Sliding Door Roller Guide With Spring Preload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guiding systems for sliding doors in motor vehicles suffer from play and noise due to inaccurate and taut guidance, requiring frequent manual adjustments as rollers wear out.
Innovation Solution
A guiding system with a spring element attached to the rolling element housing, loading three rollers against the runner rail, and a fork mechanism that allows for self-centering and constant preload, ensuring a secure and stable three-point bearing, and incorporating a return stop to maintain preload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional guiding systems with rolling elements are used, then the sliding door can move along the runner rail, but the rolling elements have play and are not guided accurately, causing noise and lacking taut system characteristic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the rolling element housing movable relative to the runner rail through a fork mechanism. The housing can rotate about a horizontal axis and translate along the runner rail, allowing it to dynamically adapt to tolerances and wear while maintaining constant contact between rollers and rail surfaces, thereby eliminating play and noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service through the self-centering capability of the rolling element housing. The fork mechanism and spring element work together to automatically maintain optimal positioning of the rollers against the runner rail surfaces, compensating for production tolerances and wear without requiring manual intervention.
2Ease of manufacture
If rollers are fixed in traditional guiding systems, then the structure is simple, but the rollers wear out over time and require manual adjustment to reduce noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static roller mounting into a dynamic system where the rolling element housing can move relative to the runner rail. This dynamic capability allows the system to compensate for roller wear and maintain optimal contact pressures without requiring manual adjustment, thereby reducing maintenance frequency while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element provides a feedback mechanism that continuously adjusts the position and pressure of the rollers against the runner rail surfaces. As rollers wear or as tolerances change, the spring element automatically compensates by maintaining constant contact forces, eliminating the need for manual recalibration.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple rollers are used to ensure stable guidance, then the guidance becomes more stable, but the system becomes more complex and harder to adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple rollers and the rolling element housing into a single integrated assembly. The fork mechanism combines the positioning and support functions of multiple rollers, allowing them to work together as one unit that maintains stable guidance while reducing the overall system complexity through unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling element housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it supports multiple rollers, provides self-centering capability, maintains constant contact with the runner rail, and compensates for tolerances and wear. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining guidance stability.
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 system eliminates play and noise, providing a taut and stable guidance with automatic compensation for production and wear-related tolerances, ensuring continuous secure operation with reduced maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (9) being fastened to the rolling element housing (2), the spring element (9) loading one of the first roller (3) and the second roller (3) as well as the third roller (4) against the runner rail (5)
Implementation Method 2
three rollers (3, 3, 4) being rotatably fastened to the rolling element housing (2) with each of the three rollers (3, 3, 4) being rotatable about a horizontal axis
Implementation Method 3
a fork (8) being coupled to the rolling element housing (2) so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis
Implementation Method 4
a return stop (12) coupled to the rolling element (1), the return stop (12) suppressing the rotation of the fork (8) about a vertical axis of the fork (8)
Data Source
AI summary
A guiding system for a sliding door, especially a motor vehicle, comprising a sliding rail (5) with an upper cover (6) and a lower edge (7) arranged opposite the upper cover (6), and a roller element (101) which is guided in the sliding rail (5) and comprises a roller element housing (102) is presented. Three rollers (103, 104) are rotatably fixed to the roller element housing (102), two rollers (103) extending along the upper cover (6) of the sliding rail (5) and the third roller (104) extending along the lower edge (7). The invention creates one such guiding system in such a way that there is no play, it operates quietly, and has a taut system characteristic. To this end, a spring element (109) is fixed to the roller element housing (102), said spring element pressing on of the first two roller (103) and the third roller (104) against the sliding rail (5).