EP3453819B1

EP3453819B1 - A grip assembly for a sliding door and the sliding door having the grip assembly

Info

Publication number: EP3453819B1
Application number: EP17460058.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Grzegorz Dolny
Original assignee: Laguna Fabryka Okuc Spolka Z OO Sp K
Current assignee: Laguna Fabryka Okuc Spolka Z OO Sp K
Priority date: 2017-09-07
Filing date: 2017-09-07
Publication date: 2019-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 2037-09-07
Also published as: PL3453819T3; EP3453819A1

Description

The present invention relates to a grip assembly for a sliding door, to be built into a socket in the forefront of the sliding door panel. Proposed device allows for easy drawing out the sliding door from a cassette hiding the sliding door panel when the door is opened. Invented grip assembly can be applied in various sliding door systems and can be used for both top hung or bottom rolling systems. The invention relates also to the sliding door equipped with said grip assembly.
Many inventions have been proposed related to handles and grip devices designed for the sliding door. Majority of these devices are mounted either externally to the door piece, or in a recess or a slot shaped in the sliding door panel. In the sliding door systems hidden handles are of particular interest.
In Chinese utility model application CN201883766 U (Beijing Tianyi Curtain Wall Eng. Co. Ltd., CN, 29.06.2011) a hidden handle for folding doors or sliding doors is proposed. When not in use the handle is folded inside a housing, thus causing no collision with adjacent frame. The handle and the housing are inserted in a hole recessed in the door panel. The housing is fixed in the panel through self-tapping screws. The outer side of both the folded handle and the housing is substantially aligned with the outer side of the door panel. When needed, the handle can be pulled out of the housing and operated likewise a common handle. After use the handle is rotated upwards to make a lever in vertical position. After the lever is released, the handle returns under gravity to the housing and remains in this position until next use.
Similar invention of hidden handle is proposed in Australian patent application AU2017100035 A4 (A&L Windows Pty Ltd., AU, 23.02.2017). A handle for translating a sliding door between open and closed positions, includes a housing couplable with screws to a frame of said door; and an arm hingedly coupled to the housing so as to rotate in vertical plane between extended and retracted positions. When the arm is extended to horizontal position, the door can be pushed or pulled between open and closed positions. The arm remains in extended horizontal position under gravity, but is not secured when retracted to vertical position and hidden in the housing.
Another hidden handle is disclosed in Chinese utility model application CN203978187 U (Shanghai Yangyang Daduoli Special Tack Co. Ltd., CN, 03.12.2014). The door-moving handle is composed of a housing screwed to the sliding door plate, and a movable baffle arranged in the housing. When the user's fingers reach the interior of the housing, the baffle slides in reverse direction of the inner wall of the housing, thus enabling the fingers to penetrate more deeply. This ensures that the fingers cannot slide out from the handle when the door is pushed or pulled. A bulge is arranged on the outer edge of the baffle, thus ensuring the baffle is sliding smoothly along the inner wall of the housing.
All the above-discussed solutions relate to the handles or grips mountable at front side of the door panel, namely in decorative lining. However, when the sliding door panel is pushed into the door cassette, one cannot reach the handle hidden in the front wall of the panel, which itself is hidden in the cassette. The same problem arises when the sliding panel is hidden behind the front wall of the piece of furniture or obstructed by another sliding door panel. Therefore there is a need to have a grip helpful to draw the sliding door panel out of the cassette or from behind the obstructing element, i.e. when a handle mounted on the sliding panel front surface is not accessible.
On the other hand, when the sliding door is closed, the forefront surface of the panel should abut the door frame and the grip cannot be an obstacle in closing the sliding door.
Other examples of a grip assembly for a sliding door are known from documents US 723 239 A and GB 2 276 814 A .
According to the invention, a grip assembly for a sliding door consists of inner part to be built into the sliding door panel and outer part which is visible and accessible from the outside of the sliding door. The grip assembly comprises rotatable grip element attached to rear side of a front plate and hidden in the inner part when not in use. To be used the grip element has to protrude from inner part to outer part of the grip assembly through an opening in the front plate. This opening has a shape and dimensions of maximum cross-section of protruding part of the grip element. The latter is suspended within inner part on a horizontal pivot of a hinge which is fixed to inner surface of the front plate. At any position of the grip element its mass center is displaced inwardly from the horizontal pivot. In particular the grip element is an oval plate with an aperture for the user's fingers.
When not in use the grip element is held behind the front plate by a resilient cantilever placed at inner part of the grip assembly. It plays a role of a catch locking the grip element and preventing it from sticking out of the front plate.
The grip element has a protrusion or a notch to receive a flap shaped at one end of the resilient cantilever. Its second end is fixed to rear side of the front plate.
To release the grip element one has to press a push button mounted in a hole, preferably circular, in the front plate. The push button protrudes from the hole to outer part of the grip assembly. If front surface of the grip assembly has to be flat, then the outer surface of the push button should be coplanar with outer surface of the front plate.
The push button is coupled with the resilient cantilever.
To help the user to open the sliding door the invented grip assembly can be provided with another grip called hereinafter a side grip to be placed on the side of decorative lining of the door panel. When not used, the side grip is hidden in a cavity shaped in the side plate. The side plate is perpendicular to the front plate.
In the simplest embodiment the side grip is just the wall of the cavity in the side plate. In more elaborated embodiment the side grip is an additional element installed in the side plate. In particular the side grip is hidden in the cavity and pivotable in the side plate.
The grip assembly is built into an opening recessed at the forefront of the sliding door panel. In case of the grip assembly containing the side grip additional side opening has to be cut in the decorative lining to enable fixing the grip assembly.
The grip assembly can be fastened to the sliding door panel with screws or catches. The latter solution is recommended in particular for the sliding door panels having metal frames.
When opening the door the sliding door panel can be slipped into a slit of the door cassette. To secure the inside of the door cassette from dust and small objects it can be sealed with the dust seals, e.g. in the form of adhesive strips fixed at the inner front edges of the door cassette. A brush seal is very convenient for this purpose.
Preferred embodiments of invented grip assembly are shown on the drawings, where:

Figs. 1 and 2 show side and front views of the grip assembly, respectively;
Fig. 3 shows perspective view of the grip assembly built into the sliding door panel;
Fig. 4 shows the sliding door panel hidden in the door cassette, with the grip assembly;
Figs. 5 and 6 show the grip assembly in locked and unlocked positions, respectively;
Fig. 7 shows the grip assembly with additional side plate with grip cavity;
Fig. 8 shows the grip assembly with additional side grip hidden in a cavity in the side plate.

Invented grip assembly for a sliding door in preferred embodiment consists of inner part (1a) to be built into the sliding door panel (2) and outer part (1b) accessible from the outside of the sliding door. The grip assembly comprises rotatable grip element (3) attached to a front plate (4) which has an opening (5) of the shape and dimensions of maximum cross-section of the grip element (3). The latter is suspended within inner part (1a) of the grip assembly (1) on a horizontal pivot (6) of a hinge (7) which is fixed to inner surface of the front plate (4). At any position of the grip element (3) its mass center (8) is displaced inwardly from the horizontal pivot (6).
In one embodiment the grip element (3) is an oval plate with an aperture (9) for the user's fingers, usually the forefinger and the thumb, or the forefinger alone. Alternatively, lower part of the ring surrounding the aperture (9) can be cut out and then instead of an aperture (9) the plate has a hook for easy grasping.
The grip element (3) may have any convenient shape. In particular the shape of its part positioned inwardly relative to the pivot and not protruding through the opening (5) is limited only by the dimensions of the hole recessed in the door panel. For example, it cannot be thicker than inner layer located between both decorative linings.
In another embodiment, not shown on the drawing, the grip element is ended with a horizontal bar to be grasped with two fingers, e.g. the forefinger and the middle finger. From the bird's eye view it looks like a bar in horizontal letter T.
The grip element (3) has a protrusion (not shown on the drawing) or a notch (10) to receive a flap (11) shaped at one end of a resilient cantilever (12) placed at inner part (1a) of the grip assembly (1). The second end of the resilient cantilever (12) is fixed to the front plate (4).
A push button (13) is mounted in a hole (14) in the front plate (4) and protrudes from the hole (14) to outer part (1b) of the grip assembly (1). The push button (13) is coupled with the resilient cantilever (12). When the user presses the push button (13) the resilient cantilever (12) is forced upwards, the flap (11) releases the notch (10), the grip element (3) turns under gravity around the pivot (6), and the grip aperture (9) protrudes through the opening (5).
In preferred embodiment the grip assembly is not visible after closing the sliding door. In this case outer surface of the push button (13) is coplanar with outer surface of the front plate (4).
In bifunctional embodiment the grip assembly has a side grip (15) hidden in a side plate (16) perpendicular to the front plate (4). The side plate (16) has a cavity (17) which itself can play a role of the side grip. To facilitate opening the sliding door the side grip (15) is an additional element, e.g. a ring, suspended on a side pivot and hidden inside the cavity (17).
The grip assembly (1) is built into the opening recessed at the forefront (18) of the sliding door panel (2). It is fastened in this opening with screws or with catches.
The sliding door consists of the sliding door panel (2), a frame surrounding the door opening, and a door cassette (19). The sliding door panel (2) can be slipped into the door cassette (19).
Front inner edges of the door cassette (19) can be sealed with a dust seal (20) securing the cassette from dust and small objects which could incidentally get into the space between the walls of the door cassette (19). In recommended embodiment this is a brush seal in the form of adhesive strip.

List of elements on figures

1 - grip assembly
1a - inner part of the grip assembly
1a - outer part of the grip assembly
2 - sliding door panel
3 - grip element
4 - front plate
5 - opening for the grip element
6 - pivot in the hinge
7 - hinge
8 - mass center of the grip element
9 - aperture in the grip element
10 - notch in the grip element
11 - flap in the resilient cantilever
12 - resilient cantilever
13 - push button
14 - hole for the push button
15 - side grip
16 - side plate
17 - cavity in the side plate
18 - forefront of the sliding door
19 - door cassette
20 - dust seal of the door cassette

Claims

A grip assembly for a sliding door, consisting of inner part (1a) to be built into the sliding door panel (2) and outer part (1b) accessible from the outside of the sliding door, comprising rotatable grip element (3) attached to a front plate (4), wherein the front plate (4) has an opening (5) of the shape and dimensions of maximum cross-section of the grip element (3) which is suspended within inner part (1a) of the grip assembly (1) on a horizontal pivot (6) of a hinge (7) which is fixed to inner surface of the front plate (4), and in that at any position of the grip element (3) its mass center (8) is displaced inwardly from the horizontal pivot (6).
The grip assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the grip element (3) is an oval plate with an aperture (9) for the user's fingers.
The grip assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the grip element (3) has a protrusion or a notch (10) to receive a flap (11) shaped at one end of a resilient cantilever (12) placed at inner part (1a) of the grip assembly (1), and wherein second end of the resilient cantilever (12) is fixed to the rear side of the front plate (4).
The grip assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that a push button (13) is mounted in a hole (14) in the front plate (4) and protrudes from the hole (14) to outer part (1b) of the grip assembly (1), and in that the push button (13) is coupled with the resilient cantilever (12).
The grip assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that outer surface of the push button (13) is coplanar with outer surface of the front plate (4).
The grip assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is fastened in the opening recessed at the forefront (18) of the sliding door panel (2) with screws or with catches.
The grip assembly according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it has a side grip (15) installed in a side plate (16) perpendicular to the front plate (4).
The grip assembly according claim 7, characterized in that the side grip (15) is a cavity (17) shaped in the side plate (16).
The grip assembly according claim 7, characterized in that the side grip (15) is pivotable and hidden in the cavity (17) shaped in the side plate (16).
A sliding door comprising a grip assembly (1) as described in any of claims 1-9, characterized in that the grip assembly (1) is built into the opening recessed at the forefront (18) of the sliding door panel (2).
The sliding door according claim 10, characterized in that the sliding door panel (2) is provided with a door cassette (19).
The sliding door according claim 11, characterized in that the door cassette (19) is provided with a dust seal (20) along one or both vertical inner front edges.
The sliding door according claim 12, characterized in that the dust seal (20) is a brush seal.
The sliding door according claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the dust seal (20) is an adhesive strip.