uve, for a direction of opening of the door (2), the reversal of rotation of the wheel (3) corresponding to the closing of said door (2), in progress or at the end of the stroke, causing the displacement of the pinion (21) from one cage (25a) to the other (25b), until it meets the slider (23) toothed (22) acting via a spring (27), force adjustable by the screw (28), against the pinion (21) to cause its blocking, and therefore that of the door (2), the unlocking thereof in closing is effected by exerting a manual push on said door (2), having for effect of overcoming the force of the spring (27) of the slider (23) and allow the passage of the pinion (21) to the other cage (25b) and finalize the closure. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing (4) incorporating the driving wheel (3) constitutes a sliding assembly capable of moving in vertical translation in a carrier (29) forming slides ( 30), in the manner of a drawer, itself fixed to the door (2) by lugs (31), so as to allow the free movement of the wheel (3) and its support (4), according to a vertical course of predefined value through adjustment means. 7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sliding housing (4) incorporating the die wheel (3) further comprises locking means in the upper position in the support (29) integral with the door (2), thus raising said wheel (3) relative to the rail (5), during assembly of the door (2), and unlocking means to a low operational position of said housing (4) and its wheel (3), after assembly of the door (2). 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the means for locking and unlocking the sliding housing (4) and its wheel (3), relative to their support (29), are constituted by at least one clip ( 44) resiliently deformable and made on an upper part of the housing (4) and cooperating with a fixed upper wall (33) of the support (29), in blocking, and at least one non-deformable clip (48) made on one side of the housing (4) and cooperating with a lower wall (45) also fixed of the support (29), in unblocking, said walls (33,45) being parallel and spaced from each other which allows the sliding housing (4) to be able to remain locked in high position and, once unlocked, to be able to slide freely between two high and low positions. 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the housing (4) comprises two clips (44) made vis-a-vis on two upper side walls (46) thereof, vis-à-vis two clearances (47). 10. Device according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the vertical adjustment means of the travel of the housing (4) and its wheel (3), relative to its fixed support (29), s effected by means of a screw (32) interposed between a fixed part (33) of the support (29) and a fixed part (34) of the housing (4) with which it is engaged, so as to allow a height adjustment of said housing (4). 11. Device according to one of claims 6 or 10, characterized in that it comprises anti-wheel means of the wheel, constituted either by two rods (35) arranged fixedly on either side of the support (29). , each being secured to a fixed part (36) of the support (29) and freely passing through an area (37) of the housing (4), the elastic connection being effected by means of a compression spring (38), concentric with the rod, interposed between the support (29) and the housing (4), or by anti-derailment hooks integral with the housing (4), in the case where the wheel is fixed down the the door, clipping into the rail (5), which prevent the wheel (3) to dislodge the rail (5) by obstruction. 12. Device according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the toothed wheel (3) cooperates positively driving with the rail (5), via a rack (39) disposed at the bottom thereof. this. 13. Device according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the toothed drive wheel (3) cooperates positively driving with the rail (5), by means of two bandages (40,41) arranged around the wheel (3), on either side of its toothed central peripheral zone (10), to cooperate with the upper lateral edges (42, 43) of the U-shaped rail (5).