GB2431686A

GB2431686A - Partition door with curved guide

Info

Publication number: GB2431686A
Application number: GB0621235A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aquino Martins Pocas
Original assignee: WAYNE DALTON EUROP
Current assignee: WAYNE DALTON EUROP
Priority date: 2005-10-28
Filing date: 2006-10-25
Publication date: 2007-05-02
Also published as: GB0621235D0; FR2892709B1; FR2892709A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a sectional door for closing an opening 10 formed in a partition 12. The door comprises a moving portion 14 made up of a plurality of hinged-together panels 16, a first horizontal guide path 20 for placing above the opening 10, a second horizontal guide path 22 for placing on a lateral partition 12', a curved guide 24 interconnecting the horizontal guide paths, guide means 26 carried by the panels 16 and cooperating with the guide paths, a traction arm 28 connected to a lateral end 14a of the door and suitable for moving parallel to the second horizontal guide path 22, and means 34, 38 for guiding the lateral end 14a of the door along the guide paths, said end having the traction arm 28 connected thereto.

Description

* 1 2431686

Title of the invention

A laterally-movable motor-driven sectional door

Background of the invention

The present invention relates to a motor-driven sectional door, and more particularly to a sectional door which moves laterally during opening or closing. The field of application of the invention is particularly, but not exclusively, that of garage doors for dwellings, or doors of industrial or commercial premises.

In conventional manner, a sectional door of that type comprises a moving portion made up of a plurality of consecutive panels that are hinged to one another. When the door is put into position in an opening formed through a partition of premises, it is guided along a first horizontal guide path disposed above the opening, and a second horizontal guide path disposed on a lateral partition that is perpendicular to the partition that includes the opening, and serving to extend the first guide path horizontally, with a curved horizontal guide portion serving to interconnect the horizontal guide paths. The door has wheel-type guide means carried by the panels and co-operating with the guide paths. A traction arm connects a lateral end of the door to a motor-driven carriage suitable for moving parallel to the second horizontal guide path. The traction arm thus enables the door to be moved laterally along the horizontal guide paths.

Given the disposition of the horizontal guide paths and the tight curvature of the curved guide portion used in a door of the above type, it is not possible to use a wheel for guiding the lateral end of the door that has the traction arm connected thereto. As a result, while the door is being opened or closed, the lateral end of the door having the traction arm connected thereto tends either to rub (or even strike) against the side partition, with the risk of damage to the door that that implies, or else to swing towards the inside of the premises, thereby reducing the space available inside said premises.

Object and summary of the invention

A main object of the present invention is thus to mitigate such a drawback by providing guidance to the lateral end of the door that has the traction arm connected thereto.

This object is achieved by means of a sectional door for closing an opening formed in a partition, the door comprising a moving portion made up of a plurality of panels hinged to one another, a first horizontal guide path for placing above the opening in the partition, a second horizontal guide path for placing on a lateral partition extending substantially perpendicularly to the partition having the opening, and located substantially horizontally to extend the first guide path, a curved guide portion interconnecting the horizontal guide paths, guide means carried by the panels and co-operating with the guide paths, and a traction arm connected firstly to a lateral end of the door, and secondly to a motor-driven carriage suitable for moving parallel to the second horizontal guide path in order to move said door laterally, and in which, in accordance with the invention, means are provided for guiding the lateral end of the door to which the traction arm is connected along the guide paths.

Such guide means enable the door to be kept constantly vertically below the guide paths while it is moving. Thus, any risk of the door coming to rub against the lateral partition while it is moving is avoided.

In an advantageous disposition of the invention, the door includes a moving latch co-operating with the guide paths and including a notch for receiving a stud secured to the lateral end of the door having the traction arm connected thereto, during the movement of the door.

Preferably, one of the ends of the moving latch co-operates with the guide paths and the other end is secured to one of the panels of the moving portion of the door. In addition, the ends of the moving latch are advantageously connected to each other by means of a rod suitable for moving in translation in a sleeve pivotally secured to one of the panels of the moving portion of the door.

In another advantageous disposition of the invention, the curved guide portion includes an abutment for preventing the moving latch from moving at the end of the door-closure sequence.

In yet another advantageous disposition of the invention, the door includes means for holding the door laterally when in the closed position.

Brief description of the drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention appear from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings that show an embodiment having no limiting character. In the figures: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic overall view showing an embodiment of a sectional door in accordance with the invention; 25. Figures 2A to 2D are fragmentary plan views of the Figure 1 door as it moves from a closed position towards an open position; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic overall view showing the Figure 1 door practically in its open position.

Detailed description of an embodiment

The sectional door of Figure 1 is for closing an opening 10 formed in a partition 12 of premises such as a garage, for example. In this figure, the door is in its "closed" position, i.e. it shuts the opening in the premises.

The door comprises a moving portion 14 made up of a plurality of consecutive panels 16. Adjacent panels are hinged to one another by means of pivots 18.

A first horizontal guide path formed by a substantially channel-section rail 20 is secured to the partition 12 above the opening 10. A second horizontal guide path likewise formed by a generally channel-section rail 22 is secured to a lateral partition 12' perpendicular to the partition 12 that has the opening 10 for closing. The second guide path extends the first guide path horizontally and is connected thereto by a curved guide portion 24.

The panels 16 carry guide means in the form of wheels 26 engaged in the guide rails. By way of example, the wheels 26 are carried by the panel hinge pivots 18.

It should be observed that no wheel is provided at the lateral end 14a of the moving portion of the door that is located beside the lateral partition 12' A traction arm 28 has one end connected to the lateral end 14a of the moving portion 14 that is disposed beside the lateral partition 12' at the top portion of the door. At its opposite end, the traction arm 26 is connected to a motor-driven carriage 30 suitable for running along an additional guide rail 32 disposed horizontally on the lateral partition 12' beneath and parallel to the second horizontal guide path 22.

Movement of the motor-driven carriage 30 along the additional rail 32 entrains the moving portion 14 of the door via the traction arm 28, thus causing it to move laterally along the horizontal guide paths from a closed position (Figure 1) towards an open position (Figure 3), and vice versa.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for guiding the lateral end l4a of the door to which the traction arm 28 is connected along the guide paths 20 to 24 so as to keep the door constantly vertically beneath the guide paths while the door is moving.

S

Such means are in the form of a moving latch 34 co-operating with the guide paths 20 to 24 and including a notch 36 for receiving a stud 38 secured to the lateral end l4a of the door to which the traction arm 28 is connected. The stud 38 is located on the top portion of the door.

More precisely, oneof the ends of the moving latch 34 co-operates with the guide rails 20 to 24, e.g. via a wheel 40 engaged in said rails. The moving latch 34 also includes a rod 42 suitable for moving in translation in a sleeve 44 pivotally mounted on one of the panels 16 of the moving portion of the door, in the top portion thereof.

The sequence of movements of the door in accordance with the invention from its closed position (Figure 1) to its open position (Figure 3) is described below with reference to Figures 2A to 2D.

Figure 2A shows the door in its closed position. In this position, the stud 38 secured to the top portion of the lateral end 14a of the door is disengaged from the moving latch 34.

When the door is caused to open, the motor-driven carriage 30 having the traction arm 28 secured thereto is caused to move in the direction represented by the arrow in Figures 2A to 2C.

Initially, under the effect of this movement, the panel 16 of the door having the other end of the traction arm 28 secured thereto pivots about its pivot 18 hinging it to the adjacent panel, thereby enabling the stud 38 to become engaged in the notch 36 of the moving latch 34 (Figure 2B) Thereafter, still under the effect of traction from the arm 28, the stud 38 secured to the door slides into the notch 36 of the moving latch 34 until it comes into abutment against the end thereof. This movement is accompanied by the rod 42 moving in translation in the sleeve 44 of the latch (Figure 2C) *0* From this position, continued traction on the arm 28 causes the door to move along the guide rails, and also causes the moving latch 34 to move therealong by means of the stud 38 that is locked in the notch 36.

Thus, the lateral end 14a of the door is held in the moving latch and is guided along the rails 20 to 22 in such a manner as to prevent it from rubbing against the lateral partition 14' and to prevent it from moving towards the inside of the premises.

It should be observed that the sequence for locking the stud secured to the lateral end of the door in the moving latch takes place at the beginning of door opening, i.e. before the lateral end 14a of the door leaves the curved portion 24 of the guide paths.

Thereafter, the carriage 30 continues to move normally until the door is fully opened (Figure 2D).

The sequence of moving the door from its open position to its closed position can be understood in obvious manner from the above.

The command for closing the door causes the motor-driven carriage 30 to move along the additional rail 32, thereby causing both the door and the moving latch 34 to move in the manner described above.

In order to avoid untimely release of the latch secured to the lateral end of the door during this operation, a system may be provided for retaining the stud in the notch of the moving latch, which system may be implemented for example in the form of a spring (not shown in the figures) When the moving latch 34 reaches the curved guide rail 24, it comes into contact with an abutment 46 secured to said curved guide rail (Figure 2C) . The moving latch then becomes blocked in this position and continued movement of the motor-driven carriage 30 causes the stud 38 that is secured to the top portion of the lateral end 14a of the door to become disengaged. The *0 door then returns to its closed position under the continued pressure from the traction arm 28.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, as shown in Figure 2A, the door further includes means for holding the door laterally in the closed position.

In Figure 2A, such means are in the form of a wheel 48 disposed on the side and in the top portion of the lateral end 14a of the door having the traction arm 28 connected thereto and coming into abutment against a ramp that is secured to the partition 12 so as to close it perpendicularly. *0

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A sectional door for closing an opening (10) formed in a partition (12), the door comprising a moving portion (14) made up of a plurality of panels (16) hinged to one another, a first horizontal guide path (20) for placing above the opening (10) in the partition, a second horizontal guide path (22) for placing on a lateral partition (12') extending substantially perpendicularly to the partition (12) having the opening, and located substantially horizontally to extend the first guide path (20), a curved guide portion (24) interconnecting the horizontal guide paths (20, 22), guide means (26) carried by the panels (16) and co-operating with the guide paths (20 to 24), and a traction arm (28) connected firstly to a lateral end (14a) of the door, and secondly to a motor-driven carriage (30) suitable for moving parallel to the second horizontal guide path (22) in order to move said door laterally, the door being characterized in that it further includes means (34, 38) for guiding the lateral end (14a) of the door to which the traction arm (28) is connected along the guide paths (20 to 24).

2. A door according to claim 1, including a moving latch (34) co-operating with the guide paths (20 to 24) and including a notch (36) for receiving a stud (38) secured to the lateral end (14a) of the door having the traction arm (28) connected thereto, during the movement of the door.

3. A door according to claim 2, in which one of the ends of the moving latch (34) co-operates with the guide paths (20 to 24) and the other end is secured to one of the panels (16) of the moving portion of the door.

4. A door according to claim 3, in which the ends of the moving latch (34) are connected to each other by means of a rod (42) suitable for moving in translation in a sleeve 4.

(44) pivotally secured to one of the panels (16) of the moving portion of the door (14) 5. A door according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the curved guide portion (24) includes an abutment (46) f or preventing the moving latch (34) from moving at the end of the door-closure sequence.

6. A door according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further including means (48, 50) for holding the door laterally when in the closed position.

7. A door according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the guide paths (20 to 24) are rails (20, 22, 24) of substantially channel-section for co-operating with wheels (26) carried by the panels (16) of the moving portion (14) of the door.