GB2075100A

GB2075100A - Sliding plug door

Info

Publication number: GB2075100A
Application number: GB8013356A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Scott Insulation Ltd G R
Current assignee: Scott Insulation Ltd G R
Priority date: 1980-04-23
Filing date: 1980-04-23
Publication date: 1981-11-11
Also published as: GB2075100B

Abstract

Apparatus for closing a sliding door so as tightly to seal a door opening including track elements 10, 11 comprising a terminal length portion 15 at an obtuse angle to a neighbouring length portion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Door guide means The invention relates to means for sealingly closing a door opening particularly but not exclusively for use in connection with cold rooms.

For space saving and other reasons it is convenient to use sliding doors for the closure of door openings to rooms, compartments and the like, but a disadvantage of sliding doors which is most marked in use in connection with refrigerated enclosures or cold rooms lies in the difficulty of providing an adequate seal when the door is closed, and it is an object of the invention to mitigate that disadvantage.

According to the invention there is provided means for use in sealingly closing a door opening comprising means for guiding a door to move laterally across the door opening and towards the plane of the opening into sealing contact with means defining said opening.

Preferably the guiding means are such as to provide for a first movement of the door substantially in its own plane into overlapping but perpendicularly spaced relationship with the opening, and a second movement at an angle to the first direction of movement so as to close the perpendicular space between the door and the opening. The first movement may be in a direction parallel to the plane of the opening and the second movement may be at an acute angle to the first mentioned direction.

The guiding means may comprise track and follower means, and preferably the track means comprise two elongate track elements both associated with either the top or the bottom of the door and each comprising a terminal length portion at an obtuse angle to he neighbouring length portion.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is an elevation on a door fitted with guiding means for movement into sealing relationship with an opening; Figure 2 is a vertical section on line ll-ll of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

As shown in the figures, sliding door 1 is of sufficient size to cover opening 2 defined by edges 3, 4 and 5 of wall 19.

The door is mounted for sliding laterally to reveal or close the opening 2 by pulley wheels 6 and 7 mounted on the upper edge of the door respectively by brackets 8 and 9, each pulley wheel being supported for movement along respective rails 10 and 11 mounted on the wall.

In the embodiment illustrated the door is moved manually by' means of handle 12, though in other embodiments not shown, power means may be used to move the door back and forth.

The brackets holding the pulley wheels 6 and 7 are secured respectively adjacent to the trailing and leading edges of the door and each is set in a different plane parallel to the face of the door so as to avoid interference by either bracket with the rail of the other pulley.

Similarly the rail 11 is supported on brackets 13 which project further in a perpendicular direction from the plane of the door opening 2 than do the brackets 14 supporting rail 10.

Each rail is bent at 15 to a similar angle so that whilst its major portion is parallel to the wall, the terminal portion inclines towards the plane of the door opening. The brackets 8 and 9 supporting the wheels 6 and 7 incorporate a vertical swivel joint so that the pulleys may follow the changing direction of the rails.

The pulleys also have a wide V-groove to facilitate the change of direction.

In operation to open the door, the door is moved by means of the handle 12 to the left as shown in the Figs. 1 and 3 whereupon the pulleys run along the terminal portions of the respective rails so that the door moves with components of motion parallel to and perpendicularly away from the plane of the door opening 2, until each pulley arrives simultaneously at the corresponding angle 15. Upon further movement of the door to the left the door runs in a plane spaced from and parallel to the plane of the door opening, until the door opening is completely clear at which point the further movement of the pulleys along the rails may be prevented by the use of stops 20 (not shown). For closing the door, it is moved to the right and this movement is facilitated by the door's being spaced away from the face of the wall.As the door approaches a postion of almost totally overlapping the opening, the pulleys simultaneously reach the angles 1 5. Further movement to the right is accompanied by movement inwardly towards the plane of the door opening so that the door eventually comes to rest with the sealing strips 16 on the inner face of the door in sealing contact with the outer face of the wall.

It will be noted that throughout the movement the door does not change its orientation, both leading and trailing edges of the door being "steered" to a similar extent. This arrangement, though normally desirable in an opening in a rectilinear, wall is not essential and the arrangement may be revised in this respect for example of the opening is in a curved wall.

The bottom edge of the door may simply follow the guided top edge of the door under gravity but for a more positive sealing, the bottom edge of the door may also be guided by the use of dual track elements. The bottom edge track elements may be channels let into the floor and the corresponding follower elements may be pegs protruding downwardly into the channels from the bottom edge of the door. As with the arrangement of pulleys at the top of the door the pegs will be located at the leading and trailing edges of the door and in different planes parallel to the face of the door. If required and with possibly some concession to convenience the bottom edge of the door may be controlled by a pulley and rail arrangement similar to that used at the top of the door.

Whilst positive guidance of the door at leading and trailing edges and at top and bottom provides for excellent sealing, a similar but less positive effect may be obtained by substituting at the bottom or the top or even possibly at bottom and top a single track element with a similar angle 15, the track element being followed by a follower located approximately in the centre of the top and/or as it may be the bottom edge of the door.

Whilst in all the above arrangements, the tracks and followers have been described as fixed relative respectively to the wall and the door, but the reverse may in at least some circumstances be practicable. For example, a single channel 17 shaped as shown in Fig. 4 and open downwardly may be fixed to and possibly as shown extend beyond the bottom the door. The terminal portions 1 7a and 1 7b of the channel are inclined in opposite directions. A peg 18, or it could be a pulley, fixed relative to the wall 19 extends upwardly into the channel 17 and when the door is moved to the right in the Fig. so that the channel portion 1 7a reaches the peg, on further movement of the door to the right, the trailing edge of the door is urged in the direction of arrow 22. At the same time, peg 23 enters the open end of channel portion 1 7b and urges the leading edge of the door in a similar direction.

The said open end of the channel may be splayed to facilitate entry of the peg.

Claims

1. Apparatus means for use in sealingly closing a door opening comprising means for guiding a door to move laterally across the door opening and towards the plane of the opening into sealing contact with means defining said opening.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the guiding means are such as to provide for a first movement of the door substantially in its own plane into overlapping but perpendicularly spaced relationship with the opening, and a second movment at an angle to the first direction of movement so as to close the perpendicular space between the door and opening.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein the first movement is in a direction parallel to the plane of the opening and the second movement is at an acute angle to the first mentioned direction.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim wherein the guiding means comprises track and follower means.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the track means comprise two elongate track elements both associated with either the top or the bottom of the door and each comprising a terminal length portion at an obtuse angle to a neighbouring length portion.

6. Apparatus for sealingly closing a door opening substantially'as described with reference to the drawings.