SLIDING DOOR WITH AN OPENING SUPPORT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lowering sliding door with an opening support according to the preambles of claims 1 and 4.

[0002] Lowering sliding doors, especially hermetically or three-sided closing sliding doors, lower themselves towards the floor and frame in the last millimeters of their travel, so that a circumferential seal attached to the door comes into contact with the frame with slight pressure.

[0003] In a sliding door, the door leaf can be moved linearly to close a doorway. To minimize friction and prevent wear during movement, the door leaf has a gap between it and the fixed parts. A hermetically sealed sliding door features a continuous seal around the door leaf. For the seal to function properly, the door leaf must be lowered at the end of its movement and pressed against the frame. This is achieved, for example, by a specially shaped track or a track with integrated lowering guides that direct the rollers, to which the door leaf is attached via a carriage, into the desired position at the precise moment. Hermetically sealed doors are typically single-leaf, although double-leaf versions are also possible.

[0004] Hermetically sealing doors can be very heavy, as is often the case in hospitals where lead is incorporated into the door panels for protection against X-rays.

[0005] For energy-related and safety reasons, it makes sense to compensate for the high weight of the door leaf when lowering it in order to support a later opening of the door leaf.

[0006] Compensation for the door weight is also necessary for emergency opening without power, as the door must be opened manually in the event of a power failure.

[0007] For example, a 300kg sliding door, which is located in the lowering tracks when closed, must be able to be opened manually in the event of a power failure.

[0008] According to the standard, a force of max. 220 Newtons must be applied to push the door with the rollers out of the individual lowering tracks of the guide rail in the opening direction.

[0009] Due to the lifting of the door leaf over the lowering track, a force of over 700 Newtons may be required without compensation aid to disengage the rollers from the lowering track.

[0010] Without motor assistance, current technology requires the necessary force to open the door to be applied via a handle lever system.

[0011] Without a compensation aid and a handle lever system, a force of less than 220 Newtons would only be sufficient to open an 80kg door.

[0012] However, it is usually necessary to move a door weighing between 80kg and 300kg, as glass, lead, or fire or sound insulation may be installed depending on the design and intended use.

[0013] The lowering mechanism negatively impacts the opening movement because overcoming it requires a greater force than a linear sliding motion. This force must be applied by a drive system or a person. It depends on the weight of the door leaf and the shape of the track and cannot always be applied manually by a single person without assistance. Therefore, for heavier doors, hand levers are attached to the door leaf. These levers utilize leverage to increase the manually applied force. A disadvantage of a hand lever design is the size of the lever and its protrusion (usually on both sides). For typical hospital applications, the lever must also be made of stainless steel, which increases costs.

[0014] For operation with a drive system, the design must accommodate the increased opening force. The corresponding components, such as the motor, control unit, and power supply, must be larger, which increases the dimensions, costs, and, at times, also the power consumption.

[0015] DE 297 13 823 U1 and EP 0 990 084 B1 disclose a sliding door system that allows the sliding door to be opened with reduced force. The guide rail for the roller mechanism has a lowering mechanism in the closed position of the door leaf, into which the door leaf can only be moved by charging a power storage device via the roller mechanism.

[0016] The force released when the door enters the lowering track is absorbed by a power storage device, which also assists the opening movement when the door is subsequently opened. This device thus has the advantage that the entire weight of the door leaf does not have to be lifted out of the lowering track when opening.

[0017] The drop-down mechanism shown here is designed as a recess in the guide rail and has the effect of placing the door leaf in a lower position when closed than when open. Additionally, the drop-down mechanism can have a slope on one side facing the door opening, in which the recess is formed. This design also moves the door leaf in the direction of the door opening. This additional spatial displacement of the door leaf allows the elastic seals associated with the side and top edges of the door leaf to act effectively.

[0018] The energy storage device shown here is a spring which acts on a lever located in the path of movement of the roller mechanism in the opening direction of the door leaf.

[0019] When the door leaf moves into the closing position, the roller mechanism engages with a drive lug on the lever, pivoting it and tensioning the spring. The movement into the lowering track, in particular, affects the spring tension. This facilitates the subsequent opening of the sliding door, as the stored spring force then acts on the roller mechanism in the opening direction.

[0020] A disadvantage of this device, however, is the vulnerable lever arm of the energy storage device, which must always be actuated in conjunction with the spring, and the pivot points of the arm segments are prone to wear. Furthermore, it is difficult to set a precisely defined opening force because – due to the lever arm – there are multiple degrees of freedom, which complicates adjustment.

[0021] US Patent 10,626,648 B2 discloses a sliding door with an opening support and a door leaf suspended from a carriage. The carriage rolls on a track by means of at least one roller. A lowering track is provided below the plane of the track and recessed into the track. In the closing position of the door leaf, the at least one roller of the carriage enters this lowering track while charging a power storage device. The roller then exits the lowering track into the opening position, discharging the power storage device and lifting the door leaf. To charge the power storage device, a driver, upon transitioning into the lowering track, engages a thrust unit guided parallel to the direction of travel. This thrust unit compresses the power storage device, which is also aligned parallel to the direction of travel. The power storage device consists of two springs between which a sliding element is mounted.

[0022] If you want to adjust the springs, for example to adjust the spring force to the weight of the door leaf, US 10 626 648 B2 specifies that the spring stop must be repositioned. This requires loosening the screw securing the spring stop to the bracket in order to move the stop in or against the opening direction. This is very time-consuming, as the screw is difficult to access.

[0023] JP H05 40568 U discloses a sliding door with an opening support, comprising at least one retractable door leaf suspended on a carriage, wherein the carriage rolls on a track by means of at least one roller, and a lowering track formed below the plane of the track and recessed in the track, into which the at least one roller of the carriage enters the closed position of the door leaf while charging a power storage device, and from which the roller exits into the open position while discharging the power storage device and raising the door leaf, wherein, for charging the power storage device, the door leaf or the carriage, when moving into the lowering track, acts upon a thrust unit lying in the direction of movement of the roller and guided parallel to the direction of travel, which compresses the power storage device, which is also aligned parallel to the direction of travel, wherein the power storage device is a coil spring.

[0024] However, a disadvantage of this opening support is that the power storage unit for the door weight is oversized and therefore has to be held by a lever mechanism until the force is needed to open the sliding door.

[0025] The invention is therefore based on the objective of designing an opening support in such a way that, due to a simplified mechanism and optimized lowering cam, an improved response behavior of the energy storage device and a better adjustment option are provided, so that the force for the entire opening movement comes as close as possible to that of a linear displacement of the door leaf via the running rail.

[0026] The problem is solved according to the invention by the features of the independent claims, while advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

[0027] An advantageous feature is that, to charge the energy storage device, the door leaf or carriage, when transferred into the lowering track, acts upon a thrust unit located in the direction of movement of the roller and guided parallel to the direction of travel, which compresses the energy storage device, which is also aligned parallel to the direction of travel.

[0028] The push unit is carried along in the closing direction by the moving part of the sliding door, which is, for example, the carriage or the door leaf and comes into contact with the push unit during the closing movement. However, the reverse principle, in which the push unit is fixed relative to the moving part of the sliding door and only the stop interacting with the push unit is moved, is not included in the present invention.

[0029] Such an opening support can be used for any drop-down sliding door. This means that the movement over the drop-down mechanism is no longer perceived as an obstruction, and the drive system does not need to be reinforced.

[0030] A spring (preferably a helical compression or tension spring) acts on the door leaf in the longitudinal direction of the track within the lowering mechanism. Since the spring force of conventional springs increases linearly with the spring travel, the ideal lowering mechanism is shaped so that the force required to raise the door leaf from the lowered position changes as linearly as possible with the slope, which is identical to the spring rate. The resulting force for moving the door leaf thus remains constant within the limits of friction on the straight travel path. This is achieved by ensuring that the tangent of the slope angle of the lowering mechanism changes linearly along the travel path.

[0031] The lowering mechanism can be further optimized by taking into account the increased friction caused by the rubbing and compression of the seal shortly before the end position.

[0032] With a consistent lowering mechanism, the spring rate must be adjusted for different door leaf weights to maintain a constant opening force. In principle, all known methods for adjusting a spring rate are suitable for this purpose. The simplest method is to select a spring appropriate for each door leaf weight from a range of, for example, three different sizes.

[0033] If the same spring is always to be used, the lowering mechanism must change accordingly (tangent of the inclination angle). This allows the profile shape of the lowering mechanism to be designed so that it functions optimally in conjunction with the energy storage device, which is matched to the door weight and has a linear spring characteristic.

[0034] Therefore, no additional elements (swivel levers, release mechanisms, etc.) are required. This is achieved solely by selecting a suitable lowering mechanism from a range of, for example, three different types.

[0035] The opening support is located in an area of ​​the door where it is not visible to the door user, preferably near the normally covered track.

[0036] The running rail therefore contains at least one lowering guide, which has a shape that differs from the straight running rail running in a horizontal direction.

[0037] As soon as the rollers of the carriage reach the lowering track, they roll into it. The movement of the rollers in the z-direction and / or y-direction also moves the carriage, to which the additional roller is suspended, in the z-direction and / or y-direction.

[0038] When the carriage enters the lowering track and descends, it engages the pusher unit and carries it along the length of the energy storage device. This charges the energy storage device, making it "active." Preferably, a spring is used as the energy storage device, with this spring force counteracting the weight of the door leaf. This opposing force partially compensates for the weight of the door and assists in opening the door.

[0039] Besides a spring, other energy storage devices can also be used, such as a coil spring, a gas spring, an elastomeric storage device, a hydraulic storage device, a compressed air storage device, or any other spring element that provides a spring force. In principle, any type of spring with a preferably approximately linear characteristic curve can be used. However, in the context of the invention, the spring is a coil spring.

[0040] The following describes the spring using the example of a compression spring (helical spring), which consists of round or profile wire wound, coiled, or torsionally stressed springs that respond to pressure. Compression springs store and transmit forces through changes in shape. The spring constant can be modified by the spring geometry and material selection. The compression spring is loaded by compressing its ends, with the force being applied via the end coils. The stored energy is partially released when the spring relaxes, thus providing support for opening.

[0041] The thrust unit, which causes the energy storage device to be charged, is formed in the first embodiment of the invention by a plunger and in the second embodiment by a thrust tab.

[0042] In the first embodiment, the pusher unit comprises a spring guide rod and a plunger rigidly connected to the spring guide rod for charging the energy storage device. The opening support is arranged in an area of ​​the door where it is not visible to the door user, preferably near the normally covered track.

[0043] The energy storage unit is formed by a coil spring that is clamped between two legs of the housing of the opening support and coaxially surrounds the spring guide rod.

[0044] Between the two legs, the guide rod has a radial extension that increases its diameter. This extension is formed by a nut screwed onto the outer circumference of the guide rod, which rests against the beginning of the coil spring and compresses it towards the opposite leg. In this way, the energy transferred by the carriage or door leaf is stored in the elastic coil spring within the opening mechanism, compensating for the door's weight. The preload of the coil spring can be adjusted and varied using the nut.

[0045] Starting from the spring guide rod, a coaxial sleeve surrounds the plunger longitudinally at a radial distance. The plunger, which protrudes from the spring assembly and contacts the stop, is designed to accommodate the 5 mm deflection in each of the two directions defined by the lowering cam, either through its deformation as a bending rod or by being pivotally mounted to the spring assembly in the spring guide rod. Such deflections are possible due to the mounting within the sleeve, but are also limited to a certain degree by the rigid sleeve to ensure a nearly linear force transmission to the energy storage device.

[0046] The spring guide rod is guided and supported by opposing plain bearings arranged in the legs, which allow the end of the spring guide rod opposite the plunger to extend incrementally from the housing. Since the lateral forces are low, the axial guidance of the spring guide rod can be achieved using plastic plain bearings.

[0047] The spring assembly and the stop are symmetrically designed, so the same parts can be used for both right- and left-opening doors. By using, for example, three different springs with the same spring diameter but different wire cross-sections, the entire weight range of 80-300 kg for typical door leaves can be covered, ensuring that the operating force remains below 220 N.

[0048] Basically, any type of spring with a preferably approximately linear characteristic curve can be used.

[0049] The energy storage device in the opening support according to the first embodiment is attached to the fixed part of the door frame, while the stop is located on the door leaf and moves with it.

[0050] If less severe compensation is required, the position of the stop can be shifted so that the stop and plunger engage later, and the coil spring only becomes active in the lower lowering range.

[0051] In the second embodiment of the invention, the push unit is formed by a push tab and the helical spring is mounted inside an outer sleeve connected to the push tab, wherein one end of the spring is coupled to the outer sleeve and the other end of the helical spring rests against the housing of the opening support.

[0052] In the opening support, the energy transferred by the carriage or the door leaf is stored by the elastic coil spring, which serves to compensate for the door weight.

[0053] The outer sleeve has two diametrically opposed slotted guides through which a bolt is guided, against which the spring end rests inside the outer sleeve.

[0054] A further feature of the second embodiment is that the housing of the opening support is U-shaped and has two legs projecting towards the guide rail, between which an inner sleeve is held, on which the outer sleeve is arranged concentrically and slidably.

[0055] The inner sleeve also has two diametrically opposed slotted guides through which the bolt inserted through the outer sleeve is guided.

[0056] The outer sleeve's outer surface has an external thread in the area of ​​the slot guide, onto which an adjusting ring is screwed, bearing against the bolt protruding from the outer sleeve.

[0057] The adjusting ring allows the preload of the coil spring to be finely adjusted and varied, ensuring that the maximum permissible sliding force of the door leaf of 220N is not exceeded at any point during the lowering process.

[0058] In addition to preload, the adjusting ring also serves to mount the coil spring without play, since the spring body must immediately act on the first tenth of a millimeter for compensation.

[0059] The sliding tab can be plate-shaped and may have a recess approximately in the center through which the outer sleeve is guided. The inner circumference of the recess has a thread to screw the sliding tab onto an external thread in the outer sleeve's surface. This allows the position of the sliding tab to be adjusted within the door leaf's movement.

[0060] If less strong compensation is required, the position of the sliding tab can be changed in the direction of the opening movement, so that the carriage and the sliding tab engage later and the coil spring becomes active later.

[0061] The opening support is also suitable for contact with other moving parts of the sliding door, such as the door leaf.

[0062] The sliding tab can have two vertically upward-pointing pins above the recess or outer sleeve, between which a tie rod, mounted between the legs of the housing, is guided.

[0063] The tie rod protrudes through a bore in one leg and is coupled via this extension to a tension spring, which dampens a circular arc movement of the tie rod around the longitudinal axis of the outer sleeve. Such a connection of the tie rod can also be fitted to both legs of the housing.

[0064] Preferably, at least two lowering tracks are used so that a carriage equipped with two rollers can simultaneously enter each lowering track with both rollers engaged. In this case, too, a sliding flap is used, which is carried along in the closing direction by at least one moving part of the sliding door.

[0065] As long as the carriage is on the running rail and only moves in the x-direction, the energy storage unit is inactive.

[0066] When the carriage lowers the first few millimeters in the z-direction, the sliding tab comes into contact with the carriage. The present invention is not limited to this, and the sliding tab can also come into contact with the carriage slightly before or after the carriage's rollers enter the lowering track.

[0067] In this system, the carriage rests only against the sliding tab and remains in contact with it even when the door leaf is lowered. This means that the contact surface of the sliding tab pivots along with the carriage when it is laterally deflected around the axis of the outer sleeve, minimizing displacement on the contact surface and thus wear. The sliding tab is then returned to its original position by the tension spring via the tie rod, which has some play, when the energy storage unit is relieved of pressure.

[0068] As soon as the drawer flap comes into contact with the carriage, the energy storage unit is tensioned and the spring energy thus counteracts the weight of the door.

[0069] The opening support of the sliding door according to the invention, as described in the first and second embodiments, thus compensates for the mass of the door leaf by the coil spring. This is achieved by charging the energy storage device via the sliding flap, and this force counteracts the force of gravity.

[0070] The opening support eliminates the need for a complex hand lever system. The opening support according to the invention also saves electrical energy that would otherwise be required to move the door out of the track in the x-direction.

[0071] Therefore, only a force of, for example, 220 Newtons or less is required to open the sliding door. This meets the standard requirement. Another advantage is that the door drive does not need to be dimensioned as it would be for a larger door. The weight of the door alone charges the energy storage device or tensions the spring, thus storing energy that can later be used to open the door.

[0072] The subject matter of the present invention is not only derived from the subject matter of the individual patent claims, but also from the combination of the individual patent claims with one another.

[0073] All information and features disclosed in the documents, including the summary, in particular the spatial design shown in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are novel individually or in combination compared to the prior art.

[0074] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings illustrating only one embodiment. Further essential features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and their description.

[0075] The fact that individual items are designated as "essential to the invention" or "important" does not mean that these items must necessarily be the subject of an independent claim. This is determined solely by the currently applicable wording of the independent patent claim.

[0076] They show: Figure 1: Schematic opening support unactuated according to the second embodiment Figure 2 : Front view of opening support (2nd version) Figure 3 : Schematic opening support in active position (2nd version) Figure 4 : Rail section with a detent for deflection in z and y directions (2nd version) Figure 5 : perspective view opening support (2nd ed.) Figure 6 : perspective view opening support (2nd ed.) Figure 7 : Sectional view of opening support (2nd ed.) Figure 8 : Sectional view of Figure 7 (2nd ed.) Figure 9 : perspective view according to the first embodiment Figure 10 : Side view of the first embodiment Figure 11 : Sectional view of the first embodiment Figure 1Figure 1 shows a view of the opening support 1 of the sliding door according to the second embodiment of the invention, in the unloaded state. The coil spring 3 is in the 0 position, in which the coil spring 3 is not loaded except for a preload and has a spring length of 43.

[0077] The opening support 1 consists of a u-shaped housing 2 in which the coil spring 3 is installed and which is suspended on a profile 11 above the sliding door.

[0078] The coil spring 3 extends parallel to the guide rail 5 and is mounted in an inner sleeve 8, which is suspended between the legs 12, 22 of the U-shaped housing 2. For this purpose, the legs 12, 22 each have a recess 52 into which the ends of the inner sleeve 8 are received, the recesses 52 being closed on the outside by the covers 9, 19. The covers 9, 19 rest on the outer surface of the legs 12, 22 and are screwed to them via the screw connection 32.

[0079] The inner sleeve 8 is partially enclosed by a concentric outer sleeve 7 which is movable relative to the inner sleeve 8 and whose length is approximately three-fifths of the inner sleeve 8.

[0080] Inside the inner sleeve 8, the coil spring 3 rests with its end 23, which is opposite to the opening movement of the sliding door, against a bolt 33 that is inserted diagonally through both sleeves 7, 8. The other end 13 of the spring rests against the inside of the cover 19, or, if the embodiment has no cover, against the inside of the leg 12. Thus, the spring is clamped between these two points, and when the spring is compressed, the end 23 of the spring moves towards the end 13 of the spring.

[0081] In the area of ​​the spring end 23, an adjusting ring 17 is mounted on the outer circumference of the sleeve 7 and rests against the bolt 33, which projects radially from the sleeve 7. This adjusting ring 17 can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 7 in order to adjust the position of the bolt 33 relative to the sleeve 7.

[0082] At the end of the outer sleeve 7 opposite the adjusting ring 17, a sliding tab 4 is fixed, which, when acted upon by a moving part of the sliding door, preferentially carries the carriage of the outer sleeve 7 in the direction of the leg 12. Since the spring end 23 is also connected to the outer sleeve 7 via the bolt 33 and the adjusting ring 17, the spring end 23 is also moved in the direction of the leg 12 and the coil spring 3 is thus compressed.

[0083] The sliding tab 4 protrudes below the outer sleeve 7 between the two legs 12, 22 from the opening support 1 in the direction of the guide rail 5.

[0084] In the opposite direction, i.e. above the outer sleeve 7, the sliding tab 4 has two vertically upward-pointing pins 24a, 24b, which are arranged in the manner of a fork and accommodate a tie rod 6 between them.

[0085] When the outer sleeve 7 moves along the concentrically arranged inner sleeve 8, the sliding tab 4, attached to the outer sleeve 7, slides with its pins 24a, 24b along the tie rod 6. In addition, the two pins 24a, 24b are screwed together via a screw connection 44, which can be actuated from outside the opening support 1.

[0086] The tie rod 6 itself, like the inner sleeve 8, is clamped between the two legs 12, 22 and protrudes from the right leg 12 through a passage 56. This extension 58 has a notch 16 to which a spring 26 is attached, the other end of which is suspended from a pin 36 that also protrudes from the leg 12. Unlike the extension 58, which is mounted with some play in the passage 56, the pin 36 is fixed.

[0087] The guide rail 5 has differently profiled sections along its length, which guide the rollers 30 of a carriage 40 in a direction deviating from the x-direction (arrow direction 39), such as in the y-direction (arrow direction 48) or in the z-direction (arrow direction 38). These sections are referred to as the lowering track 15 and have a depth that differs from the horizontal, straight running surface. Thus, when a roller 30 enters the lowering track 15, it moves downwards by a distance of depth 41 in the direction of arrow 38 (z-direction) and / or laterally in the direction of arrow 48 (y-direction).

[0088] Figure 2Figure 1 shows the outer sleeve 7, which has an adjusting ring 17 at its end facing the leg 22. The adjusting ring 17 is screwed onto an external thread 27 that is formed in the outer surface 57 of the outer sleeve 7. The outer sleeve 7 has two diametrically opposed slotted guides 47 that penetrate the outer surface 57 and are open towards the leg 22. The length of the slotted guides 47 is between one-third and one-half of the length of the outer sleeve 7, with the thread 27 also being formed in the outer surface 57 over approximately this length.

[0089] A bolt 33 is inserted through the two diametrically opposed slot guides 47, the ends of which protrude beyond the outer surface 57.

[0090] The inner sleeve 8, in which the coil spring 3 is mounted, also has two diametrically opposed slotted guides 28 located in the outer surface of the sleeve 8 and partially overlapping the slotted guides 47 of the outer sleeve 7. Thus, a bolt 33 inserted through the slotted guides 47 also passes through the slotted guides 28 of the inner sleeve 8.

[0091] Inside the inner sleeve 8, the coil spring 3 rests with its spring end 23 against the bolt 33, while the opposite spring end 13 rests on the inside of the cover 19. Thus, the coil spring is clamped between these two points.

[0092] The bolt 33, which is mounted in the overlapping slot guides 28, 47, is held in the direction of the opening of the slot guide 28, which is located on the end face of the outer sleeve 7 in the direction of the leg 22, by the adjusting ring 17, which is screwed onto the external thread 27 of the sleeve. Thus, the bolt 33, which protrudes from the slot guides 28, 47, is in direct contact with the adjusting ring 17 and, when the adjusting ring 17 is screwed in, is moved along the thread of the external thread 27, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve 7, in the direction of the leg 12.

[0093] By actuating the adjusting ring 17, the spring end 23, which rests against the bolt 33, is also moved in the longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve 7 in the direction of the leg 12, and the helical compression spring 3 clamped between bolt 33 and cover 19 is compressed in the inner sleeve 8.

[0094] On the side of the outer sleeve 7 opposite the adjusting ring 17, the sliding tab 4 is attached, which is screwed onto an external thread 37.

[0095] The sliding tab 4 is plate-shaped and has an approximately central recess 42 through which the outer sleeve 7 is guided. The inner circumference of the recess 42 has a thread to screw the sliding tab 4 onto the external thread 37 in the outer surface 57 of the outer sleeve 7.

[0096] Figure 3 Figure 40 also shows a carriage 40 on which a door leaf 10 is suspended. The carriage 40 can be moved along the track 5 in the direction of arrow 39 (x-direction) via the roller 30. According to Figure 3The carriage 40 with the roller 30 has moved into the lowering track 15. In this position, the carriage has moved downwards by a distance 41 in the direction of arrow 38 (z-direction), and the sliding tab 4 has been pressed in the direction of arrow 39 (x-direction). As the roller 30 rolls into this lowering track, the door leaf 1 mounted on the carriage 40 is also moved by a distance 41 in the direction of arrow 38.

[0097] The force exerted by the end face 20 of the carriage 40 on the sliding tab 4 also moved the associated outer sleeve 8 and the bolt 33, which is connected to the outer sleeve 7 via the slot guide and the adjusting ring 17, in the direction of arrow 39. Since the movement of the outer sleeve is transmitted to the coil spring 3 through the contact of the spring end 23 with the bolt 33, the coil spring 3 is compressed in the direction of arrow 39. The coil spring 3 thus charges up as an energy storage device.

[0098] The coil spring 3, which had a spring length of 43 in the unloaded state, was now compressed to a spring length of 43' by moving the sliding door into the closed position.

[0099] Figure 4 The lowering track 15 shows a profile shape that differs from the straight guide rail 5 and controls the movement of the roller 30. The roller 30 of the carriage 40 has a wedge-shaped guide groove to roll on the guide rail 5.

[0100] The lowering track has one or more recesses 35 with which it can be aligned and connected to the guide rail 5. The lowering track has a central low point 53, which represents the final possible end position of the roller 30 when entering the lowering track 15, at which point the sliding door has reached its maximum lowering.

[0101] Endpoints 54 and 55 mark the beginning of the geometry of the lowering track 15, which deviates from the straight guide rail 5. These points are still located on the height profile of the guide rail 5 and on the x-axis (arrow direction 39). Starting from endpoint 54, a slope 50 descends towards the lowest point 53 in the direction of arrow 38. Starting from endpoint 55, a slope 51 descends with the opposite gradient to slope 50 towards the lowest point 53 in the direction of arrow 38. Thus, both slopes converge at the lowest point 53.

[0102] In the embodiment shown here, the two flanks 50, 51 have a slight inclination, since the lowest point 53 is not located exactly between the two endpoints 54, 55, but rather at a distance in the direction of arrow 48 from the axis connecting the endpoints. A roller 30 rolling over the flanks would thus be deflected not only in the direction of arrow 38, but also in the direction of arrow 48, until the lowest point 53 is reached and the roller no longer rolls.

[0103] To the side of the lowest point 51, next to the profile of the lowering cam 15, a guide pin 25 is arranged, which guides a roller laterally that can be moved on the lowering cam.

[0104] Figure 5 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the opening support 1 in the charged state. The sliding tab 4 is located near the leg 12 and the coil spring is compressed to a length of 43'.

[0105] When the bolt 33, which is clamped between adjusting ring 17 and spring end 23, moves, it is guided in the slotted guides 28 of the inner sleeve 8. This is possible because the sleeve 7 is hollow and concentrically surrounds the inner sleeve 8, with the bolt 33 being guided both by the slotted guides 28 of the inner sleeve 8 and by the slotted guides 47 of the outer sleeve, which are congruent with the slotted guides 28 over a certain distance.

[0106] The tie rod 6 is guided with play through the passage 56 of the leg 12 and protrudes from the leg with the extension 58. This extension has the notch 16, on which the end of the tension spring 26 is hooked, the other end of which is connected to the pin 36, which also protrudes from the leg 12 and is firmly connected to it.

[0107] Figure 6 shows a rotated view of Figure 5, where identical or equivalent parts are designated with the same reference numerals.

[0108] Figure 7 Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the opening support 1, from which the compression of the coil spring 3 by the bolt 33 can be seen. The end 23 of the coil spring 3 abuts the bolt 33 and is compressed by it in the direction of arrow 39, since a movement of the sliding tab 4 is transmitted to the bolt 33 via the sleeve 7 and the adjusting ring 17.

[0109] The drawer flap 4 is held in this position by the carriage 40, which transfers the weight force of the sliding door to the drawer flap due to its entry into the lowering track.

[0110] Figure 8 shows section VII-VII from Figure 7, whereby it can be seen that the housing 2 can be attached via the bracket 31. Here, the sliding tab 4, due to the action of the carriage 40, not only undergoes a movement in the direction of arrow 39 (x-direction), but also a pivoting movement about the central axis 46 of the coil spring in the direction of arrow 49. This is due to the force-fit contact of the carriage with the sliding tab 4.

[0111] The vertical longitudinal axis 29 runs through the sliding flap, which is pivoted by the angle 34 in the direction of arrow 49 and is in a new position as longitudinal axis 29'.

[0112] The push rod 6, which projects through the opening 56 with its extension 58, can move within the opening 56, since the opening 56 is larger than the diameter of the push rod 6. Such movement is caused by a pivoting of the push tab 4, which, with its pins 24a, b, laterally engages the push rod and carries it along in a circular arc when the push tab 4 rotates about the axis of rotation 46.

[0113] This movement of the push rod 6, 58 is transferred to the tension spring 26, which is thereby pulled. If the load on the push tab 4 now decreases, the tension spring assists the return of the push rod 6 to its starting position, whereby the push tab, which is connected to the push rod 6 via the pins 24a, b, is also pivoted.

[0114] Figure 9Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention. A plunger 64 is rigidly connected to a spring guide rod 65, which is supported within the housing 2a by two sliding bearings 60, 61. The two sliding bearings 60, 61 are fitted into bores in the legs 74, 75 and allow the spring guide rod 65 to pass through longitudinally.

[0115] The side of the spring guide rod 65 in which the plunger 64 is inserted protrudes laterally from the housing 2a, so that the plunger 64 is aligned towards the stop 68. When the plunger 64 contacts the stop 68, the plunger and the spring guide rod 65, which is rigidly connected to it, are moved in the direction of arrow 39. This movement also moves the nut 62, which is rigidly connected to the spring guide rod 65 and rests against the spring end 66, in the direction of arrow 39 and compresses the coil spring 63, whose spring end 67 rests against the leg 75 inside the housing 2a.

[0116] The spring guide rod 65, which is mounted in the leg 75 by means of the outwardly open sliding bearing 61, penetrates the sliding bearing in the direction of arrow 39 and protrudes from the leg 75 out of the housing 2a, depending on the distance traveled and spring characteristic.

[0117] The coil spring 63 is therefore moved only by the nut 62, with the spring guide rod, whose diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 63, running inside the spring.

[0118] The stop 68, which in the example shown has a head as a contact surface and an adjoining elongated screw body 78, is fastened in a bore of a tab 59 extending perpendicular to the screw body. The bore of the tab is surrounded by a nut 73, which is firmly connected to the tab 59. The screw body 78 can be screwed through this nut, thus allowing adjustment of the stop in the axial direction. The position of the stop 68 can therefore be adjusted within the movement path of the door leaf.

[0119] Figure 10Figure 1 shows a side view of the housing 2a with the leg 75 to which the plain bearing 61 is screwed via the screw connection 82. The plain bearing 61 is held by a flange 83, at the wing-shaped ends of which the screw connection 82 passes. A similar plain bearing 60 is also present on the tappet side of the housing 2a.

[0120] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view along axis XI-XI from Figure 10 Inside the opening support 1a, the spring guide rod 65 is mounted in the two sliding bearings 60, 61 and is longitudinally displaceable. The spring guide rod 65 is two-part and consists of a solid rod 69 with an end bore 72 into which the rod-shaped plunger 64 is inserted. Preferably, the plunger 64 is glued in the bore 72.

[0121] The sleeve body 70 rests flush against the end face of the rod 69 in the axial direction. The sleeve body has the same outer diameter as the rod 69 and, together with the rod 69, forms the spring guide rod 65. At the contact point between the rod 69 and the sleeve body 70, both round bodies have an external thread 71, 79, onto which a nut 62 is screwed. The spring guide rod 65 engages the external thread 79, and the sleeve body engages the external thread 71. The nut 62 thus engages both parts of the spring guide rod, and the threaded engagement connects the two parts 69 and 70, allowing them to move together.

[0122] The rod 69 has an axial bore 81 with an internal profile on its other end face, in which a tool can engage to rotate the spring guide rod 65 and thus act on the threaded connection of the nut 62 with the external threads 71, 79 of the rod 69 and sleeve body 70.

[0123] The opening support 1 according to the first embodiment also consists of a u-shaped housing 2a in which the coil spring 63 is installed and which is suspended on a profile above the sliding door.

[0124] The coil spring 63 extends parallel to the guide rail and is suspended between the legs 74, 75 of the U-shaped housing 2a. For this purpose, the legs 74, 75 each have a bore 76, 77 into which the spring guide rod 65 is received. A sliding bearing 60, 61 is inserted in each of the bores 76, 77, i.e., between the inner diameter of the bore and the outer diameter of the spring guide rod 65, allowing the spring guide rod 65 to move longitudinally relative to the housing 2a.

[0125] The helical compression spring 63 rests with its rear end 67 against the inside of the leg 75 and with its front end 66 against the nut 62. The rod 69 is guided by the helical compression spring 63, and the nut 62 is screwed onto the front end of the rod. When the rod 69 moves longitudinally relative to the housing 2a, the helical compression spring 73, which lies between the leg 75 and the nut 62, is compressed.

[0126] When the tip of the plunger 64 contacts the stop 68, the plunger 64, due to its deformability as a bending rod, can also absorb lateral forces that arise from the height and lateral difference between the lowering track and the guide rail between the stop and the plunger. The articulated and concentric mounting of the plunger 64 within the sleeve body 70, whose inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the plunger, allows deflections of 5 mm each in the directions of arrows 38 and 48 to be absorbed and compensated, thus ensuring a consistently linear force transmission between the stop 68, the spring guide rod 65, and consequently, the coil spring 63. Drawing legend

[0127] 1. Opening support, 1a 2. Housing, 2a 3. Coil spring 4. Sliding tab 5. Guide rail 6. Tie rod 7. Outer sleeve 8. Inner sleeve 9. Cover 10. Door leaf 11. Profile 12. Leg (of 2) 13. Spring end 14. Head (of 4) 15. Lowering cam 16. Notch 17. Adjusting ring 18. Stop 19. Cover 20. End face 21. Profile 22. Leg (of 2) 23. Spring end 24. Pin (a, b) 25. Guide pin 26. Tension spring 27. External thread 28. Slotted guide (of 8) 29. Longitudinal axis 29' 30. Roller 31. Bracket 32. Screw connection 33. Bolt 34. Swivel angle 35. Recess 36. Pin 37. External thread 38. Arrow direction 39. Arrow direction 40. Carriage 41. Travel distance (z-direction) 42. Recess (of 4) 43. Spring length 43' 44. Screw connection 45. Flank 46. Central axis 47. Slotted guide (of 7) 48. Arrow direction 49. Arrow direction 50. Flank 51. Flank 52. Recess 53. Low point 54. End point 55. End point 56. Feedthrough 57. Circumferential surface 58. Extension 59. Tab 60. Plain bearing 61. Plain bearing 62. Nut 63.Coil spring 64. Plunger 65. Spring guide rod 66. Spring start 67. Spring end 68. Stop 69. Rod 70. Sleeve body 71. External thread 72. Bore 73. Nut 74. Leg 75. Leg 76. Bore 77. Bore 78. Screw body 79. External thread 80. Sleeve body 81. Bore 82. Screw connection 83. Flange.

Claims

1. A sliding door with an opening aid (1a), wherein the sliding door comprises at least one door leaf (10) that can be lowered and is suspended on a carriage (40), wherein the carriage (40) rolls on a running rail (5) by means of at least one roller (30), and a lowering guide (15) is provided below the level of the guide rail and recessed into the guide rail, into which the at least one roller (30) of the carriage (40) runs when an energy accumulator (63) of the opening aid is charged (1a) when the door leaf is in the closed position, and from which the roller (30) runs out into the open position when the energy accumulator (63) is discharged and the door leaf is raised, wherein, in order to charge the energy accumulator (63), the door leaf (10) or the carriage (40), when transferred into the lowering guide (15), acts on a thrust unit (64) of the opening aid (1a) which is located in the direction of movement of the roller (30) and guided parallel to the direction of travel, which thrust unit compresses the energy accumulator (63) which is also aligned parallel to the direction of travel (63), whereby the energy accumulator is a coil spring (63) that coaxially surrounds a spring guide rod (65), whereby the thrust unit comprises a ram that is firmly connected to the spring guide rod (65), characterised in that the coil spring (63) is disposed between two legs (74, 75) of a housing (2a) of the opening aid (1a) and coaxially surrounds the spring guide rod (65), and in that the spring guide rod (65) has a radially enlarged shoulder between the two legs (74, 75) in the direction of the spring guide rod (65), which is formed by a nut (62) screwed onto the outer circumference of the spring guide rod (65), which nut rests against the spring start (66) of the coil spring (63) and compresses it in the direction of the opposite leg (75).

2. The sliding door according to claim 1, characterised in that starting from the spring guide rod (65), a coaxial sleeve body (70) surrounds the ram (64) at a radial distance.

3. The sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the spring guide rod (65) is guided and supported by opposing slide bearings (60, 61) arranged in the legs (74, 75), which enable the end of the spring guide rod (65) opposite the ram (64) to protrude piece by piece from the housing (2a).

4. A sliding door with an opening aid (1), wherein the sliding door comprises at least one lowerable door leaf (10) suspended on a carriage (40), wherein the carriage (40) rolls on a running rail (5) by means of at least one roller (30), and a lowering guide (15) is provided below the level of the running rail and recessed in the running rail, into which the at least one roller (30) of the carriage (40) runs when an energy accumulator (3) of the opening aid (1) is charged when the door leaf is in the closed position, and from which the roller (30) runs out into the open position when the energy accumulator (3) is discharged and the door leaf is raised, wherein, in order to charge the energy accumulator (3), the door leaf (10) or the carriage (40) is pressed against a thrust unit (4) of the opening aid (1) located in the direction of movement of the roller (30) and guided parallel to the direction of travel when transferred into the lowering guide (45), which compresses the energy accumulator (3) also aligned parallel to the direction of travel, wherein the energy accumulator is a coil spring (3), characterised in that the coil spring (3) is supported inside an outer sleeve (7) connected to the thrust unit designed as a thrust tab (4), and in that one end (23) of the spring abuts against the outer sleeve (7) and in that the other end of the coil spring (3) is coupled to a housing (2) of the opening aid (1), that the outer sleeve (7) has two diametrically opposed slot guides (47) through which a bolt (33) is guided, on which the spring end (23) is coupled inside the outer sleeve, and that the housing (2) of the opening aid (1) is U-shaped and has two legs (12, 22) projecting in the direction of the guide rail (5), between which an inner sleeve (8) is held, on which the outer sleeve (7) is arranged concentrically and slidably, and that the inner sleeve (8) also has two diametrically opposed slot guides (28) through which the bolt (33) inserted through the outer sleeve (7) is guided, and that the outer surface (57) of the outer sleeve (7) has an external thread (27) in the area of the slot guide (47), onto which an adjustment ring (17) is screwed, which is connected to the bolt (33) protruding from the outer sleeve (7)5. The sliding door according to claim 4, characterised in that the thrust tab (4) is plate-shaped and has an approximately central recess (42) through which the outer sleeve (7) is guided.

6. The sliding door according to claim 5, characterised in that the inner circumference of the recess (42) has a thread for screwing the thrust tab (4) onto an external thread (37) in the outer surface (57) of the outer sleeve (7).

7. The sliding door according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the thrust tab (4) has two vertically upward-standing pins (24a, 24b) above the outer sleeve (7), between which a track rod (6) supported between the legs (12, 22) is guided.

8. The sliding door according to claim 7, characterised in that the track rod (6) protrudes through a passage (56) in the leg (12) and is coupled to a tension spring (26) which causes a circular arc-shaped return of the track rod (6) about the longitudinal axis of the outer sleeve (7).

9. The sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the shape of the lowering guide is designed such that the resulting force per travel section for the spring of the energy accumulator changes linearly.