JP7309525B2 - Wheel device and vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wheel system and a vehicle equipped with the wheel system.

Some vehicles, such as strollers and wheelchairs, are provided with a wheel device that makes it easier to climb over bumps on roads (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2001-334804

In such vehicles, it is desired to make it easier to climb over bumps on roads and the like.

A wheel device that solves the above-described problems generally includes a main holder that is configured to be movable back and forth relative to an axle positioned at the center of the wheel, and an outer circumference of the main holder relative to the main holder. A rotatable annular body having tires arranged on its outer circumference, the rim member having internal teeth on its inner circumference, and a rack member integrally attached to the axle, which are attached to the main holder. a rim gear that is rotatably supported by the main holder and constantly meshed with the internal teeth; a rim gear that is rotatably supported by the main holder; Further, a clutch gear that is always meshed with the rack gear, is meshed with the rim gear by forward movement of the rack member, rotates in a direction in which the rim member is advanced, and is meshed with the rim gear by rearward movement of the rack member. and the clutch gear that is disengaged. According to the above configuration, the rim gear meshes with the clutch gear when going over a step, so that a rotational force in the direction of moving the rim member forward can be transmitted, making it easier to go over the step.

In the above wheel device, the main holder may include a guide groove that passes through the center of the main holder and extends forward and obliquely upward, and the guide groove may be configured to guide movement of the rack member. . According to the above configuration, the movement of the rack member is guided by the guide groove of the main holder. Then, when climbing over a step, the rack member is moved obliquely upward along the guide groove with the axle forward, thereby making it easier to climb over the step.

In the above wheel device, the main holder may have a support that rotatably supports the rim member. According to the above configuration, the rim member can be smoothly rotated with respect to the main holder by the support.

A vehicle for solving the above-described problems includes a loading section on which a transported object is placed, and a wheel device. a main holder configured to be movable; and a rim that is rotatable on the outer periphery of the main holder with respect to the main holder and has a tire disposed on the outer periphery thereof, the rim having internal teeth on the inner periphery thereof. a member, a rack member to which the axle is integrally attached, the rack member having a rack gear that is movable back and forth with respect to the main holder and extends in a moving direction, and is rotationally supported by the main holder, and a rim gear that is constantly meshed with the internal teeth, and a clutch gear that is rotatably supported by the main holder and constantly meshed with the rack gear, wherein the forward movement of the rack member meshes with the rim gear. and the clutch gear that rotates in a direction to advance the rim member and disengages from the rim gear by rearward movement of the rack member.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION This invention can make it easy to climb over a level|step difference.

A perspective view of a stroller. The side view of the wheel apparatus which comprises a front wheel. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wheel device; FIG. 2 is a side view of the wheel device when going over a step; (a) is a diagram showing the state of the rack member when traveling on a flat place, and (b) is a diagram showing the state of the rack member when overcoming a step.

A stroller to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.
First, FIG. 1 shows a single-seater folding stroller 1 for use with an infant or the like on it. The state of the stroller 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a back-push state in which the handle is positioned at the rear of the stroller and the stroller 1 is operated from behind. In the following explanation, the forward direction is defined as "forward" and the direction opposite to the forward direction is defined as "backward (rear)" based on the state of pushing backwards for a long period of use. On the other hand, the left-right direction is defined as "left-right (width) direction", and the up-down direction with respect to the forward direction is defined as "vertical".

The stroller 1 includes a pair of front leg frames 11, a pair of rear leg frames 12, a riding portion 13 as a placement portion for placing an infant or the like as a transport object in a lying or sitting posture, an armrest 14, a handle 16, and the like. It has Under each front leg frame 11, a wheel device 30 that constitutes the front wheel 11a is arranged. A rear wheel 12 a is arranged below each rear leg frame 12 . An armrest 14 is rotatably supported at the upper ends of the pair of front leg frames 11 . The pair of rear leg frames 12 also have armrests 14 rotatably supported at their upper ends. A pair of front leg frames 11 are connected by a front stay 24 that traverses in the left-right direction, and the front stay 24 is provided with a step 25 for a seated infant or the like to step on.

A front guard 15 is detachably attached to the tip of the armrest 14 . A handle 16 for pushing and operating the stroller 1 is arranged outside the armrest 14 . The handle 16 has a U-shape as a whole and includes a vertical frame 16a and a horizontal frame 16b.

The vertical frame 16a is located on the outermost side in the width direction of the stroller 1. As shown in FIG. A horizontal frame 16b extending in the left-right direction in the handle 16 has an open/close lock lever 17 at the center thereof, which is operated by the operator. A vertical frame 16a extending vertically from the handle 16 is rotatably supported by a frame that cooperates with the rear leg frame 12 and the like by a rotation fulcrum portion 18 that is configured by a rotation shaft or the like.

The handle 16 rotates between two positions, a rear push position (shown by solid lines) at the rear of the stroller 1 and a face-to-face push position (shown by a two-dot chain line) at the front of the stroller 1, at a pivot point 18. (direction of arrow D1 and direction opposite to arrow D1). A vertical frame 16a of the handle 16 is provided with a switching operation member 19 for locking the handle 16 in the rear push position and the face push position.

The stroller 1 has a rear lock portion 20 on a frame connected to the rear leg frame 12, the armrest 14, and the like. The rear lock portion 20 locks the handle 16 at the rear push position by engaging the switching operation member 19 .

The front leg frame 11 has a front lock portion 21 with which the switching operation member 19 of the handle 16 is engaged. The front lock portion 21 locks the handle 16 in the facing push position. When the handle 16 is positioned at the rear push position, the front wheels 11a are rotatable by the casters, and the rear wheels 12a are not rotatable because the casters are locked. Further, when the handle 16 is positioned at the facing pushing position, the front wheels 11a are in a non-rotatable state because the casters are locked, and the rear wheels 12a are in a rotatable state by the casters.

The riding portion 13 is provided with a cushion portion 13a and the like for reducing vibrations of an infant riding on the seat plate member and the back support frame. A hood 22 is arranged on the top of the riding portion 13 .

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wheel device 30 forming the caster-equipped front wheel 11a, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof. The wheel device 30 includes a wheel portion 31 , a caster portion 32 , and a fork portion 33 that rotatably supports the wheel portion 31 as members constituting wheels. The caster part 32 has a caster shaft 32 a and is rotatably attached to the end of the front leg frame 11 . The fork portion 33 includes a pair of support members 33a, and the wheel portion 31 is rotatably supported at one end of each support member 33a. The other end of each supporting member 33a is rotatably connected to the caster portion 32 by a rotating shaft 35. As shown in FIG. The pair of support members 33 a extends rearward of the stroller 1 with respect to the caster portion 32 . A suspension 34 is provided at a connecting portion between the caster portion 32 and the pair of support members 33a. The suspension 34 includes an elastic member such as a torsion coil spring that elastically urges the wheel portion 31 downward in the direction of the ground contact surface. The suspension 34 absorbs the impact by rotating the fork portion 33 upward in the direction of the arrow D2 against the biasing force of the elastic member due to the impact generated when passing through steps and irregularities existing on the running surface. .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the wheel portion 31 includes a main holder 41 , a rim member 42 , a rack member 43 , a rim gear 44 and a clutch gear 45 .
The main holder 41 has a disc shape. The main holder 41 has a guide groove 46 passing through the center and extending in the front-rear direction. The guide groove 46 is formed of an elongated hole penetrating the main holder 41 in the thickness direction. When the stroller 1 is kept horizontal, the guide groove 46 extends obliquely upward through the center of the main holder 41 . For example, the inclination angle of the guide groove 46 with respect to the horizontal direction is 0° to 60°, preferably 3° to 20°. The larger the inclination angle of the guide groove 46 with respect to the horizontal direction, the more difficult it is for the rack member 43 to move in the guide groove 46 , and the smaller the inclination angle, the easier it is for the rack member 43 to move in the guide groove 46 . This allows the main holder 41 to move back and forth relative to the axle 52 .

Further, the main holder 41 has a gear placement portion 47 that forms a space that is continuous with the guide groove 46 . The gear placement portion 47 is connected to the outer circumference of the main holder 41 . A rim gear 44 and a clutch gear 45 are arranged in the gear arrangement portion 47 . Further, on each surface of the main holder 41, a plurality of support shafts 48 are erected in the vicinity of the outer periphery. A support 49 for rotatably supporting the rim member 42 with respect to the main holder 41 is attached to the support shaft 48 . The support 49 is a bearing, roller, or the like.

The rim member 42 is a rigid annular body rotatably attached to the outer circumference of the main holder 41 and supports the tire 50 on the outer circumference. The rim member 42 has internal teeth 51 on its inner periphery. A rim gear 44 is always meshed with the internal teeth 51 . A support 49 is in contact with the inner periphery of the rim member 42 and supports the rim member 42 rotatably with respect to the main holder 41 .

The rack member 43 moves along the guide groove 46 . The rack member 43 has a shaft support portion 53 that supports a laterally extending axle 52 of the stroller. The shaft support portion 53 supports the axle 52 in the shaft hole so as not to rotate relative to it. As a result, the axle 52 moves forward and backward together with the rack member 43 . Further, the rack member 43 is provided with a rack gear 54 extending in the moving direction along the guide groove 46 on its side surface. The clutch gear 45 is always meshed with the rack gear 54 . For example, when the rack member 43 is positioned at one end of the guide groove 46 , the axle 52 is positioned at the center of the main holder 41 .

The rim gear 44 is a spur gear, is arranged in the gear arrangement portion 47 , and is in constant mesh with the internal teeth 51 . A support shaft 44a of the rim gear 44 is engaged with a shaft hole 44b of a side holder 55 which is attached so as to sandwich the main holder 41 therebetween. The shaft hole 44b has a perfect circular shape so that the rim gear 44 is always meshed with the internal teeth 51 .

The clutch gear 45, which is a spur gear, is arranged in the gear arrangement portion 47 and always meshes with the rack gear 54. As shown in FIG. As the rack member 43 moves, the clutch gear 45 approaches and meshes with the rim gear 44 . That is, the support shaft 45 a of the clutch gear 45 is engaged with the shaft hole 45 b of the side holder 55 . The shaft hole 45b is formed as an elongated hole so that the clutch gear 45 moves in the direction of the rim gear 44 as the rack member 43 moves. For example, the long axis of the shaft hole 45b is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide groove 46, for example.

A pair of side holders 55 that sandwich and support the main holder 41 are provided with sub guide grooves 46 a corresponding to the guide grooves 46 . The rack member 43 is also engaged with the sub guide groove 46a. Further, the side holder 55 is provided with a shaft hole 44b and a shaft hole 45b on the side facing the main holder 41 . Further, a space portion 49a in which the support 49 is arranged is provided on the surface facing the main holder 41. As shown in FIG.

A cover 57 is arranged outside each side holder 55 . The cover 57 is also provided with sub guide grooves 46b corresponding to the guide grooves 46 and the sub guide grooves 46a. After a rack member 43, a rim gear 44, a clutch gear 45, and the like are arranged for the main holder 41, a side holder 55 is arranged so as to sandwich the main holder 41, and a cover 57 is arranged from the outside thereof. They are integrated by fixing means such as screws. Outside the cover 57, the end of the axle 52 is supported by one end of the support member 33a. A circular fork holder 56 is attached to support one end of the support member 33a.

Next, the action of the wheel device 30 of the stroller 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the stroller 1 is moving forward on a flat surface, the rack member 43 is in a normal position in which the axle 52 is positioned in the guide groove 46 at the center of the main holder 41, that is, at the center of the front wheel 11a. It is in. At this time, the clutch gear 45 is separated from the rim gear 44, the rim member 42 supporting the tire 50 rotates with respect to the main holder 41, and the rim gear 44 is idle.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the tire 50 collides with the step 2, the suspension 34 temporarily rotates the fork portion 33 in the direction of the arrow D2, and the rack member 43 moves forward in the guide groove 46. The vehicle moves forward in the direction of the arrow D3, the axle 52 deviates from the center of the front wheel 11a, and is positioned at the collision position. While the rack member 43 moves from the normal position to the collision position, it rotates the clutch gear 45 meshing with the rack gear 54 in one direction and moves in the direction of meshing with the rim gear 44 . Then, the rim gear 44 meshes with the clutch gear 45 to generate a rotational force in the direction of the arrow R1 that moves the rim member 42 forward. This makes it easier for the wheel portion 31 to climb over the step 2 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the stroller 1 is moving forward on a flat surface, the rack member 43 is in the normal position in which the axle 52 is positioned at the center of the main holder 41 in the guide groove 46. At some point, when the tire 50 collides with the step 2, the rack member 43 moves along the guide groove 46 in the arrow D3 direction. Here, the guide groove 46 extends obliquely upward toward the front. As shown in FIG. 5(b), in order to go over the step 2, it is necessary to satisfy the relation of the rotational force R1 in the forward direction > the rotational force R2 in the reverse direction. The rotation center of the wheel portion 31 moves from O to O'. As a result, the X-axis direction can be shortened from X to X' and the Y-axis direction can be lengthened from Y to Y'. As a result, the forward rotation force R1 can be increased, and as a result, the wheel portion 31 can easily climb over the step 2 .

When passing through the step 2, the rack member 43 is moved by its own weight along the guide groove 46 from the impact position to the normal position (in the direction opposite to the arrow D3) to the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 5(a). return. Thereby, the clutch gear 45 is separated from the rim gear 44 .

According to the stroller 1 as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When overcoming the step 2, the rim gear 44 meshes with the clutch gear 45, so that the rotational force in the direction that advances the rim member 42 can be transmitted. This makes it easier for the wheel portion 31 to climb over the step 2 .

(2) It is possible to reduce the frictional resistance caused by the meshing of the rim gear 44 with the clutch gear 45 when moving forward on a flat place. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the force pushing the stroller 1 .

(3) When the step 2 is climbed, the axle 52 is moved obliquely forward and upward, so that a force in the direction of moving the rim member 42 forward can be generated. This makes it easier for the wheel portion 31 to climb over the step 2 .

(4) The support 49 allows the rim member 42 to rotate smoothly with respect to the main holder 41 .
(5) By providing the suspension 34, it is possible to reduce the impact when the vehicle climbs over the step 2.

Note that the above embodiment may be modified as follows.
・Ease of meshing of the clutch gear 45 with the rim gear 44 is determined by the inclination of the guide groove 46 . For example, when the inclination of the guide groove 46 is moderated, the clutch gear 45 meshes with the rim gear 44 to facilitate forward movement even with a smaller step, that is, unevenness existing on the road. Even when the inclination of the guide groove 46 with respect to the horizontal direction is set to 0°, the clutch gear 45 meshes with the rim gear 44 so that the step 2 and irregularities can be easily overcome. Further, when the inclination of the guide groove 46 is steep, the clutch gear 45 does not mesh with the rim gear 44 unless the difference in level is large.

・Even when going up a slope, the clutch gear 45 meshes with the rim gear 44 to facilitate forward movement. In addition, it becomes easier to move forward by moving the axle 52 obliquely forward and upward.
- The wheel portion 31 may be provided on the rear wheel 12a. In the stroller 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the handle 16 can be switched to the facing push position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line). In the facing push position, the rear wheel 12a functions as the front wheel. When the rear wheel 12a is provided with the wheel portion 31, it becomes easier to get over the step 2 when pushing the vehicle face-to-face.

- Although the front wheel 11a is composed of one wheel, it may be two wheels. In this case, the wheel portion 31 is provided for either one of the left and right wheels of the two wheels.
- The structure of the wheel part 31 can be applied to the front wheels of wheelchairs in addition to strollers. Furthermore, it can also be applied to the front wheels of handcarts such as trolleys and handcarts for assisting walking. The wheelchair or the like may be equipped with not only a manual push function but also an electric or electric assist function. Furthermore, it is applicable to vehicles that transport cargo.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 stroller 2 step 11 front leg frame 11 a front wheel 12 rear leg frame 12 a rear wheel 13 riding portion 13 a cushion portion 14 arm rest 15 front guard 16 handle , 16a...vertical frame, 16b...horizontal frame, 17...open/close lock lever, 18...rotation fulcrum, 19...switching operation member, 20...rear lock part, 21...front lock part, 22...canopy, 24...front stay , 25... Step, 30... Wheel device, 31... Wheel part, 32... Caster part, 32a... Caster shaft, 33... Fork part, 33a... Support member, 34... Suspension, 35... Rotating shaft, 41... Main holder, 42... Rim member 43... Rack member 44... Rim gear 44a... Support shaft 44b... Shaft hole 45... Clutch gear 45a... Support shaft 45b... Shaft hole 46... Guide groove 46a... Sub-guide groove , 46b... sub-guide groove, 47... gear arrangement portion, 48... support shaft, 49... support, 49a... space portion, 50... tire, 51... inner tooth, 52... axle, 53... shaft support portion, 54... rack gear , 55... Side holder, 56... Fork holder, 57... Cover.

Claims (4)

a main holder configured to be movable back and forth relative to an axle positioned at the center of the wheel;
a rim member that is rotatable on the outer periphery of the main holder with respect to the main holder and that is an annular body having a tire disposed on the outer periphery thereof, the rim member having internal teeth on the inner periphery thereof;
a rack member to which the axle is integrally attached, the rack member including a rack gear that is movable back and forth with respect to the main holder and extends in a movement direction;
a rim gear rotationally supported by the main holder and constantly meshed with the internal teeth;
A clutch gear that is rotatably supported by the main holder and constantly meshed with the rack gear, and is meshed with the rim gear by forward movement of the rack member and rotates in a direction that advances the rim member. and the clutch gear disengaged from the rim gear by backward movement. 2. The wheel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main holder includes a guide groove that passes through the center of the main holder and extends forward and obliquely upward, and the guide groove guides the movement of the rack member. The wheel apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main holder includes a support that rotatably supports the rim member. a placement section on which a transported object is placed;
and a wheel device,
The wheel device is
a main holder configured to be movable back and forth relative to an axle positioned at the center of the wheel;
a rim member that is rotatable on the outer periphery of the main holder with respect to the main holder and that is an annular body having a tire disposed on the outer periphery thereof, the rim member having internal teeth on the inner periphery thereof;
a rack member to which the axle is integrally attached, the rack member including a rack gear that is movable back and forth with respect to the main holder and extends in a moving direction;
a rim gear rotationally supported by the main holder and constantly meshed with the internal teeth;
A clutch gear that is rotatably supported by the main holder and that is always meshed with the rack gear, and is meshed with the rim gear by forward movement of the rack member to rotate in a direction that advances the rim member. and said clutch gear disengaging from said rim gear by rearward movement of said clutch gear.