Abstract:
A sliding door repair apparatus to facilitate horizontal sliding movement of a preinstalled sliding door having one or more defectively sliding wheel(s) being supported on a lower track. The repair apparatus includes at least one vertically adjustable rigid bracket attached to the sliding door and at least one repair roller attached to the bracket such that the repair roller is situated in moveable contact with and atop the lower track and supports at least a portion of the weight of the sliding door thereby transferring the weight from the defective wheel(s) within the door thereby facilitating the sliding of the door along the lower track without the necessity of removing or disassembly of the sliding door and without having to remove, replace or repair the defective wheel(s).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates generally to a repair apparatus and method for attachment to a sliding door to facilitate the sliding of the door on the door track and without the need to remove and reinstall the door and without the need to remove, replace, or repair the original sliding door wheels whenever a wheel breaks, wears out or malfunctions.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    A sliding door is a well-known moveable closure generally comprising a closure panel connected to an outer frame having wheels or rollers generally mounted within channels in the bottom of the door. The door opening has side to side wheel tracks that guide horizontal movement of the door. Wheel or roller assemblies are usually mounted at or near the four corners of the door panel and extend outward for engagement within the upper and lower tracks. Solid rigid opaque or translucent panels, screening or glass is typically placed within the recesses located within the frame to form the sliding door.  
           [0005]    A sliding door is normally held in position by first inserting the upper rollers into a channel or track mounted in the door frame, and then inserting the lowers rollers into a track running along the floor. To inhibit the door from popping out of the lower track, the lower rollers are generally circumferentially grooved to accommodate an upwardly protruding projection running longitudinally within the track and onto which the roller groove rests.  
           [0006]    Wheel breakage, wear and tear, and embedded dirt/debris on or within the wheels or rollers on an uneven door track account for most of the improper sliding of the doors. The wheels must be in good working condition for the door to smoothly and continuously slide on the tracks. Previously, if a wheel broke or wore out it had to be immediately replaced to enable proper sliding function of the door.  
           [0007]    The replacement of a wheel in a prior art sliding door required removal of the door, disassembly of the door frame to reach and replace the affected wheel and often times necessitated replacement of the entire wheel assembly. This procedure was time consuming, cumbersome, often ran the risk of breakage of the glass door or physical injury, frequently necessitated often difficult to find replacement parts which may even require contacting the door manufacturer, often needed more than one person to perform the task, was costly and, if a screen door, required replacement and re-stretching of the screen within the frame once the wheel assembly was replaced and door reassembled.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    After original installation of a sliding door, the lower wheels often begin to wear, break, collect dirt or otherwise malfunction which diminishes the ease with which the door slides horizontally between the open and closed positions. The wheel track can become uneven or not level. Installing the present invention can be accomplished without the prior need to remove the door from the framed opening and removal, replacement or repair of the original wheels.  
           [0009]    The sliding door repair apparatus attaches to a conventional sliding door assembly having at least one slideable panel. The sliding door is supported on a lower track and disposed within a door frame. The slideable panel is conventionally constructed typically with at least two wheels attached to and extending downward from the bottom edge of the slideable panel. The wheels support the panel on the lower track and enable the panel to slide in a horizontal fashion to an open and closed position.  
           [0010]    The present invention overcomes many of the above prior problems with sliding doors by providing a novel sliding door repair apparatus comprising first and second roller assemblies, each being attached to the sliding door without having to remove the door from the door frame and without having to remove, replace or repair the defective wheel. Each roller assembly has a rigid vertically adjustable bracket attached to a conventional sliding door having upper and lower wheels as originally manufactured, a roller attached to the bracket such that the roller assembly sufficiently assumes the weight bearing pressure placed on the sliding door&#39;s original wheels during the sliding action thereby allowing the door to freely, continuously and smoothly slide within the tracks.  
           [0011]    More specifically, the present invention comprises a first roller assembly having a first rigid “L” shaped bracket with an elongated slot for receiving a rigid fastener to securely mount and vertically adjust the first bracket into proper height position at the bottom trailing junction of one side member and the bottom member of the slideable panel. The first roller assembly having a roller with a center opening and a first axle threaded through the center opening is mounted to the “L” bracket at the proximal end and has an endcap at the distal end of the first axle to retain the first roller on the first axle. The first roller is situated atop and in rotatable and supporting contact with the lower track, the lateral planar side of the roller being in parallel arrangement relative to the plane of the slideable panel. The weight of the slideable panel is lifted from the original defective wheel(s) by proper height adjustment of the first bracket which transfers the weight to the first roller thereby facilitating the sliding of said door along said lower track.  
           [0012]    A second roller assembly also comprises a second rigid “L” shaped bracket having an elongated slot sized to receive a fastener to securely mount and vertically adjust the second bracket into the proper height position on the lower leading edge of the slideable panel. A circumferentially grooved second roller having a center opening is threaded onto a second axle, the ends of the second axle being securely mounted between two opposing arms horizontally projecting from the second bracket situating the second roller atop and in rotatable and supporting contact with the upwardly projecting ridge of the lower track such that the weight of the slideable panel is transferred from the defective wheels to the grooved second roller, thereby facilitating the sliding of said door along said lower track.  
           [0013]    The first and second roller assemblies are of simple, economical, and substantially open construction and easily installed on and removed from virtually any sliding door with minimal effort and tools, and without the cumbersome, difficult, dangerous and time-consuming need to remove the door from its previously installed location.  
           [0014]    In accordance with these and other objects and advantages which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a front elevation view showing the present invention in use as attached to a sliding door.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an enlargement of the area encircled by the arrow  2  in FIG. 1 with parts broken away for the sake of clarity.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the present invention in use.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of the roller, axle and bracket assembly situated at the leading edge of the sliding door as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded view of the roller, axle and bracket assembly situated at the junction of the side and bottom framing members as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 6A and 6B are enlargements of the areas encircled by  6 A and  6 B in FIG. 1 in front elevation view of both roller assemblies of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    Referring to the drawings, the sliding door repair apparatus according to the present invention is noted generally by the reference numeral  10 . In FIG. 1, repair apparatus  10  is shown attached to a sliding door  12  that is comprised primarily of glass door panels  21  and  22 . Door panel  21  may be fixed or slideable and occupies approximately one half of the door frame opening. Door panel  22  is a panel which is slideable relative to the door frame  16  between its closed position of FIG. 1 and an open position wherein the panel is disposed alongside door panel  21  (not shown). In its open position, the panel  22  uncovers approximately one half of the opening through the door frame  16  to provide an access opening through the frame. The panel  22  is fitted at its side edges with side framing members  14 , at its lower edge with a bottom framing member  18  and at its upper edge a top framing member  17 . The top framing member  17 , together with side and bottom framing members  14  and  18  respectively, form a rigid rectangle around the slideable door panel  22 .  
         [0022]    Referring now to FIG. 2, extending along the bottom member of the door frame is an upstanding center ridge  52  extending longitudinally the length of the lower track  50 . The slideable door panel  22 , as conventionally manufactured, is supported at the bottom on the lower track  50  by a pair of wheel assemblies (not shown). It is these original lower wheel assemblies that become dirty, broken, and defective over time and which give rise to the need for the repair apparatus according to the present invention. The preferred embodiment of the repair apparatus  10  pursuant to the present invention comprises first and second repair roller assemblies,  15  and  13  respectively.  
         [0023]    A first repair roller assembly shown generally in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 A by the reference numeral  15  comprises a rigid bracket  32  positioned at and affixed to the sliding door panel  22  by two fasteners  28  received through two elongated slots  47  and  49 . The first repair roller assembly is affixed at the junction of the bottom member  18  and one side member  14 , i.e. the lower exterior corner of sliding door  12  and further includes a first repair roller  34 , first axle  38  and an endcap  39 .  
         [0024]    A second repair roller assembly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 B and generally by the reference numeral  13  comprises a rigid bracket  11  having two elongated slots  46  and  48  to receive two fasteners  28 , a repair roller  30 , a second axle  36 , and two horizontally projecting arms  40  and  42  which securely receive the opposing ends of second axle  36 . The second repair roller assembly is positioned at the bottom of the leading edge  26  of the sliding door panel  22 .  
         [0025]    As shown in FIGS. 1, 2,  6 A and  6 B, brackets  11  and  32  are both substantially “L” shaped and include elongated slots  46  and  48 , and  47  and  49  respectively for receipt of fasteners  28 , such as bolts or screws. The elongated slot(s)  46  and  48  allow for vertical height adjustment of the bracket  11  on the sliding door panel  22  so as to enable the groove  54  of the repair roller  30  to be positioned in abutting engagement on the center ridge  52  of the lower track  50 . The height of both repair rollers  30  and  34  is controlled by the vertical adjustment of the brackets  11  and  32  by fasteners  28  positioned within the respective elongated slot so as to provide sufficient lift to the sliding door panel  22  to alleviate the weight of the sliding door panel  22  from the defective wheel(s), thereby shifting the weight to the repair rollers  30  and  34  to facilitate sliding horizontal movement of the door panel  22 .  
         [0026]    Only one elongated opening receiving only one fastener for each bracket may also be used, however two openings per bracket is preferred for stability of the bracket against the sliding door panel  22 . As the weight of the door is shifted from the defective wheel(s) to the repair roller  30 , a smoother horizontal sliding of the door is achieved. A similar weight shift from the defective wheel(s) to repair roller  34  is accomplished with vertical height adjustment of the bracket  32 . When tightened securely the fastener(s)  28  force the brackets  11  and  32  into stable abutting arrangement against the leading edge  26  of door  12  and against side and bottom members  14  and  18  of the door panel  22 , respectively.  
         [0027]    In FIGS. 2 and 3, bracket  11  includes two horizontally projecting arms  40  and  42  which form the base of the “L” shape, the arms  40  and  42  serving as support and receiving points for the ends of the second axle  36  which slidably accommodates the repair roller  30 .  
         [0028]    The brackets  11  and  32 , axles  36  and  38  and repair rollers  30  and  34  are preferably comprised of one or more rigid, durable, non-corroding materials, or a combination thereof, including, but not limited to plastics, such as PVC, polyolefins, e.g. polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, nylon, Teflon® (a registered trademark of E. I. duPont deNemours and Company) or other polymers appropriate for exterior use, stainless steel, or aluminum.  
         [0029]    The exterior installation and substantially open configuration of both repair roller assemblies  13  and  15  of the repair apparatus  10 , the minimal amount of materials and number of moving parts utilized facilitates construction, decreases manufacturing costs, and enhances accessibility to the repair rollers  30  and  34 , if such access should become necessary.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and  3 , it will be noted that in assembly  13 , repair roller  30  is positioned on the lower portion of the bracket  11  such that the repair roller  30  rotates in a direction perpendicular to bracket member  11  and to the leading edge  26  of the sliding door  12 . Accordingly, in this configuration the lateral planar portion of the repair roller  30  will be generally in a plane substantially parallel to the door panel  22 .  
         [0031]    Repair roller  30  is preferably mounted on an axle  36  supported at both ends by the arms  40  and  42  of the bracket  11 . Axle  36  passes through the center of repair roller  30  situating the axle  36  in a generally parallel arrangement to the leading edge  26  of the sliding door panel  22  and substantially perpendicular to the planar surface of the door panel  22 . This positioning and configuration facilitates the weight transfer and enhances rolling functionality of the repair roller  30  along ridge  52 .  
         [0032]    When in use a majority of the weight of the sliding door panel  22  will bear upon the repair rollers  30  and  34 . Reduction of roller friction is often important when the door panel is heavy, e.g. glass. To facilitate the rotation of the repair rollers  30  and  34  about axles  36  and  38  for use with heavier sliding doors, one or more conventional roller bearings  41  as seen in FIG. 4 may be used. Preferably the bearings are encased about the axles  36  and  38 , a procedure well known within the art. In lighter weight doors, the repair rollers  30  and  34  may be mounted directly on axles  36  and  38  without the need for bearings. Axles  36  and  38  may be in the form of rods, rivets or bolts.  
         [0033]    The desired vertical height position of the repair rollers  30  and  34  is accomplished by adjusting bracket  11  and  32  respectively after attachment to the door panel  22  through the use of one or more fasteners  28  preferably tightened through one or more elongated slots  46  and  48  to secure bracket assembly  13  against the leading edge  26  of the sliding door panel  22  and through one or more elongated slots  47  and  49  to secure bracket assembly  15  against the lower exterior corner of the sliding door panel  22 . The fastener(s)  28  each have an enlarged head that bears against the top surface of brackets  11  and  32 . The bracket height may be vertically adjusted which directly affects the height by which the sliding door panel  22  is raised or lowered and the amount of door weight transferred to the repair rollers  30  and  34  which otherwise would have been carried by the defective wheel(s) of the door panel  22 . Loosening the fasteners  28  allows the brackets  11  and  32  to slide up or down along the plane of the respective areas of the sliding door panel  22  where each bracket  11  and  32  is positioned and when the desired location is attained the fastener  28  can be tightened. In this manner the sliding door panel  22  can be raised or lowered even fractionally, and the weight of the door panel  22  on the defective wheels of the door increased or decreased as desired.  
         [0034]    Once the repair apparatus  10  is secured onto the sliding door panel  22  in a manner which allows the transfer of the majority of the weight of the door panel  22  from the defective door wheels (not shown) to the repair rollers  30  and  34 , the door panel  22  can then easily slide horizontally along the ridge  52  of door track  50 , opening and closing with a smooth and continuous fluid motion. The mounting of the brackets  11  and  32  and height adjustment are performed without the need for removing the sliding door panel  22  from the frame  16 , can be accomplished in most instances by a single laborer with minimal effort and tools and with no danger of door panel breakage or physical injury during installation.  
         [0035]    As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 B, repair roller  30  includes a centered circumferential groove  54  and a pair of circumferential shoulder portions  56  positioned on either side of grooved center portion  54 . When repair roller  30  is received atop lower track  50  it is the groove  54  that is received atop the ridge  52  and the shoulder portions  56  sit astride the ridge  52 . This allows for a more even distribution of the door&#39;s weight upon the ridge  52  and increases side to side stability of the repair roller  30 , the shoulders  56  holding the repair roller more securely atop lower track ridge  52  thereby stabilizing the door panel  22  and inhibiting its lateral movement, such as jumping off the lower track  50 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views of both repair roller assemblies  13  and  15  of the present invention as explained above.  
         [0037]    Attachment of both repair roller assemblies  13  and  15  of apparatus  10  provides optimal functionality particularly when more than one lower wheel of the sliding door malfunctions, however, use of only one repair roller assembly  13  or  15  still provides significant improvement in the sliding ability of the door.  
         [0038]    The present invention, including one or both roller repair assemblies with installation instructions, can also be packaged in a kit, with or without instructions for use or installation of the assemblies, as an after market item for repair of a sliding door having one or more defective wheels which impede sliding of the door. The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.