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US 12,618,275 B2Granted
Lower roller
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiroshi Shingu, Yuichiro Saiki, Joji Goto, Takashi Fukahori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roller assembly includes an L-shaped bracket and a support bracket, each having a preformed bend that is greater than ninety degrees, but that when under a load of a sliding side door of a vehicle, is configured to decrease under the load to ninety degrees. The roller assembly also includes a roller arm supported between the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket and extending laterally from the brackets for engaging a rail on the body of the vehicle. A spacer is included between the roller arm and the support bracket, preventing contact between them and thus allowing for decreased friction between them.
Claims20
A roller assembly for a sliding side door of a vehicle, the roller assembly comprising:
- an L-shaped bracket including a vertically oriented portion and horizontally oriented portion, the vertically oriented portion configured to connect to the sliding side door;
- a support bracket connected to the L-shaped bracket;
- a roller arm arranged between the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket, and connected at a joint to the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket;
- and
- a roller arranged on an end of the roller arm distal from the joint, the roller configured to slidably connect to a rail of the vehicle,
- wherein an angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket is more than 91° when the roller assembly is in an unloaded state and is not under load from the sliding side door, and
- wherein the L-shaped bracket is configured to predictably deform under the static load of the sliding side door due to a material and geometry of the L-shaped bracket such that the angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket changes from more than 91° in the unloaded state to approximately 90° when the roller assembly is under load from the sliding side door and thereby subject to the static load of the sliding side door.
4 more elements
A roller assembly for a sliding side door of a vehicle, the roller assembly comprising:
- an L-shaped bracket including a vertically oriented portion and horizontally oriented portion, the vertically oriented portion configured to connect to the sliding side door;
- a support bracket connected to the L-shaped bracket;
- a roller arm arranged between the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket, and connected at a joint to the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket;
- a roller arranged on an end of the roller arm distal from the joint, the roller configured to slidably connect to a rail of the vehicle;
- and
- a spacer arranged between the support bracket and the roller arm and inhibiting contact between the support bracket and the roller arm, and
- wherein an angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket is more than 91° when the roller assembly is not under load from the sliding side door, and
- wherein the L-shaped bracket is configured to predictably deform under the static load of the sliding side door due to a material and geometry of the L-shaped bracket such that the angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket changes from more than 91° in an unloaded state to approximately 90° when the roller assembly is under load from the sliding side door and thereby subject to the static load of the sliding side door.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing a roller assembly including an L-shaped bracket including a vertically oriented portion and horizontally oriented portion, a support bracket connected to the L-shaped bracket, a roller arm arranged between the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket, and connected at a joint to the L-shaped bracket and the support bracket, and a roller arranged on an end of the roller arm distal from the joint;
- and
- using the roller assembly to slidably connect a door to a vehicle such that the door is able to slide between a closed position covering a door opening of the vehicle, and an open position not covering the door opening,
- wherein an angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket is more than 91° before the roller assembly is used to slidably connect the door to the vehicle, and
- wherein the L-shaped bracket is configured, due to a material and geometry of the L-shaped bracket to predictably deform under a static load of the sliding side door such that the angle between the vertically oriented portion and the horizontally oriented portion of the L-shaped bracket changes from more than 91° in an unloaded state to approximately 90° after the roller assembly is used to slidably connect the door to the vehicle.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.