Door roller

Abstract

To provide a door wheel capable of suppressing deformation of a case.SOLUTION: A door wheel 1 includes a wheel 3, and a case 2 which houses the wheel 3 therein and receives a load applied from a sash. The case 2 is formed by bending a metal plate material, and includes a pair of side surface portions 21 disposed on side surfaces of the wheel 3 and facing each other, an end surface portion 23 formed by connecting the pair of side surface portions 21 to each other on either front or rear side in the moving direction of the wheel 3 and overlapping a first end surface portion 231 extending from one of the pair of side surface portions 21 and a second end surface portion 232 extending from the other of the pair of side surface portions 21, and an opening regulating portion 6 for preventing each of the pair of side surface portions 21 from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a sliding door wheel.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a sliding door wheel is formed having a wheel and a case covering the wheel. The case is formed by bending a single metal plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a sliding door wheel, the load of a shoji door is applied from above. Therefore, when the shoji door becomes large, the case formed by bending a plate material may be deformed so as to open outward in the thickness direction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This disclosure relates to a sliding door wheel including a wheel and a case that houses the wheel inside and receives a load applied from a shoji door. The case is formed by bending a metal plate material, and includes a pair of side portions disposed on the side surface of the wheel and facing each other, a first end surface portion that connects the pair of side portions on either the front or rear side in the moving direction of the wheel, a second end surface portion that extends from the other of the pair of side portions, an end surface portion formed by overlapping the first end surface portion and the second end surface portion, and an opening restriction portion that prevents each of the pair of side portions from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [[ID=q49]] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a sliding door wheel of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the case according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an exploded view of the case of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the wheel and retaining part of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the wheel according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the case of the second implementation form. [Figure 7] This is an exploded view of the case of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the third implementation method case. [Figure 9] This is an exploded view of the case of the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the door roller 1 has a case 2, a wheel 3, a holding part 4, and a height adjustment pin 7. The door roller 1 has a sliding door screen of a building fixture (not shown) attached to its upper part and supports the sliding door screen so that it can move.

[0008] Case 2 is a cover that houses the wheels 3 (described later) and receives the load from the shoji screen. Case 2 is constructed by bending a metal plate. As shown in Figure 2, Case 2 has a pair of side sections 21, a top section 22, an end section 23, and an opening restricting section 6. The area below the top section 22 and the surface facing the end section 23 are open.

[0009] A pair of side sections 21 are positioned on the sides of the wheel 3 and face each other by bending the plate material. As shown in Figure 3, the pair of side sections 21 are formed in a shape that is long in the direction of movement of the door roller 1 and is roughly rectangular. The pair of side sections 21 have a first side section 211 and a second side section 212. A notch hole 62, which will be described later, is formed in the second side section 212. An engagement groove 24 is formed on the outer edge of the pair of side sections 21 along the longitudinal direction. The engagement groove 24 is a groove for engagement with an engagement projection 44 (see Figure 4) formed on the holding part 4 of the wheel 3, which will be described later.

[0010] The upper surface 22 is the surface that connects the opposing long sides of the pair of side surfaces 21. The upper surface 22 is positioned on the top surface when the case 2 is folded. An opening is formed in the upper surface 22 to prevent the periphery of the wheels from coming into contact with it.

[0011] The end face portion 23 is the part that connects the pair of side portions 21 on either the front or rear side in the direction of movement of the door roller 1. The end face portion 23 extends in the thickness direction of the case 2 when the case 2 is folded. The end face portion 23 has a first end face portion 231, a second end face portion 232, and a height adjustment pin hole 233. The end face portion 23 is formed when the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 overlap when the case 2 is folded.

[0012] The first end face portion 231 is a surface that extends outward from the first side surface portion 211 along the longitudinal direction of the first side surface portion 211. The first end face portion 231 has a short side 231a, a long side 231b, an overlapping upper surface portion 231c, an outer edge 231d, a notch 231e, and an alignment projection 231f.

[0013] The short side 231a is the side that extends in the thickness direction of the case 2 when it is folded. The long side 231b overlaps with the side of the first side portion 211 that extends in the short direction. The long side 231b is the side that extends in the height direction of the case 2 when it is folded. The long side 231b overlaps with the boundary line 63 formed at the boundary between the first side portion 211 and the first end portion 231. The top overlap 231c extends from the short side 231a to a position where it overlaps below the top portion 22 when it is folded, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The outer edge 231d extends parallel to the long side 231b and becomes the outer edge of the first end portion 231. A projection 61, which will be described later, is formed on the outer edge 231d. The notch 231e is formed by cutting out a roughly U-shape near the intersection where the ends of the first end face portion 231, the upper surface portion 22, and the first side surface portion 221 meet. The alignment projection 231f is formed by creating a cut in a part of the first end face portion 231 and raising the cut to form a projection.

[0014] The second end face portion 232 is a surface that extends outward from the second end face portion 232 along the longitudinal direction of the second end face portion 232. The second end face portion 232 has a short side 232a, a long side 232b, an outer edge 232d, a notch 232e, and an alignment hole 232f.

[0015] The short side 232a is the side that extends in the thickness direction of case 2 when it is folded. The long side 232b overlaps with the side that extends in the short direction of the second side portion 212. The long side 232b is the side that extends in the height direction of case 2 when it is folded. The long side 231b overlaps with the boundary line 63 formed at the boundary between the second side portion 212 and the second end portion 232. The outer edge 232d extends parallel to the long side 232b and forms the outer edge of the second end portion 232. The notch 232e is formed by cutting out a roughly U-shape near the intersection where the ends of the second end portion 232, the top portion 22, and the second side portion 222 meet. The alignment hole 232f is positioned so that the alignment projection 231f passes through it when the second end face portion 232 is superimposed on the first end face portion 231, and is provided to align the overlapping positions of the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232.

[0016] The holes 233 for the height adjustment pins are circular through-holes disposed respectively on the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232. The hole 233a for the height adjustment pin formed on the first end face portion 231 and the hole 233b for the height adjustment pin formed on the second end face portion 232 overlap each other to form one through-hole 233 for the height adjustment pin when the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 are overlapped.

[0017] The opening restricting portion 6 has a protruding portion 61 and a notch hole 62. As shown in FIG. 3, the protruding portion 61 is formed on the first end face portion 231 and protrudes in a direction along the moving direction of the shutter 1 from the outer edge 231d of the first end face portion 231 in the unfolded state of the case 2. The protruding portion 61 has a substantially rectangular shape. For example, it has a length about 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the long side 231b of the first end face portion 231 and is a small protruding portion having a width equal to or less than the width of the upper surface overlapping margin 231c.

[0018] The notch hole 62 is disposed near the boundary between the second side face portion 212 and the second end face portion 232. Specifically, the notch hole 62 is formed along the boundary line 63 between the second side face portion 212 and the second end face portion 232 and on the side of the second side face portion 212 with respect to the boundary line 63. The notch hole 62 is a substantially rectangular through-hole having a dimension through which the protruding portion 61 can be inserted.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, in the state where the case 2 is bent so that the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 overlap, the protruding portion 61 is inserted into the notch hole 62. At this time, the first end face portion 231 on which the protruding portion 61 is formed is bent so as to be located inside the second end face portion 232.

[0020] The wheel 3 is rotatably held inside the case 2 and enables the shutter 1 to move. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wheel 3 has an annular portion 31, a central portion 32, a thin portion 33, and an axle 34. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheel 3 is composed of two wheels 3a and 3b having substantially the same shape, which are connected by a connecting mechanism not shown.

[0021] The annular portion 31 is composed of a pair of annular sections 31a and 31b, which are thinner than the overall thickness of the wheel 3, and are spaced apart on one side and the other side in the thickness direction of the wheel 3. The annular portion 31 forms the side surface along the outer edge of the wheel 3. As shown in Figure 5, in cross-sectional view, the annular portion 31 has a roughly U-shape, with the pair of annular sections 31a and 31b connected on the outer side.

[0022] The central portion 32 is positioned near the approximate center of the pair of annular portions 31a. The central portion 32 has a roughly cylindrical shape. The portion of the central portion 32 corresponding to the bottom surface of the cylindrical shape is composed of a flat surface 321, and the side surfaces 322 corresponding to the sides of the cylindrical shape are positioned along the axial direction of the wheel 3. The flat surface 321 is the surface facing the inner convex portion 42 of the holding portion 4, which will be described later. A through hole 323 is formed in the center of the central portion 32 through which the axle 34, which will be described later, passes. The thickness of the central portion 32 is formed to be constant on the outer circumference side of the axle 34 and the through hole 323.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the thin-walled portion 33 is located between the central portion 32 and the annular portion 31, and is a part in which the thickness is partially reduced. The thin-walled portion 33 is formed in an annular shape.

[0024] The axle 34 is a shaft that penetrates the center of the central part 32 in the thickness direction of the wheel 3. The axle 34 connects both the retaining part 4 (described later) and the wheel 3 by passing through them.

[0025] The retaining portion 4 is a member that rotatably holds the wheel 3 within the case 2. The retaining portion 4 is positioned only on one of the two wheels 3a. As shown in Figure 4, the retaining portion 4 is formed in a roughly U-shape with one end open in plan view, and has a retaining side surface 41 that covers the side of the wheel 3a, an inner protrusion 42, an axle hole 45, a connecting portion 43, and an engaging projection 44.

[0026] The retaining side 41 is a thin, plate-like member that extends along the outer surface of the wheel 3a. A pair of retaining side 41s are arranged with the wheel 3b in between, and the axle 34 of the wheel 3 passes through them. The retaining side 41 has a curved portion 41a that curves downward from above, away from the wheel 3b, as it approaches the wheel 3b, and a central retaining portion 41b that extends laterally from the lower end of the curved portion 41a so as to cover the central portion 32 of the wheel 3a.

[0027] The inner protrusion 42 is formed around the portion of the central holding portion 41b through which the axle 34 passes. As shown in Figure 5, the inner protrusion 42 is a portion that, in cross-sectional view, is curved so as to be more convex inward than other portions around the portion through which the axle 34 passes. "Inward" refers to the side facing inward between the pair of holding sides 41. The inner protrusion 42 is formed with a roughly V-shape inclination in cross-sectional view so that the center of the axle 34 is located furthest inward. As shown in Figure 4, the inner protrusion 42 is formed over a certain range near the portion of the holding side 41 where the axle 34 is positioned. Specifically, it is preferable that the width of the inner protrusion 42 is about the same as the width of the central portion 32 of the wheel 3.

[0028] The axle hole 45 is a hole through which the axle 34 passes. The axle hole 45 is located at the innermost convex portion of the inclined surface formed in the inward convex portion 42.

[0029] The connecting portion 43 is a surface that connects the ends of the curved portions 41a of the pair of retaining sides 41 in the thickness direction of the wheel 3a. The connecting portion 43 is the surface to which the end of the height adjustment pin 7, which will be described later, abuts. When the case 2 is placed inside the case 2, the connecting portion 43 is positioned opposite the end face portion 23.

[0030] The engaging projection 44 is an annular projection that protrudes outward from the retaining side surface 41, below the curved portion 41a of the retaining side surface 41. As shown in Figure 1, the engaging projection 44 engages with the engaging groove 24 of the case 2 when the retaining portion 4 is positioned inside the case 2.

[0031] The height adjustment pin 7 is positioned on the outside of the case 2, passing through the height adjustment pin hole 233 and with its end in contact with the connecting portion 43. When the height adjustment pin 7 is pushed into the case 2, it presses against the upper part of the connecting portion 43 of the holding portion 4. This causes the holding portion 4 to rotate counterclockwise around the engaging projection 44 formed on the holding side surface 41. As the holding portion 4 rotates, the two wheels 3a and 3b, connected by a coupling mechanism (not shown), move downwards from the case 2. As a result, the overall height dimension of the door roller 1, including the wheels 3 and the case 2, becomes larger and taller. When the height adjustment pin 7 is moved away from the connecting portion 43, as shown in Figure 1, the wheels 3 fit inside the case 2, and the overall height dimension of the door roller 1 becomes smaller and shorter.

[0032] The height adjustment pin 7 passes through the height adjustment pin hole 233 but is not fastened. Therefore, the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 are overlapped with enough slack to allow movement in the thickness direction of the case 2. When the weight on the sliding door roller 1 of the shoji screen increases, a force is applied that deforms the case 2, which is formed by bending a metal plate, to open in the thickness direction. As shown in Figure 2, the projection portion 61 is inserted into the notch hole 62 of the opening restricting portion 6. Even when the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 try to open while the upper surface portion 22 of the case 2 is pressed down by the load of the shoji screen, the upper end of the projection portion 61 engages with the upper end of the notch hole 62. The surface of the projection portion 61 engages with the longer edge of the notch hole 62 that is closer to the boundary line 63. In this way, the engagement between the protruding portion 61 of the opening restricting portion 6 and the notched hole 62 restricts the movement of the first end face portion 231 and the second end face portion 232 from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case 2.

[0033] The wheel 3 rotates as the door roller 1 moves. When it rotates, if the holding side surface 41 of the holding part 4 is formed flat, it is conceivable that the side surface of the wheel 3, especially the flat surface 321 of the central part 32, will come into contact with the inner surface of the holding side surface 41 and cause friction. This friction could lead to problems such as a decrease in the durability of the wheel 3 and the holding part 4, or the creation of rotational resistance. However, an inner protrusion 42 is formed on the holding side surface 41. The inner protrusion 42 is inclined in a roughly V-shape in cross-section, and the axle 34 and the center of the axle hole 45 through which the axle 34 passes are positioned furthest inward, thereby minimizing the contact area between the wheel 3 and the holding side surface 41.

[0034] According to the first embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The door roller 1 is configured to include a wheel 3 and a case 2 that houses the wheel 3 and receives the load from the sliding door. The case 2 is configured to include a pair of side portions 21 that are arranged on the side of the wheel 3 and face each other, an end portion 23 formed by overlapping a first end portion 231 extending from one of the pair of side portions 21 and a second end portion 232 extending from the other of the pair of side portions 21, which are connected on either the front or rear side in the direction of movement of the wheel 3, and an opening restricting portion 6 that prevents each of the pair of side portions 21 from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case 2. The opening restricting portion 6 prevents each of the pair of side portions 21 from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case. As a result, deformation of the case 2 is prevented. Therefore, even if the load-bearing members such as sliding doors become larger or heavier, the durability of the door roller 1 is improved.

[0035] According to the first embodiment, the opening restricting portion 6 is configured to include a projection 61 formed on either the first end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232, which protrudes in a direction along the direction of movement of the wheel 3 when unfolded, and a notch hole 62 positioned on the other of the pair of side portions 21, which is either the first end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232, and formed near the boundary between the side portion 21 and the end face portion 23. The case 2 is configured so that the projection 61 is inserted into the notch hole 62 when the case 2 is folded. By inserting the projection 61 into the notch hole 62, it is possible to prevent the pair of side portions 21 of the case 2 from opening. Therefore, when the case 2 is constructed by bending a metal plate, it is possible to prevent deformation of the door roller 1 by the bending process alone, without requiring the addition of any additional members. Thus, the same effects as described above can be achieved.

[0036] According to the first embodiment, either the first end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232 is bent inward so that the side on which the protrusion 61 is formed is located inward. By first bending one of the first end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232 on which the protrusion 61 is formed inward, and then bending the other end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232 on which the protrusion 61 is not formed so that it overlaps, the protrusion 61 engages with the notch hole 62. The pair of side portions 21 of the case 2 can be prevented from opening by the bending process alone in an easy and simple way, and the same effects as described above can be achieved.

[0037] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of this disclosure are included. Figures 6 and 7 are a perspective view and an exploded view of the case 2A of the door roller 1A according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the notch hole 62A of the opening restricting portion 6A is positioned across the boundary line 63 between the first side portion 211A and the first end portion 231A. The protruding portion 61A protrudes further outward along the direction of movement of the door roller 1 compared to the first embodiment.

[0038] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second end face portion 232A on which the protrusion 61A is formed is bent on the outside of the first end face portion 231A, and the protrusion 61A is inserted into the notch hole 62A while covering the first end face portion 231A. According to the second embodiment, since the protrusion 61A is inserted into the notch hole 62A from above while covering the first end face portion 231A, the covered side of the first end face portion 231A is pressed down by the second end face portion 232A, and its degree of freedom of movement is reduced. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent the case 2 from opening more firmly than in the first embodiment.

[0039] Figures 8 and 9 are perspective and unfolded views of the case 2B of the door roller 1B according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the notch 62B has a first notch 621 and a second notch 622. The first notch 621 is formed at a position that straddles the boundary line 63 between the first side portion 211B and the first end portion 231B. The second notch 622 is formed on the first side portion 211B side of the boundary line 63 and is arranged next to the first notch 621. The second notch 622 is formed as a substantially rectangular shape with the same length as the first notch 621 but a smaller width.

[0040] Compared to the second embodiment, the protruding portion 61B protrudes further outward along the direction of movement of the door roller 1. A bendable notch 611 is formed near the tip of the protruding end of the protruding portion 61B. The notch 611 is formed in a U-shape that opens outward, and a locking portion 611a is formed by bending the bottom surface of the U-shape so that it rises up from the surface of the protruding portion 61B.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the second end face portion 232B on which the protrusion 61B is formed is bent on the outside of the first end face portion 231B, and the protrusion 61B is inserted into the first notch hole 621 while covering the first end face portion 231B. Since the first notch hole 621 and the second notch hole 622 are arranged side by side, the tip of the protrusion 61B extends to reach the back side of the second notch hole 622. A locking portion 611a is formed on the tip of the protrusion 61B by raising the notch 611, and the locking portion 611a locks into the second notch hole 622. According to the third embodiment, since the protruding portion 61B is inserted into the first notch hole 621 with the second end face portion 232B covering the first end face portion 231B, the degree of freedom of movement of the covered first end face portion 231B is reduced. In addition, the locking portion 611a formed at the tip of the protruding portion 61B locks into the second notch hole 622. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent the case 2 from opening even more firmly than in the first and second embodiments.

[0042] The protrusion 61 and the notch 62 may be located on either the first end face portion 231 or the second end face portion 232. The shape and arrangement of the protrusion and the notch are not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0043] The shape of the inner protrusion 42, which protrudes inward from the holding portion 4, is not limited to a roughly V-shape in cross-section. The cross-sectional shape of the inner protrusion 42 may be other shapes. For example, the inner protrusion may be curved so as to protrude inward from the holding portion 4, or it may be formed in a roughly U-shape with a bottom, or the bottom located on the inside of the holding portion 4 may be formed in a trapezoid shape with a narrower width than the bottom located on the outside of the holding portion 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Door roller, 2 Case, 3 Wheel, 6 Opening restrictor, 21 Side section, 23 End section, 61 Protruding section, 62 Notch, 63 Boundary line, 231 First end section, 232 Second end section, 621 First notch, 622 Second notch

Claims

1. Wheels and, The vehicle comprises a case that houses the aforementioned wheels and receives the load from the shoji screen, The aforementioned case is, It is constructed by bending a plate, and has a pair of side parts that are positioned on the side of the wheel and face each other, The pair of side portions are connected on either the front or rear side in the direction of movement of the wheel, and an end portion is formed by overlapping a first end portion extending from one of the pair of side portions and a second end portion extending from the other of the pair of side portions. Each of the pair of side portions has an opening restricting portion that prevents it from opening outward in the thickness direction of the case, The opening restricting portion is formed on either the first end face portion or the second end face portion and has a projection that protrudes in a direction along the direction of movement of the wheel when extended, It has a notch hole located on either the first end face or the second end face of the pair of side surfaces, and formed near the boundary between the side surface and the end face. A door roller in which the case is folded and the protruding portion is inserted into the notched hole.

2. The door roller according to claim 1, wherein either the first end face or the second end face is bent so that the side on which the protrusion is formed is located inward.

3. The door roller according to claim 1, wherein the side on which the protrusion is formed of either the first end face or the second end face is bent outwards.

4. The notch hole is formed by a first notch hole located at a position straddling the boundary between the side surface and the end surface, and a second notch hole located on the side surface side of the boundary, arranged side by side. The side on which the protrusion is formed is bent outwards. The door roller according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the protruding portion is bent so as to engage with the second notch hole.

5. The door roller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plate material is made of metal.

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