The present invention relates to a device for guiding a pair of sliding doors of a container, particularly of a wardrobe.

Closets provided with a pair of sliding doors are known, which when the closet is closed are coplanar, whereas when the closet is open are superimposed. Closets of this type are divided into two basic categories: those in which the door moved to open the closet is positioned in front of the door that has not been moved, and those in which the door moved to open the closet is positioned behind the door that has not been moved.

In general, the first category allows the doors to cover the front edge of the top and the bottom of the wardrobe, while the second category always keeps the front edge of the top and bottom in view.

The present invention relates to a guiding device applicable to closets of this second category, which with respect to those applicable to closets of the first category, are simpler, since they do not have to withstand the stresses associated with the need to have both doors cantilevered.

A guide device for sliding doors of the type object of the present invention is known from WO2016/063195. It provides that each door is provided on the lower edge with a pair of carriages, each provided with a wheel that protrudes from the lower edge of the door and slides on a guide applied to the base panel of the closet and an appendix which also protrudes from the lower edge of the door and engages in a groove formed in said guide. The movement system that allows each door to be moved both to slide parallel to the opening of the closet and to translate orthogonally to this opening to pass from the arrangement coplanar to the other door to the rearward facing position and vice versa provides that the groove obtained in the lower guide comprises a straight section arranged parallel to the front edge of the closet for the sliding of the protruding appendix of each lower carriage for the movements of the door parallel to the opening plane of the closet and two inclined sections located at the end of the section straight for the movements of the door with both parallel and perpendicular to said opening plane and inclined forward. The same happens for the upper guide of each door, in which, moreover, the two guide carriages are provided with an appendix projecting upwards, but they are without a wheel. In this known solution described in WO 2016/063195 it is also provided that the guide appendix and the axis of rotation of the wheel of each lower carriage are fixed, and in particular that the rotation axis of the wheel is orthogonal to the plane of the relative door and this means that the transverse component of the motion of the door determines a sort of drift of the wheel with respect to the lower guide on which it rests.

This drift is the cause of various inconveniences. One of these consists in the fact that the smoothness of the door in its straight path is attenuated when the door itself completes the final section of its travel, in which a component perpendicular to it is added to the movement component parallel to the plane of the door.

Another drawback consists in a limitation of the maximum allowable weight for the door to be moved; it is in fact evident that as the weight of the door increases, the negative effect of the drift is accentuated for its smoothness and therefore for its correct and regular movement.

Another drawback consists in the high wear, to which the soft coating of the wheel is subjected, generally designed to make the movement of the door silent.

Another drawback consists in the fact that the soft material that covers the wheel, in addition to being subjected to high wear, is removed over time by the wheel itself and is deposited on the underlying guide, marking the trajectory of the wheel during the drift in an unsightly manner.

Another drawback consists in that in addition to affecting the wheel of the carriages, the wear also affects the underlying guide on which the wheel slides and this prevents the realization of the guide itself in plastic material. This constitutes an important limitation, since the plastic material, besides being cheaper, may already be available in the desired colors, without requiring any painting or any other finishing treatment.

US 304, 222 has a device to allow the sliding of closet doors configured to be superimposed in the open door condition. The device comprises a wheel mounted on a pivot able to rotate with respect to the door and connected to it. The wheel runs inside a rail made on the bottom of the closet, allowing it to follow a curved path. However, this solution is not fully satisfactory since the wheel moves within a rail and is therefore able to curve only when it touches the edges of the rail itself. This generates friction that can cause noise, difficulty in moving the door, and on the long run the breakdown of the device itself.

The object of the invention is to provide a guide device for a pair of sliding doors of a container, in particular of a closet, which eliminates all the drawbacks now indicated.

In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a sliding door guiding device which does not involve any drifting of the sliding wheels of the doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which allows the doors to be moved in an extremely gentle and easy manner while passing from the closed condition of the closet to the open closet condition and vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which allows the front edge of the top and the bottom of the closet to be kept in view.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which involves the use of a limited number of pieces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors, in which it is possible to adjust the horizontality of the doors in a very simple and rapid manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which can also be applied to closets with more than two doors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which avoids the sudden impact of the door against the closet structure when the end-of-travel position is reached.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which keeps the position of the doors stable in the configuration for closing of the closet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors which, although being of the unified type, can be applied to doors of different thicknesses. Another object of the invention is to provide a guiding device for sliding doors, which allows the convenient and rapid assembly of the doors to the closet structure and their equally rapid disassembly.

All of these objects and others which together and separately will result from the following description, are achieved, according to the invention, with a guiding device for sliding doors, particularly closets, as defined in claim 1.

In particular, the device - according to the invention - for guiding a pair of sliding doors of a container, particularly a closet, in which said doors 4, 4’ are contained between a top 6 and a bottom 8 of the container, is characterized in that it comprises :

a pair of guides 10, 12 to be applied to the lower surface of said top 6 and to the upper surface of said bottom 8, each guide comprising a rail with a straight section 18 and with two end sections 20,20’ inclined forward with respect to said straight section 18, and a two-way double exchange element 22, inserted at the center of said straight section 18 and comprising a rectilinear branch 24, creating continuity with the straight section 18 of the rail of said guide 10, 12, a pair of deviated branches 26, 26’, inclined forwardly in opposite direction with respect to said rectilinear branch 24, and a pair of needles 30, 30' associated with elastic means to maintain them independently in a deviated position, and each provided with an appendix 34 interfering with the respective deviated branch 26,26’ when the needle 30,30' is in a deviated and non-interfering position with said deflected section when the needle is in non-deviated position,

- a pair of first carriages 14, 14’ applied near the ends of the upper edge of each door 4, 4' and each provided with an appendix 38, 38’ which can be engaged in the rail of said upper guide 10,

- a pair of second carriages 16, 16’ applied near the ends of the lower edge of each door 4, 4' and each provided with a support and guide element, which is articulated around a substantially vertical axis to the respective carriage 16, 16’ is comprised a wheel 42 resting on said lower guide 12 and an appendix 40, 40’ integral with said support element and slidingly engageable in the rail of said lower guide 12.

Suitably each of said guides 10, 12 comprises:

a portion of section in which said straight section 18 is obtained, - two terminal blocks 28, 28’, in each of which one of said end sections 20, 20' is obtained,

- a double-exchange element 22 applied to the central part of said section bar.

Advantageously, said two terminal blocks 28, 28’, in each of which one of said end sections 20,20' is formed, and said double exchange element 22 are separate elements, and provide suitable appendices configured to allow their fixing to said profiled portion in which said straight section 18 is provided.

Conveniently said supporting and guiding element of said carriage 16, 16’ is articulated to the carriage itself by means of a sphere 48, to which rests in turn the lower end of a screw 50 engaged with its threaded portion by an adjustment knob 52, axially constrained to the body 36 but free to rotate with respect thereto.

Advantageously, said appendices 38’, 40', which engage the deviated branches 26,26’ of said double-exchange element 22, act on the appendix 34, 34' of the respective needle 30, 30’ so as to carry and maintain said needle in said non-deviated position, in contrast with the reaction of said elastic means.

In particular, said appendices 38, 38’ 40, 40' are elongated in a horizontal direction, so as to extend equally from both parts of each guide 10, 12 relative to the point of contact of said wheel 42 or in any case with respect to the axis of rotation of the appendices themselves.

Conveniently said deviated branches 26,26’ of said double-exchange element 22 have a forward inclination greater than the inclination of said end sections 20,20' of said rail.

Advantageously, each first carriage 14, 14’ comprises a body 36, through which the carriage itself is applied to a door 4, 4', said appendix 38, 38’ of said pair of first carriages 14, 14' being vertically movable with respect to to said body 36 between a lower position contained within the bulk of said door 4, 4’ and an upper position projecting from the upper edge of said door and engaging the rail of said upper guide 10.

Conveniently, each second carriage 16, 16' comprises a body 36, through which the carriage is applied to a door 4, 4’, said wheel 42 of said second carriage 16, 16' being vertically adjustable with respect to said body 36. Advantageously said appendix 38, 38’ of said upper carriage 14, 14’ is kept elastically engaged within the upper guide 10.

Furthermore, suitably said appendix 38, 38' can be disengaged from said guide 10 by actuating a bolt 54 applied to said upper carriage 14, 14’.

Advantageously said appendices 38, 38’, 40, 40' are coated with anti- friction materials.

Conveniently, the device according to the invention comprises a contrast element 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68 configured to contrast with the external appendix 38, 40 so as to brake the travel of the door 4, 4’ in the phase of closing and at the same time keeping the position of the closed door 4.

Conveniently, moreover, the device according to the invention comprises a support 76 applied to said inner lower carriage 16’ of said door 4, 4' for a pair of rubber elements 78 able to cooperate with an inner vertical septum 80 provided in an equidistant position between the two outer sides of the wardrobe.

Advantageously, moreover, the device according to the invention comprises spacer elements 82 to be interposed between each carriage 14, 14’, 16, 16' and the respective door 4, 4’ to maintain the distance between each guide 10, 12 and the outer surface of the door itself substantially constant as its thickness changes.

Moreover, the device according to the invention conveniently comprises a pair of further guides to be applied to the lower surface of said top 6 and to the upper surface of said bottom 8 on the extension of said guides 10, 12, two pairs of carriages 14”, 16" to be applied to said third side door 4” and intended for the movement of a third side door 4” and means applied to at least one of said further guides to keep said door locked in its closed position when the central door 4 is displaced from its closed position.

Conveniently, each of said further guides comprises:

- an exchange 84 with a non-deviated branch 88 extending first the straight section 18 of the guide 10, 12 and subsequently inclined according to the deviated branch 26 of said double exchange element 22 and with a deviated branch 86 running parallel the inclined section 20,

- a straight section placed on the extension of the straight section 18 of the guide 10, 12 and detached from branch 88 of the exchange 84 not deflected and having the end section tilted forward parallel to the deviated branch 86 of the exchange 84,

- a needle 30” belonging to said exchange 84 and having a first appendix 34", which interferes with said deviated branch 86 when the needle 30’ is in a deviated position, and does not interfere with said first branch 86 when the needle 30' is in a non-deviated position, and also having, at least for the exchange 84 applied to one of the two further guides, a second appendix 92 which engages with a mobile element 96 between an interfering position with the curved end of the non-deviated branch 88 of the exchange 84, when said needle 30” is in a deviated position, and a non-interfering position with said inclined end of the not-deviated branch 88, when said needle is in a non- deviated position.

Conveniently, said appendices 38', 40', which engage the deviated branches 26, 26’ of said double-exchange element 22, act on the appendix 34, 34' of the respective needle 30, 30’ so as to carry and maintain said needle in said non-deviated position, in contrast with the reaction of said elastic means.

Advantageously, the invention also proposes a closet characterized in that it comprises a device 1 according to one or more of the preceding claims.

The present invention is further clarified hereinafter in some of its preferred embodiments given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a closet in a closed configuration provided with doors sliding, to which a guiding device according to the invention is applicable,

Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a part of the closet of figure

1 seen from inside,

Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the detail of the double exchange element of the device according to the invention,

Figure 4 shows the same detail in plan,

Figure 5 shows in partial rear perspective view a door, to which a lower carriage and an upper inner carriage are applied,

Figure 6 shows an exploded perspective view an upper carriage,

Figure 7 shows in an exploded perspective view a lower carriage, Figure 8 shows a lower part of the wardrobe with a closed door in a rear perspective, and with the other door close to the closure,

Figure 9 shows a schematic horizontal section of a wardrobe with the doors substantially in similar conditions,

Figure 10 shows a schematic plan view in a first embodiment a damper- positioning device according to the invention for a door in a closed configuration,

Figure 11 shows it in an exploded perspective view,

Figure 12 shows it schematically in the same view as in fig. 10 in a second embodiment,

Figure 13 shows it in an exploded perspective view,

Figure 14 shows schematically in the same view of fig. 1 1 in a third embodiment,

Figure 15 shows an exploded perspective view of a lower carriage of the device according to the invention in an embodiment thereof which also provides its function as an end-of-run damper in the opening configuration,

Figure 16 shows in horizontal section a closet with one door in closed configuration and the other door in open configuration, Figure 17 shows in partial schematic horizontal section a closet with three doors in closed configuration,

Figure 18 shows in partial section schematically horizontally, the enlarged detail of the exchange between the first and the second door in the closed closet configuration,

Figure 19 shows a partial schematic horizontal section of a three-door closet with the central door being opened,

Figure 20 shows in the same view of fig. 18 the exchange between the first and second door in the configuration of the closet shown in fig. 19. As can be seen from the figures, the device according to the invention is applicable to a wardrobe structure 2 with two doors 4, 4’ sliding in the space delimited superiorly by a top 6 and below by a bottom 8. The device comprises an upper guide 10, intended to be recessed in the top 6, and a lower guide 12, intended to be recessed in the bottom 8, both a short distance from the front edge of the top 6 and the bottom 8. The device further comprises two pairs of carriages for each door 4, 4’ and more precisely an outer upper carriage 14, an inner upper carriage 14', a lower outer carriage 16 and an inner lower carriage 16'.

Each guide 10, 12 presents a single straight section 18, which runs parallel to the guide itself and also parallel to the front edge of the panel (top 6 or bottom 8), to which it is applied and ends with two sections 20,20’ of rail inclined forward, that is towards the outside of the closet.

In the central part of the straight section 18 of rail a sort of double exchange element 22 is applied, which is constituted by a block made in two vertically coupled parts. A short rectilinear branch 24 is formed therein, which creates continuity with the straight section 18, and two deviated branches 26,26’, which branch symmetrically from the rectilinear branch 24 and have an inclination preferably greater than the inclination of the inclined rail sections 20, 20'.

Advantageously, each guide 10, 12 comprises, apart from the double exchange element 22, a section bar portion, in which the straight section 18 and two terminal blocks 28, 28’ separated from said section portion in which the straight section 18 is formed. , in each of which the inclined section 20,20’ is obtained. In this way it is possible to adapt the length of the guide 10, 12 to the length of the closet, using the length of a section bar, which is cut to size and to which the two terminal blocks 28, 28' and the central double exchange element 22 are then applied.

For reasons of simplicity and rapidity of mounting each guide 10, 12 is formed of two parts longitudinally distinct: an internal part, constituted by a single continuous guides 10’, 12', and an outer part, consisting of two portions 10", 12" which house the interposed double central exchange element 22 between them and in which the corresponding straight section 18 is formed.

Again for reasons of simplicity and speed of assembly it is provided that the inclined sections 20, 20’ of rail are formed in terminal blocks 28, 28' and that these, similarly to the double central exchange element 22, are provided with appendices for assembly by coupling to the two portions 10", 12" of each guide 10, 12 and for their subsequent fastening, for example by means of screws. In correspondence with each branch of the double exchange element 22 a sort of needle 30, 30’ is provided, similarly to the rail exchanges, which is articulated to the block 23 of the double exchange element 22 and is associated with a spring 32, 32' which tends to maintain the needle itself in a deviated position, in the absence of external stresses.

Furthermore, the needle 30, 30’ is provided at the opposite end with respect to the deviating portion of an appendix 34, 34', which invades the extremal tract of the deviated branch 26,26’ of the exchange when the needle 30, 30’ is in a deviated position, while leaving the deviated branch 26,26' free when the needle 30, 30’ is in a non-deviated position.

Other elements of the device according to the invention consist, as has been said, of the carriages 14, 14’, 16, 16', which are mounted on each door 4, 4’. As already mentioned, two lower carriages 16, 16’ are provided, mounted near the two lower corners of each of the two doors 4, 4' and two upper carriages 14, 14’, mounted near the two upper corners of the doors themselves.

The carriages 14, 14’, 16, 16' comprise a body 36 for connecting to the door 4, 4’ and an appendix 38, 38' and 40, 40’, which engages the rail of the upper guide 10 and, respectively the rail of the lower guide 12.

Each lower carriage 16, 16’ is provided with a wheel 42, preferably coated with rubber, intended to rest on the lower guide 12, outside the rail along which the appendix 40, 40' slides. This wheel 42 is mounted on its own horizontal rotation shaft 44 applied to a vertical support 46, which has a cylindrical portion at the top and extends downwards, beyond the wheel itself, to constitute the appendix 40, 40’. This appendix 40, 40’ is elongated in a horizontal direction, so as to extend equally from both parts of the lower guide 12 with respect to the contact point of the wheel 42.

The vertical support 46 of each lower carriage 16, 16' is articulated to the body 36 of the carriage itself so as to be able to rotate around the vertical axis of its upper cylindrical portion. To this end it is envisaged that the body 36 of the carriage presents a cylindrical cavity, which houses the cylindrical portion of the support 46, which rests with its upper end on a small sphere 48. This sphere in turn supports the lower end of a screw 50, engaged with its threaded portion by an adjustment knob 52, axially constrained to the body 36 but free to rotate with respect thereto. In this way, the simple actuation of the knob 52 allows the vertical position of the lower carriage 16, 16’ and therefore the horizontal position of the door 4, 4' to be adjusted.

Instead, a sort of bolt 54 is applied to the body 36 of each upper carriage 14, 14’, which can slide vertically along a corresponding seat formed in the body itself. The bolt 54 is provided with an actuation appendix 56 and an upper end which constitutes the appendix 38, 38’ of engagement in the rail of the upper guide 10 and has an elongated shape, similar to the appendix 40.40' of the lower carriages 16, 16'.

A solenoid spring 58 elastically maintains the appendix 38, 38’ of the carriage 14, 14' which protrudes elastically upwards and therefore protrudes from the upper edge of the door 4, 4’ due to its engagement in the rail of the upper guide 10, from the which can be disengaged by actuation of the bolt itself during the assembly and disassembly phases of the door 4, 4’ from the structure 2 of the closet.

For reasons of smoothness it is convenient that the appendices 38, 38’ of the upper carriages 14, 14' and the appendices 40, 40’ of the lower carriages 16, 16' are covered with antifriction material, for example nylon or the like.

In order to dampen the travel of each door 4, 4’ in closure and at the same time guarantee the stability of the door in the closed position, it can be advantageously provided that at each terminal block 28, 28' of each guide 10, 12 be applied a shaped contrasting element 60, associated with a spring 62 and partially protruding within the inclined section 20,20’ of rail formed in the terminal block 28, 28', so as to contrast with the external appendix 38, 40 of the corresponding lower 16 and upper 14 carriage. The position of each contrasting element 60 is such as to brake the stroke of door 4, 4’ in the closing phase and at the same time to keep the position of the closed door stable. Figures 10 and 11 show in plan and in an exploded perspective view this contrasting element 60 in a first embodiment, while in Figures 12 and 13 a second embodiment is indicated in similar views, in which the contrasting element 60’ consists of the same clothespin.

Figures 9 and 14 illustrate a third embodiment of this contrast element: it is applied to the inner surface of the top 6 of the closet near both of its vertical sides and comprises a box-shaped support 63, which houses inside it a rod 64, articulated at a longitudinal slot 66 thereof to a pin 68 integral with the box- shaped support 63. The rod presents the outer end, which protrudes from the box-shaped support 63, from a saddle portion 70, intended to engage an appendix 72, applied to the door 4, 4’ near its outer lateral edge.

On the rod 64 there is mounted, between the pivot pin 68 and the saddle portion 70, a solenoid spring 74, which ensures the elastic stability of the two extreme angular positions of the rod itself.

Obviously also in this case the position of the contrast element on the top 6 and of the appendix 72 on the door 4, 4’ are such as to ensure the correct functioning of the assembly, i.e. a damping effect on the door, which is reaching the closed position, by compression of the spring 74 until the rod 64 reaches the middle position with respect to its box-shaped support 63, and a retention of the door 4, 4’ in the position of complete closure when the rod 64 has reached the its extreme opposite angular position.

In order to ensure that the completely open position of the door 4, 4’ is also reached in a gentle manner, without impacts, a support 76 can be applied to the inner lower carriage 16' of the door itself for a pair of rubber elements 78 (see fig.15) able to cooperate with an inner vertical septum 80 provided in an equidistant position between the two outer sides of the closet (see fig. 16).

The assembly of each door 4, 4’ on the closet structure is quite simple and rapid: the assembler rests the door on the bottom 8 of the closet and introduces the appendices 40.40' of the lower carriages 16, 16’ inside the rail of the lower guide 12, so that the wheels 42 rest on the guide itself. Subsequently it makes the upper bolts 54 of the upper carriages 14, 14’ re-enter in the door 4, 4' so as to be able to position the upper edge of the door below the upper guide 10, and then release the bolts 54 so that they engage the upper guide rail and thus stabilize the position of the door with respect to the closet structure.

If it is then necessary to adjust the horizontality of the door, this operation can be carried out in a very rapid, practical and comfortable manner by acting on the adjustment knobs 52 provided on the lower carriages 16, 16’ of the door itself.

As regards the operation of the closet driving device thus assembled, it is advisable to refer to the closed closet condition shown in fig. 1. In this configuration the two doors 4, 4’ are coplanar to each other and each of these has the external carriages 14, 16 positioned near the external sides of the closet and the internal carriages 14', 16’ positioned near the transverse median plane of the closet.

Moreover, the upper outer carriage 14 of the left door 4 engages with its appendix 38 the end of the left inclined section 20 of the upper guide 10, while the inner upper carriage 14’ of the same door 4 engages with its appendix 38' the end of the left deviated branch 26 of the upper double exchange element 22

Similarly, the upper outer carriage 14 of the right door 4 engages with its appendix 38 the end of the right inclined section 20’ of the guide 10, while the inner upper carriage 14’ of the same door 4' engages with its appendix 38’ the end of the right deviated branch 26' of the upper double exchange element 22

The same is also true for the lower carriages 16, 16’ which, similarly, engage with their appendix 40 the end of the inclined sections 20,20’ of the lower guide 12 and with their appendix 40' the end of the deviated branch 26,26’ of the lower double exchange element 22.

In this configuration the appendices 38', 40’, that holds the deviated branches 26,26’ of the two upper and lower double exchange elements 22 act on the appendices 34, 34' of the two needles 30, 30’ and maintain said needles in a non-deviated position, in contrast with the reaction of the respective springs 32, 32’.

To open the closet, for example by sliding the left door 4 to the right for the observer of figure 1 , the user applies a tangential thrust towards the right of the door itself, acting on a handle applied to it. This handle is not shown in the dradoors for reasons of simplicity, but can be of a traditional built-in type, i.e. it can be applied near the external vertical edge of the door itself, or even protruding, and applied along the edge itself.

The tangential thrust on the door 4 causes it to move to the right, with a gentle movement, due to the support of the door on the lower guide 12 by means of the two wheels 42, which thanks to the limited rolling friction allow to produce even large doors and of considerable weight.

As soon as the appendix 38’, 40' of the two inner upper 14’ and lower 16' carriages has started to move along the deviated branch 26 of the two exchange elements 22, it disengages the appendix 34 of the respective needle 30, and allows the spring 32, associated therewith, to bring it to the deviated position, preparing it for the subsequent step of closing the door 4 and in any case ensuring a substantial continuity of the supporting plane for the corresponding wheel 42.

The initial section of the sliding of the door 4 involves its displacement towards the right and, thanks to the presence of the inclined sections 20 and of the deviated branches 26 of the two double exchange elements 22, as well as of the greater inclination of each deviated branch 26 with respect to the corresponding inclined section 20, also entails a roto-translation of the door itself, which is arranged on a plane internally parallel to the plane of the latter, to then slide along the straight section 18 of the guides 10, 12 behind the door 4’.

In order to avoid any interference between the inner vertical edge of the door 4 and the internal vertical edge of the door 4’, it is advantageously provided that both edges are adequately beveled or in any case thinned at the inner vertical edge.

The contrast between the rubber element 78 and the intermediate baffle stops the stroke of the door 4 an instant before it enters with the appendices 38, 40 and 38’, 40' of its upper 14, 14’ and lower 16, 16’ carriages deviated branches 20', 26’, since this would cause a movement of the door 4 to the outside, however hindered by the presence of the door 4'.

The dimensions of the parts are such that when the door 4 is at the end of the opening stroke, the appendices 38, 40 of its upper and lower outer carriages 14 and 16 have not reached the needle 30 of the exchange elements 22 and this allows that when the door must be returned to the closed position, that is when the user carries out a manouver opposite to the previous one, moving the door to the left, the appendices 38’, 40' of the internal carriages 14’, 16' do not enter the deviated branch 26 of the exchange elements 22, given the arrangement of the respective needles 30.

When the door 4 is about to reach the closed position of the closet, and that is when the appendices 38, 40 of its upper 14 and lower 16 external carriage have already taken the inclined section 20 of the lower 28 and upper 28’ terminal blocks of the two exchange elements 22, its appendices 38,40 meet the contrast element 60, which elastically yields to dampen the travel of the door and, after failure, are reported in their initial configuration and constitute a yielding block of the door in its closed configuration.

Obviously the same occurs for the other embodiments of the contrast element 60’ and 70.

The device now described is much more advantageous than the traditional devices, and in particular:

- it allows a gentle movement of the doors, even if of considerable weight,

- has guides that are completely hidden from view by the front edge of the top and the bottom of the closet,

- uses a limited number of pieces, which in practice are reduced to two guides to be recessed in the top and bottom of the wardrobe and in four carriages to be applied to each door,

- it allows the horizontality of each door to be adjusted with maximum precision and therefore to create a slot for dividing the two doors of minimum and constant width,

- makes assembly of the doors extremely convenient on, thanks to the bolts provided in each upper trolley,

- it makes registration of the horizontality of the doors extremely convenient and rapid.

The embodiments now described envisage that, to a certain closet structure, already provided on the top 6 and on the bottom 8 of the upper 10 and lower 12 guide, doors 4, 4’ of a different type can be applied, provided they are of the same thickness. If, on the other hand, it is required to mount on the closet doors 4, 4’ provided with the same carriages 14, 14', 16, 16’ but having a smaller thickness and it is desired at the same time to avoid that this smaller thickness can highlight the external surface of the doors more when the top 6 and the bottom 8 are retracted with respect to the front edge, the invention provides for the use of spacers 82 interposed between each carriage 14, 14', 16, 16' and the respective doors 4, 4’ and capable of compensating precisely the lower thickness of the doors themselves. In fig. 16 the two doors 4, 4’ have been illustrated with different thicknesses to show the spacers 82 in the lower thickness of the door 4' in an exemplary manner.

The device now described can be applied, as stated, to two-door 4, 4' closets; however, the market also requires three-door closets and for this reason the present invention also provides a useful accessory that integrates the device now described and makes it usable in a three-door closet, in which the third door 4” involves certain problems not present in a wardrobe with two doors. In fact, the presence of the third door 4”, which is a terminal door, entails the need to prevent it from being moved when the central door 4 is open, since if said third door 4" could be opened, it could hinder to the closure of the central door 4.

In the hypothesis illustrated in figures 17 - 20, in which this third door 4" is placed on the side of the door 4 and the latter constitutes the central door of a three-door wardrobe, the invention provides to replace the terminal block 28 of the guides 10, 12 of the door 4, with an exchange element 22 entirely similar to the exchange element 22 mounted in the two guides 10, 12 between the two doors 4, 4' and to mount in place of this a different exchange 84, which has a deviated branch 86, similar to the inclined section 20 of the guides themselves, and furthermore a non-deviated branch 88, which after a very short straight section for extending the rail section 18, bends forward. The two guides 10, 12 then continue beyond the exchange 84 with a straight section 90, which extends the section 18, albeit with a solution of continuity, and ends at the end of the guide itself with an inclined section 20" entirely similar to the inclined section 20 of the previous version of the wardrobe with two doors.

The exchange 84 includes a needle 30” which presents, similarly to the needles 30, 30’, an appendix 34", which invades the terminal section of the deviated branch 86 when the needle is in a deviated position (fig. 20), while the leaves it free, when it is not in a deviated position (fig. 18). The needle 30" also comprises a second appendix 92, which engages in an inclined slot 94, formed at the end of a chain link 96. movable parallel to the straight section 18 of the guide rail. This engagement causes that when the needle 30” is in a deviated position the chain link 96 partially invades the curved end of the non-deviated branch 88 of the exchange 84, while when it is in a non-deviated position it leaves the non-deviated branch completely free.

The operation of the device in this embodiment is as follows: if the user wants to open the central door 4, he acts as in the case already described. However, in this case the initial phase of the movement of the central door 4 carries the needle 30" in a deviated position and consequently brings the chain link 96 to invade the curved portion of the non-deviated branch 88 of the exchange 84 and to block the appendix 40 of the door 4, which in this way locks the door itself in the closed position until the central door 4 returns to the closed position.

If instead the user wishes to open the door 4' and not the door 4, the operation can be performed without any obstacle, since the non-deviated branch 88 of the exchange 84 is free; then when door 4" has been brought to the open position, its very presence prevents any attempt to open the central door 4.

This embodiment, in addition to offering all the advantages already described for the previous embodiment, also offers the additional advantage of allowing the construction of closets with three sliding doors.