Patent Application
20230332451
The present invention relates to a guided sliding door assembly, and to a method of connecting a door leaf of a sliding door to a door guide assembly.
WO17036795 A1 discloses a sliding door assembly provided with an arrangement for positioning two sliding doors in relation to one another or in an open position. There is however a need for a more versatile sliding door assembly which can be adapted and used for a greater range of situations.
It is an object of the present invention to solve, or at least mitigate, parts or all of the above mentioned problems. To this end, according to a first aspect, there is provided a guided sliding door assembly comprising a door guide assembly configured to define a first door guide extending along a horizontal guide axis from a first guide end to a second guide end; and a first door arrangement assembly comprising a respective first door assembly configured to define a first door guided by said first door guide to be guidedly movable along the guide axis, the first door extending in a vertical door plane along the guide axis; and a respective second door assembly configured to define a second door guided by said first door guide to be guidedly movable along the guide axis independently of said first door, the second door extending in a vertical door plane along the guide axis, wherein the first door comprises a second-end door coupler which interfaces in a direction towards the second guide end of the door guide, the second-end door coupler of said first door being configured to couple to said second door, and the second door comprises a first-end door coupler which interfaces in a direction towards the first guide end of the door guide, the first-end door coupler of said second door being configured to couple to said second-end door coupler of said first door, wherein the second-end door coupler of the first door and the first-end door coupler of the second door define a soft-closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a relative motion between the first and second doors along the guide axis. This provides for a simple and convenient guided sliding door arrangement. In particular, the soft-closing mechanism may be configured to gradually brake a relative motion between the first and second doors when they approach each other along the guide axis. Said first door guide may be defined by a respective guide track, which may be provided in a guide rail. Such a guide rail may be defined by an extruded profile. The first and second doors may be guided in the same guide track, and impact between the doors may be efficiently managed with a minimum of complexity and cost. The door planes of the first and second doors may coincide. According to embodiments, the soft-closing mechanism may be configured to enable said first and second doors to reach a position in which they abut each other.
According to embodiments, the first door may comprise an end-stop coupler which interfaces towards the first guide end of the door guide, and the first guide end of the first door guide may comprise a first guide-end door coupler configured to couple to the end-stop coupler of said first door, wherein the end-stop coupler of said first door and the first guide-end door coupler of the first door guide together define a soft-closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a motion of the first door along the guide axis.
According to embodiments, the second door may comprise a first auxiliary coupler which interfaces towards the second guide end of the door guide, the first auxiliary coupler being configured to couple to a second auxiliary coupler, wherein the first and second auxiliary couplers define a soft-closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a relative motion along the guide axis between the second door and an object carrying the second auxiliary coupler. The auxiliary couplers may define end-stop couplers; i.e. the second auxiliary coupler may be an end-stop coupler fixedly arranged at the second end of said first door guide. Alternatively, the auxiliary couplers may define door couplers; i.e. the second auxiliary coupler may be carried by a third door guided by the first door guide, and guidedly movable along the guide axis independently of the first and second doors.
According to embodiments, the first door may comprise a first-end guide shuttle guided by said first door guide, and a second-end guide shuttle guided by said first door guide.
According to embodiments, the second-end door coupler of said first door may be defined by the second-end guide shuttle of said first door. Alternatively, said first door's second-end door coupler and second-end guide shuttle may be configured as separate devices.
Similarly, according to embodiments, the end-stop coupler of said first door may be defined by the first-end guide shuttle of said first door. Alternatively, the end-stop coupler and the first-end guide shuttle may be configured as separate devices.
According to embodiments, the second door may comprise a first-end guide shuttle guided by said first door guide, and a second-end guide shuttle guided by said first door guide.
According to embodiments, the first-end door coupler of said second door may be defined by the first-end guide shuttle of said second door. Alternatively, second door's first-end door coupler and first-end guide shuttle may be configured as separate devices.
According to embodiments, the first auxiliary coupler of said second door may be defined by the second-end guide shuttle of said second door. Alternatively, the second door's first auxiliary coupler and first-end guide shuttle may be configured as separate devices.
According to embodiments, the first-end door coupler of said second door may define a coupler interface of a first type, and the second-end door coupler of said first door may define a coupler interface of a second type different from the first type. Thereby, the risk of erroneous assembly of the guided sliding door assembly may be reduced. Alternatively, the coupler interfaces of the first- and second-end door couplers may be of the same type. The first and second types may comprise, for example, a self-retractor and a self-retractor activator, or vice versa.
According to embodiments, the end-stop coupler of said first door may define a coupler interface of one of the first and second types, and the first guide-end door coupler may define a coupler interface of the other of the first and second types. By using the same kind of coupler interfaces for the end-stops and the door couplers, the number of different components required for a guided sliding door assembly may be kept low.
According to embodiments, the end-stop coupler of said first door may define a coupler interface of said first type, and the first guide-end door coupler may define a coupler interface of said second type.
According to embodiments, the first auxiliary coupler may be of said first type. Such an arrangement is particularly practical in a configuration wherein the first auxiliary door coupler is an end-stop coupler, wherein end-stop couplers of the first and second doors may be of the same type.
According to embodiments, the coupler interface of the first type may comprise a self-retractor configured to, once having engaged with a coupler interface of the second type, draw itself towards the coupler interface of the second type. The coupler interface of the second type may comprise a self-retractor activator configured to attach to the self-retractor.
According to embodiments, the self-retractor may comprise a main body and a retraction bias element coupled to an activator catcher, and the coupler interface of the second type may comprise a self-retractor activator configured to engage with the activator catcher to release the retraction bias element from a pre-tensioned latch position to draw the self-retractor towards the coupler interface of the second type.
According to some embodiments, the activator catcher may be movable relative to the main body of the self-retractor along the guide axis. Alternatively or additionally, according to embodiments, the activator catcher may be movable against a brake bias relative to the main body of the self-retractor. The brake bias may brake the motion of the first and second doors towards each other, and thereby mitigate the impact between the doors. The brake bias may be generated by a damper.
According to embodiments, the first door may comprise a second-end guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; the second door may comprise a first-end guide shuttle guided in said shuttle guide track; and one of the second-end door coupler of said first door and the first-end door coupler of said second door may comprise a coupler activator guided by a coupler activator guide track adjacent to the shuttle guide track. The coupler activator may be a self-retractor activator as defined hereinabove. According to embodiments, the coupler activator guide track may be open towards the shuttle guide track via an activator gap, which enables the coupler activator to engage with the other of the second-end door coupler of said first door and the first-end door coupler of said second door. The coupler activator guide track may be vertically aligned with the shuttle guide track, such that the coupler activator may run alongside the respective guide shuttle in the same horizontal plane. Such an arrangement is particularly height-efficient.
According to embodiments, the door guide assembly may further comprise a home position connector defining a door home position at an intermediate position between the first and second guide ends, the home position connector being configured to automatically and releasably connect to at least one of said first and second doors when reaching said door home position. Such an arrangement enables positioning the doors in one or several pre-defined positions, for example a closed position, without having to rely on end positions of said first guide. This provides for a particularly versatile guided sliding door assembly. The home position connector may be connectable to e.g. a guide shuttle or to a shuttle connector as defined herein. According to embodiments, the home position connector may be configured to connect to said at least one of the first and second doors by a snap action.
According to embodiments, the home position connector may be configured to connect to said at least one of the first and second doors when said at least one of the first and second doors reaches the home position connector from any direction along said first guide. Similarly, the home position connector may be configured to release said at least one of the first and second doors when said at least one of the first and second doors is pushed away from the home position connector in any disconnection direction along said first guide.
According to embodiments, the home position connector may be configured to automatically release said at least one of the first and second doors when said at least one of the first and second doors is pressed in a direction along the guide axis by a force exceeding a home position release limit force.
According to embodiments, the second-end door coupler of the first door may be configured to, when engaging with the first-end door coupler of the second door, attach to the first-end door coupler of the second door, and to automatically release from the first-end door coupler of the second door when the first and second doors are pressed apart along the guide axis by a disengagement force exceeding a door disengagement limit force, wherein the home position release limit force exceeds the door disengagement limit force, such that the first and second doors can be drawn apart by connecting one of the first and second doors to the home position, and thereafter moving the other of the first and second doors away from the home position. Thereby, re-arrangement of doors is facilitated, since connected doors can be conveniently pulled apart by attaching one of them to a home position, and then pulling the other away from the door held at the home position.
According to embodiments, the home position connector may be repositionable along said guide axis to enable the home position to be axially repositioned. Thereby, the guided sliding door assembly may be particularly easy to adapt to different installation scenarios.
According to embodiments, the guide assembly may define a home position connector guide, and the home position connector may comprise a home position connector clamp configured to clamp the home position connector to the home position guide. Thereby, the home position connector may be clamped to the home position guide at an arbitrary axial position. The home position guide may extend in the same direction as the guide axis. The home position guide may be defined by a guide rail. According to embodiments, said first door guide and the home position connector guide may be defined by different parts of the same guide rail.
According to embodiments, the home position connector guide may be defined by a home position connector guide track, and the home position connector clamp may comprise an elongate clamping element extending in a direction of elongation, wherein the clamping element is insertable, when its direction of elongation extends parallel to the home position connector guide track, into the home position connector guide track in an insertion direction perpendicular to the home position connector guide track; and lockable to the home position connector guide track by turning the clamping element about a locking axis parallel to the insertion direction. Such an arrangement provides for a particularly simple and convenient attachment and repositioning of the home position connector.
According to embodiments, said first door guide may be defined by a top guide configured to guide respective top edge portions of said first and second doors. This locates much functionality to a position where it is not very visible, and does not increase the size of, or otherwise make it more difficult to pass, e.g. by a person, an object on wheels etc, the bottom rail.
According to embodiments, bottom edge portions of said first and second doors may comprise respective support arrangements, for example wheels, configured to carry the weight of said first and second doors when moving along said first guide. The wheels may be configured to roll in a bottom guide, or directly on a floor of a room in which the guided sliding door assembly is installed. The guide assembly may be installed on or adjacent to a ceiling to define a floor-to-ceiling guided sliding door assembly.
According to embodiments, the first door may comprise a door leaf; a guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a shuttle connector configured to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle, wherein the shuttle connector is connectable to the guide shuttle when the guide shuttle is positioned in the guide track. This makes the guided sliding door assembly easy to assemble. According to embodiments, the first door may comprise a door leaf; a guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a shuttle connector configured to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle, wherein the shuttle connector is configured to be snap-fit to the guide shuttle. Thereby, the door leaf of the first door may be conveniently connected to the respective guide shuttle with said first door guide mounted in its final position. Said shuttle connector may connect to the respective guide shuttle in a connection direction transversal to the guide axis, such as in a substantially vertical connection direction. Alternatively or additionally, also the second door may comprise a respective door leaf; a respective guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a respective shuttle connector configured to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle, wherein the shuttle connector is configured to be snap-fit to the respective guide shuttle. According to embodiments, each door may comprise a respective first-end guide shuttle and a respective second-end guide shuttle, along with respective guide shuttle connectors configured to snap-fit thereto.
According to embodiments, the first door may comprise a door leaf; a guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a shuttle connector configured to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle, wherein the door leaf comprises a shuttle connector guide guiding the shuttle connector along a vertical guide axis. Such an arrangement allows easy installation and adjustment of the door. Typically, the connector guide may be configured to guide the shuttle connector over a vertical guide range of more than 20 mm, for example more than 40 mm. Typically, the guide range may be less than 150 mm. Such ranges may accommodate for most variations of the installation conditions.
According to embodiments, the door guide assembly may further be configured to define a second door guide extending along a horizontal guide axis parallel to the first door guide, wherein the guided sliding door assembly further comprises a second door arrangement assembly comprising a respective first door assembly configured to define a first door guided by said second door guide, such that the first and second door arrangement assemblies together define a bypass door assembly. Also the second door guide may be defined by a respective guide track, which may be provided in a guide rail. The guided sliding door assembly may also comprise a third door guide guiding a third door arrangement comprising one or several respective doors in accordance with what is described herein with reference to the first and second door arrangement assemblies. The door(s) of the second door arrangement assembly may be movable independently of the doors of the first door arrangement assembly along the entire length of the second door guide. The first, second, and any third or additional door guides, along with any home position guide, may be defined by a single guide rail.
According to embodiments, the second door arrangement may further comprise a respective second door assembly configured to define a second door guided by said second door guide, wherein the second door guide is configured in accordance with the first door guide, mutatis mutandis, and the first and second door assemblies of the second door arrangement assembly are configured in accordance with the first and second door assemblies of the first door arrangement assembly, mutatis mutandis, as defined in any of the aspects and embodiments described hereinabove.
According to embodiments, the home position connector may be configured to be attached between said first and second door guides. Thereby, the home position connector may be arranged such that it can engage with a door guided by either of the first and second door guides, or both. According to embodiments, the home position connector may comprise a door connector interface for connecting to the respective door, wherein the home position connector can be attached between the first and second door guides with its door connector interface facing towards either of the first and second door guides.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a guided sliding door assembly comprising a door guide assembly configured to define a first door guide extending along a horizontal guide axis from a first guide end to a second guide end; and a first door arrangement assembly comprising a respective first door assembly configured to define a first door guided by said first door guide to be guidedly movable along the guide axis, the first door extending in a vertical door plane along the guide axis; wherein the door guide assembly comprises a home position connector configured to define a door home position at an intermediate position between the first and second guide ends, the home position connector being configured to automatically and releasably connect to said first door when reaching said door home position. The intermediate position may be at a distance from any door couplers defining end stops at the guide ends. The home position connector may be configured in accordance with the home position connectors of any of the embodiments defined hereinabove. Similarly, the door guide assembly, the first door arrangement assembly, and/or the entire guided sliding door assembly may be configured in accordance with the door guide assembly, the first door arrangement assembly and/or the guided sliding door assembly of any of the aspects and embodiments defined hereinabove.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a guided sliding door assembly comprising a door guide assembly configured to define a first door guide extending along a horizontal guide axis; and a first door arrangement assembly comprising a respective first door assembly configured to define a first door guided by said first door guide to be guidedly movable along the guide axis, the first door extending in a vertical door plane along the guide axis; wherein said first door guide is defined by a top guide configured to guide a top edge portion of said first door, and wherein said first door comprises a door leaf; a guide shuttle guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a shuttle connector configured to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle, wherein the door leaf comprises a shuttle connector guide guiding the shuttle connector along a vertical guide axis, and wherein the shuttle connector is configured to be snap-fit to the guide shuttle. Again, the door guide assembly, the first door arrangement assembly, and/or the entire guided sliding door assembly may be configured in accordance with the door guide assembly, the first door arrangement assembly and/or the guided sliding door assembly of any of the aspects and embodiments defined hereinabove.
According to a variant of the fourth aspect, there is provided a guided sliding door assembly comprising a door guide assembly configured to define a first door guide extending along a horizontal guide axis; and a first door arrangement assembly comprising a respective first door assembly configured to define a first door guided by said first door guide to be guidedly movable along the guide axis, the first door extending in a vertical door plane along the guide axis, wherein said first door comprises a door leaf; a guide shuttle configured to be guided in a shuttle guide track of said first door guide; and a shuttle connector movable in a vertical direction to connect the door leaf to the guide shuttle when the guide shuttle is positioned in the guide track. Such an arrangement facilitates installation of the guided sliding door assembly. The shuttle connector may be vertically movably arranged on the door leaf, to connect with the guide shuttle. Alternatively, the shuttle connector may be vertically movably arranged on the guide shuttle, to connect with the door leaf. Preferably, the shuttle connector is configured to enable tool-less connection to one of the door leaf and the guide shuttle.
According to embodiments, the door leaf may comprise a shuttle connector guide guiding the shuttle connector along a vertical guide axis. The vertical guiding of the shuttle connector may enable bridging a range of different gaps between the door leaf and the guide shuttle, which gap may vary depending on the local installation conditions. According to embodiments, the shuttle connector guide may be configured to guide the shuttle connector in a strictly translational motion. The vertical distance travelled by the shuttle connector in the translational motion may, for example, be between 10 mm and 70 mm. As an exemplary alternative to a vertically guided shuttle connector, the shuttle connector may be pivotally mounted on e.g. the door leaf, and pivot vertically into engagement with the shuttle connector.
According to embodiments, said first door guide may be defined by a top guide configured to guide a top edge portion of said first door.
According to embodiments, the shuttle connector may be configured to be snap-fit to the guide shuttle.
According to embodiments, the shuttle connector may be configured to enable, when connecting the door leaf to the guide shuttle, a vertical play between the door leaf and the guide shuttle. According to embodiments, the vertical play may exceed 3 mm. Such a range may be suitable for facilitating moderate adjustments of the vertical position of the door leaf in relation to the shuttle guide track, and/or may enable bridging a range of different gaps between the door leaf and the guide shuttle. According to further embodiments, said vertical play may exceed 5 mm or even 7 mm. Optionally, the vertical play may have an upper limit. For example, the vertical play may be less than 60 mm. A play of less than 60 mm may provide improved stability of the door leaf in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the door plane. According to further embodiments, said vertical play may be less than 40 mm. The vertical play may be obtained e.g. by arranging the shuttle connector at one of the door leaf and the guide shuttle in a shuttle connector guide, thereby enabling a guided vertical translation of the shuttle connector. The shuttle connector may remain guided over the entire vertical range defined by the vertical play.
According to embodiments, the shuttle connector may be configured to form an axially, with regard to the horizontal guide axis, rigid connection between the door leaf and the guide shuttle. For example, any axial flexibility of any snap-fit between the shuttle connector and the guide shuttle, as the case may be, may be supplemented by an additional, axially rigid, support interface between the shuttle connector and the guide shuttle.
According to embodiments, said shuttle guide track may comprise a guide track opening facing in a vertical direction, wherein the shuttle connector is connectable to the guide shuttle via the guide track opening.
According to embodiments, said guide shuttle may be configured as a coupler forming part of a soft closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a motion of the door leaf. For example, the guide shuttle may comprise one of a self-retractor and a self-retractor activator, which may be configured to couple to the other of a self-retractor and a self-retractor activator. The self-retractor may comprise a retraction bias element, such as a spring, configured draw the self-retractor towards the self-retractor activator. According to embodiments, the soft closing mechanism may be configured to gradually brake the motion of the door by means of a damper.
According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a method of connecting a door leaf of a sliding door to a door guide assembly comprising a top guide and a bottom guide, the door leaf comprising a bottom edge portion provided with a set of support arrangements, for example wheels, and a top edge portion provided with guide shuttle connectors configured to be connected to guide shuttles guided by the top guide, the method comprising: positioning the support arrangements in the bottom guide; aligning the guide shuttle connectors with the top guide; and vertically sliding the guide shuttle connectors upwards to snap into engagement with the guide shuttles. The method may be combined with any of the devices and assemblies defined hereinabove in accordance with the first to third aspects. For example, at least one of the guide shuttles may comprise a self-retractor of a soft closing mechanism.
It is noted that embodiments of the invention may be embodied by all possible combinations of features recited in the claims. Further, it will be appreciated that all embodiments of the guided sliding door assemblies according to the first aspect are combinable with the embodiments of the guided sliding door assemblies according to the second and third aspects. Moreover, the various embodiments described hereinabove for the devices of the first, second and third aspects are all combinable with the method as defined in accordance with the fourth aspect, and vice versa.
The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:
All the figures are schematic, not necessarily to scale, and generally only show parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the embodiments, whereas other parts may be omitted.
Each of the first and second doors 12a-b comprises a respective door leaf 13 extending along a first vertical plane P1, and each of the third and fourth doors 12c-d comprises a respective door leaf 13 extending along a second vertical plane P2. Each of the first and second doors 12a, 12b has a respective top edge portion 24 which is guided by the first top guide track 20a of the top guide rail 16, and a respective bottom edge portion 26 which is guided by the first bottom guide track 22a of the bottom guide rail 18, to enable the first and second doors 12a, 12b to guidedly move along the first guide axis G1. Similarly, each of the third and fourth doors 12c, 12d has a respective top edge portion 24 which is guided by the second top guide track 20b of the top guide rail 16, and a respective bottom edge portion 26 guided by the second bottom guide track 22b of the bottom guide rail 18, to enable the second and third doors 12c, 12d to guidedly move along the second guide axis G2. Thereby, the first door arrangement 10a is guided independently of the second door arrangement 10b, such that the door arrangements 10a, 10b may freely pass each other along their respective guide axes G1, G2. As such, the guided sliding door assembly 10 defines a bypass door assembly. The guided sliding door assembly 10 of
At its second end 30a, the first door 12a has a respective second-end coupler 34a which interfaces in a direction towards the second guide end 16b of the top guide rail 16. The second-end coupler 34a of the first door 12a is a door coupler configured to, in a manner which will be elucidated further below, couple to a mating coupler of the second door 12b. The first- and second-end couplers 32a, 34a of the first door 12a are attached to the top of the door leaf 13 of the first door 12a.
Similarly, the second door 12b has a first door end 28b facing towards the first guide end 16a and a second door end 30b facing towards the second guide end 16b. At its first end 28b, the second door 12b has a respective first-end coupler 32b which interfaces in a direction towards the first guide end 16a of the top guide rail 16. The first-end coupler 32b of the second door 12b is a door coupler configured to releasably couple to the second-end door coupler 34a of the first door 12b. In the view of
The first- and second-end couplers 32a, 32b, 34a, 34b of the first and second doors 12a, 12b are also configured to be guided in the first top guide track 20a (
The first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b defines a coupler interface of a first type, and the second-end door coupler 34a of the first door 12a defines a coupler interface of a second type, wherein the couplers 32b, 34a together define a soft-closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a relative motion between the first and second doors 12a, 12b along the first guide axis G1 when they move towards each other in a collision direction illustrated by arrows C. The coupler interface of the first type comprises a self-retractor 38, and the coupler interface of the second type comprises a self-retractor activator 40, wherein the self-retractor 38 is configured to, once having engaged with the self-retractor activator 40, draw itself towards second-end door coupler 34a of the first door 12a. The self-retractor activator 40 is positioned at a distal end of a self-retractor activator tongue 42 of the second-end door coupler of the first door 12a. Referring back to
The first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b comprises a housing 70 having a door leaf connector end 64 facing the towards the first guide end 16a (
Within its housing 70, the first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b comprises a catcher carriage 82 provided with an activator catcher 86 and an activator retainer 88, each of which protrude from the housing 70 via an activator access track 89 extending axially along a side face 70c of the first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b. The catcher carriage 82 is movable along and guided by a carriage guide arrangement 84 comprising a pair of carriage guides 84a, 84b, which are formed alongside each other in the opposite bottom and top faces 70a, 70b of the housing 70 of the first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b. The carriage guide arrangement 84 comprises a straight portion 90, which extends parallel to the first guide axis G1, and a curved latch portion 92 adjacent to the door leaf connector 62. The catcher carriage 82 is shaped and guided such that when at the straight portion 90, both the activator catcher 86 and the activator retainer 88 protrude from the first-end door coupler 32b of the second door 12b via the activator access track 89 sufficiently to engage with the self-retractor activator 40 of the second-end door coupler 34a (
Referring again to
In the position of
Now with reference to
In
Continuing to draw the second door 12b (
The second top guide track 20b has a similar shape, with the very same function, for guiding the third and fourth doors 12c, 12d (
The second-end guide shuttle 34a is provided with a door leaf connector 62 identical to the door leaf connector 62 of the first-end guide shuttle 32a, and a second-end top corner 24b of the door leaf 13 is provided with an identical vertically guided shuttle connector 36 for connection to the door leaf connector 62 of the second-end guide shuttle/door coupler 34a.
After having connected the door leaf 13 to the respective guide shuttle 32a, 34a, the shuttle connector 36 remains vertically movable in the shuttle connector guide, which enables a vertical play between the door leaf 13 and the respective guide shuttle 32a, 34a. The vertical play may take up a certain amount of variation of the distance between the top guide rail 16 and the bottom guide rail 18 while the door 12a moves along the guide rails 16, 18. The guided vertical play enabled by the guided connection may be, by way of example, between 3 mm and 60 mm.
After having reached the position illustrated in
Now turning to
The attachment of the home position connector 43 is more clearly illustrated in the transparent views of
Referring back to
In the scenario illustrated in
As may be apparent from the design of the home position connector 43, the home position connector 43 is functionally symmetric also in a second sense, in that the home position connector 43 is configured to connect to the home position connector engagement element 57 regardless of from which direction along the first guide axis G1 the home position connector engagement element 57 reaches the home position connector 43. Similarly, when in the home position, the home position connector engagement element 57 can be released from the home position connector 43 by pushing the door 12a in either direction along the first guide axis G1. It is pointed out that even though the home position engagement element 57 of
In summary, the description hereinabove in detail describes, inter alia, a sliding door assembly 10 which comprises a door guide 20a extending along a horizontal guide axis G1, a first door 12a guided by the door guide 20a; and a second door 12b guided by the door guide 20a independently of the first door 12a, wherein the second door 12b comprises a first-end door coupler 32b which interfaces in a direction towards a first guide end 16a of the door guide 20a; and the first door 12a comprises a second-end door coupler 34a which interfaces in a direction towards a second guide end 16b of the door guide 20a to couple to the first-end door coupler 32b of the second door, wherein the first- and second-end door couplers 32b, 34a together define a soft-closing mechanism configured to gradually brake a relative motion between the first and second doors 12a, 12b.
The invention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. In particular, a soft-closing mechanism between a pair of doors arranged in line with each other in a common guide has been described in detail. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.
For example, in the embodiments described in detail hereinabove, the soft-closing mechanism is arranged in the guide shuttles of the top guide rail. This is not necessary. Alternatively, the guide shuttles may have no other function than that of guiding the top of the door, and the soft-closing mechanism may be implemented as separate components carried by the respective doors. A soft-closing mechanism carried within the top guide rail has been described in detail. Alternatively, the soft-closing mechanism between the in-line doors may be positioned e.g. within or adjacent to the bottom guide rail, or at any other suitable position where the doors meet. The doors have been described as guided by guide shuttles arranged within guide tracks. This is not necessary; many other types of guides exist.
In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2051098-8 | Sep 2020 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2021/050905 | 9/21/2021 | WO |
