AU673105B2

AU673105B2 - A roller assembly

Info

Publication number: AU673105B2
Application number: AU75901/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Alchin
Original assignee: Alchin and Long Group Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Alchin and Long Group Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1993-12-03
Filing date: 1994-10-18
Publication date: 1996-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-18
Also published as: AU7590194A

Description

A ROLLER ASSEMBLY Technical Field The present invention relates to roller assemblies for sliding doors and windows.

Background of the Invention Roller assemblies for sliding doors and windows are fitted within an aluminium channel. They include a body upon which there is rotatably mounted a roller to engage a track upon which the door or window moves. A threaded rod is frequently used to engage a nut, with the rod being rotatable to adjust the height of the body and therefore the height of the roller and door or window supported thereby. These nuts have been circular in transverse cross section as they need to be pivotally mounted within the roller bodies. This has necessitated the construction of a special nut. This significantly increases the cost of producing this mass produced item.

:Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the 15 above disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention i'"'"There is disclosed herein a roller assembly for a sliding door or window P4 said assembly comprising: a body; S. 20 a roller rotatably mounted in the body for rotation about an axis, the roller being adapted to engage a track; and wherein said body includes a pivot surface defining a pivot axis parallel to the rotational axis ooo.op S of the roller but spaced therefrom and about which the body pivots to adjust the height of the assembly and therefore the door or window supported thereby, an adjustment screw, a 25 nut mounted in said body and threadably engaged with said screw so that in use upon .el.oi S rotation of said screw said body is caused to move angularly about said pivot axis to adjust the height of the door, said body having a passage through which said screw passes, which passage extends to an aperture in said body within which said nut is located, and wherein said aperture has nut engaging surfaces including upper and lower arcuate conve/ surfaces and an arcuate concave side surface, with the upper and lower surfaces restraining the nut while permitting angular movement of the nut about an axis generally parallel to the rotational axis of the roller, said side surface being engaged by the nut when the assembly is supporting the panel.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roller for a sliding door or window; 2 Figure 2 is a further schematic view of the roller assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the roller assembly of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic top plan view of the roller assembly of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a schematic end elevation of the roller assembly of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a roller assembly for a sliding door or window panel. The roller assembly 10 includes a body 11 which would be generally mounted within a lower horizontal frame member of the movable window door panel or window panel. The body 11 has an arcuate surface 12 about which the body 11 pivots to thereby adjust the general height of the assembly 10 and the door or window panel supported thereby. The body 11 has transversely aligned apertures 13 which receive a roller 14. More particularly, the roller 14 has axles 15 snap engaged within the aligned apertures 13. The pivot axis defined by the surface 12 is generally parallel to the rotational axis of the roller 14.

The body 11 further includes an adjustment screw 16 which engages a vertical surface of the door or window frame. Rotation of the screw 16 causes pivoting of the body 11 about the axis defined by the surface 12. This angular movement of the body 11 enables height adjustment of the body 11 and therefore the door or window supported thereby.

20 The screw 16 threadably engages a nut 17 supported within transversely aligned apertures 18 formed on opposite sides of the body 11. The body 11 has a passage through which the screw 16 passes, which passage is aligned with respect to the apertures 18. The apertures 18 have upper and lower arcuate concave surfaces 19, and arcuate convex side surfaces 20 and 23. The surfaces 19, 20 and 23 cooperate to retain the nut 17 with its central threaded passage generally aligned to receive the screw 16. However S the surfaces 19 and 20 also permit angular movement of the nut 17 as the screw 16 is turned during height adjustment. More particularly, the nut 17, during adjustment, would pivot about the surface 23 when supporting a door. Angular movement of the nut 17 takes place as the body II pivots about the axis defined by the surface 12.

The arcuate suftaces 19 would have a fixed length radius extending from a point generally centrally of the apertures 18.

The body 11 has a pair of side flanges 22 between which there is provided a gap within which the roller 14 is located. Each of the flanges 22 has a respective aperture 18, while the screw 16 extends generally between the flanges 22.

I- I~

Claims

1. A roller assembly for a sliding door or window ael, said assembly comprising: a body; a roller rotatably mounted in the body for rotation about an axis, the roller being adapted to engage a track; and wherein said body includes a pivot surface defining a pivot axis parallel to the rotational axis of the roller but spaced therefrom and about which the body pivots to adjust the height of the assembly and therefore the door or window supported thereby, an adjustment screw, a nut mounted in said body and threadably engaged with said screw so that in use upon rotation of said screw said body is caused to move angularly about said pivot axis to adjust the height of the door, said body having a passage through which said screw passes, which passage extends to an aperture in said body within which said nut is located, and wherein said aperture has nut engaging surfaces including upper and lower 15 arcuate ccnu Ksurfaces and an arcuate concave side surface, with the upper and lower surfaces restraining the nut while permitting angular movement of the nut about an axis generally parallel to the rotational axis of the roller, said side surfacei* engaged by the nut when the assembly is supporting the panel.

S2. The roller assembly of claim 1, wherein said adjustment screw rotates about an axis generally normal to the rotational axis of the roller.

3. The roller assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein said body has a pair of generally parallel flanges between which there is defined a gap within which the roller is located, and wherein the flanges each have a respective said aperture, with each aperture having its respective upper and lower convex surfaces and arcuate concave side surfaces, said nut eoooo S 25 being supported in said apertures and extending therebetween.

4. The roller of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the or each aperture are defined by a radius extending generally centrally of the aperture.

5. The roller assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the or each aperture has a pair of side surfaces, with both side surfaces being convex.

6. A roller assembly, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 14 October, 1994 Alchin Long Group Pty Ltd-tas-eDoiePrrodutets- Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON NB O A ROLLER ASSEMBLY Abstract A roller assembly (10) for a sliding door or window. The roller assembly (10) has a body (11) which rotatably supports a roller Mounted within the body (11) is an adjustment nut (17) which engages a screw Rotation of the screw (16) causes pivoting of the body (11) about the surface (12) to effect height adjustment of the door or window. The adjustment nut (17) is supported within a pair of apertures with the apertures having upper and lower arcuate concave surfaces and arcuate convex side surfaces (20, 23), with the surface (23) being engaged by the nut when the roller assembly (10) supports a sliding door or window. Fig. 2 oe° o *to o o o IN:\LIBTT]00065:LMM