JP7470381B2 - Caster device and moving body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a caster device and a mobile body equipped with this caster device.

Caster devices that are incorporated into movable objects such as cabinets have been known for some time. The applicant of the present application has also developed and proposed a caster device that can be switched between a braked state and a brake-released state, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

This caster device is equipped with multiple wheels that can be switched between a braked state and a brake-released state, a pedal-type operating unit, and a mechanism that transmits the operating force input to the operating unit to each wheel. With this configuration, it is possible to switch multiple wheels between a braked state and a brake-released state all at once by operating the operating unit with your foot.

Utility Model Registration No. 3173158

Conventional caster devices require the wheel itself to incorporate a mechanism for switching between a braked and unbraked state, which means the wheel structure itself is complex and there is room for improvement.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can switch the caster device between the braked state and the released state with a relatively simple configuration, without providing a special switching structure on the wheel itself.

To solve the above problems, the inventors of the present application have devised a caster device that includes wheels and legs for supporting a moving body so that it cannot move relative to the floor surface, and that uses a motor to move the wheels vertically relative to the legs by operating a changeover switch. With this configuration, it is possible to switch the caster device between a braked state and a brake-released state without significantly complicating the structure of the wheels themselves.

However, with this configuration, the entire moving body is displaced in the vertical direction as the wheels move up and down. Therefore, if the moving body is, for example, a cabinet or a table, there is a possibility that the contents or placed items may tip over when switching between the braked state and the brake-released state, which is troublesome. Therefore, the inventors of the present application conducted further intensive research to solve this problem, and came up with the following caster device.

That is, a caster device according to one aspect of the present invention is a caster device provided on a moving body, the caster device including a frame member, wheels supported on the frame member so as to be vertically displaceable, legs supported on the frame member so as to be vertically displaceable and supporting the moving body immovably on the floor surface when in contact with the floor surface, a change-over switch, and a switching mechanism including a motor, the legs and the wheels being moved vertically relative to each other by the driving force of the motor in response to an operation of the change-over switch, to switch the ground contact state of the legs and the wheels with respect to the floor surface between a first ground contact state in which only the legs are in contact with the floor surface and a second ground contact state in which only the wheels are in contact with the floor surface, the switching mechanism including a change-over switch for changing the ground contact state of the legs and the wheels with respect to the floor surface from the first ground contact state to the second ground contact state. When switching to the ground state, the wheels are grounded on the floor surface and then the legs are moved upward, and when switching from the second ground state to the first ground state, the legs are grounded on the floor surface and then the wheels are moved upward . Further, the switching mechanism includes a wheel holder that is supported so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction on the frame member and holds the wheels, a first cam portion corresponding to the legs and a second cam portion corresponding to the wheels, a first cam follower portion provided on the legs and in contact with the first cam portion, and a second cam follower portion provided on the wheel holder and in contact with the second cam portion, and by displacing the first cam portion and the second cam portion by the driving force, the legs and the wheels are moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the displacement .

When the changeover switch is operated, the motor drives the caster device to switch between a first grounding state, in which only the legs are in contact with the floor surface and the mobile object is unable to move, and a second grounding state, in which only the wheels are in contact with the floor surface and the mobile object is able to move. In other words, the caster device switches between a braked state and a brake-released state. When switching from the first grounding state to the second grounding state, the wheels touch the floor surface before the legs move upward, and when switching from the second grounding state to the first grounding state, the legs touch the floor surface before the wheels move upward.

According to this configuration, the caster device can be switched between the braked state and the released state with a relatively simple configuration without providing a special switching structure to the wheel itself. Moreover, it is possible to switch the caster device between the braked state and the released state without changing the height of the moving body.
Furthermore, with a relatively simple configuration of the switching mechanism using a so-called cam mechanism, it is possible to realize the switching operation of the ground contact state of the legs and wheels as described above.

In this invention, "ground contact" means that the legs or wheels are in contact with the floor surface, and "immovable" means that the legs are in flat contact with the floor surface, making it difficult to move the mobile unit.

In this case, it is preferable that the switching mechanism is configured so that the first cam portion and the second cam portion are interlocked.

This configuration makes it possible to switch between the ground contact state of the legs and the ground contact state of the wheels without any time lag. This makes it possible to more reliably and stably switch between the braked state and the brake-released state of the caster device.

In this case, more specifically, the switching mechanism includes a cam member that has the first cam portion and the second cam portion and slides in a direction along the floor surface when driven by the motor, and the first cam portion and the second cam portion have a shape that moves the leg portion and the wheel in the vertical direction as the cam member slides.

With this configuration, it is possible to switch the ground contact state of the legs and wheels as described above as the cam member slides horizontally. This makes it possible to switch between the braked state and the brake-released state while minimizing the vertical space occupied by the switching mechanism.

In the above caster device, it is preferable that the legs and the wheels are positioned adjacent to each other.

This configuration prevents the ground contact positions of the legs and wheels from changing significantly when the ground contact state is changed, making it possible to stably support the moving body against the floor surface both before and after the ground contact state is changed.

It is preferable that the caster device includes a plurality of the legs and a plurality of the wheels, and that the switching mechanism unit vertically moves one of the plurality of legs and one of the plurality of wheels in unison with the other.

With this configuration, it is possible to stably support the moving body with multiple legs or multiple wheels, while stably switching between the first grounding state and the second grounding state while maintaining the balance of the moving body.

In addition, in the above caster device, it is preferable that the legs have an adjuster function that allows height adjustment.

This configuration makes it possible to finely adjust the height of the contact surface of the leg to a height that corresponds to the undulations of the floor surface. Therefore, in the first contact state, it becomes possible to more stably support the moving body against the floor surface.

It is also preferable that the switching mechanism has an input section that can input a manual driving force as a driving force for moving the legs and the wheels relatively in the vertical direction.

This configuration makes it possible to manually switch between the first and second grounding states even in an environment where the power supply cannot be turned on, such as during a power outage.

On the other hand, another caster device according to one aspect of the present invention is a caster device provided on a moving body, the caster device including: a frame member; wheels supported on the frame member so as to be vertically displaceable; legs supported on the frame member so as to be vertically displaceable and supporting the moving body immovably on the floor surface while in contact with the floor surface; and a switching mechanism including an input unit for manual driving force, the legs and the wheels being moved vertically relative to each other by the manual driving force input to the input unit, to switch the ground contact state of the legs and the wheels with respect to the floor surface between a first ground contact state in which only the legs are in contact with the floor surface and a second ground contact state in which only the wheels are in contact with the floor surface, the switching mechanism being configured to switch from the first ground contact state to the second ground contact state. When switching from the second ground contact state to the first ground contact state, the legs are grounded on the floor surface and then the wheels are moved upward, and when switching from the second ground contact state to the first ground contact state, the legs are grounded on the floor surface and then the wheels are moved upward, and the switching mechanism includes a wheel holder that is supported so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction on the frame member and holds the wheels, a first cam portion corresponding to the legs and a second cam portion corresponding to the wheels, a first cam follower portion provided on the legs and in contact with the first cam portion, and a second cam follower portion provided on the wheel holder and in contact with the second cam portion, and by displacing the first cam portion and the second cam portion by the manual driving force, the legs and the wheels are moved in the vertical direction in accordance with the displacement .

In the case of this caster device, although there is a difference between motor-driven and manually-driven, just like the caster device described above, it is possible to switch between the braked state and the brake-released state without providing a special switching structure to the wheel itself and without changing the height of the moving object.

On the other hand, a moving body according to one aspect of the present invention is a moving body equipped with a caster device, and the caster device is any of the caster devices described above.

More specifically, the moving body is a table comprising a table body having a table plate and a number of table legs each provided on the underside of the table body, and the table legs are provided with the wheels, the legs and the switching mechanism.

These moving bodies (tables) are equipped with any of the caster devices described above, making it possible to switch between a braked state and a brake-released state without providing a special switching structure to the wheels themselves and without changing the height of the moving body.

The caster device of the present invention makes it possible to switch between a braked state and a brake-released state without providing a special switching structure to the wheel itself and without changing the height of the moving body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lift-up table, which is a movable body (a movable body equipped with a caster device of the present invention) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the lift-up table, showing the structure of the table legs. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the caster portion (the upper wall portion is omitted). FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a caster portion (a partially cutaway view of FIG. 3 ). 1A is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the caster portion in a first ground contact state, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the caster portion in a second ground contact state. 1A to 1C are side views (partial cross-sectional views) of the caster section to explain the switching operation of the ground contact state, where (a) shows the first ground contact state, (b) shows the intermediate ground contact state, and (c) shows the second ground contact state. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a caster portion according to a modified example (a view corresponding to FIG. 3 ). FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part of a caster portion of a lift-up table according to a second embodiment. 1A to 1C are side views of the main parts of the caster section to explain the switching operation of the ground contact state, where (a) shows the first ground contact state, (b) shows the intermediate ground contact state, and (c) shows the second ground contact state. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a main part of a caster part according to a modified example. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part of a caster portion according to a modified example (corresponding to FIG. 3 ).

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lift-up table 1, which is a mobile body (a mobile body equipped with a caster device of the present invention) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The lift-up table 1 is a table that includes a table body 2 and table legs 3, and is configured so that the height of the table body 2 can be changed, as described below.

The table body 2 includes a table plate 10 that is rectangular in plan view, and a table frame 12 that is attached to the underside of the table plate 10. The table frame 12 is a metal box-shaped frame that is provided in the center of the short side of the table plate 10, spanning the long side of the table plate 10. In the following description of each part, as shown in Figure 1, the direction parallel to the short side of the table plate 10 is referred to as the "front-rear direction", and the direction parallel to the long side of the table plate 10 is referred to as the "width direction".

The table legs 3 are fixed to the underside of the table body 2, more specifically, to both ends of the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the underside of the table frame 12. Each table leg 3 has a leg body 4 extending in the vertical direction and a caster part 5 extending in the front-rear direction from its lower end along the floor surface F.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main parts of the lift-up table 1, showing the structure of the table leg 3. The leg body 4 of the table leg 3 has an extendable structure. In detail, the leg body 4 is composed of a telescopic cylinder in which three cylinders 20a to 20c, each having a rectangular cross section, are connected so that they can be extended and retracted. The cylinders 20a to 20c decrease in size from top to bottom. The topmost first cylinder 20a is fixed to the underside of the table frame 12, and the bottommost third cylinder 20c is fixed to the top surface of the caster section 5.

The lift table 1 is provided with an extension mechanism 22 for each leg body 4 to drive the leg body 4 as described below.

The extension mechanism 22 includes a drive shaft 25 that extends vertically inside the leg body 4, a pair of upper and lower guide members 26, 27 into which the drive shaft 25 is inserted, and a motor 24 that rotates the drive shaft 25. The upper guide member 26 is fixed to the first cylinder 20a, and the lower guide member 27 is fixed to the third cylinder 20c. The motor 24 is disposed at the longitudinal end of the table frame 12.

Only the region of the drive shaft 25 below the center portion is a screw shaft. The portion of the drive shaft 25 above the screw shaft is rotatably supported by the first cylindrical body 20a via an upper guide member 26, and the screw shaft portion is screwed into a lower guide member 27 made of a nut member. A worm wheel 28 is fixed to the upper end of the drive shaft 25, and a worm 24a connected to the output shaft of the motor 24 meshes with the worm wheel 28.

With this configuration, when the drive shaft 25 is rotated by the motor 24, the lower guide member 27 fixed to the third cylinder 20c moves up and down relative to the upper guide member 26 fixed to the first cylinder 20a. As a result, the leg body 4 expands and contracts, and the table main body 2 moves up and down.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the caster portion 5, and Figure 4 shows a part of Figure 3 partially cut away.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the caster unit 5 includes a caster frame 30 (corresponding to the "frame member" of the present invention) extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of front and rear legs 36 provided on both ends of the caster frame 30, a pair of front and rear casters 34 provided on the inside of the legs 36 (inside in the front-rear direction), and a switching mechanism 70 that switches the ground contact state of the legs 36 and casters 34 with respect to the floor surface F.

The caster frame 30 is a metal frame with a hollow structure of rectangular cross section, and is a structural member with high rigidity. The leg body 4 (third cylindrical body 20c) of the table leg 3 is fixed to the center of the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) of the upper surface of the caster frame 30 with bolts and nuts. Note that in Figures 3 and 4, for the sake of convenience, parts of the upper wall and side wall of the caster frame 30 are omitted in order to show the internal structure of the caster part 5.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the caster part 5, where (a) shows the main parts of the caster part 5 in the first ground contact state S1 described below, and (b) shows the main parts of the caster part 5 in the second ground contact state S2 described below.

The legs 36 support the lift table 1 so that it cannot move by contacting the floor surface F. The legs 36 are mounted on the underside of the caster frame 30 so that they can move up and down (lift and lower). Specifically, the legs 36 are roughly cylindrical and have an axis 36a extending upward from its center. Meanwhile, a cylindrical support member 54 is provided on the underside of the caster frame 30, and the axis 36a of the legs 36 is slidably inserted into and supported by this support member 54. With this configuration, the legs 36 are capable of moving up and down relative to the caster frame 30.

The lower surface of the leg 36, i.e., the contact surface, is made of a material with anti-slip properties, such as resin or rubber, and in the first contact state S1 described below, the leg 36 contacts the floor surface F via the contact surface. This makes it impossible for the lift table 1 to move relative to the floor surface F.

The casters 34 are used to support the lift table 1 so that it can move relative to the floor surface F, and are positioned adjacent to the legs 36.

As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the caster 34 is configured with a pair of wheels 40, a wheel holder 42, and a support member 44. Specifically, the pair of wheels 40 are rotatably supported by the wheel holder 42. The wheel holder 42 has an axle portion 42a extending upward at a position eccentric to the rotation axis of the wheels 40. Meanwhile, the cylindrical support member 44 is provided on the underside of the caster frame 30, and the axle portion 42a of the wheel holder 42 is inserted and supported in the support member 44 so as to be slidable and rotatable. With this configuration, the wheels 40 can move up and down relative to the caster frame 30, and can rotate together with the wheel holder 42 around a vertical axis centered on the axle portion 42a.

The switching mechanism 70 switches the ground contact state of the legs 36 and the wheels 40 with respect to the floor surface F. Specifically, the switching mechanism 70 switches the ground contact state of the legs 36 and the wheels 40 with respect to the floor surface F between a state in which only the pair of front and rear legs 36 of the caster unit 5 are in contact with the floor surface F (referred to as a first ground contact state S1) as shown in Figs. 5(a) and 6(a) and a state in which only the wheels 40 of the pair of front and rear casters 34 are in contact with the floor surface F (referred to as a second ground contact state S2) as shown in Figs. 5(b) and 6(c). Note that Fig. 6 is a side view (partially cross-sectional view) of the caster unit 5 to explain the ground contact state switching operation by the switching mechanism 70.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the switching mechanism 70 includes a pair of front and rear cam members 60, a motor 72 and a drive shaft 74 for moving the cam members 60 in the front-rear direction, etc.

The cam member 60 displaces the legs 36 and wheels 40 in the up-down direction as it moves, and is arranged inside the caster frame 30 so that it can slide in the front-to-rear direction (longitudinal direction). The cam member 60 is a metal member and has an inverted U-shaped cross section, with a ceiling portion 61a that is rectangular in plan view and extends in the front-to-rear direction, and a pair of side walls 61b that extend downward from both ends of the ceiling portion 61a in the width direction.

Each side wall portion 61b is formed with a wheel cam groove 62 (corresponding to the "second cam portion" of the present invention) that extends in the front-rear direction, and a leg cam groove 64 (corresponding to the "first cam portion" of the present invention) that extends in the front-rear direction. The leg 36 and the wheel 40 are connected to the cam member 60 via these cam grooves 62, 64.

In detail, the tip of the shaft portion 42a of the wheel holder 42 is inserted into the inside of the caster frame 30 through the support member 44 and is interposed between the side wall portions 61b of the cam member 60. Similarly, the tip of the shaft portion 36a of the leg portion 36 is also inserted into the inside of the caster frame 30 through the support member 54 and is interposed between the side wall portions 61b of the cam member 60. A guide shaft 46 (corresponding to the "second cam follower portion" of the present invention) extending in the width direction is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 42a of the wheel holder 42, and both ends of this guide shaft 46 are inserted into the wheel cam grooves 62 of each side wall portion 61b. Similarly, a guide shaft 52 (corresponding to the "first cam follower portion" of the present invention) extending in the width direction is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 36a of the leg portion 36, and both ends of this guide shaft 52 are inserted into the wheel cam grooves 62 of each side wall portion 61b. With this configuration, when the cam member 60 moves in the front-rear direction, the guide shaft 46 is guided along the wheel cam groove 62, and the wheel 40 moves up and down together with the wheel holder 42. Similarly, the guide shaft 52 is guided along the leg cam groove 64, and the leg 36 moves up and down.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the wheel cam groove 62 includes a horizontal groove portion 63a that extends straight along the floor surface F from the center side of the caster portion 5 (caster frame 30) toward the outside (end side) and an inclined groove portion 63b that extends upward from the end. Conversely, the leg cam groove 64 includes an inclined groove portion 65a that extends downward from the center side toward the outside and a horizontal groove portion 65b that extends straight along the floor surface F from the end. In this way, the wheel cam groove 62 and the leg cam groove 64 are formed in roughly opposite phases, so that the leg 36 and the wheel 40 move relatively in different directions in the up and down direction as the cam member 60 moves in the front-rear direction, switching between the first ground contact state S1 and the second ground contact state S2.

In this case, when switching from the first ground contact state S1 (FIGS. 5(a), 6(a)) to the second ground contact state S2 (FIGS. 5(b), 6(c)), the wheel 40 first touches the floor surface F while maintaining the position of the leg 36, and then the leg 36 moves upward (FIG. 6(b)). When switching from the second ground contact state S2 (FIGS. 5(b), 6(c)) to the first ground contact state S1 (FIGS. 5(a), 6(a)), the leg 36 first touches the floor surface F while maintaining the position of the wheel 40, and then the wheel 40 moves upward (FIG. 6(b)). The groove lengths of the wheel cam groove 62 and the leg cam groove 64 are set so that.

The cam member 60 on the front end side of the caster portion 5 and the cam member 60 on the rear end side are configured symmetrically with respect to the front and rear as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The motor 72 and drive shaft 74 are disposed inside the caster frame 30. The drive shaft 74 is rotatably supported at its longitudinal center on the inner bottom surface of the caster frame 30 via a support bracket 71. Threaded portions 75 are formed in opposite directions on the front and rear ends of the drive shaft 74. These threaded portions 75 are screwed into nuts 66 provided on the opposing surfaces of the cam members 60.

The motor 72 is supported by the support bracket 71 together with the drive shaft 74. A gear 73 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 72, and this gear 73 meshes with a gear 76 fixed to the drive shaft 74.

With this configuration, when the drive shaft 74 is driven to rotate by the motor 72, the cam members 60 slide in different directions in the front-rear direction. Specifically, when switching from the first ground contact state S1 to the second ground contact state S2, the cam members 60 slide in directions away from each other (directions from the center to the outside (end) of the caster unit 5) as shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 6, and when switching from the second ground contact state S2 to the first ground contact state S1, the cam members 60 slide in directions approaching each other (directions from the outside (end) of the caster unit 5 to the center) as shown by the dashed arrows in FIG. 6. As a result, the legs 36 of the caster unit 5 and the wheels 40 of each caster 34 move vertically in sync.

As shown in FIG. 1, a table controller 80 that controls the vertical movement of the table body 2 (the extension and contraction of each leg body 4) and a caster controller 82 that controls the switching of the ground contact state of each caster section 5 (the vertical movement of the legs 36 and wheels 40) are arranged within the table frame 12 of the table body 2.

The motors 24 of each leg body 4 and the height adjustment switches 6 for changing the height of the table body 2 are connected to the table controller 80. When the height adjustment switch 6 is operated, the table controller 80 controls the driving of each motor 24 so that the table body 2 is adjusted to a height corresponding to the operation.

On the other hand, the caster controller 82 is connected to the motors 72 of each caster unit 5 and a changeover switch 7 for switching the grounding state of the caster unit 5, i.e., between the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2. When the changeover switch 7 is operated, the caster controller 82 controls the drive of each motor 72 so that the grounding state selected from the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2 is selected.

The height adjustment switch 6 and the changeover switch 7 are adjacently arranged along the edge of the underside of the table plate 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Note that reference numeral 86 in FIG. 1 denotes an adapter that converts AC power supplied from an external power source via an outlet 88 into DC power and supplies it to the controllers 80, 82, etc. Reference numeral 84 denotes a battery that serves as a backup power source in the event of a power outage, etc. The battery 84 and adapter 86 are also arranged within the table frame 12.

[Action and Effect]
According to the lift-up table 1 described above, when the changeover switch 7 provided on the table plate 10 is operated, the caster section 5 switches between a first ground contact state S1, i.e., a state in which only the legs 36 are in contact with the floor surface F and the lift-up table 1 cannot move, and a second ground contact state S2, i.e., a state in which only the wheels 40 of the casters 34 are in contact with the floor surface F and the lift-up table 1 can move. In other words, the caster section 5 switches between a braked state and a brake-released state.

In this way, the configuration of the above-mentioned lift table 1, which moves the wheels 40 up and down together with the wheel holders 42 and also moves the legs 36 up and down, makes it possible to switch the lift table 1 (caster section 5) between a braked state and a brake-released state with a relatively simple configuration, without providing a special switching structure for the wheels 40 themselves.

Moreover, when switching from the first ground contact state S1 (FIG. 6(a)) to the second ground contact state S2 (section 6(c)), the wheels 40 first come into contact with the floor surface F (section 6(b)) and then the legs 36 move upward. Conversely, when switching from the second ground contact state S2 (FIG. 6(c)) to the first ground contact state S1 (section 6(a)), the legs 36 first come into contact with the floor surface F (section 6(b)) and then the wheels 40 move upward. In other words, the height of the table main body 2 does not change when switching between the braked state (first ground contact state S1) and the brake released state (second ground contact state S2).

Therefore, with this lift table 1, it is possible to switch between the braked state and the brake-released state without causing inconvenience such as items (placed objects) placed on the table plate 10, such as glasses containing beverages, falling over.

The switching mechanism 70 of the caster unit 5 is configured to move the legs 36 and the wheels 40 in the vertical direction by driving the motor 72 to slide the cam member 60 in a direction along the floor surface F. This has the advantage that the vertical space occupied by the switching mechanism 70, and therefore the vertical space occupied by the caster unit 5, can be reduced while switching between the braked state and the brake-released state.

As described above, the lift table 1 is equipped with a battery 84 that serves as a backup power source. However, in order to enable the lift table 1 to be switched between a braked state and a brake-released state in an environment where power cannot be supplied, for example, a switching mechanism 70 configuration such as that shown in FIG. 7 may be adopted.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, a gear (bevel gear) 78 is further fixed to the drive shaft 74, and a spare drive shaft 102 having a gear (bevel gear) 104 at one end that meshes with the gear 78 is provided inside the caster frame 30. The spare drive shaft 102 is rotatably supported by the caster frame 30 via a block member 31. One end of the spare drive shaft 102 (the end opposite the gear 78) faces the outside from an opening formed in the caster frame 30, and a connecting recess 102a is formed on the end face to which the handle member 8 can be connected. The handle member 8 has a crank-shaped shape with a grip portion 8a at one end and an axial connecting portion 8b at the other end that can be fitted into the connecting recess 102a, and is configured to be detachably connected to the spare drive shaft 102 by fitting the connecting portion 8b into the connecting recess 102a.

In other words, the handle member 8 is connected to the backup drive shaft 102, and the drive shaft 74 is manually rotated via the backup drive shaft 102 and gears 78, 104 by rotating the handle member 8. With this configuration, even in an environment where there is no power supply or when the battery 84 runs out of power, it is possible to manually switch between the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2.

In this case, if there is only one worker, the switching work needs to be performed for each table leg 3. However, as described above, when switching from the first grounding state S1 to the second grounding state S2, the wheels 40 first touch the floor surface F before the legs 36 move upward, and conversely, when switching from the second grounding state S2 to the first grounding state S1, the legs 36 first touch the floor surface F before the wheels 40 move upward, so the lift-up table 1 does not tilt during the switching work of the table legs 3 on one side. Therefore, the lift-up table 1 can be easily switched between the braked state and the brake-released state by one person.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the handle member 8 is detachably attached to the backup drive shaft 102, but the handle member 8 may be provided on the caster unit 5 in a state where it is always connected to the backup drive shaft 102. In this example, the backup drive shaft 102 or the handle member 8 connected to the backup drive shaft 102 corresponds to the "input unit" of the present invention.

[Second embodiment]
8 is a perspective view of the main part of the caster unit 5 according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the caster unit 5 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the specific configuration of the switching mechanism unit 70 is different from that of the first embodiment as described below.

The switching mechanism 70 of the second embodiment is provided with a plate cam 92 for the wheels and a plate cam 94 for the legs, instead of the cam member 60 and the guide shafts 46, 52, etc. These plate cams 92, 94 are fixed directly to the drive shaft 74. In addition, a coil spring 48 is attached to the shaft portion 42a of the wheel holder 42, and a coil spring 38 is attached to the shaft portion 36a of the leg 36, respectively, and the wheel holder 42 and the leg 36 are urged upward by the elastic force of these coil springs 38, 48. As a result, the upper end portion (cam follower portion 421) of the shaft portion 42a of the wheel holder 42 is pressed against the plate cam 92 for the wheels, and the upper end portion (cam follower portion 361) of the shaft portion 36a of the leg 36 is pressed against the plate cam 94 for the legs. In this example, cam follower portion 361 corresponds to the "first cam follower portion" of the present invention, and cam follower portion 421 corresponds to the "second cam follower portion" of the present invention.

The wheel plate cam 92 and the leg plate cam 94 each have a roughly sector-shaped (outline) shape, and are fixed to the drive shaft 74 in an anti-phase positional relationship so that the leg 36 and the wheel 40 move relative to each other in different directions in the vertical direction.

In FIG. 8, the shaft portion 42a of the wheel holder 42 and the shaft portion 36a of the leg portion 36 are both held directly on the caster frame 30 so as to be movable up and down, but as in the first embodiment, they may be held on the caster frame 30 via the support members 44, 54.

Figure 9 is a side view of the main part of the caster part 5 to explain the switching operation of the ground contact state. For convenience, the orientation of each plate cam 92, 94 and the orientation of the upper end part (cam follower part) of each shaft part 36a, 42a are shown in a different direction from that shown in Figure 8.

In the switching mechanism 70, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the changeover switch 7 is operated in the first grounding state S1 in which only the leg 36 is in contact with the floor surface F, the motor 72 drives the plate cams 92 and 94 to rotate together with the drive shaft 74 in a predetermined direction (in the direction of the solid arrow). When the plate cams 92 and 94 rotate, the wheel holder 42 is pushed down by the wheel plate cam 92 with the rotation, and the wheel 40 is in contact with the floor surface F as shown in FIG. 9(b). During this time, the grounding state of the leg 36 with respect to the floor surface F is maintained. Then, when the plate cams 92 and 94 further rotate, the leg 36 moves upward, and as shown in FIG. 9(c), the state is switched to the second grounding state S2 in which only the wheel 40 is in contact with the floor surface F. When switching from the second grounding state S2 to the first grounding state S1, the motor 72 is driven in the reverse direction, causing the drive shaft 74 to rotate in the opposite direction (in the direction of the dashed arrow) to the predetermined direction. This causes the ground contact state of the caster part 5 to switch from the second ground contact state S2 to the first ground contact state S1 by performing the reverse operation of the above.

Even with the configuration of the caster section 5 of the second embodiment, it is possible to easily switch the caster section 5 between the first ground contact state S1 (braked state) and the second ground contact state S2 (braked released state) by operating the changeover switch 7. Although not shown in the figure, a configuration that allows manual switching between the first ground contact state S1 and the second ground contact state S2 (see FIG. 7) can also be applied to the second embodiment.

[Modification]
The lift-up table 1 described above is an example of a preferred embodiment of the "moving body" according to the present invention, and the specific configuration of the lift-up table 1 and the specific configuration of the "caster device" incorporated in the lift-up table 1 can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the following configurations can also be adopted.

(1) Each leg 36 of the caster unit 5 may be provided with an adjuster function that allows further height adjustment. For example, the leg 36 may be configured with a grounding part equipped with a screw shaft and a main body part into which the screw shaft of the grounding part is screwed, and the amount of protrusion from the main body part may be adjusted by rotating the grounding part. With this configuration, when the floor surface F is uneven, it is possible to fine-tune the height of the grounding part of the leg 36 in accordance with the unevenness. Therefore, in the first grounding state S1, it is possible to more stably support the lift table 1 against the floor surface F.

(2) The specific configuration of the switching mechanism 70 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate as long as the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2 can be switched as in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, as a modified example of the switching mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 8, a configuration as shown in FIG. 10 can be adopted. In the example of FIG. 10, the wheel plate cam 92 and the leg plate cam 94 are rotatably supported on the side wall of the caster frame 30, and the wheel plate cam 92 and the leg plate cam 94 are connected by a link 96. The wheel plate cam 92 is rotated by the motor 72, and the leg plate cam 94 is linked to it, and as a result, the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2 are switched in the same manner as in the example of FIG. 8. Note that FIG. 10 does not show the mechanism for transmitting rotation from the motor 72 to the wheel plate cam 92, but the transmission mechanism can be a mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor 72 using a gear (bevel gear) and a shaft, or a mechanism that transmits the rotation using a gear and a belt (chain).

(3) In the embodiment, the switching mechanism 70 switches between the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2 by driving the motor 72. However, the switching mechanism 70 may be configured to manually (by human driving force) switch between the first grounding state S1 and the second grounding state S2. Specifically, in the configuration of the switching mechanism 70 (caster portion 5) shown in FIG. 7, a configuration may be adopted in which the motor 72 and the gears 73 and 76 are omitted (see FIG. 11). In this case, the changeover switch 7 and the caster controller 82 are naturally omitted.

The configuration of the switching mechanism 70 for manually (by human driving force) switching between the first ground contact state S1 and the second ground contact state S2 is not limited to inputting the human driving force by rotating the handle member 8 as shown in FIG. 11. For example, it may be configured to switch between the first ground contact state S1 and the second ground contact state S2 by depressing a pedal, or to switch by swinging (oscillating) a lever provided on the table body 2.

(4) In the embodiment, an example of applying the present invention to a table has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to "moving objects" other than tables. For example, the present invention can also be applied to other moving objects such as cabinets, storage racks, and wagons, and the applications can be for home, office, medical, etc.

1 Lifting table 1
2 Table body 3 Leg 4 Leg body 5 Caster (caster body)
7 Changeover switch 10 Table board 10
30 Caster frame (frame member)
34 Caster 36 Leg 40 Wheel 42 Wheel holder 46 Guide shaft (second cam follower portion)
52 Guide shaft (first cam follower portion)
60 Cam member 62 Wheel cam groove (second cam portion)
64 Leg cam groove (first cam portion)
70 Switching mechanism 72 Motor 82 Caster controller F Floor surface S1 First ground contact state S2 Second ground contact state

Claims (10)

A caster device provided on a moving body,
A frame member;
a wheel supported on the frame member so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction;
a leg portion supported by the frame member so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction and supporting the movable body immovably relative to the floor surface in a state where the leg portion is in contact with the floor surface;
A changeover switch and
a switching mechanism that includes a motor and that, in response to an operation of the changeover switch, moves the legs and the wheels relatively in an up-down direction by a driving force of the motor to switch the ground contact state of the legs and the wheels relative to the floor surface between a first ground contact state in which only the legs contact the floor surface and a second ground contact state in which only the wheels contact the floor surface,
When switching from the first grounding state to the second grounding state, the switching mechanism brings the wheels into contact with a floor surface and then moves the legs upward, and when switching from the second grounding state to the first grounding state, the switching mechanism brings the legs into contact with the floor surface and then moves the wheels upward ; and
The switching mechanism includes a wheel holder that is supported so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction relative to the frame member and holds the wheel, a first cam portion corresponding to the leg and a second cam portion corresponding to the wheel, a first cam follower portion provided on the leg and in contact with the first cam portion, and a second cam follower portion provided on the wheel holder and in contact with the second cam portion, and the caster device is characterized in that the first cam portion and the second cam portion are displaced by the driving force, thereby moving the leg and the wheel in the vertical direction in accordance with the displacement . In the caster device according to claim 1 ,
A caster device characterized in that the switching mechanism is configured so that the first cam portion and the second cam portion are linked together. In the caster device according to claim 2 ,
the switching mechanism includes a cam member that includes the first cam portion and the second cam portion and slides in a direction along a floor surface by a driving force of the motor,
A caster device characterized in that the first cam portion and the second cam portion have a shape that moves the leg portion and the wheel in the vertical direction as the cam member slides. In the caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A caster device, characterized in that the legs and the wheels are arranged adjacent to each other. In the caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
a plurality of said legs and a plurality of said wheels;
The caster device is characterized in that the switching mechanism unit moves one side of the multiple legs and the multiple wheels in the vertical direction integrally with respect to the other side. In the caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The caster device is characterized in that the legs are equipped with an adjuster function that allows height adjustment. In the caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
A caster device characterized in that the switching mechanism is equipped with an input section capable of inputting a manual driving force as a driving force for moving the legs and the wheels relatively in the vertical direction. A caster device provided on a moving body,
A frame member;
a wheel supported on the frame member so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction;
a leg portion supported by the frame member so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction and supporting the movable body immovably relative to the floor surface in a state where the leg portion is in contact with the floor surface;
a switching mechanism that includes an input unit for a manual driving force and that moves the legs and the wheels relatively in a vertical direction by the manual driving force input to the input unit to switch the ground contact state of the legs and the wheels with respect to the floor surface between a first ground contact state in which only the legs contact the floor surface and a second ground contact state in which only the wheels contact the floor surface,
When switching from the first grounding state to the second grounding state, the switching mechanism brings the wheels into contact with a floor surface and then moves the legs upward, and when switching from the second grounding state to the first grounding state, the switching mechanism brings the legs into contact with the floor surface and then moves the wheels upward ; and
The switching mechanism includes a wheel holder that is supported so as to be freely movable in the vertical direction relative to the frame member and holds the wheel, a first cam portion corresponding to the leg and a second cam portion corresponding to the wheel, a first cam follower portion provided on the leg and in contact with the first cam portion, and a second cam follower portion provided on the wheel holder and in contact with the second cam portion, and the caster device is characterized in that the first cam portion and the second cam portion are displaced by the manual driving force, thereby moving the leg and the wheel in the vertical direction in accordance with the displacement . A movable body equipped with a caster device,
A movable body comprising, as the caster device, the caster device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The moving body according to claim 9 ,
The movable body is a table including a table body having a table plate and a plurality of table legs each provided on a lower surface of the table body,
A movable body, characterized in that the table leg is provided with the wheels, the legs, and the switching mechanism.

Images