DE20021155U1 - castor - Google Patents

Description

S 22.255 G-DE/ah Heinrich Blickle GmbH u. Co. KG December 14, 2000/ah

STEERING CASTOR

The present invention relates to a steering roller comprising a steering fork,

whose two fork legs, which run essentially parallel to each other from the fork head, are each provided with at least one opening for a wheel axle of at least one wheel and

which can be pivoted about a pivot axis oriented essentially at right angles to the impeller axis.

Various such castors are known from the prior art, whereby the basic problem is, on the one hand, to level the object to which the castors are assigned, for example in the case of uneven ground and/or in the case of an inclined floor, and, on the other hand, to lock or brake the castor.

The background to this problem is the desire or the need for the castors and thus the object carried by the respective upper side of the castors, such as a vehicle, in particular a garbage container, a bedside table or the like, to be able to move freely when loaded, i.e. when the load is increased to the

Castors are essentially fixed or braked in place at the installation location.

There are various proposals in the state of the art for this, which relate to leveling and locking or braking the castors at the location where the mobile objects are set up. For example, conventional systems use so-called adjustable "locking feet" which are only extended at the location where the mobile object is set up and support the object. In these conventional systems, the castors are only used to move the object and have no contact with the ground when the object is locked or braked.

Although it is certainly possible to level and lock or brake the mobile objects at the installation site using such conventional systems, the complicated underbody structure of the mobile object proves to be disadvantageous in that such conventional systems become complicated and technically complex and therefore expensive, especially since not only the castors but also the locking feet have to be mounted; these locking feet are usually quite complicated devices with a toggle lever mechanism or the like.

In this context, it is also important to consider the fact that such castors often have to carry objects of enormous weight, so that with an increasing number of components and elements, wear and tear also increase.

Susceptibility to such disruption increases significantly.

Castors

in

Based on the disadvantages and deficiencies outlined above, the object of the present invention is to provide a swivel castor by means of which the transport, leveling, locking or braking of mobile objects at the installation site can be accomplished in a simple, cost-effective and safe manner.

This object is achieved in a swivel castor of the type mentioned above according to the teaching of the present invention in that

that each of the openings is designed as an elongated hole extending substantially in the direction of the pivot axis and

that at least one curved spring, in particular a leaf spring, is provided, which is fixed to the steering fork,

which comes into contact with the impeller axle and

which presses the wheel axle away from the fork head into the end area of the elongated holes facing away from the fork head as a rebound position.

Advantageous embodiments and expedient further developments of the present invention are characterized in the dependent claims.

The castor can, in a manner essential to the invention, have at least one essentially flat fastening plate designed as a base plate for fastening or fixing the castor to the underside of an object, in particular a

Vehicle or mobile object, such as a garbage container, a bedside table or the like, with the top of the mounting plate.

In addition to this, the steering fork of the swivel castor intended to accommodate the wheel can be attached in a manner essential to the invention via at least one swivel ring on the underside of the fastening or base plate in order to ensure the rotational mobility of the steering fork with fork head about the pivot axis; the fastening or base plate can in this context be firmly connected to a spherical disk.

The person skilled in the art in the field of tire and roller technology will particularly appreciate with regard to the present invention that the castor is sprung and height-adjustable in that the wheel axle can be moved back and forth along the slot-shaped opening between a sprung position in which the castor can move freely around the wheel axle under the basic load and a sprung position in which the castor can move freely around the wheel axle under the load (= increase in the load on the castors) including the basic load is fixed or braked.

For this purpose, according to a particularly inventive development of the present swivel castor, at least one brake tab fixed to the fork head, extending into the free space between the fork legs, preferably bent, can be provided,

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which in an appropriate manner

is released from the circumference of the wheel when the wheel is extended (--> free movement of the castor around the wheel axis is given, i.e. castor in unbraked state) and

when the wheel is compressed, it comes into contact with the circumference of the wheel in a frictional and/or positive-locking manner and with braking (--> the swivel castor cannot move freely around the wheel axis, i.e. the swivel castor is in a fixed or braked state because the wheel sits on the brake plate).

In order to provide a spring-loaded and height-adjustable castor within the scope of the present invention, in which the running mobility of the wheel about its axis can be locked or braked (this reliably prevents the object carried by the castors from rolling away, for example in the case of sloping and/or uneven ground), the spring (--> adjustment of the height of the castor) and the brake tab (--> locking or braking of the running mobility of the castor) are particularly preferably arranged in a combination of effects.

The above-mentioned combination of effects manifests itself in a particularly surprising way if the spring and the brake plate are expediently designed as one piece, so that the fixing of the castor with respect to the running mobility mediated by the brake plate is adapted in a particularly inventive way to the adjustability of the construction height of the castor mediated by the spring.

can be coupled.

Further embodiments, features and advantages of the present invention are described below in the drawings with reference to Figures 1 to 5, which illustrate an embodiment of a swivel castor according to the present invention in exemplary form.

It shows:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a swivel castor according to the present invention in the rebound position (position A; base load), in plan view;

Fig. 2 shows the swivel castor according to Fig. 1 in the rebound position (position A; basic load), in a sectional view along the section line I - I in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the swivel castor in the compressed position (position B; base load + payload) according to Fig. 1 and 2, in plan view;

Fig. 4 the swivel castor according to Fig. 3 in the compressed position (position B; basic load + payload), in a sectional view along the section line III - III of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 the swivel castor according to Fig. 1 to 4, in side-rear perspective view.

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Identical or similar components or features of the invention are provided with identical reference numerals in Figures 1 to 5.

Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment of a spring-loaded and height-adjustable castor according to the present invention in various, partially perspective views:

The swivel castor, which as a whole is characterized by a compact and cost-effective design, has a fastening plate, with the upper side of which can be seen in Figure 5, the swivel castor is fixed to the underside of an object not shown in Figures 1 to 5 for reasons of clarity, for example a garbage container, a bedside table or the like.

Furthermore, a (steering) fork 8 is arranged on the underside of the fastening plate, the two fork legs 8a, 8b of which run parallel to one another from the fork head 1 and are each provided with an opening 6 for a wheel axle 3 of a wheel 4. Between the openings 6 there is an impeller bushing or wheel sleeve 11 for guiding the wheel axle 3 which runs at right angles to a pivot axis 7 and which can be moved from a rebound position A corresponding to a release position (see Figures 1 and 2) to a rebound position B corresponding to a locking position or braking position (see Figures 3 and 4) (see the explanations below).

The free end area of the fork leg 8a or

8b of the steering fork 8 is provided as an elongated hole extending in the direction of the pivot axis 7 for the impeller axle 3 of a wheel 4 held in the steering fork 8 and rotatable about the impeller axle 3. This steering fork 8 is fixed via a slewing ring so that it can rotate about the pivot axis 7 extending at right angles to the plane of the fastening plate (see Figures 1 to 4).

The impeller axle 3 is now provided with a multi-edge attachment, the width of which essentially corresponds to the width of the elongated hole 6. With this multi-edge attachment, an impeller axle screw 12 in the elongated hole 6 is secured against twisting; the impeller bushing or impeller sleeve 11 clamped between the impeller axle screw 12 and an impeller axle nut 13 is also secured against twisting.

As can be further seen from Figures 1 to 5, the steering roller according to the present invention has a curved molded part 2, 5 made of metal, which is connected by screwing in a force-fitting manner to the underside of the steering fork 8 facing the running wheel 4.

In detail, the molded part 2, 5 is fixed between a steering fork screw 9 and a steering fork nut 10 and secured against twisting (cf. Figures 2 and 4); with this molded part 2, 5, both the free running mobility of the running wheel 4 about the running wheel axis 3 can be fixed and the height of the running wheel axis 3 of the running wheel 4 can be adjusted for the purpose of leveling the mobile object.

For this purpose, the wheel bushing or wheel sleeve 11 is movably mounted along the elongated hole 6, whereby an adjustment of the height of the wheel axle 3 of the wheel 4 and consequently the construction height of the swivel castor takes place in a particularly advantageous manner without loosening and re-tightening the wheel axle nut 13.

From the representations of Figures 1 to 5 it can be seen that a larger section of the integrally formed molded part 2, 5 is formed as a curved leaf spring 2 which is fixed to the steering fork 8 and which comes into contact with the impeller axle 3 and which presses the impeller axle 3 away from the fork head 1 into the end region of the elongated holes 6 facing away from the fork head 1 as a spring-loaded position.

Since the impeller 4 is now designed as a twin wheel with two individual wheels 4a, 4b arranged at a distance from one another (see Figures 1, 3 and 5), the leaf spring 2 comes to rest between the individual wheels 4a, 4b of the impeller 4 on the impeller axle 3 (alternatively or in addition to this, the leaf spring can also press on the impeller axle 3 "outside", i.e. outside the individual wheels 4a, 4b of the impeller 4); in this context, the free end region of the leaf spring 2 acting on the impeller axle 3 is approximately semicircular in cross section and faces away from the fork head 1 with its open part.

From the representations of Figures 1 to 4 it is further apparent that a smaller section of the integrally formed molded part 2, 5 is designed as a groove fixed to the fork head 1, extending into the free space between the fork legs 8a, 8b,

its free end region is formed in a cross-section approximately semicircular brake tab 5, which

when the running wheel 4 is retracted, it is released from the circumference of the running wheel 4 (see Figures 1 and 2: retracted position A, where the preload force of the leaf spring 2 is greater than the basic load of the castor), so that the running mobility of the running wheel 4 around the running wheel axis 3 is given, and

when the impeller 4 is compressed, it comes into contact with the circumference of the impeller 4 in a frictional and braking manner (cf. Figures 3 and 4: compressed position B), so that the running mobility of the impeller 4 about the impeller axis 3 is fixed because the impeller 4 sits on the bent brake tab 5.

This brake tab 5 therefore enables the running mobility of the running wheel 4 to be fixed or braked around the running wheel axis 3, in a way that is achieved by clamping, in that the brake tab 5 comes to rest frictionally on the circumference of the running wheel 4 (--> preventing the object carried by the castors from rolling away, for example in the case of sloping and/or uneven ground).

In order to be able to define and adjust the specific position of the impeller axle 3 and thus of the impeller 4 between the release position (= position A; see Figures 1 and 2) and the locking position or braking position (= position B; see Figures 3 and 4), the preload force of the leaf spring 2 can be determined by its thickness and shape as well as by the shape of the slot 6 and by the height of the slot.

6 can be adjusted.

In other words, this means that by varying the spring sheet thickness and the spring contour, almost continuously different spring characteristics can be achieved; in the same way, the spring travel of the leaf spring 2 can be adjusted by the height of the elongated hole 6.

In summary, it can be stated that by means of the molded part 2, 5, one end region of which is assigned to the leaf spring 2 and the other end region of which is assigned to the brake tab 5, a position between the non-compressed release position (= position A; see Figures 1 and 2) and the compressed locking position or braking position (= position B; see Figures 3 and 4) can be defined and set:

In the release position, the castor is free to move the wheel 4; correspondingly, the brake plate 5 is held in a released position, which is the upper position in Figure 1. In the release position, the castor has the lowest overall height, i.e. the wheel axle 3 (with wheel bushing or wheel sleeve 11, wheel axle screw 12 including polygonal projections and wheel axle nut 13) rests against the lower end of the elongated hole 6 due to the effect of the spring force of the leaf spring 2 (see Figures 1 and 2).

In order to achieve the locking position, however, the brake plate 5 is pressed onto the circumference of the wheel 4; as a result, the brake plate 5 comes into contact with the wheel 4 and the wheel 4 is braked. In order to

In order to be able to fulfil the previously described interaction between the leaf spring 2 and the brake plate 5, the moulded part 2, 5 tapers from the area associated with the brake plate 5 towards the area associated with the spring 2 (cf. Figures 1, 3 and 5).

In other words, this means that the molded part 2, 5 is widest in the end region of the brake plate 5, which corresponds to the design of the impeller 4 as a twin wheel with two individual wheels 4a, 4b arranged at a distance from one another, because in this way, in the locking position of position B (cf. Figures 3 and 4), both individual wheels 4a and 4b are gripped and braked by the brake plate 5.

In the locking position, the overall height of the castor is reduced in this context to the extent that the wheel axle 3 is moved under the load of the payload including the base load against the effect of the spring force of the leaf spring 2 from the lower end region of the elongated hole 6 (cf. Figures 1 and 2) towards the upper end region of the elongated hole 6 (cf. Figures 3 and 4).

In this way, the object that can be moved by means of the castors according to the present invention can also be leveled at the installation site, the maximum construction height of the castor being given by the length of the elongated hole 6 in the leg forks 8a, 8b of the steering fork 8; in principle, the construction height of the castor is therefore adjusted by means of the molded part 2, 5.

Finally, with regard to Figures 1 to 5, it should be added that the steering fork 8 can be pivoted about the slewing ring and is designed to accommodate the running wheel 4, the slewing ring being relieved in the locking or braking position (= position B; cf. Figures 3 and 4) in that the force can be introduced from the running wheel 4 optionally via the molded part 2, 5 to the fastening plate or to a part firmly connected to the fastening plate.

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S 22.255 G-DE/ah Heinrich Blickle GmbH u. Co. KG December 14, 2000/ah

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 fork head

2 Spring, especially leaf spring

3 Wheel axle

4 wheel, especially twin wheel 4a first single wheel

4b second single wheel

5 Brake tab

6 Opening, especially slot

7 Swivel axis

8 Steering fork

8a first fork leg

8b second fork leg

9 Steering fork screw

10 Steering fork nut

11 Impeller bushing or impeller sleeve

12 Wheel axle screw

13 Wheel axle nut

Claims (23)

1. Castor wheel comprising a steering fork ( 8 ), - the two fork legs ( 8 a, 8 b) of which extend essentially parallel to one another from the fork head ( 1 ) are each provided with at least one opening ( 6 ) for a wheel axle ( 3 ) of at least one wheel ( 4 ) and - which can be pivoted about a pivot axis ( 7 ) oriented substantially at right angles to the impeller axis ( 3 ), characterized , - that each of the openings ( 6 ) is designed as an elongated hole extending substantially in the direction of the pivot axis ( 7 ) and - that at least one curved spring ( 2 ), in particular a leaf spring, is provided, which is fixed to the steering fork ( 8 ), - which comes into contact with the impeller axle ( 3 ) and - which presses the wheel axle ( 3 ) away from the fork head ( 1 ) into the end region of the elongated holes facing away from the fork head ( 1 ) as a rebound position. 2. Castor according to claim 1, characterized in that the running wheel ( 4 ) is designed as a twin wheel with two individual wheels ( 4a , 4b ) arranged at a distance from one another. 3. Castor according to claim 2, characterized in that the spring ( 2 ) - between the individual wheels ( 4 a, 4 b) of the wheel ( 4 ) and/or - outside the individual wheels ( 4 a, 4 b) of the wheel ( 4 ) comes into contact with the impeller axle ( 3 ). 4. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the free end region of the spring ( 2 ) is approximately semicircular in cross section. 5. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the free end region of the spring ( 2 ) with the opened part faces away from the fork head ( 1 ). 6. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one brake plate ( 5 ) is provided which is fixed to the fork head ( 1 ) and extends into the free space between the fork legs ( 8a , 8b ), which - when the impeller ( 4 ) is extended, it is released from the circumference of the impeller ( 4 ) (position A) and - when the impeller ( 4 ) is compressed, it comes into contact with the circumference of the impeller ( 4 ) in a frictional and/or positive-locking manner and in a braking manner (position B). 7. Castor according to claim 6, characterized in that the mobility of the running wheel ( 4 ) about the running wheel axis ( 3 ) is fixed when the running wheel ( 4 ) is compressed. 8. Castor according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the free end region of the brake tab ( 5 ) is bent approximately in a hook shape or approximately semicircular in cross section. 9. Castor according to at least one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the spring ( 2 ) and the brake tab ( 5 ) are formed in one piece. 10. Castor according to claim 9, characterized in that the spring ( 2 ) and the brake tab ( 5 ) are formed from a bent molded part ( 2 , 5 ), in particular a metal part, in particular a sheet metal part, one region of which is assigned to the spring ( 2 ) and the other region of which is assigned to the brake tab ( 5 ). 11. Castor according to claim 10, characterized in that the molded part ( 2 , 5 ) has a shape tapering from the region associated with the brake tab ( 5 ) to the region associated with the spring ( 2 ). 12. Castor according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the molded part ( 2 , 5 ) is connected in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting and/or material-fitting manner to the steering fork ( 8 ), in particular to the underside of the steering fork ( 8 ) facing the running wheel ( 4 ). 13. Castor wheel according to at least one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the molded part ( 2 , 5 ) is connected to the steering fork ( 8 ), in particular to the underside of the steering fork ( 8 ) facing the running wheel ( 4 ), by welding, in particular by spot welding, and/or by riveting and/or by screwing. 14. Castor according to at least one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the molded part ( 2 , 5 ) is fixed between at least one steering fork screw ( 9 ) and at least one steering fork nut ( 10 ) and is secured against twisting. 15. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the wheel axle ( 3 ) is guided by at least one wheel bushing or wheel sleeve ( 11 ) which is arranged between the fork legs ( 8a , 8b ) of the steering fork ( 8 ). 16. Castor according to claim 15, characterized in that the running wheel ( 4 ) is mounted on the running wheel bushing or running wheel sleeve ( 11 ). 17. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the wheel axle ( 3 ) is provided on at least one side with at least one square or polygonal projection, the width across flats of which corresponds essentially to the width of the opening ( 6 ). 18. Castor according to claim 17, characterized in - that at least one wheel axle screw ( 12 ) is secured against twisting with the square or polygonal attachment in the opening ( 6 ) and/or - that the impeller bushing or impeller sleeve ( 11 ) which can be clamped between the impeller axle screw ( 12 ) and at least one impeller axle nut ( 13 ) is secured against twisting. 19. Castor according to claim 18, characterized in - that the impeller bushing or impeller sleeve ( 11 ) is movable along the opening ( 6 ), in particular vertically movable, and - that the height of the wheel axle ( 3 ) of the wheel ( 4 ) and the height of the swivel castor can be adjusted without loosening and re-tightening the wheel axle nut ( 13 ). 20. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the steering fork ( 8 ) is pivotable about at least one swivel ring and is designed to receive the wheel ( 4 ). 21. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the preload force of the spring ( 2 ) is greater than the base load of the castor (position A). 22. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the prestressing force of the spring ( 2 ) - by the thickness and/or the shape of the spring ( 2 ) and/or - by the shape and/or height of the opening ( 6 ) is customizable. 23. Castor according to at least one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the spring travel of the spring ( 2 ) is adjustable by the height of the opening ( 6 ).