Sliding gate without crossbar

Abstract

The invention relates to a sliding gate comprising a post at each of its longitudinal ends, two rollers (9) that cooperate with a rail for the gate's sliding action, and a casing. The gate has no bottom rail, and each of the rollers (9) is rotatably mounted at the lower end of one of the gate posts. The post may include a tubular profile (23) to which the casing is attached, and a roller support comprising a cap (21) and a base (22). The roller support provides both a finished look to the post at its lower end and transmits all the gate's loads to the roller. Integrating the rollers into the posts eliminates the bottom rail, resulting in a lighter and more aesthetically pleasing gate with casing extending the full height of the gate, without any height restrictions for the rollers. (See Fig. 7 for the abstract.)

Description

Title of the invention: Sliding gate without crossbar

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of sliding gates. EARLIER ART

[0002] A gate generally comprises a frame that provides its stability and mechanical strength, a casing whose function is essentially aesthetic, the casing having no mechanical function, and at least two rollers on which the gate rests and which cooperate with a ground rail to allow the gate to slide along said rail, in the plane of the gate. The entire load of the gate is borne by these rollers.

[0003] The cladding may include a solid or perforated plate and / or vertical or horizontal or inclined blades, joined or spaced apart, various decorations, etc.

[0004] The frame comprises two uprights extending vertically and defining the axial ends of the gate. It also generally includes crossbars, the term "crossbar" designating a horizontal structural profile that contributes to the mechanical strength of the gate, receives the slats or other gate cladding as well as accessories such as rollers or the motorization rack (in the case of a motorized gate).

[0005] In particular, the frame of known gates includes at least one lower crossbar into which the rollers are integrated. The lower crossbar is a structural element of the gate that extends along the lower part of the gate along its entire length, and which is dimensioned to support the entire weight of the gate and to absorb all the forces to which it is subjected, which forces are then transmitted to the rollers.

[0006] These rollers are positioned proportionally to the length of the gate to distribute the load and ensure its proper operation. They are generally fitted with covers to conceal them as much as possible. Indeed, the rollers are not painted the same color as the gate and constitute an aesthetic detriment. Adding covers or trim pieces painted to match the gate makes them less visible. However, a volume remains where the rollers are located, interrupting the gate's aesthetic line. It should be noted that the covers also serve as a safety measure against the risk of crushing.

[0007] The use of non-structural cladding inside the frame reduces the amount of material used, and therefore the manufacturing cost of the gate as well as its weight, which also limits the mechanical requirements that the rollers must meet. Thus, the cladding is by definition thinner and less resistant than the crossbars.

[0008] For aesthetic or other reasons, it may be desirable to remove the The gate's crossbars. The gate cladding then extends along the entire height of the gate and its entire length between the two uprights (in this case, it is no longer referred to as a frame). This is, of course, only possible if the cladding has a certain rigidity that limits its bending in the plane of the gate under the effect of its weight, as well as its bending perpendicular to the plane of the gate.

[0009] Such a gate without a crossbar seems a priori unsuitable for mounting as a sliding gate. Indeed, the problem then arises of being able to house the rollers in the lower part of the casing, the latter generally having insufficient thickness and mechanical resistance to accommodate a roller and its fixing device and to transmit to the rollers the entire weight of the gate and all the forces to which it is subjected.

[0010] To solve this problem, one might be tempted to add a reinforcing profile to the rear of the casing, configured to house the rollers and support the forces. However, such a profile would have a significant aesthetic impact, as the absence of a bottom rail in the gate would then lose its main advantage. Furthermore, this profile would create additional material costs, extra machining, etc. In addition, the rollers would no longer be located in the plane of the gate, which would induce a mechanical torque.

[0011] As an alternative, in the case of cladding made of horizontal slats, one might be tempted to provide a lower slat wider than the others in order to accommodate the rollers. Such a widened slat would aesthetically resemble a crossbar; replacing the lower crossbar with a cladding slat would therefore have very limited benefit. Furthermore, a cladding slat, even widened, is not strong enough to support the weight of the gate; it is even less so once machined (and therefore weakened) to receive a roller. A reinforcing profile (inside or behind the slat) would therefore be necessary here again.

[0012] Furthermore, in the case of a sliding gate aligned with a pedestrian gate or fence modules, the slats, and more generally the gate's cladding, must be aligned with the slats or cladding of the pedestrian gate or fence to achieve a satisfactory aesthetic result. The optimal layout for manufacturing, design, and aesthetic rendering therefore depends on site constraints, customer requirements, etc. This implies a variable height for the gate's bottom slat, or more generally, for the height (from the ground) of the lower edge of the cladding. Fixing the rollers to this bottom slat or to the lower edge of the cladding would preclude these height variations or would necessitate the development and manufacture of rollers or roller housings specifically for each gate based on the available height, which is not feasible on an industrial scale. Description of the invention

[0013] The invention aims to solve at least one of the aforementioned problems, in order to be able to offer a sliding gate without a bottom rail that can be mass-produced and without additional cost compared to a sliding gate with a bottom rail.

[0014] To this end, the invention relates to a sliding gate comprising:

[0015] - an amount at each of its longitudinal ends, it being recalled that the term " "Amount" refers to a structural element (see above),

[0016] - two rollers intended to cooperate with a rail for the sliding of the gate, and

[0017] - a casing,

[0018] characterized in that the gate is devoid of a bottom crossbar and in that each of the rollers is rotatably mounted at a lower end of one of the gate uprights.

[0019] Thanks to the invention, the rollers are decoupled from the cladding. It therefore becomes possible to apply any layout to the slats (or other cladding) without any height constraints. Since the cladding (for example, made of slats) is not machined, no fragility is introduced.

[0020] Furthermore, the rollers are particularly discreet as they appear to be an extension of the uprights, which considerably improves the aesthetics of the gate. When the gate is closed, the rollers can even be completely invisible as they are concealed by the posts framing the gate.

[0021] A person skilled in the art would have been discouraged from integrating the rollers into the gate posts because distributing the gate load at its ends is mechanically nonsensical. Furthermore, this also increases the bending stresses on the cladding under its own weight in the plane of the gate, particularly for a large gate. Since it is only supported at its longitudinal ends, the cladding must now be dimensioned to be self-supporting and have sufficient inertia to avoid deformation or negligible deflection, regardless of its total length (including for long lengths, exceeding 5 meters, for example). Positioning the rollers at the ends of the gate also necessitates lengthening the rail on which the sliding gate is mounted, another reason why a person skilled in the art would not, a priori, have considered a gate according to the invention.However, it turns out that the various disadvantages mentioned above are largely offset by the advantages provided by the invention.

[0022] According to one possible feature of the invention, each of the gate uprights comprises:

[0023] - a structural tubular profile having an open lower end, and

[0024] - a roller support which comprises

[0025] - an upper part, hereinafter referred to as a plug, configured to fit into the open lower end of the upright and seal said end, which plug has a central opening, called the upper opening, for the passage of a upper portion of one of the rollers, upper opening on either side of which are formed two upper half-bearings receiving an axis of rotation of the roller,

[0026] - a lower part, hereinafter referred to as the base, fixed to the cap by screws, which The base has a central opening, called the lower opening, for the passage of a lower portion of the roller, lower opening on either side of which are formed two lower half-bearings receiving and supporting the axis of rotation of the roller.

[0027] In addition to its usual functions of receiving the roller and transferring the loads of the gate to said roller, the roller support according to the invention therefore also has a finishing function consisting of closing the lower end of the tubular profile.

[0028] According to a possible feature of the invention, the cap comprises two sockets into which the base fixing screws are anchored.

[0029] According to a possible feature of the invention, for each of the rollers, the sliding gate further comprises two spacers, each arranged on the axis of rotation of said roller between the roller and one of the two lower half-bearings which support the axis of said roller. Brief description of the drawings

[0030] The invention, according to an exemplary embodiment, will be better understood and its advantages will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description, given by way of example and in no way limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0031] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] is a front view, from the outside, of a sliding gate of the prior art provided with a low crosspiece;

[0032] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a detail of the portal of the [Fig.l], showing a pebble integrated into the lower crossbar of the portal;

[0033] [Fig. 3] [Fig. 3] is a front view, from the outside, of an example of a portal sliding according to the invention;

[0034] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a front view, from the inside, of another example of a portal sliding according to the invention, once installed and in the closed position;

[0035] [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is a longitudinal sectional view of a detail of a portal according to the invention representing the lower end of a post of said gate, equipped with a roller;

[0036] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a perspective view of the detail shown in [Fig.5],

[0037] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] reproduces the various elements shown in Figures 5 and 6, seen in exploded perspective. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Identical elements represented in the aforementioned figures are identified by identical numerical references.

[0039] Figures 1 and 2 represent a motorized sliding gate not forming part of the invention. This earlier portal includes:

[0040] - a frame, comprising two uprights 101 and 102 which define the two ends longitudinal members of the portal, as well as a lower crossbar 103 and an upper crossbar 104,

[0041] - a cladding 105 formed here of horizontal slats 106, arranged here in a contiguous manner or almost

[0042] - an upper guide bar 107, fixed to the upper cross member 104 on the side inside the gate, which guide bar 107 is designed to slide inside a bracket fixed cantilevered on a post or wall (not shown), in order to hold the gate in a vertical plane,

[0043] - a lower drive bar 108, equipped with a rack (not visible on the drawings) intended to cooperate with a toothed wheel (not shown) driven by a motor (not shown),

[0044] - two rollers 109, integrated into the lower cross member 103, which rollers cooperate with A rail (not shown) is fixed to a concrete beam (not shown) formed on the ground. The rollers are positioned to optimize the distribution of loads on each of them.

[0045] Such a roller 109 can be seen in [Fig. 2]. It is housed in a roller support 110 which carries the roller's axis of rotation, said roller support 110 being integrated and fixed in the cross member 103 which is machined for this purpose. This roller support may have lateral flanges that fold down on either side of the roller to conceal it. In this case, it is painted the same color as the gate. Alternatively, decorative trim pieces can be attached, for example by clipping, to the roller support.

[0046] Figures 3 to 7 illustrate an example of the realization of a sliding gate according to the invention.

[0047] Like the known gate previously described, the gate according to the invention in Figures 3 to 7 comprises two uprights 1 and 2 which define the longitudinal ends of the gate, as well as a casing 5.

[0048] In the example of [Fig. 3], the cladding 5 is composed of a series of horizontal slats 6a, 6b. Two slat models are used here, with different heights: taller slats 6b form a base above which shorter slats 6a are arranged. This is just one example among many. It would, of course, be possible to use identical slats 6 along the entire height of the gate, as in the example of [Fig. 4], or, for example, to use a base made of a solid or perforated panel or of horizontal slats, topped with vertical or inclined slats, etc.

[0049] Unlike the earlier gates of [Figs. 1] and 2, the gate according to the invention lacks a bottom rail. In the illustrated examples, it also lacks a top rail, so that the cladding 5 extends over the entire height of the gate. A However, a gate with a top crossbar, which reinforces its rigidity in the plane, would conform to the invention.

[0050] As is known, the uprights 1, 2 are structural elements of the gate which contribute to its stability and mechanical rigidity, and which are mainly made up of a tubular profile 23 (see [Fig.5] to 7)

[0051] Each blade 6, 6a, 6b (or more generally the cladding 5) is embedded at its axial ends in the uprights 1, 2. The tubular profile 23 of the uprights has for this purpose openings 25 ([Fig.7]) through which the axial ends of the blades are inserted, as well as an internal flange 24 (cf. [Fig.5] and 7) against which said axial ends are wedged.

[0052] The gate further comprises two rollers 9 which, according to the invention, are each integrated into one of the gate's uprights 1, 2, preferably as described below. The rollers 9 are intended to cooperate with a rail 15 usually fixed to a concrete beam (not shown) formed in the ground.

[0053] Each of the rollers 9 is mounted in a roller support 10, consisting of a plug 21 and a base 22. The plug 21 is arranged at the lower end of the upright 1, 2.

[0054] The roller 9 is carried by an axis 20 around which it is mounted to rotate. At each of its ends, the axis of rotation 20 is embedded in a bearing consisting of an upper half-bearing 28 formed in the plug 21 and a lower half-bearing 29 formed in the base 22.

[0055] Two spacers 27 are provided between the roller 9 and the bearings. Each spacer is housed at least partially in a recess 35 in the roller. The spacers ensure correct centering of the roller with respect to the rail 15 and contribute to maintaining it in a vertical plane.

[0056] The plug 21 is inserted and guided into the lower end of the tubular profile 23 by means of fins 31 which bear against the inner face of the front walls of the tubular profile and protrusions 34 which fit into angles at the intersection between internal transverse and internal longitudinal wings (not visible in the figures) of the profile. The lower end of the tubular profile 23 then rests on a base 36 of the plug.

[0057] The base 22 is arranged under the cap 21 by means of a tab 32 which fits into a recess 33 of complementary shape, formed in the inner face of the base 36 of the cap. The roller support is rigidly fixed to the cap by two fixing screws which are anchored in recesses 30 of the cap.

[0058] In the illustrated examples, the weight of the gate is transmitted to the rollers via the tubular profile 23 of the uprights, the base and the screw holes 30 of the end cap 21, the fixing screws 26, the base 22, and finally the rotation axis 20. The specifications (dimensions, materials, etc.) of the various elements through which the loads are transmitted, in particular the end cap 21 and base 22, are chosen accordingly.

[0059] Alternatively, the base 22 could be fixed directly to the tubular profile 23, by providing holes in the bottom of the cap for the passage of fixing screws and screw holes in the tubular profile for anchoring said screws. At least part of the gate's load would then be transferred directly from the tubular profile to the base via said screws.

[0060] Furthermore, the gate in Figures 3 to 7 also includes an upper guide bar 7 on the inner side of the gate, which bar is fixed on -and supported by- the uprights 1 and 2. The upper guide bar 7 cooperates with a bracket 11 fixed on a post 12 (see [Fig.4]) in order to keep the gate in a vertical plane.

[0061] Still on the inner side, the gate also includes a lower drive bar 8 equipped with a rack 16 intended to cooperate with a toothed wheel (not shown) of a motor block (not shown) for the translational drive of the gate.

[0062] In the closed position, it may be provided that the gate upright 1 comes to rest against stops 14, which may be fixed on a post 13.

[0063] The gate according to the invention can be the subject of variants compared to the illustrated examples, provided that it is devoid of a bottom crossbar and that its rollers are arranged at the lower end of the uprights.

[0064] Integrating the rollers into the uprights allows for any layout for the cladding slats, and in particular makes it possible to position the bottom slat at the desired height depending on the gate's surroundings (for alignment with a neighboring pedestrian gate, for example). In general, the invention allows for greater freedom in the design of the cladding. Furthermore, the rollers according to the invention are particularly discreet because they appear as an extension of the uprights, which improves the gate's aesthetics. Moreover, the sliding gate without a crossbar according to the invention can be manufactured industrially and streamlined at a lower cost.

Claims

Demands

1. Sliding gate comprising a post (1, 2) at each of its longitudinal ends, two rollers (9) intended to cooperate with a rail for sliding the gate, and a casing (5), characterized in that the gate is devoid of a bottom rail and in that each of the rollers (9) is rotatably mounted at a lower end of one of the posts (1, 2) of the gate.

2. Sliding gate according to claim 1, in which each of the uprights (1,2) comprises on the one hand a structural tubular profile (23) which has an open lower end, and on the other hand a roller support (10) which has - an upper part (21), hereinafter referred to as a plug, configured to fit into the open lower end of the upright and close said end, which plug has a central opening (37), referred to as the upper opening, for the passage of an upper portion of one of the rollers (9), the upper opening on either side of which are formed two upper half-bearings (28) receiving a rotation axis (20) of the roller, - a lower part (22), hereinafter referred to as a base, fixed to the plug by screws (26), which base has a central opening (38), referred to as the lower opening, for the passage of a lower portion of the roller (9),lower opening on either side of which are formed two lower half-bearings (29) receiving and supporting the axis of rotation (20) of the roller.

3. Sliding gate according to claim 2, in which the plug (22) comprises two sockets (30) into which the fixing screws (26) of the base are anchored.

4. Sliding gate according to any one of claims 2 or 3, further comprising, for each of the rollers (9), two spacers (27) each arranged on the axis of rotation (20) of said roller between the roller and one of the two lower half-bearings (28) which support the axis of said roller.

Images