GB2326662A - Lift door track mounting - Google Patents

Description

2326662 DESCREPTION The present invention relates to a lift door.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a support structure of the sliding mechanism of the lift wings and the related panel or sliding wing, connected to said mechanism.

As is known, lift doors or wings are provided with a supporting structure for the mechanisms that cause said wings to slide. Said supporting structures, located in correspondence of the upper front of the wings, are constituted by different components, sections and shaped stirrups, rigidly fastened to one another. Assembly is conventionally obtained by means of a plurality of weldings, which on the one hand lend the whole the necessary resistance, but on the other hand necessarily involve subsequent interventions of finishing or covering of the exposed parts. Also the wings connected to the known support structures involve similar interventions, as the sheet or the main element that forms the wing must be stiffened by a facing through weldings or gluing - but with a lower subsequent strength - of stiffening sections having a horizontal and/or vertical development. This requirement causes, as can be understood easily, additional workings and the use of a high number of components; besides, the so obtained sheet shows limited resistance characteristics, as the stiffening obtained with the facing elements is not of a structural type and may require finishing operations on the front that remain on sight.

Object of this invention is to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks.

More particularly, object of this invention is to realise a lift door wherein the support for the wing sliding mechanism is mechanically assembled in the different components without having recourse to weldings and excludes therefore the need of subsequent finishing interventions.

A further object of the invention is to realise a lift door provided with structural stiffening means and which does not require facing with welded or glued sections.

A further object of this invention is to realise a lift door suitable to ensure a high level of resistance and reliability in the time, and also such as to be easily and economically realisable.

These and still other objects are achieved by the lift door of this invention, comprising one or more wings driven by a sliding mechanism integral with a support constituted by at least a plate-like element or first section and one or more second sections, as well as by a body, connected to one another and to the supporting stirrups of said mechanism by means of bolts, screws, rivets or the like, screwed in threaded inserts integral with said first section 10.

The construction and functional characteristics of the lift door of the invention will be better understood thanks to the following description, wherein reference is made to the attached drawings which represent a preferred non limiting embodiment, and wherein:

Figure I shows schematically a side view of the components of the supporting structure of the sliding mechanism of the lift wings according to the invention; Figure 2 shows schematically a view from the inner front of a lift wing-, Figure 3 shows schematically a side view of the same wing of the preceding figures, Figure 4 shows schematically a view from upside of the same wing.

With reference to the above figures, and in particular to Figure 1, the supporting structure of the sliding mechanism of the lift wing's comprises essentially a plate-like element or first metal shaped section 10, coupled to the sliding mechanism 12, a second metal section 14 and a covering panel or body 16. Section 10, preferably made ftom iron or stainless steel, is constituted by a vertical branch 18 having a rectilinear development and an extension greater than the height of the sliding mechanism 12, of a type known in itself, provided with foldings at the opposite ends. At the upper end, section 10 has a 90' folding in the direction of said sliding mechanism 12 and forms a horizontal branch 20 having a limited extension, about equal to the overall width of the same mechanism; at the opposite lower end, section 10 has two subsequent foldings which define as a whole a tendentially triangular profile, open on one side. In detail, starting from the rectilinear branch 18, section 10 is folded in the lower part in the direction of mechanism 12 with an inclined development and subsequently in a direction opposite to the same mechanism 12, with an orthogonal development relatively to the rectilinear branch 18. The two foldings, of a limited extension, define as a whole a first branch 22 which develops from the lower end of the rectilinear branch 18, at an angle preferably comprised between 50 and 70', and a second branch 24, protruding from the first one at an angle preferably comprised between SO' and 70'. Said branches 20 and 24, which are parallel to one another and oriented towards opposite directions, are provided with a through- hole for the insertion of means suitable to fasten, as will be specified with more details later on, section 10 to the conventional supporting stirrups (not shown) of the sliding mechanism 10 and body 16; the hole obtained along branch 20 houses a conventional bolt 26, while a threaded insert 28 or like means is integral with the upper base of branch 24.

Section 10 is fastened, along the rectilinear branch 18, to the sliding mechanism 12 by means of bolts 30 or the like, extended on the opposite front into as many threaded inserts 32; in inserts 32, for instance, bushes, further bolts of like means are located for the connection of said mechanism 22 to the second section 14. The latter, made from iron, steel or other suitable materials, constitutes a stiffening element for section 10 and is provided with through openings for inserts 32. Section 14 preferably defines a C-shaped section, with the parallel branches oriented towards a direction opposite to section 10, to which it is connected along its base, indicated by W. The longitudinal extension of said section 14 is slightly longer than that of the rectilinear branch 18 of section 10.

According to a preferred embodiment, section 14 is fastened to the rectilinear branch of section 10 through further means, in addition to bolts or the like located in inserts 32; advantageously, said means are constituted by rivets, indicated by 34 in Figure 1. Body 16, which acts as a cover for sections 10 and 14, is constituted by a plate-like element, made from steel, aluminium or other suitable materials, wherein the opposite end parts have a 90' folding in the direction of mechanism 12 and upwards, to form a case open on the front facing sections 10 and 14. The first 90' folding of the upper part of body 16 forms a horizontal branch 36 parallel to branch 20 of section 10, provided with a through- hole for the insertion of the stem of bolt 26; preferably, the longitudinal extension of branch 36 is comprised between 70 and 200 min.

The second 90' folding of the upper part of body 16 is realised upwards, parallelly to the rectilinear branch 18 of section 10, extends by a limited length and defines an end portion 38 suitable to facilitate the packing of the mechanism.

On the opposite lower front similar 90' foldings are obtained which form branches 40, 42, suitable to circumscribe at the base section 14 and the open triangle-shaped lower end of section 10.

The longitudinal extension of body 16 is slightly longer than the corresponding height of section 10, so that the corresponding horizontal end branches 20 and 24 of the latter abut exactly against the internal surface of branches 36, 40 of said body. In the same way as branch 36, also branch 40 is provided with a through-hole coinciding with the axis of the threaded insert 28 of section 10.

The assembly of the aforesaid components provides for the connection of section 14 to section 10 through bolts or the like, fitted in inserts 32; further rivets 34 may be provided, as specified, to compact said element to one another on several points. Therefore, body 16 is approached to the whole formed by sections 14 and 10, the latter being already integral with mechanism 12, so that the holes created in branches 36, 40 coincide with the holes of bolts 26 and the threaded insert 28. Therefore, bolt 26 locks section 10 and body 16 to one another, starting from the related horizontal upper branches 20 and 36, which have no back draft, while a similar bolt or the like locks the same components on the opposite lower front, fitting in insert 28. The same bolt 20 is anchored to the conventional supporting stirrups, not shown. The whole that constitutes the support of the sliding mechanism 12 is therefore exactly and rigidly assembled without weldings.

The fift wing of the present invention, represented'by 44 in Figure 1 and illustrated in detail in Figure 2 and following, basically comprises a sheet 46, preferably from iron or stainless steel, provided with one or more vertical ribs 40 longitudinaNy extended; in the preferred embodiment shown on said figures, said ribs, having by way of example and not critically a trapezoid profile, are two, aligned in correspondence of the connection points with the upper 50 and lower 52 conventional rails. Sheet 46, having a rectangular 0 plan, is folded on itself, for instance in the shape of a "U', in correspondence of the opposite sides, to form as many bearing bases 54, 54' for a veneering element 56, advantageously constituted by a sheet in one only piece, made integral with said bases by means of rivets or like systems. The upper end part of the veneering element 56, indicated by 56', is folded towards the inside in the direction of sheet 46 wffich forms wing 44 at an angle comprised, by way of example, between 30' and 55'; said folding forms a strengthening rib for said element 56, defining at the same time a caseportion which closes on the upper part wing 44.

An external covering 58, of a type known in itself and made from any material suitable for the use, is fastened by means of rivets or gluing to sheet 46, on the front of the same, along which ribs 48 are obtained, It will be understood, from what has been specified hereabove, that wing 44 as a whole is assembled, in the different components, with no need for weldings or facings from the conventional stiffening elements that involve subsequent finishing operations on the exposed front.

Advantageously, to the so formed wing 44 a metal section 60 can be applied, if necessary, forming a meander-like fire barrier side locking. Said section, whose configuration is shown, by way of example, in Figure 4, has a U-shaped profile, with an orthogonal extension 60' of one of the parallel branches to define the connection by side of sheet 46, while the opposite branch overlaps by a limited height covering 58.

Advantageously, section 60 is caused to be integral with sheet 46 by means of rivets, As can be understood from the above, the advantages achieved by the invention are obvious.

The lift door of the invention has optimum characteristics of structural stiffness, and is assembled, as concems components, without requiring weldings. In particular, the support for the sliding mechanism 12, especially thanks to the specific shape of section 10, ensures an adequate resistance to stresses, while section 14 exercises the necessary counter-thrust on body 16. Wing 44, given the structural ribs 48, does not require further stiffenings by means of section facings, that would give rise to phenomena of marked noisiness during the sliding of said wing.

The invention, as described herebove and claimed hereafter, has been proposed only by way of example, being obvious that the same is susceptible 9 of many modifications and variants, all of them falling within the inventive concept.

In the fire barrier doors the ribs 48, besides offering a mechanical resistance, are relevant for the output of hot gases; in fact, in the presence of a fire they allow the air circulation between the external covering 58 and the sheet 46 and contribute to the cooling of the air itself

Claims (14)

1. A lift door, comprising one or more wings (44), driven by a sliding mechanism (12), integral with a support constituted by a plate-like element or first section ( 10) and one or more of second sections ( 14), as well as by a body (16), fastened to one another and to the stirrups supporting the same mechanisms by means of bolts (26), screws or the like, screwed in threaded inserts (28), (32) integral with said first section (10).

2. The lift door according to claim 1, wherein said first section (10) is from iron or stainless steel. and fastened by means of bolts (30) to the sliding mechanism (12), and is constituted by a vertical branch (18) having a rectilinear development, provided with a first 90' folding at the upper end, in the direction of said mechanism, and two subsequent foldings at the opposite lower end, forming a substantially triangular profile open on one side, said upper folding defining a branch (20) of limited extension, provided with a through-hole for the stem of said bolt (26)

3. The lift door according to the preceding claims, wherein at the lower end section (10) is at first folded in the direction of the sliding mechanism (12) at an angle comprised between 50' and 70', to form an inclined branch (22), and subsequently folded in the direction opposite to the same mechanism, to form a branch (24) parallel to branch (20) of the opposite upper end, said branches (22), (24) having a limited longitudinal extension,

4. The lift door according to the preceding claims, wherein said branch (24) is provided with a through-hole in correspondence of which a threaded insert (28) is fastened, starting from the upper base.

5. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein section(s) (14) is from iron or stainless steel and has a C- shaped section, with parallel branches oriented towards a direction opposite to section (10) to which it is fastened, along its base (14% through said inserts (32) and/or rivets (34), the longitudinal extension of section (14) being slightly longer than that of the rectilinear vertical branch (18) of section (10).

6. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein body (16) is constituted by a plate-like element from steel, aluminium. or other suitable materials, with opposite ends folded at a 90 angle in the direction of the sliding mechanism (12) and upwards, to form a case open on the side facing sections (10) and (14),

7. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the first 90" folding of the opposite ends of body (16) forms two branches (30), (40), parallel to one another and to branches (20), (24) of section (10), provided with a through hole aligned with the holes of bolt (20) and the threaded insert (28).

8. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the longitudinal extension of body (16) is slightly longer than the maximum longitudinal length of section (10).

9. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein wing(s) (44) is constituted by a sheet (46) from iron, stainless steel or other suitable materials, provided with one ore more longitudinally extended vertical ribs (48) of any profile, obtained at least in correspondence of the fastening points of said wing with the respective upper (50) and lower (52) rails.

10. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said sheet (46) is folded on itself in correspondence of the opposite sides to form as many bearing bases (54), (54') for a veneering element (56) constituted by a one-body sheet, fastened to said bases by means of rivets or the like.

11. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the upper end part (56') of the veneering element (56) is folded in the direction of sheet (46) at an angle comprised between 30' and 55'.

12. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a covering (58) of any material is applied by riveting or gluing to the front of sheet (46) on which ribs (48) are formed.

13. The lift door according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a metal section (69) is applied to sheet (46) by riveting or gluing, said section having a substantially U-shaped profile with an orthogonal extension (60) of one of the parallel branches for the fastening of said sheet, the opposite parallel branch of section (60) being overlapped to covering (58).

14. A lift door substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.