JPH09240207A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a caster provided with a strong locking means, which is hardly broken and provided with strong force for moving a stopper so as to ensure a lock surely while causing no deterioration in rotation smoothness. SOLUTION: A caster is provided with a mounting base plate 1, a yoke 3 arranged in the mounting base plate 1 via a bearing part 2 freely rotationally, a wheel 4 journalled to the yoke 3, and a locking means by which the rotation of the yoke 3 is locked by means of the rotation of the wheel in one direction while the yoke 3 is released from the lock so as to be freely rotated by means of the rotation of the wheel 4 in the opposite direction. The locking means is provided with an engaging component part 12, which is formed on a wall face 11 extending to the upper side of the wheel 4 integrated with the mounting base plate 1, on one side of an engaging means, an auxiliary yoke 13 whose base end is pivoted to the yoke 3, a movable part 19 which is supported in the upper part of the auxiliary yoke 13 and is placed on the upper face of the wheel 4 so as to be moved forward/backward according to the rotating direction of the wheel 4, and a stopper member 14 which is integrally arranged on a top wall 13b in the auxiliary yoke 13 and can be freely attached/removed to/from the engaging component part 12 on one side.

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 yoke and wheels are rotatably attached to a mounting base, and in particular, rotation of the wheel in one direction restrains the rotation of the yoke and the wheels rotate in opposite directions. The present invention relates to a caster having locking means for releasing the restraint of the yoke and allowing the yoke to rotate freely.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The present applicant has already proposed a caster disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-169705 as a caster provided with a locking means for restraining the turning of a yoke or for turning freely according to the direction of wheel rotation. This caster has a mounting board and
A yoke is pivotally attached to the lower surface of the mounting base via a bearing, and wheels are supported by the yoke. In addition to such a general structure, the following locking means 55 is added. That is, the locking means is provided integrally with the mounting board and formed of a notch formed in a wall surface extending on the wheel, and a receiving portion which is mounted on the upper surface of the wheel and is provided in front of the wheel in accordance with the rotation direction of the wheel. Alternatively, a stopper made of a free sphere or the like that can move rearward, a guide hole formed in a wall surface of the yoke extending on the wheel to guide the stopper so that it can be locked to the receiving portion, and bring the stopper into contact with the upper surface of the wheel. And a restraining means such as a spring. Then, when the wheel is moved forward in one direction, the stopper pressed against the upper surface of the wheel moves forward and engages with the receiving portion. As a result, the stopper integrally restrains the mounting base plate and the yoke, so that the turning of the yoke is hindered, and the wheel is held in the direction in which it has traveled straight. When the wheel is rotated in the opposite direction from this state, the stopper moves rearward and separates from the receiving portion. This releases the constraint of the yoke with respect to the mounting base, so that the yoke can freely rotate.

Further, another locking means is similar to the above-mentioned construction in terms of the receiving portion having a notch, but the stopper is supported by the auxiliary yoke, and the auxiliary yoke swings by the rotation of the side surface of the wheel. Differences in points. The locking means has a restraining means such as a spring that presses the side surface of the wheel while the auxiliary yoke is pivotally attached to the axle to support the follower at an intermediate position, and the upper end is engaged with and disengaged from the receiving portion. A free stopper is provided. Then, when the wheel is moved forward in one direction, the follower portion pressed by the side surface of the wheel moves forward, and along with the forward movement of the follower portion, the auxiliary yoke and the stopper move forward, and the stopper receives the receiver portion. Engage with. In this state, the stopper integrally restrains the mounting base and the yoke, so that the turning of the yoke is hindered and the wheel is held in the direction in which it has been straight ahead. From this state, when the wheels are reversed in the opposite direction, the follower moves backward,
The auxiliary yoke and the stopper move rearward, and the stopper separates from the receiving portion. This releases the constraint of the yoke with respect to the mounting base, so that the yoke can freely rotate. These casters have achieved corresponding results, and the present applicant has completed the present invention as a result of further earnest research.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A main object of the present invention is to provide a caster provided with a locking means that can firmly lock the stopper moving force strongly and does not reduce the smoothness of rotation of the wheels. To do.

[0005]

In order to solve this problem, the locking means of the caster according to the invention of claim 1 is one of the engaging means formed on the wall surface provided integrally with the mounting base. Engaging part, an auxiliary yoke having a base end axially attached to the yoke, and an auxiliary yoke supported on an upper portion of the auxiliary yoke and placed on the upper surface of the wheel to move forward or backward depending on the rotation direction of the wheel. The technical means of providing a movable member and a stopper member that is provided on the auxiliary yoke and that is engaged with and disengageable from the one engaging component is provided. In the invention of claim 2, the stopper member is
A technical measure is taken such that a weight for increasing a frictional force at a contact point between the wheel and the movable portion is provided at an extended position of the movable portion.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a caster according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4
The caster shown in FIG. 1 includes a mounting base 1, a yoke 3 rotatably mounted on a lower surface of the mounting base 1 via a bearing 2, a wheel 4 axially supported by the yoke 3, and a yoke 3. And a locking means 5 for restraining the turning or allowing the turning.

Here, the mounting base 1 is for mounting casters on the lower surface of the body of the carrier, furniture, various devices, and other mounted bodies (not shown) using appropriate fixing tools such as bolts. Further, the bearing portion 2 of this embodiment is composed of a dish body 6 and balls 7 interposed between the mounting base 1 and the upper portion of the yoke 3. Reference numeral 8 indicates a track rivet that connects the mounting base 1, the bearing portion 2, and the yoke 3.

The yoke 3 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and the wheel 4 is axially supported by the axle 9 installed at the lower end of the yoke 3 via a bearing 10. Further, the locking means 5 is provided with the mounting base 1 in one piece, and is formed on a wall surface 11 extending to the upper portion of the wheel 4, and one engaging structure portion 12 formed of, for example, a notch,
The base end is pivotally attached to the yoke 3 and the other engaging component 2
0, and a movable portion 19 supported on the upper portion of the auxiliary yoke 13 and provided on the upper surface of the wheel 4.
It is comprised including.

Here, the auxiliary yoke 13 has a pair of left and right side walls 13a, a top wall 13b connecting the upper ends thereof, and a pair of left and right arm portions 13c extending substantially horizontally from the upper part of the side walls.
It consists of The movable portion 19 is fitted and pivotally attached to the tips of the pair of arm portions 13c. Further, the lower ends of the left and right side walls 13a are fitted into the inside of the yoke 3 and are pivotally attached at a midpoint by a pivot 15 such as a rivet.
The lower end of the auxiliary yoke 13 may be externally fitted to the outside of the yoke 3 so as to be attached to the shaft. Further, the side wall 1 of the auxiliary yoke
A pivotal stopper portion 16 protruding outward is provided on 3a. The pivot stopper portion 16 is movably engaged within the width of the regulation holes 17 formed in the left and right yokes 3 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the auxiliary yoke 13 is pivotally movable forward or backward within a range regulated by the pivot stopper 16 and the regulation hole 17 with the pivot 15 as a fulcrum.

Next, the movable portion 1 is attached to the auxiliary yoke 13.
9 and the other engaging component 20
Are provided. In the case of the illustrated example, the other engagement component portion 20 is a convex piece integrally formed on the top wall surface 13b connecting the upper ends of the left and right side walls 13a of the auxiliary yoke 13 and protruding rearward. The movable portion 19 is mounted on the wheel so as to come into contact with the wheel 4 at a substantially central position on the upper surface thereof, and can move forward or backward following the rotation of the wheel 4. Therefore, the movable portion 19 moves forward or backward with the pivot 15 as a fulcrum together with the auxiliary yoke 13 in accordance with the rotation direction of the wheel 4, and the other engaging component 20 is attached to the mounting base 1.
It can be engaged and disengaged with respect to one of the engaging components 12 on the side.

When the other engaging component 20 is engaged with the one engaging component 12 as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting base 1 and the yoke 3 are integrated so that the yoke 3 pivots. Be detained. On the other hand, when the other engaging component 20 is disengaged from the one engaging component 12 as shown in FIG. 1, the mounting base 1 and the yoke 3 are separated from each other, so that the yoke 3 can freely rotate. Return.

The weight 21 on the movable portion 19 is provided so as to extend on the side of the auxiliary yoke 13 opposite to the support shaft 18. The weight 21 is provided to increase the frictional force at the contact point between the wheel 4 and the movable portion 19. That is, if the weight 21 is not provided, it becomes difficult for the stopper member 14 to move toward the one engagement component portion 12 side.
The weight 21 is provided in order to facilitate the operation of engaging and disengaging the stopper member 14 with respect to one of the engaging components 12 on the mounting base 1 side.

According to the casters constructed as described above, the turning of the wheels 4 is made free or restrained as follows. When the wheel 4 is rotated in one direction shown by the arrow A, the movable portion 19 of the stopper member 14 placed on the upper surface of the wheel 4 moves forward as shown in FIG. 2, and the arm portion of the auxiliary yoke 13 extending horizontally. The other engaging component 20 provided at the rear of 13c is one engaging component 12 on the mounting base 1 side.
Engages. In this way, when the other engaging component 20 is engaged with the one engaging component 12, the stopper member 14 integrally restrains the mounting base 1 and the yoke 3, so that the yoke 3 turns. Is prevented and the wheels 4 are held in the direction in which they have been going straight.

On the other hand, when the wheel 4 is rotated in the opposite direction from this state, the movable portion 19 of the stopper member 14 moves backward as shown in FIG. 1, and the arm portion 13 of the auxiliary yoke 13 is moved.
The other engaging component 20 provided in c is the mounting base 1
It disengages from one of the engaging components 12 on the side. This allows
Since the constraint of the yoke 3 on the mounting base 1 is released,
The yoke 3 can freely rotate. Since the weight 21 provided at the extended position of the movable portion 19 increases the frictional force at the contact point between the wheel 4 and the movable portion 19, one of the engagement constituent portions 20 of the other of the stopper members 14 is increased. The engagement / disengagement operation with respect to the engagement component 12 is smoothly performed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, one engaging component is a hole-shaped or notched concave portion and the other engaging component is a convex portion, but on the contrary, one engaging component is convex. Alternatively, the other engaging component may be a recess. Further, although the example in which the other engaging component is formed integrally with the auxiliary yoke is shown, the other engaging component may be provided so as to interlock with the auxiliary yoke, and the other engaging component can be moved. The present invention also includes the case of being integrally formed with the portion. In addition, various design changes can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

[0016]

The casters of the present invention described above have the following effects. (1) A movable portion in which the locking means is supported by an auxiliary yoke axially attached to the yoke side, is mounted on the upper surface of the wheel, and moves forward or backward together with the auxiliary yoke according to the rotation direction of the wheel.
A stopper member is provided on the auxiliary yoke and engages with and disengages from one of the engaging components on the mounting base side. Therefore, it is possible to realize a structure that is sturdy and is not easily broken as compared with the conventional one in which a stopper made of a small free sphere or the like is locked to the receiving portion. In particular, it is effective when a strong turning force is applied like a large caster. Further, since the stopper member moves due to the rotation of the upper surface of the wheel, the stopper member can be moved without pressing the stopper member strongly against the wheel with a spring or the like, as compared with the conventional case where the stopper is moved by the rotation of the side surface of the wheel. Power can be increased sufficiently. This is particularly effective for small casters with a small radius. (2) A weight that increases the frictional force at the contact point between the wheel and the movable portion is provided at a position on the upper side of the auxiliary yoke opposite to the support shaft, so that the stopper member is attached to the engaging structure portion on the mounting base side. It is possible to smoothly engage and disengage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a working state diagram of a main part with a negative part cut out, showing a swing-free state of an embodiment of a caster of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation state diagram of a main part with a part cut away showing a turning constraint state of an embodiment of the caster of FIG.

3 is an overall side view of the caster of FIG. 1. FIG.

4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the caster of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mounting base 2 Bearing part 3 Yoke 4 Wheel 5 Locking means 11 Wall surface 12 One engaging structure part 13 Auxiliary yoke 14 Stopper member 15 Axis 19 Movable part 20 Other engaging structure part 21 Weight

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mounting base, a yoke rotatably mounted on a lower surface of the mounting base via a bearing, a wheel pivotally supported by the yoke, and a yoke unidirectionally rotating the yoke. In a caster having locking means for restricting the turning and releasing the restriction of the yoke by rotating the wheel in the opposite direction, the yoke is provided integrally with the mounting base. One of the engaging components of the engaging means formed on the formed wall surface, an auxiliary yoke having a base end axially attached to the yoke, and an auxiliary yoke supported on the auxiliary yoke and mounted on the upper surface of the wheel. A stopper member composed of a movable portion that moves forward or backward in accordance with the rotation direction of the wheel, and another engagement component portion that is provided in the auxiliary yoke and is engageable with and disengageable from the one engagement component portion, Is equipped with Casters. 2. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the stopper member is provided with a weight at an extension position of the movable portion for increasing frictional force at a contact point between the wheel and the movable portion.