MXPA00007688A - Door as well as method for assembling a door - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a folding door with a door leaf (4) which is movable between a closed position and an open, folded position, in which the door leaf (4) is folded about folding lines between opposite side edges (5) of the door leaf. A plurality of guide members (110-118) are connected to the side edges (5) in a spaced-apart relationship along the same, and two side frames (1) are extended adjacent to a respective side edge (5). Each side frame (1) defines at least a first and a second guide groove (68, 69), which are juxtaposed transversely of the side frame. The guide members comprise, at each side frame (1), a first set of guide members running in the first guide groove (68) only, as well as a second set of guide members running in the second guide groove only (69). The first and second guide members are connected to the door leaf (4) in such a way that the side edges (5), in the folded position of the door leaf, run back and forth between the first and the second guide groove (68, 69) with the folding lines defined by the guide members. The invention also relates to a method for assembling such a door.

Description

DOOR AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING A DOOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of folding doors with flexible door leaves. More specifically, the invention relates to a door comprising a door leaf that is at least partially made of a flexible fabric material and which is movable between a closed position and an open, folded position, in which the sheet The door is folded around a plurality of fold lines extending between opposite side edges of the door leaf, a plurality of guide members that are connected to the opposite side edges in a spaced apart relation along the same, and two side frames extending adjacent a respective side edge to guide the guide members. Said door is known from for example EP 0 113 634. The invention also relates to a method for assembling said door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Since the 1970s there has been a great need to use doors that move quickly in buildings for industrial use. This applies to entrances as well as external walls, where the door provides a cover between different activities or prevents currents / heat losses. Currently, the doors with flexible door leaves are used for this purpose, whose doors are rolled on an upper steering axis and which can be provided with transverse reinforcements for the wind on the door leaf to counteract the wind load . For safety reasons, the roller doors can be provided with a safety edge protection, fall protection, etc. Along with the development of the roll-up doors, there has been a development in folding doors according to the introduction paragraph, in which the door leaf is instead folded as it is lifted during the opening procedure. These door leaves, too, are often provided with transverse wind reinforcements, which comprise beams or sections that are suitably connected to the flexible door leaf. Wind reinforcements also contribute to the lateral stability of the door leaf. The elevation arrangements of the known folding doors vary from case to case, but normally the door leaf is raised with the help of at least one pair of bands / cables in the lower section, so that the cross sections are brought together gradually in a beam when the door is open. EP 0 113 634 discloses a folding door with transverse reinforcing sections. Each sauteed section, starting with the lowest one, is extended towards the side frames and supports guide rolls which are guided by the side frames in the depth direction, ie perpendicular to the door opening. The intermediate sections are shorter and have no guide rollers. Three lifting bands, running vertically along the door leaf, are each connected to the lower section. When the bands are wound on a transverse upper shaft, they pull the lower section upwards, which in turn pulls the other sections successively upwards so that the door leaf is folded into horizontal folds. Because each sauteed section lacks guide rollers and consequently is not guided by the side frames, in the open position those unguided sections will hang like a cradle by the intermediation of two overlying guide sections so that the door leaf is folded like an accordion. By virtue of the fact that the bands run on the outside of the door leaf and on one and the same side thereof, all the sections without guides are forced to fall on the opposite side of the door leaf during the movement of the door. opening. In this way, in this well-known door, the lifting bands ensure that the unguided sections will fall in one and the same direction. Document FR-A1 -2,706,941 discloses a folding door which, in accordance with the door in EP 0 113 634, has transversal reinforcing sections of which only each sautéed section is guided by the side frames, and where the intermediate sections they are not guided in order to fall laterally when the door is being closed. However, it lacks edge guide members, and the two side edges of the door leaf essentially hang completely without being guided in the direction of depth, received in the side frames. In this door, too, the lifting bands are used to ensure that the unguided sections fall on one and the same side of the door leaf. The lifting bands are located adjacent to the side frames. FR-A1 -2,722,531 discloses a door in which all cross-reinforcement sections run in a guide rail of relatively the same width in the side frames and where the lifting bands are attached to the second lower section and run through special band ties in each sautéed section. These ties result in sections with loops meeting in a first beam during elevation, while sections without loops meet in a second beam, which hangs from the first beam. The loops ensure that sections without ties fall on one and the same side of the door leaf in connection with the lift. The extra security bands begin to operate if the regular bands break. All the bands are located in the door opening between the side frames. SE 454,526 describes a technique for achieving the forced folding of a door leaf, which is divided into mutually collapsible horizontal sections. In one embodiment shown in that document, the door leaf is designed in the form of a unitary, flexible piece of cloth, wherein each sautéed section starting with the lower one is rigid at its vertical side edges by means of rigid lateral delimiters. Each rigid lateral delimiter is provided with an upper and lower guide pulley, whose guide pulleys have a constant vertical relative position. Those two pulleys run in an associated vertical guide rail formed in the stationary side frame of the door. The guide rail opening facing the door opening is provided with flanged edges to retain the guide pulleys in the guide rails. In this way, there is a plurality of guide rails in each side frame. The number of guide rails in each frame is equal to the number of sections provided with rigid side edges. Therefore, only two guide pulleys run in each guide rail, and, as a result of rigidity, the rigid sections are always oriented vertically in line with their associated guide rail, and folding does not take place in those sections in connection with the elevation. More specifically, the rigid sections essentially function as completely rigid sections. In one example, the door leaf has three rigid door leaf sections and three non-rigid sections; and consequently three parallel guide rails in each side frame. In SE 454,526 mentioned above, two cables or the like are secured to the lowest, stiffer section for raising and folding the door leaf. During the lift, the non-rigid sections will be folded between the rigid sections, which assume a side-by-side position like books on a shelf. When the door leaf has been completely raised, an accordion-type beam is obtained in which the rigid vertical sections remain side by side on a respective guide rail and each flexible intermediate section is obliquely extended from the top of a rigid section to the bottom of an adjacent rigid section. In the raised position, the entire beam hangs from the section to which the cables are secured. Known folding doors of the type mentioned above exhibit several disadvantages depending on the chosen design. «In cases where the lifting belts and any associated loops are placed on the door leaf itself, there is a risk that people and vehicles will be caught and lifted with the door leaf during the opening. Moreover, said placement is not aesthetically pleasing. Drilling holes for lifting loops results in the indication of fracture / weakening of the door leaf and additional manufacturing costs. In addition, centrally located lifting belts require a horizontal or similar steering axis above the door. • Another disadvantage of the doors of the prior art is that the folding of the door leaf is effected in an unreliable manner, or in a manner that results in unwanted wear of the door leaf. For example, the door leaf can be bent either inward or outward depending on the current pressure difference. This can, for example, result in the door leaf wearing against the upper edge of the door opening and / or the bands. • Any pressure difference is absorbed by the transversal reinforcement sections, which, consequently, are pressed against the side frames. Thus, in some known doors, the side edges of the door leaf are squeezed between the sections and the frames, resulting in the wear of the door leaf. • Most known folding doors of the type described by way of introduction have a relatively wide side frame in the depth direction (i.e., transversely of the door opening) to receive the side edge of the door leaf. Said wide side frame is required to prevent the door leaf from jamming in the side frame during opening and closing. A disadvantage of having a wide side frame is that the door leaf can move in the direction of depth in an undesirable way in relation to pressure differences, resulting in an undesired ability to move in the direction of depth in the closed position , an impression of poor aesthetics, and an incomplete seal. Moreover, a wide frame requires a large installation area and is expensive and heavy to manufacture and assemble. A particular disadvantage of the door according to SE 454526, in which each rigid section runs in its own guide rail, is precisely that the side edges become very wide and expensive according to the height of the door and the number of sections are increased , because the separate guide rails are required for each sautéed section of the door leaf. Those and other disadvantages of the prior art will be readily apparent in connection with the description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to reduce the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art, according to the invention a door of the type established by way of introduction is provided, that is to say a door comprising a door leaf which is at least partially manufactured from a flexible fabric material and which is movable between a closed position and an open, folded position, in which open position the door leaf is folded around a plurality of fold lines extending between opposite lateral edges of the door leaf , a plurality of guide members which are connected to the opposite side edges in a spaced apart relationship along it; and two side frames extending adjacent a respective lateral edge to guide the guide members. The door according to the invention is characterized in that each lateral frame defines at least a first and a second guiding channel, said guiding members comprising, in each side frame, a first set of guiding members running in the first groove only of the side frame, and a second set of guide members running in the second groove only of the side frame, and that the first and second guide members are connected to the door leaf in such a way that the side edges, in the folded position of the door leaf, run back and forth between the first and second guide grooves with said fold lines defined by the guide members. A "flexible fabric material" could be any suitable type of fabric, or sheet of a flexible, foldable material, which can be coated or uncoated. When the door according to the invention is being opened or closed, the first guide members run in the first groove only and the second guide members run in the second groove only. In each groove, the associated guiding members will be collected successively during the opening movement. As a result, the mutual distance between the first guide members as well as the mutual distance between the second guide members will decrease when the door is opened. Although, currently, it is probably preferable to have two guide grooves only in each side frame, it is within the scope of the invention to add one or more complementary guide rails, but in such variants it is still the case that the guide members in the first and the second Guiding grooves are brought mutually together during the opening movement. The term "guide groove" can refer to a physical channel or similar, but can also be interpreted as an abstract term and should be considered to include all variants where the side edges are provided with special guiding devices or means to define two separate predetermined movement trajectories or lanes for the guiding members. Normally, the two guide grooves, which are defined by the side frames, are juxtaposed transversely of the door opening, but it is also possible that this distribution in the side frame itself is in a direction parallel to the door opening. In the latter case, there must be special connecting members between the guide members and the edges of the door leaf, so that the adhesion points at the edges of the door leaf run along two parallel lines or spaced paths one of the other transversely of the door opening. In one embodiment, the first and second guide grooves may, for example, each be formed as a physical channel, whose side walls manage to guide the guiding members. These channels may be open towards the door opening but, with suitable connecting members between the guide members and the door leaf edges, it is possible to rotate the openings of the channels away from each other, so that an opening faces the front. of the door and the other opening faces the back of the door. As an alternative to physical channels, each guide groove can instead be defined by a rod or the like fixedly disposed in the side frame whereby the guide members slideably engage in a suitable manner.

Normally, the door according to the invention would be oriented with vertical side frames and a vertically guided door leaf. However, it is within the scope of the invention to place the door horizontally, but to facilitate the description and definition of the invention, terms such as "elevation", "vertical side frames", etc., are used throughout this specification. According to this, if the door is to be placed lying down, those expressions that determine the orientation must be interpreted to also include the horizontal case. It should be noted that "plurality of guide members" mentioned above may comprise "additional guide members" in addition to said first guides and said second guide members, for example, special guide members on the closing edge of the door leaf. Even if the first and second guide members are normally located alternately in the first and second guide grooves, there may be portions of the door leaf where two adjacent guide members are located in the same guide groove. Several advantages are achieved by the invention by the provision of the double guide rails in the side frames, as well as by distributing the guide members therein: 1. A first advantage of double guide rails is that the fold of the guide leaf The door becomes much more accurate and controlled compared to how the folding takes place in the known doors. A controlled folding in the side frames in turn leads to a safer overall operation with a reduced risk of breakage, and to a considerable improvement in the appearance of the door leaf during operation. Moreover, special pre-fold or wear protection members are not necessary. 2. As mentioned above, the side frames of the prior art doors must often be wide in the depth direction of the door opening in order to prevent the door leaf from jamming during lifting. The door according to the invention does not have that problem. Accordingly, a second advantage of double guide rails is that the depth of the frame can be considerably reduced. The depth of the frame is determined primarily by the size of the guide elements in the depth direction of the door, but also by the amount of space required for the lateral edge itself of the door leaf. 3. A third advantage of double guide rails and side frames that actively influence bending in the desired direction is that all lifting members, such as bands or cables, can be located protected within the side frames. Unlike known doors, the lifting members do not need to be mounted on the surface of the door leaf to guide the bend, but they can be located protected in the side frames. This in turn means that elevation members and the environment are protected. The overall appearance of the door also becomes more attractive with hidden lifting members. The guide can be achieved with two lifting points only, and if a variant with a transverse steering shaft is used, it can be made with a substantially smaller dimension. Placing all the lifting members in the side frames also yields the advantage that no transverse steering shaft is needed above the door because the band drums can be attached directly to the side frames. However, it should be noted that, for example, in relation to very wide and / or heavy doors, it may be necessary to provide additional lifting bands / safety bands in the middle part to avoid deflection. However, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to use said additional band to guide the bend, but only to reduce the tension on any fall prevention means in the side frame. 4. A fourth advantage of double guide rails is that, in its closed position, the door leaf can be placed centrally in the direction of depth between the guide rails. This results in improved sealing and appearance, reduces wear and tear and provides a more compact frame. In particular, the side edges of the door leaf can be guided in separate sections in the depth direction to obtain a compact door in excess in the depth direction. Normally, the transverse fold lines, or extensions thereof, of the door leaf, will pass through the guide grooves. Accordingly, if the door leaf is provided with a plurality of transverse reinforcing members, each of which is extended between an associated pair of guide members, the extensions of those reinforcing members can intersect the guide grooves to define the fold lines of the door leaf. In order to obtain a more straight door leaf in the closed position, all the reinforcing members, or at least most of them, can lie alternately on one and on the other side of the door leaf. In a special case, the two lower reinforcing members may be located in the same guide groove. With respect to the requirement of space in the upper part of the door it will be appreciated that, in principle, the space required in the depth direction for the reinforcing members, when these are stacked one on top of another according to the invention in two grooves guides, is only half as big as in the prior art where they are stacked on one and the same channel. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first guide groove and the second guide groove in each side frame comprise a first physical guide channel and a second physical guide channel respectively, which are open in the direction of the door opening and have a width in the depth direction which is adapted to the dimensions of the guide members in the same direction. In this connection the guide members may consist of sliding members or non-rotating rollers. However, it is essential that not much play is required in the depth direction between the guide members and the side walls of the guide channels. Each guide channel may be provided with means to prevent the fall to retain the guiding members. The guide members can be designated per se to prevent a fall if a lifting member is broken. According to a first embodiment, each side frame is provided with a U-section, the lower wall of which partially covers the two guide channels in order to form means to prevent the fall, which extend along the frame and open towards the opening of the door. In this connection, this U-section can have a dual function because the side edge of the door leaf can be inserted and sealed against the U-section. A part of this U-section can be removable for installation and maintenance. This embodiment provides the advantage that the guide members and the side edges of the door leaf have a limited ability to move in the depth direction, ie they have good guidance in the depth direction and the door leaf is centered in the depth direction in relation to the guide rails. According to a second embodiment, each side frame comprises a lower wall, a first outer side wall and a first partition which extends from the lower wall to define said first guide channel, and a second outer side wall and a second partition which extends from the lower wall to define the second guide channel, whereby the first and second divisions define between them a space that receives the lateral edge of the door leaf. In this embodiment, the divisions serve two purposes: they define the guide channels and receive between them the lateral edge of the door leaf in order to guide it along the side frame. In this modality, said divisions and said outer side walls can be provided with tabs to prevent the fall adapted to retain the guide members in the guide channels. The door leaf can optionally be formed as a continuous piece or divided into sections joined with for example cross-sectional reinforcement sections. The door leaf can be entirely formed of a flexible fabric material, but the invention will also work if some sections of the door leaf are rigid. More specifically, the door leaf can be raised in such a way that each sauteed section is not bent, and that section can be made of a more rigid or completely rigid material, while the other sections that are bent should be made of a material flexible. Preferably, there is at least a first flexible pull member, such as a band, a cable, a chain or the like, in each side frame to guide the movement of the door leaf. If the guide grooves are physical channels, the trawl members can be located appropriately therein. In one embodiment, a direct lift force is applied to only one guide member in each side frame, called a driven guide member. If the door leaf runs alternately between the two guide rails down to its closed edge, the elevation can be effected in the lowermost guide member. However, in some cases, there may be a special safety arrangement with a lower section that has a reduced weight. In this case, the elevation can be effected instead on the second lower guide member. If, however, there is only one drag member in each side frame, those members may consist of a continuous drag member. Furthermore, there may be double or more drag members in each side frame. In principle, the lifting force applied to the driven guide members can be transmitted to overlying guide members in two different ways. The design is such that the guiding members strike against each other during lifting, so that the lifting force is transmitted directly on the side frame. Alternatively, transverse reinforcement sections are used which are of such thickness that they will strike against each other before the guide members strike against each other. In this case, the lifting forces are transmitted instead by the intermediary of the reinforcement sections and, specifically, in this connection, guiding members in the form of rotating rollers can be used, which can be problematic if the guiding members they will support each other. In one embodiment of the invention there may also be an additional pull member in each side frame which applies a direct lifting force to a second driven guide member, the first and second driven guide members running in different grooves. If, for example, the second driven guide member is located closer to the closing edge of the door leaf, its drive member can be driven a distance somehow larger than the first drive member to achieve an "elevation". extra "of the second driven member during the opening movement of the door. This can, for example, be achieved by using larger diameters in the winding drums for the second drag members and / or larger thicknesses in the latter. Another possibility is to raise the last section more at the end of the lifting movement by virtue of only the lower part of the driving member having a substantially larger thickness or to mount a member on the lower part of the driving member which It gives an extra lifting movement at the end of the opening movement. The advantage of said extra elevation is that the vertical dimensions of the door leaf in the open position can be further reduced. For easy transportation and installation of the door, each side frame can be divided into a shorter upper part and a longer lower part. The upper parts are manufactured with a length such that all the guide members, which are connected to the side edges of the door leaf, can be received in the upper parts simultaneously. In this way, the entire door leaf, all the reinforcing sections, all the lifting members, the top of the frames as well as the steering unit can be pre assembled in the factory and delivered to the installation site as a single unit. The upper parts with the guide members inserted therein are mounted to the lower parts only at the location where the door is to be installed. When assembling the frame parts, the guide grooves are equally assembled, and the guide members and the drive member can then be inserted into the side frames and the door can be used directly. These and other embodiments and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the claims and from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the front of a fully closed door according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows the rear side of the door in Figure 1, with the side frames partially cut away to show guiding elements running therein. Figure 2A shows, on an enlarged scale, the area C1 in figure 2. Figure 3 shows the front of the door in figure 1 in its fully open position.

Figure 4 is a cross section of the closed door in Figure 1 taken along the line IV-IV. Figure 5 is a cross section of the open door in Figure 3 taken along the line V-V. Fig. 5A schematically and on an enlarged scale shows the area C2 in Fig. 5 with, for clarity, the door leaf sections shown as extending between the center of the reinforcing members, although, in reality, the material of fabric can connect to the outside of the sections. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a door leaf. Figure 7 is a cut-away cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in Figure 1 and shows the appearance of the guide channels, the guide members and the side seal. Figure 8 is a front view of a fully closed door of essentially the same design as in Figures 1-7, but with the two lower reinforcing members running in the same guide channel. Figure 9 is a cross section taken along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. Figure 10 shows the door in Figure 8 in its fully open position. Figure 11 is a cross section taken along the line XI-XI in Figure 10.

Fig. 12 shows schematically how a door according to Figs. 1-7 can be assembled. Figure 13 is a cut-away cross-sectional view corresponding to the view in Figure 7, but of an alternate embodiment of the guide channels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED MODALITIES Figures 1-7 show a door according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Two vertical side frames 1 and 2 define a door opening 3. A door leaf generally designated 4 is made of a flexible cloth material (continuous or assembled sections) and is movable between a deployed closed position (figures 1, 2 and 4) and an open folded position accordion type (figures 3 and 5). In figure 6, the door leaf 4 is detached and completely unfolded. The door leaf 4 has two opposite side edges 5 and 6, an upper edge 7, and a lower or closed edge 8. In this case, the door leaf 4 is made of a fabric-like material, for example, a fabric covered with plastic. In order to absorb the thrust of the wind, the door leaf 4 is provided with a plurality of transverse reinforcing elements 10-18, which extend between the lateral ends 5 and 6. The length of the reinforcing elements 10- 18 is essentially equal to the width of the door leaf 4. Five reinforcement elements with even reference numbers (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) are installed in front of the door leaf 4 (figure 1), while four reinforcement elements with reference numerals (11, 13, 15, 17) are installed on the back of the door leaf 4 (figure 2). In the embodiment shown, the reinforcing elements 10-18 are arranged equidistantly but in other embodiments, the distance between them may vary along the height of the door leaf 4. The reinforcing elements 10-18 define eight sections horizontal door leaf 21-28. The reinforcing elements 10-18 can be connected to the door leaf 4 in different ways, and there are several known variants to achieve this. In this case, the cloth material is provided with prolonged cavities 210-218 (Figure 6) for this purpose and specifically, there is a special cavity 218 in the upper edge 7 of the door leaf 4 for joining the upper edge 7 between the side frames one and two with the help of the upper section 18. The fact that the reinforcing elements 10-18 they are installed alternately at the front and at the rear, offers the advantage that the door leaf 4 is placed more straight in the deployed position unlike that if the reinforcement elements 10-18 have been installed in one and the same side of the door leaf 4. A more straight door leaf in the closed position also provides better sealing at the side edges 5, 6. However, there may be a certain limited amount of folding in the unfolded position as Figure 4 shows the door leaf 4 assuming a not completely flat "wave type" shape with straight portions between the guide elements. The upper edge 7 of the door leaf 4 can be suitably joined in a horizontal upper part of the building where the door is installed or, as in this embodiment, the upper edge 7 can be joined with the help of the upper cavity 218 on a special horizontal upper element 18 which is secured to the lateral edges 1 and 2 and / or to the building. A drive motor 40 is installed on an upper corner of the door. The reference number 41 indicates an electrical / electronic control unit, which is not described in detail, for controlling the drive motor 40. The drive equipment further includes a tape drum 42 driven by the motor 40, which drum folds / deploys two flexible pushing means 43 and 44 to raise and lower the door leaf 4. In this embodiment, the pushing means 43 and 44 are in the form of two lifting bands, but can also be formed as lifting cables or similar. The lifting band 43 runs straight down from the belt drum 42 in the first side frame 1, while the lifting band 44 runs on a return roller 45 in the downward direction in the second frame 2. Further, it will be described the attachment of the lifting bands 43 and 44 to the door leaf 4. In particular, it should be noted that there are no lifting bands in the door opening 3 between the side frames 1 and 2.

As can be seen in Figures 2, 2a and 7, the door leaf 4 is provided with a plurality of spaced edge guide elements 110-118, which are spaced along the opposite side edges 5 and 6 of the door leaf 4 and which are adapted to move along side frames 1 and 2. Each end of all reinforcement elements 10-18 is connected to an associated edge guide element by means of a narrower extension 50. To facilitate this description, the same reference numbers are used for the edge guide elements as for the associated reinforcement section plus one hundred, that is, 100-118. In this embodiment, the guide elements 110-118 are composed of non-rotating disc-shaped sliding blocks, which serve as guiding elements in the depth direction, i.e. transversely of the door opening plane (arrow A) , and as means for preventing falls in the direction parallel to the plane of the door opening (arrow B). The guide elements 110-118 can also be formed as rotating rollers, but in that case, it should be taken into consideration that there may be a problem of counter-rotating surfaces, if said rotating rollers are in contact with each other during opening / closing. However, this can be solved if the reinforcing elements 10-18 collide against each other before the guiding elements 110-118 collide against each other. Figure 7 shows the manner in which a side edge 5 of the door leaf 4 is connected to and guided along the corresponding side frame 1. The arrangement at the other side end 2 is identical and therefore not described. The side frame 1 is designed to achieve the conduction of the fold of the door leaf 4, conduction of its movement in the direction of depth (arrow A) and in the transverse direction (arrow B), and sealing of the side edge 5 of the door leaf 4 against the side frame 1. For this purpose, the side frame 1 is composed of a U-shaped frame section 60 with a bottom wall 61 and two opposite side walls 62. In the center of the frame section 60, there is a smaller U-shaped internal section 63, which has a lower wall 64 and two opposite side walls 65. In this embodiment, the inner section 63 is located completely inside the frame section 60 and is installed in a manner that fixed therein by means of a partition 66, which is rigidly connected to the bottom wall 61. The partition 66 extends essentially along the entire length of the frame section 60. The internal section 63 can be s eparar for part of the distance, for example in the lower part or in the upper part, but it can also be completely or partially removed for repair, etc. Together with the partition 66, the side walls 62 of the frame section 60 define both a first guide groove in the form of a channel 68 open towards the door opening and a second adjacent guide groove in the form of a channel 69 open towards the sheet 4. In this way, channel 68 is located closer to the front of the door (figure 1), while channel 69 is located closer to the back of the door (figure 2).

The front guide elements 110, 112, etc. for the front reinforcing sections 10, 12, etc. they run on the first channel 68, while the subsequent guide elements 111, 113, etc. for subsequent reinforcement sections 1, 13, etc. run on the second channel 69. The lifting bands 43 and 44 are fixedly connected to the guide elements 111, ie, to the second lower section 11. To illustrate this, the guide element 111 is specially marked in the figures 2 and 2A. Figure 7 specifically shows that the guide element 111 is thicker to prevent the lifting band 43 from being in contact with the other guide elements. A) Yes, the lifting band 43 runs completely protected within the guide channel 69. During ascent / descent, the guide elements 110-118 are led against the partition 66 and / or side walls 62. In this way, because the separate guide elements. 110-118 run and are driven in the direction of depth A by means of two separate guide slots 68 and 69, the fold of the door leaf 4 around the reinforcement elements 10-18 will surely be guided in the correct way, which, in the least minimizes the wear / damage to the door leaf 4. Unlike the prior art with only one common wide channel for all guide elements, the width of each guide channel 68 and 69 in the depth direction A is adapted to the depth dimension of the guide elements, instead of being adapted to the depth dimension of the folded door leaf 4, as in the known doors. It will be appreciated that the gravitational force acting on the door leaf 4 will attempt to bring the guide elements into contact with the division 66, but in the case of a difference in thrust / wind pressure, the guide elements in a guide channel (68 or 69). depending on the direction of the wind) can instead run against one of the side walls 62 of the frame section 60. In each guide channel 68 and 69, the bottom wall 64 of the inner section 63 forms a flanged edge which prevents the guide elements 110-118 from falling from their respective guide channels due to the wind thrust or because the reinforcement section is stuck with respect to the closure. The guide elements 110-118 are preferably designed to prevent a sharp fall if one of the lifting bands 43, 44 is broken. For example, to allow replacement of reinforcing sections, a portion of the inner section 63 may be removable. , as mentioned earlier. The second function of the inner section 63, in addition to forming means to prevent falls of the guide elements 110-118, is to provide lateral or edge sealing for the door leaf 4. As it appears in figure 7, the longitudinal channel of the inner section 63 is open towards the door leaf 4 for receiving the door leaf edge 5. In this embodiment, the side edge rests sealingly against the lower wall of the section 63. If the door leaf 4 is subjected at wind thrust or if there is a difference in pressure, it will come into contact with the side walls 65 of the inner section 63, allowing the sealing to occur at this point as well. However, it should be mentioned in a special way that the movement of the side edge 5 in the depth direction is limited by the width of the inner section, which is considerably smaller than the width of the frame section. It is possible to make the side walls 65 flexible to allow in some way greater freedom of movement at the edge of the door leaf 5 in the direction of depth with respect to the elevation. To open the door, the lifting force is then applied by the intermediate guide element 111 to the second lower section 11. Accordingly, during the lifting movement, the lower lower section 10 hangs from the section 11 through the intermediary of the fabric section 21. In the first lifting phase, the fabric section 22 will be folded around a "rolling" fold. When the section 11 passes into section 12, the section 22 begins to straighten again in order to reach a complete or essentially extended state when the guide element 111 collides against the guide element 113 which is on the same slot 69. Depending on the construction, the contact can be achieved, however, between sections 11 and 13. In this phase, sections 11 and 13 are then placed adjacent to each other, while section 12 is hanging as a platform in these two sections 11 and 13 through the intermediary of the now straight sections 22 and 23. At this stage, the lower section 10 is located in the vicinity of or in contact with section 12, but still hangs from section 11. In connection with continuous lifting, section 24 will first be folded and then begin to straighten as section 13 passes to section 14. This folding procedure with successive joining of the guide elements / sections continues until the situation shown in Figures 3, 5 and 5A is obtained. The guide elements 111, 113, 115, and 117 at the rear are now completely attached to the upper part of the rear guide groove 69, while the guide elements at the front of the front groove 68 assume in the position shown in FIG. Figure 3. In the fully open position, the highest fabric section 28 is folded around a "rolling fold" (reference number 28 'in Figure 5A), and a part of the fabric section 27 followed by the part Top is visible from the front. The remaining fabric sections are located obliquely between the first and second guide grooves 68 and 69 and no fabric section is hanging in the depth direction away from the side frames 1 and 2. In order to reduce the height of the folded door leaf 4 in Figures 3 and 5, special lifting means can be provided to achieve an extra lift of the lower section 10, so that the sections 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 18 can also be unite completely. For example, this can be achieved by means of an extra lifting band (not shown) in the guide groove 68 for raising the guide elements 110. In this case, this additional lifting band must be driven in such a way that it moves a little further than the first lifting band 43. One solution is to use a larger diameter tape drum. Another solution is to thicken the extra band at the bottom. An additional solution is to arrange some type of slip joints in the ribbon drums.

Referring now to the embodiment in Figures 8-11, where the same parts as in the embodiment in Figures 1-7 have the same reference numbers. The embodiment in Figures 8-11 is characterized in that the fabric section 21, the section 11 and the guide elements 111 have been omitted. The lower fabric section 22 of the door leaf 4 runs straight along the length of the front guide channel 68, and the elevation is effected instead, in the guide elements 112. In the open position, the fabric section 22 hangs from section 12 under the weight of section 10, so that this section of cloth 22 hides the subsequently located sections 13, 15, 17. This embodiment is interesting from a security point of view, since the lower lower section 10 can be made smoother and more flexible to avoid damage in the event of an impact. The lower edge 7 may be provided with suitable safety devices of a design known per se, for example a prolonged pressure-sensitive safety edge guard, which interrupts the movement of the door when activated. Particularly easy transportation and assembly of the door according to the invention can be achieved if the side frames 1, 2 are removable as shown in figure 12. Each side frame 1 and 2 is divided into a shorter top part 1a and 2a, respectively, and a longer lower part 1 b and 2b, respectively. When the door is manufactured, the entire upper part in figure 12 is made as a single, separate unit, comprising the upper parts, 1a, 2a, the door leaf 4 with its reinforcing elements 10-18, all the bands of lift 43, 44, the drive motor 400, the control unit 41 (which moves downward subsequently) and all guide elements 110-118 received in the two guide channels 68, 69 of the top parts 1a, 2a . With regard to the installation of the door, the lower parts 1b and 2b of the side frames 1, 2 can be assembled first, on which the entire unit is raised. As an alternative to forming all the door leaf sections 21-28 of a single cloth material, the door leaf 4 can be made double, possibly with a flexible intermediate material eg, heat insulator and / or sound insulation. In addition, all or some of the door leaf sections 21-28 may be transparent on their entire surface or part of their surface. As a variant of a complete and intact piece of cloth, it is possible to use separate portions of fabric for each section of door leaf 21-28, which, in this case, can be advantageously interconnected by means of the reinforcement elements. 10-18 in a suitable way, for example when being inserted in the grooves of the same. As an alternative to the embodiments shown with a vertically movable door leaf 4, it is conceivable instead to place the side frames 1, 2 horizontally and guide the door leaf 4 in a horizontal direction with the aid of suitable pushing means in both directions.

In the embodiment shown, the reinforcing elements 10-18 are on a level with the edge guiding elements 110-118, but it is conceivable to omit some or all of the reinforcing elements 10-18 in other embodiments. In alternative embodiments, the means for preventing drops for the guide elements 110-118 can be achieved in different ways from the internal section 63, although it is preferable in some cases to provide a means to prevent falls and edge sealing with one and the same section. Figure 13 illustrates said alternative modality. In Figure 13, the side edge 5 of the door leaf 4 is connected and guided along the corresponding side frame 1. The arrangement in the other side edge 2 is identical and therefore, is not described. The side frame 1 is designed to achieve the driving of the fold of the door leaf 4, driving its movement in the depth direction (arrow A) and in the transverse direction (arrow B) and sealing the side edge 5 of the door leaf against the side frame 1. For this purpose, the side frame 1 is composed of a frame section 60 'with a bottom wall 61' and two opposite side walls 62 '. The smaller U-shaped internal section 63 and the division 66 in Figure 7 have been replaced by two divisions 66 ', each of which is provided with a flange preventing falls 67'. As illustrated in Figure 13, the two opposite side walls 62 'are also provided with flanges that prevent falls 69'. In this embodiment, the door leaf edge 5 extends in a space 63 'between the guide elements 110-118 essentially in a vertical direction towards the bottom wall 61'. The guide elements 110-118 are guided in guide channels 68 and 69 defined by the side walls 62 'and the divisions 66'. The divisions 66 'extend essentially along the entire length of the frame section 60. In this embodiment, the walls 61', 62 'and 66' of the frame section 60 'are all made in one piece. The modalities shown can be complemented with a stretching device adapted to force the door towards the closed position when it is lowered, and to prevent the door leaf from being lifted by the wind thrust and / or in an interposition. If the door is designed for horizontal movement, a stretching device is required for the closing movement. The modalities shown can also be supplemented with an equilibrium device adapted to balance the weight of the door leaf or alternatively, an oveght device to facilitate opening, for example, with respect to a power failure.

Claims (24)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A door, comprising: a door leaf (4) which is made at least partially of a flexible fabric material and which is movable between a closed position and an open folded position, open position in which the sheet door (4) is folded around a plurality of fold lines extending between opposite side edges (5, 6) of the door leaf, a plurality of guide elements (110-118) which are connected to said side edges opposite (5, 6) in a spaced relation along said lateral edges (5, 6) and two lateral frames (1, 2) which are extended adjacent a respective lateral edge (5, 6) to drive the elements guide (110-118), characterized in that: each side frame (1, 2) defines at least a first and a second guide groove (68, 69), which are juxtaposed transverse to the side frame, said guiding elements (110). -118), comprise, in each side frame (1, 2), a to the first series of guide elements (110, 112, 114, 116, 118) that run only in the first slot of the side frame (1, 2) and a second series of guide elements (111, 113, 115, 117) that only run in the second groove (69) of the side frame (1, 2) and the first and second guide elements (110-118) are connected to the door leaf (4) so that the side edges (5, 6), in the folded position of the door leaf, they run back and forth between the first and second guide grooves (68, 69) with said fold lines defined by the guide elements (110-118).

2. The door according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first and second guide grooves (68, 69) are transversely juxtaposed with the door opening (3).

3. The door according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the fold lines, or extensions thereof, of the door leaf (4) intersects the first and second guide grooves (68, 69), respectively .

4. The door according to any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one flexible pushing element (43, 44) in each side frame (1, 2) to guide the movement of the door leaf (4).

5. The door according to claim 4, further characterized in that said flexible pushing element (43, 44) in each lateral frame (1, 2) applies a direct lifting force only on a predetermined guide element (111; ) of the guiding elements (110-118), called a driven guide element.

6. The door according to claim 5, further characterized in that the driven guide element is the guide element between said plurality of guide elements (110-118), which in the closed position is located closer to the closing edge ( 8) of the door leaf (4).

7. - The door according to claim 5, further characterized in that said driven guide element is the guiding element between said plurality of guide elements (110-118), which in the closed position is located in the second place closest to the edge of the guide. closing (8) of the door leaf (4).

8. The door according to any of claims 5-7, comprising in each side frame (1, 2) a further thrust element, which applies a direct lifting force only on a second guide element operated between said plurality of guide elements (110-118), the first-mentioned driven guide element and the second guide element run in a respective guide groove of said two guide grooves (68, 69).

9. The door according to claim 8, comprising drive means for driving the unequal distances of the first and second push elements during the movement of the door leaf (4) from a closed position to a fully open position.

10. The door according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that at least some of said plurality of guide elements (110-118) rest on each other in the fully open position of the door.

11. The door according to any of claims 4-10, further characterized in that all the pushing elements (43, 44) for guiding the door leaf (4) run inside the side frames (1, 2).

12. The door according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the door leaf (4) is provided with a plurality of transverse reinforcement elements (10-18), each of which extends between a pair associated guide elements (110/110, 111/111, ... 118/118) between said plurality of guide elements (110-118).

13. The door according to claim 12, further characterized in that the guide elements (110-118) are installed in end portions of the transverse reinforcement elements (10-18).

14. The door according to claim 12 or 13, further characterized in that at least the majority of said reinforcing elements (10-18) are located alternately on one side and on the other side of the door leaf ( 4).

15. The door according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the first guide groove (68) and the second guide groove (69) in each side frame (1, 2) consist of, respectively, a first guide channel physical (68) for the guiding elements and a second physical guiding channel (69) for the guiding elements.

16. The door according to claim 15, further characterized in that the first and second guide channels (68, 69) are both open in the direction of the door opening (3) and have a width in the transverse direction (A ) of the door opening, which is adapted to the dimensions of the guide elements (110-118) in said transverse direction (A).

17. The door according to claim 15 or 16, further characterized in that each side frame (1, 2) is provided with means to prevent falls (63).; 67 ', 69') adapted to retain the guide elements (110-118) in the guide channels (68, 69).

18. The door according to claim 17, further characterized in that each side frame (1, 2) comprises a U-section (63), which extends along the frame (1, 2) and opens towards the door opening and which has a lower wall (64) partially covering both the first guide channel (68) and the second guide channel (69) in order to thereby form said means for preventing falls, and because the side edge (5, 6) of the door leaf (4) in each side frame (1, 2) is received in said U-section (63).

19. The door according to claim 15 or 16, further characterized in that said side frame (1, 2) comprises: a bottom wall (61 '); a first external side wall (62 ') and a first partition (66') extending from the lower wall (61 ') to define said first guide channel (68); and a second external side wall (62 ') and a second division (66') extending from the lower wall (61 ') to define said second guide channel (69), because said first and second divisions (66') define between them a space (63 ') which receives the lateral edge (5, 6) of the door leaf (4).

20. The door according to claim 19, further characterized in that said divisions (66 ') and said external side walls (62) are provided with flanges to prevent falls (67', 69 '), to retain the guide elements ( 110-118) in the guide channels (68, 69).

21. The door according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the door leaf (4) is completely made of a flexible fabric material.

22. The door according to any of claims 1-20, further characterized in that the door leaf (4) is partially made of a flexible fabric material and partially made of a more rigid material.

23. The door according to any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that for an easier transportation and installation of the door, each side frame (1, 2) is divided into a shorter upper part (1a, 2a) and a longer lower part (1 b, 2b), the length of the upper parts (1a, 2a) being such that all guide elements (110-118) connected to the side edges (5, 6) of the door leaf (4) can be received simultaneously in the upper parts (1a, 2a).

24. A method for assembling a door according to claim 23, further characterized by connecting all the guide elements (110-118) to the door leaf (4) and arranging them in their respective guide groove (68, 69) in the shorter upper parts (1a, 2a) before installing the shorter upper parts (1a, 2a) of the side frames (1, 2) on the longer lower parts (1b, 2b) of the side frames (1 , 2), and install the upper parts (1a, 2a) with the guide elements (110-118) inserted in them in the lower parts (1b, 2b) only when the door is being installed in the intended place. .