Sliding door

Last updated
Roman sliding door tracks at Pompeii, Italy (1st century AD) Sliding door tracks, Pompeii.jpg
Roman sliding door tracks at Pompeii, Italy (1st century AD)

A sliding door is a type of door which opens horizontally by sliding, usually parallel to (and sometimes within) a wall. Sliding doors can be mounted either on top of a track below or be suspended from a track above. Some types slide into a space in the parallel wall in the direction of travel, rather than the door sliding along the outside of the parallel wall. [1] There are several types of sliding doors, such as pocket doors, sliding glass doors, center-opening doors, and bypass doors. Sliding doors are commonly used as shower doors, glass doors, screen doors, and wardrobe doors, and in vans.

Contents

History

Sliding doors were used as early as the 1st century CE in Roman houses (as evidenced by archaeological finds in Pompeii, Italy). However, there is no evidence to confirm that the Romans were the first humans to have invented or used sliding doors. [2] [3]

Sliding door gear

The mechanism used to operate a sliding door is called sliding door gear. There are two standard types: top-hung or bottom rolling systems. Both types do not have a perfect seal. To reduce air- and smoke-tightness and improve sound insulation, brush seals are commonly used. [1]

Top-hung sliding doors

Some sliding doors run on a wall-mounted rail, like this one Blue Sliding Door (Closeup).jpg
Some sliding doors run on a wall-mounted rail, like this one
Sliding doors in a modern wardrobe Sliding-wardrobe.jpg
Sliding doors in a modern wardrobe

The 'top-hung' system is most often used. The door is hung by two trolley hangers at the top of the door running in a concealed track; all the weight is taken by the hangers, making the door easier to move. [4]

At each end is a track stopper to absorb any impact made if the door is slammed and to hold the door in the open or closed position. All top-hung sliding door gear systems have a maximum weight limit per pair of trolley hangers.

As the door is hung at the top from two points, it also needs a bottom track/stay roller [5] [ clarification needed ] to prevent it from swinging sideways. The most common type is called 'clear threshold guiding', a floor-fixed plastic guide about 60 millimetres (2.4 in) wide which is fixed below the door at the midpoint of its run. A groove is cut into the bottom of the door which runs over this guide, preventing lateral movement of the door. With a glass door, the panel runs through the guide as illustrated. Because the door is always engaged in the guide, when the door is open, the floor is clear; hence 'clear threshold'.

The bottom of the doors are held in place on tracks. The rollers also have safety locks that prevent the doors from jumping off the tracks. Additional devices include soft-closers and dampeners, which make it easier to close the door gently.

A popular top-hung sliding door type is the barn door, inspired from countryside barns, in modern homes of Scandinavian styles.

Bottom-rolling door gear

Sometimes a top-hung system cannot be used, as the weight of the door cannot be supported from above; in this case, a bottom-rolling system may be used.

A bottom-rolling system consists of two rollers (sometimes called a sheave) at the bottom of the door running on a track, and two guides at the top running in a guide channel. As all the weight of the door is concentrated on the two bottom wheels, more force is needed to move the door than on a top-hung system.[ citation needed ]

Lift-and-slide door gear

A sliding door that is lifted from the frame during opening and closing is called a lift-and-slide door. This allows for a better seal, with less draught and better soundproofing. [1]

Automatic sliding doors

Automatic door in Hong Kong HK TST Kln Park Drive Yue Hwa Int Building Zi Dong Men Showa automatic door.JPG
Automatic door in Hong Kong

Some sliding doors contain a motor and activation system to open them. These are called sliding door operators. Automatic sliding doors are commonly found in offices and shop entrances. These doors contain a magnetic locking mechanism that automatically unlocks during emergencies. [1]

Usage

Advantages of sliding doors are the small space requirements for door-opening, and their relative ease of automation. The mechanism is also secure, since it cannot be lifted out of its hinges. [6] Sliding doors are commonly found as store, hotel, and office entrances, used in elevators, and used as patio doors, closet doors and room dividers. [7] Sliding doors are also used in transportation, such as in vans and both overground and underground trains. Volkswagen used these doors in the Volkswagen Fridolin produced between 1964 and 1974.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door</span> Movable barrier that allows ingress and egress

A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a doorway or portal. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by controlling access to the doorway (portal). Conventionally, it is a panel that fits into the doorway of a building, room, or vehicle. Doors are generally made of a material suited to the door's task. They are commonly attached by hinges, but can move by other means, such as slides or counterbalancing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam (mechanism)</span> Rotating or sliding component that transmits variable motion to a follower

A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path. The cam can be a simple tooth, as is used to deliver pulses of power to a steam hammer, for example, or an eccentric disc or other shape that produces a smooth reciprocating motion in the follower, which is a lever making contact with the cam. A cam timer is similar, and were widely used for electric machine control before the advent of inexpensive electronics, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, programmable logic controllers and digital control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Window</span> Opening to admit light, air, or objects

A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material, a sash set in a frame in the opening; the sash and frame are also referred to as a window. Many glazed windows may be opened, to allow ventilation, or closed to exclude inclement weather. Windows may have a latch or similar mechanism to lock the window shut or to hold it open by various amounts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller coaster</span> Rail-based amusement park ride

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride employing a form of elevated railroad track that carries passengers on a train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements usually designed to produce a thrilling experience. Trains consist of open cars connected in a single line, and the rides are often found in theme parks around the world. Roller coasters first appeared in the 17th century, and LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a roller coaster design in 1885, based on the Switchback Railway which opened a year earlier at Coney Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Window blind</span> Type of window covering

A window blind is a type of window covering. There are many different kinds of window blinds which use a variety of control systems. A typical window blind is made up of several long horizontal or vertical slats of various types of hard material, including wood, plastic or metal which are held together by cords that run through the blind slats. Vertical blinds run along a track system which can tilt open and closed and move side-to-side. Window blinds can be manoeuvred with either a manual or remote control by rotating them from an open position, with slats spaced out, to a closed position where slats overlap and block out most of the light. There are also several types of window coverings, called shades, that use a single piece of soft material instead of slats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baler</span> Farm machine for creating hay bales

A baler or hay baler is a piece of farm machinery used to compress a cut and raked crop into compact bales that are easy to handle, transport, and store. Often, bales are configured to dry and preserve some intrinsic value of the plants bundled. Different types of balers are commonly used, each producing a different type of bale – rectangular or cylindrical, of various sizes, bound with twine, strapping, netting, or wire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoji</span> Japanese sliding paper door

A shoji is a door, window or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent sheets on a lattice frame. Where light transmission is not needed, the similar but opaque fusuma is used. Shoji usually slide, but may occasionally be hung or hinged, especially in more rustic styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breechblock</span> Part of the firearm action

A breechblock is the part of the firearm action that closes the breech of a breech loading weapon before or at the moment of firing. It seals the breech and contains the pressure generated by the ignited propellant. Retracting the breechblock allows the chamber to be loaded with a cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lift hill</span> Upward-sloping part of a roller coaster

A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from the peak by gravity and is usually allowed to coast throughout the rest of the roller coaster ride's circuit on its own momentum, including most or all of the remaining uphill sections. The initial upward-sloping section of a roller coaster track is usually a lift hill, as the train typically begins a ride with little speed, though some coasters have raised stations that permit an initial drop without a lift hill. Although uncommon, some tracks also contain multiple lift hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garage door opener</span> Motorized device that opens and closes garage doors

A garage door opener is a motorized device that opens and closes a garage door controlled by switches on the garage wall. Most also include a handheld radio remote control carried by the owner, which can be used to open and close the door from a short distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly system</span> Rigging above a theater stage

A fly system, or theatrical rigging system, is a system of ropes, pulleys, counterweights and related devices within a theater that enables a stage crew to fly (hoist) quickly, quietly and safely components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, people. Systems are typically designed to fly components between clear view of the audience and out of view, into the large space, the fly loft, above the stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garage door</span> Large door on a garage that accommodates vehicles entering and exiting

A garage door is a large door to allow egress for a garage that opens either manually or by an electric motor. Garage doors are frequently large enough to accommodate automobiles and other vehicles. The operating mechanism is usually spring-loaded or counterbalanced to offset the door's weight and reduce the human or motor effort required to operate the door. Less commonly, some garage doors slide or swing horizontally. Doors are made of wood, metal, or fiberglass, and may be insulated to prevent heat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sliding glass door</span> Large glass outerwall door

In architecture and construction, a sliding glass door is a type of sliding door made predominantly from glass, that is situated in an external wall to provide egress and light. The doors can give access to a backyard or patio while providing a pleasant view, and when not fully covered can be a source of passive daylighting. Like a window, when open it also provides fresh air and copious natural light. It is considered a single unit consisting of two or more panel sections, some or all being mobile to slide open. Another design, a wall-sized glass pocket door has one or more panels movable and sliding into wall pockets, completely disappearing for a 'wide open' indoor-outdoor room experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drawer</span> Box-shaped container that fits into a piece of furniture

A drawer is a box-shaped container inside a piece of furniture that can be pulled out horizontally to access its contents. Drawers are built into numerous types of furniture, including cabinets, chests of drawers (bureaus), desks, and the like.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car door</span> Type of door, typically hinged to the body of a car

A car door is a type of door opening, typically hinged on its front edge, but sometimes attached by other mechanisms such as tracks, for entering and exiting a vehicle. Doors most often integrate side windows for visibility from inside the car and can be locked to secure the vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stairclimber</span> Type of hand truck

A stairclimber is a type of trolley fitted with rotating wheels or tracks so that it can be pushed or pulled up or down steps or a stairway. Stairclimbers can be manual or battery-powered, and are commonly found in wheel, track, push arm or walker variants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Material-handling equipment</span> Machinery and equipment used for transporting objects and materials

Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment used for the movement, storage, control, and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The different types of equipment can be classified into four major categories: transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit load formation equipment, and storage equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conveyor system</span> Equipment used for conveying materials

A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the transport of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow quick and efficient transport for a wide variety of materials, which make them very popular in the material handling and packaging industries. They also have popular consumer applications, as they are often found in supermarkets and airports, constituting the final leg of item/ bag delivery to customers. Many kinds of conveying systems are available and are used according to the various needs of different industries. There are chain conveyors as well. Chain conveyors consist of enclosed tracks, I-Beam, towline, power & free, and hand pushed trolleys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sliding door (car)</span> Type of vehicle door

A sliding door is a type of door that is mounted on or suspended from a track for the door to slide, usually horizontally and outside. It is a feature predominantly found in minibuses, buses, minivans and vans, so as to allow a large unobstructed access to the interior for loading and unloading of passengers or cargo without the doors interfering with adjacent space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller shutter</span> Type of door or window shutter consisting of many horizontal slats hinged together

A roller shutter, security shutter, coiling door, roller door or sectional overhead door is a specialized type of door or window shutter consisting of multiple horizontal slats, bars, or web systems interconnected through hinges. The mechanism involves lifting the door to open it and lowering it to close. In the case of larger doors, an automated, motorized system may be employed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hochberg, Anette; Hafke, Jan-Henrik; Raab, Joachim (2010). Open I Close: Windows, Doors, Gates, Loggias, Filters. Birkhäuser Verlag AG. p. 116.
  2. Moeller, Walter O. (1976). The Wool Trade of Ancient Pompeii. p. 47.
  3. Bulwer Lytton Baron Lytton, Edward (1893). The Last Days of Pompeii. Estes and Lauriat.
  4. Jones, Peter; Kornblum, Mary (1987). Shelves, Closets and Cabinets. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 80.
  5. Hall, Dennis J.; Giglio, Nina M. (2011). Graphic Standards Field Guide to Residential Construction. John Wiley & Sons. p. 323.
  6. Reid, Robert N. (2005). Facility Manager's Guide to Security: Protecting Your Assets. The Fairmont Press, Inc. p. 80.
  7. Simmons, Leslie L. (2011). Olin's Construction: Principles, Materials, and Methods. John Wiley & Sons.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Sliding doors at Wikimedia Commons