EP2339104B1 - Carriage for a sliding door and having three rollers. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the field of carriers including sliding panels, and more specifically those of a relatively high weight. The invention applies in particular to windows and doors with sliding leaf. It more particularly trolleys that allow the sliding of these leaves.

There are conventionally doors or windows with one or more leaves sliding relative to a frame. Such a leaf is able to slide in a generally vertical plane to open or close an opening defined by the frame, in a wall for example.

In a conventional manner, for its sliding movement, the leaf or sliding leaf is guided along a guide rail that includes the frame, usually at the bottom rail of the latter. The sliding leaf comprises, vis-à-vis the guide rail, one or more carriages which are slidable along the rail, so as to allow the opening and closing of the door or window. These carriages are fixed under a lower crossbar of the sliding leaf. The weight of the leaf is supported by the carriages resting on the rail on the ground.

It may be necessary to use high weight leaves. For example, the standards for recommendations to fight against energy losses lead to increase the insulation of the leaves and consequently their weight. Some leaves can thus exceed 200 kg, some reaching weights of 300 kg.

A conventional slide carriage, in the case of a leaf guided in a rail on the ground, comprises a support which is fixed under the lower crossbar of the sliding leaf, and a cage having one or two rollers inserted in this support, the rollers being rotatably mounted on their respective axes as rolling means. It also generally comprises a set screw that adjusts the height of the leaf. Such a carrier carriage is for example described in the certificate application of French utility FR 2 659 106 . All these elements of the truck must be capable of high accuracy of operation and maintain their efficiency over time and repeated maneuvers, which is particularly problematic with the high weight leaves.

To ensure the convenience of use, the stability of the leafs while moving while being able to support high weight leaves, it is necessary to use trolleys with large rollers. This, however, requires to increase the height of the leaf cross under which the carriage is located and thus to reduce the glass area in the case of windows, which does not give an aesthetic effect necessarily sought, and further increases costs.

The aim of the invention is to provide a roller carriage, in particular a sliding leaf carrier, capable of supporting a leaf of high weight in all stability.

The invention aims secondarily to provide a carriage for adjusting the height of a leaf of high weight.

In order to remedy these problems, the invention proposes a carriage which comprises three rollers and which comprises points of contact between the external lateral faces of the cage and the longitudinal (lateral) internal walls of the support which includes it, these points being located on either side of the median roller, between the axes of rotation of the end rollers. These contact points thus form support points of the support on the cage which are respectively in line with an area between the periphery of the median roller and the axis of the end roller.

According to the invention, in order to achieve points of contact between the cage and the support, the cage comprises on each of its longitudinal lateral faces, that is to say parallel to the rolling direction of the rollers (and in the direction of the sliding of the leaf), a range on which comes in support a ramp disposed on either side of the inner longitudinal walls of the support.

According to a preferred case of the invention, this bearing has a generally parallelepiped shape with at each of its upper ends a concave curvature, and each ramp has two straight slopes of opposite directions. This concave curvature makes it possible to create tangential points of support with the slope of the ramp.

The invention provides a roller carriage which is characterized in that it comprises three rollers rotatably mounted on their respective axes between two lateral faces of a cage inserted in a support comprising two lateral ramps (by lateral wall of said support) which have two rectilinear slopes of opposite directions and bearing on concave-curved bearing surfaces that each of the lateral faces of the cage present, to define points of tangency between the ramp and the bearing which are located respectively on either side of the around the middle roller and between the axes of rotation of the end rollers.

According to a preferred configuration of the invention, the slopes of the ramps in opposite directions have substantially the same degree of inclination (in absolute terms) with respect to the rolling line of the rollers, which corresponds in operation to the horizontal direction.

The invention more specifically relates to a carriage having three rollers, arranged equidistant from each other. More particularly in this case, the concave curvatures of each of the litters of the cage and the slopes of the ramps are such as to create points of tangency which lie directly above an area which is equidistant from the axis. of rotation of the median roller, at a distance equal to two-thirds of the center distance between rollers. These points of support make it possible to obtain a relationship of proportionality between the number of rollers and the load to be supported.

The invention also has the advantage that the movement of the carriage can be done with a tilting movement of the roll cage, in order to follow the relief of the guide rail. This rocking movement, of low amplitude, results from the articulation that is created between the cage and the support, at the level of the concave curvature of the cages on which are supported ramps.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, each ramp is located directly on the inside of the side walls of the carriage support. The ramp is integrated into the wall of the support.

According to another advantageous configuration of the invention, only one end of each of the inner longitudinal walls of the support has a ramp with a directly integrated rectilinear slope. The other end of the ramp is formed by a corner. This wedge is preferably an adjustable wedge in its position in the longitudinal direction, participating in the adjustment of the height of the carriage as indicated below, in order to adjust the leaf.

This wedge preferably has a recessed parallelepipedal shape, having a sloped end which is forked on one end of the cage until it bears with one of the concave curvatures of each of the spans of the lateral face of the cage.

It then establishes a support point of the ramp directly on the bearing surface of the cage and the longitudinal inner wall of the support and, at the other end of the carriage, a fulcrum between the steep part of the corner and the reach of the cage. This configuration is symmetrical for each longitudinal side of the carriage.

This particular configuration also makes it possible to give a rocking movement, of low amplitude, to the carriage when the carriage rolls on a guide rail to drive a sliding leaf, as indicated above.

This corner has at its other end, a recess receiving the end of the adjusting screw of the carriage by adjusting the support of the wedge on the cage. This screw is used to adjust the height of the carriage (to adjust the height of the door leaf) by acting on the longitudinal position of the corner. This corner allows to have a longer stroke of the adjusting screw, which facilitates the adjustment of leaves that have a relatively high weight. Indeed the movement of the adjusting screw moves the corner which, through its slope in contact with the curvature of the cage, will raise or lower this cage, and therefore the leaf which is supported by the carriage. The fact that the stroke of the adjusting screw is relatively long decreases the torque to be provided on the adjusting screw to raise the leaf. Indeed according to the principle of the conservation of the work, if the race increases with constant work, the effort to be supplied decreases, the work being equal to the race multiplied by the effort. This is particularly interesting in the case of high weight leaf.

An inclination of the ramp slopes of about 30 degrees (absolute) is recommended for optimal operating conditions and also adjustment.

The invention relates more specifically sliding carriages carrying sliding leaf which are fixed under the leaf.

The trolleys according to the invention can be applied to different systems of windows or doors. However, they are particularly well suited to window or sliding door systems sliding on a guide rail arranged at the bottom of a sleeper. Indeed they are better configured to accept heavy leaves because the ground directly supports them while in the systems of leaves suspended on rail, all the weight is carried by means of a high crossbar.

The invention also relates to a sliding leaf, able to be guided along a guide rail disposed in the horizontal low cross member of a frame, comprising one or more (in particular two) rotary roller carriages as just described. Said carriages are fixed under a lower cross member of the sliding leaf. The rollers roll on the rail when the door leaf is maneuvered to allow its opening and closing.

The invention advantageously applies to a sliding leaf which weighs at least 150 kg, in particular between 150 and 300 kg.

• la figure 1 est une vue éclatée en perspective d'un chariot selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus du chariot selon l'invention, de la figure 1,
• la figure 2A est une vue en coupe selon le plan de coupe AA du chariot de la figure 2,
• la figure 2B est une vue en coupe selon le plan de coupe BB du chariot de la figure 2,
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe montrant un chariot selon l'invention, intégré dans le dormant d'un vantail coulissant.

The invention will now be more fully described in the context of preferred features and their advantages, with reference to Figures 1 to 3 in which :

• the figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a carriage according to the invention,
• the figure 2 is a top view of the trolley according to the invention, of the figure 1 ,
• the Figure 2A is a sectional view along the section plane AA of the carriage of the figure 2 ,
• the Figure 2B is a sectional view along the sectional plane BB of the trolley of the figure 2 ,
• the figure 3 is a sectional view showing a carriage according to the invention, integrated into the frame of a sliding leaf.

Not all elements are represented on the same scale for the sake of clarity.

The figure 1 represents a carriage C with three rollers 3 according to the invention, intended to be fixed under the crossbar V of a sliding leaf of a window for example. The rollers 3 roll on a guide rail R placed in the bottom rail (horizontal) of the frame D of the window, as shown in FIG. figure 3 .

This carriage comprises a support 1 and a cage 2 which comprises the rollers 3, the cage being inserted in the support 1. Each roller 3 is arranged in a compartment of the cage 2.

The support 1 further comprises an adjustment wedge 14, adjustable in its position in the longitudinal direction, which is engulfed by its recessed shape with sloping side walls 41, in the rear end 26 of the cage 2. In addition to its role of ramp, this corner allows to adjust the height of the leaf as explained below.

This support 1 has a recessed parallelepipedal shape. It has two internal (longitudinal) side walls 11 and 12, parallel to the rolling direction of the rollers, which corresponds to the direction of sliding of the leaf V. In this particular embodiment, the support ramp is formed of a part by the slope respectively 110, 120 integrated to the inner side walls 11, 12 of the support which has a straight slope and secondly by the slope 42 of the adjustment wedge 14, as shown in FIG. Figure 2A . On the figure 1 , it is clearly seen that the ramp 110 of one of the inner walls 11 of the support.

At one of its ends 10, this support 1 comprises a recess 101 which can be inserted a screw 100 which allows to fix the carriage in the lower cross of the leaf V. At its other end 13, is another recess 131 which has a shape such that it can accommodate the nut 51 which is screwed on the screw 5 which allows the adjustment of the height of the leaf by action on the corner 14.

The cage 2 has side faces 21 and 22. On each of these faces, is located symmetrically on either side of the cage, a range 20. On the figure 1 only the surface 20 of the face 21 of the cage 2 is visible. The symmetrical range of the face 22 of the cage 2 is visible in the sectional figure 2A. These ranges being symmetrical in this example, they carry the same reference number 20.

As shown in Figure 2A , such a bearing surface 20 makes it possible, on the one hand, to create, at its curvature 24, tangential contact points 241 forming the points of support between the cage 2 and the slope 110 of the ramp of the internal lateral wall 11 of the support 1, and on the other hand to create, at its curvature 23, tangential contact points 231 forming the other points of support between the cage 2 and the slopes 42 of the adjustment wedge 14. In the present case, the carriage comprising three symmetrical rollers, it has been calculated that, for each of the rollers to support a load equally, the tangential points 231 and 241 must be equidistant from the axis of rotation of the median roller, at a distance "d" equal two-thirds of the center distance "L" between pebbles.

There is also a certain range of motion given by the possible sliding between the slope of the ramps 110, 120 and 42 and the curvature 23, 24 of the bearings of the cage 2. The carriage can thus roll with a certain movement called rocker which allows the carriage to follow the relief of the rail which may not be perfectly straight both in the horizontal plane and vertical.

The adjustment wedge 14 furthermore comprises at its other end an element with a slot 43 which makes it possible to receive the end of the screw 5 which adjusts the support of the wedge 14 on the cage 2. The screw 5 according to this configuration has a relatively long adjustment stroke which is advantageous for adjusting the height of a relatively heavy leaf. Indeed the displacement of the screw 5 moves the wedge 14 which, through its slope 42 in contact with the curvature 23 of the cage 2, will raise or lower this cage 2, and therefore the leaf which is supported by the cart. The fact that the stroke of the adjusting screw is relatively long decreases the torque to be provided on the adjusting screw to raise the leaf. Indeed according to the principle of the conservation of the work, if the race increases with constant work, the effort to be supplied decreases, the work being equal to the race multiplied by the effort.

The slopes of the different ramps are at an angle of about 30 degrees to the rolling line of the rollers (that is to say the horizontal). Such inclination is favorable to the operation of the leaf during its sliding and it also allows easy adjustment. A higher slope would require greater effort to move the corner when adjusting with the screw. This slope of about 30 degrees also seems optimal to have a good support of the ramps on the litters of the cage and also for the rocking movement of the roller cage.

The foregoing description clearly explains how the invention achieves the goals it has set for itself. This truck allows the smooth operation and stability of a leaf, particularly high weight, when sliding, to maneuver easily. In particular, it provides a roller carriage, in particular for sliding a leaf of high weight. The weight of the leaf is evenly distributed on the rollers. It is expected that if using a roller designed to support a given weight, we can use three identical rollers to support three times the weight, which was not the case in the prior art. In addition, this carriage has the advantage of sliding a leaf in a guide rail with a rocking movement that tracks the relief of the rail. It also has the advantage of facilitating the adjustment of a high weight leaf.

It nevertheless follows from the foregoing that the invention is not limited to the embodiments that have been specifically described and shown in the figures and that it extends on the contrary to any variant passing through means equivalents.

Claims (10)

1. Roller carriage having a cage (2), a support (1, 14) and three rollers (3) mounted rotatably on their respective axes between two side faces of the cage (2) inserted in the support (1, 14) comprising two side ramps (110, 120, 42), per side wall of said support, which have two rectilinear slopes in opposite directions and resting on bearing surfaces (20) of concave curvature (23, 24) provided on each of the side faces (21, 22) of the cage (2), in order to define tangency points between the ramp and the bearing surface (231, 241) which are situated respectively on either side of the circumference of the middle roller and between the axes of rotation of the end rollers.
2. Carriage according to Claim 1, characterised in that the slopes of said ramps have the same degree of inclination with respect to the rolling line of the rollers.
3. Carriage according to Claim 2, characterised in that each ramp (110, 120) is situated on the inner face of the side walls of said support (1).
4. Carriage according to Claim 1, characterised in that the support (1) has a wedge (14), adjustable in its position in the longitudinal direction, which forms one of said ramps (42).
5. Carriage according to Claim 4, characterised in that the wedge (14) has a cutout area (43) in which is inserted an adjusting screw (5) for adjusting the wedge, enabling adjustment of the height of said carriage.
6. Carriage according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the curvatures of the bearing surfaces cooperate with the rectilinear slopes of the ramps so that a tilting movement is created when the carriage is displaced.
7. Carriage according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rectilinear slopes of the ramps have an inclination of approximately thirty degrees with respect to the rolling line of the rollers.
8. Carriage according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cage has three identical rollers, arranged equidistantly from one another, and in that the tangency points are situated equidistantly from the axis of rotation of the middle roller, at a distance equal to two thirds of the centre distance between rollers.
9. Sliding leaf, capable of being guided along a guide rail arranged in a horizontal bottom crosspiece of a frame, having below its lower crosspiece one or more carriages which enable its sliding along said rail for its opening and its closing, characterised in that said carriages are such as claimed in one of the preceding claims.
10. Sliding leaf according to the preceding claim, characterised in that it weighs at least 150 kg.

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