Underfloor sliding frame rolling system with detachable platform

Abstract

Underfloor sliding frame rolling system with detachable platform The invention concerns an underfloor sliding frame rolling system, which consists of a platform (2) with rollers (5) and hooks (7) and a blade (3) with holes (6), which slides in the casement (1), in a specially designed slot, connecting the platform (2) to the casement (1), as the hooks (7) are secured to the holes (6). The system is sealed with a cap, which closes the entrance, through which the blade (3) enters the casement (1).

Description

Technical scope of the invention

[0001] The present invention concerns a frame rolling system, which is underfloor, namely, the guide, the rollers (5) and the rest of the rolling mechanism are not visible.

[0002] Frames are usually divided into swing and sliding. Sliding frames have a rolling mechanism, which is usually placed on the underside of the frame, but can also be placed on the top side or on both sides. The rolling mechanism may be either a floor or an underfloor mechanism. This invention concerns an underfloor sliding frame rolling system with detachable platform.State of art

[0003] Underfloor rolling systems that are incorporated in sliding frames move on a guide that is either simply built in a visible groove of the floor or is immersed under the floor. All underfloor rolling systems also feature a water drainage system.

[0004] Most underfloor rolling systems incorporated into sliding frames are usually placed within a floor groove. In particular, the guide is placed in the floor groove - which is built at an earlier stage - and the rollers move inside the guide. In this type of underfloor rolling systems, the depth of the groove is enough to integrate the guide without protruding from the floor. However, the guide is visible in its entirety. The biggest problem is that the width of the groove of the floor and, by extension, the width of the driver is large, making the crossing of wheeled vehicles difficult, while when someone tries to cross at the point of the guide, there is a risk of getting their foot jammed or even of stumbling and falling. Besides, due to the large width, the openings are larger and the insulation of the frame is more difficult, while the inflow of water is more intense.

[0005] In order to address the above problems, some inventors constructed rolling systems that sink further into the ground, covering the guide, the rollers (5) and the water drainage mechanism with floor slabs. Between the casement (1) of the frame and the rollers, there are usually vertical thin axes, which penetrate the floor slabs. This reduces the width of the visible surface of the rolling system and facilitates the crossing of wheeled vehicles and pedestrians from the guide. Visually, the only thing visible is one or more straight lines on the floor, of small width, through which the vertical axes pass that end in the rollers. The rollers (5) and the guide on which they move are not visible. However, in this solution the biggest problem is the placement of the floor tiles, which cover the rollers (5) and the guide on which the rollers move. In particular, when the rollers (5) are integrated in the casement (1) of the frame, the frame must be placed in the guide and then the installer must try to place the floor slabs on the guide and on either side of the axis that connects the casement (1) to the rollers. The space available to the installer for placing the floor slabs is minimal, so the installation is time-consuming and very likely to lead to poor workmanship. Therefore, the installation of such frames in practice leads to dubious results.

[0006] Some manufacturers considered detaching the casement (1) of the frame from the rolling system. The aim of this idea was to facilitate installation, i.e. to place the rolling system first in the guide, followed by the installation of the floor slabs and, at the end, to place and fix the casement (1) to the rolling system. However, the mechanisms that have been developed and the methods that have been tested to date present many different problems depending on the approach. Possibly this is the reason why they have not been translated into products and are not on the market. The international patent application PCT / IB2012 / 050480 concerns a detachable underfloor rolling mechanism, which does not use rollers, but pairs of small solid wheels, which are embedded in the underfloor rolling mechanism and rotate around themselves, to allow the frame to slide on them. This prerequisite for this mechanism is that the frame is held firmly on an axis without shifting to the left and requires the exercise of greater force in order to slide the frame compared to a frame that uses rollers. Furthermore, as mentioned above, all rolling mechanisms feature a water drainage system. This mechanism, however, due to its stability, may not drain all passing water and may accumulate moisture, which can affect wheel mobility or even cause rusting. In both cases, the mobility and functionality of the frame will be affected. The international patent application WO2012124865A1 concerns a detachable underfloor rolling mechanism, which uses rollers. On the underside of the casement of the frame, thin axes are screwed, which are then placed vertically in opposite recesses on the rolling platform (2). The prerequisite for this mechanism is the proper screw-down of the axes. In any case, the proper functioning of this system depends on the durability of the axes and the platform, as, each time the frame slides, these axes exert forces inside the platform. The platform (2) slides, at every move, by forces exerted on it by the axes, which, however, are a foreign body. The frame too, has such weight and displacement that its support on thin vertical axes is of dubious durability. Finally, the section of the mechanism that goes through the floor slabs has the shape of the letter "H" in a horizontal position. As a result, the forces exerted by the casement end up transversely on the entire surface of the horizontal "H", including the edges, while the ideal, based on the generally accepted rules of physics, would be to channel said forces to the central section of the axis, to achieve maximum stability. Some other mechanisms, in order to achieve better rolling and stability, place two rows of rollers on the underside. This, however, requires respectively two guides and, therefore, two corridors for the axes which pass through the corridors. Thus, better rolling and stability of the frame can be achieved, but the two corridors require more space for installation, more waterproofing, provision for drainage of a larger amount of water, while the crossing of the point by wheeled vehicles and pedestrians is difficult. The patent application with number GB2087961A discloses an underfloor sliding frame rolling system for a sliding frame, said frame comprising a casement for sliding on an underfloor guide, with detachable platform consisting of a platform with rollers and a blade slideable on the casement and provided with holes wherein the platform has securing elements on the upper side which are secured to the holes of the blade, when in use the blade slides on the casement and connects the platform to the casement. However, it does not explicitly mention an underfloor mounting of the guide and the rollers. However, as the rollers are mounted below the frame, the rolling system is suitable for a frame sliding on an underfloor guide. Further, the blade can slide with legs on the sides of the casement. To summarise the above, some mechanisms ensure satisfactory rolling, but have not achieved the ideal fixing of the frame casement in the rolling system, while other mechanisms achieve better fixing, but may either occupy more space or cause greater stress of the frame during its movement and, therefore, faster wear. Therefore, of the solutions implemented to date, none eliminates all the above problems.Presentation of the invention

[0007] The present invention consists of a rolling system consisting of a) a platform, which bears rollers (5) , below the frame, on its underside and hooks (7) on its upper side, b) a blade, which is sliding on the casement (1) of the frame and has holes, on which the hooks (7) are fastened, and c) a cap (4) which seals the entrance of the blade after its placement on the casement. The hooks (7) are secured to the holes (6) of the blade (3), when the blade (3) slides on the casement (1) and connects the platform (2) to the casement (2), The platform (2) has the shape of the letter "Y". On the upper side there are hooks (7), with which the casement (1) of the frame is connected and secured on the platform. The two diagonal sides of the upper section of the platform result in the concentration of the forces exerted by the casement (1) on the central section of the platform, therefore achieving maximum stability, in accordance with the general rules of physics. The central section is thin in width so that it can run through the floor slabs, but thick enough in height to withstand the concentration of forces. The rollers are incorporated on the underside, achieving the rolling. It can either have a row of rollers, in the centre of the underside, or two rows of rollers, i.e., one row on each side. The blade (3) has a thin thickness to enter sliding in a specially designed slot located on the underside of the frame casement. It also has holes, in a rectangular or other shape, in which the hooks (7) are inserted and slide, in order to secure the casement (1) of the frame on the platform. The cap (4) has the unique function of sealing the specially designed slot on the underside of the casement, after the blade has entered and the casement is secured to the platform. The cap (4) consists of two sections, one of which is placed vertically between the blade (3) and the casement (1) and the other is placed horizontally, sealing the entrance through which the blade (3) enters the casement. This invention solves all the problems faced by manufacturers and installers of underfloor rolling systems for sliding frames, by applying the most durable safety system with a hook (7), which is something that no known rolling system does to date. In specific, this is an invention that allows the installation of a sliding frame with underfloor rolling system, with easy and defect-free placement of floor slabs on either side of the central section of the platform, as it has detachable sections. It also guarantees great stability thanks to the Y-shaped platform, which concentrates all the forces exerted by the casement on the central section of the platform. The biggest innovation, however, is the way the casement is secured to the platform (2), which is achieved with the hooks (7) found on the upper section of the platform in conjunction with the intermediate blade (3) and the cap. The hooks (7) are rectangular in shape and their dimensions are identical to those of the holes in the blade, so that they fit exactly when they enter them. Indicatively, the dimensions of each rectangular hole are 10 x 20 mm. Alternatively, the holes (6) can be wider at the point where the hooks are inserted (7), to allow easy insertion, and narrower at the point where the hooks are secured (7) in the direction in which they are sliding, so that they are more effectively secured. The section of the hooks (7) that is parallel to the platform (2) has a distance from the platform (2) equal to the thickness of the blade, so that when it slides on the platform it is effectively secured. Indicatively, this distance may range between 3 and 5 mm. The installation is carried out follows. The platform (2) is placed on the underfloor guide, so that the rollers (5) are applied to the guide. Then, the floor slabs are placed on either side of the central section of the platform, so that, above the floor surface, only the upper section of the platform protrudes. The cap (4) is placed on one end of the blade and the other end of the blade enters the lower section of the casement, which has a specially designed slot for the blade. The blade (3) is inserted so that the cap (4) located on one end of the blade is a few centimetres away from the casement. Then, the casement (1) is placed on the platform (2) at specific reception points, which all the corresponding frames have, in order to apply the contour of the upper side of the platform to the contour of the lower side of the frame. Finally, after applying the casement to the platform, the blade (3) slides to the casement, pushing the cap (4) to the blade, so that the hooks (7) of the platform are secured to the holes (6) of the sliding blade and the cap (4) secures the blade (3) to the casement. If, for any reason, the frame needs to be uninstalled, the above steps are followed in reverse order. The cap is pulled, releasing the hooks (7), so that the frame can be separated from the platform. The rolling system may also have a water drainage mechanism, which is usually placed under the guide or parallel to the guide on the outside and at the same depth as the guide.

[0008] In this way, and in particular with the hooks (7) that no similar known product applies to date, the present invention manages to solve all the problems faced by manufacturers and installers of underfloor rolling systems for sliding frames, as it combines the use of rollers with the most durable locking system. In this way, only one corridor is required for each sliding frame, without any protrusion above the floor, with underfloor rolling system, which is easy to install, has a durable locking of the rolling system with the sliding frame, and guarantees stability, functionality and long life cycle for the frame.Description of the drawings

[0009] Drawing 1 shows the casement (1), the platform (2) with the rollers (5), the blade (3) which is inside the casement (1) and the cap (4), which is not fitted on the casement, but is a few centimetres away from it. Drawing 2 shows the casement (1), the blade (3) with the holes (6) and the cap (4) (4), which consists of two sections. Drawing 3 shows the platform (2) with the rollers (5) and the hooks (7). Drawing 4 shows the blade (3) with the holes (6). Figure 5 shows, in cross-section, the platform (2), which is Y-shaped, the rollers (5) and the blade (3) that has entered the frame (1). Drawing 6 shows a hook (7) of the platform (2) which has entered through the hole (6) of the blade (3). Drawing 7 shows a hook (7) of the platform (2) which is secured to the hole (6) of the blade. Implementation of the invention

[0010] Example 1 (drawings 2, 1, 6 and 7) shows how the blade (3) enters the casement (1) and stops at a distance of a few centimetres. The platform (2) is fastened to the casement (1) and the blade (3) slides completely to the casement (1). As the blade (3) slides, the hooks (7) are secured to the holes (6) of the blade (3), connecting the platform (2) to the casement (1), and the cap (4) seals the entrance through which the blade (3) (3) entered the casement (1).

Claims

1. Underfloor sliding frame rolling system for a sliding frame, said frame comprising a casement (1) and being slideable on an underfloor guide, with detachable platform consisting of a platform (2) with rollers (5) for being mounted below the frame and a blade (3) with holes slideable on the casement, characterized in that the platform has securing hooks (7) on the upper side which are secured to the holes (6) of the blade (3), so that when in use the blade (3) slides on the casement (1) and connects the platform (2) to the casement (1), and in that the platform (2) has the shape of the letter "Y".

2. Underfloor sliding frame rolling system with detachable platform, as described in the previous claim, and characterized by the fact that it has a detachable cap (4) by which the blade (3) is secured to the casement (1).

3. The method of placement of the underfloor sliding frame rolling system according to one of the previous claims, and is characterized by the fact that a) the platform is placed (2) on the underfloor guide, so that the rollers (5) are applied to the guide, b) the floor slabs are placed on either side of the central section of the platform, so that only the upper section of the platform protrudes above the floor surface, c) the cap is placed (4) on one end of the blade and the other end of the blade enters the lower section of the casement, which features a specially designed slot for the blade, (d) the blade (3) enters the casement so that the cap (4) located at one end of the blade has a distance of a few centimetres from the casement (1), (e) the casement (1) is placed on the platform (2) at specific points of reception, so that the contour of the upper side of the platform is fitted to the contour of the lower side of the frame, (f) the blade (3) slides on the casement (1), pushing the cap (4) to the blade, leading the hooks (7) of the platform to secure to the holes (6) of the sliding blade and the cap (4) to secure the blade (3) to the casement (1).

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