TWI730334B - Drive assembly for trolleys and trolleys using the drive assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention describes a drive assembly for a trolley, which includes a handle module, a drive module and at least one rechargeable battery. The handle module is provided with a start switch and a travel switch. The drive module is an electrically connected handle module, which includes a motor, a clutch, a drive wheel and a wheel axle. The clutch can be controlled to connect the drive wheel with or without the wheel axle to control whether the motor can output power to the drive wheel. To provide auxiliary power. Through the design of the above-mentioned drive assembly, when the start switch and the travel switch are activated at the same time, the drive module can be controlled to output auxiliary power, which improves the safety in use.

Description

Drive assembly for trolleys and trolleys using the drive assembly

The present invention relates to a trolley, in particular to a drive assembly installed on the trolley, which can provide auxiliary power for the trolley.

Conventional trolleys, such as those used by hotel cleaners, usually carry a variety of cleaning appliances. The overall weight of the trolley is heavy and difficult to be pushed. It requires the cleaners to spend a lot of effort to push the trolley to perform the cleaning work. The cleaning staff is physically burdened.

In order to improve the above problems, it is known that US Patent No. US7,779,941B1 invention patent describes a trolley device 102, which includes a carrier 110, a drive wheel 114, a motor 116 and a battery 126. The battery 126 is used to provide Motor 116 power. The trolley device 102 moves in a predetermined direction and a predetermined speed, and when a predetermined time arrives, the clutch 128 is disconnected from the motor 116 to disable the motor 116. However, it can be seen that the above-mentioned patent uses the timer 120 to determine the preset time. If an unexpected accident occurs during the traveling of the trolley device 102, the motor 116 will not immediately stop rotating, so it is relatively unsafe to use. In addition, the driving wheels 114 or the power control unit 108 of the trolley device 102 are specially designed and are fixed on the trolley device 102. If there is a part failure, it is often difficult to remove and repair from the trolley device 102.

It is also known that US Patent No. US6,000,486 Invention Patent describes a self-propelled cart for medical treatment, which includes a driving wheel 40 and a pedal 72. By operating the pedal 72, the driving wheel 40 can be in an extended position. And move between a stowed position. It can be seen that this patent needs to be approved by the user The operator manually chooses whether to extend or retract the driving wheel 40, but this patent also lacks a safety mechanism to stop the rotation of the driving wheel 40, and also has the problem of difficulty in disassembly and maintenance.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to improve various deficiencies in the prior art, and then propose a brand-new drive assembly for trolleys, which is suitable for general trolleys and has the advantage of being easy to disassemble and assemble.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a driving assembly of a trolley, which is safer in use.

According to the following embodiments, a drive assembly for a trolley includes a handle module, a drive module, and at least one rechargeable battery. The handle module includes a main body and two grips, a first circuit board is arranged inside the main body, and a control unit is arranged on the first circuit board. The above-mentioned two grips are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the main body. The handle module also has a start switch and a travel switch. Both the start switch and the travel switch are electrically connected to the control unit. The drive module is electrically connected to the handle module and can be controlled by the handle module. It includes a motor, a clutch, a driving wheel and a wheel axle. The motor is connected to the axle, and the clutch and the driving wheel are arranged on the axle. The clutch can be driven to push the driving wheel so that the driving wheel is coupled or not coupled to the axle; the rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the handle module and the driving module and is used to provide the handle module and The power for the operation of the drive module; among them, when the start switch and the travel switch are activated at the same time, the control unit controls the driving wheel to be combined with the axle through the clutch, so that the control unit can drive the motor to rotate the axle according to the travel switch, and then drive the driving wheel forward or Backward; when the start switch is not activated, the control unit controls the driving wheel not to be combined with the axle through the clutch, so that the motor cannot rotate the driving wheel through the axle.

As a result, since the handle module, the drive module and the rechargeable battery of the drive assembly are of modular design, they can be easily and quickly disassembled and assembled on a common trolley, which increases the adaptability of the drive assembly. The utility model has the advantages of compact size, and the auxiliary power provided by the drive module can also achieve the effect of saving effort. If there is any part failure, it can also be easily disassembled from the ordinary trolley for subsequent maintenance. In addition, because the drive assembly must activate the switch and the travel switch at the same time to allow the motor to output power to drive the drive wheels, if an accident occurs, the user only needs to release the activation switch to disable the power output by the motor, effectively increasing It is safe to use.

The present invention also provides a trolley, which includes a frame, a plurality of wheels and the above-mentioned driving assembly. Wherein, the vehicle frame has a bottom plate, and the plurality of wheels are rotatably arranged on the bottom plate. The handle module is detachably arranged on one side of the frame and is located at a predetermined height on the bottom plate. The drive module is detachably arranged on the bottom plate, and the drive module and the wheels support the frame together.

In one aspect of the present invention, the trolley can be a tool trolley or a medical trolley, but the present invention is not limited to this.

In another aspect, both the start switch and the travel switch are provided in one of the two grips, which can facilitate the user to apply force with the trolley while simultaneously controlling the travel of the trolley.

On the other hand, the handle module further includes an emergency stop switch. When the emergency stop switch is activated, the control unit controls the driving wheel through the clutch to not be combined with the axle, which enhances the safety in use and can also avoid the motor or deceleration. Damage to institutions.

On the other hand, the system is hollow. The two sides of the main body are respectively provided with a first socket part. The center of the first socket part is provided with a first through hole to communicate with the inside of the main body. Each handle is tubular. And the end is provided with a second socket part, the center of the second socket part is provided with a second through hole to communicate with the inside of the grip, each grip is sleeved with the first socket part through the second socket part, and the body, The two first through holes and the two second through holes are all communicated with the inside of the two grips. Through the structural design of the above body and grip, it is not It is only convenient for the user to install the grip on the main body, and it is also convenient for the wiring between the main body and the grip to avoid clutter.

In another aspect, the drive module further includes a connector and a frame. The frame is rotatably connected with the connector, the motor is fixed to the frame, the clutch is provided on the frame, and the drive wheel is rotatable. The ground is arranged on the frame body, and at least a part of the driving wheel protrudes out of the frame body. Through the above-mentioned structural design of the connecting piece and the frame, when the trolley travels on uneven ground, the drive module can still effectively output auxiliary power and have the effect of shock absorption.

In another aspect, the driving module further includes at least one elastic member, and two opposite ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to the connecting member and the frame body. By providing the elastic member, the driving wheel can always maintain good contact with the ground during the traveling process of the trolley, and the accompanying chattering problem can be better solved under poor road conditions.

Prior Art 1

102: Trolley device

110: Carrier

114: drive wheel

116: Motor

120: timer

126: Battery

128: Clutch

Prior Art 2

40: drive wheel

72: Pedal

Example

1: trolley

2: Frame

3: bottom plate

4: Guidance structure

5: Runner

6: Handlebar control port

10: Drive components

20: Handle module

21: body

211: Mounting seat

212: Outer cover

213: Quick release fixing plate

214: Motor parameter control port

215: The first socket

216: first through hole

217a-217b: switch

217c-217g: indicator light

22: The first circuit board

221: Control Unit

23A, 23B: Grip

231: Start switch

232: Travel switch

233: Rocker Switch

234: Emergency Stop Switch

235: second socket

236: second through hole

30: drive module

31: Connector

311: mounting plate

312: Superstructure

313: gap

314: Pivot

315: Upper connecting rod

32: Frame

321: Lower connecting rod

33: Elastic part

34: Motor

341: Deceleration Mechanism

35: Clutch

36: drive wheel

37: Axle

38: Stops

41: The first battery

42: second battery

G: Ground

s1-s5: screw hole

w1, w2: wire

θ1-θ3: Angle

The detailed structure, characteristics, assembly or use of the driving component of the trolley will be described in the following embodiments. However, it should be understood that the embodiments and drawings described below are only illustrative, and not Application to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trolley of the embodiment; Figure 2 and Figure 3 are perspective views of the handle module of the embodiment in different angles; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the handle module of the embodiment Figures, which hide the outer cover of the body; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drive module of the embodiment; Figure 6 is a partial bottom view of the trolley of the embodiment; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the drive module of the embodiment; 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams of the traveling state of the drive module of the embodiment; and FIG. 10 is a rear view of the trolley of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the technical content and features of the present invention will be described in detail with the examples listed in conjunction with the drawings. The content of this specification refers to "up", "down", "inner", "outer", "top", and " Directional descriptive terms such as "bottom" are merely illustrative terms based on the normal direction of use, and are not intended to limit the scope of claims.

In order to explain the technical features of the present invention in detail, one of the following embodiments is given in conjunction with the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiment provides a trolley 1, which includes a frame 2 in its structure. Four runners 5 and a driving assembly 10. Among them, the frame 2 is used to carry objects. The frame 2 has a bottom plate 3 (see FIG. 6). The bottom plate 3 is provided with a guiding structure 4. The guiding structure 4 is a chute in this embodiment, and the guiding structure 4 There are several screw holes s1. The above-mentioned four wheels 5 are rotatably arranged on the bottom plate 3.

The driving assembly 10 includes a handle module 20, a driving module 30 and two rechargeable batteries (a first battery 41 and a second battery 42 respectively).

Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 4. The handle module 20 is detachably installed on one side of the frame 2 and is located at a predetermined height on the bottom plate 3 so that the general user can easily hold the handle module 20 and manipulate the trolley 1. The handle module 20 includes a main body 21, a first circuit board 22 arranged inside the main body 21, and two handles 23A, 23B. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the main body 21 is hollow in structure, and includes a mounting seat 211, an outer cover 212 disposed above the mounting seat 211, and a quick-release fixing plate 213. The mounting base 211 is provided with the above-mentioned first circuit board 22 and a motor parameter control port 214 (as shown in FIG. 3) is provided at the bottom. The first circuit board 22 is provided with a control unit 221. In this embodiment, the control unit 221 is A microprocessor. horse The parameter control port 214 is electrically connected to the first circuit board 22. As shown in Figure 2, the outer cover 212 is provided with a plurality of switches 217a, 217b (including the main switch 217a and the gear display switch 217b) and indicator lights 217c-217f (including the upshift indicator light 217c, downshift indicator light 217d, A battery power indicator light 217e, a second battery power indicator light 217f, and a driving wheel abnormal indicator light 217g), which are all electrically connected to the control unit 221 of the first circuit board 22 and can be controlled by the control unit 221, and are used to control the trolley 1 or Displays important information such as the current gear speed and battery level of the trolley 1. Please go back to Figure 1 and Figure 2. The quick release fixing plate 213 is in the shape of a long strip. The quick release fixing plate 213 is connected to the mounting base 211 and has several screw holes s2 on opposite sides, so that the user can pass the screws. The handle module 20 is installed on the frame 2 in a locked manner. The handles 23A, 23B are respectively connected to the left and right sides of the mounting seat 211 of the main body 21. In this embodiment, the handles 23A, 23B are tubular and used for the user to push and manipulate the trolley 1. Among them, the handle 23A is provided with a start switch 231 and a travel switch 232 (see FIG. 4), and the handle 23B is provided with a rocker switch 233 and an emergency stop switch 234. The start switch 231 is used to control the clutch 35 which will be described later. The travel switch 232 is used to control the direction of the auxiliary power of the trolley 1, and the start switch 231, the travel switch 232, the rocker switch 233 and the emergency stop switch 234 are all electrically connected to the control unit 221. The rocker switch 233 is used to control the gear speed of the drive module 30, and the emergency stop switch 234 is used to quickly control the clutch 35 of the drive module 30 that will be described later for safety purposes. This part will be done in the following paragraphs. Description.

In order to facilitate the internal wiring of the handle module 20, avoid clutter, and facilitate disassembly and maintenance, in this embodiment, a first socket 215 is also provided on the left and right sides of the mounting seat 211 (Figure 4 only shows one of them). The first socket part 215, the other first socket part 215 can be deduced by analogy), and the end of each grip 23A, 23B is provided with a second socket part 235, so that the grip 23A, 23B can pass The second socket part 235 is detachably socketed on the first socket part 215 of the mounting seat 211. A first through hole 216 is provided in the center of the first socket 215, and the first through hole 216 communicates with the inside of the mounting seat 211. In addition, the first socket 215 is also provided with a plurality of screw holes s3. The second socket part 235 also has several screw holes s4, which correspond to the screw holes of the first socket part 215 s3, the handles 23A, 23B can be combined with the mounting base 211 by screwing. A second through hole 236 is provided in the center of the second socket portion 235 to communicate with the inside of the handles 23A, 23B, so that the body 21, the first through hole 216, and the second through hole 236 can be connected to the insides of the handles 23A, 23B. It is easy to route.

Please refer to Figure 1, Figure 5, Figure 7 and Figure 10. The driving module 30 is electrically connected to the handle module 20 in a wired manner and can be controlled by the handle module 20. As shown in FIG. 10, the handle module 20 is electrically connected to a handle electric control port 6 of the frame 2 via a wire w1, and then electrically connected to the driving module 30 via a wire w2 inside the frame 2. The driving module 30 structurally includes a connecting member 31, a frame 32, two elastic members 33, a motor 34, a clutch 35, a driving wheel 36 and a wheel shaft 37. The connecting member 31 includes a mounting plate 311 and an upper structure 312. The mounting plate 311 is connected to the upper side of the upper structure 312. The mounting plate 311 is provided with a plurality of screw holes s5, and the mounting plate 311 and the upper structure 312 are formed between the two There is a gap 313, allowing the user to slidably fit the mounting plate 311 into the guide structure 4 (see Figure 6), and the drive module 30 and the frame 2 are combined into one body through a screw lock method to achieve The function of quick assembly and easy maintenance. The upper structure 312 is also provided with a pivot 314 and an upper connecting rod 315 arranged at intervals, and a second circuit board (not shown in the figure) is provided inside the upper structure 312, and a driving circuit and a second circuit board are provided on the second circuit board. A relay (not shown in the figure) can be controlled by the control unit 221 to drive the clutch 35 or the drive motor 34 to rotate.

The frame body 32 is rotatably connected to the connecting member 31 through the above-mentioned pivot 314. When the driving module 30 passes through the rugged ground G, the frame body 32 and the driving wheels 36 rotate downward at the maximum angle θ1 (Figure 8) And the maximum angle θ3 of upward rotation (as shown in Figure 9) is between -5 degrees and +25 degrees. It can be seen from Figure 8 that the angle between the tangent direction of the outer circumference of the driving wheel 36 and the ground is θ2 , The aforementioned included angle θ2 is exactly equal to the maximum downward rotation angle θ1, the size of the aforementioned included angle θ2 is related to the depth of the pothole on the ground G, and the range of the maximum limit rotation angle of the drive module 30 (that is, θ2+θ3) is intermediate Between -5 degrees and +25 degrees. Please return to Figure 5, the frame body 32 is provided with a lower connecting rod 321 and a stop member 38, the above two elastic members The two ends of 33 are respectively connected to the upper connecting rod 315 and the lower connecting rod 321 to provide elastic force to pull the frame 32. The stopping member 38 is close to the connecting member 31, and the stopping member 38 can also limit the range of the maximum limit rotation angle of the drive module 30. Through the elastic member 33, the wheel 5 and the driving wheel module 30 of the trolley 1 can always maintain good contact with the ground G during the traveling process, and in the case of poor road conditions on the ground G (as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 8). 9) Alleviate the chattering problem of the trolley 1 and maintain the stability of the trolley 1. It should be noted that both the upper connecting rod 315 and the lower connecting rod 321 can be provided with two limiting grooves (not shown in the figure) correspondingly, so that both ends of the elastic member 33 can be fixed to the limiting grooves, and so on. The position of the elastic member 33 can be effectively restricted, so that the action of the elastic member 33 can be more smoothly.

It should be noted that, in order for the elastic member 33 of the drive module 30 to still function effectively, so that the drive wheels 36 of the drive module 30 can always keep good contact with the ground G, the arrangement direction of the drive module 30 must be obliquely backward. Extend (that is, extend in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the hand stacker 1, see Figure 1).

The motor 34 is fixedly connected to the outside of the frame 32, the motor 34 is electrically connected to the second circuit board and the motor 34 has a deceleration mechanism 341, the axle 37 is rotatably arranged in the frame 32 (see FIG. 7), and the deceleration mechanism 341 The axle 37 is connected so that the axle 37 can rotate when the motor 34 is driven. The drive wheel 36 is provided on the axle 37, and the drive wheel 36 and the clutch 35 are provided coaxially. The driving wheel 36 can be pushed by the clutch 35 to enable the driving wheel 36 to be coupled or not coupled (disengaged) to the axle 37. At least a part of the driving wheel 36 protrudes out of the frame body 32. The driving wheel 36 is located approximately in the center of the bottom plate 3 (as shown in FIG. 1). The driving wheel 36 and the four wheels 5 mentioned above support the frame 2 together.

The specific operation mode of the clutch 35 is described as follows: in this embodiment, the clutch 35 is an electromagnetic clutch 35, which is electrically connected to a relay, and the clutch 35 is actuated by whether the signal of the relay is turned on or not. When the relay is turned on, the clutch 35 generates magnetic force to push the driving wheel 36, so that the driving wheel 36 is combined with the axle 37 (as shown in FIG. 7), so that the motor 34 can rotate the driving wheel 36 through the axle 37, so that the driving wheel 36 can move forward. Or back; when the relay is not conducting, the magnetic force generated by the clutch 35 disappears, and the drive wheel 36 will be pushed in the reverse direction so that the drive wheel 36 is not combined with the axle 37, so that the motor 34 cannot rotate the drive wheel 36 through the axle 37, so that the drive wheel 36 presents an idling state. Therefore, when the user pushes the trolley 1, the rotation of the driving wheel 36 does not reversely rotate the deceleration mechanism 341 and the motor 34, thereby generating reverse resistance, which can achieve the effect of saving effort.

The first battery 41 is disposed in the mounting seat 211 of the handle module 20 (as shown in FIG. 4 ). The first battery 41 is electrically connected to the first circuit board 22 and used to provide power for the operation of the handle module 20. The second battery 42 is disposed at the bottom of the bottom plate 3 (as shown in FIG. 6), and is electrically connected to the second circuit board and used to provide power for the operation of the driving module 30.

The operation mode of the drive assembly 10 will be described below. 1 to 7, when the user wants to use the auxiliary power provided by the drive module 30, the user must first activate the start switch 231, and the control unit 221 will control the clutch 35 so that the clutch 35 pushes the drive wheels 36 and The driving wheel 36 is combined with the axle 37. After that, the user can press the travel switch 232, and the control unit 221 will drive the motor 34 to rotate according to the position of the travel switch 232. Since the driving wheel 36 has been combined with the axle 37 at this time, the motor 34 can be controlled by the axle 37 The driving wheel 36 moves forward or backward. When the user wants to stop using the auxiliary power, the user only needs to release the start switch 231 on the handle, and the clutch 35 will push the driving wheel 36 in the reverse direction so that the driving wheel 36 is not combined with the axle 37, and the power output by the motor 34 is not available. It will be transmitted to the driving wheel 36. At this time, the driving wheel 36 will be in an idling state, and the driving module 30 will not output auxiliary power, so that the user can easily pull and stop the trolley 1. In addition, in an emergency, the user can also activate the emergency stop switch 234 to make the clutch 35 push the drive wheel 36 in the reverse direction so that the drive wheel 36 is not coupled to the axle 37, and turn off the motor 34 so that the drive module 30 can immediately Stop outputting auxiliary power to avoid danger.

Therefore, it can be seen that through the design of the drive assembly 10 described above, the user must activate the start switch 231 and the travel switch 232 on the handle module 20 at the same time, so that the drive module 30 can output auxiliary power, which can increase the safety in use. Sex. In addition, this embodiment also uses a start switch 231 and an emergency stop switch 234 to achieve double-layer protection, can improve the safety of use. Furthermore, the handle module 20 and the drive module 30 of the drive assembly 10 of this embodiment are both modular designs, so they can be widely and easily applied to various trolleys 1. The above are the characteristics of the driving assembly 10 of this embodiment.

Finally, it must be explained again that the structure and operation method disclosed in the foregoing embodiments of the present invention are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For example, any simple structural modifications or changes made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, Or replacement with other equivalent components should still fall within the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

1: trolley

2: Frame

5: Runner

10: Drive components

20: Handle module

30: drive module

Claims (10)

A driving assembly for a trolley, comprising: a handle module, including a body and two grips, a first circuit board is arranged inside the body, a control unit is arranged on the first circuit board, and the two grips are respectively connected On opposite sides of the main body, the handle module also has a start switch and a travel switch. Both the start switch and the travel switch are electrically connected to the control unit; a drive module is electrically connected to the handle module and can be received by the handle. Module control, the drive module includes a motor, a clutch, a drive wheel and a wheel shaft, the motor is connected to the wheel shaft, the clutch and the drive wheel are arranged on the wheel shaft, the clutch can be driven to push the drive wheel, So that the drive wheel is combined with or not combined with the axle; at least one rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the handle module and the drive module to provide power for the operation of the handle module and the drive module; wherein, when the start switch and When the travel switch is activated at the same time, the control unit controls the driving wheel to be combined with the axle through the clutch, so that the control unit can drive the motor to rotate the axle according to the travel switch, and then drive the driving wheel forward or backward; When the start switch is not activated, the control unit controls the driving wheel not to be combined with the axle through the clutch, so that the motor cannot rotate the driving wheel through the axle. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 1, wherein the start switch and the travel switch are both provided in one of the two grips. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 1, wherein the handle module further includes an emergency stop switch, and when the emergency stop switch is activated, the control unit controls the driving wheel not to be coupled with the axle through the clutch And turn off the motor of the drive module. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one rechargeable battery is two and is a first battery and a second battery, and the first battery is provided in the body and provides the handle mold The second battery provides power for the operation of the driving module and the driving module. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 1, wherein the system is hollow, two sides of the body are respectively provided with a first socket, and the center of the first socket is provided with a first through hole In order to communicate with the inside of the main body, each of the handles is tubular and has a second socket at the end. A second through hole is provided in the center of the second socket to communicate with the inside of the handle, and each of the handles passes through The second socket part is socketed to the first socket part, and the body, the two first through holes, and the two second through holes are all communicated with the inside of the two grips. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 1, wherein the driving module further includes a connecting piece and a frame, the frame is rotatably connected to the connecting piece, and the motor is fixed to the frame The clutch is arranged on the axle, the drive wheel is rotatably arranged on the frame, and at least a part of the drive wheel protrudes out of the frame. The driving assembly for a trolley according to claim 6, wherein the driving module further includes at least one elastic member, and two opposite ends of the at least one elastic member are respectively connected to the connecting member and the frame body. A trolley includes: a frame with a bottom plate; a plurality of wheels rotatably arranged on the bottom plate; the drive assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle module is detachably arranged on the One side of the frame is located at a predetermined height on the bottom plate, the drive module is detachably arranged on the bottom plate, and the drive module and the wheels support the frame together. The trolley according to claim 8, wherein the bottom plate is provided with a guiding structure, the driving module further includes a connecting piece and a frame, and the driving module is detachably fitted on the bottom plate through the connecting piece In the guiding mechanism, the frame body is rotatably connected to the connecting member, the motor is fixed to the frame body, the clutch is arranged on the frame body, the drive wheel is rotatably arranged on the frame body, and the At least a part of the driving wheel protrudes out of the frame. The trolley according to claim 9, wherein the guiding structure is a chute.

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