JP2010247720A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a caster capable of ensuring the use in a normal state where movement is easy, and ensuring the safety in an abnormal state such as an earthquake or sudden push. <P>SOLUTION: The caster comprises a base body member 2 which is integrally or fixingly attached to each body of various kinds of heavy objects, and a roller member 4 and rotary dampers 6, 6' which are rotatably provided on the base body member 2. The rotary dampers 6, 6' are mounted between the base body member 2 side and the roller member 4 side so that relatively rotating members 30, 40 are relatively rotated to casings 24, 24' as the roller member 4 is rotated. The rotary dampers 6, 6' have the characteristic that the resistance against the rotation is increased according to the rotational speed as the rotational speed is increased for the rotation of the roller member 4 to the base body member 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a caster capable of preventing sudden movement in an earthquake or the like.

  Conventional casters generally have a configuration in which a roller member is provided on the side of a base member that is simply attached to a main body of a moving object. A caster with a brake is conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-10-81105 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-59113

Conventionally, there has been a caster in which a roller member is simply attached to a base member that is integrally or fixed to a main body of various heavy objects or is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis. In such a conventional caster, for example, when a sudden shaking occurs due to an earthquake or the like, or when the chair moves at a high speed by being pushed suddenly while sitting on the chair, etc. There was a danger of a person hitting a wall and getting seriously injured. In addition, during an earthquake, there is a danger that heavy objects such as a piano with a caster and furniture move suddenly and collide with people.
Moreover, in the conventional caster with a brake, since a braking force is always acting, the movement becomes heavy even in a normal use state, and it cannot be used in an easy state.
The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, ensure the use in a light and easy movement state in normal use, and in abnormal situations such as earthquakes or sudden presses. It is to provide a caster that can ensure safety.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a base member 2 that is integrally or fixed to a main body of various heavy objects, or that is rotatable about a vertical axis, and a roller member 4 that is rotatably provided on the base member 2. Rotating dampers 6 and 6 'having a characteristic that the resistance to the rotation increases as the rotation speed increases with respect to the rotation speed of the roller member 4 with respect to the base member 2. Is provided.
Further, in the present invention, the rotary dampers 6 and 6 'can be rotated at an infinite angle relative to the casings 24 and 24' in the casings 24 and 24 ', or all or main portions thereof. The relative rotation members 30 and 40 disposed in the casing 24 and 24 'are provided in the casings 24 and 24' and provide resistance to the relative rotation between the casings 24 and 24 'and the relative rotation members 30 and 40. A viscous fluid 11 whose force increases as the speed of the relative rotation increases, and the rotary dampers 6 and 6 ′ are disposed between the base member 2 side and the roller member 4 side. The relative rotation members 30 and 40 are attached so as to rotate relative to the casings 24 and 24 ′ with the rotation of 4.
Further, according to the present invention, the rotary dampers 6 and 6 ′ are integrally or fixedly attached to one of the base member 2 side and the roller member 4 side, or the roller member 4 via a power transmission mechanism. The casings 24, 24 'are rotatably supported on the base member 2 side so as to be interlocked with the rotation of the base member 2, and the whole or the main part is rotatable at an infinite angle relative to the casings 24, 24'. Arranged in the casings 24 and 24 'and attached integrally or fixedly to either the base member 2 side or the roller member 4 side, or interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4 via a power transmission mechanism. Relative rotating members 30 and 40 supported on the base member 2 side or the roller member 4 side so as to rotate, and the casings 24 and 24 'in the casings 24 and 24'. Is made of a viscous granules 11 for increasing as the speed of the resistive element drag the relative rotational giving resistance to relative rotation between the pair rotating member 30 and 40 become faster.
Further, according to the present invention, the power transmission mechanism is supported on the roller member 4 with gears 22 and 38 provided around the rotation center of the roller member 4 and the base member 2 side so as to be rotatable. And a gear 36 provided on the relative rotation member 30 side. The gear 36 meshes with the gears 22 and 38 on the roller member 4 side, and the casing with the gear 36 is interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4. 24 or the relative rotation member 30 is rotated.
In the present invention, the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an internal gear 22, and the gear meshed with the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 36.
In the present invention, the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 38, and the gear meshed with the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 36.
In the present invention, the casing 24 'is attached to the roller member 4 integrally or fixedly, and the relative rotating member 40 is attached to the base member 2 side integrally or fixedly.

  In normal use of heavy items with casters, it can be used in a light and easy-to-move state, and safety can be ensured in abnormal situations such as earthquakes and sudden presses. Can be secured.

It is sectional drawing of the caster which concerns on this invention. It is a side view of a caster. It is a top view of a caster. It is sectional drawing of a part of caster. It is sectional drawing of the caster which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the caster which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional view of a part of a caster showing other embodiments of the present invention. It is a caster sectional view showing other embodiments of the present invention. It is a side view of the caster which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional view of a part of a caster showing other embodiments of the present invention. It is a characteristic view of the rotary damper used for this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a caster according to the present invention. The caster is a base member 2, a roller member 4 rotatably attached to the base member 2, and the rotation of the roller member 4 according to the rotation speed. The rotary damper 6 has a characteristic that resistance to the rotation increases as the rotation speed increases.

The base member 2 has side plate portions 2a and 2b that extend in a direction perpendicular to the floor surface and face each other in parallel. A flat plate portion 2c for attachment is integrally formed on the upper portions of the side plate portions 2a and 2b. Has been. The mounting flat plate portion 2c has a base member 2 for medical equipment such as a stretcher or a drip stand for transferring various movable heavy objects such as a piano or a patient while lying in a hospital, a chair, a desk, etc. A screw insertion hole 8 is provided for attachment to a main body such as office equipment such as a bed or furniture such as a bed. The base member 2 may be fixedly attached to the main body of various heavy objects, formed integrally with the main body, or centered on an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface such as a floor. Alternatively, it may be mounted rotatably.

A shaft insertion hole is formed in the lower part of each of the side plate portions 2a and 2b, and a bolt 10 is inserted and disposed in these. Between the side plate portions 2a and 2b, a roller member 4 in which outer rings of ball bearings 12 and 14 are fitted to a boss portion 4a is disposed, and inner rings 16 and 18 of these ball bearings 12 and 14 are connected to the bolt 10. It is inserted. A nut 20 is screwed into the threaded portion of the bolt 10, and the inner rings 16 and 18 of the ball bearings 12 and 14 are firmly fixed to the side plate portions 2 a and 2 b by the clamping force between the nut 20 and the head of the bolt 10. Has been.

As for the roller member 4, a main-body part is comprised with the plastics or the metal material, and the rubber ring is being fixed to the outer peripheral part. The thin portion of the main body portion of the roller member 4 is formed with recessed portions on both sides along a circle centered on the rotation center, and an internal gear 22 is formed along the circle in one recessed portion. Yes. As shown in FIG. 4, the casing 24 of the rotary damper 6 is disposed in a hole formed in the side plate portion 2 b and is fixed to the side plate portion 2 b of the base member 2 by screws 26 and 26.

In the opening 34 of the casing 24, the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion of the rotor 28 is rotatably fitted in a sealed state. The rotor 28 is rotatably supported by the casing 24 within an infinite angle range, and a relative rotating member 30 is fixed to the rotor 28. In the relative rotation member 30, a tubular inner diameter portion 30a and an outer diameter portion 30b are integrally formed via ribs 30c. The rotor 28 and the relative rotation member 30 may be integrally formed, and the entire unit may be configured as a relative rotation member. A cover plate 24a is attached to the main body portion of the casing 24 via a sealing material, and an operation chamber 32 in which a viscous particle body 11 such as silicon oil is enclosed is formed.

In the working chamber 32, the relative rotating member 30 is rotatably arranged within an infinite angle range, and the outer peripheral surface 30d of the relative rotating member 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the casing 6 face each other with a predetermined interval. is doing. The facing interval is set so that when the relative rotating member 30 rotates in the working chamber 32, a predetermined shear resistance is obtained from the viscous granular material 11 according to the rotation speed. A portion of the rotor 28 protrudes outward from the opening 34 of the casing 6, and an external gear 36 is fixed to the protruding portion. The external gear 36 meshes with the internal gear 22.

  In the above configuration, when a heavy object with casters moves on the floor surface, the roller member 4 rotates. This rotation is transmitted to the relative rotation member 30 via the internal gear 22, the external gear 36, and the rotor 28, and the relative rotation member 30 rotates. When the relative rotating member 30 rotates, the relative rotating member 30 receives rotational resistance due to the shear resistance generated in the viscous granular material 11 between the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the casing 24.

This rotational resistance is small when the roller member 4 rotates at a low speed, and increases as the rotational speed increases according to the rotational speed. In the present embodiment, the heavy object body to which the caster is attached can be lightly driven at a normal traveling speed, and when the heavy object body travels at a speed higher than the normal speed, a large rotational resistance is imparted to the caster. The rotational resistance force can be arbitrarily set by appropriately designing the distance between the relative rotation member 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the casing 24, the viscosity of the viscous particles, and the like.

  FIG. 11 shows the speed-dependent data of the rotary damper suitable for use in the embodiment of the present invention, and shows the torque characteristics of five types of rotary dampers suitable for the implementation of the present invention. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the number of revolutions per minute, and the vertical axis represents the torque in millinewton meters. In the above embodiment, the internal gear 22 is provided on the side surface of the roller member 4 along a circle centering on the rotation center of the roller member 4. However, in the present invention, the internal gear 22 is provided on the roller member 4. The configuration is not limited to this, and an external gear 38 may be formed on the main body portion of the roller member 4 as shown in FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, an external gear 38 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the boss portion 4 a of the main body portion of the roller member 4. The center of the external gear 38 and the rotation center of the roller member 4 coincide. The external gear 36 on the side of the rotary damper 6 attached to the side plate portion 2b of the caster meshes with the external gear 38, and the rotation of the roller member 4 is caused by the relative rotational member of the rotary damper 6 via the external gear 38 and the external gear 36. 30 to be transmitted. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals are given to corresponding portions, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the relative rotation member 40 of the rotary damper 6 ′ is fixed to the bolt 10 side of the caster, that is, the base member 2 side, and the casing 24 ′ is fixed directly to the roller member 4. Yes. As shown in FIG. 10, a relative rotation member 40 in which a plurality of cylindrical resistance plates 40a are formed is disposed in a casing 24 ′ of the rotary damper 6 ′, and a boss portion 40b of the relative rotation member 40 is a side plate portion. The bolts 10 are inserted through the bolts 2a and 2b.

The boss portion 40b is clamped between the side plates 2a and 2b together with the inner rings 16 and 18 of the ball bearings 12 and 14 by the tightening force of the nut 20 screwed into the bolt 10, and together with the bolt 10 by the clamping pressure. It is fixed to the side plates 2a and 2b of the caster. A fitting recess is formed on the side surface of the roller member 4, and the casing 24 ′ of the rotary damper 6 ′ is press-fitted into this, and the casing 24 ′ is fixed to the side surface of the roller member 4 by fixing means such as adhesion. Yes.

The inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the resistance plate 40a formed on the relative rotating member 40 are opposed to the inner wall surface of the casing 24 ′ with the viscous granular material 11 enclosed in the working chamber of the casing 24 ′ interposed therebetween. When the relative rotating member 40 rotates relative to the casing 24 'in the viscous granular material 11 within the interval, a shear resistance force is generated.

A cover plate 24a ′ is attached to the open surface side of the casing 24 ′ of the rotary damper 6 ′ via a sealing material made of an O-ring, and a hole formed in the center of the casing 24 ′ and the center of the cover plate 24a ′. The peripheral surfaces 44 and 46 are rotatably fitted in a sealed state on the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 40b of the relative rotation member 40. Both end surfaces 48 and 50 of the boss portion 40b of the relative rotating member 40 are pressed against the end surface of the inner ring 18 of the ball bearing 14 and the inner surface of the side plate portion 2b by the tightening force of the nut 20. The other configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals are given to corresponding portions, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the above-described configuration, when the roller member 4 rotates, the casing 24 'integral with the roller member 4 rotates, whereby the relative rotation member 40 rotates relative to the casing 24'. When the relative rotating member 40 rotates relative to the casing 24 ', the roller member 4 is rotated by the rotational damper 6' by the shear resistance generated by the viscosity of the viscous granular material 11 between the opposing surfaces of the casing 24 'and the resistance plate 40a. To receive rotational resistance.

This rotational resistance is small when the roller member 4 rotates at a low speed, and increases as the rotational speed increases, as shown in the characteristic shown in FIG. The expression "relative rotation" means that the relative rotation member is displaced in the rotation direction with respect to the casing when the casing rotates even when the relative rotation member rotates. Therefore, the relative rotation member in a state of rotating with respect to the casing and a state of rotation of the casing in a stationary state is expressed as relative rotation with respect to the casing from the relationship with the casing. ing.

In the above embodiment, in FIGS. 1 and 5, the casing 24 is fixed to the base member 2 side, and in FIG. 8, the casing 24 ′ is fixed to the roller member 4 side. In FIGS. 1 and 5, the relative rotating member 30 is attached to the casing 24 supported on the base member 2 side so as to be interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4 through the power transmission member including the gears 22, 38 and 36. In FIG. 8, the relative rotation member 42 is fixed to the base member 2 side. However, according to the present invention, the casing is integrally or fixedly provided on either the base member side or the roller member side, and the relative rotation member is integrally or fixedly provided on the base member side or a power transmission comprising a gear. It is not particularly limited to the configuration provided on the base member side so as to be interlocked with the rotation of the roller member via the mechanism.

1 and 5, the relative rotation relationship between the casing 24 and the relative rotation member 30 is reversed, the casing 24 is rotatably supported on the base member 2 side, and the gear provided on the casing 24 is connected to the roller member 4. The casing 24 may be provided on the base member 2 side so as to be interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4 and the relative rotation member 30 may be fixed to the base member 2 side. . In FIG. 8, the relative rotation relationship between the casing 24 'and the relative rotation member 40 is reversed, the relative rotation member 40 is fixed to the roller member 4 side, and the casing 24' is fixed to the base member 2 side. As the roller member 4 rotates, the relative rotation member 40 may rotate with respect to the casing 24 '.

  Further, an internal gear or an external gear centering on the rotation center of the roller member 4 is provided on the base member 2 side, a casing 24 is integrally attached to the eccentric portion of the roller member 4, and the external gear provided on the relative rotation member 30 May be meshed with the internal gear or the external gear, and the relative rotation member 30 may rotate with respect to the casing 24 as the roller member 4 rotates. That is, as described in claim 3, the relative rotation member 30 may be supported on the roller member 4 side so as to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the roller member 4 via a power transmission mechanism. .

2 Base member 4 Roller member 6 Rotating damper 6 'Rotating damper 8 Screw insertion hole 10 Bolt 11 Viscous particle 12 Ball bearing 14 Ball bearing 16 Inner ring 18 Inner ring 20 Nut 22 Internal gear 24 Casing 24' Casing 26 Screw 28 Rotor 30 Relative rotation Member 32 working chamber 34 opening 36 gear 38 external gear 40 relative rotation member 40a resistance plate 44 hole 46 hole

Claims (7)

A caster comprising a base member 2 integrally or fixed to a main body of various heavy objects, or rotatable with respect to a vertical axis, and a roller member 4 rotatably provided on the base member 2. A caster characterized in that, with respect to the rotation of the roller member 4, the rotation dampers 6, 6 'having the characteristic that the resistance to the rotation increases as the rotation speed increases according to the rotation speed. The rotary dampers 6 and 6 'are relative to the casings 24 and 24' and all or a main part thereof is disposed in the casings 24 and 24 'so as to be rotatable at an infinite angle relative to the casings 24 and 24'. Rotating members 30 and 40 and the casings 24 and 24 'are provided with a resistance force to the relative rotation between the casings 24 and 24' and the relative rotating members 30 and 40, and the resistance force is the relative rotation. The rotational damper 6, 6 ′ is arranged between the base member 2 side and the roller member 4 side as the roller member 4 rotates. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the relative rotation members 30 and 40 are attached so as to rotate relative to the casings 24 and 24 ′. The rotary dampers 6 and 6 'are integrally or fixedly attached to either the base member 2 side or the roller member 4 side, or interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4 through a power transmission mechanism. As described above, the casings 24 and 24 ′ rotatably supported on the base member 2 side, and the casings 24 and 24 ′ are entirely or freely rotatable at an infinite angle with respect to the casings 24 and 24 ′. It is arranged in the base member 2 side and the roller member 4 side, and is integrally or fixedly attached to the other side, or rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the roller member 4 via a power transmission mechanism. Relative rotating members 30 and 40 supported on the base member 2 side or the roller member 4 side, and in the casings 24 and 24 ′ and relative to the casings 24 and 24 ′. 2. The viscous particle 11 according to claim 1, further comprising a viscous particle 11 that provides a resistance force to the relative rotation between the members 30 and 40 and increases as the speed of the relative rotation increases. Caster. The power transmission mechanism includes gears 22 and 38 provided on the roller member 4 with the rotation center of the roller member 4 as the center, and the base member 2 side and is rotatably supported on the casing 24 side or the relative rotation member 30 side. The gear 36 is engaged with the gears 22 and 38 on the roller member 4 side, and the casing 24 with the gear 36 or the relative rotation member is interlocked with the rotation of the roller member 4. The caster according to claim 3, wherein 30 is rotated. The caster according to claim 4, wherein a gear provided on the roller member 4 is an internal gear 22, and a gear meshing with the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 36. The caster according to claim 4, wherein a gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 38, and a gear meshing with the gear provided on the roller member 4 is an external gear 36. The caster according to claim 2, wherein the casing 24 ′ is attached to the roller member 4 integrally or fixedly, and the relative rotation member 40 is attached to the base member 2 side integrally or fixedly. .

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