Folding door device

Abstract

To provide a folding door device making a folding door run stably, having an excellent appearance design.SOLUTION: The folding door device comprises: a guide rail (20) mounted parallel to a top wall face (W1a) of a wall body (W1) provided with an opening (OP); a folding door panel (10) that slides along the guide rail (20), to which a suspended side panel (11) and a door end side panel (12) are connected in a foldable manner; a suspended side slider part (43) provided in the suspended side panel (11) so as to be slidable on the guide rail (20); a door end side slider part (53) provided on the door end side panel (12) so as to be slidable on the guide rail (20); an end part engaging member (60) mounted on the guide rail (20), formed so as to engage with the suspended side slider part (43); and a cover (70) that covers the end part engaging member (60), the suspended side slider part (43), and the door end side slider part (53) from above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an offset type folding door device that is slidably attached in an overlapping state to the outside of a door frame. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are offset-type folding doors and sliding doors that are attached to the door frame from the outside of the opening, without being affected by the dimensions of the opening in the door frame or distortion caused by aging deterioration of the opening. In such offset-type folding doors, the weight of the door is not supported by the vertical frame of the opening, but is supported by a pivot hinge on the hanging side, and a guide is provided on the tip side (opening side) of the door (for example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

[0003] The offset door device described in Patent Document 1 is installed in an indoor storage space such as a closet where people enter and exit, and is a folding door structure that is particularly suitable for remodeling an existing house. In this door device, the door panel is pivotally supported by a pair of upper and lower pivot hinges on the hanging side so that it can swing, and the projection of the runner block supported by the arm engages with a stopper to restrict the runner from sliding along the guide rail.

[0004] The folding door system described in Patent Document 2 has an offset structure in which a folding door is attached to the outside of the door frame and allowed to slide freely, replacing the existing pivoting door that opens and closes an opening in a wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-027852 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-146433 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the door device described in Patent Document 1, the runner is engaged with the stopper from below to support the hinge side. Therefore, in the door device, vibrations are likely to occur between the runner and the stopper when the door panel is opened or closed, and the engagement between the runner and the stopper may be released due to the vibrations, which may prevent the door panel from traveling in a stable state. In addition, in the door device, the pivot hinge is exposed from the top of the door panel, which is not desirable in terms of external design.

[0007] In the folding door system of Patent Document 2, the upper angle of the upper hinge part, which guides the folding door panel so that it can rotate freely upward, must be attached to the wall to match the height of the door, which means that the upper angle becomes exposed, which is not desirable from the perspective of external design.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has an object to provide a folding door device that allows the folding door to travel in a stable state and has an excellent external design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve such problems, the folding door device of the present invention comprises a guide rail attached horizontally to the upper wall surface of a wall having an opening, a folding door panel which slides along the guide rail and has a hanging side panel and a door end side panel connected in a bendable manner, a hanging side slider part attached to the hanging side panel in a state capable of sliding on the guide rail, a door end side slider part attached to the door end side panel in a state capable of sliding on the guide rail, an end engagement part attached to the guide rail and formed to be engageable with the hanging side slider part, and a cover which covers the end engagement part, the hanging side slider part and the door end side slider part from above.

[0010] The cover is preferably attached to the upper wall surface so as to cover the hanging side slider portion and the end engaging part.

[0011] It is preferable that the end engaging part also serves as a decorative cover for concealing the guide rail and the hanging side slider portion.

[0012] It is preferable that the hanging side slider portion has an engaging convex portion or an engaging recess portion that engages with the door end side slider portion, and that the door end side slider portion has an engaging recess portion or an engaging convex portion that engages with the hanging side slider portion.

[0013] It is preferable that the hanging side slider portion is provided on the back surface of the hanging side panel opposite the guide rail, and the door end side slider portion is provided on the back surface of the door end side panel opposite the guide rail. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a folding door device that allows the folding door to travel in a stable state and has an excellent external design. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 2 is a perspective view showing a folding door panel of the folding door device in the present embodiment in a folded state. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a folding door panel of a folding door device in the present embodiment in an unfolded state (1). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a folding door panel of the folding door device in the present embodiment in an unfolded state (2). [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which only the folding door panel of the folding door device in the present embodiment has been removed. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the guide rail, cover, and end engaging parts of the folding door device relative to the wall in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a guide rail of the folding door device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7]2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rear surface of a folding door panel in the folding door device of the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a top view showing the configuration of a folding door device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is an oblique view showing the configuration of an upper fitting on the hanging side of a folding door device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an upper fitting on the door-end side of the folding door device in the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating the engagement state between the hanging side upper fitting and the door end side upper fitting of the folding door device in this embodiment. [Figure 12] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an end engaging part of the folding door device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cover of the folding door device in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] 1 is a front view illustrating the engagement state between the end engagement parts of the folding door device and the upper fittings on the hanging side in this embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] This is a side view provided to explain how the hanging side slider portion and the door tip side slider portion of the folding door device and the guide rail are attached in this embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a side view illustrating the mounting state of the hanging side slider portion and the door tip side slider portion of the folding door device and the cover in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] (1) Overview of the embodiment First, a typical embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined. In the following description, as an example, reference numerals in the drawings corresponding to components of the invention are given in parentheses.

[0017] [1] A folding door device (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises a guide rail (20) attached horizontally to an upper wall surface (W1a) of a wall body (W1) having an opening (OP), a folding door panel (10) which slides along the guide rail (20) and has a hanging side panel (11) and a door end side panel (12) connected in a bendable manner, a hanging side slider part (43) attached to the hanging side panel (11) in a state capable of sliding on the guide rail (20), a door end side slider part (53) attached to the door end side panel (12) in a state capable of sliding on the guide rail (20), an end engagement part (60) attached to the guide rail (20) and formed so as to be engageable with the hanging side slider part (43), and a cover (70) which covers the end engagement part (60), the hanging side slider part (43), and the door end side slider part (53) from above.

[0018] [2] In the above folding door device (1), the cover (70) is attached to the upper wall surface (W1a) so as to cover the hanging side slider portion (43) and the end engaging part (60).

[0019] [3] In the above folding door device (1), the end engaging part (60) also serves as a decorative cover that conceals the guide rail (20) and the hanging side slider part (43).

[0020] [4] In the above folding door device (1), it is preferable that the hanging side slider portion (43) has an engaging convex portion (43H) or an engaging concave portion (53H) that engages with the door end side slider portion (53), and the door end side slider portion (53) has an engaging concave portion (53H) or an engaging convex portion (43H) that engages with the hanging side slider portion (43).

[0021] [5] In the above folding door device (1), the hanging side slider portion (43) is provided on the back surface (11a) of the hanging side panel (11) facing the guide rail (20), and the door end side slider portion (53) is provided on the back surface (12a) of the door end side panel (12) facing the guide rail (20).

[0022] (2) This embodiment The configuration of the folding door device according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 16. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the folding door panel of the folding door device according to this embodiment is folded. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a state (1) in which the folding door panel of the folding door device according to this embodiment is unfolded. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state (2) in which the folding door panel of the folding door device according to this embodiment is unfolded. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which only the folding door panel of the folding door device according to this embodiment has been removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view used to explain the arrangement of the guide rail, cover, and end engagement parts of the folding door device according to this embodiment relative to the wall body. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the guide rail of the folding door device according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the folding door panel of the folding door device according to this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a top view showing the configuration of the folding door device according to this embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the hanging side upper metal fitting of the folding door device according to this embodiment. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the door end side upper metal fitting of the folding door device according to this embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view used to explain the engagement state between the hanging side upper metal fitting and the door end side upper metal fitting of the folding door device in this embodiment. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the end engagement parts of the folding door device in this embodiment. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cover of the folding door device in this embodiment. Fig. 14 is a front view used to explain the engagement state between the end engagement parts of the folding door device and the hanging side upper metal fitting in this embodiment. Fig. 15 is a side view used to explain when the hanging side slider part and the door end side slider part of the folding door device in this embodiment are attached to the guide rail. Fig. 16 is a side view used to explain the attachment state of the hanging side slider part and the door end side slider part of the folding door device in this embodiment to the cover.

[0023] For convenience of explanation, the opening and closing direction of the folding door may be referred to as the left-right direction. That is, the direction of the arrow a in which the folding door is slid closed is referred to as the closing direction or the door end side, and the direction of the arrow b in which the folding door is slid open is referred to as the opening direction or the hinge side. Also, the direction of gravity (arrow cd direction) perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the folding door (arrow ab direction), the vertical direction, or the height direction may be referred to as the upper side or upper side (arrow c direction), and the lower side or lower side (arrow d direction). Furthermore, the depth direction (arrow ef direction) perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the folding door (arrow ab direction) may be referred to as the front-rear direction. That is, the direction of the arrow e when the folding door is pushed from the front side of the paper to the back side is referred to as the back side, and the direction of the arrow f when the folding door is pulled from the back side of the paper to the front side is referred to as the front side. However, the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-rear direction are used for convenience of explanation, and can be defined as different directions depending on the usage situation of the folding door.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the folding door device 1 in this embodiment has a folding door panel 10 (Figures 1 to 3), a guide rail 20 (Figures 1, 4), a lower fitting 30 (Figures 2 to 4), an upper fitting on the hanging side 40 (Figures 1, 4), an upper fitting on the door end side 50 (Figure 4), an end engaging part 60 (Figures 3, 4), and a cover 70 (Figure 4).

[0025] The folding door panel 10 of the folding door device 1 is attached in a state in which it can be opened and closed by sliding horizontally (in the direction of arrow ab) relative to the upper wall surface (hereinafter referred to as the "upper wall surface") W1a of a wall body W1 in which an opening OP is formed in a structure such as a building.

[0026] In this case, the state in which the folding door panel 10 is folded horizontally (in the direction of arrow ab) is the open state relative to the opening OP of the wall frame W1, and the state in which the folding door panel 10 is unfolded horizontally (in the direction of arrow ab) is the closed state relative to the opening OP of the wall frame W1.

[0027] The folding door panel 10 has a hanging side panel 11 on the left side (direction of arrow b) in the figure and a door end side panel 12 on the right side (direction of arrow a), and the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 are formed so as to be foldable via a hinge not shown.

[0028] 4 and 5, the guide rail 20 of the folding door device 1 is fixed to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1 along the horizontal direction (arrow ab direction). The guide rail 20 has a length approximately equal to the width of the folding door panel 10 in the horizontal direction (arrow ab direction) in the closed state.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 6, the guide rail 20 is a member made of metal or resin with a substantially L-shaped cross section. The guide rail 20 has a thin rail section 21 that is long in the horizontal direction (arrow ab direction) and is fixed to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1, a slider receiving section 22 that holds the hanging side slider section 43 (Fig. 9) of the hanging side upper metal fitting 40 and the door end side slider section 53 (Fig. 10) of the door end side upper metal fitting 50 that are respectively attached to the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 of the folding door panel 10, and a fall prevention wall section 23 that prevents the hanging side slider section 43 and the door end side slider section 53 from falling off.

[0030] The rail portion 21 of the guide rail 20 is fixed to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1 by fasteners such as screws or screws, or by adhesive, etc. The rail portion 21 has flat running surfaces 21a and 21b on which the four rollers 53r of the door-end side slider portion 53 run.

[0031] The slider receiving portion 22 of the guide rail 20 is a bottom portion that defines a groove space with an approximately U-shaped cross section that holds the hanging side slider portion 43 and the door end side slider portion 53 in a hooked state onto the rail portion 21 and the anti-fall-off wall portion 23.

[0032] The fall-prevention wall 23 of the guide rail 20 is capable of coming into contact with the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53, and is a wall part that prevents the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53 from falling off the guide rail 20. The fall-prevention wall 23 is a side part that defines a groove space having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The fall-prevention wall 23 is formed to a predetermined length toward the upper side (in the direction of arrow c) to an extent that the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53 can be prevented from falling off the slider receiving part 22.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 4, the lower metal fitting 30 of the folding door device 1 is a metal member formed in a substantially L-shape, and has a plate-like mounting plate 31 fixed to the end of the lower side (arrow d direction) of the wall body W1, and a loading plate 32. The mounting plate 31 and the loading plate 32 are integrated into an L-shape, and the loading plate 32 is provided with a pivot 33 that axially supports the hanging side panel 11 of the folding door panel 10 from the lower side (arrow d direction) so that it can rotate freely.

[0034] The pivot 33 is journaled in a bearing attached to a recess in a receiving metal fitting (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the end portion on the lower side (arrow d direction) of the hanging side panel 11 on the hanging side (arrow b direction). As a result, the hanging side panel 11 is journaled from below by the pivot 33 of the lower metal fitting 30 so as to be rotatable. Note that the pivot 33 is not limited to being provided on the mounting plate 32 of the lower metal fitting 30, and may be provided so as to protrude from the bottom surface of the hanging side panel 11, and a bearing for journaling the pivot 33 may be provided on the floor surface.

[0035] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a hanging side upper fitting 40 is provided at the upper end of the back surface 11a of the hanging side panel 11 in the folding door panel 10, and a door end side upper fitting 50 is provided at the upper end of the back surface 12a of the door end side panel 12.

[0036] The hanging side upper metal fitting 40 is attached to the upper side (arrow c direction) and the end of the hanging side (arrow a direction) of the back surface 11a of the hanging side panel 11. The door end side upper metal fitting 50 is attached to the upper side (arrow c direction) and the end of the door end (arrow b direction) of the back surface 12a of the door end side panel 12. In other words, the hanging side upper metal fitting 40 and the door end side upper metal fitting 50 are positioned so as to be furthest away from each other when the folding door panel 10 is in the closed state (Figure 7).

[0037] As shown in Figure 9, the hanging side upper fitting 40 has a cup body 42 that is attached in an embedded state to the back surface 11a of the hanging side panel 11, a flange portion 41 formed integrally with the cup body 42, and a hanging side slider portion 43 that is supported on the cup body 42 via an arm portion 45 and an axis 47 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0038] The flange portion 41 of the hanging-side upper metal fitting 40 is a flange-shaped portion formed to surround the internal space 42s of the cup body 42, and has four through holes 41h around the flange portion 41. The through holes 41h of the flange portion 41 are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the internal space 42s of the cup body 42 in the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow cd).

[0039] The flange portion 41 is attached to the back surface 11a of the hanging-side panel 11 by screws or the like through these through holes 41h. At this time, the cup body 42 is fitted into a recess formed in the back surface 11a of the hanging-side panel 11, and only the flange portion 41 and the internal space 42s are exposed from the back surface 11a.

[0040] The cup body 42 of the hanging-side upper metal fitting 40 has an internal space 42s large enough to accommodate the L-shaped arm portion 45. Further, a shaft 47 is provided in the internal space 42s of the cup body 42 to hold the arm portion 45 slidably in the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow cd).

[0041] The hanging side slider part 43 can slide vertically (in the direction of arrow cd) via this axis 47 and arm part 45, so that it is possible to absorb any vertical deviation of the hanging side slider part 43 when the hanging side panel 11 of the folding door panel 10 is pivotally supported by the pivot 33 of the lower metal fitting 30.

[0042] The arm portion 45 has a main body 45a having a generally U-shaped cross section, and two thin, laminar arm pieces 45b extending from the ends of the main body 45a toward the shaft 47. The main body 45a of the arm portion 45 is attached integrally to the hanging side slider portion 43 by adhesive or with fasteners such as screws.

[0043] The two arms 45b of the arm portion 45 are arranged parallel to each other in the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow cd), and the upper arm 45b (the direction of the arrow a) is shown in Fig. 9, but the lower arm 45b (the direction of the arrow b) is not shown in Fig. 9. A through hole 45bh is provided at the tip of each of the two arms 45b, and the inner diameter of the through hole 45bh is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 47. The shaft 47 is inserted through the through hole 45bh of the arm piece 45b of the arm portion 45.

[0044] The hanging-side slider part 43 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is held by the slider receiving part 22 in a state in which it can come into contact with the fall-off prevention wall part 23 of the guide rail 20. The hanging-side slider part 43 has a convex part (hereinafter referred to as "H-shaped engagement convex part") 43H that protrudes in an H-shape when viewed from the front at one end in the longitudinal direction, and a convex part (hereinafter referred to as "U-shaped engagement convex part") 43U that protrudes in a U-shape when viewed from the side along the longitudinal direction from the other end. The H-shaped engagement convex part 43H and the U-shaped engagement convex part 43U protrude toward opposite sides so as to face each other back to back at the center of the height in the vertical direction (arrow cd direction).

[0045] The H-shaped engaging protrusion 43H of the hanging side slider part 43 is a part that engages with an H-shaped engaging recess 53H (FIG. 10) of the door end side slider part 53 of the door end side upper metal fitting 50 described later when the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 of the folding door panel 10 are folded (FIGS. 1 and 8). Incidentally, the hanging side slider part 43 may be formed with the H-shaped engaging recess 53H, and the door end side slider part 53 may be formed with the H-shaped engaging protrusion 43H.

[0046] 9, 11 and 14, the U-shaped engagement protrusion 43U of the hanging-side slider part 43 has an upper protrusion 43Ua formed on the upper side (arrow c direction) and a lower protrusion 43Ub formed on the lower side (arrow d direction). The upper protrusion 43Ua has a protrusion 43Up that is triangular in side view and protrudes upward (arrow c direction) from the tip.

[0047] The protruding portion 43Up has inclined surfaces 43Upm, 43Upn that taper upward (in the direction of the arrow c), and a flat top surface 43Upu that connects the inclined surfaces 43Upm and 43Upn. The lower convex portion 43Ub has the same shape as the upper convex portion 43Ua.

[0048] As such, since the upper and lower halves of the hanging side slider portion 43 have the same shape, it can be used in the reversed left-right orientation not only when the hanging side panel 11 is attached in the open direction (direction of arrow b), but also when the hanging side panel 11 is attached in the closed direction (direction of arrow a).

[0049] As shown in Figure 10, the door-end side upper fitting 50 has a cup body 52 that is attached in an embedded state to the back surface 12a of the door-end side panel 12, a flange portion 51 formed integrally with the cup body 52, and a door-end side slider portion 53 that is supported on the cup body 52 via an arm portion 55 and an axis 57 so as to be freely rotatable.

[0050] The flange portion 51 of the door-end upper fitting 50 is a flange-shaped portion formed to surround the internal space 52s of the cup body 52, and has four through holes 51h. The through holes 51h of the flange portion 51 are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the internal space 52s of the cup body 52 in the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow cd).

[0051] The flange portion 51 is attached to the back surface 12a of the door end panel 12 by screws or the like through these through holes 51h. At this time, the cup body 52 is fitted into a recess formed in the back surface 12a of the door end panel 12, and only the flange portion 51 and the internal space 52s are exposed from the back surface 12a.

[0052] In this case, the outer shape of the cup body 52 is the same as that of the cup body 42 of the hanging-side upper metal fitting 40. Therefore, the cup body 52 is also attached in a state where it is fitted into a recess formed in the back surface 12a of the door-end side panel 12, similar to the recess formed in the back surface 11a of the hanging-side panel 11.

[0053] The cup body 52 of the door-end upper metal fitting 50 has an internal space 52s large enough to accommodate the L-shaped arm portion 55. The internal space 52s of the cup body 52 is provided with a shaft 57 that holds the arm portion 55 so that it can slide vertically (in the direction of the arrow cd).

[0054] The door-end side slider part 53 can slide up and down (in the direction of the arrow cd) via this shaft 57 and arm part 55, so that any deviation in the height direction of the door-end side panel 12 when the hanging side panel 11 of the folding door panel 10 is supported by the pivot 33 of the lower metal fitting 30 can be absorbed simultaneously with the hanging side slider part 43. In other words, the heights of the hanging side panel 11 and the door-end side panel 12 are always the same, and no imbalance in the height direction occurs.

[0055] The arm portion 55 has a main body 55a with a U-shaped cross section and two thin, laminar arm pieces 55b extending from the end of the main body 55a toward the shaft 57. The main body 55a of the arm portion 55 is attached integrally to the door-end side slider portion 53 by adhesive or fasteners such as screws. This arm portion 55 has the same structure as the arm portion 45 of the hanging-side upper metal fitting 40, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] The leading-edge slider part 53 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is held by the slider receiving part 22 in a state in which it can come into contact with the fall-prevention wall part 23 of the guide rail 20. In addition, as shown in Fig. 11, the leading-edge slider part 53 has four rollers 53r attached to its four corners. This allows the leading-edge slider part 53 to move longitudinally on the rail part 21 of the guide rail 20 while integrated with the leading-edge panel 12.

[0057] The door-end side slider part 53 is provided with a recessed space for engaging with the H-shaped engaging protrusion 43H at a position on one end side facing the H-shaped engaging protrusion 43H of the hanging side slider part 43. The door-end side slider part 53 is formed with rectangular engaging pieces 53pu, 53pd that extend toward each other from the upper side (arrow c direction) and the lower side (arrow d direction) in the recessed space, and these engaging pieces 53pu, 53pd define the H-shaped engaging recess 53H.

[0058] The two engagement pieces 53pu, 53pd have a predetermined width and height, and are not in contact with each other in the vertical direction (arrow cd direction). That is, the two engagement pieces 53pu, 53pd have a width and height that can engage with the H-shaped engagement protrusion 43H. Therefore, the H-shaped engagement recess 53H in the door-end side slider part 53 is an H-shaped space when viewed from the front.

[0059] The upper and lower halves of the leading-side slider part 53 also have the same shape. This allows the leading-side slider part 53 to be used in reverse not only when the leading-side panel 12 is attached in the closing direction (arrow a direction), but also when the leading-side panel 12 is attached in the opening direction (arrow b direction).

[0060] As shown in Figures 11 (A) and (B), the H-shaped engagement convex portion 43H of the hanging side slider portion 43 and the two engagement pieces 53pu, 53pd that define the H-shaped engagement recess 53H in the door end side slider portion 53 are capable of engaging with each other.

[0061] Therefore, when the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 of the folding door panel 10 are folded (Figs. 1 and 8), the hanging side slider part 43 and the door end side slider part 53 are engaged with each other. In this engaged state, the hanging side slider part 43 and the door end side slider part 53 are restricted from moving in the up and down direction (arrow cd direction) and the depth direction (arrow ef direction), making it easy to install the folding door panel 10.

[0062] 12, the end engaging parts 60 are parts attached to both side ends of the guide rail 20 attached to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1. Here, the end engaging parts 60 provided on the side of the hanging side panel 11 will be described.

[0063] The end engaging part 60 has a main body 61 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and two through holes 61h penetrating from the front side (arrow f direction) to the back side (arrow e direction) in the figure are formed along the up-down direction (arrow cd direction). The end engaging part 60 is attached to the guide rail 20 by fasteners such as bolts via the through holes 61h of the main body 61.

[0064] The main body 61 of the end engaging part 60 has a front surface 61a facing the hanging side slider part 43 and a back surface 61b facing away from the front surface 61a. The back surface 61b of the main body 61 plays a role in concealing the hanging side slider part 43 of the hanging side upper metal fitting 40 when the end engaging part 60 is attached to the guide rail 20. In other words, the end engaging part 60 also functions as a decorative panel.

[0065] An engagement body 63 that engages with the U-shaped engagement protrusion 43U of the hanging-side slider part 43 is formed on the front surface 61a of the main body part 61 of the end engagement part 60. The engagement body 63 has an upper protruding piece 64 that protrudes toward the upper protruding part 43Ua of the hanging-side slider part 43, a lower protruding piece 65 that protrudes toward the lower protruding part 43Ub, and two insertion pieces 67 that are intermediate between the upper protruding piece 64 and the lower protruding piece 65 and are inserted into a recessed space between the upper protruding part 43Ua and the lower protruding part 43Ub of the hanging-side slider part 43.

[0066] The upper protruding piece 64 of the engaging body 63 of the end engaging part 60 is formed in a generally L-shape in a side view, and has a tapered surface 64a at its tip portion that contacts the upper convex portion 43Ua of the hanging-side slider part 43. The upper protruding piece 64 also has a convex portion 64g that protrudes slightly downward (in the direction of the arrow d).

[0067] As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 14, the upper protruding piece 64 has a standing piece 64p standing upward (in the direction of the arrow c) from the tip. The standing piece 64p of the upper protruding piece 64 is set to a height such that when the engagement body 63 of the end engagement part 60 and the U-shaped engagement protrusion 43U of the hanging base side slider part 43 are engaged, the top surface 43t of the hanging base side slider part 43 and the top surface 64pt of the standing piece 64p are almost flush with each other. However, this is not limited to this, and the standing piece 64p may be slightly higher than the top surface 64pt, or the top surface 64pt may be slightly higher than the standing piece 64p. The tapered surface 64a is one surface that defines the protrusion 64g and connects the standing piece 64p and the protrusion 64g.

[0068] In the end engagement part 60 configured in this manner, when the convex portion 64g of the engagement body 63 engages with the upper convex portion 43Ua of the hanging side slider part 43, and the lower protruding piece 65 of the engagement body 63 engages with the lower convex portion 43Ub of the hanging side slider part 43 (Figure 14 (B)), the upward movement (in the direction of arrow c) of the hanging side slider part 43 is restricted.

[0069] The end engaging part 60 provided on the door end panel 12 side has the same structure as the end engaging part 60 on the hanging side panel 11, except that it does not have the engaging body 63 (upper protruding piece 64, lower protruding piece 65, insert piece 67), and simply functions as a decorative cover. However, this is not limited to this, and the engaging body 63 may be provided in the same way as the end engaging part 60 on the hanging side panel 11 side.

[0070] As shown in Figure 13, the cover 70 covers the hanging side slider portion 43 and the door end side slider portion 53 from above (in the direction of arrow c), and, as shown in Figure 14 (C), is a member that restricts the upward movement (in the direction of arrow c) of the upper protruding piece 64 of the engaging body 63 of the end engaging part 60, the hanging side slider portion 43, and the door end side slider portion 53.

[0071] The cover 70 has a thin mounting plate 71 attached to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1, a thin cover plate 72 extending from a predetermined position in the vertical direction (direction of arrow cd) of the mounting plate 71 toward the folding door panel 10, and a thin wall plate 73 extending downward (direction of arrow d) from the end of the cover plate 72 on the folding door panel side.

[0072] The cover 70 is made of metal or resin, and the mounting plate 71, the lid plate 72 and the wall plate 73 have the same length in the longitudinal direction, and the mounting plate 71, the lid plate 72 and the wall plate 73 are integrally formed.

[0073] The mounting plate 71 of the cover 70 is a plate-like member that is attached integrally to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1 with fasteners such as screws or by adhesive. The cover plate 72 of the cover 70 is a plate-like member that extends from a position slightly shifted downward (in the direction of the arrow d) from the center of the mounting plate 71 in the vertical direction (in the direction of the arrow cd) toward the folding door panel 10, and is a portion that covers the hanging side slider part 43 and the door end side slider part 53. In addition, in the mounting plate 71, the mounting plate upper part 71a above the cover plate 72 (in the direction of the arrow c) and the mounting plate lower part 71b below the cover plate 72 (in the direction of the arrow d) are hereinafter referred to as the mounting plate upper part 71a and the mounting plate lower part 71b, respectively, and the mounting plate upper part 71a and the mounting plate lower part 71b are attached to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1.

[0074] The wall plate 73 of the cover 70 is a plate-like member that functions as a wall that suppresses the collapse and rattling of the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53 in the depth direction (arrow ef direction) when the cover 70 is attached to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1. The distance between the wall plate 73 and the mounting plate 71 is slightly larger than the width of the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53. In this case, as shown in Figures 16(A) and (B), the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end side slider part 53 are sandwiched between the wall plate 73 of the cover 70 and the rail part 21 of the guide rail 20.

[0075] The installation procedure for the folding door device 1 configured as described above will be explained next. When installing the folding door panel 10 to the opening OP of the wall body W1, the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 are folded as shown in Fig. 1. At this time, as shown in Figs. 11(A) and (B), the hanging side slider part 43 of the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side slider part 53 of the door end side panel 12 are engaged with each other. Thus, the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 are parallel to each other, making it easier to place the folding door panel 10 on the guide rail 20.

[0076] Then, by supporting the pivot 33 of the lower metal fitting 30 against the bearing of the receiving metal fitting formed on the bottom surface of the hanging side panel 11 of the folding door panel 10, the hanging side panel 11 is supported rotatably by the pivot 33. Here, the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side panel 12 are integrated by the engagement between the hanging side slider part 43 and the door end side slider part 53, so that the folding door panel 10 is supported rotatably by the pivot 33.

[0077] Next, as shown in Figures 15(A) and (B), the hanging side slider portion 43 of the hanging side upper fitting 40 on the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side slider portion 53 of the door end side upper fitting 50 on the door end side panel 12 are placed on the slider receiving portion 22 of the guide rail 20 fixed to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1.

[0078] 14(A) and (B), the end engaging part 60 and the hanging side slider part 43 of the hanging side upper metal fitting 40 are engaged to create a temporary installation state. At this time, a state in which the folding door panel 10 does not fall off the guide rail 20 is created.

[0079] In practice, as shown in Figure 14 (B), the hanging side panel 11 of the folding door panel 10 is supported from below (in the direction of arrow d) by the pivot 33, and the hanging side slider portion 43 is held by the guide rail 20 and engaged with the end engaging part 60, so that a stable temporary installation state is maintained in which the folding door panel 10 will not fall off the guide rail 20.

[0080] As shown in Figure 14 (D), when the hanging side slider portion 43 is moved in a direction away from the end engaging part 60, the upper protruding piece 64 of the end engaging part 60 elastically deforms upward (in the direction of arrow c), and the engagement with the upper convex portion 43Ua of the hanging side slider portion 43 is easily released.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figures 16(A) and (B), a cover 70 is placed to cover the hanging side slider portion 43 of the hanging side upper fitting 40 on the hanging side panel 11 and the door end side slider portion 53 of the door end side upper fitting 50 on the door end side panel 12 from above (in the direction of arrow c).

[0082] At this time, as shown in Fig. 14(C), the top surface 64pt of the upright piece 64p of the end engaging part 60, the top surface 43t of the hanging side slider part 43, and the top surface of the door end side slider part 53 are covered from above (in the direction of the arrow c) by the cover plate 72 of the cover 70. In this state, the mounting plate 71 of the cover 70 is fixed to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1. Thus, the folding door device 1 is in a state in which the folding door panel 10 is fully fixed to the guide rail 20.

[0083] In this fixed state, the engagement between the end engagement part 60 and the hanging side slider portion 43 is maintained, and the hanging side panel 11 rotates relative to the upper wall surface W1a of the wall body W1 by the arm 45 of the hanging side upper bracket 40 but does not slide, so that the hanging side slider portion 43 does not run on the guide rail 20.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 14(C), when the cover 70 is attached, the lid plate 72 of the cover 70 prevents the upper protruding piece 64 of the end engaging part 60 from moving upward (in the direction of the arrow c). At the same time, the lid plate 72 of the cover 70 also prevents the hanging side slider part 43 from moving upward (in the direction of the arrow c), and also prevents the door-end side slider part 53 of the door-end side panel 12 from moving upward (in the direction of the arrow c).

[0085] Incidentally, in the folding door device 1, once the cover 70 is attached, it is not intended to be removed, so the folding door panel 10 runs on the guide rail 20 in a stable state without any rattling.

[0086] 16(A) and (B), in the folding door device 1, the hanging-side slider part 43 of the hanging-side panel 11 and the door-end-side slider part 53 of the door-end-side panel 12 are held from below (in the direction of arrow d) by the guide rail 20, and are held from above (in the direction of arrow c) by the cover 70. In this way, the folding door device 1 prevents the hanging-side slider part 43 and the door-end-side slider part 53 from rattling or floating upward (in the direction of arrow c), allowing the opening and closing operation of the folding door panel 10 to be performed stably and smoothly.

[0087] According to the above configuration, the folding door device 1 allows the folding door panel 10 to run in a stable state, and since the hanging side upper metal fitting 40 and the door end side upper metal fitting 50 are attached to the back side of the folding door panel 10 and are not exposed, it has an excellent exterior design that does not spoil the appearance.

[0088] In addition, because the folding door device 1 has nothing protruding above the folding door panel 10 (in the direction of the arrow c) as in the conventional case, there is no upper limit to the height of the folding door panel 10 relative to the opening OP of the wall body W1, and the folding door panel 10 can be attached as long as it is of a height that does not reach the ceiling. In other words, as long as the folding door panel 10 is of a height that does not reach the ceiling relative to the opening OP of the wall body W1, it can be attached, improving versatility.

[0089] (3) Other embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the upper and lower parts are made symmetrical and of the same shape so that the hanging side slider portion 43 of the hanging side upper fitting 40 and the door end side slider portion 53 of the door end side upper fitting 50 can be used even if they are reversed left to right. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use the hanging side slider portion 43 and the door end side slider portion 53 which have unique shapes that are not symmetrical up and down.

[0090] In addition, a person skilled in the art can appropriately modify the folding door device 1 of the present invention in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still provided even after such modifications, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1...Folding door device, 10...Folding door panel, 11...Hanging side panel, 12...Door end side panel, 20...Guide rail, 21...Rail portion, 22...Slider receiving portion, 23...Falling prevention wall portion, 30...Lower metal fitting, 31...Mounting plate, 32...Fixed plate, 33...Pivot, 40...Hanging side upper metal fitting, 41...Flange portion, 42...Cup body, 43...Hanging side slider portion, 43H...H-shaped engagement protrusion, 43U...U-shaped shaped engaging convex portion, 45...arm portion, 47...axis, 50...door end upper metal fitting, 51...flange portion, 52...cup body, 53...door end slider portion, 55...arm portion, 57...axis, 60...end engaging part, 61...main body, 63...engaging body, 64...upper protruding piece, 65...lower protruding piece, 67...insertion piece, 70...cover, 71...mounting plate, 72...cover plate, 73...wall plate, W1...wall body, W1a...upper wall surface.

Claims

1. A guide rail attached horizontally to an upper wall surface of the wall body having the opening; A folding door panel that slides along the guide rail and is foldably connected to a hanging side panel and a door end side panel; a hanging-side slider portion provided on the hanging-side panel in a state capable of sliding with the guide rail; A door end side slider portion provided on the door end side panel in a state capable of sliding with the guide rail; An end engaging part attached to the guide rail and formed to be engageable with the hanging side slider part; A cover that covers the end engaging part, the hanging side slider part, and the door end side slider part from above; Equipped with The hanging-side slider portion is provided on a back surface of the hanging-side panel facing the guide rail, The door-end side slider portion is a folding door device provided on the back surface of the door-end side panel opposite the guide rail.

2. The cover is attached to the upper wall surface so as to cover the hanging side slider portion and the end engaging part. The folding door device according to claim 1.

3. The end engaging part also serves as a decorative cover for concealing the guide rail and the slider part on the hanging side. A folding door device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The hanging side slider portion has an engagement convex portion or an engagement concave portion that engages with the door end side slider portion, The door end side slider portion has an engagement recess or engagement protrusion that engages with the hanging side slider portion. A folding door device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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