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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a counter-frame for concealed sliding doors. The counter-frame is particularly suitable for transport and storage.

STATE OF THE ART

Concealed sliding doors are traditionally made by setting into the wall counter-frames comprising, as well as a portion of cornice that delimits the useful passage for people passing through, also a chamber for hiding the leaf inside the wall itself. A rail, generally at the top, guides the leaf between the passage, the chamber and vice versa. Known chambers are generally called "pockets", being made in the form of fixed and rigid box shaped prefabricated elements, using slabs and metal rods.

This generates particular logistical disadvantages as the dimensions of the doors that can be made with this technique can vary greatly, and induce the maintenance of a substantial assortment of counter frames.

It is to be considered on this point that standardized models, which are the most sold, are also multiple, being able to choose, for the same height and width of the pocket, between different pocket and cornice lengths according to whether passage openings of variable widths between 600 and 1200 mm or even larger are to be created.

The transport of the counter-frames is also particularly expensive, as they occupy a substantial volume.

To date, it is common practice to solve these problems by storing and transporting the counter-frame disassembled and assembling the parts on site.

However, the assembly has particular practical disadvantages as it is long and complex, and must be performed by an experienced worker.

The transport and storage remain in any case difficult to optimize due to the management of the various possible measurements.

It is to be considered that to date the transport cost is one of the items that has the greatest effect on the final cost of these products.

It is also to be considered that many retailers, rather than accumulating assortments of various sizes while awaiting any orders, uselessly taking up storage space, only keep ready for sale the most commonly sold measurements, thus extending the supply times of the others.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome all, or some, of the drawbacks of the prior art.

In particular, a preferred aim of the present invention is that of optimizing the logistical and practical aspects connected with the supply of counter- frames for sliding doors.

A further preferred aim of the present invention is that of providing a counter-frame for concealed doors that enables optimal mass transport for lowering the sales costs.

A further preferred aim of the present invention is that of providing a counter-frame with optimized mass storage spaces.

Another preferred object of the present invention is that of providing a counter-frame that is easy to install.

Another object is that of providing a product whose width is variable and can satisfy the various widths necessary for the customer.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

According to a first general aspect, the present invention relates to a counter-frame for sliding doors comprising at least one housing chamber for a leaf, the chamber being intended to be incorporated into a wall of a building structure, characterized in that:

- such chamber is defined by a cage with a first end comprising an opening for the passage of a leaf and a second end opposite the first, such counter-frame comprises at least one horizontal guide sliding in extension of the cage;

- such first end of the cage being fixed with respect to the horizontal guide and such second end being slidable with respect to said guide between a minimum length configuration of the cage and a plurality of predetermined length extensions defined by predetermined stopping positions.

In this way, it is advantageously possible to keep the cage closed in a pack arrangement in the minimum dimension configuration until the time of use, which reduces storage and transport costs. Furthermore, the cage can create various counter-frame sizes, being able to be extended to various stopping points, which reduces the assortment costs.

According to a general preferable characteristic of the invention, said stopping positions are defined by a plurality of predefined stopping abutments that can be activated by choice. This facilitates the installation by non-specialist workers. The stopping abutments are preferably located along said horizontally extending sliding guide.

In that case, some particularly practical embodiments envisage said horizontal guide comprising at least one sheet metal wall, and said activatable stopping abutments comprise a plurality of tabs obtained by the notching of said sheet metal and that can be bent to pass from a configuration flush with the sheet metal, in which they are inactive, to a bent configuration, in which they are active as an abutment for the cage.

According to some preferred embodiments, said guide comprises at least two sections articulated to one another, the first section is fixed in the horizontal position at the first end of the cage, and is of a length that substantially corresponds to the minimum length of the cage, the second section can be rotated with respect to the first for passing from a reclined position to a horizontal position.

This enables the passage from the closed configuration to the open configuration of the cage limiting the dimension of the guide, so that there is no need for a separate guide but it can be made directly coupled to the cage for better practicality in terms of transport and installation on site.

Preferably, the stopping positions are defined at the reclining section.

Preferably, said cage can be extended in bellows form.

According to some preferred embodiments of the invention the cage comprises a plurality of uprights that can slide in the horizontal direction with respect to said horizontal guide, with respect to one another and preferably independent from one another. In particular, the uprights slide guided by said horizontal guide. In this way, the uprights can move towards and away from one another so that the cage can be closed in a pack- arrangement, when the uprights move towards one another, and open like bellows when they move away from one another.

For example, the uprights are joined together, preferably two by two, by at least one articulated arm mechanism in order to be movable towards and away from one another, preferably independently from one another, in the length extension direction of the cage.

The articulated arm mechanism preferably comprises at least one rod, with the ends fixed to a pair of uprights for connecting them to one another, where one of the ends is fixed rotatably to an upright and the other end is fixed to the other upright rotatably and slidably in the height direction of the cage.

According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, the cage comprises a pair of grates facing one another, each of which comprises a plurality of said uprights, where the two grates preferably comprise the same number of uprights, the uprights of one grate being coupled to those of the other, in order to be integral with one another, preferably two by two, in said extension sliding of the length (H) of the cage.

In that case, at least two uprights placed at respective slidably movable ends of the grates are coupled by means of a connection flange that stops by abutment against a stopping abutment after the latter has been activated. Such abutment is for example said folded tab. Said flange keeps the two uprights at a sufficient distance to define between them the passage opening of the leaf.

In general, it is preferable for the counter frame to comprise at least two sliding guides, preferably the same as each other, e.g. at the upper and lower ends of the cage so as to be specular.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the appended drawings and provided by way of indicative and non-limiting example. In such drawings:

Figure 1 schematically shows a wall of a building structure comprising a counter-frame for a sliding door according to the present invention, the wall is broken in order to see the counter-frame more clearly;

- Figure 2 shows the chamber of the counter-frame of Figure 1 in a perspective view and maximum extension position;

- Figure 3 shows an exploded view of Figure 2;

- Figures 4 and 5 show the chamber of Figure 2 in a side view and in the maximum extension position and in the closed position, respectively;

- Figure 6 shows a detail in the enlarged scale of the length regulation system of the chamber of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is like Figure 6 in a partially exploded view;

Figure 8 shows an extension guide of the chamber part of the regulation system of Figures 6 and 7;

- Figures 8a and 8b show a stopping tab of the extension guide of Figure 8 in an enlarged scale.

With reference to Figure 1, a wall 1 is illustrated into which a counter-frame 10 is set for creating a concealed door 5.

The counter-frame 10 comprises a chamber 12 intended to be incorporated into the wall and a cornice 14 intended to define the passage opening 15 through the wall 5. A sliding guide 18 guides at least one leaf 20 from the inside of the chamber 12 to the opening, and vice versa.

We conventionally consider the orientation of the counter-frame mounted in the wall to define its height H in the vertical direction, its length L in the horizontal sliding direction of the door, and its thickness S in the orthogonal direction to the other two.

Below, the term "cross members" further means elements with a mainly longitudinal extension in the direction of said length L, and uprights means elements with a mainly longitudinal extension in the direction of said height H.

With reference to figures 2 to 5, according to a general characteristic applicable to all embodiments, the chamber 12 is a folding cage with an adjustable length. In particular, the cage 12 can be bent in the direction of the length between a closed position shown in Figure 5 and a plurality of open positions, one of which is shown in Figure 4.

A system 30 for regulating the length enables the desired opening length to be set.

In particular, the illustrated example of the cage 12 has a box-shaped structure with a substantially rectangular section in the plane comprising the height H and the width L. It comprises two substantially rectangular main walls 25 facing one another in the direction of the thickness S.

The cage 12 defines an internal compartment 22 for housing the leaf 20 between the two main walls 25, and comprises, on one of the sides of the rectangular section, an opening 26 for the passage of the leaf 20 between said compartment and the passage opening 15, as well as perimeter zones 28 for the joining at a predetermined distance of the main walls 25 to one another. Said perimeter joining zones 28 are at the other three sides of the rectangular section.

It can be observed that the figures show the passage opening 26 of the leaf closed by a flange 29. However, it is a flange applied only for transport and storage, and intended to be removed during installation.

In general, in order to enable the extension of the cage 12 for the opening and for reaching the desired length, the main walls 25 each comprise a grate that can be extended in bellows form 35 in the opposite direction to the opening 26.

Each grate 35 comprises a plurality of uprights 36 parallel to one another, slidable in the direction of the length L of the cage 12 thanks to at least one articulated arm mechanism 38 interposed between each pair of adjacent uprights. The mechanism 38 is for example an articulated quadrilateral.

Each articulated arm mechanism comprises a pair of rods 40 of equal length, crossed over with one another substantially at their centre line, wherein they are joined by a rotation pin 41 that enables the variation of their mutual inclination.

Each rod has the ends fixed to one of the uprights 36 of the pair of uprights that connects them to one another, where one of the ends is fixed rotatably to an upright and the other end is fixed to the other upright rotatably and slidably in the direction of the height H of the cage.

In this way the uprights are able to move with respect to one another in the length direction L of the cage 12 without needing to move in the height direction H. The displacement is preferably such for which in the closed configuration of Figure 5, the uprights 36 are closed in a pack arrangement, substantially in contact with one another, and in the open configuration they can reach a distance between one another corresponding to the maximum extension permitted for the cage.

As can be noted, each articulated arm mechanism could also work with just one rod, but would tend to move in the height direction, therefore it is a possible but less preferred solution.

As shown in Figure 7, the two grates 35 preferably comprise the same number of uprights 36 coupled two by two through respective connection brackets 44 placed at their ends and preferably substantially U- shaped.

The connection brackets 44 keep the uprights 36 spaced out from one another in the direction of the thickness S of the cage and slide in a guide cross member in extension 50.

The extension guide 50 comprises at least two sections 51 and 52 articulated to one another. The first section 51 is fixed and of a length substantially corresponding to the length of the cage in the closed configuration. The second section 52 is rotatable with respect to the first for passing from a substantially parallel position to the uprights 36 to an operating guide position parallel to the direction of the length L. The first fixed section 51 is proximal to the passage opening of the leaf 26, whereas the second section 52 is distal.

The regulation system 30, in general, comprises a series of stopping abutments 65 for the cage along its opening path, e.g. distanced from one another with a constant pitch. The stopping abutments 65 can be activated by choice and operate within the cage. Solutions with abutments operating outside the cage are not excluded. The example illustrated shows abutments 65 in the form of tabs that can be bent towards the inside of the cage 12. They are obtained on the extension guide 50 and placed at a predetermined distance from one another in the longitudinal sliding direction L. The position of the tabs is such for which each of them provides a stopping abutment for the cage opening at a standardized cage length, where such lengths are variable between 600 and 1200 mm or even greater.

As shown more clearly in Figures 8, 8a and 8b, the tabs can be created along the rotatable section 52. In particular, such section has at least one sheet metal wall, preferably a horizontal wall, on which through notches 60 are made defining the perimeter of the tabs 65.

Preferably, the stopping of the cage takes place by abutment, against the bent tab 65, of the flange 44 that joins and distances the two uprights 36 from one another at the end of the cage 12 corresponding to the opening 26, as shown in the partial section of Figure 6.

Therefore, in the case illustrated, the guide in extension 50 and the bracket 44 are part of the regulation system 30 of the extension of the cage in length.

It is not excluded that the cage has different abutment elements from the bracket 44.

When in use it is necessary to open the cage 12 and fix its opening length. The tab 65 corresponding to the desired length is bent towards the centre of the cage (Figure 8b shows a tab bent in the active configuration). The others remain flush with the sheet metal of the wall in which they are notched (portion shown in Figure 8a).

The cage 12 is thus able to slide below the tabs flush and stops in abutment on the bent one. (In the example shown the flanges 44 therefore slide flush below the tabs (65)).

The regulation system 30 can be present on the upper side of the cage 12, on the lower side, or preferably on both sides as in the illustrated case.

As can be noted, the present invention generally envisages that the end 70 of the cage comprising the opening 26 is fixed with respect to the guide 30, in particular it is fixed with respect to the first section 51, and the opposite end 71 slides to perform the desired measurement .

GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS In understanding the object of the present invention, the term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended as open-ended terms that specify the presence of declared characteristics, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other undeclared characteristics, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The above also applies to words, which have similar meanings, such as the terms "comprised", "have" and their derivatives. Furthermore, the terms "part", "section", "portion", "member" or "element" when used in the singular can have the double meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. As used herein to describe the above executive embodiment(s), the following directional terms "forward", "backward", "above", "under", "vertical", "horizontal", "below" and "transverse", as well as any other similar directional term, refers to the embodiment described in the operating position. Finally, terms of degree, such as "substantially", "about" and "approximately", as used herein, are intended as a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the final result is not significantly changed.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent from this description to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, position or orientation of the various components can be modified as needed and/or desired. The components shown directly connected or in contact with each other can have intermediate structures arranged between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. All the advantages of a particular embodiment do not necessarily have to be present at the same time. Any characteristic that is original compared to the prior art, alone or in combination with other characteristics, should also be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such characteristics. Therefore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustrative purposes only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.