GB2319171A - Reinforced castor assembly - Google Patents

Reinforced castor assembly Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2319171A
GB2319171A GB9623870A GB9623870A GB2319171A GB 2319171 A GB2319171 A GB 2319171A GB 9623870 A GB9623870 A GB 9623870A GB 9623870 A GB9623870 A GB 9623870A GB 2319171 A GB2319171 A GB 2319171A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
side walls
support frame
base plate
suitcase
reinforcing units
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9623870A
Other versions
GB9623870D0 (en
GB2319171B (en
Inventor
Dick Ming Hsieh
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9623870A priority Critical patent/GB2319171B/en
Publication of GB9623870D0 publication Critical patent/GB9623870D0/en
Publication of GB2319171A publication Critical patent/GB2319171A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2319171B publication Critical patent/GB2319171B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B33/00—Castors in general; Anti-clogging castors
    • B60B33/0002—Castors in general; Anti-clogging castors assembling to the object, e.g. furniture
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
    • A45C5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid luggage
    • A45C5/14—Rigid or semi-rigid luggage with built-in rolling means

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)

Abstract

A castor assembly (3) includes an inverted U-shaped support frame (32), a wheel (33) and a base plate (30). The base plate is adapted to be secured to the bottom of a suitcase. The top wall (36) of the support frame is mounted on a bottom side of the base plate. The base plate is formed with two pairs of downwardly extending punched reinforcing units (34) which contact the side walls (31) of the support frame to prevent their lateral outward deformation should the suitcase be dropped on the castor unit.

Description

CASTOR ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a caster assembly, more particularly to a reinforced caster assembly.
A conventional suitcase is provided with caster units to facilitate movement thereof. The caster unit generally includes a support frame with a parallel pairs of side walls, and a wheel disposed between the side walls and mounted pivotally thereon. When the suitcase is suddenly dropped on the ground to cause a strong impact on the caster unit, deformation or breakage of the side walls of the support frame usually occurs. As such, the caster unit would be unable to support the suitcase, and the wheel cannot roll on the ground. It is desired to provide a reinforced caster unit which can prevent deformation of the side walls of a support frame when a strong impact is applied thereon.
The main object of the present invention is to provide a caster assembly, more particularly a reinforced caster assembly.
Accordingly, the caster assembly of the present invention includes an inverted U-shaped support frame, a wheel and a base plate. The inverted U-shaped support frame has two side walls formed with aligned holes, and a top wall interconnecting the side walls. The wheel is disposed between the side walls and has an axial hole for receiving an axle that extends through the aligned holes of the side walls of the support frame. The base plate is adapted to be secured to a bottom side of a suitcase. The top wall of the support frame is mounted on a bottom side of the base plate. The base plate is formed with two pairs of downwardly extending punched reinforcing units. The support frame is disposed between the pairs of reinforcing units in such a manner that each of the reinforcing units extends along a respective one of a front edge portion and a rear edge portion of an adjacent one of the side walls and has an inner edge abutting against an outer side of the adjacent one of the side walls to prevent lateral outward deformation of the side walls.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is an inverted exploded perspective view illustrating a caster assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the caster assembly of Figure 1 when assembled to a suitcase.
Referring to Figure 1, the caster assembly 3 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to include an inverted U-shaped support frame 32, a wheel 33 and a base plate 30.
The support frame 32 has two side walls 31 and a top wall 36 interconnecting the side walls 31. The side walls 31 are generally triangular in shape and have distal end portions formed with aligned holes 35. The wheel 33 is disposed between the side walls 31 and has an axial hole 37 for receiving an axle 38 that extends through the aligned holes 35 of the side walls 31 of the support frame 32. The base plate 30 is adapted to be secured to a bottom side of a suitcase (not shown).
The top wall 36 of the support frame 32 is mounted on a bottom side of the base plate 30 in a middle portion of the latter. The base plate 30 is formed with two pairs of downwardly extending punched reinforcing units 34.
The support frame 32 is disposed between the pairs of reinforcing units 34 in such a manner that each of the reinforcing units 34 extends along a respective one of a front edge portion 311 and a rear edge portion 312 of an adjacent one of the side walls 31 and has an inner edge abutting against an outer side of the adjacent one of the side walls 31. The reinforcing units 34 prevent lateral outward deformation of the side walls 31.
Referring to Figure 2, when the caster assembly 3 is assembled onto a suitcase 4, a packing member 5 and a plurality of fastening members 51 can be employed to mount the caster assembly 3 on the bottom side of the suitcase 4. When the suitcase 4 is suddenly dropped on the ground to cause strong impact from various directions on the caster assembly 3, the reinforcing units 34 are capable of bearing the resulting torsion and shearing forces to prevent lateral outward deformation of the side walls 31 that generally occurs in the prior art. The caster assembly 3 according to the present invention is therefore superior to the conventional caster unit described beforehand.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS:
1. A caster assembly comprising: an inverted U-shaped support frame having two side walls formed with aligned holes and a top wall interconnecting said side walls; a wheel disposed between said side walls and having an axial hole for receiving an axle that extends through said aligned holes of said side walls of said support frame; and a base plate adapted to be secured to a bottom side of a suitcase, said top wall of said support frame being mounted on a bottom side of said base plate, said base plate being formed with two pairs of downwardly extending punched reinforcing units, said support frame being disposed between said pairs of reinforcing units in such a manner that each of said reinforcing units extends along a respective one of a front edge portion and a rear edge portion of an adjacent one of said side walls and has an inner edge abutting against an outer side of the adjacent one of said side walls to prevent lateral outward deformation of said side walls.
2. The caster assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB9623870A 1996-11-15 1996-11-15 Castor assembly Expired - Lifetime GB2319171B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9623870A GB2319171B (en) 1996-11-15 1996-11-15 Castor assembly

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9623870A GB2319171B (en) 1996-11-15 1996-11-15 Castor assembly

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9623870D0 GB9623870D0 (en) 1997-01-08
GB2319171A true GB2319171A (en) 1998-05-20
GB2319171B GB2319171B (en) 1999-01-20

Family

ID=10803056

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9623870A Expired - Lifetime GB2319171B (en) 1996-11-15 1996-11-15 Castor assembly

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2319171B (en)

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4471508A (en) * 1982-06-25 1984-09-18 The Boeing Company Linearly reversible caster assembly
US4485521A (en) * 1982-06-21 1984-12-04 Metropolitan Wire Corporation Shock absorbing caster provided with an elastomeric member to prevent water collection therein

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4485521A (en) * 1982-06-21 1984-12-04 Metropolitan Wire Corporation Shock absorbing caster provided with an elastomeric member to prevent water collection therein
US4471508A (en) * 1982-06-25 1984-09-18 The Boeing Company Linearly reversible caster assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9623870D0 (en) 1997-01-08
GB2319171B (en) 1999-01-20

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