JPH10264603A - Oscillation preventive device for wagon caster - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispense with play of a wagon caster in a floating state when the wagon is conveyed on a self-propelled vehicle and make it contact the ground with the wheel facing the linear direction. SOLUTION: A magnet 15 is fixed to the leg 11 of a caster fitted to the underside of a truck 1. A separate magnet 16 is fixed to a base 12 for the caster fixed to the underside of the truck 1. A wheel 10 in the levitating state is maintained to face the proceeding direction by attractiveness of magnets 15, 16 caused by being drawn close to each other with the different magnetic poles facing each other and a caster axle 10a facing the width direction. Thus the caster wheel 10 is put on the ground in the same sate as it faces, when a wagon is unloaded from a self-propelled vehicle, and the self-propelled vehicle can be drawn out for certainty from under the truck 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serving wagon mainly used for transporting meals, and more particularly, to a caster in a wagon compatible with a self-propelled vehicle carried by a self-propelled vehicle running along a predetermined track. The present invention relates to an anti-swing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, wagons used for serving meals are provided with casters (free wheels) whose wheels can be turned freely.
Many of them also have fixed wheels with wheels fixed in the straight direction. However, since there is a fixed vehicle and it is difficult to make a small turn when moving in a narrow place, a wagon that allows the wheels of the fixed vehicle to float as needed is generally widely used. There is known a wagon of this type, which is connected to a self-propelled vehicle that has entered under a chassis and is automatically conveyed by the self-propelled vehicle. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-231917, a fixed vehicle is swingably mounted on a chassis of a wagon, and when a lock pin for connection protrudes from a self-propelled vehicle, the fixed vehicle is interlocked with this. Has been put into practical use, so that its wheels float up, so that only the wheels of the casters are transported by the self-propelled vehicle while being grounded.

[0003] Although a wagon in which a fixed vehicle can be freely attached and detached has excellent operability by itself, the wheels of the casters are grounded when transported by a self-propelled vehicle. Sometimes it was an obstacle.
Therefore, instead of simply connecting a wagon and a self-propelled vehicle, we have developed a self-propelled vehicle that can carry the wagon and lift the wheels of the caster so that it can be transported, and a corresponding wagon. Was.

[0004]

However, since the wheels of the casters are free to turn, the casters rattle due to the running vibration during transportation by the self-propelled vehicle. In addition, when the wagon is dropped from the self-propelled vehicle due to the rattling, the direction of the wheels of the caster is not determined, and a part of the wheels contacts the self-propelled vehicle and the self-propelled vehicle cannot be pulled out from under the wagon There was fear. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the wheels of the caster C are in contact with the self-propelled vehicle and touch the ground, and in this state, the self-propelled vehicle J is pulled out in the direction of the arrow, the wheels of the casters C may be on It becomes impossible to pull out self-propelled car J. In addition, there is known a structure in which a pin or the like is inserted into the leg of the caster so that the turning thereof can be restricted. However, such a structure has a difficulty in switching operation and has a problem in operability.

Accordingly, it is a main object of the present invention to prevent rattling of a caster without requiring a special operation.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wagon in which a caster is mounted on a lower surface of a chassis, wherein a magnet is fixed to a leg for rotatably supporting a wheel of the caster. In a state where the axle of the wheel is oriented in the vehicle width direction, another magnet is fixed to a mounting portion of the caster opposed to the magnet, and the respective magnets face different magnetic poles and approach each other. I have.

[0007] With such a structure, rattling of the casters during straight running of the wagon is reduced by the attraction of the magnets, and the straight running performance can be improved. In particular, the above-mentioned problems can be solved by using a self-propelled vehicle.

In view of the above, according to the invention of claim 2, there is provided an area for allowing a self-propelled vehicle to enter under a chassis on which casters are mounted,
A wagon in which a receiving portion supported by an elevating portion mounted on the self-propelled vehicle is formed on a lower surface of the undercarriage so that the wheels of the casters are floated by the self-propelled vehicle, A magnet is fixed to a leg portion of the caster that rotatably supports the wheel, and another magnet is fixed to a mounting portion of the caster facing the magnet with the axle of the wheel facing the vehicle width direction. Further, the present invention provides an apparatus for preventing a caster from oscillating in a wagon, wherein the mutual magnets face different magnetic poles and approach each other.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 shows an example of a wagon according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a chassis made of a steel or steel plate, and 2 denotes a vehicle body installed on the chassis, of which a caster 3 and a fixed wheel 4 are mounted on the lower surface of the chassis 1.

On the other hand, the vehicle body 2 is in the form of a box having a heat insulating structure and open on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and is internally heated by a cold storage room cooled by a refrigerator (not shown), a far infrared heater and other heat sources. A warm room and a normal room are separately formed, and each room can accommodate a table in a multi-stage manner. In addition, the opening / closing door 5 is individually attached to the opening part of each room.

The wagon can be run with the caster 3 and the wheels of the fixed vehicle 4 grounded during normal times, and can be moved in a narrow space as is well known in the art.
The wheel 4a is floated to make a small turn.
Further, the self-propelled vehicle J can be transported under the chassis 1 while carrying the wagon. The self-propelled vehicle J includes a sensor (not shown), and can automatically travel along the track while detecting a track formed of a highly reflective tape or the like laid on the floor with the sensor.

As shown in FIG. 2, a region F is formed below the chassis 1 so that the vehicle J can enter the vehicle 1 from its longitudinal direction.
Are entered into the area F. Here, self-propelled car J
Is an elevating unit 8 having a roller 7 attached to the tip of an arm 6
The lifting unit 8 can push up the lower surface of the chassis 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, U-shaped receiving portions 9 supported by a lifting portion 8 of a self-propelled vehicle J are provided in parallel on a lower surface of the chassis 1 at required intervals. On the other hand, the lift 8 of the self-propelled vehicle J is configured to swing up and down by an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder (not shown). When the lift 8 protrudes from the upper surface of the self-propelled vehicle J, the receiving portion 9 is pushed up by the rollers 7, whereby the wagon is supported by the self-propelled vehicle in a state where the casters 3 and the fixed vehicle 4 are each floated. Is done. At this time, since the roller 7 of the elevating unit presses the inner surface of the receiving unit 9 outward on both sides thereof, the movement of the wagon in the longitudinal direction is restricted, and the wagon is fixed at a predetermined position.

Next, FIG. 4 shows the bottom surface of the wagon. As shown in this figure, the wagon has a six-wheel structure, and has casters 3 attached to the four corners of the chassis 1, and fixed wheels 4 are attached to each other between the casters 3 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the caster 3 includes a wheel 10 and a leg 1 for rotatably supporting the wheel.
1, and a base 12 that supports the legs in a freely rotatable manner. The base 12 is fixed to the lower surface of the chassis 1 via a seat plate 13. Here, a magnet 15 is fixed to the leg portion 11 via a mounting bracket 14, and the axle 10a of the wheel 10 is oriented in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. Another magnet 16 is fixedly mounted on the mounting portion of the caster 3 facing 15. In particular, the mutual magnets 15, 16 face different magnetic poles (N pole and S pole) so as to be close to each other. In addition, two fixed magnets 16 are provided in series, and the movable magnet 15 faces one of them. Here, the magnets 16 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the chassis 1 so that the self-propelled vehicle enters under the chassis 1 so as not to hinder the entry, and the movable magnets 15 are arranged on the magnets 16. It is preferable that the axles 10a face each other with the axles 10a facing in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the fixed magnet 16 serves as a mounting portion of the caster 3,
Although it is fixed to the base 12 via the mounting bracket 17, it can be fixed to the lower surface of the chassis 1 such as the seat plate 13 as a mounting portion of the caster 3.

FIG. 7 shows a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. As is apparent from this figure, the movable magnet 15 and the fixed magnet 16 are provided inside the mounting bracket 14 and the mounting bracket 17, respectively. Here, the metal fittings 14 and 17 are made of a magnetic plate mainly composed of iron, and can satisfactorily emit the magnetic lines of force of the magnets 15 and 16 to the outside. On the other hand, the base 12 has a circular raised portion 18 at the center thereof, and the upper end of the leg portion 11 is pivotally supported by a bearing 19 provided therein.

In order to transport the wagon constructed as described above on the self-propelled vehicle J, first, as shown in FIG. Carry in. Here, the station S is provided with guide rollers 22 for supporting both side surfaces of the chassis 1, for example, on guards 21 provided at regular intervals, and guide rails 2 for guiding the wheels 4a, 10 of the wagon on the floor surface inside the guards 21.
3 is laid. Then, the wagon is guided into the station S along the guide rail 23,
In this state, the self-propelled vehicle J enters under the chassis 1 of the wagon. Therefore, the lift 8 of the self-propelled vehicle J is protruded to push up the wagon. Then, the wheels 10 of the casters 3 and the wheels 4a of the fixed vehicle 4 float above the floor, respectively, and the wagon is transported by the self-propelled vehicle J to a predetermined location.

Here, the traveling vibration is transmitted to the caster 3 during the transfer, but the caster 3 is maintained in a state in which the axle 10a is directed straight in the vehicle width direction by the mutual attraction action of the magnets 15 and 16. Will continue. For this reason, when the lifting unit 8 of the self-propelled vehicle J is housed in the interior and the wagon is lowered, the wheels 10 of the casters 3 are in contact with the ground in a straight-ahead direction. Can be reliably pulled out from underneath.

On the other hand, when the wagon is moved with the wheels 10 of the casters 3 grounded, the rattling of the casters 3 due to the running vibration is reduced by the attraction of the magnets 15 and 16, so that the wagon can be driven alone. It will be stable.

A preferred example of the present invention has been described above.
The wagon according to the present application is not limited to the one that also has the fixed wheel 4, and may be a configuration that includes only the casters 3. In addition, magnet 15,
Reference numeral 16 is mainly a ferrite magnet, and alternatively, a metal magnet such as an alnico magnet or a neodymium magnet, or a flexible magnet can be used. Further, electromagnets can be used instead of those permanent magnets.

In the above example, the axle 10a faces the vehicle width direction and the magnets 15 and 16 face different magnetic poles. However, the axle 10a is attached to the leg 11 of the caster 3 and the mounting portion in the vehicle width direction. Alternatively, magnets having the same polarity facing each other and adjacent to each other may be fixed in a state where the magnets are directed to other directions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, magnets 16 and 16 'having different directions of magnetic poles are attached to a base 12 on which a leg 11 is pivotably mounted as a mounting portion of the caster 3.
The magnets 16 and the magnets 15 fixed to the legs as in the above example face each other with their magnetic poles facing each other and approach each other with the axle 10a of the caster oriented in the vehicle width direction. Magnet 15 and magnet 1 in the longitudinal direction
6 'may face each other with the same poles facing each other.
According to this embodiment, the direction of the wheels 10a is changed by the repulsive action of the magnets 15 and 16 'in a state where the axle 10a of the caster faces in the vehicle length direction, and the direction of the magnets 15 and 16 is changed in a state where the wheels 10a face in the straight traveling direction. The state is maintained by the suction action.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the magnets are fixed to the caster legs and the mounting portions thereof,
Since the mutual magnets have the axle of the caster oriented in the vehicle width direction so that the different magnetic poles face each other and approach each other, when the caster goes straight, the rattling of the wheels is reduced by the attracting action of the mutual magnets. Therefore, the traveling operability is improved, and the magnets attract each other close to each other instead of attracting each other, so that the direction can be easily changed during traveling.

In particular, since the wheels of the casters are adapted to a mobile vehicle that is transported in a floating state and the above-described configuration is adopted, during transportation by the mobile vehicles, rattling of the casters due to running vibration is prevented, and the wheels are moved. It can be kept in the state of going straight ahead. Therefore, when the wagon is dropped from the self-propelled vehicle, the wheels of the casters are directed to the ground while keeping the wheels in the straight running direction, and the self-propelled vehicle can be accurately pulled out from under the chassis.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a wagon according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the wagon partially broken away.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the wagon.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a caster mounted on a chassis.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view showing the casters attached to the chassis;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which the self-propelled vehicle has entered under the chassis.

FIG. 9 is a schematic bottom view of a caster showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a caster contacts a self-propelled vehicle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 chassis 3 caster 8 elevating section 9 receiving section 10 wheels 10a axle 11 legs 12 base 15, 16 magnet J self-propelled vehicle

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A wagon in which a caster is attached to a lower surface of a chassis, a magnet is fixed to a leg for rotatably supporting a wheel of the caster, and an axle of the wheel is oriented in a vehicle width direction. A caster wobble prevention device for a wagon, wherein another magnet is fixed to a mounting portion of the caster facing the magnet, and the two magnets face each other with different magnetic poles facing each other. 2. A vehicle has a region under which a vehicle is mounted on which a caster is mounted, and a receiving portion supported by an elevating unit mounted on the vehicle is formed on a lower surface of the vehicle. A wagon in which a wheel of the caster is transported by a self-propelled vehicle in a floating state, wherein a magnet is fixed to a leg for rotatably supporting a wheel of the caster, and an axle of the wheel is mounted on a vehicle. In a wagon, the magnet is fixed to a caster mounting portion facing the magnet in a widthwise direction and the magnets face each other with different magnetic poles facing each other. Anti-swing device for casters.