Frameless sliding door system for a television cabinet stand

• US 6,152,549 A
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gioscia, Richard, Goto, Hirokazu, Zamaloff, Jared Lee, Hanaoka, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allred, David E.
• Application Number:
  US09/189,769
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 312/7.2, 312/139.2, 312/349, 312/223.1, 49/370, 49/410
• US Class Current: 312/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/06 Furniture aspects of radio, television, gramophone, or record cabinets for similar equipment supports attached to the wall or ceiling or floor stands F16M

Abstract

A frameless sliding door system for a television cabinet stand having a top board coupled to two vertical guide mounts. The frameless sliding door system has two doors, each door having top and bottom bearing rail mechanism that permits the doors to move horizontally away and towards one another, but fixes the movement of the doors in other directions. Other features are disclosed.

Claims

1. In a television cabinet stand having a top board coupled to a first guide mount and a second guide mount, a frameless sliding door system comprising:

said first and second guide mounts each extending longitudinally in a vertical direction;

a first, second, third, and fourth rail mechanism, each rail mechanism having a guide rail, a guide moveably mounted to the guide rail, and a door frame coupled to the guide, the guide rail of the first and the third rail mechanisms coupled to upper and lower ends of the first guide mount respectively and the second and the fourth rail mechanisms coupled to upper and lower ends of the second guide mount respectively;

a left door having a top and a bottom, the left door coupled to a respective said door frame of the first rail mechanism at the top of the left door and coupled to a respective said door frame of the third rail mechanism at the bottom of the left door;

a right door having a top and a bottom, the right door coupled to a respective said door frame of the second rail mechanism at the top of the right door and coupled to a respective said door frame of the fourth rail mechanism at the bottom of the right door; and

a plurality of bearings,

wherein the first door and the second door are made of acrylic,

wherein each guide rail is a U-shaped extrusion, each U-shaped extrusion of each guide rail having a top prong curved outward and a bottom prong curved outward,

wherein each guide is a U-shaped extrusion, each U-shaped extrusion of each guide having a top projection curved inward to form a top prong projection combination with a respective said top prong curved outward and a bottom projection curved inward to form a bottom prong projection combination with a respective said bottom prong curved outward,

wherein the plurality of bearings are disbursed between each top prong projection combination with a respective said top prong curved outward and disbursed between each bottom prong projection combination with a respective said bottom prong curved outward,

wherein each guide, guide rail, and the plurality of bearings are made of a metallic material, and

wherein the door frame of the first rail mechanism and the door frame of the second rail mechanism each have a hook;

each said hook extending rearwardly and downwardly relative to said cabinet stand above a respective said guide;

a cover mounted on a front and top surface of said top board, said cover comprising a V-shaped wedge with an upper extension extending upwardly and rearwardly of a top surface of said top board and forwardly and downwardly of said top surface, said cover also including a guide into which each said hook extends.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each door frame is coupled to each door by adhesive.

3. In a television cabinet stand having a top board coupled to a first guide mount and a second guide mount, a frameless sliding door system comprising:

said first and second guide mounts each extending longitudinally in a vertical direction;

a first, second, third, and fourth rail mechanism, each rail mechanism having a guide rail, a guide moveably mounted to the guide rail, and a door frame coupled to the guide, the guide rail of the first and the third rail mechanisms coupled to upper and lower ends of the first guide mount respectively and the second and the fourth rail mechanisms coupled to upper and lower ends of the second guide mount respectively;

a left door having a top and a bottom, the left door coupled to a respective said door frame of the first rail mechanism at the top of the left door and coupled to a respective said door frame of the third rail mechanism at the bottom of the left door; and

a right door having a top and a bottom, the right door coupled to a respective said door frame of the second rail mechanism at the top of the right door and coupled to a respective said door frame of the fourth rail mechanism at the bottom of the right door,

wherein the door frame of the first rail mechanism and the door frame of the second rail mechanism each have a hook, the system further comprising a cover;

each said hook extending rearwardly and downwardly relative to said cabinet stand above a respective said guide;

a cover mounted on a front and top surface of said top board, said cover comprising a V-shaped wedge with an upper extension extending upwardly and rearwardly of a top surface of said top board and forwardly and downwardly of said top surface, said cover also including a guide into which each said hook extends.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the cover further comprises said V-shaped wedge wherein said upper extension comprises a first extension residing above a second extension.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the first extension of the cover extends to form an angled surface.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the cover is attached to the top board with a plurality of screws that are distributed along the length of the cover.