GB2075102A - Improvements in or relating to the slidable suspension of panels - Google Patents

Abstract

A panel such as a curtain (10) for a curtain-sided vehicle body or a rigid door panel (64, 66) is slidably suspended from a track (50, 68, 70) by belt means, conveniently in the form of a plurality of strips (14) of material located at spaced intervals across the width of the panel and extending generally parallel to the hanging length of the panel. The belt means are attached to the panel so as to form one or more loops (20) by which the panel is attached to one or more hangers (12) arranged to run in the track (50, 68, 70). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to the slidable suspension of panels Field of invention This inventioin relates to the slidable suspension of panels and is concerned particularly with the suspension of both rigid and flexible panels including curtains for curtain-sided vehicle bodies and sliding doors in vehicle bodies and in buildings.

Background to the invention In order to provide improved access to the interior of a vehicle body, it is known to provide a so-called "curtain-sided" body in which there is a large aperture either in a side wall or in the rear wall of the vehicle body. A "curtain" of flexible material is slidably suspended from a track above the aperture so that the aperture can be closed off by drawing the curtain along. Typically two curtains are provided, one at each end of the aperture, to allow the latter to be closed more conveniently than otherwise would be the case.

The curtain track for supporting such curtains is normally mounted on the underside of a channel section cant rail and weatherproofing is either provided by fitting a pelmet externally of the opening or, as disclosed in the specification of our co-pending Application No 8003270, an integral pelmet can be formed by an appropriate flange or flange assembly extending from the cant rail to which the curtain track is attached.

Difficulties have from time to time arisen with regard to the suspension of a curtain from such a curtain track and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for slidably suspending a curtain within the access opening of a curtain-sided vehicle body.

The invention is not limited to this application and it is another object of the invention to provide a suspension system which is equally applicable to the suspension of rigid panels, eg sliding doors or the like in openings which may be in vehicle bodies or in buildings etc.

The invention According to the present invention there is provided a system for slidably suspending a panel of rigid or flexible material from a track, comprising belt means attached to the panel so as to form at least one loop at or near the upper edge of the panel, by which the panel is attachable to one or more hangers for suspending the panel from the track.

The belt means may conveniently be in the form of a plurality of strips of material located at spaced intervals across the width of the panel, each strip extending generally parallel to the hanging length of the curtain (ie vertically-in use) and each forming a respective loop adapted to co-dperate with a respective associated hanger.

The belt means may be of any suitable material, and in a preferred embodiment comprises webbing of reinforced material such as is commonly used for vehicle seat belts and harnesses.

The system may be used in conjunction with any suitable hangers capable of appropriately suspending the panel by said loop or loops. For example, one preferred form of hanger comprises a horizontal bar or pin around which an associated hanging loop may be passed. Such a hanger preferably further comprises a pair of rotatable wheels adapted to run on rails of a curtain track, eg of conventional construction and a pair of forks between which the bar or pin is removably located, with part of the shank of the pin between opposite ends thereof being exposed, with the axis of the bar or pin being substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the wheels.

As mentioned above, the panel may be of either rigid or flexible material. In the case of the former, the invention is thus applicable to the suspension of sliding door panels or the like, eg in vehicle bodies and in buildings.

In this case, such a rigid panel is conveniently secured to the belt means by means of a fixing arrangement comprising one or more generally horizontal pins or bars attached to the panel at or near the upper end thereof, the pins or bars receiving and holding captive one or more loops formed at or adjacent to the lower end of the belt means. In embodiments in which the belt means comprises a plurality of spaced strips with each strip forming a respective loop adapted to co-operate with a respective associated hanger, as discussed above, each strip preferably also includes a second loop formed at or adjacent to the lower end of the strip and receiving an associated pin or bar attached to the panel.

Two such loops are conveniently formed in a strip by folding the strip in two substantially 180 folds extending in opposed directions (forming a shape generally similar to a letter Z) and securing, eg by stitching or bonding, the overlying sections of the strip together while leaving the regions of the strip around each of the folds unsecured so as to form the two opposed loops.

Considering now embodiments in which the panel is of flexible material, it is clear that the invention is applicable to the suspension of curtains and like flexible panels, the invention finding particular application in the suspension of curtains of curtain-sided vehicle bodies.

Such a curtain may be of any suitable flexible material, including, eg, polyester woven material coated with PVC or the like.

The belt means may be attached to a flexi ble curtain in any convenient manner, eg by welding, stitching, adhering or otherwise bonding the curtain material and overlying belt means together. Whatever form of attachment is used, the attached regions are preferably reinforced by stitching to eliminate any possibility of the curtain material tearing away from the belt means, even when subjected to very rough treatment.

In embodiments in which the belt means comprises a plurality of spaced strips with each strip forming a respective loop adapted to co-operate with a respective associated hanger, as discussed above, each strip preferably extends over and is attached to the curtain over substantially the entire hanging length thereof.

In this case, each strip may extend mainly over the rear (inner) face of the curtain, with the lower end of the strip passing through a respective eyelet at the lower end of the curtain, a buckle being attached to the lower end of the strip to permit the latter to be attached to appropriate fastenings along the lower edge of the opening in the vehicle body for securing the curtain in position.

A similar eyelet may also be provided at the upper end of the curtain to allow the upper end of the strip to terminate on the front (outer) face of the curtain.

In embodiments in which the panel comprises a curtain for a curtain-sided vehicle, the upper edge of the curtain material is preferably folded over to form an outwardly extending, upstanding, resiliently deformable loop running along the length of the curtain adjacent to the upper end thereof for engaging and forming a good weatherproof seal between the curtain and the pelmet or other weatherproof flange extending along the upper edge of the opening, as disclosed in the specification of our co-pending Application No 8003270.

Further, such a weatherproofing loop may to advantage be reinforced by either having a rubber or plastics tube or a sponge rubber section inserted into the loop.

Depending upon the intended use of a panel suspended by the system of the invention, in some applications it is advantageous to have two panels independently suspended from respective tracks arranged in side-by-side parallel relationship. Such embodiments find application, for instance, in suspension of sliding door or panel arrangements. A further possible application of such an arrangement is in a curtain-sided vehicle body, with an outer track being used for suspension of a curtain and an inner track used for suspension of cargo control means, eg a cargo retention net.

An advantage of suspending a panel from a track by using looped belt means is that the flexibility of the latter overcomes operational problems which can occur with rigid suspension systems for suspending doors, panels, curtains and the like in sliding door arrangements.

Further, a suspension system in accordance with the invention possesses an advantage in that the hanger and panel are less likely to be parted due to wear and tear than is the case with conventional devices for supporting curtains and other flexible panels from sliding gear and hangers associated therewith. In previous designs a curtain has often been fixed directly to a lug or other depedning projection from a hanger, normally by means of bolts passed through holes in the curtain material. Although this may be reinforced and the holes may be sealed by hot-drilling or the like, frayed edges can occur and be left which encourage the curtain to tear. Further, where eyelets or rivets or bolts and washers have been used, the tension applied to the material may not be sufficient to hold the material firmly against the lug or other projection and elongation and/or tearing has resulted.

By using belt means as proposed in accordance with the present invention, so the strain is transmitted to a larger area of the material forming the curtain or other flexible panel and by using stitching and/or other bonding means such as welding or adhesive etc, so an improved form of joint between the flexible material forming the curtain or flexible panel and the hanger can be achieved.

As will be appreciated, the invention is not limited to the suspension of flexible panels and curtain material but also to rigid panels in the form of sliding door panels as has hitherto been mentioned.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a panel suspended by the system of the present invention.

The present invention also includes within its scope a vehicle body or building incorporating a panel suspended by the system of the invention, in paritcular a curtain-sided vehicle body incorporating a curtain suspended by the system of the invention.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view of an upper edge of part of a curtain suspended by a system in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 when forming part of a curtain-sided vehicle body; Figure 3 is a view of the upper end of a curtain similar to that shown in Fig. 1 showing an alternative fixing between the belt or webbing and the curtain material; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing how the invention may be applied to the suspension of rigid frames or panels in the form of sliding door panels; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 showing two door panels suspended below a pair of parallel rails; Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating an alternative suspension system; and Figure 8 is a side view of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7.

Detailed description of drawings In Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings a curtain 10 for a curtain-sided vehicle body is shown suspended from a curtain hanger 1 2 by means of a belt 14 of webbing such as that used for vehicle seatbelts and safety harnesses. The latter is attached to the fabric of curtain 10 by means of stitching along lines 1 6 and 18 and is looped at its upper end as best seen in Fig. 2 to form a retention loop 20.

The loop 20 is held captive by means of a pin 22 formed with a hexagonal bolt-head 24 at one end and a screw-thread profile 26 at the other end on which a locking nut 28 or the like is screwed.

The pin is itself held between forks 30 and 32 of a prefabricated body of the hanger 1 2 which latter supports an axle 34 on which two wheels 36 and 38 are rotatably mounted and held captive thereon by means of enlarged ends 40 and 42 to the axle 34.

The curtain material is turned over along its upper edge just below the loop 20 as designated by 44 in Fig. 2 and the free end is looped around once again to form a weatherproofing loop or seal 46, as disclosed in the specification of our co-pending Application No 8003270.

The interior of the loop 46 may be reinforced by means of a sponge insert 48 or by means of a rubber of plastics composite material tube or other means located therein.

The runner 12 is one of a number of which run within a rail generally designated 50 which itself is fitted within a cant rail 52 of the construction disclosed in the specification of our co-pending Application No 8003270.

The cant rail 52 comprises a vertical flange 54 to which the roof assembly 56 of the vehicle body is attached and a second parallel vertical flange 58 having a gutter lip 60 formed at its lower edge, the flange 58 constituting a pelmet or weatherproofing flange along the upper edge of the opening which can be closed off by the curtain 1 0.

Although not shown, the belt 14 extends to the bottom of the curtain 10 and conveniently protrudes through an eyelet (not shown) at the bottom of the curtain and has a buckle attached at the lower end of the belt to allow the said lower end to be attached to appropriate fastenings along the lower edge of the opening in the vehicle body.

Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings illustrate an alternative arrangement in which the belt 14, instead of passing all the way down one side of the curtain and through an eyelet at the bottom, instead begins on the external face of the curtain and passes through a second eyelet 62 located at the upper end of the curtain in line with the first-mentioned eyelet located at the bottom of the curtain (and not shown) to allow the belt 14 to extend to the rear of the curtain over the major length of the belt and curtain and to pass once again to the exterior face of the curtain near the bottom of the curtain to allow the buckle attached to the lower end of the belt to be attached to the securing means along the lower edge of the aperture opening.

In all other respects the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the same reference numerals have been used throughout where appropriate. It will be noted that the stitching or other bonding between the belt and the curtain will have to cease below the level of the eyelet to allow the upper loop 20 of the belt to be free of the curtain and pass through the eyelet 62 for attachment to the pin and hanger.

Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings illustrate an alternative arrangement in which two relatively rigid frames or panels 64 and 66 are suspended in the form of two parallel sliding doors from two rails 68 and 70 which are fitted within and secured to the inside of a cant rail 52 such as that shown in Fig. 2 and described with reference thereto.

The two panels 64 and 66 are each supported by means of a respective series of flexible couplings. One coupling in each series is illustrated and these are designated 72 and 74, respectively. Each flexible coupling is formed from a length of belt or webbing which is folded in the form of a Z and then collapsed so as to form two loops, the overlying areas of the belt or webbing being stitched or otherwise bonded as by welding to leave the two loops designated by reference numerals 76 and 78 in the case of the coupling 74 and reference numerals 80 and 82 in the case of coupling 72.

The upper loop 76, 80 in each case is secured around a pin 22 in a runner 1 2 and a pin 22a in the runner 1 2a (see Fig. 4) and at the lower end the lower loop 78, 82 is held captive on and around a second pin, 84 in the case of coupling 78 and 86 in the case of coupling 72. The pins 84 and 86 are conveniently formed with a hexagonal bolt-head 88 at one end and are formed with a screw-thread profile 90 at the other end on which a locking nut or the like 92 is threaded and secured.

The panel or frame 64 or 66 to which they are attached is conveniently formed with transversely extending cheeks 94 and 96 (shown in dotted outline in Fig. 5) having aligned holes through which-the pins pass and between which the pins are held in place by means of the bolt-heads 88 and nuts 92.

Where the members 64 and 66 are frames, the interior of the frames may be covered by stretched material or the like which may itself be flexible or the frames may be parts of solid non-flexible members or panels in the form of conventional sliding doors.

The remainder of Fig. 6 is similar to that of Fig. 2 and the same reference numerals have been used throughout except that where items that have been duplicated since there are now two tracks and two sets of runners etc, the suffix a has been added to the appropriate reference numerals.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is described with reference to a curtain-sided vehicle body but it will be appreciated that the principle may be applied to any form of sliding door arrangement which may be used for closing off an opening either in a vehicle body or in a railway truck or in a building or the like.

The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 generally resembles that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and the main area of difference to be noted is the reinforcing stitching 100 which passes right through the belts and curtain material in the folded over regions thereof, in the pattern shown in Fig. 8. Such stitching eliminates any possibility of the curtain material tearing away from the belts, even when subjected to very rough treatment.

In Fig. 7 there is shown in dashed lines a further inner track 102 similar to inner track shown in Fig. 6. This inner track may be used for cargo control as discussed above and may, for example, be used to suspend a cargo retention net (not shown).

Claims (24)

1. A system for slidably suspending a panel of rigid or flexible material from a track, comprising belt means attached to the panel so as to form at least one loop at or near the upper edge of the panel, by which the panel is attachable to one or more hangers for suspending the panel from the track.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the belt means comprises a plurality of strips of material located at spaced intervals across the width of the panel, each strip extending generally parallel to the hanging length of the curtain and each forming a respective loop adapted to co-operate with a respective associated hanger.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the belt means comprises webbing of reinforced material such as is commonly used for vehicle seat belts and harnesses.

4. A system accordi,ng to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising one or more hangers, each comprising a horizontal bar or pin around which an associated hanging loop is passed.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein each hanger further comprises a pair of rotatable wheels adapted to run on rails of a curtain track, and a pair of forks between which the bar or pin is removably located, with part of the shank of the pin between opposite ends thereof being exposed, with the axis of the bar or pin being substantially perpenuicular to the axis of rotation of the wheels.

6. A system according to ary one of the preceding claims, wherein th, panel is of rigid material.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the panel comprises a door panel.

8. A system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the panel is secureNto the belt means by means of a fixing arrangement comprising one or me generally horizontal pins or bars attached to the panel at or near the upper end thereof, the pins or bars receiving and hQlrliffg captive one or more loops forme~d.6ior adjacent to the lower end of the be-means.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the belt means comprises a plurality of spaced strips with each strip forming a respective loop adapted to co-operate with a respective associated hanger, each strip also including a second loop formed at or adjacent to the lower end of the strip and receiving an associated pin or bar attached to the panel.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the two loops are formed in each strip by folding the strip in two substantially 180 folds extending in opposed directions and securing the overlying sections of the strip together while leaving the regions of the strip around each of the folds unsecured so as to form the two opposed loops.

11. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the panel comprises a flexible curtain for a curtain-sided vehicle.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the curtain comprises polyester woven material coated with PVC.

1 3. A system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the belt means is attached to the curtain by welding, stitching, adhering or otherwise bonding the curtain material and overlying belt means together.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the attached regions are reinforced by stitching.

1 5. A system according to any one of claims 11 to 14, in which the belt means comprises a plurality of spaced strips with each strip forming a respective loop adapted to co-operate with a respective associated hanger, each strip extending over and being attached to the curtain over substantially the entire hanging length thereof.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein each strip extends mainly over the rear (inner) face of the curtain, with the lower end of the strip passing through a respective eyelet at the lower end of the curtain, a buckle being attached to the lower end of the strip to permit the latter to be attached to appropriate fastenings along the lower edge of the opening in the vehicle body for securing the curtain in position.

1 7. A system according to claim 16, wherein a similar eyelet is provided at the upper end of the curtain to allow the upper end of the strip to terminate on the front (outer) face of the curtain.

1 8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein two panels are independently suspended from respective tracks arranged in side-by-side parallel relationship.

1 9. A system for slidably suspending a panel from a track, substantially as herein described with regerence to, and as shown in, Figs 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A system for slidably suspending a panel from a track, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A system for slidably suspending a panel from a track, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A system for slidably suspending a panel from a track, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

23. A panel when suspended by a system in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

24. A vehicle or building incorporating a panel in accordance with claim 23.