JP4180642B1 - Caster lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a lock mechanism of a caster that can be operated even with a small force.
A lock mechanism 1 for a caster according to the present invention includes a lever portion 2 in which a front end 2a and a rear end 2b can be alternately moved up and down, and a caster portion in which a wheel 62 can be locked by moving a stopper portion 63 upward. 6, the upper end 21a side is connected to the rear end 2a side of the lever portion 2, the arm portion 21 that is slidable in the vertical direction, the one end 3a side is rotatably fixed to the heel body 11 side, and the other end 3b side The first connecting rod 3 connected to the lower end 21b side of the arm portion 21 and the middle are rotatably fixed to the saddle body 11 side, and the one end 4a side is connected to the one end 3a of the first connecting rod 3 The second connecting rod 4 is connected to the stopper portion 63 on the other end 4b side.
[Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a lock mechanism for casters attached to a bag such as a suitcase or an attache case.

Many bags, such as suitcases, have casters on the bottom so that they can be pushed and pulled. When such a kite is placed on an inclined surface or the train stops suddenly, the kite may start to move if the kite is not supported.
Accordingly, casters having a lock mechanism have been developed so that the wheels of the casters can be locked (see Patent Document 1 below).
In addition, a lock mechanism that can simultaneously lock front and rear or left and right wheels has been developed (see Patent Document 2 below).

  This locking mechanism is designed to lock the wheel by pushing down the lever that protrudes outward from the saddle. Specifically, the side surface of the wheel is recessed inward, and its peripheral surface The claws that enter the inner side from the side of the wheel move in the upward direction by pushing down the lever and can be hooked into the recess to lock the wheel. By pulling up, the claw part moves downward and comes out of the recess so that the wheel can rotate.

Utility Model Registration No. 3122929 Utility Model Registration No. 3128217

  In the above-mentioned lock mechanism, the operating force for pushing down or pulling up the lever needs to apply a force of about 5 kg per caster. In other words, the one that can be stopped at the same time requires an operating force of about 10 kg to push down or lift the lever, and the lock mechanism does not operate unless a large force is applied to the lever.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a caster locking mechanism that can be operated even with a small force.

The caster locking mechanism of the present invention includes a lever portion whose tip and rear ends can be moved up and down alternately, a caster portion capable of locking a wheel by moving the stopper portion upward, and an upper end side of the lever portion as a rear end of the lever portion. An arm portion that is slidable in the vertical direction, and one end side is rotatably fixed to a support that is fixed to the heel body, and the other end side is connected to the lower end side of the arm portion. One connecting rod and the first connecting rod are arranged below the first connecting rod, the middle is rotatably fixed to the support , one end is connected to the one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end is used as a stopper. And a second connecting rod that is connected.

In addition, the caster locking mechanism of the present invention includes a lever portion whose tip and rear ends can be moved up and down alternately, a caster portion that can lock a wheel by moving the stopper portion upward, and one end side of the caster lock body. A first connecting rod that is rotatably fixed to a fixed support and the other end side is connected to the rear end side of the lever portion, and is arranged below the first connecting rod, and the middle is the support body And a second connecting rod having one end connected to the one end of the first connecting rod and the other end connected to the stopper portion.

  With such a configuration, when the tip of the lever portion is pushed down or pulled up and moved up and down, the other end side of the first connecting rod that is directly connected to the lever portion also moves up and down. At this time, since the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the heel body side at one end side, the first connecting rod rotates around this. One end of the second connecting rod is connected to the one end of the first connecting rod, and this point serves as an action point, and a force larger than the force applied to the lever portion is applied to one end of the second connecting rod. Move up and down. Then, when one end side of the second connecting rod moves up and down, the stopper portion connected to the other end side of the second connecting rod moves up and down, and the wheels of the caster portion can be locked and released. Can do. By using the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod in this way, the stopper portion can be moved up and down with a force greater than the force applied to the lever portion, and the wheels of the caster portion can be locked more easily than before. You can do it or cancel it.

Locking mechanism of the caster, on the upper side of the scan topper portion, a connecting shaft extending upward, both ends of the one end side of the vertically movable drive unit alternately, and rotatably coupled to the upper side of the connecting shaft, the other The end side may be connected to the other end side of the second connecting rod.

  The caster locking mechanism has a structure in which the wheel is recessed in a circular shape on the side surface, and a hooking portion in which a concave portion and a convex portion are alternately provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof, and a stopper portion is a nail that is hooked on the concave portion. A compression coil spring wound around the outer periphery of the connecting shaft, and the compression coil spring has a force greater than or equal to a predetermined force applied to the heel body in a state where the claw portion is hooked on the recess. By adding the above, the claw portion can overcome the convex portion and can be configured as an urging force capable of rotating the wheel.

  By adopting such a configuration, when the claw part of the stopper part is hooked on the concave part and the wheel is locked, when a force greater than a predetermined value is applied to move the bag main body, the claw part gets over the convex part, The recesses on the inner peripheral surface can be moved in order. Therefore, for example, when climbing an inclined surface, the heel can be pulled upward even when the wheel is locked, and the wheel is locked even if the force to pull the heel slightly is taken to rest the hand. The kite will not fall down and it will be easier to move in such places.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a lock mechanism for casters according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a bag using an embodiment of the lock mechanism of the caster of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing one side portion of an embodiment of the lock mechanism of the caster of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of a lever portion of the mechanism, FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a support, which are components of the locking mechanism of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a locking mechanism. FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a state in which the lock mechanism is operated and the wheels of the caster are locked.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a lock mechanism 1 for a caster according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a bag main body 11 such as a suitcase and protrudes outward from the upper middle of the side surface of the bag main body 11. By moving the tip of 2 up and down, two of the four wheels provided on the bottom surface can be stopped simultaneously.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lock mechanism 1 of the caster mainly includes a lever portion 2, an arm portion 21, a first connecting rod 3, a second connecting rod 4, a drive portion 5, and a caster portion 6. The lever portion 2 and the caster portion 6 are connected via an arm portion 21, a first connecting rod 3, a second connecting rod 4 and a drive portion 5 to move the lever portion 2 up and down. As a result, the wheel 62 of the caster unit 6 can be locked or released.
The caster part 6 is provided on the pedestal part 82, and the pedestal part 82 can be attached to the bottom of both ends of the bottom surface of the bag main body 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lever portion 2 is a substantially rectangular piece material in which the tip 2 a is formed in an arc shape, and the tip 2 a is removed from a substantially rectangular opening 81 provided in the bag main body 11. The middle part is fixed to the fixing part 2d fixed to the bag body 11 so as to be rotatable by the rotation shaft 2c, and the front end 2a and the rear end 2b are alternately moved up and down. It is. A compression coil spring 2e is arranged on the rear end 2b side, so that the front end 2a of the lever portion 2 stays at an upward or downward position. A hole (not shown) penetrating in the lateral direction is provided on the side surface on the rear end 2b side.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the arm portion 21 is a long plate member having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is arranged in the vertical direction. The rear end 2b side of the lever portion 2 is housed inside the upper end 21a side of the arm portion 21, and the rotary shaft 23 is inserted through the hole 22 provided in the side surface 21c and the hole provided in the rear end 2b, so that the lever The part 2 and the arm part 21 are rotatably connected, and the arm part 21 slides up and down as the rear end 2b moves up and down.
On both side surfaces 21 c on the lower end 21 b side of the arm portion 21, a joined portion 24 having a substantially rectangular hole is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first connecting rod 3 is a long plate material having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open at the bottom, and a connecting surface portion 31 that is bent upward so as to face one end 3 a side. It is formed. The connecting surface portion 31 is disposed between both side surfaces 71 of the support 7 fixed to the bag body 11, and the support shaft is inserted through the hole 72 above the support 7 and the hole 32 on the connecting surface portion 31. 7 is rotatably fixed. A coupling portion 35 is formed on the other end 3b side so as to project the vicinity of the center of the upper surface 34. The coupling part 35 can be inserted into the coupled part 24 of the arm part 21 with some play, and the other end 3b side of the first connecting rod 3 moves up and down with the vertical movement of the arm part 21. . A hole 37 is formed at an appropriate position near the one end 3a of both side surfaces 36. The hole 37 is preferably provided at a position of about 3: 7 to 1: 9 between both ends.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the second connecting rod 4 is a long plate material having a substantially U-shaped cross-section with an opening at the bottom, and projects the vicinity of the middle of both side surfaces 43 downward in an arc shape. A hole 41 is provided on the top. This middle portion is disposed between both side surfaces 71 of the support 7, and the rotation shaft 42 is inserted through the hole 41 and the hole 73 below the support 7 so as to be rotatably fixed to the support 7. It is designed to move up and down. The one end 4 a side is arranged so as to be accommodated in the first connecting rod 3, and the rotary shaft 38 is inserted into the hole 44 on the one end 4 a side of the both side surfaces 43 and the hole 37 of the first connecting rod 3 to pass through the first connecting rod 3. The connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 4 are rotatably connected, and the one end 4a side of the second connecting rod 4 moves up and down together with the up and down movement of the first connecting rod 3. Further, on the other end 4b side, a coupling portion 46 is formed by protruding the upper surface 45 in a curved shape. In addition, it is preferable to provide the hole 41 in the position which will be about 5: 5 to 3: 7 between both ends.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the drive unit 5 is rotatably fixed to the pedestal unit 82 around the middle by a rotating shaft 51, and both ends are moved up and down alternately. The one end 5a side is formed in a bifurcated shape so as to sandwich the upper end of the connecting shaft 63c of the stopper portion 6, and holes (not shown) penetrating in the lateral direction are provided on the side surfaces of both ends. On the other end 5b side, a to-be-joined portion 53 whose end face is recessed in the lateral direction is formed, and the joining portion 46 on the other end 5b side of the second connecting rod 4 can be inserted with a little play, and driving The other end 5 b side of the part 5 moves up and down together with the up and down movement on the other end 5 b side of the second connecting rod 4.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the caster unit 6 is provided with a wheel 62 on the lower end side of the holding body 61, and the stopper unit 63 is moved up and down to lock or release the rotation of the wheel 62. can do.

  The holding body 61 is a plate material bent so as to sandwich the side surface 62a of the wheel 62, the wheel 62 is rotatably attached to the lower end side, a bearing 61b is disposed on the upper surface 61a, and the pedestal portion is caulked with a caulking material 61c. 82 is rotatably mounted.

  The wheel 62 has a side surface 62a that is recessed in a circular shape, and an engaging portion 64 in which concave portions 64b and convex portions 64c are provided alternately on the inner peripheral surface 64a. The end of the convex portion 64c is an inclined surface and is smoothly connected to the concave portion 64b.

  The stopper portion 63 extends upward through a plate-like latching portion 63b having a claw portion 63a bent at the lower end so as to enter the inside of the wheel 62, and an upper surface 63d of the latching portion 63b. A connecting shaft 63c penetrating the upper surface 61a and the pedestal portion 82 is provided.

  The hook 63b is configured such that when the stopper 63 moves upward, the claw 63a provided at the lower end is hooked on the recess 64b of the wheel 62 so that the wheel 62 can be locked. A compression coil spring 63f is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 63c so as to be wound around, and is located between the upper surface 63d of the hooking portion 63b and the head 63e at the lower end of the connecting shaft 63c. The stopper 63b is urged upward. The spring 63f is an urging force that allows the claw portion 63a to get over the convex portion 64c and rotate the wheel 62 by applying a predetermined force or more to the heel body 11 in a state where the claw portion 63a is engaged with the concave portion 64b.

  The upper end of the connecting shaft 63c is covered with a cap portion 65, a groove 63g provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting shaft 63c, a shaft passing portion 65a formed by expanding the peripheral surface of the cap portion 65 outward, and a drive A rotation shaft 65b is inserted through the hole on the one end 5a side of the portion 5 to rotatably connect the one end 5a side of the drive portion 5 and the connection shaft 63c. The connection shaft 63c is connected to the one end 5a of the drive portion 5. It moves up and down with the vertical movement of the side.

The operation of the caster locking mechanism 1 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 5, the lever part 2 is arranged so that the front end 2a faces upward and the rear end 2b faces downward. At this time, the stopper part 63 is located below and the claw part 63a is engaged. The wheel 62 is in a state of being able to rotate without being hooked on the portion 64.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the front end 2a of the lever portion 2 is pushed downward, the rear end 2b of the lever portion 2 moves upward, and the arm portion 21 slides upward at the same time. The other end 3b side of the first connecting rod 3 connected to the arm portion 21 also moves upward, and the first connecting rod 3 moves upward with the one end 3a side as the center of rotation. Since the one end 4 a side of the second connecting rod 4 is connected to the first connecting rod 3, it moves upward together with the first connecting rod 3. Since the second connecting rod 4 is rotatably connected in the vicinity of the middle, the other end 4b side of the second connecting rod 4 moves downward, and at the same time, the other end 5b of the drive unit 5 moves downward. . Since the drive unit 5 is rotatably fixed in the vicinity of the middle, one end 5a of the drive unit 5 moves upward, and at the same time, the connecting shaft 63c moves upward, and the entire stopper unit 63 moves upward. . Therefore, the claw part 63a of the latching part 63b can lock the wheel 62 by engaging with the concave part 64b of the latching part 64.

  In this case, since the one end 4a of the second connecting rod 4 is connected to the first connecting rod 3 near the one end 3a, the other end 3b side of the first connecting rod 3 is a power point, the one end 3a side is a fulcrum, and the first connecting rod 3 The connecting portion between the second connecting rod 4 and the second connecting rod 4 serves as an action point, and due to the lever principle, a greater force is applied to the one end 4a side of the second connecting rod 4 than when the front end 2a of the lever portion 2 is pushed. 63 can be easily moved upward, and the stopper portion 63 can be operated with a force smaller than that in the prior art to lock the wheel 62. Conventionally, an operating force of about 10 kg was required, but with the caster locking mechanism of the present invention. The two wheels 62 can be locked with an operating force of about 6 kg.

  In order to release this lock, the tip of the lever portion 2 is moved upward, and the lock of the wheel 62 can be released by the reverse movement to the above. Also in this case, the other end 3b side of the first connecting rod 3 is a force point, the one end 3a side is a fulcrum, and the connecting point between the first connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 4 is an action point. It can be easily moved downward, and the stopper portion 63 can be operated with a smaller force than in the prior art to unlock the wheel 62.

  Moreover, since the lock mechanism 1 of the caster of the present embodiment is provided with the compression coil spring 63f, when a predetermined force (for example, about 5 kg weight or more) is applied to the bag body 11 in a state where the wheel 62 is locked, The nail | claw part 63a gets over the convex part 64c, and moves the recessed part 64b in order. For this reason, when pulling up a sloping surface or the like, the scissors can be pulled upward without falling down, making it easy to carry.

  In the present embodiment, the lever portion 2 is provided above the heel body 11, but may be provided below, and as shown in FIG. It is also possible to form a hole-like coupled portion 27 on the side surface on the end side and insert the coupling portion 35 of the first coupling portion 3 into the coupled portion 27. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the 2nd connecting rod 4 and the connection shaft 63c are connected via the drive part 5, it is set as the structure which did not provide a drive part but connected the 2nd connecting rod and the connection shaft directly. You can also.

  It should be noted that the configuration aspects of the above-described embodiments are not listed as limiting the present invention, and can be changed as long as the technical purpose is common, and the present invention includes such changes.

It is a side view of the scissors using one Embodiment of the locking mechanism of the caster of this invention. It is the schematic perspective view which showed the one side part of one Embodiment of the locking mechanism of the caster of this invention. It is the schematic perspective view which showed the lever part vicinity of the locking mechanism of FIG. It is the disassembled perspective view which showed the 1st connecting rod, the 2nd connecting rod, and the support body which are the components of the locking mechanism of FIG. It is the schematic sectional drawing which showed the state before operating a locking mechanism. It is the schematic sectional drawing which showed the state which operated the locking mechanism and locked the wheel. It is the schematic perspective view which showed other embodiment of the locking mechanism of the caster of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1 caster lock mechanism 11 main body 2 lever part 2a front end 2b rear end 2c rotating shaft 2d fixed part 2e compression coil spring 21 arm upper part 21a upper end 21b lower end 21c side surface 22 hole 23 rotating shaft 24 coupled part 3 first connecting rod 3a one end 3b other end 31 connecting surface portion 32 hole 33 rotating shaft 34 upper surface 35 connecting portion 36 side surface portion 37 hole 38 rotating shaft 4 second connecting rod 4a one end 4b other end 41 hole 42 rotating shaft 43 side surface 44 hole 45 upper surface 46 connecting portion 5 drive Part 5a one end 5b other end 51 rotating shaft 6 caster part 61 holder 61a upper surface 61b bearing 61c caulking material 62 wheel 62a inner side surface 63 stopper part 63a claw part 63b latching part 63c connecting shaft 63d upper surface 63e head 63f compression coil spring 63g groove 64 hook part 64a peripheral face 64b concave part 64c convex part 65 cap part 65a shaft passage part 65b rotating shaft 7 support body 71 side surface 72 hole 73 hole 81 opening part 82 base part

Claims (4)

The front and rear ends can be moved up and down alternately, the caster part that can lock the wheel by moving the stopper part upward, and the upper end side is connected to the rear end side of the lever part and slides up and down. possible and to the arm portions are, one end rotatably fixed to a support that is fixed to the bag body, a first connecting rod the other end are connected to the lower end of the arm portion, the first connecting rod A second connecting rod that is arranged on the lower side, is rotatably fixed to the support , has one end connected to the one end of the first connecting rod, and the other end connected to the stopper. , Caster lock mechanism equipped with. A lever part that can be moved up and down alternately at the front and rear ends, a caster part that can lock the wheel by moving the stopper part upward, and a support that has one end fixed to the heel body and is rotatably fixed The other end side of the lever is connected to the rear end side of the lever portion and the lower side of the first connecting rod, the middle is rotatably fixed to the support body, and the one end side is A caster locking mechanism comprising: a second connecting rod that is connected to the one end of the connecting rod near the one end and the other end is connected to a stopper portion. A connecting shaft extending upward is provided on the upper side of the stopper portion, and one end side of a drive portion whose both ends can be alternately moved up and down is rotatably connected to the upper end side of the connecting shaft, and the other end side is connected to a second connecting rod. The caster lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism is connected to the other end side of the caster. The wheel forms a hooking portion in which a concave portion and a convex portion are alternately provided on the inner peripheral surface of a portion whose side surface is recessed in a circular shape, and the stopper portion has a claw portion hanging on the concave portion, and the connecting shaft The compression coil spring is biased upward by a compression coil spring that is wound around the outer periphery of the armor, and in the state where the claw portion is hooked on the concave portion, the claw portion is moved by applying a predetermined force or more to the main body. 4. The caster lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the caster lock mechanism is an urging force capable of overcoming the convex portion and rotating the wheel.

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