AU618450B2

AU618450B2 - Roller assembly

Info

Publication number: AU618450B2
Application number: AU49231/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Karl Leopold Kegler
Original assignee: GOMA Pty Ltd
Current assignee: GOMA Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1989-02-09
Filing date: 1990-02-07
Publication date: 1991-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 2010-02-07
Also published as: AU4923190A

Description

Davies Collison, Melbourne and Canberra.

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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONI (original) FOR OFFICE USE Class In Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: 4 t. Class 0 a O'.00Priority: 0 0 0 IOpelated Art: 04 0000 Published: Name of Applicant: '0 Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): 004 GOMA PTY. LTD., 267-269 Boundary RQad, Mordialloc 3195, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia Address 'f )r Service: DA-V-IES-&-C-OLrI-SODN-7-1a-te~n-t--At-to-r-neys, 1 L-t-e-o--h-Steet -Me-l-b eu- n Complete specification for the invention entitled: REG~ "1ROLLER ASSEMBLY"

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The following statement is a full description of this inventior-, including the best method of performing it known tous 1-

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i i la ROLLER ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to an improved roller assembly which is suitable for use with sliding structures such as sliding doors, windows and the like.

Roller assemblies of this general type are described in Australian patent specification numbers 573943 and 535749. In each of these patent specifications there is described an adjustment device which is in the form of a nut mounted on a screw member the nut having a cam surface which is adapted to engage a surface on a carriage for the roller so that movement of the nut causes the carriage to move so that its position can be adjustea. As will be noted, the nut in each case is adapted for movement in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller. It will be appreciated that if the housing for the roller is relatively narrow then room for providing movement of the adjustment is relatively small. Furthermore the actuator which is in the form of a screw must be provided with a thread complementary to a thread on the nut.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved roller assembly which is relatively simple in construction and provides an adjustment facility for the roller assembly relative to the structure to which in use it is mounted.

According to the present invention there is provided a roller assembly comprising a main body which in use is securable to a structure having a main plane, a carriage operatively connected to or receivable by said main body so as to be movable relative thereto said carriage being adapted to have mounted thereto a roller S 25 which is rotatable about a rotation axis, said carriage being movable so that the position of the roller is adjustable relative to the main body of the roller assembly as a result of movement of said carriage relative to said main body, the roller assembly further including an adjustment member including a body section having a cam surface thereon which is adapted to engage a co-operating surface on the carriage so that as the cam surface passes along the co-operating surface as a result of movement of said adjustment member the carriag, is caused to move, actuating means which is 910627,vrsspc.009,goma,1 -2operable to move said adjustment member so as to cause said movement of said carriage, said movement of said adjustment member being in a direction which is generally at right angles to the rotation axis of the roller or generally parallel to the main plane of the structure to which the assembly is mounted when in use.

In one preferred form of the invention, the main body comprises a casing having a cavity or recess therein for receiving the carriage. The cavity or recess may also be adapted to receive the adjustment member and/or actuating member therein.

The cavity may be separated into two parts for receiving respectively the carriage and the adjustment member or actuator. Mounting flanges may be provided for securing the main body to the structure.

The carriage may comprise a block which is receivable within the first cavity in the main body and is movable between first and second positions. The carriage may include a mounting recess into which the roller is at least partially receivable the roller being mounted to the block for rotation about an axis of rotation. The carriage may be slidably movable in the first cavity in the main body or alternatively may be mounted for pivotal movement between the first and second positiens. In this latter mentioned embodiment, bearing apertures may be provided on the carriage which are adapted to receive a support pin about which the carriage can pivot.

Spring means may be provided for urging the carriage into either its first or second position. In one embodiment, where the carriage is pivotally mounted to the main body a leaf spring is provided for urging the carriage into the first or extended position. In another embodiment a leaf spring is provided for urging the carriage into the second or retracted position.

The adjustment means may include an adjustment member which is operatively connected to or engageable with the carriage so that movement of the adjustment means causes movement of the carriage between the first and second positions.

910627,vrsspce.O9,goma, 2 I ~U~~fF I 3 2 operating surface on the carriage s'e cam surface 3 passes alona ting surface the carriage is caused The adjustment means may be in the form of a wedge like 6 element with the inclined surface defining a cam surface 7 which is adapted to engage the co-operating surface on the 8 carriage.

9 In one form of the invention, the actuator comprises a pinion mounted to the main body which is adapted to co- 11 operate with a rack formed on the carriage. Thus by S 12 rotation of the pinion, this will cause the rack to move 13 thereby causing movement of the carriage.

14 The roller assembly may further include retention means for assisting in retaining the carriage in one of the 16 selected positions. In one preferred form the retention 17 means comprises serrated edge sections on said cam surface 18 and said co-operating surface on the carriage which can 19 engage each other and resist unintentional movement between said carriage and said adjustment means.

21 The roller assembly may further include releasable 22 locking means for inhibiting movement of said actuating 23 device when not in use.

24 Preferably the actuating means is movable between locked and released positions and the locking means includes 26 a stop which inhibits actuating movement of said actuating 27 device when in said locked position.

28 Preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter 29 be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- 31 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roller assembly 32 according to one embodiment of the present invention; 33 Figure 2 is an end elevation of the roller assembly 34 shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation taken along the 36 line A-A in Figure 4; 37 Figure 4 is a partially cut away plan view of the A 38 roller assembly shown in Figures 1 and 2; 123,arsspe.026, roller, n; :e a 4 1 Figure 5 is an end elevation of a roller assembly 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention; 3 Figure 6 is a side elevation of the roller assembly 4 shown in Figure Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation taken along the 6 line B-B in Figure 8; 7 Figure 8 is a partially cut away plan view of the 8 roller assembly shown in Figures 5 and 6; 9 Figure 9 is a schematic sectional side elevation of a roller assembly according to another embodiment of the 11 present invention; 12 Figure 10 is a schematic side elevation of a roller 13 assembly according to another embodiment of the present 14 invention; Figure 11 is a partial sectional view taken along the 16 line C-C of Figure 12 showing one form of locking 17 arrangement for a roller assembly according to the 18 invention; 19 Figure 12 is a partially cut away view showing the locking arrangement shown in Figure 11; 21 Figure 13 is a schematic side elevation taken along the 22 line D-D of Figure 14 showing another form of locking 23 arrangement for a roller assembly according to the 24 invention; and Figure 14 is a partially cut away view showing the 26 locking arrangement shown in Figure 13.

27 Referring to the drawings where like reference numerals 23 have been used to designate like parts in the various 29 embodiments each roller assembly generally indicated at 1 comprises a main body 3 having a roller carriage 31 operatively connected to a receivable main body 3 for 32 movement relative thereto between a first (extended) 33 position and a second (retracted) position. The carriage 34 has a roller 7 mounted thereto and rotatable about a rotation axis so that the door, window or other structure to 36 which the assembly is mounted is supported by and movable on 37 the roller. In some applications the assembly may be 38 disposed at the top edge of the structure and act as a 900123a.ersspe.026,roller, 1 5 1 bearing and guide.

2 The assembly 1 further includes adjustment means 9 3 including an adjustment member 10 which is operatively 4 connected to and engageable with the carriage 5 and is arranged such that movement thereto causes movement of the 6 carriage between the extended and retracted positions. An 7 actuator 11 is operatively connected to the adjustment 8 member 10 to cause that movement.

9 The main body 3 comprises a casing 4 having a cavity or recess 6 for receiving the carriage 5 and the actuator 11 and/or adjustment means. The cavity or recess may be 12 separated into two compartments for receiving respectively 13 the carriage and the actuator and adjustment means. The 14 carriage 5 is in the form of a hollow block like member 23 having a mounting recess 24 into which the roller 7 is 16 mounted. In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 8 the carriage 17 5 is mounted for pivotal movement about pivot pin 19 within 18 the cavity 6 in the main body of the assembly. In the 19 embodiments of Figures 9 and 10, the carriage 5 is mounted for sliding movement within the cavity 6.

21 In the embodiments of figures 1 to 8, a spring 20 is 22 arranged to act on the carriage. The spring 20 can be 23 adapted to urge the carriage either into its extended 24 position or its retracted position depending upon the application desired of the roller assembly.

26 The adjustment means 9 comprises an adjustment memberN 27 10 which as shown is in the form of a wedge like member 12 28 having a cam surface 21 thereon adapted to co-operate a 29 surface 22 on the carriage. As shown in the embodiment of Figure 10, the cam surface 21 and co-operating surface 22 31 may have serrations 27 and 28 thereon thereby inhibiting 32 unintended movement between the two parts.

33 The actuator 11 as shown comprises a pinion 34 rotatable with shaft 16 the pinion being adapted to cooperate with a rack 13 on the carriage 5. The rack 13 may 36 be comprised by an edge of a slot formed in the carriage 37 (Figure 9) or simply defined by the upper edge of the wedge 38 like member (Figures 3, 7 and 10). It will be appreciated 900123.,arsspe.026,roller i 1- III I.-II_ _C-L :111 L 6 1 that the rack could be formed separately of the carriage and 2 secured thereto. The shaft 16 may have thereon a facility 3 to permit it to be rotated by a screw driver or other tool 4 In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 the adjustment member 10 is mounted to the main body 3 by way of 6 projections 14 which are receivable in slots 8 in the main 7 body so that the adjustment member 10 can move in the 8 direction of the longitudinal axis of the slot. As shown in 9 the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 the slot is generally horizontally disposed thereby limiting the movement of the 11 adjustment member to the horizontal plane. In the 12 embodiment of Figures 5 to 8 the slot is inclined and 13 adjustment member moves in the direction of the longitudinal 14 axis of the slot. As will be noted the rack 13 in each case is generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the slot 16 8.

17 As best seen in Figures 11 to 14 the roller assembly 18 may further include releasable locking means 30 for 19 inhibiting movement of the actuator 11 and/or the adjustment member 10 when not in use. To this end the pinion 15 is 21 mounted for movement axially with respect to the axis of pin 22 16 upon which it is mounted. A stop 31 is adapted to engage 23 the pinion 16 when it is in the locked position and a spring 24 32 urges the pinion into engagement with the stop. As shown in Figure 11 the stop is in the form of a segment 33 secured 26 to the main body and in Figure 13 the stop comprises a pair 27 of lugs 34 secured to the main body.

28 Finally it is to be understood that various 29 alterations, modifications, and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements 31 of parts without departing from the spirit and ambit of the 32 invention.

33 900123,arsspe.026,roller, r

Claims

1. A roller assembly comprising a main body which in use is securable to a structure having a main plane, a carriage operatively connected to or receivable by said main body so as to be movable relative thereto said carriage being adapted to have mounted thereto a roller which is rotatable about a rotation axis, said carriage being movable so that the position of the roller is adjustable relative to the main body of the roller assembly as a result of movement of said carriage relative to said main body, the roller assembly further including an adjustment member including a body section having a cam surface thereon which is adapted to engage a co-operating surface on the carvage so that as the cam surface passes along the co-operating surface as a result of movement of said adjustment member the carriage is caused to move, actuating means which is operable to move said adjustment member so as to 15 cause said movement of said carriage, said movement of said adjustment member being in a direction which is generally at right angles to the rotation axis of the roller or generally parallel to the main plane of the structure to which the assembly is mounted when in use.

2. A roller assembly according to claim 1 wherein said main body comprises a casing having a cavity or recess therein for receiving said carriage.

3. A roller assembly according to claim 2, wherein said carriage comprises a block which is receivable within said cavity or recess in the main body and is movable relative thereto between said first and second positions.

4. A roller assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said carriage includes a mounting recess into which the roller is at least partially receivable the 910627,vrsspe.009,&om,7

7- -8- roller being mounted to the block for rotation about the axis of rotation. A roller assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said carriage is mounted for slidingrteitae within said cavity in the main body. 6. A roller assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said carriage is mounted for pivotal movement ti "f uad ud 7. A roller assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said body of said adjustment member comprises a wedge like element with an inclined surface defining said cam surface which is adapted to engage said co-operating surface on the carriage.

8. A roller assembly according to any preceding claim further including retention means for assisting in retaining the carriage in one of the selected positions. So. A roller assembly according to claim 8 wherein said retention means comprises serrated edge sections on said cam surface and said co-operating surface on the carriage which can engage each other and resist unintentional movement between said carriage and said adjustment mcas. we.r A roller assembly according to any preceding claim wherein said actuating means comprises a pinion mounted to the main body which is adapted to co-operate with a rack formed on or operatively connected to the carriage. 910627,vrsso.009.goma,8 I- t~' -9-

11. A roller assembly according to any preceding claim further including releasable locking means for inhibiting movement of said actuating means when not in use.

12. A roller assembly according to claim 11 wherein said actuating deies is movable between a locked and released position said locking means including a stop which inhibits actuating movement of said actuating means when in said locked position. DATED this 27th day of June, 1991 GOMA PTY. LTD. By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON 910627,vrsspc.009,gvma.9