Roller assembly for a sliding vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12291908-B2
Application number	US-202217849619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2022
Priority date	Jan 31, 2020
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

A roller assembly for a sliding vehicle door includes a bracket structure having a first and second inner horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an inner vertical surface of the track member. The bracket structure further includes at least a first and second vertical guide roller arranged to interact with a first inner surface of the track member, a resiliently arranged rotatable member arranged to interact with a second inner surface of the track member and at least one outer horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an outer vertical surface of the track member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roller assembly for a sliding vehicle door configured for moving in relation to a track member of a vehicle, the roller assembly comprising a bracket structure comprising a first inner horizontal guide roller and a second inner horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an inner vertical surface of the track member, wherein the bracket structure further comprises at least a first vertical guide roller and a second vertical guide roller arranged to interact with a first inner horizontal surface of the track member, a resiliently arranged rotatable member arranged to interact with a second inner horizontal surface of the track member and at least one outer horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an outer vertical surface of the track member.

2. The roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the resiliently arranged rotatable member is arranged between the first vertical guide roller and the second vertical guide roller on the bracket structure, wherein the resiliently arranged rotatable member is essentially aligned with a vertical plane of rotation of the first vertical guide roller and the second vertical guide roller.

3. The roller assembly according to claim 2 , wherein a first hub of the first vertical guide roller, a second hub of the second vertical guide roller and a contacting point of the resiliently arranged rotatable member are arranged in a triangular relationship essentially in the vertical plane of rotation of the first vertical guide roller and the second vertical guide roller.

4. The roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the resiliently arranged rotatable member comprises a ball bearing arranged in a spring-loaded seat attached to the bracket structure.

5. The roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer horizontal guide roller comprises a first outer horizontal guide roller and a second outer horizontal guide roller that are each arranged to interact with the outer vertical surface of the track member.

6. The roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer horizontal guide roller is arranged in an outer horizontal plane of rotation separated from an inner horizontal plane of rotation in which the first inner horizontal guide roller and the second inner horizontal guide roller are arranged.

7. The roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one outer horizontal guide roller is arranged on an outer horizontal guide roller bracket arranged to be attached to the bracket structure.

8. A vehicle door comprising the roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the roller assembly is rotatably attached to a roller assembly arm.

9. A vehicle body comprising the roller assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the roller assembly is rotatably attached to a roller assembly arm.

10. A system comprising a roller assembly for a sliding vehicle door and a track member of a vehicle, wherein the roller assembly is configured for moving in relation to the track member, the roller assembly comprising a bracket structure comprising a first inner horizontal guide roller and a second inner horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an inner vertical surface of the track member, wherein the bracket structure further comprises at least a first vertical guide roller and a second vertical guide roller arranged to interact with a first inner horizontal surface of the track member, a resiliently arranged rotatable member arranged to interact with a second inner horizontal surface of the track member and at least one outer horizontal guide roller arranged to interact with an outer vertical surface of the track member.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the track member is one of:
a lower track member, the first inner horizontal surface is a lower inner horizontal surface and the second inner horizontal surface is an upper inner horizontal surface, or
an upper track member, the first inner horizontal surface is an upper inner horizontal surface and the second inner horizontal surface is a lower inner horizontal surface.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the roller assembly is rotatably attached to a roller assembly arm, wherein the roller assembly arm with the roller assembly is arranged to interact with the track member.

13. A vehicle comprising a system according to claim 10 .

14. A vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the vehicle is a B-pillarless vehicle.

Assignees

• Ningbo Geely Automobile Res & Development Co Ltd
• Geely Holding Group Co Ltd
• Ningbo Geely Automobile Res & Dev Co Ltd

Inventors

• Marega Luca
• Buravalli Koteswara Rao

Classifications

• B60J5/06

  slidable; foldable · CPC title

• E05D15/1047

  specially adapted for vehicles (E05D15/1044 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05Y2800/35

  of specific parts · CPC title

• E05Y2201/692

  having vertical axes · CPC title

• E05Y2201/64

  Carriers · CPC title