Sliding door closing buffer device, upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device, sliding door structure, partition structure

Abstract

In a sliding door closing buffer device in which an arm member is raised and lowered, damage to the device is prevented even if the arm member is unintentionally raised when the sliding door is closed. [Solution] This sliding door closing buffer device comprises a sliding door closing mechanism 5 at the top of the sliding door and an upper frame closing mechanism 9 at the upper frame of the door frame. The sliding door closing mechanism 5 includes an arm member 11 that can be raised and lowered. The upper frame closing mechanism 9 includes an elastic guide member 16. The elastic guide member 16 has a base end 20 fixed to the lower surface fixing part 19 of the upper frame, to which an inclined piece 21 that is inclined relative to the lower surface fixing part 19 is connected. The inclined piece 21 can be elastically deformed toward the lower surface fixing part 19. When the sliding door is closing, if the arm member 11 is inadvertently raised, the upper end 11a of the arm elastically deforms the inclined piece 21 toward the lower surface fixing part 19, allowing the sliding door 2 to move in the closing direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding door closing buffer device and an upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device, and also relates to a sliding door structure and a partition structure provided with the sliding door closing buffer device.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a sliding door closing buffer device that includes a sliding door closing means provided at the upper part of a sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided at the upper frame part of a door frame and that relaxes the closing force when the sliding door is closed, a door body closing device described in Patent Document 1 is provided.

[0003] In this door body closing device, a closing device main body is provided on the sliding door (door body), and temporary fixing means is provided on the door frame. The closing device main body is provided with an arm member that can rotate within a range between an open position and a closed position, a biasing means for biasing the arm member, and a buffer means for decelerating the rotational movement of the arm member. The temporary fixing means is capable of contacting the fixing part of the arm member and holding the arm member immovable in its rotational direction. Also, when the sliding door exists between a predetermined open position and a closed position, the fixing part is held by the temporary fixing means, and the sliding door is configured to be closed.

[0004] An important point in the door body closing device having such a configuration is that the arm member must be in a collapsed state when the sliding door moves in the closing direction. Therefore, in the door body closing device, the temporary fixing means for making the arm member immovable in its rotational direction is provided.

[0005] Since the door body closing device adopts such a configuration, the arm member can rotate by the biasing of the biasing means while the fixing part of the arm member is held by the temporary fixing means, and even when the external force applied to the sliding door is weak, the sliding door can be reliably closed. And at that time, since the arm member rotates while being decelerated by the buffer means, even when the external force is strong, the sliding door can be slowly and safely closed.

[0006] The unique effect of the door closing device is achieved because the temporary fixing means holds the fixed portion of the arm member in place. However, for example, if the sliding door moves in the opening direction and collides forcefully with the door stopper, the temporary fixing means may inadvertently release its hold due to the impact, causing the arm member to stand upright.

[0007] If the arm member is in this upright position, and this is noticed before moving the sliding door in the closing direction, the upright arm member can be forcibly rotated using a tool to assume the tilted position, and this tilted position can be held in place by the engagement of the temporary fixing means. This allows the sliding door to be moved smoothly in the closing direction thereafter, achieving the aforementioned specific effects.

[0008] However, if the sliding door is moved in the closing direction without noticing that the arm member is in this upright position, the upright arm may collide with the temporary fixing means, resulting in damage to the arm member, the temporary fixing means, and other parts of the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-85101 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The present invention was developed in view of the aforementioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a sliding door closing buffer device in which an arm member is raised and lowered, which can safely close the sliding door whether the arm member is in a normal lowered state or in an abnormal state where it is unintentionally raised when the sliding door moves in the closing direction, and to provide an upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device, a sliding door structure equipped with the sliding door closing buffer device, and a partition structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention employs the following means. That is, the first aspect of the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention is a sliding door closing buffer device that reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, comprising a sliding door closing means provided on the upper part of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided on the upper frame of the door frame, wherein when the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, the sliding door closing means comprises an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point to take an upright position on the right and a tilted position on the left, a locking and detaching holding means that holds the arm member in the tilted position in a lock The upper frame closing means comprises an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member has a base end fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame, to which an inclined piece extending to the left is attached. At least the portion of the inclined piece closer to the base end is configured as an inclined piece that slopes to the left so as to gradually move downward from the lower surface fixing portion. A stepped piece that bends toward the lower surface fixing portion is attached to the left end of the inclined piece. An extension piece that extends to the left is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece. An engaging piece that bends downward is attached to the left end of the extension piece. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower fixing portion by an elastic deformation means, and the support member is provided with a locking piece on the left side of the stepped piece, at a required distance from the lower fixing portion, which engages with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the fixed portion that is fixed to the lower fixing portion, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece, into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. and, (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be in the tilted position, and this tilted position is held by the locking and releasing holding means. The arm member, which is in an upright position, is rotated from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, and the right side of the engaging piece engages with the left side of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

[0012] A second aspect of the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention is a sliding door closing buffer device that reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, comprising a sliding door closing means provided on the upper part of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided on the upper frame of the door frame, wherein when the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, the sliding door closing means comprises an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point to take an upright position on the right and a tilted position on the left, a locking and detaching holding means that holds the arm member in the tilted position in a lock The upper frame closing means comprises an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is formed by bending a springy plate into a series of pieces. An inclined piece is attached to the base end, which is fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame. The inclined piece is inclined to the left so as to gradually move away from the lower surface fixing portion downwards. A stepped piece is attached to the left end of the inclined piece, which bends toward the lower surface fixing portion. An extension piece is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece, which extends toward the left. An engaging piece is attached to the left end of the extension piece, which bends toward the downwards. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower fixing portion by an elastic deformation means that utilizes the springiness of the plate body, and the support member is provided with a locking piece on the left side of the stepped piece at a required distance from the stepped piece, facing the stepped piece, on the fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, the left side of which engages with the right side of the engaging piece in contact with it, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece, into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. and, (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be in the tilted position, and this tilted position is held by the locking and releasing holding means. The arm member, which is in an upright position, is rotated from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, and the right side surface of the engaging piece engages with the left side surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

[0013] A third aspect of the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention is a sliding door closing buffer device that reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, comprising a sliding door closing means provided on the upper part of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided on the upper frame of the door frame, wherein when the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, the sliding door closing means comprises an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point to take an upright position on the right and a tilted position on the left, a locking and detaching holding means that holds the arm member in the tilted position so as to be lockable and detachable, and a biasing means that forcibly rotates the arm member from the tilted position toward the upright position when the locking and detaching holding means releases the holding of the tilted position, The device also includes a damper means for reducing the biasing force applied to the arm member when the arm member rotates from the tilted state to the upright state due to the biasing force of the biasing means. The upper frame closing means comprises an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is made of a rigid material, and a sloping piece is attached to the base end, which is fixed to the lower surface fixing part of the upper frame. The sloping piece is angled to the left so as to gradually move away from the lower surface fixing part. A stepped piece is attached to the left end of the sloping piece, which bends toward the lower surface fixing part. An extension piece is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece, which extends toward the left. An engaging piece is attached to the left end of the extension piece, which bends toward the downward. The connection portion of the inclined piece to the base end has a pivot structure that allows rotation in forward and reverse directions, and an elastic deformation means using a spring member interposed between the inclined piece and the lower fixing portion allows the inclined piece to elastically deform toward the lower fixing portion with the connection portion to the base end as the center of rotation. The support member has a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, and a locking piece portion that engages with the right side surface of the engaging piece at a required distance to the left of the stepped piece portion and faces the stepped piece portion, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece portion and the locking piece portion into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. and, (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be in the tilted position, and this tilted position is held by the locking and releasing holding means. The arm member, which is in an upright position, is rotated from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, and the right side surface of the engaging piece engages with the left side surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the engaging piece is flat, and when the right side surface of the engaging piece is engaged in contact with the left side surface of the locking piece, and the left side surface is a vertical surface, when the upper end of the arm is in a free state and not pressed against the stepped piece, the lower end of the engaging piece is in contact with the left side surface of the engaging piece, and the upper end of the engaging piece is located away from the left side surface, so that the engaging piece is inclined with respect to the vertical surface, and when the arm member is pressing against the stepped piece, the engaging piece can come into surface contact with the left side surface of the locking piece due to the elastic expansion of the connection between the extension piece and the engaging piece.

[0015] A first aspect of the upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing and buffering device according to the present invention is the upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing and buffering device according to the first aspect, which is composed of an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is provided with an inclined piece portion extending toward the left side at a base end portion fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame portion. The inclined piece portion is configured as an inclined piece portion in which at least a portion near the base end portion inclines toward the left side so as to gradually separate downward from the lower surface fixing portion. At the left end of the inclined piece portion, a step piece portion bent toward the lower surface fixing portion side is continuously provided. At the upper end of the step piece portion, an extension piece extending toward the left side is continuously provided. At the left end of the extension piece, an engaging piece bent downward is continuously provided. The inclined piece portion is configured to be elastically deformed toward the lower surface fixing portion side by elastic deformation means. And the support member is provided with a locking piece portion that engages in a contact state with the right side surface portion of the engaging piece on the left side surface at a fixed portion fixed to the lower surface fixing portion, and is provided in a facing state with the step piece portion with a required interval on the left side of the step piece portion. An insertion recess into which the upper end portion of the arm of the arm member fits is provided between the step piece portion and the locking piece portion.

[0016] A second embodiment of the upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention is an upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device according to the second embodiment, comprising an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is formed in a series by bending a springy plate, and an inclined piece portion is attached to the base end which is fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame, inclined to the left so as to gradually move downward from the lower surface fixing portion, a stepped piece portion which bends toward the lower surface fixing portion is attached to the left end of the inclined piece portion, an extension piece which extends toward the left side is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece portion, and an engaging piece which bends toward the downward side is attached to the left end of the extension piece. Furthermore, the inclined piece is made to be elastically deformable toward the lower fixing portion by an elastic deformation means that utilizes the springiness of the plate body, and the support member is provided with a locking piece on the left side of the stepped piece at a required distance from the stepped piece, facing the stepped piece, on the fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, the left side of which engages with the right side of the engaging piece at a contact point, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits.

[0017] The third aspect of the upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing and buffering device according to the present invention is the upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing and buffering device according to the second aspect, which is composed of an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is made of a rigid material, and at the base end portion fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame portion, an inclined piece portion that inclines toward the left direction so as to gradually separate downward from the lower surface fixing portion is continuously provided. At the left end of the inclined piece portion, a stepped piece portion that bends toward the lower surface fixing portion side is continuously provided. At the upper end of the stepped piece portion, an extension piece that extends toward the left direction is continuously provided. At the left end of the extension piece, an engaging piece that bends downward is continuously provided. The continuous portion of the inclined piece portion with respect to the base end portion has a pivot structure that can rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and by means of elastic deformation means using a spring member interposed between the inclined piece portion and the lower surface fixing portion, the inclined piece portion can be elastically deformed toward the lower surface fixing portion side with the continuous portion with respect to the base end portion as the center of rotation. And the support member has a locking piece portion that engages in a contact state with the right side surface portion of the engaging piece on the left side surface portion at a fixed portion fixed to the lower surface fixing portion, and is provided in a facing state with the stepped piece portion at a required interval on the left side of the stepped piece portion. Between the stepped piece portion and the locking piece portion, a fitting recess into which the upper end portion of the arm of the arm member fits is provided, which is characterized in that.

[0018] The fourth aspect of the sliding door closing and buffering device constituting the sliding door closing and buffering device according to the present invention is in any of the sliding door closing and buffering devices of the first, second, and third aspects. When the engaging piece has a flat plate shape and the right side surface portion of the engaging piece engages in a contact state with the left side surface portion of the locking piece portion, and the left side surface portion presents a vertical plane, when the upper end portion of the arm of the arm member is in a free state where it is not pressed by the stepped piece portion, the lower end of the engaging piece contacts the left side surface portion of the locking piece portion, and the upper end of the engaging piece is located away from the left side surface portion, and the engaging piece presents an inclined state with respect to the vertical plane. When the upper end portion of the arm of the arm member presses the stepped piece portion, due to the elastic expansion of the connecting portion between the extension piece and the engaging piece, the engaging piece can be in a surface contact state with the left side surface portion of the locking piece portion, which is characterized in that.

[0019] The sliding door structure according to the present invention is characterized by comprising any of the first, second, third, or fourth sliding door closing buffer devices. The partition structure according to the present invention is constructed using the sliding door structure described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, when the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the sliding door can be safely closed whether the arm member is in a normal tilted position or in an abnormal position where it is unintentionally raised, and the sliding door can then move in the opening direction without any hindrance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the sliding door closing buffer device according to the present invention, along with its usage conditions. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mechanism for closing sliding doors. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the engagement action of the engagement / disengagement holding means that constitute the sliding door closing mechanism. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the disengagement operation of the engagement / disengagement holding means that constitutes the sliding door closing mechanism. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the mechanism for closing the upper frame. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the elastic guide member that constitutes the upper frame closing mechanism, and a side view showing the configuration of the upper end of the arm. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the support members that constitute the upper frame closing mechanism. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the upper end of the arm is in contact with the right side of the locking piece of the support member. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which an arm member, whose tilted position has been released by the locking and releasing mechanism, rotates toward an upright position with its upper end pressed against the stepped piece, and the sliding door moves toward the closing direction as a result of this rotation of the arm member. [Figure 10]This is an explanatory diagram showing the state when a sliding door is closed. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped portion, causing the arm member to tilt. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view showing the engagement piece in contact with the vertical left-side surface of the locking piece at an inclination. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state in which the right-side surface of the engaging piece is in surface contact with the left-side surface of the locking piece. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a case where the lower part of the engaging piece deforms to a state where it is lifted away from the left side surface of the locking piece. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the sliding door continues to move to the right while the arm member remains in a tilted position. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the case where the arm member moves in the sliding door closing direction while remaining in an upright position. [Figure 17] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the case where the sliding door moves to the left while the arm member remains in an upright position, and at that time the extension piece is housed in the recess provided in the lower fixing part. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the extension piece is tilted as the sliding door moves further to the left while the arm member remains in an upright position. [Figure 19] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the sliding door is closed as the sliding door moves further to the left while the arm member remains in an upright position, causing the upper end of the arm to engage with the recessed part. [Figure 20] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the sliding door moves to the right, the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece, and the arm member is in a tilted position. [Figure 21] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a sliding door structure equipped with a sliding door closing buffer device, and an example of a partition structure constructed using the sliding door structure. [Figure 22] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating another embodiment of the upper frame closing mechanism. [Figure 23] This is a cross-sectional view showing other engagement states between the engaging piece and the locking piece. [Modes for carrying out the invention] [Examples]

[0022] In Figure 1, the sliding door closing buffer device 1 according to the present invention comprises a sliding door closing means 5 provided on the upper part 3 of the sliding door 2 and an upper frame closing means 9 provided on the upper frame portion 7 of the door frame 6, thereby mitigating the closing force when the sliding door 2 is closed. A door edge rubber 4 is attached to the door edge side of the sliding door 2, and the sliding door 2 exhibits a closed state when the door edge rubber 4 is housed in a door edge rubber housing groove 6c recessed in the inner surface 6b of the vertical frame 6a of the door frame 6.

[0023] In this embodiment, the sliding door closing means 5 has a configuration similar to that of the closing device described in Figure 3 of Patent Document 1, for example, as shown in Figure 2. Referring to Figure 2, the sliding door closing means 5 comprises an arm member 11 that, when the sliding door 2 is closed to the left in the left-right direction F, can rotate in the left-right direction F (Figure 1) with its lower part as a pivot point 10 to exhibit an upright state A at the right position and a tilted state B at the left position; a locking and detaching holding means 12 that locks and detaches the arm member 11 in the tilted state B; a biasing means 13 that forcibly rotates the arm member 11 from the tilted state B toward the upright state A when the locking and detaching holding means 12 has released the holding of the tilted state B; and a damper means 15 that reduces the biasing force applied to the arm member 11 when the arm member 11 rotates toward the upright state A due to the biasing force of the biasing means 13.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3-4, the engagement / disengagement holding means 12 has an engagement / disengagement spring member 8 projecting to the right from the upper part of the case C that holds the arm member 11. An engagement projection 14a, consisting of a downwardly curved piece provided at the tip of the engagement / disengagement spring member 8, elastically fits into an upwardly curved engagement recess 14b provided at the base of the arm member 11, thereby maintaining the tilted state B of the arm member 11. When a load is applied to the arm member 11 in the direction f (Figure 4) that would cause it to stand upright, the engagement between the engagement projection 14a and the engagement recess 14b is released, and the arm member 11 rotates in the upright direction shown by arrow f in Figure 4, finally taking on the upright state A shown by the dashed line in Figure 3.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the upper frame closing means 9 consists of an elastic guide member 16 and a support member 17. The elastic guide member 16 has a base end 20 fixed to the lower surface fixing part 19 of the upper frame 7, to which an inclined piece 21 extending to the left is attached. At least the portion of the inclined piece 21 closer to the base end is configured as an inclined piece portion 21a that inclins to the left so as to gradually move downward away from the lower surface fixing part 19. A stepped piece 23 that bends toward the lower surface fixing part 19 is attached to the left end 22 of the inclined piece 21, and an extension piece 26 that extends to the left is attached to the upper end 25 of the stepped piece 23, and an engaging piece 29 that bends downward is attached to the left end 27 of the extension piece 26.

[0026] In this embodiment, the entire inclined piece portion 21 is configured as the inclined piece portion 21a, and an inclined piece portion 21 is attached to the base end portion 20, which is inclined downward toward the left so as to gradually move away downward toward the lower surface fixing portion 19. A stepped piece portion 23 is attached to the left end 22 of the inclined piece portion 21, which is bent toward the lower surface fixing portion 19, and an extension piece 26 is attached to the upper end 25 of the stepped piece portion 23, which is extended toward the left, and an engaging piece 29 is attached to the left end 27 of the extension piece 26, which is bent toward the downward.

[0027] The inclined piece 21 is designed to be elastically deformed toward the lower fixing portion 19 by an elastic deformation means 30 that utilizes the spring properties of the plate body, as described later. Specifically, the inclined piece 21 is designed to be elastically deformed toward the lower fixing portion 19 by the elastic deformation means 30, which rotates the connected portion 31 and its vicinity relative to the base end portion 20 as the center of rotation, and also by the bending deformation of the inclined piece 21.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 12, the support member 17 has a fixing portion 32 fixed to the lower fixing portion 19, and a locking piece portion 36 that can engage with the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 at its left side surface portion 33. The locking piece portion 36 is provided to the left of the stepped piece portion 23 at a required distance and facing the stepped piece portion 23, and a recess 18 is provided between the stepped piece portion 23 and the locking piece portion 36 into which the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11 fits.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 12, the locking piece 36 can support the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 with its upper end portion 37 against the downward biasing force of the inclined piece 21. The extension piece 26, in this supported state, can move toward the lower fixing portion 19 by being elastically deformed toward the lower fixing portion 19 by the elastic deformation of the inclined piece 21 with the connecting portion 31 and its vicinity as the pivot point, and by the bending deformation of the inclined piece 21. This will be explained in detail below.

[0030] More specifically, as shown in Figures 5-6, the elastic guide member 16 is formed by bending a series of elongated plates made of a springy metal plate, for example, a stainless steel plate with a thickness of 0.5 mm, and its length in the front-to-back direction is set to approximately 90 mm. The portion 40 of the inclined piece 21 from approximately the center in the longitudinal direction to the base end 20 side is formed to a uniform width of approximately 11 mm, and the forward portion 38 that is ahead of the portion 40 on the base end 20 side is formed to a uniform width of approximately 6.5 mm. In this embodiment, the width of the forward portion 38 is set so that it can be positioned between the opposing pieces 11b, 11b of the arm member 11, as shown in Figure 6(B). The reason why the portion 40 on the base end 20 side is formed to increase the strength of the elastic guide member 16 is to increase the strength of the inclined piece 21, but the entire inclined piece 21 may be formed to a uniform width equal to the width of the forward portion 38, provided that its strength is exerted as required.

[0031] The inclined piece 21 is made capable of elastic deformation toward the lower fixing portion 19 by the elastic deformation means 30 that utilizes the spring properties of the plate body, with the connected portion 31 and its vicinity as the center of rotation relative to the base end portion 20, and by the bending deformation of the inclined piece 21, thereby being elastically deformed toward the lower fixing portion 19. The bending angle θ1 (Figure 5) of the inclined piece 21 relative to the base end portion 20 is set to, for example, about 153 degrees, and the length of the inclined piece 21 is, for example, about 45 mm. The stepped piece 23 is bent and connected to the inclined piece 21 at an angle θ2 (Figure 12) of, for example, about 82 degrees, and its length is, for example, about 9 mm. The extension piece 26 is connected to the upper end 25 of the stepped piece 23. The extension piece 26 is bent at an angle θ3 (Figure 12) of approximately 90 degrees relative to the stepped piece 23, and its length is approximately 20 mm. The engaging piece 29 is bent at an angle θ4 (Figure 12) of approximately 90 degrees relative to the extension piece 26, and is parallel to the stepped piece 23, exhibiting a rectangular flat plate shape, with a protruding length of approximately 9 mm from the extension piece 26.

[0032] More specifically, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 12, the support member 17 has a fixing portion 32 fixed to the lower fixing portion 19, and a locking piece portion 36 that can engage with the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 at the left side surface portion 33. The locking piece portion 36 is provided to the left of the stepped piece portion 23 at a required distance and in opposition to the stepped piece portion 23, and a fitting recess 18 is provided between the stepped piece portion 23 and the locking piece portion 36 into which the upper arm end portion 11a of the arm member 11 fits. As shown in Figure 6(B), the upper arm end portion 11a is composed of a roller 66 supported by a pivot 11c between the upper ends of the opposing side pieces 11b, 11b.

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the locking piece 36 can support the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 with its upper end portion 37 against the downward biasing force of the inclined piece portion 21. In this supported state, the extension piece 26 can move away from the upper end portion 37 and toward the downward fixing portion 19, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, by the elastic deformation of the inclined piece portion 21, which causes it to rotate with the connected portion 31 and its vicinity as the center of rotation, and by the bending deformation of the inclined piece portion 21.

[0034] In this embodiment, the support member 17 is made up of a rectangular box-shaped body 48, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 12, with an upper end 43 facing the lower fixing portion 19 having an opening 44 (Figure 12) that protrudes downward. It has left and right wall portions 45, 46, front and rear wall portions 47, 49 (Figure 7), and a lower wall portion 50. The upper ends 51, 52 of the left and right wall portions 45, 46 are bent and formed left and right fixing pieces 53, 55, which are screw-fixed to the lower fixing portion 19 at their ends. These left and right fixing pieces 53, 55 constitute the fixing portion 32.

[0035] Furthermore, the right wall portion 46 of the rectangular box body 48 (Figure 7) is notched at its upper end to form a notch portion 56 (Figures 7 and 12), and the lower end 57 of the notch portion 56 is located below the opening 44 (Figure 12) (for example, about 11 mm below). The right wall portion 46 having this configuration constitutes the locking piece portion 36, the lower end 57 constitutes the upper end portion 37 of the locking piece portion 36, and the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 exhibits a vertical surface 33a in this embodiment (Figures 5 and 12).

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 12, a receiving opening 61 is provided on the base side of the right fixing piece 55, which is connected to the upper end 60 of the notch 56. As shown in Figure 5, the receiving opening 61 forms a receiving recess 62 with the lower fixing piece 19 as its bottom surface when the right fixing piece 55 is screw-fixed to the lower fixing piece 19.

[0037] In this embodiment, the locking piece 36 of the support member 17, which is composed of the rectangular box-shaped body 48 (Figure 7), can support the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 with its upper end portion 37 against the downward biasing force of the inclined piece portion 21, as shown in Figures 5 and 12. In this supported state, the extension piece 26 can move away from the upper end portion 37 toward the lower fixing portion 19 as the inclined piece portion 21 is elastically deformed toward the lower fixing portion 19 (Figures 9 and 11).

[0038] Figures 5 and 12 show the upper frame closing means 9 according to this embodiment, in which the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 is supported by the upper end portion 37 against the downward biasing force of the inclined piece 21.

[0039] Figure 12 shows the state in which the right side surface 35 (Figure 6(A)) of the flat engaging piece 29 is in contact with the left side surface 33 of the locking piece 36. In Figure 12, when the left side surface 33 is a vertical surface 33a as described above, and the upper end 11a of the arm member 11 is not pressed against the stepped piece 23, the lower end 63 of the engaging piece 29 is in contact with the left side surface 33 of the locking piece 36, and the upper end 65 of the engaging piece 29 is located away from the left side surface 33, so that the engaging piece 29 is inclined with respect to the vertical surface 33a.

[0040] Next, the operation of the sliding door 2 when it closes will be explained separately for the normal state in which the arm member 11 is held in the tilted state B (Figure 3) when it closes, and for the abnormal state in which the arm member 11 is inadvertently in the upright state A (Figure 3). An example of the case in which the arm member 11 is inadvertently in the upright state A is when the sliding door 2 moves in the opening direction and impactfully collides with the door stopper, and the impact causes the holding of the tilted state B by the engagement / disengagement holding means 12 to be released (as shown in Figure 4, the engagement between the engagement projection 14a and the engagement recess 14b is released).

[0041] (1) In the case of the above-mentioned normal state When the sliding door 2 is closed, the sliding door 2 moves to the left F1 side while elastically deforming toward the lower fixing portion 19 side, as the arm member 11 in the tilted state B rotates the inclined piece 21 by elastic deformation with the connecting portion 31 and its vicinity as the pivot point, and also by the bending deformation of the inclined piece 21.

[0042] As a result of this movement, the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11 comes into contact with the right side portion 67 (in Figure 8, the lower portion of the right side portion 67) of the locking piece portion 36 of the support member 17, as shown in Figure 8. When the sliding door 2 moves further in the closing direction while in this contact state, the upper end portion 11a of the arm is pressed to the right by the right side portion 67, as shown in Figure 9, and the holding of the tilted state B by the locking / unlocking holding means 12 is released.

[0043] When the holding is released, the arm member 11 rotates f (Figure 4) toward the upright state A (the upright state shown by the dashed line in Figure 3). This rotation is performed by the biasing force of the biasing means 13 (Figure 2), while the biasing force is reduced by the damper means 15 (Figure 2), and the upper end of the arm 11a is pressed to the left by the stepped piece 23. The process of this rotation toward the upright state A is shown in Figures 8 to 10, and is performed while moving the extension piece 26 from the state in Figure 8 toward the lower fixing part 19. As the arm member 11 rotates from the tilted state B toward the upright state A, the upper end of the arm 11a, which is fitted into the fitting recess 18, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece 23 (Figure 9), and the sliding door 2 is slowly and safely closed by the biasing force of the biasing means 13, which has been reduced by the damper means 15. Figure 10 shows the sliding door 2 in a closed state with the door edge rubber 4 housed in the door edge rubber housing groove 6c. Subsequently, as the sliding door 2 moves in the opening direction F2, the upper end 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright state A, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece 23, causing the arm member 11 to take the tilted state B shown in Figure 11, and this tilted state B is held by the engagement / disengagement holding means 12 (Figure 2).

[0044] When the upper end portion 11a of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece portion 23, causing the arm member 11 to rotate and the sliding door 2 to close, and when the arm member 11 is pressed against the stepped piece portion 23 and rotates from the upright state A to the tilted state B, the stepped piece portion 23 is prevented from moving to the right in the direction F2. This movement prevention is achieved via the extension piece 26 connected to the engaging piece 29, where the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36, preventing movement to the right in the direction F2.

[0045] The following will explain in more detail the aforementioned movement blocking and the rotational movement of the arm member 11 brought about by said movement blocking. When the sliding door 2 is closed, the upper arm end portion 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright state A, is fitted into the fitting recess 18, as shown in Figure 10. Subsequently, when the sliding door 2 is moved to the right F2, which is its opening direction, the upper arm end portion 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright state A, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece portion 23, as shown in Figure 11, and takes on the tilted state B, which is held in the tilted state B by the locking and unlocking holding means 12 (Figure 2).

[0046] When the arm member 11 is pressed against the stepped piece 23 and exhibits the tilted state B, as shown in Figure 12, the right surface 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left surface 33 of the engaging piece 36 in a contact state. In Figure 12, the engaging piece 29 is engaged with the left surface 33 in a contact state at its lower end 63.

[0047] Then, the step portion 23 is prevented from moving to the right F2 direction via the extension piece 26 connected to the engaging piece 29, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by the engagement. As the movement of the step portion 23 to the right F2 direction is prevented in this way, the arm member 11 (Figure 10), which is in the upright position, is pressed to the left by the step portion 23 and rotates, exhibiting the tilted state B as shown in Figure 11. This tilted state B is held by the engagement / disengagement holding means 12 (Figure 2). While maintaining the held tilted state B, the sliding door 2 can move in the opening direction (right F2 direction).

[0048] Incidentally, when the engagement state in which the right surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 is in contact with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 is such that the engaging piece 29 is in surface contact with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36, as shown in Figure 13, the tilted state B will be performed more stably and reliably.

[0049] This will be explained in more detail. In this embodiment, the engaging piece 29 is flat, and its left side surface 33 is a vertical surface 33a. When the arm member 11 is not pressed against the stepped piece 23, as shown in Figure 12, the lower end 63 of the engaging piece 29 abuts against the left side surface 33 of the locking piece 36, and the upper end 34 of the engaging piece 29 is positioned away from the left side surface 33. Therefore, the engaging piece 29 is inclined with respect to the vertical surface 33a.

[0050] When the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11 is pressing against the stepped piece portion 23, the upper end 65 (Figure 13) of the engaging piece 29 is pulled to the right in direction F2 via the extension piece 26, causing the connecting portion 72 (Figure 13) between the extension piece 26 and the engaging piece 29 to elastically expand, allowing the engaging piece 29 to make surface contact with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36. As a result, the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 can engage with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 in a surface contact state. Consequently, the engagement state in which the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 becomes stronger.

[0051] If the engaging piece 29 is initially in surface contact with the left surface portion 33 as shown in Figure 14, when the upper end 65 of the engaging piece 29 is pulled to the right in direction F2 via the extension piece 26, the lower portion 73 of the engaging piece 29 may deform and float away from the left surface portion 33, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 14. If this floating state is repeated each time the sliding door 2 moves in the opening direction after being closed, the engagement state in which the right surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 may become unstable.

[0052] The sliding door 2 continues to move to the right in direction F2, as shown in Figure 15, with the arm member 11 held in the tilted position B.

[0053] (2) In the case of the aforementioned abnormal condition When the sliding door 2 is closing, if the arm member 11 is inadvertently in the upright state A, the sliding door 2 can move in the closing direction (leftward F1) as follows (Figures 16-19). That is, when the sliding door 2 moves toward the leftward F1, the upper end 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright state, elastically deforms the inclined piece 21 toward the lower fixing part 19 with the connecting part 31 and its vicinity as the center of rotation, and also appropriately deforms the inclined piece 21 toward the lower fixing part 19, thereby allowing the sliding door 2 to be closed slowly and safely without damaging the sliding door closing buffer device 1, and by the elastic rebound action of the inclined piece 21 due to the elastic deformation and bending deformation of the inclined edge 21.

[0054] When the sliding door 2 moves, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, when the elastic deformation of the inclined piece 21 increases, the extension piece 26 is housed in the receiving recess 62. When the upper end 11a of the arm moves the left end 74 of the inclined piece 21 toward the left F1, for example, as shown in Figure 18, the housed extension piece 26 exhibits an inclined state toward the left and downward. Note that when the lower fixing portion 19 is formed in a sufficiently large recess in the receiving recess 62 and its surrounding area, the extension piece 26 will fit into the recess, and therefore the extension piece 26 will not be inclined as described above.

[0055] Furthermore, if the elastic deformation of the inclined piece 21 is not very large, the extension piece 26 may not be able to be accommodated in the receiving recess 62.

[0056] As the sliding door 2 moves further to the left F1, as shown in Figure 19, the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright position A, fits into the recess 18 between the stepped piece 23 and the locking piece 36. In this state, the sliding door 2 is closed, as shown in Figure 10.

[0057] Subsequently, when the sliding door 2 is moved to the right in the opening direction F2, as shown in Figure 20, the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11, which is in the upright state A, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece portion 23, causing the arm member 11 to take on the tilted state B, which is then held in place by the locking and unlocking holding means 12 (Figure 2).

[0058] When the arm member 11 is pressed against the stepped piece 23 and exhibits the tilted state B, as shown in Figures 19 and 12, the right-side surface 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left-side surface 33 of the locking piece 36 in a contact state. In Figure 12, the lower end 63 of the engaging piece 29 is engaged with the left-side surface 33 in a contact state.

[0059] Then, the step portion 23 is prevented from moving to the right F2 side via the extension piece 26 connected to the engaging piece 29, which is in a state where its movement to the right is prevented by the engagement. As the movement of the step portion 23 to the right F2 side is prevented in this way, the arm member 11, which is in the upright state, is pressed by the step portion 23 and rotates, taking on the tilted state B shown in Figure 20. This tilted state B is held by the engagement / disengagement holding means 12 (Figure 2). While maintaining the held tilted state B, the sliding door 2 continues to move in the opening direction, as shown by the arrow F2 in Figure 20.

[0060] In this case as well, as described above for the normal state, when the engagement state in which the right surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 is in contact with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece 36 is the engagement state in which the engaging piece 29 is in surface contact with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece 36 (Figure 13), the tilted state B will be performed more stably and reliably.

[0061] More specifically, in this embodiment, the engaging piece 29 is flat, and its left side surface 33 is a vertical surface 33a. When the arm member 11 is not pressed against the stepped piece 23, as shown in Figure 12, the lower end 63 of the engaging piece 29 abuts against the left side surface 33 of the locking piece 36, and the upper end 34 of the engaging piece 29 is positioned away from the left side surface 33. Therefore, the engaging piece 29 is inclined with respect to the vertical surface 33a.

[0062] When the upper end portion 11a of the arm member 11 is pressing against the stepped piece portion 23, the upper end 65 (Figure 13) of the engaging piece 29 is pulled to the right in direction F2 via the extension piece 26, causing the connecting portion 72 (Figure 13) between the extension piece 26 and the engaging piece 29 to elastically expand, allowing the engaging piece 29 to make surface contact with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36. As a result, the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 can engage with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 in a surface contact state. Consequently, the engagement state in which the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 becomes stronger.

[0063] If the engaging piece 29 is initially in surface contact with the left surface portion 33 as shown in Figure 14, then, as described above, when the upper end 65 of the engaging piece 29 is pulled to the right in direction F2 via the extension piece 26, the lower portion 73 of the engaging piece 29 may deform and become lifted away from the left surface portion 33, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 14. When it becomes lifted in this way, the engagement state in which the right surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36 may become unstable, as described in the case of the normal state.

[0064] With the arm member 11 held in the tilted position B, the sliding door 2 continues to move in the opening direction, as indicated by arrow F2 in Figure 20.

[0065] Figure 21 shows a sliding door structure 75 equipped with the sliding door closing buffer device 1, and a partition structure 76 constructed using the sliding door structure 75. The sliding door closing buffer device 1, which is provided on the upper part 3 of the sliding door 2, may also be provided on the left and right sides (door leading side and door trailing side) of the upper part 3 of the sliding door 2. When the sliding door closing buffer device 1 is provided on the left and right sides of the upper part 3, the sliding door closing buffer device 1 provided on the door leading side can reduce the closing force when closing the sliding door 2, and the sliding door closing buffer device 1 provided on the door trailing side can reduce the movement speed at the end of the movement process when moving the sliding door 2 in the opening direction. In this case, when the arm member 11 is inadvertently in the upright state A, the same effect as described in the "abnormal state" section above can be obtained. [Examples]

[0066] The present invention is by no means limited to those shown in the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various design modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. One example is as follows.

[0067] (1) Figure 22 shows another embodiment of the upper frame closing means 9, which consists of an elastic guide member 16 and a support member 17. The elastic guide member 16 is made of a rigid material, such as hard plastic or a metal such as stainless steel, and has an inclined piece 21 attached to its base end 20, which is fixed to the lower surface fixing part 19 of the upper frame 7, and is inclined to the left so as to gradually move away downward from the lower surface fixing part 19, and has a stepped piece 23 attached to the left end 22 of the inclined piece 21, which bends toward the lower surface fixing part 19, and has an extension piece 26 attached to the upper end 25 of the stepped piece 23, which extends toward the left, and has an engaging piece 29 attached to the left end 27 of the extension piece 26, which bends toward downward. The connecting portion 31 of the inclined piece 21 to the base end 20 has a pivot structure that allows rotation in forward and reverse directions, and the elastic deformation means 30, which uses a spring member 77 interposed between the inclined piece 21 and the lower surface fixing portion 19, allows the inclined piece 21 to elastically deform toward the lower surface fixing portion 19 with the connecting portion 31 to the base end 20 as the center of rotation. The spring member 77 can be made of a material that has spring properties that enable the elastic deformation of the inclined piece 21, such as a coil spring or a U-shaped spring. The operation of the sliding door closing buffer device 1, which is equipped with the upper frame closing means 9 having the above configuration, when the sliding door 2 is closed (the operation in the normal state and the operation in the abnormal state) is the same as in the case of Embodiment 1.

[0068] (2) The sliding door closing means 5 provided on the upper part of the sliding door 2 can be adopted, for example, if it comprises an arm member 11 that can rotate in the left-right direction F with its lower part as a pivot point 10 to take an upright state A on the right side and a tilted state B on the left side, a locking and detaching holding means 12 that locks and detaches the arm member 11 in the tilted state B, a biasing means 13 that forcibly rotates the arm member 11 from the tilted state B toward the upright state A when the holding of the tilted state B by the locking and detaching holding means 12 is released, and a damper means 15 that reduces the biasing force applied to the arm member 11 when the arm member 11 rotates toward the upright state A due to the biasing force of the biasing means 13. The configuration of the arm member 11, the locking and detaching holding means 12, the biasing means 13, and the damper means 15 are not limited in any way as long as they each perform the above-mentioned functions, nor are their arrangements limited.

[0069] (3) The support member 17 only needs to have a locking piece 36 on the fixing portion 32 fixed to the lower fixing portion 19, which can engage with the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 at the left side surface portion 33, and the support member 17 does not need to be configured as part of the box-shaped body described above. Also, the locking piece 36 is not necessarily configured as a flat plate as shown in Embodiment 1.

[0070] (4) When the upper end portion 11a of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece portion 23 and the arm member 11 rotates toward the upright state A, and when the arm member 11 is pressed against the stepped piece portion 23 and rotates from the upright state A toward the tilted state B, the right side surface portion 35 of the engaging piece 29 engages with the left side surface portion 33 of the locking piece portion 36, and the stepped piece portion 23 is prevented from moving toward the right F2 direction via the extension piece 26 connected to the engaging piece 29, which is in a state where movement toward the right F2 direction is prevented by this engagement, then as shown in Figure 23, the upper end portion 37 may be positioned below the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 so that the upper end portion 37 and the left end portion 39 of the extension piece 26 do not come into contact, and in this case, as shown by the dashed line in the same figure, the lower end portion 28 of the engaging piece 29 may come into contact with the upper surface 54 of the lower wall portion 50. Furthermore, the engaging piece 29 is not limited to the flat plate shape described above.

[0071] (5) The inclined piece portion 21 only needs to be configured to be elastically deformable toward the lower surface fixing portion 19 by the elastic deformation means 30, and the entire inclined piece portion 21 does not need to be configured as the inclined piece portion 21a. It is sufficient that at least the portion of the inclined piece portion 21 closer to the base end portion is configured as an inclined piece portion 21a that inclins downward toward the left direction F1 so as to gradually move away downward from the lower surface fixing portion 19. Furthermore, the inclined piece portion 21 may be slightly curved downwards, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, for example.

[0072] (6) When the sliding door 2 is closed, the arm member 11 in the tilted position B may move to the left F1 side without elastically deforming the inclined piece 21.

[0073] (7) The sliding door 2 may be made of a wooden frame or a metal frame. The sliding door 2 may be of the top-hung type or the bottom-sliding type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1. Sliding door closing buffer device 2 Sliding doors 3 Top 5. Sliding door closing mechanism 6-seat frame 7 Upper frame 9. Upper frame closing mechanism 10 Pivot points 11 Arm member 11a Upper end of arm 12 Engagement / disengagement holding means 13. Biasing means 15 Damper Methods 16 Elastic guide member 17 Support Member 18. Recessed 19 Bottom fixing part 20 Proximal end 21 Inclined piece 23 Step piece 26 Extension piece 29 Engaging piece 30 Elastic deformation means 31 Continuous part 32 Fixed part 33 Left side 35 Right side 36 Locking piece 53 Fixed piece 55 Fixed piece 61 Containment opening 62 Receiving recess 66 Laura 75 Sliding door structure 76 Partition structure

Claims

1. A sliding door closing buffer device comprising a sliding door closing means provided at the top of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided at the upper frame of the door frame, which reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, wherein the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, The sliding door closing mechanism includes an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point, and can exhibit an upright position on the right side and a tilted position on the left side. A means for holding the arm member in a retractable manner in the tilted state, With the holding of the tilted state by the engagement / disengagement means released, a biasing means forcibly rotates the arm member from the tilted state toward the upright state, The device comprises a damper means for reducing the biasing force applied to the arm member when the arm member rotates from the tilted state to the upright state due to the biasing force of the biasing means, The aforementioned upper frame closing means consists of an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member has a base end fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame, to which an inclined piece extending to the left is attached. At least the portion of the inclined piece closer to the base end is configured as an inclined piece that slopes to the left so as to gradually move downward away from the lower surface fixing portion. A stepped piece that bends toward the lower surface fixing portion is attached to the left end of the inclined piece. An extension piece that extends to the left is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece. An engaging piece that bends downward is attached to the left end of the extension piece. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower surface fixing portion by an elastic deformation means. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of which a locking piece is provided, which engages with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped piece at a required distance and faces the stepped piece, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be tilted, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing holding means. A sliding door closing buffer device characterized in that, when the arm member, which is in an upright position, rotates from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

2. A sliding door closing buffer device comprising a sliding door closing means provided at the top of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided at the upper frame of the door frame, which reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, wherein the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, The sliding door closing mechanism includes an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point, and can exhibit an upright position on the right side and a tilted position on the left side. A means for holding the arm member in a retractable manner in the tilted state, With the holding of the tilted state by the engagement / disengagement means released, a biasing means forcibly rotates the arm member from the tilted state toward the upright state, The device comprises a damper means for reducing the biasing force applied to the arm member when the arm member rotates from the tilted state to the upright state due to the biasing force of the biasing means, The aforementioned upper frame closing means consists of an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is formed by bending a spring-like plate into a series, and a sloping piece is attached to the base end which is fixed to the lower surface fixing part of the upper frame, sloping to the left so as to gradually move away downward from the lower surface fixing part, a stepped piece is attached to the left end of the sloping piece which bends toward the lower surface fixing part, an extension piece is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece which extends toward the left, and an engaging piece is attached to the left end of the extension piece which bends toward downward. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower fixed portion by an elastic deformation means that utilizes the spring properties of the plate body. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of which a locking piece is provided, which engages with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped piece at a required distance and faces the stepped piece, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be tilted, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing holding means. A sliding door closing buffer device characterized in that, when the arm member, which is in an upright position, rotates from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

3. A sliding door closing buffer device comprising a sliding door closing means provided at the top of the sliding door and an upper frame closing means provided at the upper frame of the door frame, which reduces the closing force when the sliding door is closed, wherein the sliding door is closed to the left in the left-right direction, The sliding door closing mechanism includes an arm member that can rotate in the left-right direction with its lower part as a pivot point, and can exhibit an upright position on the right side and a tilted position on the left side. A means for holding the arm member in a retractable manner in the tilted state, With the holding of the tilted state by the engagement / disengagement means released, a biasing means forcibly rotates the arm member from the tilted state toward the upright state, The device comprises a damper means for reducing the biasing force applied to the arm member when the arm member rotates from the tilted state to the upright state due to the biasing force of the biasing means, The aforementioned upper frame closing means consists of an elastic guide member and a support member. The elastic guide member is made of a rigid material, and has a base end fixed to the lower surface fixing part of the upper frame, with an inclined piece attached to the left so as to gradually move away from the lower surface fixing part downwards, a stepped piece attached to the left end of the inclined piece so as to bend toward the lower surface fixing part, an extension piece attached to the upper end of the stepped piece so as to extend toward the left, and an engaging piece attached to the left end of the extension piece so as to bend toward downwards. The connection portion of the inclined piece to the base end has a pivot structure that allows rotation in forward and reverse directions, and an elastic deformation means using a spring member interposed between the inclined piece and the lower surface fixing portion allows the inclined piece to elastically deform toward the lower surface fixing portion with the connection portion to the base end as the center of rotation. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of which a locking piece is provided, which engages with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped piece at a required distance and faces the stepped piece, and a recess is provided between the stepped piece and the locking piece into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. (1) When the sliding door is closed, the arm member in the tilted position moves to the left without elastically deforming the inclined piece, or moves to the left while elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part. As the sliding door moves in the closing direction, the upper end of the arm abuts against the right side of the locking piece of the support member and is pressed to the right, thereby releasing the hold of the arm member in the tilted position by the locking / disengaging means. As the arm member rotates toward the upright position in this released state, the upper end of the arm, which is fitted into the recess, is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, thereby causing the sliding door to close due to the biasing force of the biasing means, which has been reduced by the damper means. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is its opening direction, the upper end of the arm of the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing it to tilt, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing means. When the upper end of the arm is pressed against the stepped piece and the arm member rotates toward the upright state, and when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece and the arm member rotates from the upright state toward the tilted state, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement. (2) When the sliding door is closed, if the arm member is inadvertently in the upright position, when the sliding door moves to the left, which is the closing direction, the upright arm member moves to the left, with the upper end of the arm elastically deforming the inclined piece toward the lower fixing part, and the upper end of the upright arm member fits into the fitting recess, thereby closing the sliding door. Subsequently, as the sliding door moves to the right, which is the opening direction, the arm member is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, causing the upper end of the arm to be tilted, and this tilted state is held by the locking and releasing holding means. A sliding door closing buffer device characterized in that, when the arm member, which is in an upright position, rotates from the upright position to the tilted position when the upper end of the arm is pressed to the left by the stepped piece, the right surface of the engaging piece engages with the left surface of the locking piece, and the stepped piece is prevented from moving to the right via the extension piece connected to the engaging piece, which is in a state where movement to the right is prevented by this engagement.

4. The sliding door closing buffer device according to claim 2, characterized in that the engaging piece is flat, and when the right surface of the engaging piece is engaged in contact with the left surface of the locking piece, the left surface is a vertical surface, and when the upper end of the arm is in a free state and not pressed against the stepped piece, the lower end of the engaging piece is in contact with the left surface of the engaging piece, and the upper end of the engaging piece is located away from the left surface, so that the engaging piece is inclined with respect to the vertical surface, and when the arm member is pressing against the stepped piece, the engaging piece can come into surface contact with the left surface of the locking piece due to the elastic expansion of the connection between the extension piece and the engaging piece.

5. The upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device according to claim 1, It consists of an elastic guide member and a support member, The elastic guide member has a base end fixed to the lower surface fixing portion of the upper frame, to which an inclined piece extending to the left is attached. At least the portion of the inclined piece closer to the base end is configured as an inclined piece that slopes to the left so as to gradually move downward away from the lower surface fixing portion. A stepped piece that bends toward the lower surface fixing portion is attached to the left end of the inclined piece. An extension piece that extends to the left is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece. An engaging piece that bends downward is attached to the left end of the extension piece. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower surface fixing portion by an elastic deformation means. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of the stepped portion, a locking piece portion which engages with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped portion at a required distance and facing the stepped portion, and a recess is provided between the stepped portion and the locking piece portion into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits. This is the upper frame closing means that constitutes a sliding door closing buffer device.

6. The upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device according to claim 2, It consists of an elastic guide member and a support member, The elastic guide member is formed by bending a spring-like plate into a series, and a sloping piece is attached to the base end which is fixed to the lower surface fixing part of the upper frame, sloping to the left so as to gradually move away downward from the lower surface fixing part, a stepped piece is attached to the left end of the sloping piece which bends toward the lower surface fixing part, an extension piece is attached to the upper end of the stepped piece which extends toward the left, and an engaging piece is attached to the left end of the extension piece which bends toward downward. The inclined piece is designed to be elastically deformable toward the lower fixed portion by an elastic deformation means that utilizes the spring properties of the plate body. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of the stepped portion, a locking piece portion which engages in a contact state with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped portion, and is positioned opposite to the stepped portion at a required distance from the stepped portion, and a recess is provided between the stepped portion and the locking piece portion into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits, thus constituting an upper frame closing means for a sliding door closing buffer device.

7. The upper frame closing means constituting the sliding door closing buffer device according to claim 3, It consists of an elastic guide member and a support member, The elastic guide member is made of a rigid material, and has a base end fixed to the lower surface fixing part of the upper frame, with an inclined piece attached to the left so as to gradually move away from the lower surface fixing part downwards, a stepped piece attached to the left end of the inclined piece so as to bend toward the lower surface fixing part, an extension piece attached to the upper end of the stepped piece so as to extend toward the left, and an engaging piece attached to the left end of the extension piece so as to bend toward downwards. The connection portion of the inclined piece to the base end has a pivot structure that allows rotation in forward and reverse directions, and an elastic deformation means using a spring member interposed between the inclined piece and the lower surface fixing portion allows the inclined piece to elastically deform toward the lower surface fixing portion with the connection portion to the base end as the center of rotation. The support member is provided with a fixing portion fixed to the lower fixing portion, on the left side of the stepped portion, a locking piece portion which engages in a contact state with the right side of the engaging piece on the left side of the stepped portion, and is positioned opposite to the stepped portion at a required distance from the stepped portion, and a recess is provided between the stepped portion and the locking piece portion into which the upper end of the arm of the arm member fits, thus constituting an upper frame closing means for a sliding door closing buffer device.

8. The upper frame closing means constituting a sliding door closing buffer device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the engaging piece is flat, and when the right surface of the engaging piece is engaged in contact with the left surface of the locking piece, the left surface is a vertical surface, and when the upper end of the arm of the arm member is in a free state and not pressed against the stepped piece, the lower end of the engaging piece is in contact with the left surface of the locking piece, and the upper end of the engaging piece is located away from the left surface, so that the engaging piece is inclined with respect to the vertical surface, and when the upper end of the arm of the arm member is pressing against the stepped piece, the engaging piece can come into surface contact with the left surface of the locking piece due to the elastic expansion of the connecting portion between the extension piece and the engaging piece.

9. A sliding door structure characterized by comprising a sliding door closing buffer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. A partition structure characterized by being constructed using the sliding door structure described in claim 9.

Images