SWING DOOR SYSTEM AND DEVICE WITH A SWING DOOR SYSTEM

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a swing door system, preferably for use with a chiller device or freezer device, including at least one swing door, a mullion and a sealing element. The at least one swing door includes a transparent pane and the sealing element is arranged between the swing door and the mullion in a closed position of the swing door. The mullion is translucent at least in part.

Claims

1. A swing door system for use with a chiller device or freezer device, comprising: at least one swing door having a closed position; a mullion; and a sealing element, wherein the at least one swing door comprises a transparent pane, wherein the sealing element is between the swing door and the mullion when the swing door is in the closed position, and wherein the mullion is at least translucent at least in a part of the mullion.

2. The swing door system of claim 1, wherein the mullion is transparent at least in a part of the mullion.

3. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the mullion has a material that provides mechanical stability to the mullion, and the material is at least translucent at least in part.

4. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the mullion is fully transparent.

5. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is at least translucent at least in part of the sealing element and/or wherein the sealing element is compressible.

6. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the mullion and the sealing element comprises at least one force-locking element providing a force-locking connection between the mullion and the at last one swing door.

7. The swing door system according to claim 6, wherein the force-locking element of the sealing element is at a lower and/or upper vertical section of the swing door and/or at a handle.

8. The swing door system according to claim 6, wherein the force-locking element is a magnet, and/or wherein the at least one swing door and/or the mullion comprise a heating element.

9. The swing door system according to claim 8, comprising the heating element, wherein the heating element is a heating wire and/or heating cable, and wherein the sealing element and/or the mullion is translucent in part to hide the heating element.

10. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the swing door system comprises a reflective element, and/or wherein the at least one swing door and/or the mullion comprise a light element.

11. The swing door system according to claim 10, wherein the reflective element is a mirror element and/or a reflective coating.

12. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one swing door comprises a gas-filled insulating glass unit or a vacuum glass unit, and wherein the gas-filled insulating glass unit or the vacuum glass unit comprises at least two glass panes spaced apart from each other by a spacer element.

13. The swing door system according to claim 12, wherein the spacer is at least partially translucent.

14. The swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one swing door and/or the mullion comprise a hollow profile.

15. The swing door system according to claim 14, wherein the hollow profile and the mullion have essentially the same cross-sectional shape.

16. The swing door system according to claim 14, wherein at the heating element and/or the light element is inside the hollow profile of the at least one swing door and/or the mullion.

17. The swing door system according to claim 14, wherein the hollow profile of the at least one swing door is between at least one glass pane forming the transparent pane of the at least one swing door and the sealing element.

18. The swing door system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one swing door comprises at least two glass panes, wherein one pane extends perpendicular to an opening direction of the at least one swing door the other glass pane, and wherein the hollow profile is attached in the extending region of the extending glass pane.

19. The swing door system according to claim 14, wherein the mullion and/or hollow profile have an essentially rectangular, essentially triangular or essentially t-shaped cross-section and/or wherein the sealing element is attached to the mullion.

20. A swing door system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one swing door has a rotating axis that is in the center of the at least one swing door, wherein the center is defined with respect to the thickness of the at least one swing door perpendicular to the opening direction in a closed position of the at least one swing door and/or wherein the rotating axis of the at least one swing door is off the center of the swing door, and wherein the center is defined with respect to the thickness of the swing door perpendicular to the opening direction in a closed position of the swing door.

21. A freezer or chiller device, comprising: a swing door system according to claim 1 in a cabinet; and a second swing door, wherein the swing doors open in the same direction of an aperture angle.

22. The freezer or chiller device of claim 21, wherein the freezer or chiller device further comprises an upper and/or lower horizontal element to provide a stop for the swing doors of the swing door system.

23. The freezer or chiller device of claim 21, wherein the freezer or chiller device further comprises an energy source for providing heat and/or electric energy and an interface for connecting a heating element, a light element or a sensor of the swing door system to the energy source.

24. A swing door arrangement comprising: a swing door system according to claim 1; a second sealing element; and a second swing door, wherein the second swing door comprises a transparent pane, and wherein the second sealing element is between the second swing door and the mullion in a closed position of the second swing door.

25. The swing door arrangement of claim 24, wherein the swing doors form a common plane in a closed position and wherein the mullion provides a single common surface for the sealings of the swing doors, or wherein the swing doors form a common plane in a closed position and wherein the mullion provides different surfaces for the sealings of the swing doors, wherein the different surfaces are inclined to each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the swing door system according to FIG. 4.

[0063] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a part of a freezer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of part of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] In FIG. 1, a swing door system 1 is shown comprising two adjacent swing doors 2, 3. The swing doors 2, 3 each comprise a transparent region 2a, 3a, formed by a plurality of glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c which are spaced apart from each other by spacers 7. The glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c provide insulation between opposite sides of the swing doors 2, 3. The glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c are arranged perpendicular to the opening direction 90 of the swing doors 2, 3. The left swing door 2 can be rotated about a rotating axis 90 being off the center of the swing door 2 in the direction to the outer glass pane 5c. The middle glass panes 5b, 6b of the respective swing door 2, 3 extend as do the other glass panes 5b, 5c in the direction toward the respective other swing door 3, 2 without touching themselves. These extending glass panes 5b, 6b each comprise a quadratic hollow profile 8, 9 being dimensioned such to fill the rectangular space or area formed by the inner respective glass pane 5a, 6b and the difference in length between the inner non-extending glass pane 5a, 6a and the extending glass pane 5b, 6b. The terms “inner” and outer” refer here to the upper and lower area of FIG. 1 being separated by the swing door system 1.

[0068] On the surface of each hollow profile 8, 9 is parallel to the glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c in opposite direction of the opening direction 90. Each hollow profile 8, 9 comprises a compressible sealing 20, 30 each provided with a magnet 21, 31, preferably embedded in the respective sealing 20, 30. The magnets 21, 31 interact with a rectangular shaped hollow mullion 10 for providing a force locking, i.e. magnetic, connection 46 for thermal insulation. Both magnets 21, 31 interact with the same surface 10a of the mullion 10 and is arranged parallel to the transparent panes 2a, 3b formed by the glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c. Mullion 10, hollow profiles 8, 9 and spacers 7 in FIG. 1 can be transparent, the sealings 20, 30 can be translucent or transparent.

[0069] In general mullion 10, hollow profiles 8, 9, spacers 7 and/or the sealings 20, 30 can be made of or comprise at least one of: transparent plastic, e.g. thermoplastic, in particular PMMA, poly(methyl methacrylate) or polycarbonate or glass.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] In detail, FIG. 2 shows in general a swing door system 1 according to FIG. 1. The differences between the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 2 and the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 1 is that the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 2 comprises a) a mullion 10 having a triangular form, b) the sealings 20, 30 are attached to the mullion 10 and c) no hollow profiles in or at the swing doors 2, 3 and no extending glass panes 5b, 6b are provided. In detail with regard to the difference a) the mullion 10 has triangular shape in FIG. 2. The triangular shaped mullion 10 is symmetrically arranged with the basis of the “triangle” being parallel to the transparent panes 2a, 3a. The height of the “triangle” is parallel to the opening direction 90. In detail and with regard to difference b) the sealings 20, 30 are attached to the basis of the “triangle”, here formed by the mullion surface 10a. The magnets 21, 31 are attached to the sealing 20, 30 so that they can interact with a corresponding counterpart of the swing door 2, 3, in particular with an element in or with the inner glass panes 5a, 6a. With regard to the difference c) the swing doors 2, 3 both have three glass-panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c, none of them extends over the other. Mullion 10, and spacers 7 can be transparent, the sealings 20, 30 can be translucent or transparent here in FIG. 2.

[0072] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] In detail, FIG. 3 shows in general a swing door system 1 with swing doors 2,3 without the attached sealings 20, 30 according to FIG. 1 and a mullion 10 with sealings 20, 30 attached to it according to FIG. 2. Further the hollow profiles 8, 9 attached to the swing doors 2, 3 each comprise a vertically arranged warm air tunnel 43 inside to provide heating of the areas of the swing doors 2, 3 and/or part of the mullion 10 when being in closed position.

[0074] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and FIG. 5 a corresponding perspective view of the swing door system according to FIG. 4.

[0075] In detail, FIGS. 4 and 5 show in general a swing door system 1 with swing doors 2, 3 according to FIG. 2 and sealings 20, 30 attached to the mullion 10. However, one of the differences between the swing door system 1 according to FIGS. 4, 5 and the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 2 is that the swing door system 1 according to FIGS. 4, 5 comprise a mullion 10 having a t-shaped form with an arm 10b of the mullion 10 extending between the swing doors 2, 3 in their closed position. Due to the arm 10b there is no common single surface 10a for attaching the sealings 20, 30 at the mullion 10 but two separated surfaces 10a1, 10a2, each being parallel to the transparent panes 2a, 3a of the swing doors 2, 3. Further, the arm of the mullion 10 extending parallel to said transparent panes 2a, 3a comprises light elements 47 on the surface of the mullion 10 on the opposite side of the swing doors 2,3 to illuminate for instance products. Further, the hollow profiles 8, 9 attached to the swing doors 2,3 each comprise a vertically arranged warm air tunnel 43 inside to provide heating of the areas of the swing doors 2,3 and/or part of the mullion 10 when being in closed position. Further in FIG. 5, a lower horizontal profile 105b is shown providing a further stop for the swing door 3 which can comprise a further sealing to interact with the swing door 3. Mullion 10 can be non-transparent, spacers 7 and glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c can be transparent, and the sealings 20, 30 can be translucent here in FIGS. 4, 5.

[0076] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] FIG. 6 shows in general a swing door system 1 according to FIG. 3. The differences between the swing doors systems 1 according to FIG. 6 and FIG. 3 are, that the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 6 comprises a triangular shaped mullion 10 with inclined surfaces 10a1, 10a2 against each other. In other words, the mullion 10 of FIG. 6 has been mirrored around the basis 10a of the mullion 10 and the sealings 20, 30 have been attached to these inclined surfaces 10a1, 10a2. Due to this difference between said swing door systems 1, the hollow profiles 8, 9 of the swing doors 2,3 according to FIG. 6 have also triangular shape so that the magnets 21, 31 can interact with a surface of the corresponding profiles 8, 9 parallel to the surfaces 10a1, 10a2 of the mullion 10. A further difference between said swing door systems 1 is that the swing door system 1 according to FIG. 6 has no extending glass panes 5b, 6b but recessed glass panes 5a, 6a so that the triangular shaped profiles 8, 9 can be attached with a side parallel to the transparent panes 2a, 3a to the middle glass pane 5b, 6b and to a surface perpendicular to the glass panes 5a, 6a with the basis of the triangle/hollow profile 8, 9 being parallel to the corresponding inclined surface 10a1, 10a2 of the mullion 10. Mullion 10 can be non-transparent, spacers 7 and glass panes 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c can be transparent, and the sealings 20, 30 can be translucent here in FIG. 6. Further, a vertically arranged heating wire 44 in each of the profiles 8, 9 as well as in the mullion 10 is provided.

[0078] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a freezer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] In detail, FIG. 7 shows a freezer device 100 with a swing door system 1. The freezer device 100 comprises a cabinet 101 and further a top horizontal element 105a and a bottom horizontal element 105b. The freezer device 100 comprises six swing doors 2, 3, two of them each forming a swing door system providing a sealing function between them and a corresponding mullion 10. The swing doors 2, 3 each have a transparent region 2a, 3a so that a customer in front of the freezer device 100 can see the products 109 placed on shelves 108 inside the freezer device 100 through the swing doors 2, 3 without having to open the swing doors 2, 3. The sealings 20, 30 the swing doors 2, 3 are transparent.

[0080] Further, the horizontal elements 105a, 105b provide a stop for each of the swing doors 2, 3. The opening direction 90 when the swing doors 2, 3 are closed is perpendicular to the swing doors 2,3. The angled direction 91 of the swing doors 2, 3 is the same for all swing doors 2, 3 of the freezer device 100. All swing doors open to the right; therefore all doors are hinged at their right side when looking perpendicular to the transparent panes of the freezer device 100. Further, the freezer device 100 comprises an energy source 106, which is connected with an interface 107 which enables to provide energy to a heating element 43, 44 or light elements 47 inside the swing doors 2, 3. Further, the lower vertical area 2-1, the upper vertical area 2-2 and the area of a handle 2-3 is shown. These areas 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 are preferred for arranging force-locking elements like magnets 21, 31 or the like, when they are optically non-transparent.

[0081] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a swing door system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] FIG. 8 shows a swing door system 1 comprising two adjacent swing doors 2, 3. Each swing door 2, 3 comprises transparent panes 3a, 3b being spaced from each other by spacers 7. Furthermore, a mullion 10 is arranged. The mullion 10 is T-shaped and comprises a part or arm 10b that reaches between the adjacent swing doors 2, 3, when the swing doors 2, 3 are in the closed position. It is possible that the part/arm 10b is shorter, so that it does not reach in the area between the adjacent swing doors 2, 3. The mullion 10 further comprises surfaces 10a1, 10a2 onto which the sealings or gaskets 20, 30 are fixed, for example glued or snapped into. The adjacent swing doors include wedges 23a, 23b that are made of a material that interacts with the magnets 21, 31 of the gaskets 20, 30. For example, the wedges 23a, 23b are made of steel. The surfaces 10a1, 10a2 of the mullion 10 are inclined with respect to the transparent panes 2a, 3a when the adjacent swing doors 2, 3 are in the closed position. Hence, shear forces are minimized that are acting on the gaskets 20, 30 when the swing doors 2, 3 are opened, i.e. when the magnets 21, 31 are disconnected from the wedges 23a, 23b. Furthermore, the design of the mullion 10 avoids or minimizes shear forces acting on the gaskets 20, 30 during the initial phase when opening the swing doors 2, 3 in the opening direction 90. Both swing doors 2, 3 each have a protective L-shaped profile 8, 9, extending on the swing doors 2, 3 parallel to the extending arm 10b of the mullion and in part on the inner surface of the corresponding glass pane 5a, 6a of the swing door 5, 6, i.e. the surface next to the surfaces 10a1, 10a2 of the mullion 10. On the latter, i.e. the smaller arm of the “L” the wedges 23a, 23b are arranged.

[0083] To summarize at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides or enables [0084] high customer comfort [0085] high customer perceived value [0086] simple and cost-effective implementation [0087] large field of view compared with conventional swing door systems [0088] reliable sealing function, thus low energy consumption is enabled [0089] mechanical robustness [0090] stability and rigidity

[0091] Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to the one skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0092]

TABLE-US-00001  1 Swing door system  2 Left swing door  2a Transparent region .sup.  2-1 Lower section .sup.  2-2 Upper section .sup.  2-3 Handle area  3 Right swing door  3a Transparent region  5a Glass pane  5b Glass pane  5c Glass pane  6a Glass pane  6b Glass pane  6c Glass pane  7 Spacer  8 Profile left swing door  9 Profile right swing door 10 Mullion 10a, 10a1, 10a2 Surface mullion  10b Arm 20 Sealing/gasket 21 Magnet 23a, 23b Wedge 30 Sealing 31 Magnet 40 Rotating axis 43 Warm air tunnel 44 Heating wire 45 Heating cable 46 Force-locking connection 47 Light element 90 Opening direction 91 Angled direction 100  Freezer device 101  Cabinet 105a Top horizontal element 105b Bottom horizontal element 106  Energy source 107  Interface 108  Shelf 109  Product