Patent Publication Number: US-11655659-B2

Title: Quick release door roller assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved roller assembly for use with vertical lift doors and similar systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vertical lift doors are very popular systems used on home and commercial garages and other spaces where a large entryway is required. A conventional door is comprised of a plurality of rectangle panels hinged together in a vertical array. A J-channel track runs vertically along each side of the door and then continues upwards or bends to run horizontally over the ceiling. Roller wheels are mounted on stems coupled to the door panels and the wheels ride within the J-track to hold the door in place and support it as the door is raised and lowered. 
     A drawback to a conventional garage door assembly is that the enclosed garage space cannot be ventilated without lifting the door. Lifting the door even partially creates an open space at the bottom of the door. However, doing this provides an opening through which anything at ground level, such as water or snow and animals, to enter. It may also provide a security risk by allowing easy access to the garage interior. In addition, partially opening the door may have only a limited effect on venting of hot air smoke, engine exhaust, or other emissions that rise to the top of the garage. 
     Another drawback is that it can be difficult to remove a roller wheel from the J-track or reseat a roller wheel into the track without unbolting the entire roller wheel mount and then rebolt it later. This can be difficult if the bolts are rusted, the loose parts can easily be lost, and users may simply prefer not to have to disassemble door hinges and brackets. An alternative is to bend the track to flatten out the J portion at one point, move the door so the wheel is next to the bent part of the track, and then pry the track away from and over the wheel at that point. The pry process is repeated to reinsert the wheel into the track and the track is then bent back into shape. Although this is suitable for occasional maintenance, the bending and prying cannot be done by hand. It can also damage the track and can increase the likelihood of a wheel jumping the track in the area where the track has been bent. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved roller wheel assembly that can be easily seated into and removed from a J-track of a vertical lift door without having to deform the track. There is a further need for an improved roller wheel assembly that can be used on a garage door to allow the top panel or other panels of the door to be selectively detached from the track so that those panels can be dropped down to provide an opening at the top of the door. This opening can provide ventilation and other access to the garage space without having to lift the door up from the ground. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other needs are addressed by a quick release door roller assembly as disclosed in detail below with references to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIGS.  1 A and  1 B  illustrate a vertical lift door assembly with conventional (prior art) rollers; 
         FIGS.  2 A- 2 C  illustrate an embodiment of an improved roller assembly according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIGS.  3 A- 3 B  show operation of the improved roller assembly to allow removal of the wheel from the track; 
         FIG.  4    shows an exemplary use of the improved roller assembly when mounted on a garage door; and 
         FIGS.  5 A- 5 F  illustrate a door panel support that can be used in conjunction with a door panel having the improved roller assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS.  1 A and  1 B  are a schematic illustration of a conventional vertical lift door assembly  100 , such as used in a home or commercial garage. The door assembly  100  has a door portion  105  which is generally comprised of a plurality of rectangular panels  110 . Adjacent panels are connected by hinges  115 . Each side of the door  100  is supported by a plurality of rollers  120  that ride in a J-channel track  125 . Each roller is comprised of a wheel  130  and a stem  135 . Typically a roller  120  is mounted adjacent each hinge  115  with the stem  135  of the roller  120  passing through a support formed on the hinge  115 . In addition, rollers  120  are mounted adjacent each of the top and bottom corners of the door  100  using brackets  140  with the stem  135  passing through a support  145 , such as a cylindrical receiver or a pair of rings. A lift assembly  150  can be used to raise and lower the door  100 . 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  show an embodiment of an improved roller assembly  200 .  FIG.  2 C  is an exploded view of the assembly  200  of  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B . Use of the improved roller assembly  200  allows sections of a vertical door to be easily detached and reconnected from the track without the use of tools or having to bend and then pry the J-track away from the wheel. In a particular use, the improved roller assembly  200  can be used to connect the top corners of the top panel of the door to the track. Decoupling the rollers from the track allows the top panel of the door to be dropped down to provide an opening for ventilation and other purposes without having to raise the door off of the floor. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  2 A- 2 C , roller assembly  200  comprises a wheel  210 . A first shaft  215  is coupled to the wheel at an inner end  216  and extends along a central axis  205  away from the wheel to an outer end  217 . The first shaft  215  can be coupled directly to the wheel  210  or indirectly, such as with a bearing assembly  220 . 
     A second shaft  225  has inner and outer ends  226 ,  227 . The inner end  226  of the second shaft is connected to the outer end  217  of the first shaft with a pivot joint  230 . The pivot joint  230  allows the second shaft  225  to be offset at an angle relative to the central axis  205 . The maximum offset angle should be sufficient enough to allow the wheel  210  to be tilted sufficiently for removal from the J-track in a manner as discussed below. The maximum offset angle could be 45 degrees, 30 degrees, 20 degrees, or even less depending on the overall dimensions of the wheel and depth of the track. In a particular embodiment, the pivot joint  230  allows for an offset of at least 10 degrees. 
     In the illustrated embodiment the pivot joint  230  is a ball and socket joint with a ball  235  extending from the inner end  226  of the second shaft  225  and seated within a socket  240  formed within the outer end  217  of the first shaft  215 . A crimp  245  can be made in the socket  240  to retain the ball  235  in place. Other ball and socket designs can be used instead. Also, the ball and socket joint could be reversed, with the ball formed on the first shaft and the socket formed on the second shaft. Other types of pivot connections  230  known to those of ordinary skill in the art could also be used. Preferably the pivot joint allows the second shaft to be offset relative to the first in any direction around the axis  205 . However, a more limited pivot joint, such as a simple hinge, could be used instead. 
     A locking cylinder  250  surrounds at least a portion of the second shaft  225 . The internal diameter D 1  of the locking cylinder  250 , diameter D 2  of the first shaft  215  at least in a region adjacent the outer end  217 , and diameter D 3  of the second shaft  225  ( FIG.  2 C ) are sized so that the locking cylinder  250  can slide over the second shaft  225  and is movable between (i) a first position ( FIG.  2 A ) in which the locking cylinder  250  surrounds at least a portion of the first shaft  215  and/or the pivot connection  230  and a portion of the second shaft  225  and (ii) a second position ( FIG.  2 B ) in which the first shaft  225  is outside of the locking cylinder and the pivot connection  230  is at least partially exposed. 
     When the locking cylinder  250  is in the first position, the locking cylinder  250  retains the first and second shafts  215 ,  225  in a substantially coaxial position. When the locking cylinder  250  is in the second position, enough of the pivot connection  230  is exposed to permit the first shaft to pivot relative to the second shaft. 
     A bias mechanism  255  can be provided to urge the locking cylinder  250  towards the first position. In a particular embodiment, the bias mechanism  225  comprises a spring  260  mounted adjacent the second end  227  of the second shaft  225  and held in place with an end cap  265  attached to the second end  227 , such as by a threaded connection. Other bias mechanism can be used as well. Alternatively, the locking cylinder  250  can be retained in the first position with a locking mechanism, such as a spring loaded ball stopper, a removable pin, or other mechanism known to those of ordinary skill that can selectively keep the locking cylinder  250  in the first position. 
       FIGS.  3 A and  3 B  show use of the roller assembly  200  with a vertical door. The locking cylinder  250  (and second shaft  225  within) is inserted into support  145  of a bracket  140  attached to a door panel  110 . In  FIG.  3 A , the locking cylinder  250  is in the first position and the wheel  210  is mounted in the J-track  125 . The locking cylinder  250  prevents the first and second shafts  215 ,  225  from pivoting with respect to each other more than a minimal amount. In this position, the roller assembly  200  operates like a conventional door roller. In  FIG.  3 B , the locking cylinder  250  is moved to the second position. This allows the first shaft  215  to pivot relative to the second shaft  225 , thereby permitting the wheel to be pivoted out of the J-track  125  removed from a door lift track of a vertical door when the door roller assembly is mounted to the door and the wheel is positioned in the track. To reseat the wheel  210  in the track the process is simply reversed. 
     To make it easier to grip and move the locking cylinder  250  between the first and second positions, an inner end portion  252  of the locking cylinder  250  can be knurled or provided with another type of textured surface. The mid-region  254  of the locking cylinder (See  FIG.  2 C ) that will ride within the support  145  of a bracket  140  or a hinge when the roller assembly  200  is installed on a door is preferably smooth so the locking cylinder  250  can easily slide back and forth and also rotate as may be needed as the door is raised and lowered. 
     The dimensions of the various components of the roller assembly  200  depend to some extent on the particular environment to which the roller will be used. The diameter of the wheel  210  and outer diameter of the locking shaft should match the size of the J-track and the mounting brackets used. For a conventional 2 inch track, a standard wheel has an outer diameter of about 1 and ⅞ inches and the stem has an outer diameter of about ⅜ inch. A heavy duty roller has a wheel outer diameter of about 1 and 13/16 inches and a stem outer diameter of about 7/16 inch (0.44 inches) 
     In a particular embodiment of the improved roller assembly  200  for use as a replacement for a heavy duty roller as above, the locking tube  254  has an outer diameter D 4  of about 0.44 inch and an inner diameter D 1  of about 0.27 inch. The second shaft diameter D 3  is slightly less than D 1 , about 0.26 inch. In the illustrated embodiment, an outer diameter D 2  of the socket  240  at the end  217  of the first shaft  215  is substantially the same as the diameter D 3 . The first shaft can have a shoulder portion  218  at the inner side of the socket  240  with a diameter D 5  substantially equal to the outer diameter D 4  of the locking cylinder  250 . The shoulder  218  provides a stop for the end of the locking cylinder when it is in the first position as shown in  FIG.  2 A . The ball  235  can have a diameter D 6  of about 0.19 inch and the socket have an inner diameter D 7  of about 0.21 inch. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the locking cylinder should have a length at least sufficient for it to extend past the end of the support on the bracket to which it is intended for use with and the second shaft length should be longer than the locking cylinder to provide space for the bias mechanism. In one configuration, the locking cylinder length is at least 4.5 inches and the second shaft extends has a length of about one inch longer than the length of the locking cylinder. 
     The specific dimensions of the various components can be varied and scaled according to the desired size of the stem and the type of pivot joint and locking mechanism used. 
     While the illustrated embodiment selectively locks the pivot joint by use of a locking cylinder mounted over the second shaft, alternative locking mechanisms can also be used. For example, a much shorter locking cylinder could be provided that rides primarily on the first shaft and slides over the pivot joint towards the second shaft to lock the first and second shafts in position. Instead of a locking cylinder, the pivot joint could instead be locked in place with a pin that runs through the joint or an elastic clip that snaps over the joint. Removing the pin or clip would unlock the pivot joint. In yet a further variation, an axial bore could be formed in the first and second shafts and the pivot joint. 
     As a further alternative, instead of a locking cylinder surrounding the second shaft, an axial locking pin could be inserted through the axial bore in the first and second shaft and the pivot joint when the first and second shafts are aligned. In this position, the axial pin would lock the pivot joint. Partially withdrawing the axial pin would unlock the pivot joint. A bias mechanism, such as a spring, could be provided to urge the pin into the locked position. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , using the improved roller assembly  200  to couple the top corners of the top panel of the door  100  to the J-track  125  advantageously allows the top panel to be easily disconnected from the track and lowered. This opens up the top of the door providing an open area  405  for ventilation and improved lighting. The bottom part of the door remains closed, providing a barrier to entry. 
     Depending on how the door  100  is connected to the lift assembly, the connector to the lift assembly may need to be temporarily disconnected. There are various ways in which this can be configured. In one embodiment, a lifter arm  410  can be coupled to a bracket on the door panel and connected with a retaining pin  420 . The arm connection to the door can be released by removing the retaining pin  420 . Other mechanisms can also be used. A chain, rope, cable, or similar element  430  can also be connected to the lifter arm  410  and the door panel to allow the door panel to be more easily lowered and lifted. 
     As an alternative or in addition to use of a cable  430 , a deployable support bracket can be used to support a lowered door panel.  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  show side and front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a support bracket  505 .  FIG.  5 C  shows support bracket  505  mounted on a door panel  510 A beneath a hinge  515  that connects door panel  510 A to an adjacent door panel  510 B. 
     Bracket  505  comprises an elongated U-Shaped support  515  that is hingedly mounted into a body  520 . The body  520  has a base  525  with a first end  535  and a second end  540 . Two opposing sides  530  extend upwards from the base  525  and define a channel  545 . The support  515  has a pair of elongated arms  550  extending from an outward end  555 . Each arm  550  is rotationally coupled to a side  530 , such as by means of an arm extension  560  extending at approximately a right angle from an end of the arm opposite the outward end  555  of support  515  and passing through a respective hole  565  in wall  530 . 
     Opposing and inward facing shoulders  570  are formed along a portion of each wall  530  near the point where the arms  550  are coupled to the walls  530 .  FIG.  5 C  shows the support  515  in a deployed position. In this position, the shoulders  570  will prevent the support  515  from rotating downwards. The surface of the inward shoulders  570  can be tilted so as to urge the arms  550  apart from each other when weight is placed on the shoulder. The support  515  is made of a rigid material, such as a steel bar or other material that is at least partially elastic. Arms  550  can can be squeezed together to reduce the distance between the arms in the area of the shoulders  570  to less than a gap width W between the two shoulders  570 , thereby allowing the support  515  to move between a stowed position within the channel  545  as shown in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  and a deployed position as shown in  FIG.  5 C . With reference to  FIG.  5 D , a bracket  505  can be mounted on a door panel  580  below a door panel  585  that can be decoupled from the track and lowered as discussed herein. The support  515  of the bracket  505  in the deployed position can support door panel  585  when lowered. 
     The position of the hole  565  relative to the shoulder  570  determines the angle of the support  515  relative to the body  520 . As shown in  FIG.  5 E , multiple pairs of opposing holes can be provided in each side  530 , such as holes  565   a ,  565   b , and  565   c . A user can vary the angle of the support  515  by mounting the support  515  into different pairs of holes. In an alternative, and as shown in  FIG.  5 F , multiple shoulders can be provided for use with a support  515  mounted in a single hole, such as shoulders  570   a ,  570   b , and  570   c . The user can vary the angle of the support arm by selecting the particular pair of shoulders as a rest for the support. Each shoulder can be angled so that it defines a plane that at least approximately reflects the angle of the support  515  when placed on that shoulder. 
     By selecting appropriate combinations of hole and shoulder position the support bracket  505  can hold an upper door panel decoupled from the track at an angle from only a few degrees, such as about 5 to 10 degrees, where the door panel is open only slightly and provides some ventilation while preserving privacy, to nearly 180 degrees, where the panel is almost fully dropped down. Rubber or plastic coverings can be added to the support  515  and the bracket body  520  to reduce the likelihood that the support  505  will scratch a supported door panel. 
     Various aspects, embodiments, and examples of the invention have been disclosed and described herein. Modifications, additions and alterations may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.