MXPA98005080A - Apparatus to automatically close doors slide - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus (20) for automatically closing a sliding door (40), comprising a piston (1) concert weight, pneumatically controlled in a vertical tube 5 'for operative connection with a sliding panel (13) that is part of a sliding door assembly such that by sliding the sliding panel to its open door position, it lifts the piston (1) which then falls once again under the action of its own weight with pneumatic control (6, 7) once the sliding panel is released , thus closing the door

Description

APPARATUS WILL CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY SLIDING DOORS The present invention relates to an apparatus for effecting the automatic closing of a sliding door, after manual opening. The type of sliding door with which the invention relates in particular is an arrangement by means of which a sliding panel moves on a fixed panel, such as for example a patio door, or exterior door. The invention is particularly advantageous in hot climates, where the air conditioning system rapidly loses efficiency if the outer door is left open, but also finds applications in more temperate climates, possibly in autumn and spring when the patio door is still being used while the heating system is on. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for automatic closing of a sliding door, comprising a weight for operative connection to a sliding panel forming part of a sliding door such as that by sliding the panel to the Open position lifts the weight that then falls again when the sliding panel is released, thus closing the door. In order to achieve the operation of closing the door smoothly, the weight is preferably enclosed in a smooth supported tube such as that in which the weight acts as a piston, the tube being positioned vertically in a general manner, on the side of the door en-samóle. Preferably, the apparatus includes means for admitting air into the space in the tube below the piston when the latter is being ascended, and means for restricting the flow of air out of said space with the descent of the piston due to its own weight, to thereby result in a compression of the air in said space resulting in a smooth door closing operation. The piston, which conveniently is of a generally cylindrical shape, includes closed air seals at each end, which creates a light air seal with the inner surface of the tube. The tube is open at its upper end, but closed at the lower end where one or more air valves are included. Preferably, a single air valve is provided in the form of a bypass flow control valve, comprising a one way flow valve with a screwed down jacket. This valve allows the air to be withdrawn into the tube under the piston when the piston moves upwards (for example when opening the door), and also allows controlled release of the air from the tube under the piston when the latter descends (for example). example when closing the door). By turning the screwed shirt clockwise, the valve is pressed, turning it slightly to close its seal and making it possible for the air, after initial compression, to escape slowly around the valve and through the sleeve . Turning the screwed shirt clockwise, the air escapes faster and the door closes more violently, and turning it counterclockwise, the air escapes more slowly and the door also closes more slowly . Thus, the screwed sleeve can be established to control the desired speed of closing of the door, and after the initial compression of the air, the piston will then fall at the selected constant speed, instead of the accelerated falling due to the free fall. . This overcomes the problem of having to use a slightly heavy pis-ton in order to overcome the static friction to take the sliding panel moving in the first instance. In an alternative embodiment, there is a seal / valve combination of a direction fixed to the footwell base and adapted to allow air to flow through the seal when the piston is moved up through the door opening., but to prevent such air flow when the piston is descending, to thereby create a substantially smooth seal and compressing the air in the tube under the piston, allowing a smooth closing operation. The apparatus may include additional weights which may be required, to be adhered to or adjacent to the piston, for different door assemblies. Preferably, the means for connecting the piston to the sliding panel comprises a rope connected at one end, at the upper end of the piston and at the other end to a hook fixed to the edge of the sliding panel. The rope passes over a first pulley located just below the tube, through a second tube arranged substantially horizontal, and on a second pulley located at the far end of the second tube, ending in the hook fixed to the sliding panel. Conveniently, the first and second tubes are joined together by means of an elbow connector or equivalent, which also houses the first pulley. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manually operated sliding door assembly in a self-closing, method comprising connecting an edge of a sliding panel forming part of a sliding door assembly mentioned above. , at a weight so that sliding the panel to an open position lifts the weight, which then drops once more when the panel is released, thus closing the door. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a sliding door assembly that automatically closes including at least one sliding panel, a weight operatively connected to said sliding panel so that sliding the panel to the open position lifts the weight , which then falls once the sliding panel is released, thus closing the door. The embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus according to the invention, illustrates the housed pulley of Figure 1 in greater detail, Figure 2 is an arrow view A, Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement shown in Figure 2 but in more detail, Figure 3A is an arrow view B of the figure 3, Figure 3B is an arrow view A of Figure 3, Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention, Figures 4A, 4B and 4C all illustrating in detail a version of the seal / valve combination. One step and its sequence of operation, Figures 5A, 5B and 5C all illustrate in detail an alternative version of the seal / valve of a combined direction, and Figures 6 to 9 illustrate in greater detail the installation of the apparatus for sliding doors standards Referring to the drawings, the apparatus 20 for effecting automatic closing of a sliding door 13 comprises a weight 1 connected by a rope to a hook 13a fixed to one end of the sliding door panel 13. The rope 8 passes through the two smoothly held tubes 5, arranged at generally right angles one with respect to the others and connected together by means of a connector 10 in the form of an elbow or equivalent. The rope 8 also passes over two pulleys - a first pulley 9 located in the elbow 10, and a second pulley 11 located at the far end of the tube 5 arranged horizontally. The second pulley 11 has a rolling ball housed in the center thereof, and is connected through the center by a screw to the pulley supported on the hook 12. A sleeve 14 is located on the pulley with clearance only just enough to not touching the pulley 11. This sleeve 14 is attached to the support hook 12 and has two holes 14a and 14b to allow the rope 8 in and out of the pulley 11, respectively. This arrangement ensures that when the door is manually closed, overheating the automatic door closing device, the rope 8 will loosen while the weight 1 falling slowly (described below) catches and takes the loosening, and the rope does not hinder or drop the pulley 11 in the process. In a embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, the weight takes the form of a piston 1 and is sealed in the tube 5 arranged vertically by means of at least one air seal 2, preferably 2, one at each end of the piston of generally cylindrical shape. Alternatively (see Figure 3), here may only be a single air seal 2 at the lower end of the piston and a stabilization ring 2 'at the upper end of the piston. At the lower end of the vertical tube 5 is located a flow control by-pass valve comprising a one way flow valve 6 with a screwed sleeve terminated in a lower rotating part 7 of the sleeve. By sliding the door 13 manually to the open door position (arrow B), the piston is moved up into the tube 5 and the air is drawn through the valve 6, admitting air into the lower part of the tube 5, behind the piston. Once the sliding panel 13 is released, the piston begins to fall under the effect of its own weight in the tube 5, compressing the air trapped in the tube behind it, which is then released gradually through the space between valve 6 and its associated seal. By fixing the rotating part of the jacket 7 to the desired volumetric flow of air, the piston 1 can be made to fall constantly and at the desired speed to achieve a smooth door closing, after the initial air compression. The rope 8 is adhered to the uppermost part of the weight 1 by means of a captive nut, and small additional weights such as 3 can be provided to alter the total weight of the piston in a manner suitable to a particular door assembly. To install the apparatus to an existing door assembly, all that is required is to screw or otherwise join the hook 13a to the edge of the sliding panel 13, and to fix the two tubes 5 to a suitable position in or adjacent to the assembly of door. In an alternative embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 4C, the lowermost seal 2 is replaced by a combined one-way seal / valve 22 which is generally cup-shaped with an outer ring or flange connecting the interior of the container. tube 5 as well as a certain number of air flow slots 22a. This seal is attached to the base of the piston 1 by means of a flanged wrench 23 which is held captive within the seal but which is capable of limiting axial movement relative to the seal 22 during movement of the piston 1. As illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the piston 1 moves upwards, an air space is created between the base of the piston and the dial face 22b of the seal 22, allowing air to flow through the flow slots 22a air in the seal 22. When the piston 1 falls, the key 23 moves downward relative to the seal 22, resulting in the lower face of the weight 1 becoming sealed with the seal face 22b of the seal 22 , thus compressing the air below. The lower end of the tube 5 in this embodiment terminates at the end of the contact pin 24 and a noise muffler 25, the former including an internally threaded axial bore of diameter graduated therein with an elongated threaded member arranged to increase or decrementing the air gap between the member and the hole in the contact pin, according to whether the knurled knob 26a is rotated in one direction or the other, thus altering the expense at which air can escape from the tube 5 under the piston 1.

Figure 4 also illustrates the inclusion of additional weights a, Ib at the upper end of the main weight 1. The seal shown in Figures 5A, 5B and 5C is an alternative to the seal shown in Figures 4A, 4B and 4C. Instead of the slots 22a, the seal 30 has a series of eight circular holes 30B positioned regularly around the central hole 30A. The central hole 30A is for location and positioning when the seal 30 is assembled at the end of the piston 1, and the holes 30B are for air to pass through, making it possible for the seal to act as a valve. Referring now to Figures 6 to 9, the apparatus is installed to six standard six foot sliding doors, by screwing the end of the upper and lower part of the clips of the tube 42, 44, which houses the 5 'vertical tube, the door of the side wall 43. The free end of the rope 8 is secured with adhesive on a rope anchor hook 46 attached to the edge of the sliding door 13. Other features illustrated in figure 8 include float seals 41, anti-wear disc 45, speed control 48 , rope cap 50, and alignment step 52, the latter joining with the upper channel 54. Adjustable counterweight piston 1 includes three additional weights 3, accounting for a maximum of 6 pounds, to provide a balanced counter system

Claims (15)

1. It is pneumatically, as previously described CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for automatically closing a sliding door, comprising a weight for operative connection to a sliding panel forming part of a sliding door assembly so that sliding the panel to the door position open up the weight that subsequently falls once more when the sliding panel is released, thus closing the door. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weight is enclosed in a smooth fixed tube so that the weight acts as a piston, the tube being positioned generally vertically on the side side of the door assembly. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are included for admitting air into the space in the tube below the piston at the moment when the latter rises, and means for restricting the flow towards the outside of said piston. space at the moment when the piston falls as an effect of its own weight, causing by this compression of the air in said space resulting in a soft closing operation of the door. 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the tube is closed at its lower end, and the piston of generally cylindrical shape includes air seals which create an air-tight seal with the tube surface. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein one or more air valves are included in the tube at or near its base end. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a single air valve is provided in the form of a flow control bypass valve, comprising a one-way flow valve with a valve below . Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein a combined one-step seal / valve is provided fixed to the base of the piston and adapted to allow air to flow through the seal when the piston is raised when opening the door, but prevents that air from flowing when the piston is falling, by means of this creating a substantially air-tight seal and compressing the air in the tube under the piston, allowing a smooth closing operation. 8. Apparatus according to any of clauses 2 to 7, where additional weights are provided to be adhered on or adjacent to the piston, for use with different door assemblies. 9. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the means for connecting the piston to the sliding leg comprises a rope connected to one end of the uppermost part of the piston and the other end to a fixed hook. on the edge of the sliding panel. The rope passes over a first pulley located just above the tube, through a second, substantially horizontally arranged tube, and on a second pulley located at the end furthest from the second tube, ending in the hook fixed to the sliding panel. 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second tubes are joined together by means of an elbow connector or equivalent, which also houses the first pulley. 11. A method for converting a manually operated sliding door assembly to another that automatically closes, the method comprising connecting an edge of a sliding panel forming part of the aforementioned assembly to a weight such that when the panel slides to its Open door position increases the weight, which then falls once the door is released, thus closing the door. 12. A self-closing sliding door assembly comprising at least one sliding panel, a weight operatively connected to said sliding panel so that sliding the panel to its open door position subtracts the weight, which falls once the door is released, thus closing the door. 13. Apparatus for automatically closing a sliding door, the apparatus being substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 14. A method of converting a manually operated sliding door assembly into an automatically closing assembly, the method being substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 15. A self-closing sliding door assembly substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.