Roller assembly for sliding panel

Abstract

The invention discloses a roller assembly for a sliding panel. The assembly is composed of a plurality of parts which are arranged in sequence and connected with one another, and comprises two end supporting blocks, a plurality of roller brackets arranged between the end supporting blocks, and middle supporting blocks arranged between each pair of adjacent roller brackets. The roller carrier has a sloped side that interfits with the sloped side of the support block that allows relative sliding of adjacent components while preventing movement transverse to the sliding direction. The inclination angle of the side edge is set to enable the roller bracket to be far away from the bottom surface of the panel when the two end supporting blocks get close to each other. According to the innovation points, each end supporting block is provided with a fixing structure and can be directly installed on the bottom face of the panel, at least one end supporting block is designed in a split mode, the first part is provided with a fixing structure used for being connected with the panel, and the second part is in sliding fit with the roller bracket and is adjustably connected with the first part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of roller brackets, and more particularly to a roller assembly for a sliding panel. Background Art

[0002] The present invention is an improvement on the roller bracket assembly proposed by the applicant in British Patent GB2573876. The structure of this assembly is as Figures 1 to 4 shown. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the assembly, corresponding to Figure 1 a of GB2573876. Figure 2 and Figure 3 are schematic views of the assembly, showing its working principle. To avoid repetition, only the parts necessary for understanding the present invention will be described herein, and the entire technical content of GB2573876 is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Figure 1 and Figure 4 The roller bracket assembly 10 in Figure 4 and Figure 1 includes rollers 12 mounted on roller brackets 16 via shafts 14. Each roller bracket 16 is generally trapezoidal, with its inclined sides tapering towards the top. The assembly also includes a housing 20 (more clearly shown in Figure 4 ), which needs to be fixed to the bottom surface of the slidable panel and has two end support blocks 22 ( Figure 1 only one is shown) and two intermediate support blocks 24 inside. Bolts 26 and nuts 28 can adjust the position of one of the end support blocks 22 relative to the housing 20, thereby reducing or increasing the spacing between the two end support blocks 22.

[0004] The inclined sides of the support blocks 22 and 24 form a tenon and mortise fit with the inclined sides of the roller brackets 16, enabling these components to slide relative to each other. The structure of the tenon and mortise ensures that the assembly will not separate in any direction perpendicular to the sliding direction.

[0005] Comparing Figure 2 and Figure 3 it can be seen that when a force as shown by arrow 30 is applied through bolt 26 to push the components closer to each other, the roller brackets 16 will move downward, thereby adjusting the height of the slidable panel. In addition, Figure 3 also shows that if the reaction forces on the roller brackets are uneven (such as an uneven ground), their heights can be automatically adjusted independently. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a roller assembly for a sliding panel, whose working principle is the same as that of GB2573876, but the manufacturing cost is reduced by reducing the number of components. To achieve the above object, the present invention eliminates the outer shell and redesigns the structures of the roller brackets and support blocks, thereby eliminating the need for the outer shell.

[0007] According to the present invention, a roller assembly as described in claim 1 is provided.

[0008] In some embodiments, the inclined sides of the support block and the roller bracket cooperate with each other through a tenon and groove structure to prevent relative movement in a direction transverse to the sliding direction within the sliding plane.

[0009] To prevent adjacent components from separating in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane and at the same time allow movement along the sliding direction, a pin may be provided on one of the components and limited within a notch of the other component.

[0010] A snap structure may also be provided between the roller bracket and the support block to keep all components in a predetermined relative alignment state, facilitating the installation of the assembly onto the slidable panel.

[0011] In addition, a rod-shaped element may be used to slidably connect with the end support block and, optionally, an intermediate support block, for example, through a friction fit. This connection method is sufficient to temporarily fix the position of the roller assembly during installation, but cannot withstand the load of the slidable panel during use.

[0012] Since the components do not separate from each other, there is no need for a housing. During assembly, the entire assembly can be directly abutted against the bottom surface of the slidable panel, and the end support block can be directly fixed to the panel through appropriate fasteners.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a roller assembly for a slidable panel is provided, specifically as described in claim 9.

[0014] Similar to the first aspect of the present invention, the components of the roller assembly are fixed to each other and connected to the slidable panel without using a housing. In this solution, the movement range of the roller bracket in a direction away from the slidable panel is achieved by directly restricting the sliding amplitude of the roller bracket relative to the support block, rather than by restricting the adjustment range of the end support block.

[0015] Terms such as "top", "bottom", and "bottom surface" used herein should be understood as the orientation relationship of the slidable panel in the use state, that is, the orientation when the panel is in a vertical state and its weight is supported by the component rollers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 is an exploded view of a known roller assembly in GB2573876;

[0018] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is Figure 1Schematic diagram of the principle of the roller assembly, showing its working principle;

[0019] Figure 4 is Figure 1 Stereogram of the roller assembly;

[0020] Figure 5 Stereogram of the roller assembly of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 is Figure 5 Front view when the component is installed on the bottom surface of the slidable panel;

[0022] Figure 7 is Figure 5 and Figure 6 Exploded stereogram of the roller assembly;

[0023] Figure 8 is Figure 6 Front view when the roller assembly is adjusted to raise the height of the slidable panel;

[0024] Figure 9 is Figure 8 Enlarged detailed view at circle A in;

[0025] Figure 10 Exploded stereogram of the adjustable end support block;

[0026] Figure 11 Exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed description of the specific implementation

[0027] To avoid repeated description, Figures 5 to 11 in the Figure 1 and 4 components corresponding to the roller assembly of the prior art are labeled with the same last two digits and will not be elaborated further.

[0028] By briefly comparing Figure 4 and Figure 5 it can be seen that the difference between the component of the present invention and the Figure 4 component of the prior art is that: the outer shell 20 for fixing to the bottom surface of the sliding panel is cancelled. As Figure 5 shown in the assembled state, the roller bracket 116, the intermediate support block 124, and the end support blocks 122a and 122b are all clearly visible. The structural improvements of these components will be described below to explain how to achieve the design of omitting the outer shell 20.

[0029] Figure 6 and 7 As best shown, the sliding fit between the roller bracket 116 and the support blocks 122a, 122b, and 124 is Figure 1The roller bracket 116 is provided with a tenon 111 that slidably engages in the tenon groove 113 of the support block 113 and the support blocks 122a, 122b and 124. This tenon-and-groove fit ensures that the components remain coplanar, i.e., prevent relative displacement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sliding panel.

[0030] Although the tongue and groove fit allows relative sliding between parts, it does not Figure 1 The assembly's anti-slip structure, i.e., no undercut structure, prevents each roller bracket 116 from separating from the adjacent support block 122a, 122b, or 124. Therefore, the tenon 111 does not have a T-shaped cross-section, and the mortise 113 does not need to be machined to a narrow mouth and wide base. This omission of the undercut design significantly simplifies the manufacturing process.

[0031] To ensure that roller bracket 116 does not separate from adjacent support blocks 122a, 122b, or 124, this embodiment provides slots 115 on the sides of support blocks 122a, 122b, and 124. After tenon 111 engages with tenon slot 113, pin 117 is inserted into the tenon's transverse hole 119. Once pin 117 is inserted, the roller bracket cannot move perpendicular to the sliding direction. Furthermore, the length of slot 115 limits the relative sliding of the components, ensuring that all components remain connected.

[0032] Except for the shape of the mortise and tenon 113 and the notch 115 provided in the intermediate support block 124, there is no substantial difference from the intermediate support block 24 described in GB2573876. In use, the upper surface of the support block abuts against the bottom surface of the sliding panel, but is not fixed because the lateral movement capability must still be maintained. By comparison Figure 2 and Figure 3 This design feature can be understood by changing the position of the middle support block 24.

[0033] In this embodiment, only the end support block 122b is adjustable, while the other end support block 122a is fixed. However, in actual implementation, both end support blocks can be designed to be adjustable.

[0034] The non-adjustable end support block 122a is substantially equivalent to the half structure of the middle support block 24, except that it is additionally provided with a fixing hole 121 so that it can be fixed to the bottom surface of the panel by screwing.

[0035] like Figure 8 and Figure 10As best shown, the adjustable end support block 122b is composed of two parts 140 and 142 connected by a bolt 126 and a nut 128. The nut 128 is embedded in the receiving groove of the part 140 and can slide in from the side. The head of the bolt 126 is embedded in the receiving groove of the part 142, and it adopts the same assembly method of sliding in from the side. After the nut 128 and the bolt 126 are respectively installed in the corresponding parts 140 and 142, the two parts 140 and 142 can be fixed into one body through thread engagement. Among them, the part 142 is provided with a mounting hole 144 for fixing screws so that it can be firmly installed on the bottom surface of the panel; while the part 140 moves relative to the sliding panel by rotating the bolt 126.

[0036] After the nut 128 and the bolt 126 complete the thread engagement, the latter cannot be separated from the part 140, but the bolt head may still slide out of the receiving groove of the part 142. To ensure that the components are aligned and connected during installation, an interlocking structure is provided on the mating surface of the parts 140 and 142. In this embodiment, the nose 146 of the part 142 is designed to be embedded in the groove of the part 140. As Figure 6 shown, through this interlocking structure between the parts 140 and 142, the bolt 126 can be effectively prevented from separating from the part 142.

[0037] As can be seen from Figure 9 the detailed drawing, each notch 115 is provided with a notch or a limiting part 151 near its top, so that the pin 117 will be subject to certain resistance when passing through. These limiting parts 151 play a buckling role to ensure that the components can maintain Figure 5 and Figure 6 the relative positions shown, avoiding relative sliding. This design enables the correctly aligned entire roller assembly to be firmly installed on the bottom surface of the sliding panel through two fixing screws respectively inserted into the mounting holes 121 and 144 of the end support blocks 122a and 122b.

[0038] Figure 11 shows another embodiment, in which a snap device with a different structure is adopted between the roller bracket 216 and the support block 224. In this embodiment, a groove 234 is provided at the top of each tenon 230 for accommodating a cylindrical protrusion 236 that is located at the top of the tenon groove 232 for accommodating the tenon 230 and protrudes from the support block. The protrusion 236 and the groove 234 adopt an interference fit, and the roller bracket 224 will be subject to resistance when rising to the highest relative position, so as to maintain the positioning during the installation process.

[0039] After the components are fixed to the sliding panel, the distance between the part 140 and the end support block 122a can be adjusted by rotating the bolt 126, thereby adjusting the panel height. Comparing Figure 6 with Figure 8 it can be seen that: Figure 6 showing that the roller bracket 116 is in contact with the bottom surface of the panel when in the highest position;Figure 8 The roller bracket is shown to be in the position farthest from the bottom surface of the panel.

[0040] The roller assembly before installation presents Figure 5 and Figure 6 the structure shown: First, assemble components 140 and 142 with bolts 126 and nuts 128 to the minimum spacing; after the tenon 111 of the roller bracket contacts and mates with the mortises 113 of the end and intermediate support blocks 122, 124, drive the pin 117 into the tenon hole 119 in the tenon 111 to prevent the components from separating; then raise the bracket 116 to the highest position. At this time, the pin 117 passes through the restricting portion 151, or the cylindrical protrusion 236 as shown in Figure 11 the embodiment is inserted into the groove 234 to keep the components aligned.

[0041] Place the roller assembly in this state on the bottom surface of the panel, and complete the assembly by inserting fixing screws through the mounting holes 121 and 144. At this time, the panel can be placed on the track, and the height can be adjusted by rotating the bolt 126. As long as the fixing structure strength of the end support block is sufficient to withstand the load generated by the weight of the sliding panel, even if the roller bracket does not all directly contact the bottom surface of the panel, the housing structure used in the prior art of GB2573876 to prevent the separation of the end support block can be omitted.

[0042] The operating principle of the roller assembly of the present invention is the same as that described in GB2573876. Therefore, only the structural improvements made to omit the housing are emphasized above. For the sake of avoiding repetition, for the parts not described in detail, please refer to the GB2573876 patent document incorporated by reference.

[0043] In the existing roller assembly with a housing, the housing size needs to be customized according to the number of roller brackets. When carrying a heavier panel, more rollers need to be configured, resulting in an increase in the volume of the housing. An important advantage of the present invention lies in its modular design of the roller assembly; the same set of roller brackets and intermediate support blocks can be arbitrarily increased or decreased in number to adapt to different loads.

[0044] In some prior arts of roller assemblies, independent movement is achieved by installing paired rollers at both ends of the rocker arm, similar to the structure of a train bogie. However, the limitation of this swinging design is that when adding rollers, they must be added in pairs. The present invention breaks through this limitation, and the number of rollers can be configured as either odd or even.

[0045] Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the protection scope defined by the claims. For example: in addition to the pin structure in the groove, the anti-disengagement interlock structure described in GB2573876 can also be used to prevent the separation of the roller bracket and the support block; the sliding stroke limit can also be achieved in other ways, such as setting protrusions on the side of the roller bracket to cooperate with the stoppers on the side of the support block.

Claims

1. A roller assembly for a sliding panel, which is composed of a plurality of sequentially arranged and interconnected components, including: Two end support blocks (122a, 122b), a plurality of roller brackets (116) disposed between the end support blocks (122a, 122b), and intermediate support blocks (124) disposed between each pair of adjacent roller brackets (116); wherein, the roller brackets (116) have inclined sides that cooperate with the inclined sides of the support blocks (122, 124) along a sliding plane, this cooperation allowing adjacent components to slide relative to each other in one direction within the sliding plane, while preventing relative movement transverse to the sliding direction within the sliding plane and preventing relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane; and the inclination angle of the sliding plane is set such that when the two end support blocks approach each other, it forces the roller brackets (116) away from the bottom surface of the slidable panel; characterized in that: Each end support block (122a, 122b) is provided with a fixing structure (121, 144) for directly fixing each end support block to the bottom surface of the slidable panel; only through the fixing structure can the fixed spacing between the two end support blocks (122a, 122b) be maintained when the roller brackets bear the weight of the panel; at least one end support block (122b) consists of two parts (140, 142), one part (142) having a structure for fixing to the panel, and the other part (144) being slidably engaged with the roller bracket (116) and adjustably connected to the first part (142).

2. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Wherein the inclined sides of the support blocks (122, 124) and the roller brackets (116) cooperate with each other through a tenon (230) and a mortise (232) to prevent relative movement transverse to the sliding direction within the sliding plane.

3. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, To prevent separation of adjacent components in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane, while still allowing movement along the sliding direction, one of the components is provided with a pin (119) that is limited within a notch (115) of the other component.

4. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Wherein a snap structure (117) is provided between the roller brackets (116) and the support blocks (122, 124) to keep all components in a predetermined relative alignment state, facilitating the installation of the assembly onto the slidable panel.

5. The roller assembly for a sliding panel as described in claim 4 when referring to claim 3, characterized in that, Wherein the snap structure is formed by a limiting portion (117) within the notch (115) for limiting the pin (119).

6. The roller assembly for a sliding panel as described in claim 4 when referring to claim 2, characterized in that, Wherein the snap structure is formed by a groove (234) at the end of the tenon (230) to receive a protrusion (236) within the corresponding mortise (232) in an interference fit manner.

7. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to claim 1, wherein, To prevent separation of adjacent components while allowing relative sliding therebetween, a rod-shaped element is provided that is slidably connected to the end support blocks in a manner sufficient to temporarily fix the position of the roller assembly during installation, but unable to bear the load of the slidable panel during the use of the roller assembly.

8. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Mounted on the bottom surface of the slidable panel through the fixing structure of the end support blocks.

9. A roller assembly for a sliding panel, the sliding panel being composed of a plurality of sequentially arranged and interconnected components, comprising: Two end support blocks (122a, 122b), a plurality of roller brackets (116) disposed between the end support blocks, and intermediate support blocks (124) disposed between each pair of adjacent roller brackets; wherein: the roller brackets (116) have inclined sides that cooperate with the inclined sides of the support blocks (122, 124) along a sliding plane; this cooperation allows adjacent components to slide relative to each other in one direction within the sliding plane; at the same time, it prevents relative movement transverse to the sliding direction within the sliding plane and prevents relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane; the inclination angle of the sliding plane is set such that when the two end support blocks approach each other, it forces the roller brackets (116) away from the bottom surface of the slidable panel, characterized in that: Each end support block (122a, 122b) is provided with a fixing structure (121, 144) for directly fixing the end support block to the bottom surface of the panel. Only through the fixing structure can the distance between the two end support blocks be kept fixed when the roller brackets bear the weight of the slidable panel. The cooperation between adjacent components limits their relative sliding range, thereby preventing the components from separating from each other.

10. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to claim 9, characterized in that, The inclined sides of the support blocks (122, 124) and the roller brackets (116) are mutually engaged by a tenon (230) and a mortise (232) to prevent relative movement transverse to the sliding direction within the sliding plane.

11. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, To prevent separation of adjacent components in a direction perpendicular to the sliding plane while allowing movement along the sliding direction, one of the components is provided with a pin (119) that is limited within a notch (115) of the other component.

12. The roller assembly for a sliding panel according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that, A snap structure (117) is provided between the roller brackets (116) and the support blocks (122, 124) to keep all components in a predetermined relative alignment state, facilitating the installation of the assembly onto the slidable panel.

13. The roller assembly for a sliding panel when claim 12 depends on claim 11, characterized in that, The snap structure is formed by a limiting portion (117) within the notch (115) for limiting the pin (119).

14. The roller assembly for a sliding panel when dependent claim 12 depends on claim 10, wherein, The snap structure is formed by a groove (234) at the end of the tenon (230), and the groove receives a protrusion (236) provided within the corresponding mortise (232) in an interference fit manner.

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