GB2528922A

GB2528922A - Sliding door guide system

Info

Publication number: GB2528922A
Application number: GB1413829.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cliff Lamptey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-08-05
Filing date: 2014-08-05
Publication date: 2016-02-10
Also published as: GB201413829D0

Abstract

A sliding door guide system comprising a frame 10 with at least one sliding door 14 wherein a guide channel is defined at least in part by guide 20 having a replaceable sacrificial element 34 such as nylon to act as a buffer reducing deflection of the door panel. The sacrificial block can be replaced when worn. The guide may be an L-shape bracket forming a channel with an adjacent frame 10 or may be a U-shape (fig.5). Sacrificial blocks 36, 40 may be included on the frame and lower edge of the door. An anti-riser block may be mounted on top of the door to reduce the clearance and prevent door from dislodging from an upper rail. A retractable locking bar 52 may be installed in the bottom channel to selectively lock the door which may include a keeper on a lower edge 54.

Description

Title: Sliding Door Guide System

Field of the invention

This invention relates to a sliding door guide system and in particular a guide system for electrically controlled sliding doors.

Background to the invention

Electrical sliding doors for shops, banks and the like ofien rely on an elongate guide block located underneath the door. The guide block forms a rail along which the door a is guided to allow access into the building. The guide block wears with repeated movement of the door and is difficult to maintain as the entire door needs to be removed to allow replacement of the guide block. The location of the guide block is such that the amount of wear on the guide block is not visible in use and wear only becomes apparent when the worn block breaks away from a metal pin used to secure it to a floor, leaving the underside of the door to rub against the metal pin and make a metal against metal scraping sound. The loss of the guide block also results in problems with locking the door as once the guide block breaks away, lock elements forming part of the door no longer align with locks within the frame, making it difficult to secure the door when locking up and also causing keys to snap in the lock.

Summary of the invention

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sliding door guide system comprising a frame associated with one or more slideable door panels, wherein a guide means defines a channel portion for guiding movement of the one or more slideable door panels and the guide means further comprises at least one replaceable sacrificial element, such as a block made of plastics materials such as nylon or perspex, placed to act as a buffer reducing deflection of the door panel within the channel portion. The pathway of movement of the one or more door panels routes through the channel portion so that the door panel is guided by the guide means to run along its correct pathway with the replaceable sacrificial elements preventing undue sideways movement of the door panel within the channel portion.

Preferably the at least one replaceable sacrificial element is positioned to be capable of adjoining a lower part of the door panel during movement, resisting lateral, or sideways, deflection of the door panel perpendicular to the direction of travel of the door panel.

Preferably the guide means comprises at least one upstanding portion such that the guide means extends above a bottom edge of a door panel and the sacrificial element is mounted on the guide means so as to be able to contact an external outer face of a door panel.

If desired, a replaceable sacrificial element may be provided each side of the channel portion.

The guide means may be locatable proximal the frame so as to create a channel portion between the frame and guide means through which the slideable door panel is capable of passing or alternatively the guide means may be formed with an integral channel portion, typically by having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

Preferably part of the one or more slideable door panels is always retained within the channel portion. This ensures that the door panel or position is retained along a desired pathway and that the door will not deflect outside the channel portion, becoming misaligned.

The sacrificial element is readily accessible for replacement when worn to ensure that guiding of the door by the guide means remains effective. Replacement of the sacrificial element does not require removal of the door panel.

The channel portion desirably extends only partway along a movement pathway of the door panel, being of reduced lateral extent to the door panel.

The sliding door guide system may further comprise a second guide means disposed on the frame for securing at least one door panel in a closed position. The second guide means preferably has a guide surface, typically an inclined plane, such that a door panel progressively locates within the second guide means as it closes and is progressively guided to a locking region contained within the frame. This ensures that a door panel locating within the frame is guided to the correct locking position at all times, avoiding the need for manual intervention to ensure correct engagement of a locking element with a lock aperture.

The system may further comprise elongate members attachable to the door panel so as to assist positioning the door panel within the channel portion. Typically the elongate lengths will be secured along to the lowest part of each face of a door.

The system may further comprise a locking means attachable to a door panel comprising an extendible locking bar located within the channel portion, typically secured to the floor, and a keeper portion attachable to a door panel. Typically the lock will be a remotely operable electric lock.

An anti-riser device may be provided in the form of a block member extending upwards from an upper edge of the door panel to reduce clearance between the door panel and the frame. This prevents the door panel from leaving a track on which the door panel is mounted for movement. 2(3

The guide system can be retrofitted to existing sliding doors.

The invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view from above of a first embodiment of a sliding door guide system; Figure 2 shows a view from one side of the guide system, looking from inside to outside of a building; Figure 3 shows a view from one side of the guide system, looking from inside to outside of a building with a door in an open position; Figure 4 shows a close-up view of the guide mechanism with the door in a closed position; Figure 5 shows a second embodiment for use with bi-parting doors; Figure 6 shows a side view of the second embodiment shown in Figure 5; Figures 7(a) and (b) show respectively a top view and front view of a post alignment block; Figure 8 shows an anti-riser block for the door; and Figures 9(a) and (b) show respectively a side view and top view of the anti-riser block.

Description

Figure 1 shows a view from above of a sliding door system, with Figures 2 and 3 a showing the door system in use in both an open and closed position. Frame 0 inserted into wall aperture 12 supports an electrically operable sliding door 14 which in Figure 1 is a single panel door, typically rectangular in shape with front and rear upright faces 16, 18, slidable within frame 12 and opening to allow access to a room and closing to secure a room. Frame 10, or an upright post 15 associated with frame 10, is used to define the maximum travel of door 14, with door 14 moveably mounted on a track mounted on frame 10. Typically there is a clearance of around 2 to 5mm between the bottom edge of door 14 and floor 22. Floor guide 20 is secured to floor 22 proximal to part of frame 0 to create a channel section 24 between guide 20 and frame 10 for guiding door 14 as it slides backwards and forwards along a pathway, with frame 10 forming one upright of channel section 24. A portion of door panel t4 is always situated within channel 24, regardless of whether door panel 14 is in an open or closed position. Alternatively, as in a second embodiment as shown in Figure 5, floor guide 20 can be configured to provide an integral channel portion.

As can be seen in Figure 4, floor guide 20 is substantially L-shaped with upstanding portion 26 defining one side of channel portion 24 and horizontal portion 28 enabling attachment to floor 22, typically by being formed with apertures 30 through which bolts can be secured to floor 22. Mounting floor guide 20 on to floor surface 22 prevents swivelling of guide 20 and allows for ready adjustment of the guide position relative to frame 10. Typically floor guide 20 will be less than 100mm in length, and preferably around 80mm in length and is installed in line with the edge of frame 10.

Sacrificial block 34 made of nylon is secured with nylon screws to external face 32 of upright portion 26. If desired, an equivalent sacrificial block 36 can be attached to frame 10 opposite the location of floor guide 20 with blocks 34, 36 arranged to contact the lower outer portion of faces 16, 18 of door panel 14. Nylon blocks 34, 36 provide a buffer to ensure door panel 14 is not damaged by pushing against floor guide 20 or frame 10, With ongoing use, blocks 34, 36 will gradually be worn away until the blocks fall off when excessively worn. By placing door 14 in the open position shown in Figure 3, sacrificial blocks 34, 36 can be easily replaced, if necessary undoing securing bolts to allow temporary detachment of floor guide 20 a from floor 22, Maintenance of the sacrificial blocks is straightforward as they are not positioned in an inaccessible area directly underneath the pathway of the door.

If desired, elongate sacrificial blocks 40 can be attached to the lower outward facing edge of each face 6, 18 of door panel N, with these blocks wearing during repeated movement of the door and falling off when excessively worn. These additional sacrificial blocks further restrict sideways deflection of door 14 within channel portion 20.

By having a floor guide 20 positioned to one side of door panel 14, it is possible to provide an electric securing lock 50 as part of the system, Lock 50 is embedded in floor 22 and has an electrically operable stop 52 to engage in a corresponding keeper aperture on bottom edge 54 of door panel 14. If necessary, the keeper aperture is provided by an apertured metal block 56 attached to door panel 14 and this is of particular use in modifying existing door anangements to the present system, Upstanding portion 26 of floor guide 20 helps resist deflection of the closed door during a break-in as the lower portion of door 14 furthest from post 5 is secured within channel section 24.

The door system can also include locating blocks 60, 60' placed on frame 10 or adjoining post 15 to guide door 14 in towards a lock mechanism. Top and front views of such alignment blocks shown in Figures 7(a) and (b) illustrating inclined surface 62 which acts to progressively guide the door panel into the correct position for locking.

Even when sacrificial blocks 34, 36 are worn, blocks 60, 60' ensure door panel N is progressively guided in towards a lock plate on post 15 and that it is easy to guide door panel into a lockable position. Alignment blocks 60, 60' also act to resist forced entry through the door as they provide an additional restraint vertically disposed from floor 22.

For bi-parting doors, where two door panels slide towards a central position to close the frame aperture and slide away to open the frame aperture, a modified floor guide of the type shown in Figures 5 and 6 can be provided. In this alternative a embodiment, floor guide 70 is substantially U-shaped with upstanding Perspex blocks 72 attached to an apertured rectangular base 74 to define a channel portion 24' through which the door pathway passes, with the closed position of the door panels being midway along floor guide 70. Floor guide 70 secures to the floor by pins or bolts 76 through apertures 30' and allows both doors to come together and align centrally, such that on closure, an edge portion of each door pan& edge sits within floor guide 70. By providing a central securing point for a hi-parting door system, security of these systems is enhanced as it is difficult to prise the doors apart when closed as floor guide 70 provides an additional resistance at the base of the door panels. Floor guide 70 also ensures that door panels adjoin properly when closed so that door locks engage every time.

Both embodiments of the system can further include an anti-riser block as shown in Figures 8 and 9 to prevent the door panels from rising and derailing from frame track 80. As shown in Figure 8, wheeled carriages 82 are attached to door panel 14 and run along track 80 to allow movement of the door. Anti-riser block 84 is secured to each side of the upper end of door panel 14, extending vertically above door panel 14 to reduce the gap between the door and frame 10. Anti-riser block 84 is substantially cuboid and is typically made from plastics material such as Perspex, with its height selected to ensure there is a reduced clearance of generally around 5 to 2mm between block 84 and frame 10. Mti-riser blocks 84 prevent the door from rising and derailing from track 80 and prevent the door from being lifted off track 10 by crowbars and the like, so making the door more resistant to attempted break-ins.

The present system can be retrofitted to any existing sliding door by detaching the door, removing the existing elongate guide block located underneath the door, refitting the door and then putting the new system in place.