Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
GARAGE DOOR NOISE REDUCTION ROLLER ASSEMBLY
WITH NOISE REDUCTION ROLLER WHEEL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of garage doors and
in particular, to
garage door rollers. These rollers allow the garage door to open and close
along a guide track.
Rollers are located on either side of the garage door and are positioned
within a respective
track located on opposite sides of a garage door. The rollers roll along a
track as the garage
door is raised or lowered. Each roller is respectively affixed to a collar by
which the
respective roller is retained. Each respective roller is affixed to a
receiving member of a
respective garage door hinge plate which in turn is affixed to a garage door
plate, which in
turn is affixed to a garage door. The present invention relates to
improvements in the roller to
reduce the noise created by the steel roller shaft hitting the respective
garage door plate as the
garage door is raised and lowered.
Description of the Prior Art
[0002] In the prior art which is known to the present inventor, most
garage door rollers
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have a plated steel shaft that slides into a tube just slightly larger than
the diameter of the
shaft. This tube is part of a hinge that the roller is retained in to help
move the sectional
garage door up and down. The hinge is attached to multiple sections of the
garage door. The
shaft of the roller and tube of the hinge are made of steel. The gap between
the roller shaft
and the hinge tube allow it to move freely and side to side without binding or
sticking. The
problem is that the gap/clearance and both the roller shaft and hinge tube
barrel being made of
steel causes noise and rattling by the metal-to-metal contact as the garage
door is raised and
lowered. Putting lubricant between the shaft of the roller and the tube into
which it is inserted
provides some lubricant benefit but still does not significantly reduce the
noise and rattling of
the assembly.
[0003] It was previously believed that the problem is not the roller
wheel itself
because that is not where the noise comes from. The noise comes from the steel
shaft of the
roller wheel that slides into a hinge bracket in the hinge affixed to garage
door sections. The
steel garage door hinges and fixtures have a tube or round bracket that
retains the roller's
shaft. This allows the roller to be retained and allows the shaft to move
freely side to side. As
the garage door rolls up and down, the rollers move freely and the space in
between the tube
and roller shaft causes a rattle because of the metal-to-metal contact. This
is why the door
sounds shaky and noisy when it is in motion. Greasing or lubricating the
rollers will not fix
the problem of the rattling sound. Even installing the quietest belt drive
garage door opener
with the quietest hinges and best precision 13-ball rollers will not guarantee
that the door will
be rattle-free in operation.
[0004] In the prior art, the rollers are affixed to a metal shaft
which is in turn affixed
to a plate, which in turn is affixed to the rear of a garage door so that as
the garage door is
raised, the rollers which are positioned on opposite sides of the garage door
and also
positioned within a track, roll or rotate within the track to enable the
garage door to be raised
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or lowered. The rollers are affixed to the shaft and the shafts that are
usually made of metal
make a clanging and unpleasant noise as the garage door is raised up and down.
The problem
with the prior art is that the shaft of the rollers is metal and the shaft
comes into metal-to-
metal contact with the plate to which the shaft is inserted so that there is a
constant clanging
noise as the garage door is raised and lowered. One other solution that has
been attempted in
prior art is to create a plastic hinge barrel but strength is sacrificed and
the customer usually
perceives the plastic hinge barrel to be weak and inferior. Further, the gap
remaining between
the plastic hinge barrel and the door still creates a rattling noise while
traveling up and down.
The gap between the shaft of the roller and the tube into which the shaft is
inserted still
remains and still creates a lot of noise when the garage door is raised and
lowered. There is a
significant need for a quieter roller shaft assembly so that there is less
noise when the garage
door is raised and lowered.
[0005]
The prior art does not significantly reduce the noise created by the shaft of
a roller
inserted into a tube or hinge bracket as the roller moves up and down to
enable the garage
door to be raised and lowered. In the garage door, there are tracks on either
side of the garage
door and a roller is inserted into each track in order to enable the garage
door to be raised and
lowered. There may be multiple rollers along various lengths of the garage
door and in
particular, affixed to respective horizontal panels of the garage door. The
roller in turn is
attached to a shaft which in turn is inserted into a tube that is affixed to a
hinge attachment
plate which is affixed to the garage door. Therefore, as the garage door is
raised and lowered,
the metal of the shaft from the roller and the metal of the tube into which
the shaft is inserted,
have a metal- to-metal contact creating a lot of noise as the garage door is
raised and lowered.
[0006]
Subsequent to filing the parent application, the present inventor discovered
that
the roller wheel inside the garage door track also contributes to the noise as
the garage door
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rolls up and down. Improvements in roller wheel design are known. The
following sets forth a
list of prior art patents on improvements to a roller wheel. The present
inventor was made
aware of certain prior art before the this continuation-in-part patent
application was filed. The
following sets forth a list of the prior art.
[0007] 1. United States Patent No. 1,501,743 issued to James Bowen on July
15, 1924
for "Caster Wheel".
[0008] 2. United States Patent No. 1,687,113 issued to William A. Stockdale
on October
9, 1928 for "Caster".
[0009] 3. United States Patent No. 4,818,034 issued to Tobin Djerf on April
4, 1989 for
"Shock Absorbing Wheel".
[0010] 4. United States Patent No. 5,031,269 issued to Horst Lautenschlager
et al. on
July 16, 1991 for "Wheel for Rolling Drawer Slides".
[0011] 5. United States Patent No. 5,129,709 issued to Reuben Klamer on
July 14, 1992
for "Wheel for Roller Skate and The Like".
[0012] 6. United States Patent No. 5,169,237 issued to Georg Domenig on
December 8,
1992 for "Supporting and Guide Roller for Pull-Out Guides for Drawers",
[0013] 7. United States Patent No. 5,275,473 issued to Jimmy L. Hicks on
January 4,
1994 for "Shopping Car Wheels with Polymeric Bearing Races".
[0014] 8. United States Patent No. 5,401,037 issued to Patrick J. O'Donnell
et al. on
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March 28, 1995 for "Composite Wheels for In-Line Roller Skates".
[0015] 9. United States Patent No. 5,853,226 issued to Charles J. Lee on
December 29,
1998 for "High Performance In-Line Roller Skate Wheels with Permeable Cores".
[0016] 10. United States Patent No. 6,309,025 issued to Ing-Chung Huang
on October 30,
2001 for "Roller Skate Wheel Assembly".
[0017] 11. United States Patent No. 6,553,618 issued to L. Blake Whitley
on April 29,
2003 for "Dual Durometer Roller Guide Member for Track Guided Door".
[0018] There is a significant need in the garage door industry for a quieter
garage door roller.
Over the years, rollers have been made of steel and plastic, with and without
bearings and a
plastic cover put over the roller wheel itself as improvements to make them
quieter, which has
not significantly reduced the noise. In addition, there is a significant need
to reduce the noise
of the roller wheel in a garage door track.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention is an apparatus to reduce noise created
by the shaft of a
respective roller being inserted into a respective metal retaining member of a
respective hinge
plate where a multiplicity of hinge plates are affixed to adjacent panels of a
garage door while
a pair of oppositely disposed rollers respectively travel along a pair of
oppositely disposed
tracks adjacent opposite ends of a garage door panel as the garage door is
raised and lowered.
[0020] Through experiments performed by the present inventor, it has
been discovered
that if the roller shaft is coated with or covered with a hard thermoplastic
injection molding,
then the metal-to-metal noise of the roller shaft retained in the metal barrel
of a hinge plate is
significantly reduced when the garage door is raised or lowered.
[0021] According to the present inventor, it has been discovered that
an improved
roller assembly is created with ball bearings and a hard plastic tire such as
a Delrin plastic
tire and a thermoplastic injection molded covered metal roller shaft. The
difference would be
a thermoplastic injection molded roller shaft cover. The thermoplastic
injection molded shaft
cover would be thin enough to still provide side-to-side non-binding movement.
It would also
provide a cushion/sound absorption effect and eliminate metal-to-metal
contact.
Thermoplastic injection molded material is tough enough to resist the
chemicals that the door
hinge is subject to when lubricated. It should be noted that other types of
plastic and urethane
covering the roller shaft are also within the spirit and scope of the present
invention to achieve
the same result.
[0022] It has been further discovered that utilizing thermoplastic
injection molded
material is the most cost effective way to achieve the quiet rattle-free
operation of the roller
plus chemical resistance. The thermoplastic injection molding will remain on
the metal roller
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shaft with or without the use of glues or adhesive. Not having to use glues or
adhesives makes
it very cost effective. Therefore, the thermoplastic injection molded covered
metal roller shaft
could be offered on most garage door rollers at very little cost to the
homeowner for a much
greater rattle-free garage door. In addition, the thermoplastic injection
molded covered metal
roller shafts fit most standard garage door hinges.
[0023] It has further been discovered according to the present
inventor that reducing
the diameter of the steel on the metal roller shaft and adding the injection
molded plastic on
the top will not achieve a lasting result. Injection molded plastic on a
smooth steel shaft will
result in failure. The weight of the garage door transfers through the hinge
and onto the shaft.
The weight plus the side-to-side friction and force of motion on the metal
roller shaft will
push the plastic cover off like a tube.
[0024] It has been discovered that a significant improvement is to
have threads or
grooves or a valley on the metal roller shaft to facilitate an extra grip for
the injection molded
plastic to grab onto. A gripping joint to allow injection molded plastic to
penetrate and wrap
around the metal roller shaft will significantly reduce the noise of the
garage door as it moves
up and down. With the plastic embedded in and around the steel shaft of the
roller, there is
very reduced possibility for it to become loose or dislodged from the metal
roller shaft. This
provides a permanent lock and bond to the metal roller shaft. It also results
in a long lasting
achievable noise reducing assembly to enable the rollers to roll up and down
within their
tracks and reduce the noise by eliminating a metal-to-metal contact between
the shaft of the
roller and the tube of the hinge which attaches the assembly to the garage
door.
[0025] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide
a roller with a
plastic injection cover to coat the steel of the metal roller shaft wherein
the plastic coated
metal roller shaft eliminates the metal-to-metal contact that creates the
noise. In a preferred
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embodiment, the new and improved plastic coated shaft will be lmm larger than
industry
standard shafts because 10-11mm industry standard shafts are too loose in the
hinge barrels
which allows the rattling. This improved metal roller shaft is 12mm at
finished thickness to
reduce the extra space. Closing the gap between the metal roller shaft and
hinge barrel will
eliminate the metal-to-metal contact resulting in a very quiet, rolling garage
door. By keeping
the finished thickness at 12mm on the new shaft, the roller will still work on
new and old
garage door hinges and fixtures.
[0026] Subsequent to the filing of the parent application, it was
discovered by the
same inventor that the pair of oppositely disposed rollers or roller wheels
also contributed to
the noise as the garage door moves up and down. The noise reduction of the
metal roller shaft
rotatably connected to the hinge plate which was the subject of the parent
application is a
significant improvement in noise reduction. The present invention further
improves the noise
reduction.
[0027] It is an additional object of the present invention to provide
an improvement in
the wheel design which substantially reduces the noise of the wheel as it
rolls in a garage door
track.
[0028] It has been discovered that the garage roller wheel can be
split into two wheel
halves and the injection of material selected from the group consisting of
urethane (PER)
(hereafter defined as "urethane (PER)" except for use in the claims and the
duplication of the
claims at the end of the Summary of the Invention section) in the gap between
the two-piece
wheel during the formation of the two-piece wheel provides a tire effect where
the wheel rolls
on urethane (PER) instead of metal substantially reducing the noise of the
wheel as it rolls in a
garage door track.
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[0029] It has further been discovered that if each plastic wheel has
holes running
through the thickness of each wheel, injecting material selected from the
group consisting of
urethane (PER) into a gap between two integrally connected sections of the
wheel enables the
urethane (PER) to protrude throughout the insides of the two integrally
connected sections and
out preexisting holes to form a small tire and retain the two wheel halves
together.
[0030] It is therefore an object of the present invention to create a
noise reduction
wheel through injection of material selected from the group consisting of
urethane (PER)
during the formation of the wheel by injecting urethane (PER) into a gap
between two sections
of the wheel and allowing the urethane (PER) to protrude throughout the
insides and out
preexisting holes to form a small tire. The wheel rides on urethane (PER)
instead of steel,
thereby significantly reducing noise as the wheel rolls in a garage door
track.
[0031] It is an additional object of the present invention to provide
an improved roller
wheel having a tire made of material selected from the group consisting of
urethane (PER) on
which the roller will roll within a garage door track to significantly reduce
the noise of the
roller as it rolls inside the garage door tracks as the garage door is raised
and lowered. The
improved wheel include two plastic wheel sections with a gap therebetween with
the tire made
of material selected from the group consisting of urethane (PER) molded
between the two
sections and also extending through openings within the two wheel sections to
retain the two
wheel sections together.
[0032] Defined in detail, the present invention is a hinge used in
conjunction with and
affixed to two adjacent garage door panels, the hinge including a roller wheel
which is placed
into a track of a garage door opening so that a garage door can be rolled up
and down with a
pair of oppositely disposed roller wheels respectively set within oppositely
disposed tracks
adjacent opposite ends of the garage door, the roller wheel including a metal
collar with a
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metal roller shaft retained into the roller wheel, the metal roller shaft
inserted into aligned
openings in metal hinge brackets with a respective pair of metal hinge
brackets incorporated
into a respective metal hinge plate including openings to receive affixing
members by which
the each respective metal hinge plate is affixed to a garage door, the hinge
and the roller wheel
comprising: (a) the metal roller shaft including a tube retaining member; (b)
a plastic tube
having a cylindrical outer wall and a cylindrical inner chamber surrounded by
the cylindrical
outer wall and open at a first end and at a second end, the plastic tube
fitted over the metal
roller shaft through the first opening and the second opening and retained on
the metal roller
shaft by the tube retaining member; (c) the plastic tube covered metal roller
shaft inserted
through the respective aligned openings in the hinge brackets so that the
plastic tube prevents
metal to metal contact between the metal roller shaft and the metal hinge
brackets and metal
hinge plates; and (d )each respective roller including a ball bearing assembly
and a metal
separator with two spaced apart wheel sections with a gap over the metal
separator and
between the two wheel sections with a multiplicity of holes in each of the two
wheel sections,
a tire made of material selected from the group consisting of urethane and
polyurethane (PER)
within said gap and having a diameter larger than each respective wheel
section with
polyurethane extending through each respective hole in each respective wheel
section, each
respective roller wheel rolling on its respective tire within a respective
track.
[0033] Defined more broadly, the present invention is a hinge affixed
to and adapted
for use with two adjacent garage door panels with a garage door track adjacent
aligned ends of
the adjacent garage door panels and a roller wheel adapted to roll inside the
garage door track,
the hinge having two hinge plates with a respective hinge plate affixed to a
respective one of
the adjacent garage door panels, the two hinge plates rotatably connected by a
metal roller
shaft rotatably inserted between metal extensions aligned hinge plates, the
metal roller shaft
having a metal roller wheel at on end of the metal roller shaft and rollably
retained within the
garage door track, the hinge and roller wheel comprising: (a) a plastic tube
retained on the
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metal roller shaft, the plastic tube positioned between the metal roller shaft
and the metal
extends; and (b) the roller wheel including a ball bearing assembly and a
metal separator with
two spaced apart wheel sections with a gap over the metal separator and
between the two
wheel sections with a multiplicity of holes in each of the two wheel sections,
a tire made of
material selected from the group consisting of urethane and polyurethane (PER)
within said
gap and having a diameter larger than each respective wheel section diameter
with
polyurethane extending through at least two holes in each respective wheel
section, the roller
wheel rolling on its tire made of material selected from the group consisting
of urethane and
polyurethane (PER) within the garage door track.
[0034] Defined most broadly, the present invention is a roller wheel
connected to a
metal roller shaft rotatably interconnecting a hinge assembly having attaching
members
affixed to adjacent garage door panels, the roller wheel adapted to roll
inside a garage door
track positioned adjacent a respective aligned end of the adjacent garage door
panels, the roller
wheel comprising: (a) a collar retaining one end of the metal roller shaft, a
ball bearing
assembly aligned with the collar and a separator encircling the ball bearing
assembly, a first
wheel section adjacent a first radial side of the separator and a second wheel
section adjacent
an opposite side of the wheel separator, the first wheel section having a
first multiplicity of
spaced apart transverse openings, the second wheel section having a second
multiplicity of
spaced apart transverse openings, a circumferential gap surrounding the
separate and between
said first wheel section and said second wheel section; (b) a tire made of
polyurethane within
said gap, the polyurethane extends into said first multiplicity of transverse
openings and said
second multiplicity of transverse openings, the tire having a tire diameter
larger than a first
diameter of the first wheel section and larger than a diameter of the second
wheel section, the
roller wheel rotatably traveling in said garage door track on said tire made
of polyurethane.
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[0035] Further novel features and other objects of the present
invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended
claims, taken in
conjunction with the drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] Referring particularly to the drawings for the purpose of
illustration only and
not limitation, there is illustrated:
[0037] FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating a roller with a collar
retaining a metal
shaft extending from the roller and the present invention threads formed into
the metal roller
shaft and the plastic tube about to be inserted and threaded onto the shaft of
the roller;
[0038] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the roller shown with the
plastic injection
molded tube encircling the metal roller shaft and having been threaded onto
the metal shaft of
the roller through the threads on the metal shaft which are part of the
present invention;
[0039] FIG. 3 is a side view of the roller shown with the plastic
injection molded tube
encircling the metal roller shaft and having been threaded onto the metal
shaft of the roller
through the threads on the metal shaft which are part of the present
invention;
[0040] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the shaft extending from the
roller with a locking
member within the shaft and a plastic tube to be inserted onto the shaft of
the roller;
[0041] FIG. 5 is a top view of the completed embodiment of the plastic
tube affixed
onto the metal roller shaft;
[0042] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the new and improved rolled
plastic lined metal
roller shaft affixed through openings in the hinge plate which affixes the
assembly to the back
of a garage door which enables the track roller to roll up and down the track
and eliminates the
noise between the metal roller shaft and the metal portions of the hinge plate
due to the fact
that the shaft of the roller is now covered with plastic which is affixed onto
the shaft of the
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roller so that the plastic shaft reduces noise and assure that the plastic
shaft will not roll or fall
off the shaft of the roller;
[0043] FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of
the roller wheel
in the present invention with the two sections of the wheel retained together
by urethane
(PER);
[0044] FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of
the roller wheel
in the present invention with the two sections of the wheel retained together
by urethane
(PER);
[0045] FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of only the urethane (PER)
portion of the
wheel that is in the gap between two wheel sections and extends through the
openings of the
two sections;
[0046] FIG. 9A is a left side perspective view of only the two section
of the wheel
prior to the urethane (PER) portion being added;
[0047] FIG. 9B is a right side perspective view of only the two
section of the wheel
prior to the urethane (PER) portion being added; and
[0048] FIG. 10 is a front side perspective view of the present
invention urethane wheel
1200 with all of the urethane (PER) removed and a portion of the two
integrally formed
polyoxymethylene (POM) sections 1400A and 1400B removed to illustrate the
metal separator
and ball bearing assembly.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] Although specific embodiments of the present invention will
now bc described
with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments
are by way of
example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many
possible specific
embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present
invention.
Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which
the present
invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation
of the present
invention as further defined in the appended claims.
[0050] The parent application addressed the following problem with
noise created
when a garage door is moving up or down. When the parent application was
filed, it was
believed that the problem was not the roller wheel itself. The parent
application addressed the
perceived problem was that the noise came from the steel shaft of the roller
that slides into the
hinge and fixtures (top and bottom door brackets) of the garage door.
[0051] A problem with noise is that the steel garage door hinges and
fixtures have a
tube or round bracket that retains the roller's shaft. This allows the roller
to be retained and
allows the shaft to move freely side to side. As the garage door rolls up and
down, the rollers
move freely and the space in between the tube and metal roller shaft causes a
rattle because of
the metal-to-metal contact. This is why the door sounds shaky and noisy when
it is in motion.
Greasing or lubricating the rollers will not fix the problem of the rattling
sound. Even
installing the quietest belt drive garage door opener with the quietest hinges
and best precision
13-ball rollers will not guarantee that the door will be rattle-free in
operation.
[0052] The parent application invention is a roller with a Delrin0
plastic injection to
coat the steel shaft wherein the plastic coated shaft eliminates the metal-to-
metal contact that
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creates the noise. The new and improved Delring plastic coated shaft will be
lmm larger than
industry standard shafts because 10-11mrn industry standard shafts are too
loose in the hinge
barrels which allows the rattling. This improved metal roller shaft is 12mm at
finished
thickness to reduce the extra space. Closing the gap between the metal roller
shaft and hinge
barrel will eliminate the metal-to-metal contact resulting in a very quiet,
rolling garage door.
By keeping the finished thickness at 12mm on the new shaft, the roller will
still work on new
and old garage door hinges and fixtures. This makes the new and improved metal
roller shaft a
truly universal product that will work on 90% of garage doors in service and
almost all new
models. This is a long over-due improvement to garage door rollers.
[0053] Referring to Figure 1, there is illustrated a perspective view
which includes a
conventional roller wheel 10 which is placed into a track of a garage door so
that a garage
door can be rolled up and down with a pair of oppositely disposed rollers
respectively set
within oppositely disposed tracks adjacent opposite ends of the garage door.
The roller wheel
includes a collar 20 with the metal roller shaft 30 retained into the roller
wheel 10 by the
collar 20. The innovation of the present invention is to retain a plastic tube
or tire 40 made out
of material as described above selected from the group consisting of hard
thermoplastic (such
as Delrin8), urethane (PER) durable synthetic plastics. The plastic tube or
tire 40 has a
cylindrical outer wall 42 and a cylindrical inner chamber 44 surrounded by the
cylindrical
outer wall 42 and open at both a first end 46 and a second end 48. A tube
retaining member 50
is formed into the outer cylindrical wall 42 of the metal roller shaft 30. As
illustrated in Figure
1, the retaining member 50 is selected from the group consisting of treads,
threads or screw
threads are cut or otherwise formed into the outer wall 32 of metal roller
shaft 30. The plastic
tube 40 is injection molded on the metal roller shaft 30 and press molded
against the threads
60 and is thereby securely retained on the metal roller shaft 30.
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[0054] Referring to Figure 2, there is illustrated a perspective view
of the completed
present invention roller wheel assembly 100 which includes the roller wheel
10, the injection
molded plastic tube 40 encircling the metal roller shaft 30 retained at a
first end 34 through the
collar 20 and into the roller wheel 10, the plastic tube 40 having been
injection molded onto or
press fit onto the metal roller shaft 30. A detent 37 is at the second end 36
of the metal roller
shaft 30 to be crimped or have a retention member thereon to prevent the metal
roller shaft
from sliding out of the brackets of the hinge member (See Figure 6).
[0055] Referring to Figure 3, there is illustrated a perspective view
of the completed
present invention roller wheel assembly 100 which includes the roller wheel
10, the injection
molded plastic tube 40 encircling the metal roller shaft 30 retained at a
first end 34 through the
collar 20 and into the roller wheel 10, the plastic tube 40 having been molded
onto or press fit
onto the metal roller shaft 30. A detent 37 is at the second end 36 of the
metal roller shaft 30
to be crimped or have a retention member thereon to prevent the metal roller
shaft from,
sliding out of the brackets of the hinge member (See Figure 6).
[0056] Referring to Figure 4, there is illustrated a perspective view
of an alternative
embodiment of the present invention which includes a roller wheel 10A which is
placed into a
track of a garage door so that a garage door can be rolled up and down with a
pair of
oppositely disposed rollers respectively set within oppositely disposed tracks
adjacent
opposite ends of the garage door. The roller wheel 10A includes a collar 20A
with the metal
roller shaft 30A retained into the roller wheel 10A by the collar 20A. The
innovation of the
present invention is to retain a plastic tube or tire 40A made out of material
as described above
selected from the group consisting of hard thermoplastic (such as Delrine),
urethane (PER)
durable synthetic plastics. The plastic tube or tire 40A has a cylindrical
outer wall 42A and a
cylindrical inner chamber 44A surrounded by the cylindrical outer wall 42A and
open at both
a first end 46A and a second end 48A. A tube retaining member 50A is formed
into the outer
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cylindrical wall 32A of the metal roller shaft 30A. As illustrated in Figure
4, detents or at least
one locking member 37A (see Figure 5) are cut or otherwise formed into the
outer wall 32A of
metal roller shaft 30A. The plastic tube 40A is injection molded onto the
metal roller shaft
30A and retained thereon by the at least one locking member 37A so that the
plastic tube 40A
is securely retained on the metal roller shaft 30A.
[0057] Referring to Figure 5, there is illustrated a perspective view
of the completed
alternative embodiment of the present invention roller wheel assembly 200
which includes the
roller wheel 10A, the plastic tube 40A encircling the metal roller shaft 30A
retained at a first
end 34A through the collar 20A and into the roller wheel 10A, the plastic tube
40A having
been retained onto the metal roller shaft 30A. A detent 37A is at the second
end 36A of the
metal roller shaft 30A to be crimped or have a retention member thereon to
prevent the metal
roller shaft from sliding out of the brackets of the hinge member (See Figure
6).
[0058] Referring to Figure 6, there is illustrated a perspective view
of the new and
improved plastic lined metal roller shaft 30 affixed through openings 310 and
320 in hinge
bracket 330 affixed to first hinge plate 340 and openings 350 and 360 in hinge
bracket 370
affixed to hinge plate 380. First hinge plate 340 has a multiplicity of
openings 340A, 340B,
340C, 340D, and 340E through which fastening members affix first hinge plate
340 to the
back of a garage door panel. Second hinge plate 380 has a multiplicity of
openings 380A,
340B, 340C, 380D, and 380E through which fastening members affix second hinge
plate 380
to the back of a garage door panel. The hinge plates 340 and 380 are
respectively affixed at the
location of two adjacent garage door panels which enables the roller wheel 10
to roll up and
down a track (with an opposite roller wheel inside an opposite track) to
enable the garage door
to move up and down.
[0059] The plastic tube 40 covering the metal roller shaft 30
eliminates metal to metal
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contact between the metal roller shaft 30 and the metal brackets 330 and 370
and metal hinge
plates 340 and 380 to thereby significantly reduce the noise between the metal
roller shaft 30
and the metal portions of the hinge brackets and hinge plates of the hinge as
the garage moves
is moved upward and downwards.
[0060] The metal roller shaft can be covered with a plastic tube such
as 40 or 40A and
retained on the metal roller shaft 30 by retaining members such as treads,
threads, screw
threads, detents or other locking members. The metal roller shaft can also be
coated with
plastic and also the plastic can be heat formed or molded onto the metal
roller shaft 30. The
plastic covering also creates a tight press fit with the openings 310, 320,
350 and 360 with the
hinge brackets 330 and 370 respectively affixed to hinge plates 340 and 380 to
further reduce
noise and assure that the plastic shaft will not roll or fall out of the hinge
brackets 330 and
370. The plastic coating on the metal roller shaft causing the .plastic to
abut against the
openings 330, 320, 350 and 360 and therefore, the rattling noise of metal-to-
metal contact
known in the prior art is eliminated so that there is a much quieter action of
the garage door
roller as it rolls up and down the garage door track.
[0061] The present invention addresses a second problem that noise
also comes from
wheel rolling in the garage door track. Referring to Figures 7A, 7B, 8, 9A and
9B there is
illustrated a second embodiment roller wheel assembly 1010, similar to the
first embodiment
100, the injection molded plastic tube 40 encircling the metal roller shaft 30
is retained at a
first end 34 through the collar 20. The second embodiment roller wheel
assembly 1010 differs
from the first embodiment by the use of a urethane (PER) central tire 1100
(illustrated in
Figures 7A and 7B) which is injected into a central gap 1250 (see Figures 9A
and 9B) between
wheel section 1400A and 1400B (see Figures 9A and 9B) to form the present
invention
urethane tire 1200 as illustrated in Figures 7A and 7B.
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[0062] Referring to Figure 8, there is illustrated the central section
1100 which is made
of material selected from the group consisting of urethane and polyurethane
(PER) (jointly and
severally referred to throughout as "urethane (PER)"). The central section
1100 is entirely
comprised of urethane PER and the shape of the urethane (PER) central tire
wheel section
1100 illustrated in Figures 7A, 7B and 8 illustrates the remaining conceptual
portion of the
urethane (PER) central tire sections illustrating several protruding urethane
(PER) sections
which flow into openings or polyoxymethylene (POM) gaps in respective wheel
sections
1400A and 1400B. The protruding urethane (PER) sections are for illustration
and not
limitation purposes. The central tire wheel section 1100 illustrated in
Figures 7A and 7B
corresponds to the shape that fits into central gap 1250 located between the
two integrally
formed wheel sections 1400A and 1400B (illustrated in Figures 9A and 9B) to
form a tire after
it has hardened. Integrally formed wheel section 1400A has an outer
circumferential surface
1400A-ES and integrally formed wheel section 1400B has an outer
circumferential surface
1400B-ES Integrally formed sections 1400A and 1400B are typically made of
(POM), also
known as acetal, polyacetal and polyforrnaldehyde. POM is typically a hard
plastic that is
characterized by hardness and high strength. It is also within the spirit and
scope of the present
invention for two integrally formed POM sections to be made of thermoplastics.
[0063] Figure 7A is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of
the roller
wheel in the present invention with the two sections of the wheel retained
together by urethane
(PER). Figure 7B is a rear perspective view of a second embodiment of the
roller wheel in the
present invention with the two sections of the wheel retained together by
urethane (PER).
Figure 9A is a left side perspective view of only the two section of the wheel
prior to the
urethane (PER) portion being added. Figure 9B is a right side perspective view
of only the two
section of the wheel prior to the urethane (PER) portion being added.
CA 3027986 2018-12-18
[0064] Figures 9A and 9B illustrate the two POM sections 1400A and
1400B before
injection of polyurethane, Figure 8 illustrates what the injected polyurethane
would look like
after injection if there were no sections 1400A and 1400B. Figures 7A and7B
illustrate the
complete present invention wheel after the polyurethane injection.
[0065] During the creation of the present invention polyurethane
roller wheel 1200
which is comprised of urethane (PER) section 1100 and the two integrally
formed wheel
sections 1400A and 1400B, liquid polyurethane is injected into central gap
1250 and then the
liquid polyurethane flows from POM central gap 1250 into POM gaps 1210A,
1210B, 1210C,
1210D, 1210E, and 1210F in first wheel section 1400A as illustrated in Figures
9A and 9B. In
addition, when liquid polyurethane is injected into central gap 1250, then the
liquid
polyurethane flows from POM central gap 1250 into POM gaps 1410A, 1410B,
1410C,
1410D, 1410E, and 1410F in second wheel section 1400B as illustrated in
Figures 9A and 9B.
A portion of a gap is running through the entire transverse thickness of each
respective POM
section.
[0066] Referring to Figures 9A and 9B, first wheel section or POM
section 1400A has
an exterior surface 1400A-ES and an interior surface 1400A-1S and a thickness
T-1400A.
Referring to Figures 9A and 9B, second wheel section or POM section 1400B has
an exterior
surface 1400B-ES and an interior surface 1400B-IS and a thickness T-1400B.
While each
wheel section is shown with six (6) holes, openings, POM gaps or synonymous
terms, six (6)
is an arbitrary number and any number of holes from at least two (2) in each
wheel section
1400A and 1400B is within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0067] Referring to Figure 8, urethane (PER) section 1100 can be
divided into the
PER central section 1150 which fits into central gap 1250 and twelve (12)
protruding sections
Protruding sections 1110A, 1110B, 1110C, 1110D, 1110E, and 1110F respectively
fit into
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POM gaps 1210A, 1210B, 1210C, 1210D, 1210E, and 1210F. Protruding sections
1310A,
1310B, 1310C, 1310D, 1310E, and 1310F respectively fit into POM gaps 1410A,
1410B,
1410C, 1410D, 1410E, and 1410F. In Figures 7A and 7B, the protruding
polyurethane
sections are visible in each respective gap. Therefore, the protruding
polyurethane sections are
illustrated and numbered in Figures 7A and 7B and the POM gaps are illustrated
and
numbered in Figures 9A and 9B.
[0068] Referring to Figure 10, there is illustrated a front side
perspective view of the
present invention polyurethane roller wheel 1200 with all of the urethane
(PER) removed and
a portion of the two integrally formed POM sections 1400A and 1400B removed.
Referring to
Figure 10, there is illustrated the metal separator 1500 and ball bearing
assembly 2000. Ball
bearing assembly 2000 is located at the center of the present invention
polyurethane roller
wheel 1200. Ball bearing assembly 2000 may consist of five (5) to eleven (11)
ball bearings.
There is a circular metal separator 1500 that connects ball bearing assembly
2000 to POM
sections 1400A and 1400B.
[0069] Referring to Figures 7A, 7B and 10, when the urethane (PER)
section 1100 of
the present invention polyurethane roller wheel 1200 has been injected into
POM gaps 1210A,
1210B, 1210C, 1210D, 1210E, and 1210F and 1410A, 1410B, 1410C, 1410D, 1410E,
and
1410F and allowed to harden, the resulting polyurethane roller wheel 1200 has
a tire edge
1205 that is wearable item that will wear down during continued use as a car
tire would. The
present invention polyurethane roller wheel 1200 could then be re-injected
with more of the
polyurethane to restore the polyurethane roller wheel 1200 having a tire edge
1205 or it can be
replaced. During the time the urethane (PER) section 1100 has worn down, the
wheel will still
function; however, an increase in noise will be experienced based upon the
interaction of the
hard plastic with the garage door track as opposed to the polyurethane section
being in direct
contact with the garage door track.
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[0070] The present invention polyurethane roller wheel 1200 is
typically 2 inches and
the urethane (PER) section 1100 is approximately 1/8 of an inch beyond that.
The range of the
diameter would therefore be 2 inches plus 1/16 inch for the polyurethane
section (PUR) or tire
wheel 1100 and could be up to 1/4 inch. Therefore, the diameter of the
polyurethane wheel
1100 typically ranges from 2 and 1/16 inches to 2 1/4 inch with the preferred
diameter being 2
and 1/8 inches. It is within the spirit and scope of this invention though for
the dimensions of
the present invention polyurethane roller wheel 1200 to be larger or smaller
than the typically
dimensions and range given.
[0071] Of course the present invention is not intended to be
restricted to any particular
form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use,
disclosed herein, since
the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing
from the spirit
or scope of the claimed invention herein above shown and described of which
the apparatus or
method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative
embodiment and
not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention
might be
embodied or operated.
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