WO2012001717A1

WO2012001717A1 - Braking assembly, particularly for wheels of trolleys, bins and manually moved structures in general

Info

Publication number: WO2012001717A1
Application number: PCT/IT2010/000296
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Guindani
Original assignee: Ru In Car Srl
Priority date: 2010-07-02
Filing date: 2010-07-02
Publication date: 2012-01-05

Abstract

A braking assembly, particularly for wheels of trolleys, bins and manually moved structures in general, of the type that can be associated with a support fork (A), for a wheel (B) of a structure (C) to be moved. The assembly (1) comprises at least one bracket (2) for supporting lever means (3) provided with a pedal (4), which in turn is articulated to the bracket (2) and is associated with a braking organ (5); the organ (5) is movable between two elastically stable configurations, respectively of disengagement from the wheel (B) and of locking it. The bracket (2) comprises an accommodation opening (6) for an appendage (4a) of the pedal (4), in the locked configuration. The lever means (3) comprise a closing fluke (7), which is located above so as to cover the opening (6) and which is movable with respect to the bracket (2), after coming into contact with the appendage (4a), in the locked configuration.

Description

BRAKING ASSEMBLY, PARTICULARLY FOR WHEELS OF TROLLEYS, BINS AND MANUALLY MOVED STRUCTURES IN GENERAL

Technical Field

The present invention refers to a braking assembly, particularly for wheels of trolleys, bins and manually moved structures in general.

Background Art

As is known, in several different sectors of application the use of manually moved structures is provided, such as trolleys for transporting products (in a shopping centre), refuse collection bins and, more generally, equipment of any type (for example, medical equipment), for which it is necessary to allow the user to move such structures in a practical and easy manner.

This aim is typically achieved by providing, underneath the structure to be moved, wheels that are made of various different materials and which are provided with the capability to rotate about a vertical axis of hinging with the structure itself, to enable the user to vary the direction of translational movement of the structure without needing to turn it around, thus favouring its manoeuvrability.

The wheels are typically provided with a braking assembly, which can be actuated at will, for locking and releasing the wheel itself, in order to be able to brake the trolley or other structure in a pre-established position. Such braking assembly comprises lever means (which can be controlled by means of the user's foot), which are articulated on the fork that supports the wheel: the action of the user's foot rotates such lever means from a configuration of disengagement from the wheel to -one of locking the wheel (typically by means of friction), and vice versa.

In more detail, in each of the two configurations the user can act with his or her foot on respective levers that protrude from a bracket that supports the lever means, to enable these levers to pass through the bracket (which is suitably provided with holes) until they come into contact with the braking organs of the lever means, so as to impose their engagement with and disengagement from the wheel, with consequent respective locking and release of the wheel.

Such a solution is not, however, without drawbacks.

First and foremost, it must be observed that the necessity to make holes in the bracket, so as to allow the lever to pass through it and thus control the braking organs, is a source, for the braking assembly and for the wheel, of potential malfunctions. In fact, the hole exposes the lever means, and the other elements located under the bracket, to contamination from materials (dust, processing residues, liquids of various types et cetera) which may fall on the bracket during use (or parking) of the structure.

In addition, the need to resort to levers that protrude upwards (by several centimetres) for controlling the braking assembly perceptibly increases the vertical encumbrance of the wheel, making their use effectively impossible in some specific applications, in particular for those applications that have lowered sides arranged below the base level of the structure to be moved and which would interfere with the above mentioned protruding levers, making their actuation, and more generally their use, impossible. Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a braking assembly that is capable of effectively locking a wheel of a manually moved structure without the risk of contamination and malfunctions due to dust, liquids and/or other materials falling on it.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a braking assembly that offers minimal encumbrance, particularly in the vertical direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a braking assembly that is adapted to lock wheels designed for any structure to be manually moved. A further object of the invention is to provide a braking assembly that ensures a high level of reliability in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a braking assembly that can be easily made from elements and materials that are easily sourced on the market.

A further object of the invention is to provide a braking assembly that has a low cost and which can be applied safely.

This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a braking assembly, particularly for wheels of trolleys, bins and manually moved structures in general, of the type that can be associated with a support fork, for a wheel of a structure to be moved, and comprising at least one bracket for supporting lever means provided with a pedal, which is articulated to said bracket and which is associated with a braking organ, said organ being movable between two elastically stable configurations, respectively of disengagement from the wheel and of locking it, said bracket comprising an accommodation opening for an appendage of said pedal, at said locked configuration, characterised in that said lever means comprise a closing fluke, which is located above so as to cover said opening and which is movable with respect to said bracket, after coming into contact with said appendage, in said locked configuration. Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of. the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the braking assembly according to the invention, illustrated by way of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the braking assembly according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the braking assembly according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a top view of the braking assembly according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3. Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figures, the braking assembly according to the invention, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 1, is of the type that can be associated with a support fork A for a wheel B of a structure C to be moved.

It should be made clear from this point onward that the use of the assembly 1 for braking wheels B that are installed idle on structures C to be manually moved, which include, for the purposes of a non-limiting illustration of the application of the invention, trolleys that are normally used in shopping centres, refuse collection bins, ice-cream machines, and mobile scaffoldings that are used in the construction industry, is covered in the claimed scope of protection.

Reference will therefore be made to these applications hereinafter in the present description, but the use, which in any case comes under the scope of protection claimed herein, is not excluded of the assembly 1 according to the invention for locking wheels B destined for various different sectors of application, according to the specific functional requirements.

The assembly 1 comprises at least one bracket 2 for supporting lever means 3 provided with a pedal 4. As can be seen from the accompanying figures, the bracket 2 is hinged to the fork A about an articulation pin 2a, which is accommodated in holes D of the fork A and in slots 2b that are formed in terminal tabs 2c of the bracket 2.

The coupling of the fork A and the bracket 2 is rendered rigid by shoulders 2d of such bracket, which, on opposite sides with respect to the pin 2a, come into contact against respective surfaces of the fork A.

The pedal 4 is articulated to the bracket 2 and is associated with a braking organ 5, which in its turn is movable between two elastically stable configurations, respectively of disengagement from the wheel B (to allow the movement of the structure C) and of locking the wheel B (according to methods which will be described hereinafter and so as to prevent accidental and/or undesired movements of the structure C).

The bracket 2 also comprises an accommodation opening 6 for an appendage 4a of the pedal 4, when such pedal is in the locked configuration.

According to the invention, the lever means 3 comprise a closing fluke 7, which is arranged above so as to cover the opening 6 and which is movable with respect to the bracket 2, after coming into contact with the appendage 4a, in the locked configuration.

So when the assembly 1 is in the disengaged configuration, shown in the accompanying figures, the fluke 7 substantially rests on the upper surface of the fork A, upon which the opening 6 is formed, which can thus be substantially covered by the fluke 7, preventing the passage and fall of contaminant materials to the areas underneath.

When the assembly 1 is in the locked configuration, with the appendage 4a which is brought inside the opening 6, the fluke 7, pushed by the appendage 4a, is lifted slightly, maintaining a position whereby it covers the opening 6 but without perceptibly increasing the overall encumbrance, so achieving the intended aim and objects.

In particular, the lever means 3 comprise means of articulation of the fluke 7 to the bracket 2, so as to allow the rotation of the fluke 7, with its consequent partial lifting, after coming into contact with the appendage 4a, which protrudes upwards from the bracket 2 with a minimal portion thereof in the locked configuration.

In such configuration therefore, a pressure (applied with the user's foot) on the raised fluke 7, which effectively forms an actuation button and which comes into contact with the above mentioned minimal portion, allows to transmit a movement to the appendage 4a so as to command the passage from the locked configuration to the disengaged configuration.

More specifically, as can be seen in particular from Figure 2, the articulation means comprise a pair of slots 2e, which are formed along the bracket 2 and which are adapted to coupling, due to their shape, with- play, with protruding flaps 7a of the fluke 7, which are located at an end portion of its flanks.

According to an embodiment of important practical interest, cited for the purposes of non-limiting illustration of the application of the invention, the pedal 4 comprises a first plate 4b, which is articulated to the bracket 2 and which protrudes externally from it on the opposite side with respect to the fork A.

The user can thus exercise a pressure on the first plate 4b, with a foot, to determine the rotation of the pedal 4 with respect to the bracket 2 and so determine the passage from the disengaged configuration to the locked configuration.

More specifically, the appendage 4a of the pedal 4 is substantially constituted by a second plate, which is arranged on a plane that intersects with that of the first plate 4b: the lower surface of the second plate can thus come into contact, during the rotation of the pedal 4 and before passing through the opening 6, with the braking organ 5 so as to command, following the application of pressure by the user's foot, the passage of the braking organ 5 and of the assembly 1 according to the invention from the disengaged configuration to the locked configuration.

Conveniently, with further but not exclusive reference to the preferred embodiment, the braking organ 5 comprises a lamina 8 that is articulated to the bracket 2 and which is located below it. A protrusion 8a runs downward from the lamina 8, and comes into contact with the lamina to brake it, by means of friction, when the lamina 8 is arranged in the locked configuration.

Advisably, in order to ensure the stable maintenance of the disengaged configuration (and to avoid the hazard of accidental locking in the absence of mechanical actions on the pedal 4), the braking organ 5 comprises elastic means for stable coupling with the bracket 2. In particular, such elastic means comprise at least one extension 8b that runs from the lamina 8 and which is free to oscillate by elastic deformation. In the disengaged configuration the elastic reaction of the extension 8b keeps it pressed against the pin 2a that articulates the bracket 2 to the fork A (in the mutual arrangement shown in Figure 4), so ensuring the stability of the position of the braking organ 5 (and of the assembly 1 according to the invention) in the absence of mechanical actions on the pedal 4.

Similarly, in order to ensure the stable maintenance of the locked configuration in the absence of mechanical actions on the fluke 7, the pedal 4 and the lamina 8 have respective sections of mutually conjugate conformation, to achieve a coupling, due to their shape, in the locked configuration. For example, such coupling can occur between the edge formed by the first plate 4b and the second plate of the pedal 4 and raised end edges 8c of the lamina 8.

The operation of the braking assembly according to the invention is as follows.

In the disengaged configuration, shown in the accompanying figures, the braking organ 5 is kept at a distance from the wheel B and so it allows the movement of the structure C to which the wheel B is coupled.

As noted, the presence of elastic means, such as the extension 8b, ensures the maintenance of such disengaged configuration, so avoiding the hazard of accidental activations of the braking assembly 1 according to the invention. At the same time, the fluke 7 is kept covering the opening 6, so preventing the fall of dust, liquids and/or other contaminant materials to the areas underneath.

If the user wants to lock the wheel B, it is sufficient for him or her to use his or her foot to exert a pressure on the pedal 4 (and in particular on the first plate 4b which protrudes outwards), so as to defeat the elastic reaction of the extension 8b and determine the rotation of the pedal 4, and therefore of the braking organ 5, which is brought into contact, at least with the protrusion 8a of the lamina 8, against the wheel B, stopping it by friction.

At the same time, the rotation of the pedal 4 brings the appendage 4a to pass through the opening 6, accommodating and coming into contact against the fluke 7, which lifts slightly and therefore without perceptibly increasing the overall encumbrance of the assembly 1.

So in this configuration as well, the minimal rotation of the fluke 7 ensures that the opening 6 is covered, so achieving the intended aim.

To restore the disengaged configuration, the user can act on the raised fluke 7 (which acts as a button), by using his or her foot to exert a pressure on it, so as to command the rotation in the opposite direction of the pedal 4 and of the braking organ 5, with the consequent decoupling of the wheel B from the protrusion 8a and from the lamina 8.

It should be emphasised that, in the locked configuration as well, the braking assembly 1 ensures the maintenance of the mutual arrangement of the elements, and therefore the impossibility of an undesired disengagement of the braking organ 5, thanks to the coupling, due to their shape, between the conjugate sections of the pedal 4 and of the lamina 8.

Lastly, it should be noted that the minimal vertical encumbrance of the assembly 1 according to the invention, even in the locked configuration, makes an effective application possible even on structures C with lowered bottom edges, unlike what occurs with assemblies of a known type.

In practice it has been found that the braking assembly according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since the choice to use lever means that comprise a closing fluke that is arranged so as to cover the opening provided in the bracket supporting the lever means and which is movable with respect to such bracket, makes it possible to effectively lock the wheel of a manually moved structure without the risk of contamination and malfunctions due to dust, liquids and/or other materials falling on it.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; in addition, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In the embodiments illustrated, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, existing in other embodiments.

In addition, it should be noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.

In practice the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the a t.

Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included . for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A braking assembly, particularly for wheels of trolleys, bins and manually moved structures in general, of the type that can be associated with a support fork (A), for a wheel (B) of a structure (C) to be moved, and which comprises at least one bracket (2) for supporting lever means (3) provided with a pedal (4), which is articulated to said bracket (2) and which is associated with a braking organ (5), said organ (5) being movable between two elastically stable configurations, respectively of disengagement from the wheel (B) and of locking it, said bracket (2) comprising an accommodation opening (6) for an appendage (4a) of said pedal (4), in said locked configuration, characterised in that said lever means (3) comprise a closing fluke (7), which is arranged above so as to cover said opening (6) and which is movable with respect to said bracket (2), after coming into contact with said appendage (4a), in said locked configuration.

2. The braking assembly according to claim 1 , characterised in that said lever means (3) comprise means for articulation of said fluke (7) to said bracket (2), for its rotation, with consequent partial lifting, after coming into contact with said appendage (4a), protruding upwards from said bracket (2) with a minimum portion thereof in said locked configuration, a pressure on said raised fluke (7), coming into contact with said portion in the locked configuration, transmitting a movement to said appendage (4a) for the passage from said locked configuration to said disengaged configuration.

3. The braking assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that said articulation means comprise a pair of slots (2e), which are formed along said bracket (2) and which are adapted to coupling, due to their shape, with play, with protruding flaps (7a) of said fluke (7), which are located at an end portion of its flanks.

4. The braking assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said pedal (4) comprises a first plate (4b), which is articulated to said bracket (2) and which protrudes externally from it on the opposite side with respect to said fork (A), a pressure on said first plate (4b), from a foot, determining a rotation of said pedal (4) for the passage from said disengaged configuration to said locked configuration.

5. The braking assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said appendage (4a) is substantially constituted by a second plate, which is arranged on a plane that intersects with that of said first plate (4b), the lower surface of said second plate coming into contact against said braking organ (5) for its passage from said disengaged configuration to said locked configuration during the rotation of said pedal (4).

6. The braking assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said braking organ (5) comprises a lamina (8) that is articulated to said bracket (2) and which is located below it, a protrusion (8a) running downwards from said lamina (8) which is adapted to lock the wheel (B), by friction, with said lamina (8) arranged in the locked configuration.

7. The braking assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said braking organ (5) comprises elastic means for stable coupling with said bracket (2), which act in said disengaged configuration so as to maintain said disengaged configuration in the absence of mechanical actions on said pedal (4).

8. The braking assembly according to claim 7, characterised in that said elastic means comprise at least one extension (8b) that runs from said lamina (8) and which oscillates owing to elastic deformation, in said disengaged configuration the elastic reaction of said extension (8b) keeping it pressed against a pin (2a) for articulating said bracket (2) to said fork (A), for the stability of the position of said braking organ (5) in the absence of mechanical actions on said pedal (4).

9. The braking assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said pedal (4) and said lamina (8) have respective sections of mutually conjugate conformation, for coupling, due to their shape, in said locked configuration, for the stable maintenance of said locked configuration in the absence of mechanical actions on said fluke (7).