Gap shielding device and sliding door device equipped therewith

Abstract

The present invention provides a gap shielding device that can shield the gap on the upper end side of a sliding door in the closed position without obstructing the sliding of the sliding door, and a sliding door device equipped therewith. [Solution] A gap shielding device 2 is attached to the upper edge of an opening 5 that opens and closes with the sliding door 10 in a closed position so as to shield the gap between the upper end of the sliding door 10 and the upper edge 5a of the opening 5 that opens and closes with the sliding door, and comprises a long, elongated shape extending in the door width direction and a sealing portion 25 that abuts against the upper end 10a of the sliding door, and a holding portion 20 that holds the sealing portion so as to be displaceable between a shielding position that abuts against the sliding door in a closed position and a retracted position that is spaced away from the sliding door in an open position, including a slightly open state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gap shielding device and a sliding door device provided with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a sliding door for opening and closing an opening (entrance / exit) provided in a wall of a building has been known. Since such a sliding door is provided so as to be slidable in the door width direction, a gap is likely to be formed between the upper end side thereof and the upper edge portion of the opening in the closed position. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses an opening / closing door device including an elongated covering body that extends parallel to the opening / closing door when closed and seals the space between the lower surface of the upper frame and the upper surface of the opening / closing door. The covering body of this opening / closing door device is provided with an elongated elastic member that extends from the covering body main body fixed to the lower surface of the upper frame toward the opening / closing door side, abuts against the opening / closing door, and extends parallel to the opening / closing door.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the covering body as described in Patent Document 1 above, when the opening / closing door is slid, the elastic member always abuts against the opening / closing door, resulting in sliding resistance, and there is also a concern of wear.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a gap shielding device that can shield the gap on the upper end side of the sliding door in the closed position without hindering the sliding of the sliding door, and a sliding door device provided with the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the gap shielding device according to the present disclosure is a gap shielding device attached to the upper edge of an opening that opens and closes with respect to the gap between the upper end of a sliding door in a closed position and the upper edge of an opening that opens and closes with respect to the sliding door, and is characterized by comprising: a long, elongated shape extending in the door width direction, a sealing portion that abuts against the upper end of the sliding door; and a holding portion that holds the sealing portion so as to be displaceable between a shielding position that abuts against the sliding door in a closed position and a retracted position that is spaced apart from the sliding door in an open position, including a slightly open state.

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the sliding door device according to this disclosure is characterized by comprising a sliding door and a gap shielding device according to this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The gap shielding device and sliding door device equipped therewith, as configured as described above, can shield the gap on the upper end side of the sliding door in the closed position without obstructing the sliding of the sliding door. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic, partially broken front view showing an example of a gap shielding device and an example of a sliding door device equipped therewith in an installed state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic disassembled perspective view of a partially broken sliding door device. [Figure 3] (a) and (b) are schematic longitudinal cross-sectional views of a partial fracture, corresponding to the view along the YY line in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partial fracture corresponding to the view along the line XX in Figure 3(a). [Figure 5] (a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views of a partial fracture, corresponding to Figure 4. [Figure 6] (a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views of a gap shielding device and a sliding door device equipped therewith, corresponding to Figures 3(a) and (b), respectively, showing an example of a gap shielding device and an example of a sliding door device equipped therewith according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In some of the figures, some of the detailed symbols have been omitted. In the following embodiments, directions such as the vertical direction will be described based on the state in which the gap shielding device and the sliding door device equipped therewith according to each embodiment have been installed.

[0011] Figures 1 to 5 schematically show an example of a gap shielding device and an example of a sliding door device equipped therewith according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 4, the gap shielding device 2 according to this embodiment is attached to the upper edge 5a of the opening 5 so as to shield the gap between the upper end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and the upper edge 5a of the opening 5 that is opened and closed by the sliding door 10. The gap shielding device 2 is elongated in the direction of the door width and includes a sealing portion 25 that abuts against the upper end 10a of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and a holding portion 20 that holds the sealing portion 25. With this configuration, the sealing portion 25 abuts against the sliding door 10 in the closed position, thereby shielding the gap between the upper end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and the upper edge 5a of the opening 5, and improving the sound insulation of the upper end. The sliding door device 1 according to this embodiment comprises the gap shielding device 2 and the sliding door 10. An example of the specific configuration of the gap shielding device 2 will be described later.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the sliding door 10 is a long, roughly rectangular flat plate in the vertical direction, and opens and closes an opening 5 that serves as an entrance / exit, which is provided to penetrate the wall 3 of the building. In this embodiment, the sliding door 10 is suspended and held on an upper rail 16 so as to be slidable in the door width direction. In other words, the sliding door 10 is installed as an overhead-hung type. The height dimension (length dimension) of the sliding door 10 may be a dimension corresponding to the opening height of the opening 5 that is opened and closed by the sliding door 10. For example, the height dimension of the sliding door 10 may be about 1800 mm to 2100 mm. If the opening height of the opening 5 is about the same as the ceiling height from the floor to the ceiling, the height dimension of the sliding door 10 may be, for example, about 2400 mm to 3000 mm. The width dimension of the sliding door 10 may be a dimension corresponding to the opening width of the opening 5, for example, about 600 mm to 1200 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the sliding door 10 can be, for example, around 20mm to 40mm.

[0013] Handles 11, 11 are provided on both sides in the door thickness direction at the leading edge end of the sliding door 10 (see also Figure 4). In the illustrated example, the handles 11, 11 are bar-shaped handles that protrude outward in the door thickness direction at the leading edge end of the sliding door 10 and extend in the door height direction. The handles 11, 11 are not limited to this configuration; they may also be recessed handles formed to be recessed at the leading edge end of the sliding door 10. Runners 12, 12 are provided at both ends in the door width direction of the upper end 10a of the sliding door 10, which are suspended and held by the upper rail 16 described later. These runners 12, 12 may be configured to have rolling elements such as rollers that roll on guide pieces provided on the upper rail 16.

[0014] A guide groove extending in the door width direction may be provided at the lower end of the sliding door 10 to receive a guide portion provided on the floor side. A shielding member may be provided at the lower end of the sliding door 10 to shield the gap between the lower end of the sliding door 10 and the floor side, at least in the closed position. The panel body constituting this sliding door 10 may be, for example, a so-called flush panel in which a surface material is adhered to a panel core material having a four-sided frame. In the illustrated example, the sliding door 10 is shown with both surfaces (10b) in the thickness direction being flat surfaces. However, for example, it may be a framed panel or the like in which a mirror plate-like portion having a smaller thickness than its periphery is provided at the central portion.

[0015] This sliding door 10 is installed on a door frame 14 including an upper rail 16. This door frame 14 may be provided in the sliding door device 1. In the illustrated example, the door frame 14 is configured to install a single sliding door 10 in a single-slide manner with the sleeve wall recessed (see also FIG. 4). That is, on the wall body 3, a sleeve wall 4 along which the sliding door 10 in the open position is to be placed is provided. In the illustrated example, an example is shown in which the wall width dimension of the sleeve wall 4 is made smaller than the door width dimension so that a remaining portion is formed on the sliding door 10 in the fully open state. However, depending on the handles 11, 11, etc. of the sliding door 10, it is not limited to such an example. The door frame 14 includes an upper frame 15, a door leading side vertical frame 17 whose upper end is joined to the leading end portion of the upper frame 15 on the door leading side, a door trailing side vertical frame 18 whose upper end is joined to the trailing end portion of the upper frame 15 on the door trailing side, and an intermediate vertical frame (middle upright) 19 whose upper end is joined to an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the upper frame 15. The opening 5 opened and closed by the sliding door 10 is partitioned at the upper side by the upper frame 15 (upper rail 16), at the door leading side by the door leading side vertical frame 17, and at the door trailing side by the intermediate vertical frame 19. The lower side of the opening 5 may be partitioned by the floor or may be partitioned by an appropriate lower frame as appropriate.

[0016] The upper frame 15 may be fixed to an appropriate upper frame base constituting the ceiling surface of an opening formed to penetrate the wall body 3 of the building. In the illustrated example, an example is shown in which a hanging wall constituting the wall body 3 is provided above the upper frame 15. However, instead of such an aspect, the upper frame 15 may be provided in a manner attached to or embedded in the ceiling. The upper rail 16 is fixed to the lower surface 15a side of the upper frame 15. As shown in Fig. 3(a), at least the upper part of the upper rail 16 is housed and fixed in a receiving groove 15b formed on the lower surface 15a side of the upper frame 15. A guide groove 16a for receiving and guiding runners 12, 12 that constitute a guided member provided on the upper end side of the sliding door 10 is provided so as to open downward and extend in the longitudinal direction.

[0017] The door tip side vertical frame 17 and the door butt side vertical frame 18 may be fixed to appropriate vertical frame bases that constitute the opposing inner surfaces of the opening. As shown in Fig. 4, the door tip side vertical frame 17 is provided with a receiving groove (door jamb groove) for receiving the door tip side end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position so as to extend in the vertical direction (the direction along the door height direction). A door tip side seal portion that abuts against the door tip side end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and is long in the door height direction may be provided on the door tip side vertical frame 17. The door butt side vertical frame 18 is in contact with or close to the door butt side end of the sliding door 10 in the fully open state. The intermediate vertical frame 19 is provided along the end of the sleeve wall 4 on the opening 5 side. A shielding member 19a for shielding the gap between the door butt side end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and the intermediate vertical frame 19 may be provided on one or both of the intermediate vertical frame 19 and the door butt side end of the sliding door 10. The door frame 14 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be configured in various other ways.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3(a), the holding portion 20 of the gap shielding device 2 is attached to the upper frame 15 which constitutes the mounting target of the upper edge 5a of the opening 5. The holding portion 20 is provided with a positioning portion 23 which is positioned on the positioning portion (16b) on the upper edge 5a side so that the seal portion 25 can come into contact with the sliding door 10 in the closed position. With this configuration, by aligning the positioning portion 23 of the holding portion 20 with the positioning portion (16b) on the upper edge 5a side and fixing the holding portion 20, the seal portion 25 can be easily positioned in the appropriate position, improving workability. This reduces the likelihood of the seal portion 25 excessively contacting the sliding door 10 or creating a gap between it and the sliding door 10, and allows for stable shielding of the gap on the upper end side of the sliding door 10 in the closed position.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the holding portion 20 holds the sealing portion 25 so that it can be displaced between a shielding position in contact with the sliding door 10 in the closed position and a retracted position that is separated from the sliding door 10 in the open position, including a slightly open state. With this configuration, when the sealing portion 25 is in the shielding position, it can contact the sliding door 10 in the closed position, thereby shielding the gap between the upper end of the sliding door 10 in the closed position and the upper edge 5a of the opening 5. Furthermore, since the sealing portion 25 can be displaced to a retracted position separated from the sliding door 10, the sealing portion 25 does not create sliding resistance when the sliding door 10 is slid, allowing the sliding door 10 to slide smoothly. As a result, there is no concern about wear of the sealing portion 25 due to sliding against the sliding door 10.

[0020] The retaining part 20 is attached to the upper edge 5a of the opening 5 so as to be located on one side in the door thickness direction of the sliding door 10 in the closed position. With this configuration, for example, the structure of the upper frame 15 and upper rail 16 can be simplified compared to a configuration in which the retaining part 20 that holds the sealing part 25 is embedded in the upper frame or upper rail. In other words, the upper frame 15 and upper rail 16 can be made common parts with the upper frame 15 and upper rail 16 of a sliding door device 1 that does not have a gap shielding device 2, and it is also possible to attach the gap shielding device 2 as an option or as an add-on. The retaining portion 20 is mounted such that the sealing portion 25 can contact one side surface 10b in the door thickness direction of the sliding door 10 when it is in the closed position. The positioning portion 23 is aligned in the door thickness direction with respect to the positioned portion (16b). With this configuration, the retaining portion 20 can be easily positioned in the appropriate location by moving the retaining portion 20 in the door thickness direction relative to the upper frame 15 to which it is attached, and by aligning the positioning portion 23 in the door thickness direction with respect to the positioned portion (16b).

[0021] The positioning portion (16b) is provided on the upper edge 5a of the opening 5, extending over the entire width of the opening, and the positioning portion 23 is provided along the entire length of the elongated holding portion 20 in the width of the opening. With this configuration, by aligning the elongated positioning portion 23 with the positioning portion (16b) which is provided over the entire width of the opening, the seal portion 25 can be positioned appropriately at any point in the width of the opening. The positioning portion (16b) is provided so as to protrude downward from the lower surface 15a of the upper frame 15 to which it is to be mounted, and is the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16 that guides the upper end of the sliding door 10. The positioning portion 23 includes a contact portion 23a that abuts against the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16. With this configuration, the holding portion 20 can be easily positioned by bringing the contact portion 23a of the positioning portion 23 into contact with the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16, and the sealing portion 25 can be placed in the appropriate position.

[0022] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the retaining portion 20 is provided to extend over substantially the entire width of the opening 5, that is, in the illustrated example, over substantially the entire space between the door-side vertical frame 17 and the intermediate vertical frame 19. In the illustrated example, both longitudinal ends of the retaining portion 20 are shown in contact with the door-side vertical frame 17 and the intermediate vertical frame 19 on either side, but a small gap may be formed between one or both longitudinal ends of the retaining portion 20 and the vertical frames (17, 19). As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the retaining part 20 is equipped with a fixing piece 21 that is fixed along the lower surface 15a of the upper frame 15. The fixing piece 21 is roughly in the shape of a strip plate with its thickness direction being vertical. The fixing piece 21 is provided with an insertion hole 21a through which the shaft of a fastener such as a screw that fixes the retaining part 20 to the upper frame 15 is inserted. The insertion hole 21a is an elongated hole that is long in the direction of the door thickness, that is, in the direction of movement when positioning. With this configuration, the fastener inserted through the insertion hole 21a is temporarily fixed to the upper frame 15, and the retaining part 20 is temporarily held in place on the upper frame 15. Then, the retaining part 20 is moved in the direction of the door thickness, and the contact portion 23a of its positioning portion 23 is brought into contact with the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16, making positioning easy. These through holes 21a may be provided in multiple locations on the fixing piece 21 at intervals in the longitudinal direction (opening width direction).

[0023] The positioning portion 23 is provided at the first end of the fixing piece 21, on one side in the width direction (door thickness direction) (the sliding door 10 (upper rail 16) side). The positioning portion 23 is provided at the first end of the fixing piece 21 so as to form a recessed step portion that demarcates a recess that opens toward the sliding door 10 side and upward. The positioning portion 23 forms a vertical surface 23b facing the sliding door 10 side, which becomes the step wall surface of the recessed step portion, and a horizontal surface facing upward, which becomes the step bottom surface of the recessed step portion, at the first end of the fixing piece 21. In the illustrated example, the positioning portion 23 is formed in the shape of a hook portion that bends downward and protrudes toward the sliding door 10 side at the first end of the fixing piece 21. The positioning portion 23 may also be formed by cutting out the upper surface portion of the first end of the fixing piece 21, instead of being formed in a bent shape at the first end of the fixing piece 21. The vertical, surface-like tip of the positioning portion 23 facing the sliding door 10 becomes the contact portion 23a. When this contact portion 23a is brought into contact with the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16, the packing 29 of the sealing portion 25, which will be described later, comes into contact with one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10 with appropriate elastic deformation.

[0024] The holding portion 20 is provided with a covering piece 24 that is positioned to cover one side in the door thickness direction of the sealing portion 25 held by the holding portion 20, which is the side opposite to the sliding door 10. With this configuration, the sealing portion 25 can be made less conspicuous on one side in the door thickness direction of the sliding door 10. This covering piece 24 is provided so as to hang down from the second end of the fixing piece 21, which is the other side in the width direction, and is in the shape of a roughly strip plate with its thickness direction being in the direction of the door thickness. In other words, the holding portion 20 is roughly L-shaped when viewed in the longitudinal direction by the fixing piece 21 and the covering piece 24. The width dimension of the covering piece 24 along the vertical direction may be set to an appropriate dimension so as to be able to cover approximately the entire seal portion 25. In the illustrated example, the lower end of the covering piece 24 is shown to be slightly above the lower end of the seal portion 25, that is, the lower end of the seal portion 25 is slightly exposed below the covering piece 24 when viewed in the door thickness direction, but the example is not limited to this. In addition, a decorative material such as an appropriate decorative sheet may be attached to one side of the covering piece 24 in the door thickness direction that is different from the side of the seal portion 25 in the thickness direction. For example, a wood-grain decorative sheet or veneer may be attached to one side of the covering piece 24 in the door thickness direction to match the upper frame 15, etc. In the illustrated example, a projection is provided at the lower end of the covering piece 24 so as to protrude toward one side in the door thickness direction, with the lower end of the decorative material abutting against it.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the holding portion 20 holds the sealing portion 25 so that it can be displaced approximately in the direction of the door thickness. With this configuration, for example, the holding portion 20 holds the sealing portion 25 so that it can be displaced vertically, and the sealing portion 25 needs to be displaced upward to a retracted position against its own weight, thereby simplifying the holding structure. The upper end of the seal portion 25 and the holding portion 20 are both provided with a bearing portion 22 that holds the shaft portion 26, which is provided on the other side and runs along the door width direction, so that the seal portion 25 can rotate freely around the shaft portion 26. With this configuration, the seal portion 25 rotates with its upper end as a pivot point, and its lower end displaces in a pendulum-like manner, generally in the direction of the door thickness. This allows for smoother displacement compared to a configuration in which the seal portion 25 is held by the holding portion 20 so as to be able to slide freely in the direction of the door thickness, and also reduces deterioration due to friction, etc.

[0026] The illustrated example shows a configuration in which a shaft portion 26 is provided at the upper end of the seal portion 25, and a bearing portion 22 is provided on the holding portion 20. The bearing portion 22 of the holding portion 20 is provided so as to protrude downward from a portion midway along the width direction on the lower surface of the fixing piece portion 21. As shown in Figure 2, this bearing portion 22 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends in the door width direction. This bearing portion 22 is provided with a receiving opening for receiving the shaft portion 26, which opens downward. This receiving opening is formed by cutting out a lower portion that is part of the cylindrical peripheral wall portion that constitutes the bearing portion 22. The retaining portion 20, including the bearing portion 22, may have a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape throughout its entire longitudinal direction. The retaining portion 20 may also be an extruded product formed from an appropriate metal-based material or synthetic resin-based material. Alternatively, instead of providing the bearing portion 22 along the entire length of the retaining portion 20, it may be provided at appropriate locations such as both ends in the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion 20.

[0027] The shaft portion 26 of the seal portion 25 is generally cylindrical in shape and extends in the door width direction. This shaft portion 26 may be provided along the entire length of the seal portion 25, or it may be provided at appropriate locations such as both ends in the longitudinal direction. If a bearing portion 22 is provided along the entire length of the holding portion 20, and the shaft portion 26 is provided along the entire length of the seal portion 25, a notched groove portion opening upward may be formed on the shaft portion 26 so that it can be easily fitted into the bearing portion 22 via a receiving opening. The shaft portion 26 and bearing portion 22 that rotatably hold the seal portion 25 with respect to the holding portion 20 are not limited to the above configuration, and various other configurations may be used.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, one of the sealing portion 25 and the sliding door 10 is provided with a magnet 35 that attracts to a captive portion 13 on the other, such that the sealing portion 25, which is biased toward the retracted position, becomes a shielded position when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position. With this configuration, when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the magnet 35 on one of the sealing portion 25 and the sliding door 10 attracts to the captive portion 13 on the other, causing the sealing portion 25 to be in the shielded position. This eliminates the need to manually set the sealing portion 25 to the shielded position. On the other hand, when the sliding door 10 is in the open position, the sealing portion 25 is biased toward the retracted position, so it is possible to effectively suppress the sealing portion 25 from sliding against the sliding door. The sealing portion 25 is biased toward the retracted position by its own weight. With this configuration, when the sliding door 10 is in the open position, the sealing portion 25 is in the retracted position due to its own weight, and when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, it is in the shielded position due to magnetic attraction. This simplifies the structure compared to a configuration in which the sealing portion 25 is biased toward the retracted position by a biasing member such as a spring, and also makes it less likely for malfunctions to occur in which the sealing portion 25 unintentionally becomes the shielded position in the open position due to failure or deterioration of the biasing member.

[0029] One of the magnet holding portion 30 that holds the magnet 35 and the attracted portion 13 is provided with a contact portion (34) that contacts the other contact portion (13b) when the sliding door 10 is moved from the closed position to the open position, thereby separating the magnet 35 from the attracted portion 13. With this configuration, when the sliding door 10 is moved from the closed position to the open position, one contact portion (34) contacts the other contact portion (13b), and the attraction of the magnet 35 to the attracted portion 13 can be smoothly released. This eliminates the need to manually release the attraction of the magnet 35 to the attracted portion 13, for example, improving usability. In addition, the sliding door 10 can be moved smoothly to the open position, and the seal portion 25 can be smoothly displaced to the retracted position.

[0030] The magnet holding portion 30 has protruding portions 34, 34 on both sides in the door width direction, one of which is a contact portion (34), and the magnet 35 is held at the bottom side between these protruding portions 34, 34. The attracted portion 13 has inclined surfaces 13b, 13b on both sides in the door width direction of the front end surface 13a in the door thickness direction that is attracted to the magnet 35, such that they are inclined outward in the door width direction as they move away from the front end surface 13a in the door thickness direction, with one end being a contact portion (13b). With this configuration, when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the front end surface 13a in the door thickness direction of the attracted portion 13 is attracted to the magnet 35 located at the bottom side between the protruding portions 34, 34 of the magnet holding portion 30. On the other hand, when the sliding door 10 is moved from the closed position to the open position, the protruding portion 34 of the magnet holding portion 30, which is the contact portion, comes into contact with the inclined surface portion 13b of the attracted portion 13, and the guiding action of the inclined surface portion 13b allows the magnet 35 to smoothly release its attraction to the attracted portion 13. Furthermore, since the magnet holding portion 30 is provided with protruding portions 34, 34 on both sides in the door width direction, and the attracted portions 13, 13 are provided with inclined surfaces 13b, 13b on both sides in the door width direction, it can be easily accommodated for both rightward and leftward sliding.

[0031] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the sealing portion 25 is provided to extend over substantially the entire width of the opening 5, that is, in the illustrated example, over substantially the entire space between the door-side vertical frame 17 and the intermediate vertical frame 19. The length of this sealing portion 25 may be slightly smaller than that of the holding portion 20 so that it can be displaced between a shielded position and a retracted position. The sealing portion 25 is formed to hang down from the shaft portion 26 at its upper end and has a packing 29 at its lower end that abuts against the sliding door 10. The sealing portion 25 is held by the holding portion 20 such that the packing 29 is displaced approximately in the direction of the door thickness. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a receiving groove 27 is provided at the lower end of the sealing portion 25 to receive a packing fixing portion 28 to which the packing 29 is fixed. This receiving groove 27 is provided to open toward the sliding door 10 side and to extend along the entire length of the sealing portion 25. The packing fixing portion 28 is configured to hold the base end of the packing 29 by sandwiching it. This packing fixing portion 28 is provided to extend along the entire length of the sealing portion 25.

[0032] The packing 29 is a thin plate-like shape with its thickness generally oriented vertically, and is provided over almost the entire width of the opening 5. In other words, the packing 29 is provided so as to extend over the entire length of the sealing portion 25. This packing 29 is positioned to protrude toward the sliding door 10 side from a packing fixing portion 28 fixed to the lower end of the sealing portion 25. This packing 29 is formed in a tapered shape such that the tip end portion facing the sliding door 10 becomes thinner towards the tip. As shown in Figure 3(a), the packing 29, when the sealing portion 25 is in the shielding position (when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position), contacts one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10 with elastic deformation. The packing 29 may be made of an appropriate elastic material such as rubber.

[0033] The sealing portion 25 is formed such that, in the shielded position, its center of gravity is on the sliding door 10 side of the shaft portion 26. In other words, when the magnet 35's attraction to the adsorbed portion 13 is released, the sealing portion 25 displaces itself toward the retracted position due to its own weight so that its center of gravity is directly below the shaft portion 26. In the shielded position, the sealing portion 25 is formed such that the portion that demarcates the receiving groove 27 that receives the fixing piece portion to which the magnet holding portion 30 (described later) is fixed and the packing fixing portion 28 is located on the sliding door 10 side of the axis of the shaft portion 26. In the shielded position, the sealing portion 25 comprises an upper end piece portion extending downward from the shaft portion 26, an extension piece portion extending horizontally from the upper end piece portion toward the sliding door 10, and a fixing piece portion hanging downward from the sliding door 10 side end of the extension piece portion. The sealing portion 25 includes a portion that demarcates the receiving groove 27 provided at the lower end of the fixing piece portion.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3(b), the sealing portion 25 is formed such that, in the retracted position, the magnet holding portion 30 and the packing 29 do not interfere with the sliding door 10 or the attractable portion 13 provided on the sliding door 10, and the magnet 35 is attracted to the attractable portion 13 when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position. The sealing portion 25 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may have various other configurations. As shown in Figure 4, the magnet holding portions 30 are provided at multiple locations (two locations in the example) spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the sealing portion 25. The example shows a configuration in which magnet holding portions 30, 30 are provided at both ends of the sealing portion 25 in the longitudinal direction. Since these magnet holding portions 30, 30 have similar configurations, one example will be used below to describe a specific configuration.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the magnet holding portion 30 includes a bottom portion 32 that defines the bottom side of the recess 31 that opens toward the sliding door 10, and protrusions 34, 34 that define both sides of the recess 31 in the door width direction. The recess 31 is formed to open on both the upper and lower sides. The bottom portion 32 is a substantially flat plate shape, positioned such that its thickness direction is in the same direction as the door thickness when in the shielding position. In the center of the bottom portion 32 in the door width direction, a receiving recess 33 for receiving and holding the magnet 35 is provided, opening toward the fixing piece side of the sealing portion 25. In the illustrated example, the receiving recess 33 also opens toward the sliding door 10 side, and a retaining portion is formed in an annular shape on the peripheral edge of the opening toward the sliding door 10 side to prevent the magnet 35 from coming out. With this configuration, when the magnet 35 is attracted to the attracted portion 13, the annular retaining portion of the magnet holding portion 30 comes into contact with the attracted portion 13, thereby suppressing damage to the magnet 35. In the diagram, magnet 35 is depicted as a disc. This magnet 35 may also be a neodymium magnet, which has a relatively strong magnetic force.

[0036] The protruding portions 34, 34 are provided so as to protrude toward the sliding door 10 from both ends of the bottom portion 32 in the door width direction. The packing 29 described above is provided so as to be located below the magnet holding portion 30, and so as to have its tip protrude toward the sliding door 10 more than the protruding portions 34, 34. These protrusions 34, 34 are columnar in shape, extending vertically when in the shielded position. Furthermore, these protrusions 34, 34 are provided with inclined surfaces that incline to widen the opening side of the recess 31. In other words, on the opposing sides of the protrusions 34, 34, inclined surfaces are provided that incline outward in the door width direction as they approach the sliding door 10 side, which is the opening side of the recess 31. With this configuration, when the magnet 35 comes into contact with the inclined surface 13b of the adsorbed portion 13 (described later), the mutual guiding action allows for smoother detachment of the magnet 35 from the adsorbed portion 13, and also reduces damage caused by contact. The inclination angle of the inclined surfaces of these protrusions 34, 34 (the inclination angle relative to a vertical plane perpendicular to the door width direction) can be around 30 to 60 degrees, and the illustrated example shows an example with an angle of around 45 degrees.

[0037] The length dimension of the magnet holding part 30 along the door width direction and the width dimension along the vertical direction, as described above, may be set to appropriate dimensions from the viewpoint of being able to hold the magnet 35, forming protrusions 34, 34 on both sides, and making it less conspicuous. For example, the length dimension of the magnet holding part 30 along the door width direction may be about 20 mm to 100 mm, and the width dimension of the magnet holding part 30 along the vertical direction may be about 10 mm to 50 mm. The magnet holder portion 30 may be fixed to the fixing piece portion of the seal portion 25 by fastening fasteners such as screws to the protruding portions 34, 34 from the fixing piece portion side. The magnet holder portion 30 may be formed from an appropriate metallic material or synthetic resin material, or from a non-magnetic material. The magnet holder portion 30 is not limited to the above configuration and may have various other configurations.

[0038] The adsorption portion 13 is provided on the upper end portion 10a of the sliding door 10. This adsorption portion 13 is fixed along one side surface 10b of the upper end portion 10a of the sliding door 10. This adsorption portion 13 is provided on the sliding door 10 so that when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the magnet 35 of the magnet holding portion 30 described above is attracted to it. In other words, as shown in Figure 4, corresponding to the magnet holding portions 30, 30 provided at both ends of the seal portion 25 in the longitudinal direction, adsorption portions 13, 13 are provided at both ends of the upper end portion 10a of the sliding door 10 in the door width direction. The adsorption portion 13 on the door end side is provided closer to the center in the door width direction so as not to interfere with the door end of the sliding door 10, which is arranged to overlap with the intermediate vertical frame 19 in the door thickness direction when in the closed position. Since these adsorption portions 13, 13 on both sides have similar configurations, one example of the specific configuration will be described below using one as an example.

[0039] The adsorbed portion 13 is provided so as to protrude from one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10, and its tip surface 13a is attracted to the magnet 35. The protruding portion of this adsorbed portion 13 has its outer perimeter defined by a tip surface 13a that is parallel to the one side surface 10b, and inclined surfaces 13b, 13b that slope downward toward the one side surface 10b from both edges of the tip surface 13a in the door width direction toward the outside in the door width direction. The protruding portion of this adsorbed portion 13 is received in the recess 31 of the magnet holding portion 30 described above. The inclination angle of these inclined surfaces 13b, 13b (the inclination angle with respect to the vertical plane perpendicular to the door width direction) can be as low as 30 to 60 degrees, and the example shown in the figure is approximately 45 degrees. The adsorbed portion 13 includes a contact piece 13c provided along one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10, extending from the outer ends of the inclined surfaces 13b, 13b in the door width direction. In the illustrated example, the dimension of the contact piece 13c located closer to the center in the door width direction than the outer side in the door width direction of the sliding door 10 is made larger in the door width direction, and an insertion hole is provided in this contact piece 13c through which a fastener that is attached to the upper end 10a of the sliding door 10 is inserted (see Figure 2). An example is also shown in which this insertion hole is an elongated hole in the door width direction.

[0040] The adsorbed portion 13 may be provided such that, when the sliding door 10 is opened from the closed position, the distance the sliding door 10 travels from the closed position until one of the inclined surfaces 13b, which is the contact portion, comes into contact with one of the protruding portions 34 of the magnet holding portion 30 is relatively small. The distance the sliding door 10 travels from the closed position until the inclined surface 13b comes into contact with the protruding portion 34 depends on the size of the magnet 35, etc., and may also be set to an appropriate dimension from the viewpoint of reducing the contact resistance of the sealing portion 25 when the sliding door 10 is opened, for example, it may be about 2 mm to 20 mm. In other words, the distance the sliding door 10 travels from the closed position until one of the inclined surfaces 13b, which is the contact portion, comes into contact with one of the protruding portions 34 may be set to an appropriate dimension such that the time the magnet 35 is attracted to the tip surface 13a of the adsorbed portion 13 is shortened when the sliding door 10 is opened from the closed position.

[0041] The length dimension of the adsorbed portion 13 along the door width direction and the width dimension along the vertical direction may be set to appropriate dimensions according to the magnet holding portion 30 described above. In the illustrated example, the width dimension of the adsorbed portion 13 along the vertical direction is shown to be approximately the same as the width dimension of the magnet holding portion 30. In addition, an example is shown in which the length dimension of the adsorbed portion 13 along the door width direction is larger than the length dimension of the magnet holding portion 30 so that when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the portion of the contact piece 13c that is fixed to the sliding door 10 does not overlap with the magnet holding portion 30. The adsorbed portion 13 may be formed from a suitable ferromagnetic material such as a steel plate. The adsorbed portion 13 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may have various other configurations.

[0042] In the sliding door device 1 described above, as shown in Figure 1, when the sliding door 10 is in the open position, the attracted portion 13 and the magnet 35 are offset in the door width direction, that is, the protruding portion of the attracted portion 13 is outside the recess 31 of the magnet holding portion 30, and the sealing portion 25 is in a retracted position (see also Figures 3(b) and 5(b)). In other words, when the sliding door 10 is in the open position, the sliding door 10 and the sealing portion 25 (packing 29) are in a non-contact state. On the other hand, when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, as shown in Figure 4, the attracted portion 13 and the magnet 35 are in a position that coincides in the door width direction, that is, the protruding portion of the attracted portion 13 is inside the recess 31 of the magnet holding portion 30, and the magnet 35 is attracted to the attracted portion 13, causing the sealing portion 25 to be in a shielded position (see also Figure 3(a)). In other words, when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the sliding door 10 and the sealing portion 25 (packing 29) are in contact.

[0043] When the sliding door 10, which is in the closed position, is slid to the open position, as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), the magnet 35 is released from its attraction to the attracted part 13, and the seal part 25 rotates towards the retracted position by its own weight around the shaft part 26, becoming the retracted position. At this time, the inclined surface part 13b of the attracted part 13, which is on the leading side (door end side) in the direction of the sliding door movement, comes into contact with the door end protrusion 34 of the magnet holding part 30 of the seal part 25. As a result, the magnet 35 can be released from its attraction to the attracted part 13 more smoothly by the guiding action of the inclined surface part 13b, and the seal part 25 can be smoothly displaced, so to speak, by being pushed towards the retracted position by the attracted part 13.

[0044] Next, other embodiments of the gap shielding device and the sliding door device equipped therewith will be described with reference to Figure 6. In the following embodiments, the differences from the previously described example will be mainly explained. Similar components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified. In the following embodiments, the same effects and other aspects as those described in the previously described example will also be omitted or simplified.

[0045] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) schematically show an example of a gap shielding device and an example of a sliding door device equipped therewith according to the second embodiment. The gap shielding device 2A according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above mainly in the manner in which the sealing portion 25A is held by the holding portion 20A. The sliding door device 1A according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above mainly in the manner in which the sliding door 10 is installed. In this embodiment, one of the sealing portion 25A and the holding portion 20A is provided with a guide groove 22A that extends generally in the direction of the door thickness and receives the guided portion 26A provided on the other and guides it generally in the direction of the door thickness. With this configuration, the sealing portion 25A is displaced along the guide groove 22A generally parallel to the direction of the door thickness. As a result, compared to the configuration in which the sealing portion 25 is rotatable as described above, the magnet 35 is able to stably attract the attracted portion 13 even when the sliding door 10 is misaligned in the direction of the door thickness. In other words, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of the magnet 35 being tilted when attracted to the attracted portion 13. In this embodiment as well, the sealing portion 25A is biased toward the retracted position by its own weight.

[0046] The illustrated example shows a case in which a guided portion 26A is provided at the upper end of the sealing portion 25A, and a guide groove 22A is provided in the holding portion 20A. The guide groove 22A of the holding portion 20A is provided on a guide piece that is provided to protrude downward from the lower surface side of the fixing piece 21. The guide piece on which this guide groove 22A is provided may be provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 20A, for example, at each of the ends in the longitudinal direction. The guide groove 22A is formed to extend diagonally so that it becomes downward as it moves away from the sliding door 10. The inclination angle of this guide groove 22A may be set to an appropriate angle so that the seal portion 25A can move towards the retracted position due to its own weight. In the illustrated example, an example with an inclination angle of about 30 degrees is shown, but it is not limited to this angle. This guide groove 22A may be an elongated hole that penetrates the guide piece in the door width direction, or it may be a groove that opens on one side of the guide piece.

[0047] The guided portion 26A of the sealing portion 25A is inserted into and held in the guide groove 22A. This guided portion 26A is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 22A and is slidable within the guide groove 22A in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 22A. In other words, as shown in Figure 6(a), in the shielded position, the guided portion 26A of the sealing portion 25A is located at the end of the guide groove 22A on the sliding door 10 side, and as shown in Figure 6(b), in the retracted position, the guided portion 26A is located at the end of the guide groove 22A on the side other than the sliding door 10 side. The sealing portion 25A does not have the extended portion provided on the sealing portion 25 described above, and instead has a fixed portion to which the magnet holding portion 30 is fixed so as to hang downward from the guided portion 26A. This sealing portion 25A is displaced between a shielded position and a retracted position so that the surface of the fixed portion (magnet 35) facing the sliding door 10 is substantially parallel to one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10.

[0048] As shown in Figure 6(b), when the sliding door 10 is in the open position, the sealing portion 25A is in the retracted position, as described above. As shown in Figure 6(a), when the sliding door 10 is in the closed position, the sealing portion 25A is displaced to slide along the guide groove 22A against its own weight, and the magnet 35 is attracted to the attracted portion 13, becoming the shielded position. When the sliding door 10 in the closed position is slid to the open side, the attraction of the magnet 35 to the attracted portion 13 is released, as described above, and the sealing portion 25A is displaced to slide along the guide groove 22A towards the retracted position due to its own weight, becoming the retracted position. The guide groove 22A and the attracted portion 26A that slidably hold the sealing portion 25A relative to the holding portion 20A are not limited to the configuration described above, and may be various other configurations.

[0049] The sliding door 10 is slidably mounted on one side in the depth direction of the upper frame 15A that constitutes the mounting target. In other words, in this embodiment, the sliding door 10 is installed in a so-called out-set configuration, positioned along one side of the wall 3 when in the open position. The positioning portion 23 is positioned such that the vertical surface 23b facing the sliding door 10, which forms the stepped wall surface of the recessed portion described above, is on the same plane as the visible surface 15c of the upper frame 15A that constitutes the positioning portion on the upper frame 15A facing the sliding door 10 in the closed position. With this configuration, even if the sliding door 10 is installed in an out-set configuration and the upper rail 16A cannot be attached to the lower surface 15a of the upper frame 15A, the holding portion 20A can be easily positioned by aligning the vertical surface 23b with the visible surface 15c of the upper frame 15A, and the sealing portion 25A can be placed in the appropriate position. By aligning the vertical surface 23b of this positioning portion 23 with the visible surface 15c of the upper frame 15A, the packing 29 of the sealing portion 25A comes into contact with one side surface 10b of the sliding door 10 with appropriate elastic deformation.

[0050] This positioning section 23 has the same configuration as the positioning section 23 described in the first embodiment. That is, the positioning section 23 is provided with a contact section 23a that abuts against the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16, and a vertical surface 23b that is located on one side in the door thickness direction, further away from the sliding door 10 than the contact section 23a, and is aligned with the visible surface 15c of the upper frame 15A. In other words, in both the first embodiment and this embodiment, the positioning section 23 is capable of accommodating multiple different installation methods of the sliding door 10. With such a configuration, as in the first embodiment, the sliding door 10 can be installed in a side wall installation or a pocket installation, and the sliding door 10 can also be installed in an out-set installation, all of which can be aligned using the same positioning section 23. Alternatively, the positioning section 23 may be configured to have only one of the contact section 23a and the vertical surface 23b.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lower surface 15a side of the upper frame 15A of the door frame 14A does not have a receiving groove for receiving the upper rail 16A, and is flat over its entire surface. Also, the vertical frame 19A that partitions the door-side of the opening 5 has a larger depth than the intermediate vertical frame 19 described above, corresponding to the wall thickness of the wall body 3. In this embodiment, an appropriate stopper that abuts against the door-side end face of the sliding door 10 in the fully open position may be provided on the floor side or the upper rail 16A side. The upper rail 16A is fixed along the wall 3 located above the upper frame 15A. In the illustrated example, the upper rail 16A is shown as being fixed to the wall 3 by partially resting on the so-called "gutter" portion of the upper frame 15A that protrudes beyond the wall 3. In the illustrated example, the upper rail 16A is provided with a fixing piece that is fixed along the wall 3, and a cover body 16c is provided that includes this fixing piece and covers the front side of the upper rail 16A. The upper rail 16A is not limited to these examples and may have various other configurations.

[0052] The different configurations of the gap shielding devices 2, 2A and sliding door devices 1, 1A according to each embodiment described above may be modified, rearranged, or combined as appropriate and necessary. For example, the gap shielding device 2 described in the first embodiment may be applied to a sliding door 10 that is installed in an out-set configuration, or the gap shielding device 2A described in the second embodiment may be applied to a sliding door 10 that is installed in a side wall configuration or a door pocket configuration. In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which protrusions 34, 34 are provided on both sides of the magnet holding portion 30 in the door width direction, and inclined surfaces 13b, 13b are provided on both sides of the attracted portion 13 in the door width direction. However, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the protrusions 34 and inclined surfaces 13b are provided only on one side in the door width direction (the door tail side). Furthermore, it is also possible to have a configuration in which a contact portion is provided on the attracted portion 13 side and a contacted portion is provided on the magnet holding portion 30 side, or even a configuration in which no such contact portion or contacted portion is provided. In other words, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the attraction of the magnet 35 to the attracted portion 13 is released by sliding the sliding door 10 to the open side. In this case, for example, a magnet with the same polarity as the magnet 35, that is, a magnet that repels the magnet 35, may be provided adjacent to the attracted portion 13.

[0053] In the embodiments described above, an example is shown in which the attracting portion 13 is provided on the sliding door 10 side and the magnet 35 is provided on the sealing portion 25, 25A side. However, configurations in which these are provided on the opposite side are also possible. In the embodiments described above, examples are shown in which the seal portions 25 and 25A are biased toward the retracted position by their own weight. However, they may also be biased toward the retracted position by an appropriate biasing member such as a spring. In this case, the configuration of the seal portions 25 and 25A and the guide groove 22A may be appropriately deformed. Alternatively, instead of the configuration in which the seal portions 25 and 25A are biased toward the retracted position by their own weight or a biasing member, they may be displaced between the retracted position and the shielded position in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door 10 by an appropriate link mechanism, or even manually moved between the retracted position and the shielded position.

[0054] In the embodiments described above, the positioning portion 23 is provided along the entire length of the holding portion 20, 20A, which is aligned with the side surface 16b of the upper rail 16 and the visible surface 15c of the upper frame 15A, which are the positioning portion provided over the entire width of the opening. However, the embodiment is not limited to this example. Furthermore, the positioning portion 23 is not limited to a configuration including the contact portion 23a and vertical surface 23b as described above, and may have various other configurations. In the embodiments described above, the sealing portions 25, 25A (packing 29) are shown to be displaceable between a retracted position and a shielded position, generally in the direction of the door thickness. However, they may also be held by the holding portions 20, 20A so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction. In this case, the holding portions 20, 20A may be embedded in the upper frame 15, 15A or the upper rail 16, 16A, etc. In this case, the positioning portion 23 may also be deformed as appropriate, and the positioned portion on the upper edge 5a side that is to be aligned may also be deformed as appropriate.

[0055] In the embodiments described above, the holding portion 20, 20A is shown to be equipped with a positioning portion 23 that aligns with the positioning portion on the upper edge portion 5a side. However, a configuration without such a positioning portion 23 is also possible. In the embodiments described above, the mounting targets for the retaining parts 20 and 20A are shown to be the upper frames 15 and 15A, but any mounting target such as ceiling material or ceiling substrate may be used. In the embodiments described above, an example is shown in which the sliding door 10 is suspended and held by the upper rails 16, 16A. However, a bottom-loaded type may also be used in which rolling elements such as door rollers or casters that travel on the object being moved are provided on the lower end side of the sliding door 10. The specific configurations of each part and component constituting the gap shielding devices 2, 2A and sliding door devices 1, 1A according to the above embodiments are not limited to those described above, and various other modifications are possible.

[0056] <Note> The following technologies are disclosed based on the above description of embodiments. <Technology 1> A gap shielding device attached to the upper edge of an opening that opens and closes with respect to the sliding door, wherein the gap between the upper end of the sliding door in the closed position and the upper edge of the opening that opens and closes with respect to the sliding door is shielded, and the gap shielding device is elongated in the direction of the door width and comprises a sealing portion that abuts against the upper end of the sliding door, and a holding portion that holds the sealing portion so as to be displaceable between a shielding position that abuts against the sliding door in the closed position and a retracted position that is spaced away from the sliding door in the open position, including a slightly open state. <Technology 2> The gap shielding device according to Technology 1, wherein the holding portion is attached to the upper edge of the opening so as to be located on one side in the door thickness direction of the sliding door in the closed position, and the sealing portion is held so as to be displaceable in the door thickness direction. <Technology 3> The gap shielding device according to Technology 2, wherein one of the upper end of the sealing portion and the holding portion is provided with a bearing portion that holds the shaft portion so that the sealing portion can rotate around the shaft portion provided on the other side, which is aligned with the door width direction. <Technology 4> The gap shielding device according to Technology 2, wherein one of the sealing portion and the holding portion is provided with a guide groove that extends generally in the direction of the door thickness to receive the guided portion provided on the other and guide it generally in the direction of the door thickness. <Technology 5> A gap shielding device according to any one of the techniques 1 to 4, wherein one of the sealing portion and the sliding door is provided with a magnet that is attracted to an adsorbed portion provided on the other, such that the sealing portion, which is biased toward the retracted position, becomes an adsorbed position when the sliding door is in the closed position. <Technology 6> The sealing portion is biased toward the retracted position by its own weight, as described in Technology 5 for the gap shielding device. <Technology 7> The gap shielding device according to Technology 5 or Technology 6, wherein one of the magnet holding portion that holds the magnet and the attracted portion is provided with a contact portion that contacts the other attracted portion when the sliding door is moved from the closed position to the open position, thereby separating the magnet and the attracted portion. <Technology 8> The gap shielding device according to Technology 7, wherein the magnet holding portion has protruding portions on both sides in the door width direction, one of which is the contact portion, and the magnet is held on the bottom side between these protruding portions, and the attracted portion has inclined surface portions on both sides in the door width direction of the leading surface in the door thickness direction that is attracted to the magnet, which are inclined so that they move outward in the door width direction as they move away from the leading surface in the door thickness direction, with one of them being the contact portion. <Technology 9> A sliding door device comprising a sliding door and a gap shielding device described in any one of the technical items 1 to 8. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1.1A Sliding door device 2.2A Gap Shielding Device 10 Sliding doors 10a Upper end 13 Adsorption target part 13a Tip surface 13b Slanted surface part (abutted part) 20,20A holding part 25,25A Seal section 30 Magnet holding part 34 Projection part (contact part) 35 Magnets 5 aperture 5a Upper edge

Claims

1. A gap shielding device is attached to the upper edge of an opening so as to shield the gap between the upper end of a sliding door in the closed position and the upper edge of the opening that is opened and closed by the sliding door, A gap shielding device characterized by comprising: a long, elongated shape extending in the door width direction, which abuts against the upper end of the sliding door; and a holding portion that freely holds the seal portion between a shielding position in contact with the sliding door in the closed position and a retracted position spaced apart from the sliding door in the open position, including a slightly open state.

2. In claim 1, The gap shielding device is characterized in that the holding portion is attached to the upper edge of the opening so as to be located on one side in the door thickness direction of the sliding door in the closed position, and holds the sealing portion so as to be displaceable in the door thickness direction.

3. In claim 2, A gap shielding device characterized in that one of the sealing portion and the sliding door is provided with a magnet that is attracted to an adsorption portion provided on the other, such that the sealing portion, which is biased toward the retracted position, becomes an adsorption position when the sliding door is closed.

4. In claim 3, The gap shielding device is characterized in that the sealing portion is biased toward the retracted position by its own weight.

5. In claim 3, A gap shielding device characterized in that one of the magnet holding portion that holds the magnet and the attracted portion is provided with a contact portion that comes into contact with the other attracted portion when the sliding door is moved from the closed position to the open position, thereby separating the magnet and the attracted portion.

6. In claim 5, The gap shielding device is characterized in that the magnet holding portion has protruding portions on both sides in the door width direction, one of which is the contact portion, and the magnet is held on the bottom side between these protruding portions, and the attracted portion has inclined surface portions on both sides in the door width direction of the leading surface in the door thickness direction that is attracted to the magnet, such that they are inclined outward in the door width direction as they move away from the leading surface in the door thickness direction, with one of them being the contact portion.

7. A sliding door device comprising a sliding door and a gap shielding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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