Glass Door Roller Unit System for Smooth Sliding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding door mechanisms for glass doors face challenges in supporting the structural weight of glass components while maintaining aesthetic appeal and ensuring smooth sliding motion, as they often require minimum thickness and must be visually appealing.
Innovation Solution
A roller unit system comprising a connector assembly with a spindle and a wheel having a rolling-element bearing, an annular wheel body with flared-surface flanges, and O-rings for secure and vibration-dampening attachment, allowing the glass door to slide while being held face-to-face with the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If glass components are used as structural components, then light transmission and aesthetic appeal are improved, but the weight and structural requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The glass door system is segmented into multiple components: glass panels, aluminum frames, roller units with wheels, and track systems. This segmentation allows the heavy glass to be supported and moved through a distributed mechanical system rather than requiring a single monolithic support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Roller units with wheels act as intermediaries between the heavy glass door and the building structure. These rollers reduce the friction and force required to move the glass door by converting sliding friction into rolling friction, making the heavy glass panel manageable despite its weight.
2Weight of moving object
If glass doors are made with minimum thickness for structural function, then weight is reduced, but strength and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses composite construction combining glass panels with aluminum frames and structural supports. The aluminum frames and roller unit components provide the necessary structural strength while allowing thinner glass panels to be used, as the overall assembly rather than just the glass provides the structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying solely on glass thickness for structural strength, the design adds dimensional support through aluminum frames around the perimeter and a roller unit system that distributes loads across multiple contact points, effectively transferring structural requirements from the glass thickness to the supporting framework.
3Strength
If traditional sliding door mechanisms are used, then structural support is achieved, but aesthetic appeal and visual clarity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional visible door handle and locking mechanisms are extracted or minimized. The roller unit system allows the door to be operated by pulling or pushing at the edge, eliminating the need for prominent handles that would disrupt the clean lines and aesthetic of the glass door design.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller units are positioned at the top and bottom edges of the door where they are less visually intrusive. The aluminum frames are strategically placed to provide structural support while minimizing visual disruption to the glass panels. The design accepts localized structural elements only where necessary for function.
4Shape
If glass doors are made transparent for aesthetic value, then visual appeal is improved, but structural visibility and mechanism placement become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of hiding the support mechanisms behind or within the glass, the design inverts the approach by using aluminum frames that are visible and intentional design elements. The roller units are positioned at the edges and integrated into the frame system, making the support structure part of the aesthetic rather than trying to conceal it.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The roller unit system effectively supports glass doors, ensuring smooth sliding motion and minimizing the gap between the door and the structure, while maintaining aesthetic appeal and accommodating various panel thicknesses through modular construction.
Implementation Method 1
a wheel having a rolling-element bearing operationally mounted to the spindle of the connector assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding door system comprises a door made of a glass panel. Roller units are connected to the door and project from a plane of the door. A structural transom has a glass panel body with main surfaces of the glass panel body positioned generally vertically. The glass panel body has at least one slot defined therein having a lower edge surface and an upper edge surface. The slot has a height for receiving a portion of the roller units between the lower edge surface and the upper edge surface, and a length for allowing a translation of the door to open and close an opening by movement of the roller units in the slot.