Sealing arrangement

Abstract

 A sealing arrangement 10 for sliding doors and/or sash windows comprises a guide rail 12 and at least one elongated sealing member 14 which is displaceable in the guide rail 12 transversely to the longitudinal axis 78 thereof. The sealing member 10 can be moved from a recess position 16 into a sealing position 18 by translational movement of a driving member 50 so as to seal a transverse gap parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash when the door is closed. The sealing arrangement 10 further comprises an actuator 20 for movement of the driving member 50, said actuator 20 being movable along an axis 36 parallel to the longitudinal axis 78 of the guide rail 12 from an inactive position 38 to an actuating position 40. The actuator 20 and the driving member 50 are coupled such that a motion of the actuator 20 in one direction causes a movement of the driving member 50 in the opposite direction.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] Implementations of the present invention relate generally to a sealing arrangement for sliding doors and/or sash windows, comprising a guide rail and at least one elongated sealing member which is displaceable in the guide rail transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof and which can be moved from a recess position into a sealing position by translational movement of a driving member so as to seal a gap parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash when the door is closed, further comprising an actuator for movement of the driving member, said actuator being movable along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail from an inactive position to an actuating position.

Background of the invention

[0002] Sliding doors are doors in which the door wing opens horizontally by sliding, whereby the door is either mounted on or suspended from a track. Sash windows are basically of the same construction with the sash riding vertically or horizontally in a window frame.

[0003] It is generally desired to prevent moisture and air from infiltrating from the outside to the inside of the door or window and yet have an easy sliding motion of the door wing or sash. In this context, sealing arrangements are commonly used to seal off gaps between the door wing or the sash and frame elements, walls, floors or ceilings respectively. These are available in different sizes configured to be seated in the bottom rail of the wing of a sliding door or the respective frame member of a sash to seal the gaps parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash.

[0004] One will appreciate however, that most doors and windows are available as preassembled units with the sealing arrangements integrated therein, whereas any subsequent installation of said sealing arrangements requires an experienced carpenter and are very costly. Moreover, installation is often very difficult or even impossible due to technical reasons such as unsuitable frame profiles etc..

[0005] The principle object of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient sealing arrangement which can be applied to existing sliding doors and/or sash windows at little effort and at affordable prices.

[0006] According to the present invention, the actuator and the driving rod of the sealing arrangement mentioned above are coupled such that a motion of the actuator in one direction causes a movement of the driving rod in the opposite direction.

[0007] Thus, any newly fabricated and any existing sliding door or sash window can be equipped with the sealing arrangement at low costs and with no effort. Said sealing arrangement can be mounted on a frame member parallel to the direction of travel of the door wing or sash or can be at least partially inserted into said frame member or a corresponding recess in the floor or ceiling. Also, the guide rail can be formed by a groove in a frame member of the sliding door/sash window or alternatively by a groove in a floor or wall. The actuator is operable by a closing wing of the sliding door or a sash that is provided with a control surface, such as a rebate face or a surface of a fitting or any other add-on piece, adapted to interact with the actuator such that it can be moved into its activating position.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a slide bearing for the actuator is arranged in a control housing. Thus a reliable and precisely defined translational motion of the actuator is provided. Also, wear is reduced and extended use is facilitated.

[0009] With respect to a particularly simple construction the control housing is preferably arranged close to one end of the guide rail. In this case, it is favored that the housing is attached to the guide rail, said housing preferably orthogonally projecting away from the longitudinal axis of the guide rail.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuator and the driving member are coupled for movement by an interposed pivoted two-arm lever. Herewith, movement of the actuator from its inactive position to its active position can be easily transformed into either a more forceful movement of the driving member, or into a longer path of the movement of said driving member. This overall ensures a sufficient contact pressure of the sealing member against a mating sealing surface of the door wing or sash.

[0011] For ease of adjustment of the position of the actuator, a pusher-dog is adjustably mounted on the actuator, most preferred on a shaft of the actuator. This allows guidance of the pusher-dog (and hence the actuator) in the related bearing as well as adjustment of the relative axial position of the actuator on the pusher-dog.

[0012] In another embodiment it is preferred that the pusher-dog has an internal thread which is adapted for cooperation with an external thread on the actuator and which is preferably located on an outer surface of a shaft of said actuator.

[0013] With respect to a noiseless and a low-friction operation of the sealing arrangement it is preferred according to yet another embodiment of the invention that the pusher-dog has a tongue-shaped section with a preferably convex-shaped working surface adapted to co-operate with a corresponding surface of the first arm of the lever.

[0014] In a further implementation of the present invention the actuator has a head and a shaft, wherein the head has an abutment surface for a control surface related to the wing of the sliding door or sash, respectively. In addition, the abutment surface can be configured to hold a resilient lining such that a noiseless contact with the door wing or sash can be made. As to a preferred implementation, the abutment surface has a retaining notch for the resilient lining.

[0015] Another feature of the invention is the fact that the sealing member is mounted on at least one reinforcing carrier element thus facilitating a straight alignment of the sealing member for an effective seal across the entire length of the sealing member.

[0016] For ease of installation and a reliable connection of the sealing member on said reinforcing carrier element it is preferred, that said reinforcing carrier element has at least one, preferably longitudinal, groove for a foot of the sealing member.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention the reinforcing carrier element is coupled with at least one leaf spring, wherein one end of the leaf spring is supported in a slide which is longitudinally slidable relative to the guide rail, whereas another end is fixed in the guide rail and wherein the slide is related to the driving rod. Thus a movement of the driving rod in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail results in compression of the leaf spring. As a result, the leaf spring bulges forward towards the gap and moves the sealing member together with the reinforcing carrier element into sealing position.

[0018] The reinforcing carrier element can be arranged on two or more leaf springs, the respective slides of which are interconnected by a synchronizing member. Herewith a synchronized compression of the serially mounted springs as well as a precise and reliable displacement of the sealing member orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail - irrespective of the length of the sealing member or the gap that needs to be sealed - is provided. Overall a reliable sealing contact of the sealing member against a corresponding sealing surface related to a door wing or sash is thus made possible.

[0019] In this case each leaf spring can be provided with a balancer element to ensure equal compression of the leaf springs arranged axially behind one another.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention the sealing arrangement is provided with a guide rail of specific length that can be trimmed to match the length of a gap of the closed door or window parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash.

Brief description of the drawings

[0021] In order to describe the manner in which the above recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1

illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a sealing arrangement for sliding doors and/or sash windows according to the present invention,

Fig. 2

illustrates a perspective view of the sealing arrangement shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

illustrates a detailed perspective view of the sealing arrangement as shown in FIG. 1,

Fig. 4

illustrates a perspective cross sectional view of the sealing arrangement shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5

illustrates a perspective view of the sealing arrangement shown in Fig. 1 wherein the resilient sealing member is in sealing position,

Fig. 6

illustrates a perspective cross sectional view of the sealing arrangement as shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7

illustrates a fragmentary exploded view of the sealing arrangement according to the present invention,

Fig. 8

illustrates a perspective view of a sliding door with a sealing arrangement according to the invention,

Fig. 9

illustrates a similar perspective view of the sealing arrangement shown in Fig. 8, showing the door in closed position,

Fig. 10

illustrates a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a sliding door with the sealing arrangement mounted inside the threshold and

Fig. 11

illustrates a view very similar to FIG. 10 with the door in closed position.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0022] With reference now to various figures in which identical elements are identically numbered throughout, a description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be provided.

[0023] Figs. 1 to 7 show a sealing arrangement 10 for sliding doors and/or sash windows according to the present invention. It should be noted however, that only a section of the sealing arrangement is shown in the figures for reason of clarity. The sealing arrangement 10 is intended for sealing a gap between a wing of a sliding door or a sash and other related components such as an adjacent wall, a door trim, a frame and alike parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door.

[0024] Said sealing arrangement 10 comprises a guide rail 12 and a sealing member 14 embodied as a single gasket which is displaceable in the guide rail 12 transversely to the longitudinal direction thereof. The gasket can be made of any resilient material such as rubber, silicone and other organic polymers.

[0025] The sealing arrangement 14 can be moved from a recess position 16 within the guide rail 12 as shown in Fig. 1 to 4 into a sealing position 18 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and vice versa. In sealing position 18 the sealing member 14 is supposed to co-operate with an associated sealing surface of a door wing or a sash to, form a seal.

[0026] The sealing arrangement 10 further includes a plunger-like actuator 20 for displacement of the sealing member 14. The actuator 20 has a head 22 with an abutment surface 24 adapted to interact with a suitable control surface of a door wing or a sash.

[0027] To facilitate engagement of a screw head of a torque tool, abutment surface 24 is provided with a notch 26. Said notch 26 is also used for retaining a damping resilient lining, made from i.e. silicone or any other elastic material to reduce noise level during operation.

[0028] The actuator 20 further has a shaft 28 on which a pusher-dog 30 is mounted. The pusher-dog 30 is slidably received by guiding means 32 formed by a control housing 34.

[0029] The actuator 20 can be moved along its longitudinal axis 36 towards the control housing 34 from an inactive position 38 to an actuating position 40, thereby moving the sealing member 14 into its sealing position 18.

[0030] With respect to the stroke of the actuator 20 the axial position of the actuator 20 relative to the pusher-dog 30 can be adjusted as needed. For this purpose the shaft 28 of the actuator 20 includes an outside thread interacting with an inside thread of the pusher-dog 30. Turning of the actuator 20 with a torque tool that engages in the notch 26 results in an axial movement of the actuator 20 relative to the pusher-dog 30. A thread friction is such that unintentional movement of the actuator 20 relative to the pusher-dog is avoided.

[0031] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures the pusher-dog 30 can be fixed on the shaft 28 of the actuator 20 such that it is not movable in an axial direction relative to the actuator 20. To this end the pusher-dog 30 can be press-fitted on the shaft 28 or it can be attached by any other suitable joining technique.

[0032] A lever 42 is pivotally mounted on a bolt 44 seated in the control housing 34. The lever 42 has two arms 46; 48 on each side of the pivoting point with a first arm 46 of the lever 42 adapted to interact with the pusher-dog 30 and a second arm 48 of the lever 42 adapted to interact with a driving rod 50 related to the sealing member 14.

[0033] The pusher-dog 30 includes a tongue-shaped section 52 with a convex-shaped working surface 54 abutting against a corresponding surface 56 of the first arm 46 of the double-armed lever 42, as can be best seen in Fig. 3. The two arms 46; 48 of the lever 42 are different in length, with the first arm 46 being longer than the second arm 48.

[0034] The second arm 48 of the lever 42 includes an operating surface 58 (Fig. 3) for contact with a contact surface 60 of the bolt-shaped driving rod 50 facing the lever 42. It should be noted of course, that the driving rod 50, according to other embodiments of the invention not shown in the figures, can be of any other structural shape.

[0035] A free end 62 of the driving rod 50 averted from the lever 42 is connected with a slide 64 which is slidably seated in the guide rail 12, as can be best seen in Figs. 2 and 7. The slide 64 has an end face 66 abutting against a first end 68 of a leaf spring 70.

[0036] A second end 72 of the leaf spring 70 is locked in a spring seat 74 which is immovably fixed to the guide rail 12. The spring seat 74 is essentially an H-section with a threaded bore hole 76 that is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 78 of the guide rail 12. A threaded locking screw 80 extends through said bore hole 76 and is made to rest against a bottom section 82 of the guide rail 12. The spring seat 74 thereby abuts against projections 84 of guide rail walls 86 (Fig. 7) which are facing each other.

[0037] A coupling element 88 is provided for motion coupling of the leaf spring 70 with a reinforcing carrier element 90. The reinforcing carrier element 90, which is illustrated best in Fig. 7, is a basically U-shaped bar forming a longitudinal groove 92 for a foot 94 of the sealing member 14. The groove 92 includes two wall sections which are arranged opposite from each other and which show strips that are oriented axially to the reinforcing carrier element 90 and which project against each other forming an undercut for the related foot 94 of the sealing member 14.

[0038] The slide 64 is slidably mounted beneath the spring seat 74 such that it can be moved along the axis 78 of said guide rail 12. Said slide 64 is provided with a longhole 96 for the threaded locking screw 80 extending through it.

[0039] A synchronizing rod 98 is attached to said slide 64 with its averted free end 100 facing a first end 68 of a second leaf spring 70 aligned axially in the guide rail 12 (Figs. 4 and 6).

[0040] A balancer spring 102 is placed in between the locked second end 72 of each of the leaf springs 70 and a shoulder 104 of the respective spring seat 74.

[0041] The sealing member 14 has a sealing surface 106 with two sealing lips 108 arranged parallel to each other and protruding from said sealing surface 106 in an angled manner.

[0042] When the actuator 20 is operated and moved from the inactive position 38 to the activating position 40, this translational movement is transformed into a pivoting movement of the lever 42, which, in turn, forces a translational and synchronous movement of the driving rod 50, the slide 64, the synchronizing rod 98 together with the other slide 64 in the opposite direction. Thereby, the leaf springs 70 are being compressed and, as depicted in Figs. 5 and 6, bend upwards in a uniform manner, moving the sealing member 14 from its recessing position 16 into sealing position 18.

[0043] A subsequent release of the actuator 20 (opening of the door/sash) leads to relaxation of the leaf springs 70 thereby retracting the sealing member 14 into its recessing position 16 and movement of the actuator 20 back into its inactive position 38.

[0044] Directing attention now to Fig. 8 and 9, a partial view of a bottom rolling sliding door 120 according to the present invention is shown. The sliding door 120 comprises a door wing 122 and a door frame 124. The door wing 122 comprises a glass pane 126 mounted in a wing frame 128 which essentially consists of a bottom rail 130 and a top rail (not shown) connected to two vertical stiles 132, one of which is shown in the figures.

[0045] The door frame 124 on the other hand consists of two vertical door jambs 134 interconnected by a head jamb (not shown) and a threshold 136 at the bottom. The door wing 122 comprises several pairs of rollers 138 (Fig. 11) at the bottom which are running on a track 140 formed by said threshold 136, as can be best seen in Fig. 8.

[0046] In Fig. 8 the sliding door 120 is shown partially opened, forming a door slot 142 in between the door jamb 134 and the facing stile 132.

[0047] The sliding door 120 further comprises a sealing arrangement 10 according to the present invention. Said sealing arrangement 10 is mounted on the inside 144 of the door frame 124 with the guide rail 12 attached to the threshold 136 via a mounting flange 146 and two screws 148 and the control housing 34 attached to the door jamb 134 facing the door slot 142.

[0048] As the door 120 is opened, the actuator 20 is in its inactive position 38. Upon closing of the door a control surface of the stile 132 contacts the head 22 of the actuator 20 which faces the stile 132. Further movement of the door wing 122 will axially move the actuator 20 until it reaches its actuating position 40 and thereby move the sealing member 14 upwards until contact is made between the sealing lips 108 and a downward facing surface of the bottom rail 12. When opening the closed door wing 122 the actuator 20 and the sealing member 14 will both be simultaneously moved back into their respective inactive or recessive position 38, 16 by force of the pre-stressed leaf springs 70.

[0049] Reference is now made to Fig. 10 and 11.

[0050] A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 10 and 11. The sliding door 120 shown there comprises a sealing arrangement 10 mounted in a longitudinal groove 150 of a threshold 136 which basically is an aluminum profile. The guide rail 12 comprises mounting flanges 146 fixed to the threshold 136 with a screw 148.

[0051] In Fig. 10 the sealing member 14 is in recess position 16, the sealing lips 114 spaced apart from a downward looking surface 152 of the bottom rail 130 of the door wing 122.

[0052] Fig. 11 shows a partial cross sectional view of the sliding door 120 with the sealing member 14 in sealing position 18. Two sealing lips 114 of the sealing member 14 have contact with and are being pressed against the correlating downward looking surface 152 of the bottom rail 130 of the door wing 122 thereby forming a seal.

[0053] It should be noted that, according to further embodiments of the invention not shown in the figures, different mounting options, whether on the inside, outside or in between a door wing or sash and a correlating frame member, a wall, a sill or a floor are possible. The whole arrangement can also be inserted into appropriate cut outs in frame members, a wall or a floor. In other words, the sealing arrangement can be installed on any sliding door or sash window available on the market with ease providing an effective seal to prevent rain, water, wind, dust, sand or other particles from entering as well as to keep interior air in and thus saving energy with heating and air conditioning

Claims

1. A sealing arrangement (10) for sliding doors and/or sash windows, comprising a guide rail (12) and at least one elongated sealing member (14) which is displaceable in the guide rail (12) transversely to the longitudinal axis (78) thereof and which can be moved from a recess position (16) into a sealing position (18) by translational movement of a driving member (50) so as to seal a gap parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash when the door is closed, further comprising an actuator (20) for movement of the driving member (50), said actuator (20) being movable along an axis (36) parallel to the longitudinal axis (78) of the guide rail (12) from an inactive position (38) to an actuating position(40), wherein the actuator (20) and the driving member (50) are coupled such that a motion of the actuator (20) in one direction causes a movement of the driving member (50) in the opposite direction.

2. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a slide bearing (32) for the actuator is arranged in a control housing (34).

3. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the control housing (34) is arranged at one end of the guide rail (12).

4. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the actuator (20) and the driving member (50) are coupled for movement by an interposed pivoted lever (42) having an arm (46; 48) on both sides of the pivoting point.

5. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein a pusher-dog (30) is adjustably mounted on the actuator (20).

6. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the pusher-dog (30) has a tongue-shaped section (52) with a preferably convex-shaped working surface (54) adapted to co-operate with a corresponding surface of the first arm (46) of the double-armed lever (42).

7. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the actuator (20) has a head (22) and a shaft (28) and wherein the head (22) has an abutment surface (24) for a control surface of a sliding door or window.

8. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the abutment surface (24) of the actuator (20) has a retaining notch (26) for a resilient lining.

9. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the sealing member is mounted on at least one reinforcing carrier element (90).

10. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the reinforcing carrier element (90) has at least one, preferably longitudinal, groove (92) for a foot (94) of the sealing member.

11. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 10, wherein the carrier element (90) is coupled with at least one leaf spring (70), wherein one end of the leaf spring (70) is supported in a slide (64) which is longitudinally slidable in the guide rail (12) whereas another end of the leaf spring (70) is stationary in the guide rail (12) and wherein the slide (64) is connected with the driving member (50).

12. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the carrier element (90) is arranged on two leaf springs (70), the associated slides (64) of which are interconnected by a synchronizing member (98).

13. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 11 or 12, wherein each leaf spring (70) is provided with a balancer element, preferably a balancer spring (102), for equal compression of the leaf springs (70).

14. Sliding door (120) or sash window with a sealing arrangement (10), wherein the sealing arrangement (10) is designed as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 13 and wherein the sealing arrangement (10) is attached to or is at least partially inserted into a frame (124) of the sliding door/sash window or is partially fitted into a recess in the floor and/or ceiling.

Amended claims

Amended claims in accordance with Rule 137(2) EPC.

1. A sealing arrangement (10) for sliding doors and/or sash windows, comprising a guide rail (12) and at least one elongated sealing member (14) which is displaceable in the guide rail (12) transversely to the longitudinal axis (78) thereof and which can be moved from a recess position (16) into a sealing position (18) by translational movement of a driving member (50) so as to seal a gap parallel to the direction of travel of the sliding door or sash when the door is closed, further comprising an actuator (20) for movement of the driving member (50) , said actuator (20) being movable along an axis (36) parallel to the longitudinal axis (78) of the guide rail (12) from an inactive position (38) to an actuating position (40), wherein the actuator (20) and the driving member (50) are coupled for movement by an interposed pivoted lever (42) having an arm (46; 48) on both sides of a pivoting point such that a motion of the actuator (20) in one direction causes a movement of the driving member (50) in the opposite direction.

2. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a slide bearing (32) for the actuator is arranged in a control housing (34).

3. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the control housing (34) is arranged at one end of the guide rail (12).

4. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3,
wherein a pusher-dog (30) is adjustably mounted on the actuator (20).

5. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the pusher-dog (30) has a tongue-shaped section (52) with a preferably convex-shaped working surface (54) adapted to co-operate with a corresponding surface of the first arm (46) of the double-armed lever (42).

6. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the actuator (20) has a head (22) and a shaft (28) and wherein the head (22) has an abutment surface (24) for a control surface of a sliding door or window.

7. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6,
wherein the abutment surface (24) of the actuator (20) has a retaining notch (26) for a resilient lining.

8. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 7,
wherein the sealing member is mounted on at least one reinforcing carrier element (90).

9. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the reinforcing carrier element (90) has at least one, preferably longitudinal, groove (92) for a foot (94) of the sealing member.

10. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 8 to 9, wherein the carrier element (90) is coupled with at least one leaf spring (70), wherein one end of the leaf spring (70) is supported in a slide (64) which is longitudinally slidable in the guide rail (12) whereas another end of the leaf spring (70) is stationary in the guide rail (12) and wherein the slide (64) is connected with the driving member (50).

11. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the carrier element (90) is arranged on two leaf springs (70), the associated slides (64) of which are interconnected by a synchronizing member (98).

12. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 10 or 11, wherein each leaf spring (70) is provided with a balancer element, preferably a balancer spring (102), for equal compression of the leaf springs (70).

13. Sliding door (120) or sash window with a sealing arrangement (10), wherein the sealing arrangement (10) is designed as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 13 and wherein the sealing arrangement (10) is attached to or is at least partially inserted into a frame (124) of the sliding door/sash window or is partially fitted into a recess in the floor and/or ceiling.

Drawing