JP2021070337A - Caster device and furniture with caster - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a caster device which suppresses malfunction of a lock mechanism.SOLUTION: A caster device 1A includes an upper member 4, a lower member 5, a wheel 6, a lock mechanism 14 which switches movement of the lower member 5 and wheel 6 between a lock state and a free state, and a lever holding mechanism 15 which slidably holds a lock lever 12 for switching the lock mechanism 14. The lock lever 12 includes a first operation part 122 which puts the lock mechanism 14 in the free state or the lock state, and a second operation part 123 and third operation part 124 which are arranged by interposing the first operation part 122 in a slide direction, and put the lock mechanism 14 in the lock state or the free state in contrast to the first operation part 122. The lever holding mechanism 15 is structured so as to change a holding position of the lock lever 12 to a first holding position P1 or a second holding position P2 which restrict a movable range so that the lock mechanism 14 is operated by the first and second operation parts 122, 123 or the first and third operation parts 122, 124.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to caster devices and furniture with casters.

Tables for offices and conference rooms generally have a structure in which the top plate is supported by the left and right leg devices, and the leg device has leg support parts from the front and rear long leg bases that extend substantially horizontally along the floor. It is often in the form of a substantially L-shape or an inverted T-shape protruding upward. Then, for example, a table for a conference room is often moved, and casters are often provided on the leg base of the leg device.

The table is subject to external forces that try to move it horizontally for various reasons during use, so it is necessary to provide a locking mechanism (locking device) on the casters to prevent the table from moving during use. It has been. The locking mechanism is generally designed to lock and unlock the rotation of the wheel and the horizontal turning at the same time.

It is necessary to provide an operating means in pairs with the lock mechanism. In this case, since the table has casters on both the front end and the rear end of the leg base, the operating means can be the front and rear casters by one operation. Is considered so that it can be switched between the locked state and the free state (unlocked state).

As an example, in Patent Document 1, one plate member is arranged so as to be movable back and forth inside the leg base, and front and rear lock levers connected to both ends of the plate member by a front and rear rotation type pedal member are moved back and forth. It is disclosed that the front and rear lock mechanisms are operated at the same time by moving them.

Patent Document 1 includes a lock lever having a recess at a position from the tip, and a lock button that can move up and down and the upper end can be fitted into the recess of the lock lever when it moves to the upper end of the movable range. , The lock button is locked while being pressed downward by the lock lever, and the lock button is released when the upper end of the lock button is fitted in the recess of the lock lever. The lock lever is provided with flat portions on both the front and rear sides of the recess so that the lock button can be pressed downward. In one of the front and rear caster devices, the lock button is pressed by the flat portion in front of the recess. At the same time, in the other caster device, the lock button is pressed at the flat portion behind the recess.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-096327

In the caster device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the front-rear movable range of the lock lever is limited by limiting the front-rear movable range of the plate member connecting the front-rear lock lever, but the movable range of the plate member is limited. When the movable range of the lock lever changes in the front-back direction due to wear or deformation of the member, the flat part on the opposite side of the recess from the flat part that presses the lock button downward presses the lock button downward and the lock mechanism is released. There was a risk of malfunction.

The present invention has been made to improve such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a caster device and furniture with casters that suppress malfunction of the lock mechanism.

The caster device of the present invention can rotate to an upper member attached to the lower part of a supported body such as furniture, a lower member mounted on the upper member so as to be horizontally swivel, and a portion of the lower member deviated from the center of horizontal swivel. A lever holding mechanism that slidably holds a lock mechanism for switching the operation of the lower member and the wheel in a locked state or a free state, and a lock lever for switching and operating the lock mechanism in a substantially horizontal direction. The lock lever is provided with a first operating portion that puts the locking mechanism into a free state or a locked state, and the first operating portion that is sandwiched in the sliding direction, and the lock mechanism is used as the first operating portion. On the contrary, has a second operation unit and a third operation unit that lock or free the state, and the lever holding mechanism operates the lock mechanism at the holding position of the lock lever, and the first and second operation parts operate the lock mechanism. It is configured to be changeable between a first holding position in which the movable range is limited so as to be performed and a second holding position in which the movable range is restricted so as to switch and operate the lock mechanism in the first and third operating units. It is something that is.

According to the caster device of the present invention, the lever holding mechanism for holding the lock lever provided with the second and third operating portions with the first operating portion sandwiched in the sliding direction sets the movable range of the lock lever to the first operating range. At the 1st holding position, the third operating unit is restricted from operating the lock mechanism, and at the second holding position, the second operating unit is restricted from operating the locking mechanism. Therefore, the lock lever held by the lever holding mechanism is restricted. Both the second and third operation units of the above do not act on the lock mechanism, and the malfunction of the lock mechanism can be suppressed. Further, the lever holding mechanism can selectively hold the lock lever in the first holding position or the second holding position, and the lock mechanism becomes free or locked when the lock lever moves in one direction. Since the first holding position and the second holding position can be reversed, the degree of freedom in installing the caster device on the furniture is increased.

In the caster device of the present invention, when the direction parallel to the slide direction from the second operation portion of the lock lever to the third operation portion is the first slide direction and the opposite direction is the second slide direction, A first elastic member is provided to urge the lock lever held in the first holding position in the second slide direction, or the lock lever held in the second holding position is moved in the first slide direction. A second elastic member for urging is provided.

According to such an aspect, regardless of whether the lock lever is held in the first holding position or the second holding position, it is locked by the urging force of the first or second elastic member at the first operating portion of the lock lever. The mechanism can be kept locked or free.

Further, the operating tip of the operating tool for operating the lock lever is provided so as to be movable up and down above the lock lever, and when the lock lever is held in the first holding position, the operating tool A first inclined surface portion that slides in contact with the operation tip portion that moves downward in response to the operation of the above and moves the lock lever in the first slide direction, and a first inclined surface portion that moves the lock lever in the first slide direction, and when held in the second holding position, It may be provided with a second inclined surface portion that slides in contact with the operation tip portion that moves downward according to the operation and moves the lock lever in the second slide direction.

According to such an embodiment, the moving direction of the lock lever can be made different between the first holding position and the second holding position by using the same operating tool, so that the operating tool can be shared and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Can be realized.

In the caster device of the present invention, each time the lock lever is moved by receiving an operating force, the lock lever is alternately moved to a free position for releasing the lock mechanism or a lock position for locking the lock mechanism. It may be provided with a switching mechanism for holding the lever.

According to such an aspect, by incorporating a switching mechanism for selectively holding the lock lever in the free position or the lock position in the caster device, it is possible to reduce the man-hours for assembling the furniture to which the caster device is mounted.

The furniture with casters of the present invention includes a leg base extending substantially horizontally along the floor and a pair of caster devices attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the leg base, as the caster device. The caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lever holding mechanism of one of the caster devices holds the lock lever in the first holding position, while the other caster device of the other. The lever holding mechanism holds the lock lever at the second holding position, and the lock levers are connected by a connecting rod provided along the longitudinal direction of the leg base.

According to the furniture with casters of the present invention, since a pair of caster devices in which the free state and the locked state are linked can be configured by the caster devices having the same structure, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and the labor of parts management related to the caster devices.

In the furniture with casters of the present invention, an operating tool for operating the caster device is provided on the leg base, and the operating tool is configured to rotate about an end side of the leg base. You may do so.

According to such an aspect, the user can easily push the leg base with his / her foot from the end side (stepping operation), so that the convenience is improved.

Further, the operating tool is supported by a shaft portion provided on the upper member of the caster device, and upward rotation is restricted by the upper member, the bottom surface of the leg base, or both at a position away from the shaft portion. You may do so.

According to such an aspect, there are no wasted parts and the assembling property is good. In addition, since it can be unitized as a caster device including an operating tool, it is possible to check the operation of each unit and to easily manage the inventory of parts.

Further, the operating tools may be provided at both ends of the leg base.

According to such an aspect, the caster device can be operated from either the leg base, and the convenience of the user is improved.

The caster device of the present invention can provide a caster device and furniture with casters that suppress malfunction of the lock mechanism.

It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of furniture. It is a perspective view which shows the connection part of the leg base and the leg support of the same embodiment by a part of virtual lines, (A) shows the state which it connected, and (B) shows the state before connection. (A) is a perspective view showing a pair of interlocking caster devices, (B) is a perspective view showing the caster devices and the leg base separately, and (C) is a part of the connection point of the interlocking rod to the caster device. It is a perspective view which shows in the cross section. It is a vertical cross-sectional view which shows a pair of front and rear caster devices. It is a perspective view of the lower component of the caster device separated and viewed from diagonally above. It is a perspective view which saw from the diagonally above by separating the upper component part of the caster device. It is a perspective view of the lower component of the caster device separated and viewed from diagonally below. It is a perspective view which saw from the diagonally above by separating the upper component part of the caster device. It is a central vertical sectional view which shows the free state of the 1st caster apparatus of embodiment. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first caster device along the line AA of FIG. It is a top view which shows the operation of a switching operation in a partial cross section. It is a central vertical sectional view which shows the locked state of the 1st caster device. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first caster device along the line AA of FIG. It is a central vertical sectional view which shows the free state of the 2nd caster apparatus of embodiment. It is a vertical sectional view of the 2nd caster device along the line AA of FIG. It is a central sectional view which shows the locked state of the 2nd caster device. It is a vertical sectional view of the 2nd caster device along the line BB of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other embodiment of furniture. It is a perspective view which shows the pair of interlocking caster devices provided in the same embodiment. It is a vertical sectional view of the 2nd caster device along the line BB of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the other embodiment of furniture. It is a perspective view which shows the other embodiment of furniture.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a table. In this specification, for convenience, the front-back / left-right directions are used to specify the direction, but the front-back / left-right directions are in the horizontal plane with the direction in which the pair of legs 3 and 3 are arranged as the left-right direction. The direction orthogonal to the left-right direction is the front-back direction.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the entire table 100. In the table 100, the top plate 101 having a rectangular shape in a plan view is supported by the left and right legs 103 and 103. The leg body 103 has a side view inverted T shape with a leg base 106 extending substantially horizontally along the floor in the front-rear direction and a cylindrical leg support 107 rising from the front-rear center portion of the leg base 106. There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support column connecting portion 108 provided on the upper surface of the central portion of the leg base 106 is provided with left and right protruding portions 109 projecting upward and front and rear bolt insertion holes 110 penetrating vertically. The bolt receiving seat 111 fixed to the inside of the leg support 107 is provided with left and right protrusion holding holes 112 into which the protrusions 109 are fitted, and a pair of front and rear bolts 114 inserted into the bolt insertion holes 110 are screwed from below. A pair of front and rear screw holes 113 for inserting are provided. As a result, when assembling the leg base 106 to the leg support 107, the protrusion 109 is fitted into the protrusion holding hole 112 to prevent the leg base 106 from rotating, and then the bolt 114 can be attached, so that the work is easy. Is improved.

As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the leg base 106 has a hollow inside and is open downward, and the first caster device 1A and the second caster device 1B are mounted in the front and rear ends of the leg base 106. Although the details will be described later, the caster devices 1A and 1B are configured to be able to switch between a free state in which the wheels can rotate and horizontally turn and a locked state in which the wheels cannot be turned horizontally, and are provided on the upper surface on one end side of the leg base 106. The downward operation (depressing operation) of the switch 13 switches between the free state and the locked state of the caster devices 1A and 1B. The first caster device 1A and the second caster device 1B are connected by a side view-shaped plate-shaped interlocking rod 2 extending along the longitudinal direction of the leg base 106 so that the free state and the locked state are interlocked with each other. It is configured in.

The caster devices 1A and 1B will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 and the like. The caster devices 1A and 1B have a substantially circular outer member 4 (an example of an upper member) that is attached to the leg base 106 so as not to rotate relative to each other and is opened downward, and a flat surface that is horizontally swivelly mounted inside the outer member 4. It includes a substantially circular inner member 5 (an example of a lower member), wheels 6 rotatably mounted on the inner member 5, and the like. Both members 4 and 5 are made of synthetic resin.

The outer member 4 includes four caster flange portions 43 that project substantially horizontally toward each apex of a quadrangle having four sides along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction in a plan view. Each caster flange portion 43 is screwed from below into caster mounting boss portions (not shown) provided at the front end portion and the rear end portion inside the leg base 106 corresponding to the caster flange portion 43 (not shown). (Omitted) is fixed to the leg base 106.

Inside the inner member 5, a synthetic resin lock member 8 that switches the horizontal turning of the inner member 5 and the rotation of the wheel 6 to a locked state or an unlocked state is provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. Further, a cover member 9 for supporting the elastic member 10 that urges the lock member 8 upward is attached to the lower portion of the inner member 5.

A slider member 7 is interposed between the outer member 4 and the inner member 5 to facilitate horizontal turning of the inner member 5. The slider member 7 is made of a synthetic resin having a small friction coefficient such as POM resin, has a disk-like shape having a hole in the center, and is arranged so as to surround the horizontal turning center.

The outer member 4 has a bottomed tubular shape that is open downward, and includes a tubular portion 42 whose upper end side is closed by a top surface portion 41. As described above, the outer member 4 is formed with a caster flange portion 43 that attaches to the leg base 106. Further, a substantially cylindrical engaging claw portion 44 is projected downward at the center portion of the top surface portion 41 in a plan view, while the outer member 4 is provided at the center portion of the top plate portion 51 of the inner member 5 in a plan view. A circular engaging hole 52 is provided in which the engaging claw portion 44 fits against the elasticity. Therefore, the inner member 5 is attached to the outer member 4 so as not to come off in a state where horizontal turning is permitted.

As described above, the slider member 7 is interposed between the outer member 4 and the inner member 5. Convex portions 71 and 72 surrounding the horizontal turning center are formed on each of the upper surface 7a and the lower surface 7b of the donut plate-shaped slider member 7. The ridges 71 and 72 are provided in a spiral shape so as to surround the horizontal turning center, and are provided so as to be doubled in the radial direction when viewed from the horizontal turning center. Further, the ridges 71 and 72 are formed in the same shape so as to overlap each other in a plan view.

On the downward surface 41a of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, a plurality of convex portions 40 arranged so as to surround the horizontal turning center are formed at positions facing the slider member 7. On the upward surface 51a of the top plate portion 51 of the inner member 5, a plurality of convex portions 50 arranged so as to surround the horizontal turning center are formed at positions facing the slider member 7. In the present embodiment, the convex portions 40 and 50 are provided so as to extend in the radial direction from the horizontal turning center so as to intersect the convex strip portions 71 and 72 of the slider member 7 in a plan view.

When the caster devices 1A and 1B are attached to the leg base 106 and a downward load is applied to the outer member 4, each convex portion 40 of the outer member 4 and a convex portion 71 of the slider member 7 intersect in a plan view. , The top of each convex portion 40 comes into contact with the top of the convex portion 71. Further, the top of each convex portion 50 comes into contact with the top of the convex portion 72 at a position where the convex portion 50 of the inner member 5 and the convex portion 72 of the slider member 7 intersect in a plan view. The convex portions 40 and 50 come into contact with the convex portions 71 or 72 at two points. The convex portions 40 and 50 and the convex portions 71 and 72 are coated with grease.

In this way, the caster devices 1A and 1B can reduce the contact area between the slider member 7 and the outer member 4 and the inner member 5, and can improve the horizontal turning performance of the outer member 4. This enables smooth movement of the table 100. For example, even if the table 100 is a large table, the table 100 can be smoothly moved by improving the horizontal turning performance of the inner members 5 of the caster devices 1A and 1B.

The inner member 5 has a bottomed tubular shape that is open downward, and includes a tubular portion 55 whose upper end side is closed by a top plate portion 51. A pair of left and right axle bearings 53 are integrally molded on the lower surface of the top plate 51. An axle locking hole 53a that opens downward is provided at a portion deviated from the horizontal turning center at the lower part of both axle bearing portions 53, and the axle 61 of the wheel 6 is fitted into both axle bearing portions 53a against elasticity from below. It is crowded.

On the outer surface of the wheel 6, a locking portion 62 for locking a pair of wheel stopper portions 82a projecting inward from both ends of the lock member 8 described in detail later is provided. In this embodiment, when the wheel stopper portion 82a deviates from the rotation center of the wheel 6 (the axis of the axle 61), the wheel stopper portion 82a fits into the locking portion 62 to lock the rotation of the wheel 6, and the wheel stopper portion can be locked. When the 82a approaches the rotation center direction of the wheel 6, the wheel stopper portion 82a is disengaged from the locking portion 62 so that the wheel 6 can be unlocked.

The lock member 8 that switches the horizontal turning of the inner member 5 and the rotation of the wheel 6 to the locked state or the unlocked state is arranged so as to be slidable up and down between the left and right axle bearing portions 53 of the inner member 5. The lock member 8 includes a plate-shaped lock member main body 81 that is arranged substantially horizontally. A pair of left and right stopper arm portions 82 extending substantially horizontally toward the upper side of the axle 61 of the wheel 6 are provided at the left and right corners of the lock member main body 81 on the wheel 6 side, and left and right at the tip of each stopper arm 82. A wheel stopper portion 82a that projects inward is provided.

A substantially columnar pressing protrusion 84 is projected upward on the upper surface of the lock member main body 81. The pressing protrusion 84 is inserted into the cylindrical engaging claw portion 44 of the outer member 4 engaged with the engaging hole 52 of the inner member 5.

At the end of the lock member main body 81 on the opposite side to the wheel 6, three locking claws 83 protruding substantially horizontally and radially around the horizontal turning center are provided at equal intervals. The tubular portion 55 of the inner member 5 is provided with an opening 57 that exposes the locking claw 83 to the outside of the inner member 5 in a state where the pressing protrusion 84 of the lock member 8 is inserted into the engaging claw portion 44. ing. A plurality of locking recesses 45 into which the locking claws 83 of the locking member 8 are fitted from below into the inner peripheral wall of the tubular portion 42 of the outer member 4 are equidistant in the circumferential direction according to the arrangement pitch of the three locking claws 83. It is provided.

When the lock member 8 is in the upper position (lock position) (see FIG. 12), the locking claw 83 is fitted into the locking recess 45 to lock the horizontal turning of the locking member 8 and the inner member 5 with respect to the outer member 4. When the lock member 8 is in the lower position (unlock position) (see FIG. 9), the locking claw 83 is disengaged from the locking recess 45 so that the inner member 5 can be unlocked. When the lock member 8 is in the upper position (lock position), the wheel stopper portion 82a fits into the locking portion 62 of the wheel 6 to lock the rotation of the wheel 6.

Further, when the lock member 8 is in the lower position (unlock position), the wheel stopper portion 82a is configured to be disengaged from the locking portion 62 of the wheel 6 so that the wheel 6 can be unlocked. As described above, the caster devices 1A and 1B are provided with a lock mechanism 14 that swings the lock member 8 in the vertical direction to bring the wheels 6 and the inner member 5 into a locked state or a free state (unlocked state). ..

Although details will be described later, a lock lever 12 slidable along the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4 is mounted. The lock lever 12 swings the lock member 8 in the vertical direction by pressing or releasing the pressing protrusion 84 of the lock member 8 that extends upward through the horizontal turning center and projects onto the outer member 4. The wheels 6 and the inner member 5 are configured to lock or unlock.

Here, of the slide directions of the lock lever 12, the direction from the protruding portion 49 of the outer member 4 toward the top surface portion 41 is the first slide direction, and the opposite direction (the protruding direction of the protruding portion 49) is the second slide direction. To do. Further, regarding the description of the caster devices 1A and 1B, the first slide direction is the front direction, the second slide direction is the rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to the slide direction in the horizontal plane is the left-right direction.

Next, the lock lever 12 and the lever holding mechanism 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8 and the like. The lock lever 12 is an operation for switching the lock mechanism 14 to a free state or a locked state. On the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, a lever holding mechanism 15 for holding the lock lever 12 in a substantially horizontal one direction so as to be slidable is provided. The lever holding mechanism 15 includes a lever holding rib 46, a first regulating protrusion 47 and a second regulating protrusion 48 provided on the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, and a side edge rib 126 provided on the lock lever 12. It includes a first regulation wall portion 127 and a second regulation wall portion 128.

On the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, a pair of lever holding ribs 46 provided in parallel with each other with the opening 44a of the cylindrical engaging claw portion 44 interposed therebetween are erected. The outer member 4 includes a protruding portion 49 that projects substantially horizontally from the side surface of the tubular portion 42, and the lever holding rib 46 portion protrudes from the vicinity of the upper surface edge portion of the top surface portion 41 on the opposite side of the protruding portion 49. It is provided over the tip of the upper surface of 49. A plurality of engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c are projected inward at the upper end of the lever holding rib 46. Here, two engaging protrusions 46a and 46c located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lever holding rib 46 and engaging protrusions 46b located between the engaging protrusions 46a and 46c are provided. ..

The lock lever 12 is made of synthetic resin, has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape long in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the lever holding rib 46, and side edge ribs projecting horizontally from the lower ends of both side surface portions 121. It is equipped with 126. The width dimension of the lock lever 12 is set to be slightly smaller than the dimension between the pair of side edge ribs 126, and the side edge rib 126 is between the upper surface of the outer member 4 and the engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c. By being sandwiched, the lock lever 12 is slidably held on the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4 along the longitudinal direction of the lever holding rib 46. The side edge rib 126 is formed longer than the length of the lever holding rib 46 in the longitudinal direction. The side edge ribs 126 are provided with rib notches 126a, 126b, 126c through which the engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c can be inserted vertically at the same intervals as the engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c.

At the portion of the lower surface of the lock lever 12 near the front end portion, a pressing portion 122 that downwardly presses the pressing protrusion 84 of the lock member 8 and an upward movement of the pressing protrusion 84 are allowed in accordance with the sliding movement of the lock lever 12. Protrusion allowance portions 123 and 124 are provided. The push-down portion 122 is provided in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape extending downward in the sliding direction, and the rear side protrusion allowance portion 123 is composed of an inclined surface having a front low rear high posture adjacent to the rear end portion of the push down portion 122. The front protrusion allowing portion 124 is composed of an inclined surface having a front high and rear low posture adjacent to the front end portion of the pressing portion 122. On the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, a substantially semi-cylindrical recess 41c extending along the slide direction is formed at an intermediate position between the left and right lever holding ribs 46, and the pressing portion 122 of the lock lever 12 is formed. Is slidably arranged in the recess 41c.

The push-down unit 122 is an example of the first operation unit, the rear side protrusion allowance unit 123 is an example of the second operation unit, and the front side protrusion allowance unit 124 is an example of the third operation unit. Further, the direction from the rear side protrusion allowance portion 123 toward the front side protrusion allowance part 124 is the first slide direction, and the opposite direction is the second slide direction.

As shown in FIG. 3C and the like, a pair of left and right interlocking rod connecting portions 120 are provided at the rear end portion of the lock lever 12. The interlocking rod connecting portion 120 is formed in a front-rear and longitudinal groove shape that opens downward and backward, and is configured to be able to hold the end portion of the interlocking rod 2 that is inserted from below. The interlocking rod 2 is formed of a metal plate having a V-shaped side view, and is provided with a lower engaging recess 2a provided on the lower side and a pair of front and rear engaging recesses 2b provided on the upper side at both ends thereof. There is. The interlocking rod connecting portion 120 of the lock lever 12 is provided with an engaging claw portion 120a provided on the inner side surface of the outer wall thereof and a pair of front and rear engaging protrusions 120b provided on the lower surface of the top surface portion. When the interlocking rod 2 is connected to the lock lever 12, the upper engaging recess 2b fits into the engaging protrusion 120b of the interlocking rod connecting portion 120, and the engaging claw portion 120a engages with the lower engaging recess 2a. To do. As a result, the interlocking rod 2 is connected to the lock lever 12 so as not to move back and forth and to be unable to fall off.

In the present embodiment, the interlocking rod 2 is connected to one of the left and right interlocking rod connecting portions 120 of the lock lever 12, and the caster devices 1A and 1B are interlocked with one interlocking rod 2. The end portions of the interlocking rod 2 may be connected to each of the left and right interlocking rod connecting portions 120 of the lock lever 12, so that the caster devices 1A and 1B are interlocked by the two interlocking rods 2. By connecting the caster devices 1A and 1B with two interlocking rods 2, the operation of one of the lock levers 12 of the caster devices 1A and 1B can be reliably and accurately transmitted to the other lock lever 12. , The accuracy of interlocking of the caster devices 1A and 1B is improved.

Next, the movable range limiting function for the lock lever 12 of the lever holding mechanism 15 will be described. The movable range limiting function is composed of regulating protrusions 47 and 48 provided on the outer member 4 and regulating wall portions 127 and 128 provided on the lock lever 12.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, on the upper surface of the top surface portion 41 of the outer member 4, a pair of left and right first regulation protrusions 47 provided with recesses 41c sandwiched between the left and right lever holding ribs 46. And a pair of left and right second regulation protrusions 48 provided with the recess 41c sandwiched in front of the first regulation protrusion 47 are erected. The regulating protrusions 47 and 48 also serve as spring seats for holding the ends of the spring members 141 and 142, which will be described later.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 and the like, a pair of left and right spring accommodating portions 125 extending in the sliding direction are opened in the front portion of the lock lever 12, and the rear wall of the spring accommodating portion 125 is formed. A first regulation wall portion 127 and a second regulation wall portion 128 constituting the front wall of the spring accommodating portion 125 are provided. The distance between the first regulation wall portion 127 and the second regulation wall portion 128 arranged in the front-rear direction is about the same as the distance between the first regulation protrusion portion 47 and the second regulation protrusion portion 48 arranged in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the outer member 4.

As shown in FIG. 10 and the like, in the first caster device 1A, the lock lever 12 is held at the first holding position P1. In the first holding position P1, the first regulation wall portion 127 is located between the first regulation protrusion 47 and the second regulation protrusion 48 of the outer member 4, and the second regulation wall 128 is the second regulation protrusion 48. It is located in front of. In other words, the second regulation protrusion 48 of the outer member 4 is located in the spring accommodating portion 125 of the lock lever 12.

The spring accommodating portion 125 is provided with a first spring member 141 (an example of a first elastic member) made of a compression coil spring mounted between the first regulating wall portion 127 and the second regulating protrusion 48. The lock lever 12 is urged in the second slide direction (rear side) by the elastic force of the first spring member 141, and the rear portion of the first regulation wall portion 127 comes into contact with the front portion of the first regulation protrusion 47 to lock the lock lever 12. The range of movement of the lever 12 in the second slide direction is limited. Further, the lock lever 12 is allowed to move in the first slide direction (front side) against the elastic force of the first spring member 141. The movement limit position of the lock lever 12 in the first slide direction is a position where the first spring member 141 is in a fully compressed state (a position on the front side of the lock position).

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the rear portion of the first regulation wall portion 127 is in contact with the front portion of the first regulation protrusion portion 47, the rear portion of the pressing portion 122 of the lock lever 12 is the pressing protrusion portion 84 of the lock member 8. The pressing protrusion 84 is pushed down at the position above the lock member 8, and the lock member 8 is located at the lower position (unlocking position). That is, the lock lever 12 is in the free position, and the lock mechanism 14 is in the free state in which the horizontal turning of the inner member 5 and the rotation of the wheels 6 are allowed.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the lock lever 12 held in the free position is moved in the first slide direction (forward) against the elastic force of the first spring member 141 by the downward operation of the operation switch 13 described later. When the lock lever 12 is moved to a certain distance or more, the first regulating wall portion 127 of the lock lever 12 is held at a position separated from the first regulating protrusion 47 toward the front side by the switching mechanism 16 described later. In this state, the pushing-down portion 122 of the lock lever 12 is located in front of the opening 44a of the outer member 4, while the rear protrusion allowing portion 123 is located above the opening 44a. As a result, the upward movement of the pressing protrusion 84 of the lock member 8 is allowed, and the lock member 8 is pushed upward by the elastic force of the elastic member 10 to reach the upper position (lock position). That is, the lock lever 12 is in the lock position, and the lock mechanism 14 is in the locked state in which the horizontal turning of the inner member 5 and the rotation of the wheels 6 are prohibited.

As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, when assembling the lock lever 12 to the outer member 4 at the time of assembling the first caster device 1A, the rib notch portions 126a, 126b, 126c and the lever engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c The lock lever 12 is mounted on the top surface portion 41, the first regulation wall portion 127 is arranged between the first regulation protrusion 47 and the second regulation protrusion 48, and then the lock lever 12 is placed. By sliding it backward (second slide direction), the rear portion of the first regulation wall portion 127 is brought into contact with the front portion of the first regulation protrusion portion 47. Then, the first spring member 141 is inserted into the spring accommodating portion 125 from above through the spring insertion opening 125a provided in the front and rear central portions of the upper surface of the spring accommodating portion 125, and the second regulating protrusion 48 and the first regulating wall portion are formed. It is installed between 127 and 127.

In this state (the lock lever 12 is in the free position), the side edge ribs 126 are located below the lever engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c, and the rib notches 126a, 126b, 126c and the lever engaging protrusions 46a are located. , 46b, 46c are displaced from each other, so that the lock lever 12 is held by the outer member 4 so as not to be pulled out. From this state, even if the lock lever 12 is moved forward and the lock lever 12 passes through the lock position and moves until all the lines of the first spring member 141 come into contact with each other, the rib notch portions 126a, 126b, 126c Does not completely (or at all) reach the lower position of the lever engaging protrusions 46a, 46b, 46c. In the first caster device 1A, since the lock lever 12 is held by the outer member 4 so as not to fall off, workability when the first caster device 1A is attached to a supported body of furniture such as a leg base 106 is improved.

Next, the operation switch 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8 to 13 and the like. In the first caster device 1A, an engaging notch 132 provided at one end of an operation switch 13 (an example of an operating tool) extending in the front-rear direction is fitted into a lever support shaft 39 provided at the front end of the upper surface of the outer member 4. Therefore, the operation switch 13 is rotatably supported. The operation switch 13 is provided with a hollow inside. The operation tip 131 on the free-rotating end side of the operation switch 13 is provided so as to be vertically movable above the lock lever 12. The operation tip portion 131 is provided with a pair of left and right operation protrusions 131a projecting outward from the left and right.

The central portion of the lock lever 12 in the front-rear direction is formed in a hollow shape that opens up and down, and the operation tip portion 131 that moves up and down is configured to be able to enter and exit the inside of the lock lever 12. An upper rotation restricting portion 38 projecting forward is provided at the front upper end corner portion of the cam pin holding portion 161 of the outer member 4, and a forward locking claw 133 provided on the operating tip portion 131 of the operating switch 13 is provided. It is configured so that the upward rotation of the operation switch 13 is restricted by contacting the upper rotation restricting portion 38 from below. As a result, when the first caster device 1A is attached to the leg base 106, the operation switch 13 can be prevented from swinging and dangling, and the attachment workability is improved.

As a modification, the operation protrusion 131a is provided on the bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the switch opening 106a with the first caster device 1A attached to the leg base 106 without providing the upper rotation restricting portion 38 on the outer member 4. The upward rotation of the operation tip portion 131 of the operation switch 13 may be restricted by contacting the operation switch 13. In this case, the operation switch 13 may be provided with a dedicated upward rotation restricting portion that can come into contact with the bottom surface of the peripheral edge of the switch opening 106a.

On the inner wall surface of the side surface portion 121 of the lock lever 12, the lock lever 12 is moved forward (in the first slide direction) by sliding in contact with the operation protrusion 131a of the operation tip portion 131 that moves downward in response to the operation of the operation switch 13. A first inclined surface portion 129 having a front high and a rear low posture is provided. When the lock lever 12 held at the first holding position P1 is in the locked position (the state where the first regulation wall portion 127 is in contact with the first regulation protrusion 47), the lock lever 12 is operated to a portion near the upper end of the first inclined surface portion 129. The protrusions 131a are configured to come into contact with each other. That is, the operation protrusion 131a of the operation switch 13 is located on the side away from the lever support shaft 39 from the upper end of the first inclined surface portion 129.

As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, in the table 100, the operation switch 13 attached to the first caster device 1A is inserted from below into the switch opening 106a formed at one end of the leg base 106, and is inserted into the upper surface of the leg base 106. It is provided so as to project upward. Then, for example, when the operation switch 13 is stepped on (operated downward) by the user's foot, the operation protrusion 131a provided on the operation tip 131 of the operation switch 13 slides into contact with the first inclined surface portion 129 of the lock lever 12. While moving downward, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the lock lever 12 is pulled toward the lever support shaft 39 so as to move in the first slide direction. When the lock lever 12 is moved in the first slide direction by a certain distance or more by the operation of the operation switch 13, the operation force on the operation switch 13 is released and the lock lever 12 is held in the lock position by the switching mechanism 16 and the lock mechanism 14 is locked. It is maintained in a state.

Here, the operation switch 13 attached to the first caster device 1A is rotatably provided around the lever support shaft 39 provided on the end side of the leg base 106 with respect to the operation tip portion 131. This makes it easier for the user to step on the operation switch 13 with the legs from the direction along the leg base 106 of the table 100, and the convenience is improved.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 to 13, on the inner wall surface of the side surface portion 121 of the lock lever 12, a second inclined surface portion 130 having a high posture after pulling forward is provided on the front side of the first inclined surface portion 129. ing. The second inclined surface portion 130 exerts its function in a state where the operation switch 13 is attached to the second caster device 1B that holds the lock lever 12 at the second holding position P2.

As shown in FIG. 20, the second inclined surface portion 130 moves downward in response to the downward operation of the operation switch 13 that can be pivotally attached to the lever support shaft 39 of the second caster device 1B. The lock lever 12 is moved rearward (in the second slide direction) by sliding contact with the operation protrusion 131a of the portion 131. When the lock lever 12 of the second caster device 1B is in the free position (see FIG. 20), the operating protrusion 131a is configured to come into contact with the portion near the upper end of the second inclined surface portion 130. In this embodiment, the second caster device 1B does not include the operation switch 13. A modified example in which the second caster device 1B has the operation switch 13 will be described later.

Next, the switching mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9, 11, 12, and the like. The switching mechanism 16 is provided at the rear portion of the protruding portion 49 of the outer member 4, and switches the lock lever 12 between the free position and the locked position alternately. The switching mechanism 16 is provided on the cam pin holding portion 161 provided at the rear end of the protruding portion 49, the cam pin member 162 and the spring member 163 attached to the cam pin holding portion 161, and the lower surface of the top surface portion of the lock lever 12 at the rear part of the middle portion. It includes a first cam portion 164 and a second cam portion 165 that project downward. The cam pin member 162 is a molded product of synthetic resin. Further, the spring member 163 is, for example, the same compression coil spring as the first spring member 141, and the parts are shared.

The cam pin holding portion 161 has a semi-circular cam pin holding hole 166 penetrating vertically, a flat shaft contact surface 167 located below the front end edge of the cam pin holding hole 166, and a shaft contact surface 167. A locking surface 168 having a front low rear high posture extending diagonally downward from the lower end of the cam pin is formed, and a cam pin member 162 is arranged in the cam pin holding hole 166. To be precise, the cam pin member 162 has a shaft portion 162a extending in the vertical direction and a lever portion 162b extending rearward from the upper end portion of the shaft portion 162a, and the shaft portion 162a enters the cam pin holding hole 166 from above. It is fitted and held rotatably, and the tip portion of the lever portion 162b is provided so as to be swingable in the left-right direction.

A cam pin 162c projecting upward is provided at the tip of the lever portion 162b. Further, a flat surface portion 162d is formed on the front side surface of the shaft portion 162a, and a bent portion 162e bent diagonally backward is formed on the lower end portion of the shaft portion 162a. The shaft portion 162a of the cam pin member 162 is urged forward by a spring member 163 attached to the cam pin holding portion 161 from below so that the flat surface portion 162d abuts on the shaft portion contact surface 167 of the cam pin holding portion 161. There is.

The bent portion 162e faces the locking surface 168 below the shaft portion contact surface 167 of the cam pin holding portion 161 and is located on the front side of the shaft portion contact surface 167 in a side view, and is located on the front side of the shaft portion contact surface 167. Regulate upward movement. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cam pin member 162 from coming out of the cam pin holding hole 166 after assembling the cam pin member 162 and the spring member 163 to the cam pin holding portion 161 at the time of assembling the first caster device 1A, and the workability is improved. There is.

The first cam portion 164 and the second cam portion 165 to which the cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 can be engaged with the rear position of the cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 on the inner peripheral wall of the top surface of the portion near the middle portion of the lock lever 12. And are projected downward. The first cam portion 164 has an arrowhead shape having a recess 164a having a rearward opening in a plan view. On the other hand, the second cam portion 165 has a forward convex shape in a plan view provided at a distance from the recess 164a of the first cam portion 164. The front and rear cam portions 164 and 165 are examples of a one-way mechanism that orbits the cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 in one direction. Such a switching mechanism 16 is called a heart cam mechanism.

9 and 11 (A) show a free state (unlocked state) of the lock mechanism 14, and in this state, the lock lever 12 is urged backward by the elastic force of the first spring member 141. The cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 is located in front of the first cam portion 164. On the other hand, FIGS. 11 (B) and 12 show a locked state of the lock mechanism 14, in which the lock lever 12 is displaced forward and the cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 is the first cam. The lock lever 12 is held in the locked position against the elastic force of the first spring member 141 by being fitted into the recess 164a of the portion 164 from the rear. In this state, only the left edge portion of the flat surface portion 162d of the cam pin member 162 is in contact with the shaft portion contact surface 167 of the cam pin holding portion 161, and the cam pin member 162 is subjected to the elastic force of the spring member 163. A force for bringing the entire surface of the flat surface portion 162d into contact with the shaft portion contact surface 167 (a force for rotating the cam pin 162c counterclockwise) is acting.

Then, when the operation switch 13 is operated and the lock lever 12 is pushed forward from the lock position, the recess 164a of the first cam portion 164 moves forward as the lock lever 12 moves forward, so that the cam pin 162c becomes flat. It rotates counterclockwise visually and separates from the recess 164a. As a result, when the operating force on the operation switch 13 is released and the lock lever 12 moves backward due to the elastic force of the first spring member 141, the cam pin 162c does not get caught in the recess 164a and the first cam portion It separates from the first cam portion 164 while escaping to the right along the inclined portion 164b provided on the right side of the recess 164a of the 164.

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11A, the cam pin member 162 returns to a state in which the flat surface portion 162d is in contact with the shaft portion contact surface 167. Then, the lock lever 12 is held in the free position by the backward urging force of the first spring member 141.

When the operation switch 13 is operated downward again, the cam pin 162c of the cam pin member 162 slides into contact with the front side portion 164c of the first cam portion 164 of the arrowhead system as the lock lever 12 moves forward from the free position. However, it rotates clockwise in a plan view and is displaced to the left side, and after passing over the right end portion of the first cam portion 164, it slides into contact with the front end left portion 165a of the second cam portion 165. In this state, only the left edge portion of the flat surface portion 162d of the cam pin member 162 is in contact with the shaft portion contact surface 167, and the cam pin member 162 is rotated counterclockwise by the elastic force of the spring member 163. A force is working to rotate it to the right). Then, when the operating force on the operation switch 13 is released and the lock lever 12 moves backward by the elastic force of the first spring member 141, the cam pin 162c moves backward by the elastic force of the spring member 163 to the first cam portion 164 and the first cam portion 164. 2 Guided between the cam portion 165 and the recess 164a. As a result, the backward movement of the lock lever 12 is stopped, and the lock lever 12 is held in the locked position as described above.

In this way, the switching mechanism 16 alternately switches and holds the lock lever 12 between the free position and the lock position each time the lock lever 12 is moved by receiving a withdrawal force in response to the operation of the operation switch 13. It is configured in. By incorporating such a switching mechanism 16 into the first caster device 1A, the man-hours for assembling furniture to which the caster device is mounted can be reduced.

Next, the second caster device 1B will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 and the like. The outer member 4, the inner member 5, the wheel 6, the slider member 7, the lock member 8, the cover member 9, the elastic member 10, and the lock lever 12 are common to the caster devices 1A and 1B, and the second caster device 1B is also locked. It includes a mechanism 14 and a lever holding mechanism 15. The cam pin member 162 and the spring member 163 are not attached to the second caster device 1B.

In the second caster device 1B, the lever holding mechanism 15 is configured to hold the lock lever 12 at a holding position different from the holding position (first holding position) in the first caster device 1A. That is, the lever holding mechanism 15 of the second caster device 1B switches the operation of the lock mechanism 14 between the pushing-down portion 122 (first operating portion) and the front protrusion allowing portion 124 (third operating portion). Limits the movable range of the lock lever 12.

Specifically, in the second caster device 1B, the lock lever 12 is held at the second holding position P2. In the second holding position P2, the second regulation wall portion 128 is located between the first regulation protrusion 47 and the second regulation protrusion 48 of the outer member 4, and the first regulation wall portion 127 is the first regulation protrusion 47. It is located behind. In other words, the first regulation protrusion 47 of the outer member 4 is located in the spring accommodating portion 125 of the lock lever 12.

The spring accommodating portion 125 is provided with a second spring member 142 (an example of a second elastic member) mounted between the second regulating wall portion 128 and the first regulating protrusion portion 47. The second spring member 142 is composed of, for example, the same compression coil spring as the first spring member 141 and the spring member 163, and the parts are shared.

The lock lever 12 is urged in the first slide direction (front side) by the elastic force of the second spring member 142, and the front portion of the second regulation wall portion 128 comes into contact with the rear portion of the second regulation protrusion 48, whereby the lock lever 12 is locked. The range of movement of the twelve in the first slide direction is limited. Here, the forward convex engaging projection 128a provided on the lower front surface of the second regulation wall portion 128 is provided with a concave (or stepped) engaging receiver of the rearward opening provided on the lower rear surface of the second regulation projection 48. By fitting into the portion 48a, the front portion of the lock lever 12 is prevented from rising.

Further, the lock lever 12 is allowed to move in the second slide direction (rear side) against the elastic force of the second spring member 142. The movement limit position of the lock lever 12 in the second slide direction is a position where the second spring member 142 is in a fully compressed state (a position rearward of the lock position described later).

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, when the front portion of the second regulation wall portion 128 is in contact with the rear portion of the second regulation protrusion portion 48, the front portion of the pressing portion 122 of the lock lever 12 is the pressing protrusion portion 84 of the lock member 8. Is pushed down, and the lock member 8 is located at a lower position (unlock position). That is, the lock lever 12 is in the free position, and the lock mechanism 14 is in the free state.

As described above, both the lock levers 12 of the caster devices 1A and 1B are connected via the interlocking rod 2 and are configured to interlock with each other. Then, when the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A is in the free position, the lock lever 12 of the second caster device 1B is also configured to be in the free position.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the lock lever 12 held in the free position in the second caster device 1B is interlocked with the movement of the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A (or the second caster device 1B). By downward operation of the operation switch 13 attached to the second spring member 142), the second spring member 142 moves in the second slide direction (rear side) against the elastic force. When the lock lever 12 is moved by a certain distance or more, the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A is held at the lock position (see FIGS. 11B, 12 and 13) by the switching mechanism 16. , The second regulation wall portion 128 of the lock lever 12 of the second caster device 1B is held at a position separated from the second regulation protrusion 48 to the rear side.

In this state, the pushing-down portion 122 of the lock lever 12 is located behind the opening 44a of the outer member 4, while the front end of the front protrusion allowing portion 124 is located above the trailing edge of the opening 44a. .. As a result, the lock member 8 is allowed to move upward of the pressing protrusion 84 and is moved to the upper position (lock position). That is, the lock lever 12 is in the lock position, and the lock mechanism 14 is in the locked state.

As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, when assembling the lock lever 12 to the outer member 4 at the time of assembling the second caster device 1B, the rib notch portions 126a and 126b and the lever engaging protrusions 46b and 46c are aligned. Then, the lock lever 12 is mounted on the top surface portion 41, the second regulation wall portion 128 is arranged between the first regulation protrusion portion 47 and the second regulation protrusion portion 48, and then the lock lever 12 is directed forward (first). Slide in the sliding direction) so that the front portion of the second regulation wall portion 128 is brought into contact with the rear portion of the second regulation protrusion portion 48. Then, the second spring member 142 is inserted into the spring accommodating portion 125 from above via the spring insertion opening 125a and mounted between the first regulation protrusion portion 47 and the second regulation wall portion 128.

In this state (the lock lever 12 is in the free position), the side edge ribs 126 are located below the lever engaging protrusions 46b and 46c, and the rib notches 126a, 126b and 126c and the lever engaging protrusions 46b and 46c are located. Is in a positional relationship that is offset from each other, so that the lock lever 12 is held by the outer member 4 so as not to be pulled out. From this state, even if the lock lever 12 is moved backward and the lock lever 12 passes through the lock position and moves until all the wires of the second spring member 142 come into contact with each other, the rib notch portions 126a and 126b are levers. It does not reach the lower position of the engaging protrusions 46b and 46c completely (or at all). In this way, in the second caster device 1B, the lock lever 12 is held by the outer member 4 so as not to fall off, so that the workability when the second caster device 1B is attached to the supported body of furniture such as the leg base 106 is improved. improves.

As described above, in the caster devices 1A and 1B of the present embodiment, the outer member 4 (upper member) attached to the lower part of the supported body such as furniture and the inner member 5 mounted on the outer member 4 so as to be horizontally swivelable. (Lower member), a wheel 6 rotatably provided at a portion of the inner member 5 deviated from the horizontal turning center, a lock mechanism 14 for switching the operation of the inner member 5 and the wheel 6 to a locked state or a free state, and a lock. The lock lever 12 for switching and operating the mechanism 14 is provided with a lever holding mechanism 15 for slidably holding the lock lever 12 in a substantially horizontal direction.

The lock lever 12 is provided with a pushing-down portion 122 as a first operating portion for freeing the lock mechanism 14 and a pushing-down portion 122 in the sliding direction, and the lock mechanism 14 is opposed to the pushing-down portion 122. A rear side protrusion allowance unit 123 as a second operation part to be locked and a front side protrusion allowance part 124 as a third operation part are provided.

Then, the lever holding mechanism 15 limits the movable range of the holding position of the lock lever 12 so that the lock mechanism 14 is operated by the pushing-down portion 122 and the rear protrusion allowing portion 123 (first holding position P1 (first caster)). Device 1A) and the second holding position P2 (see second caster device 1B) whose movable range is limited so that the lock mechanism 14 can be switched and operated by the push-down portion 122 and the front protrusion allowing portion 124. It is configured.

In the present embodiment, the lever holding mechanism 15 limits the movable range of the lock lever 12 so that the front protrusion allowing portion 124 does not operate the lock mechanism 14 at the first holding position P1 (first caster device 1A). 2 At the holding position P2 (second caster device 1B), the rear protrusion allowing portion 123 restricts the lock mechanism 14 from operating. Therefore, in one caster device 1A or 1B, neither the rear protrusion allowance portion 123 nor the front protrusion allowance portion 124 held by the lever holding mechanism 15 acts on the lock mechanism 14. , The malfunction of the lock mechanism 14 can be suppressed.

Further, the lever holding mechanism 15 can selectively hold the lock lever 12 at the first holding position P1 or the second holding position P2, and the lock mechanism 14 is in a free state when the lock lever 12 moves in one direction. Since the first holding position P1 and the second holding position P2 can be reversed to be in the locked state or in the locked state, the degree of freedom in installing the caster device on the furniture is increased.

In the caster device of the present invention, the lock lever is provided so as to sandwich the first operation unit in the sliding direction with the first operation unit that locks the lock mechanism, and the lock mechanism is opposite to the first operation unit. A second operation unit and a third operation unit to be in a free state may be provided. In such a configuration, for example, in the lock lever 12 of the above embodiment, two pressing portions 122 are provided at intervals in the slide direction, and the pressing protrusion 84 of the lock member 8 is provided between the pressing portions 122. This can be achieved by providing a recess that allows the protrusion of the lever.

Further, in the above embodiment, the direction from the rear side protrusion allowance portion 123 (second operation part) to the front side protrusion allowance part 124 (third operation part) of the lock lever 12 parallel to the slide direction is set as the first slide direction. When the opposite direction is the second slide direction, the first spring member 141 (first elastic member) that urges the lock lever 12 held at the first holding position P1 in the first caster device 1A in the second slide direction. Is provided, and in the second caster device 1B, a second spring member 142 (second elastic member) that urges the lock lever 12 held at the second holding position P2 in the first slide direction is provided. As a result, regardless of whether the lock lever 12 is held at the first holding position P1 or the second holding position P2, the pushing force of the spring member 141 or 142 pushes down the lock lever 12 (first operating portion 122). ) Can keep the lock mechanism 14 in a free state.

That is, in the first caster device 1A of the present embodiment, the lock lever 12 is constantly urged toward the free position (first slide direction) by the elastic force of the first spring member 141, and the second caster device 1B Then, the lock lever 12 is constantly urged toward the free position (second slide direction) by the elastic force of the second spring member 142. For example, even if the operation switch 13 or the switching mechanism 16 is broken, the inclined surface portions 129, 130 of the lock lever 12 or the interlocking rod 2 are damaged, or the like, the lock lever 12 cannot be subjected to an external operating force. Since the caster devices 1A and 1B are maintained in a free state by the elastic force of the spring members 141 and 142, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the caster devices 1A and 1B do not operate and the furniture or the like cannot be moved.

In the caster device of the present invention, regardless of whether the lock lever is held in the first holding position or the second holding position by the lever holding mechanism, the first operation is performed by the urging force of the first elastic member or the second elastic member. The lock mechanism may be maintained in the locked state by the unit.

In the caster devices 1A and 1B of the above embodiment, the operation tip 131 of the operation switch 13 (an example of the operating tool) for operating the lock lever 12 is provided so as to be movable up and down above the lock lever 12. Moves the lock lever 12 in the first slide direction by sliding in contact with the operation protrusion 131a of the operation tip 131 that moves downward in response to the operation of the operation switch 13 when held at the first holding position P1. 1 An inclined surface portion 129 is provided. Further, when the lock lever 12 is held at the second holding position P2, the lock lever 12 is slidably contacted with the operation protrusion 131a that moves downward in response to the operation of the operation switch 13 to move the lock lever 12 in the second slide direction. 2 The inclined surface portion 130 is provided.

As a result, the movement direction of the lock lever 12 can be made different between the first holding position and the second holding position by using the same operation switch 13, so that the operation switch 13 can be shared and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. it can.

18 to 20 are diagrams showing other embodiments of the table 100. In the present embodiment, the second caster device 1B pivotally supports the operation switch 13 having the same structure as the operation switch 13 attached to the first caster device 1A to the lever support shaft 39. As shown in FIG. 20, in the second caster device 1B, the lock lever 12 is held at the second holding position P2 by the lever holding mechanism 15, and the lock lever 12 is held at the lock position (the front part of the second regulation wall portion 128). Is in contact with the rear portion of the second regulation protrusion 48), the operation protrusion 131a of the operation switch 13 is configured to come into contact with the portion near the upper end of the second inclined surface portion 130 described above. That is, the operation protrusion 131a of the operation switch 13 is located closer to the upper end of the second inclined surface portion 130 when viewed from the lever support shaft 39.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the lock levers 12 of the caster devices 1A and 1B are configured to be interlocked via the interlocking rod 2. When the operation switch 13 of the second caster device 1B is operated downward, the operation protrusion 131a of the operation switch 13 moves downward while sliding in contact with the second inclined surface portion 130 of the lock lever 12, and the lock lever 12 moves downward accordingly. It moves so as to be pushed out in the second slide direction (rear side), reaches the lock position (see FIGS. 16 and 17), and locks the lock mechanism 14.

On the other hand, in the first caster device 1A interlocked with the second caster device 1B, the movement of the lock lever 12 of the second caster device 1B is transmitted to the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A by the interlocking rod 2. As described above, when the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A is moved from the free position in the first direction by a certain distance or more and then the operating force on the lock lever 12 is released, the first spring member 141 It is held in the locked position by the elastic force and the function of the switching mechanism 16. At this time, the lock lever 12 of the second caster device 1B, which is connected to the lock lever 12 of the first caster device 1A via the interlocking rod 2, is also maintained at the locked position.

In this way, when one of the lock levers 12 of the caster devices 1A and 1B is operated, both lock levers 12 are alternately switched between the free position and the lock position by the switching mechanism 16 provided in the first caster device 1A. Is maintained at. In the lock levers 12 of the caster devices 1A and 1B, when one lock lever 12 is operated, the other lock lever 12 receives one lock lever 12 by its own weight or by a force received from the inclined surface portions 129 and 130. Rotate downward or upward in the same direction as.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the switch openings 106a are provided at both ends of the leg base 106, and the operation switches 13 of the caster devices 1A and 1B are arranged in the switch openings 106a. Can operate the caster devices 1A and 1B from either of the leg bases 106, which improves the convenience of the user. The caster devices 1A and 1B to which the operation switch 13 is assembled can be used independently.

As described above, the table 100, which is an example of furniture with casters, has a leg base 106 extending substantially horizontally along the floor and a pair of caster devices 1A and 1B attached to both ends of the leg base 106 in the longitudinal direction. The lever holding mechanism 15 of one caster device 1A holds the lock lever at the first holding position P1, while the lever holding mechanism 15 of the other caster device 1B holds the lock lever 12 at the second holding position P2. doing. The lock levers 12 are connected by an interlocking rod 2 provided along the longitudinal direction of the leg base 106. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the pair of caster devices 1A and 1B in which the free state and the locked state are interlocked can be configured by the caster device having the same structure, the manufacturing cost and the labor of parts management related to the caster device can be reduced.

Further, in the table 100, an operation switch 13 for operating the caster devices 1A and 1B is provided on the leg base 106, and the operation switch 13 is configured to rotate about the end side of the leg base 106. There is. As a result, the user can easily push the leg base 106 with his / her foot from the end side (stepping operation), which improves convenience.

Further, the operation switch 13 is supported by the lever support shaft 39 (shaft portion) provided on the outer member 104 (upper member) of the caster devices 1A and 1B, and is provided on the outer member 104 at a position away from the lever support shaft 39. The upward rotation is regulated by the upward rotation restricting unit 38. Such a configuration has no wasted parts and is easy to assemble. In addition, since it can be unitized as a caster device including an operating tool, it is possible to check the operation of each unit and to easily manage the inventory of parts.

According to such an aspect, there are no wasted parts and the assembling property is good. Further, since it can be unitized as a caster device including the operation switch 13, it is possible to check the operation of each unit and to easily manage the inventory of parts. The regulation of the upward rotation of the operation switch 13 is not limited to the configuration performed at the portion (upward rotation restricting portion 38) provided on the outer member 4 as in the embodiment, and is provided on the bottom surface of the leg base 106. It may be realized by a member or the bottom surface itself, or may be realized by both the bottom surface of the leg base 106 and the portion of the leg base 106.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be embodied in various ways other than the above-described embodiments.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the caster devices 1A, 1B of the above embodiment can be applied to a table 200 having a cross-shaped leg base 206. In the table 200, a substantially square top plate 201 is supported by one leg body 203. The leg body 203 includes a cross-shaped leg base 206 and a cylindrical leg support 207 that rises from the intersection of the leg base 206.

The leg base 206 has a hollow inside and is open downward, and the first caster device is inside the tip of one of the four leg bases 206 extending in a cross shape from the attachment portion of the leg support 207. 1A is attached, and the second caster device 1B is attached to the end of the leg base 206 extending in the same straight line as the leg base 206. As shown in FIG. 22, the caster devices 1A and 1B are configured to be interlocked via the interlocking rod 2.

A caster device 1C is attached to each of the tips of the remaining two leg bases 206. The caster device 1C includes an outer member 4, an inner member 5, and a wheel 6 formed of the same parts as the caster devices 1A and 1B, and further includes a slider member 7 and a cover member 9 (see FIG. 5 and the like). The caster device 1C does not include the lock member 8 and the elastic member 10, and is provided so as to be rotatable and swivelable. As shown in FIG. 22, neither the lock lever 12 nor the operation switch 13 is attached to the caster device 1C.

As described above, the caster devices 1A and 1B can be used as the rollable and swivel caster device 1C by removing the parts (lock member 8 and elastic member 10) constituting the lock mechanism 14, so that the parts are standardized. By doing so, the manufacturing cost and the parts management cost can be reduced.

The present invention can be used as a caster device for various furniture such as cabinets, chairs and beds.

1A 1st caster device 1B 2nd caster device 1C caster device 2 interlocking rod 2a lower engaging recess 2b upper engaging recess 3 leg body 4 outer member (example of upper member)
5 Inner member (an example of lower member)
6 Wheel 7 Slider member 7a Upper surface 7b Lower surface 8 Lock member 9 Cover member 10 Elastic member 12 Lock lever 13 Operation switch 14 Lock mechanism 15 Lever holding mechanism 16 Switching mechanism 38 Upper rotation regulation part 39 Lever support shaft 40 Convex part 41 Top surface part 41a Downward surface 41c Recession 42 Cylinder 43 Caster flange 44 Engagement claw 44a Opening 45 Locking recess 46 Lever holding rib 46a Lever engagement protrusion 46b Lever engagement protrusion 46c Lever engagement protrusion 47 1 Regulatory protrusion 48 2nd regulation protrusion 48a Engagement receiving part 49 Protruding part 50 Convex part 51 Top plate part 51a Upward surface 52 Engagement hole 53 Axle bearing part 53a Axle locking hole 55 Cylinder part 57 Opening 61 Axle 62 Locking part 71 Convex part 72 Convex part 81 Lock member body part 82 Stopper arm part 82a Wheel stopper part 83 Locking claw 84 Pressing protrusion 100 Table 101 Top plate 103 Leg body 104 Outer member 106 Leg base 106a For switch Opening 107 Leg strut 108 Strut connection 109 Protrusion 110 Bolt insertion hole 111 Bolt receiving hole 112 Protrusion holding hole 113 Thread hole 114 Bolt 120 Interlocking lever connection 120a Engagement claw 120b Engagement protrusion 121 Side surface 122 Push Lowering part (an example of the first operation part)
123 Rear protrusion allowance (an example of the second operation unit)
124 Front protrusion allowance (an example of the third operation unit)
125 Spring accommodating portion 125a Spring insertion opening 126 Side edge rib 126a Rib notch 126b Rib notch 126c Rib notch 127 1st regulation wall 128 2nd regulation wall 128a Engagement protrusion 129 1st inclined surface 130 Second inclined surface portion 131 Operation tip portion 131a Operation protrusion portion 132 Engagement notch portion 133 Locking claw 141 First spring member (example of first elastic member)
142 Second spring member (example of second elastic member)
161 Cam pin holding part 162 Cam pin member 162a Shaft part 162b Lever part 162c Cam pin 162d Flat surface part 162e Bending part 163 Spring member 164 First cam part 164a Recessed 164b Inclined part 164c Front side part 165 Second cam part 165a Front end left side part 166 Hole 167 Shaft contact surface 168 Locking surface 200 Table 201 Top plate 203 Leg body 206 Leg base 207 Leg support P1 First holding position P2 Second holding position

Claims (8)

An upper member attached to the lower part of a supported body such as furniture, a lower member rotatably attached to the upper member, and a wheel rotatably provided at a portion of the lower member deviated from the horizontal turning center. It is provided with a lock mechanism for switching the operation of the lower member and the wheel to a locked state or a free state, and a lever holding mechanism for holding the lock lever for switching and operating the lock mechanism in a substantially horizontal direction so as to be slidable.
The lock lever is provided so as to sandwich the first operation unit in the sliding direction with a first operation unit that puts the lock mechanism in a free state or a lock state, and locks the lock mechanism in the opposite direction to the first operation unit. It is equipped with a second operation unit and a third operation unit that are in a state or a free state.
The lever holding mechanism has a holding position of the lock lever, a first holding position in which the movable range is limited so that the lock mechanism can be operated by the first and second operating units, and the first and third operating units. A caster device that is configured to be changeable to a second holding position in which the movable range is limited so as to switch and operate the lock mechanism. When the direction from the second operation unit of the lock lever to the third operation unit parallel to the slide direction is the first slide direction and the opposite direction is the second slide direction.
A first elastic member is provided to urge the lock lever held in the first holding position in the second slide direction, or the lock lever held in the second holding position is moved in the first slide direction. The caster device according to claim 1, wherein a second elastic member for urging the lever is provided. The operating tip of the operating tool for operating the lock lever is provided so as to be movable up and down above the lock lever.
The lock lever
A first inclined surface portion that slides on the operation tip portion that moves downward in response to the operation of the operating tool when held in the first holding position and moves the lock lever in the first slide direction.
It is provided with a second inclined surface portion that slides in contact with the operation tip portion that moves downward in response to the operation of the operating tool when held in the second holding position and moves the lock lever in the second sliding direction. The caster device according to claim 2. Each time the lock lever is moved by receiving an operating force, the lock lever is provided with a switching mechanism that alternately holds the lock lever in a free position for releasing the lock mechanism or a lock position for locking the lock mechanism. The caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A piece of furniture with casters that includes a leg base that extends substantially horizontally along the floor and a pair of caster devices attached to both ends of the leg base in the longitudinal direction.
The caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided as the caster device.
The lever holding mechanism of one of the caster devices holds the lock lever in the first holding position, while the lever holding mechanism of the other caster device holds the lock lever in the second holding position. , Casted furniture in which the lock levers are connected by a connecting rod provided along the longitudinal direction of the leg base. An operating tool for operating the caster device is provided on the leg base.
The furniture with casters according to claim 5, wherein the operating tool is configured to rotate about an end side of the leg base. The operating tool is supported by a shaft portion provided on the upper member of the caster device, and upward rotation is restricted by the upper member, the bottom surface of the leg base, or both at a position away from the shaft portion. , The furniture with casters according to claim 6. The furniture with casters according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the operating tools are provided at both ends of the leg base.

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