DE3018994A1 - CARRYING ROLL FOR CASE AND THE LIKE - Google Patents

Description

Roller for suitcases and the like

Suitcases of medium and large dimensions are so heavy when fully packed that it <for the Often, users are very troublesome, one or even two Suitcases from the house to the means of transport or vice versa and to be carried at transfer points from one means of transport to another. Therefore have been around for some Time suitcases have been developed in which support rollers are generally paired - at the one facing away from the suitcase handle lower long side or at the transition point from the lower long side to one of the two transverse sides are attached. If only one pair of idlers is used, they are unguided rollers. As far as two pairs of idlers are attached, either both pairs are steered rollers or one pair each steered and unguided roles.

If there is only one pair of rollers near one edge of the case, there is usually one on the opposite side of the case additional carrying or guide handle available, the Sometimes it can be pulled out or folded out on the case. The user must use this guide handle

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lift the case on one side and carry part of the weight of the case. When moving in sections, for example in a queue at a counter, the suitcase user has to bend down each time to get the Lift the case by the case handle and then put it down again. In the case of a large suitcase with a high one The focus is on tilting and tumbling to the side, especially on uneven ground Suitcases unavoidable. This can be done with the generally very narrow carrying or guide handles hardly cope. They call very heavy loads and corresponding signs of fatigue in the suitcase partially carrying and leading hand.

With four support rollers, the case rests exclusively on these rollers and is either in a stooped position yuzogen on the case handle or in an upright position on a separate foot strap. The idlers are in generally firmly connected to the frame on the outside of the case. Despite the smallness of these roles and their bearing brackets, they protrude from the case in full. This harbors the risk that the idlers when Driving over a threshold or a depression in the ground get stuck and be damaged or even torn off will. In most cases, the suitcase itself is also affected. The ones sticking out fully from the suitcase Carrying rollers are also noticeable disadvantageously when such a suitcase is in a luggage rack on one Luggage trolleys or in a container either pushed onto a shelf or onto other items of luggage or removed from it shall be.

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The difficulties with the carrying rollers protruding from the suitcase are avoided in a known support roller, which as an unguided roller in. A bearing housing Plastic is rotatably mounted, which has a recess that the roller on your Uprising area turned away from the side like a hood large part surrounds. The part of the housing adjoining the recess is of a flange-like design. These The conveyor roller is attached in pairs on the rounded edge of the case between the long side and one of the two transverse sides used. In this area there are two recesses on the case frame, Ln the hood-like Part of each one of the two bearing housings is inserted. The flange-like part of the bearing housing follows the curvature of the edge of the case and hugs it. On the two lengthways Ends is the flange-like part of the housing with the Case frame riveted. With these idlers results a relatively flat increase in the idler rollers compared to the long side and the transverse side of the case. These A favorable effect can only be achieved at the edge of the suitcase, where you can get by with a pair of rollers, because the case can be set up more or less far there and can therefore also be steered. This forced Restriction to one pair of rollers on the edge of the case, however, again means that the user of one such suitcase must take over a not inconsiderable part of the luggage load as a load.

The disadvantages of both systems, namely the one attached to the outside of a suitcase and there in two pairs of rollers protruding at the full height and one of the one that is placed on the edge of the case

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pairs, are avoided with another support roller (patent application P 30 07 863.8) in the case of the to / egg support roller pairs on a side of the case, generally on one of the transverse sides, are housed, each one Have swivel castor which is pivotably arranged on a bearing housing, which the swivel castor on the of The side facing away from its contact area partially surrounds a hood-like manner and its side walls are symmetrical to the Center position of the castor are arranged at a distance from each other, the pivot angle of the Castor limited to a relatively small swivel range. The hood-like part of the bearing housing this support roller has such a small lateral expansion that it can be used in suitcases of normal dimensions with suitcase halves of about the same height even in one Recess in the frame of these case halves can be without the strength of the case frame would be weakened noticeably. This allows the Support rollers are arranged sunk so far on the case that they only have the on the outside of the case Have overhang, which is the ground clearance of the suitcase Roles is required or desired. At the same time, such a case still has such great maneuverability, that it can be guided around its own body axis by its user with a half-stretched arm.

In this support roller, the stationary part of the swivel bearing of the steering roller is arranged on the bearing housing itself. This requires certain materials for the bearing housing and also a certain order of assembly of the Parts of the idler roller as well as certain minimum dimensions of some parts, in particular the bearing block, in order to

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days to be able to carry out. The specified in claim 1 The invention is based on the object of designing this support roller so that there is greater freedom in the choice of material for the bearing housing, and that the assembly of the individual parts of the support roller and the the entire conveyor roller is relieved and is less dependent on certain dimensions of the individual parts and vice versa.

Through the recess on the bearing housing and through the cooperating projection on the stationary part of the Shoe / enklager for the swivel castor can pull the swivel castor through a simple pushing-in process on the bearing housing can be brought into their operating position. The additional Connection element at a location remote from the first connection point is with the swivel castor can be fully attached to the bearing housing in just a few steps and operations. As a result, the entire swivel castor with its pivot bearing on the bearing block and its pivot bearing with the afterwards stationary part can be completely assembled before installation in the bearing housing without these operations being carried out by the Bearing housing are hindered. Including the separate manufacture and assembly of the swivel castor of their pivot bearing, the most suitable material can be selected for each of the individual parts. This means that, for example, the fixed part of the pivot bearing, on which a strong pivot pin is generally used is firmly riveted, can be made from a sufficiently thick sheet steel section. Rolling body raceways can optionally be used on it for the swivel bearing are also embossed. These

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Steel plate is able to absorb the forces occurring during riveting without difficulty. From her can also that of the trunnion over relatively Forces transferred to small contact or contact surfaces are absorbed very well without undesired plastic deformations and on the areas of the connection points that are further apart and are to be dimensioned sufficiently large be forwarded to the bearing housing and from this to the case frame. For the Bearing housings can therefore also be used with materials with a lower strength than steel. By using For example, light metals can save weight. By using of materials that can be deformed under heat and / or pressure, their easier formability can be used, around with a given range of motion for the swivel castor to achieve the smallest possible external dimensions for the bearing housing.

A configuration of the support roller according to claim enables a particularly cost-effective manufacture of the bearing housing achieved. A support roller further developed according to claim 3 can be in a single one or in a few Various designs and / or sizes for soft cases Kind be used. In one embodiment of the support roller according to claim 4, hard-shell suitcases achieved a very inexpensive manufacture of the bearing housing. In one embodiment of the support roller according to claim 5 on the one hand an easy assembly and on the other hand a very favorable power transmission achieved in the main direction of stress.

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Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4th

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to two exemplary embodiments of the support roller according to the invention. Show it:

a perspective view of a suitcase with four support rollers according to the invention; a bottom view of a support roller according to the invention;

a vertical section of the support roller of Fig. 2; a side view of the bearing housing of the support roller according to FIGS. 2 and 3;

5 is a side view of another embodiment the bearing housing for a support roller according to the invention;

Fig. 6 is a side view or plan view of a steering roller for the support roller according to the invention.

On the case 10 shown simplified in Fig. 2 with a bottom part 11 and a lid part 12 are on a Arranged transverse or end face four support rollers 13, which are subsequently explained in more detail with reference to the other figures will. To carry the case, a handle 14 is provided on the bottom part 11 on the long side on which are the locks, not shown, while the hinges, also not shown, that the Connect the cover part 12 in an articulated manner to the bottom part 11, are attached to the opposite longitudinal side.

Of the four support rollers 13, two are each on the transverse side of the bottom part 11 and the cover part 12 with one as possible large mutual distance arranged in order to achieve the greatest possible stability of the case. When a

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Suitcases, and / or it is common with hard-shell suitcases and is shown on the case 10 in Fig. 1, has a greater depth on the hinge side than on the handle side, the support roller pair arranged on the hinge side has a greater mutual distance than that Pair of supporting rollers arranged on the handle side. In Fig. The case 10 is, so to speak, turned upside down in order to to be able to show the support rollers 13 and their arrangement on the case more clearly. On the opposite transverse side, which is usually on top, an additional handle, not shown, is attached to which the case moves and can be performed when it is placed on the support rollers 13.

The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a support roller 13 has a bearing housing 15 and a swivel castor 16 mounted thereon.

The bearing housing 15, hereinafter referred to as housing 15 for short, is designed as a plastic molded part. It has a flat flange part 17 and a recess 18 approximately in the middle thereof.

The flange 17 has a rectangular plan rounded corners. In the region of its corners there are four mounting holes 19, which are generally as smooth through holes are formed. The edge of the flange part 17 is beveled and at the transition point rounded.

The recess 18 surrounds a large part like a hood the castor 16 (Fig. 3) and is used to pivot

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Mounting of the steering roller 18. The recess 18 is formed by four contiguous walls 21, 22, 23 and 24, that is to say merging into one another, and by a base 25. These four walls are inclined slightly inward from the flange part 17. Apart from this inclination and its influence on the course of the wall as well as transition roundings, the two opposing walls 23 and 24 are flat, the wall 21 is curved in a semicircle and the wall 22 is curved in a circular arc. The center of curvature of the wall 21 and the wall 22 both coincide with the axis of the pivot bearing of the swivel castor 16. The two walls 23 and 24 have a clearance of about 35 mm from one another, which limits the pivot of the swivel castor 16 to a pivoting range Ot of about 60 °. The swivel range can also be larger for larger suitcases, for example. However, it should not go beyond 90 mm so that the recess 26 in the case frame 27 required for the recess 15 does not have to be widened beyond 40 mm. Through this design and arrangement of the walls of the recess 18, the greatest possible space utilization of the recess is achieved by the parts of the castor or, conversely, given the dimensions of the castor 16, the smallest possible dimension for the recess 18, especially in the transverse direction and a correspondingly low weakening of the case frame 27. The clear height of the recess 18 depends on the size of the castor 16 and its storage. It should be chosen so that the steering roller protrudes approximately between 10 mm and 20 mm over the flange part 17 and its axis of rotation lies within the flange part.

The steering roller designated as a whole, i.e. including its mounting, with 16 has a cylindrical roller

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in the strict sense of the word. This roller 28 is designed as a plastic molded part. It is by means of a pivot bearing 29 rotatably mounted on a bearing block 31. This bearing block 31 is by means of a pivot bearing 32 pivotably mounted on the housing 15. The axis of the pivot bearing 32 runs as in the case of steered rollers usual, at a certain distance from the axis of the wire bearing 29.

The bearing block 17 u / eist in the usual way a plate-shaped Web part 33 and two at a mutual distance adjoining side cheeks 34 which are approximately triangular. Near the the free end of the side cheeks 34 is one each round through hole. Through the two aligned through holes and through a central one An axle bolt 35 is inserted through the through hole in the roller 28. Its ends are with the side walls 34 riveted. The axle bolt 35, together with the through hole in the roller 28, forms the pivot bearing thereof

The pivot bearing 32 is supported by a journal 36 and formed by a ball ring 37. The bearing pin extends with play through a through hole in the middle of the plate-shaped web part 33 on the bearing block 31 and without play through an aligned therewith Through hole in a bearing plate 38 therethrough. The bearing pin 36 has at the bottom in FIGS. 3 and 4 located end on a collar on which the web part rests in a sliding manner. That through the bearing plate 38 itself end of the journal 36 extending therethrough is widened by an upsetting process to form the journal to be firmly connected to the bearing plate 38. For

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the ball ring 37 is both on the web part 33 a non-recognizable ball track, as well as on the Bearing plate 38 is stamped with a ball track 39. The balls of the ball ring 37 are loose, i.e. without a cage, inserted.

The bearing plate 38 is used to connect the swivel castor to the housing 15. It provides the when installed stationary part of the pivot bearing 32. It therefore has next to 'a section with a circular Ground plan, which includes the ball track 39 and is thus attributable to the shoe / enclager, on the one hand Side a tongue 41 protruding beyond the circular plan and one on the opposite side flange-like projection 42. As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the plan view of the bearing plate 38 is including the projection 42 but excluding the tongue 41 the course of the walls 21, 22, 23 and of the housing 15 adapted. For the tongue 41 there is a recess in the wall 21 following the bottom 25 in the form of a continuous slot with parallel boundary walls (Fig. 4). The above and Boundary walls of recess 43 located below tongue 41 serve as contact surface 44 for tongue 41 or 45. On the side of the projection 42 are used as connecting elements for a further connection between the Bearing plate 38 and the housing 15 have two rivets 46, each through a through hole 47 in the projection 42 and pass through a through hole 48 in the bottom 25 of the housing 15 and both parts connect firmly to each other. The through holes are used to cover the rivet head located on the outside

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each surrounded by a bead 49 on the housing 15. Lateral Impact forces on roller 28 cause tilting moments on bearing plate 38. These are depending on their direction of rotation from the tongue 41 onto the contact surface 45 located below or from the projection 42 via the rivets 46 transferred to the outside of the bottom 25. The oppositely directed moment force and the u / eit greater weight of the case and its contents transferred from the entire bearing plate 38 to the inside of the bottom 25.

For smaller and lighter suitcases, where there is less force between the swivel castor 16 and the housing 15 must be calculated, it is sufficient that one instead of the symmetrical on both sides of the plane through the middle position the castor 16 located two through holes 47 on the bearing plate 48 only a single through hole 50 provides, which is also assigned only a single through hole on the housing and a single rivet will.

The embodiment described with reference to FIGS the housing 15 for the castors 16 is for soft cases determined, in which the four support rollers 13 with the recesses 18 of their housing 15 in recesses 26 of the Case frame 27 used and with the case frame be firmly connected by riveting, for example. The same embodiment is used for hard-shell cases use whose bottom part and cover part each from a flat material plate by a drawing process or The embossing process can be produced with or without the action of heat, provided that the side walls of the base parts are thereafter and lid parts another deformation to form

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of the recesses for receiving the swivel castors are no longer permitted. As far as the hard case as injection or Molded parts manufactured «/ earthed or they come about through a similar deformation process, the housing can be manufactured in one piece with the associated case part and molded onto it will. Such a housing 51 can be seen from FIG. It is on the narrow wall part 52 near the transition Shaped to form the large-area case side wall 53. The bottom 54 of the housing 51 is aligned normal to the Trannfuge the two case halves so that the Pivot axes of the castors 16 used therein are aligned parallel to one another. Furthermore the housing 51 is formed like the housing 15 of the embodiment described above. In this the same castors 16 are also used, as have been described above. The one in one Side wall existing recess 55 for the tongue 41 of the bearing plate 38 is generally immediately with the Bearing housing 51 formed thereon. The one or two through holes 56 for the further connection of the castor with the housing 51 can either also be molded on immediately or attached at a later date.

In the hard case 10 shown in Fig. 1 are the support rollers 13 with one piece on the case halves Shaped housings according to FIG. 5 are shown.

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ORIGINAL INSPECTED

Claims (5)

Expectations Support roller for suitcases and the like, which has a swivel castor which is mounted on a bearing block by means of a pivot bearing with a horizontal axis, which is pivotably mounted by means of a swivel bearing with an at least approximately vertical axis in a bearing housing which has a recess that the swivel castor on the from the side facing away from its contact area partially surrounds hood-like, and the side walls of which are arranged symmetrically to the central position of the castor at a distance that limits the swivel angle of the castor to a swivel range oC of at most 90 °, according to Patent (patent application P 30 07 863.8), characterized in that the stationary part (38) of the pivot bearing (32) has a projection in the form of a tongue (41) or a nose which extends over the contour of the pivot bearing (32) protrudes that in the vicinity of the bottom (26) in one of the side walls (21) of the 130048/0217 depression (18) has a recess (43) each with a contact surface located above and below (44; 45) for the protrusion (41) at the stationary Part (30) of the pivot bearing (32) is present, and that at least one of the projection (41) and the Recess (43) remote location that lies outside the contour of the pivot bearing (32) Connecting element (46) for a further connection between the stationary part (38) of the pivot bearing (32) and the bearing housing (15) is present. 2. Support roller according to claim 1, characterized in that that the bearing housing (15) is designed as a plastic molded part, and that the recess (43) in one of the side walls (21) of the recess (18) is formed directly. 3. Support roller according to claim 2, characterized in that that the bearing housing (15) with the recess (43) is manufactured as a separate part and flange-like fastening means (17) for fastening on a case frame (27). 4. carrying roller according to claim 2, characterized in that that the bearing housing (51) with the recess (55) is made in one piece with the associated case part (52; 53) and is formed on this. 130048/0217 5. conveyor roller according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the projection (41) and the recess (42) are arranged in the plane of the central position of the steering roller (16), and that the connecting element (46) the other connection between the pivot bearing (32) and the bearing housing (15) also in this plane is arranged or several connecting elements (46) are arranged symmetrically to this plane. 130048/0217