Patent Abstract:
A roller assembly including a coupling for connecting the assembly to a panel and a roller for transferring the weight load of the panel to a sill, the roller being received in the sill and oriented for rotation about an axis which extends in a direction parallel to the weight load. The roller including a skirt that includes a brush section for sweeping debris off a surface of the sill.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Australian Patent Application No. 2011905037 and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/566,344, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Folding door systems can be either top hung or bottom rolling. 
     An advantage of a top hung system over a bottom rolling system is hardware used to mount a folding door in an overhead track, at a head of the system, is generally less likely to be subject to dirt and debris contamination. The hardware can accommodate larger rollers so the rolling performance is generally superior. As a result of accommodation of larger rollers, the top hung system can generally hold heavier panels. 
     A disadvantage of the top hung system is the head requires additional structural support to prevent the system from sagging under the weight. Also, panels of the folding door are more likely to require remedial re-adjustment should the head sag. 
     With the bottom rolling system, there is no need to provide additional support for the head as the weight load of the door is transferred directly into the floor. There is also no need to provide adjustment as the doors follow the contour of the floor. 
     However, rollers used in the bottom rolling system are more susceptible to contamination. Generally, the rollers have to be kept relatively small so as to keep the height of the threshold/sill to a minimum. However, smaller rollers tend to have a reduced load bearing capacity, generate more noise and require application of higher opening and closing forces to operate properly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, there is provided a roller assembly for supporting a panel in a sill, including a coupling for connecting the assembly to the panel and a roller for transferring the weight load of the panel to the sill, the roller being oriented for rotation about an axis which extends in a direction of the weight load. 
     Preferably, the roller has a lower portion with a chamfered load bearing face which is supported on a rail section of the sill and through which the weight load of the panel is transferred to the sill. 
     Preferably, the coupling is in the form of a collar which receives a bolt for connection to the panel. 
     Preferably, the collar and bolt are arranged substantially vertically and the roller is arranged substantially horizontally. 
     Preferably, the roller has a skirt which is designed clean debris away as the roller rotates. 
     Preferably, the skirt has a brush section and an elastic band for mounting the skirt onto the roller. 
     Preferably, the roller has an annular groove separating the roller into an upper and lower portion and band fits into the groove to connect the skirt to the roller. 
     Preferably, the coupling and the roller are offset so that the connection to the panel is laterally spaced from the axis of the roller. 
     In another aspect there is provided a sill, including a profile with an access channel, which communicates with an internal void, and a rail section within the void for supporting the roller assembly, as described above. 
     Preferably, the rail section includes fingers which hold a rail insert. 
     Preferably, the insert is a polymer strip. 
     Preferably, the insert has an angled surface, which engages the roller. 
     Preferably, the sill further includes a sump adjacent the insert, for receiving contaminants from the rail section. 
     In another aspect, there is provided panel system including a head, a sill and a panel supported in the sill by a roller assembly, as described above. 
     Preferably, the sill is formed in accordance with the above described sill. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a roller assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the roller assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the roller assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the roller assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the roller assembly; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the roller assembly in a sill; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view similar to  FIG. 6 , showing a cleaning skirt fitted to the roller assembly; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of the roller assembly of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective exploded view of a roller and skirt; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the roller with the skirt fitted; 
         FIG. 11  is a side section view of the roller assembly in a folding door system; 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged view of the sill and roller assembly of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13   a  is a perspective view of a folding panel assembly in a closed configuration; 
         FIG. 13   b  is a perspective view of the folding panel assembly in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the sill; and 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the sill and an end cap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring firstly to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a roller assembly  1  is shown as including a body  2 , a main roller  3 , two thrust rollers  4  and a coupling  5  in the form of a collar  6 , which receives an end  7  of a bolt  8 . 
     The body  2  has a base  9 , with a downwardly depending axle  10 , which carries the roller  3 , and two lateral wings  11  which each have a spigot  12  to carry a respective one of the thrust rollers  4 . 
     The roller  3  has an outer rim  13  and an inner bearing race  14 . The roller  3  is held captive on the axle  10  by way of a journal  15  which is connected to the axle  10  and which has an annular flange  16  arranged to abut the bearing race  14 . A washer  17  is provided to fit over a reduced diameter section  18  of the axle  10  and the section  18  is riveted or swaged over the washer  17  to hold the washer  17  in place to thereby, to secure the journal  15  on the axle  10 . 
     The collar  6  has a though hole  19  and a pin  20 , for interconnecting the bolt  8  to the assembly  1 . The collar  6  is itself offset relative to the axle  10 , however, any weight load applied to the bolt  8  can still be reliably transferred through the body  2  and base  9  to the roller  3 : The bolt  8  has a decorative cap  21  which serves to trap the bolt  8  into a hinge of a folding door (not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the roller assembly  1  is shown installed in a sill  30 . The sill  30  has a channel  31  for the thrust rollers  4 . The channel  31  communicates with an internal void  32  that accommodates the main roller  3 . The roller  3  is in a horizontal orientation and rests on a load bearing face  33 , on a rail section  34  of the sill  30 . 
     Weight load of a panel (such as panel  62  shown in  FIG. 11 ) is diagrammatically illustrated by an arrow  35 . The weight load is transferred through the bolt  8 , to the roller  3 , and subsequently to the sill  30 . Any side loading from the bolt  8 , such as represented by arrow  37 , is transferred to the sill  30  via the thrust rollers  4 . 
     The axis  38  of the roller extends in a direction of the load applied to the roller  3  and, in this case, the roller  3  is substantially horizontal so that the axis  38  is substantially vertical. Since the roller  3  rotates in a horizontal plane and rests only on a small section  39  of the roller  3 , the contact with the sill  30  is minimised, to improve rolling performance. 
     More particularly, the roller  3  is designed with an annular groove  40  between an upper portion  41  and a lower portion  42 . The lower portion  42  provides the load bearing face  33  which is bevelled or chamfered to present only the small section  39  to be in contact with the sill  30 . 
     In order to further improve the rolling performance of the roller  3 , the rail section  34 , on which the roller  3  rests, is provided with a low friction surface formed of, for example, a polymeric material. The sill  30  is generally formed of aluminium for durability so a plastic insert  43  is used. The insert  43  is held in place by retaining ribs  44  formed integrally with the internal wall  45  of the sill  30 . 
     To ensure reliable operation of the roller  3 , the surface of the insert  43  needs to be kept clean of contaminants such as dust and dirt that can enter the sill  30  through the channel  31 . For that purpose, the roller  3  is provided with a skirt  50 , as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The skirt  50  has a brush section  51  and an annular band  52  for attaching the skirt  50  to the roller  3 . When the roller  3  rotates, as it moves along the sill  30  (as illustrated by an arrow  53  in  FIG. 8 ) the brush section  51  sweeps the surface of the insert  43  clear of contaminants. The contaminants are brushed into a sump  54  provided in a base  55  of the sill  30  and may later be removed by either vacuuming or being flushed out of the sill  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the application of the skirt  50  onto the roller  3  is illustrated in more detail. The skirt  50  is preferably formed as a unitary structure, with the brush section  51  comprising a series of tabs or petals  56 , which fan out from the annular band  52 . The band  52  is elasticised so that the roller  3  can be inserted through the skirt  50  in a direction indicated by an arrow  57 . After the skirt  50  is pushed over the lower portion  42  of the roller  3 , the band  52  snap fits into the groove  40  formed between the upper and lower portions  41 , 42 , to adopt the configuration shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     If the skirt  50  deteriorates after an extended period of use, the band  52  can simply be removed from the roller and a replacement skirt installed, as required. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 11 , the roller assembly  1  is shown in use in a folding panel system  60 . The system  60  includes a head  61 , a panel  62  and the roller assembly  1  fitted in a sill  30 . Only as single panel  62  is illustrated for ease of description, however, it should be understood the system  60  may include multiple panels, as required, such as in a folding door panel assembly. 
     The panel  62  is illustrated in a closed configuration with a top hinge  63 , intermediate hinge  64  and bottom hinge  65  shown attached to a side edge  66  of the panel  62 . The top hinge  63  is connected to a guide roller  67  which runs in an overhead track  68  at the head  61  of the system  60 . The lower hinge  65  is connected to the roller assembly  1 , via the bolt, which forms a pivot pin for the lower hinge  65 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the offset of the coupling  5  and the roller  3  allows the roller to be positioned directly beneath the panel  62 , which assists in transferring load directly from the panel  62  to the sill  30  but also necessitates the channel  31  to be located underneath the panel  62 . In that position, only minimal if any contaminates can enter the channel  31  while the panel  62  is closed. Any contaminants that do enter the sill  30  can, of course, be kept clear of the surface of the insert  43  by the sweeper skirt  50  when the panel  62  is moved between the open and closed positions. 
     The panel  62  described above is a folding panel of a folding panel assembly  100 , such as shown in  FIG. 13 , and is mounted to the head  61  and sill  30  via hinges  63 ,  65 . However, the panel  62  may instead be a sliding panel such as a sliding door, in which case hinges would not be needed and an alternative attachment to the roller assembly  1  would be utilised instead of the bolt  8 . Nevertheless, the same horizontal oriented roller  3  could be used to support the sliding door, with a skirt attachment  50  to keep the surface of the insert  43  clear of debris and contaminants. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the sill  30  is preferably formed as an extruded aluminium profile  70 , which is designed to have minimum material content whilst maintaining sufficient strength. Various screw flutes  71  are formed in the profile  70  to receive screws  75  for attaching an end cap  76 . Since the roller  3  is arranged in the void  32  in a substantially horizontal orientation, the profile also has a relatively low height dimension H, which is a desirable feature for sliding or folding door systems  60 . 
     The retaining ribs  44  which hold the insert  43  in the sill  30  are located toward a rear side  72  of the profile  70 , at a slightly elevated position to define one side wall  73  of the sump  54 . The base  55  of the sump  54  is angled downwardly, toward a front side  74  of the sill  30  to enhance movement of any contaminates away from the insert  43 . Drain holes (one of which is indicated by reference numeral  77 ) are provided to allow water to be flushed through the sill  30 , in a direction indicated by arrow  78 , during cleaning. 
     As may be appreciated, the roller assembly  1  and sill  30  described above provide for favourable contamination and performance outcomes by utilising a very large diameter roller mounted horizontally, although other angles can be used so long as the bearing face  33  of the roller  3  is able to rest on a matching rail section of the sill to allow direct weight load transfer to the sill. The roller  3  may be in the order of 54 mm in diameter, which is considerably larger than conventional bottom rollers. 
     The larger diameter means the number of revolutions of the horizontal roller is much lower in comparison to traditional smaller wheels and thereby smoother and quieter. 
     The horizontal roller has only a single point contact with the mating polymer insert  43  integrated into the sill, which further helps reduce noise and wear. The vertical load from the roller  3  is transferred to the insert  43  which is sloped to assist migration of debris off the surface and into the sump  54 . Any side loading, perpendicular to the axis  38  of the horizontal roller  3  is accommodated by the thrust rollers  4 . 
     The roller  3  is offset relative to the bolt  8  which, in use, necessitates the channel  31  being positioned under the panel  62 , and this provides aesthetic appeal and reduces contamination as any contaminate washed off the panel  62  is directed onto the sill outer surface and washed away. However, in the event contaminates enter the sill, the sump  54  is provided underneath the roller  3  to collect debris which can be removed such as be either heavy rainfall washing the debris through drain holes or vacuumed out through an appropriate access opening. 
     To provide additional cleaning, the roller may be provided with the skirt  50  which is fitted by being stretched over the circumference of the roller  3 , into the dedicated groove  40 . The horizontal wheel  3  and sweeper skirt  50  rotate in direct proportion to the panel  62  moving left or right. 
     The design may incorporate one or more horizontal rollers  3  to increase panel weight capacity. The design may also incorporate one or more horizontal rollers  3  to reduce size or lower operating forces. 
     The invention has been described by way of non-limiting example only and many modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     LIST OF PARTS 
     
         
           1 . Roller assembly 
           2 . Body 
           3 . Roller 
           4 . Thrust rollers 
           5 . Coupling 
           6 . Collar 
           7 . End 
           8 . Bolt 
           9 . Base 
           10 . Axle 
           11 . Wings 
           12 . Spigot 
           13 . Rim 
           14 . Bearing race 
           15 . Journal 
           16 . Annular flange 
           17 . Washer 
           18 . Section 
           19 . Hole 
           20 . Pin 
           21 . Cap 
           30 . Sill 
           31 . Channel 
           32 . Void 
           33 . Load bearing face 
           34 . Arrow 
           36 . Arrow 
           37 . Arrow 
           38 . Axis 
           39 . Section 
           40 . Groove 
           41 . Upper portion 
           42 . Lower portion 
           43 . Insert 
           44 . Retaining ribs 
           45 . Internal wall 
           50 . Skirt 
           51 . Brush section 
           52 . Band 
           53 . Arrow 
           54 . Sump 
           55 . Base 
           56 . Petals 
           57 . Arrow 
           60 . System 
           61 . Head 
           62 . Panel 
           63 . Top hinge 
           64 . Intermediate hinge 
           65 . Bottom hinge 
           66 . Side edge 
           67 . Guide roller 
           68 . Track 
           70 . Profile 
           71 . Screw flutes 
           72 . Rear side 
           73 . Side wall 
           74 . Front side 
           75 . Screws 
           76 . End cap 
           77 . Drain hole 
           78 . Arrow 
           100 . Folding panel assembly

Technology Classification (CPC): 4