Sliding door arrangement for a deep freeze furniture item

Abstract

The invention relates to a sliding door arrangement for a freezer unit, comprising: - a door frame (1), - at least one sliding door (2), wherein the sliding door (2) is movable between an open position and a closed position along the frame plane, and - a guide device (3), wherein the guide device (2) comprises: • roller arrangements (4) each with a first roller axle (5) and • at least one guide element (6) that defines the movement of the sliding door (2), characterized in that the guide device (3) is designed such that the sliding door (2) moves transversely to the frame plane when moving from the open position to the closed position, for which purpose: - the guide element (6) has a parallel section (7) and a closing section (8), and - the roller arrangements (4) each have at least one further roller axle (9).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding door arrangement for a freezer unit, comprising a door frame, wherein the door frame defines a frame plane which is in particular vertically oriented, at least one sliding door, wherein the sliding door is movable along the frame plane between an open position and a closed position, and a guide device for guiding the sliding door between the open position and the closed position, wherein the guide device comprises roller arrangements with each a first roller axis and at least one guide element for guiding the movement of the sliding door.

[0002] Such sliding door arrangements are known for refrigerated display cases where a temperature in the low positive single digits is to be maintained inside the unit. It has been found that these known sliding door arrangements are not suitable for freezers where temperatures in the range of -20°C are generated. Specifically, it has been shown that the known sliding door arrangements do not seal sufficiently tightly, allowing ambient air to penetrate the freezer, resulting in undesirable ice formation.

[0003] A sliding door arrangement with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known from GB 2 075 100 A.

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to eliminate the disadvantages described with reference to the prior art and in particular to provide a sliding door arrangement that ensures sufficient sealing against the environment for freezer cabinets.

[0005] The problem is solved by a sliding door arrangement with the features of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the sliding door arrangement are specified in the dependent claims and in the description, whereby individual features of the advantageous embodiments can be combined with one another in a technically meaningful manner.

[0006] The problem is solved in particular by a sliding door arrangement with the aforementioned features, in which the guide device is designed such that the sliding door moves transversely to the frame plane when moving from the open position to the closed position, for which purpose the guide element has a parallel section arranged parallel to the frame plane and a closing section arranged transversely to the parallel section, and for which purpose the roller arrangements each have a further, in particular exactly a second, roller axis, so that the roller arrangements can accommodate a movement component parallel to the parallel section as well as transversely to it when moving along the guide element.

[0007] The basic idea of ​​the invention is that, when moving from the open position to the closed position, the sliding door is moved transversely to the frame plane and thus towards the door frame at the end of the closing movement, thereby increasing the pressing force of the sliding door on the door frame and thus also increasing the tightness of a seal arranged between the door frame and the sliding door, whereas moving the sliding door along the frame plane can be done without much effort, since there is little or no friction between the sliding door and the door frame.

[0008] To enable the sliding door to move perpendicular to the frame plane, it is proposed that the one or more guide elements have a parallel section, possibly consisting of several components, and a closing section, possibly also consisting of several components. The parallel section or its components are arranged such that the sliding door moves parallel to the frame plane. The closing section or its components, on the other hand, are designed such that the sliding door moves perpendicular (obliquely) to the frame plane, at least briefly before reaching the closed position, thus moving the sliding door towards the door frame. When the sliding door is opened, the closing section ensures that the sliding door is first moved away from the door frame, so that it can then be easily moved into the open position.

[0009] Furthermore, each roller assembly has a second roller axis, which ensures that the roller assembly moves / aligns itself in response to the closing movement against the door frame. It has been found that using a roller with only one axis of rotation (also known as a fixed roller) does not provide sufficient pressure to guarantee an adequate seal.

[0010] In particular, the roller assembly is arranged on the sliding door, while the guide element is stationary and connected to the door frame in a suitable manner or is formed / arranged on it.

[0011] Each sliding door is assigned at least two roller assemblies, and each roller assembly may have its own guide element. Alternatively, it may be that only one guide element is assigned to the multiple roller assemblies of a sliding door. The sliding door includes at least one (insulated) glass pane, allowing a customer to see inside the freezer unit. The glass pane is installed in a sliding door frame, which also incorporates the elements of the guide system, and in particular the roller assemblies.

[0012] Preferably, the sliding door arrangement has exactly two sliding doors which are arranged on opposite sides of the door frame and each have a guide device.

[0013] The roller arrangement can, for example, be designed as a so-called omnidirectional wheel, in which the wheel's running surface itself consists of rollers. This omnidirectional wheel rotates around its first (main) axis when moving parallel to the frame plane, while the rollers forming the running surface remain stationary. During the closing movement (perpendicular to the frame plane) towards the door frame, at least one of the rollers forming the running surface also rotates around a second roller axis (associated with the respective roller).

[0014] A preferred embodiment, however, is one in which the first roller axis is rotatable about the second roller axis, so that the roller assemblies automatically align themselves with both the parallel and the closing sections during movement along the guide element. In this embodiment, each roller assembly has exactly one roller that rotates about the first, horizontally oriented roller axis during movement between the open and closed positions, while during rotation / pivoting about the second, particularly vertically oriented, roller axis, the roller can align itself according to the direction of movement of the sliding door. Such a roller assembly is also known, in particular, as a guide roller.During the movement of the sliding door parallel to the frame plane, the first roller axis is therefore aligned orthogonally to the frame plane, while the first roller axis is rotated / pivoted around the second roller axis due to a rotation / pivot around the second roller axis during the movement towards the door frame (perpendicular to the frame plane).

[0015] In both embodiments described above, the further, and in particular exactly a second, roller axis is aligned parallel to the frame plane. In particular, the second roller axis is also aligned at a right angle to the first roller axis, whereby the second roller axis (at least in a virtual extension) can intersect the first roller axis or be offset (skew) from it.

[0016] According to the invention, the guide device and thus also the guide elements and the roller arrangements are arranged on an underside of the sliding door.

[0017] Particularly when the guide device is arranged on the underside of the sliding door, it is preferred if the roller assemblies rest on at least one guide rail designed as a guide element. In this context, the parallel section is formed by a section of the guide rail aligned parallel to the frame plane, while the end section is formed by a section of the guide rail angled relative to the parallel section.In particular, if the roller arrangement is designed as a so-called guide roller in this context, the roller can have a groove with which the roller rests on the guide rail, wherein the roller has a projection formed by the groove on one, preferably both sides, which overlaps the guide rail laterally, so that the roller is aligned by a rotation about the second roller axis when the roller is moved from the parallel section to the end section of the rail or back.

[0018] To prevent ice from forming on the guide element, which is designed in particular as a guide rail, it may be provided that the guide element or each guide element (in particular the guide rail) is equipped with a heater.

[0019] If the guide device according to the invention is arranged on the underside of the sliding door, it is advantageous to enable the sliding door to be guided with as little friction as possible on its upper side. For this purpose, the invention provides that the sliding door has at least one upper roller with a rigidly mounted roller axle around which the upper roller rotates, the roller axle of the upper roller being aligned parallel to the frame plane. The upper roller preferably rests against a contact element extending along the door frame, so that the upper roller rolls over the contact element.

[0020] In order for the upper roller to follow the closing movement of the sliding door towards the door frame into the closing position, it can be provided, for example, that the system element has a recess in which the upper roller is arranged in the closing position.

[0021] To seal the interior of the freezer unit equipped with a sliding door from the environment, a seal can be arranged between the door frame and the sliding door, with the seal being attached either to the door frame or to the sliding door. In particular, the seal is arranged around the entire perimeter of the sliding door on the side facing the door frame, so that the sliding door is sealed around its circumference.

[0022] To further enhance the seal against the environment, at least one magnetic element must be attached to the door frame and / or the sliding door to hold the sliding door in the closed position. The magnetic element is positioned in such a way as to ensure or enhance the sealing effect provided by the gasket. For this purpose, the magnetic element can also be located within the gasket itself.

[0023] According to the invention, the guide device is designed in such a way that the sliding door automatically moves from any open position to the closed position.

[0024] According to the invention, the roller assembly, which is particularly connected to the sliding door assembly, rests on a support surface having a slope, so that the sliding door moves towards the closed position due to gravity without any further force being applied. The invention offers a significant advantage, especially for such a self-closing sliding door, because the second roller axis results in very low forces required to reach the closed position.

[0025] The door frame is made in particular of a plastic material, and a heating element may be arranged within a frame element made of plastic to prevent the sliding door from freezing to the door frame in its closed position.

[0026] The invention relates in particular to freezer cabinets that have a cooling unit for generating temperatures from below -15°C down to, for example, -40°C. In particular, temperatures of around -20°C should be able to be generated in the freezer cabinet without ambient air entering the freezer cabinet when the sliding doors are in the closed position.

[0027] The invention and its technical context are explained below using the figures as examples. They show schematic representations. Figure 1: a sliding door arrangement, Figure 2: a top view of a guide device of a sliding door of the sliding door arrangement in an open position of the sliding door, Figure 3: the view according to Figure 2 in a closed position of the sliding door, Figure 4: a top view of the sliding door arrangement in the upper area of ​​the sliding door arrangement and Figure 5: a cross-sectional view through an element of the door frame and part of the sliding door arrangement in the closed position.

[0028] The in Figure 1 The illustrated sliding door arrangement comprises a door frame 1, on the front of which a first sliding door 2.1 and on the rear of which a second sliding door 2.2 is arranged. The door frame 1 defines a frame plane along which the sliding doors 2.1 and 2.2 can each be moved between an open position and a closed position. The door frame 1 consists of frame elements 16 made of plastic.

[0029] The sliding door assembly further comprises a guide device 3, wherein each sliding door 2.1 and 2.2 has two roller assemblies 4 of the guide devices 3 on its respective underside. The roller assemblies 4 rest on guide elements 6 of the guide device 3. The guide device 3 is described with reference to the Figures 3 and 4 explained in more detail below.

[0030] Furthermore, the sliding doors 2.1 and 2.2 each have two upper rollers 10 at their upper ends, the roller axes of which are vertically aligned. As can be seen from the Figure 4 As can be seen, the upper rollers 10 rest against a mounting element 11 of the door frame 1, with the upper rollers 10 being arranged in a recess 12 in the closed position of the associated sliding door.

[0031] The command facility 3 is located in the Figures 2 and 3 The guide elements 6 are shown in detail. They are designed as rails with a parallel section 7 that runs parallel to the frame plane. The rails also have a terminal section 8 that is angled relative to the parallel section. The rail has a bearing surface 15 on its upper side.

[0032] The roller assembly 4 attached to the sliding door 2 has a roller with a groove, such that the groove area rests on the support surface 15 of the rail and the roller overlaps the rail laterally. During movement along the rail, the roller rotates about a first roller axis 5. The roller is also rotatably mounted about a second roller axis 9. If the first sliding door 2.1 is now opened from the Figure 2 shown opening position in the Figure 3 When the roller is transferred to the closed position shown, it rotates at all times around the first roller axis 5, whereby, due to the rotatable bearing around the second roller axis 9, the roller automatically aligns itself when transitioning from the parallel section 7 to the closing section 8, so that the roller arrangement 9 does not provide increased resistance during the closing movement on the closing section 8.

[0033] The support surface 15 is arranged with such an inclination that the sliding door 2 closes due to gravity without any further external forces. Figure 3 reached.

[0034] Due to the angled orientation of the end section 8, the sliding door 2 is moved towards the door frame 1 shortly before reaching the closed position, whereby, due to the design of the second roller axis 9, this closing movement is not hindered by the rollers, while a movement parallel (on the parallel section 8) to the frame plane into the open position is possible without much effort.

[0035] As from Figure 5As can be seen, a seal 13 is arranged between the sliding door 2 and a frame element 16 of the door frame 1. It can also be seen that a heater 17 is integrated into the frame element 16, which prevents the sliding door 2 from freezing to the door frame 1. To further enhance the seal, a magnetic element 14 is attached to the door frame 1, which pulls the sliding door 2 into the closed position, thereby reinforcing the sealing effect of the seal 3. Reference symbol list

[0036] 1 Door frame 2.1, 2.2 Sliding door 3 Guide device 4 Roller arrangement 5 First roller axle 6 Guide element 7 Parallel section 8 End section 9 Second roller axle 10 Upper roller 11 Mounting element 12 Recess 13 Seal 14 Magnetic element 15 Support surface 16 Frame element 17 Heating

Claims

1. A sliding door assembly for a deep-freezing equipment, comprising - a door frame (1), wherein the door frame (1) defines a frame plane, - at least one sliding door (2), wherein the sliding door (2) can be moved along the frame plane between an open position and a closed position, and - a guide device (3) for guiding the sliding door (2) between the open position and the closed position, wherein the guide device (2) comprises • roller assemblies (4) each with a first roller axis (5) and • at least one guide element (6) guiding the movement of the sliding door (2), wherein the guide device (3) is designed in such a way that the sliding door (2) moves transversely to the frame plane when moving from the open position to the closed position, for which - the guide element (6) comprises a parallel section (7) arranged parallel to the frame plane and a final section (8) arranged transversely to the parallel section (7), and - the roller assemblies (4) each comprise at least one further roller axis (9) so that the roller assemblies (4) can take up a movement component both parallel to the parallel portion (7) as well as transversely to it when moving along the guide element (6), characterized in that at least one magnetic element (14) is attached to the door frame (1) and / or to the sliding door (2) by means of which the sliding door (2) is held in the closed position and that the guide device (3) is designed in such a way that the sliding door (2) automatically enters the closed position from any open position, wherein the roller assemblies (4) rest on a support surface (15) comprising a bevel so that the sliding door (2) moves in the direction of the closed position without further force due to gravity, and that the roller assemblies (4) are arranged on an underside of the sliding door (2) and the sliding door (2) comprises at least one upper roller (10) with an immovably mounted roller axis in its upper area, wherein the roller axis of the upper roller (10) is aligned parallel to the frame plane.

2. The sliding door arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the first roller axis (5) is rotatable about the second roller axis (9), so that the roller assemblies (4) automatically align themselves to the parallel section (7) and to the finishing section (8) when moving along the guide element (6).

3. The sliding door arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the second roller axes (9) are aligned parallel to the frame plane.

4. The sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the roller assemblies (4) rest on at least one guide rail designed as a guide element (6).

5. The sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper roller (10) rests on a contact element (11) during the movement between the open position and the closed position, wherein the contact element comprises a recess (12) in which the upper roller (10) is arranged in the closed position.

6. The sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a seal (13) is arranged on the door frame (1) or the sliding door (2) which seals the interior of the deep-freezing equipment against the surrounding environment in the closed position.

7. The sliding door arrangement according to Claim 6, wherein the magnetic element (14) is arranged in such a way as to ensure or increase the effect of the seal (13).

8. The sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the door frame (2) comprises frame elements (16) made of plastic.

9. The sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the door frame (2) comprises a heater (17).

10. A deep-freezing equipment with a sliding door arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the deep-freezing equipment comprises a refrigeration unit for generating temperatures below minus 15 °C.

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