JPS63134305A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operation performance of a caster with the simple and inexpensive structure by operating an operating pedal to the turning position in plural stages and prohibiting and permitting the revolution of a rotary yoke and prohibiting the revolution of a wheel. CONSTITUTION:A fixed bracket 33 whose upper edge part is installed onto the rear leg 32 of a baby carriage, etc., through a pin 31, revolution yoke 34 supported onto the fixed bracket 33, and a wheel 36 supported onto the rotary yoke 34 through a wheel 35 directed in the horizontal direction are installed onto a caster 30. A pair of bulged walls 39 extending rearward are formed onto the rotary yoke 34, and an operating pedal 40 and a brake member 34 are formed between the bulging walls 39. A shaft 49 fixed between the bulging walls 39 and the shaft 49 of a brake member 43 are connected by a spring 50, and a pin 42 installed onto the brake member 43 is lowered and shifted by the spring 50. Therefore, the operating pedal 40 can be stop-held at the turning position in three stages.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to casters that are attached to a moving object to facilitate changing direction of the object.

[Prior Art] Casters are sometimes attached to a transportation device such as a baby carriage or an object to be moved in order to facilitate a change of direction. Among the many baby strollers currently available on the market, one of the ones with the best operability has a push rod that can be switched between two states: pushing from the back and pushing from the front.
It is also a baby carriage whose front wheels can be turned by casters. An illustrative view of such a baby carriage is shown in FIG.

The illustrated baby carriage 1 has a pair of front legs 3 which are located on the left and right and rotatably support a front wheel 2 via an axle 6 at the lower end thereof, and a pair of front legs 3 which are located on the left and right and rotatably support the front wheels 2 at the lower end thereof via an axle 7. It includes a pair of rear legs 5 that rotatably support a rear wheel 4, and a push rod 10.

The push rod 10 is rotatably provided, and thereby can be switched between two states: back pushing and facing pushing.

In FIG. 9, the position indicated by a solid line is the state in which the push rod 10 is pushed from the back side, and the position indicated by an imaginary line is the state in which the push rod 10 is pushed from the opposite side.

Casters 8 are attached to the lower ends of the pair of front legs 3. The caster 8 is rotatable around a rotation axis 9, and rotatably supports the front wheel 2 via an axle 6 extending horizontally at a position horizontally offset from the rotation axis 9. There is.

When the baby carriage 1 is moved on a flat road while being pushed backwards, the axle 6 of the front wheels 2 is located behind the rotation axis 9 of the casters 8 with respect to the traveling direction. Then, when changing the direction of the baby carriage 1, the casters 8 appropriately rotate, making it possible to change the direction easily.

In this way, the baby carriage 1 is provided with casters 8, thereby providing excellent operability.

Furthermore, baby carriages are usually provided with a brake mechanism for inhibiting rotation of the wheels. Baby carriage 1 as shown in Figure 9
In this case, the brake mechanism is provided on the side of the rear wheel 4 that does not have casters, and rotation of the rear wheel 4 is prohibited by operating the brake mechanism with a hand or foot.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the baby carriage 1 as shown in FIG. 9 includes the following problems.

The operation of moving the baby carriage 1 by switching the push rod 10 from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 9 to the facing push state will be described. When the push rod 10 is switched to the face-to-face push state as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 9 and operated,
The caster 8 rotates 180 degrees, and the front wheel 2 comes to the position shown by the imaginary line. In this state, the axle 6 of the front wheel 2 is located behind the rotation axis 9 of the caster 8 with respect to the traveling direction. On the other hand, the rear wheels 4 located forward in the direction of travel cannot perform a turning operation.

Therefore, when the baby carriage 1 is moved while being pushed facing each other, the direction cannot be changed very smoothly.

In addition, since a brake mechanism for prohibiting rotation of the wheels is provided on the rear wheel 4 side located forward in the direction of travel, when the baby carriage 1 is being moved while being pushed face-to-face, Brake operation becomes difficult or cumbersome. In order to avoid such difficulty or trouble, a brake mechanism may also be provided on the front wheel 2 side. However, if such a brake mechanism is provided on the front leg 3,
Since the front wheels 2 are rotatable, an extremely complicated mechanism is required. For this reason, conventionally, in a baby carriage equipped with casters, a brake mechanism is not provided for wheels that can turn, but a brake mechanism is provided for wheels that cannot turn. Therefore, as described above, a problem arises when moving the baby carriage 1 in the face-to-face push state.

Furthermore, even when the baby carriage 1 is operated in a push-back state as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, it is preferable to prohibit the turning operation of the casters 8 if the stroller 1 is on a rough road with severe unevenness. This is because, if the casters 8 could freely turn, they would react too sensitively to unevenness on the road, which would actually make the baby carriage less maneuverable.

Under these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a caster that can prohibit its turning and also prohibit the rotation of its wheels. However, when realizing such a caster, it is difficult to adopt one that is too complicated considering the cost. Therefore, the present invention aims to realize a caster having the above-mentioned functions with a simple configuration.

[Means for solving problems] A caster according to the present invention includes the following.

a. A fixed bracket that is fixedly attached to the object moved by the caster.

b. A rotary yoke rotatably supported by the fixed bracket about an axis directed in the vertical direction.

C6 A wheel rotatably supported by the rotating yoke via an axle facing in the horizontal direction.

d. An operating pedal rotatably attached to the rotating yoke.

e. Pedal holding means for stopping and holding the operating pedal at three rotational positions.

f. provided on the fixed bracket, which engages with the operating pedal to rotate the rotating yoke when the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship and the operating pedal is in the first rotational position; Rotation prohibition means that prohibits rotation.

g. A brake member disposed on the rotating yoke, which is displaced in conjunction with the rotation of the operating pedal, and engages with the wheel to inhibit rotation of the wheel when the operating pedal is in the third rotational position.

[Operations and Effects of the Invention] When the operating pedal is brought to the first rotational position, the operating pedal engages with the rotation inhibiting means provided on the fixed bracket, thereby inhibiting rotation of the rotating yoke. Ru. Next, when the operating pedal is brought to the second rotational position, the rotating yoke is allowed to rotate, and the casters can perform a turning operation. When the operating pedal is brought to the third rotational position, the brake member is displaced and engaged with the wheel in conjunction with the rotation of the operating pedal, thereby prohibiting rotation of the wheel.

In this way, it is possible to prohibit the rotation of the rotating yoke or the rotation of the wheels simply by rotating the operation pedal, so it is possible to prohibit the rotation of the rotating yoke or the rotation of the wheels. There is no need to provide a mechanism to do so. Therefore, the structure of the entire moving object becomes simple, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing cost. In addition, by operating the same operation pedal, it is possible to prohibit both the rotation of the rotating yoke and the rotation of the wheels, which simplifies the structure and reduces costs. .

Conventional casters have been provided with a mechanism for inhibiting their turning motion, but have not been provided with a mechanism for inhibiting rotation of the wheels. Compared to conventional casters, the casters according to the present invention have a mechanism for locking the casters as well as a mechanism for prohibiting rotation of the wheels, so their utility value is greatly increased. .

In particular, if the casters according to the present invention are provided on both the front legs and the rear legs of the baby carriage, the above-mentioned effects will be even more remarkable.

10 and 11 are illustrative views showing a baby carriage in which casters according to the present invention are attached to the lower ends of the front legs and rear legs, respectively. FIG. 10 shows the illustrated baby carriage 11 in a back-to-front push state, and FIG. 11 shows it in a face-to-face push state.

Casters 18 are attached to the lower ends of the front legs 13 of the baby carriage 11. The caster 18 rotatably supports the front wheel 12 via the axle 16. Also, hind legs 15
Casters 21 are attached to the lower end of the . The caster 21 rotatably supports the rear wheel 14 via the axle 17.

As shown in the figure, when the push rod 20 is in the backward pushing state, the axle 16 is located rearward of the rotational axis 19 of the caster 18 in the traveling direction, and the axle 17 is located behind the rotation axis 19 of the caster 18.
It is located behind the rotation axis 22 of No. 1 with respect to the traveling direction.

When moving the baby carriage 11 in the state shown in FIG. 10,
If the front wheel 12 can perform its turning motion,
The direction change can be performed smoothly and the operability of the baby carriage 11 is improved. However, if the rear wheels 14 in addition to the front wheels 12 can also perform the turning motion, the casters 18
Moreover, since the casters 21 react too sensitively to unevenness on the road, the operability of the baby carriage 11 is adversely affected. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
When moving the vehicle 1 while pushing the rear wheel 1, it is preferable to prohibit the turning operation of the rear wheel 14 located at the rear with respect to the direction of travel. In this case, the operating pedal may be operated to bring the operating pedal to the first position, thereby prohibiting the caster from rotating. In addition, when attempting to apply the brakes to the wheels, the operator operates the operation pedal to bring the operation pedal to the third rotation position, and the rear wheel 14
It is sufficient to prohibit the rotation of the . Note that regarding the caster 18 located forward in the traveling direction, its operation pedal is brought to the second stage position. Therefore, the casters 18 can perform a pivoting motion.

Next, when moving the push rod 20 in the state of facing each other as shown in FIG. Rotating motion of the casters 18 at the position is prohibited.

By doing so, the direction of the baby carriage 11 can be changed smoothly even in the face-to-face push state. Also, when trying to brake the wheels,
The operating pedal of the caster 18 located at the rear with respect to the traveling direction may be operated to bring the operating pedal to the third rotational position.

In this way, if the casters according to the present invention are attached to each of the front and rear legs of the baby carriage, the ninth
Compared to the conventional baby carriage shown in the figure, its operability is greatly improved.

In the above explanation, casters attached to baby carriages were exemplified, but the casters of the present invention are not only applicable to baby carriages, but also to other moving objects such as luggage carriers. The same can be applied.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention attached to the rear legs of a baby carriage, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

The caster 30 has a fixed bracket 33 whose upper end is fixedly attached to the rear leg 32 of the baby carriage via a pin 31.
A rotary yoke 34 is rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 33, and a wheel 36 is rotatably supported by the rotary yoke 34 via an axle 35 facing in the horizontal direction. The support shaft 37 extends vertically through the rotating yoke 34 and the fixed bracket 33. A nut 38 is attached to the upper end of the support shaft 37 to prevent the support shaft 37 from falling off. In this way, the rotating yoke 34 is rotatable relative to the fixed bracket 33 while being held by the support shaft 37.

The rotating yoke 34 rotatably held by the fixed bracket 33 has a pair of projecting walls 39 extending rearward. An operation pedal 40 and a brake member 43 are arranged between the pair of projecting walls 39. The lower end of the operating pedal 40 is rotatably attached to the pair of projecting walls 39 via a shaft 41 .

The operating pedal 40 and the brake member 43 are shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. As shown,
The operation pedal 40 has three engaging recesses 46a, 46b,
A guide groove 46 having a diameter 46c is formed. A pin 42 is inserted into this guide groove 46 . The brake member 43 is fixedly attached to this pin 42.

Moreover, the brake member 43 can rotate about the pin 42 as an axis.

As shown in FIG. 5, the brake member 43 is positioned between two parallel walls of the operating pedal 40. As shown in FIG. A contact portion 51 is formed on the inner wall surfaces of the two walls of the operating pedal 40 and projects inward and comes into contact with the brake member 43. Further, a shaft 48 is fixedly provided to the brake member 43. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a brake rod 44 extending parallel to the axle 35 is fixedly provided at the lower end of the brake member 43.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of projecting walls 39 of the rotary yoke 34 are formed with elongated holes 47 that are elongated in the vertical direction at portions that overlap with the guide grooves 46 of the operating pedal 4o. The pin 42 fixed to the brake member 43 is inserted through both the guide groove 46 of the operating pedal 40 and the elongated hole 47 of the rotating yoke 34.

Referring to FIG. 2, a pair of overhanging walls 39 of the rotating yoke 34
A shaft 49 is fixedly provided between them.

This shaft 49 and the shaft 48 of the brake member 43 are connected to the spring 5
Connected by 0. This spring 5° urges the pin 42 fixedly provided on the brake member 43 to move downward. In other words, pin 42 is
Due to the action of this spring 5o, it is always biased so that it can engage with the engagement recess of the guide groove 46. When the pin 42 is engaged with any of the engagement recesses, the operating pedal 40 is stopped and held at that position.

In this way, the operation pedal 40 includes the elongated hole 47 and the guide groove 46.
, pin 42, and spring 5o, it can be stopped and held at three rotational positions. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the operating pedal 40 is stopped and held at the first stage rotation position, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the operating pedal 40 is stopped and held at the second stage rotation position. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the operating pedal 40 is stopped and held at the third rotational position.

6, which shows an end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 2, the fixed bracket 33 includes an operating pedal 40.
A recess 52 is formed which is adapted to receive the tip of the. As shown, the recess 52 of the fixing bracket 33
In a state in which the rotation yoke 340 and the operation pedal 40 are engaged, rotation of the rotation yoke 340 is prohibited, and the caster 30 cannot perform a turning operation.

Next, each state will be explained with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8.

First, with reference to FIG. 2, a state in which the operating pedal 40 is in the first stage rotation position will be described.

Currently, the baby carriage is operated with its back pushed. That is, the axle 35 is located at the rear of the rear leg 32 with respect to the traveling direction. The pin 42 fixedly provided on the brake member 43 engages with an engagement recess 46c located on the rightmost side in the guide groove 46. This engaged state is firmly maintained by the action of the spring 50. In this state, the operating pedal 40 and the recess 52 of the fixed bracket 33 are engaged, and therefore rotation of the rotating yoke 34 is prohibited.

Next, the operating pedal 40 is operated by hand or foot to move the operating pedal 40 to the second rotation position. This state is shown in FIG. As the operating pedal 40 rotates, the pin 42 moves upward along the guide groove 46 against the force of the spring 50 and engages with the engaging recess 46b located at the center. In that state, the fixed bracket 3
The recess 52 of No. 3 and the operation pedal 40 are not engaged with each other. Therefore, the rotating yoke 34 can rotate relative to the fixed bracket 33, and the casters 30 can perform a pivoting motion.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the operating pedal 40 is rotated to move the operating pedal 4o to the third rotational position. The pin 42 engages with an engagement recess 46a located on the leftmost side. As the operating pedal 40 rotates, the contact portion 51 of the operating pedal 4o presses the brake member 43 to displace it. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 8, the brake rod 44 fixedly provided on the brake member 43 fits between the two spokes 53 of the wheel 36, thereby inhibiting the rotation of the wheel 46. There is.

As can be understood from the above description, the contact portion 51 of the operating pedal 40 is located at a position where the brake member 43 is engaged with the wheel 36 when the operating pedal 4° is brought to the third rotational position. Its shape has been chosen so that it can be moved up to .

As described above, by stopping and holding the operating pedal 4o at three rotational positions, the rotation of the rotating yoke 34 is prohibited (FIG. 2), and the rotating yoke 34 and the wheels 36 are prevented from rotating.
Three states can be realized: a state in which rotation of the wheel 36 is permitted (FIG. 7), and a state in which rotation of the wheel 36 is prohibited (FIG. 8).

It should be noted that the illustrated embodiment is only one example embodying the present invention. Therefore, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of this invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the recess 52 is provided as a rotation inhibiting means for engaging with the operating pedal 40 and inhibiting rotation of the rotating yoke 34, but other shapes or structures may be adopted. In addition, in the above embodiment, the elongated hole 47, the guide groove 46, the pin 42, and the spring 50 are used as pedal holding means for stopping and holding the operation pedal 40 at three rotational positions. Even with this mechanism, it is possible to stop and hold the operation pedal at three rotational positions. Furthermore, various forms and structures are conceivable for the brake member that inhibits rotation of the wheels. In short, the brake member is something that displaces in conjunction with the rotation of the operation pedal, and when the operation pedal is in the third rotational position, engages with the wheel and prohibits the wheel from rotating. It may have any shape or structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the caster shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the operating pedal 40 and brake member 43 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an end view taken along line ■--■ in FIG. FIG. 6 is an end view taken along line ■--■ in FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the operating pedal 40 brought to the second rotational position from the state shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a state in which the operation pedal 40 is brought to the third rotational position from the state shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an illustrative view showing a baby carriage in which the push rod can be switched between two states, rear pushing and facing pushing, and casters are attached to the lower ends of the front legs. FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing a baby carriage in which the push rod can be switched between two states, rear pushing and facing pushing, and casters are attached to the lower ends of the front legs and the rear legs, respectively. FIG. 11 is an illustrative view showing the state after the push rod is switched from the state shown in FIG. 10 to the face-to-face pushing state. In the figure, 33 is a fixed bracket, 34 is a rotating yoke, 35 is an axle, 36 is a wheel, 40 is an operating pedal, 42 is a pin, 43 is a brake member, 46 is a guide groove, 47 is a long hole, and 50 is a spring. .

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A fixed bracket that is fixedly attached to the object to be moved by the caster, a rotating yoke that is supported by the fixed bracket so as to be rotatable around an axis that faces in the vertical direction, and an axle that faces in the horizontal direction. a wheel rotatably supported by the rotary yoke via the rotary yoke; an operating pedal rotatably attached to the rotary yoke; a pedal holding means for stopping and holding the operating pedal at three rotational positions; provided on the bracket, and when the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship and the operating pedal is in a first rotational position, the operating pedal engages with the operating pedal to rotate the rotating yoke. a rotation inhibiting means provided on the rotary yoke and displaced in conjunction with the rotation of the operating pedal, and engaging the wheel when the operating pedal is in a third rotational position; A caster comprising: a brake member that prohibits rotation of the caster; (2) The caster according to claim 1, wherein the rotation inhibiting means is a recess configured to receive the operating pedal. (3) The pedal holding means is formed in a vertically elongated elongated hole formed in a portion of the rotating yoke that overlaps with the operating pedal, and in a portion of the operating pedal that overlaps with the elongated hole, and has three engaging elements. a guide groove having a recess; a pin inserted through the elongated hole and the guide groove; a spring biasing the pin to position it in the engagement recess of the guide groove; The caster according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: (4) The brake member includes a brake rod that engages spokes of the wheel to prevent rotation of the wheel.
A caster according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (5) The brake member is attached to the pin, and the operation pedal is formed with a contact portion that comes into contact with the brake member and presses the brake member, and the contact portion is attached to the operation pedal. Claim 3, wherein the shape is selected such that when the brake member is brought into a third rotational position, the brake member can be moved into a position in which it engages the wheel. Casters listed.