Not Applicable
The various aspects and embodiments described herein relate to a mechanism for a sliding door.
A sliding door may have a track on which the door slides to traverse the door between an opened and closed position. The rolling friction between the track and the door may be excessive due to doors that are very heavy. In this instance, it may be difficult to traverse the door between the closed and opened positions. Moreover, the very heavy door may cause other failures because of the repetitive and cyclical opening and closing of the door over a long period of time.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved mechanism for a sliding door.
A track that extends across the door opening and a door that magnetically engages the track are disclosed herein. The door does not physically contact the track and if the door does physically contact the track, only a small fraction of the weight of the door is transferred to the track. In this regard, the lack of physical contact between the track and the door allows the door to be traversed smoothly between the opened and closed positions and the rolling friction between the door and the track is substantially eliminated or minimized. The track and the door may have magnets that repel each other and lift the door away from the track so that the door does not contact the track. A stabilizing roller may also be utilized so that the door and the track remain aligned as the door is traverse between the opened and closed positions.
More particularly, a door assembly with a door disposable in front of a door opening and traversable between an open position and closed position is disclosed. The door assembly may comprise the door, a bracket, a first magnet, a track, a second magnet and a stabilizing roller. The door may slide to the open and closed positions. The first door may define a length. The bracket may be attached to the first door. The first magnet may be attached to the bracket. The first magnet may have a length less than the length of the first door. The track may be disposed adjacent to the door opening. The track may define a length about two times a length of the first door. The bracket may be slidably mounted to the track. The second magnet may be attached to the track. The second magnet may have a length greater than a length of the door. The first and second magnets may be vertically aligned to each other. The stabilizing roller may be attached to the track and disposed within the track for vertically aligning the first and second magnets as the door is traversed between the open and closed positions.
The bracket may comprise first and second brackets disposed on either side of a vertical midline of the door.
The second magnet may be about greater than 80% of a length of the track.
The track may be embedded into a threshold of the structure surrounding the door opening. The track may be attached to left and right posts and/or header of the door which define the door opening.
The track may comprise a base and an insert having a cavity for receiving the second magnet. The insert may be inserted into a cavity defined by the base. The base may have a cavity in which a protrusion of the insert is freely insertable, and the protrusion of the insert may be held in place in the cavity of the base with an adhesive.
The first magnet may comprise a plurality of magnets disposed on opposed sides of the door so that the door is balanced on the second magnet.
The second magnet may be a single continuous magnet or a plurality of magnets positioned end to end to suspend the door evenly as the door is traversed between the open and closed positions.
A repelling force of the first and second magnets may be equal a weight of the door. It is also contemplated that the repelling force of the first and second magnets may be less than a weight of the door.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Referring now to the drawings, a magnetically levitated shower glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 is shown. The glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 may be slid horizontally in the direction of arrow 12 on track 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714. The glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 may have a short magnet 16, 116, 216, 316, 416, 516, 616, 716. The track 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 may have a long magnet 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718. The magnets 16, 116, 216, 316, 416, 516, 616, 716 may be repelled by the magnets 18, 118, 218, 218, 318, 418, 518, 618, 718 to vertically lift the glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 so that as the glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 moves horizontally in the direction of arrow 12, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712 and the weight of the glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 is transferred to the track 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 through the short magnets 16, 116, 216, 316, 416, 516, 616, 716 and the long magnets 18, 118, 218, 318, 418, 518,618, 718. A minimal amount of contact occurs between the track 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 and the glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 so that the horizontal movement of the glass door 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 is quiet and smooth.
Referring now to
The track 14 extends from the first wall 22 to the second wall 24 and is secured with a bracket 32 with a fastener. Referring now to
The sliding door 10 may be attached to at least two brackets 42. The brackets 42 position the magnet 16 above the magnet 18 to lift the door 10 upward due to the repelling force of the magnets 16, 18. Two brackets 42 are needed and are attached to the door 10 on either side of a vertical midline 44 of the door 10 which bisects the length 38 or at a center of gravity of the door 10. Preferably, the brackets 42 are placed equidistantly away from the vertical midline 44 so that each of the brackets 42 and the magnets 16 support the door 10 evenly. In this regard, a distance 44 from the midline 44 to one of the brackets 42 is equal to the distance 46 from the midline 44 to the other one of the brackets 42.
The figures and the description refer to two brackets 42. However, it is also contemplated that the two brackets 42 may be replaced with one long bracket having either two magnets 16 on both sides of the vertical midline 44 of the door 10 or one long magnet 16 that extends to both sides of the vertical midline 44 of the door 10. Preferably, the magnet 16 extends as far to the opposed sides of the door 10 as possible to provide as much balance to the door 10 as it is slid left to right. Additionally, when two magnets 16 are used, it is preferable that the magnets 16 are disposed as far away from the vertical midline 44 or center of gravity as possible. Once again, this is to provide as much balance as possible to the door 10 as it 10 is being slid left to right.
The magnets 16 of the sliding door 10 are repelled away from the magnet 18. The repelling force of the magnets 16 is sufficiently strong so that the bracket 42 does not physically contact a top of the track 14 but is vertically lifted up due to the magnetic repelling forces. Alternatively, the repelling force of the magnets 16 may be sufficiently weak so that the bracket 42 may physically contact the top of the track 14 but only a small portion of the weight of the glass door 10 is physically supported by contact of the bracket 42 on top of the track 14. That small portion may be between about 1% to 30% of the weight of the glass door 10, and is more preferably about between 1% to 10% of the weight of the glass door 10. Since there are two magnets 16, one magnet 16 for each of the brackets 42, each magnet 16 is sufficiently strong to support half of the weight of the glass door 10. As a further alternative, the repelling force of the magnets 16 may be sufficiently strong so that the bracket 42 may physically contact a bottom of the track 14 and apply about a 2 lb to 20 lb force. The prongs 66 may be replaced with rollers that ride within the grooves 68.
The repelling force of the magnet 16 to the magnet 18 may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a length 48 (see
For example, if the sliding glass door 10 weighs about 50 pounds, then each pair of magnets 16, 18 would produce a repelling force of about 25 pounds. In this way, at least a majority of the weight if not all of the weight of the sliding door 10 is supported by the repelling forces of the magnets 16.
The door 10 may have at least two brackets 42. The bracket 42 may circumscribe the track 14. An internal width 58 may be greater than an external width 60 of the track 14. This allows the bracket 14 to be horizontally traversed left and right in the direction of arrow 12. Moreover, an internal height of the bracket 42 may be greater than an external height of the track 14. The bracket 42 may have at least two rollers 62 that allow the bracket 42 to roll on the track 14. More particularly, the rollers 62 may be aligned to grooves 64 formed along a length of the track 14. The rollers 62 may engage the grooves 64 when the repelling forces created by the magnets 16, 18 are not sufficient to fully lift the door 10. Nevertheless, an insignificant amount of weight may be supported by the rollers 62 because the magnets 16, 18 may be sized to provide repelling forces that carry 80%, and more preferably 95% if not 100% of the weight of the door 10.
The bracket may have tongues 66 that are aligned to grooves 68 and support the bracket 42 when the door is not mounted to the bracket 42 and the repelling forces created by the magnets 16, 18 drive the bracket 42 upward, as shown in
The bracket 42 may be fabricated from a metallic material. The brackets 42 may be mounted (i.e., slid on) on the track 14 first then the track 14 mounted to the first and second walls 22, 24. Thereafter, the glass door 10 may be mounted to the bracket 42. Alternatively, the bracket 42 may be fabricated from a plastic material and the bracket 42 slipped over the track 14 by bending the bracket 42 outward and over the track 14.
The door 10 may define a lower end portion 70 that fits within a guide 72 that extends along the entire sill 30 so that the door 10 remains vertically upright when it is slid left and right.
Referring now to
The tracks 114, 115 may extend from the first wall 22 to the second wall and may be secured with a bracket and fastener 132. Referring now to
The bracket 142 may have one magnet vertically aligned above a center of gravity of the door 100 or 101. Alternatively, as shown in
The tracks 114, 115 may have corresponding magnets 115, 119. These magnets 116, 115 and magnets 117, 119 produce repelling forces that carry about 80%, more preferably 95% to 100% of the weight of the door 100 or 101. Since there are two brackets 42 for each of the doors 100, 101 and there are two magnets 116, 115 and 117, 119 for each bracket 142, each magnet 116, 117 may be designed to carry about 25% of the weight of the door 100 or 101. By way of example and not limitation, the repelling forces may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a width, height or length of the magnets 116, 115, 117, 119.
The tracks 114, 115 may have internal grooves 166 that receive rollers 162 when the door 100, 101 is mounted to the bracket 114, 115. A majority or all of the weight may be supported by the repelling forces created by the magnets 116, 115 and the magnets 117, 119. In
Referring now to
The brackets 142 are mounted equidistantly from a vertical midline 144 of the door 100 or 101.
Referring now to
The length 240 of the magnet 218 attached or embedded into the sill 230 may be about equal to twice the length 236 of the glass door 200 that slides back and forth. A length 238 of the magnet 216 disposed at the bottom portion of the glass door 200 may be about 80% to 100% of a length 236 of the glass door 200.
The bottom end of the door 200 may have rollers that roll on a bottom surface of the U-channel 288 so that if the repelling forces created by the magnets 216, 218 are not sufficient to lift the door fully upward, the rollers will support the door and allow the door to slide left to right. The rollers may be placed on both sides of the vertical midline 292 of the door 200 so that the rollers can evenly support the door 200 when it is being slid back and forth.
Additionally, the magnet 216 is shown and described as being a single elongate magnet that extends across more than 50% of a length 236 of the door 200. However, it is also contemplated that the magnet 216 may be a plurality of magnets that are distributed along the length 236 of the door 200 to evenly lift the door 200 upward. By way of example and not limitation, the magnet 216 may be two (2) separate magnets that are placed on both sides of the vertical midline 262 at the lower end portion of the door 200.
The repelling force may be adjusted by adjusting a length, width, height of the magnets 216, 218.
Referring now to the
The track 314 may extend from the first wall to the second wall and may be secured with a bracket and a fastener. The track 314 may have an elongate magnet 318 that may extend substantially along the length of the track 314 or fully along the entire length of the track 314 so that the magnets 316 are always repelled by the magnet 318 when the door 300 is in the opened position, the closed position or transitioned therebetween. In the example shown in
The sliding door 300 may be attached to at least two brackets 342 and a top member 374. The top member 374 is long enough to secure the brackets 342 to the top member 374. The brackets 342 may be attached to the sliding door 300 at the upper end portion of the sliding door 300. The top member 374 may be attached to the bracket 342 by way of a tongue and groove connection 376. In particular, the top member 374 may have a V-notch on the left and right sides thereof 374. The brackets 342 may have a housing 378 with matching V-configured tongues. The V-configured tongues may slide into the V-configured notch of the top member 374 and be held in place by an adhesive or a set screw. The housing 378 of the bracket 342 may be attached to a pair of plates that are secured to the glass door 300. The pair of plates 380 sandwich the door 300 and are secured to the housing 378 with a bolt 381.
The two brackets 342 may be attached to the door 300 on either side of the vertical midline 344 of the door 300. The brackets 342 may be spaced apart from the vertical midline 344 at an equal distance from the vertical midline 344 so that the repelling forces of the magnets 316, 318 may be evenly applied vertically up to hold the door 300 level and so the brackets 342 do not contact the track 314 or do so minimally. The magnet 316 may be embedded in the top member 374 within a cavity 382 that extends along the length of the top member 374. The magnet 316 may be a single elongate magnet that extends across at least 50% of the top member 374 up to the entire length of the top member 374. The magnet 316 may be positioned so that it is evenly distributed on the vertical midline 344 when assembled.
It is also contemplated that the magnet 316 may be a plurality of magnets 316. In this case, the plurality of magnets may be evenly distributed along the length of the top member 374 so that the repelling forces generated by the magnets 316, 318 apply even upward forces on brackets 342. This is to allow the magnets 316, 318 to hold the door 300 in a level position.
The track 314 may also have a cavity 383 that receives the magnet 318. Magnet 318 may extend across the entire length of the track 314 or a sufficient length of the track 314 so that the magnets 316 embedded in the top member 374 are always being repelled away by magnets 318. By way of example and not limitation, the magnet 318 may extend across 80% or 90% of the length of the track 314. The magnets 316, 318 may be embedded and held in place in cavities 382, 383 with an adhesive or other attachment mechanism such as a screw. The repelling forces generated by the magnets 316, 318 may be equal to the weight of the sliding door 300 including the bracket 342, top member 374 and the magnet 316 and other components that may be attached to the sliding door or move with the sliding door as the sliding door 300 traverses between the closed and opened position. The configuration of the magnets 316, 318 may be identical to the configuration of the magnets 16, 18 in relation to the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The distribution of the magnets 416 may follow the same guidelines as that of the magnets 316 discussed in relation to the fourth embodiment of the shower door 320. Additionally, the magnet 418 may be embedded within the track 414 similar to the magnet 318 in relation to the track 314.
The track 414 may have a groove 476. The groove 476 may receive one or more wheels 478 that are attached to the sliding door 300. For example, as shown in the figures, the sliding door 300 may have two wheels 478 that are horizontally level with each other. The wheels 478 may ride within the groove 476 of the track 414.
The wheels 478 may be rotatable in direction of arrow 479 about a central axis. The wheels 478 may rotate as they 478 are traversed within the groove 476 of the track 414. Preferably, the wheel 478 does not touch the track 414 as the sliding door 400 is traversed between the opened and closed positions. Rather, the repelling force generated by the magnets 416, 418 should be counterbalanced by the weight of the door 400. More particularly, the repelling force of the magnets 416, 418 may be equal to a weight of the door. The wheels 478 preferably do not carry any weight of the door 400. However, the wheel or wheels 478 may have ridges 480 that are received into slots 481 formed in the groove 476. In this manner, the door 400 is not allowed to slide off of the track 414.
The weight of the door 482 is represented by arrow 482 and is offset 483 to the upward force 484 generated by the magnets 416, 418. The repelling force of the magnets 416, 418 is represented by arrow 484. This offset 483 will cause the door to rotate in the direction of arrow 485. In order to keep the door 400 in a vertical orientation, a roller 486 may be disposed on a medial side of the door 400 at the lower end portion of the door 400 and be positioned so as to maintain the door 400 in a vertical orientation. The roller 486 may rotate as the door pushes against the roller 486 and the door 400 is traversed between the opened and closed positions.
Referring now to
Referring now to
The track 614 may be a single elongate extruded piece of aluminum or other suitable material. Alternatively, the track 614 may be fabricated from multiple elongate extruded pieces of aluminum that are assembled together. By way of example and not limitation, the track 614 may have extruded inserts 678a, b. In this regard, the track 614 may include a base 680 and the two inserts 678a, b. The base 680 may have a cavity 682 that receives the magnet receiving member 674a, b. In particular, the base 680 may have cavities 682a, b that each individually receives the magnet receiving members 674a, b and the inserts 678a, b. The inserts 678a, b may be received into cavities 692a, b. The inserts 678a, b may have a base 694a, b. The base 694a, b may have a matching configuration compared to the cavities 692a, b. By way of example and not limitation, the base 694a, b and the cavities 692a, b may have matching trapezoidal configurations. The base 694a, b may freely slide into the cavities 692a, b. The base 694a, b may be held into place with an adhesive (e.g. silicone). The base 680 and the inserts 678a, b may be sufficiently long so that the opposing ends are attached to the walls 22, 24. In contrast, the magnet receiving members 674a, b may be sufficiently long to extend across a substantial part or the entire width of the door 600a, b. More particularly, the magnet receiving member may comprise bracket 642 which extends across the substantial part or the entire width of the door 600a, b.
Also, the magnet receiving members 674a, b may have stabilizing rollers 684a, b on opposed ends of the doors 600a, b, as shown in
The bottom side of the bracket 642a, b may have a bracket 679 which attaches the glass door 600a, b to the bracket 642a, b of the magnet receiving member 674a, b.
Referring now to
The track 714 and a magnet receiving member 774a, b which may be attached to the door 700a, b may have magnets 716a, b, 718a, b embedded therein that produces a repelling force to lift the door 700a, b and prevent any or minimal contact therebetween.
The magnet receiving member 774a, b may have stabilizing rollers 784a, b. The stabilizing rollers 784a, b may be disposed on opposing ends of the doors 700a, b as shown in
Moreover, the doors shown and described herein are described as being glass doors. However, it is also contemplated that the doors may be fabricated from other materials as well including but not limited to wood, plexiglass, and the like. In the various aspects and embodiments described above, the brackets were described as being equidistantly set apart from a vertical midline of the door. In this regard, the repelling forces generated by the magnets embedded in the brackets on opposed sides of the vertical midline are equal to each other. However, it is also contemplated that the repelling forces generated on opposed sides of the vertical midline may be located asymmetrically about the vertical midline and also generate asymmetrical repelling forces but yet evenly lift the door upward.
The track 14, 114, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 may be directly or indirectly attached to the structure around the door opening so that the track 14, 114, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 may be disposed above the door opening and the door that engages the track 14, 114, 314, 414, 514, 614, 714 may be traversed between an opened and closed position. In the closed position, the door is disposed in front of the door opening so that people and things cannot be passed through the door opening. In the opened position, the door is displaced away from the door opening so that people and things can pass through the door opening. It is also contemplated that the track 14, 114, 214, 314, 414, 514, 614 may be embedded within the structure around the door opening so that the track is less noticeable during use. The structure around the door opening may be the wall, header, threshold, floor. In this regard, the door may function as a barn door in front of a door opening.
In the seventh and eighth embodiment shown in
The various aspects and embodiments described herein are directed to a magnetic levitation door and illustrated by way of a shower door. However, the various aspects and embodiments of the magnetic levitation door may be incorporated into a sliding screen door, sliding patio door, horizontally sliding window or any other door or opening with a panel that that horizontally slides to open and close the opening.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 16/541,640, filed on Aug. 15, 2019, which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 16/392,347, filed on Apr. 23, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 16/032,455, filed on Jul. 11, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/723,045, filed on Oct. 2, 2017, which relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/525,118, filed on Jun. 26, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/427,024, filed on Nov. 28, 2016, the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62525118 | Jun 2017 | US | |
62427024 | Nov 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16541640 | Aug 2019 | US |
Child | 16749895 | US | |
Parent | 16392347 | Apr 2019 | US |
Child | 16541640 | US | |
Parent | 16032455 | Jul 2018 | US |
Child | 16392347 | US | |
Parent | 15723045 | Oct 2017 | US |
Child | 16032455 | US |