JP7618908B2 - Method for sealing gap between folding door device and bottom rail - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a folding door device in which the upper surface of the lower rail that constitutes the frame on which the folding door is attached is formed as a flat surface, and to a method for sealing the gap between the lower rail and the folding device. Here, the object on which the rotating seal body is attached is not limited to the above-mentioned folding door.

Folding doors or folding doors, which are made up of multiple connected doors, are widely used as devices for opening and closing entrances.
Incidentally, in the door (panel) joint of a folding door, a hoist is attached to the upper end of the main joint, which does not protrude from the rail during folding operation, and is suspended from the rail of the upper rail, and a slider protrudes from the lower end and can move along a guide groove provided in the lower rail. When extended and closed, a lock bar protrudes and fits into the guide groove, locking the folding door so that it cannot be opened.

A seal body with sealing material is provided on the upper and lower rails of the frame body to which the folding door is attached, so that the inner surface of the closed folding door can abut against the seal body, ensuring airtightness and watertightness via the seal material.
For this reason, the upper surface of the lower rail of the frame is not flat, and the seal body stands up on the inside (inside the room) so that the inner surface of the folding door that is extended to close the frontage can abut against it. This has been adopted as a form necessary to maintain airtightness and watertightness between the folding door and the lower rail.

However, in recent years, flat floor surfaces that allow wheelchairs to move freely without steps have become popular, referred to as barrier-free. This idea is no exception for folding door devices that are used to separate not only the interior of a room but also the outside. For example, by making the floor surface of a room the same as the balcony surface, wheelchairs can move freely onto the balcony.

In this case, if a stepped lower rail is installed at the boundary between the room and the balcony, wheelchair movement will be hindered. However, if the lower rail is made flat, there will be no seal, and as a result, it will be impossible to install a sealant, allowing rainwater to enter from outside and compromising the airtightness against the outside air.
In view of this, a folding door device is known in which the seal body has a rotating structure and is configured to stand up only when the folding door is extended to close the opening.

The "Folding Door Device and Seal Body Thereof" disclosed in JP 2018-62750 A is a folding door device equipped with a seal body for sealing a gap formed at the lower end.
That is, the lower end of the panel is equipped with a seal body that can rotate around an axis and has an elastically biased seal so that the tip side is always lifted, and the auxiliary joint that connects the panels has a rod that can be lowered by operating a handle. As the rod descends, the seal body rotates and is pushed down, and its tip is pressed against the lower rail to close the gap that forms at the bottom end of the folding door.

When the folding door is folded and the entrance is open, the rotating seal rises and the lower sash becomes flat, allowing people in wheelchairs to pass through freely. Then, when the folding door is extended to close the entrance, the rotating seal rotates and descends to come into contact with the lower sash and seal, preventing rainwater from entering from outside and maintaining airtightness.

Figure 6 shows a rotating seal body attached to the bottom end of a folding door, with (a) showing the rotating seal body (a) rising and (b) showing the rotating seal body (a) rotating and descending. The rotating seal body (a) is supported so that it can rotate around an axis (b), and is lifted by a spring (d) attached between it and the folding door (c), and is kept horizontal as shown in (a).

When the rod is lowered by operating the handle attached to the auxiliary joint, the rotating seal body (A) is pushed down by the rod and rotates to abut against the lower rail (E) as shown in (b). This closes the gap (F) between the folding door (C) and the lower rail (E). A rubber piece (G) is attached to the tip of the rotating seal body (A), allowing it to fit tightly against the lower rail (E) without any gaps.

By the way, the gap can be sealed by descending the rotating seal body (A), but the lower rail (E) is provided with a guide groove for the lower slider of the folding door to move, and rainwater accumulates in the guide groove, causing a problem that this rainwater overflows into the room.
FIG. 7 shows a case where rainwater has accumulated in the guide groove, and may overflow into the interior as indicated by the arrow (→).

On the other hand, when the folding door is extended to close the opening, when the rod is pushed down and the rotating seal body (A) descends, a small gap is created between adjacent rotating seal bodies (A), (A), making it impossible to maintain airtightness and watertightness.
"Folding door device and seal body thereof" according to JP 2018-62750 A

In this way, a rotating seal body is provided that rotates and descends when the folding door is extended to close the opening, and when the folding door is folded to open the opening, the rotating seal body rises and the floor surface becomes flat.
However, there is a problem that rainwater that accumulates in the guide groove formed in the lower rail (lower rail) leaks into the interior of the room, and gaps are formed between adjacent rotating seal bodies.
The problem that this invention aims to solve is these problems, and to provide a folding door device and a method for sealing gaps that prevent rainwater that accumulates in the guide groove from overflowing into the interior and that prevent gaps from occurring between adjacent rotating seal bodies.
Furthermore, the object to which the rotary seal body is attached is not limited to a folding door, but may be a folding door consisting of two doors (panels) and other opening/closing devices.

The folding door device of the present invention is configured by attaching a folding door to a frame body, and the basic structure is the same as that of a conventional device. The upper surface of the lower rail of the frame body is formed as a flat surface, so that there is no step between the lower rail and the floor surface that sandwiches it.
A guide groove is provided along the lower rail, and a slider provided at the lower end of the folding door fits loosely into the guide groove and slides, allowing the folding door to expand and contract.

In order to close the gap that is formed between the lower rail and the folding door when the folding door is extended, a rotating seal body is attached to the lower end of the folding door, and this rotating seal body can be pushed down and lowered as needed.
In other words, when the folding door is extended and closed, the rotary seal rotates and descends to abut against the inner surface of the guide groove of the lower rail, maintaining airtightness and watertightness. Conversely, when the rotary seal rises, the upper surface of the lower rail becomes flat.
Incidentally, the rotary seal of the present invention is basically made of resin or aluminum, and has a structure in which a reinforcing material is incorporated inside as required.

The rotating seal body is a long, plate-like material, one side of which is supported by a shaft at the lower end of the folding door so that it can swing up and down, and the tip side is provided with an elastic body such as rubber that can be compressed and deformed.
A spring is attached to the rotary seal body, and the spring force causes it to constantly rise, forming a gap at the bottom end of the folding door. A rod is attached to the folding door, and as the rod descends, the rotary seal body is pushed down and rotates, standing almost vertically until the elastic body at the tip abuts against the inside surface of the guide groove.

The folding door of the present invention has a rotary seal body journaled at its lower end, and the rotary seal body rotates by pushing down the rod to close the gap between the lower rail and the rotary seal body. Moreover, by being pushed down by the rod and rotating, the rotary seal body descends almost vertically and can abut against the inner surface of the guide groove.
Therefore, the gap formed on the interior side between the folding door and the lower rail is completely sealed, and rainwater that has accumulated in the guide groove does not overflow into the interior side.

A tip member is attached to the tip of the rotary seal body, and the gap between adjacent rotary seal bodies is blocked via the tip member.
The folding door device of the present invention has a flat upper surface on the lower rail, and when the rotary seal body rotates and rises, the lower rail becomes flat, allowing people in wheelchairs to pass through freely. A spring is attached to the rotary seal body, so that when the rod rises, the spring force acts and the rotary seal body can rise.

1A and 1B are external views of a folding door device when the folding door is extended to close the opening, and when the folding door is folded to open the opening. A rotating seal body that is attached to the bottom rail of a folding door device. The figures show the operation of a rotating seal body attached to the bottom end of a folding door, with (a) the rotating seal body rising and lying horizontally, (b) the rotating seal body falling and standing vertically, and (c) the rotating seal body being pushed up by the descending rod so that the rubber piece at the tip abuts against the inner surface of the guide groove. In one case, tip members are attached to the tips of adjacent rotating seal bodies, and the tip members are spaced apart with a gap between them. In one case, tip members are attached to the tips of adjacent rotary seal bodies, and in another case, the tip members are close to each other, and a cover extending from one of the tip members closes the gap. This is a conventional form in which a rotating seal body is attached to the lower end of a folding door. (a) shows the rotating seal body raised to a horizontal position, and (b) shows the rotating seal body lowered so that the rubber piece at the tip abuts the lower rail. When rainwater has accumulated in the guide groove.

FIG. 1 shows an external view of a folding door device according to the present invention, in which (a) shows a folding door 1 extended to close an opening 2, and (b) shows a folding door 1 folded to open an opening 2.
In the folding door device, a folding door 1 is attached to a rectangular frame 3, and the opening can be closed by extending the door, and the opening 2 can be opened by folding the door.

The folding door 1 is made up of multiple panels 4, 4... connected via joints, which include main joints 5, 5... and secondary joints 10, 10.... Hanging wheels 6, 6... are attached to the upper ends of the main joints 5, 5..., and the hanging wheels 6, 6... move on the upper rails 8 that make up the frame 3, and the folding door 1 is suspended via the multiple hanging wheels 6, 6.... Sliders 7, 7... extend downward from the lower ends of the main joints 5, 5..., and the sliders 7, 7... can move along guide grooves provided in the lower rails 9 that make up the frame 3.

Here, the auxiliary joints 10, 10... connecting the panels 4, 4... can protrude outward from the upper rail 8 and the lower rail 9 of the frame 3 when the folding door 1 is folded.
A rotating seal body is attached to the lower end of the folding door 1 of the present invention, and the rotating seal body rotates and descends to extend and close the gap formed between the lower end of the folding door 1 that closes the opening 2 and the lower rail 9.

2 shows an embodiment of a rotary seal body 11 according to the present invention. The main body 12 of the rotary seal body 11 is a long and narrow plate-like member with a constant cross section, with a long and narrow elastic body 13 attached to the tip of one side and a shaft portion 14 provided on the other side.
The shaft portion 14 is fitted into a bearing portion provided at the lower end of the folding door 1 and is supported by the shaft portion 14, and the rotating seal body 11 rotates vertically around the shaft portion 14.
The elastic body 13 shown in the figure is a solid body having a roughly semicircular cross section, but it may be a hollow body so that it is easily compressed and deformed when the rotating seal body 11 rotates and abuts against the lower rail.

Figure 3 shows the operation of the rotating seal body 11 when it is attached to the lower end of the folding door 1. A locking groove 16 is formed on the upper surface 15 of the rotating seal body 11, and a torsion spring 17 is attached to this locking groove 16. The rotating seal body 11 is lifted by the spring force of the torsion spring 17 and held horizontally as shown in Figure 3(a).
Therefore, a gap 18 is formed between the lower end of the folding door 1 and the lower rail 9. When the folding door 1 is extended to close the opening 2, the rotating seal body 11 rotates and is pushed down to close the gap 18, as shown in FIG.

The rotating seal body 11 is rotated 90° from the horizontal state shown in (a) to face vertically downward, and the elastic body 13 made of rubber or the like attached to the tip abuts against the inner surface of the guide groove 19 provided in the lower rail 9. In this case, the hollow elastic body 13 is compressed and deformed, and no gap is generated between it and the inner surface 20 of the guide groove 10.
Therefore, the gap 18 is completely blocked, and the rainwater 21 accumulated in the guide groove 19 does not overflow and infiltrate into the interior of the room.
The rotating seal body 11 is attached to the lower end of the folding door 1, and when the rod attached to the auxiliary joint 10 descends, the rotating seal body 11, which is in a horizontal position, is pushed down by the lower end of the rod and faces vertically downward.

FIG. 3(c) shows the case where the rod 22 provided in the secondary joint 10 is lowered. When the rod 22 is lowered, the rotating seal body 11, which is in a horizontal state, is pressed against its upper surface 15 and rotates to face downward.
A guide piece 23 extending in the vertical direction is formed protruding from the side of the rod 22, and this guide piece 23 presses against the upper surface 15 of the rotating seal body 11, causing the elastic body 13 at the tip to be in complete contact with the inner surface 20 of the guide groove 19.
If the rod 22 descends and is inserted into the guide groove 19, the folding door 1 is locked and will not be folded, but when folding, the rod 22 is lifted up and removed from the guide groove 19.
If the rod 22 rises, the rotary seal body 11 rotates due to the spring force of the attached torsion spring, and is returned to its original horizontal position.

4 shows the case where adjacent rotary seal bodies 11a and 11b are separated. A tip member 24a is attached to the tip of the rotary seal body 11a, and a tip member 24b is attached to the tip of the other rotary seal body 11b. One tip member 24a extends a cover 25.
The tip members 24a, 24b have axial holes 26, 26 into which the shaft portions 14, 14 of the rotary seal bodies 11a, 11b are fitted and attached.

5 shows the case where adjacent rotating seal bodies 11a, 11b are attached to the lower ends of the folding doors 1, 1, and no gap is generated between the two end members 24a, 24b. In other words, the cover 25 extending from one end member 24a straddles the other end member 24b, and therefore the gap 27 generated therebetween can be blocked.
The rotating seal bodies 11a, 11b shown in Figure 5 rotate as shown in Figure 3 above and stand facing vertically downward, with the elastic bodies 13, 13 at the tips abutting against the inner surface 20 of the guide groove 19. Therefore, the gaps occurring between the adjacent rotating seal bodies 11a, 11b are filled, and airtightness and watertightness are maintained.

Reference Signs List 1 Folding door 2 Frontage 3 Frame 4 Panel 5 Main joint 6 Hoist 7 Slider 8 Upper rail 9 Lower rail
10 Secondary joint
11 Rotating seal body
12 Main unit
13 Elastic Body
14 Shaft
15 Top
16 Locking groove
17 Torsion spring
18 Gap
19 Guide groove
20 Inner surface
21 Rainwater
22 Rod
23 Guide piece
24 Tip member
25 Cover
26 Shaft hole
27 Gap

Claims (3)

A folding door device comprising a folding door attached to a frame and equipped with a rotating seal body that can close the gap formed between the lower bar when the door is extended, the rotating seal body having a plate-shaped main body having a predetermined cross section and extending in the longitudinal direction, a compressible elastic body attached to one end of the main body and an axis portion on the other side, the rotating seal body also having a spring that is lifted and held approximately horizontally, a rod provided on the secondary joint, the approximately horizontally positioned rotating seal body rotates around the axis portion when the rod is pressed down, and when the rod is pointed vertically downward, the elastic body at the tip can abut against the interior side surface of the guide groove. 2. The folding door device according to claim 1, wherein the folding door is composed of two panels. A method for sealing a gap formed between a lower end of a folding door and the lower sash when a folding door attached to a frame and equipped with a rotating seal body at its lower end is extended to close the opening, the rotating seal body having a plate-shaped main body extending in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined cross-section, a compressible elastic body attached to one end of the main body, and an axis portion attached to the other end , the rotating seal body arranged almost horizontally rotates 90° and the elastic body at the tip abuts against the inner surface of the guide groove on the indoor side , thereby sealing the gap.

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