IMPROVED TYPE CARRIAGE FOR SLIDING DOORS OF WARDROBES AND FURNITURE IN GENERAL

Abstract

 A carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general, comprising at least one wheel (4) and at least one bracket (6) for fixing to the door (2) of the piece of furniture, characterized in that it is provided a body (7) having a longitudinal sector (15) or a plate (45) for engaging a slide (16,42) fixed to said bracket (6) and sliding, on said longitudinal sector (15) or on the aforesaid plate (45), so as to move said bracket (6) in the direction (F2) transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carriage (5).
Compared to traditional designs in the field, the carriage of the invention has the advantage of allowing the position of the door to be adjusted, so as to correct inclinations with respect to the vertical, for example caused by differences in height with respect to the support surface or by the weight of the doors themselves.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an improved type carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general.

[0002] As is well known, the sliding systems of the doors of wardrobes or furniture in general comprise tracks placed respectively in the upper and lower part of the piece of furniture, and which act as guides for sliding carriages to which the door is fixed.

[0003] Current devices of this type allow only the up/down position of the doors to be adjusted and not also their distance from the body of the item of furniture, which would be useful for correcting vertical alignment errors, for example due to the presence of a difference in height with respect to the support surface of the furniture item, or more simply due to the weight of the door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general, which allows correction of vertical misalignment of the doors, responsible for malfunctioning of the carriages supporting them, and also of geometric irregularities which compromise their appearance.

[0005] These and other objects are achieved by the carriage of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the remaining claims.

[0006] Compared to traditional designs in the sector, the carriage of the invention has the advantage of allowing the position of the door to be adjusted, so as to correct inclinations with respect to the vertical, for example caused by differences in height with respect to the support surface or by the weight of the doors themselves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] These and other objects, advantages and characteristics will be apparent from the following description of the carriage of the invention illustrated, by way of non-limiting example, in the figures of the attached sheets of drawings.

[0008] In these:

• figure 1 illustrates the carriage of the invention, as assembled for supporting the sliding door of a wardrobe;
• figure 2 illustrates the carriage of figure 1, as it is assembled to the door support plate;
• figure 2A illustrates detail A of the carriage of figure 2;
• figure 3 is an exploded view of the carriage of the invention;
• figure 4 is an exploded view of the carriage of the invention, in an inverted position with respect to that represented in figure 1;
• figures 5 to 7 illustrate the lateral movement of the carriage of figure 4;
• figures 8 to 12 illustrate a variant of embodiment of the carriage of the preceding figures;
• figures 13 to 15 illustrate a further embodiment of the carriage of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The carriage of the invention, generally indicated with reference number 5 in figure 1, is used to support the door of a wardrobe or of a piece of furniture in general, sliding in the direction of the arrows F1. For this purpose, the carriage 5 is provided with at least one wheel 4, suitable to be slidingly housed in a corresponding track 3 fixed to the upper part of the body of the wardrobe.

[0010] At least one bracket 6 is also provided for anchoring the carriage 5 to the door 2, being substantially "L"-shaped and having a horizontal branch 6a fixed to the carriage 5 and a vertical branch 6b fixed to the door 2.

[0011] According to the invention, the carriage 5 is also suitable for adjusting the distance of the upper part of the door 2 from the shoulder 1 of the wardrobe, with movements according to the arrows F2 transversal to the sliding direction F1 of the door, so as to correct any misalignment of the door with respect to the vertical (figure 1).

[0012] To this end, the carriage 5, better illustrated in figure 3, has a body 7 having a substantially parallelepiped shape, on the upper longitudinal edges of which central sides 8 and end sides 9 and 10 are provided. Also provided are a spacing segment 11 between the said sides 8 and 9, and a spacing segment 12 between the said sides 8 and 10, wherein the said segments 11 and 12 have an orientation parallel to each other and inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 7 of the carriage 5.

[0013] Between the said sides 8,9,10 of the body 7 of the carriage 5, a longitudinal sector 15 is defined, from the bottom of which protrude pins 13 and 14, the first of which positioned at the spacing segment 11 between the sides 8 and 9 of the body 7 of the carriage, and the second one at the height of the spacing segment 12 between the sides 8 and 10.

[0014] The carriage of the invention is further provided with a slide 16 having a central portion 16a of elongated shape, suitable to be housed slidingly between the central sides 8 of the longitudinal sector 15 of the body 7 of the carriage. The same slide 16 also presenting protruding lateral tabs 17 and 18, intended to be housed sliding within the respective spacing segments 11 and 12 between the said sides 8, 9 and 10, following their orientation (arrows F3 of figure 2A), inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the carriage 5. To this end, the slide 16 has, in correspondence with the above-mentioned tabs 17 and 18, respective slots 19 and 20, oriented in the inclined direction of the arrows F3 of figure 2A and within which the pin 13 and the pin 14 respectively of the sector 15 of the carriage 5 are accommodated.

[0015] In order to allow this lateral sliding, the width of the slide 16 is smaller than that of the longitudinal sector 15 which accommodates it, thus leaving a distance 35 between the sides 8,9,10 of the latter and the corresponding lateral edges of the slide 16 (figure 2A).

[0016] As represented in figures 3 and 4, the slide 16 of the carriage of the invention has an end 21, intended to be housed in the seat 33 of a clamp 24, and an end 22 which is housed in the seat 34 of a respective clamp 25. As better illustrated in figures 5 through 7, the seats 33 and 34 of the clamps 24 and 25 have a width equal to that of the ends 21 and 22 of the slide 16, so as to allow the transmission of the lateral movements of the latter to the same clamps 24 and 25 (arrows F2 of figures 3 and 5). On the other hand, the seat 33 of the clamp 24 and the seat 34 of the clamp 25 are sufficiently long as to allow the respective ends 21 and 22 of the slide 16 to slide inside them (arrow F5, figures 5 to 7).

[0017] Both clamps 24 and 25 have, on their lower side a "C"-shaped arms 23 which slidingly engage on the ends 21,22 of the slide 16 and on the corresponding end sides 9,10 of the body 7 of the carriage 5 (figures 2 and 2A). The upper part of the clamps 24,25, is provided instead with holes 36 for screws 31,32 which are also housed in the holes 37 of the same bracket 6, so as to fix the same to the carriage 5 (figures 1, 2 and 4).

[0018] As illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the end 22 of the slide 16 that engages on the clamp 25 is provided with a head 26 having a T-shaped housing 27, suitable to receive, in a freely rotating manner, the head 28, also with a substantially T-shaped section, of a grub screw 29, in turn screwed into a corresponding hole 30 provided on the clamp 25.

[0019] Adjustment of the distance of the door 2 from the upper edge of the wardrobe, arrows F2 of figure 1, is therefore obtained by acting on the grub screw 29 (arrow F4 of figure 5) which, by engagement of its head 28 on the end 26 of the slide 16, confers to the latter both the inclined lateral movement imposed by engagement of the slots 19,20 in the respective pins 13 and 14 (arrow F3 of figure 5), and the sliding of its ends 21 and 22 in the respective seats 33 and 34 of the clamps 24 and 25 (arrow F5 of figure 5).

[0020] Moreover, since the aforesaid ends 21,22 of the slide 16 are constrained to the transversal movements in the seats 33,34 of the clamps 24 and 25, the displacement of the slide 16 in the inclined direction of arrow F3 of figure 5 results in displacement of the clamps 24, 25 and therefore of the bracket 6 holding the door 2 in the direction of arrows F2 of figures 1, 3 and 5, in moving away from or approaching the same door 2 relative to the upper edge of the wardrobe body, thus correcting any vertical misalignment between the door 2 and the shoulders 1 of the wardrobe.

[0021] According to a variant of the carriage of the invention, instead of the movement system with grub screw 29 acting on the end 22 of the slide 16, use is provided of the cam formed by a screw 38 with eccentric head 39, as illustrated in figures 8 through 12.

[0022] In accordance with this variant, the screw 38 is rotatably housed in a corresponding hole 40 of the plate 6, bringing the eccentric head 39 to be inserted in a slot 41 provided on the slide 16 and oriented transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the latter. Rotation of the screw 38 in the direction of arrow F6 of figure 10 causes displacement of the slide 16 in the direction of arrow F3, guided by the engagement of the pins 13 and 14 in the respective slots 19 and 20 in the same slide 16. By means of the kinematic motion already described for the previous figures, displacement of the bracket 6 of the carriage 5 is obtained in the direction of the arrow F2 of figure 10.

[0023] In the embodiment of figures 13 through 15, an upper plate 45 is fixed to the carriage 5, which has end plates 48 protruding from the body 7 of the carriage (figure 14). Also provided is a slide 42 equipped with arms 47 shaped as a "C" which slidingly engage on the aforementioned end sides 48 of the plate 45. The same slide 42 also has a hole 44 for the rotatable housing of the screw 38 with eccentric head 39 of figure 9, as well as holes 36 for the screws 31,32 for fixing the branch 6a of the bracket 6 to the same slide 42.

[0024] The coupling is completed by a transversal slot 43, provided on the branch 6a of the bracket 6 to accommodate the screw 38 in an adjustable position with respect to the slide 42, as well as by a slot 46 provided on the aforementioned plate 45 and oriented according to the longitudinal axis of the body 7 of the carriage 5, suitable to rotatingly receive the eccentric head 39 of the screw 38.

[0025] In use of the carriage of figures 13 through 15, rotation of the screw 38 in the hole 44 of the slide 42 causes the corresponding rotation of the eccentric 39 in the slot 46 of the plate 45 of the carriage 5 (arrow F6 in figure 14), with consequent sliding of both the slide 42 on the sides 48 of the plate 45 of the carriage 5, and the bracket 6 fixed to the slide 42 by means of the screws 31 and 32, in the direction of arrow F2 of figure 14.

Claims

1. A carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general, comprising at least one wheel (4) and at least one bracket (6) for fixing to the door (2) of the piece of furniture, said carriage being provided with a body (7) secured to said bracket (6) and carrying said wheel (4), the cited body (7) also having a longitudinal sector (15) or a plate (45) for engaging a slide (16) or (42) respectively fixed to said bracket (6) and sliding, on said longitudinal sector (15) or on the aforesaid plate (45), so as to move said bracket (6) in the direction (F2) transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carriage (5), characterized in that clamps (24,25) for fixing said bracket (6) to the aforesaid slide (16) are provided integral with the respective ends (21,22) of this latter.

2. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid longitudinal sector (15) is formed by central lateral sides (8) and end lateral sides (9,10) provided at the upper longitudinal edges of said body (7).

3. The carriage according to claim 2, characterized in that it is provided with a spacing segment (11) between the aforesaid sides (8,9) and a spacing segment (12) between said sides (8,10), wherein the aforesaid segments (11,12) have an orientation parallel to each other and inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the said body (7) of the carriage (5).

4. The carriage according to claim 3, characterized in that the width of the aforesaid slide (16) is less than the width of said longitudinal sector (15), so as to create a distance (35) between said sides (8,9,10) and the corresponding lateral edges of the slide (16).

5. The carriage according to claim 3, characterized in that it is provided with pins (13,14) protruding from said longitudinal sector (15) and positioned at the aforesaid segments (11,12) respectively.

6. The carriage according to claim 4, characterized in that the aforesaid slide (16) has an elongated central portion (16a), suitable to be housed sliding between the aforesaid lateral central sides (8) of said longitudinal sector (15), this slide (16) furthermore presenting protruding lateral tabs (17,18) intended to be housed sliding inside the respective spacing segments (11,12) between the aforesaid sides (8,9,10), following their inclined orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of said carriage (5).

7. The carriage according to claim 6, characterized in that said slide (16) also has, at the aforesaid tabs (17,18), respective slots (19,20), oriented in the inclined direction of the aforesaid segments (11,12) and inside which said pins (13,14) are respectively slidingly housed.

8. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid clamps (24,25) are provided with respective seats (33,34) for said ends (21,22) of the slide (16), wherein the aforesaid seats (33,34) of the clamps (24,25) have a width equal to the width of said ends (21,22) of the slide (16).

9. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid clamps (24,25) are provided with arms (23) for slidingly housing the ends (21,22) of the slide (16) and for coupling the bracket (6) to the carriage (5), this latter being in turn fixed to the door (2) of the piece of furniture by means of screws (31,32) which are housed in the holes (36) of the clamps (24,25) and in the holes (37) of the same bracket (6).

10. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that the end (22) of the slide (16) that engages on the clamp (25) is provided with a head (26) having a T-shaped housing (27), suitable to receive, in a freely rotating manner, the head (28), also with a substantially T-shaped section, of a grub screw (29), in turn screwed into a corresponding hole (30) provided on the clamp (25).

11. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a cam formed by a screw (38) with eccentric head (39), said plate (6) having a hole (40) for housing said screw (38), the slide (16) having a slot (41) coacting with said eccentric head (39) and oriented transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said slide (16).

12. The carriage according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper plate (45) has end sides (48) protruding from said body (7) of the carriage (5), the aforesaid slide (42) providing arms (47) that engage slidingly on the aforesaid end sides (48).

13. The carriage according to claim 12, characterized in that the aforesaid slide (42) also has a hole (44) for the rotatable housing of a screw (38) with an eccentric head (39), said plate (45) having a slot (46) oriented according to the longitudinal axis of the body (7) of the carriage and suitable to rotatably receive said eccentric head (39) of the screw (38).

14. The carriage according to claim 13, characterized in that said bracket (6) is provided with a transverse slot (43) that accommodates the aforesaid screw (38) in an adjustable position with respect to the slide (42).

Drawing