IL281157B2 - Scrolling device for a window and method of using the same - Google Patents

Description

ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR WINDOW AND METHOD OF USING SAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [001] Glazing frames that are made to be moved along installation frames, e.g. for windows or doors, typically require involving means for decreasing the friction developing between the glazing frame and the installation frame. Such friction increases as the weight of the window increases and as the contact area between those frame increases. In order to ease the movement of windows along their installation frame, a well-known solution uses rollers that are installed on the bottom side of the glazing frame such that the weight of the window leans on rollers. The rollers are made to roll on a mating part of the installation frame. Some prior art solutions teach use of roller with flat face that are made to run on a mating flat face of a respective window installation frame. Such solutions suffer of drawbacks, such as low rolling factor (i.e. extended roller-frame friction factor), and tendency of accumulating of dirt on the rolling surface. All known solutions demonstrate use of rollers that are installed on the bottom side of the glazing frame prior to the insertion of the window into its installation frame. Such solutions suffer of a common drawback – in order to enable insertion of the window into its installation frame a large installation space needs to be reserved so that the total height of the window, with its glazing frame and the rollers installed on the bottom side of the glazing frame will have spared installation free space to allow insertion of the window into its frame, as demonstrated in Fig. 1A, which depicts a schematic cross section of window 102 and window installation frame 104. id="p-2"

[002] Window 102 comprises window frame 102B having top element 102BT and bottom element 102BB within which window glazing 102A is installed. On the bottom side of window bottom element 102BB roller 102BR is installed or disposed. In View "A" of Fig. 1A window 102 is shown disposed within a mating window installation frame 104. As shown, roller 102BR is leaning on the bottom element 104B of installation frame 104 and the upper side of window 102 is kept within upper element 104T of installation frame 104. View "B" of Fig. 1A depicts how window 102 may be inserted into installation frame 104. First window 102 is tilted sideway (so that its top element 102B is moved to the right of the page) and then top element 102B is inserted into upper element 104T of installation frame 104and is lifted up until the lower end of roller 102BR may pass over the edge of bottom element 104B and then bottom element 102BB of window 102 may with roller 102BR may be inserted into bottom element 104B of installation frame 104. id="p-3"

[003] As seen in Fig. 1A, view "A" in order to enable this method of insertion of window 102 into installation frame 104 window 102 must have enough space, denoted 104FS (free space), left within upper element 104T to enable roller 102BR to pass over the edge of bottom element 104B of installation frame 104. The magnitude of the required free space is dictated by the dimension 104AH – the height of the side face of bottom element 104B of installation frame 104. It will be noted that when all sides of installation frame 104 are made of the same profile (which is the common case), the magnitude 104AH substantially equals to magnitude 104FS, which in turn dictates even greater magnitude of 104FS due to the extended height 104AH. It is noted that roller 102BR adds to the basic dimension 102basic measured from external face of top element 102BT to the external face of bottom element 102BB. id="p-4"

[004] Some similar known solutions spare a space for the rollers within the bottom element of the window frame. Reference is made now to Fig. 1B, which schematically demonstrates a cross section of a window assembly 150 with rollers installed within its window frame 170. Window assembly comprises window frame 152 which comprises net-frame part 1adapted to accommodate glazing 156 and roller hide part 158 comprising (in this cross­section view) bottom part 158B and top part 158T. bottom part 158B is designed to accommodate roller 150R. The height of bottom part 158B is dictated by the size of roller 150R and the height of top part 158T is equal to that of bottom part 158B. as seen in Fig. 1B, the net size required to provide a supporting frame for the glazing, i.e. part 154, is extended by bottom part 158B and top part 158T, which leads to a bulky window frame, due to the inclusion of roller 150R inside the window frame profile. id="p-5"

[005] There is a need for toller assembly and method of using that assembly, that will allow keeping the side faces of upper element 104T and bottom element 104B of a window installation (Fig. 1A) or the height of window frame elements 158B and 158T (Fig. 1B) as low as possible, while maintaining the option of installing and removing window 1into/from installation frame 104 when needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION id="p-6"

[006] According to embodiments of the invention a roller assembly for enabling movement of a window assembly in a window installation frame is disclosed comprising a roller housing and at least one roller, adapted to pivotally disposed within the housing and to slightly protrude from a bottom side of the housing, wherein the roller housing is configured as an elongated object with two side protrusions protruding to its sides and with two top protrusions protruding from the top side of the roller assembly. id="p-7"

[007] According to some embodiments a window and window installation assembly is disclosed comprising a window assembly, a window installation assembly and a roller assembly, wherein the roller assembly comprising a roller housing and at least one roller, adapted to pivotally disposed within the housing and to slightly protrude from a bottom side of the housing and wherein the roller housing is configured as an elongated object with two side protrusions protruding to its sides and with two top protrusions protruding from the top side of the roller assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS id="p-8"

[008] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which: id="p-9"

[009] Fig. 1A depicts a schematic cross section of window and window installation frame as known in the art; id="p-10"

[0010] Fig. 1B schematically demonstrates a cross section of a window assembly with rollers installed within its window frame as is known in the art; id="p-11"

[0011] Figs. 2A-2C are a schematic cross-section view of a roller assembly within a bottom part of a window installation frame, a side view of roller assembly and a schematic isometric view of the roller assembly, respectively, according to embodiments of the present invention; id="p-12"

[0012] Fig. 2D is a schematic illustration of roller assembly and installation frame depicting certain dimensions, according to embodiments of the present invention; id="p-13"

[0013] Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-section illustration of a window assembly, according to embodiments of the present invention; id="p-14"

[0014] Figs. 4A – 4E describe steps of a method of installation of a window in a corresponding window installation frame thus forming a window and window installation frame assembly, according to embodiments of the invention; and id="p-15"

[0015] Figs. 5A and 5B are an isometric schematic view and a side view of a rollers system, respectively, according to embodiments of the present invention. id="p-16"

[0016] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION id="p-17"

[0017] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention. id="p-18"

[0018] Drawbacks of known solutions involving rollers installed at the bottom of a sliding window or door stem from the height added to the basic frame profile of the window. According to embodiments of the present invention rolling solution for enabling smooth sliding of a window or door on its installation frame the roller assembly is not attached to the window / door prior to their insertion into their respective installation frames. According to embodiments of the invention a roller assembly may be prepared as an assembly that is separated from the window/door frame. The roller assembly according to embodiments of the invention may be placed in its place on the bottom part of an installation frame (the frame that is installed within the wall opening and adapted to accommodate the window/door frame and to enable it to slide sideways). id="p-19"

[0019] One goal of embodiments of the current invention is to minimize the total height of a window frame, when it includes rollers disposed in it, or to minimize the total height of a window installation frame, when rollers are attached to the bottom part of a corresponding window frame. To accomplish this goal, according to embodiments of the invention, rolling means of a sliding window or door is separated from their respective window or door frames and may be disposed in a respective installation frame separately, and before the insertion of a respective window or door. id="p-20"

[0020] Reference is made to Figs. 2A, 2Band 2C , which are a schematic cross-section view of a roller assembly 200 within a bottom part of a window installation frame 250, a side view of roller assembly 200 and a schematic isometric view of roller assembly 200, respectively, according to embodiments of the present invention. Reference is also made to Fig. 2D , which is a schematic illustration of roller assembly 200 and installation frame 250 depicting certain dimensions, according to embodiments of the present invention. For the sake of better understanding, the cross-section of installation frame 250 is drawn with some lines is drawn to demonstrate the 3D view of installation frame 250, which may be, for example, an elongated profile. Roller assembly 200 may comprise roller housing 201 and at least one roller 208 rollable within housing 201. Housing 201 may have an elongated shape along its first central longitudinal symmetric line 201A. Fore side 201B and aft side 201C of housing 201 are made in planes that are substantially perpendicular to first longitudinal symmetric line 201A. Fore side 201B and aft side 201C may have a second symmetric line 201A1 that is perpendicular to first symmetric line 201A. First symmetric line 201A and second symmetric line 201A1 define a housing symmetric plane (HSP) (not shown). Housing 2may be formed or produced as an elongated profile (along its symmetric longitudinal line 201A), thereby its fore side 201B and aft side 201C may have the same size and shape, accordingly any vertex point of the contour of fore side 201B and aft side 201C represents an elongated body line of housing 201. Thus, description of certain features of roller assembly 200 will relate to elements of the shape of fore side 201B of housing 201 but it would be apparent that these elements actually represent elongated portions of housing 201. id="p-21"

[0021] At lease one roller 208 may be disposed within groove 210 made symmetric with HSP and having an opening 210A at the bottom side of roller assembly 200. At least one roller 208 may disposed so that its lower end slightly protrudes from groove 210, as seen, for example, in Fig. 2B. At least one roller 208 may disposed so that its center line 208A coincides with HSP. The circumference of at least one roller 208 may be shaped so that its center has a radius smaller than its sides, thereby forming a circumferential dent around the roller. Housing 201 may have a pair of side protrusions 206A and 206B protruding away from HSP. Housing 201 may further have a pair of top protrusions 204A and 204B. Side protrusions 206A and 206B and top protrusions 204A and 204B are disposed symmetrically with respect to HSP. Side protrusions 206A and 206B are disposed close to the top face of housing 201 opposite the side with opening 210A of groove 210. Top protrusions 204A and 204B are disposed at the top of housing 201 and may be shaped with their distal ends slightly sharpened. The distance between the bottom of roller 208 and the bottom side of protrusions 206A, 206B as measured parallel to HSP, is denoted 206h. The distance between protrusions 204A and 204B, as measured vertically to HSP, is denoted 204w. The distance between the distal tips of protrusions 206A and 206B, as measured vertically to HSP, is denoted 206w. the width of housing 201 immediately below protrusions 206A and 206B is denoted 206w1. Housing 201 may have its top face made with a central flat area 202 having a width denoted 202w. According to embodiments of the invention dimension 206w is larger than width 202w so that the difference on both transversal sides of flat area 202 may be formed as flat longitudinal channels 203A and 203B, having their top face lower than the height of flat face 202, with respect to the bottom side of housing 201 (i.e. the distance the top face of channels 203A, 203B from the bottom of roller 208 is smaller than the distance of flat area 202). id="p-22"

[0022] Roller assembly 200 may be made to mate a corresponding installation frame profile 250. Installation frame 250 may have a form of a longitudinal channel opened at one side, with bottom face 256C facing the open side and two side faces 256A and 256B perpendicular to bottom face 256C and parallel to each other. Bottom face 256C has a longitudinal protrusion 254 made on the inner face of bottom side 256C centered between side faces 256A and 256B. The cross-section form of protrusion 254 is made to match the circumferential dent of roller 208. id="p-23"

[0023] A pair of support protrusions 258A and 258B may be disposed symmetrically with the center of installation frame 250, each protrudes from a respective side face 256A and 256B, respectively, towards the center of installation frame profile 250. The distal tips of support protrusions 258A and 258B may be made so that the distance between them, denoted 258w, is slightly smaller than dimension 206w of roller housing 201 and slightly larger than dimension 206w1 of roller housing 201. The elevation distance of the distal tips of support protrusion from dent 254, denoted 258h, is slightly smaller than dimension 206h of roller housing 201. Income embodiments of the present invention an installation frame may comprise two parallel installation profiles 250 attached longitudinally to each other, as shown in Figs. 2A and 2D, for example to enable installation of two sliding windows (or doors) adapted to slide one over the other in their installation frame profiles. id="p-24"

[0024] When roller assembly 200 is placed within installation frame profile 250, with its at least one roller 208 placed on dent 254, housing 201 has a slight side-freedom due to the respective dimensions of 258w compared to 206w and 206w1, and dimension 258h compared to 206h. As a result, when roller assembly 200 is placed within installation frame profile 250, with its at least one roller 208 placed on dent 254, it may tilt sideways to the right (as seen in Figs. 2A and 2D) until protrusion 206B rests on protrusion 258B, or – in other case, it may tilt to the left until protrusion 206A rests on protrusion 258A. The sideway titling angle α (Fig. 2A) may be limited by the respective dimensions listed above so that the sideway deviation of tips 204A, 204B from their respective upright positions 204A’, 204B’ (shown in dashed lines), as measured perpendicular to HSP and denoted 204dev, is limited accordingly. id="p-25"

[0025] A window frame profile that can be installed onto roller assembly 200 within window installation frame 250 should have certain from features. Reference is made now to Fig. 3 , which is a schematic cross-section illustration of window assembly 300, according to embodiments of the present invention. Window assembly 300 may comprise window frame profile 302 and glazing 350 (double glazing in the example of Fig. 3). Window frame profile 302 may be formed as a longitudinal channel having an open side, a central face side 302C facing the open side, right face side 302A and left face side 302B. Right face side 302A and left face side 302B may be substantially perpendicular to central face side 302C and parallel to each other. Glazing 350 may positioned within the channel formed between right face side 302A and left face side 302B. id="p-26"

[0026] A shallow dent 304 may be made on the face of central side 302C that faces outside. The width of shallow dent 304, measured between protrusions 304A and 304B is denoted 304w. Self-aligning dents 306A and 306B may be made within side faces 302A and 302B, respectively, of window frame 302. Self-aligning dents 306A and 306B may be formed so that their width close to their open side is larger than the width close to their distal side. The distance between the center lines of self-aligning dents 306A and 306B is denoted 306d. the width of the self-aligning dents close to their open end is denoted 306w. id="p-27"

[0027] Reference is made now to Figs. 4A – 4Ewhich describe steps of a method of installation of a window in a corresponding window installation frame thus forming a window and window installation frame assembly, according to embodiments of the invention. Window installation frame 450, similar to window installation frame 250, may be fixed into a window opening in a wall. Roller assembly 4200, similar to roller assembly 2may be placed withing window installation frame 450, as described above. Window installation frame 450, roller assembly 4200 and window assembly 400 form, together, window and window installation assembly 4000. Window assembly 400, similar to window assembly 300 may be lifted (as depicted by arrow A) to have it top side inserted into the top part of installation frame 450 and then window assembly may be rotated to the right of the page (as depicted by arrow B). as seen in Fig. 4B, the bottom side of window assembly 4may be brought above the bottom side of window installation frame 450. Fig. 4C depicts an enlarged view of the bottom side of window assembly 400 above the bottom side of window installation frame 450. As seen, self-aligning dents 306A and 306B are positioned above top protrusions 204A and 204B so that the tips of top protrusions 204A and 204B are aligned within the openings of self-aligning dents 306A and 306B so that when window assembly 400 is lowered towards roller assembly 4200, top protrusions 204A and 204B nay slide into self-aligning dents 306A and 306B until roller assembly 4200 sideway tilt substantially zeroed and flat plane 202 aligns with the outside face of window frame by external ends 202A and 202B that align with and between protrusions 304A and 304B, thereby ensuring aligned and secured positioning of window assembly 400 on roller assembly 4200, as depicted in Fig. 4D and its associated enlarged view in Fig. 4E. Once window assembly is positioned on roller assembly, window assembly may be moved along window installation frame over the roller assembly. id="p-28"

[0028] In some embodiments two or more roller assemblies, such as roller assembly 200 of Figs. 2A-2C, may be connected by a distance-setting element, thereby ensuring the relative positioning of the two or more roller assemblies with respect to each other, prior to the placement of a window assembly on the roller assemblies. Reference is made now to Figs. 5Aand 5B , which are an isometric schematic view and a side view of rollers system 500, respectively, according to embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments roller system may comprise two or more roller assemblies 502A, 502B, connected in a chain to each other by one or more distance setting elements 510. Distance setting element 500 may be selected to set the distance between roller assemblies 502A and 502B so that the total length from end to end of roller system is slightly shorter than the length of the bottom element of a respective window frame. id="p-29"

[0029] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims (2)

281157/2 CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A window and window installation assembly comprising: a window assembly;an window installation frame; anda separate roller assembly;wherein the roller assembly comprises:a roller housing; andat least one roller, disposed within the roller housing and slightly protruding from a bottom side of the roller housing,wherein the roller housing is configured as an elongated object with two side protrusions protruding laterally on opposite sides of the roller housing and having two parallel vertical top protrusions protruding from the top side of the roller assembly,wherein the roller housing, when placed within the window installation frame, has side-freedom for tilting, andwherein the two parallel vertical protrusions are configured to receive and support a glazing of the window after the roller housing is placed within the window installation frame.

2. A method for installing a window comprising:providing a window and window installation assembly comprising: a window assembly; a window installation frame; and a separate roller assembly; wherein the roller assembly comprises:a roller housing; andat least one roller, pivotally disposed within the roller housing and slightly protruding from a bottom side of the roller housing,wherein the roller housing is configured as an elongated object with two side protrusions protruding laterally on opposite sides of the roller housing and having two parallel vertical top protrusions protruding from the top side of the roller assembly;10 281157/2 placing the roller housing within the window installation frame, allowing side-freedom for tilting, andlifting a glazing of the window within the window installation frame and placing the glazing between the two parallel vertical protrusions that are configured to receive and support the glazing after the roller housing is placed within the window installation frame.