CA1094623A - Bearing assembly for use in rocking chairs and other similar uses - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A bearing assembly for pivotally mounting two members with respect to each other is disclosed. The bearing assembly comprises a bushing made of plastic material and adapted to be inserted into a hole in one of the members and a journal also made of plastic material and having a shaft mounted on such bushing, an extension of such shaft adapted to be inserted in the other member and a flange between the shaft and such extension for separating the two members.

Description

6~3 This invention relates to a bearing assembly for usa in rocking chairs and other similar uses whEre the load and spsed o-~ rotation of the bsaring assembly is relatively low D
Rocking chairs and other domestic appliances o~ that type are usually provided with very cruda bearing assernblies which, unfortunately, wear out rapidly for a number o~ reasons.
It is therefore the object of the present inventiDn tD provide a bearing assembly for rocking chairs and other similar domestic uses which i5 non expensive and which will last much longer than the known devices of thattype~
The bearing assembly for pivotally mounting two members with respect to sach other, in accordance with the inventi~n, comprises a bushing made of plastic material and adapted to be inserted into a hole in one of the members and a journal also made of plas-tic material and having a sha~t mounted in such bushing, an extension of such shaft adapted to be inserted in the other member and a flange between the shaft and such extension for separating the two members.
The sleeve o~ the bearing assembly may be provided with external ribs sngaging the wall of the hole in the one member.
The journal may also bs provided with a longitudinal hole for ventilation purposes so as to allow adequate heat removal ~rom the journal~
Th~ invention will now be disclosed~ by way of example, with referencs to the accompanying drawingsg in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a rocking chair equipped with the bearing assembly in accordancs with the invention;
Fisure 2 illustrates a perspective exploded view D~ a bearing assembly in accordance with the invention;
Figure 3 illustrates a side view of the bearing assembly with a portion o~ the slesVe thereo~ in section;
Figure 4 illustrates an end view o~ the bearing assembly~ and Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the installation of the bearing assembly on two membars mounted ~or relative movement with respect to each other.

- 2 -Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, thers is shown a rooking chair 10 comp~ising a seat 12 mounted on a pair ~f lower horizontal arms 14. Lower arms 14 are suspend~d from a pair o~ uppsr horizantal arms 16 by means o~ two substantially ~ertical arms 18. Upper horizontal arms 16 are secured to the base 20 o~ the ohairu Vertioal arms 18 are pi~otally mounte~ with respect to horizontal arms 14 and 16 by means of a bearing assembly in acc~rdancs with the invsntion. As shown in Figures 1~3, th~ bearing assembly comprises generally a bushing 22 which i5 mounted in a suitable hols in one of the arms such as arm 14 as shown more clearly in Figures 5 a~d 6, and a journal 24 which is mounted in the othsr arm. Both the bushing and the journal ara made o~ plastic material such 2S polycarbonate, The bushing 22 is provided with a flange 25 and a cylindrical body having a plurality of ribs 26 on its outside cir~um~erencs so as t~
positivsly engage ths wall of the hols in one of the arms~ The bushing has a lonoitudinal bore 2a at one end fcr receiving the journal and is closed at its other end by end wall 3~. Wall 30 has a hole 32 therein f~r ventilation and cooling of the bushing.
Ths journal has a sha~t 34 inserted int~ bore 28 of the bushing and an extension 36 adapted to be inserted in arm lB as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Between sha~t 34 and extension 36 is a flange 38 separating the two ar~s 14 and 18 and thus preventing contact and wsar of t~e arms during relati~e movement thersQ~. A longitudinal hole 40 is providad in the jou~nal ~or vsnti~aticn and thereby heat dissipation dus to ~ricticn ~ rotaticn. Hole 40 also allows expansion and thus reduces changes in extsrnal di~met0r of the shaft 34 due to heating D~ the plastic matsrial and thus excessive wear of the bearing IRsembly-The besring a~sembly o~ the invention can also be ~sed as a roller ~or sliding doDrs and the like.
Flan~ 38 is wsed as a ~heel and sha~t extension 36~ which is dentioal to sha~t 34,is insarted in a second bushing 22. The two hushings 22 ~re forae fitted into aligned holes made in th~ sid~s o~ a groova recoiviQg wheel 38 at the bottom of the sliding doo~O

Although the invsntion has besn disclosed with reference to a prefsrred embodifn~nt thersof~ it i5 to be undsrstoo~ that alt~rnativ~
arrangements are also envisaged. For ~xample~ ext~rflal ribs may nDt be requir~d on the ~utside circumfsrenoe of $hs bushing. Furthsrmo~, the longitudinal hole through thP journal rnay not be requir~d in cases wh~rs thf3re is not snough friction for providing hsat rsmoval.

Claims (2)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A bearing assembly for pivotally mounting two members with respect to each other, comprising a bushing made of plastic material consisting of a cylindrical body having longitudinally extending external ribs, a longitudinal bore open at one end of said body, an end wall closing the other end of said bore, and a first flange radially protruding from said one end of said body, said body adapted to be inserted into a hole in one member with said first flange abutting against said one member, and a journal of plastic material consisting of a shaft having a second flange mounted thereon between the ends of the shaft, so that one portion of the shaft extends from one side of the second flange, and the other and remainder portion of the shaft extends from the opposite side of the second flange, one of said portions of the shaft being received in the bore of said bushing, and the other and remainder portion of said shaft adapted to be inserted into a ???? in the other member, with said second flange separating said two members and abutting against said first flange and against said other member, said second flange having a larger diameter than the diameter of said first flange, said shaft having a longitudinal hole therein opening at both ends thereof, said end wall having an aperture in register with said hole.

2. A bearing assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said second flange is mounted mid-way on said shaft.