Sliding furniture doors with new features

The sliding doors with U-shaped handles and resin rollers on Y-shaped rails address the issues of fixed handles and noise in existing designs, offering enhanced storage capacity and quiet operation with dual-sided handle functionality.

JP2026082573AActive Publication Date: 2026-05-19MATSUDA FURNITURE CO LTD
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
MATSUDA FURNITURE CO LTD
Filing Date
2024-11-05
Publication Date
2026-05-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing sliding doors in storage furniture often have fixed handle positions that restrict storage volume, cause operational inconvenience, and generate noise due to friction, with overlapping doors complicating access and closing operations.

Method used

The sliding doors feature identical U-shaped handles at both ends, allowing operation from either side, combined with polypile strips for cushioning and resin rollers on Y-shaped rails for smooth, quiet operation, minimizing contact noise and enhancing storage capacity.

Benefits of technology

The solution provides easy access to storage space, maintains aesthetic appeal, reduces noise, and ensures smooth, quiet operation, while allowing handles on both sides for convenient opening and closing, thus optimizing storage capacity and usability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

In storage furniture with sliding doors, the present invention provides a new function for sliding doors that maximizes storage space, facilitates storage operation, and features recessed U-shaped handles on both the left and right ends of the door frame, allowing for manual operation freely on either side. [Solution] In a storage furniture with sliding doors, in order to maximize the opening and closing width of the storage space inside the sliding doors, facilitate storage operations, and operate the opening and closing operations quietly and safely, the two doors are the same shape, and recessed U-shaped handles are provided at both the left and right ends of the frame of each door. Polypile, which is a flocked strip that prevents foreign objects from entering and enhances cushioning, is attached to the inner left and right end surfaces and the vertical end surface, and the sliding doors have a new function that allows them to be freely used in the front, back, left, and right directions for opening and closing.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage furniture with a sliding door, in which a digging type U-shaped handle is provided at both left and right ends of the door rail frame in order to make the storage space as wide as possible, simplify the storage operation, and make the opening and closing operation of the sliding door quiet and safe. The present invention relates to a sliding door for furniture having a new function that the handles on both left and right ends of the door can be manually operated freely.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in storage furniture provided with a sliding door that can open and close in the left and right directions to store items to be stored, it is usually composed of two doors. When these two doors overlap, the items inside can be taken in and out sufficiently, but it is difficult and the storage capacity cannot be fully utilized. Also, since one door cannot be used in either the left or right direction, the storage operation is often troublesome. Furthermore, there is a problem of generating frictional noise during sliding on the upper and lower rails of the door of the storage furniture. Improvements to the sliding door have been attempted for such storage furniture. Currently, in particular, consideration is being given to the shape including the opening on the front side, the two horizontally formed rails, or the weight reduction of each sliding door, and a more effective handle.

[0003] As furniture with a sliding door that can quietly, safely, and smoothly open and close two sliding doors with a smooth operation feeling and a low-noise drive that has a smooth and easy opening and closing feeling, two reverse concave rectangular guide rail bodies are provided on the upper rail frame of the opening for the sliding door of the storage furniture, and two Y-shaped dug-in lower rails or two integrated Y-shaped dug-in lower rails are provided on the lower rail frame. A runner with a soft closer for opening and closing in two directions, in which dual double rollers are inserted at both tip ends of a rectangular parallelepiped, is inserted into the upper rail body for reverse concave rectangular guide covered with a box-shaped cover frame having a damper function so that it can slide. A sliding door has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] In a sliding door that can move between a fully open position where the door panels substantially overlap and a fully closed position where this overlap substantially disappears, first to third door panels that are parallel to each other are connected to each other via a link mechanism, and in a sliding door that can move between a fully open position where these door panels substantially overlap and a fully closed position where this overlap substantially disappears, the link mechanism comprises a first link member whose base end is pivotally attached to the rear surface of the first door panel, a movable shaft member that is movable within a rail provided behind the second door panel and is connected to the pivot end of the first link member, and a second link member whose one end is connected to the movable shaft member and whose other end is pivotally attached to the rear surface of the third door panel. (See Patent Document 2).

[0005] A sliding door has been proposed that is installed in an opening and has multiple door panels. The sliding door has multiple door panels installed at the opening end of a storage furniture that is an opening. These door panels are configured to be movable between a fully open position where all door panels overlap and a fully closed position where the side ends of the first door panel and the second door panel, and the side ends of the second door panel and the third door panel, overlap and close the opening end. When the sliding door is moved to the fully closed position, engaging parts are provided on the overlapping side ends. These engaging parts engage with each other to restrict the separation movement between the door panels in the thickness direction, and the engaging parts engage with each other to restrict the separation movement between the door panels in the thickness direction (see Patent Document 3).

[0006] In a storage furniture that possesses a sense of luxury in general furniture while also having ample storage space, a storage furniture has been proposed in which an upper rail is provided on the top plate of the storage unit body, extending substantially across the entire width direction, and a front sliding door is suspended and supported in front of the front surface via a first support element extending forward from this upper rail, so that the front surface of the top plate is covered by the front sliding door and the front sliding door is configured to slide from the front surface of one side plate of the storage unit body to the front surface of the other side plate, and a first deceleration means is provided above the inside of the storage furniture body to reduce the speed at which the front sliding door slides toward closing (see Patent Document 4).

[0007] In storage furniture with sliding doors, there are few pieces of furniture with sliding doors that have been newly integrated with rollers and guide rails that minimize noise when driving the left and right doors of large, special sliding doors, allowing for smooth opening and closing. In particular, there are no pieces of storage furniture that have sliding doors that move quietly and gently, in addition to the three characteristics of ▲1▼ having handles on both the left and right corners of the sliding door for easy opening and closing and wide use, ▲2▼ the door closing smoothly without any abrupt slamming when opening and closing, and ▲3▼ noise reduction in the movement of the door on the rail to eliminate noise, while also enhancing the design, increasing the strength and earthquake resistance of the furniture, and making it sturdy, and yet being lightweight. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7411860 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-180006 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-156358 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-25334 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] In sliding doors for storage furniture, there are generally two doors, with the outer and inner doors always fixed in place, and the handle positions are also fixed. However, the position of the handles can prevent the storage volume of the interior space from being fully realized, and the inconvenience of the handle positions can cause many difficulties in opening and closing the doors. In addition, friction caused by the weight, material, and shape of the doors generates noise at the point of contact, and generally, there is an expectation that doors should open and close smoothly and almost silently at a noise level of 45 dB or less. Furthermore, when opening and closing sliding doors, the two doors overlap, and when opening or closing in opposite directions, the two doors are often slightly offset, and one door is moved to proceed with the opening and closing operation. There is a desire to simplify this operation. That is, to provide handles on the left and right corners of the door, but this is not done due to design or manufacturing constraints.

[0011] To facilitate easy access to stored items and increase storage capacity, the storage furniture has handles on the left and right corners of the doors. However, because the position of the handles is fixed on the sliding doors, they are offset by the width of the handles to make them usable, which makes it inconvenient when putting items inside. There is a desire for storage furniture with sliding doors that offer a wider storage capacity and are easier to operate.

[0012] This invention relates to storage furniture that allows items to be stored by opening and closing sliding doors from side to side. Typically, this furniture is equipped with two sliding doors. While it is possible to access the stored items inside when these two doors are overlapping, this is difficult, and the storage capacity is not fully realized. Attempts have been made to improve the effectiveness of sliding doors in such storage furniture with sliding doors and handles. In particular, the shape of the opening located on the front side, including the handle, has not been adequately considered.

[0013] This invention addresses these challenges and aims to provide a sliding door for furniture that offers a wide and ample storage space for various types of storage furniture, is a two-door sliding door with handles that allows for easy storage, does not detract from the aesthetic appeal of the furniture, and has a new function that makes the sliding door light and easy to install. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In storage furniture with sliding doors, the two doors are identical in shape, and each door has recessed U-shaped handles at both ends of the door frame. Polypile, a type of flocked strip, is attached to the inner left and right end surfaces and the vertical end surface to prevent foreign objects from entering and to enhance cushioning. This new sliding door for furniture allows for free use of either the left or right side when opening and closing the door.

[0015] The two doors consist of a frame and a surface material. The frame is made from wood, aluminum, or resin, and the surface material is made from resin, wood, or glass. A recessed U-shaped handle is positioned at both ends of the door frame. The U-shaped handle has a recessed U-shaped groove that allows it to move left and right. The groove has a width of 15-20 mm and a depth of 5-10 mm. By partially inserting a finger, the door can be operated by touching both sides of the groove structure at both ends of the door. Because the fingers can grip the groove from either the left or the right, and there are handles at both ends, there are always three handles on the front, and the opening and closing operation is not affected even when the two doors overlap front and back.

[0016] The two front and rear doors are identical in dimensions and shape. Poly pile strips, resembling bundles of hair, are attached in vertical lines along the left and right edges to prevent foreign objects from entering. To ensure quiet and safe sliding, the upper surface of the frame is fitted with fixing pins to which runners with two-way soft closers that allow for smooth opening and closing are attached, and the lower surface is fitted with resin rollers that can run on a Y-shaped rail.

[0017] The sliding door storage furniture has dimensions of 800-2400mm in width, 1200-2200mm in height, and 300-600mm in depth. The sliding doors occupy 2 / 5 to 5 / 5 of the entire surface, making it suitable for storing books, decorative items, and tableware. The sliding doors have handles on both sides of the grooved structure at both ends of the door, and the opening is wide. The sliding doors are constructed with resin rollers and aluminum rails to minimize the contact surface during opening and closing.

[0018] The frame with handles and the upper and lower rails of the two doors are made of aluminum and resin to reduce weight and prevent abnormal noise caused by metal-to-metal contact. Two inverted concave rectangular guide rails are attached to the upper frame of the sliding door opening of the storage furniture, and two Y-shaped recessed lower rails are attached to the lower frame. A runner with a two-way soft closer, which has dual double rollers with damper function inserted into both ends of the rectangular upper rail, is inserted in an operable manner. Additionally, two slide rollers that can rotate on the Y-shaped recessed lower rails are attached to the lower frame. This results in a storage furniture with excellent sliding doors that are lightweight, operate smoothly and quietly during opening and closing, and have mitigating mechanisms in the rails to prevent collisional contact between the sliding door frame and the frame during opening and closing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] In this invention, the sliding door for furniture with a new function is designed for storage furniture with various sliding doors, allowing for more storage space and quantity of various items, and making it easy to store and retrieve items. Moreover, it maintains the dignified appearance and design of the storage furniture, resulting in a dignified structure with a sliding door. The sliding door has a new function that allows for smooth opening and closing, and is easy to operate, with a low risk of damage to the storage furniture. Furthermore, the handle on the sliding door is designed so that fingers can grip it from either the left or right side. In addition, there are handles on both ends of the door, resulting in 2 to 3 handles on the front, and the opening and closing operation is not affected even when the front and back doors overlap. When a sliding door with rails and rollers formed inside the storage furniture is attached and used to store items as storage furniture, the style is not impaired. The front of the furniture is made flush to ensure the style of the open storage furniture, and the sliding door in the furniture that makes a gentle movement with a quiet sound moves extremely quietly, smoothly, and gently from side to side, creating a sense of enjoyment during storage.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the state of a typical front and rear double-door furniture with a sliding door having a new function. A: The state where the left side is open. B: The state where the right side is open. C: The state where both sides are closed. [Figure 2] An enlarged structure diagram of a sliding door for furniture with a new function. A: The front state of the handle. B: The attachment state of the plush strip. C: The cross-sectional state of the handle. D: The cross-sectional view of the plush strip (poly-pile). [Figure 3] A functional state diagram of the double doors in the handle of a sliding door for furniture with a new function. A: The diagram of the closed state of the sliding door. B: The diagram of the open state of the sliding door. C: The diagram of the state with three handles in the intermediate state of opening and closing the sliding door. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the types of storage furniture with a handle for a sliding door for furniture with a new function. A: Dish cabinet (2 / 5 of the sliding door). B: Large storage furniture (5 / 5 of the sliding door). [Figure 5] A diagram showing the structural appearance of a sliding door for furniture with a new function (front and back eyes). A: The state of the front. B: The state of the back.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a typical perspective view of a storage furniture with a sliding door having a new function for opening and closing the door. Figs. 2, 3, and 5 show each state, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the types of furniture using the sliding door.

Examples

[0022] In storage furniture with sliding doors, when one side is opened, the opening width of the storage space inside the sliding door is maximized to facilitate storage operations, and the doors are opened and closed quietly and safely. To achieve this, the two doors are the same shape, and recessed U-shaped handles are provided at both the left and right ends of the frame of each door. Polypile, a fuzzy strip that prevents foreign objects from entering and enhances cushioning, is attached to the inner left and right end surfaces and vertical edges of the doors, and the sliding doors have a new function that allows them to be opened and closed freely in all directions (front, back, left, and right).

[0023] The two doors of the cupboard in Figure 1 are located on the upper level, and the frame is made from wood, aluminum, or resin, while the surface material is made from resin or glass. As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, recessed U-shaped handles made of aluminum frame are positioned at both ends. The U-shaped handles are recessed into U-shaped grooves so that they can be operated from side to side. The U-shaped grooves have a width of 15 mm and a depth of 10 mm, and the handles can be operated freely from side to side by touching the sides of the groove structures at both ends by partially inserting a finger.

[0024] The two front and rear doors of the upper section of the cupboard are identical in dimensions and shape. As shown in Figure 5, a poly pile band resembling bundles of hair is attached in a vertical line along the left and right edges to prevent foreign objects from entering. As shown in Figure 2D, a poly pile band is attached in a vertical line along the left and right edges. To ensure quiet and safe operation, a fixing pin section is attached to the upper surface of the frame of the two doors, allowing a runner with a two-way soft closer to be suspended for smooth operation, as shown in Figure 1. A resin roller that can run on a Y-shaped rail is attached to the lower surface.

[0025] The sliding door for furniture with the new function shown in Figure 4A has dimensions of 900mm in width, 1800mm in height, and 450mm in depth. It consists of a counter with hinged doors, drawers, and a space at the bottom, and a shelf with a sliding door at the top. The lightweight sliding door accounts for 2 / 5 of the total surface area of ​​the storage furniture, which is a storage unit for dishes. The sliding door has a wide opening with handles on both sides of the grooved structures at both ends, and the contact surface during opening and closing the door is minimized. The sliding door has a rail structure that reduces the contact surface between the resin roller and the aluminum rail, and consists of two door-driving guide rails and a rail structure that resembles a door frame and a sliding door frame. [Examples]

[0026] As shown in Figure 4B, in this new sliding furniture door, the two doors are identical in shape, and recessed U-shaped handles are provided at both ends of the frame. Polypile, a type of flocked strip, is attached to the left and right end surfaces and vertical edges to prevent foreign objects from entering and to enhance cushioning. This new sliding furniture door allows for free use of the front, back, left, and right sides for opening and closing.

[0027] The two doors consist of a frame and a surface material. The frame is made from wood, aluminum, or resin, and the surface material is made from resin, wood, or glass. Recessed U-shaped handles are positioned on the frame at both ends. The U-shaped handles are recessed into U-shaped grooves so that they can be operated from side to side. The grooves have a width of 15-20 mm and a depth of 10 mm, allowing for manual operation on both sides by touching the grooves on both ends with a finger.

[0028] The two doors in Figure 5 are identical in dimensions and shape. Polypile strips resembling bundles of hair are attached in vertical lines along the left and right edges of the vertical end faces at both ends to prevent foreign objects from entering. To ensure quiet and safe operation, a fixing pin section is attached to the upper surface to which a runner with a two-way soft closer can be suspended, and a resin roller that can run on a Y-shaped rail is attached to the lower surface.

[0029] The new sliding door furniture has dimensions of 1000mm in width, 2000mm in height, and 450mm in depth. The lightweight sliding doors make up the entire surface of the storage furniture, which is designed for storing books and clothing. The sliding doors have handles on both sides of the groove structure at both ends of the door, and the opening is wide. The structure minimizes the contact surface between the resin rollers and aluminum rails during opening and closing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1... Storage furniture sliding doors 2…Upper frame 3… Guide rails 4…Lower frame 5…Y-shaped rail 6…Frame body 7…Glass surface, resin surface 8... Sliding door section 9…Soft Closer 10...U-shaped handle 11…Hair-implanted polypile band 12…cupboard 13…Bookshelf 14…Opening / closing drive mechanism 15... Fixing pin section 16… Recessed handle 17... Shelf 18…Drawer 19... Counter 20...Hinged door 21…Cord mounting hole

Claims

1. A new type of sliding door for furniture, characterized by its ability to maximize the opening width of the storage space inside the sliding door, facilitate storage operation, and ensure quiet and safe operation. The two doors are identical in shape, and recessed U-shaped handles are provided at both ends of the frame of each door. Polypile, a type of flocked strip, is attached to the inner left and right end surfaces and vertical edges of the doors where two to three handles are located on the front, to prevent foreign objects from entering and to enhance cushioning. The left and right doors can be freely used to open and close the two doors.

2. The two doors consist of a frame and a surface material, the frame being selected from wood, aluminum, or resin, and the surface material being selected from resin board, wood board, or glass. U-shaped handles are positioned as frame parts at both ends of the doors, and the U-shaped handles are recessed U-shaped grooves that allow them to operate left and right. The U-shaped grooves have a groove structure with a width of 15 to 20 mm and a depth of 5 to 10 mm, and by partially inserting a finger, the doors can be operated freely left and right by touching the sides of the groove structure at both ends of the doors. The fingers can grip the grooves on either the left or right side, and there are two to three handles on the front, so that the opening and closing operation is not affected even when the two doors overlap front and back. This is a feature of the new furniture sliding door described in 1.

3. The front and rear doors are identical in dimensions and shape, and a polypile strip resembling bundles of hair is attached in a vertical line along the left and right edges to prevent foreign objects from entering the vertical edges of both ends of the doors, and in order to operate quietly and safely, a fixing pin is attached to the upper surface of the door frame to which a runner with a two-way soft closer can be suspended, and a resin roller that can run on a Y-shaped rail is attached to the lower surface of the door frame, characterized in that the sliding furniture door has the new function described in claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The sliding door storage furniture has dimensions of 800 to 2400 mm in width, 1200 to 2200 mm in height, and 300 to 600 mm in depth, and the sliding door of the storage furniture accounts for 2 / 5 to 5 / 5 of the total surface area, and is a storage furniture for books, clothes, and tableware, characterized in that the sliding door opening is wide, the contact surface during opening and closing operation is minimized, and the structure consists of resin rollers and aluminum rails, as described in claim 1 or claim 2.