JP2005319980A - Silent caster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a silent caster capable of reducing manufacturing manhours and manufacturing cost by reducing the number of components constituting the caster. <P>SOLUTION: The silent caster comprises a yoke 1 formed by integrating right and left supporting pieces 1a and 1b branched to a fork, a central piece 1c for connecting the upper ends of the supporting pieces 1a and 1b, and a recessed part 1d formed in the central piece 1c, a bearing 2 that is stored and fixed between a projecting part 12 projecting from the upper end of the recessed part 1d and a folded section 13 formed by folding the tip of a peripheral sidewall 11 forming the outer periphery of the recessed part 1d, and a wheel B rotatably held between the right and left supporting pieces 1a and 1b of the yoke 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a caster attached to the lower part of various transport vehicles such as a chair or a carriage, and particularly to a caster that is quiet when used.

As a conventional caster of this type, as shown in FIG. 8, there is one in which an upper plate 53a of a frame 53 for a wheel 57 is rotatably attached to a lower side of a pedestal 51 via a bearing 52 (Patent Document). 1).
JP-A-11-245607

  In the conventional caster, the base 51 and the inner ring 52a of the bearing 52 are fixed to the turning shaft 54, and the upper plate 53a of the frame 53 for the wheel 57 is fixed to the bearing case 55 fixed to the outer ring 52b of the bearing 52. It was. Therefore, after the bearing case 55 is manufactured, an operation of fixing the bearing case 55 to the outer ring 52b is required, so that the number of parts and manufacturing man-hours are increased and the manufacturing cost is increased.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a silent caster capable of reducing the number of manufacturing steps and reducing the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of parts constituting the caster.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a yoke in which left and right support pieces that are bifurcated, a central piece that connects upper end portions of the support pieces, and a recess formed in the central piece are integrally formed. And a bearing that is accommodated and fixed between a convex portion protruding from the upper end of the concave portion and a bent portion formed by bending the front end portion of the peripheral side wall forming the outer peripheral portion of the concave portion, and the left and right sides of the yoke It has the characteristics in having a wheel rotatably held between support pieces.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a yoke in which left and right support pieces that are bifurcated, a central piece that connects upper end portions of the support pieces, and a recess formed in the central piece are integrally formed. And a part of the peripheral side wall forming the outer peripheral part of the recess is bent and protruded in a vertical direction and a bent part formed by bending the front end of the peripheral side wall and fixed. It is characterized by having a bearing and a wheel rotatably held between the left and right support pieces of the yoke.

  The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the yoke is integrally formed of a synthetic resin such as plastic.

  The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that a pivot shaft having a male screw formed at the upper end is fixed to the inner ring of the bearing.

  The invention of claim 5 is characterized by having a fitting member fixed to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a yoke in which left and right support pieces bifurcated, a central piece connecting upper end portions of the support pieces, and a recess formed in the central piece are integrally formed. And a bearing that is housed and fixed between a convex portion protruding from the upper end of the concave portion and a bent portion formed by bending the front end portion of the peripheral side wall that forms the outer peripheral portion of the concave portion, and the left and right sides of the yoke Since it has the characteristic in having a wheel rotatably held between the support pieces, the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced as compared with the conventional caster, and the cost can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a yoke in which left and right support pieces bifurcated, a central piece that connects upper end portions of the support pieces, and a recess formed in the central piece are integrally formed. And a part of the peripheral side wall that forms the outer peripheral part of the concave part is accommodated and fixed between a protruding piece that is bent and protrudes in a vertical direction and a bent part that is formed by bending the front end part of the peripheral side wall. Since it has a feature in that it has a bearing and a wheel that is rotatably held between the left and right support pieces of the yoke, the number of parts and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced as in the invention of claim 1. Cost can be reduced.

  The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the yoke is integrally formed of a synthetic resin such as plastic, so that the cost can be reduced and the caster can be reduced in weight.

  The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that the pivot shaft having a male screw formed at the upper end is fixed to the inner ring of the bearing. Therefore, a pedestal or the like having a female screw threadedly engaged with the male screw of the pivot shaft is provided. By attaching it, the assembling work to a chair, a carriage or the like can be facilitated.

  Since the invention of claim 5 has a fitting member fixed to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, a bearing It is possible to reinforce the strength of the tip of the peripheral side wall that holds

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a caster according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the yoke 1 is formed on the left and right support pieces 1a and 1b that are bifurcated, a center piece 1c that connects the upper ends of the support pieces 1a and 1b, and the center piece 1c. The recess 1d is integrally formed. And the recessed part 1d protrudes in the parallel direction with respect to the surface of the center piece 1c from the upper end of the several peripheral side walls 11, 11, 11, ... which are perpendicular | vertical downward bent with respect to the surface of the center piece 1c, and the recessed part 1d. And a plurality of convex portions 12, 12, 12,.

  Next, 2 is a bearing, and 21 indicates an inner ring of the bearing. Reference numeral 42 denotes a washer attached to the lower surface of the bearing 21. Furthermore, 5 is an iron ring fitted to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall 11. Reference numeral 3 denotes a washer attached to the upper portion of the recess 1d, and the diameter of the opening 31 of the washer 3 is larger than the diameter of the turning shaft 4 provided with a nut 41 in the intermediate part. A male screw 4 a is formed on the upper part of the pivot shaft 4. The male screw 4a is assembled to a chair, a carriage, or the like by attaching a pedestal or the like having a female screw screwed to the male screw 4a.

  FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the caster according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the bearing 2 is housed and fixed between a convex portion 12 and a bent portion 13 formed by bending the tip of the peripheral side wall 11. A washer 3 is disposed on the upper part of the concave portion 1 d having the convex portion 12, and a gap of about 2 mm is provided between the washer 3 and the yoke 1. Furthermore, after the turning shaft 4 is inserted into the inner ring 21 of the bearing 2 and the washer 42 is inserted, the tip portion 4b is caulked, whereby the turning shaft 4 is fixed to the inner ring 21 of the bearing 2, and the turning The yoke 1 is rotatable about the shaft 4. Furthermore, the strength of the front end portion of the peripheral side wall 11 is reinforced by fitting and fixing the ring 5 as a fitting member on the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall 11. The wheel B is rotatably mounted between the support pieces 1a and 1b of the yoke 1.

  FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a caster according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 6 is an iron cap fitted to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall 11. The cap 6 includes a bottom wall 62 having a plurality of insertion holes 61, 61, 61... Through which the tip of the peripheral side wall 11 before bending can be inserted. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the same components as those in the first embodiment are indicated by the same numbers.

  FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a caster according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the cap 6 is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall 11 before the tip of the peripheral side wall 11 is bent. Further, the bearing 2 is covered with the bottom wall 62 of the cap 6 at the lower side of the bearing 2, and prevents the rotation of obstructions such as dust and dust from entering the bearing 2. Furthermore, it is excellent in design.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a caster according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The yoke A shown in this figure is integrally formed of a synthetic resin such as plastic. Similarly to the yoke of the first embodiment described above, this yoke A is also divided into bifurcated left and right support pieces 1a and 1b, and a central piece 1c that connects the upper ends of the support pieces 1a and 1b, The recess 1d formed in the central piece 1c is integrally formed. Note that a stepped portion A1 with which the bottom surface of the outer ring of the bearing A2 contacts is provided inside the recess 1d.

  FIG. 6 is also an exploded perspective view of a caster according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, when the bearing A2 is inserted into the concave portion 1d from above the yoke A, the bearing A2 has a stepped portion A1 with which the bottom surface of the outer ring contacts and a peripheral side wall that forms the outer peripheral portion of the concave portion 1d. The portion is fixed between the protruding piece A3 that is bent perpendicularly to the peripheral side wall and protrudes. A washer A4 is disposed above the bearing A2, and a gap of about 2 mm is provided between the washer A4 and the yoke A.

  FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a caster according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the bottom surface of the outer ring of the bearing A2 is in contact with the stepped portion A1 of the yoke, and the upper surface of the outer ring of the bearing A2 is in contact with the protruding piece A3 of the yoke. It is fixed between. Further, the turning shaft A5 is inserted into the inner ring of the bearing A2 from above, and the bottom A6 of the turning shaft A5 is caulked to fix the turning shaft A5 to the inner ring of the bearing A2.

  In addition, it cannot be overemphasized that various embodiment can be taken in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. For example, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the yoke A is integrally formed of synthetic resin such as plastic, but synthetic resin such as plastic is also applied to the bearing A2, washer A4 and swivel axis A5. Is something that can be done. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to further improve the quietness when using chairs, trolleys, etc., and even if used for many years, there is no problem of rust that occurs in the case of metal, so it is hygienic. It can also be suitable for use in medical institutions.

  Moreover, you may use the fitting member in 1st Embodiment or 2nd Embodiment for 3rd Embodiment.

It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the caster which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the caster which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the caster which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the caster which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the caster which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the caster which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the caster which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the conventional caster.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, A Yoke 1a, 1b Support piece 1c Center piece 1d Recessed part 2, A2 Bearing 3, 42, A4 Washer 4, A5 Rotating shaft 5 Ring (fitting member)
6 Cap (fitting member)

Claims (5)

Left and right support pieces that are bifurcated; a central piece that connects the upper ends of the support pieces; and a yoke that is integrally formed with a recess formed in the central piece;
A bearing that is housed and fixed between a convex portion that protrudes from the upper end of the concave portion and a bent portion that is formed by bending a distal end portion of a peripheral side wall that forms the outer peripheral portion of the concave portion;
A silent caster having a wheel rotatably held between left and right support pieces of the yoke. Left and right support pieces that are bifurcated; a central piece that connects the upper ends of the support pieces; and a yoke that is integrally formed with a recess formed in the central piece;
A bearing that is housed and fixed between a protruding piece that is formed by bending a part of a peripheral side wall that forms an outer peripheral part of the concave part in a vertical direction and a bent part that is formed by bending a front end part of the peripheral side wall; ,
A silent caster having a wheel rotatably held between left and right support pieces of the yoke.   The silent caster according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the yoke is integrally formed of a synthetic resin such as plastic.   The silent caster according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pivot shaft having a male screw formed at an upper end portion is fixed to an inner ring of the bearing.   The silent caster according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a fitting member fixed to the outer periphery of the peripheral side wall.

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