JP2009073317A - Caster and furniture having caster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact caster with the adjuster function superior in operability. <P>SOLUTION: This caster has a freely rotatable and vertically immovable adjusting ring 12, a main support 11 vertically freely movable and nonrotatable by threadedly engaging with the adjusting ring 12, a turning member 10 horizontally turnably fitted in the main support 11, and a wheel 8 installed in the turning member 10. A wheel stopper 15 is arranged in the turning member 10, and a turning stopper 17 and an operation member 19 are arranged inside the main support 11. The wheel stopper 15 and the turning stopper 17 are simultaneously operated by the vertical movement of the operation member 19. Since the turning stopper 17 and the operation member 19 are incorporated into the main support 11, the whole is compact. Rotational operation of the adjusting ring 12 is also lightly performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a caster (which may be referred to as a caster device) suitably used for furniture such as a table, and furniture provided with the caster.

  For example, a caster used for furniture includes a swivel member (also referred to as a swivel support body, a base body, and a rotor) to which a wheel is attached, and the swivel member is separated from the rotation axis of the wheel in a plan view. It is attached to the legs of the furniture so as to turn horizontally around the part. In the simplest caster, a swivel member is mounted on a vertically long screw shaft so that the swivel member can be swiveled horizontally, and the screw shaft is fixed to the furniture leg with a nut, or the screw shaft is screwed into a nut fixed to the furniture leg. Yes.

  When installing casters on furniture such as tables, the casters have an adjuster function so that the height of the supported object can be adjusted in order to eliminate looseness of the furniture and to align the height of the furniture arranged side by side or front and rear. It is preferable to have it. Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed a caster in Patent Document 1 in which a person can adjust the height by rotating the adjuster by hand.

  On the other hand, in the caster, the horizontal turning of the turning member and the rotation (running) of the wheel are locked, and Patent Document 1 discloses a lock mechanism that simultaneously locks the turning of the turning member and the rotation of the wheel. ing. Patent Documents 2 and 3 are also examples of other lock mechanisms.

  Among them, the lock mechanism of Patent Document 2 arranges the operating shaft at a position of the turning center of the turning member so that the operating shaft cannot be rotated horizontally and can be moved up and down. The lock is unlocked at the same time. When the rotary lock member for simultaneously performing the lock of the rotation and the lock of the wheel (braking lock) is arranged on the swing member and the operation shaft is pushed down, the operation shaft A turning lock portion provided on the stopper meshes with a turning lock receiving portion formed on the stopper, and a braking lock portion formed on the stopper meshes with a braking lock receiving portion of the wheel. When the operating shaft is raised, the stopper returns to the free position with a spring.

  In Patent Document 2, the rotation lock function and the wheel lock function are held in one stopper. However, in Patent Document 3, the rotation lock and the wheel lock are performed by separate stoppers. Both stoppers are activated simultaneously.

As a caster height adjusting means, it is common to adjust the height by changing the screwing depth of the screw shaft with respect to the supported object (for example, Patent Document 3 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-172604). However, if the screw shaft is not locked with a nut, the caster may turn horizontally. On the other hand, the nut cannot be adjusted easily by the user because the nut must be rotated with a special spanner. On the other hand, Patent Document 1 has an advantage that the turning lock function is reliable because the turning member is locked so as not to turn while the adjuster is rotatable.
JP-A-11-334303 Japanese Patent No. 3190919 JP 2007-131240 A

  Although the thing of patent document 1 has the advantage that a person can adjust height easily by rotating an ajastring by hand, and a turning lock function is reliable, the room for improvement was discovered by subsequent research. For example, because the adjuster itself moves up and down as the height is adjusted, there is a problem that the distance between the adjuster string and the object to be supported (furniture legs) may change widely, and dust may enter. There is a problem that the adjuster (or caster) becomes larger because it is fitted from the outside, or because the wheel is placed inside the adjuster, it is difficult to increase the diameter of the wheel, improving both running performance and compactness. There was a difficult problem. One of the objects of the present invention is to improve these problems.

  Further, in Patent Documents 1 and 3, there is a concern that a space for arranging various members for locking tends to be widened, and it is necessary to devise in order to reduce the size. Another object of the present invention is to improve the compactness and reliability of operation in a caster equipped with a lock mechanism (regardless of whether there is an adjustment function or not).

  A caster according to a first aspect of the present invention is a vertically long and longitudinal main support that is non-rotatable and held up and down with respect to a supported body, and an operating body that moves the lifting body up and down manually. And a turning member having wheels attached thereto is attached to the main support so as to be horizontally turnable, while the operating body is held so as not to be moved up and down with respect to the supported object. Yes.

  The configuration in which the main support is “not rotatable relative to the supported body and is movable up and down” and the configuration in which “the operating body is held so as not to be raised and lowered with respect to the supported object” are the The relationship between the movement of the main support and the operating body relative to the support is specified, and is not directly related to the mounting structure of the main support and the operating body. Therefore, the mounting structure includes a case where the main support or the operating body is attached to the supported object via some member and a case where the main support or the operating body is directly attached to the supported object. Includes both.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the operating body has a cylindrical shape having an internal thread on an inner periphery thereof, and is operated to rotate about an upper and lower longitudinal axis. The operating body is supported. While being rotatable with respect to the body and being held so as not to be lifted and lowered, the main support body includes a male screw portion that engages with a female screw of the operating body, and a pivot member that extends downward from the male screw portion. A support shaft part fitted from above, and an upper end of the male screw part is exposed above the operation body and is engaged with the supported object so that it cannot be rotated and can be moved up and down. A stop portion is provided, and the swiveling member can be swiveled horizontally around the support shaft portion of the main support.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second aspect, the swivel lock mechanism that switches the swivel member between a free state in which the swivel is freely rotatable and a lock state in which the swivel is not possible, and a free state in which the wheels are freely rotatable are unrotatable A wheel lock mechanism that switches between a lock state and an interlocking device that switches both the lock mechanisms simultaneously between a lock state and a free state by operating one operating tool, and the main support is a hollow that opens up and down A member constituting a part of the interlocking device and a turning stopper constituting a turning lock mechanism are arranged in the hollow portion of the main support.

  The present invention also includes a caster that does not have a height adjustment function but has a lock mechanism. That is, this invention is described in claim 4, and includes a vertically long and longitudinal main support that is held non-rotatable with respect to the supported body, and a swiveling member to which a wheel is attached. The swivel member is attached to the main support so as to be able to swivel horizontally, and further includes a swivel lock mechanism that switches the swivel member between a swivel free state and a lock state incapable of swiveling, and a wheel free swivel state. The main support in a configuration comprising: a wheel lock mechanism that switches to a non-rotatable lock state; and an interlocking device that switches both the lock mechanisms to a locked state and a free state simultaneously by operating one operating tool. The body is formed in a hollow shape opened up and down, and a member constituting a part of the interlocking device and a turning stopper constituting a turning lock mechanism are arranged in the hollow portion of the main support body. It has been.

  In the first aspect of the invention, since the operating body does not move up and down, the vertical distance between the operating body and the main support is not changed by adjusting the height. For this reason, dust does not accumulate due to height adjustment. Moreover, since the main support body, the operation body, the turning member, and the wheel are provided as main members, the operation body may be designed in size and position in relation to the main support body without being restricted by the turning member. Therefore, the operating body can be designed to an appropriate size.

  Further, when the configuration of claim 2 is adopted, the swivel member is fitted in the support shaft portion of the main support, so that the overall height can be reduced while being an adjust type caster. The floor of furniture can be reduced (the distance between the legs and the floor is reduced).

  Now, in patent document 3, the turning member (turning member) is attached to the to-be-supported object by the bolt type turning shaft, the ring-shaped press body is arrange | positioned in the upper surface location of the turning member, and it is on the leg of furniture. When the provided lever is rotated horizontally, the pressing body moves up and down via the connecting member, and the turning lock member and the wheel locking member are operated in conjunction with the vertical movement of the pressing body. In addition, since most of the members constituting the lock mechanism are exposed to the outside of the swivel member, there is a concern that the member constituting the lock mechanism hits another article and is likely to be damaged before being incorporated into furniture. .

  On the other hand, in the inventions of claims 3 and 4 of the present application, since the member constituting the interlocking device in the lock mechanism and the turning stopper are disposed inside the hollow main support, the member is the main support. As a result, it is possible to suppress damage to some members of the interlocking device and the turning stopper due to external impacts, and to prevent contact of foreign objects and to ensure the operation of the lock mechanism. Can be secured, and can contribute to the compactness of casters.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The caster of the present embodiment is designed for use in furniture (particularly tables) including a folding table, for example. This embodiment is applied to a folding table.

(1). Overview of Casters FIG. 1A is a side view of a foldable table, and FIG. 1B is a partially separated side view. The foldable table 1 includes left and right legs 2 connected by a horizontally long frame (not shown) and a flip-up top plate 3. The leg 2 has a substantially L shape in side view with a horizontal portion 2a close to the floor and an upright portion 2b standing upright from the rear end of the horizontal portion 2a. 4 is attached. The lower surface portions of the front end portion and the rear end portion of the horizontal portion 2a are notched downward and forward, and are in an upwardly stepped state (the stepped portion is indicated by reference numeral 2c). The leg 2 is made of a metal molded product such as an aluminum die cast.

  The horizontal part 2a of the leg 2 in the foldable table 1 has a hook-like shape (channel shape) opened downward, and a downward push as an example of an operation tool is placed at an appropriate position between the front and rear casters 4 in the horizontal part 2a. An operation button 5 is provided. Although not described in detail, the operation button 5 is alternately changed between the lowered position and the raised position by the push motion (therefore, it can be pushed down by a slight size from the lowered position), and the horizontal portion 2a in the leg 2 A pair of front and rear operating rods 6 for operating the lock mechanism of the caster 4 at the front part are mounted in a horizontal posture so as to be slidable forward and backward.

  In this embodiment, when the operation button 5 moves downward from the upwardly raised position, the operation rod 6 moves backward from the caster 4 toward the operation button 5, and when the operation button 5 moves upward from the lowered position toward the raised position. The operating rod 6 moves forward in the direction facing the caster 4. Of course, the movement of the operation button 5 and the movement of the operation rod can be reversed. Further, instead of the push-type operation button, it is also possible to employ a horizontal rotation type knob or lever as the operation tool. How the operating rod 6 moves depends on the mechanism of the lock mechanism in the caster 4.

  Hereinafter, details of the caster 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view that almost covers the components of the caster 4, FIG. 3A is a longitudinal side view of the main part in a free state (unlocked state), and FIG. 2B is a partial view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view in a locked state. First, the outline | summary of the caster 4 is demonstrated based on these figures.

  The members constituting the casters 4 are roughly classified into basic members for ensuring movement and locking members constituting the lock mechanism. These members are displayed almost completely in FIGS. 2 to 4 (see FIG. 2 in particular).

  As a basic member, a pair of left and right wheels (rollers) 8, a turning member 10 to which the wheels 8 are mounted on an axle 9, a main support 11 on which the turning member 10 is supported so as to be horizontally turnable, and a main support A rotary adjustment ring (cylindrical operation body) 12 for operating the body 11 up and down, and a front retainer 13 for holding the adjustment ring 12 so as to be rotatable with respect to the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 and not movable up and down. And a rear retainer 14. The main support 11 is moved up and down by the rotation of the main support 11, and as a result, the relative heights of the revolving member 10 and the wheels 8 and the legs 2 change.

  As the lock member, a wheel stopper 15 for holding the wheel 8 in a non-rotatable state, a first spring 16 for biasing the wheel stopper 15 in a locked state, and a turning stopper for holding the turning member 10 in a non-rotatable horizontal state. 17, a second spring 18 that urges the turning stopper 17 in a locked state, a vertical movement type actuating member 19 that simultaneously operates the wheel stopper 15 and the turning stopper 17, and the tip of the operation rod 6 described above. The first interlocking body 20, the second interlocking body 21 that converts the horizontal movement of the first interlocking body 20 into the vertical movement of the operating member 19, and the third spring 22 that biases the second interlocking body 21 in the backward direction. Is mentioned.

  The operating rod, the first and second interlocking bodies 20 and 21, the third spring 22 and the actuating member 19 constitute the interlocking device described in the claims. In the present embodiment, when the operating rod is moving forward as shown in FIG. 3A, the operating member 19 is pushed down by the second interlocking body 21. In this state, the turning stopper 17 is brought into the free position. The revolving member 10 can move horizontally, and the wheel stopper 15 is in a free posture so that the wheel 8 can roll.

  On the other hand, when the operating rod 6 is retracted, the second interlocking body 21 is retracted by the urging force of the third spring 22 so that the operating member 19 is moved upward. Then, the turning stopper 17 is advanced to the lock position and the turning member 10 is moved forward. The wheel stopper 15 is held in a locked posture and the wheel 8 is held in a non-rollable state.

  Hereinafter, specific forms of the respective members will be described in relation to each other with reference to the drawings in FIG. 5 is a side view with the members separated, FIGS. 6 and 7 are separated side views in a cross-sectional view, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 3 (A), and FIG. ) Is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line XX in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG.

(2). Basic Configuration First, the main support 11 will be described. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the main support 11 includes a male screw portion 11 a in which a male screw (trapezoidal screw) is formed on the outer periphery, a circular unthreaded portion 11 b integrally continuous with the lower end of the male screw portion 11 a, a screw And a circular boss portion (support shaft portion) 11c protruding downward from the non-portion 11b. The diameter is set slightly larger than the outer diameter of the unthreaded portion 11b and the male threaded portion 11a. On the other hand, the boss portion 11c has a considerably smaller diameter than the male screw portion 11a and the unthreaded portion 11b. For this reason, the lower end surface of the unthreaded portion 11b is an intermediate step portion 11d. Further, a lower small diameter portion 11e having a smaller diameter than that of the boss portion 11c is integrally formed at the lower end of the boss portion 11c. Therefore, the lower end surface of the boss portion 11c is a lower step portion 11f (see FIG. 3B). It has become.

  As shown in FIG. 8, an anti-rotation portion 11 g having a shape close to a shogi piece in plan view is integrally formed on the upper surface of the male screw portion 11 a in the main support 11 (front and rear like a shogi piece shape). The asymmetric shape is used to eliminate an error in assembling the main support 11 by giving a direction to the posture so that it does not fit unless it is a predetermined posture). The detent 11g is in a posture that extends long in the longitudinal direction of the leg 2. As shown in FIG. 8, the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 in the foldable table 1 is formed with a restriction groove 24 in which the rotation preventing portion 11g of the main support 11 is vertically movable and non-rotatably fitted. Yes.

  In addition, an auxiliary groove 24a facing the tip of the leg 2 is continuously formed in the restriction groove 24, and an elevating restriction pin 25 protruding from the detent portion 11g of the main support 11 is fitted in the auxiliary groove 24a. Yes. The raising / lowering regulation pin 25 and the auxiliary groove 24a regulate the lower limit position of the main support 11. In addition, it is also possible to constitute the fixing member into which the rotation preventing portion 11g is non-rotatably configured separately from the leg 2 and fasten the fixing member to the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 with a screw.

  An adjustment ring 12 is screwed into the male thread portion 11a of the main support 11 from the outside. Accordingly, the inner periphery of the adjustment ring 12 is a female screw hole 27 (a screw having a trapezoidal cross section is adopted). Further, a middle flange 12a is integrally formed at the height of the adjustment ring 12 in the middle of the upper and lower sides, and a downward operation ring 12b is integrally formed at a portion near the outer periphery of the middle flange 12a. Therefore, the inside of the operation ring 12b is an annular recess. As shown in FIG. 10, the outer periphery of the operation ring 12b is formed with dents at appropriate intervals for better catching of human fingers.

  An upper flange 12c projecting outward is integrally formed at the upper end portion of the adjustment ring 12, and therefore, an annular groove 28 is formed at a portion between the upper flange 12c and the middle flange 12a. And the adjustment ring 12 is rotatably held by the front retainer 13 and the rear retainer 14 from both sides of the front and rear, so that the adjustment ring 12 is rotatable and cannot be moved up and down.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the front retainer 13 has a shape in which the ring is divided in half in a plan view, and a front inward ridge 13a covering the annular groove 28 of the adjustment ring 12 by half is formed on the inner periphery thereof. Is formed. The front retainer 13 is fastened to the horizontal portion 2 a of the leg 2 with three screws 29. Further, two positioning pins 30 project from the upper surface of the front retainer 13, and the positioning pins 30 are fitted into positioning holes provided in the horizontal portion 2 a of the leg 2.

  As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the rear retainer 14 is long in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal portion 2a, and the cross-sectional shape is a composite of the upper half of the trapezoid and the lower half of the rectangle. It is in the form of a block whose height is higher than that. The reason why the block is formed in this way is that the first interlocking member 20 described above is disposed therein.

  The front portion of the rear retainer 14 is formed with a semicircular front recess 31 in plan view so as to hold the half of the adjustment ring 12, and the annular groove 28 of the adjustment ring 12 is formed in the front recess 31. A rear inward ridge 14a that is held in half is formed. In addition, a pair of left and right side protrusions 33 that overlap both ends of the front retainer 13 and a center protrusion 34 that abuts on or is close to the back surface of the rotation stopper 11g in the main support 11 are formed on the front portion of the rear retainer 14. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 is formed with the aforementioned downward boss portion 36 with which the upper end surface 12d of the adjustment ring 12 abuts. The downward boss portion 36 opens rearward in plan view so as not to interfere with the center protrusion 34 of the rear retainer 14.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear retainer 14 is formed with a counterbore recess 37 extending over the upper surface and the inclined surface, whereas the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 is seated on the horizontal portion 2a as shown in FIG. A downward cylindrical portion 38 that fits into the recess 37 is integrally formed, and the rear retainer 14 is fixed to the horizontal portion 2 a by a screw 39 screwed into the downward cylindrical portion 38. The rear retainer 14 can be positioned by the downward cylindrical portion 38.

  Next, the turning member 10 and the wheel 8 will be described. The swivel member 10 is a resin molded product, and includes a circular base portion that is rotatably fitted to the boss portion 11b of the main support 11, and has a protruding portion 10a that is rectangular in plan view. A boss hole 41 into which the boss portion 11b of the main support 11 is fitted and a lower hole 42 into which the lower small diameter portion 11e of the main support 11 is fitted are formed at the base of the turning member 10.

  An inward annular protrusion 42 is formed in the boss hole 41, and an annular groove 43 into which the annular protrusion 42 is fitted is formed in the boss portion 11 c of the main support 11. The main support 11 and the turning member 10 are held so as not to be detached by fitting (the fitting is performed by forced fitting using elasticity). Further, a slight gap is provided between the boss portion 11 c of the main support 11 and the boss hole 41 of the swivel member 10, and the centering of rotation between the swivel member 10 and the main support 11 is the main support 11. This depends on the fitting of the lower small-diameter portion 11e and the lower hole 42 of the turning member 10.

  Moreover, the upper part of the turning member 10 is thin and enters the downward annular recess of the operation ring 12b in the adjustment ring 12. Therefore, the upper part of the turning member 10 has a larger diameter than the boss hole 41 and is mainly supported. An upward recess 45 extending outside the unthreaded portion 11b of the body 11 is vacant, and a stepped portion facing the unthreaded portion 11a of the main support 11 is formed at the lower end of the inner periphery of the upward recess 45. Thus, a number of turning engagement grooves 46 opened inward and upward as part of the turning lock mechanism are formed in this step portion at an appropriate pitch. The turning engaging groove 46 has a trapezoidal shape in which the interval is widened toward the inside of the radius in plan view.

  Next, the wheel 8 will be described. The wheels 8 are located on both sides of the overhanging portion 10 a of the turning member 10, and are connected to the turning member 10 by one axle 9. An annular recess 47 is formed on the inner surface of the wheel, and a large number of wheel engagement grooves 48 are formed on the inner peripheral surface at a constant pitch toward the center of rotation as part of the wheel lock mechanism. In FIG. 11, an O-ring 49 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel 8. The main purpose of the O-ring 49 is to increase the friction with the floor surface to prevent slippage and to prevent the floor from being damaged. Of course, the O-ring 49 may be omitted. It is also possible to provide an elastomer layer integrally instead of the O-ring.

(3). Locking mechanism Next, the locking mechanism will be described. First, the wheel lock mechanism will be described. The wheel lock mechanism includes a wheel stopper 15, a wheel engagement groove 48, and a first spring 16. The wheel stopper 15 is a molded product of resin, and is disposed on the lower surface portion of the turning member 10 and between the left and right wheels 8. In addition, a seesaw portion 15a extending in a direction orthogonal to the axle 9 at the intermediate portion between the left and right wheels 8 and a blade portion 15b provided integrally with the front portion of the seesaw portion 15a are provided. It has a T-shaped form in plan view (of course, other forms may be used).

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 11, the left and right support shafts 50 are laterally projected from the seesaw portion 15 a on the slightly rear side of the blade portion 15 b, while the swivel member 10 includes the support shaft 50. A bearing portion 51 having an upward opening that is fitted by forced fitting from below is provided integrally. The tip of the seesaw portion 15a is located below the pilot hole 42 of the turning member 10, while the left and right ends of the blade portion 15b enter the annular recess 47 of the wheel 8, and the tips of the left and right blade portions 15b. An engaging protrusion 52 that fits into and disengages from the wheel engaging groove 48 is formed in the portion.

  The first spring 16 described above is interposed between the left and right intermediate portion of the blade portion 15b and the turning member 10, and therefore, the wheel stopper 15 has its engagement protrusion 52 formed in the wheel engagement groove 48. It is urged so that it rotates in the direction of fitting and becomes selfish. A spring receiving hole 53 into which the first spring 16 is fitted is formed in the turning member 10.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the left and right bearing portions 51 in the turning member 10 are separated from each other, and an inclined surface for guiding the support shaft 50 is formed on the lower surface of the bearing portion 51. Further, a portion of the seesaw portion 15a of the wheel stopper 15 provided with the support shaft 50 is provided with a hole 54 having an upper and lower opening so that the support shaft 50 is elastically deformed when the support shaft 50 is fitted and the interval between the left and right support shafts 50 is reduced. Yes. In this embodiment, since the wheel stopper 15 is attached to the turning member 10 by fitting using elastic deformation, the attaching operation can be performed with one touch.

  Next, the turning lock will be described. As described above, the turning lock mechanism includes the turning stopper 17, the turning engagement groove 46, and the second spring 18. For example, as can be understood from FIG. 2, the turning stopper 17 is basically a plate having a width larger in plan view than the upper and lower thicknesses. As shown in FIG. 9, the turning stopper 17 is an unthreaded portion of the main support 11. It fits in a guide hole 56 provided in 11b so as to be horizontally movable, and a trapezoidal fitting portion 17a in a plan view that fits in and out of the turning engaging groove 46 is formed at the tip.

  The turning stopper 17 is disposed so as to extend in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the horizontal portion 2 a of the leg 2. The turning stopper 17 includes a small-diameter shaft 17b extending on the opposite side of the engaging portion 17a. The small-diameter shaft 17b is fitted into an auxiliary guide 56a provided on the main support 11.

  The second spring 18 is fitted on the small diameter shaft 17b. Therefore, the turning stopper 17 is biased by the second spring 18 in a direction in which the turning stopper 17 is fitted into the turning engagement groove 46. Further, since the distal end portion of the turning stopper 17 and the turning engaging groove 46 are trapezoidal in plan view, if an excessively large turning moment acts on the turning member 10 in a state where both are fitted, the inclined surface The turning stopper 17 can move away from the turning engaging groove 46 by the guide action. Thereby, even if an excessive turning moment acts on the turning member 10 in a locked state for some reason, damage to members such as the turning stopper 17 can be avoided. An operation hole 57 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is opened up and down at a location near the small-diameter shaft 17 b in the turning stopper 17.

  The main support 11 is hollow with a vertical hole 57 penetrating vertically, and the above-described operating member 19 is fitted in the vertical hole so as to be movable up and down. As can be understood from FIG. 2, the actuating member 19 is basically plate-like, and is fitted to the main support 11 so as not to rotate. The actuating member 19 includes a wide width portion 19a having a width extending in the longitudinal direction of the turning stopper 17, a narrow width portion 19b positioned above the wide width portion 19a, and a main driving pin portion integrally provided at the upper end of the narrow width portion 19b. 19c and a driven pin portion 19d projecting downward from the lower end of the wide width portion 19a.

  The wide width portion 19 a is generally located at the boss portion 11 c of the main support 11, and the width is widened in the longitudinal direction of the turning stopper 17. The wide width portion 19a and the narrow width portion 19b of the actuating member 19 are continuous via a constricted portion 19g that is continuous in a U-shape with an upper inclined surface 19e and a lower inclined surface 19f, and the constricted portion 19g is turned. The operation hole 57 of the stopper 17 is inserted. The portion of the constricted portion 19g opposite to the upper inclined surface 19e is an auxiliary inclined surface 19h parallel to the upper inclined surface 19e. Therefore, the narrow portion 19b is stepped with respect to the front and rear end surfaces of the wide portion 19a. It has fallen.

  The turning member 10 has a hole 59 in which the driven pin portion 19d of the operating member 19 is slidably fitted. When the operating member 19 moves downward, the lower portion of the driven pin portion 19d protrudes below the hole 59, and the operating member When 19 rises, the driven pin portion 19 d is hidden in the hole 59.

  An upper guide hole 60 having a substantially square cross section opening toward the rear retainer 14 is formed in the detent portion 11g of the main support 11, and the second interlocking member 21 is fitted in the upper guide hole 60 so as to be slidable horizontally. Yes. The second interlocking member 21 is formed in a block shape and slides in the same direction as the sliding direction of the operation rod 6. The main driving pin portion 17c of the actuating member 19 can be projected and retracted toward the upper guide hole 60 of the main support 11, while the main driving pin portion 19c can be in contact with the lower surface of the second interlocking member 21 from below. The cam surface 61 is formed.

  The cam surface 61 of the second interlocking member 21 is inclined so that the height increases as the distance from the first interlocking member 20 increases. Therefore, when the second interlocking member 21 moves forward, the actuating member 19 is pushed downward. It moves down. The second interlocking member 21 is urged by the third spring 22 so as to approach the first interlocking member 20 and become free. Needless to say, the third spring 22 is disposed in the upper guide hole 60 of the main support 11. The inclined posture of the cam surface 61 can be reversed. In this case, when the operation rod 6 moves forward from the retracted position, the cam surface 61 is locked.

  The first interlocking member 20 is basically rectangular and is slidably fitted into a square hole 62 formed in the rear retainer 14. Further, the second interlocking member 21 has a space 63 opened rearward, and the tip of the operating rod 6 is fitted in the space 63. The first interlocking member 20 has a narrow pressing portion 20 a that presses the second interlocking member 21, and the pressing portion 20 a penetrates the rear retainer 14. A downward claw 64 is formed on the lower surface of the first interlocking member 20, while a slit 65 is formed on the lower surface portion of the rear retainer 14 to allow the downward pawl 64 to move when the second interlocking member 21 moves back and forth. Yes. When the downward claw 64 hits the rear end of the slit 65, the backward movement of the second interlocking member is restricted. The fitting is performed using elastic deformation.

(4). Summary As described above, Fig. 3 shows the free state. In this state, the operating rod 6 moves forward, and the first and second interlocking members 20 and 21 are moved forward by being pushed by the operating rod 6. As a result, the actuating member 19 pushes down the second interlocking member 21. It is descending due to action. Then, the wheel stopper 15 is held in a posture in which the engagement protrusion 52 is separated from the wheel engagement groove 48 against the first spring 18, and thus the wheel 8 can roll. Further, the turning stopper 17 is held in a retracted position where the lower end portion of the narrow width portion 19 b of the operating member 19 hits the rear end of the operation hole 57, and therefore the engaging portion 17 a is separated from the turning engaging groove 46. The turning member 10 is separated and is in a state of being able to turn horizontally.

  When the operation button 5 is pressed, the locked state shown in FIG. In this locked state, the first and second interlocking members 20 and 21 are retracted by the third spring 22 so that the operating member 19 is in the raised position. Then, the wheel stopper 15 is moved by the first spring 16 in FIG. By rotating clockwise, the engagement protrusion 52 is fitted into the wheel engagement groove 48, and the wheel 8 is held unrotatable. Further, when the actuating member 19 is raised, the constricted portion 19g of the actuating member 19 is moved to the position of the operation hole 57 of the turning stopper 17, so that the restricting action by the actuating member 19 on the turning stopper 17 is released. The stopper 17 is advanced by the second spring 18 so that the engaging portion 17a is fitted into the turning engaging groove 43, and the turning member 10 is held so as not to turn.

  Then, the turning is locked by preventing the turning member 10 from turning relative to the main support 11, but the main support 11 is non-rotatable and is held up and down so that the locked state is securely held. In addition, the height can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment ring 12 regardless of the locked state or the free state. When lowering the main support 11 with respect to the leg 2 (raising the leg 2), the limit position is regulated by the elevating restriction pin 25 coming into contact with the upper surface of the adjustment ring 12.

  When shifting from the free state to the locked state, there is a case where the positional relationship of engaging with the engaging protrusion 52 of the wheel stopper 15 and the wheel engaging groove 48 may not exist. In this case, since the second interlocking member 21 is always retracted by the locking operation, the actuating member 19 is in a state where it can be raised. Since the wheel stopper 15 is urged by the first spring 16 in a locked posture, when the table 1 is moved slightly to apply an external force to the turning member 10 and the wheel 8 is rotated slightly, the wheel stopper 15 The engagement protrusion 52 of the wheel is engaged with the engagement groove 48 for the wheel, whereby the wheel stopper 15 is rotated by the elastic force of the first spring 16 and the wheel stopper 15 is in the locked posture. The actuating member 19 also moves up and shifts to the locked position.

  Even if the actuating member 19 is in the raised position, the turning stopper 17 may not be in a positional relationship to engage with the turning engaging groove 46. In this case, the turning stopper 17 is also urged in the forward direction by the third spring 22. Therefore, when the table 1 is moved slightly, the turning stopper 17 is engaged with the turning engaging groove 46. Thus, it is one of the advantages of this embodiment that the stoppers 16 and 17 are automatically fitted into the engaging grooves 46 and 48 by slightly moving the table 1. It is also possible to provide a spring that independently biases the main support 11 in the upward direction (it may be arranged in the prepared hole 42).

  If the actuating member 19 and the turning stopper 17 are arranged inside the main support 11 as in this embodiment, the caster 4 can be made compact accordingly. Further, the incorporation of the first interlocking member 20 in the rear retainer 14 and the incorporation of the second interlocking member 21 in the anti-rotation portion 11g of the main support 11 also contributes to compactness.

  The main support 11, the adjustment ring 12, and the swivel member 10 can be made compact and drastically reduce costs by using resin moldings. In this case, since the main support 11 has a complicated shape, there is a concern about strength reduction due to stress concentration.

  In this regard, the strength problem can be cleared by using an engineering plastic such as polyamide MXD6 composite material. The adjustment ring 12 is also preferably made of a polyamide MXD6-based composite material. In order to increase the strength, glass fiber may be mixed appropriately. Since the revolving member 10 has a sturdy structure and stress concentration is not a concern, a relatively inexpensive material such as polyamide 6 (nylon 6) or polyamide 66 (nylon 66) may be used. The main support 11, the adjustment ring 12, and the swivel member 10 can be made of metal.

  The main support 11 has a part that enters the inside of the turning member 10 and a part that is exposed above the turning member 10, but the caster 4 has a lock function without a height adjustment function. A portion of the main support 11 that enters the inside of the turning member 10 has a stopper holding portion to which the turning stopper 17 is attached and a boss portion 11c that functions as a support shaft for the turning member 10 as a stopper. It is preferable to set the support portion to have a larger diameter than the boss portion 11c. That is, the main support 11 is preferably a stepped structure having a small-diameter boss portion 11c.

  The reason is that, since the stopper support portion has a large diameter, the turning stopper 17 can be firmly held and the turning lock can be secured, and the internal structure for providing the turning stopper 17 is complicated. This is because the required thickness can be secured and the strength of the main support 11 itself can be secured. Further, the male screw portion 11a has a larger diameter than the boss portion 11c, so that the contact area between the adjustment ring 12 and the main support 11 can be increased to ensure high support strength. Therefore, the main support 11 has a stepped structure in which the lower portion has a small-diameter boss portion 11c as a main portion common to both the case where the adjustment function is provided and the case where only the lock function is provided. I can say that.

(5). Others The present invention can be embodied in various ways other than the above embodiment. For example, in the case of a caster provided on the horizontal part of the leg, it is also possible to arrange the rotary operation body on the upper surface portion of the horizontal part. Moreover, as a structure which moves a main support body up and down, it is not limited to the screw fitting system like embodiment, The system which supports a main support body with the wedge body which moves to a horizontal direction is employ | adopted. (In this case, the wedge body is horizontally moved by an operation tool such as a knob).

  It is also possible to integrally provide a push-type or rotary-type operation tool on the upper portion of the main support (it is possible to push down the actuating member 19 of the embodiment with a push-type button). When the main support is moved up and down by a screw mechanism, the nut screwed into the male screw portion of the main support can be indirectly rotated manually by a rotary operation body.

  The specific structure of the locking mechanism can be developed in various ways. For example, the turning stopper can be a vertical movement type instead of a horizontal movement type, and as a wheel locking means, the wheel stopper can be engaged and disengaged in a hole (or groove) formed on the side surface without the wheel. is there.

(A) is a side view of a folding table, (B) is a partial separated side view. It is a separation perspective view of a caster. (A) is a longitudinal side view in a free state, (B) is a partially enlarged view of (A). It is a vertical side view in a locked state. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. It is the IX-IX view sectional view of Drawing 3 (A). It is the isolation | separation plane sectional view seen from the XX view direction of FIG. 3 (A). FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 7.

Explanation of symbols

2a Horizontal part of leg in table 4 Caster 5 Operation button as an example of operation tool 6 Operation rod constituting part of interlocking device 8 Wheel 10 Turning member 11 Main support 11a Male thread 11c Boss (support)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Adjustment ring 13,14 Retainer 15 Wheel stopper 17 Turning stopper 19 Actuating member 20,21 Interlocking member which comprises interlocking device 46 Wheel engaging groove which comprises wheel locking mechanism 48 Engaging groove for turning which comprises turning lock mechanism

Claims (5)

A main support body that is vertically and longitudinally held in a vertically movable manner and is not rotatable with respect to a supported body; and an operating body that moves the elevating body up and down manually by a human. While the swivel member with wheels attached to the body is mounted so as to be able to swivel horizontally, the operating body is configured to be held so as not to be raised or lowered with respect to the supported object.
Casters. The operating body has a cylindrical shape having an internal thread on the inner periphery, and is operated to rotate about an upper and lower longitudinal axis. The operating body can be rotated with respect to the supported body and cannot be moved up and down. On the other hand,
The main support body includes a male screw portion that is screwed into a female screw of the operation body, and a support shaft portion that extends downward from the male screw portion and is fitted into the swivel member from above. At the upper end, there is provided a detent portion that is exposed above the operating body and engages with the supported object so that it cannot be rotated and can be moved up and down, and the swiveling member has a support shaft portion of the main support body. It can be swiveled horizontally around the center.
The caster according to claim 1. Furthermore, a turning lock mechanism for switching the turning member between a free state where the turning member can freely turn and a locked state where the turning is impossible, a wheel lock mechanism which switches a wheel between a free state where the wheel can freely rotate and a non-rotatable lock state, and the both locking mechanisms And an interlocking device that simultaneously switches between a locked state and a free state by operating one operating tool, and the main support is formed in a hollow shape that opens up and down. The member constituting and the turning stopper constituting the turning lock mechanism are arranged in the hollow portion of the main support,
The caster according to claim 2. A vertically long and axial main support that is held in a non-rotatable manner with respect to the supported body, and a turning member to which a wheel is attached. The turning member is attached to the main support so as to be horizontally turnable. And
Furthermore, a turning lock mechanism for switching the turning member between a free state where the turning member can freely turn and a locked state where the turning is impossible, a wheel lock mechanism which switches a wheel between a free state where the wheel can freely rotate and a non-rotatable lock state, and the both locking mechanisms An interlocking device that switches between a locked state and a free state simultaneously by operating one operating tool,
In the configuration
The main support is formed in a hollow shape opened up and down, and a member constituting a part of the interlocking device and a turning stopper constituting a turning lock mechanism are arranged in a hollow portion of the main support,
Casters.   Furniture comprising the caster according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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