GB2195387A - Wheel assembly for sliding doors - Google Patents

Abstract

A wheel assembly for a sliding door comprises a hub (41) on which is rotatable a wheel (40). The hub is secured to the bottom rail (18) of the door by means of a bolt (44) passing through an eccentric hole in the hub and engaging a nut captive in the partially closed channel (32). Rotation of the hub, as by the lever (43), adjusts the height of the wheel relative to the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wheel assembly for sliding doors This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to sliding doors and particularly to such doors as are commonly used to close off wardrobes, wall cupboards and the like.

Sliding doors are extensively used in wardrobes, wall cupboards and the like because of their space saving features, yet in many applications the door size required is non-standard and the door must then be tailor made from simple stock parts. When fitted, however, the user demands a smooth positive movement, which is neither "sloppy" nor "sticky".

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wheel assembly for a sliding door that is simple to assemble but yet is adjustable to assist in providing a smooth door movement.

The present invention is a wheel assembly for use on a sliding door and comprising a hub, a wheel rotatable on the hub, and a hole passing eccentrically through the hub parallel to the hub axis whereby the assembly may be secured to the door through the hole and rotation of the hub relative to the hole adjusts the height of the wheel relative to the hole and thus the door.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view, partly broken away, showing the location of sliders within a top channel extrusion and their mounting on two sliding doors; Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of a corner of a door as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of a corner of a door as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bottom track extrusion; Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the fitting of an infill panel to a stile; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of part of the bottom door extrusion showing a wheel assembly according to the present invention mounted on the extrusion; Fig. 7 is a cross section through the wheel of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a modified bottom wheel track; and Fig. 9 is a modified wheel assembly for use with the track of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, two sliding doors 10 and 11, typically mounted at the front of a cupboard or wardrobe space, each comprises an infill panel 12 within an external frame comprising a top rail 15, side stiles 16 and 17 and a bottom rail 18. The rails and stiles are aluminium extrusions and the infill panel, which in this embodiment is a mirror but could be a wooden or other decorative panel, is secured in grooves in the rails and stiles.

Considering Fig. 5 the stile 16 is provided at its front with a channel 20 which runs the length of the stile and which receives a gasket 21 in which is located the edge of the panel 12. The gasket 21 is substantially U-shaped in cross section having a base 22 which engages the edge surface of the panel 12, a first limb 23 which engages the front of the panel 12 and a second limb 24 which engages the rear of the panel. The first limb of the gasket is thinner than the second limb to reduce its visibility when the door is viewed from the front, and this effect is enhancec by a thin extrusion lip 26 at the front of the channel 20 which serves further to conceal the gasket and thus improve the appearance of the door. The stile 17 (Fig. 6), and the top and bottom rails have similar channels embracing similar gaskets and the respective edges of the panel 12.

The stiles 16 and 17 are mirror images of each other and have inwardly extending flanges 28 which overlie three rearwardly projecting longitudinal walls 29, 30 and 31 on each of the top and bottom rails 15 and 18, the rails also being mirror images of each other. Two of these walls, 29 and 30, are near the centre of the rails and define a channel 32 partially closed at its open side by flanges 33 and 34 at the top of the walls 29 and 30. The external appearance of the stiles may be modified as desired, and in particular may incorporate a finger grip.

The top rail 15 is secured to each of the two stiles by means of a bolt 36 which passes through the flange 28 (Fig. 3) on the stile and between the flanges 33 and 34 and engages a nut (not illustrated) which is trapped in the channel 32 by the flanges 33 and 34. When the bolt 36 is tightened the stile is firmly secured to the top rail, the flange 28 lying across and engaging the top of all three walls 29, 30 and 31.

In the same manner the bottom rail 18 is secured to each of the stiles 16 and 17 by a bolt 37 (Fig. 6).

Each of the doors 10 and 11 is supported by wheels 40 secured to the bottom rail 18 and is guided at the top by sliders 41 secured to the top rail 15 and engaging the sides of one of the two paralell channels in a channel member 42 of substantially E-shaped cross section. The channel member 42 is of course secured at the top of the opening to be closed by the doors and is also an extruded aluminium section.

As seen best in Fig. 7, each wheel 40 rotates on a boss 46 which is formed integrally with a lever 48 An eccentric hole in the boss receives a bolt 44 which engages a nut 45 in the channel 32 in the bottom rail 18. It can be seen that by moving the lever 48 the boss 46 is rotated about the bolt 44 to raise or lower the wheel relative to the door and thus adjust the door mounting. This adjustment is of course made before the bolt 44 is fully tightened.

The wheel 40, being made of metal such as steel or a hard plastics material, such as nylon, has a relatively hard surface and runs on a rubber rail 50 secured to a bottom track extrusion 51 which in turn is fastened across the bottom of the opening to be closed by the doors. As the periphery of the wheel is grooved and the track 50 has a triangular cross section, the wheels are self aligning on the track. It should also be noted that in the closed position of the doors, i.e. the normal position, the weight of the door will tend to cause the wheels to deform the track and create a depression which serves in time to locate the doors in the closed position.

As seen best in Fig. 1 the sliders 41 are connected to the top rail of the respective door by means of a bolt 55 cooperating with a nut located in the channel 32. Each slider 41 comprises two cheeks 56 interconnected by a web 57 through which passes the bolt 55, and a rib 59 located at the rearmost point of the cheeks 56. The rearwardly facing surfaces of the cheeks 56 are inclined to reach a peak where the rib 59 is mounted. The top edge of the web 57 forms the pivot axis for a tongue 60 which projects forwardly from the axis and terminates in front of the surface of the door in a rib 61.

In use, as can be seen in Fig. 1, the rib 59 engages the rear surface of the channel in which the slider moves while the rib 61 engages the front surface of the channel. Because the rib 61 is mounted on the flexible tongue 60 which is forced upwardly as the slider is located in the channel, the rib 61 is biased against the surface of the channel to ensure that both ribs remain in contact with the channel thus preventing any transverse movement of "sloppiness" of the top of the door.

The doors are mounted (rear door first) by inclining the door at a shallow angle, i.e. less than about 15 , and inserting the sliders upwardly into the channel with the rib 61 uppermost. This shallow angle does not cause the cheeks 56 to foul the sides of the channel because the rib 59 is provided at the rearward peak of the cheeks and because the rib 61 is located in front of the front edge of the cheeks. Thus for shallow angles the horizontal spacing of the ribs exceeds the horizontal spacing of the cheek extremities.

When the sliders have been inserted into the channels to a position above their normal operating position the door is moved to the vertical position thus causing the tongue to flex upwardly as the rib 61 engages the front surface of the channel. The door is then moved down so that the wheels engage the rubber rail.

The maximum angle of inclination of the door is of course when the cheeks foul the channel and by proper design of the cheeks this maximum angle is kept less than the angle at which the tongue would suffer damage.

A modified bottom wheel track is shown in Fig. 8. The extrusion 51 is the same comprising a base 70 with the two pairs of flanges defining tracks 71 and 72. Located beneath each pair of flanges is a rubber strip 73 of circular cross section, the spacing of the flanges leaving a gap through which the strip is accessible. In Fig. 9 it can be seen that the wheel has a raised rib 75 at the centre of its peripheral surface. In use the rib 75 penetrates between the gap between the flanges and engages the rubber strip while the peripheral wheel surfaces on either side of the rib run on the flange surfaces above the rubber strip.

Reference is made to our copending application No. 8603840 (Patent No. 2171135) from which this application has been divided and which claims a slider and a sliding door as disclosed herein.

Claims (9)

1. A wheel assembly for use on a sliding door and comprising a hub, a wheel rotatable on the hub, and a hole passing eccentrically through the hub parallel to the hub axis whereby the assembly may be secured to the door through the hole and rotation of the hub relative to the hole adjusts the height of the wheel relative to the hole and thus the door.

2. A wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1, including a lever extending radially from the hub whereby the hub may be rotated.

3. A wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the periphery of the wheel is grooved.

4. A wheel assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the wheel has a raised rib on its peripheral surface.

5. A wheel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A wheel assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with a sliding door to which the assembly is secured to the door by means of a bolt passing through the hole in the hub.

7. A combination as claimed in claim 6, in which the door has a bottom rail having two longitudinal walls with internal flanges at the top thereof defining a partially closed slot in which is captured a nut engaged by the bolt.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 when dependent on claim 3, including a rubber rail of triangular cross-section on which the wheel runs.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 when dependent on claim 4, including a track on which the wheel runs, the track comprising a pair of flanges defining a gap in which the raised rib of the wheel engages, the rib being supported on a rubber strip beneath the flanges.