Arrangement for moving a door in swinging and sliding motions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059424-B2
Application number	US-201614995383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

The present invention aims at providing an arrangement for moving a door in both a swinging and a sliding manner, in which a pivoting means allows the rotation of the door around at least two axes of rotation—a slide axis around which the pivoting that allows the sliding motion takes place, and a swing axis, further passing through a swing point of a guiding means intended for allowing the door to slide over a guiding rail, around which the door swings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for moving a door, the door being configured to close an opening of a structure, and the arrangement comprising:
pivoting means attachable to the structure and to a first attachment point of the door, the pivoting means being suitable for allowing a rotation of the door around a plurality of axes of rotation of the pivoting means, the plurality of axes of rotation comprising a slide axis and at least one swing axis, wherein the pivoting means comprises a spherical bearing suitable for allowing a free rotation of the door around a center of rotation of the spherical bearing, the slide axis and the at least one swing axis passing through the center of rotation of the spherical bearing,
a guiding rail attachable to the structure,
guiding means attachable to a second attachment point of the door and comprising a slider for moving along the guiding rail, the guiding means being suitable for allowing the door to slide over the guiding rail while pivoting around the slide axis, and for allowing the door to swing about the at least one swing axis, the at least one swing axis passing through a swing point of the guiding means.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding means comprises an arm extending between a first and a second extremities, the first extremity being attachable to the second attachment point of the door, and the second extremity comprising the slider.

3. The arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the guiding rail has a shape comprising a portion of a curve on a sphere.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a guiding rod articulately attachable both to the structure and to a third attachment point of the door, the guiding rod being suitable for providing guidance of the door.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one stopper is provided at at least one point of the guiding rail for impeding a further movement of the slider along the guiding rail.

6. A door assembly comprising the door and the arrangement for moving the door according to claim 1 , such that the door is configured to close the opening of the structure, and the arrangement comprises:
the pivoting means attachable to the structure and attached to the first attachment point of the door, the pivoting means being suitable for allowing the rotation of the door around the plurality of axes of rotation of the pivoting means, the plurality of axes of rotation comprising the slide axis and the at least one swing axis,
the guiding rail attachable to the structure,
the guiding means attached to the second attachment point of the door and comprising the slider for moving along the guiding rail, the guiding means being suitable for allowing the door to slide over the guiding rail while pivoting around the slide axis, and for allowing the door to swing about the at least one swing axis, the at least one swing axis passing through the swing point of the guiding means.

7. The door assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the door comprises a door edge having at least a first and a second corners, the first attachment point of the door being located at the first corner and the second attachment point of the door being located at the second corner.

8. The door assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a guiding rod attachable to the structure and attached to a third attachment point of the door, the guiding rod being suitable for providing guidance of the door, wherein the third attachment point of the door is located at the inside of an area defined by the door edge.

9. A vehicle comprising the door assembly according to claim 6 , such that the door is configured to close the opening of the structure of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the structure is a fuselage of the aircraft.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the pivoting means comprises a main body extending between a first edge and a second edge, the first edge being attached to the first attachment point of the door and the second edge being attached to the fuselage, and wherein a spherical bearing is located at the second edge, the spherical bearing being suitable for allowing a free rotation of the door around a center of rotation of the spherical bearing, the slide axis and the at least one swing axis passing through such center of rotation of the spherical bearing.

12. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the pivoting means comprises a spherical bearing and an auxiliary guiding rail, the auxiliary guiding rail being attached to the fuselage and being suitable for guiding the spherical bearing to a position offset from the fuselage.

13. A method for operating a door of a vehicle according to claim 9 , the method at least comprising the steps of:
swinging the door about an at least one swing axis passing through a swing point of guiding means and through a point of pivoting means, so that the door is suitable for opening and closing an opening of a structure and for folding and unfolding with respect to the structure, and
sliding the door over a guiding rail by means of the pivoting of the door around a slide axis which passes through the pivoting means and by means of the movement along the guiding rail of a slider of the guiding means, the guiding means being attached to the door.

14. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pivoting means comprises a main body extending from a first edge to a second edge, the first edge configured for attachment to the first attachment point of the door and the second edge configured for attachment to a fixed point on the fuselage via the spherical bearing.

15. A door assembly comprising:
a structure defining an opening;
a door configured to close the opening of the structure, the door comprising a door edge having at least first and second corners, the door comprising a first attachment point located at the first corner and a second attachment point located at the second corner; and
an arrangement for moving the door comprising:
pivoting means attachable to the structure and to the first attachment point of the door, the pivoting means configured to allow rotation of the door around a slide axis and at least one swing axis, wherein the pivoting means comprise a spherical bearing configured to allow a free rotation of the door around a center of rotation of the spherical bearing, wherein the slide axis and the at least one swing axis pass through the center of rotation of the spherical bearing,
a guiding rail attachable to the structure, and
guiding means attachable to the second attachment point of the door and comprising a slider for moving along the guiding rail, the guiding means configured to allow the door to slide over the guiding rail while pivoting around the slide axis, and configured to allow the door to swing about the at least one swing axis, the at least one swing axis passing through a swing point of the guiding means.

16. The door assembly of claim 15 wherein the door has a third attachment point located at the inside of an area defined by the door edge; and
wherein the door assembly further comprises a guiding rod attachable to the structure and attached to the third attachment point of the door, the guiding rod configured to guide of the door.

17. The door assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the pivoting means comprises an articulated joint in turn comprising at least first and second joint extensions, wherein the first joint extension extends along the slide axis and the second joint extension extends along the at least one swin

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH

Inventors

• Steger Justus

Classifications

• B64C1/1438

  of the sliding type · CPC title

• E05D15/48

  allowing alternative movements ({E05D15/0604 takes precedence } ; for vertically-sliding wings E05D15/22) · CPC title

• B64C1/1461 Primary

  Structures of doors or surrounding frames · CPC title

• E06B3/5054

  where the sliding and rotating movements are independent of each other · CPC title

• E06B3/5009 Primary

  where the sliding and rotating movements are necessarily performed simultaneously (E06B3/5027, E06B3/5036 take precedence) · CPC title