Multi-panel sliding door
The multi-panel sliding door design addresses visibility and installation challenges by suspending door bodies from above with hidden guide members, ensuring a sleek appearance and secure interlocking without compromising frame thickness.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LIXIL CORP
- Filing Date
- 2022-09-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Conventional multi-panel sliding doors face issues with unsightly appearance and installation difficulties when using thinner frames with larger glass areas due to the visibility of guide bodies and challenges in fixing guides to the lower side of vertical frames.
A multi-panel sliding door design where door bodies are suspended from above, featuring guide grooves and connecting guide members with a stepped configuration that hides the connecting guide members from view, allowing thinner frames without compromising aesthetics and ensuring secure fixation.
The design ensures that guide members are not visible through glass panels, facilitates easy installation, and maintains a sleek appearance while providing secure interlocking functionality.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a multi-sliding door.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, an overhead multi-sliding door having a plurality of movable door bodies has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003] The multi-sliding door described in Patent Document 1 includes two door bodies, a first sliding door and a second sliding door, which are respectively movably suspended and supported by rails fixed to the ceiling. A guide body is fixed to the lower end of the vertical frame of the second sliding door. The guide body is composed of a guide fixing portion, a guide beam portion, and a guide support portion, and is attached to the sliding door by bolt-fixing the guide fixing portion to the lower end side surface of the vertical frame. The guide support portion at the tip of the guide body extends toward the first sliding door and is inserted downward into a guide recess provided on the lower end surface of the frame portion of the first sliding door. Thus, when the guide body of the second sliding door abuts against the end of the guide recess of the first sliding door during the movement of the first sliding door in the opening and closing directions, the second sliding door moves in the opening and closing directions in conjunction with the movement of the first sliding door. When the opening is fully opened, the first sliding door and the second sliding door are arranged overlappingly as a whole, so there is no remaining portion.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] However, in conventional multi-panel sliding doors, the guide body is fixed to the lower side of the vertical frame. Therefore, if the bottom rail of the frame is made thinner, and the panel material housed in the frame is glass, the guide body of one sliding door will be clearly visible through the glass of the other sliding door, resulting in an unsightly appearance. Furthermore, making the vertical frame thinner also makes it difficult to install the guide body itself.
[0006] Thus, while conventional multi-panel sliding doors have the advantage of reducing the remaining space between adjacent door panels, they also have the drawback of being unsightly and difficult to install guides when using door panels with thinner frames and larger glass areas.
[0007] This disclosure aims to enable the interlocking of adjacent door panels in a top-hung multi-panel sliding door system without compromising its appearance. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] This disclosure relates to a multi-panel sliding door comprising at least two door bodies suspended from above so as to be movable in the visible direction, wherein the two door bodies include a first door body movable in the visible direction and a second door body movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the first door body, and each has a guide groove extending in the visible direction on its lower end surface, the second door body having a connecting guide member fixed to the end of the lower end surface on the first door body side in the visible direction, the connecting guide member having a fixed plate portion fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body, a guide plate portion extending downward from the fixed plate portion toward the guide groove of the first door body, and a guide pin protruding from the upper surface of the guide plate portion and fitting into the guide groove of the first door body, a step is provided between the fixed plate portion and the guide plate portion, and the fixed plate portion is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion via the step. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a multi-panel sliding door. [Figure 2] This is a vertical cross-section of a multi-panel sliding door. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the lead door panel in a multi-panel sliding door system. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view of the lead door panel in a multi-panel sliding door system. [Figure 5] This is an exploded perspective view of the end piece on the door-edge side of the leading door frame. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of the end piece on the door-end side of the leading door frame. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the intermediate and rear-mounted sliding door panels. [Figure 8] This is a bottom view of the intermediate and rear-mounted sliding door panels. [Figure 9] This is an exploded perspective view of the end pieces on the door-side of the intermediate and rear-end driven door panels. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the connecting guide member from the top. [Figure 11] This is a view of the connecting guide member from the perspective of the door panel's visible side. [Figure 12] This is a bottom view of a multi-panel sliding door, showing the door panels in a fully closed position. [Figure 13] This is a bottom view of the door end of a multi-panel sliding door, showing the door panel in its fully open position. [Figure 14] This is a view of the lower end of a multi-panel sliding door in the fully closed position, seen from the direction of the door's visible surface. [Figure 15] This is a view from the facing direction of the lower end of a door body equipped with a connecting guide member according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the multi-panel sliding door of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the multi-panel sliding door 1 is installed to open and close in an opening 100 formed in a partition wall within a building, for example.
[0011] The multi-panel sliding door 1 has a plurality of door bodies that are movably suspended from the upper frame 21 inside a frame body 2 formed by framing an upper frame 21, a lower frame 22, a vertical frame 23 on the leading side of the door, and a vertical frame 24 on the trailing side of the door in a rectangle. The multi-panel sliding door 1 of the present embodiment includes three door bodies: a leading door body 3, an intermediate follower door body 4, and a trailing follower door body 5. The upper surface 22a of the lower frame 22 is arranged flush with the floor surface of the building. The lower ends of the leading door body 3, the intermediate follower door body 4, and the trailing follower door body 5 are arranged at the same distance above and separated from the upper surface 22a of the lower frame 22. The number of door bodies included in the multi-panel sliding door 1 is not limited to three and may be at least two.
[0012] Define the directions shown in each figure. The direction indicated by X1 - X2 is the direction passing through the opening 100 and represents the "prospective direction" of the multi-panel sliding door 1. The direction indicated by Y1 - Y2 is the moving direction during the opening and closing of the leading door body 3, the intermediate follower door body 4, and the trailing follower door body 5, and represents the "finding direction" of the multi-panel sliding door 1. Y1 indicates the "closing direction" and the "leading side of the door" of the leading door body 3, the intermediate follower door body 4, and the trailing follower door body 5. Y2 indicates the "opening direction" and the "trailing side of the door" of the leading door body 3, the intermediate follower door body 4, and the trailing follower door body 5. The direction indicated by Z1 - Z2 is the vertical direction of the multi-panel sliding door 1. Z1 indicates "upward" and Z2 indicates "downward".
[0013] The upper frame 21 and the lower frame 22 of the present embodiment are formed to be longer than the opening width of the opening 100. Therefore, when the multi-panel sliding door 1 is viewed from one of the two rooms communicating through the opening 100, a wall portion 200 having an area approximately equal to one door body faces the side of the vertical frame 24 inside the frame body 2. The leading door body 3, the intermediate follower door body 4, and the trailing follower door body 5 are accommodated so as to overlap this wall portion 200 when they move to the side of the vertical frame 24 to fully open the opening 100.
[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, on the lower surface 21a of the upper frame 21, three rails 25 for independently suspending and supporting the leading door body 3, the intermediate driven door body 4, and the trailing driven door body 5 are fixed by a plurality of mounting screws 26. The three rails 25 are arranged in parallel in the prospective direction and extend over the entire length of the upper frame 21 in the longitudinal direction. On the X2 side opposite to the wall portion 200 in the prospective direction of the upper frame 21 to which the rail 25 is fixed, a side decorative plate 27 for masking the rail 25 is attached. On the lower surface side of the rail 25, a lower decorative plate 28 is attached to shield while leaving openings for the movement of the leading door body 3, the intermediate driven door body 4, and the trailing driven door body 5 respectively.
[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, the leading door body 3, the intermediate driven door body 4, and the trailing driven door body 5 are arranged adjacent to each other in the prospective direction. The leading door body 3 is arranged on the X2 side, which is the farthest from the wall portion 200 among the three door bodies, in the prospective direction. The trailing driven door body 5 is arranged on the X1 side, which is the closest to the wall portion 200 among the three door bodies, in the prospective direction. The intermediate driven door body 4 is arranged between the leading door body 3 and the trailing driven door body 5 in the prospective direction.
[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the leading door body 3 is the leading side door body when moving in the closing direction toward the vertical frame 23. The intermediate driven door body 4 is arranged adjacent to the door end side of the leading door body 3 when the opening 100 is fully closed. The leading door body 3 is the door body that is the source of interlocking for the intermediate driven door body 4. In the present embodiment, the leading door body 3 corresponds to the "first door body". The intermediate driven door body 5 is arranged adjacent to the door end side of the intermediate driven door body 4 when the opening 100 is fully closed and closes the space between the intermediate driven door body 4 and the wall portion 200. The intermediate driven door body 4 is the door body that is the source of interlocking for the trailing driven door body 5. In the present embodiment, the intermediate driven door body 4 corresponds to the "second door body". However, the "first door body" only needs to be the door body that is the source of interlocking for the "second door body". Therefore, when having three door bodies as in the present embodiment, the intermediate driven door body 4 may be regarded as the "first door body" and the trailing driven door body 5 may be regarded as the "second door body".
[0017] First, the lead door body 3 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 6. As shown in Figure 3, the lead door body 3 is constructed by housing a facing material 35 inside a frame body 30, which is formed by assembling an upper rail 31, a lower rail 32, a vertical frame 33 on the door-end side, and a vertical frame 34 on the door-end side in a rectangular shape. A pair of suspension wheels 36 are attached to the upper rail 31. In this embodiment, the pair of suspension wheels 36 attached to the lead door body 3 are both ordinary suspension wheels, but at least one of the pair of suspension wheels 36 may be a suspension wheel with a soft-motion member that has a function to decelerate near the end of movement. As shown in Figure 2, the lead door body 3 is suspended from above so as to be movable in the visible direction along the rail 25 by housing the pair of suspension wheels 36 so as to be rotatable within the rail 25. A handle 37 is provided on the surface of the facing material 35 for gripping when opening and closing the lead door body 3. In this embodiment, the handle 37 is positioned on both the front and back surfaces of the facing material 35, near the vertical frame 33 on the door edge side. However, the position and shape of the handle 37 are arbitrary and not limited to those shown in the illustration. The leading door body 3 does not necessarily have to have a handle.
[0018] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, a pair of guide projections 321 extending in the visible direction protrude downward at a predetermined height H0 from the lower end surface 32a (lower surface of the lower rail 32) of the leading door body 3. The guide projections 321 are formed in a U-shape in cross-section with a groove 321a on the inside. The guide projections 321 are integrally molded to the lower rail 32 from a metal material such as aluminum. The pair of guide projections 321 are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them, and their grooves 321a face each other. The grooves 321a are open at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 32.
[0019] Between the pair of guide projections 321, a guide rail 322 is housed along the length of the guide projections 321. The guide rail 322 is made of a resin material with good sliding properties and is formed in a trough shape that opens downwards. The opening of the guide rail 322 forms a guide groove 323 extending in the visible direction on the lower end surface 32a of the lead door body 3. Between the pair of guide projections 321, a recess 324 is formed that extends along the entire length of the lower rail 32. The guide rail 322 is positioned between the pair of guide projections 321, fitted into the groove 321a and the recess 324.
[0020] The visible length of the pair of guide projections 321 is shorter than the total length of the bottom rail 32. Therefore, end regions 32b are provided at both ends of the bottom rail 32 in the visible direction, where guide projections 321 are not formed. Door end piece 6 and door tail end piece 7 are attached to each end region 32b to close both ends of the guide groove 323.
[0021] The door tip piece 6 is positioned on the door tip side of the lower rail 32 of the lead door body 3. As shown in Figure 5, the door tip piece 6 is composed of a spacer 61, a lower piece member 62, and a stopper member 63.
[0022] The spacer 61 is made of a metal plate such as aluminum. The spacer 61 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, longer in the depth direction than in the visible direction. A notch 61a having approximately the same width as the guide groove 323 is formed on the side edge of the spacer 61 that is positioned on the guide groove 323 side. The spacer 61 has a pair of screw through holes 61b that are spaced apart in the depth direction.
[0023] The lower piece member 62 is positioned on the lower side of the spacer 61. The lower piece member 62 is formed from a metal plate such as aluminum and is approximately the same size as the spacer 61. The lower piece member 62 has a rectangular notch 62a that is cut out in the visible direction from the guide groove 323 side. The notch 62a has approximately the same width as the guide groove 323 and is cut out more deeply in the visible direction than the notch 61a of the spacer 61. The lower piece member 62 has a pair of screw through holes 62b that are spaced apart in the depth direction. A rising portion 62c extending upward is formed on the side edge of the lower piece member 62 opposite to the guide groove 323. The rising portion 62c is formed along the entire length of the lower piece member 62 in the depth direction.
[0024] The stopper member 63 is a member that elastically contacts the guide pin, described later, provided on the intermediate driven door 4, when the leading door 3 is moved in the closing direction. The stopper member 63 has a thickness approximately the same as the depth of the guide groove 323 and is formed in a long block shape in the visible direction using an elastic material such as rubber. A groove 63a is formed on the outer end face of the stopper member 63 in the visible direction for inserting and clamping the spacer 61. On both sides of the stopper member 63 in the depth direction, protrusions 63b are integrally formed, each protruding in the depth direction. The width of the stopper member 63 in the depth direction, including the pair of protrusions 63b, is slightly larger than the width of the guide groove 323.
[0025] The stopper member 63 is housed in the guide groove 323 with the spacer 61 inserted into the groove 63a from the notched portion 61a side, and the spacer 61 being held between the top and bottom. The door end piece 6 is fixed to the end region 32b by fastening the spacer 61, which is held between the stopper member 63 and the lower piece member 62, together with fixing screws SC that pass through the screw through holes 61b and 62b into a pair of screw holes 325 of the lower rail 32. The stopper member 63 is held between the spacer 61 and the recess 324 of the lower rail 32, and the protrusion 63b is held within the guide groove 323 by elastic deformation within the guide groove 323. The rising portion 62c of the lower piece member 62 covers the outer side edge of the spacer 61 in the visible direction. The lower surface 62d of the lower piece member 62 and the lower surface 63c of the stopper member 63 of the door tip piece 6, which is fixed to the lower rail 32, are positioned substantially flush with the lower surface 321b of the guide projection 321. The width of the door tip piece 6 in the depth direction is substantially the same as the overall width of the pair of guide projections 321 of the lower rail 32 in the depth direction.
[0026] The door end piece 7 is positioned on the door end side of the lower rail 32 of the lead door body 3. As shown in Figure 6, the door end piece 7 is composed of a spacer 71, a lower piece member 72, and a stopper member 73.
[0027] The spacer 71 and the lower piece member 72 have the same configuration as the spacer 61 and the lower piece member 62 of the door tip piece 6. Specifically, the spacer 71 includes a notch 71a and a pair of screw through holes 71b. The lower piece member 72 includes a notch 72a, a pair of screw through holes 72b and a rising portion 72c.
[0028] The stopper member 73 is a member that elastically contacts the guide pin, described later, provided on the intermediate driven door body 4, when the leading door body 3 is moved in the opening direction. The stopper member 73 has the same configuration as the stopper member 63, except that it does not have the protrusion 63b that the stopper member 63 has on the door tip piece 6, and its length in the visible direction is shorter than that of the stopper member 63. That is, a groove 73a is formed on the outer end face of the stopper member 73 in the visible direction, into which the spacer 71 is inserted and clamped. The length of the stopper member 73 in the visible direction is approximately the same as the length of the end region 32b in the visible direction.
[0029] The door end piece 7, like the door tip piece 6, is fixed to the end region 32b by fastening a spacer 71 and a lower piece member 72, which are sandwiched between a stopper member 73, together with a pair of fixing screws SC into a pair of screw holes 325 in the bottom rail 32. The stopper member 73 is not housed in the guide groove 323 because its visible length is shorter than that of the stopper member 63. The lower surface 72d of the lower piece member 72 and the lower surface 73b of the stopper member 73 of the door end piece 7, which is fixed to the bottom rail 32, are positioned substantially flush with the lower surface 321b of the guide projection 321. The width of the door end piece 7 in the depth direction is substantially the same as the overall depth direction width of the pair of guide projections 321 of the bottom rail 32.
[0030] Next, the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9. The intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, Figures 7 to 9 will be used in common for both the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5, with the component parts of the intermediate driven door body 4 indicated by the number "4" at the beginning and the component parts of the rear driven door body 5 indicated by the number "5" at the beginning.
[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 are constructed by housing facing materials 45 and 55 inside a frame body 40 and 50, which is formed by assembling upper rails 41 and 51, lower rails 42 and 52, vertical stiles 43 and 53 on the door-front side and vertical stiles 44 and 54 on the door-back side in a rectangular frame. A pair of suspension wheels 46 and 56 are attached to the upper rails 41 and 42. In this embodiment, the pair of suspension wheels 46 and 56 attached to the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 are both ordinary suspension wheels, but at least one of the pair of suspension wheels 46 and 56 may be a suspension wheel with a soft-motion member that has the function of decelerating near the end of movement. As shown in Figure 2, the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 are suspended above the rail 25 so as to be movable in the visible direction, by having a pair of suspension wheels 46, 56 rotatably housed within the rail 25, similar to the lead door 3. The pull handle 37 provided on the lead door 3 is not provided on the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5.
[0032] In the multi-panel sliding door 1 of this disclosure, the facing materials 35, 45, and 55 fitted into each door panel 3, 4, and 5 may be opaque board materials such as wood panels, or transparent or translucent glass plates. Since the frame bodies 30, 40, and 50 in this embodiment are thin, the frame bodies 30, 40, and 50 are not conspicuous. Therefore, especially when the facing materials 35, 45, and 55 are transparent glass plates, it is possible to ensure ample natural light even when the opening 100 is fully closed, resulting in a multi-panel sliding door 1 with a good design.
[0033] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the lower end surfaces 42a, 52a (lower surfaces of the lower rails 42, 52) of the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 are provided with guide projections 421, 521, guide rails 422, 522, guide grooves 423, 523, and recesses 424, 524, which have the same configuration as the guide projection 321, guide rail 322, guide groove 323, and recess 324 of the leading door body 3. The guide projections 421, 521 have grooves 421a, 521a that open to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lower rails 42, 52, respectively, similar to the guide projection 321 of the first door body 3. End regions 42b, 52b are provided at both ends in the visible direction of the lower rails 42, 52, respectively, where the guide projections 421, 521 are not formed.
[0034] The end regions 42b and 52b of the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 are also fitted with door end pieces 8 and door tail pieces 7, respectively, to close both ends of the guide grooves 423 and 523, similar to the lead door 3. The door tail pieces 7 located on the door tail side of the bottom rails 42 and 52 of the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 are the same as the door tail piece 7 of the lead door 3, so a detailed explanation of the door tail pieces 7 will be omitted by referring to the explanation above. In the following, the door end pieces 8 located on the door front side of the bottom rails 42 and 52 of the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 will be described.
[0035] As shown in Figure 9, the door tip piece 8 differs from the door tip piece 6 provided on the lead door body 3 in that a connecting guide member 81 is provided instead of the spacer 61 of the door tip piece 6 located on the door tip side of the lead door body 3, and the stopper member 83 is shorter than the stopper member 63 of the door tip piece 6. The visible length L1 of the stopper member 63 of the door tip piece 6 of the lead door body 3 shown in Figure 4 is longer than the visible length L2 of the stopper member 83 of the door tip piece 8 of the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 shown in Figure 8. The stopper member 83 of the door tip piece 8 has the same configuration as the stopper member 73 of the door tail end piece 7. The lower piece member 82 has the same configuration as the lower piece member 62 of the door tip piece 6 of the lead door body 3.
[0036] The connecting guide member 81 is made of a metal plate such as stainless steel (SUS). As shown in Figures 9 to 11, the connecting guide member 81 comprises a fixed plate portion 811, a stepped plate portion 812, a guide plate portion 813, and a guide pin 814.
[0037] The fixing plate portion 811 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, similar to the spacers 61 and 71, with a length longer in the depth direction than in the visible direction. A notch 811a having approximately the same width as the guide groove 323 is formed on the side edge of the fixing plate portion 811 that is positioned on the guide groove 323 side. The fixing plate portion 811 has a pair of screw through holes 811b that are spaced apart in the depth direction. On both sides of the notch 811a in the depth direction, a pair of projections 811c are integrally formed, projecting in the visible direction toward the pair of guide protrusions 421 and 521 of the lower rails 42 and 52.
[0038] The stepped plate portion 812 is integrally provided between the fixed plate portion 811 and the guide plate portion 813. The stepped plate portion 812 extends approximately perpendicularly downward from the end of the fixed plate portion 811 on the adjacent door body side. Specifically, in the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door body 4, the stepped plate portion 812 is positioned at the end of the fixed plate portion 811 on the leading door body 3 side. In the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the rear driven door body 5, the stepped plate portion 812 is positioned at the end of the fixed plate portion 811 on the intermediate driven door body 4 side.
[0039] The guide plate portion 813 extends from the lower end of the stepped plate portion 812 parallel to the fixed plate portion 811 toward the adjacent door. More specifically, in the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door 4, the guide plate portion 813 extends from the lower end of the stepped plate portion 812 toward the leading door 3. In the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the rear driven door 5, the guide plate portion 813 extends from the lower end of the stepped plate portion 812 toward the lower part of the intermediate driven door 4. More specifically, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, the guide plate portion 813 extends from the lower end of the stepped plate portion 812 toward the adjacent door, and also extends toward the door edge side in the visible direction relative to the fixed plate portion 811.
[0040] Since the guide plate portion 813 is connected to the fixed plate portion 811 via the stepped plate portion 812, a step of height H1 is formed between the fixed plate portion 811 and the guide plate portion 813, as shown in Figure 11. This step height H1 is greater than the height H0 of the guide projections 321, 421, 521 from the lower end surfaces 32a, 42a, 52a of the lower rails 32, 42, 52 (see Figures 5 and 9). Therefore, the guide plate portion 813 is positioned lower than the lower rail of the adjacent door body. More specifically, in the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door body 4, the guide plate portion 813 is positioned at a slight distance from the lower surface 321b of the guide projection 321 on the lower rail 32 of the leading door body 3. In the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door body 5, the guide plate portion 813 is positioned at a slight distance from the lower surface 421b of the guide projection 421 on the lower rail 42 of the intermediate driven door body 4. As a result, the guide plate portion 813 is positioned below the guide groove 323 of the leading door body 3 and the guide groove 423 of the intermediate driven door body 4, respectively.
[0041] The guide pin 814 is positioned on the upper surface 813a of the guide plate portion 813 and protrudes upward in a cylindrical shape. The guide pin 814 is positioned on the door-edge side in the visible direction compared to the position of the fixing plate portion 811. That is, in the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door body 4, the guide pin 814 is positioned outward in the visible direction from the door-edge end of the intermediate driven door body 4. Similarly, in the case of the connecting guide member 81 of the rear driven door body 5, the guide pin 814 is positioned outward in the visible direction from the door-edge end of the rear driven door body.
[0042] The connecting guide member 81 is held in place by the stopper member 83 by inserting the fixing plate portion 811 into the groove 83a of the stopper member 83 from the notched portion 811a side. The pair of projections 811c of the fixing plate portion 811 are inserted into the grooves 421a, 521a from the ends of the guide protrusions 421, 521 of the lower rails 42, 52. In this state, the fixing plate portion 811 and the lower piece member 82 are fastened together with fixing screws SC that pass through the screw through holes 811b, 82b into the pair of screw holes 425, 525 of the lower rails 42, 52. This fixes the door tip piece 8 to the end regions 42b, 52b. The stopper member 83 is held in place by being clamped between the fixing plate portion 811 of the connecting guide member 81 and the recesses 424, 524 of the lower rails 42, 52. The rising portion 82c of the lower piece member 82 covers the outer side edge of the fixing plate portion 811 in the visible direction. The lower surface 82d of the lower piece member 82 and the lower surface 83b of the stopper member 83 of the door tip piece 8 fixed to the lower rails 42 and 52 are arranged substantially flush with the lower surfaces 421b and 521b of the guide projections 421 and 521. The width of the door tip piece 8 in the depth direction, excluding the connecting guide member 81, is substantially the same as the overall width of the pair of guide projections 421 and 521 of the lower rails 42 and 52 in the depth direction.
[0043] The guide pins 814 of the door tip pieces 8, which are attached to the bottom rail 42 of the intermediate driven door 4 and the bottom rail 52 of the rear driven door 5, respectively, fit into the guide grooves 323 of the adjacent leading door 3 and the guide groove 423 of the intermediate driven door 4, respectively, as shown in Figures 12 to 14. A regulating guide pin 9, located on the upper surface 22a of the bottom frame 22, fits into the guide groove 523 of the rear driven door 5. The regulating guide pin 9 is fixed by a screw 91 to the upper surface 22a of the bottom frame 22 near the boundary between the opening 100 and the wall 200.
[0044] Next, the operation of the multi-sliding door 1 will be explained. When the leading door 3 is moved toward the vertical frame 23 on the door edge side while the opening 100 is fully open, the guide pin 814 of the intermediate driven door 4 will eventually come into contact with the stopper portion 73 of the door edge end piece 7 of the leading door 3. As a result, the intermediate driven door 4 moves toward the vertical frame 23 in conjunction with the movement of the leading door 3. As the intermediate driven door 4 moves, the guide pin 814 of the rear driven door 5 will eventually come into contact with the stopper portion 73 of the door edge end piece 7 of the intermediate driven door 4. As a result, the rear driven door 5 moves toward the vertical frame 23 in conjunction with the movement of the intermediate door 4. When the lead door 3 abuts against the vertical frame 23 and the regulating guide pin 9 of the lower frame 22 abuts against the stopper portion 73 of the rear end piece 7 of the rear follower door 5, the lead door 3, the intermediate follower door 4, and the rear follower door 5 completely close the opening 100, as shown in Figure 12.
[0045] When the leading door 3 is moved toward the vertical frame 24 on the door edge side with the opening 100 fully closed, the guide pin 814 of the intermediate driven door 4 eventually comes into contact with the stopper member 63 of the door edge piece 6 of the leading door 3. As a result, the intermediate driven door 4 moves toward the vertical frame 24 in conjunction with the movement of the leading door 3. As the intermediate driven door 4 moves, the guide pin 814 of the rear driven door 5 eventually comes into contact with the stopper portion 83 of the door edge piece 8 of the intermediate driven door 4. As a result, the rear driven door 5 moves toward the vertical frame 24 in conjunction with the movement of the intermediate driven door 4. When the regulating guide pin 9 of the lower frame 22 contacts the stopper portion 83 of the door tip piece 8 of the rear-following door body 5, as shown in Figure 13, the leading door body 3, the intermediate-following door body 4, and the rear-following door body 5 are housed so as to overlap with the wall portion 200, and the opening 100 is fully opened. If the suspension rollers 36, 46, and 56 are equipped with soft-motion members, the leading door body 3, the intermediate-following door body 4, and the rear-following door body 5 decelerate just before the stopper portion 83 of the door tip piece 8 of the rear-following door body 5 contacts the regulating guide pin 9 of the lower frame 22, so they are housed while slowly moving to their predetermined positions.
[0046] As shown in Figure 13, when the opening 100 is fully open and the lead door 3, intermediate driven door 4, and rear driven door 5 overlap, the guide plate portion 813 of the connecting guide member 81 on the door tip piece 8 of the rear driven door 5 is positioned to overlap below the door tip piece 8 of the intermediate driven door 4. More specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the fixing plate portion 811 of the connecting guide member 81 on the door tip piece 8 is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion 813 via a step formed by the stepped plate portion 812. Therefore, when the guide pin 814 of the intermediate driven door 5 contacts the stopper member 83 of the intermediate driven door 4, the guide plate portion 813 of the rear driven door 5 is positioned to cover a part of the lower piece member 82 on the door tip piece 8 of the intermediate driven door 4 from below without interfering with the connecting guide member 81 of the intermediate driven door 4. This allows the remaining distance L10 between the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 to be set as small as possible.
[0047] The visible length of the stopper member 63 at the door-tip piece 6 of the lead door 3 is longer than the visible length of the stopper portion 83 at the door-tip piece 8 of the intermediate follower door 4 and the rear follower door 5. Therefore, when the guide pin 814 of the intermediate follower door 4 is in contact with the stopper member 63 of the lead door 3, the position of the door-tip side of the intermediate follower door 4 is positioned towards the tail end of the lead door 3, relative to the handle 37 of the lead door 3. At this time, the remaining pull distance L20 between the lead door 3 and the intermediate follower door 4 is set to be larger than the remaining pull distance L10 between the intermediate follower door 4 and the rear follower door 5. This remaining pull distance L20 is set to a safe dimension that allows the operator to operate the handle 37 of the lead door 3 without pinching fingers. As described above, the remaining extension dimension L10 between the intermediate driven door 4 and the rear driven door 5 is set to be as small as possible, so the overall remaining extension dimension L10+L20 of the multi-panel sliding door 1 is small. Therefore, with this multi-panel sliding door 1, a wide opening area of the opening 100 can be secured.
[0048] When the guide pins 814 of the door tip pieces 8 of the intermediate driven door body 4 and the rear driven door body 5 come into contact with the stopper members 63, 73, and 83 of the leading door body 3 and the intermediate driven door body 4, a stress F acts on the connecting guide member 81 along the visible direction, as shown in Figure 9. This stress F is a force that causes the connecting guide member 81 to rotate along the lower end faces 42a, 52a of the lower rails 42, 52. If the connecting guide member 81 rotates, there is a risk that the fixed state will loosen. However, since the fixing plate portion 811 of the connecting guide member 81 is attached by inserting the projection 811c into the grooves 421a, 521a of the guide protrusions 421, 521 of the lower rails 42, 52, even if a stress F acts on the connecting guide member 81, the projection 811c inserted into the grooves 421a, 521a prevents the connecting guide member 81 from rotating. Therefore, the connecting guide member 81 will not become loose when fixed.
[0049] In order to prevent the rotation of the connecting guide member 81 when a stress F is applied, as shown in Figure 15, a pair of protruding wall portions 815 may be provided on the upper surface 813a of the guide plate portion 813 of the connecting guide member 81, which clamp the lower rails 32 and 42 of the adjacent leading door body 3 and intermediate driven door body 4 in the depth direction. In this case, the fixing plate portion 811 of the connecting guide member 81 does not need to have a projection portion 811c.
[0050] The multi-panel sliding door 1 of this embodiment provides the following effects.
[0051] (1) A multi-sliding door 1 comprising at least two door bodies suspended from above so as to be movable in the visible direction, wherein the two door bodies include a leading door body 3 which is a first door body movable in the visible direction, and an intermediate driven door body 4 which is a second door body movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the leading door body 3, and each has guide grooves 323, 423 extending in the visible direction on the lower end surfaces 32a, 42a, respectively, and the intermediate driven door body 4 has a connecting guide member 81 fixed to the end on the leading door body 3 side of the lower end surface 42a in the visible direction, and the connecting The side member 81 has a fixed plate portion 811 fixed to the lower end surface 42a of the intermediate driven door body 4, a guide plate portion 813 extending downward from the fixed plate portion 811 toward the guide groove 323 of the lead door body 3 that is the source of the interlocking mechanism, and a guide pin 814 protruding from the upper surface 813a of the guide plate portion 813 and fitting into the guide groove 323 of the lead door body 3 that is the source of the interlocking mechanism. A step is provided between the fixed plate portion 811 and the guide plate portion 813, and the fixed plate portion 811 is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion 813 via the step.
[0052] According to this, since the connecting guide member 81 is attached to the lower end surface of the intermediate driven door body 4, even if the frame bodies 30 and 40 are made thinner and glass is used for the facing material 35 and 45 to improve the design of the door bodies 3 and 4, the connecting guide member 81 will not be clearly visible, and the appearance of the multi-sliding door 1 will not be deteriorated. Since the fixing plate portion 811 of the connecting guide member 81 is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion 813 via a step, the guide plate portion 813 will not interfere between two adjacent door bodies 3 and 4.
[0053] (2) In the multi-sliding door 1 described in (1) above, the lower piece member 82 is positioned on the lower surface of the fixing plate portion 811, and the lower piece member 82 and the connecting guide member 81 are fastened together with fixing screws SC to the lower end surface 42a of the intermediate driven door body 4 and fixed.
[0054] According to this, even if the frame bodies 30 and 40 are made thinner to improve the design of the door bodies 3 and 4, the connecting guide member 81 can be fixed to the bottom rail 42 without hindering the design.
[0055] (3) In the multi-sliding door 1 described in (1) or (2) above, the fixing plate portion 811 has a projection 811c that protrudes in the visible direction, and is fixed to the lower end surface 42a of the intermediate driven door 4 with the projection 811c inserted into a groove 421a provided in the lower rail 42 of the intermediate driven door 4.
[0056] According to this, even if a rotational stress F acts on the connecting guide member 81, the connecting guide member 81 is prevented from rotating. Therefore, the fixed state of the connecting guide member 81 will not loosen.
[0057] (4) In the multi-sliding door 1 described in (1) or (2) above, the guide plate portion 813 has a pair of protruding wall portions that sandwich the lower rail 32 of the leading door body 3 that is the source of the interlocking in the depth direction.
[0058] According to this, even if a rotational stress F acts on the connecting guide member 81, the connecting guide member 81 is prevented from rotating. Therefore, the fixed state of the connecting guide member 81 will not loosen.
[0059] (5) In the multi-sliding door 1 described in any of (1) to (4) above, the leading door body 3 has a handle 37 on the leading edge side and a stopper member 63 at the leading edge end of the guide groove 323 for contacting the guide pin 814 of the intermediate driven door body 4, and when the guide pin 814 of the intermediate driven door body 4 is in contact with the stopper member 63 of the leading door body 3, the leading edge position of the intermediate driven door body 4 is positioned on the tail end side of the leading door body 3 than the handle 37 of the leading door body 3.
[0060] According to this, by simply setting the length of the stopper member 63, the handle 37 of the lead door body 3 can be operated, and a safe remaining pull dimension that prevents finger pinching can be easily set. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0061] 1 Multi-sliding door, 3 Lead door body, 4 Intermediate follow door body, 5 Rear follow door body, 32a, 42a, 52a Lower end surface, 323, 423, 523 Guide groove, 63, 83 Stopper member, 81 Connecting guide member, 811 Fixing plate part, 811c Projection part, 812 Step plate part, 813 Guide plate part, 813a Upper surface of guide plate part, 814 Guide pin, 815 Protruding wall part, 82 Lower piece member, 421a, 521a Groove part, SC Fixing screw
Claims
1. A multi-panel sliding door comprising at least two door panels suspended from above and movable in the direction of their protrusion, The two door bodies each have a first door body that is movable in the visible direction and a second door body that is movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the first door body, and each has a guide groove extending in the visible direction on its lower end surface. The second door unit has a connecting guide member fixed to the end of the first door unit that is the source of the interlocking mechanism in the visible direction of the lower end surface. The aforementioned connecting guide member is A fixing plate portion fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body, A guide plate portion extending downward from the fixed plate portion toward the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking, It has a guide pin that protrudes from the upper surface of the guide plate portion and fits into the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking mechanism, A step is provided between the fixed plate portion and the guide plate portion, and the fixed plate portion is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion via the step. A lower piece member is positioned on the lower surface of the aforementioned fixing plate portion. The lower piece member and the connecting guide member are fastened together with fixing screws to the lower end surface of the second door body, forming a multi-panel sliding door.
2. A multi-panel sliding door comprising at least two door panels suspended from above so as to be movable in the facing direction, The two door bodies each have a first door body that is movable in the visible direction and a second door body that is movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the first door body, and each has a guide groove extending in the visible direction on its lower end surface. The second door unit has a connecting guide member fixed to the end of the first door unit that is the source of the interlocking mechanism in the visible direction of the lower end surface. The aforementioned connecting guide member is A fixing plate portion fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body, A guide plate portion extending downward from the fixed plate portion toward the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking, It has a guide pin that protrudes from the upper surface of the guide plate portion and fits into the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking mechanism, A step is provided between the fixed plate portion and the guide plate portion, and the fixed plate portion is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion via the step. The aforementioned fixing plate portion has a projection that protrudes in the visible direction, and is fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body with the projection inserted into a groove provided in the lower rail of the second door body.
3. A multi-panel sliding door comprising at least two door panels suspended from above and movable in the facing direction, The two door bodies each have a first door body that is movable in the visible direction and a second door body that is movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the first door body, and each has a guide groove extending in the visible direction on its lower end surface. The second door unit has a connecting guide member fixed to the end of the first door unit that is the source of the interlocking mechanism in the visible direction of the lower end surface. The aforementioned connecting guide member is A fixing plate portion fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body, A guide plate portion extending downward from the fixed plate portion toward the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking, It has a guide pin that protrudes from the upper surface of the guide plate portion and fits into the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking mechanism, A step is provided between the fixed plate portion and the guide plate portion, and the fixed plate portion is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion via the step. The guide plate section has a pair of protruding wall sections that sandwich the bottom rail of the first door body, which is the source of the interlocking mechanism, in the depth direction, in a multi-sliding door.
4. A multi-panel sliding door comprising at least two door panels suspended from above and movable in the facing direction, The two door bodies each have a first door body that is movable in the visible direction and a second door body that is movable in the visible direction in conjunction with the movement of the first door body, and each has a guide groove extending in the visible direction on its lower end surface. The second door unit has a connecting guide member fixed to the end of the first door unit that is the source of the interlocking mechanism in the visible direction of the lower end surface. The aforementioned connecting guide member is A fixing plate portion fixed to the lower end surface of the second door body, A guide plate portion extending downward from the fixed plate portion toward the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking, It has a guide pin that protrudes from the upper surface of the guide plate portion and fits into the guide groove of the first door body that is the source of the interlocking mechanism, A step is provided between the fixed plate portion and the guide plate portion, and the fixed plate portion is positioned above the position of the guide plate portion via the step. The first door panel has a handle on the door-side and a stopper member at the door-side end of the guide groove that abuts against the guide pin of the second door panel. A multi-panel sliding door in which, when the guide pin of the second door panel is in contact with the stopper member of the first door panel, the position of the door-end side of the second door panel is positioned closer to the door-end side of the first door panel than the handle of the first door panel.
5. A lower piece member is positioned on the lower surface of the aforementioned fixing plate portion. The lower piece member and the connecting guide member are fastened together with fixing screws to the lower end surface of the second door body, as described in any one of claims 2 to 4.