JP2007091185A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a caster structure provided with a turnable mechanism contacted with a floor only in usage although the caster is not usually contacted with the floor since the caster frequently deforms the floor when the floor is made of a soft material such as a tatami mat. <P>SOLUTION: The caster structure provided at a bed leg part is provided with a mechanism in which the caster 8 is stored inside, making the caster 8 liftable relative to the leg part and made turnably so as to contact a floor surface 25 only in usage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a caster used when moving a bed on a bed.

  When elderly people have difficulty getting up due to their disability or due to illness or decline in function, they have been using more beds than laying on a futon on the floor, which is an ancient Japanese method, and getting up asleep . This is because using a bed makes it easier to stand and sit because the floor is taller. There are many standard beds with only a high floor.

However, if the ability to lift the upper body is weakened, a special bed will be used. The special bed can raise and lower the floor height by motor drive, can tilt the upper body, and can lift the knee in a chevron shape. The use of such a bed is convenient for elderly people with diminished physical function and those who assist, and is also widely used. A caster can be attached to each leg as an accessory on the special bed as shown in FIG. 1 so that it can be moved to an appropriate place when necessary. Some casters have a rotation fixing mechanism that fixes rotation, and when you do not want to move, the position is fixed using the above-mentioned mechanism.

The caster is cylindrical in shape as shown in FIG. 2 and made of resin or rubber. The cylindrical structure is usually called a tire, and a bearing is built in the inside, so that the tire can slide and move while rolling on the floor surface. Some casters allow only the rotation of the tire, while others include the rotation of the tire and, in addition, the portion that holds the tire that is rotatable about a vertical axis. Furthermore, there are some that are provided with a rotation fixing mechanism for stopping the rotation of the tire, but the basic structure is that the brake plate is strongly pressed against the tire and the rotation is stopped by the frictional force. The caster of the conventional bed has four or more wheels in total for each leg portion as described above, and the bed is made movable. Further, since the rotation fixing mechanism is provided, it is possible to stop the rotation around the horizontal axis direction and the rotation around the vertical axis direction by operating this mechanism.

If the floor is made of soft materials such as tatami mats, the caster may deform the floor, which may cause traces of it to remain.

Moreover, although it is preferable to increase the tire diameter of the caster because it moves lightly, the floor surface is made low so that the bed can easily get on and off, so the tire can not be enlarged and can not be moved lightly.

In addition, it is necessary to move to a position where each leg can be reached in order to fix the rotation and release the rotation of the caster, and if one side of the bed is placed almost in contact with the wall, it can not go near the wall caster Therefore, there are problems such as being able to fix the rotation and release the rotation.

The present invention is intended to solve such conventional problems. Since the caster usually has a mechanism that is not in contact with the floor but rotates in contact with the floor only when in use, traces of the caster are unlikely to occur. In addition, it is equipped with a moving mechanism equivalent to the conventional caster even if the floor height of the bed is low, and it is possible to operate from one side of the bed by providing a mechanism that allows each caster to move down and rise in conjunction. Purpose.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the legs support the bed when the bed is not moved, but the casters are accommodated therein, and when moving, the casters are lowered relative to the legs to move the tire. The tire can be rotated and moved by pressing against the floor surface.

  The action by the second problem solution means is that if the height of the caster or the outer shape of the tire can not be increased, the height is lowered by arranging a large number of spherical bearings instead of the cylindrical tire. It can act in the same way.

  The action by the third problem solution means is a structure that reduces the pressing force to the floor surface by providing a slippery plate instead of a caster when the floor is particularly soft.

  The action of the fourth problem solution means is to raise and lower the caster structure at one place by connecting the raising and lowering mechanism of the caster by using the mechanism of the feed screw or chain transmission or bevel gear transmission. For example, other caster structures can be moved up and down in conjunction.

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1 as described above, the bed is usually disposed at a fixed position and fixed so as not to move, but when it is desired to move, the caster is lowered to contact the floor. Thus, the tire can be rotated and moved. In this way, the caster is not in contact with the floor for a long period of time, so traces on the floor are less likely to occur.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, by using a large number of spherical bearings, it is possible to keep the height of the caster structure low.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to reduce the height of the caster structure and to make no trace on the floor even on a soft floor surface.

Further, according to the invention of claim 4, it is not necessary to operate by moving to the side of the rotation fixing mechanism of the caster, and rotation fixing and rotation release can be performed at one place.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 3 to 4.

FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the caster structure of the present invention. The frame 6 is fixed to the bed frame structure 21 by screws, although not shown in detail. The bottom plate 6 b and the bearing 6 c are integrally fixed to the frame 6. Further, the guide 10 is fixed to the frame 6. The lever 19 is rotatable about the shaft 15 in the bearing 6 c. The lever 19 is provided with a shaft 16, and the link 11 is pivotable about the shaft 16. Also, a hole 24 is provided so that the moving nut 20 can move with the rotation of the lever 19.

A bearing 13 is fitted in the frame 6 and a shaft 7 is inserted in the bearing. The shaft 7 is provided with a step 7a and a screw 7b, and a nut 14 is screwed on the opposite side of the step 7a. For this reason, the shaft 7 can be rotated by the bearing 13 but can not be moved in the longitudinal direction. Further, a sprocket 22 for rotationally driving the chain 23 is fixed to the shaft 7. Furthermore, a moving nut 20 is screwed into the vicinity of the tip 7 c of the shaft 7. When the shaft 7 is rotated, the sprocket 22 is also rotated and the chain 23 is moved. At the same time, the moving nut moves along the hole 24 and moves while being screwed in the longitudinal direction of the external thread of the shaft 7.

The metal fitting 9 is configured to slide up and down along the guide 10. The metal fitting 9 is provided with a bearing 12 so that the shaft of the link 11 can rotate around the bearing 17. A large number of spherical bearings 8 are fixed to the fitting 9 downward. The link 11 is rotatably connected together with a lever 19 and a bearing 12 fixed to the fitting 9.

Now, when the shaft 7 is rotated rightward, if the shaft 7 is a right-handed screw, the lever 19 is pushed toward the sprocket even though the moving nut moves toward the sprocket 22. At this time, the lever 19 pushes down the bearing 12 and the fitting 9 through the link 11 in order to rotate around the bearing 15. Then, the spherical bearing 8 attached to the bracket 9 tries to move downward with respect to the frame 6. However, since movement is blocked by the floor surface 25, all mechanisms fixed to the bottom plate 6 b and the frame 6 and the bed frame 21 are pushed upward by reaction of force. When the shaft 7 is further rotated, the above operation is continued until the lever 19 interferes with the sprocket 22.

Conversely, when the shaft 7 is rotated to the left, the above-mentioned operation is reversed, the frame 6 is lowered and the couch frame 21 is also lowered.
In this manner, by rotating the shaft 7 forwardly and reversely, the frame 6 and the mechanisms and structures attached thereto can be raised or lowered. When the spherical caster 8 comes in contact with the floor 25 by raising and lowering, the base 6b comes into contact with the floor, so that the frame 6 and the members fixed thereto do not move relative to the floor.

Next, prepare the caster unit with the opposite screw direction of the shaft, arrange it oppositely, connect it with the connecting rod 30, and simultaneously raise and lower the two units by rotating the connecting rod in one direction. Can. When the caster units are connected by a chain, the two units can be simultaneously raised and lowered as described above. In this case, the direction of the screws may be the same.

If four or more caster units are provided on each leg of the bed, and the caster units are connected to the connecting rod by a chain, all caster units can be lifted simply by driving one caster unit or the mechanism connecting the caster units. , Can descend.

In FIG. 4, the caster unit 26 and the caster unit 27 are identical in structure, and the shaft is a right-handed screw and has a sprocket. On the other hand, caster unit 28. The caster unit 29 has a structure in which the shaft is left-handed and does not necessarily have a sprocket. Because the shaft is left-handed, the direction of rotation of the connecting rod and the raising and lowering of the caster are opposite to the movement of the unit described so far.
Also, the caster may be a slippery material other than a spherical bearing, that is, a plate of a fluorine-based material, a nylon-based material, or a polyester-based material on its surface may be used instead of the caster.

It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of a bed and a caster. It is a figure which shows the plane of a caster. It is a figure which shows a caster unit sectional view. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of four sets of caster units.

Explanation of sign

6 Frame 7 Axis 8 Spherical Bearing 13 Bearing 11 Link 14 Arm 20 Moving Nut 22 Sprocket 23 Chain

Claims (4)

A caster is provided with a mechanism in which a caster is accommodated inside the leg and the caster can be moved up and down with respect to the leg so as to be in contact with the floor only when in use. The caster structure of claim 1 wherein the caster is a spherical bearing. The caster structure according to claim 1, wherein the caster is a sliding plate made of fluorocarbon resin, nylon, or polyester. A bed provided with a mechanism in which four or more of the caster structures according to claim 1 are arranged and the casters can be driven to move up and down in conjunction.

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