DE202019001692U1 - Laterally mounted swivel castor for suitcases and bags - Google Patents

Abstract

Swivel castors, which are mounted in pairs on the two largest sides of a suitcase or bag. characterized in that the roller (1) mounted by the axle (2) in the axle receptacle (4) has a vertical steering axle (5) in the middle of the roller width.

Description

Trunks and travel bags are usually provided with wheels to facilitate their transport. The majority of suitcases and travel bags have either a pair of fixed castors with a common virtual axis of rotation on an edge facing the floor, or usually 4 single or double castors that can be swiveled through 360 degrees, each of which is mounted in the 4 corners on the bottom sides.

The large swivel range of 360 degrees of these rollers takes up a larger volume per roller arrangement than the rollers themselves. Either the external dimensions of a case increase, or the rollers are partially integrated into the case volume, which results in a reduction in the packing volume. In order to reduce this unused volume and to reduce the weight of the travel case, the roles are kept as small as possible.

This affects poor driving behavior and a high level of driving noise, especially on uneven ground.

Castors, which can be swiveled through 360 degrees, protrude from its actual outer dimensions due to gravity, depending on the position of the case, and increase the volume of the case, especially when loading a case into a trunk or a luggage compartment.

INVENTION

The invention of the "lateral swivel castor" on suitcases and travel bags (here for short pieces of luggage ( 8th ), solve these problems. The swivel castors are not placed under the luggage ( 8th ) mounted on its surface facing the floor, but rather slim and space-saving in pairs laterally in the direction of travel, primarily on the two large side surfaces of a piece of luggage ( 8th ) on which a piece of luggage ( 8th ) is usually stored for opening. Here are the roles ( 1 ) over the edge of these side surfaces, over the surface of the case facing the floor, in order to have the space between floor and luggage ( 8th ) to create.

Similar to an automobile with all-wheel steering, the 2 rollers, which are each mounted one after the other on the left and right side, lie in one lane. For control purposes, the castors only swivel in a defined swivel range via their caster and not through 360 degrees as usual case rolls. Since the swivel castor, compared to the usual 360 degree swiveling suitcase roll, only takes up a small area to swivel, each individual swivel castor takes up much less volume in the case and takes up less space in a trunk.

Each individual swivel castor has a role ( 1 ) whose axis of rotation ( 2 ) with an axle mount ( 4th ), which in turn is connected to the steering axis ( 5 ) can pivot in a defined area and in a holder ( 7th ) is stored. The bracket ( 7th ) connects the swivel castor with the luggage ( 8th ).

The steering axis ( 5 ) the axle mount ( 4th ) and thus the role ( 1 ), is in the middle of the roll width ( 3 ) and in the direction of travel in front of the axis of rotation ( 2 ) the role ( 1 ) so that the role ( 1 ) has a lag. The role ( 1 ) can now, by force acting on the piece of luggage ( 8th ) and the bracket ( 7th ), left and right up to a stop ( 6th ) swivel in both directions from the central neutral position, which causes a steering impulse on the case.

Each roll of a lane can be rotated at a limited angle around your steering axis 5 ) swivel. Since both roles ( 1 ) with axle mounts ( 4th ) by a lateral force on the case ( 8th ) or the bag ( 8th ) swivel at the same time, the steering angles add up, so that despite the small swivel range of the roller, there is a small turning circle.

In order to achieve more stable straight-ahead running, the axle mount ( 4th ) together with the role ( 1 ) can be brought into the neutral position of the roller via a spring element. The same return to the neutral position can be achieved when the roller is loaded from above, even without a spring element, via an inclined position of the steering axis ( 5 ) around the axis ( 2 ) respectively.

Claims (6)

Swivel castors, which are mounted in pairs on the two largest sides of a suitcase or bag. characterized in that the roller (1) mounted by the axle (2) in the axle receptacle (4) has a vertical steering axle (5) in the middle of the roller width. Swivel castor after Claim 1 , characterized in that the steering axle (5) lies in front of the axle (2) in the direction of travel, thus resulting in a caster of the roller (1). Castor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spring element is located between the holder (7) and the axle receptacle (4), which resets the axle receptacle (4) and thus the axle (2) into a defined position. Steering roller according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the steering axis (5) is inclined about the axis (2) so that the roller (1) effects an automatic return to a defined position when the axle receptacle (4) is vertically loaded. Swivel castor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (7) is part of the case or bag side surface, or is firmly connected to it. Swivel castor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the castor (1), the axle receptacle (4) and the holder (7) are made of plastic or metal.

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