JP3190919B2 - Twin wheel caster with lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a caster provided with a lock mechanism capable of locking a turning and braking of a two-wheel caster by raising and lowering an operating shaft.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a caster and a stand are used as a structure for automatically performing a turning lock and a braking lock of a caster in conjunction with a displacement of a specific member such as an operation by an operation member or a folding operation of furniture. There are known a configuration in which a caster is moved up and down to move the caster between a ground contact position and a hollow position, and a brake lock device and a swing lock device are separately provided and operated. However, in these configurations, the structure becomes complicated, and in the case of a two-wheel caster,
There is a disadvantage that the size cannot be avoided.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has a built-in operating shaft which moves up and down in response to the displacement of an operating member or a specific member. An object of the present invention is to provide a two-wheel caster provided with a lock mechanism that displaces a lock piece to a lock position and a lock release position by this lifting and lowering.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a fixed shaft fixed to an object to be mounted and a support rotatably fitted to the fixed shaft are provided. A yoke, a pair of left and right wheels rotatably mounted via an axle pivotally supported by the support yoke, and an inner peripheral surface of an annular step formed concentrically with a small diameter on the inner surfaces of the pair of wheels. A brake lock receiving portion, an operating shaft penetrating through the fixed shaft and slidably mounted vertically; a turning lock portion mounted at the tip of the operating shaft; A lock piece having a brake lock that engages with the lock receiving portion to restrain rotation of the wheel; a turning lock receiving portion that engages with the turning lock to restrict turning of the support yoke; Part in the unlock direction. It has become biasing means from substantially U-shaped spring base end is constrained to the support yoke, tip unstoppable become hung on the pivot lock receiving takes the following technical means of.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, a fixed shaft fixed to the object to be mounted, a support yoke pivotally fitted to the fixed shaft, and an axle pivotally supported by the support yoke. A pair of left and right wheels that are mounted as possible, a brake lock receiving portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of an annular step portion formed concentrically on the inner surface of the pair of wheels, and vertically through the fixed shaft. An operating shaft slidably mounted, a turning lock portion mounted at the tip of the operating shaft, and a brake pivotally attached to the support yoke and engaging with the brake lock receiving portion to restrain rotation of the wheel. A lock piece having a lock portion, a swing lock receiving portion that engages with the swing lock portion to restrain the swing of the support yoke, and an urging means for urging the lock piece in the unlocking direction. A small-diameter shaft portion is provided at the tip of the operating shaft, and And Toru設 a hole in the center of the rotation lock receiving portion of the click piece, made by guiding the shaft portion as the insertable takes the following technical means of. According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a technical means in which the urging means is formed of a substantially U-shaped spring, the base end is restrained by a support yoke, and the front end is hung by a swing lock receiving portion. I'm taking it. Further, in the invention according to claim 4, the brake lock receiving portion comprises a gear-shaped uneven portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the annular step portion, and the brake lock portion can engage with the uneven portion. It is taking technical measures of being. Further, in the invention according to claim 5, the turning lock receiving portion is formed of an uneven portion radially formed with gears, and the turning lock portion is formed of an uneven portion that can mesh with the uneven portion. Is taking appropriate measures.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a two-wheel caster having a lock mechanism according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The two-wheel caster 1 is rotatable via a fixed shaft 2 attached to an object to be mounted, a support yoke 3 pivotally fitted on the fixed shaft 2 and an axle 4 supported by the support yoke 3. It consists of a pair of left and right wheels 5 attached.

The pair of wheels 5 has a cylindrical wheel bearing portion 5a for fitting the axle 4 at the center of the inner surface thereof, and further has an annular step formed on the inner surface with a larger diameter than the wheel bearing portion 5a. A brake lock receiving portion 6 having an uneven shape is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. This brake lock receiving portion 6 is, in the case of the illustrated example,
It has a gear shape. In addition, 5b is a tire part in a figure.

Next, the fixed shaft 2 is formed of a cylindrical body, and an operating shaft 7 penetrates the hollow inside thereof, and is attached to be vertically slidable. The operating shaft 7 has a hole 7a for connection with a link member (not shown) at an upper portion, and a cylindrical member 9 having a turning lock portion 8 is externally fitted at a lower portion, and is fixed with a pin P1. Is a small diameter shaft 7b
And project downward from the cylindrical member 9 to serve as a guide shaft. The turning lock portion 8 has a donut shape centered on a hole through which the shaft portion 7b passes on the lower surface of the cylindrical member 9, and the uneven tooth portions are formed radially.

On the other hand, a lock piece 10 is pivotally attached to the support yoke 3. The lock piece 10 has a pair of brackets 11 at the base end. That is, the support yoke 3 has a mounting piece 3 a for mounting the lock piece 10.
The bracket 11 of the lock piece 10 is externally fitted to the mounting piece 3a and is pivotally connected with the pin P2.

An intermediate position of the lock piece portion 10 is formed in a mountain shape having a wide cross section and a continuous cross section. The brake lock portion 12 meshable with the brake lock receiving portions 6 formed on the left and right wheels 5 is turned downward. Have. This brake lock unit 12
It is composed of a plurality of teeth (four in the illustrated example).

[0011] Next, the base 1
3 and the operating shaft 7 is provided at the center of the base 13.
And a turning lock receiving portion 14 that can mesh with the turning lock portion 8.

Further, a spring 1 described later is mounted on the base 13.
A pair of spring receiving grooves 13b for hooking 5 are provided on the left and right. The spring receiving groove 13b is formed obliquely on the back surface of the base 13, as is clear from FIGS.

A spring 15 for urging the lock piece 10
Is formed of a substantially U-shaped linear material, and the base end of a spring 15 is fitted into a groove 3b behind the mounting piece 3a of the support yoke 3, and is fixed to the vehicle bearing 5a to form a hollow portion. The middle portion of the spring 15 is inserted into the holding portion 3c having a U-shaped cross section, and the distal end side of the spring 15 is locked in the spring receiving groove 13b of the lock piece 10. Since the spring 15 is urged in the unlocking direction, the operating shaft 7 is
The locking piece 10 is pushed down in the locking direction against the urging force. When the operating shaft 7 is raised, the lock piece 10 jumps up in the unlocking direction by the return force of the spring 15.

Next, the operation of the twin wheel caster will be described.
First, in the two-wheel caster 1, the operating shaft 7 has an operating member provided on an object to be mounted or a specific member of the object to be mounted.
They are connected directly or via a link member, a wire, or another transmission member so as to be interlocked. Therefore, the operating shaft 7 is pushed down by the locking operation of the operation member or the displacement of the specific member (for example, when the attached object is a table, the operation of expanding the top plate).

As a result, the operating shaft 7 enters the hole 13a with the shaft 7b at the tip serving as a guide, and the cylindrical member 9 moves the lock piece 10 against the urging force of the spring 15 in the braking lock direction (downward). To pivot. When the brake lock portion 12 engages with the brake lock receiving portion 6, at the same time, the base portion 13 of the lock piece portion 10 and the turning lock receiving portion 14 on the upper surface thereof are also displaced to the horizontal position, and the depressed operating shaft 7 is moved. Of the turning lock unit 8 meshes with the turning lock receiving unit 14. Thereby, the wheel 5 is braked and the turning of the support yoke 3 is locked.

Next, a release operation of the operating member or a return displacement of the specific member (for example, when the attached object is a table,
The operation shaft 7 is raised by the folding operation of the top plate). Thereby, the lock piece 10 pivots in the brake lock release direction (upward) by the return force of the spring 15. As a result, the brake lock portion 12 is disengaged from the brake lock receiving portion 6, and the turning lock receiving portion 14 of the lock piece 10 is held at a position away from the raised position of the turning lock portion 8 of the operating shaft 7. As a result, the braking of the wheels 5 is released, and the locking of the turning of the support yoke 3 is also released, so that the vehicle can run or turn freely.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and each lock structure may use a known structure. For example, the braking structure may be a concave / convex engagement, a frictional engagement using a shoe, or the like. Further, as the turning lock structure, in addition to a structure in which irregularities are continuously formed radially, one or a plurality of turning lock structures may be provided at regular intervals. Further, the urging means is not limited to the spring of this embodiment, but may be a leaf spring, a coil spring, a rubber material, or the like. In other words, it goes without saying that various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0018]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the locking piece can be pivoted by lowering the operating shaft, so that braking and turning lock can be performed simultaneously. In addition, when the operating shaft is raised, the lock piece is returned by the action of the spring, so that the release of braking and the release of rotation lock can be performed simultaneously. Since the braking and turning lock can be controlled only by providing the lock piece in this manner, even a two-wheel caster can be provided with a lock mechanism with a simple configuration,
Also, there is no need to increase the size. In addition, this two-wheel caster can be used regardless of the type and application of the mounted object,
The operating shaft may be operated by the operating member, or may be linked to the displacement of the specific member. The operating member can be used for various purposes, and is extremely versatile and useful.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a cross section of a two-wheel caster according to an embodiment of the present invention in a brake released state.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cross section of the two-wheel caster in a braking state.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a cross section of the twin wheel caster of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the twin wheel caster.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a twin wheel caster.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a lock piece.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a turning lock receiving portion of the lock piece.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Two wheel caster 2 Fixed shaft 3 Support yoke 4 Axle 5 Wheel 6 Brake lock receiving part 7 Operating shaft 8 Turning lock part 9 Tubular member 10 Lock piece part 11 Bracket 12 Braking lock part 13 Base part 14 Turning lock receiving part 15 Spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60B 33/00-33/06

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A fixed shaft fixed to an object to be mounted, a support yoke rotatably fitted to the fixed shaft, and a pair of left and right rotatably mounted via an axle pivotally supported by the support yoke. A brake lock receiving portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of an annular step portion formed concentrically on the inner surfaces of the pair of wheels, and a slidably mounted vertically through the fixed shaft. An operating shaft; a turning lock portion attached to a tip of the operating shaft; a brake lock portion pivotally attached to the support yoke and engaging with the brake lock receiving portion to restrain rotation of a wheel; A lock piece having a turning lock receiving portion that engages with the portion to restrict the turning of the support yoke; and a biasing means for biasing the lock piece in the unlocking direction. Consists of a substantially U-shaped spring, and the base end is Are, twin wheel caster having a locking mechanism characterized by comprising been hooked tip to pivot lock receiving. 2. A fixed shaft fixed to an object, a support yoke rotatably fitted to the fixed shaft, and a pair of right and left rotatably mounted via an axle pivotally supported by the support yoke. A brake lock receiving portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of an annular step portion formed concentrically on the inner surfaces of the pair of wheels, and a slidably mounted vertically through the fixed shaft. An operating shaft; a turning lock portion attached to a tip of the operating shaft; a brake lock portion pivotally attached to the support yoke and engaging with the brake lock receiving portion to restrain rotation of a wheel; A lock piece having a turning lock receiving portion that engages with the portion to restrain the turning of the support yoke; and a biasing means for biasing the lock piece in the unlocking direction. A small diameter shaft is provided at the tip, and the lock piece is turned And Toru設 a hole in the center of the part, twin wheel caster having a locking mechanism characterized by comprising by guiding the shaft portion as can be inserted. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the biasing means is formed of a substantially U-shaped spring, a base end of which is restrained by a support yoke, and a distal end of which is hooked on a swing lock receiving portion. A two-wheel caster provided with the lock mechanism described in the above. 4. The brake lock receiving portion comprises a gear-shaped uneven portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the annular step portion, and the brake lock portion comprises an uneven portion capable of meshing with the uneven portion. A two-wheel caster having a lock function according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3. 5. The swivel lock receiving portion comprises an uneven portion radially formed with gears, and the swivel lock portion comprises an uneven portion capable of meshing with the uneven portion. A two-wheel caster having any one of the lock functions described in 2, 3, or 4.