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(11) | EP 1 672 159 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Braking apparatus of door |
| (57) In a braking apparatus by which braking can be effected to the movement of a door,
the entire braking apparatus is formed in a compact structure. The braking apparatus
has a main body containing a braking fluid, and a spiral rod. A hollow shaft is rotatably
inserted through the main body. The spiral rod is inserted into the hollow shaft,
and the main body and the spiral rod are screw-threadably engaged. On the outer face
of the hollow shaft, is disposed a resistor which is placed in the braking fluid.
The main body is fixed to the door frame, and the spiral rod is fixed to the door.
When the door is opened and closed, the spiral rod undergoes straight reciprocating
motion in the axial direction, and this motion is converted to the rotational motion
of the hollow shaft, and the hollow shaft is rotated under decelerated condition,
whereby braking can be effected to the movement of the door.
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Background of the Invention
(1) Technical Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a braking apparatus of a door, by which braking can be effected to movement of a door, a sliding door, a folding door, a sash window, etc. (hereinafter referred to as door), when the door is automatically closed.
(2) Information of Prior Art
[0002] There have been known self-closing apparatuses constituted to automatically close a door by use of a spring, a weight, a slope rail, etc., in a sliding door, a folding door, etc. When such self-closing apparatus is used, a braking apparatus is employed for the purpose of braking the movement of the door so that the door will not hit a door frame with impact. Such braking apparatuses are constituted in various structures so as to apply resistance against the movement of the door, but have problems. For example, an apparatus employing pneumatic pressure tends to easily loose service durability, whereas a hydraulic pump type apparatus has problems that mechanical loss is large and braking distance cannot be made long. Further, JP-A-2001-303843, JP-A-2002-121959, JP-A-2002-54348, etc. describe apparatuses of such a type that the apparatus main body is disposed at right angle against the movement direction of a door, and a rotation shaft disposed on the main body is rotated via a rack gear and a pinion gear, by which braking is applied to the rotation of the rotation shaft. In such an apparatus, it is necessary to arrange the rack gear and the pinion gear in mesh with each other so as to convert the straight reciprocating motion of the door to the rotational motion of the rotation shaft, and even if the rack gear and the pinion gear are slightly shifted, loud strange sound is generated upon engagement. In addition, the volume of the entire apparatus becomes large, and it sometimes cannot be disposed in a small space.
Summary of the Invention
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a braking apparatus of a door as mentioned above, having advantages that it has a simple structure and durability, can be installed in a small space, and can provide the desired braking action.
[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide a braking apparatus of a door, by which braking can be effected to movement of a door without using a rack gear or a pinion gear, unlike conventional ones.
[0005] The above and other objects of the present invention can be accomplished by a braking apparatus of a door, which comprises a main body containing a braking fluid; a hollow shaft which is inserted through the main body and has on its outer periphery a resistor being rotatable in the braking fluid; and a spiral rod which is inserted into the hollow shaft and screw-threadably engaged with the hollow shaft. Either one member of the main body and spiral rod is installed on the door and another one member is installed on a door frame. When the door moves, the main body or the spiral rod relatively moves in the axial direction of the spiral rod. Accordingly, the hollow shaft having the resistor rotates by receiving the resistance of the braking fluid.
[0006] When the door moves as above, the main body having the hollow shaft or the spiral rod relatively moves in the axial direction, and since the spiral rod and the hollow shaft are screw-threadably engaged, the straight reciprocating motion of the door is converted to the rotational motion of the hollow shaft, and the hollow shaft is rotated. Since the resistor of the hollow shaft receives the resistance of the braking fluid, the hollow shaft rotates under braking force and can reduce the movement speed of the door. And, if the resistor is fixed to the hollow shaft, it is possible to effect braking in both directions when the door is opened and closed. If the resistor is disposed on the outer periphery of the hollow shaft via a one-way clutch, the resistor can be adjusted to rotate or not to rotate together with the hollow shaft depending on the rotational direction of the hollow shaft. When the hollow shaft rotates in such direction that the resistor will be connected to the hollow shaft by the one-way clutch, it is possible to effect braking against the movement of the door.
[0007] Since the main body having the hollow shaft is positioned along the axial direction of the spiral rod, the volume of the entire braking apparatus can be made small and the no large area is required for installation. If the screw-threaded portion of the spiral rod is formed with an irregular pitch, it is possible to change the number of rotation of the hollow shaft under braking force during rotation and adjust the braking force. If the screw-threaded portion of the spiral rod is formed by twisting a flat bar, manufacture will become easy. In addition, when a wire, a shaft, etc. are used as a self-closing apparatus of a door, if the spiral rod is formed in a hollow shape and the wire, etc. are inserted through the hollow portion, the braking apparatus can be installed without causing obstacle to the structure of the self-closing apparatus. Between the main body and the spiral rod, if an urging means is provided which urges the main body and the spiral rod to return to the original position before starting the relative movement, the door can be automatically returned to a predetermined position.
Brief Explanation of the Drawings
[0008]
Fig.1 is a front view showing an example of the present invention.
Fig.2 is a side view of the door shown in Fig.1.
Fig.3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a braking apparatus equipped with a one-way clutch.
Fig.4 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a braking apparatus having no one-way clutch.
Fig.5 is a partial front view showing an example of a spiral rod having a screw-threaded portion of a constant pitch.
Fig.6 is a partial front view showing an example of a spiral rod having a screw-threaded portion of an irregular pitch.
Fig.7 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of a braking apparatus.
Fig. 8 is an explanatory view of a braking apparatus having an urging means.
Fig.9 is an explanatory view showing another example of the present invention.
Preferred Embodiments of the Invention
[0009] Fig.1 and Fig. 2 show an example when the present invention is applied to a sliding door. The door (1) is disposed within a door frame (4) having a vertical frame (2) and an upper rail (3) ; has a door roller (5) at its upper portion; opens and closes when the door roller (5) runs on a rail (6); and is urged in such a direction that it is closed by a self-closing apparatus not shown in the figure. The braking apparatus of the present invention has a braking apparatus main body (7) and a spiralrod (8) which is inserted through the main body (7). Either one of the main body and the spiral rod is installed on the door side, and another one is installed on the door frame side so that these will relatively move in the axial direction of the spiral rod when the door is opened or closed. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the main body (7) is fixed to the upper rail (3), and the spiral rod (8) is non-rotatably fixed to a door roller placket (9) of the door (1), and these are movable in the opening and closing direction of the door.
[0010] As shown in Fig.3, the main body (7) is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a through hole (10) at its one end; an end cap (12) having a through hole (11) is screw-held at the open end; and the main body has in its inside a space containing a braking fluid. Further, a hollow shaft (14) having a flange (13) is rotatably inserted into the through holes (10) and (11) and fixed by a stopper pin (15) for preventing detachment. At proper portions around the hollow shaft (14), a spacer (16), a washer (17), and a sealing material (18) such as O-ring are provided. At the screw-held portion of the end cap (12), a sealing material (18) is also provided. Here, at a proper portion of the main body, an installation portion (not shown in the figure) is formed to fix the main body to an upper rail, etc.
[0011] A resistor (20) is provided on the outer face of the hollow shaft (14) existing in a space (19) in which the braking fluid is sealed. In the example shown in Fig.3, the resistor (20) is disposed via a one-way clutch (21), and the one-way clutch is used to control the resistor (20) so that the resistor will rotate following the rotation of the hollow shaft (14) or the resistor will not rotate following the rotation of the hollow shaft (14) depending upon the rotational direction of the hollow shaft (14). Here, in the example shown in this figure, the resistor is disposed via the one-way clutch. However, since the one-way clutch usually has an inner ring to be fixed on the driving side and an outer ring to be disposed on the follower side, the outer ring of the one-way clutch itself can be used as a resistor (see Fig.7).
[0012] Fig.4 shows an example having no one-way clutch, and a resistor (20a) is directly fixed to the outer face of a hollow shaft (14). In the example of Fig. 4, the members common to Fig. 3 are indicated with the same numbers.
[0013] The hollow shaft (14) and the spiral rod (8) are screw-threadably engaged so that the hollow shaft (14) will rotate when these are relatively moved in the axial direction. Namely, the screw-threaded portion formed on the outer periphery of the spiral rod (8) is a male screw (8a) having a large lead angle, and formed to have a single screw thread or a multiple screw thread. The screw-threaded portion formed on the inner face of the hollow shaft (14) is a female screw (14a) to be engaged with the male screw. The female screw may be formed over substantially entire length of the hollow shaft as shown in Fig.7 or partially provided in the axial direction as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, or projections of the shape of female screw may be formed at partial portions of the inner face of the hollow shaft and used as threaded portions.
[0014] The male screw (8a) of the spiral rod (8) is formed by twisting a narrow flat plate-like substrate. In this instance, the screw may be formed with a constant pitch so that the lead (L) will be equal over the entire length as shown in Fig.5, or may be formed with an irregular pitch as shown in Fig. 6 by varying the pitch to e.g. (L), (L+a), (L+2a), .... If formed with an irregular pitch, it is possible to change the number of revolutions of the hollow shaft (14) in the middle of movement to change the braking force.
[0015] The spiral rod (8) may be formed to have such a length that corresponds to the movement distance of the door so that the spiral rod will move as being always screw-threadably engaged with the hollow shaft (14) when the door is opened and closed; or may be formed to have such a length that at a portion at which braking is to be effected to the movement of the door, the spiral rod (8) is inserted into the hollow shaft (14) to start screw-threadably engagement. And, when the spiral rod is always screw-threadably engaged with the hollow shaft, in an example (Fig.4) wherein a resistor (20) is fixed to the hollow shaft (14), braking can be effected to the movement of the door in both opening direction and closing direction of the door. Further, in an example wherein the resistor (20) is disposed via the one-way clutch (21), braking can be effected to the movement of the door when the door moves to such a direction that the rotation of the hollow shaft is transmitted to the resistor (20) by means of the one-way clutch; and when the door moves to a reverse direction, no load is applied to the movement of the door. In usual, when the door moves to a door-closing direction, braking force is effected to the movement of the door.
[0016] Fig. 7 shows an example wherein braking force can be varied. In this figure, in a main body (22), an inner cylinder (23) is inserted movably in the axial direction and under the rotation-prevented state. In the inner cylinder (23), an adjuster (24) is screw-held, and the adjuster (24) and the inner cylinder (23) define a space (25) for containing a braking fluid. The adjuster (24) has a small-diameter end (26), and this end (26) outwardly protrudes from an end cap (27) fixed to the main body (22). On the outer periphery of the inner cylinder (23), a projection (23a) extending in the axial direction is formed. By engaging this projection (23a) with a receiving groove (22a) formed on the inner face of the main body (22), the inner cylinder is installed on the main body (22) in such a manner that the inner cylinder is not rotatable but move in the axial direction. A hollow shaft (29) in which the outer ring of the one-way clutch itself is used as a resistor (28), is rotatably inserted into a through hole (30) formed in the main body (22) and a through hole (31) formed in the adjuster (24), and fixed by a stopper pin (32) for preventing detachment. A spiral rod (33) having a male screw (33a) which is screw-threadably engaged with a female screw (29a) of the hollow shaft (29), has a hollow portion (34) formed therein. Into the hollow portion (34), a wire (35) which communicates to a winding drum (not shown in the figure) of a self-closing apparatus, is inserted.
[0017] When the end (26) of the adjuster (24) is rotated, the inner cylinder (23) moves in the axial direction and the area thereof facing the resistor (28) is changed, by which the resistance effected from the braking fluid to the resistor can be changed and the braking force to the hollow shaft (29) can be varied.
[0018] Fig.8 shows still another example. In this example, an urging means is disposed between the main body and the spiral rod in such a manner that the main body and the spiral rod can be returned to predetermined positions. Namely, an urging means (38) such as a compression spring, a helical extension spring or a helical torsion spring, is disposed between a main body (36) and a spiral rod (37) . When the door is moved towards an opening direction by hands, the main body and the spiral rod are relatively moved in the axial direction, and together with this movement, the urging means (38) is pulled or compressed, by which urging force is accumulated in the urging means (38). By this urging force, when the door is released, the main body and the spiral rod can be automatically returned to the original positions. Accordingly, in this example, the door-braking apparatus may also act as a closing apparatus of the door.
[0019] In the constructions of the above respective examples, the spiral rod is fixed so that it will not rotate, and when the main body and the spiral rod are relatively moved in the axial direction, the hollow shaft always rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the resistor via the one-way clutch or shut. Fig.9 shows an example wherein the spiral rod is rotatably disposed. Namely, as shown in this figure, a rod holder (39) is disposed on the door frame (4), one end of a spiral rod (40) is supported by the rod holder (39) rotatably and movably in the axial direction, and the rod holder (39) is fixed by a stopper pin (41) for preventing detachment. The main body (42) of the braking apparatus is fixed to the door (not shown in the figure), and the spiral rod (40) is screw-threadably engaged with the hollow shaft (43) of the main body (42) of the braking apparatus. On the door frame, a fixing portion (44) is provided, and another end of the spiral rod (40) is supported by a clutch holder (45) provided on the fixing portion (44). The clutch holder (45) is provided with a clutch (46), and the spiral rod (40) is rotatably held or non-rotatably held by the clutch (46).
[0020] The clutch (46) connects the spiral rod to the fixing portion so that the spiral rod is made rotatable when the door is moved towards either one of the opening direction and the closing direction, and the spiral rod is made non-rotatable when the door is moved towards another direction. As the clutch (46), various structures may be employed. In the figure, a dog clutch is used. The dog clutch has clutch members (47) and (48) each having an engagement claw on their surfaces facing each other, and one clutch member (47) is fixed to the fixing portion (44) and another clutch member (48) is fixed to the spiral rod (40) by a pin (49). The spiral rod (40) is slidably and rotatably inserted into a hole (50) of the clutch member (47) on the fixed side, and at its front end, a stopper (51) for controlling the movement in the axial direction is fixed by a pin (52). The respective clutch members (47) and (48) are preferably made of a suitable plastic material, and the clutch member (47) on the fixed side is integrally formed with the clutch holder (45), but may be separately prepared and then bonded to each other. Further, in this figure, the spiral rod (40) is directly inserted into the clutch holder (45), but a clutch shaft (not shown in the figure) which is inserted into the clutch members (47) and (48) may be separately provided to connect the spiral rod to the clutch shaft.
[0021] By the above structure, as shown in Fig.9, when the main body (42) moves towards the right in this figure by the movement of the door, the spiral rod (40) also moves towards the right by being pulled by the hollow shaft (43), and the clutch member (48) is released from the clutch member (47) on the fixing side, whereby the spiral rod (40) can freely rotate. Accordingly, the spiral rod cannot rotate the hollow shaft (43) and the resistor (53), and therefore does not effect braking to the movement of the door.
[0022] In the state as shown in Fig.9, when the main body (42) moves to the left in this figure by the movement of the door, the spiral rod (40) also moves to the left by being pulled by the hollow shaft (43), and the clutch member (48) comes to engagement with the clutch member (47) on the fixing side. As a result, the spiral rod (40) is kept in a non-fixed state. Accordingly, when the main body (42) moves towards the left further, as mentioned above, the hollow shaft (43) which is screw-threadably engaged with the spiral rod is rotated, and the resistor (53) disposed on the hollow shaft receives the resistance of the braking fluid and rotates, thereby effecting the braking to the movement of the door. In the example as shown in Fig.9, the main body (42) is disposed on the door side, and the spiral rod (40), etc. are disposed on the door frame side. However, the substantially same function can be obtained when the main body (42) is disposed on the door frame side, and the spiral rod (40), etc. are disposed on the door side.
1. A braking apparatus of a door, which comprises a main body containing a braking fluid;
a hollow shaft which is inserted through the main body and has on its outer periphery
a resistor being rotatable in the braking fluid; and a spiral rod which is inserted
into the hollow shaft and screw-threadably engaged with the hollow shaft, wherein
either one member of the main body and the spiral rod is installed on the door and
another one member is installed on the door frame, so that when the door moves, the
main body or the spiral rod relatively moves in the axial direction of the spiral
rod, and the hollow shaft having the resistor rotates by receiving the resistance
of the braking fluid.
2. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the resistor is installed on the
hollow shaft via a one-way clutch.
3. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the resistor is fixed to the hollow
shaft.
4. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a screw-threaded portion formed
on the outer face of the spiral rod is formed with a constant pitch.
5. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein a screw-threaded portion formed
on the outer face of the spiral rod is formed with an irregular pitch.
6. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, 4 or 5, wherein, the screw-threaded portion
of the spiral rod is formed by twisting a flat bar.
7. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the spiral rod is formed in a
hollow shape.
8. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the main body is provided with
an adjusting means for adjusting the braking force of the braking fluid.
9. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein between the main body and the
spiral rod, an urging means is provided which urges the main body or the spiral rod
to return to a predetermined position.
10. The braking apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the spiral rod is rotatably disposed,
and a fixed portion which is connectable to the spiral rod is formed, and between
the spiral rod and the fixed portion, a clutch is disposed so that when the door moves
towards either one of an opening direction and a closing direction, the fixed portion
and the spiral rod are disconnected and when the door moves towards another direction,
the fixed portion and the spiral rod are connected.
11. The braking apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein the clutch is a dog clutch; and
one of clutch members constituting the dog clutch is installed on the spiral rod,
and another clutch member is installed on the fixed portion.