Description

The present invention relates to an adjustable device for the movement on the floor of sliding doors.

More in particular, the present invention relates to a device that not only allows single or double sliding doors to slide optimally on the floor but also compensates for any tilting from the vertical of the doors.

As it is known, sliding doors are diffusely used and appreciated for their functional features, since they do not protrude into the interior of the room once opened; in some embodiments, these doors fit concealed, once opened, into a special recess in the wall, making them completely invisible. In the upper portion, the sliding door generally includes a sliding track, coupled with at least one carriage fixed to the wall; the door is opened and closed by sliding the rail on the wheels of the fixed carriage. From the lower portion of the door, according to a well-known embodiment, protrudes in part a pair of spring-loaded wheels, connected to respective supports built into the ends of the lower edge of the door; the door translates as a result of the rolling on the floor of said spring-loaded wheels. One such solution disclosed in EP 2,646,635; EP 3,665,52, in the name of the same applicant, also refers to a similar solution, in which an opposing bottom rail is fixed to the floor and is defined by a projecting appendage such as a pin or the like that, protruding upward, engages and locks along a longitudinal milling cut in the lower end of the door. Also known from WO2019/029838 is a device for floor- mounted sliding doors,comprising a fork frame fited with one or more elastic sheets,while French PatentFR 2332406 disclosesa sliding doorframecarriage,consisting oftwo componentsconnected by a screw;the wheels ofthe carriage are supported by respective shafts,which arepress-fitted into asupportelement.

Thiskind ofsystem isvery suitable fortheconstruction ofdesigner doors, since the mechanisms that enable their movement are completely hidden from view;however,ithasbeen found thatthe known solutions have a major drawback. Indeed, although the weightofthedoorisdistributed between theuppercarriagefixed to thewalland the spring-loaded wheelsplaced atthe bottom,itmay happen thatthe dooritselftiltsto one side,namely in the direction ofthe side opposite to thatwhere the above-mentioned carriage is located;thisisbecause the relevantspring-loaded wheelflexesto a greaterextentthan theother,beingmoresubjectto theweightofthe sliding door.

Anotherinstancein which thedoortiltsoccurswhen itslideson an uneven floor that is not properly leveled,or when the floor has depressionsorreliefsalong the sliding track.The inclination ofthe door with respect to the vertical line is not acceptable from an aesthetic pointofview,especially for solutionsin which the door itselfismadeofglassand hasan aluminum frame;thisinclination,in fact,would emergein relation totheedgeofthecompartment,which isvisible beyond the glassofthe frame.Yetanotheroccurrence of possibleinclination ariseswhen thedoorislocatedto closeacorridor and hasto abutagainstthedefining sidewallofthecorridoritself;in thissituation,the doorwould abutonly atthe top,leaving agap at thebottom.

The inclination ofthedooralso limitstheuseofthissolution to the single sliding doorand isnotapplicableto thedouble sliding doors. In the case of double doors,in fact,the inclination of the two opposingslidingdoorswouldresultin them abuttingatthetop,while an unacceptableand unsightlylargerorsmallergap would becreated atthebottom.

The purpose of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks.

More in particular,thepurposeofthepresentinvention isto provide an adjustabledevice forthemovementon the floorofsliding doors thatcan compensate forthe possible tiltofsingle sliding doorsor double sliding doorsby aligning them vertically.

Furtherpurpose oftheinvention isto provide an adjustable device thatcan compensate forany depression in the floor,improving the sliding ofsinglesliding doors.

A furtherpurpose ofthe invention isto make available to usersan adjustable device for floor movement of sliding doors that can guaranteeahigh levelofstrength and reliabilityovertime,and such thatitcan beeasilyand inexpensivelymanufactured.

These and otherpurposesare achieved by the adjustable device of thepresentinvention in accordancewith themain claim.

The constructionaland functionalspecifications of the adjustable deviceoftheinvention maybebeterunderstood from thefollowing disclosure,in which reference is made to the attached tables of drawings thatrepresenta preferred and non-limiting embodiment and in which:

Figure 1 schematically showsa sliding doorthatisnotaligned vertically,in thecenter-bottom portion,with respectto thewall; Figure2 showsapartialenlargementofFigure1,asan example oftheextentoftheheightdifferenceofthesliding door;

Figure 3 schematically shows a vertically perfectly aligned sliding door;

Figure4 showsapartialenlargementofFigure3,to emphasize thetotalabsence ofheightdifference ofthe sliding doorfrom thewall;

Figure 5 schematically shows,in exploded view,the adjustable device ofthe invention in an upside-down position formore clarity;

Figure 6 schematically shows a side view of the adjustable deviceoftheinvention,to emphasizethepossibleexposureof the slidingwheelon thefloor;

Figure 7 schematically showsapartialsection sideview ofthe same device in the neutral position, that is, without any adjustmenthaving been madeto it;

Figure 8 schematically showsapartialsection sideview ofthe samedevice,with theadjustmentcompletely applied to. With initial reference to Figures 1 and 2, the adjustable device of the invention is attached to and partially integrated into a seat formed along the bottom edge of a sliding door 12; in this description, reference will be made to a single adjustable device, understanding, however, that the sliding door includes, along its bottom edge, a pair of such devices, positioned at opposite ends of the door.

In particular, said devices are arranged adjacent to the longitudinal milling where the pin or appendage protruding from the floor is positioned, according to the solution described in EP 3,665,352. Figure 1 shows that door 12 is not aligned vertically with the wall, indicated by 14; the enlarged view in Figure 2 emphasizes the extent of the height difference that requires corrective action by means of the device of the invention, as further detailed below. Figure 3, on the other hand, shows sliding door 10 perfectly aligned vertically with the wall, and the enlarged view in Figure 4 emphasizes the absence of any height difference.

The adjustable device of the present invention is shown overall as 10 in Figure 5, in which it is illustrated in exploded upside-down view to better identify its features and components. Said adjustable device comprises, similarly to the aforementioned solution disclosed in EP 3,665,352, a rubber wheel 16 connected to a frame 18 through a pin 20; from the frame 18, coupled to a known pad 26 made of elastomeric material, protrudes a pair of overlapping elastic sheets 22, fixed by screws 24 inserted in holes 24' to the frame described below. According to the invention, the adjustable device 10 comprises a frame consisting of two mutually articulated components made of plastic or metal. In particular, a first upper body constituting the fixing base 28, defining a substantially rectangular plane, is provided along the opposite major sides with integral flanks 30 folded at 90°; on each of said flanks, at one end of the fixing base 28, a through hole 32 is formed to accommodate a pin 34. At the opposite end the flanks 30 extend to form opposing arcuate walls 30'.

The adjustable device 10 of the invention comprises a secondary body or tilting support 36, likewise defining a substantially rectangular plane, intended to fit into the fixing base 28 between the flanks 30 and the arcuate walls 30' which partially enclose it. Said tilting support 36 is provided, at one end, with a through hole 38 in which is inserted the pin 34 which provides the articulated connection with the fixing base 28.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, means are provided for determining such tilting, consisting of a screw 40 or the like; said screw is inserted into a threaded hole 42, made on the tilting support 36 at the opposite end from the hole 32 of the pin 34. The screw 40, e.g., with a hexagonal head, crosses the tilting support 36 and protrudes therefrom until it abuts the inner face of the fixing base 28, as shown in Figures 7 and 8; in Figure 6, on the other hand, the more pronounced exposure of the wheel 16, resulting from the adjustment described below, is schematized. The adjustable device 10 so assembled is inserted and stabilized in a known manner in the cavity formed at the base of the sliding door 12, from which it partly protrudes as shown in Figures 2 and 4; when a misalignment of the sliding door 12 is present, the screw 40 of either the devices 10 present at the opposite ends of said door is acted upon. The misalignment may be detected with respect to the edge of the passageway in the case of an aluminum framed sliding door, with respect to the abutting side wall in the case of abutting on a wall, or, again, with respect to the second door in the case of a double sliding door. Screwing of screw 40, which cannot slide longitudinally because its lower end is in contact with the fixing base 28, results in the progressive lowering of the tilting support 36 (Figure 8), with the consequence that a sliding door 12 is brought into alignment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Adequate space for a wrench exists between the head of the screw 40 and the floor, which makes adjustment by the operator easy.

If the door instead of being made of wood is made of glass, it is fitted along the bottom edge with an aluminum profile, substantially in the shape of an "H," suitable for housing the glass on one side and the known door sliders on the other.

As it can be noted from the above, the benefits that the invention achieves are obvious.

The adjustable device of the present invention allows the precise alignment of the sliding door 12 and double doors to be carried out quickly and smoothly, among other things compensating for any small depression in the floor and thus improving the sliding of the wheels 16.

Though the invention has been described with particular reference to one embodiment, given for illustrative and not limiting purposes, numerous modifications and variations will appear obvious to one skilled in the art in light of the above description. The present invention, therefore, is intended to cover all modifications and variations that fall within the protective scope of the following claims.