JP7658762B2 - Automatic sliding door - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic sliding door, and more preferably to an automatic sliding door that has been automated by modifying an existing single-sliding door structure.

As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads, outbreaks of infection have occurred in medical facilities, clinics, and welfare facilities such as nursing homes (hereafter referred to as "facilities") across the country. Although the route of infection in the facilities has not been determined, it is possible that handles used to open and close doors in the facilities and thumb turns used to lock doors may have been a route of infection. Door handles and other contact operating parts that are touched by everyone are often made of stainless steel or resin, which are believed to allow the novel coronavirus to remain for a relatively long time.

Many facilities use sliding doors that do not require significant body movement when opening and closing the door. To make opening and closing easy, sliding doors with a sliding door structure are fitted with a cylindrical handle, for example, 300 mm to 600 mm long. In order to prevent infection through contact operating parts such as handles, it is possible to convert existing sliding door structures into automatic doors that do not require handle operation, etc.

An example of a conventional sliding automatic door is described in Patent Document 1. In the sliding automatic door described in Patent Document 1, an automatic door open/close switch 32 is installed on the wall on the door end side of the opening.

JP 2020-60066 A

In order to convert an existing sliding door structure into a sliding automatic door, it is necessary to install an engine device that drives the sliding door, a sensor and a switch that send a start-up signal for the engine device, and even wiring to install the sensor, etc. Furthermore, in order to install the sensors, etc. and wiring in the surrounding walls, extensive construction work is required, including the door frame that forms the opening of the sliding door structure and the surrounding walls. However, it is not easy to carry out large-scale construction work over a long period of time, especially in facilities where residents are already present.

Furthermore, when converting an existing wall-mounted sliding door structure into an automatic door, even if the existing sliding door is removed, the width of the door pocket opening is narrow compared to the depth of the door pocket, making it difficult to install the rails and engine unit for the automatic door inside the door pocket.

In addition, medical and welfare facilities are being asked to make the width of entrances to patient rooms and other areas wider so that wheelchairs, stretchers, beds, etc. can pass through. For example, a minimum width of 750 mm is required for wheelchairs to pass through, and the new Barrier-Free Act requires that 800 mm be ensured. Furthermore, in areas where medical beds and stretchers enter and exit, a width of 1000 mm to 1200 mm may be required. For this reason, even when upgrading existing sliding door structures to sliding automatic doors, it is necessary to maintain the effective width of the opening.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an automatic sliding door that can be realized with simple modifications to existing sliding door structures while ensuring the effective width of the opening and without the need for extensive construction of surrounding walls.

The inventor of the present invention noticed that in the sliding door structure of facilities, a gap is provided that leaves a part of the leading edge of the sliding door inside the opening even when the sliding door is fully opened, so that the hand does not get caught between the handle and the frame member at the end of the door when the sliding door is opened by putting a hand on the handle. For example, guidelines for facility design stipulate that a gap of about 90 mm to 120 mm in width should be provided.

The inventor of the present invention came up with the idea that since there is no need to provide a handle or the like on the sliding door of the modified sliding automatic door, there is no need for a leftover pull, and the effective width of the opening can be maintained even if a vertical member is placed inside the opening of the sliding door structure as long as it is within the range of the leftover pull width before the modification, and furthermore, if a sensor or switch for opening and closing the automatic door is installed on the vertical member, the door can be modified to a sliding automatic door without carrying out major construction work on the surrounding walls.

The sliding automatic door of the present invention comprises a front vertical frame, upright frame and top frame which define an opening, a sliding door which opens and closes the opening, and an engine unit which drives the sliding door. A vertical member which extends vertically in contact with the front vertical frame is provided in the opening, and an actuating device which transmits the actuating signal required to start the engine unit is disposed on the vertical member.

In the present invention , preferably, the sliding automatic door is applied to an opening having a single-sliding door structure, and can also be applied to an opening having an existing single-sliding door structure.

When the present invention is applied to an opening with an existing sliding door structure, a vertical member extending vertically in contact with the vertical frame at the door end is provided, and this vertical member functions as the new vertical frame at the door end after the renovation.
Since sliding automatic doors do not require a handle to be operated by hand, there is no need to provide a pull-back mechanism. Therefore, even if a vertical member is provided within the opening, the effective width of the opening can be secured.

Furthermore, a starting device that transmits the start-up signal required to start the engine unit is located on the vertical member. This means that there is no need to carry out extensive construction work on the door frame and surrounding walls that make up the opening of the sliding door structure in order to install the starting device. This makes it possible to shorten the construction period for renovation work to convert to automatic doors.

In this way, the sliding automatic door of the present invention can be realized with a simple modification of the existing sliding door structure while ensuring the effective width of the opening, without the need for extensive construction on the surrounding walls.

(Vertical member for single swing door)
In the present invention, preferably, the vertical member is attached to the door-end vertical frame by a hinge that rotates about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction, forming a single-leaf door.

In this way, by making the vertical member a single-leaf door (child door), the single-leaf door can be opened as needed to expand the effective width of the opening. This makes it possible to achieve an effective width that is actually wider than before the renovation by the amount that was left behind by the reduction in the remaining width due to the renovation.

In addition, even if the vertical member is made rotatable by a hinge, the edge of the vertical member close to the rotation axis of the hinge does not move significantly relative to the vertical frame at the door end. Therefore, there is little risk of the automatic door malfunctioning due to a broken wire in the wiring connected to the vertical member. In addition, wiring to the equipment of the vertical member can be easily done by using, for example, wiring fittings for swing doors or hinges that can house the wiring.

(Vertical member on which the lock mechanism is located)
In the existing sliding door structure, not only the handle but also the lock thumb turn protrudes from the main surface of the sliding door. Therefore, in order to prevent the sliding door from being left behind, it is desirable to remove the lock thumb turn from the sliding door.

In a typical lock, the lock mechanism, including the deadbolt that locks the door and the thumbturn that operates to insert and remove the deadbolt, is mounted on the door side as a lock box (case), and the deadbolt strike is mounted on the door frame. Here, in order to remove protruding parts such as the thumbturn from a sliding door while retaining the lock function, it is possible to switch the lock box and strike.

However, if you were to replace the lock box and strike plate, the lock box would have to be installed in the door frame and surrounding walls, which would require extensive construction work that would also involve the door frame and surrounding walls.

Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the vertical member is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the sliding door.

In this way, by installing a lock on the vertical member, it is possible to eliminate the thumb turn of the lock from the sliding door without carrying out extensive construction work on the vertical frame at the door end and the surrounding walls.

Furthermore, because the lock mechanism can be attached to the vertical member and the striker can be installed in the new sliding door beforehand prior to on-site construction, there is no need to replace the lock at the construction site. This makes it possible to shorten the construction period for the renovation work.

(Vertical member with electronic lock)
In the present invention, preferably, the lock is an electric lock, and a lock activation device is disposed on the vertical member for transmitting a lock activation signal for activating the mechanism of the lock.

By installing the lock mechanism on the vertical member, the signal wiring that connects the lock mechanism to the lock activation device can also be routed on the vertical member. This means that there is no need to carry out extensive construction work on the door end vertical frame or surrounding walls in order to route the signal wiring.

(Engine unit in door pocket)
In many facilities, in order to secure a wall for attaching handrails to the corridor, a wall-mounted sliding door structure is adopted in which the sliding door is stored in a door pocket inside the wall when the opening is open. When converting an existing wall-mounted sliding door structure into an automatic door, even if the existing sliding door is removed, the opening width is narrow compared to the depth of the door pocket, making it difficult to insert tools into the door pocket to carry out work. For this reason, it was not easy to install a new engine device and a rail and door roller (suspension wheel) corresponding to the engine device in a usable state inside the door pocket without destroying the wall surface (small wall) of the door pocket.

In the present invention, the existing sliding door structure is preferably a wall-storage type sliding door structure in which the sliding door is stored in a door pocket in the wall when the opening is open, and is equipped with an integrated running unit in which the engine device, the door rollers that suspend the sliding door, and the running rails on which the door rollers run are stored in a long and narrow housing extending along the upper frame, and the end of the housing on the tail side is supported by a fixing bracket that is fixed to a vertical member located at the end of the tail side of the door pocket using a restraining part.

In this way, by storing the engine device and other components in a long, narrow housing to form an integrated traveling unit, the integrated traveling unit acquires the rigidity to withstand the operation of the sliding door, and the integrated traveling unit can be attached and detached as a single unit. As a result, maintenance such as part replacement can be easily performed.

Furthermore, the end of the integrated traveling unit on the trailing edge, i.e., the end of the housing on the trailing edge, is supported by a fixing bracket fixed to a door stop frame located at the end of the trailing edge of the door pocket. The fixing bracket is fixed to the door stop frame using a restraining part such as a screw or bolt. The insertion direction of the restraining part is essentially horizontal from the door pocket opening toward the end of the trailing edge of the door pocket, so by using a long-shaft screwdriver, the fixing bracket can be easily fixed to the vertical member with the restraining part.

Then, by inserting the integrated traveling unit through the opening of the door pocket into the door pocket to which the fixing bracket is fixed, its trailing edge end, i.e., the trailing edge end of the housing, can be easily supported by the fixing bracket.
Furthermore, if the door end side of the integrated running unit is fixed to an upper frame or the like within the opening of an existing sliding door structure, not only will the integrated running unit not fall vertically, but horizontal misalignment will also be eliminated, allowing the integrated running unit to be fixed efficiently.
Therefore, even when renovating a wall-mounted sliding door structure into a sliding automatic door, there is no need to demolish the small wall of the door pocket, which makes it possible to shorten the construction period for the renovation work.

(Fixing bracket positioning)
When an existing sliding door structure is modified to a sliding automatic door, the remaining width can be eliminated or reduced, and the width of the sliding door along the sliding direction can be narrowed by the reduced width. As a result, even when the sliding door is fully opened, there can be more room in the depth of the door pocket. In other words, a space can be left between the rear edge of the sliding door and the door stop frame at the back of the door pocket.
Therefore, in the present invention, it is more preferable that the door stop frame further include an additional vertical member having one end in contact with the upper frame, the floor surface or a lower frame arranged on the floor surface and fixed to the door stop frame, and the fixing bracket is positioned on the additional vertical member and fixed to the door stop frame via the additional vertical member.
In this way, by fixing the fixing bracket to the door stop frame via the additional vertical member, the additional vertical member itself functions as a dimensional ruler, making it easier to attach the fixing bracket in an accurate position.

In this way, the present invention can provide an automatic sliding door that can be realized by simply modifying an existing sliding door structure while ensuring the effective width of the opening and without the need for extensive construction work on surrounding walls.

FIG. 1A is a front view of an automatic sliding door according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the automatic sliding door shown in FIG. FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure when the sliding door is closed, FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure when the sliding door is fully open, and FIG. 1C is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure in a wall storage format. 2A is an explanatory diagram of the effective width of an existing sliding door structure and a renovated sliding-type automatic door, and FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sliding-type automatic door equipped with a vertical member for a single-leaf door. 1A is a top view of the integrated traveling unit, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the integrated traveling unit. 1A is an explanatory diagram of the installation of the integrated traveling unit, FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a fixing bracket. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an opening of an automatic sliding door according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4A is a front view of an automatic sliding door according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the automatic sliding door shown in FIG. FIG. 10A is a front view of an automatic sliding door according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the automatic sliding door shown in FIG. FIG. 13A is a front view of an automatic sliding door according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the automatic sliding door shown in FIG. FIG. 13A is a front view of an automatic sliding door according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the automatic sliding door shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
First, a sliding automatic door according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 shows the sliding automatic door of this embodiment. Figure 1(A) is a front view, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the main part.

As shown in Figure 1, the sliding type automatic door of this embodiment is a sliding type automatic door that has been modified from an existing single-sliding door structure, and is equipped with a door-end vertical frame 11, a mullion frame 12 and an upper frame 13 that defined the opening 1 (see Figure 2 (A)) of the existing sliding door structure, a sliding door 2 that opens and closes the opening 1, and an integrated traveling unit 3 that houses engine devices 31, 32 (see Figure 4) that drive the sliding door 2.
In many facilities, in order to achieve barrier-free access, no lower frame is provided at the opening 1. For this reason, even in this embodiment, the lower part of the opening 1 is substantially defined by the floor surface 14, not the lower frame. Also, a cover 15 is provided along the upper frame 13 at the upper part of the opening 1 so as to cover the integrated traveling unit 3.

(Vertical member)
As shown in Figure 1, the sliding automatic door has a vertical member 4 that extends vertically in the opening 1 and contacts the existing door end vertical frame 11. This vertical member 4 serves as a new door end vertical frame after the renovation.
The vertical member 4 may extend from the floor surface 14 to the upper frame 13, or may be provided only in a portion of the vertical direction of the opening 1. For example, when the integrated running unit 3 extends to the door end vertical frame 11, the vertical member 4 may be extended from the floor surface 14 to the underside of the integrated running unit 3.

(effective width)
Here, the effective width of the opening 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2(A) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure when the sliding door is closed. Fig. 2(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure when the sliding door is fully open. Fig. 2(C) is a schematic cross-sectional view of an existing sliding door structure in a wall storage format.

In the existing sliding door structure shown in Figures 2(A) and 2(B), a gap 10 is provided to prevent a hand from being caught between the handle 21 and the mullion frame 12 of the sliding door structure when a hand is put on the handle 21 to open the sliding door 20. The gap 10 is a portion that remains in the opening 1 even when the sliding door 20 is fully opened until its rear edge substantially abuts against the door stop frame 16.
Similarly, in a wall-mounted sliding door structure having a door pocket 120 sandwiched between small walls 121 as shown in FIG. 2C, there is a similar problem of the door remaining unslidden.

For this reason, in the existing sliding door structure shown in Figures 2(A), 2(B), and 2(C), the effective width is not the total width of the opening 1 between the door-end vertical frame 11 and the upright frame 12, but the remaining opening width W0 obtained by subtracting the width of the remaining part 10 from this total width.

Next, referring to Figure 3(A), we will compare the effective width of the existing sliding door structure with the effective width of the refurbished sliding-type automatic door. Figure 3(A) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the existing sliding door structure before the refurbishment in the upper part, and a schematic cross-sectional view of the refurbished sliding-type automatic door in the lower part.

In the existing sliding door structure shown in the upper part, the opening width W0 between the leading edge of the sliding door 20 and the leading vertical frame 11 when the sliding door 20 is fully open is the effective width. As mentioned above, this effective width is the remaining opening width W0 obtained by subtracting the width of the remaining part 10 from the total width of the opening 1.

In contrast, in the renovated sliding automatic door shown in the lower part, the remaining space 10 of the sliding door 2 has been eliminated, and instead a new vertical member 4 has been installed adjacent to the vertical frame 11 on the door end side. In this case, the distance between the new door end edge of the sliding door 2 when fully open and the vertical member 4 becomes the new effective width W0. Here, if the width of the remaining space 10 and the width of the vertical member 4 are made the same, the same effective width can be ensured after the renovation as before the renovation.

In this way, automatic sliding doors do not require a handle that is operated by hand, so there is no need to leave a gap behind, and even if a vertical member 4 is provided inside the opening 1, the effective width can be ensured.

Note that the remaining amount of stubs may or may not be completely eliminated after the renovation. Some stubs may remain after the renovation, but in order to ensure the effective width, it is preferable that the amount of stubs remaining is less than before the renovation.

(Vertical member on which the starting device is located)
Furthermore, the vertical member 4 is provided with a starting device 60 that transmits a start signal required to start the engine devices 31 and 32, and a signal wire 7 that connects the starting device 60 to the integrated traveling unit 3. In this embodiment, the starting device 60 is a proximity sensor. When a hand or the like is held over the starting device 60, the starting device 60 detects the proximity of an object and transmits a start signal required to start the engine devices 31 and 32. The start signal is sent to the integrated traveling unit 3 via the signal wire 7, and the engine devices 31 and 32 start up, opening the sliding door 2.

In this way, since the actuating device 60 and the signal wiring 7 are arranged on the vertical member 4, there is no need to carry out extensive construction work, including on the door frame constituting the opening of the sliding door structure and on the surrounding walls, in order to install the actuating device 60 and the signal wiring 7. This makes it possible to shorten the construction period for the renovation work.

In this way, the sliding automatic door of this embodiment can be realized by simply modifying the existing sliding door structure while ensuring the effective width of the opening, without the need for extensive construction on the surrounding walls.

(Vertical member for single swing door)
Next, an example of the automatic sliding door of this embodiment in which the vertical member 4 is a single-leaf door will be described with reference to Fig. 3(B). Fig. 3(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the automatic sliding door having the vertical member 4 in the single-leaf door configuration.

The vertical member 4 may be fixed to the leading edge vertical frame 11, or, as shown in FIG. 3(B), it may be attached to the leading edge vertical frame 11 by a hinge 41 that rotates around a vertical axis of rotation to form a single-leaf door (child door).

In this way, by making the vertical member 4 a single-leaf door, the single-leaf door can be opened as necessary to further increase the effective width of the opening 1. This effectively reduces the amount of space left behind, making it possible to achieve a wider effective width than before the renovation.

Even if some clearance remains after renovation, the same effective width as before renovation can be secured by opening this single-leaf door. For example, a wide width is not necessarily required for people to enter and exit, but a sufficiently wide effective width can be secured by opening the single-leaf door when bringing in or removing a bed or stretcher.

The vertical member 4 may be a single-leaf door in its entirety, or only a portion of the vertical member 4 may be a single-leaf door. For example, only the lower half of the vertical member 4 may be a single-leaf door. The vertical member 4 may be attached directly to the leading vertical frame 11 with hinges 41, or indirectly. For example, an additional vertical frame (not shown) made of metal plate or plywood may be attached to the leading vertical frame 11, and the vertical member 4 may be rotatably attached to this additional vertical frame with hinges.

In addition, even if the vertical member 4 is made rotatable by the hinge 41, the side of the vertical member 4 close to the rotation axis of the hinge 41 does not move significantly relative to the leading edge vertical frame 11. Therefore, there is little risk of the automatic door malfunctioning due to a broken wire in the wiring connected to the vertical member 4. In addition, when wiring between the leading edge vertical frame 11 and the swing door vertical member 44 is provided, the wiring can be easily arranged by using, for example, a wiring fixture for swing doors or a hinge that can house the wiring.

(Integrated driving unit)
Next, the integrated traveling unit including the engine device will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4(A) is a top view of the integrated traveling unit, and Fig. 4(B) is a side view of the integrated traveling unit.

If the existing sliding door structure is a wall-retractable type sliding door structure in which the sliding door is retracted into a door pocket inside the wall when the opening 1 is open as shown in Figure 3, even if the existing sliding door is removed to convert it to an automatic door, the opening width is narrow compared to the depth of the door pocket, making it difficult to insert tools into the door pocket to work.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the integrated running unit 3 includes a control device 30 that receives a start signal from a starting device 60 to start the engine devices 31 and 32, the engine devices 31 and 32 that drive the sliding door 2 to open and close, a door roller 33 that suspends the sliding door 2, and a running rail 34 on which the door roller 33 runs, all housed in a long and narrow housing 35 extending along the upper frame 13. The control device 30 is connected to the starting device 60 by a signal wiring 7, and is connected to a power source by a power wiring 7a.

In this way, by storing the engine devices 31, 32, etc. in the elongated housing 35 to form the integrated traveling unit 3, the integrated traveling unit 3 acquires the rigidity to withstand the operation of the sliding door 2, and the integrated traveling unit 3 can be attached and detached as a single unit. As a result, maintenance such as part replacement can be easily performed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the engine devices 31, 32 constitute a linear motor having a fixed magnet device 31 that is fixed in position and a moving magnet device 32 that moves. By adopting a linear motor, it is possible to make the integrated traveling unit smaller and thinner.

The cross-sectional shape of the housing 35 in a cut surface perpendicular to the extension direction is not limited to a rectangle, and may be, for example, a U-shape or an L-shape. A part of the housing 35 may also serve as the running rail 34. The end of the housing 35 on the door-end side may extend to the vertical member 4 or to the door-end vertical frame 11.

(Integrated driving unit installed)
Next, the installation state of the integrated traveling unit will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5(A) is an explanatory diagram of the installation of the integrated traveling unit, Fig. 5(B) is an enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 5(A), and Fig. 5(C) is a perspective view of the fixing metal fitting. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the opening of the sliding automatic door of this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the opening width of the wall-mounted sliding door structure is narrow compared to the depth of the door pocket 120. When converting to an automatic door, it is desirable to attach the integrated running unit 3 without destroying the wall surface (small wall) of the door pocket 120. Therefore, in this embodiment, a fixing bracket 8 is fixed to the door stop frame 16 located at the end of the door tail side inside the door pocket, and the door tail side end 35a of the housing 35 of the integrated running unit 3 is supported by this fixing bracket 8.

The fixing bracket 8 is fixed to the door stop frame 16 using a restraining part (not shown) such as a screw or bolt. The insertion direction of the restraining part is substantially horizontal, from the opening of the door pocket 120 toward the end of the door trailing edge inside the door pocket. Therefore, if a long-shaft screwdriver is used, the fixing bracket 8 can be easily fixed to the door stop frame 16 with the restraining part.

Then, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the integrated traveling unit 3 is inserted into the door pocket to which the fixing bracket 8 is fixed through the opening of the door pocket, and its end portion on the trailing edge of the door pocket, i.e., the end portion 35a on the trailing edge of the housing 35, is supported by the fixing bracket 8.

As shown in Figure 5 (C), the fixing bracket 8 is a metal member bent into a U-shape, and has a fixing part 81 with a bolt hole 81a formed therein that is fixed to the door stop frame 16, a lower support part 82 formed by bending the lower edge of the fixing part 81 at a right angle, and an upper support part 83 formed by bending the upper edge of the fixing part 81 at a right angle. As shown in Figure 5 (B), the guide claw 83a at the tip of the upper support part 83 is bent diagonally downward to guide the tail end part 35a of the housing 35 that is inserted diagonally from below.

In this way, by supporting the trailing edge side end of the integrated running unit 3, i.e., the trailing edge side end 35a of the housing 35, with the fixing bracket 8 and fixing the door front side of the integrated running unit 3 to the upper frame 13 or the like within the opening 1, not only will the integrated running unit 3 not fall vertically, but it will also be possible to efficiently fix the integrated running unit 3 without any horizontal shifting.
As a result, even when a wall-mounted sliding door structure is modified to a sliding automatic door, there is no need to demolish the small wall of the door pocket 120, and the construction period for the modification work can be shortened.

(Fixing bracket positioning)
In the examples shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the fixing bracket 8 is directly fixed to the doorstop frame 16 with a restraining part, but as shown in Figure 5(C), the fixing bracket 8 may be indirectly fixed to the doorstop frame 16 via an additional vertical member 17 such as an iron plate or plywood. For example, as shown in Figure 5(C), the fixing bracket 8 may be positioned on the additional vertical member 17 and temporarily fixed thereto, and then a restraining part may be inserted into the bolt hole 81a to fix the fixing bracket 8 and the additional vertical member 17 together to the doorstop frame 16 inside the door pocket. Also, the fixing bracket 8 may be positioned on the additional vertical member 17 and fixed thereto, and the additional vertical member 17 may be further fixed to the doorstop frame 16 with a restraining part.

In particular, if one end of the additional vertical member 17 is abutted against the upper frame 13 or the floor surface 14 and fixed to the doorstop frame 16, the additional vertical member 17 itself functions as a dimensional ruler, and the fixing bracket 8 can be positioned accurately in the vertical position based on the upper frame 13 or the floor surface 14. If a lower frame is disposed on the floor surface 14, the additional vertical member 17 may be fixed to the doorstop frame 16 by abutting one end of the additional vertical member 17 against the lower frame.
Furthermore, by fixing the additional vertical member 17 to the door stop frame 16 with the side edge of the additional vertical member 17 abutting against the inner wall of the door pocket, the fixing metal fitting 8 can be accurately positioned in the horizontal direction.

In this way, by positioning the fixing bracket 8 on the additional vertical member 17 and fixing it to the door stop frame 16 via the additional vertical member 17, the fixing bracket 8 can be more easily attached in an accurate position.
The dimensions and shape of the additional vertical member 17 are not limited to a plate shape, but may be, for example, a rod shape, a block shape, or an angle shape.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a sliding automatic door according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows the sliding automatic door of this embodiment, with Fig. 7(A) being a front view and Fig. 7(B) being a cross-sectional view of the main part.

In this embodiment, a proximity reflective photoelectric sensor is disposed on the vertical member 4 as the activation device 61. The proximity reflective photoelectric sensor has a light-emitting element that emits light such as infrared light in a predetermined direction, and a light-receiving element that receives the diffuse reflected light of the emitted light. When the activation device 61 detects the diffuse reflected light of an object such as a person approaching the automatic sliding door, it detects the proximity of the object and transmits an activation signal. The activation signal is sent to the integrated traveling unit 3 via the signal wiring 7. This allows the sliding door 2 to be opened without touching it.

As described above, in this embodiment, the actuation device 61 and the signal wiring 7 are arranged on the vertical member 4, so there is no need to carry out extensive construction work, including on the door frame and surrounding walls that form the opening of the sliding door structure, to install the actuation device 61 and the signal wiring 7.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a sliding automatic door according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows the sliding automatic door of this embodiment, with Fig. 8(A) being a front view and Fig. 8(B) being a cross-sectional view of the main part.
In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, a foot-insertion type activation device is disposed on the vertical member 4 as the activation device 62. The foot-insertion type activation device has an insertion detection device 62a that detects the insertion of a foot, and a control device 62b that transmits an activation signal when the insertion detection device 62a detects the insertion of a foot. When a foot is inserted into the recess of the insertion detection device 62a and the optical coupling between the light receiving and emitting elements in the recess is interrupted, an activation signal is transmitted, and the sliding door 2 can be opened without touching the sliding door 2.

[Fourth embodiment]
Next, a sliding automatic door according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 shows the sliding automatic door of this embodiment, with Fig. 9(A) being a front view and Fig. 9(B) being a cross-sectional view of the main part.
In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The activation device is not limited to a non-contact type, and may be a contact type as in this embodiment.
In this embodiment, a push button type activation device is disposed on the vertical member 4 as the activation device 63. By operating the push button type activation device 63, an activation signal is transmitted, and the sliding door 2 can be opened. From the viewpoint of infection prevention, it is preferable to operate the push button type activation device 63 using a tool such as a pen, rather than directly touching it with fingers.

[Fifth embodiment]
Next, a sliding automatic door according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows the sliding automatic door of this embodiment, with Fig. 10(A) being a front view and Fig. 10(B) being a cross-sectional view of the main part.
In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, in Fig. 10, the illustration of the activation devices 60, 61, 62, and 63 described in the first to fourth embodiments and disposed on the vertical member 4 is omitted.

In this embodiment, the mechanism (lock box) 92 of the electric lock 9 that locks the sliding door 2 is placed on the vertical member 4. A sickle-shaped deadbolt enters and exits from the mechanism 92 on the vertical member 4 side, and a striker (not shown) that receives the sickle-shaped deadbolt is provided on the sliding door 2 side.

Furthermore, a lock activation device is disposed on the vertical member 4, which transmits a lock activation signal to activate the mechanism section 92 of the lock 9. The lock activation device is composed of an input device 91 and a control device 93 that authenticates the input signal input to the input device 91. When the control device 93 authenticates the input signal, it transmits a lock activation signal to activate the mechanism section 92, and the sickle-shaped deadbolt extends and retracts from the mechanism section 92. The input device 91 may be, for example, a non-contact card reader, a numeric keypad unit for inputting a PIN number, or a push button switch.

In this way, by providing the mechanism 92 of the lock 9 on the vertical member 4, the thumb turn of the lock can be eliminated from the sliding door 2 without extensive construction work including on the door end vertical frame 11 and its surrounding walls 100. In addition, the input device 91 of the lock activation device, the control device 93, and the signal wiring 90 connected to the mechanism 92, as well as the power wiring 90a that supplies power to the electric lock 9, are also arranged on the vertical member 4, so there is no need to carry out extensive construction work including on the door end vertical frame and its surrounding walls for wiring arrangement.

Furthermore, since the mechanism 92 of the lock 9 can be attached to the vertical member 4 and the striker can be installed in the new sliding door 2 beforehand prior to on-site construction, there is no need to replace the lock at the construction site. This makes it possible to shorten the construction period for the renovation work.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the mechanism section 92 of the electric lock of this embodiment also includes a thumb turn 92a and a cylinder 92c into which a key 92b is inserted, but the thumb turn 92a and the cylinder 92c may be omitted.
Also, instead of an electric lock, a mechanical lock mechanism may be disposed on the vertical member 4.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
In the above-described embodiment, an example of a sliding automatic door in which an existing single-sliding door structure has been modified has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a newly installed sliding automatic door rather than a modification of an existing sliding door structure.

In the above embodiment, an example is described in which an integrated traveling unit 3 is provided in which a linear motor engine device is housed in the housing 35, but the present invention is not limited to an integrated traveling unit, and the engine device is not limited to a linear motor. For example, a rotary shaft motor may be used as the engine device, as in the case of a conventional drive device for a general automatic door, and a system may be used in which the sliding door is driven via a chain or pulley.
Further, in the present invention, the existing sliding door structure is not limited to a wall-mounted type having a door pocket.

In the above embodiment, the vertical member 4 is used as a single-leaf door, but the vertical member may be fixed to the vertical frame at the door end.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the lower part of the opening 1 is substantially defined by the floor surface 14, but in the present invention, a lower frame may be provided on the floor surface 14 of the opening 1.

In the fifth embodiment described above, an example was described in which an electric lock was placed on the vertical member, but in the present invention, a mechanism for a mechanical lock other than an electric lock may also be placed on the vertical member.

The sliding automatic door of the present invention is suitable for installation in a variety of buildings, including, for example, medical facilities, welfare facilities such as nursing homes, and small homes.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Opening 10 Remaining part 11 Door end vertical frame 12 Post frame 13 Upper frame 14 Floor surface 15 Cover 16 Door stop frame 17 Additional vertical member 2 Sliding door 20 Existing sliding door 21 Handle 3 Integrated running unit 30 Control device 31, 32 Engine device 33 Door roller 34 Running rail 35 Housing 35a Door end side end 4 Vertical member 41 Hinge 60, 61, 62, 63 Starting device 7 Signal wiring 7a Power supply wiring 8 Fixing bracket 81 Fixing part 81a Bolt hole 82 Lower support part 83 Upper support part 83a Guide claw 9 Lock, electric lock 90 Signal wiring 90a Power supply wiring 91 Input device 92 Mechanism part (lock box)
92a Thumb turn 92b Key 92c Cylinder 93 Control device 100, 110 Peripheral wall 120 Door pocket 121 Small wall

Claims (4)

A door end vertical frame, a post frame and a top frame that define an opening of the sliding door structure ;
A sliding door for opening and closing the opening;
An engine device that drives the sliding door;
A vertical member extending vertically in contact with the door end vertical frame provided at the opening;
a starting device arranged on the vertical member and configured to generate a starting signal required to start the engine device;
A lock mechanism for locking the sliding door is disposed on the vertical member.
A sliding automatic door. 2. The automatic sliding door according to claim 1, wherein the vertical member is attached to the door-end vertical frame so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction, forming a single-leaf door . The sliding door structure is a wall-mounted type sliding door structure in which the sliding door is accommodated in a door pocket in the wall when the opening is opened,
The engine device, the door roller for suspending the sliding door, and the running rail on which the door roller runs are housed in an elongated housing extending along the upper frame.
The sliding automatic door according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the door trailing end of the housing is supported by a fixing bracket fixed to a door stop frame located at the end of the door trailing end inside the door pocket using a restraining part. Further provided is an additional vertical member whose one end is in contact with the upper frame, the floor surface, or a lower frame disposed on the floor surface and fixed to the door stop frame;
4. The automatic sliding door according to claim 3 , wherein the fixing metal fitting is positioned on the additional vertical member and fixed to the door stop frame via the additional vertical member.

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