JPH09207503A - Turn regulating device for caster - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize turn regulation of a caster without having a turn regulating mechanism, so as to stably hold a regulated condition of this caster. SOLUTION: A device comprises a main unit mounting a caster 2 or a mounting part 9 mounting this caster 2 in a mounting shaft 8, holding guide 13 built in with a turn shaft in this mounting part 9 to be made turnable toward downward from a released condition to a regulated condition and a step-in lever 14. The holding guide 13 has a holding pawl 17 in both sides, while energized upward as an ordinary condition, in the regulated condition, a frame unit of the caster is interposed by the holding pawl 17, a wheel direction is turn regulated to a prescribed direction. In the step-in lever 14, the holding guide 13 placed in the regulated condition is pressed in a turn direction downward. The turn regulating device 1 holds this holding guide 13 in the regulated condition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a caster in which a frame body on which wheels are pivoted pivots horizontally with respect to a mounting shaft, and the caster is mounted on a main body such as a wheelchair frame or a mounting shaft of the caster. The present invention relates to a turning restriction device that is mounted as a separate member and restricts turning of a wheel in a fixed direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A caster in which a frame having wheels mounted on a mounting shaft is horizontally swiveled is used in various transportation devices (hand-carrying luggage carriers, shopping carts, wheelchairs, etc.). For example, in casters used for wheelchairs, casters capable of turning horizontally are used because it is necessary to easily move in and out of a narrow space or change direction. A turning restriction mechanism is provided. An example of a caster having this turning restriction mechanism is a "caster wheel device" found in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-30167. In this caster, a wheel-direction fixing frame (corresponding to the holding guide of the present invention) rotatably attached to a bracket (corresponding to the mounting shaft of the present invention) pivots downward to support a wheel (the present invention (Equivalent to the frame body of), the fixed frame is designed so that the ball built into the bracket fits into the hole and does not unexpectedly rotate downward when the restriction is rotated upward. Has been done.

[0003]

Depending on the specifications of the main body on which the caster is mounted, the turning regulation of the caster may or may not be necessary. Depending on the need, it is possible to select whether or not to add the turning regulation mechanism. Is preferred. However, as seen in the above-mentioned conventional example, the casters in the past have only integrated the turning regulation mechanism, and there is no choice. Therefore, in order to create a separate turning restriction device for adding a turning restriction mechanism at a later date to a caster that originally does not have a turning restriction mechanism, it was decided to study.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of study, the developed one has a mounting shaft at the top of a frame on which wheels are pivotally mounted, and a caster in which the frame swings horizontally with respect to this mounting shaft. A device for restricting, a mounting part to be mounted on a main body to which a caster is mounted or a mounting shaft of this caster, a holding guide axially attached to the mounting part so as to be rotatable downward from a released state to a regulated state, and It consists of a stepping lever, and the holding guide has holding claws on both sides, and while being normally urged upward, the frame of the caster is sandwiched between the holding claws in the regulated state to regulate the turning of the wheel in a predetermined direction, The lever is a turning restriction device that presses the holding guide in the restricted state in the downward rotation direction and holds the holding guide in the restricted state.

The turning control device of the present invention is mounted on the body to which the caster is attached or the mounting shaft of the caster as a separate body from the caster, regardless of the type and size of the caster or the body to which the caster is attached. Realize regulation. At the time of the mounting, if the holding claws can be exchanged or the distance between the holding claws can be adjusted according to the width of the frame of the caster, the turning restriction device of the present invention can be mounted regardless of the size of the caster to be mounted. be able to. Further, if the distance between the holding claws is widened toward the tip, the tip of the holding claw is moved in the direction of the frame body by rotating the holding guide downward even if the caster is slightly deviated from the direction in which the turning is restricted. It is possible to hold the frame body in the regulated state by grasping it while correcting it in the direction in which the turning regulation is desired.

It is the holding claw of the holding guide that holds the frame of the caster and regulates the turning. The holding guide is normally urged upward, and the holding claw restricts the turning so that the holding claw sandwiches the frame only when it is turned downward. When the stepping lever rotates downward, it presses the holding guide in the restricted state to hold the restricted state. Therefore, when the stepping lever is returned to the released state, the holding guide is urged to rotate upward, and the turning restriction is released.

The stepping lever can be turned downward by stepping on it with a foot, and the holding guide can be turned downward in conjunction with the holding guide while being pushed by the stepping lever. And
When the holding claws reach the regulation state with the frame body sandwiched, the stepping lever can continue to hold the regulation state by continuously pressing the holding guide, and the transition to the regulation state and the holding thereof are continuously performed. Can be established. This regulatory status is
If the stepping lever is flipped up by the legs so as not to press the holding guide, the holding guide is naturally rotated upward by the urging and released.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a turning restriction device 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair 4 in which casters 2 are attached to frames 3 and 3 together with a turning control device 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a state in which a positional relationship between the casters 2 and turning control device 1 attached to the wheelchair 4 is released. It is the side view represented in FIG. Wheelchair 4 in this example
Is, for example, a water wheelchair designed so that the user can put the wheelchair 4 on the toilet bowl of the Western-style toilet while sitting on the seat 5, and as shown in FIG.
There is no member between the left and right frames 3 and 3, and they are connected only by a support member (not shown) for the handle 6 and the seat 5. Further, the seat portion 5 is provided with a vertically long opening portion 7, and the user adds the use directly from this opening portion 7 toward the toilet bowl. The turning control device 1 and the casters 2 are attached to the front and rear ends of the lower edges of the frames 3, 3, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, the caster 2 is mounted by screwing a mounting shaft 8 engraved with a male screw onto the frame 3, and the turning restricting device 1 is attached to the frame portion on which the mounting shaft 8 is screwed. The frame-shaped mounting portion 9 is fitted and fixed by bolting. The caster 2 is configured such that a frame 11 having wheels 10 pivotally mounted on the mounting shaft 8 can be horizontally swung, and a brake plate 12 for braking by pressing the wheels 10 into the frame 11 is pivotally mounted. doing. Mounting part 9 of turning restriction device 1
Extends to the rear of the wheelchair 4, and the holding guide 13 and the pivot shafts 15 and 16 of the stepping lever 14 are built in the extended portion. FIG. 2 shows the released state, and the holding guide 13 rotates the holding claw 17 upward by the upward bias (broken line in FIG. 2) to free the frame body 11 to release the turning restriction. . This bias is realized by a torsion coil spring or the like incorporated in the rotating shaft 15.

In FIG. 3, the stepping lever 14 is stepped on with the foot from the release state of FIG. 2, the holding guide 13 is pressed and rotated downward, and the holding claws 17 of the holding guide 13 sandwich the frame 11 from both sides. The turning guide is regulated by the
1 is a side view in which 13 is pressed to maintain the regulated state, and FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 in the same state. In this example,
The wheel direction of the caster 2 is restricted to turn in the front-back direction of the wheelchair 4. Therefore, the holding guide 13 and the stepping lever 14 rotate on the vertical surface of the wheelchair 4 in the front-back direction, and the holding claws 17 sandwich the frame body 11 with the wheels 10 facing the front-back direction of the wheelchair 4.

When the stepping lever 14 is rotated downward from the upright state, the pressing portion 18 is rotated while pressing the holding guide 13,
As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing portion 18 is attached to the rotating shaft 15 so that the holding guide 13 maintains the state in which the holding body 13 sandwiches the frame body 11 with the holding claws 17, that is, the regulated state when it is in a horizontal state. Press near part.

Since the pressing portion 18 of the stepping lever 14 presses with a force stronger than the biasing force of the holding guide 13, the holding guide 13 does not release by itself, but the stepping lever 14 is kicked up with a foot or the like so as to stand upright. It is held in the regulated state until it is rotated toward the state and the pressing by the pressing portion 18 disappears. Holding claw 1
As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surfaces of 7, 17 are inclined outwardly with respect to the frame body 11 so that the distance becomes wider toward the tip, and they are arranged at a slightly wider space than the frame body 11. Has been done. As a result, when the holding guide 13 is rotated downward,
Even if the wheel 10 faces a direction slightly deviated from the front-rear direction of the wheelchair 4, the holding claws 17, 17 can easily hold the frame body 11.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the turning regulation device 1 is applicable to casters of various types and sizes by expanding and contracting the distance between the holding claws 17, 17 of the holding guide 13 for regulating the wheel direction of the caster 4. I know that I can do it. For example, by attaching one of the holding claws integrally with the rotary shaft and screwing the other on the rotary shaft to adjust the amount of screwing, or by appropriately replacing the holding claw as a member to be assembled to the holding guide, The distance between the holding claws can be adjusted. The turning regulation device of the present invention is composed of two members, and the regulation in the wheel direction and the maintenance of the regulation state are made to correspond to each member,
The versatility as described above was realized.

[0014]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The turning control device of the present invention can be used for casters that originally do not have a turning control mechanism, and the distance between the holding claws can be adjusted, so that various types and sizes can be obtained. It has a versatile feature that can be applied to casters. Moreover, when the holding claw is in the restricted state in the direction of the wheel, the restricted state is not abruptly released by pressing the stepping lever, so that very safe operation can be performed, and the user can feel secure especially in application to a wheelchair. You can do it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair in which a turning restriction device of the present invention is attached to a frame.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a released state of the casters and the turning restriction device.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a regulation state of casters and a turning regulation device.

FIG. 4 is a view on arrow A in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Turning Control Device 2 Casters 3 Frame 8 Mounting Shaft 9 Mounting Part 10 Wheel 11 Frame 13 Holding Guide 14 Stepping Lever 15 Rotating Shaft of Holding Guide 16 Rotating Shaft of Stepping Lever 17 Holding Claw 18 Pressing Section

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Yamazawa 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Totoki Equipment Co., Ltd. Okayama Main Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device which has a mounting shaft at the top of a frame body on which wheels are pivotally mounted, and which regulates the rotation of a caster in which the frame body horizontally swings with respect to the mounting shaft, the main body having the caster mounted thereon. Or a mounting portion mounted on the mounting shaft of the caster, and a holding guide and a stepping lever that are axially attached to the mounting portion so as to be able to rotate downward from the released state to the restricted state,
The holding guide has holding pawls on both sides, and while normally being urged upward, the frame body of the caster is sandwiched between the holding pawls in a restricted state to restrict the turning of the wheel in a predetermined direction, and the stepping lever is in the restricted state. A caster swivel restricting device that presses a holding guide downward in a rotating direction to maintain the restricted state.