Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
A~ g ~3 ~
~hi~; $nv~ntion rela~ t~ guide trac~ , and in
par~ ular to ~ guid~ ~rack for r~c~ in~ a guide bracX~'c o~
a ~liding door, 8uch as a l~ft door.
I~o~t prio~ art li~ door~ ~1) have g~ide ~;hoe~ ~33
at~ach~d to ~h~ir bot~oms ~or ~liding in ~r~ove~ o~ ~ door
s~ll (5) to guid~ th~ doors (1~ a~ thay open and c:lo~ ~c.f~
Flgur~s 1 and. 2)~ E~h door ~ mov~d ~y driv~ ~e~n~ (7~
10 towa~d~ and away from ~h~ o~her doox (~). To ~na~lF3 the
~y~en~ ~ know wh~n ~hh two door6 ~r~ clo~d, an elea~ro
mechanical tnt~rlock operat~ betw~n ~he ~Wo door~ . If
this ~l~ctro-~ech~nical int~rloc~ (not 6hown) is not
~riggered, ths li~t i~ not allow~d to as~end or d~en~ from
15 its ~ta~ting po~ on. Her~ce, ~t i~ essential ~h~ the
doors t lJ travel in the ~am~ plane so l;h~ thi~ el~qtro-
mech~nical ~ nt~rloc}c can function O Thi~ i~ why i~
ne~e~ary for ~he doors (1) to b~ gu~d~d ~y ~e~n~ of th~
~u~de 6hoe~ ~ 3 ) and ~ $ ~ at ~he bo~tom o~ ~ach door ~
Pri~ art ~uide sho~6 (3), a~ ~hown ln Fi~ure 2,
~sompri~ ~ pl~Q ~9) ~or ~tt~cl~a~nt ~u~;in~ ~cr~3w~ o th~
bo~om o~ a li~ door ~1) and ~ bulbou~ en~ or
~r~velllng in a qroov~ (13) o~ a ~oor ~ ).. Tha bu~ouE
por~ion ~11) o~ a pri~r ar~ guide h~ (3) i~ u~ually ~aA~
~5 o~ nylon, alo~h or moulded pla&tics adh~xed ~o ~h~ plat~
and w~a~ haa~ y in th~ roove ~13), a~ do~
~5) lt~ . Thi~ i6 partly du~ ~ acc~ula~on o~ d~r~ in
~h~ door ~11 wh~ch o~ructs t~ mo~ion o~ ~h~ guidf3 6h~e
~3~ along th~ sill groovs (13)~ d~d, i~ ~h~ dQbri~;
30 build-up i~ ~ub~t~ntial~ i~ can re~ul~ ~n cc)m~ ailu~
of ~h~ lif~ doors becau~ the guide E110~13 (3~ OTtlR ~amm~d
and th~ doc~r~ c~nno'c clo~.
~ h~ pre~nt invention ai~s ~o impx~v~ upon th~ pr~or
art mentionQd ~hPve ~y r~duciny the problems a~ t~d with
35 de~ri~ in a door ~ill. With ~chis ln ~ind, th~ pr~en~
;Lnvention provid~ ~ guide ~rac~c for r~c~lving a guid~
hr~ f ~ sliding door, t:h~ guld~ ~r~k including a
lon~itudin~l op~tling having ~ wld~h adapted ~0 ~ccomlnoda~
and guid~ a guids bx~c3ce~, dur~ng u~;e, ~nd an inter~sal
channel within t;he track c:owmunic~in~ With the longi~udih~l
ope~ning ~lonq t:ha length of 'ch~ t~aclc, wh~r~in t:he Width oP
the intexnal ah~nnel i~ grs~a~t~r than thQ wi~l~h o~ th~
5 longi~udina:l open~ng. This form of ~ide track mln~mise~
the po~ y of ~amming ~ the 1iciing doox~; dU~ ~Co
debris in the tra~ c. Further, ar~ la~ Which a~e sr~aller
than the wid~h oE th~ lon~i~udinal opening can dr~p int~ th~
tracX atld be aaco~o~at~d in th~ in'cer~al channsl withou~
10 a~fect~ ng thR ~'cion o~ th~ guide br~X~t~ along ~h~
long$tudi~al ~penlrtg o~ th~ tra~k. Furthermor~ o~e
a~tiGle~ wh~h ~all into the guide tx~}c casl b~ ~w~pt by the
guid~ br~k~t~ along thQ tracX and ~ay b~ pu~hed ~ompl~ely
out o~ t:h~ ~r~ck, th~r~y ksep~ng th~ tr~c1c r~la~ ely fr~
15 from d~bri~,
PrefPrably t~e w~dth ~ ths lon~itu~inal opQning
in~rea~e~ tow~ds the $n~nrn~1 channal~ Thi~ a~r~nge~n't
h~lps to en~ur~ ~h~t any debris fall~ng int;o th~ guide trac)c
will not jam the longi~udinal op~ning, but w~ nto
20 the in~Rrnal channel from wh~r~ ~t can )~ 8t~(Bpt~ out ~ th~
stUid~ ~rack.
Pr~ ably the Wid~h o~ th~ intett~al chann~ more
than tWic~ t:h~ Width o~ th~ longi~udi nal op~ning. ~l~arly
the laxg~r ~hf~ cro~ Rc~ion o~ th~ tertlal cha~TIel in
~5 n31a~ion to ~he lc~ngit:~dinal op~ing, tll~ le~:e li~C~ d
4ch~ra i~ ~hat ~he tr~ come block~d by d~r~.
Th~ gu~ tra~ pr~r~bly madQ o~ a lo~r ~ri~tion
ma~r~al, t2~ere~y rsducing t2~ ~a~r o~ tr~c~c orl the
guid~ brac:k~t, during use.
~he guid~ trac~ ; pr~f~3rably b~ndable ~;C~ that ~t ~ n
l~e acco~amodated w,thin ~ny shap~ ~$ door ~;ill. Furthsrmox~
the gui~ a~;:X i~; re~ilien~ it c:~n bQ r~ad~ly ~n~rtsd
into ~ tloor ~till and remo~3d ~her~rom when it iE~ Worn out:.
1~ r~p,l~c~m~snt guitl~ ~rac)c cRn t:h~n 1;1e ~i~ply in~rt~d ~n~o
3~ the ~11 wi~l~o~ any n~Qd to diGs~antl~ th~ gu~de bxacke~
~rom the ~lidin9t door or, ind~ed, ~h~ slidiny door ~o~ i"C8
own dr I ve ~:upport .
Pref~rably the ~Uid~ tr~ck i~ mahu~acturRd by extru~ion
!
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3 2s?~ ?.,~
fro~ pla~ics matcrial~. ~t wi.l ;L, howRver, b~ apprecia~ed
~hat any o~her ~;uitable ~nat~r~l or ~nuf~c~urlng t~chni~e
::ould ~qu~lly we~l bs ~I~Rd.
Accordiny to anothPr a~pe~ o~ th~ p~;ent inven~ion,
5 ther~ i5 pro~ide~ a sliding door guid~ apparatus c;o~npri~inq
guid~ br~oX~t ~or mount~ng on a ~iliding door ~ld 3 guide
~rack aacoxding ~o the pr~ent invQntion~ wher~in ~h~ guld~
bracke~ ubstanti~lly E?lanar ~nd ha~ a thic)cne~ tly
les~ th~n th~ width o~ th~ l~nç~itudin~ï op~ning oÆ ~he guid~
10 txack, t~er~by en~blin~ ~h~ ~r~cket to ~re ~long the
l~ngitudinal opening a8 the ~oor E~lideE~ ~u~ing uçe. P~e to
the guid~ brack~t b~in~ Bubst~ntia1y planar, th~
m~nu~cturing cos~ of the componant i~ ~ignl~iaantly
r~duced. Furth~r, ~y usir~g ~uch a guide apparat~t it will
15 normally only be nece~sary ~o repla~e ~ha guide tr~
becau~Q the gu~ds br~clc~tt whi~h is pr~f~rably ~al, w~1}
ha~e ~ vQry long ~ervic~ lif~.
A ~p~cl~ic em~odi~ent of th~ pres~nt inventlon ~6 n~
d~scr~b~d, h~ w~y of ~xampla only, with r~f~rQnc:~ to ~he
O a~companying draw~ ng~, in whi~h:
Flgure 1 i~ 3 ~ch~mati~ ront vi~w o~ a pai~ of li~t
doors;
Fig~lre 2 i~ ~ crc~ s~ctlon~l V~Q~I al~n~ 21 pxior ar~
~uid~ tr~cJc ~howlng a c:onYen ~onal guld~ sho4;
~igure 3 i~ ~ cro~s~çt~onal ~i~w tl~ough a gui~3
~rac~c a~cording 'CR 'che pr~san~ i~v~n~ion showlng a guid R
br~cX~t in positi~n in th~ dQ ~r~c~; ~nd
Figur~ 4 ~ ~ an enla~g~d cro~ ctlonal ~i~w along a
guide trac~c ac~or~ing to th~ pre~nt; ~nv~ntionv
3 o with r~r~nce to Fig~r~ 3 an~ 4, a guld~ tra~k
(ao) accordi~l~ t~ the p~ n~ inve3ltion co~pri~ an
~xtrude~ l~n~th of plast~ mat~ri~l d~ nq a longitudinal
opening (22) ~nd an in~rnal ch~nn~l (24) ~ommunic:ating wi~h
the lon~.tudina'l openin~ (22)~ T~1Q w~dth o~ ~he
3S longi~u~in~l opening (22) in~rea~e~ toward~ in~srnal
chann~l ~24), a~ ~hown in Figur~ 4.
ïn u~e, the gui~e t~rac~c (20~ lot~Qd int:o ~ doo~
sill groove (13) and ac~omrn~d~e~ a plan~r guldQ bra~k~
. .
4 2~ r,~
~ 6) Rxt~nding into th~ longitudln~l opening (2~ he
width o~ ~h~ longitudirlal ~pRnin~l ~2~) i8 ~l$gh~1y lar~er
~h3.n ~hQ thickn~ f the g~idQ brack~3t ( 2 6 ), ther~by
enabling the guide ~rac:XQt ~and hence the ~lidihg door) to
S b~ guided ~y th~ guid~ track ~20) wlt;hou'c actually grlpping
thR ~uid~ ~rack~3t ( 2 6 ) ~
sin~e the quidQ bradce~ ( 26~ i8 manu~ac:~ur~d ~xom
m~al, ~t daes rlot wear qu~ckly aat~ ~h~rsfore ha6 a long
~ervlc,~ lif~. ~ur~h~rmore, du~ to the ~ t ~ha~ the ~u~d~
10 track ~20) ~ ~xtrudsd fro~ pla~ s mat~ al~ ~he SluidQ
~racJc ~20~ is very cheap ~o manuaature and i~ ghtly
xe5:i1ient. Thi5 enabl~3~ the ~u~dR tr~ack ~20) to bs in~ert~2~
ir~to the door 5a11 ~roov~ (13), o~ r~oYe,d therefro3~ wher~ lt
is worn out, very ea~ily. ~ndsed, wh~sl replacing 21 porti~n
15 o~ guide t~ac~ 0~ i~ is not n~c~ssary to ;L-~mu~s the guid~
brack~t 526~ from th~ ding ~loor ~1) or ~ r~3move ~
~lidlng door ( 1) frc)~ it~ own drivin~ ~uppor~ (no~ ~hown~ .
The W~dth of ~h~ lnternal ch~nnel ~2~ ~stan'ci;~lly
lar~er than tn~t s:~f t~e long~ dinal 4p~nitlg (2Z) and car~
20 have any su~ab~ dep~h~ Th~ larg~ cro~ls~ tional
axea of the internal ahanne~ (24), th~ l{h~od ~her~
i~ that debri~ ~alling into ~h~ ohanrlel will blocX th~
s~iding motion o~ th~ gu~dP ~rac~ 2~) ~long ~he
lor~gitud~in~l op~niny ~22). Thus~ du~ to the arr~nge~nen~ o~
guide~rac:k ~20) a~cordiny to ~hQ pre~ent invsntion, sl~ding
door~ (1) incorpora~ing ~u-;:h a gu~d~ appa~tl~ ~r~ far 1~6
prone to ~ailur~. ~ndeed, du~ ~o th~ r~at~v~ SE~ in the
int~rnal channel t24), d~bris fallin~ ther~in ~ gen~r~lly
~wep~ al~tlg th~ ~hannel and out of the en~ ~ th~ guid~
3 o track ( 2 4 ) by tha ~uide ~ra~cst ( 2 ~ ) during oE-~ning ~nd
closing o~ the ~liding door~
11 of cour~a 1;~ und~ tood ~h~ ~h~ pr~n~
in~ention h~ bQsn dQ~c~ib~d abo~ pur~y by way o~ ~xampl~
~nd that modi~ on~ o~ d~t~ 1 c~n ~ ~ad~ wiShin t~e
35 ~IGOp~ ol~ ~he inv~n~ion~
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