1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rolling door having a door leaf which can be rolled up, and to a method of installing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Rolling doors are used nowadays in particular in the industrial sector if the intention is for a door opening to be opened quickly and, if appropriate, automatically. It is possible here for the door opening to be closed in the vertical or horizontal direction.
Thus, for example, EP 0149138 describes an automatic door with two door parts made of roll-up sheets which, for the purpose of the closing and opening operations, can be moved symmetrically in relation to one another in the horizontal direction and are rolled up on rollers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,902 describes a similar rolling door in which the sheets are moved via a mechanism using a toothed belt. A further rolling door is described in U.S. Pat. No. 490,448, in which it is possible for a single door leaf comprising segments to be moved via a high-outlay cable mechanism.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a rolling door which is cost-effective to produce, does not take up much space and is straightforward to construct and activate, this in conjunction with a rolling door having a door leaf which can be rolled up, having a vertical roller casing for accommodating the door leaf, having a sliding bar which can be displaced in the horizontal direction and on which the roll-up door leaf is fastened, and having a horizontal guide rail which is located at the top and in which the sliding bar is mounted in a displaceable manner.
This object is achieved in that the roller casing is or can be fastened on a wall by way of its rear side or its outer side, and the guide rail is designed as a free guide rail which is fastened, on one side, at least indirectly on the roller casing and, on the other side, in a holder attached at least indirectly to a wall.
The core of the invention is thus to provide a simplified construction using a free guide rail, i.e. a guide rail which is only fastened or secured at its ends. On one side, in this case, the guide rail is fastened at least indirectly on the roller casing, i.e. it is sufficient to fasten the roller casing on the wall on the one side and to fit the holder on the other side. In particular a rolling door according to the invention proves to be advantageous when, for example in the case of toilet cubicles, there is no lintel present. The straightforward modular construction allows cost-effective production of the individual parts and installation of the rolling door which does not require high outlay. Moreover, the construction proposed allows the guide rail to be adapted to the inside width of the door simply by means of cutting to length. This is made possible in that the guide rail is fastened, on both sides, in holders which allow a certain amount of tolerance for the length of the guide rail. The production of different lengths of guide rails can thus largely be done away with. The bottom edge of the rolling door, which is exposed as a result of the door being guided exclusively at the top edge, can be spaced apart from the floor, as a result of which, and this may be important in particular if the door is used as a toilet door, it is easier to clean the door region and good ventilation of the interior is made possible.
A first preferred embodiment of the rolling door according to the invention is distinguished in that the guide rail is designed as a hollow profile, a pulling carriage with running rollers preferably being mounted in a displaceable manner in the hollow profile, and the hollow profile also preferably having exclusively a slot which is open in the downward direction and through which the pulling carriage is connected to the sliding bar. It is possible here, in particular, for the guide rail to be configured as a tube of essentially circular cross section, and for the pulling carriage to comprise at least one pair, in particular preferably two pairs arranged one behind the other, of running rollers which are arranged to the sides of the pulling carriage, have a curved running surface and on which inner surfaces of the tube which are present alongside the slot run. Using a straightforward tube as the guide rail proves to be particularly favorable in production terms and results in a pleasing appearance. The curved inner running surfaces which are thus available can be used to good effect in combination with curved running surfaces of the running rollers.
A further preferred embodiment of the rolling door is characterized in that a motor for displacing the sliding bar is arranged in or on the roller casing, and in that this displacement takes place via a spindle which is driven by the motor. The spindle here is preferably arranged in the interior of the guide rail and engages in at least one internal thread in the pulling carriage, this thread being adapted to the characteristics of the spindle. It proves to be advantageous here if the spindle, on the side which is directed away from the roller casing, is mounted in the holder. Using a spindle for moving the sliding bar proves to be very reliable and to save a lot of space and, moreover, such a design is easy to realize. It is also possible here for the axis of the motor to be arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the door on or in the roller casing and for power to be transmitted to the spindle via an angular gear mechanism. The braking functions which are necessary, inter alia, for safety reasons, are preferably arranged, in particular, along with the motor, rather than with the gear mechanism, in order for the associated step-up transmission to be utilized. The spindle is preferably inserted into an internally threaded (blind) hole provided in the motor-gear mechanism, and is fixed therein via a locking screw. It is thus easily possible to compensate for inaccuracies in length which arise when the spindle is cut to length.
Another embodiment of the rolling door, furthermore, has a counter-profile on that side of the door which is located opposite the roller casing. This counter-profile is fastened on a wall and is designed for stopping the sliding bar when the door is closed. Correspondingly, it is possible for the counter-profile to be adapted in shaping to the front edge of the sliding bar, in order to effect the best possible sealing when the door is closed (this can take place, for example, via a seal which is arranged on the front edge of the sliding bar and has a specific profile which engages in a corresponding profile in the counter-profile). As an alternative, however, it is also possible for the sliding bar simply to be guided behind a wall protrusion. It is preferable here for the holder for the guide rail to be designed as a top covering for this counter-profile and to be connected firmly thereto. In other words, rather than the holder being fastened directly on the wall, in the first instance the counter-profile is screwed on and then the holder is positioned on the counter-profile from above as a covering. This modular construction may prove to be advantageous for installation purposes.
For controlling or actuating the door (opening or closing), according to another embodiment of the invention, a switch for the contactless operation of the rolling door is arranged on the roller casing, preferably on its inner side, which is arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the door leaf (in order to avoid the situation where, e.g. if used as a toilet door, the door is opened accidentally). The contactless switch proves to be advantageous, in particular, in terms of hygiene. This switch is preferably designed as a single switch which activates the motor logically in each case in dependence on the position of the door leaf. This means that, when the door is closed, activation of the switch automatically opens the door and that, when the door is open, activation of the switch automatically causes the door to be closed.
For safety reasons, it may be advantageous, according to another preferred embodiment, to provide the sliding bar with a mechanism which allows the sliding bar to tilt if, when the rolling door is being closed, an obstacle is located in the inside width of the door. It is possible here for the mechanism to be designed, for example, as a bar or fork which is arranged vertically and connected rigidly to the pulling carriage and is attached to the sliding bar via a pivot pin arranged perpendicularly to the door leaf. This pivot pin is preferably arranged in the top third of the sliding bar, and means are provided for fixing the sliding bar in a vertical position and for releasing the same such that it can be rotated about the pin only when a certain leverage about this pin is exceeded.
The operation of securing the roll-up door leaf can be realized by the roller casing containing a roller body onto which the roll-up door leaf is rolled, the roller body containing a torsion spring such that, when the door leaf is being closed, it is unwound from the roller body counter to the spring force, and the energy which is built up in the process, in particular, is preferably sufficient for rolling up the door leaf onto the roller body again, without any further motor power, when the rolling door is opened. Such a mechanism proves to be advantageous particularly in respect of the door being opened in an emergency (e.g. also in the event of power failure).
Such a rolling door may have an exchangeable roll-up door leaf or an exchangeable roller body, in order that the door surface, which can be used for example for advertising purposes, is easy to exchange or, in the case of a defect, to replace. The door leaf may be formed from at least partially textile woven fabric, possibilities here being, in particular, laminates made of plastics and woven fabrics. Depending on requirements, the material has different properties, e.g. coloring, surface configuration, resistance to chemicals, etc. The surface, moreover, can have printing applied to it and can be used correspondingly for advertising graphics or the like. The advertising graphics thus appear each time the door is closed and disappear again when the door is opened. The default position is normally that in which the door is open.
The present invention also relates to the use of a rolling door as described above as straightforward interior shutters, e.g. for furniture and pieces of equipment, as a toilet door, a door for changing cubicles, talk booths such as phone booths, as photo booths, or as a partition door in or on public transport. It proves to be advantageous for these uses, in particular, as a result of its space-saving construction (no pivoting region, thus, for example, more toilet cubicles per square meter, possible straightforward provision of toilet cubicles for the disabled). In quite general terms, it is thus possible to use this door in situations where a door opening is to be provided in as space-saving a manner as possible, in particular, with a screen.
The present invention further relates to a method of installing a rolling door as described above. In particular here, the roller casing is fastened on a wall on one side of the door opening, thereafter the guide rail and, if appropriate, the spindle are cut to a length corresponding to the inside width of the door opening, and then the holder or, if appropriate, the counter-profile, on which the holder is fastened, is fastened on the other side of the door opening, the guide rail and also, if one is present, the spindle being fastened between the roller casing and holder.
The invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow, with reference to exemplary embodiments, in conjunction with the drawing, in which:
a) shows a view of the sliding bar in the vertical position; b) shows a view of the sliding bar in the tilted position;
A guide rail 10 is arranged at right angles to the roller casing 2 and above the door opening. A vertically arranged counter-profile 8 is located on that side of the door opening which is located opposite the roller casing 2. It is possible for this counter-profile 8 either to have its rear side 19 screwed firmly to a wall arranged parallel to the plane of the door opening (end-side installation) or, in particular if only partition walls are provided, as has been mentioned above, to have the outer side 18 fastened on such a partition wall, which is arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the door opening. The counter-profile 8 is covered by a holder 11 at its top end. This holder 11 serves simultaneously as a top covering for the counter-profile 8, as a termination or guide component for the guide rail 10 and as a mount for a spindle 32 arranged in the guide rail 10.
The guide rail 10 thus has one side embedded in the holder 11. At the other, roller-casing end, the guide rail 10 is mounted in the top covering 12 or in elements arranged beneath this covering. The guide rail 10 has an essentially circular cross section, a slot being arranged on the underside, with the result that a guide element arranged in the guide rail 10 can guide the door leaf. For this purpose, the rolling door 1 also has a vertical sliding bar 4, on which a roll-up door leaf 3 is fastened, on one side, over the entire height. The sliding bar 4 has a length which corresponds essentially to the height of the sheet of the door leaf 3 and which does not reach to the floor. A spacing thus remains between the bottom edge of the sliding bar 4 or the bottom edge 6 of the door leaf 3 and the floor. The door leaf 3 is not guided on its underside, and the abovementioned spacing allows straightforward cleaning of the floor in the door region.
The roller casing 2 has, on its inner side 16, on the one hand, a lateral slot 13 which extends over essentially the entire height of the roller casing and through which the sheet of the door leaf 3 is guided. On the other hand, a switch 9 is arranged on the inner side 16, approximately half way up the latter or at a somewhat lower level. Via this switch 9, which is designed as a contactless switch, it is possible to activate the opening or closing operation of the door. The switch 9 is realized in a single printed circuit board and can be triggered if approached at a distance of a few cm. It may be triggered here, for example, optically. A logic circuit which activates the motor in accordance with the closure state of the door is provided here. In other words, proximity to the switch when the door is closed opens the door, whereas proximity to the switch when the door is open causes the door to be closed. Arranging the switch 9 on the inner side 16 of the roller casing 2 (i.e. on the side of the roller) together with the sensitivity within a range of not more than 10 cm proves to be advantageous since, in particular if the door is a toilet door, it is thus possible to prevent the door from being opened accidentally, for example when someone is undressing. In order also to prevent the possibility of the door being closed from the outside by reaching through the door opening without someone being present inside the cubicle, the logic circuitry, moreover, is designed such that the hand has to be held in front of the switch 9 at least within the first two seconds of the closing operation (i.e. typically until the door is approximately at least half-closed).
The sliding bar 4 is moved in the closing direction by the spindle drive. In this case, the textile is unrolled from the roller body 28. At the same time, the torsion spring integrated in the roller body is subjected to stressing. The textile is thus tensioned, without bunching, in any position.
For emergency situations, the motor also has possible means of opening the door either from the outside (e.g. by means of a square-end tool) or from the inside (e.g. by means of a lever). These possible means are of purely mechanical configuration, in order that this actuation is possible even in the event of a power failure, this being the case in that, for such an opening, essentially only a brake arranged in the region of the angular gear mechanism is released, and in that sufficient energy is stored in the torsion spring of the roller body in order to allow the rolling door to open automatically. In the event of an emergency opening, the motor rotates along in the manner of a generator and thus gives rise to a continuous opening movement (no spring-back movement). As a result of the low door-leaf weight and the disengaging mechanism of the sliding bar (which will be described at a later stage in the text), it is possible to do away with light barriers, safety strips and the like. The impact energy is thus low and cannot result in injury.
The motor-gear mechanism unit thus provides a means of mounting and driving the spindle 32. By virtue of the motor power being monitored, end positions and possible obstacles can be detected. The directly attached holding brake guarantees the secure closed position.
The spindle thus moves the pulling carriage in the longitudinal direction. The guide forces which occur are transmitted to the guide rail 10 by guide rollers arranged in pairs. The semicircular geometry of the guide rollers can ideally make allowances for angle deviations and transverse movements.
The same components can be used to realize doors which, depending on requirements, open to the left or right. The conversion can be done in just a small number of installation steps and can be carried out by the fitter on site.
By virtue of the spindle and the guide rail 10 being cut to length, the displacement and/or the inside width can be adapted specifically to the conditions in hand. The cut-to-length parts do not require any further machining and can be installed right away. The proposed design makes it possible to realize variable door widths.
In respect of the control or power supply for individual doors, e.g. in an area with a plurality of toilet cubicles, it is recommended to work with extra-low voltage (direct-current motors are used correspondingly) and to provide one transformer for each drive group. The individual doors may be connected in series and, in respect of the power, the system may be designed that in each case only 4 doors can be closed simultaneously upon activation, for example, of 10 doors in an area. Fewer safeguarding measures thus need be taken and, as a result of just one transformer being used, the costs are reduced.
To summarize, the proposed door system has the following advantages:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1222/02 | Jul 2002 | CH | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CH03/00382 | 6/13/2003 | WO | 00 | 1/7/2005 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2004/007890 | 1/22/2004 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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0 149 138 | Jul 1985 | EP |
1 211 379 | Jun 2002 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050274462 A1 | Dec 2005 | US |