AU2012100844A4 - A retaining clip - Google Patents

Abstract

A roller carriage assembly comprising a housing, a carriage moveable within the housing, a roller mounted within the carriage and an adjustment screw mounted within the housing. Wherein the housing is provided with apertures on opposing side portions thereof, allowing the adjustment screw which is provided with a circumferentially disposed groove to be retained within the housing through the inter-engagement of the circumferentially disposed groove and a clip retaining member. Figure 1. Figure 4 Figure 5

Description

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A INNOVATION PATENT (Original) APPLICATION NO: LODGED: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION LODGED: ACCEPTED: PUBLISHED: RELATED ART: NAME OF APPLICANT: Hardware Wholesale Supplies Pty Ltd ACTUAL INVENTOR: Benjamin Colin Rogers ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: LORD AND COMPANY, Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, of 4 Douro Place, West Perth, Western Australia, 6005, AUSTRALIA. INVENTION TITLE: "A RETAINING CLIP" The following Statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 TITLE "A RETAINING CLIP" [00011 The present invention relates to a roller carriage assembly and a clip retaining means for use therein. [0002] Described in Australian Patent Application 2001077327 is an adjustable roller carriage assembly suitable for use within a sliding door. [0003] Such roller carriage assemblies offer the ability for the ride height of the roller assembly to be adjusted from both sides of the assembly. Adjustment of the ride height in such roller assemblies is achieved through the provision of an adjustment screw. [0004] Assemblies such as the one described in the above-mentioned patent application, the adjustment screws are fitted through a first and second aperture in the housing of the assembly. Once inserted into the housing the ends of the adjustment screws are placed in an industrial press to form a flange. The flange then engages the housing of the assembly to retain the screw, to prevent it from exiting the housing of the assembly through the aperture in the housing. This flange is a known weak point and is commonly the point of failure of the assembly. [0005] Over adjustment of the adjustment screw can cause substantial forces to be transmitted to the flange. If the flange fails under the force loading it is placed under, the adjustment screw ceases to be rotatably retained and the ride height of the carriage can no longer be controlled. [00061 The present invention attempts to overcome at least in part the aforementioned disadvantages associated with previous adjustable roller assemblies, in particular the adjustment screws.

3 [0007] In accordance with at least one aspect of the present invention there is provided a roller carriage assembly comprising a housing, a carriage moveable within the housing, a roller mounted within the carriage and an adjustment screw mounted within the housing, the housing being provided with apertures on opposing side portions thereof, the adjustment screw is provided with a circumferentially disposed groove, the adjustment screw being retained with in the housing through the inter engagement of the circumferentially disposed groove and a clip retaining member. [0008] The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective side view of a roller carriage assembly in accordance with the present invention from a first side; Figure 2 is a side view of an adjustment screw used in the present invention; and Figure 3 is a phantom upper perspective view of a roller carriage assembly of figure 1 from a second side showing the adjustment screw of Figure 2, in use; Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a roller carriage assembly of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the sectional side view of a roller carriage assembly of Figure 4. [0009] Referring to the Figures, there is shown a roller carriage assembly 10 wherein an adjustment screw 12is arranged to be retained by a clip retaining member 22 within a housing 18. [0010] The roller carriage assembly 10 comprising a housing 18, a carriage 14 moveable within the housing, a roller 16 mounted within the carriage 14 and an adjustment screw 12 mounted within the housing. The adjustment screw 12 is arranged to engage an adjustment member 36 (see figure 3) having a surface which is arranged to engage with the carriage 14. Such that rotation of the adjustment screw 12 causes movement of the carriage 14 within the housing 18 by the inter-engagement of the surface of the adjustment member 36 and the carriage 14.

4 [0011] The adjustment screw 12 comprises a threaded main portion 24 and an enlarged end portion 26. The enlarged end portion 26 further comprises a circumferentially disposed annular groove 28. Opposing ends 30, 32 of the adjustment screw 12 are provided with engagement means 34, such as a screw head (see figure 1), to allow the adjustment screw 12 to be turned from outside of the housing 18. Arranged to engage the threaded portion of the adjustment screw 12 is an adjustment member 36 which is arranged, in use, to engage the carriage 14 of the roller assembly 10. The adjustment screw 12 is retained in position through the action of a clip retaining member 22 which engages with the annular groove 28 and the housing to substantially prevent retain the adjustment screw 12 within the housing. [00121 Figure 3 shows a cut away portion (marked with dotted lines) of the housing detailing the adjustment screw 12 used in the present invention arranged within a roller carriage assembly 10. The enlarged end portion 26 of the adjustment screw 12 is arranged to extend through a first aperture 38 in a first side of the housing 18 and an opposing end of the adjustment screw 12 is arranged to extend through a second aperture 40 (see figure 4) on an opposing second side of the housing 18. Once arranged to extend through both sides of the housing 18 the adjustment screw 12 is secured by one or more clip retaining members 22 which are inserted through an opening afforded the base of the housing 18. Arranged to engage the adjustment screw 12 is adjustment member 36, the ride height of the carriage being adjustable through the inter-engagement of the adjustment member 36 and the carriage 14. [0013] Shown in detail in figure 4 and 5, the first aperture 38 is complementary in shape to the enlarged end portion 26 of the adjustment screw 12, therein allowing the allowing the end portion 30 to sit substantially parallel with the outer surface of the housing. The clip retaining member 22 once located in the position engaging the adjustment screw, maintains close abutting contact between the enlarged end portion and the housing and the clip retaining member and the housing.

5 [0014] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the clip retaining member 22 is substantially annular in shape, it is afforded a cut away portion which is complementary in size to the circumferentially disposed groove 28 of the adjustment screw 12 such that once engaged with the circumferential groove 28 the retaining clip 22 will maintain a close abutting contact with the adjustment screw. [00151 In use, the adjustment screw 12 is inserted into the housing 18, wherein the enlarged portion 26 of the adjustment screw is in close abutting contact with the aperture 38, one or more clip retaining members 22 are inserted into the housing through an opening afforded in the base thereof. The clip retaining member 22 engage the annular groove 28 in the enlarge end portion 26 of the adjustment screw 12. The clip retaining member 22 act to rotatably secure the adjustment screw 12 within the housing 18. [0016] As the ride height of the roller assembly 10 is adjusted or in normal use, substantial forces are transferred to the adjustment screw 12. The angled lower surface of the adjustment member 36 is in abutting contact with the angled upper surface of the inner carriage. When the assembly 10 is fitted to a sliding door it substantially supports the weight of the door and hence the adjustment screw 12 will be under constant force loading. [0017] In normal operation, as the sliding door is opened and closed the adjustment screw 12 is placed under differential loading as the weight of the door and the opening force change. The constant and differential loadings are known to cause fatigue in metal and hence may lead to failure. [0018] The enlarged portion 26 of the adjustment screw 12 allows a greater area of contact between the adjustment screw 12 and the housing 18 as well as between the clip retaining member 22 and the housing 18 to transmit these loadings. As such, the arrangement of the enlarged end portion 26 of the adjustment screw 12 and the clip retaining member 22 relative to the housing 18 reduce the chance of the adjustment 6 screw 12 ceasing to be rotatably restrained through over adjustment. Further, adjustment is possible from both sides of the assembly, making assembly and installation of the sliding roller assembly easier. [0019] Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (5)

1. A roller carriage assembly comprising a housing, a carriage moveable within the housing, a roller mounted within the carriage and an adjustment screw mounted within the housing, the housing being provided with apertures on opposing side portions thereof, the adjustment screw is provided with a circumferentially disposed groove, the adjustment screw being retained with in the housing through the inter-engagement of the circumferentially disposed groove and a clip retaining member.

2. A roller carriage assembly according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment screw further comprises an enlarged end potion wherein the circumferential groove is disposed thereon.

3. A roller carriage assembly in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjustment screw is provided on respective opposing ends with an engagement means.

4. A roller carriage assembly in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein, the ride height of the carriage is adjustable by causing the adjustment screw to rotate.

5. A roller carriage assembly in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein, the clip retaining member is substantially annular in shape with a small cut away portion complementary in size to the adjustment screw.