US3475860A - Flush sliding door construction - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 4, 1969 s. PUCZYNSKI FLUSH SLIDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1968 N V E N TOR. STANLEY PUCZY/VSK/ m, 1 FM United States Patent O 3,475,860 FLUSH SLIDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Stanley Puczynski, Chicago, Ill., assignor of fifty percent to Edward Cukale, Chicago, Ill. Filed Apr. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 724,090 Int. Cl. E0511 15/36 US. Cl. 49-129 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flush sliding door construction for a wall aperture of given size and configuration in which a door of corresponding size and configuration slides along parallel tracks that extend inwardly from a trailing edge of the aperture, across the aperture, and behind the wall at a small acute angle to the wall. A spring biasing means urges the leading edge of the door outwardly of the tracks into closed position, flush with the wall, in the aperture; to open the door, the leading edge is pivoted inwardly just enough to clear the wall, through a discontinuity in the track, and then slides along the track to an open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are a number of applications in which it is desirable to provide a truly flush sliding door as an enclosure for a wall opening. For example, in television receivers and other specialized applications, a cover for controls, displays, or other portions of the apparatus may be maintained normally closed. Continuity of appearance, as provided by truly flush door, may be quite desirable in such applications. Generally, flush doors have been provided by hinged constructions, since known sliding door atrangements do not aiford flush mounting of the doors.

Sliding door structures are well known in cabinetry, building construction, and other applications. But known sliding door structures normally do not provide flush closures, because it is necessary to recess the door in order that it may move into a space behind the wall structure with which it is used. This recess requirement is often undesirable, in some applications for esthetic reasons and in others for practical working reasons. For example, if a horizontally mounted door is to remain closed much of the time and is also required to afford a working surface, it is preferable that it be flush with the encompassing wall structure when the door is closed to provide maximum utility in use of the working surface. In a phonograph cabinet or other cabinet constituting a part of home or office furnishings, appearance requirements may dictate that the door be flush even though there is no working necessity in this regard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved sliding door construction in which the door, when closed, is in true flush alignment with the external surface of the wall in which it is mounted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved flush sliding door construction capable of prolonged operational life without substantial likelihood of jamming or other malfunction.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved flush sliding door construction that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and substantially maintenance-free.

A flush sliding door structure for closing and opening an aperture of given size and configuration in a wall, constructed in accordance with the invention, comprises a door having a size and configuration conforming to the wall aperture. A track is mounted in fixed position relative to the wall and extends inwardly from a trailing edge "ice across the aperture and behind the wall at a small acute angle to the wall. Preferably, two parallel tracks at opposite sides of the door are used. Guide means, engaging the door and the tracks, guide movements of the door along the tracks between an initial tracking position immediately adjacent the wall aperture but angularly displaced therefrom by the aforesaid acute angle and a full open position in which no more than the trailing edge of the door projects into the aperture. Biasing means are provided, urging the leading edge of the door outwardly of the tracks into a closed position in which the door is disposed within the wall aperture in flush surface alignment with the wall, the tracks having a discontinuity which permits pivotal movement of the door between its initial tracking and closed positions.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be'apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a flush sliding door structure, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, with one track removed, and with the door in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view taken approximately along line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view, similar to FIG. 1, showing the door in an initial tracking position;

FIG. 4 is a detail view, similar to FIG. 1, showing the door in full open position; and

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but with the door in full open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a flush sliding door structure 10 constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The sliding door structure 10 comprises a door 11 that fits within an aperture 12 of given size and configuration within a wall 13. Door 11 should correspond to aperture 12 in size and configuration so that the door affords a complete closure for the aperture in the wall. In FIGS. 1 and 2, door 11 is shown in its closed position in which the door fits into aperture 12 and is aligned in flush relation with the external surface of wall 13.

The sliding door structure 10 further comprises two parallel tracks 14 and 15 of substantially identical construction that are mounted in fixed positions relative to wall 13 at opposite sides of door 11 and aperture 12. In FIG. 1, track 14 has been cut away to avoid obstructing other major components in the drawings, but the relationship of tracks 14 and 15 can be readily ascertained by comparing them as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. Each of the two tracks is of substantial L-shaped configuration, in cross-section, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Thus, track 14 includes an inwardly projecting track ridge 16 (see FIG. 2) and track 15 comprises a corresponding inwardly projecting ridge 17 (FIGS. 1 and 3-5). Tracks 14 and 15 extend from the trailing edge 18 of aperture 12 (the lefthand edge in FIGS. 1 and 3) across the opening 12 and behind the wall 13 for a substantial length. The two tracks are oriented at a very small acute angle to the plane of wall 13, the angle of inclination being just sufiicient to provide adequate clearance for door 11 during opening and closing of the door.

Ridge 17 on track 15 is not completely continuous throughout the length of the track. Rather, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a notch or discontinuity 19 in the ridge 17 located adjacent the leading edge 20 of aperture 12. That is, notch 19 is located adjacent the leading edge 21 of door 11 when the door is in its closed position as shown in FIG. 1. There is a similar notch 19 in track 14; see FIG. 2. These discontinuities 19 permit pivotal movement of door 11 between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the initial tracking position illustrated in FIG. 3.

Door 11 is provided with guide means effectively interconnecting the door with tracks 14 and 15 and guiding the movements of the door along the tracks. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide means comprises a first guide flange 24 positioned to engage the upper or outer surface of ridge 16 on track 14 as shown in FIG. 2. A corresponding guide flange 24 at the opposite side of the door engages the upper surface of ridge 17 on track 15 (FIG. The two flanges 24 extend the full width of the door.

The guide means of the illustrated embodiment further includes two pair of guide projections, comprising pins 26 and 27, projecting outwardly of the side edges of door 11. Each of the two pins 26 is mounted on the trailing edge portion of the door and each of these pins is engaged at all times with the lower or inner surface of a respective one of the track ridges 16 and 17. This relationship is best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. The other two guide pins 27 are mounted on the leading edge portion of the door in position to engage the inner surfaces of track ridges 16 and 17. However, when the door is in its closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, guide pins 27 are not engaged with the track ridges, as is shown by FIGS. 1 and 2.

The leading edge 20 of door 11 is provided with a closure flange 31 that projects behind the adjacent portion of wall 13. In the illustrated construction, wall 13 is shown as being as thick as door 11. With the wall 13 as thick as or thicker than the door, the wall is cut away as indicated at 32 to receive the closure flange 31 of the door. If the wall is thinner than the door, this may not be necessary. With door 11 in closed position, its flange 31 engages the notched or cut-away portion 32 of the wall to assure accurate alignment of the door in flush relation to the outer surface of the wall.

Biasing means are provided for normally maintaining door 11 in closed position. In the illustrated construction, this biasing means comprises a dowel or plunger 33 mounted within a block 34 and urged outwardly of the block 34 by means of a spring 35. The top end of plunger 33 may be provided with a plastic glide 36 for engaging the internal surface of the closure flange 31 on the door. A single biasing device is shown in the illustrated embodiment, mounted upon an internal wall 37 of a cabinet of which wall 13 is an external wall. Where no convenient centralized internal wall or other support is available, a pair of biasing devices may be mounted adjacent the opposite sides of the door. Other biasing means, including leaf spring devices and other resilient elements, can be utilized instead of the helical spring and plunger arrangement illustrated in the drawings.

A stop block 38 is mounted upon the internal surface of wall 13 in alignment with the right-hand end portions of tracks 14 and 15 as shown in FIG. 1. Stop block 38 is utilized to limit the travel of door 11 and to define the full open position for the door as described hereinafter. The surface of stop block 38 facing toward door 11 may be provided with a pad 39 of natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable resilient material to prevent damage to the door if the door is opened with somewhat excessive force. One or more pull members 41 are mounted in the door, adjacent to or in the trailing edge of the door to provide for opening and closing movements.

In onsi e i g ep at a of the their Sliding o st ture 10, it may first be assumed that door 11 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 1. It is maintained in that position by the resilient pressure of plunger 33 against flange 31, which holds flange 31 in engagement with the complementary recessed portion 32 of wall 13.

To open the door 11, the door is pressed inwardly of wall 13, near the leading edge 20 of the door, in the direction of the arrow A. The trailing edge portion 28 of the door cannot move inwardly because of the engagement of the door flanges 24 with the tracks 14 and 15. Thus, the inward movement of the door causes it to pivot into alignment with the two tracks in an initial tracking position illustrated in FIG. 3. As the door is pivoted from its closed position to its initial tracking position, it is dseen that the guide pins 27 move through the notches or discontinuities 19 in the track ridges 16, 17.

From the initial tracking position illustrated in FIG. 3, the door slides along the tracks toward its full open position as shown in FIG. 4. Finger pull 41 is utilized for this purpose. After the door is moved only a very short distance, the guide pins 27 clear the notches 19 in the guide tracks, giving positive control of the door movement all of the way to the full open position. Movement of the door is arrested in the full open position by engagement of its leading edge 20 with the padded surface 29 of stop block 38. Preferably, the stop block is positioned so that door movement is arrested before guide pins 26 reach the notches 19 in the tracks, so that the door cannot come untracked when it is in the full open position.

Return movement of the door is effected simply by pulling its trailing edge portion 28, using pull 41, back toward the trailing edge 18 of the door aperture. When the door is returned to the initial tracking position of FIG. 3, the biasing means comprising plunger 33 automatically pushes the door back to its full closed position (FIG. 1). That is, return movement of the door follows the sequence beginning at FIG. 4 back to the position of FIG. 3 and then automatically returns to the closed position of FIG. 1. If desired, a recessed latch interconnecting the leading edges 20 and 21 of the wall aperture and the door can be. incorporated in the door structure to support the door in closed position. This is particularly desirable if the door is a part of a working surface or is required to withstand an external load of any kind.

The sliding door structure 10 is quite simple and economical in construction. Tracks 14 and 15 are preferably formed from a low friction extruded plastic, such as nylon, but can be formed of other materials including metal or wood. The materials selected depend, in part, upon the weight of the door and the external forces to which it may be subjected. In a relatively light-weight construction, such as a control panel door for a television receiver, guide pins 26 and 27 may be simple plastic pins or even wood dowels. For other doors, roller pins may be utilized. For a vertically mounted door, additional rollers may be mounted upon the side edges of the doors to engage the tracks and support the door weight.

In any door constructed in accordance with the invention, the closure flange 31 need not extend for the full width of the door. Individual closure elements can be used, affording engagement with the biasing means that normally maintains the door in closed condition. However, a continuous flange construction is preferred because it affords a more complete closure.

In the illustrated construction, the tracks 14 and .15, and more specifically the ridges 16 and 17 on those tracks, effectively fit into the guide means on the door, comprising the guide flanges 24 and the guide pins 26 and 27. However, it will be recognized that this relationship can be reversed and that the door can be fitted with guide elements, either multiple pins or a continuous flange, eflectively fitting into a slotted track, without departing from the present invention.

Door structures constructed in accordance with the in ntio a e s p e a d i e p s ve to manufacture,

avoiding the complexities of other forms of sliding door hardware. The pivotal movement of the door, betwee its initial tracking and closed positions, avoids jamming and permits positive control of the door movement at all times. The door structure is not easily damaged and, with reasonable usage, affords a long relatively maintenancefree life. Moreover, true flush alignment is achieved when the door is closed.

I claim:

1. A flush sliding door structure for closing and opening an aperture of given size and configuration in a Wall comprising:

a door having a size and configuration conforming to said aperture;

a straight linear track mounted in fixed position relative to said wall and extending inwardly from a trailing edge across said aperture and behind said wall at a small acute angle thereto;

guide means, interconnecting said door and said track, for guiding movement of said door along said track between an initial tracking position immediately adjacent said aperture but angularly displaced therefrom by said acute angle and a full open position in which no more than the trailing edge portion of said door projects into said aperture, said guide means interfitting with said track to restrain said door against deflection in either direction transversely of said track;

and biasing means, located closely adjacent to the leading edge of said aperture, for urging the leading edge portion of said door outwardly of said track into a closed position, within said aperture, in which said door is in flush alignment With said wall;

said track having an opening therein permitting pivotal movement of said door between said initial tracking position and said closed position.

2. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 1 in which said door has a closure flange at the leading edge thereof overlapping the leading edge of said Wall aperture when said door is in closed position, and in which said biasing means maintains said closure flange in engagement with said wall to hold said door aligned with said wall.

3. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 1 in which said biasing means comprises a spring biased plunger mounted in fixed position relative to said wall,

said plunger being axially movable along a path transverse to said wall in response to pressure applied to the leading edge of said door to move said door from said closed position to said initial tracking position.

4. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 1 comprising two such tracks, parallel to each other, at opposite sides of said door, said guide means interconnecting said door with both of said tracks.

5. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 4 in which each of said tracks comprises a longitudinal ridge, in which said guide means comprises a pair of continuous guide flanges on the opposite sides of said door, each engageable with the outer surface of one of said track ridges, in which said guide means further comprises a first pair of guide projections projecting from the opposite sides of the trailing edge portion of said door into engagement with the inner surfaces of respective ones of said track ridges, and in which said guide means further comprises a second pair of guide projections projecting from the opposite sides of the leading edge portion of said door, said track openings comprising notches in said track ridges aligned with said second pair of guide projections when said door is in its closed and initial tracking positions.

6. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 5 in which each of said guide projections comprises a plastic pin.

7. A flush sliding door structure according to claim 5 in which each of said guide projections comprises a roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,097 3/1881 Hewitt et al. 49--213 2,144,782 1/1939 Swanson 49-130 2,959,827 11/1960 Barabas 49130 FOREIGN PATENTS 543,034 2/ 1942 Great Britain.

768,783 5/1934 France.

510,748 1/1955 Italy.

DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 49209

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