Adjustment device for floor movement of sliding doors

Abstract

The adjustment device (10) for floor-level movement of single or double sliding door(s) (12) aligned with a wall (14) comprises rubber wheels (16) connected via pins (20) to a frame (18) joined with pads (26) made of elastomeric material and provided with overlapping elastic sheets (22) fixed to the load-bearing frame by screws (24). The frame is formed by a fixed base (28) and an inclined support (36) on which means for adjusting and aligning the door(s) (12) are arranged. The fixed base (28) defines a substantially rectangular plane and is provided along its opposite long sides with integral side surfaces (30) bent at 90° on each side, one end of which is formed with a through-hole (32) for receiving a pin (34) for connecting and articulating to the inclined support (36).

Description

Summary of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an adjustment device for floor movement of a sliding door.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus that not only allows for optimal sliding of a single or double sliding door across a floor surface, but also compensates for tilt of the sliding doors from vertical.

[0003] As is known, sliding doors are widely used and highly valued for their functional features, as they do not protrude into the room when opened. In some embodiments, these doors are completely hidden and fit into a special recess in the wall when opened. Sliding doors generally include a sliding track connected at their upper part to at least one carriage fixed to the wall, and the door is opened and closed by sliding the rails on the wheels of the fixed carriage. According to a known embodiment, a pair of spring-loaded wheels partially protrude from the lower part of the door, connected to respective supports integrated into the end of the door's lower edge, and the door translates by rolling the spring-loaded wheels on the floor. One such solution, disclosed in EP 2,646,635 and EP 3,665,52 in the name of the same applicant, refers to a similar solution, in which opposing lower rails are fixed to the floor and are defined by upwardly protruding protruding appendages, such as pins, that engage and lock along longitudinal grooves cut into the lower edge of the door. Also known from WO 2019 / 029838 is a floor-mounted sliding door comprising a fork frame to which one or more elastic sheets are attached, and French patent FR 2332406 discloses a sliding door frame carriage consisting of two parts connected by a screw, the wheels of the carriage being supported by respective shafts pressed into support elements.

[0004] Although this type of system is very suitable for the construction of designer doors, since the mechanism that allows the movement is completely hidden from view, it has been found that the known solutions have major drawbacks: indeed, although the weight of the door is distributed between an upper carriage fixed to the wall and a spring-loaded wheel placed at the bottom, the door itself can tilt to one side, i.e. the side opposite to that on which the said carriage is located, because the associated spring-loaded wheel, which bears a greater weight of the sliding door, bends more than the other.

[0005] Another example of a door's tilt can occur when it slides over an uneven floor that is not exactly horizontal, or when the floor has depressions or undulations along the sliding track. A door's tilt relative to the vertical is aesthetically unacceptable, especially in solutions where the door itself is made of glass and has an aluminum frame; this tilt actually appears with respect to the edge of the compartment that is visible through the glass of the frame. Another possible tilt occurs when the door is in a position to close a corridor and must abut against the side wall that defines the corridor itself; in this situation, the door abuts only at the top, leaving a gap at the bottom.

[0006] The tilt of the doors also limits the use of this solution to single sliding doors and makes it inapplicable to double sliding doors, which in fact result in two opposing sliding doors being tilted together at the top, resulting in unacceptably unsightly large or small gaps at the bottom.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0008] More specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment device for floor movement of a sliding door that can compensate for any tilt that may occur in a single or double sliding door by vertically aligning them.

[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment device that can compensate for floor depressions and improve the sliding of a single sliding door.

[0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide the user with an adjustment device for floor movement of a sliding door that can guarantee a high level of strength and reliability over time and that can be manufactured easily and cheaply.

[0011] These and other objects are achieved by the adjustment device of the present invention according to the main claim. The structural and functional specifications of the adjustment device of the present invention can be better understood from the following disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred and non-limiting embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a sliding door that is not aligned perpendicular to the wall at the bottom center. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1 as an example of the degree of difference in height of the sliding doors. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a sliding door that is perfectly aligned vertically. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged portion of FIG. 3 to emphasize that there is no difference in height of the sliding door from the wall. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows the adjustment device of the present invention in an exploded view and in an upside-down position for clarity. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of the adjustment device of the present invention to highlight the possible exposure of the sliding wheels to the floor surface. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the same device in a neutral position with no adjustments made. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a schematic partial cross-sectional side view of the same device with full adjustment applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] 1 and 2, the adjustment device of the present invention is attached to and partially integrated into a sheet formed along the lower edge of the sliding door 12. Although this description refers to a single adjustment device, it is understood that the sliding door includes a pair of such devices located at opposite ends of the door along its lower edge.

[0014] In particular, the device is positioned adjacent to a longitudinal groove in which a pin or attachment projecting from the floor is located, according to the solution described in EP 3,665,352. Figure 1 shows the door 12 as being out of vertical alignment with the wall, indicated at 14, and the enlarged view in Figure 2 highlights the extent of the height difference that requires corrective action using the device of the present invention, as described in more detail below. Meanwhile, Figure 3 shows the sliding door 10 in perfect vertical alignment with the wall, and the enlarged view in Figure 4 highlights the complete absence of any height difference.

[0015] The adjusting device of the present invention is shown generally as 10 in Figure 5, where it is shown in an upside down exploded view in order to better identify its features and parts. The adjusting device comprises a rubber wheel 16 connected to a frame 18 via pins 20, which are bonded to known pads 26 made of elastomeric material, similar to the above-mentioned solution disclosed in EP 3,665,352, and protruding from a pair of overlapping elastic sheets 22 fixed to the frame described below by means of screws 24 inserted in holes 24'.

[0016] In accordance with the present invention, the adjustment device 10 comprises a frame made up of two interconnected parts made of plastic or metal. In particular, a first upper body constituting a fixed base 28 defining a substantially rectangular plane is provided along opposite long sides having integral side surfaces 30 bent at 90°, one end of the fixed base 28 being formed with a through hole 32 for receiving a pin 34. At the opposite end, the side surfaces 30 extend to form opposed arcuate walls 30'.

[0017] The adjustment device 10 of the present invention comprises a second body or inclined support 36, also defining a substantially rectangular plane, intended to fit onto the fixed base 28 between the side surface 30 and an arched wall 30' partially surrounding the side surface 30. One end of the inclined support 36 is provided with a through hole 38 into which a pin 34 is inserted, providing an articulation with the fixed base 28.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, means for determining such tilt are provided, such as a screw 40, which is inserted into a threaded hole 42 made in the tilt support 36 at the end opposite the hole 32 of the pin 34. The screw 40, which may have a hexagonal head for example, traverses the tilt support 36 and projects until it abuts against the inner surface of the fixed base 28, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. Meanwhile, Figure 6 shows the wheel 16, which is more clearly exposed as a result of the adjustment described below.

[0019] The adjustment device 10 is assembled in a known manner so that it is inserted and secured into a cavity formed in the base of the sliding door 12, from which it partially protrudes, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. If the sliding door 12 is misaligned, the screws 40 on either end of the device 10 act on the door. Misalignment can be detected against the edge of the passageway in the case of an aluminum-framed sliding door, against the abutting side wall in the case of a wall-mounted sliding door, or against the second door in the case of a double sliding door. The screw 40 cannot slide longitudinally because its lower end is in contact with the fixed base 28, gradually depressing the tilt support 36 (FIG. 8), thereby aligning the sliding door 12 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. There is sufficient space for a wrench between the head of the screw 40 and the floor, facilitating adjustment by an operator.

[0020] If the door is made of glass rather than wood, a substantially "H" shaped aluminium side is fitted along the bottom edge, suitable for accommodating glass on one side and a known door slider on the other.

[0021] As can be seen from the above, the advantages achieved by the present invention are clear.

[0022] The adjustment device of the present invention allows precise alignment of the sliding door 12 and double door to be achieved quickly and smoothly, and in particular improves the sliding of the wheels 16 by compensating for small depressions in the floor surface.

[0023] Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to one embodiment for purposes of illustration and not limitation, numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above description. It is therefore intended that the present invention encompass all such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of protection of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. 1. An adjustment device (10) for floor-level movement of a single or double sliding door (12) to be aligned with a wall (14), comprising: a rubber wheel (16) inserted into and fixed to a cavity formed in the base of the door and partially projecting therefrom, connected via pins (20) to a frame (18) connected to an elastomeric pad (26), and provided with an overlapping elastic sheet (22) fixed to the load-bearing frame by screws (24); the frame is formed by a fixed base (28) and an inclined support (36) to which the elastic sheet (22) is attached and on which means for adjusting and aligning the door (12) are arranged, the means being screwable into threaded holes (42) made in the inclined support (36).

2. 2. The adjusting device of claim 1, wherein the fixed base (28) defines a substantially rectangular plane and is provided with integral side surfaces (30) bent at 90° along opposite long sides, one end of the fixed base (28) being formed with a through hole (32) for receiving a pin (34) for connecting and articulating to the tilting support (36).

3. 3. Adjusting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, at the ends opposite said holes (32), said side surfaces (30) extend to form opposed arcuate walls (30').

4. 2. An adjusting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjusting means determine the inclination of the support (36) and consist of a screw (40) or the like inserted into the threaded hole (42) made in the inclined support (36) at the end opposite the pin (34).

5. 5. The adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein the screw (40) inserted into the threaded hole (42) traverses the tilt support (36) and protrudes therefrom until it abuts against the inner surface of the fixed base (28).

6. 6. An adjusting device according to claim 5, characterized in that the inclined support (36) is at least partially defined by the side surface (30) and the arched wall (30') of the fixed base (28), and is provided at one end with a through hole (38) into which the pin (34) is inserted, providing an articulation connection with the fixed base (28).

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