JP2008254565A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a caster that is capable of absorbing vibration at a position near a generation source of the vibration generated when it moves, suppressing the generation of noise substantially, and absorbing the vibration acting on the caster in all directions effectively and that is superior in a suspension function. <P>SOLUTION: A wheel 17 is mounted in mounting holes 8, 9 formed in foot portions 6, 7 of a caster body 3 of the caster 1. Both ends of a shaft 22 which supports the wheel are supported by bearings 15, 16. Spaces demarcated by the outside circumference of the bearings and the inside circumference of the holes 8, 9 are filled with buffer members including rubbers or elastomer having rubber elasticity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to casters. More specifically, the present invention relates to a caster that has excellent shock-absorbing properties against vibrations and shocks during movement, can suppress noise extremely low, and has a suspension function.

Casters are widely used for various items such as carts, tables, chairs, bags, suitcases, etc. to facilitate movement. By the way, for example, when moving on the road while pulling the suitcase by hand, vibration is generated by the rotation of the wheel, which is transmitted to the suitcase body and generates a large noise. Further, when the wheel hits an object, an impact is applied.
Such vibration and impact can be somewhat absorbed and attenuated due to the cushioning properties of the tire, but it cannot be handled by itself, and various shock absorbers for suppressing such vibration or noise have been proposed.
For example, in JP-A-8-282203, a support member for supporting a wheel is attached to a leaf spring, both ends of the leaf spring are received by a support portion of a caster cover, and a space between the leaf spring and the bag is made of rubber or the like. It is said that it will be filled with an elastic piece and this will attenuate the vibration.
In Japanese Utility Model Application No. 60-51995, an elastic material is disposed between the bottom of the bag and the base of the caster to absorb vibrations.

JP-A-8-282203 No. 60-51995 microfilm

By the way, in the case of Patent Document 1, the structure is complicated due to the above configuration. This caster has a rigid connection at the position where both ends of the leaf spring are attached to the support portion of the caster cover, and the vibration of the leaf spring is transmitted to the case through this portion, so noise prevention is sufficient. That's not true. Also, the shock or vibration that can be absorbed by this configuration is in the axial direction of the wheel support, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the leaf spring, and the shock or vibration is absorbed in the direction deviated from the axial direction of the wheel support. Can hardly do. Therefore, when the travel case is tilted and moved by grasping the handle, a sufficient buffer function cannot be exhibited.
Further, in the case of Patent Document 2, since the bottom of the bag and the base of the caster are joined with an elastic material sandwiched between them using a rivet, avoid the transmission of vibration through this rivet. I can't. Further, in this case as well, only vibration in the vertical direction can be suppressed, and as in the case of the aforementioned Patent Document 1, it does not function sufficiently when the suitcase is tilted and pulled.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is located closer to the source of vibration generated during movement. Specifically, the vibration is absorbed by the shaft or the bearing portion, and the generation of noise is greatly suppressed. The problem is to provide a caster that can be used. It is another object of the present invention to provide a caster that can effectively absorb vibrations in all directions acting on the caster regardless of the posture of the caster. It is another object of the present invention to provide a caster that has an excellent suspension function and can stabilize the posture of the suitcase that is supported by the caster during movement.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a caster comprising a caster body, a shaft attached to a shaft attachment portion provided in the caster body, and a wheel attached rotatably around the axis of the shaft. The shaft is configured to be attached to the mounting portion of the caster body via an elastically deformable buffer member disposed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the shaft or a bearing supporting the shaft. .
In a more specific configuration, the shaft mounting portion of the caster body is a hole, and the buffer member fills between the inner periphery of the hole and the outer periphery of the shaft or the bearing over the entire circumference of the shaft or the bearing. It is formed with the material which has rubber elasticity arranged so.
In another more specific configuration, the shaft mounting portion of the caster body is a hole, the shaft is supported by the bearing, and the buffer members are arranged at predetermined intervals over the entire outer periphery of the bearing. It is composed of a plurality of elastically deformable coupling bodies integrally connected to the inner periphery of the hole and the outer periphery of the bearing. In addition to this configuration, the space surrounded by the adjacent coupling body, the outer periphery of the bearing, and the inner periphery of the hole may be filled with a material having rubber elasticity. And the connection body is extended in the direction inclined with respect to the diameter of the bearing which passes the position where the connection body leads to a bearing outer periphery.
In a more specific further configuration, the shaft mounting portion of the caster is a hole, and the shaft or the bearing is surrounded by a first buffer member made of a material having rubber elasticity over the entire outer periphery thereof, and further, the first buffer is further provided. An annular part that surrounds the outer periphery of the member, and an elastic deformation that is arranged at a predetermined interval over the entire outer periphery of the annular part and that is integrally connected to the inner periphery of the hole and the outer periphery of the annular part at both ends And a second buffer member made of a plurality of connected bodies.
The present invention includes a pair of legs in which a caster body is disposed parallel to each other, a caster of a type in which a wheel is disposed therebetween, and the caster body includes one leg, and the wheels are mounted on both sides thereof. Applicable to any type.
In the caster of the present invention, the caster main body is further divided into a mounting portion that is attached to the mounting member and a main body that includes the shaft mounting portion, and the mounting portion and the main body are made of a material having rubber elasticity. Alternatively, the third buffer member may be arranged.

As described above, in the present invention, vibration is transmitted to other members by absorbing vibration at a position very close to a vibration generating source such as a shaft or bearing that supports the wheel. As a result, it is possible to significantly suppress noise that has occurred due to resonance of other members such as the caster body or the suitcase body.
In addition, since the shaft or the bearing is supported by an elastically deformable buffer member, the shaft can be displaced with respect to the caster body, and also exhibits a suspension function. For example, when moving a suitcase attached with a caster The posture can be maintained stably.
Further, since the buffer member is arranged over the entire circumference of the shaft or the bearing, it can cope with vibrations and impacts acting in all directions.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a caster 1 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view, FIG. 3 is a left side view, FIG. 4 is a right side view, and FIG. 5 is taken along line AA in FIG. It is sectional drawing.

In the figure, reference numeral 3 denotes a caster body, which can be made of a synthetic resin such as nylon resin or polyester resin or a metal such as aluminum. The caster body 3 includes an upper mounting portion 4 in the present embodiment and plate-like leg portions 6 and 7 extending in parallel to each other from the mounting portion 4 obliquely downward in the present embodiment. A recess 4a is formed on the upper surface of the mounting portion 4, and a short shaft 5 extending upward is provided at the center thereof. This will be described later.

The legs 6 and 7 are formed with holes 8 and 9 as shock-absorbing member storage portions that are shaft mounting portions of the same shape facing each other, and the functions of the holes 8 and 9 will be described in detail later. The buffer members 11 and 12 are fixedly disposed. The buffer members 11 and 12 may be any material that can be elastically deformed, that is, rubber elasticity, and various materials such as rubber and elastomer can be used. If a thermoplastic elastomer such as styrene, olefin, urethane, acrylic, polyester, or polyamide is used and the caster body 3 is made of resin, the caster body 3 and the buffer members 11 and 12 can be connected to each other. It can be molded simultaneously with color molding. In the present embodiment, a polyester-based or polyamide-based thermoplastic polymer having excellent impact absorbability is adopted for the reason described later.

Through-holes 13 and 14 are formed concentrically in the buffer members 11 and 12, and bearings 15 and 16 with flanges are fixedly disposed in the through-holes 13 and 14 so as to be concentric. The bearings 15 and 16 can be molded simultaneously with the above-described cushioning members 11 and 12 when the same resin as the caster body 3 is used as a material. The buffer members 11 and 12 can be integrated with a mold.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a wheel, which includes a cylindrical cored bar 18 having through holes 20 and short outer flanges 19 and 19 formed at both ends, and a tire 21 integrated with the cored bar 18. Yes. Generally, a rigid material is used for the metal core 18 and an elastic material is used for the tire 21, but these are known, and since these known materials are used in the present invention, more than this is required. Description is omitted.

  Reference numeral 22 denotes a shaft that rotatably supports the wheel 17. The shaft 22 is a tubular rivet provided with a head 23 having a large diameter on one end side and a shallow bottomed hole provided on the other end 24 side. Are inserted from the other end 24 side in a state of being aligned with each other, and the other end 24 side is caulked to expand the diameter to prevent the removal.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes an attachment plate for attaching the caster 1 to, for example, a suitcase, and a detailed illustration is omitted at the center of the lower surface side, but a bearing 27 is attached to the bearing 27. A shaft 5 provided upright in the center of the recess 4a of the mounting portion 4 is fitted, so that the caster body 3 can rotate around the central axis of the shaft 5. That is, it is a rotatable type. Since this configuration is known, further detailed description is omitted. In this example, the caster 1 is a rotatable type. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a fixed type. The caster 1 is attached to a suitcase or the like using, for example, screws or the like, using holes 28 provided at the four corners of the attachment plate 26.

In this embodiment, the plate-type attachment plate 26 is used to attach the caster body 3 to a suitcase or the like. However, this attachment method is not limited to this, and a screw type or a plug-in type is used. Other known configurations can be employed. In the present embodiment, the bifurcated caster body 3 is used and the wheel 16 is disposed between the leg portions 6 and 7, but two wheels are disposed on both sides of one leg portion. The present invention can also be applied to the type of caster.

In this embodiment, the bearings 15 and 16 are used. However, this is not essential, and the shaft 22 may be directly received by the buffer members 11 and 12. In this case, however, it is desirable to prevent rotation by making the head of the shaft an irregular shape.

As described above, in this embodiment, the shaft or the bearing on which the wheel is attached is supported by the buffer member having rubber elasticity. That is, when moving, for example, a suitcase or the like with a caster, vibration and noise are generated in the wheel, shaft or bearing due to rolling of the wheel, and a buffer material is provided around the shaft or bearing which is the source of the vibration and noise. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the caster main body and further to the suitcase main body, absorb the vibration very effectively, and greatly reduce the noise.
In addition, external force applied to the shaft or bearing according to changes in the road surface is absorbed by the buffer member, and the shaft can be displaced by elastic deformation of the buffer member, so that, for example, the left and right casters are balanced and perform a sufficient function as a suspension. , Can maintain the posture of the suitcase stably.
Moreover, even if an excessive impact acts on the wheel due to a drop or the like, the impact can be mitigated by the buffer member, and the caster body can be prevented from being damaged.
Furthermore, there are the following points as effects to be noted. For example, when pulling and moving the same suitcase by hand, the inclination of the suitcase changes depending on the height of the puller, or when the puller is shortened and lengthened, and the relative positional relationship of the caster with the road surface changes. To do. Therefore, it does not change when viewed from the road surface side, but when viewed from the caster side, the direction of vibration and impact acting on it changes. However, in the case of the present embodiment, since the buffer member is disposed over the entire circumference of the shaft or the bearing, vibrations and impacts in all directions can be absorbed and reduced. Furthermore, since this buffer member has rubber elasticity, it can also absorb vibrations and impacts acting in the axial direction of the shaft.

  FIG. 6 is a modification of the first embodiment, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a right side view. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The configuration of the caster 31 is different from that of the first embodiment in a buffer member 32. That is, the buffer member 32 is formed by a covering portion 35 that extends the portions 33 and 34 corresponding to the buffer members 11 and 12 in the first embodiment so as to cover the right side surface of the caster body 3 in FIG. Connected and integrated. When the caster 31 pulls up the stepped portion of the road surface or falls, the covering portion 35 prevents the corner portion of the step from directly contacting the caster main body 32 and prevents the caster main body 32 from being damaged.

  FIG. 7 shows a second modification of the first embodiment. (A) of a figure is a front view, (b) is a right view. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The configuration of the caster 41 is different from that of the first embodiment in that the caster body 42 is divided into an upper mounting portion 43 and a bifurcated portion 44 having two lower legs, and one of the buffer members 45 is interposed therebetween. It is that the part was arranged. That is, the buffer member 45 has a shape in which the boundary buffer portion 46 is added to the buffer member 32 in the first modification. By arranging the boundary buffering portion 46 between the attachment portion 43 and the bifurcated portion 44 of the caster main body 42, the effects on vibration, noise, impact, etc. are further increased.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which a caster main body 51 used for a caster according to a second embodiment of the present invention is attached to an attachment plate 67. (A) is a front view, (B) is B- It is B line sectional drawing. Since the method of attaching the shaft and the wheel to the caster body 51 is clear from the description of the first embodiment, the illustration of the shaft and the wheel is omitted.

The caster main body 51 has substantially the same shape as that in the first embodiment, and includes an upper mounting portion 52 and two legs 53 and 54 which are bifurcated on the lower side. The mounting portion 52 is rotatably attached to the mounting plate 67 via a bearing 68 as in the first embodiment described above.

Circular shallow depressions 55 and 56 are formed on the outer surface side of the lower portions of the leg portions 53 and 54, respectively. Then, on the inner surface side where the meat remains, center holes 57 and 58 concentrically with the recesses 55 and 56, respectively, and annular holes 59 and 60 concentric with them are formed, and the bearing portions 61 and 62 are respectively formed in the centers. Is forming. A plurality of connecting members, that is, thin plate-like spokes 63 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction are integrally connected to the outer peripheral surfaces of the bearing portions 61 and 62 and the inner periphery of the annular holes 59 and 60 at both ends. 64 is growing. The direction of the spokes 63 and 64 is such that the extension line passes through a position deviated from the center of the bearing portions 61 and 62 as shown in the drawing, and a part of the outer periphery of the bearing portions 61 and 62 is cut off. The spokes 63 and 64 themselves may be formed in a curved shape.

  A shaft (not shown) is inserted into the bearing portions 61 and 62 to rotatably support a wheel (not shown). In this embodiment, the caster body 51 is formed of nylon resin or the like, and the thin spokes 63 and 64 have soft flexibility, function as a buffer member, and absorb vibration to prevent noise. . Since the cushioning member in the form of this spoke has good cushioning properties, the function as a suspension is excellent. In the present embodiment, the attachment part 52, the leg parts 53 and 54, the bearing parts 61 and 62, and the spokes 63 and 64 of the caster main body part 53 can be formed integrally. At that time, since the spokes 63 and 64 connect the leg portions 53 and 54 and the bearing portions 61 and 62, the molding stability is also excellent. Since the spokes 63 and 64 only need to have the required flexibility, they can be made of metal such as aluminum. Moreover, although the spokes 63 and 64 have been described as thin plate-like ones, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an elongated bar having a circular cross section.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. That is, in the second embodiment, only the spokes 63 and 64 are buffer members, but in the third embodiment, the adjacent spoke 63 (64), the outer periphery of the bearing portion 61 (62), and the annular hole. 59 (60) is filled with, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer having rubber elasticity, which is used in the first embodiment, as the second buffer member 70 so as to fill a space surrounded by the inner periphery of 59 (60). Yes. Various shock-absorbing members are assumed, but the vibration attenuation characteristics and the sound absorption characteristics do not necessarily match.Thus, combining these different shock-absorbing members appropriately results in excellent results in both characteristics. Obtainable.

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged front view of a caster body 81 according to the fourth embodiment, and shows only one leg portion 82. A circular shallow recess 83 is provided on the outer surface of the leg portion 82, and a hole 84 is opened at the center thereof. An annular portion 85 is disposed concentrically with the hole 84, and a plurality of spokes 86 are integrally connected to the outer periphery of the annular portion 85 and the inner periphery of the hole 84 at both ends thereof. The above configuration is the same as in the second and third embodiments. A bearing 87 is disposed at the center of the annular portion 85, and a buffer member made of a material having rubber elasticity such as an elastomer used in the first embodiment is provided between the bearing 87 and the annular portion 85. 88. Also in this embodiment, the spoke 86 and the cushioning material 88 are used in combination, and by taking advantage of the respective characteristics, good effects can be obtained in vibration absorption, noise suppression, impact resistance, suspension function, and the like.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a caster according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the caster of FIG. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the caster of FIG. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the caster of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. The caster which concerns on the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment is shown, (A) is a front view, (B) is a right view. The caster which concerns on the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment is shown, (A) is a front view, (B) is a right view. It is a figure which shows 2nd and 3rd Embodiment, (a) is a front view, (b) is the BB sectional drawing of (a). FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged front view showing a fourth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1: Caster 3: Caster body 4: Mounting portion 6, 7: Leg portion 8, 9: Hole 11, 12: Buffer member 15, 16: Bearing 17: Wheel 26: Mounting plate 27: Bearing

Claims (10)

  A caster comprising a caster main body, a shaft attached to a shaft attachment portion provided in the caster main body, and a wheel rotatably attached around an axis of the shaft, wherein the shaft is the shaft or the shaft. A caster, wherein the caster is attached to an attachment portion of the caster body via an elastically deformable buffer member disposed over the entire circumference of the bearing to be supported. 2. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the shaft mounting portion of the caster body is a hole, and the buffer member includes an inner periphery of the hole and an outer periphery of the shaft or the bearing over the entire circumference of the shaft or the bearing. A caster, characterized in that it is made of a rubber-elastic material arranged so as to fill the space between the casters.   The caster according to claim 1, wherein the shaft mounting portion of the caster body is a hole, the shaft is supported by a bearing, and the buffer member is disposed at a predetermined interval over the entire outer periphery of the bearing. A caster comprising a plurality of elastically deformable coupling bodies integrally connected to an inner periphery of the hole and an outer periphery of the bearing at both ends. 4. The caster according to claim 3, wherein a space surrounded by the adjacent coupling body, the outer periphery of the bearing and the inner periphery of the hole is filled with a material having rubber elasticity. 5. The caster according to claim 3, wherein the connecting body extends in a direction inclined with respect to a diameter of the bearing passing through a position where the connecting body is connected to an outer periphery of the bearing. 2. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the shaft mounting portion of the caster is a hole, the shaft or the bearing is surrounded by a first buffer member made of a material having rubber elasticity over the entire outer periphery thereof, and the caster further includes: An annular part surrounding the outer periphery of the first buffer member, and arranged at a predetermined interval over the entire outer periphery of the annular part, and at both ends, the inner periphery of the hole and the outer periphery of the annular part A caster comprising: a second shock-absorbing member comprising a plurality of elastically deformable coupling bodies connected together.   7. The caster according to claim 6, wherein the connecting body extends in a direction inclined with respect to a diameter of the annular portion passing through a position where the connecting body is connected to an outer periphery of the annular portion. . The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the caster body includes a pair of legs arranged in parallel to each other, and the shaft is attached at both ends thereof to the pair of legs, A wheel, wherein the wheel is disposed between the pair of legs. The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the caster body includes one leg portion, the shaft extends through the leg portion, and wheels are respectively attached to both ends of the shaft. Features a caster.   The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the caster includes an attachment member for attaching the caster to a suitcase or the like, and the caster body includes an attachment portion attached to the attachment member, A caster, wherein the caster is divided into a main body having a shaft mounting portion, and a third buffer member made of a material having rubber elasticity is disposed between the mounting portion and the main body.

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