Guide device for a sliding door

Abstract

Guide device for a sliding door (3, 4), with: a) a guide element (23, 43, 50, 50') which is movable along a rail (6, 6'), b) a holder (10, 30) which can be fixed to a sliding door (3, 4), and c) a connecting element (20, 40) for connecting the holder (10, 30) to the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50'), wherein the connecting element (20, 40) comprises at least one bendable wire, characterized in that the guide element (23, 43) is integrally formed with the bracket or the guide element (50, 50') is mounted on a bracket of the bendable wire and pivotably held on the bracket.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a guide device for a sliding door, comprising a guide element that is movable along a rail, a holder that can be fixed to a sliding door, and a connecting element for connecting the holder to the guide element, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one bendable wire.

[0002] DE 10 2010 037 940 A1 discloses a roller guide for a sliding door in which a guide roller is rotatably mounted on a lever system, the lever system comprising a guide lever and a support lever that are articulated together. This allows the guide roller to be guided along a rail under spring pressure, thus compensating for tolerances and enabling easy assembly. However, the lever mechanism requires a large number of components.

[0003] DE 410 911 A discloses a sliding door fitting with a ball that can be moved along a ball track.

[0004] US 3 990 133 A discloses a suspended sliding door for a shower, which can be moved along a guide rail via rollers.

[0005] FR 1 249 385 A shows a sliding door fitting in which a running part with two rollers can be moved in a U-shaped guide rail.

[0006] DE 10 2006 039 025 A1 discloses a sliding door fitting with a U-shaped guide slider, which is fixed with one leg to a sliding leaf and engages with the other leg in a groove-shaped guide of a guide rail.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a guide device for a sliding door that is easy to assemble and comprises only a few components. Furthermore, the installation of a sliding door on a cabinet is to be simplified.

[0008] This problem is solved with a guide device having the features of claim 1.

[0009] According to the invention, the guide device comprises a guide element, a holder, and a connecting element for connecting the holder to the guide element, wherein the connecting element comprises a flexible wire. This allows the guide device to be constructed with only a few components. Furthermore, the use of a flexible wire enables flexible adaptation to different installation widths of the guide device. This allows for variable length differences. Additionally, pivoting the guide device using a flexible wire simplifies door installation.

[0010] Preferably, the connecting element between the guide element and the holder has at least two spaced-apart sections made of flexible wire. This allows the two spaced-apart sections to be oriented differently, for example, to adjust the distance between the holder and the guide element. Furthermore, it prevents the connecting element from rotating about an axis of the wire. The connecting element can adjust the distance between the guide element and the holder by elastically bending the wire, with the bending occurring largely within the elastic range. Bending in the plastic range should be avoided as much as possible. For flexible adjustment of the distance between the holder and the guide element, the flexible wire can have two end sections that can be fixed in different positions on the holder or the guide element.Insertion openings or receptacles can be provided to define the end sections of the flexible wire, thus ensuring easy assembly.

[0011] Preferably, the two spaced-apart sections of flexible wire cross each other so that the crossed sections can be aligned at different angles to change the length of the connecting element.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible wire is U-shaped when viewed from the side in the longitudinal direction of the rail, with the holder being arranged or formed on a first leg and the guide element on a second leg.

[0013] According to the invention, the guide element can be mounted on a bracket of the flexible wire or be integrally formed with the bracket. Furthermore, the guide element can be pivotably held on the bracket, which facilitates mounting from the front of a furniture carcass.

[0014] For easy assembly of the connecting element, it can be rotatably mounted on the holder along a horizontal axis. Furthermore, the connecting element can be locked into a mounting position on the holder.

[0015] It is also conceivable to assemble the connecting element from several flexible wires, which can be joined together either by additional components or by means of common manufacturing processes.

[0016] Preferably the material of the bendable wire is metal, but plastic can also be used.

[0017] The guide device according to the invention is used in particular for furniture with a sliding door, but other uses of the guide device are also possible.

[0018] In one method for mounting a sliding door to a cabinet, a bracket is first attached to the sliding door. This bracket incorporates a guide element that moves along a lower track. The sliding door is then hung on an upper track, and the guide element is inserted into a groove on the lower track relative to the bracket. This simplifies the installation of the sliding door. Furthermore, using a flexible wire as a connecting element prevents damage when the door is set down on the floor.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to several exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a furniture body with a guide device according to the invention; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the guide mechanism on the furniture of the Fig. 1; Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B two views of the guidance system of the Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a perspective view of a modified guide system; Fig. 5A to 5C several views of the guide system of the Fig. 2 in different positions; Fig. 6 a perspective exploded view of another embodiment of a guide device; Fig. 7 a perspective view of the command facility of the Fig. 6 after the assembly of the connecting element; Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B two views of the guidance system of the Fig. 6 in different positions; Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B two views of another embodiment of a guide device; Fig. 10 a perspective view of a modified guide element of the guide device of the Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 a perspective view of a modified guide element.

[0020] A cabinet 1 comprises a cabinet body 2 on which a first sliding door 4 and a second sliding door 3 are movably mounted. For this purpose, an upper rail 5 is mounted on the top panel and a lower rail 6 of a guide device according to the invention is mounted on the cabinet body 2.

[0021] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the lower rail 6 has two downward-facing grooves 7 and 8, in which a guide element engages and is connected to the second sliding door 3. For this purpose, a holder 10 is mounted on the sliding door 3 and connected to the guide element via a connecting element 20.

[0022] In the Fig. 3A and Fig. Figure 3B shows the bracket 10 and the connecting element 20 in detail. The bracket 10 is designed as a plate-shaped component with two openings 11 for inserting screws to fix it to the sliding door 3. Furthermore, the bracket 10 has webs 12 on its underside, each with a receptacle 13 for inserting an end section 21 of the connecting element 20. Receptacles 13 are provided on both sides of the bracket 10.

[0023] The connecting element 20 is formed from a flexible wire, which is made, for example, of metal, in particular stainless steel. The connecting element 20 comprises end sections 21 that can be inserted into the receptacles 13 on the holder 10 and are secured there. Furthermore, a section 24 of the wire, which runs along the front of the holder 10, is held in a detent receptacle 14, so that the connecting element 20 can be locked onto the holder 10 in a predetermined position. The connecting element 20 also comprises two spaced-apart sections 22 that extend substantially horizontally from the holder 10 to a guide element 23, which in this embodiment is formed integrally from the flexible wire, which extends substantially vertically upwards into the groove 7 of the rail 6. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 3B, the connecting element 20 has a substantially U-shaped contour in the side view along the longitudinal direction of the rail 6. The holder 10 is provided on one leg of the U-shaped contour, while the guide element 23 is integrally formed with the wire on the opposite side. For mounting the connecting element 20, it can be inserted into the holder 10 from below when the holder 10 is fixed to a rear side of the sliding door 3. It is also possible to insert the connecting element 20 into the holder 10 before the holder 10 is fixed to the sliding door 3.

[0024] In Fig. Figure 4 shows a modified embodiment of a connecting element 20', in which, unlike the one in the Fig. 3A and Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3B, the sections 22' between the holder 10 and the guide element 23 intersect. Otherwise, the connecting element 20' and the holder 10 are designed as in the previous embodiment.

[0025] In the Fig. 5A and Fig. Figure 5B shows the assembly of the connecting element 20 on the sliding door 3. First, the end sections 21 are inserted into the receptacles 13, and then the connecting element 20 is pivoted about a horizontal axis formed by the end sections 21. Then, the section 24 engages the locking receptacle 14 on the holder 10, as shown in Fig. 5B is shown. The two sections 22 are thus essentially horizontally aligned and the U-shaped guide element 23 is essentially inserted vertically into the downwardly open groove 7 and can therefore prevent a horizontal movement of the sliding door 3 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail 6.

[0026] If the sliding door 3 is placed on the floor during assembly, the connecting element 20 cannot damage the floor, as the connecting element 20 can be swung further upwards if necessary, as shown in Fig. 5C is shown. The flexible wire is then moved out of the locking receptacle 14 and pivoted upwards. This reliably prevents plastic deformation of the connecting element 20 and damage to the floor, which is not possible with prior art guide elements made of an angled metal sheet.

[0027] In Fig. Figure 6 shows a modified embodiment of a guide device in which a modified holder 30 and a modified connecting element 40 are provided. The holder 30 is designed as a plate-shaped component and includes two openings 31 into which screws can be inserted for fixing it to the sliding door 3. On the rear side of the holder 30, which faces the sliding door 3, insertion openings 32 and 33 are provided into which end sections 41 of the connecting element 40 can be inserted. The connecting element 40 is again made of a bent wire with a circular cross-section, wherein the connecting element comprises vertical end sections 41 and two horizontal, spaced-apart sections 42, which are connected to each other via a U-shaped guide element 43. The guide element 43 is integrally formed with the wire.

[0028] For mounting the connecting element 40, the insertion openings 32 or 33 can be freely selected to set a distance between the guide element 43 and the holder 10.

[0029] In Fig. In 8A, the end sections 41 are inserted into the outermost insertion openings 32, leaving the innermost insertion openings 33 free. This places the guide element 43 closer to the holder 30 than in the previous version. Fig. 8B shown in the position where the end sections 41 are inserted into the inner insertion openings 33, which are arranged at a smaller distance than the outer insertion openings 32. The difference in length in the distance between the holder 30 and the guide element 43 is L, for example, depending on the design of the connecting element 20 and the holder 30, a length between 1 mm and 30 mm, in particular 3 to 12 mm, can be set.

[0030] In the Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B shows another embodiment of a guide device, which, as in the Fig. 6, Fig. 7 to Fig. 8 is formed, but additionally has a sliding element 50 on the U-shaped guide element 43. The sliding element 50 is rotatably mounted on the U-shaped guide element 43 and has a groove 51 which can be supported on a central vertical web on the rail 6'. This allows a sliding door 3 to be mounted from a front side, whereby during mounting the central web of the rail 6' ensures that the sliding element 50 is screwed into the groove 7', as shown in Fig. Figure 9A shows that in the assembled position, the sliding element 50 rests within the groove 7' and can thus guide the sliding door 3 along the rail 6'. For this purpose, the sliding element 50 has a front contact surface 52, which is made of plastic, for example, and ensures low friction.

[0031] In Fig. Figure 10 shows a modified embodiment of the sliding body 50' on the guide element 43 in detail. The sliding body 50' can be pivoted about a horizontal axis on the guide element 43, although a rigid arrangement is also possible. Furthermore, a horizontally arranged sliding roller 53 is rotatably fixed within the sliding body 50' and is mounted on the vertical axis of the sliding body 50'. In the mounting position of the sliding body 50', the outer surface of the sliding roller 53 rolls on the running surfaces of the rail 6 or 6', thus further reducing friction.

[0032] In Fig.Figure 11 shows a modified embodiment of a guide element 43 with sliding sleeves 60 arranged around the flexible wire of the connecting element 40. The sliding sleeves 60 are provided on vertical sections of the U-shaped guide element 43, which ensures less friction between the guide element 43 and a rail 6 or 6'.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiments, either sections of the wire of the connecting element or special sliding bodies 50, 50' or sliding sleeves 60 are provided as guide elements. It is also possible, of course, to provide differently designed sliding bodies as guide elements, which roll along a track of a rail 6 or 6'. Furthermore, the shape of the sliding bodies can be varied depending on the shape of the rail 6 or 6'.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiments, the end sections 21 and 41 are each fixed to a holder 10 and 30, respectively, which is attached to the sliding door 3. It is also possible, of course, to fix the end sections 21 and 41 to a guide element and to attach a U-shaped section to the holder 10 or 30. Furthermore, the shape of the connecting element can be modified by using a flexible wire to allow for flexible adaptation to the guide mechanism. Reference symbol list 1 cabinet furniture 2 furniture carcass 3 sliding doors 4 sliding doors 5 rail 6, 6' rail 7, 7' Nut 8 Nut 10 holders 11 Opening 12 Bridge 13th entry 14 Rastaufnahme 20, 20' Connecting element 21 Final section 22, 22' section 23 Guide element Section 24 30 holders 31 Opening 32 Insertion opening 33 Insertion opening 40 connecting element 41 Final section Section 42 43 Guide element 50, 50' sliding body 51 Nut 52 contact area 53 Sliding roller 60 sliding sleeve L length difference

Claims

[1] Guide device for a sliding door (3, 4), comprising: a) a guide element (23, 43, 50, 50') which is movable along a rail (6, 6'), b) a holder (10, 30) which can be fixed to a sliding door (3, 4), and c) a connecting element (20, 40) for connecting the holder (10, 30) to the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50'), wherein the connecting element (20, 40) comprises at least one bendable wire, characterized by , that the guide element (23, 43) is integrally formed with the bracket or the guide element (50, 50') is mounted on a bracket of the flexible wire and is pivotably held on the bracket. [2] Guide device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the connecting element (20, 40) between the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50') and the holder (10, 30) has at least two spaced-apart sections (22, 22', 42) made of flexible wire. [3] Guide device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the distance between the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50') and the holder (10, 30) is adjustable by elastic bending of the wire. [4] Guide device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the flexible wire has two end sections (21, 41) which can be fixed in different positions on the holder (10, 30) or the guide element. [5] Guide device according to claim 4, characterized by , that insertion openings (32, 33) or receptacles (13) are provided on the holder (10, 30) or the guide element to define the end sections (21, 41) of the flexible wire. [6] Guide device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by , that the two spaced sections (22, 22', 42) of flexible wire cross each other. [7] Guide device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the flexible wire is U-shaped in a side view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rail (6, 6') and the holder (10, 30) is arranged or formed on a first leg and the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50') on a second leg. [8] Guide device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connecting element (20) is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis. [9] Guide device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the connecting element (20) can be locked in a working position on the holder (10) in which the guide element (23, 43, 50, 50', 60) engages in a groove of the rail (6, 6'). [10] Cabinet furniture (1), comprising a cabinet body (2) and at least one sliding door (3, 4) which can be moved along a guide, characterized by , that a guide device according to one of the preceding claims is provided on the sliding door (3, 4).

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