JPS6393602A - Caster - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operating performance by obtaining casters which automatically become in a locked state when they come in the prescribed positional relationship, in such a way that the casters located in front in the advance direction is made capable of its rotation while the casters located in rear is made automatically in a locked state. CONSTITUTION:This caster 8 which is installed on a baby carriage and so forth has a rotary yoke 16 which is rotatably supported by a fixed bracket fixed to a foot part 3 of the baby carriage at its upper end and a wheel 2 borne to the rotary yoke 16 by an axle 6. The axle 6 is movably provided along a long hole 31 in the horizontal direction formed in the rotary yoke 16, and at the rotary yoke 16, an automatic lock member 17 which changes its position between the first position and the second position linked with the movement of the axle 6. And an engaging recession part 36 for prohibiting rotation of the rotary yoke 16, when the fixed bracket 15 and the rotary yoke 16 are in the prescribed position and the automatic lock member 17 is in the first position, is formed at the fixed bracket 15.

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.

FIG. 14 is an illustrative view showing a baby carriage in which the push rod is switchable between two states, rear pushing and facing pushing, and the front wheels are rotatable by casters. The illustrated baby carriage 1 has an axle 6 located at the left and right sides and an axle 6 at its lower end.
A pair of front legs 3 that rotatably support the front wheels 2 via
, a pair of rear legs 5 which are located on the left and right and rotatably support the rear wheels 4 via an axle 7 at their lower ends, and a push rod 10.
It is equipped with The push rod 10 is rotatably provided, and thereby can be switched between two states: back pushing and facing pushing. In FIG. 14, 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 toward each other.

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 shifted from the rotation axis 9. There is.

When moving the baby carriage 1 on a flat road while pushing the rear, the axle of the front wheels 2 is placed on the caster 8 in the direction of travel.
It is located behind the rotation axis 9 of the. And baby carriage 1
When changing the direction of the vehicle, the casters 8 perform an appropriate turning operation, making it possible to change the direction easily. In this way, the baby carriage 1 is provided with casters 8, thereby providing excellent operability.

Next, from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 14, the push rod 10
The operation when switching the baby carriage 1 to the face-to-face pushing state and moving the baby carriage 1 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.
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 at the front 9 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.

Two types of back push and face push currently available on the market
Most baby carriages that can be switched to different states have a structure as shown in FIG. 14.

In other words, when moving the baby stroller while pushing from the back, the casters work effectively and allow for smooth direction changes, but when switching to pushing from the front, the stroller is positioned forward in the direction of travel. Since the rear wheels cannot perform turning motions, direction changes cannot be made very smoothly.

In order to solve these problems, both the front wheels and the rear wheels may be provided with caster functions. 15 and 16 show that the push rod 10 can be switched between two states, back pushing and facing pushing, and both the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 4 are connected to the casters 8, 11.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a baby carriage 1 that can be turned by a pusher.

In FIG. 15, the push rod 10 is in a rear-pushing state, and in FIG. 16, the push rod 10 is in a face-to-face pushing state. The front wheel 2 is supported by casters 8 that are rotatable around a rotation axis 9, and the rear wheel 4 is supported by casters 11 that are rotatable around a rotation axis 12.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the baby carriage 1 is moved while being pushed from the rear, 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. Similarly, the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 is also located behind the rotation axis 12 of the caster 11 with respect to the traveling direction.

Next, when the push rod 10 is switched from the state shown in FIG. 15 to the face-to-face push state and the baby carriage 1 is moved, the first
As shown in FIG. 6, both casters 8 and 11 rotate by 180 degrees.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the axle 6 of the front wheel 2 is located behind the rotation axis 9 of the caster 80 with respect to the traveling direction, and the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 is also located behind the rotation axis 12 of the caster 11. will also be located at the rear with respect to the direction of travel.

If the baby stroller has the structure shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the wheels located at the front with respect to the direction of travel will perform the turning operation even when the push rod 10 is switched to either the rear pushing state or the facing pushing state. Therefore, the 14th
Compared to the baby carriage having the structure shown in the figure, its operability can be improved.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, even the baby carriages shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 have the following problems. In other words, in the baby stroller having the structure shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, not only the wheels located in the front with respect to the direction of travel but also the wheels located in the rear with respect to the direction of travel are rotated by the action of the casters. For example, it reacts too sensitively to irregularities on the road. For example, the 17th
Referring to the figure, even when the baby carriage is traveling straight as shown by solid line A, the baby carriage 1 responds sensitively to unevenness on the road.
The traveling trajectory of the vehicle winds as shown by dotted line B. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 18, even when the baby carriage is trying to change direction in a curved line as shown by the solid line C, the baby carriage responds sensitively to unevenness on the road and changes direction as shown by the dotted line. The trajectory becomes meandering.

In order to move and operate the baby carriage stably, it is necessary to avoid meandering as described above. To this end, it is necessary to devise a method for prohibiting the wheels located at the rear with respect to the direction of travel from turning.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide casters that automatically enter a locked state that prohibits rotation when they are in a predetermined positional relationship.

For example, when the casters are attached to the baby carriage shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the casters located at the front with respect to the direction of travel can turn, but the casters located at the rear with respect to the direction of travel are able to turn. The casters are automatically locked and their rotation is prohibited.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In a first aspect of the invention, the caster includes a fixed bracket fixedly attached to an object moved by the caster, and an axis directed in the vertical direction on the fixed bracket. The rotary yoke is rotatably supported around the rotary yoke, and the wheel is rotatably supported by the rotary yoke via a horizontally oriented axle. The axle is movable within a horizontal plane within a predetermined range in a direction perpendicular to the axle. The rotating yoke includes an automatic locking member that moves between a first position and a second position in conjunction with movement of the axle. Further, the fixed bracket is configured to engage with the automatic locking member or the rotating yoke to prevent rotation of the rotating yoke when the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship and the automatic locking member is in the first position. Rotation prohibiting means is provided to prohibit rotation.

The caster according to the second aspect of the invention further includes the following requirements in addition to the above configuration requirements.

That is, in addition to the automatic locking member described above, the rotating yoke can be switched between two positions by being operated by hand or foot, and when in one position, it engages with the fixed bracket and prohibits rotation of the rotating yoke. It includes a manual locking member.

The caster according to the third aspect of the invention includes the following requirements in addition to the constituent requirements of the caster according to the first aspect. That is, in addition to the automatic locking member, the rotating yoke has a braking member that can be switched between two positions by being operated by hand or foot, and that, when in one position, engages the wheel and prohibits rotation of this wheel. including.

The caster according to the fourth aspect of the invention further includes the following requirements in addition to the constituent requirements of the caster according to the first aspect. That is, the rotating yoke is switched between two positions by hand or foot operation, in addition to the automatic locking member, and when in one position engages the fixed bracket to inhibit rotation of the rotating yoke. It includes a manual locking member and a brake member which is switched between two positions by hand or foot operation and which, when in one position, engages the wheel to inhibit rotation of the wheel.

[Operations and Effects of the Invention The functions and effects of the caster according to the invention will be explained using FIGS. 15 and 16. It is assumed that casters according to the present invention are employed as casters 8 that support the front wheels 2 and casters 11 that support the rear wheels 4. Since casters 8 and 11 operate in the same way,
Below, only the operation of the caster 11 will be explained.

The axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 is movable within a horizontal plane within a predetermined range in a direction perpendicular to the axle 7. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15, when the baby carriage 1 is moved while being pushed from behind, the axle 7 is located at a position relatively far from the rotation axis 12. The automatic locking member is interlocked with movement of the axle 7 and displaced between the first position and the second position. Specifically, when the axle 7 is in a position relatively far away from the rotation axis 12 of the caster 11, the automatic locking member is in the first position. On the other hand, when the axle 7 is in a position relatively close to the rotation axis 12, the automatic locking member is in the second position. The rotation inhibiting means provided on the fixed bracket is such that the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship and the automatic locking member is in the first position.
When the rotary yoke is in the position, it engages with the automatic locking member or the rotary yoke to prohibit rotation of the rotary yoke.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, when the rear wheel 4 is located at the rear with respect to the traveling direction and is located at a position relatively far from the rotation axis 12 of the axle 7 or the caster 11,
Prohibit rotation of the rotating yoke.

Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 15, the casters 11 are in a locked state, and the turning operation of the rear wheels 4 is prohibited.

On the other hand, the casters 8 are not locked, and the front wheels 2 can turn. In this way, when the baby carriage 1 is moved with its back pushed as shown in FIG. 15, only the front wheels 2 located forward in the direction of travel can turn, and the rear wheels 4 are prohibited from turning.

Next, from the state shown in FIG. 15, the push rod 10 is rotated to a facing state. Then, assume that the baby carriage 1 is moved slightly forward. Since the casters 8 are not locked, the casters 8 of the front wheel 2 are moved by 180 degrees due to this movement.
By turning, the axle 6 is located behind the rotation axis 9 of the caster 8. On the other hand, since the casters 11 of the rear wheels 4 were locked, they would not turn even when the baby carriage moved. Therefore, the axle 7 of the front wheel 2 is
to a position relatively close to the rotation axis 12 of.

This movement of the axle 7 displaces the self-locking member from the first position to the second position. When the automatic locking member is in the second position, the locked state by the rotation inhibiting means is released, and thus rotation of the rotating yoke is permitted. Therefore, the caster 11 of the rear wheel 4 turns by 180 degrees, and as a result, the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 is positioned further back than the rotation axis 12 of the caster 11 in the traveling direction. This state is shown in FIG.

In the face-to-face pushing state shown in FIG. 16, the caster 11 located at the front with respect to the direction of travel can perform a turning operation, while the caster 8 located at the rear with respect to the direction of travel is in a locked state. , the turning operation of the front wheels 2 is prohibited. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, even when the baby carriage 1 is moved while being pushed facing each other, only the rear wheels 4 located forward in the direction of travel can perform the turning operation.

As described above, when the casters according to the present invention are attached to the front wheels and rear wheels of a baby stroller that can be switched between two states, push-back and push-back, the casters located at the rear in the direction of travel automatically move. Since the baby carriage is in a locked state, it is possible to move the baby carriage in a stable state.

In the caster according to the second aspect of the invention, the rotating yoke includes a manual locking member in addition to the automatic locking member. When moving the baby carriage on a flat road, it is preferable that the casters located at the front with respect to the direction of travel are swingable. However, when the baby carriage is moved on a rough road with severe unevenness, the swivel function of the casters actually worsens the operability of the baby carriage. In such a case, it becomes necessary to also lock the casters located forward in the direction of travel to prevent them from turning. The manual locking member works effectively when such a need exists.

In the caster according to the third aspect of the invention, the rotating yoke includes, in addition to the automatic locking member, a brake member that prohibits rotation of the wheel.

Therefore, when this caster is attached to, for example, a baby carriage, there is no need to provide a mechanism for prohibiting rotation of the wheels on the baby carriage body.

In the caster according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the rotating yoke includes a manual locking member, a brake member, and an automatic locking member. By having a caster with such many functions, the utility value of the caster is greatly increased.

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. 20 may be applied uniformly.

[Example] Fig. 1 is a front sectional view showing a state in which casters according to the present invention are attached to the front legs of a baby carriage, and Fig. 2 is a front sectional view showing a state in which casters according to the present invention are attached to the rear legs of a baby carriage. FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing an attached state.

First, refer to FIG. The caster 8 includes a fixed bracket 15 whose upper end is fixedly attached to the front leg 3 of the baby carriage via a pin 14, a rotating yoke 16 rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 15, and a rotating yoke 16 that is horizontally supported by the rotating yoke 16. The wheel 2 is rotatably supported via an axle 6 facing toward. A pair of projecting walls 19 projecting rearward are formed on the fixed bracket 16. An automatic locking member 17 is rotatably attached between the pair of projecting walls 19 via a pin 18. Support shaft 20
extends vertically through the rotating yoke 16 and the fixed bracket 15. A nut 21 is attached to the upper end of the support shaft 20, thereby preventing the support shaft 20 from falling off. In this way, the rotating yoke 16 is rotatable with respect to the fixed bracket 15 while being held by the support shaft 20.

Next, reference is made to FIG. The illustrated caster 11 includes a fixed bracket 23 whose upper end is fixedly attached to the rear leg 5 of the stroller via a pin 22, a rotating yoke 24 rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 23, and a rotating yoke 24. and wheels 4 rotatably supported via an axle 7 facing in the horizontal direction. A pair of projecting walls 27 are formed on the rotating yoke 24, and an automatic locking member 25 is rotatably attached between the pair of projecting walls 27 via a pin 26. Like the support shaft 20 shown in FIG. 1, the support shaft 28 extends vertically through the rotating yoke 24 and the fixed bracket 23, and has a nut 29 attached to its upper end.

3 and 4, the rotating yoke 24 is illustrated. A round hole 30 formed in the pair of overhanging walls 27 is provided with a round hole 30 through which the pin 2 shown in FIG.
This is to support 6. Further, as shown in the figure, a long hole 31 is formed in the pair of overhanging walls 27 and extends horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 24.

A self-locking member 25 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The round hole 32 shown in FIG. 6 is for receiving the pin 26 shown in FIG. Further, as shown in the figure, the automatic locking member 25 is formed with a long hole 33 that extends vertically. Also,
The automatic locking member 25 has an L-shaped rod 34 integrally.

The rotating yoke 16 and automatic locking member 17 shown in FIG. 1 also have the same form as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. That is, the automatic locking member 17 has an L-shaped rod 35 integrally. Furthermore, a long hole 33 extending vertically is formed in the automatic locking member 17.
A long hole 31 extending horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 16 is formed in the pair of projecting walls 19 .

Referring to FIG. 2, the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 is connected to a pair of overhanging walls 2.
Elongated hole 31 and automatic locking member 25 formed in 7
It is inserted through the elongated hole 33 of. Therefore, the axle 7 is
It can move horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotating yoke 24. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the axle 7 is located at a position relatively far from the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 24.

When the axle 7 moves horizontally from the state shown in FIG. do. The state after the automatic locking member 25 has been rotated is shown by an imaginary line.

Even in the state shown in FIG. 1, the axle 6 of the front wheel 2 is located at a position relatively distant from the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 16. When the axle 6 reaches a position relatively close to the rotation axis of the rotating yoke 16 from this state, the automatic locking member 17 rotates clockwise from the illustrated state.

FIG. 7 is an end view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG.
FIG. 8 is an end view taken along line ■--■ in FIG.

As shown in the figure, the fixing bracket 15 attached to the front leg 3 of the baby carriage has an engaging recess 3 in its front portion capable of receiving the rod 35 of the automatic locking member 17.
6. On the other hand, the fixing bracket 23 attached to the rear leg 5 of the baby carriage has an engagement recess 37 in its rear portion that can receive the rod 34 of the automatic locking member 25. The rod 35 moves on the outer surface of the fixed bracket 15 in accordance with the rotation of the rotating yoke 16. Further, the rod 34 moves on the outer surface of the fixed bracket 23 in accordance with the rotation of the rotating yoke 24. The outer surfaces of the fixed bracket 15 and the fixed bracket 23 are formed into smooth curved shapes so as not to hinder the movement of the rods 35 and 34, respectively.

Next, the operations of the casters 8 and 11 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 15, and 16.

First, it is assumed that the baby carriage 1 is being operated in a rearward push state, as shown in FIG. 15. In this case, the axle 6 of the front wheel 2 and the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 are located at positions relatively far away from the rotation axis of the rotating yoke, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively. The rod 35 of the automatic locking member 17 of the caster 8 for the front wheel 2 is located on the gently curved outer surface of the fixing bracket 15, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the casters 8 for the front wheels 2 can perform a turning operation.

On the other hand, the rod 34 of the automatic locking member 25 of the caster 11 for the rear wheel 4 is engaged with the engagement recess 37 of the fixing bracket 23, as shown in FIG. Therefore, caster 11
is in a locked state, and its turning movement is prohibited.

In this way, when the baby carriage 1 is moved while being pushed from the back as shown in FIG.
is prohibited from turning. Therefore, the baby carriage 1 can be moved and operated in a stable state.

Next, it is assumed that the push rod 10 is switched to the face-to-face push state and the baby carriage 1 is moved slightly forward. Due to this movement, the caster 8 for the front wheel 2 rotates 180 degrees, and the front wheel 2
The axle 6 of the caster 8 is positioned further back than the rotation axis 9 of the caster 8.

On the other hand, since the casters 11 for the rear wheels 4 were in a locked state, the baby carriage 1 cannot be turned in the initial stage when it is moved slightly forward. Therefore, referring to FIG. 2, the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 horizontally moves to a position relatively approaching the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 24. This movement of the axle 7 causes the automatic locking member 25 to rotate clockwise as shown by the imaginary line. As a result, the engagement between the rod 34 of the automatic locking member 25 and the engagement recess 37 of the fixed bracket 23 is released, and the locked state of the caster 11 is released. As a result, the rotating yoke 24 rotates 180°
Swinging, the axle 7 of the rear wheel 4 or the rotation axis 12 of the caster 11
It will be located further back in the direction of travel. This state is the state shown in FIG.

In the state shown in FIG. 16, the rod 34 of the automatic locking member 25 for the rear wheel 4, which is located forward in the direction of travel, is fixed in a gently curved shape, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. It is located on the outer surface of the bracket 23. Therefore, the caster 11 can perform its turning motion.

On the other hand, the rod 35 of the automatic locking member 17 for the front wheel 2 located at the rear with respect to the traveling direction is fitted into the engagement recess 36 of the fixed bracket 15, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. Therefore, the casters 8 are in a locked state, and their turning operation is prohibited.

In this way, when the baby carriage 1 is in the facing state as shown in FIG. The casters 8 for the front wheels 2 located at the rear with respect to the direction are automatically locked. Therefore, the baby carriage 1 can be moved and operated stably.

A similar operation is performed when switching from the face-to-face push state shown in FIG. 16 to the back-face push state shown in FIG. 15.

In the embodiment described above, the engagement recesses 36 and 37 were employed as rotation inhibiting means for automatically inhibiting the rotation of the rotating yoke. However, different forms of such rotation inhibiting means are conceivable. Below is the −
An example will be explained illustratively.

First, please refer to FIGS. 9 and 10. The illustrated caster includes a fixed bracket 38 and a fixed bracket 3.
8 and an automatic locking member 42.

A pair of projecting walls 40 are formed on the rotating yoke 39. The automatic locking member 42 is rotatably attached between the pair of projecting walls 40 via a pin 41. Also, 1
A long hole 44 extending horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 39 is formed in the pair of projecting walls 40 . The axle 43 is inserted through the elongated hole 44 and the automatic locking member 42.

Furthermore, as shown, within the fixing bracket 38,
A lock pin 45 is built-in. This lock pin 45
is always urged by a spring 46 to move downward. The rotation yoke 39 has a lock pin 4.
A horizontal plate 47 is formed to support the lower end portion of 5.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. As shown in the figure, a through groove 48 is formed in the horizontal plate 47, into which the lock pin 45 is inserted when the fixed bracket 38 and the rotating yoke 39 are in a predetermined positional relationship. The self-locking member 42 is positioned below the through groove 48 .

In the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lock pin 45
Since the and through groove 48 are in a fitted state, the rotating yoke 39
cannot be rotated. From the state shown, axle 4
3 moves horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotating yoke 39, the automatic locking member 42 rotates clockwise as shown by the imaginary line, pushing the locking pin 45 in one direction -L
Geru. As a result, the fitted state between the lock pin 45 and the through groove 48 is released, and rotation of the rotating yoke 39 is allowed.

= 30- Fig. 11 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the caster. In the illustrated caster, the rotating yoke 50 is rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 49 and is movable vertically relative to the fixed bracket 49. In other words, the rotating yoke 50 always has the spring 5
7 to move downwardly, but can move upwardly from the illustrated state against the force of this spring 57. A projecting wall 52 is formed on the rotating yoke 50. The automatic locking member 51 is attached to this overhanging wall 5.
2 via a pin 53 so as to be rotatable. Axle 5
4 is not supported by the projecting wall 52 but directly by the automatic locking member 51 in this embodiment.

If the axle 54 moves horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 50 from the illustrated state, the automatic locking member 5
1 rotates clockwise in the figure as shown by the imaginary line,
Furthermore, the rotating yoke 50 moves upward against the force of the spring 57. In order to define the end of the clockwise rotation of the automatic locking member 51, a stopper 56 is fixedly provided on the projecting wall 52.

Further, as shown in the figure, the fixing bracket 49 is formed with an engagement recess 55 that can engage with the automatic locking member 51. In the illustrated state, the automatic locking member 51 and the engagement recess 55 are engaged, so that rotation of the rotating yoke 50 is prohibited. From this state, the axle 54 moves to the rotating yoke 5.
When the automatic locking member 51 and the engagement recess 55 are moved in the horizontal direction toward the rotation axis 0, the engagement state between the automatic locking member 51 and the engagement recess 55 is released, and rotation of the rotation yoke 50 is permitted.

FIG. 12 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the caster. In this embodiment, a rotating yoke 59 rotatably held by a fixed bracket 58 has an overhanging wall 60 formed therein. This projecting wall 60 is formed with a long hole 63 extending horizontally toward the rotation axis of the rotation yoke 59 . The axle 62 is inserted into the elongated hole 63.

The automatic locking member 61 is fixedly attached to the axle 62. Further, the rotary yoke 59 is formed with a through hole 64 that supports an automatic locking member 61 extending horizontally so as to be movable in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, the automatic locking member 61 moves in the horizontal direction in response to the horizontal movement of the axle 62.

Further, the fixed bracket 58 includes an automatic locking member 61.
An engagement recess 65 that can be engaged with is formed.

In the illustrated state, the automatic locking member 61 and the engagement recess 65
are engaged with each other, and therefore rotation of the rotating yoke 59 is prohibited. From this state, the axle 62 rotates to the rotating yoke 59.
When the automatic locking member 61 moves in the horizontal direction toward the rotation axis of the automatic locking member 61, the automatic locking member 61 also moves accordingly, and the engagement state with the engagement recess 65 is released. Therefore, rotation of the rotating yoke 59 is allowed.

FIG. 13 is a front sectional view showing still another embodiment of the caster. The illustrated caster differs from each of the above-described embodiments in that, in addition to the automatic locking member 68, the manual locking member 7
4 and a brake member 79.

The rotating yoke 67 rotatably held by the fixed bracket 66 is formed with an overhanging wall 69 extending rearward and an overhanging wall 87 extending forward. An automatic locking member 68 is rotatably attached to one of the projecting walls 69 via a pin 70. The automatic locking member 68 is adapted to rotate in response to horizontal movement of the axle 71 that supports the wheel 72. Further, the fixing bracket 66 is formed with an engagement recess 73 that can engage with the automatic locking member 68. The operational relationship between the illustrated automatic locking member 68 and the engagement recess 73 is the same as that in the embodiment described using FIGS. 1 to 8, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted here.

A manual locking member 74 is rotatably attached to the other protruding wall 87 of the rotating yoke 67 via a pin 75 . This manual locking member 74 is switched between two positions by being operated by hand or foot, and when in one position, engages with the fixed bracket 66 to prohibit rotation of the rotating yoke 67. This will be explained more specifically. The manual locking member 74 has an inverted V-shaped guide groove 76 formed therein. A long hole 77 that is elongated in the vertical direction is formed in the overhanging wall 87 that movably supports the manual locking member 74. Then, as shown in the figure, the guide groove 7
The pin 85 is arranged so as to pass through both the pin 6 and the elongated hole 77. A spring 82 is installed between the pin 85 and the pin 75.
is attached and urges the pin 85 to always move downward. In the illustrated state, the manual locking member 74 is not engaged with the fixing bracket 66.

From this state, if the manual locking member 74 is rotated clockwise in the figure by hand or foot, the pin 85 will be located at the left end of the guide groove 76. At this time, the tip end 78 of the manual locking member 74 engages with the engagement recess 73 of the fixed bracket 66. In this way, rotation of the rotating yoke 67 is prohibited.

For example, when moving the baby carriage on a rough road, the manual locking member 74 is operated to lock the casters.

The brake member 79 is switched between two positions by being operated by hand or foot, and when in one position = 35-, engages with the wheel 72 and prohibits rotation of this wheel. As shown in the figure, a long hole 80 is formed in the brake member 79. In addition, the brake member 79
A pin 81 extending parallel to the axle 71 is fixedly provided at the tip of the wheel. Further, a pin 84 is located within the elongated hole 80 of the brake member 79. This pin 84 is fixedly provided on the projecting wall 69 of the rotating yoke 67.

In order to switch the brake member 79 between the two positions, a guide groove 85 is formed in the projecting wall 69 which can engage a pin 81. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, a pin 81 and an overhanging wall 6 are fixedly provided at the tip of the brake member 79.
A spring 83 is installed between the pin 84 fixedly provided on the pin 81 and the guide groove 85.
This ensures that the two can be reliably engaged.

In the illustrated state, the brake member 79 does not prohibit rotation of the wheel 72. Then, when the brake member 79 is rotated counterclockwise by hand or foot from the state shown in the figure, the pin 81 of the brake member 79 is moved between the two spokes 86 of the wheel 72, as shown by the imaginary line in the figure. Getting stuck in,
This prohibits rotation of the wheel 72.

In this way, if the casters are provided with the brake member 79, there is no need to provide a means for inhibiting the rotation of the wheels on the main body of the baby carriage, so that the value of use as a caster is increased. Further, as shown in the figure, if the caster is provided with an automatic locking member 68, a manual locking member 74, and a brake member 79, its utility value will be further increased.

Note that the manual locking member 74 and the brake member 79 are not limited to the structure shown in the figure.
Various other forms are also possible.

Although not shown, as another embodiment, a caster in which the brake member 79 is removed from the embodiment shown in FIG.
Alternatively, from the embodiment shown in FIG.
A caster with 4 removed is also conceivable.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a state in which casters according to the present invention are attached to the front legs of a baby carriage. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the casters according to the present invention are attached to the rear legs of the baby carriage. FIG. 3 is a front view of the rotating yoke 24 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the rotating yoke 24. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the self-locking member 25 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the automatic locking member 25. FIG. 7 is an end view taken along line ■--■ in FIG. FIG. 8 is an end view taken along line ■--■ in FIG. FIG. 9 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the caster according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a front sectional view showing still another embodiment of the caster according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front sectional view showing still another embodiment of the caster according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the caster according to the present invention. FIG. 14 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. 15 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. 16 is an illustrative view showing the state after the push rod is switched from the state shown in FIG. 15 to the face-to-face pushing state. FIG. 17 is an illustrative diagram showing the trajectory of the baby carriage when the baby carriage is traveling straight. FIG. 18 is an illustrative view showing the trajectory of the baby carriage when the baby carriage is turned in a curved manner. In the figure, 2 is a front wheel, 6 is an axle, 8 is a caster, 15
16 is a fixed bracket, 16 is a rotating yoke, 17 is an automatic locking member, 36 is an engagement recess as a rotation inhibiting means, 74 is a manual locking member, and 79 is a brake member. Figure 3 Figure 5 y'2S LF Figure 6 Figure 7 F0 b Figure 8 Figure 10 Figure 1/Figure 72 Figure 73

Claims (12)

[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 rotating yoke via a wheel; the axle is movable within a horizontal plane in a direction orthogonal to the axle within a predetermined range; The fixed bracket includes an automatic locking member that moves between a first position and a second position in conjunction with movement of the axle, and the fixed bracket has a predetermined positional relationship between the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke. The caster is provided with a rotation inhibiting means that engages with the automatic locking member or the rotating yoke to inhibit rotation of the rotating yoke when the automatic locking member is in a first position. (2) The caster according to claim 1, wherein the rotation inhibiting means is a recess configured to receive the automatic locking member. (3) The rotation inhibiting means is a lock pin that is always urged to move downward by a spring, and the rotation yoke is formed with a horizontal plate that supports the lower end of the lock pin, and A through groove is formed in the horizontal plate, into which the lock pin is inserted when the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship, and the automatic locking member is located under the through groove, and when the lock pin is in the first position, the lock pin is pushed upward to release the fitted state between the lock pin and the through groove.
Casters listed in section. (4) The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the automatic locking member is rotatably attached to the rotating yoke via a pin. (5) The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the automatic locking member is movable in a horizontal plane in a direction orthogonal to the axle. (6) The caster according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the axle is inserted through the automatic locking member. (7) A long hole is formed in the rotating yoke and extends in a horizontal direction and perpendicular to the axle, and the axle is held in the long hole, and the axle is held in the long hole. 7. The caster according to claim 1, wherein the caster is movable horizontally within the caster. (8) A fixed bracket that is fixedly attached to the object to be moved by the caster, a rotary 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 a wheel; the axle is movable within a horizontal plane within a predetermined range in a direction orthogonal to the axle; or a manual locking member that is switched between two positions by being operated by a foot and that engages the fixing bracket in one position and prohibits rotation of the rotating yoke; and an automatic locking member that is displaced between a first position and a second position, the fixed bracket having a predetermined positional relationship between the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke, and the automatic locking member displacing between a first position and a second position. The caster is provided with rotation inhibiting means for engaging the self-locking member or the rotating yoke to inhibit rotation of the rotating yoke when the member is in a first position. (9) The caster according to claim 8, wherein the rotation inhibiting means is a recess configured to receive the automatic locking member. (10) The caster according to claim 9, wherein the manual locking member is adapted to engage with the rotation inhibiting means. (11) A fixed bracket fixedly attached to the object to be moved by the caster, a rotating yoke supported rotatably around a vertically oriented axis, and a horizontally oriented axle on the fixed bracket. a wheel rotatably supported by the rotary yoke via a wheel; the axle is movable within a horizontal plane within a predetermined range in a direction orthogonal to the axle; or a brake member that is switched between two positions by being operated by a foot and that engages the wheel when in one position to prohibit rotation of the wheel; an automatic locking member that is displaced between a first position and a second position, the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship, and the automatic locking member is disposed in a second position. The caster is provided with a rotation inhibiting means that engages with the automatic locking member or the rotating yoke to inhibit rotation of the rotating yoke when the caster is in the 1 position. (12) A fixed bracket fixedly attached to the object to be moved by the caster, a rotating yoke supported rotatably around a vertically oriented axis, and a horizontally oriented axle supported by the fixed bracket. a wheel rotatably supported by the rotary yoke via a wheel; the axle is movable within a horizontal plane within a predetermined range in a direction orthogonal to the axle; or a manual locking member which is switched between two positions by being operated by the foot and which, when in one position, engages the fixed bracket and prohibits rotation of the rotating yoke; a brake member that is switched between two positions by the brake member and engages the wheel to prevent rotation of the wheel when in one position; an automatic locking member that is displaceable between positions, and the fixed bracket includes: when the fixed bracket and the rotating yoke are in a predetermined positional relationship and the automatic locking member is in a first position; The caster is provided with a rotation inhibiting means that engages with the automatic locking member or the rotating yoke to inhibit rotation of the rotating yoke.