Door support devices for cupboards

In a container having at least one pair of doors for closing off an access opening thereof,

• a main body of the container defining the access opening having two vertical boundaries and an upper and lower boundary, which is bounded by
• an upper portion, and
• a lower portion
• each said door having an upper and a lower edge and two vertical edges, one of the vertical edges of each door being, in the closed configuration of the doors, adjacent to one of the vertical boundaries of the access opening,
• a support assembly for the doors comprising
• an upper rail mounted on said upper portion of the main body and enabling linear and pivotal motion of the doors, said rail including
• a guide portion of substantially U-section,
• upper motion-enabling means secured to each of said doors at the respective upper edge of each door and adjacent the respective vertical side edge of that door, and incorporating
• rollers rotatable about vertical axes engaging in the guide portion of the upper rail for motion relative thereto,
• support rollers rotatable about horizontal axes by which at least a part of the weight of the doors is transferred to the said upper portion of the main body, the rollers rotatable about vertical axes serving to ensure that the support rollers follow a rectilinear path when in motion,
• shaft means carrying the rollers rotatable about vertical axes,
• mounting plates secured to each of said doors and
• links interconnecting the mounting plates and the main body through the upper motion-enabling means so that the doors can pivot relative to the main body,
• lower motion-enabling means secured to each of said doors at the respective lower edge of each door and adjacent the respective vertical side edge of that door, and incorporating,
• rollers rotatable about vertical axes engaging in the guide portion of the lower rail for motion relative thereto and serving to ensure that the lower motion-enabling means follow a rectilinear path during motion of such means,
• shaft means carrying the rollers rotatable about vertical axes,
• spring means acting on the rollers rotatable about vertical axes enabling motion of the rollers upwardly and downwardly,
• mounting plates secured to respective said doors, and
• links interconnecting the mounting plates and the main body through the lower motion-enabling means so that the doors can pivot relative to the main body to open and close the door relative to the main body, and
• hinge means interconnecting the pair of doors at their adjacent edges so that the doors can pivot relatively to one another and thereby extend outwardly relative to the main body to enable the access opening to be exposed.