Motorising a wardrobe door

[chaosss]

Hi,

Currently renovating my house and looking for ideas before I start doing something and have to reverse it.

I am wiring the house for multi room audio and video at the moment and this is my latest idea.

In the bedroom along the wall will be built in wardrobes consisting of 3 sliding doors. Behind the middle one (where there is a chimney breast hence less depth) the top half will be taken up with a LCD TV. What I would like is to be able to open and close the wardrobe door with a motor. This would also need to be remote controlled (i.e. when I turn on the TV the door opens and when I turn it off it shuts which could be performed quite easily with a macro on a universal remote).

Does anybody know where I can purchase a door opener?
Or a suitable motor/ideas so I can try and make one (car windscreen wiper motor for instance with a length of rope through various pulleys and attached to each side of the door so it pulls open and pulls shut )

Also when the doors are shut I want them to be flat and not offset against each other. Therefore the running will need to move the door back slightly before opening and forward slighty after shutting. Is this easily achievable? I would assume the runner would just have a curve in it at the end?

Thanks

 

[big-all]

ok several problems you need a minimum of 2 tracks for sliding doors

now the problem is you want a flush surface with the doors dropping back to open dont think that will work as the mechanism for the other doors will be in the way
and if you just have a plain" powerd" door your going to have to move the powerd door plus slide the normal door open to accsess which ever side of the wardrobe the powerd door sits

another problem what if you get a power faiure of the "plugged" door!!!
that would in effect "lock"all 3 doors

now i am sure you could have everything you want but i am also shure its going to cost into the hundreds more because of the fact you need an off set swing arm or cam system that requires the area to be used by other doors on a track

the actual moving door bit along a track is relativly simple
a 2 position microswitch each end a 12vmotor with pully and rope,chain,wire and a 2 position rocker switch with central off position

but hey dont ask me as i dont have a clue

 

[chaosss]

Thanks for the reply

ok several problems you need a minimum of 2 tracks for sliding doors

now the problem is you want a flush surface with the doors dropping back to open dont think that will work as the mechanism for the other doors will be in the way

Never thought about that

and if you just have a plain" powerd" door your going to have to move the powerd door plus slide the normal door open to accsess which ever side of the wardrobe the powerd door sits

yes I had thought about this and I think it is just a compromise I would have to live with. I would assume this is the same of any situation where you have 3 sliding doors. Hence the majority seem to be hinged (well the majority of build in wardrobes I have seen). I would just prefer sliding for a number of reasons.

another problem what if you get a power faiure of the "plugged" door!!!
that would in effect "lock"all 3 doors

Manual override would be a must.

now i am sure you could have everything you want but i am also shure its going to cost into the hundreds more because of the fact you need an off set swing arm or cam system that requires the area to be used by other doors on a track

hmm. sounds expensive which I really don't need. A hundred quid extra would be fine but don't want to get carried away and end up spending £500 on a door.

the actual moving door bit along a track is relativly simple
a 2 position microswitch each end a 12vmotor with pully and rope,chain,wire and a 2 position rocker switch with central off position

Hey some good news

but hey dont ask me as i dont have a clue

You obviously know a lot. I appreciate the response. Thank you

 

[big-all]

you could actualy do it with just a rocker switch as long as it springs off when you let it go you would only need the motor pully system one switch 2 wires and power source you just hold till it opens or shuts

another point your doors cannot go floor to ceiling as you need a space above for the drive mechanism[probably in the region of 5 or 6"

 

[splinter]

What has all that got to do with mortising a door

 

[big-all]

What has all that got to do with mortising a door

eehhhhh the 12v motor and control side plus the mechanical operating system above the door!!!!!!!!

which bit isnt clear splinter


aaahhhh yeh just got the joke mortice well done

 

[breezer]

no idea if its of any use, but did you know double sliding doors operate on 1 belt.
The belt is literaly in a wide horizontal loop, with a pulley at each end, one pulley is also connected to the motor.

one door is fixed to the top bit and the other to the bottom bit, so when the motor operates both doors move at the same time but in differnt directions.


Only thing is i think its going to cost a lot more than you think, since you have to get a motor that can shift a lot of weight, be reliable. I can think of 2

garage door opener (but those are not cheap), sliding electric doors

Novel idea too much hassle i am sorry to say

 

[chaosss]

Cheers for the replies guys.

I can see it beign too much hassle as well but will keep looking at it.

Maybe if Iwatch some more scrapheap challenge inspiring will come

 

[big-all]

Cheers for the replies guys.

I can see it beign too much hassle as well but will keep looking at it.

Maybe if Iwatch some more scrapheap challenge inspiring will come

o my god i can imagine it

electric drive motor for a milk float welded to the half axle end off a truck with a bit off string to move the door

with the sequential electronic gear shift from a rally car -----

































------and your 12 year old son operating the door manualy to earn his pocket money cos it dos,nt work

 

[planenut]

What about........................
instead of sliding doors, a roller blind from above the set, with one of your favourite pictures on it; so it won't be a big motor, just a small thing like in a toy, with an actuator on an infra-red switch using your remote idea. Your other sliding doors could have their rail in front of the blind?
Just a thought! it'll be cheaper and needn't be a problem when things jam.

 

[eggplant]

I can see it beign too much hassle as well but will keep looking at it.

forget the hassle, go for it !!!

 

[chaosss]

will keep you all posted about what happens.

Won't be looking at it seriously again now for about 8-9 months probably but still thinking!!

Have seen some little motors capable of moving 25kg so could eb a possibility

 

[Nbepiphany]

I had the same idea as yesterday or nearly the same idea. My idea would be to half doors in the middle at the back and two full sized full width doors at other side. That gets over the problem with the motor which could then be behind one of the large doors.
Ok so this thread is an old one so maybe someone has already done this?