RAIL DE GUIDAGE

GUIDE TRACK

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT
A GUIDE TRACK
A guide track (20) for receiving a guide bracket (26)
of a sliding door (1), the guide track (20) including a
longitudinal opening (22) having a width adapted to
accommodate and guide a guide bracket (26), during use, and
an internal channel (24) within the track (20) communicating
with the longitudinal opening (22) along the length of the
track (20), wherein the width of the internal channel (24)
is greater than the width of the longitudinal opening (22).
This arrangement enables debris falling into the guide track
to be swept along the internal channel (24) without blocking
the track (20) and causing malfunction of the sliding doors.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
CLAIMS
1. A guide track for receiving a guide bracket of a
sliding door, the guide track including a longitudinal
opening having a width adapted to accommodate and guide a
guide bracket, during use, and an internal channel within
the track communicating with the longitudinal opening along
the length of the track, wherein the width of the internal
channel is greater than the width of the longitudinal
opening.
2. A guide track as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width
of the longitudinal opening increases towards the internal
channel.
3. A guide track as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein
the width of the internal channel is more than twice the
the width of the longitudinal opening.
4. A guide track as claimed in any preceding claim which
is made of a low friction material.
5. A guide track as claimed in any preceding claim which
is manufactured by extrusion from a plastics material.
6. A guide track as claimed in any preceding claim which
is resilient and bendable.
7. A guide track substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to and as shown in figures 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
8. A sliding door guide apparatus comprising a guide
bracket for mounting on a sliding door and a guide track as
claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the guide bracket
is substantially planar and has a thickness slightly less
than the width of the longitudinal opening of the guide
track, thereby enabling the bracket to move along the
longitudinal opening as the door slides, during use.

9. A sliding door guide apparatus as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the guide bracket is a planar metal plate.
10. A sliding door guide apparatus substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in
figures 1, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Description

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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