JP6129172B2 - Swivel caster - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a free caster, and more particularly, is suitable for use in a traveling body such as a cart, a shopping cart, and a chair, particularly a traveling body used for transferring heavy objects, and when the traveling body is pushed. A swivel caster that turns smoothly in response to the traveling direction of the traveling body in both cases (at the time of forward movement) and at the time of pulling (at the time of backward movement and towing), thereby enabling the traveling body to travel smoothly. It is about.

  Swivel casters are installed on the legs of traveling bodies such as carts, shopping carts, chairs, etc., to facilitate the forward and backward movement of the traveling bodies, and by freely turning in response to changes in the orientation of the traveling bodies, The function of enabling smooth running by changing the direction of the running body is achieved. In general, a universal caster includes a fixed plate fixed to a bottom surface of a carriage or the like, a universal bracket installed on the fixed plate via a bearing device, and a wheel pivotally supported by the universal bracket. In many cases, the support shaft pivotally supported by the bearing device is shifted from the vertical line passing through the wheel support shaft of the universal bracket.

  In the traveling bodies such as general carts, shopping carts, chairs, etc., there is no particular problem with the conventional free casters. However, for example, in the case of a cart that loads and transports heavy objects, such as a cart in a vehicle assembly factory or ironworks, a considerable weight load is applied to each universal caster, and the load applied to each universal caster is equal. Not necessarily. Therefore, the free caster is likely to be partially distorted. As a result, there is a possibility that the free caster may turn freely.

Patent Document 1: JP 2000-135901 A Patent Document 2: Utility Model Registration No. 3121337

  As described above, conventionally, in carts and the like for loading and transferring heavy objects, a considerable weight load is applied to each free caster, and the load applied to each free caster is not necessarily equal. As a result, there is a risk that the free caster may turn freely. The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and in a cart or the like for loading and transferring heavy objects, even if a considerable weight load is applied to each free caster, the free swiveling of each free caster is hindered. It is an object of the present invention to provide a free caster that has no fear and in particular has no side shake during forward and backward movements, and thus has no hindrance to traveling in narrow spaces.

The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problem is provided with two upper and lower rotating parts, and the lower rotating part is attached to the upper support shaft of the upper rotating part so that the upper rotating part is The universal bracket for pivotally supporting the wheel is attached to the lower stage support shaft of the lower stage rotation part so as to be pivotable with respect to the lower stage rotation part, and the lower stage support shaft is supported by the upper stage It is arranged to be shifted in the horizontal direction from the axis, and is arranged to be shifted in the horizontal direction from the vertical line passing through the wheel axis of the universal bracket,
The distance by which the lower support shaft is displaced from the upper support shaft and the distance by which the lower support shaft is displaced from the vertical line passing through the wheel axis of the universal bracket are made equal.
The lower stage rotating part is pivotally attached to the upper stage support shaft eccentrically, a lower stage shaft support part installed on the back surface of the swivel board, and the lower stage shaft support part via the lower stage support shaft so as to be rotatable. The lower stage pivot support portion includes a lower stage fixing plate fixed to the back surface of the swivel plate, a cover disposed on the back surface of the lower stage fixing plate, the cover, and a head surface of the universal metal fitting. The lower support shaft is formed in the insertion hole formed in the center of the recess formed in the central portion of the lower fixing plate and the cover. Inserted, and the head surface of the universal bracket is rounded and the peripheral edge is raised to form a peripheral wall, and the steel ball group is rotatably held between the peripheral wall and the back surface of the cover, The peripheral edge of the cover is extended downward, and the cover The head face of the fitting, is freely casters, characterized in that it is formed to cover holding the gap.

  The present invention is as described above, and the universal caster according to the present invention includes an upper and lower rotating portion, and the lower rotating portion is attached to an upper support shaft of the upper rotating portion, thereby the upper rotating portion. The lower rotating portion is configured to have a universal bracket for pivotally supporting a wheel that is freely rotated by being attached to a lower support shaft of the lower rotating portion. Therefore, even if a heavy load is applied to each free caster in a cart that loads and transports heavy objects, the free swiveling operation is performed independently in two steps up and down during traveling and turning. There is an effect that there is no possibility of causing trouble in free turning.

  In addition, since it is easy to change the direction of each wheel instantaneously during traveling, the traveling body equipped with the caster is less likely to shake during forward and backward movements, and can travel in narrow spaces without any problem. There is an effect.

1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a universal caster according to the present invention. 1 is a partial cutaway view of a first embodiment of a universal caster according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of the universal caster which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of the universal caster which concerns on this invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a universal caster according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view thereof. As shown therein, the universal caster according to the present invention has two upper and lower stages. It has moving parts A and B, and is arranged so that the upper stage support shaft 3 of the upper stage rotation part A and the lower stage support shaft 6 of the lower stage rotation part B are displaced, and the lower stage support shaft 6 is attached thereto. It is characterized in that it is shifted in the horizontal direction from a vertical line passing through the wheel axis of the universal bracket 7.

  The upper stage rotation part A is provided at the upper part fixing plate 1 fixed to the bottom surface of the traveling body 10 such as a carriage, the container part 2 fixed by screwing to the lower side of the upper stage fixing plate 1, and the center part of the container part 2. The upper support shaft 3 to be arranged, the swivel plate 4 in which the lower end of the upper support shaft 3 is fixed at an eccentric position, and the rotating plate 2a that is installed on the upper support shaft 3 and rotates inside the container portion 2 are configured. The Annular grooves are formed on the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the rotating plate 2a, and a large number of steel balls 2b, 2c that support the rotation of the rotating plate 2a are fitted into the annular grooves. Thus, the rotating plate 2a and the upper support shaft 3 fixed to the rotating plate 2a are supported by the steel balls 2b and 2c arranged on the upper and lower surfaces of the rotating plate 2a, and are rotatable in the horizontal direction.

  Further, the lower stage rotation part B is composed of a lower stage shaft support part installed on the back surface of the swivel plate 4 and a universal bracket 7 which is pivotably attached to the lower stage shaft support part via the lower stage support shaft 6. It is pivotally supported at the lower end of the universal bracket 7. The lower shaft support portion is disposed between the lower fixing plate 5 fixed to the back surface of the swivel plate 4, the cover 5 a disposed on the back surface of the lower fixing plate 5, and the cover 5 a and the head surface of the universal bracket 7. And a large number of steel balls 5b that support the rotation of the universal metal fitting 7.

  The lower fixing plate 5 and the center of the cover 5a are recessed, and the center is opened to form the lower support shaft 6 insertion hole. The head portion of the lower support shaft 6 does not hit the back surface of the swivel plate 4 because it fits in the recess in the center of the lower support plate 5. The head surface of the universal bracket 7 is formed in a circular shape, the periphery is raised (the periphery wall 7a), and the steel ball 5b is configured to be able to roll between the back surface of the cover 5a. In addition, the contact surface of the steel ball 5b in the peripheral wall 7a is a curved surface corresponding to the steel ball 5b. Further, the peripheral edge portion of the cover 5a extends downward, and is formed so as to cover the head surface of the universal bracket 7 with a gap therebetween. Thus, the universal metal fitting 7 is supported by the group of steel balls 5b disposed between the head surface and the cover 5a, and is rotatable in the horizontal direction around the lower support shaft 6.

Lower support shaft 6 of the lower rotating portion B, as well as staggered from the upper support shaft 3 of the upper pivot portion A at a distance D ₂ horizontal distance from a vertical line passing through the wheel shaft 9 of the universal fitting 7 D are offset in the _horizontal direction, the distance D ₁ is the distance D ₂ is made equal. As will be described later, in such a case, the direction change following the traveling of the traveling body of the universal bracket 7 that pivotally supports the wheel 8 becomes the smoothest.

  In the case of the universal caster having the above-described configuration, the lower stage rotating part B freely rotates in the horizontal direction with respect to the upper stage rotating part A via the upper stage support shaft 3, and the universal bracket 7 that supports the wheel 8 is It pivots freely in the horizontal direction via the lower support shaft 6. Therefore, when this free caster is used for a traveling body such as a carriage for loading and transferring heavy objects, even if a considerable weight load is applied to each free caster, it freely turns in each of the upper and lower stages, and the wheel 8 is moved. Since the direction of the pivotable metal fitting 7 can be changed in the moving direction of the traveling body without any difficulty, there is no problem in traveling and turning of the traveling body.

In particular, if you set as the above distance D ₁ and the distance D ₂ are equal, for each wheel 8 during running becomes easy to change the direction instantly, the running body 10 having this caster, During forward and backward movements, vibrations are less likely to occur, and it is possible to travel in narrow spaces without hindrance. This point will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 3 shows a case where the wheels 8 attached to the four corners of the traveling body 10 are positioned on the traveling direction side indicated by the arrow. In this case, the upper support shaft 3, the lower support shaft 6, and the wheel The center of the axis 9 is in a straight line. When the traveling body 10 is advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow from this state, each wheel 8 tilts in one direction (this direction depends on the difference in force applied to the left and right sides of the traveling body 10), and the lower support shaft. 6 is displaced in the direction opposite to the inclination direction of the wheel 8 (FIGS. 4a and 4b). As the lower support shaft 6 is displaced, the wheel 8 moves backward relative to the traveling body 10 on the straight line.

  Therefore, when the traveling body 10 is further advanced, the wheel 8 is turned sideways, the center of the wheel shaft 9 coincides with the upper support shaft 3 (FIG. 4c), and then the wheel 8 further rotates and is more than the upper support shaft 3. Located in the rear position (FIG. 4d). When the wheel 8 is further advanced, the wheel 8 rotates 180 degrees, and the centers of the upper support shaft 3, the lower support shaft 6, and the wheel shaft 9 are arranged in a straight line in this order (FIG. 4e). Further, when the traveling body 10 is moved backward from this state, the wheel 8 and the lower support shaft 6 operate (displace) in the opposite direction to the forward movement, and immediately return to the state shown in FIG. 4a.

  As is clear from FIG. 4, the center of the wheel shaft 9 always moves back and forth on a straight line corresponding to the direction of the traveling body 10 when the traveling body 10 moves forward and backward. This means that the traveling body 10 does not swing sideways when moving forward and backward. Therefore, the traveling body 10 including the universal caster can travel in a narrow space without any trouble.

A Upper stage rotating part B Lower stage rotating part 1 Upper stage fixing plate 2 Container part 2a Rotating plate 2b, 2c Steel ball 3 Upper stage supporting shaft 4 Rotating plate 5 Lower stage fixing plate 5a Cover 5b Steel ball 6 Lower stage supporting shaft 7 Universal bracket 8 Wheel 9 Wheel shaft 10 Running body

Claims (1)

It is provided with two upper and lower rotating parts, and the lower rotating part is pivotable with respect to the upper rotating part by being attached to the upper supporting shaft of the upper rotating part. By being attached to the lower stage support shaft of the lower stage rotation part, the lower stage rotation part can be pivoted, and the lower stage support shaft is horizontally displaced from the upper stage support shaft, and the universal bracket The horizontal axis is shifted from the vertical line passing through the wheel axis,
The distance by which the lower support shaft is displaced from the upper support shaft and the distance by which the lower support shaft is displaced from the vertical line passing through the wheel axis of the universal bracket are made equal.
The lower stage rotating part is pivotally attached to the upper stage support shaft eccentrically, a lower stage shaft support part installed on the back surface of the swivel board, and the lower stage shaft support part via the lower stage support shaft so as to be rotatable. The lower stage pivot support portion includes a lower stage fixing plate fixed to the back surface of the swivel plate, a cover disposed on the back surface of the lower stage fixing plate, the cover, and a head surface of the universal metal fitting. The lower support shaft is formed in the insertion hole formed in the center of the recess formed in the central portion of the lower fixing plate and the cover. Inserted, and the head surface of the universal bracket is rounded and the peripheral edge is raised to form a peripheral wall, and the steel ball group is rotatably held between the peripheral wall and the back surface of the cover, The peripheral edge of the cover is extended downward, and the cover Universal casters, characterized in that the head face of the fitting, is formed to cover holding the gap.

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