Patent Grant
8381354
The invention relates to a carriage for a displaceable separation element, a separation element held by at least one such carriage and a device with at least one such separation element.
In order to separate or form areas or to close off room, furniture or window openings, walls, sliding elements, doors or blinds provided with a wooden or glass panel (hereinafter referred to as separation elements) are often used, which are fixed to carriages displaceable along a rail.
A device for displaceable separation elements is known from [1], EP 1916372 A1, by means of which a panel, in particular a glass panel, is fixed in a mounting profile of a frame element and can be adjusted in height.
Document [2], Product Catalogue of HAWA AG, Sliding Fittings 2000, discloses a fitting for sliding wardrobe doors that are held so as to be displaceable to the fore of the front of a wardrobe. Each of the sliding wardrobe doors is held on the upper side by at least one first L-shaped mounting profile, which is connected to a carriage, which rolls on a running rail arranged on the upper side of the wardrobe. In order that the sliding door remains held in vertical position it is also held on the lower side by a second L-shaped mounting profile, which holds a guide device, which engages in a guide rail arranged on the lower side of the wardrobe. The first limb of the L-shaped mounting profiles is thus connected to the sliding wardrobe door and the second limb to the carriage/the guide device.
The carriage and the guide device are arranged in this application above/below the wardrobe, whereby various problems can result. It is often necessary for the height of the separation element to be adjusted at the time of installation or at a later point in time. For this purpose elements that are displaceable in height are provided for example on the fitting and can be adjusted by the installer. This results in corresponding resources being required during the production of the fitting and difficult manipulations during the adjustment. For example the separation element must be released from the rails, after which each fitting must be newly incorporated. Subsequently the separation element is to be hung in the rails again and it is to be checked whether the required height adjustment has been achieved.
It is further to be taken into consideration that the carriage cooperates with a running rail and that the guide device/at least one running wheel provided thereon cooperates with a guide rail. A change to the fitting on the upper side of the separation element can necessitate a change to the fitting on the lower side of the separation element.
It is thereby to be taken into consideration that the simultaneous engagement of the carriage and the guide device into the running rail or the guide rail simultaneously ensures that the separation element cannot become independently released from the rails. In the adjustment of the sliding fittings it is therefore to be ensured that the decoupling prevention mechanism is not raised or blocked.
On account of the arrangement of the carriage above and the guide device below the wardrobe there are also only very small assembly spaces, in which the carriage, the running rail, the guide device and the guide rail are received. It is thereby to be taken into consideration that the assembly space is selected to be sufficiently large in order that not only the device parts can be received therein but also the necessary manipulations can be carried out. Through the choice of a larger assembly area on the other hand the space available for the wardrobe is reduced.
In order to deal with this problem the running rail is mounted in practice from time to time on the wardrobe before the latter is fitted into the installation location. However, this brings with it a particular disadvantage if a plurality of wardrobe elements are provided, which are to be equipped with individual parts of the running rail or guide rail. After the assembly of a multi-part wardrobe and the multi-part running rail there are normally discrepancies at the abutment points of the parts of the running rail joined together. The end elements of the running rail parts are therefore mostly connected to each other using coupling elements in order that misalignments at the abutment points are reduced. Even in case of these additional resources being used, misalignments cannot normally be completely avoided at the abutment points, meaning that the resulting running properties of the carriages are not optimal and their operating lifetime is reduced.
The space problem described is further intensified by the use of buffer devices, which are to be connected to the running rail and which normally take up a relatively large amount of space.
A further disadvantage is that the guide devices preassembled on the lower side of the separation elements, in case of careless mounting of the separation elements, in particular in case a separation element tilts to the side, are exposed to greater forces and damaged.
It is thus an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-described disadvantages of the known devices.
In particular a carriage for a displaceable separation element, a separation element held by at least one such carriage and a device with at least one such separation element are to be created that are not encumbered with the disadvantages described.
The carriage and the separation element are to allow necessary adjustments to be carried out precisely and with minimal resources. In addition the carriage is to have a minimal space requirement. The device with the at least one separation element is to be designed in such a way that only limited assembly space is required. Insofar as a plurality of wardrobe elements is used, interference-causing abutment points on the running rail are to be avoided.
This object is achieved with a carriage, a separation element provided with at least one such carriage and a device that have the features indicated in claims 1, 10 and 12. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in further claims.
The carriage provided to hold a displaceable separation element comprises a carriage body provided with at least two running wheels, which carriage body is connected to a carrier profile serving to carry the separation element.
According to the invention the threaded shank of an adjusting screw is rotationally held in the carriage body, said adjusting screw comprising below the screw head a flange ring, which supports a flange element provided in the carrier profile, which flange element comprises an opening, through which the screw head is passed.
By rotating the adjusting screw, the head of which is detected by means of a tool, the carrier profile can thus be optionally adjusted in height. The separation element can thus be horizontally orientated.
In a preferred embodiment at least one tool channel is provided in the carrier profile, which preferably comprises a U-shaped profile with two side parts and a middle part. A conventional tool, e.g. a Phillips screwdriver, can be introduced into said tool channel and used to rotate the head of the adjusting screw.
In this connection a coupling chamber is provided in the carrier profile, preferably in the middle part of the U-shaped profile, within which coupling chamber the screw head is arranged and connected to a toothed disk, with which the tool is to cooperate. In order that the tool can be introduced into the coupling chamber and coupled with the toothed disk, the tool channel is provided, which preferably extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the middle part from one end as far as the coupling chamber or as far as the other end of the carrier profile. In the latter embodiment the tool can thus be introduced from both sides through the carrier profile into the coupling chamber in order to rotate the adjusting screw. In principle the tool channel can be orientated as desired. The orientation along the longitudinal axis of the middle part and thus parallel to the running rail has on the other hand the advantage that the tool can be introduced along the running rail on the front side into the carrier profile. The separation element can thus be adjusted without problems after its installation without the panel having to be removed or the separation element having to be released from the running rail.
It is particularly advantageous that a conventional tool, namely a Phillips screwdriver, can be used for the adjustment. The axes of the Phillips screwdriver and of the tool channel on the one hand and the axis of the adjusting screw on the other hand are thereby perpendicular to each other. In order that the head of the adjusting screw can still be detected and rotated, it is connected to the toothed disk, which comprises a peripherally arranged annular gear with teeth, which are arranged on the upper or lower edge of the toothed disk perpendicular to the tool channel and thus perpendicular to the head of the Phillips screwdriver, which likewise comprises toothing. The toothing on the Phillips screwdriver thus engages in the annular gear of the toothed disk and rotates the latter around the axis of the adjusting screw.
The toothed disk preferably comprises a multi-edge opening, which serves to receive the screw head. By pressing and flattening the screw head a fixed connection between the screw head and the toothed disk can be produced.
A cylindrical spacing element is preferably provided between the flange ring and the screw head or the toothed disk. Said spacing element serves as a stop for the toothed head of the Phillips screwdriver in order to hold it in the correct engagement with the annular gear of the toothed disk. At the same time the toothed disk is held by the spacing element at the height of the screw head.
After the adjustment of the adjusting screw the latter is preferably to be fixed. For this purpose a securing ring is provided in a preferred embodiment within the coupling chamber provided in the carrier profile. Said securing ring comprises at least one holding eyelet projecting into the tool channel and at least one elastically held holding tooth, which engages into the annular gear of the toothed disk. The securing ring is thereby held so that it cannot rotate within the coupling chamber. The holding tooth can be pressed, with a force effect through the tool, on the other hand tooth for tooth to the side, so that the toothed disk can be rotated as needed. Upon discontinuation of the force effect through the tool the tooth engages in the annular gear again and holds the toothed disk and thus the adjusting screw in position without the possibility of rotation.
The adjusting screw can be connected in various ways to the carriage body. In a simple embodiment a threaded bore is provided in the carriage body, in which threaded bore the adjusting screw is rotationally held.
In a particularly preferred embodiment a bearing opening is provided on the other hand in the carriage body, within which bearing opening a carrier bolt is rotationally mounted. The carrier bolt comprises a threaded bore extending perpendicular to the bolt axis. Within said threaded bore the threaded shank of the adjusting screw is rotationally held, said adjusting screw being introduced through an access opening into the bearing opening. The access opening thereby has a larger diameter than the threaded shank of the adjusting screw so that said adjusting screw can be inclined at an acute angle forward and back while the carrier bolt rotates. Through these measures the carrier profile can also be inclined forward and back, so that said carrier profile can be adapted to a corresponding inclination of the separation element, while both running wheels of the carriage lie with the same force against the running rail. An optimal running behaviour is also then guaranteed if the position of the separation element has not been set in an ideal manner.
In a further preferred embodiment the carrier bolt comprises a guide nose on both sides, said guide noses being guided into guide slots of the first and the second side part of the carrier profile.
In a further embodiment the carriage body comprises a coupling element, which can cooperate with a holding buffer element, which serves for the smooth reception of the moving separation element and the holding of the separation element after it has come to a standstill.
In a further preferred embodiment a decoupling prevention mechanism connected to the body of the carriage is provided, said decoupling prevention mechanism securing the coupling of the carriage with the running rail even in case unexpected forces arise. In known systems this securing is achieved through the guide device provided at the lower end of the separation element, as already described. Through this type of securing, however, additional resources are required during the adjustment of the separation element, as an additional factor is to be taken into consideration. In addition a correspondingly designed guide device is needed.
In the inventive decoupling prevention mechanism an elastic holding bracket is provided on the carriage body, which elastic holding bracket downwardly projects over said carriage body and can engage with foot elements around the head element of the associated running rail on both sides and hold it loosely. In order that the elastic holding bracket does not become independently released from the coupling element and from the head of the running rail, a U-profile-shaped fixing frame is pushed over the elastic holding bracket and locked. The elastic holding bracket is thus held in position by the rigid fixing frame, after which the carriage is securely coupled with the running rail.
Through the inventive decoupling prevention mechanism the carriage is thus directly coupled with the running rail, on which it travels. Having regard to this decoupling prevention mechanism autonomously provided on the carriage, any consideration of these problems in the design of the guide device or the adjustment of the separation element is superfluous. Unexpected force effects can no longer lead to derailing of the carriage when using an inventive decoupling prevention mechanism.
The carriage can be connected in various ways to the panel of a separation element. For example a mounting plate is provided on the carrier profile, which mounting plate can be directly screwed to the panel, in particular a wooden panel.
Alternatively the carrier profile can also be connected to a first limb of a, for example L-shaped, mounting profile, of which the second limb is connected to the panel. The upper side of the carrier profile is preferably provided with a detent element, into which the first limb of the mounting profile can engage at an appropriate point. In this way the distance of the panel from the carriage can be selected in stages. Furthermore, running rails and guide rails can be used with a plurality of rail elements, along which a plurality of separation elements can be displaced parallel to each other.
On the lower side of the panel a guide device is preferably mounted in a releasable manner and it comprises an angular body with a vertical wing and a horizontal wing. In this connection a mounting channel is provided on the vertical wing on the angle outer side. A mounting strip secured in a fixed or releasable manner to the panel can be introduced into the mounting channel and be held there in a releasable way preferably by means of a locking element. On the angle inner side the horizontal wing comprises at least one guide roller, which can cooperate with the guide rail or a rolling surface.
In order that the running rail and/or the guide rail can be mounted with minimal space requirements, at least one adapter plate is used according to the invention, which is mounted on the body, e.g. wardrobe, which is to be closed with at least one separation element. In spite of the additional space requirement for the adapter plate this has the advantage that only a minimal space requirement is needed for the assembly of the running rail. The running rail can thereby be guided via a plurality of parts of the body, e.g. via a plurality of parts of a wardrobe, which are constructed sequentially. It is not therefore necessary for a segment of the running rail or guide rail to be provided for each wardrobe part and for these to be precisely mounted and adapted to each other, so that misalignments are avoided at the abutment points. It is merely necessary for an adapter plate to be provided on each wardrobe element and for example to be orientated using a gauge. Discrepancies in the arrangement are automatically compensated in the embodiment of the adapter plate described below.
In this preferred embodiment the running rail and/or the guide rail comprise a rail plate, said rail plates being provided on the upper side with at least one rail element serving for the rolling of the running wheels or guide rollers and on the lower side with at least one mounting bracket extending parallel to the rail element. The mounting bracket provided on the rail plate thereby cooperates with a corresponding counter bracket, which is provided on the adapter plate. At least one mounting strip with at least one threaded bore, in which a counter screw can be held and rotated against the mounting bracket and the counter bracket, is thereby provided on the adapter plate. The mounting bracket is thus pressed so far against the counter bracket until they at least partially lie against each other. Erroneous orientation of the adapter plate, in which the mounting bracket and counter bracket do not lie planar against each other, therefore remains without consequence. Abutment points are completely avoided so that optimal travel properties result over the whole running path, in which preferably a one-piece running rail is placed. In order to fix the running rail even more strongly the counter screws can also be provided on the front side with a cup point.
In preferred applications the separation element is held in a displaceable manner to the fore of the front of the body, in particular a body formed by building parts or a furniture item, on the upper side of which the running rail is provided and on the lower side of which the guide rail is provided. The advantages of the inventive solution are, however, also effective in other applications.
As mentioned, a holding buffer element is preferably used, which serves to receive and hold the separation element. Such holding buffer elements are typically screwed within a, for example U-profile-shaped, rail profile. Insofar as a suitable rail profile is lacking, the holding buffer element must be connected to the wardrobe or masonry. In turn a correspondingly large amount of space is thereby required. The connection with the masonry or parts of a wardrobe is on the other hand undesirable as these high-resource interventions can necessitate subsequent renovation works if changes to the installation are carried out.
According to the invention a holding buffer element is provided, which is bent from a sheet metal element in one piece to form a U-profile, on the lower side of which U-profile flat pressure plates are inclined against each other, which pressure plates are pressed on both sides on preferably flattened sides of the head element of the associated rail element of the running rail and preferably supported on the running rail plate. The side parts of the U profile, which each comprise a receiving element facing the carriage, are pressed by means of at least one mounting screw against each other and thus against the rail element. The flattened sides of the head element and the flat pressure plates can thereby comprise detent elements corresponding to each other, which engage in each other in a shape-locking way. In this way it is ensured that the holding buffer element is held in a stable way. A further result of the inclination of the pressure plates is that they are pressed downwards against the rail plate during mounting of the holding buffer element. It is thus ensured that the holding buffer element cannot deviate downwards or upwards.
The two cooperating receiving elements are preferably connected to each other with a preload screw and formed as plate springs in such a way that the coupling element provided on the body of the carriage can be moved and held therein. The moving-in separation element is thus elastically received and subsequently held securely.
The invention is described in greater detail below by reference to drawings, in which:
On one of the rail elements 32 of the running rail 3 a carriage 2B is guided, which comprises a carriage body 21, which carries running wheels 22 fixed to wheel axles, which carriage body 21 is provided on the front side with a coupling element 213 and which carriage body 21 carries a carrier profile 24B by means of a carrier bolt 29. The carrier profile 24B is connected via a mounting profile 12 to the associated installation profile 11, which is mounted on the upper side of the panel 10. The mounting profile 12 comprises a mounting limb 122 connected to the installation profile 11 and a receiving limb 121 screwed to the carriage 2B.
The guide device 5, which is connected via a further mounting profile 12 to the installation profile 11 fixed to the lower side of the panel 10, comprises a guide wheel 52, which is guided in a rail element or guide channel 62 of the guide rail 6.
Each of the two installation profiles 11 is provided with a holding device 13, between which a rope or cable, preferably a wire cable 16, is tensioned in order to compensate the forces and moments acting on the separation element 1.
As further clarified, the two running wheels 22 of the carriage 2B lie constantly with the same force on the associated rail element 32 of the running rail 3, while the carrier profile 24B is held by the carrier bolt 29 so as to be rotatable about the axis z. An erroneous adjustment or a negligible inclination of the separation element 1B does not therefore lead to an asymmetrical or double load of one of the running wheels 22, which could thereby fail prematurely.
First and second guide devices 5A, 5B are thereby provided on the two separation elements 1A, 1B of
The two carriages 2A and 23 differ only through the design of the respective carrier profile 24A and 24B, which is correspondingly adapted for the corresponding mounting on the associated separation element 1A or 1B. The first carrier profile 24A comprises a mounting plate 249, which can be screwed directly to the panel 10 of the first separation element 1A, in which mounting plate 249 bores 2491 are provided for passing through mounting screws 2492 (see also
The further, preferably identical parts of the two carriages 2A and 2B are explained in detail below by reference to
The two carriages 2A and 2B comprise a carriage body 21, which can preferably be produced cost-effectively for example by means of an extrusion process and only requires limited machining after the extrusion and cutting process. The carriage body 21 serving as a chassis or wheel box comprises two wheel chambers 217, in which running wheels 22 are rotationally mounted by means of shafts 221 held in bores 216.
Between the wheel chambers in the carriage body 21 an access opening 215 is provided, which extends perpendicular to the running rail 3 and through which an adjusting screw 23 can be introduced within the carriage body 21 into a bearing opening 211, in which a carrier bolt 29 provided with a threaded bore 291 is rotationally held. The adjusting screw 23 can thus be pivoted about the axis y of the carrier bolt 29, which extends horizontally and perpendicular to the running rail 3, at an acute angle forwards and backwards, said angle being determined by the diameter of the access opening 215.
In a less advantageous, simpler embodiment the access opening 25 is on the other hand a simple threaded bore, within which the adjusting screw can merely be adjusted in height but cannot be laterally deflected.
The adjusting screw 23 comprises, below its screw head 234, a flange ring 232, which supports a flange element 2422 provided in the carrier profile 24A; 24B. Said flange element 2422 comprises an opening 2423, through which the screw head 234 is guided.
Each of the carrier profiles 24A, 24B comprises a U-shaped profile with two side parts 241A, 241B and a middle part 242. In the middle part 242 a coupling chamber 2421 is provided, into which a tool channel 2424 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis x of the middle part 242 runs. Said tool channel 2424 runs through the middle part 242 from one end as far as the coupling chamber 2421, but preferably as far as the other end, as shown in
After the screw head 234 has been introduced into the coupling chamber 2421 during the assembly of the carriage 2A; 2B, said screw head 234 is connected to a toothed disk 26, which comprises a peripherally arranged annular gear 261, which is orientated on the lower edge of the toothed disk 26 perpendicular to the tool channel 2424. The toothed disk 26 comprises a hexagonal opening 262 serving to receive the screw head 234, said hexagonal opening 262 serving to receive the hexagonal screw head 234. The axial securing of the toothed disk 26 is carried out preferably by pressing and flattening the projection of the screw head 234, after which the toothed disk 26 is held in a shape-locking way and can no longer be released from the screw head 234.
The toothed disk 26 is thus held on the upper side of the flange element 2422 defining the coupling chamber 242 and the flange ring 232 is held on the lower side of the flange element 2422 so that the rotationally held adjusting screw 23 can no longer be released from the carrier profile 24A, 24B.
Between the flange ring 232 and the screw head 234 or the placed-on toothed disk 26 a spacing element 233 is provided, which also projects into the coupling chamber 2421 and serves there as a stop for the toothed head of the Phillips screwdriver W in order to hold it in optimal engagement with the annular gear 261 of the toothed disk 26. The head of the Phillips screwdriver W can thus be introduced through the tool channel 2424 into the coupling chamber 2421 until it lies against the spacing element 233. In this position the required engagement of the teeth of the tool head in the annular gear 261 of the toothed disk 26 takes place simultaneously. In order that the rotation of the adjusting screw 23 can take place particularly easily the spacing element 233 preferably also serves as a bearing shaft, which is mounted within the opening 2423 in the flange element 2422 so as to preferably be practically clearance free.
A securing ring 25 is provided within the coupling chamber 2421 as security against independent rotation of the adjusting screw 23. Said securing ring 25, preferably made of plastic, comprises two holding eyelets 252 projecting into the tool channels 2424 and two elastically held holding teeth 251, which engage in the annular gear 261 of the toothed disk 26, as shown in
Guide slots 2411 are further provided in the side parts 241A, 241B provided on the carrier profiles 24A and 24B. Guide noses 292 are guided and held so that they cannot be rotated in said guide slots 2411, said guide noses 292 being provided on both sides on the carrier bolt 29. The guide noses 292 can move in the guide slots 2411 upwards and downwards and are rotated together with the associated carrier profile 24A; 24B so that the axes of the carrier profile 24A; 24B and the adjusting screw 23 are constantly perpendicular to each other.
The carriage body 21 further comprises on the front side a coupling element 213, which can cooperate with the holding buffer element 6 shown in
The carriage body 21 further serves to receive a decoupling prevention mechanism 28 and is provided for this purpose with recesses 214 on each side. The decoupling prevention mechanism 28 comprises a U-profile-shaped elastic holding bracket 281, which is placed on the carriage body 21 in the manner of a rider and held in the recesses 214 provided in said carriage body 21. The holding bracket 281 comprises at the lower ends foot elements 2811 orientated against each other, whereby said foot elements 2811 can engage downwardly over the coupling element 213 and can surround the head 311 of the associated rail element 31 of the running rail 3 on both sides. Insofar as the carriage 2A; 2B is raised, however, the unsecured foot elements 2811 are pressed on both sides and the carriage 2A; 2B can be released from the running rail 3. In order to prevent this, a rigid fixing frame 282 with a U-shaped-profile made of metal or plastic is pushed over the holding bracket 281 so that it is held and fixed on both sides.
In order that the fixing frame 282 is not released from the holding bracket 281, said holding bracket 281 comprises connecting cams 2812, which are guided in connecting slots 2821 provided in the side parts of the fixing frame 282. The side parts of the fixing frame 282 are further provided with securing flanges 2822, which overlap the holding bracket 281 to the front and to the rear. The fixing frame 282 is thus connected in a shape locking way to the holding bracket 281 and can only be released from this if it is manually drawn upwards, following which the foot elements 2811 of the holding bracket 281 regain their mobility.
As illustrated in
The inventive installation system has a relatively high tolerance in relation to erroneous positioning. Slight rotations and displacements of individual adapter plates 7 relative to the ideal position are compensated without problems insofar as the mounting brackets 34 and the counter brackets 74 do not have to lie planar against each other and the stable assembly of the running rail 3 is still guaranteed. As the running rail 3 can only be put in place after installation of the wardrobe 4 said running rail 3 is preferably placed as one element over the whole length, meaning that abutment points are avoided. It can further be seen from
As shown in
The two cooperating receiving elements 901A, 901B, which are connected to each other with the preload screw 910, are formed as plate springs in such a way that the coupling element 213 provided on the body 21 of the carriage 2A; 2B can move and be held therein. The separation element 1A, 1B is thus elastically received and subsequently held.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09152881 | Feb 2009 | EP | regional |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 3925933 | Reuter | Dec 1975 | A |
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| 6647590 | Haab et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 7578096 | Haab et al. | Aug 2009 | B2 |
| 7849560 | Kelley | Dec 2010 | B2 |
| 7891052 | Haab et al. | Feb 2011 | B2 |
| 20100269291 | Haab et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 9011081.1 | Nov 1990 | DE |
| 0 502 285 | Sep 1992 | EP |
| 733766 | Sep 1996 | EP |
| 1120522 | Aug 2001 | EP |
| 1 916 372 | Apr 2003 | EP |
| 1 460 225 | Sep 2004 | EP |
| 10331513 | Dec 1998 | JP |
| WO 0065186 | Nov 2000 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Jul. 28, 2009 Search Report issued in European Patent Application No. 09152881.0 (with translation). |
| Sliding Fittings, Product Catalogue of HAWA AG, 2000, pp. 20-21. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100205772 A1 | Aug 2010 | US |
