EP1010849A1 - Carriage for sliding wings of doors, windows or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A roller carriage for a sliding unit such as a door or window consists of a one-piece body with a system for attaching it to the sliding unit and containing rollers (3, 30) able to rotate freely about their axes (5, 6). The body has a transverse member (17) carrying a pivot in the form of a thrust member (4) with a pointed tip (10) interacting with a corresponding component in the sliding unit to confer a certain degree of freedom on the carriage. In addition, the upper edges (7, 8) of the body slope downwards slightly from the transverse member (17) to its two ends (19, 20).

Description

The present invention relates to carriages which are more particularly mounted on doors or windows for sliding on rails or the like, for example French windows in some homes, which are commonly referred to as sliding doors, and relates more particularly to sliding carriages of the type comprising a body, means of connection to said sliding, means of bearings.

The carts of the prior art comprise at least two rollers, rollers, or the like, and more generally two, rotatably mounted on a yoke which is itself linked to the body of carriage with at least one degree of freedom, the body being fully connected sliding in an appropriate housing thereof by means of screw-type connection blocking.

Thus, we already know a sliding carriage, which has a body formed of first part, for example substantially cylindrical hollow, open on two sides opposite, and a yoke generally shaped into a second substantially shaped piece of "U", this second part being mounted in rotation relative to the body while being located in the hollow part of it. The fork generally supports two casters which are rotatably mounted on the second part by means of an axis so that they can emerge from the body and the yoke to be able to cooperate with a rail or the like. In these conditions, it is the body which is fixed to the slide, and immobile with respect to the latter, the fork retaining a degree of freedom in rotation to allow the two casters to be always in perfect contact with the rail.

This type of cart works perfectly. However, although perfected or produced in multiple variants, it is an organ presenting a certain complexity due to its double structure: a body allowing a fixing on the sliding and a connection to the yoke, and a yoke carrying the rollers, rollers or the like which is mounted articulated on the body. Hence a relatively high cost price, and the possibility of malfunction due to example to a screed seizure on the body.

The object of the present invention is therefore to produce an improved carriage for which, moreover, overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above. More precisely, the invention relates to a sliding carriage, comprising a one-piece body, means for connecting the body to the slide, bearing means comprising at least first and second free rollers rotating around first and second axes of rotation respectively, articulation means making it possible to confer on the body a connection with at least one degree of freedom with the sliding, said articulation means comprising a support positioned on an upper part of the body, said support being consisting of at least two points intended to be in contact with the sliding, said at minus two points defining a straight range parallel to said at least prime and second axes of rotation, release means making it possible to give the body a travel determined in the slide around said straight span, said carriage being characterized in that said one-piece body comprises a cross section carrying the hinge means, complementary to a cross section of the slide in which said body is intended to be placed, said cross section being able to cooperate with said connecting means to allow a translational connection of said carriage in said sliding.

The body of the trolley according to the present invention is intended to be linked to the slide in operating position with at least one degree of freedom, thereby eliminating the yoke of the carts of the prior art as described above. The cost of production of a trolley according to the invention is thus greatly reduced by the elimination of a part expensive whose function has been advantageously transferred to the carriage body itself. Thus, the rollers or casters will remain permanently in contact with the rail on which the sliding is intended to move, by the mobility of the carriage body linked to the sliding according to at least one degree of freedom. The trolley according to the invention advantageously allows a fast connection and of a reduced cost in the sliding, thanks to a connection in translation obtained in the sliding by the cooperation of a complementary cross section of that of the sliding with the connecting means.

According to an advantageous characteristic, said means of connection to said sliding include at least one needle screw acting on the slide at the contact of said straight range.

The needle screw allows, by reaction during its screwing which puts it under pressure against the sliding, a contact from the lower part of the body support cross section against the sliding. Such immobilization of the carriage is provided for example for the transport of the slide so that the carriages do not move unintentionally in the profile in which they are inserted. A carriage thus immobilized may have a certain resistance to its deflection in rotation around the support by friction of the part lower of the support section on the slide; however, when setting up the sliding on its sliding rail, the weight of the sliding will cause more penetration deep of the needle screw in the sliding thus releasing slightly and sufficiently the lower part of the body support section, reducing or canceling friction to improve the rotation of the body when sliding around the straight span.

According to another advantageous characteristic, the cross sections of said body, taken on either side of the support section towards the ends of said body, respectively, are of a decreasing height symmetrically to a median plane horizontal.

According to another advantageous characteristic, said release means are defined by two first and two second inclined planes starting from said section support.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the previous one, said first and second inclined planes respectively form with said horizontal plane, an angle belonging to the interval] 0 °, 5 °].

According to another advantageous characteristic, said at least first and second axes of rotation are fixed relative to said body.

According to another advantageous characteristic, said rectilinear bearing is positioned at equal distance between said first and second axes of rotation.

According to another advantageous characteristic, said at least first and second axes of rotation are defined respectively by a first and a second fixed shafts respectively to said body by crimping means at least partially reversible allowing disassembly of said first and second rollers.

Other characteristics and advantages will appear on reading the description which follows an example of embodiment of a sliding carriage, according to the invention, accompanied by the accompanying drawings, example given by way of illustration and without any restrictive interpretation of the invention cannot be drawn from it.

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a sliding carriage according to the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a side view of the carriage of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents a sectional view along line I-I of the carriage of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 represents a sectional view along line II-II of the carriage of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 represents a top view of an element of the carriage of FIG. 1.

Figure 6 shows a sectional view along line III-III, of the carriage element of Figure 5, in which the crimping means have been shown.

FIG. 7 represents a sectional view along line II-II of the carriage of FIG. 1, mounted in a slide itself placed on a rail.

The slide carriage 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 7 comprises a body 2, connecting means 10 to the slide 1, rolling means 3, 30, means hinge 4 allowing body 2 to be connected to at least one degree of freedom with the sliding.

As shown in Figure 7, the carriage is mounted on the lower cross member of the sliding 1 shown in thin lines, to allow movement of the sliding by bearing on a rail 22. For this purpose, the slide 1 is provided in any known manner with a housing 25 formed in the lower profile 21 of the slide 1, the housing 25 being in general section constant over the entire length of the slide to allow a positioning of the carriages, generally two carriages, distributed appropriately over the sliding length. Once the carriages are correctly positioned, the means of link 10 make it possible to avoid any sliding of the carriages in the housing 25. As this will be explained in detail below, the means 10 for connecting the carriage to the slide 1 must allow the articulation means 4 to give the body 2 a connection to a degree of freedom at least with the sliding 1.

The bearing means comprise a first 3 and a second 30 rollers, free rotating around a first 5 and a second 6 axes of rotation respectively, these the latter being fixed relative to the body 2 and defined respectively by a first 23 and a second 24 shafts fixed respectively to the body 2 by crimping means 12, 13 partially reversible allowing disassembly of the first 3 and second rollers 30, as will be explained later.

The body 2 of the carriage is made up of a monobloc element advantageously made up of a single material preferably obtained from a metal profile, such as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The body 2 advantageously adopts a general shape cylindrical hollow and comprises a central part 26 from which extend from one side and the other two wings 27 and 28, each carrying a roller, as shown in FIG. 1. The vertical forces exerted by the slide 1, in particular by its weight, are therefore taken up by the rollers 3, 30, the wings 27 and 28, and the central part 26 carrying the means hinge 4 as will be explained later. Each wing 27 and 28 consists of two arms 27a, 27b, and 28a, 28b, respectively, advantageously allowing mounting in the yoke of the roller, as shown in Figure 1 for example. The ends of the arms of each wing 27, 28, located substantially at the ends 19 and 20 of the body 2, are connected by ribs 29, 31 respectively in order to give the body 2 good rigidity and a correct maintenance of the rollers 3, 30. The ribs 29 and 31 may be hollowed out in their central part and above the rail on which is intended to roll the carriage, if necessary.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the central part 26, as well as the ribs 29 and 31 of the end of the body 2 extend laterally and symmetrically advantageously at beyond the arms 27a, 27b, and 28a, 28b, to a length complementary to the width of the housing 25 of the slide 1 so as to advantageously ensure lateral retention of the carriage in the sliding housing. An appropriate minimum clearance is however respected so that the carriage can slide into the housing 25 of the slide 1 when positioning of the carriage before its connection to the slide, and can allow the means hinge 4 to operate. The central part 26 and the ribs 29 and 31 of the end of the body 2 also advantageously extend laterally beyond the arms in order to allow easy adaptation of the trolley according to the invention according to the different widths of sliding used, by an adjustment as described above of the lengths of the part central 26 and ribs 29 and 31 to the width of the sliding housing to which it is intended.

The articulation means advantageously comprise a support 4 positioned on a upper part 11 of the body 2, and the carriage comprises release means 7, 8 from on either side of the support 4 making it possible to give the body 2 a determined clearance in sliding 1 around this support. The support 4 is constituted by a rectilinear bearing 9 parallel or substantially parallel to the first 5 and second 6 axes of rotation of the two rollers 3, 30, and positioned at equal distance between the first and second axes of rotation.

It should be noted that, alternatively, the support constituting the articulation means 4 may consist of at least two points (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the carriage body and appearing a straight span on the right generated by these two points.

The body 2 is thus articulated in the sliding advantageously according to a degree of freedom, a rotation of substantially horizontal axis around the straight range 9. So that this rotation is possible, the body 2 advantageously has clearances 7 and 8 of preferably symmetrical on either side of the bearing 9, allowing freedom in rotation greater than 0 ° and preferably less than or equal to 5 °, preferably equal to approximately 1 °, of on either side of a vertical plane passing through the bearing 9.

The release means 7 and 8 can advantageously be constituted by a first 15 and a second 16 inclined planes starting from support 4 and forming respectively with a horizontal plane 14, an angle α belonging to the interval] 0 °, 5 °]. he it should be noted that the release means can be obtained in any other way known, for example by an upper surface of the body 2 adopting any suitable form a clearance for the rotation of the body around the support 4, for example a surface horizontal plane (not shown) located at a level lower than that of support 4 on the central part 26 which could for example be formed in relief on said flat surface horizontal.

The body 2 advantageously comprises a cross section 17 carrying the hinge means, complementary to a cross section 18 of the housing 25 of the sliding 1 in which the body 2 is intended to be placed, the cross sections of the body 2, taken on either side of the support section 17 towards the ends 19, 20 of the body, respectively, being of a decreasing height symmetrically to a plane horizontal median 14. The supporting section 17 complementary to that 18 of the housing 25 in the slide 1 allows, thanks to the connecting means 10, to prevent sliding of the carriage in the housing 25, by partial immobilization of the central part 26 of the body 2 in slide 1, as will be explained later.

The sliding linkage means 1 advantageously comprise a needle screw 10 acting on the slide at the articulation means 4. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the needle screw 10 is placed vertically in the central part 26 of the body 2, in order to act on the slide by screwing. Needle screw head can be accessed with any known gripping means, of the hexagon wrench type or the like, from below the body 2, to allow by creating by screwing an imprint in the upper part of the sliding, immobilizing, in particular substantially vertically the central part 26 of the body by reaction and adhesion in the sliding 1. It should be noted that this immobilization may be only partial depending on the tightening force of the needle screw, in allowing the rotation with friction of the central lower part of the body in the streamlined. Several trolleys according to the invention can thus be blocked or partially immobilized in a slide during transport for example.

It should be noted that when the carriage is in charge of the weight of the slide 1, that is to say resting on the bearing surface 9 of the body, the lower part 39 of the central part 26 of the body 2, more particularly of the cross section 17, is no longer in adhesion on the slide 1 and no longer rubs on the latter; the carriage is no longer prevented from sliding into the housing 25 of the slide 1 as by the needle screw 10 creating, in cooperation with the impression formed by screwing in the slide, a point of immobilization at the level of the straight range 9. Thus, the rotation of the body 2 is improved by reduction or elimination friction, according to angular values determined by the clearances 7 and 8 as explained above and below, while allowing immobilization in translation of the sliding carriage.

The decreasing sections of the body 2 towards its ends 19 and 20 respectively, allow in combination with the central part 26 of the body 2 comprising a section complementary to that 18 of the housing 25 of the slide 1, to provide the clearances 7 and 8 necessary for the rotation of the carriage in the slide. As more particularly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the body 2 thus adopts a generally symmetrical external contour relative to the horizontal median plane 14 passing through the axes 5 and 6 of rollers, when these the latter have the same outer diameter.

The shafts 23 and 24 of the rollers 3, 30 are respectively completely connected to the body 2 by crimping, as appears more particularly in Figure 6, and will explained in detail below. The body 2 has on the inner face of each arm 27a, 27b, 28a, 28b a vertical groove in which is inserted the corresponding end of the corresponding tree. In the following, with the help of Figure 6, the fixing by crimping of the second shaft 24 will be described, it being understood that the first shaft 23 is fixed also by crimping in a similar manner. In Figures 5 and 6 the tree 24 has been shown in dotted lines for a better understanding of the binding.

The shaft 24 is immobilized upwards in the grooves 35a, 35b respectively produced in the arms 28a, 28b, by means of two upper stops 36a and 36b acting respectively on each of the ends of the shaft 24. The stops 36a and 36b are for example produced by deformation of the wall of the corresponding arm constituting the bottom of groove, by punching or the like, in order to form towards the inside of each arm a projection forming a stopper on which the tree can rest, for example as shown in Figure 6. The upper stops 36a and 36b will be large enough and solid to support the weight part of the slide which acts on the shaft 24.

The shaft 24 is then placed in abutment on the upper stops 36a and 36b, then at each end of the shaft 24 and under the latter, two lower stops 37a, 37b are made on the arms 28a, 28b respectively, in order to immobilize and crimp the shaft in translation, and also preferably in rotation, in the grooves 35a and 35b. The lower stops 37a, 37b are produced for example in the same way as the upper stops 36a and 36b, with the difference that the lower stops are advantageously smaller and less solid because they do not have to support load sensitive and must be able to be removed by crushing or dulling, during a traction down on the roller or on the axis of the latter, in order to ensure the replacement of this or these, if applicable. Each lower stop 37a, 37b could for example be consisting of two light punches placed close to each other.

The upper and lower stops at the ends of the first 23 and the second 24 shafts as described above constitute the crimping means 12, 13 of the first and second trees respectively.

Each roller or roller will preferably be mounted on its shaft by means of a bearing in order to significantly reduce friction, for example a bearing with needles 38 as shown in Figure 7.

Claims (8)

Sliding carriage (1), comprising a monobloc body, means for connecting the body to the sliding, rolling means comprising at least a first (3) and a second (30) free rollers rotating around a first (5 ) and a second (6) axis of rotation respectively, articulation means making it possible to give the body a connection with at least one degree of freedom with the slide, said articulation means comprising a support (4) positioned on an upper part (11) of the body (2), said support being constituted by at least two points intended to be in contact with the slide, said at least two points defining a straight range parallel to said at least first and second axes of rotation , release means (7, 8) making it possible to give the body a determined clearance in the slide around said rectilinear bearing, said carriage being characterized in that said one-piece body (2) comprises a sect transverse ion (17) carrying the articulation means, complementary to a transverse section (18) of the slide in which said body is intended to be placed, said transverse section being able to cooperate with said connecting means (10) to allow a translational connection of said carriage in said slide. Trolley according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said means of connection to the said sliding (1) comprise at least one needle screw (10) acting on the sliding at the level of the contact of the said rectilinear bearing (9). Trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cross sections of said body, taken on either side of the support section (17) towards the ends (19, 20) of said body, respectively, are d 'a decreasing height symmetrically to a horizontal median plane (14). Trolley according to claim 3, characterized in that said release means are defined by two first (7) and two second (8) inclined planes starting from said support section (17). Trolley according to claim 4, characterized in that said first (7) and second (8) inclined planes respectively form with said horizontal plane (14), an angle (a) belonging to the interval] 0 °, 5 °]. Trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said at least first (5) and second (6) axes of rotation are fixed relative to said body (2). Trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said rectilinear surface (9) is positioned at equal distance between said first (5) and second (6) axes of rotation. Trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said at least first (5) and second (6) axes of rotation are defined respectively by a first (23) and a second (24) shafts respectively fixed to the said body (2) by crimping means (12, 13) at least partially reversible allowing disassembly of said first (3) and second (30) rollers.

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