JP2001130204A - Swivel casters and vehicles equipped with swivel casters - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The present invention is to provide a vehicle such as a bogie to which a free caster is attached, while being a free caster capable of freely eccentric rotation. The present invention relates to a bracket 27 on which wheels 23 are rotatably mounted, and a movable frame 21 on which the brackets 27 are mounted so as to be able to rotate eccentrically at a predetermined eccentric amount perpendicular to the axis 24 of the wheels 23. Caster 28 consisting of
In the above, the movable frame 21 is a vehicle body,
For example, in a state where the eccentric axis of the bracket 27 is attached to the fixed frame 20 of the bogie 31 so that the bogie 31 can run stably in the forward and backward directions with respect to the vertical line of the vehicle body, slant forward when moving forward, and slant backward when moving backward. A swivel caster 28 variably mounted and the swivel caster 2
8 on the vehicle.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a universal caster mounted on the underside of various vehicles including a bogie, a wheelchair, a stroller, a work vehicle having an arbitrary shape, and a vehicle equipped with a universal caster. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the case of a vehicle, for example, a trolley for carrying luggage by pushing a steering wheel, for example, all four wheels attached to the back of the body of the trolley are free casters, or only wheels in front of the trolley are provided. Is a free caster, and the rear wheels are fixed wheels, or only the rear wheels of the bogie are free wheels, and the front wheels are fixed wheels.

[0003]

First, in the case where all four wheels attached to the trolley are free casters, the trolley can be moved obliquely back and forth, left and right, but even if the handle is pushed straight, depending on the condition of the ground contact surface. Has a drawback in that it is extremely difficult and difficult to move the bogie straight forward due to the lateral force acting on the wheels of the universal caster. However, in order to ensure the straightness of the bogie when the handle is pushed, only the front wheels of the bogie are free casters, and fixed casters are attached to the rear wheels. While it can be pushed straight, when changing direction of the bogie, only the left and right sides of the handle must be pushed to apply a left-right force to the free caster at the front position of the bogie away from the handle. Unless a considerable force is applied to the steering wheel, the front wheel cannot be swung to the left or right, which is not suitable for carrying heavy objects. Therefore, in order to make it easy to change the direction of the cart when carrying heavy objects, the front of the cart is fixed wheels and the rear wheel is a free caster. In this case, both the handle and the free caster are at the rear position of the cart. Therefore, the left-right force on the steering wheel is transmitted to the free caster as it is, and it is easy to change the direction of the bogie when carrying heavy loads, but it is difficult for the rear wheels to push the bogie straight because the rear wheels are free casters, Although the straightness is ensured by pulling the bogie, there is a drawback that the pulling operation of pulling and moving the bogie is difficult. In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a universal caster capable of securing straightness and a vehicle equipped with a universal caster, and a handle including a straightness capable universal caster-attached vehicle of the universal adjustable caster secured with straightness. An object of the present invention is to provide almost all vehicles such as trolleys and baby carriages having a function of climbing over steps and a function of climbing and descending stairs.

[0004]

That is, the present invention provides a bracket on which a wheel is rotatably mounted, and a main body on which the bracket is mounted so as to be eccentrically rotatable at a predetermined eccentric amount perpendicular to the axis of the wheel. In the universal caster, the main body, in a state in which the main body is attached to the vehicle body, the eccentric axis of the bracket is capable of moving forward and backward in a stable manner with respect to the vertical line of the vehicle body, and at an angle forward when moving forward. , A universal caster that can be changed obliquely to the rear when moving backwards, and a universal caster on the back of the vehicle body,
There is provided a vehicle provided with a universal caster mounted such that the eccentric axis of the universal caster is obliquely changed with respect to a vertical line of the vehicle body so that the vehicle body can travel stably in the forward and backward directions.

[0005]

In this manner, a free caster whose eccentric axis of the bracket can be changed obliquely with respect to the vertical line of the main body with respect to the forward and backward directions is provided on the rear surface of the rectangular body in the same direction as the traveling direction. In the case of a bogie having no handles, for example, a vehicle with a single wheel, the eccentric axis of the swivel caster is inclined in the traveling direction of the bogie, and the wheels are also inclined and turned in the traveling direction of the bogie. In this case, if the user puts his hand on the luggage placed on the trolley and pushes the trolley to move the trolley forward, the wheel position of the bracket is directed to the rear of the trolley. In this forward state, although a left-right eccentric rotational force acts on the wheels depending on the state of the ground contact surface, when the wheel is eccentrically rotated, the vehicle body is lifted in accordance with the inclination angle of the bracket eccentric axis.
As a result, when an eccentric rotational force in the left-right direction acts on the wheels in the forward state, a return force corresponding to the weight of the bogie, that is, a restoring force acts on each wheel, and the straightness of the bogie in the forward direction is secured. Is done. Next, in response to the direction change of the bogie, when an external force in the left and right direction is applied to each of the front and rear free casters through the hand on the luggage on the bogie, each swivel caster corresponds to the weight of the entire bogie including the transported luggage It rotates eccentrically while receiving the returning force. As a result, the trolley can easily change the direction of travel by the eccentric rotation of the adjustable caster corresponding to manual pushing, and after changing the direction of travel, pushing the trolley straight and restoring each free caster The force returns to the original forward posture, and the bogie can move forward easily and easily while maintaining straightness without fluctuation. Next, in this forward state, when the worker goes forward and applies a force in the return direction to the bogie to move the bogie backward, each universal caster changes its direction in the traveling direction, and the eccentric axis of each universal caster is changed. In this case, the vehicle is inclined in the reverse direction with respect to the vertical axis of the main body. As a result, the bogie changes its rectilinearity in the reverse direction, so that the bogie can move backward stably. The front wheel is a fixed caster, and the rear wheel is a free caster in which the direction of the eccentric axis can be changed according to the traveling direction so that the straightness can be maintained. Straightness can be ensured.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a configuration for explaining a basic concept of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, a bracket 3 on which a wheel 1 is rotatably mounted via a shaft 2 is fixed to a thrust bearing 4 so as to be rotatable rotatably at a predetermined eccentric amount d orthogonal to the shaft 2 of the wheel 1. Attached to a circular inclined projection 7 formed at the center of a rectangular plate-shaped main body 6 via a shaft 5, the eccentric axis C 1 of the bracket 3 is attached to the vertical line V 1 of the main body 6 in this mounted state.
The caster 8 is tilted by an angle S1 with respect to the tilting projection 7 so as to be able to tilt and turn with respect to the conventional horizontal turning. Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the main body 6 of the swivel caster 8 thus formed is
0 The eccentric axis C
1 is tilted rearward by S1 angle, and the conventional eccentric axis C2 of the bracket 13 is aligned with the vertical line V2 of the main body 14 at the rear position of the back of the vehicle body 12 of the bogie 11. The caster 15 moves the main body 14 at a taper angle S1 with respect to the flat surface of the rear surface of the vehicle body 12.
Taper spacer 16, taper washer 17, and bolt 1
8, the eccentric shaft center C2 is attached to the rear side at an angle of S1.

Next, the operation of this configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. The eccentric axis C1 of the bracket 3 is attached to the front side of the rectangular body 12 on the back side of the rectangular body 12, and the eccentric axis C1 of the bracket 3 is attached to the eccentric axis C1 of the bracket 3 at an angle to the vertical line V1 of the main body 6. The main body 14 of the conventional free caster 15 in which two eccentric axes C2 of the bracket 13 are aligned with the vertical line V2 of the main body 14 is attached to the main body 14 after being tilted in the pushing direction of the handle 10 in the advancing direction. At the left and right positions, a bracket 13 is provided via a taper spacer 16, a taper washer 17, and a bolt 18.
The eccentric axis C2 is inclined in the pushing direction of the handle 10 in the traveling direction, and the handle 10 of the two carts 11 attached is pushed. As described above, when the cart 11 is advanced by pushing the handle 10, the wheels 1 of the brackets 3, 13 of the fore-aft casters 8, 15 face the rear of the cart 11. In this forward state, a lateral eccentric rotational force acts on the wheel 1 depending on the state of the ground contact surface, but when the wheel 1 is eccentrically rotated, the body 12 of the bogie 11 is lifted corresponding to the eccentric axis C1, C2 inclination angles of the brackets 3, 13. Will be done. As a result, when an eccentric rotational force in the left-right direction acts on the wheels 1 in the forward state, a returning force, that is, a restoring force, acts on each wheel 1 in accordance with the weight of the truck 11 and the transported luggage.
Of the vehicle in the forward direction is ensured. Next, when an external force in the left-right direction is applied to each of the front and rear free casters 8 and 15 via the handle 10 in response to the direction change of the cart 11, each of the free casters 8 and 15 causes the entire cart 11 including the transported luggage to move. It rotates eccentrically while receiving a return force corresponding to the weight, that is, a restoring force. As a result, the carriage 11 can easily and easily change the traveling direction by the eccentric rotation of the fore-and-aft free casters 8, 15 corresponding to the handling of the handle 10, and when the handle 10 is pushed straight, the respective casters 8, 15 Is restored to the original forward posture by the restoring force,
The carriage 11 can easily and easily move forward without swaying while maintaining straightness. The free casters 8, 1 in which the front wheels are fixed casters and the rear wheels have the eccentric axes C1, C2 of the brackets 3, 13 inclined forward.
As a fifth example, even if the direction of the bogie is easily changed in the heavy-carriage state, the forward straightness of the bogie can be easily secured. In addition, each of the four front, rear, left and right swivel casters to be mounted on the bogie is a tiltable swivel caster 8 in which the bracket 3 is tilted with respect to the main body 6 from the beginning, and can be mounted on the bogie body by tilting in the conventional horizontal swivel. The universal caster 15 can be used. Further, in the present embodiment, the conventional horizontally rotatable caster 15 is attached to the vehicle body 12 through the tapered spacer 16, but the tapered spacer 16 is attached to the vehicle body 1.
2, the projections can be formed from the beginning. When the body 6, 14 of each of the swivel casters 8, 15 is changed to a bar, and the bar of the swivel caster is inserted into a pipe or a hole to be mounted, the axis of the bar and the eccentric axis of the bracket to which the wheel is attached. In the case of a conventional horizontal swivel caster in which the axis of the rod-shaped body and the eccentric axis of the bracket with wheels are aligned, the pipe or hole on which the The opened plate can be formed by being inclined with respect to the vehicle body from the beginning.

Next, the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention based on the basic concept of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a U-shaped movable frame 21 is rotated via a shaft 22 on a U-shaped fixing frame 20 attached to the four corners of the back surface of the rectangular base plate 19. A bracket 27 is attached to the movable frame 21 via a thrust bearing 25 and a stop shaft 26 so as to be eccentric to a predetermined eccentricity d perpendicular to the shaft 24 of the wheel 23, and a movable caster 28 is attached to the movable frame 21. Has formed. In this mounted state, in a state where the left and right upper sides 29 and 30 of the movable frame 21 are in contact with the fixed frame 20, the eccentric axis C3 of the bracket 27 is inclined by a predetermined inclination S3 angle with respect to the vertical line V3 of the fixed frame 20. Leaning.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When the carriage 31 is moved forward (tentatively in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 3) by pushing the luggage (not shown) on the plate-like carriage 31 without a handle, also called a roll pallet, which is configured as described above, the wheel of the bracket 27 of each free caster 28 is moved. Position 23 is a trolley 3
1 is facing the back. In this forward state, although the eccentric rotational force in the left and right direction acts on the wheels 23 depending on the state of the grounding surface, the eccentric rotation causes the base plate 19 of the carriage 31 to be lifted in accordance with the inclination angle of the eccentric axis C3 of the bracket 27. Become. As a result, when an eccentric rotational force in the left-right direction acts on the wheels 23 in the forward state, the bogies 3
1 and a restoring force corresponding to the weight of the load, that is, a restoring force acts, so that the bogie 31 can move straight in the forward direction. Next, in response to the direction change of the cart 31, when an external force in the left-right direction is applied to each free caster 28 via a load,
Each swivel caster 28 eccentrically rotates while receiving a return force corresponding to the weight of the entire carriage 31 including the transported luggage, that is, a restoring force. As a result, the traveling direction of the cart 31 can be easily and easily changed by the eccentric rotation of the respective casters 28 corresponding to the pushing direction, and when the cart 31 is pushed straight through the load, the respective casters 28 The restoring force acts to return to the original forward posture, and the carriage 31 can easily and easily move forward without swaying while maintaining the straightness. Next, when the carriage 31 is moved backward (tentatively in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 4) by pushing the luggage (not shown) of the carriage 31 in the forward state, the bracket 2
The position of the wheel 23 of 7 is directed forward of the bogie 31,
The upper left side 29 of the movable frame 21 shown in FIG.
The eccentric axis C3 of the bracket 27 is perpendicular to the vertical line V of the fixed frame 20.
The angle S3 is set in advance with respect to the angle S3. As shown in FIG. 4, the inclination is as shown in FIG. Next, FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the upper side of the movable frame 32 is formed in an arc shape, and a hole in the movable frame 32 to be fitted to the shaft 22 of the fixed frame 20 is formed. The upper side of the movable frame 32 is always in circular contact with the fixed frame 20 by making the shape slightly inverted or slightly increasing the hole depending on the rotation angle, so that the movement of the movable frame 32 can be smoothed. Are similar in configuration, operation and effect to the first embodiment.

Next, FIGS. 8 and 9 show folding handles 35 and 36 for enabling the vehicle 31 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 to climb over the step 33 and to go up and down the stairs 34, in this case,
A small handle 35 rotating between arrows C in FIG. 8, a large handle 36 rotating between arrows D + E in FIG. 8, a small handle 35 pushing bar 39 attached to the large handle 36, and a handle bracket are provided on a shaft 38 of the handle bracket 37. A tension spring 41 hung between a stop bar 40 attached to the 37 and a long hole 42 of the handle bracket 37
8, a lock bar 43 that moves up and down against the urging force of a spring, not shown, in the direction of arrow F in FIG.
8 is moved to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
Normally non-grounded intermediate fixed casters 46 for supporting the center of the bogie 45 on the step 33 when the front end is lifted.
In order to make it easy for the front end of the bogie 45 to be caught on the upper stairs when climbing the stairs 34, the bogie 45 in front of the front free casters 47
This is a third embodiment of the present invention in which a pilot caster 48 in a normally non-grounded state attached to the center of the front end and auxiliary wheels 49 at the rear end of the bogie 45 are attached. Next, FIG. 10 shows a horizontal turning pilot caster 5 with the pilot caster 48 of the bogie 45 shown in FIGS.
A support bar 52 for lifting and supporting a substantially central portion of the bogie 51 on the stairs 34 when the bogie 51 is set up and down on the stairs 34. In this case, the support bar 52 is urged by a tension spring 53 and is in contact with the bogie 51. The support bar 52, which can be locked / unlocked by a magnet chuck, a stopper, or the like (not shown), and has an auxiliary wheel 54 attached to the end thereof, is connected to a G in FIG.
A fourth aspect of the present invention in which when the vehicle is mounted so as to be rotatable between the arrows and the support bar 52 is unlocked during traveling on level ground, the brake shoe 55 on the tip side surface of the support bar 52 comes into pressure contact with the ground to apply a brake to the bogie 51. This is an example. The handle 35, 36 device, the intermediate fixed caster 46, the pilot casters 48, 50, and the support bar 52 device shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 are each applied to a conventional bogie using a fixed caster partially in an arbitrary combination. It can also be done.

[0011]

As a result, the present invention has the effect of allowing a vehicle such as a bogie to which the universal caster is attached to have a straight running property, even though the universal caster can be freely eccentrically rotated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cart 11 showing a basic concept of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the swivel caster 8 of the carriage 11;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a forward state of the bogie 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a backward movement state of the bogie 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of the swivel caster 28 of the truck 31.

FIG. 6 is a partially broken left side view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a movable frame 32 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a truck 45 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a partially cutaway right side view of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a truck 51 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheel 2 shaft 3 Bracket 4 Thrust bearing 5 Stop shaft 6 Main body 7 Inclined projection 8 Swivel caster 9 Bolt 10 Handle 11 Bogie 12 Car body 13 Bracket 14 Main body 15 Swivel caster 16 Tapered spacer 17 Taper washer 18 Bolt 19 Base plate 20 Fixed frame Reference Signs List 21 movable frame 22 axis 23 wheels 24 axis 25 thrust bearing 26 stop axis 27 bracket 28 free caster 29 upper left side 30 upper right side 31 bogie 32 movable frame 33 steps 34 stairs 35 small handle 36 large handle 37 handle bracket 38 axis 39 push bar Reference Signs List 40 stop bar 41 spring 42 long hole 43 lock bar 44 rear adjustable caster 45 cart 46 intermediate fixed caster 47 front adjustable caster 48 pilot caster 49 auxiliary wheel 50 pilot Yasuta 51 car 52 support bar 53 spring 54 auxiliary wheel 55 brake shoes

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A universal caster comprising: a bracket on which wheels are rotatably mounted; and a main body on which the brackets are mounted so as to be eccentric and rotatable at a predetermined eccentric amount perpendicular to the axis of the wheels. In a state where the main body is mounted on the vehicle body, the eccentric axis of the bracket is mounted so that the vehicle body can travel forward and backward in a stable manner with respect to the vertical line of the vehicle body; A universal caster characterized by being made. 2. A universal caster is mounted on a rear surface of a vehicle body such that an eccentric axis of the universal caster is obliquely changeable with respect to a vertical line of the vehicle body so that the vehicle can travel stably in a forward and backward direction. Vehicle equipped with a swivel caster.