JP7475005B2 - Suspension-supported sliding door device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a suspended sliding door device.

A suspended sliding door is a type of door that opens and closes an entranceway opened in a wall member that divides a specified space. A suspended sliding door is structured to open and close an entranceway by sliding a door body that is suspended and slidably supported on a guide rail along the guide rail.

A known example of this type of suspended sliding door is a toilet door device in which a circular-arc guide rail that is curved convexly toward the outside of the toilet booth is installed above the entrance to the toilet booth, and a circular-arc door that is curved with approximately the same curvature as the guide rail is suspended and movably supported on the guide rail via a running means that can run within the guide rail, so that the opening is opened and closed by the movement of the door (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

JP 2016-20602 A JP 2000-282738 A

The suspended sliding door device in Patent Document 1 is configured to open and close the door manually, but to improve convenience for a variety of users, including wheelchair users and users carrying large luggage, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the door can be opened and closed electrically by operating an operating button.

Patent Document 2 proposes a configuration in which a ring-shaped door panel support means that holds the door panel is driven by a drive means to open and close the door panel. In Patent Document 2, a drive roller is pressed against the rotatably held door panel support means, and the drive roller is rotated by a motor as a drive means, and the drive force of the drive roller is transmitted to the door panel support means to open and close the door panel. In the configuration of Patent Document 2, if the drive force of the drive means is not properly transmitted to the door panel, the door panel cannot be opened or closed.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a suspended sliding door device that can be opened and closed appropriately by a drive unit.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means. That is, the hanging support type sliding door device according to the present invention is
A wall member that defines a predetermined space;
An entrance/exit opened in the wall member;
A guide rail that is installed on the wall member and spans an upper portion of the entrance;
A door body that is suspended on the guide rail so as to be slidable along the guide rail and that opens and closes the entrance;
A plurality of drive units that drive the door body along the guide rail;
The door is provided with a drive control unit that controls at least one of the plurality of drive units in response to a user's operation to open or close the door body.

The drive control unit may select and drive some of the plurality of drive units, and may change the selected drive units at a predetermined cycle.

The hanging support type sliding door device is
A failure detection unit that detects a failure of the drive unit is further provided,
When a failure is detected in any one of the driving units, the drive control unit may select and drive any one of the driving units that has not been detected as being failed.

The drive unit is
a motor attached to the wall member;
a drive roller coupled to the motor and rotated by operation of the motor;
The drive roller may further include a biasing portion that biases the drive roller toward the door body and presses the drive roller against the door body.

The hanging support type sliding door device is
The drive unit is
A first frame body fixed to the wall portion;
a second frame that holds the motor, the end of the second frame being pivotally supported by the first frame via a rotation shaft at a side opposite to the drive roller connected to the motor, and the second frame that mounts the motor so as to be swingable relative to a wall portion;
The biasing portion is
an adjustment screw that is screwed into a female screw portion provided on the first frame;
a coil spring having one end abutted against the drive roller side end of the second frame and biasing the motor held in the second frame and the drive roller connected to the motor toward the door body;
a cylindrical member having a hollow portion into which the adjustment screw is inserted, the cylindrical member having a closing portion for closing the hollow portion at a tip end side thereof, and a screw receiving member having a flange at a rear end side thereof;
The screw receiving member is inserted through the winding center of the coil spring, a flange of the screw receiving part is abutted against a second end of the coil spring opposite the first end abutted against the second frame body, the tip of the adjustment screw threaded with the female threaded part is inserted into the hollow part of the screw receiving member and abuts against the blocking part, and when the adjustment screw is moved forward or backward relative to the female threaded part of the first frame body, the blocking part at the tip of the screw receiving part abutting against the tip of the adjustment screw is moved forward or backward relative to the door body, and the force of the drive roller can be adjusted by changing the distance by which the coil spring is compressed between the flange of the screw receiving part and the second frame body.

The hanging support type sliding door device is
The drive unit includes a biasing control unit that controls the biasing force of the biasing unit,
The biasing control unit may adjust the biasing force by the biasing unit to a predetermined value at a predetermined timing.

The hanging support type sliding door device is
The drive unit includes a detection unit that detects the biasing force of the biasing unit,
When the biasing force detected by the detection section is outside a predetermined range, the biasing control section may adjust the biasing force by the biasing section to a predetermined value.

The means for solving the problems in this invention can be combined as much as possible.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a suspended sliding door device that can appropriately open and close a door body suspended and slidably along a guide rail by a drive unit .

FIG. 2 is a top view of the toilet and the hanging-support type sliding door device in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet and a hanging-support type sliding door device according to a first embodiment. A diagram showing a detailed structure of the door receiving portion in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the relationship between the door body, the side wall, and the guide rail. This is a view of the guide rail with the door body suspended from the inside of the toilet. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a view taken along the arrow B shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a control method executed by the control device. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a driving unit according to a modified example. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the relationship between the door body, the side wall, and the guide rail. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion where the drive unit and the suspension unit are located. FIG.

The following describes in detail an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the present embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the invention.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a top view of a toilet T and a suspended sliding door device 1 in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet T and the suspended sliding door device 1 in this embodiment. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, two toilets (toilet booths) T are illustrated, but the number is not particularly limited. That is, the toilet T may be provided alone, or multiple toilets may be provided in series. The toilet T is partitioned from the outside space by a rear wall 10 and a pair of side walls 11, 11 arranged opposite each other, thereby defining the internal space of the toilet booth (corresponding to the specified space in the present invention). A toilet bowl 9 is installed inside each toilet T. The two toilets T illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 have the same structure. The rear wall 10 and the pair of side walls 11, 11 correspond to the wall members in the present invention. Note that the rear wall 10 is omitted from FIG. 2.

In this specification, the side located on the rear wall 10 side is defined as the "rear" of the toilet T, and the opposite side is defined as the "front" of the toilet T. An open entrance 12 is formed in front of the toilet T, and the toilet T is provided with a door body 3 (sliding door) for opening and closing the entrance 12. The pair of side walls 11, 11 are made of the same material, i.e., materials having the same shape and size, and are approximately J-shaped in plan view (cross section). Hereinafter, the left and right directions are defined based on the state of facing the entrance 12 of the toilet T from the outside. Of the pair of side walls 11, 11, the one located on the left side when facing the entrance 12 of the toilet T from the outside may be called the "left wall", and the one located on the right side may be called the "right wall". Adjacent toilets T may share the side wall 11 that serves as a partition between them. For example, the "left wall" of a certain toilet T may be the "right wall" of the toilet T adjacent to its left side.

Each of the pair of left and right side walls 11, 11 has a flat plate portion 11a located at the rear side of the toilet T and an arcuate curved surface portion 11b connected to this flat plate portion 11a toward the front side.
The rear end of the flat portion 11a is connected to the rear wall 10, and the arcuate curved surface portion 11b is extended from the front end of the flat portion 11a in a curved arc. The flat portions 11a of the pair of left and right side walls 11, 11 are disposed opposite each other with a predetermined distance between them, and the width dimension of the toilet T is determined by the distance between the flat portions 11a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of left and right side walls 11, 11 have their respective arcuate curved surface portions 11b curved in the same direction. In the example shown, each arcuate curved surface portion 11b extends while curving leftward from the flat plate portion 11a. An entrance/exit 12 is formed as an opening sandwiched between the tip of the arcuate curved surface portion 11b on the right side wall 11 and the arcuate curved surface portion 11b on the left side wall 11.

<Suspension-type sliding door device>
Next, we will explain the detailed structure of the suspended sliding door device 1. The suspended sliding door device 1 includes a door body 3 for opening and closing the entrance 12, a guide rail 2 for suspending and supporting the door body 3 so that it can slide freely, a drive unit 4 for driving the door body 3, and a control device 5 for controlling the drive of the drive unit 4. The guide rail 2 has an arc shape that is curved convexly toward the front outside of the toilet T, and is suspended over the upper part of the entrance 12.

The reference numeral 13 in Figs. 1 and 2 denotes a door receiving portion provided on the arcuate curved surface portion 11b of the left side wall 11. The door receiving portion 13 extends vertically from the floor surface of the toilet T to the upper edge of the left side wall 11. The door receiving portion 13 is included as part of the wall member in the present invention. The detailed structure of the door receiving portion 13 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the detailed structure of the door receiving part 13 according to the embodiment. The door receiving part 13 has a base part 131 fixed to the left side wall 11 and a buffer recess 132 attached to the base part 131. The base part 131 is a long member extending in the vertical direction of the toilet T. The base part 131 has a hollow structure, and a hollow part 133 is formed along its longitudinal direction. The buffer recess 132 has a substantially C-shaped cross section and is recessed so as to be able to receive the left edge part located at the tip side in the forward direction when the door body 3 is closed. In addition, the buffer recess 132 is formed of a buffer material such as rubber. Here, an operation part 6 that allows the user of the toilet T to operate the opening and closing of the door body 3 is installed near the center in the height direction of the base part 131. The operation part 6 is connected to a control part described later via electrical wiring arranged in the hollow part 133. The operating unit 6 has an open button 61 that moves the door body 3 backward to open the entrance 12, and a close button 62 that moves the door body 3 from backward to forward to close the entrance 12.

Referring to FIG. 2, a mounting bracket 29 is attached to one end of the guide rail 2, and the left end of the guide rail 2 is fixed to the left side wall 11 via the mounting bracket 29. Meanwhile, the other end of the guide rail 2 is fixed to the right side wall 11 via a bracket (not shown), so that the guide rail 2 is suspended above the entrance 12 in a horizontal position as shown in FIG. 4. The bottom of the mounting bracket 29 is open, and the upper end of the door receiving portion 13 is inserted into the mounting bracket 29. The door body 3 has a semicircular arc shape curved with approximately the same curvature as the guide rail 2, and is suspended by multiple suspension units 30.

Next, the suspension structure of the door body 3 by the guide rail 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a top view showing the relationship between the door body 3, the side walls 11, 11, and the guide rail 2. FIG. 5 is a view of the guide rail 2 with the door body 3 suspended from the inside of the toilet T. FIG. 5 shows the area near the drive unit and the state in which the suspension unit 30 is located in this area. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line B in FIG. 5. The guide rail 2 has a cross-sectional structure generally shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 that continues along the longitudinal direction. Since the guide rail 2 extends in a curved manner in the longitudinal direction, the side surfaces of each part of the guide rail 2 should be visible in the depth direction in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, but for simplicity, the depth direction of the guide rail 2, etc. is omitted in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

The guide rail 2 has a front wall 2a facing the outside of the toilet T, and a support wall 2b erected from the front wall 2a to the inside of the toilet T. A rail section 2c is formed on the inner upper part of the support wall 2b in the shape of a circular arc concentric with the front wall 2a and in the shape of a semicircle along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2. The rail section 2c has an upper part 2c1 erected at a predetermined height facing upward, and in the cross section shown in Figures 6 and 7, the upper surface of the upper part 2c1 is formed in a semicircular shape that is convex toward the upward direction. An engagement piece 2c2 that protrudes downward is formed on the lower surface of the upper part 2c1. An engagement groove 2b1 is provided along the longitudinal direction near the inner end of the support wall 2b, and the rail section 2c is attached to the support wall 2b by fitting the engagement piece 2c2 into the engagement groove 2b1.

<Lifting unit>
As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a suspension unit 30 is attached near the upper edge 3a of the door body 3. The suspension unit 30 has a plate member 31 fixed by a bolt-shaped mounting bracket 311 near the upper edge 3a of the door body 3, and a suspension roller 32 rotatably attached to the plate member 31. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the suspension roller 32 of the suspension unit 30 has a groove 32a on its circumferential surface that is concave toward the rotation shaft side. The suspension unit 30 is placed on the rail portion 2c so that the upper surface of the rail portion 2c fits into the groove 32a of the suspension roller 32, and is arranged to be able to run along the rail portion 2c.

6 and 7 show only one suspension unit 30, but multiple suspension units 30 are provided on the door body 3. In this embodiment, suspension units 30 of the same configuration are arranged near the right edge and near the left edge of the door body 3, and the door body 3 is suspended from the guide rail 2 by these two suspension units 30. As the door body 3 is driven by the drive unit 4 described below, the suspension unit 30 runs along the rail portion 2c, causing the door body to slide along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2.

<Drive part>
Next, the details of the driving unit 4 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the driving unit 4.

The drive unit 4 has a motor 41, a drive roller 42, and a frame 43. The motor 41 is an electric motor whose drive is controlled by the control device 5. The motor 41 is held in the frame 43, and is attached to the front wall 2a of the guide rail 2 via the frame 43. The drive roller 42 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 41, and the door body 3 is driven by rotating the drive roller 42.

The frame 43 has a first frame 431 fixed to the side wall (wall portion) 11, a second frame 432 that holds the motor 41, and a biasing portion 433 that biases the drive roller 42 so as to press it against the door body 3.

The first frame body 431 is fixed to the side wall 11 by screwing the screw 441 to the support wall 2b of the guide rail 2 fixed to the side wall 11. Note that in this embodiment, the first frame body 431 is fixed to the side wall 11 via the guide rail 2, but this is not limited thereto, and the first frame body 431 may be fixed directly to the side wall 11 with a mounting member such as a screw.

The second frame 432 is supported by a rotating shaft at the end opposite the end where the drive roller 42 is provided, relative to the first frame 431, and the motor 41 is attached so as to be swingable relative to the side wall 11.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the surface of the first frame 431 seen from inside the toilet T is the front, the rear end 4312 (FIG. 8) is bent downward from the top surface 4311, and the rear end 4312 is vertically attached. Also, connecting portions 4313 are vertically attached near the left and right rear ends 4312 of the top surface 4311. A connecting hole 4314 is provided near the lower end of the connecting portion 4313 for passing a bolt 442 that serves as a swing axis. Arm portions 4315 that extend out to the left and right are provided at the front end of the top surface 4311.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the surface of the second frame 432 seen from inside the toilet T is the front, the front portion is bent upward, the front end surface 4322 stands upright against the bottom surface 4321, and the left and right portions are bent upward, with the side surfaces 4323 standing upright against the bottom surface 4321. A connecting hole 4324 is provided near the upper rear end of the side surface 4323 for passing through a bolt 442 (FIG. 7) that serves as the pivot axis. An arm portion 4325 that juts out to the left and right is provided at the front end of the side surface 4323.

The motor 41 is disposed on the lower surface 4321 with the rotating shaft 411 passing through a hole 4326 provided in the front end surface 4322 of the second frame 432, and is fixed to the front end surface 4322 with screws or the like (not shown).

The first frame body 431 and the second frame body 432 are connected to each other by passing a bolt 442 through the connecting holes 4314 and 4324 while overlapping the connecting holes 4314 and 4324, so that the second frame body 432 can swing around the bolt 442 as a swing axis.

A biasing portion 433 is disposed on the arm portion 4315 of the first frame body 431 and the arm portion 4325 of the second frame body 432, and biases the arm portion 4325 of the second frame body 432 downward relative to the arm portion 4315 of the first frame body 431.

The biasing portion 433 includes an adjustment screw 4331, a coil spring 4332, and a screw receiving member 4333.

The adjustment screw 4331 is screwed into a female threaded portion 4316 provided on the arm portion 4315 of the first frame body 431. When it is turned clockwise, for example, it advances downward (toward the second frame body), and when it is turned counterclockwise, it retreats upward (toward the second frame body).

The coil spring 4332 abuts against the drive roller side end (arm portion 4325) of the second frame 432, and biases the motor 41 held by the second frame 432 and the drive roller 42 connected to the motor 41 toward the door body.

The screw receiving member 4333 is a cylindrical member having a hollow portion 433a into which the adjustment screw 4331 is inserted, a closing portion (bottom) 433b that closes the hollow portion 433a at the tip end of the cylindrical member, and a flange 433c at the rear end.

The screw receiving member 4333 is inserted through the center of winding of the coil spring 4332 and loosely fitted into a hole 4327 provided in the arm portion 4325 of the second frame body 432, and a flange 433c of the screw receiving member 4333 is abutted against a second end opposite to the first end of the coil spring 4332 abutted against the arm portion 4325 of the second frame body 432. Then, the adjustment screw 4331 is screwed into the female screw portion 4316, and its tip is inserted into the hollow portion 433a of the screw receiving member 4333 and abuts against the blocking portion 433b. Here, when the adjustment screw 4331 is moved forward and backward relative to the female screw portion 4316 of the first frame body 431, the blocking portion 433b at the tip of the screw receiving member 4333 abutting against the tip of the adjustment screw 4331 is moved forward and backward in the direction of the door body 3 (downward). Due to this forward and backward movement, the biasing portion 433 changes the distance by which the coil spring 4332 is compressed between the flange 433c of the screw receiving member 4333 and the arm portion 4325 of the second frame body 432, thereby adjusting the biasing force on the drive roller 42. In this manner, the drive roller 42 is held in a state of being pressed against the door body 3 and swingable about the bolt 442 as a swing axis. Therefore, even if the door body 3 moves up and down when the door body 3 slides, the drive roller 42 can follow the up and down movement of the door body 3, and can drive the door body 3 well.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the drive unit 4 is provided to protrude outside the toilet T through a hole 2d provided in the front wall 2a of the guide rail 2 and a hole 111 provided in the side wall 11. A cover 450 is attached to the end of the drive unit 4 located outside the toilet T. The cover 450 has a cup-shaped cover body 451 that covers the part of the drive unit 4 that protrudes outward from the wall, a screw 452 that fixes the cover body 451, and a display unit 453.

The cover body 451 is formed from a translucent resin material and is fixed to the rear end 4312 of the first frame body 431 by screws 452. A display unit 453 is provided on the inner wall surface of the cover body 451. The display unit 453 is controlled by the control device 5, and displays the usage status of the toilet T and the occurrence of abnormalities using colors and characters. Note that a light source such as a light bulb or LED may be provided instead of the display unit 453. Also, both the display unit 453 and a light source may be provided.

<Control device>
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the control device 5. The control device 5 is, for example, a von Neumann-type computer as shown in Fig. 9. The control device 5 has a CPU 51, a memory 52, and an input/output IF (Interface) 53. The CPU 51 is also called a processor. The CPU 51 may function as multiple functional units by a single processor through multithreading (multitasking). Furthermore, the CPU 51 is not limited to a single processor, and may have a multiprocessor configuration. Furthermore, a single CPU 51 connected via a single socket may have multiple cores.

The memory 52 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is used as a working area for the CPU 51, a storage area for programs and data, and a buffer area for communication data. The main storage device is formed, for example, by a Random Access Memory (RAM) or a combination of a RAM and a Read Only Memory (ROM). The main storage device is a storage medium in which the CPU 51 caches programs and data and expands the working area. The main storage device includes, for example, a flash memory, a Random Access Memory (RAM), and a Read Only Memory (ROM). The auxiliary storage unit is a storage medium that stores programs executed by the CPU 51 and setting information for operations. The auxiliary storage device is, for example, a Hard-disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Drive (SSD), an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), a flash memory, a USB memory, a memory card, etc.

The input/output IF 53 is an interface that receives signal input from input means such as the sensor 531 and the operation unit 6, and outputs an output signal to output means such as the display unit 453. The sensor 531 is, for example, an encoder that detects the traveling state of the door body 3 as an electrical signal. The output means is not limited to the display unit, and may include a speaker, lighting, a communication unit, etc. Note that each of the above components may be provided in multiples, or some of the components may not be provided.

In the control device 5, the CPU 51 executes a program to function as a functional unit that controls the drive unit 4, the display unit 453, and the like. For example, the control device 5 of this embodiment functions as a drive control unit that drives at least one of the multiple drive units 4 to open and close the door body 3. The control device 5 also determines that the toilet T is "in use" during the period from when the close button 62 of the operation unit 6 is pressed and the door body 3 is closed until the open button 61 is pressed and the door body 3 is opened, based on the operation status of the operation unit 6, and controls the display unit 453 to display that the toilet T is in use. The control device 5 also determines that the toilet T is "vacant" during the period from when the open button 61 of the operation unit 6 is pressed and the door body 3 is opened until the close button 62 is pressed, and controls the display unit 453 to display that the toilet T is vacant. That is, the control device 5 functions as a display control unit that controls the display unit 453. The control device 5 also functions as a failure detection unit that detects failures based on the detection results of the sensor 531, etc. At least some of the processing of each of the functional units may be provided by a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like.
The circuit may be a dedicated large scale integration (LSI) such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other digital circuit. Also, at least a part of each of the functional units may include an analog circuit.

Control Method
The control device 5 executes the process of Fig. 10 when the open button 61 or the close button 62 of the operation unit 6 is pressed. The control device 5 may execute the process of Fig. 10 at a predetermined timing, such as when the open button 61 or the close button 62 is pressed, or when a detection signal is received from a human presence sensor.

In step S10, the control device 5 reads from memory information indicating the drive unit 4 currently set as the drive unit that performs drive control (hereinafter also referred to as the current drive unit), and identifies the current drive unit 4. For example, the control device 5 holds in memory a list of identification information that identifies each of the multiple drive units 4 equipped in the suspended sliding door device 1, and also holds information (pointer) indicating which of these is the current drive unit 4, and identifies the drive unit 4 of the original by reading this information.

In step S20, the control device 5 determines whether the timing for changing the current drive unit 4 identified in step S10 has arrived. For example, it is determined that the predetermined timing has arrived when the drive time, rotation speed, etc. exceed a predetermined value. This causes the current drive unit to be changed periodically. If the determination in step S20 is positive, the control device 5 proceeds to step S30 and changes the current drive unit 4. For example, the order in which multiple drive units 4 are driven is determined in advance and the list is created, and when the time for change arrives, the information indicating the current drive unit stored in memory is changed to that of the next drive unit 4. Note that in this embodiment, since the configuration has two drive units 4, the current drive unit 4 is alternately switched.

On the other hand, if the determination in step S20 is negative, the control device 5 proceeds to step S40 and selects the drive unit 4 identified in steps S10 and S30 as the drive unit 4 to be controlled.

In step S50, the control device 5 starts drive control of the drive unit 4 selected in step S40.

In step S60, the control device 5 detects the traveling state of the door body 3 using the sensor 531. Here, the traveling state is, for example, the travel distance and the travel speed.

In step S70, the control device 5 determines whether or not there is a malfunction based on the traveling state of the door body 3 detected in step S60. For example, the control device 5 detects the travel distance per unit time in step 60, and determines that there is a malfunction if this value is lower than a predetermined threshold value.

If the determination in step S70 is negative, the control device 5 ends the process in Fig. 10. On the other hand, if the determination in step S70 is positive, the control device 5 proceeds to step S80, removes the identification information of the failed drive unit 4 from the list, and changes the information indicating the current drive unit 4 to that of the next drive unit 4.

In step S90, the control device 5 outputs information indicating that a failure has occurred in the drive unit 4. For example, the control device 5 causes the display unit 453 to display an error message, causes the display unit 453 to emit light in a specific color, or causes the display unit 453 to blink in a specific pattern. The control device 5 may also send a message to a terminal of a person in charge of maintenance.

〈Effects of the embodiment〉

(1) As described above, the suspended sliding door device 1 of this embodiment controls at least one of the multiple drive units 4 to open and close the door body 3. Therefore, even if a drive unit 4 is unable to transmit driving force to the door body 3 due to a malfunction such as wear on the drive roller 42 or damage to the motor 41, the other drive units 4 can be driven and controlled to open and close the door body 3 appropriately.

(2) In the suspended sliding door device 1 of this embodiment, the drive control unit (control device 5) selects and drives some of the multiple drive units 4, and changes the selected drive unit 4 at a predetermined cycle.

As a result, the suspended sliding door device 1 distributes the load on each drive unit 4, lengthening the period during which the drive units 4 can operate without breaking down, thereby reducing the amount of maintenance work required.

(3) The suspended sliding door device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a failure detection unit (control device 5) that detects a failure in the drive unit 4, and when a failure in the drive unit 4 is detected, the drive control unit selects and drives a drive unit 4 that has not been detected as being faulty.

As a result, even if one of the multiple drive units 4 fails, the door body 3 can be opened and closed using the remaining drive units 4, improving reliability.

(4) In this embodiment, the suspension-supported sliding door device 1 includes a drive unit 4 that includes a motor 41 attached to a wall member (side wall 11), a drive roller 42 that is connected to the motor 41 and rotated by the operation of the motor 41, and a biasing unit 433 that biases the drive roller 42 toward the door body 3 and presses the drive roller 42 against the door body 3.

As a result, the drive roller 42 is held in pressure contact with the door body 3, so even if the door body 3 vibrates up and down when opening and closing, the drive roller 42 can follow this up and down movement, so the door body 3 can be driven appropriately.

<Modification>
In the above-described first embodiment, an example is shown in which the biasing force is adjusted by manually turning the adjustment screw 4331 of the biasing portion 433. However, in this modified example, an example is shown in which the control device 5 automatically adjusts the biasing force.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the drive unit 40 of this modified example. Compared to the drive unit 4 in the previously described embodiment, the drive unit 40 further includes a rotation unit 4334 that rotates the adjustment screw 4331, and a biasing force detection unit 4335 that detects the biasing force. The control device 5 also functions as a biasing control unit that controls the rotation unit 4334 based on the biasing force detected by the biasing force detection unit 4335. The other configurations are the same as those in the previously described embodiment.

The biasing force detection portion 4335 is, for example, a strain sensor that measures the strain caused by the biasing force of the biasing portion 433, or a piezoelectric sensor that converts the biasing force of the biasing portion 433 into an electric signal.

The control device 5 detects the biasing force by the biasing unit 433 at a predetermined cycle using the biasing force detection unit 4335, and if the detected biasing force is outside a predetermined range, controls the biasing force to a predetermined value or within a predetermined range. For example, the control device 5 controls the rotating unit 4334 to rotate the adjustment screw 4331 and move the adjustment screw 4331 forward and backward to adjust the biasing force.

As a result, the suspended sliding door device 1 of this modified example can always adjust the biasing force of the biasing portion 433 to an optimal state, and can maintain a state in which the door body 3 can be appropriately driven by the drive roller 42.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment described above, the door body 3 is opened and closed by rotating the drive roller 42 pressed against the upper edge 3a of the door body 3, but the configuration of the drive unit is not limited to this, and in this embodiment, the door body 3 is opened and closed by rotating the suspension roller. Note that other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

Figure 12 is a top view showing the relationship between the door body 3, side walls 11, 11, and guide rail 20. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the portion where the drive unit 40 and the suspension unit 30A are located. The guide rail 20 has a cross-sectional structure generally shown in Figure 13 that continues along the longitudinal direction. And since the guide rail 2 extends in a curved manner in the longitudinal direction, the side surfaces of each part of the guide rail 2 should be visible in the depth direction in Figure 13, but for simplicity, the depth direction of the guide rail 2, etc. is omitted in Figures 6 and 7.

The guide rail 20 has a front wall 2a that faces the outside of the toilet T, and support walls 2b, 2f that stand upright from the front wall 2a toward the inside of the toilet T. A rail section 2e stands upright on the upper inside surface of the support wall 2b in an arc shape concentric with the front wall 2a and in a semicircular shape along the length of the guide rail 2. In addition, a rail section 2h hangs down from the lower inside surface of the upper support wall 2f in an arc shape concentric with the front wall 2a and in a semicircular shape along the length of the guide rail 2.

As shown in FIG. 13, the suspension unit 30A is attached near the upper edge 3a of the door body 3. The suspension unit 30A includes a plate member 31 fixed near the upper edge 3a of the door body 3 with a bolt-shaped mounting bracket 311, a suspension roller 33 rotatably attached to the plate member 31, an upper plate member 34 attached to the upper part of the plate member 31, and a guide roller 35 rotatably attached to the upper plate member 34. As shown in FIG. 13, the suspension roller 33 of the suspension unit 30A is placed on the rail part 2e, and the guide roller 35 is arranged so as to contact the rail part 2h. Here, the suspension roller 33 has an expanded diameter part 331 in which the outer part of the periphery is expanded in diameter, and the guide roller 35 has an expanded diameter part 351 in which the inner part of the periphery is expanded in diameter. The expanded diameter part 331 of the suspension roller 33 abuts against the side of the rail part 2e, thereby preventing the suspension unit 30A from coming off to the inside of the rail parts 2e and 2h. In addition, the enlarged diameter portion 351 of the guide roller 35 hits the side of the rail portion 2h, preventing the suspension unit 30A from coming off the outside of the rail portions 2e and 2h. With this configuration, the suspension unit 30A can support the door body 3 and run along the rail portions 2e and 2h.

13 shows only one suspension unit 30A, but a plurality of suspension units 30A are provided on the door body 3. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, suspension units 30A having the same configuration are arranged near the right edge and near the left edge of the door body 3, and the door body 3 is suspended from the guide rail 2 by these two suspension units 30A. As the suspension roller 33 is driven to rotate by the drive unit 40, the suspension unit 30A runs along the rail portions 2e and 2h, causing the door body to slide along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2.

<Drive part>
Next, the details of the drive unit 40 will be described. The drive unit 40 has a motor 41, a gear box 44, and a frame 45. The motor 41 and the gear box 44 are held by the frame 45, and the gear box 44 is attached to the plate member 31. The gear box 44 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 41, and the driving force of the motor 41 is transmitted to the gear box 44, causing the rotating shaft 443 of the gear box 44 to rotate. The hanging roller 33 is connected to the rotating shaft 443, and the driving force of the motor 41 is transmitted to the hanging roller 33 via the gear box 44, causing the hanging roller 33 to rotate.

As in the previous embodiment, the motor 41 rotates forward and backward in response to the user's operation of the open button 61 and close button 62 to open and close the door body 3.

Although only one drive unit 40 is shown in FIG. 13, multiple drive units 40 are provided. In this embodiment, they are disposed near the right edge and near the left edge of the door body 3, and a drive unit 40 is provided on each of the two suspension support units 30A.

Even in this configuration in which the suspension roller 33 is driven, the control device 5 controls at least one of the multiple drive units 40 to open and close the door body 3. As such, as described above, even if a drive unit 40 fails and is unable to transmit driving force to the door body 3, the other drive units 40 can be driven and controlled to open and close the door body 3 appropriately.

The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1: Suspension-supported sliding door device 2: Guide rail 3: Door body 4: Drive unit 5: Control device 6: Operation unit 9: Toilet bowl 10: Rear wall 11: Side wall 12: Entrance

Claims (7)

A wall member that defines a predetermined space;
An entrance/exit opened in the wall member;
A guide rail that is installed on the wall member and spans an upper portion of the entrance;
A door body that is suspended on the guide rail so as to be slidable along the guide rail and that opens and closes the entrance;
A plurality of drive units that drive the door body along the guide rail;
A drive control unit that controls at least one of the plurality of drive units in response to an operation by a user to open or close the door body;
Equipped with
The drive control unit selects and drives some of the plurality of drive units, and changes the selected and driven drive units at a predetermined cycle.
Suspension type sliding door device. a failure detection unit that detects a failure of the drive unit,
The hanging support type sliding door device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a failure of the driving unit is detected, the driving control unit selects and drives the driving unit that is not detected as being faulty. A wall member that defines a predetermined space;
An entrance/exit opened in the wall member;
A guide rail that is installed on the wall member and spans an upper portion of the entrance;
A door body that is suspended on the guide rail so as to be slidable along the guide rail and that opens and closes the entrance;
A plurality of drive units that drive the door body along the guide rail;
A drive control unit that controls at least one of the plurality of drive units in response to an operation by a user to open or close the door body;
a failure detection unit that detects a failure of the drive unit ,
When a failure of the drive unit is detected, the drive control unit selects and drives the drive unit that is not detected as being faulty. The drive unit is
a motor attached to the wall member;
a drive roller coupled to the motor and rotated by operation of the motor;
a biasing portion that biases the drive roller toward the door body and presses the drive roller against the door body;
The hanging support type sliding door device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: The drive unit is
A first frame body fixed to the wall member;
a second frame that holds the motor, the end of the second frame being pivotally supported by the first frame via a rotation shaft at a side opposite to the drive roller connected to the motor, and the second frame that swingably mounts the motor relative to the wall member;
The biasing portion is
an adjustment screw that is screwed into a female screw portion provided on the first frame;
a coil spring having one end abutted against the drive roller side end of the second frame and biasing the motor held in the second frame and the drive roller connected to the motor toward the door body;
a cylindrical member having a hollow portion into which the adjustment screw is inserted, the cylindrical member having a closing portion for closing the hollow portion at a tip end side thereof, and a screw receiving member having a flange at a rear end side thereof;
The screw receiving member is inserted through the center of winding of the coil spring, a flange of the screw receiving member is abutted against a second end of the coil spring opposite to the first end abutted against the second frame body, a tip of the adjustment screw screwed into the female threaded portion is inserted into the hollow portion of the screw receiving member and abuts against the closing portion, and when the adjustment screw is moved forward or backward relative to the female threaded portion of the first frame body, the closing portion of the tip of the screw receiving member abutting against the tip of the adjustment screw is moved forward or backward relative to the door body, and the force applied to the drive roller is adjusted by changing the distance by which the coil spring is compressed between the flange of the screw receiving member and the second frame body. The drive unit includes a biasing control unit that controls the biasing force of the biasing unit,
6. The hanging support type sliding door device according to claim 4, wherein the biasing control section adjusts the biasing force of the biasing section to a predetermined value at a predetermined timing. The drive unit includes a detection unit that detects the biasing force of the biasing unit,
The hanging support type sliding door device according to claim 6, wherein, when the biasing force detected by the detection unit is outside a predetermined range, the biasing control unit adjusts the biasing force by the biasing unit to a predetermined value.

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