Switching device

Abstract

The present invention provides a switch that does not activate the fault detection device at the lower limit position when there is no obstacle, and activates the fault detection device only when there is an obstacle. [Solution] The opening / closing device 1 includes a first rail member 14 provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2, a second rail member 15 supported by the first rail member 14 and movable vertically relative to the first rail member 14, a switch 16 that activates a fault detection device by pressing, and a gap-preventing member 17 that is movable vertically relative to the first rail member 14 and the second rail member 15 and can close the gap between the second rail member 15 and the opposing surface below it. The gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail member 15, and the switch 16 is pressed when the second rail member 15 rises by a predetermined amount relative to the first rail member 14 during the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , ,

[0005] , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening / closing device provided with an obstacle detection device that detects contact with an obstacle during the downward movement of an opening / closing body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, there is known an electric roll screen including limit switches provided at both ends of a weight bar, an obstacle sensing member provided in the weight bar so as to partially protrude from the lower end of the weight bar, and a signal line attached along the side edge of a screen. In this electric roll screen, when the obstacle sensing member abuts against the floor surface or an obstacle, a signal of the limit switch activated thereby is transmitted to a control device via the signal line, and the downward movement of the weight bar is configured to be stopped.

[0003] That is, the above electric roll screen includes an obstacle detection device, and the downward movement of the weight bar can be automatically stopped by the operation of the obstacle detection device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and aims to provide an opening / closing device that does not activate the obstacle detection device at the lower limit position when there is no obstacle, and activates the obstacle detection device only when there is an obstacle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventor believed that the above problems could be solved by configuring the device so that the switch does not react at the lower limit position, and based on this, invented the following new opening and closing device.

[0008] (1) The opening / closing device according to the present invention is equipped with an obstacle detection device that detects contact with an obstacle during the downward movement of the opening / closing body, and stops or raises the opening / closing body based on a detection signal from the obstacle detection device, and comprises a first rail member provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body, a second rail member supported by the first rail member and movable in the vertical direction relative to the first rail member, a switch that activates the obstacle detection device by pressing or releasing the pressure, and a gap prevention member that is movable in the vertical direction relative to the first rail member and the second rail member and can close the gap between the second rail member and the opposing surface below it, wherein the gap prevention member protrudes downward from the second rail member, and the switch is pressed or released when the second rail member rises by a predetermined amount relative to the first rail member during the downward movement of the opening / closing body.

[0009] (2) The gap-preventing member is preferably supported by the second rail material.

[0010] (3) The gap-preventing member is preferably supported by the first rail material on the front or rear side of the second rail material.

[0011] (4) The first rail material has a first opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, and the second rail material has a second opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction and is supported within the first rail material in a state that is exposed from the first opening, and the gap-preventing member is an elastic member that is supported within the second rail material so as to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the second rail material, and a portion of the second rail material protrudes from the second opening of the second rail material, and the second rail material is preferably composed of a weight that bends the gap-preventing member that is in contact with it inside.

[0012] (5) The first rail material preferably has a first opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, and the second rail material is preferably supported within the first rail material with a portion of it protruding from the first opening of the first rail material.

[0013] (6) The switches are provided in multiple locations spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the first rail material, and it is preferable that the first rail material is a long member having a predetermined rigidity.

[0014] (7) The first rail material further comprises a holding means for holding the switch, wherein the holding means comprises a mounting portion that allows the switch formed in the first rail material to be slidably mounted along the longitudinal direction of the first rail material, and a plate that can be attached to the mounting portion, and it is preferable that the plate be attached between a plurality of switches attached to the mounting portion so that the switch is fixed in the first rail material in a manner that prevents sliding.

[0015] (8) The first rail material is provided within the second rail material, the second rail material has a second opening at its lower end that is open along its longitudinal direction, the switch is fixed within the second rail material and activates the fault detection device when pressed from above, the gap prevention member is supported within the second rail material with a portion protruding from the second opening, and it is preferable that the first rail material presses the switch as the first rail material descends by a predetermined amount relative to the second rail material during the downward movement of the opening and closing body.

[0016] (9) An opening / closing device according to the present invention is an opening / closing device that includes an obstacle detection device for detecting contact with an obstacle during the downward movement of an opening / closing body, and stops or raises the opening / closing body based on a detection signal from the obstacle detection device, comprising: a first rail member provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body; a second rail member supported by the first rail member and movable in the vertical direction relative to the first rail member; a switch fixed within the second rail member and activated by being pressed from above; and the first rail member provided within the second rail member and pressing the switch by descending by a predetermined amount relative to the second rail member during the downward movement of the opening / closing body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The present invention provides a switch that does not activate at the lower limit position. Therefore, it is possible to provide a switch that does not activate the fault detection device at the lower limit position when there is no obstacle, and activates the fault detection device only when there is an obstacle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the usage state of the opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the bottom rail portion of the opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view showing the bottom rail portion of the opening / closing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a figure which shows the cap of the 1st rail material of the opening - closing device by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (a) is a side view, (b) is a sectional view taken along the line B - B of (a). [Figure 5] It is a perspective view which shows the cap of the 1st rail material of the opening - closing device by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view which shows the obstacle detection device provided in the opening - closing device by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. [Figure 7] It is a sectional view taken along the line A - A of FIG. 2, and a part is shown in an omitted manner. [Figure 8] It is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body descends to the lower limit position in time series. (a) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body is located near the lower limit position, (b) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body descends downward from the state of (a) and the gap prevention member contacts the floor surface, (c) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body further descends from the state of (b) and reaches the lower limit position. [Figure 9] It is a figure which shows an example of the operation of the opening - closing device when the opening - closing body contacts an obstacle in time series. (a) is a figure which shows the state immediately after the gap prevention member contacts the obstacle, (b) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body descends downward from the state of (a), (c) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body further descends from the state of (b) and the obstacle detection device operates. [Figure 10] It is a figure which shows another example of the operation of the opening - closing device when the opening - closing body contacts an obstacle in time series. (a) is a figure which shows the state before the 2nd rail material contacts the obstacle, (b) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body descends downward from the state of (a) and the 2nd rail material contacts the obstacle, (c) is a figure which shows the state where the opening - closing body further descends from the state of (b) and the obstacle detection device operates. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view which shows a modification example of the opening - closing device by the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and shows the bottom rail part. [Figure 12] It is a figure which shows the holding means used for the opening - closing device of this modification example. (a) is a figure which shows the state where the switch is held by the holding means, (b) is a perspective view seen from above of the state where the switch is held by the holding means, (c) is a perspective view seen from below of the state where the switch is held by the holding means. [Figure 13] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the first rail material used in the opening and closing device of this modified example, with some parts omitted. [Figure 14] The diagram shows, in a second embodiment of the opening and closing device of the present invention, the state in which the opening and closing body descends to the lower limit position in a time series, where (a) shows the state in which the opening and closing body is located near the lower limit position, (b) shows the state in which the opening and closing body has descended further from the state in (a) and the gap prevention member has come into contact with the floor surface, and (c) shows the state in which the opening and closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and reached the lower limit position. [Figure 15] The diagram shows an example of the operation of an opening / closing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention when the opening / closing body comes into contact with an obstacle, in chronological order: (a) shows the state immediately after the gap prevention member comes into contact with the obstacle, (b) shows the state after the opening / closing body has descended from the state in (a), and (c) shows the state after the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and the obstacle detection device has been activated. [Figure 16] The diagram shows a time series of states in an opening / closing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state in which the opening / closing body is located near the lower limit position, (b) shows the state in which the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (a) and the second rail material has come into contact with the floor surface, and (c) shows the state in which the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and reached the lower limit position. [Figure 17] The diagram shows an example of the operation of an opening / closing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention when the opening / closing body comes into contact with an obstacle, with (a) showing the state immediately after the second rail material comes into contact with the obstacle, (b) showing the state after the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (a), and (c) showing the state after the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and the obstacle detection device has been activated. [Figure 18] The diagram shows a time series of states in an opening / closing device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, where (a) shows the state in which the opening / closing body is located near the lower limit position, (b) shows the state in which the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (a) and the gap-preventing member has come into contact with the floor surface, and (c) shows the state in which the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and reached the lower limit position. [Figure 19] The diagram shows an example of the operation of an opening / closing device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention when the opening / closing body comes into contact with an obstacle, in chronological order: (a) shows the state immediately after the gap prevention member comes into contact with the obstacle, (b) shows the state after the opening / closing body has descended from the state in (a), and (c) shows the state after the opening / closing body has descended further from the state in (b) and the obstacle detection device has been activated. [Figure 20] This diagram shows a time-series example of the operation of an opening / closing device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention when the opening / closing body comes into contact with an obstacle. (a) shows the state before the gap prevention member comes into contact with the obstacle, and (b) shows the state after the opening / closing body has descended from the state in (a) and the obstacle detection device has been activated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment is installed, for example, in an opening such as a window frame of a building. The opening / closing device 1 is installed in a room separated from the outside of the building by a windowpane or the like. The opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment is, for example, an electric roll screen and comprises an opening / closing body 2 which is a screen, a winding pipe 3 to which the opening / closing body 2 is connected, a pair of side brackets 4, 4 which can support both ends of the winding pipe 3, a pair of covers 5, 5 which are provided on the pair of side brackets 4, 4, a set frame 6 on which the pair of side brackets 4, 4 and the pair of covers 5, 5 are provided, and a guide rail 7 which guides the opening / closing body 2. In this specification, with the opening / closing device 1 installed, the axial direction of the winding pipe 3 is defined as the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction as the front-back direction. Furthermore, in the front-back direction, the side facing the room is defined as the front, and the side facing the room is defined as the rear.

[0021] The winding pipe 3 is cylindrical, with both ends open in the axial direction. The winding pipe 3 is mounted so as to span between a pair of side brackets 4, 4 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction. When the winding pipe 3 is mounted to the pair of side brackets 4, 4, the winding pipe 3 is rotatable about its axis. An opening / closing body 2 is connected to the winding pipe 3. The opening / closing body 2 is a shielding material and is provided on the winding pipe 3 so as to be able to be wound up and unwound. The upper end of the opening / closing body 2 is connected to the winding pipe 3, and the lower end hangs down from the winding pipe 3.

[0022] The pair of side brackets 4, 4, which rotatably hold the winding pipe 3, are plate-shaped with an approximate L-shape when viewed from the front, and have a portion on which the winding pipe 3 is provided and a portion that is fixed to the set frame 6, which will be described later. The outside of the portion of each side bracket 4 on which the winding pipe 3 is provided is covered by a plate-shaped cover 5. The pair of covers 5, 5 and the pair of side brackets 4, 4 are provided on the set frame 6. The set frame 6 is plate-shaped with an approximate L-shape when viewed from the side, and has a rear plate portion (not shown) located behind the winding pipe 3 and an upper plate portion 8 located above the winding pipe 3. The cover 5 is fixed to the rear plate portion. When the cover 5 is fixed to the rear plate portion, the cover 5 extends forward. The portion of the side bracket 4 that is fixed to the set frame 6 is fixed to the upper plate portion 8. When the side bracket 4 is fixed to the upper plate portion 8, the portion of the side bracket 4 on which the winding pipe 3 is provided extends downward.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, guide rails 7 are positioned at both the left and right ends of the opening / closing body 2. The pair of guide rails 7, 7 are groove-shaped and run vertically. The guide rail 7 on the left side is fixed to the cover 5 on the left side, running vertically. When the left guide rail 7 is fixed to the left cover 5, the left guide rail 7 opens to the right. The guide rail 7 on the right side is fixed to the cover 5 on the right side, running vertically. When the right guide rail 7 is fixed to the right cover 5, the right guide rail 7 opens to the left. With this configuration, both the left and right ends of the opening / closing body 2 connected to the winding pipe 3 are inserted into the guide rails 7. This allows the guide rails 7 to guide the opening / closing body 2 when winding it up and when unwinding it.

[0024] As mentioned above, the opening / closing body 2 is an electric roller screen. Therefore, the winding pipe 3 can be rotated by a motor (not shown). The motor is housed inside the winding pipe 3 at one axial end of the winding pipe 3. By rotating the winding pipe 3 with the motor, the opening / closing body 2 can be raised and lowered. Specifically, the opening / closing body 2 can be wound onto the winding pipe 3 by rotating the winding pipe 3 in one direction with the motor, and unwound from the winding pipe 3 by rotating the winding pipe 3 in the other direction with the motor. By driving the motor in this way to raise and lower the opening / closing body 2, the opening in the building can be opened and closed.

[0025] The motor that rotates the winding pipe 3 is controlled by the control device 9. The motor is connected to the control device 9 via a cable 10. External power is supplied to the control device 9 and the motor via a power cable 11. The control device 9 is mounted on the set frame 6. Note that in Figure 1, for the sake of explanation, the control device 9 is removed from the set frame 6. The opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment can be operated by, for example, a remote controller (not shown). In this case, the control device 9 controls the motor that rotates the winding pipe 3 based on a signal from the remote controller.

[0026] When lowering the opening / closing body 2, operating the lowering switch located on the remote controller outputs a lowering signal from the remote controller to the control device 9 to lower the opening / closing body 2. When the lowering signal is input to the control device 9, the control device 9 drives the motor to rotate the winding pipe 3 in the direction of unwinding the opening / closing body 2. When raising the opening / closing body 2, operating the raising switch located on the remote controller outputs an raising signal from the remote controller to the control device 9 to raise the opening / closing body 2. When the raising signal is input to the control device 9, the control device 9 drives the motor to rotate the winding pipe 3 in the direction of winding the opening / closing body 2. Note that the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment is configured to be operated by a remote controller, but is not limited to this. For example, the opening / closing device 1 may be configured to be operated by an operating switch provided on the wall of a building.

[0027] The opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment is equipped with an obstacle detection device 13 (see Figure 6, etc., described later) that detects contact with an obstacle 12 (see Figure 9, etc., described later) during the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2, and the opening / closing body 2 can be stopped or raised based on the detection signal from this obstacle detection device 13. For this reason, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the opening / closing device 1 is equipped with a first rail material 14, a second rail material 15, a switch 16, and a gap prevention member 17.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the fault detection device 13 comprises a sensor unit 18 including a transmitter, a switch 16 (described later), and a receiver 19. The sensor unit 18 includes a button battery, a circuit, and a light-emitting diode. These are housed in a box-shaped case 20. With this configuration, when a signal from the switch 16 is transmitted to the sensor unit 18 via the wiring 21, a detection signal is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver 19 via the transparent section 22 of the case 20.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the first rail material 14 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. The first rail material 14 is made of a metal material such as aluminum. Both the left and right ends of the first rail material 14 are open outwards. The first rail material 14 has a first opening 23 that opens downwards. The first opening 23 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the first rail material 14 has a first opening 23 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its lower end. The first rail material 14 has an upper opening 24 that opens upwards. The upper opening 24 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the first rail material 14 has an upper opening 24 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its upper end. The first rail material 14 has a groove 25 that opens upwards. The groove 25 extends along the left-right direction and is provided inside the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, the groove 25 opens into the upper wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the upper opening 24 is the opening of the groove 25. The groove 25 has a pair of front and rear retaining parts 26, 26 so that it can be provided on the opening / closing body 2. The front retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the front wall of the groove 25, and is aligned along the left-right direction. The rear retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the rear wall of the groove 25, and is aligned along the left-right direction. A gap is formed between the front retaining part 26 and the rear retaining part 26.

[0030] An opening / closing body 2 is provided on the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, a rod-shaped shaft 28 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2. The shaft 28 is provided along the left-right direction within a pocket formed by folding back the lower end of the opening / closing body 2. To attach the first rail material 14 to the opening / closing body 2, the shaft 28 should be positioned below the retaining portion 26 of the groove 25 of the first rail material 14. In this case, the shaft 28 is provided within the pocket of the opening / closing body 2. As a result, the shaft 28 contacts the retaining portion 26, preventing the first rail material 14 from falling off the opening / closing body 2. When the first rail material 14 is attached to the opening / closing body 2, the lower end of the opening / closing body 2 is housed within the first rail material 14 through the upper opening 24. In this way, the first rail material 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2.

[0031] The left and right ends of the first rail material 14 are closed by caps 29. In the illustrated example, the left cap 29 and the right cap 29 are symmetrical. Therefore, the left cap 29 will be described here. The cap 29 is hollow and has a main body piece 30 located on the first rail side and a guide piece 31 located on the guide rail 7 side.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the main body piece 30 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, opening to the right. The main body piece 30 has a lower opening 32 that opens downward. The lower opening 32 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the main body piece 30. Therefore, the main body piece 30 has a lower opening 32 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its lower end. The main body piece 30 has an upper opening 33 that opens upward. The upper opening 33 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the main body piece 30. Therefore, the main body piece 30 has an upper opening 33 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its upper end. The main body piece 30 has a groove 34 that opens upward. The groove 34 extends along the left-right direction and is provided inside the main body piece 30. In the illustrated example, the groove 34 opens on the upper wall of the main body piece 30. Therefore, the upper opening 33 is the opening of the groove 34. The groove 34 has a pair of front and rear retaining parts 35, 35 so that it can be installed on the opening / closing body 2. The front retaining part 35 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the front wall of the groove 34, and is aligned in the left-right direction. The rear retaining part 35 is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the rear wall of the groove 34, and is aligned in the left-right direction. A gap is formed between the front retaining part 35 and the rear retaining part 35.

[0033] The main body piece 30 has a pair of front and rear mounting portions 37, 37, an upper wall portion 38, a front wall portion 39, and a rear wall portion 40 for the switch 16, which will be described later. The front mounting portion 37 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the front wall portion of the main body piece 30, and is aligned in the left-right direction. The rear mounting portion 37 is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the rear wall portion of the main body piece 30, and is aligned in the left-right direction. A gap is formed between the front mounting portion 37 and the rear mounting portion 37. The upper wall portion 38 is plate-shaped and is positioned inside the main body piece 30 such that a gap is formed between it and the mounting portion 37. The front wall portion 39 is plate-shaped and is positioned between the upper wall portion 38 and the front mounting portion 37. The rear wall portion 40 is plate-shaped and is positioned between the upper wall portion 38 and the rear mounting portion 37. The rear wall portion 40 extends to the right from the left wall portion of the main body piece 30. A fitting claw 42 is provided at the tip of the rear wall portion 40. The fitting claw 42 extends forward from the rear wall portion 40. In the illustrated example, the rear wall portion 40 is elastically deformable in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the main body piece 30 has a space 43 that opens to the right.

[0034] A guide piece 31 is provided on the left wall of the main body piece 30. The guide piece 31 extends to the left from the main body piece 30. The guide piece 31 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and opens to the right. The interior of the guide piece 31 communicates with the interior of the main body piece 30. The guide piece 31 has an upper opening 44 that opens upward. The upper opening 44 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the guide piece 31. Therefore, the guide piece 31 has an upper opening 44 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its upper end. The upper opening 44 of the guide piece 31 is continuous with the upper opening 33 of the main body piece 30. The guide piece 31 has a lower opening 45 that opens downward. The lower opening 45 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the guide piece 31. Therefore, the guide piece 31 has a lower opening 45 that opens along the longitudinal direction at its lower end. The lower opening 45 of the guide piece 31 is continuous with the lower opening 45 of the main body piece 30. The retaining portion 35 of the main body piece 30 extends continuously into the interior of the guide piece 31.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, a cap 29 is attached to the left end of the first rail member. In the illustrated example, with the right end of the main body piece 30 in contact with the left end of the first rail member 14, a screw 46 is screwed into the first rail member 14 via the left wall portion of the main body piece 30, thereby detachably attaching the cap 29 to the first rail member 14. When the cap 29 is attached to the first rail member 14, the guide piece 31 extends to the left from the first rail member 14. The cap 29 located on the right side is detachably attached to the right end of the first rail member 14 in the same manner as the cap 29 located on the left side. In this case, the guide piece 31 extends to the right from the first rail member 14.

[0036] With caps 29 attached to both the left and right ends of the first rail material 14, the lower end of the opening / closing body 2 is housed inside the cap 29. In the illustrated example, similar to the case of the first rail material 14, the shaft 28 is positioned below the retaining portion 35 of the cap 29. The shaft 28 is provided inside the pocket portion of the opening / closing body 2. In this state, the lower end of the opening / closing body 2 is housed inside the cap 29 through the upper opening 33 of the main body piece 30 and the upper opening 44 of the guide piece 31. As a result, the shaft 28 contacts the retaining portion 35, preventing the cap 29 from falling out of the opening / closing body 2.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6, a sensor unit 18 is detachably mounted on the first rail material 14. As shown in Figure 6, the case 20 of the sensor unit 18 has engaging portions 47 and 48 for attachment to the cap 29. The engaging portion 47 is a roughly rectangular block shape and is provided on the rear surface of the case 20. The engaging portion 47 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the case 20. The tip of the engaging portion 47 protrudes upward. The engaging portion 48 is a roughly rectangular block shape and is provided on the rear surface of the case 20. The engaging portion 48 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the case 20. The tip of the engaging portion 48 protrudes downward. The engaging portion 48 is positioned below the engaging portion 47, with a gap between them. The left cap 29 has a pair of engaging grooves 49, 49 into which the engaging portions 47 and 48 of the case 20 of the sensor unit 18 engage. The pair of engagement grooves 49, 49 are notches that open to the right and are provided on the front wall of the cap 29. The pair of engagement grooves 49, 49 are spaced apart vertically.

[0038] To attach the sensor unit 18 to the cap 29, slide the case 20 to the left relative to the cap 29, insert the upper engaging portion 47 of the case 20 into the upper engaging groove 49 of the cap 29 from the right, and insert the lower engaging portion 48 of the case 20 into the lower engaging groove 49 of the cap 29 from the right. With the engaging portions 47 and 48 inserted into the engaging grooves 49 and 49, the cap 29 is attached to the first rail material 14 as described above. As a result, the opening of the notched engaging groove 49 is closed by the first rail material 14. Therefore, the sensor unit 18 will not fall out to the right from the engaging groove 49. With the engaging portions 47 and 48 inserted into the engaging grooves 49 and 49, the tip of the engaging portion 47 protruding upward and the tip of the engaging portion 48 protruding downward contact the front wall of the main body piece 30. Therefore, the sensor unit 18 will not fall out forward from the cap 29. In this manner, the sensor unit 18 is provided at the left end of the first rail material 14 via a cap 29. The receiver 19, which receives the detection signal from the sensor unit 18, is provided at the left end of the set rail. The receiver 19 is connected to the control device 9 via a cable 50.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 7, the second rail material 15 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. The second rail material 15 is made of a metal material such as aluminum. Both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15 are open to the outside. The second rail material 15 has a rail body piece 51 and a pair of weight housing pieces 52, 52.

[0040] The rail body piece 51 is a rectangular tube with a roughly rectangular shape in side view, and its axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The rail body piece 51 is a long tube extending along the axial direction. The rail body piece 51 has a second opening 53 that opens downwards. The second opening 53 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall portion of the rail body piece 51. Therefore, the second rail material 15 has the second opening 53 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its lower end. A projection 54 is provided on the upper wall portion of the rail body piece 51. The projection 54 protrudes upward from the upper wall portion of the rail body piece 51. The projection 54 extends in the left-right direction.

[0041] The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are groove-shaped with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side. The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are elongated groove-shaped extending along the left-right direction. Of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52, one weight-retaining piece 52 is provided on the front wall of the rail body piece 51. In this case, the opening of the weight-retaining piece 52 located on the front side is closed by the front wall of the rail body piece 51. Of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52, the other weight-retaining piece 52 is provided on the rear wall of the rail body piece 51. In this case, the opening of the weight-retaining piece 52 located on the rear side is closed by the rear wall of the rail body piece 51. The lower walls of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are located above the lower wall of the rail body piece 51. The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are vertically partitioned by a plate-shaped partition wall 55. As a result, an upper region above the partition wall 55 and a lower region below the partition wall 55 are formed within the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52. A rod-shaped shaft 56, which serves as a weight, is provided in the upper and lower regions along the left-right direction.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7, the second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14. In the illustrated example, with the upper part of the second rail member 15 housed within the first rail member 14, the lower wall portion of the weight housing piece 52 of the second rail member 15 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the first rail member 14, thereby supporting the second rail member 15. At this time, the lower part of the rail body piece 51 of the second rail member 15 protrudes downward from the first rail member 14 through the first opening 23 of the first rail member 14. Therefore, the second rail member 15 is supported within the first rail member 14 with a portion protruding from the first opening 23 of the first rail member 14. When the second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14, the second rail member 15 protrudes outward from both the left and right ends of the first rail member 14. Therefore, the ends of the second rail member 15 are housed within the body piece 30 of the cap 29. In this state, the lower part of the rail body piece 51 of the second rail material 15 protrudes from the lower opening of the body piece 30 of the cap 29. When the end of the second rail material 15 is housed within the body piece 30 of the cap 29, the end of the second rail material 15 is located below the switch 16 held by the cap 29.

[0043] Although the second rail member 15 is configured to protrude downward from the first rail member 14 in part, it is not necessarily required to protrude. That is, the second rail member 15 only needs to be supported within the first rail member 14 while being exposed at least from the first opening 23. In this case, the entire second rail member 15 is housed within the first rail member 14. In this way, the second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14. Therefore, the second rail member 15 is movable vertically relative to the first rail member 14.

[0044] Switch 16 activates the fault detection device 13 by pressing or releasing the pressure. Switch 16 has an elastically deformable lever 57. Switch 16 activates the fault detection device 13 by pressing the lever 57. In the illustrated example, switch 16 is a microswitch with a lever 57, but it is not limited to this.

[0045] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the switch 16 is provided on caps 29 located at both the left and right ends of the first rail material 14. Specifically, with the lever 57 of the switch 16 facing downwards, the switch 16 is placed on a pair of front and rear mounting parts 37, 37 and is provided in a space 43 formed by the pair of front and rear mounting parts 37, 37, the upper wall part 38, the front wall part 39, and the rear wall part 40. At this time, the lever 57 of the switch 16 extends downward through the gap formed between the pair of front and rear mounting parts 37, 37. When attaching the switch 16 to the cap 29, it should be inserted into the space 43 from the right side. When the switch 16 is inserted into the space 43, if the switch 16 comes into contact with the fitting claw 42, the rear wall part 40 elastically deforms backward, allowing the switch 16 to be inserted into the space 43. After the switch 16 is inserted into the space 43, the rear wall part 40 returns to its original state. As a result, the mating claw 42 is positioned to the right of the switch 16 inserted into the space 43. Therefore, the switch 16 will not come out to the right of the cap 29.

[0046] The gap-preventing member 17 can close the gap between the second rail material 15 and the opposing surface 58 below it. Here, the opposing surface 58 is, for example, the floor surface. In the illustrated example, the gap-preventing member 17 is made of an elastic material such as synthetic resin or rubber, and is a long member with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. The gap-preventing member 17 has a support portion 59 located on the upper side and a closing portion 60 located on the lower side. In the first embodiment, the gap-preventing member 17 is integrally formed.

[0047] The support portion 59 is a rod-shaped structure with a roughly rectangular shape in side view, and its axis runs in the left-right direction. The support portion 59 is a long rod-shaped structure that extends in the axial direction. A through hole 61 is provided in the support portion 59. The through hole 61 is aligned in the left-right direction. A rod-shaped shaft 62, which serves as a weight, is inserted into this through hole 61.

[0048] The closing portion 60 has one piece 63 located on the upper side and another piece 64 located on the lower side, and is formed to be elongated with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. One piece 63 is plate-shaped with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side. One piece 63 is provided on the support portion 59 with its plate surface facing front to back. When one piece 63 is provided on the support portion 59, one piece 63 protrudes downward from the support portion 59. The front-to-back length of the support portion 59 is greater than the front-to-back length of one piece 63. Therefore, when one piece 63 is provided on the support portion 59, both the front and rear ends of the lower wall portion of the support portion 59 are exposed downward. A groove-shaped insertion portion 65 that opens to the rear is formed on the rear surface of one piece 63. The insertion portion 65 is oriented in the left-right direction. The other piece 64 is plate-shaped with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side, and is formed to be thinner than one piece 63. The other piece 64 is provided on one piece 63 with its plate surface facing front to back. In the state where the other piece 64 is attached to the piece 63, the other piece 64 protrudes downward from the piece 63. The other piece 64 is curved. Specifically, the other piece 64 is curved in a roughly arc shape such that the lower end of the other piece 64 is located behind the upper end of the other piece 64.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail material 15. In the illustrated example, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15. Typically, with the support portion 59 of the gap-preventing member 17 housed within the rail body piece 51 of the second rail material 15, the lower wall portion of the support portion 59 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the rail body piece 51, thereby supporting the gap-preventing member 17 within the second rail material 15. At this time, the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail material 15 through the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported within the second rail material 15 with a portion of it protruding from the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Because the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15 in this manner, the gap-preventing member 17 is movable vertically relative to the first rail material 14 and the second rail material 15.

[0050] When the gap-preventing member 17 is supported on the second rail material 15, the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes outward from both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the ends of the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 are housed within the main body piece 30 and the guide piece 31. At this time, the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward through the lower opening 32 of the main body piece 30 and the lower opening 45 of the guide piece 31. The shaft 62 provided on the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes outward from both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the ends of the shaft 62 are housed within the main body piece 30 and the guide piece 31.

[0051] A sag-restricting member 66 is provided at the end of the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17. The sag-restricting member 66 is formed, for example, by bending a plate. The sag-restricting member 66 is groove-shaped and opens downwards. The lower end of the rear wall portion of the sag-restricting member 66 is bent forward. As a result, the sag-restricting member 66 has a bent portion 67. As shown in Figure 7, the sag-restricting member 66 is positioned to cover the shaft 62 provided in the gap-preventing member 17 from above. In this case, the bent portion 67 of the sag-restricting member 66 is inserted into an insertion portion 65 formed in the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17. This prevents the end of the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17, which is an elastic member, from sagging.

[0052] Next, the operation of the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 8(a), the opening / closing body 2 descends as it is unwound from the winding pipe 3. As the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state shown in Figure 8(a), as shown in Figure 8(b), the other piece 64 of the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with the opposing surface 58, which is the floor surface. The position at which the opening / closing body 2 descends further from this state is defined as the lower limit position of the opening / closing body 2. As shown in Figure 8(c), at the lower limit position, the gap prevention member 17 moves upward relative to the second rail material 15. At this time, the gap prevention member 17 is not in contact with the upper wall portion of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the second rail material 15 is not pushed upward by the gap prevention member 17, and thus does not press the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. As a result, the fault detection device 13 does not operate at the lower limit position. Even if the gap-preventing member 17 were to come into contact with the upper wall of the second rail material 15 at the lower limit position, the second rail material 15 has a shaft 56 which acts as a weight, and therefore pushes the gap-preventing member 17 downward. As the gap-preventing member 17 is pushed downward, the other side 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 is crushed and bent. Therefore, even if the gap-preventing member 17 comes into contact with the upper wall of the second rail material 15 at the lower limit position, the second rail material does not press the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. As a result, the fault detection device 13 does not operate at the lower limit position.

[0053] The operation of the opening / closing device 1 when an obstacle 12 is placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 9(a) to 9(c). Here, the obstacle 12 is located directly below the gap-preventing member 17. As shown in Figure 9(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 comes into contact with the obstacle 12. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 9(a), as shown in Figure 9(b), the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 is pushed downward by the second rail material 15, causing it to be crushed and bent. This is because the weight of the second rail material 15 inside causes the gap-preventing member 17 it contacts to bend. In this state, as mentioned above, the second rail material 15 does not press the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 9(b), as shown in Figure 9(c), the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12 via the gap-preventing member 17. As a result, the second rail member 15 moves upward relative to the first rail member 14, pressing the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. The lever 57 of the switch 16 is pressed by the protrusion 54 of the second rail member 15. The switch 16 is pressed as the second rail member 15 rises a predetermined amount relative to the first rail member 14 during the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2. This activates the fault detection device 13, stopping the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2. When the switch 16 is pressed, a detection signal is sent from the transmitter to the receiver 19, causing the control device 9 to stop the motor. This stops the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2. In addition, the opening / closing body 2 may be raised when the fault detection device 13 is activated. In this case, the control device 9 drives the motor so that the opening / closing body 2 is wound onto the winding pipe 3.

[0054] In the illustrated example, the gap-preventing member 17 continues to bend until the second rail material 15 substantially contacts the obstacle 12. If the gap-preventing member has some rigidity, the second rail material 15 moves upward relative to the first rail material 14 and presses against the switch 16 while the gap-preventing member 17 is bent to a certain extent. In other words, the switch 16 is pressed by the second rail material 15 even if the second rail material 15 does not substantially contact the obstacle 12.

[0055] The operation of the opening / closing device 1 when an obstacle 12 is placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 10(a) to 10(c). Here, the obstacle 12 is placed at a position offset from directly below the gap prevention member 17. As shown in Figure 10(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the gap prevention member 17 approaches the opposing surface 58 without contacting the obstacle 12. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 10(a), the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12, as shown in Figure 10(b). When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 10(b), the second rail material 15 moves upward relative to the first rail material 14 while in contact with the obstacle 12, as shown in Figure 10(c). When the second rail material 15 moves upward, the protruding portion 54 of the second rail material 15 presses the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. As a result, the obstacle detection device 13 operates as described above.

[0056] According to the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, even if the gap-preventing member 17 comes into contact with an opposing surface 58 such as the floor when the opening / closing body 2 is lowered to the lower limit position, the gap-preventing member 17 only moves upward relative to the first rail material 14, and the switch 16 is not pressed by the second rail material 15. In other words, it is possible to reliably close the gap between the opening / closing body 2 and the opposing surface 58 to improve shielding performance, while preventing the fault detection device 13 from being activated at the lower limit position.

[0057] In the case of the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, the second rail material 15 protrudes downward from the first rail material 14. Therefore, according to the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, obstacles 12 placed on the opposing surface 58 can be detected more reliably.

[0058] According to the opening / closing device 1 of the first embodiment, even if the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with the second rail material 15, the position of the second rail material 15 relative to the first rail material 14 can be maintained. Therefore, it is not necessary to ensure a large range of motion for the gap prevention member 17 within the second rail material 15, and it is possible to avoid increasing the vertical dimensions of the second rail material 15 and the first rail material 14. In addition, it becomes possible to ensure a larger allowable range for setting the lower limit position.

[0059] Next, a modified example of the opening / closing device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiment have the same function and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below. In this modified example, the switch 16 is held in the first rail material 14. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the opening / closing device 1 further includes a holding means 68 for holding the switch 16 within the first rail material 14. The holding means 68 includes a mounting portion 69 and a plate 70.

[0060] As shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(c), in this modified example, the switch 16 is held in a holder 71. The holder 71 is a roughly rectangular box shape with an upward opening. The bottom plate of the holder 71 extends forward of the front plate and backward of the rear plate. A through hole 72 for the lever 57 of the switch 16 is formed in the bottom plate of the holder 71. The front plate and the rear plate of the holder 71 have inwardly projecting protrusions 73. The front and rear ends of the switch 16 have recesses 74 that engage with the protrusions 73 of the holder 71. With this configuration, the switch 16 is detachably held within the holder 71. When the switch 16 is positioned within the holder 71, the protrusions 73 of the switch 16 are inserted into the recesses 74 of the holder 71. With the switch 16 positioned within the holder 71, the lever 57 of the switch 16 extends downward through the through-hole 72 of the holder 71.

[0061] When attaching the switch 16 to the holder 71, simply insert the switch 16 into the holder 71 from above. When the switch 16 is inserted into the holder 71, it comes into contact with the protrusion 73 of the holder 71, causing the front plate and rear plate of the holder 71 to elastically deform outward, allowing the switch 16 to be inserted into the holder 71. After the switch 16 is inserted into the holder 71, the front plate and rear plate of the holder 71 return to their original state. As a result, the protrusion 73 of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 74 of the switch 16. Therefore, the switch 16 will not come out of the holder 71 upward.

[0062] The mounting portion 69 is formed in the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, a pair of front and rear mounting portions 69, 69 are formed within the first rail material 14. The front mounting portion 69 and the rear mounting portion 69 are symmetrical front to back. Therefore, the front mounting portion 69 will be described here. The mounting portion 69 is a groove that is approximately rectangular in side view and opens forward. The mounting portion 69 is a long groove that extends along the left-right direction. The mounting portion 69 is provided on the front wall of the first rail material 14. In this case, the opening of the mounting portion 69 is closed by the front wall of the first rail material 14. When the mounting portion 69 is formed on the first rail material 14, the mounting portion 69 is positioned above the second rail material 15 supported by the first rail material 14. The side walls of the groove-shaped mounting portion 69 extend rearward from the bottom wall of the groove-shaped mounting portion 69. The central part of the bottom wall of the mounting portion 69 bulges out in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side. Due to this configuration, a pair of upper and lower recesses 75, 75 are formed in the bottom wall of the mounting portion 69. The pair of upper and lower recesses 75, 75 are recessed forward and align with the left-right direction.

[0063] The plate 70 can be attached to the mounting portion 69. The plate 70 is a plate-like structure that is roughly rectangular in plan view, with its surface facing up and down. The plate 70 is rectangular in shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0064] As shown in Figure 13, the switch 16 held in the holder 71 is attached to a pair of front and rear mounting parts 69, 69. To attach the switch 16 to the pair of front and rear mounting parts 69, 69, the front end of the bottom plate of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the front mounting part 69, and the rear end of the bottom plate of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the rear mounting part 69. At this time, the lever 57 of the switch 16 held in the holder 71 extends downward from the bottom plate of the holder 71. When attaching the switch 16 to the pair of front and rear mounting parts 69, 69, the switch 16 is slid in the left-right direction with the bottom plate of the holder 71 inserted into the recess 75 of the mounting part 69. Therefore, the mounting part 69 can mount the switch 16 so that it can slide freely along the longitudinal direction of the first rail material 14.

[0065] When attaching multiple switches 16 to the mounting portion 69, the switches 16 should be inserted into the mounting portion 69 one by one. In this case, the plate 70 is inserted into the mounting portion 69 after the switch 16 has been inserted into the mounting portion 69. Then, the switch 16 is inserted into the mounting portion 69 after the plate 70 has been inserted into the mounting portion 69. By repeating this process, multiple switches 16 and multiple plates 70 can be attached to the mounting portion 69. To attach the plate 70 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the plate 70 should be inserted into the recess 75 located above the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the plate 70 should be inserted into the recess 75 located above the rear mounting portion 69. When attaching the plate 70 to the mounting portion 69, the plate 70 should be slid in the left-right direction while it is inserted into the recess 75 of the mounting portion 69.

[0066] In the state where multiple switches 16 and a plate 70 are attached to the mounting portion 69, the plate 70 is positioned between the switches 16 that are spaced apart to the left and right. Therefore, by attaching the plate 70 between the multiple switches 16 attached to the mounting portion 69, the switches 16 are fixed in the first rail material 14 in a way that prevents them from sliding. In this modified example, multiple switches 16 are provided spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the first rail material 14. In this case, the first rail material 14 is a long member with a predetermined rigidity.

[0067] In the modified opening / closing device 1, the first rail material 14 has a predetermined rigidity. Therefore, with the modified opening / closing device 1, the first rail material 14 is less likely to bend, so the obstacle detection device 13 can be reliably activated regardless of the position of the obstacle 12 in the longitudinal direction.

[0068] According to this modified version of the opening / closing device 1, the switch 16 can be positioned at any longitudinal position, thereby enabling more accurate detection of obstacles 12. Furthermore, since the wiring of the switch 16 can be routed in the space above the plate 70, the wiring will not hang down below the plate 70, preventing it from interfering with the second rail material 15.

[0069] A second embodiment of the opening / closing device 1a of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 14(a) to 14(c) and Figures 15(a) to 15(c). Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiment have the same function, and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below. In the second embodiment, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the first rail material 14 on the front side of the second rail material 15. The switch 16 is held inside the cap 29.

[0070] The first rail member 14 has a groove 76 that opens downward. The groove 76 extends along the left-right direction and is located inside the first rail member 14. In the illustrated example, the groove 76 opens into the lower wall of the first rail member 14. Therefore, the first opening 23 of the first rail member 14 is the opening of the groove 76. The formation of the groove 76 in the first rail member 14 creates a support space 77 for the second rail member 15 between the groove 76 and the rear wall of the first rail member 14. A support opening 78 that opens downward is formed in the lower wall of the first rail member 14 at a position corresponding to the support space 77.

[0071] The second rail material 15 is a plate-like structure with a roughly rectangular shape in side view, with its surface facing forward and backward. The second rail material 15 is a long plate-like structure with its longitudinal direction running horizontally. A recess 79 opening forward is formed on the front surface of the second rail material 15. The recess 79 is roughly rectangular in side view and extends horizontally. The second rail material 15, having this configuration, is supported by the first rail material 14. While supported by the first rail material 14, the second rail material 15 is movable vertically relative to the first rail material 14.

[0072] In the illustrated example, with the upper part of the second rail member 15 housed within the support space 77 of the first rail member 14, the upper inner surface of the recess 79 of the second rail member 15 abuts against the lower wall of the first rail member 14, and the rear surface of the second rail member 15 slidably abuts against the rear wall of the first rail member 14, thereby supporting the second rail member 15 within the first rail member 14. At this time, the second rail member 15 protrudes downward from the first rail member 14 through the support opening 78 of the first rail member 14. Therefore, the second rail member 15 is supported within the first rail member 14 with a portion of it exposed through the support opening 78. In this way, since the second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14, the second rail member 15 is movable vertically relative to the first rail member 14.

[0073] On the front side of the second rail material 15, which is supported by the first rail material 14, the gap prevention member 17 is supported by the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, with the support portion 59 of the gap prevention member 17 housed within the groove portion 76 of the first rail material 14, the lower wall portion of the support portion 59 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the first rail material 14, thereby supporting the gap prevention member 17 within the first rail material 14. At this time, the closing portion 60 of the gap prevention member 17 protrudes downward from the first rail material 14 through the first opening 23 of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the gap prevention member 17 is supported within the first rail material 14 with a portion of it protruding from the first opening 23 of the first rail material 14. With the gap prevention member 17 and the second rail material 15 supported by the first rail material 14, the gap prevention member 17 extends downward below the second rail material 15. Since the gap-preventing member 17 is supported on the first rail material 14 in this manner, the gap-preventing member 17 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the first rail material 14 and the second rail material 15. In this case, the gap-preventing member 17 may also be supported on the first rail material 14 on the rear side of the second rail material 15. In this case, the second rail material 15 is supported in the space between the groove 76 and the front wall portion of the first rail material 14.

[0074] The operation of the opening / closing device 1a of the second embodiment will be explained using Figures 14(a) to 14(c). As shown in Figure 14(a), the opening / closing body 2 descends as it is unwound from the winding pipe 3. As the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state shown in Figure 14(a), as shown in Figure 14(b), the other piece 64 of the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with the opposing surface 58, which is the floor. At this time, the second rail material 15 is not in contact with the opposing surface 58. The position at which the opening / closing body 2 descends further from this state is defined as the lower limit position of the opening / closing body 2. As shown in Figure 14(c), at the lower limit position, the gap prevention member 17 has moved upward relative to the first rail material 14. At this time, the second rail material 15 is not in contact with the opposing surface 58. Therefore, since the second rail material 15 does not move upward relative to the first rail material 14, it does not press the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below. As a result, the fault detection device 13 does not operate at the lower limit position.

[0075] The operation of the opening / closing device 1a when an obstacle 12 is placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 15(a) to 15(c). Here, the obstacle 12 is located directly below the gap prevention member 17 and the second rail material 15. As shown in Figure 15(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the other piece 64 of the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with the obstacle 12. At this time, the second rail material 15 is not in contact with the obstacle 12. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 15(a), as shown in Figure 15(b), the gap prevention member 17 moves upward relative to the first rail material 14. At this time, the lower end of the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 15(b), as shown in Figure 15(c), the second rail material 15 moves upward relative to the first rail material 14. As a result, the second rail material 15 presses the lever 57 of the switch 16 from below, causing the fault detection device 13 to operate as described above. At this time, the gap prevention member 17 is pushed downward by the bottom wall of the groove 76 of the first rail material 14, causing it to be crushed and bent.

[0076] The opening / closing device 1b according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 16(a) to 16(c) and Figures 17(a) to 17(c). Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiments have the same function, and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below. In the third embodiment, the gap-preventing member 17 is not provided.

[0077] The first rail material 14 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. Both the left and right ends of the first rail material 14 are open to the outside. The first rail material 14 has a groove 80 that opens upward. The groove 80 extends along the left-right direction and is provided inside the first rail material 14. The upper end of the groove 80 extends upward from the upper wall of the first rail material 14. The groove 80 has a pair of front and rear retaining parts 26, 26 so that it can be provided on the opening / closing body 2. The front retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the front wall of the groove 80, and is aligned in the left-right direction. The rear retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the rear wall of the groove 80, and is aligned in the left-right direction. A gap is formed between the front retaining part 26 and the rear retaining part 26. The first rail material 14 has a first opening 23 that opens upward. Here, the first opening 23 is the opening of the groove 80.

[0078] A groove 80 is provided in the first rail material 14, creating a space 81 that runs in the left-right direction between the groove 80 and the front wall of the first rail material 14, and between the groove 80 and the rear wall of the first rail material 14. A rod-shaped weight 82 is provided in this space 81. A projection 54 is provided on the lower wall of the first rail material 14. The projection 54 protrudes downward from the lower wall of the first rail material 14. The projection 54 extends in the left-right direction.

[0079] Although not shown in the diagram, the first rail member 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2. The first rail member 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The shaft 28 housed in the bag portion of the opening / closing body 2 is positioned below the retaining portion 26 of the groove portion 80 of the first rail member 14, thereby connecting the first rail member 14 to the lower end of the opening / closing body 2.

[0080] The second rail material 15 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. Both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15 are open outwards. The second rail material 15 has a second opening 53 that opens upwards. The second opening 53 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the second rail material 15 has a second opening 53 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its upper end.

[0081] The second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14. In the third embodiment, the first rail member 14 is installed inside the second rail member 15. In this case, the upper end of the groove 80 of the first rail member 14 extends upward through the second opening 53 of the second rail member 15. When the first rail member 14 is installed inside the second rail member 15, the upper wall of the second rail member 15 abuts against the upper wall of the first rail member 14 from above. As a result, the second rail member 15 is able to move vertically relative to the first rail member 14 while being supported by the first rail member 14.

[0082] The switch 16 is fixed within the second rail material 15. The second rail material 15 has a pair of mounting portions 69, 69 having the same configuration as in the modified example described above. The switch 16, which is located inside the holder 71, is attached to the front and rear pair of mounting portions 69, 69. In the third embodiment, to attach the switch 16 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the bottom plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the bottom plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the rear mounting portion 69. At this time, the lever 57 of the switch 16 held in the holder 71 extends upward from the bottom plate portion of the holder 71. Plates 70 are attached to the front and rear pair of mounting portions 69. In the third embodiment, to attach the plate 70 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the rear mounting portion 69.

[0083] With the first rail material 14 housed within the second rail material 15, the switch 16 provided on the second rail material 15 is positioned below the first rail material 14. Therefore, the switch 16 can be activated by being pressed from above by the first rail material 14, thereby activating the fault detection device 13.

[0084] The operation of the switchgear 1b of the third embodiment will be explained using Figures 16(a) to 16(c). As shown in Figure 16(a), the switchgear 2 descends as it is unwound from the winding pipe 3. As the switchgear 2 descends further from the state shown in Figure 16(a), the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the opposing surface 58, as shown in Figure 16(b). At this time, the first rail material 14 is not pressing the switch 16. The position at which the switchgear 2 descends further from this state is defined as the lower limit position of the switchgear 2. As shown in Figure 16(c), at the lower limit position, the first rail material 14 moves slightly downward relative to the second rail material 15, but it is not pressing the lever 57 of the switch 16. As a result, the fault detection device 13 does not activate.

[0085] The operation of the opening / closing device 1b with an obstacle 12 placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 17(a) to 17(c). As shown in Figure 17(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12. As the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 17(a), the first rail material 14 moves downward relative to the second rail material 15, as shown in Figure 17(b). As the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 17(b), the second rail material 15 moves even further downward, as shown in Figure 17(c). As a result, the second rail material 15 presses the lever 57 of the switch 16 from above. The lever 57 of the switch 16 is pressed by the protrusion 54 of the first rail material 14. The first rail material 14 presses the switch 16 by descending a predetermined amount relative to the second rail material 15 during the downward movement of the opening / closing body 2. As a result, the fault detection device 13 operates as described above. In the third embodiment, the weight 82 is housed within the first rail material 14, thus increasing the weight of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the first rail material 14 can reliably push the lever 57 of the switch 16.

[0086] According to the opening / closing device 1b of the third embodiment, even if the second rail material 15 comes into contact with an opposing surface 58 such as the floor when the opening / closing body 2 is lowered to the lower limit position, the switch 16 will not be pressed until the first rail material 14 has descended a predetermined amount relative to the second rail material 15. In other words, it is possible to prevent the obstacle detection device 13 from being activated at the lower limit position. Furthermore, since the obstacle 12 can be detected across the entire lower surface of the second rail material 15, obstacles 12 located below the second rail material 15 can be detected more reliably.

[0087] The opening / closing device 1c according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 18(a) to 18(c) and Figures 19(a) to 19(c). Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiments have the same function, and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below.

[0088] The first rail material 14 is hollow and approximately rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. In the illustrated example, the first rail material 14 has the same configuration as the first rail material 14 of the third embodiment.

[0089] The second rail material 15 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. Both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15 are open outward. The second rail material 15 has an upper opening 83 that opens upward. The upper opening 83 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the second rail material 15 has an upper opening 83 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its upper end. The second rail material 15 has a second opening 53 that opens downward. The second opening 53 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the second rail material 15 has a second opening 53 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its lower end. The second rail material 15 has a groove 84 that opens downward. The groove 84 extends along the left-right direction and is provided inside the second rail material 15. In the illustrated example, the groove 84 opens into the lower wall of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15 is the opening of the groove 84.

[0090] The second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14. In the fourth embodiment, the first rail member 14 is installed inside the second rail member 15. In this case, the upper end of the groove 84 of the first rail member 14 extends upward through the upper opening 83 of the second rail member 15. When the first rail member 14 is installed inside the second rail member 15, the upper wall of the second rail member 15 abuts against the upper wall of the first rail member 14 from above. As a result, the second rail member 15 is able to move vertically relative to the first rail member 14 while being supported by the first rail member 14.

[0091] The switch 16 is fixed within the second rail material 15. The second rail material 15 has a pair of mounting portions 69 having the same configuration as in the modified example described above. The switch 16, which is located in the holder 71, is attached to the front and rear pair of mounting portions 69. In the third embodiment, to attach the switch 16 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the bottom plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the bottom plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the rear mounting portion 69. At this time, the lever 57 of the switch 16 held in the holder 71 extends upward from the bottom plate portion of the holder 71. A plate 70 is attached to the front and rear pair of mounting portions 69. In the third embodiment, to attach the plate 70 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the rear mounting portion 69.

[0092] With the first rail material 14 housed within the second rail material 15, the switch 16 provided on the second rail material 15 is positioned below the first rail material 14. Therefore, the switch 16 can be activated by being pressed from above by the first rail material 14, thereby activating the fault detection device 13.

[0093] The gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15. In the illustrated example, with the support portion 59 of the gap-preventing member 17 housed within the groove portion 84 of the second rail material 15, the lower wall portion of the support portion 59 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the second rail material 15, thereby supporting the gap-preventing member 17 within the second rail material 15. At this time, the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail material 15 through the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported within the second rail material 15 with a portion of it protruding from the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Because the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15 in this manner, the gap-preventing member 17 is movable in the vertical direction relative to the first rail material 14 and the second rail material 15.

[0094] The operation of the opening / closing device 1c of the fourth embodiment will be explained using Figures 18(a) to 18(c). As shown in Figure 18(a), the opening / closing body 2 descends as it is unwound from the winding pipe 3. As the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state shown in Figure 18(a), as shown in Figure 18(b), the other piece 64 of the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with the opposing surface 58, which is the floor surface. At this time, the switch 16 is not pressed by the first rail material 14. The position at which the opening / closing body 2 descends further from this state is defined as the lower limit position of the opening / closing body 2. As shown in Figure 18(c), at the lower limit position, the gap prevention member 17 has moved upward relative to the second rail material 15. At this time, the switch 16 is not pressed by the first rail material 14. As a result, the fault detection device 13 does not operate at the lower limit position.

[0095] The operation of the opening / closing device 1c when an obstacle 12 is placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 19(a) to 19(c). Here, the obstacle 12 is located directly below the gap-preventing member 17. As shown in Figure 19(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 comes into contact with the obstacle 12. If the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 19(a), as shown in Figure 19(b), the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 is pushed downward by the second rail material 15, causing it to be crushed and bent. In this state, the first rail material 14 does not press the lever 57 of the switch 16 from above. If the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 19(b), as shown in Figure 19(c), the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12 via the gap-preventing member 17. As a result, the first rail member 14 moves downward relative to the second rail member 15, pressing the lever 57 of the switch 16 from above. The lever 57 of the switch 16 is pressed by the protrusion 54 of the first rail member 14. Therefore, as the opening / closing body 2 descends, the first rail member 14 descends by a predetermined amount relative to the second rail member 15, causing the first rail member 14 to press the switch 16. As a result, the fault detection device 13 operates as described above.

[0096] According to the opening / closing device 1c of the fourth embodiment, even if the gap prevention member 17 comes into contact with an opposing surface 58 such as the floor when the opening / closing body 2 is lowered to the lower limit position, the gap prevention member 17 only moves upward relative to the bottom rail, and the switch 16 is not pressed. In other words, it is possible to reliably close the gap between the opening / closing body 2 and the opposing surface 58 to improve shielding performance, while preventing the fault detection device 13 from being activated at the lower limit position.

[0097] The switchgear 1d according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 20(a) and 20(b). Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiments have the same function, and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below. In the fifth embodiment, the switch 16 activates the fault detection device 13 when the pressure is released.

[0098] The first rail material 14 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. Both the left and right ends of the first rail material 14 are open outward. The first rail material 14 has a first opening 23 that opens downward. The first opening 23 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the first rail material 14 has a first opening 23 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its lower end. The first rail material 14 has an upper opening 24 that opens upward. The upper opening 24 is formed along the left-right direction on the upper wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the first rail material 14 has an upper opening 24 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its upper end. The first rail material 14 has a groove 25 that opens upward. The groove 25 extends along the left-right direction and is provided inside the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, the groove 25 opens into the upper wall of the first rail material 14. Therefore, the upper opening 24 is the opening of the groove 25. The groove 25 has a pair of front and rear retaining parts 26, 26 so that it can be installed on the opening / closing body 2. The front retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes rearward from the front wall of the groove 25, and is aligned in the left-right direction. The rear retaining part 26 is plate-shaped and protrudes forward from the rear wall of the groove 25, and is aligned in the left-right direction. A gap is formed between the front retaining part 26 and the rear retaining part 26.

[0099] Although not shown in the diagram, the first rail member 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2. The first rail member 14 is provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body 2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The shaft 28 housed in the bag portion of the opening / closing body 2 is positioned below the retaining portion 26 of the groove portion 25 of the first rail member 14, thereby connecting the first rail member 14 to the lower end of the opening / closing body 2.

[0100] The second rail material 15 is hollow and roughly rectangular in side view, and is formed in an elongated shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. Both the left and right ends of the second rail material 15 are open outwards. The second rail material 15 has a rail body piece 51, a pair of weight housing pieces 52, 52, and a switch pressing piece 85.

[0101] The rail body piece 51 is a rectangular tube with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side, and its axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The rail body piece 51 is a long tube that extends along the axial direction. The rail body piece 51 has a second opening 53 that opens downward. The second opening 53 is formed along the left-right direction on the lower wall of the rail body piece 51. Therefore, the second rail material 15 has a second opening 53 that opens along its longitudinal direction at its lower end.

[0102] The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are groove-shaped with a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side. The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are elongated groove-shaped extending along the left-right direction. Of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52, one weight-retaining piece 52 is provided on the front wall of the rail body piece 51. In this case, the opening of the weight-retaining piece 52 located on the front side is closed by the front wall of the rail body piece 51. Of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52, the other weight-retaining piece 52 is provided on the rear wall of the rail body piece 51. In this case, the opening of the weight-retaining piece 52 located on the rear side is closed by the rear wall of the rail body piece 51. The lower walls of the pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are located above the lower wall of the rail body piece 51. The pair of weight-retaining pieces 52, 52 are provided with rod-shaped shafts 56 that serve as weights.

[0103] The switch pressing piece 85 is substantially L-shaped in side view and is formed as an elongated length with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction. The switch pressing piece 85 has a first piece 86 and a second piece 87. The first piece 86 extends upward from the rear end of the main body piece 30. The second piece 87 extends forward from the upper end of the first piece 86.

[0104] The switch 16 is fixed within the second rail material 15. The second rail material 15 has a pair of front and rear mounting portions 69. In the fifth embodiment, a groove-shaped retaining piece 88 opening upward is provided within the second rail material 15. The retaining piece 88 is provided on the front wall portion of the first rail material 14. In the illustrated example, with the retaining piece 88 opening upward, the front wall portion of the retaining piece 88 is fixed to the front wall portion of the first rail material 14, thereby providing the retaining piece 88 to the first rail material 14. As described above, the retaining piece 88 is groove-shaped. Therefore, the retaining piece 88 has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. Here, the front wall portion of the retaining piece 88 is a mounting portion 69 located on the front side, and the rear wall portion of the retaining piece 88 is a mounting portion 69 located on the rear side. The front mounting portion 69 has a pair of upper and lower recesses 75, 75 that are recessed forward, and the rear wall portion has a pair of upper and lower recesses 75, 75 that are recessed backward.

[0105] A pair of front and rear mounting portions 69 are used to mount a switch 16 located inside the holder 71. In the fifth embodiment, the holder 71 has basically the same configuration as in the previous embodiment. The holder 71 is box-shaped with an opening at the bottom. The lower ends of the front plate portion and the rear plate portion of the holder 71 have flanges 89 that extend outward. The bottom plate portion of the holder 71 does not extend outward more than the front plate portion and the rear plate portion.

[0106] To attach the switch 16 to the mounting portion 69, the flange portion 89 of the front plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the front mounting portion 69, and the flange portion 89 of the rear plate portion of the holder 71 is inserted into the recess 75 located below the rear mounting portion 69. At this time, the lever 57 of the switch 16 held by the holder 71 extends upward from the bottom plate portion of the holder 71. A plate 70 is attached to the pair of front and rear mounting portions 69, 69. In the fifth embodiment, to attach the plate 70 to the mounting portion 69, the front end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the front mounting portion 69, and the rear end of the plate 70 is inserted into the recess 75 located above the rear mounting portion 69.

[0107] The second rail member 15 is supported by the first rail member 14. In the illustrated example, with the upper part of the second rail member 15 housed within the first rail member 14, the lower wall portion of the weight housing piece 52 of the second rail member 15 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the first rail member 14, thereby supporting the second rail member 15. At this time, the lower part of the rail body piece 51 of the second rail member 15 protrudes downward from the first rail member 14 through the first opening 23 of the first rail member 14. Therefore, the second rail member 15 is supported within the first rail member 14 with a portion of it protruding from the first opening 23 of the first rail member 14.

[0108] With the second rail member 15 supported by the first rail member 14, the switch pressing piece 85 of the second rail member 15 presses against the lever 57 of the switch 16. Specifically, with the first piece 86 positioned between the retaining piece 88 and the rear wall portion of the first rail member 14, the second piece 87 presses against the lever 57 of the switch 16 from above.

[0109] The gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail material 15. In the illustrated example, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15. Typically, with the support portion 59 of the gap-preventing member 17 housed within the rail body piece 51 of the second rail material 15, the lower wall portion of the support portion 59 abuts against the inner surface of the lower wall portion of the rail body piece 51, thereby supporting the gap-preventing member 17 within the second rail material 15. In this case, the closing portion 60 of the gap-preventing member 17 protrudes downward from the second rail material 15 through the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Therefore, the gap-preventing member 17 is supported within the second rail material 15 with a portion of it protruding from the second opening 53 of the second rail material 15. Because the gap-preventing member 17 is supported by the second rail material 15 in this manner, the gap-preventing member 17 is movable vertically relative to the first rail material 14 and the second rail material 15.

[0110] The operation of the opening / closing device 1d when an obstacle 12 is placed on the opposing surface 58 will be explained using Figures 20(a) and 20(b). Here, the obstacle 12 is located directly below the gap-preventing member 17. As shown in Figure 20(a), when the opening / closing body 2 descends, the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 approaches the obstacle 12. When the opening / closing body 2 descends further from the state in Figure 20(a), as shown in Figure 20(b), the second rail material 15 comes into contact with the obstacle 12 via the gap-preventing member 17. As a result, the second rail material 15 moves upward relative to the first rail material 14, and the pressure on the lever 57 of the switch 16 is released. The second piece 87 moves upward from the lever 57 of the switch 16, releasing the pressure on the lever 57 of the switch 16. At this time, the other piece 64 of the gap-preventing member 17 is pushed downward by the second rail material 15, causing it to be crushed and bent. As a result, the fault detection device 13 operates as described above.

[0111] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications or improvements that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0112] In the embodiments described above, the opening and closing device was a roller screen, but it is not limited to this, and may be a horizontal blind, pleated screen, honeycomb screen, Roman shade, shutter, retractable screen door, projection screen, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0113] 1. Switching device 2 Opening / closing mechanism 12 Obstacles 13. Fault detection device 14. First rail material 15. Second rail material 16 switches 17 Gap prevention member 23 First opening 53 Second opening 58 Opposing surfaces 68 Holding means 69 Mounting part 70 plates

Claims

1. An opening / closing device comprising an obstacle detection device that detects contact with an obstacle during the downward movement of the opening / closing body, and stopping or raising the opening / closing body based on the detection signal from the obstacle detection device, A first rail member provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body, A second rail member is supported by the first rail member and is movable vertically relative to the first rail member, A switch that activates the fault detection device by pressing or releasing the pressure, The system includes a gap-preventing member that is movable vertically relative to the first rail material and the second rail material, and that can close the gap between the second rail material and the opposing surface below it, The gap-preventing member protrudes downward from the second rail material. The switch is an opening / closing device in which the second rail material is pressed or released when it rises by a predetermined amount relative to the first rail material during the downward movement of the opening / closing body.

2. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the gap-preventing member is supported by the second rail material.

3. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the gap-preventing member is supported by the first rail material on the front or rear side of the second rail material.

4. The first rail material has a first opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, The second rail material has a second opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, and is supported within the first rail material in a state exposed from the first opening. The gap-preventing member is an elastic member, supported within the second rail material so as to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the second rail material, and a portion of it protrudes from the second opening of the second rail material. The opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein the second rail material is composed of a weight that bends the gap-preventing member that is in contact with it inside.

5. The first rail material has a first opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the second rail material is supported within the first rail material with a portion of it protruding from the first opening of the first rail material.

6. The switches are provided in multiple locations spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the first rail material. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first rail material is a long member having a predetermined rigidity.

7. The first rail material further includes a holding means for holding the switch, The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the holding means comprises a mounting portion that allows the switch formed in the first rail material to be slidably mounted along the longitudinal direction of the first rail material, and a plate that can be attached to the mounting portion, and the plate is attached between a plurality of switches attached to the mounting portion, thereby fixing the switches in the first rail material in a non-slidable manner.

8. The first rail material is provided within the second rail material, The second rail material has a second opening at its lower end that is open along the longitudinal direction, The switch is fixed within the second rail material and activates the fault detection device when pressed from above. The gap-preventing member is supported within the second rail material with a portion of it protruding from the second opening. The opening / closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first rail material presses the switch as the first rail material moves downward by a predetermined amount relative to the second rail material during the downward movement of the opening / closing body.

9. An opening / closing device comprising an obstacle detection device that detects contact with an obstacle during the downward movement of the opening / closing body, and stopping or raising the opening / closing body based on the detection signal from the obstacle detection device, A first rail member provided at the lower end of the opening / closing body, A second rail member is supported by the first rail member and is movable vertically relative to the first rail member, A switch fixed within the second rail material and activated by being pressed from above, The opening / closing device is provided within the second rail and presses the switch by descending a predetermined amount relative to the second rail during the downward movement of the opening / closing body.

Images