Title of Invention

"A SLIDING WALL,SLIDING DOOR"

Abstract

This invention relates to a sliding wall, sliding door multiple leaves, having an arrangement to convey elements (4, 5) of the sliding wall (1), sliding door or the like with multiple leaves into a stacking section (6), having a guide rail aligned according to the closed sliding wall (1) and a stacking track (7) diverting from the guide rail in the region of the stacking section (6), whereby a displaceable drive (8) connected to each individual element (4) is assigned to each element (4), characterized in that the first element (5) adjacent to the stacking section (6) is rotatably supported, e.g. pivotally about a rotational axis (9) in the region of a free end of the guide rail, whereby a drive (8') assigned to the first element (5) is exclusively guided at the stacking track (7) and connected with the first element (5) and spaced apart therefrom via a coupling member (10) resistant to traction and compression.

Full Text

-1- A SLIDING WALL, SLIDING DOOR Description This invention relates to an arrangement, which allows conveying the elements of a sliding wall, sliding door or the like with multiple leaves into a parking depot and which comprises a guide rail aligned correspondingly to the closed sliding wall and a storage track diverting from the guide rail in the region of the parking depot, each element being assigned a displaceable drive connected to the element. The printed patent specification DE 942 965 describes an arrangement species, wherein a light-weight constructed single track guide rail and a turnout are used, by means of said turnout the first guiding roller of each element entering the parking depot is diverted into the storage track. However the drives, mentioned for this species for conveying the individual elements into the parking position, are not provided. However, such drives are forcibly required with the heavy element type of modern construction. The US 5,088,236 printed patent specification deals with a balcony glazing comprising individual glass elements, whereby the individual glass elements are respectively guided suspended from a ceiling in a double-rail track with a front roller and a rear roller. By means of a storage track portion diverted from the ceiling track, the individual glass elements can be moved into a parking position or for cleaning purposes or for reversing the exposure of a heat reflective coating on one side, they can be pivoted by 180°. In this case, the glass element next to the adjacent balcony wall is guided in an additional storage track diverting from the ceiling track -2- and at both its free ends it presents articulations to optionally connect to hinge points in the region of the balcony wall. The glass elements are manually moved, separate drives are not provided. DE 197 27928 A,1 reveals a sliding wall guided in a roller rail, from which guide rail divert two storage tracks in the region of the parking depot, whereby with the intention to achieve a tight sealing of the first sliding wall element close to an adjacent wall, the first sliding wall element is guided with its front and rear carrier in one of the two storage tracks that is closer to the adjacent wall, whereas all the following sliding wall elements are guided in the parking depot, when seen in parking direction, with the rear carrier also in the aforementioned storage track and when seen in parking direction with the front carrier in the second storage track. The drive of the first sliding wall element is in this case arranged in the front region of the sliding wall element, when seen in parking direction (opening direction), whereas the drives of all the following sliding wall elements, when seen in parking direction, are arranged in the rear region of the sliding wall elements. The aforementioned solution certainly guarantees a tight sealing of the first sliding wail element at an adjacent wall, it requires however provision of two storage tracks diverting from the guide rail. As the sliding wall elements or the like executed in heavy-duty type construction require assigning drives to the individual elements, this invention is based on said arrangement. The object of the invention is therefore to propose, while using a drive assigned to each element, a solution for the -3- displacement of the individual elements into a parking depot, where on the one hand a tight sealing of the first element at an adjacent wall or the like is guaranteed and on the other hand, the provision of a second storage track can be abandoned. Accordingly the present invention provides a sliding wall, sliding door or the like with multiple leaves, having an arrangement to convey elements of the sliding wall, sliding door or the like with multiple leaves into a stacking section, having a guide rail aligned according to the closed sliding wall and a stacking track diverting from the guide rail in the region of the stacking section, whereby a displaceable drive connected to each individual element is assigned to each element, characterized in that the first element adjacent to the stacking section is rotatably supported, e.g. pivotally about a rotational axis in the region of a free end of the guide rail, whereby a drive assigned to the first element is exclusively guided at the stacking track and connected with the first element and spaced apart therefrom via a coupling member resistant to traction and compression. ' By providing a distance between the drive of the first element and a coupling resistant to tension and compression between the drive and the first element, the drive of the first element can be guided in the same storage track as the drives of the following elements, such to eliminate a second storage track as the first element is rotatable. In order to guarantee sufficient freedom of movement between the first element and the assigned drive, the coupling member is pivotably articulated at the drive and at the first element, the possibility to pivot the first element can be provided through a rotatable bearing directly at the guide rail or can be arranged at an adjacent wall delimiting the parking depot. -3A- In a preferred embodiment, via the assigned coupling member the drive of the first element is directly connected with the carrier of the first element, whereby the carrier of the first element is positioned approximately in the region of the longitudinal center of the first element. As the first element is rotatably articulated at the guide rail or at a wall delimiting the parking depot, the assignment of only one carrier is sufficient with respect to the first element, -4- whereas the elements following the first element respectively present a front and a rear carrier. Hereinafter the invention is explained in detail on the basis of one embodiment example. It shows: Figure 1: the top view on a sliding wall in a diagrammatic illustration. Figure 2: the individual parking phases of the first sliding wall element in the region of the parking depot. A sliding wall generally identified with the numeral 1 extends in the execution example between two walls 2, 3 and consists of displaceable elements 4 as well as of one pivotable element 5. The displaceable elements 4 are respectively equipped with two carriers 11, whereby, when seen in the direction of a parking depot 6, the front carrier is respectively connected to a drive 8. The guide rail aligned correspondingly to the closed sliding wall 1, at which rail the carriers 11 are guided with their drives 8, is not illustrated to simplify the'drawing. In the region of a parking depot 6, a storage track 7 diverts from this non-illustrated guide rail, at which a drive 8 of the first element 5 is supported spaced apart from the first element 5. The spacing is realised through a connection with a coupling member 10 resistant to tension and compression, which on the one hand is pivotably connected at the drive 8' and on the other hand pivotably connected at the carrier 1.1 of the first element 5. The first element 5 is pivotable about a rotational axis 9, which can be either connected to the non-illustrated guide rail or to the wall identified by numeral 3. -5- It is obvious that upon operating the drive 8', the first element 5 will execute a pivoting in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, such that the first element 5 will reach the parking position indicated on the right-side in the picture plane. The individual pivoting phases of the first element 5 are represented in Figure 2. Figure 1 furthermore shows that the elements 4 respectively present two carriers 11, whereas the element 5 is equipped with only one carrier 11. When parking the elements 4, the drive 8 in parking direction placed in the front is guided via the storage track 7, the respective rear carrier 11 however continues to follow the direction of the non-illustrated guide rail. This may be achieved via a turnout arranged in the region of the diversion for the storage track 7, or via a double-rail execution of the non-illustrated guide rail which guides the elements 4. -6-References 1 Sliding wall 2 Wall 3 Wall 4 Element 5 First element, pivotable element 6 Parking depot 7 Storage track 8 Drive 8' Drive 9 Rotational axis 10 Coupling member 11 Carrier -7-WE CLAIM: 1. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement to convey elements (4, 5) of the sliding wall (1), sliding door or the like with multiple leaves into a stacking section (6), having a guide rail aligned according to the closed sliding wall (1) and a stacking track (7) diverting from the guide rail in the region of the stacking section (6), whereby a displaceable drive (8) connected to each individual element (4) is assigned to each element (4), characterized in that the first element (5) adjacent to the stacking section (6) is rotatably supported, e.g. pivotally about a rotational axis (9) in the region of a free end of the guide rail, whereby a drive (8') assigned to the first element (5) is exclusively guided at the stacking track (7) and connected with the first element (5) and spaced apart therefrom via a coupling member (10) resistant to traction and compression. 2. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling member (10) is pivotally articulated at the drive (8') and at the first element (5). 3. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first element (5) is rotatably supported at the guide rail. 4. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first element (5) is rotatably supported at a wall (3) delimiting the stacking section (6). 5. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drive (81) of the first element (5) is connected via the coupling member (10) with a carriage (11) of the first element (5). 6. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the carriage (11) of the first element (5) is disposed approximately in the region of the longitudinal centre of the first element (5). 7. A sliding wall, sliding door with multiple leaves, having an arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first element (5) presents a carriage (11) and the elements (4) following the first element (5) each present a front and a rear carriage (11). 9 This invention relates to a sliding wall, sliding door multiple leaves, having an arrangement to convey elements (4, 5) of the sliding wall (1), sliding door or the like with multiple leaves into a stacking section (6), having a guide rail aligned according to the closed sliding wall (1) and a stacking track (7) diverting from the guide rail in the region of the stacking section (6), whereby a displaceable drive (8) connected to each individual element (4) is assigned to each element (4), characterized in that the first element (5) adjacent to the stacking section (6) is rotatably supported, e.g. pivotally about a rotational axis (9) in the region of a free end of the guide rail, whereby a drive (8') assigned to the first element (5) is exclusively guided at the stacking track (7) and connected with the first element (5) and spaced apart therefrom via a coupling member (10) resistant to traction and compression.

Documents:

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-claims.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-correspondence.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-description(complete).pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-drawings.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-form-1.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-form-18.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-form-3.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-form-5.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-g.p.a.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-letters patent.pdf

in-pct-2001-00313-kol-reply f.e.r.pdf