WO2006081700A1 - Support means for a radiator - Google Patents

Abstract

A support means for a radiator comprises a main frame and at least one wheel frame installed under the said main frame. A wheel assembly is rotatablely installed on the lower portion of the said wheel frame. The said wheel frame includes a transversely extended inserting part. The said main frame includes a guide slot to receive the said inserting part. The said wheel frame is connected with the said main frame via the said inserting part and the said guide slot. An elastic mating member is provided between the said inserting part and the said main frame. The said support means is easy for user to install, and allow the radiator suitable to packaged transportation.

Description

 Improved support caster structure

 Technical field:

 The present invention relates to a support caster for carrying a movable object, and more particularly to a support caster structure that is mounted on the bottom of an oil-filled electric heater to facilitate movement and labor saving.

 Background technique:

 Oil-filled electric heaters are increasingly favored by consumers because of their environmental protection, sanitation, and pollution-free. In order to make them easy to move and save during use, it is generally necessary to install a roller structure at the bottom. However, when the roller is installed, the space occupied by the electric heater (especially the lateral space) is increased, which brings a lot of troubles to packaging and transportation. Therefore, in the prior art, in order to reduce the volume occupied by the whole of the electric heater during transportation and packaging, the roller is generally not installed in advance, but is installed by the user after purchase. This not only increases the workload of the user, but also causes inconvenience to the user when there is a mismatch or inadvertent loss of the accessory, and even complains to the manufacturer.

 In order to overcome the above defects, the manufacturer has improved the structure of the electric heater casters, such as PCT/EP02/10578 PCT patent (International Publication No. WO03/042608, which was applied for by LONGHI SPA DE, Italy, has entered the US national stage, the United States Publication No. US2004/0245417) discloses a folding caster structure for supporting an electric heater, comprising a flat frame and a roller base hinged to both ends of the frame, the lower part of the roller base being rotatably mounted with a roller . The caster structure can open the roller base to a horizontal state during use; the roller base can be rotated inward to the bottom of the frame during packaging and transportation, that is, folded. The electric heater caster, although having some progress over the prior art, can greatly reduce the workload of the user. However, since the roller base and the roller still occupy the height direction space after the casters are folded, the packaging and transportation are still inconvenient.

 Summary of the invention:

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to completely overcome the deficiencies of the above prior art. Providing an improved support caster structure, which not only can be quickly installed, does not increase the workload of the purchaser, and is greatly convenient for the purchaser to operate; and does not excessively increase the object to which the caster is mounted (such as eMule) The packaging volume of the device is extremely convenient for packaging and transportation.

 An improved support caster structure according to the present invention includes a main body bracket and at least one roller bracket mounted on the main body bracket, and a lower portion of the roller bracket is rotatably mounted with a roller assembly, the roller bracket having a a laterally extending insertion portion, the main body bracket having a guide groove for receiving the insertion portion, the roller bracket and the main body bracket being mounted together by the insertion portion and the guide groove; The portion and the main body bracket have a resiliently snapped mating structure.

 The support caster structure according to the present invention further has the following technical features: the elastic snap-fitted structure includes a tenon and a closed groove respectively disposed on the roller bracket and the main body bracket, and the tenon can Engaged in the closed recess, at least one of which is an elastic structure.

 The roller bracket is a plate-shaped body with a step structure, the front portion has a smaller width than the rear portion, and the insertion portion is formed, and the protruding portion is formed with the tenon; the overall structure of the main body bracket a three-dimensional elongated plate-shaped body having a certain height, comprising a top wall extending longitudinally and two side walls extending downward from the top wall, wherein the guiding groove is formed between the two side walls, the top The closed wall in which the tenon is snapped is formed in the wall or side wall.

 Forming a rectangular through hole in the insertion portion, the tenon being an elastic fin located in the rectangular through hole, one end of which is connected to a front boundary of the rectangular through hole, and the other end is suspended, The suspension end is higher than the upper surface of the insertion portion, and the upper surface of the elastic fin forms a slope which is gradually increased from front to back; the end portion of the top wall is formed with a space for the elastic fin to be caught The closed groove is a rectangular structure.

The insertion portion is a stepped structure, and a front end thereof has a width substantially smaller than a rear end and forms a Positioning the end; the main body bracket is correspondingly formed with a bending structure extending downward from the two side boundaries of the closing groove, and the positioning end is supported on the bending structure.

 The main body bracket is a three-dimensional long plate-shaped body stamped and formed by a metal thin plate, and the two end structures are symmetrical and respectively mounted with the roller bracket.

 The roller assembly is rotatably mounted on the roller bracket by a vertical shaft, the roller assembly is fixed to a lower end of the vertical shaft, and an outer surface of the upper end of the vertical shaft is formed with a plurality of longitudinal extensions The ribs.

 The roller assembly includes a roller seat, a pin shaft and two sheet-shaped rollers. The roller seat is an open-down hollow casing, and the two-plate rollers are respectively mounted on two ends of the pin shaft. And mounted in the roller seat by means of the pin shaft.

 The roller bracket and the roller holder are injection molded from plastic.

 The improved support caster structure provided by the present invention has the following advantages over the prior art: Since the roller bracket is laterally mounted with the main body bracket and has a resiliently snapped fit between the two, there is no need to pre-install the roller bracket and the roller Assembly, only the main body bracket can be installed during packaging and transportation, so the width of the electric device (or other products) will not be increased too much in both the width direction and the height direction; and the purchaser only needs to use The roller bracket can be inserted into the main body bracket, and the installation is quick and convenient. Therefore, the support caster structure can completely overcome the above two drawbacks, and has a great progress relative to the prior art.

 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an improved support caster structure provided in accordance with the present invention, showing the overall shape of the caster structure;

 Figure 2 shows the support caster structure of the present invention from another angle, and adds a connecting rod to the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the structure of the support caster shown in Figure 1, showing the components Part of the specific structure;

 Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 1, further showing the internal structure of the support caster;

 Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 4, showing the mating structure of the tenon and the closed groove.

 detailed description:

 Referring to FIG. 1, an improved support caster structure according to the present invention includes a main body bracket 1 and at least one roller bracket 2 mounted on the main body bracket 1. The lower portion of the roller bracket 2 is rotatably mounted with a roller total Into 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the roller bracket 2 has a laterally extending insertion portion 21, and the main body bracket 1 has a guide groove 13 for receiving the insertion portion 21, the roller bracket 2 and the main body bracket. 1 is mounted together by the plug portion 21 and the guide groove 13; since the plug portion 21 extends laterally, the lateral span of the support caster structure can be expanded after installation. The insertion portion 21 and the main body bracket 1 have a resiliently engaging mating structure 4, so that the roller bracket 2 is not separated from the main body bracket 1 after installation.

 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main body bracket 1 is a three-dimensional long plate-shaped body stamped and formed by a thin metal plate, and the two ends are symmetrically constructed and installed separately. There is a roller bracket 2 described.

 Referring to Fig. 2, the support caster structure can be mounted to the bottom of the oil-filled heater by providing an inverted U-shaped connecting rod 10 on the main body bracket 1. Of course, the support casters can also be mounted on the bottom of various other movable objects to make movement more convenient and labor-saving.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the elastically engaging mating structure 4 includes a tenon 41 and a closing recess 42 respectively disposed on the roller bracket 1 and the main body bracket 1, and the tenon 41 can Engaged in the closed recess 42, at least one of which is an elastic structure. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tenon 41 has elasticity and the recess 42 is rigid. Structure, specific structure is detailed below. Of course, it is also possible to make the closed recess 42 elastic and the tenon 41 rigid, that is, to ensure that the two can be snapped together by the elastic.

 Before further describing a preferred embodiment of the invention, the relevant terms are first explained or defined as follows:

 The front or front end of the roller bracket 2 refers to a portion or end that is connected to the main body bracket 1, that is, the end where the tenon 41 is formed; correspondingly, the rear portion of the roller bracket 2 , means the part other than the front part, and the rear part is equipped with the roller assembly 3.

 As shown in FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the roller bracket 2 is a plate-like body having a step structure, the front portion has a smaller width than the rear portion, and the insertion portion 21 is formed. The insertion portion 21 is formed with the tenon 41; the overall structure of the main body bracket 1 is a three-dimensionally long plate-like body having a certain height, and includes a top wall 11 extending longitudinally and from the top wall 11 extending downwardly from the two side walls 12, the guide groove 13 is formed between the two side walls 12, and the top wall 11 or the side wall 12 is formed with the closed concave portion for the tenon 41 to be engaged Slot 42.

As shown in FIG. 3, a more specific structure is: a rectangular through hole 22 is formed in the insertion portion 21, and the tenon 41 is an elastic fin located in the rectangular through hole 22, and one end thereof Connected to the front boundary of the rectangular through hole 22, the other end is suspended, the hanging end is higher than the upper surface of the insertion portion 21, and the upper surface of the elastic fin 41 is gradually increased from front to back. The beveled surface facilitates the insertion of the shrapnel fins 41 and even the mounting of the entire roller bracket 2. The end portion of the top wall 11 is formed with the closing groove 42 for the elastic fin 41 to be engaged, and the closing groove 42 has a rectangular structure. As shown in Fig. 4, after the elastic fins 41 are inserted into the closing recess 42, the boundary of the closing recess 42 blocks the hanging end of the elastic fin 41 from slipping out. Of course, the tenon 41 and the closing recess 42 can also be disposed at other positions or other structures, such as the elastic fins 41 are disposed on both sides of the plug portion 21, and the closing recess 42 is correspondingly disposed on the side. On wall 12, it can also be realized The same elastic snap-in function.

 As shown in FIG. 3, as a further improvement to the above preferred embodiment, the plug portion 21 is a stepped structure, the front end of which has a width substantially smaller than the rear end and defines a positioning end 23; Correspondingly, a bent structure 14 extending downward from both side boundaries of the closing groove 42 is formed, and the positioning end 23 is supported on the bent structure 14. Due to the cooperation of the positioning end 23 and the bending structure 14, the positioning between the roller bracket 2 and the main body bracket 1 is more accurate.

 In the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the roller assembly 3 is rotatably mounted on the roller bracket 2 by means of a vertical shaft 5, the roller assembly 3 being fixed At the lower end of the vertical shaft 5, the outer surface of the upper end of the vertical shaft 5 is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 51, and the rib 51 increases the frictional force, thereby causing the upper end of the vertical shaft 5 and the roller bracket The mounting holes of 2 are more secure and reliable.

 As shown in FIG. 3, the roller assembly 3 includes a roller seat 31, a pin 32 and two sheet rollers 33. The roller holder 31 is a hollow housing with an opening downward, and the two sheets are Rollers 33 are respectively attached to both ends of the pin shaft 32, and are mounted in the roller holder 31 by the pin shafts 33. The roller of this structure is not only flexible in movement, but also saves material and is inexpensive. The roller bracket 2 and the roller holder 31 are injection molded from plastic, which is very convenient to process and reduces the production cost.

 The above-described preferred embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention, and various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, such as the insertion portion of the roller bracket. The mating structure of the elastic snap-on connection with the main body bracket is set to other structures, and therefore all equivalent technical solutions are within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim  An improved support caster structure comprising a main body bracket (1) and at least one roller bracket (2) mounted on the main body bracket (1), the lower portion of the roller bracket (2) being rotatably mounted There is a roller assembly (3), characterized in that: the roller bracket (2) has a laterally extending insertion portion (21), and the main body bracket (1) has a guide for accommodating the insertion portion (21) a groove (13), the roller bracket (2) and the main body bracket (1) are mounted together by the insertion portion (21) and the guide groove (13); the insertion portion (21) and The main body bracket (1) has a resiliently snapped mating structure (4).  2. The improved support caster structure according to claim 1, wherein: the elastically snap-fitted structure (4) comprises a plug portion (21) and a body bracket (1) respectively The upper tenon (41) and the closed recess (42), the tenon (41) can be stuck in the closed recess (42), at least one of which is an elastic structure.  3. The improved support caster structure according to claim 2, wherein: the roller bracket (2) is a plate-like body having a step structure, the front portion has a smaller width than the rear portion, and the plug is formed a portion (21), the insertion portion (21) is formed with the tenon (41); the overall structure of the main body bracket (1) is a three-dimensional elongated plate-shaped body having a certain height, which includes a longitudinal extension a top wall (11) and two side walls (12) extending downward from the top wall (11), the guiding groove (13) is formed between the two side walls (12), the top wall (11) or the side wall (12) is formed with the closing groove (42) into which the tenon (41) is engaged. The improved support caster structure according to claim 3, wherein: the insertion portion (21) is formed with a rectangular through hole (22), and the tenon (41) is located at the rectangle a resilient fin in the through hole (22) having one end connected to the front boundary of the rectangular through hole (22) and the other end suspended, the hanging end being higher than the upper surface of the insertion portion (21) The upper surface of the elastic fin (41) forms a slope that gradually increases from front to back; The end portion of the top wall (U) is formed with the closing groove (42) for the elastic fin (41) to be engaged, and the closing groove (42) has a rectangular structure.  The improved support caster structure according to claim 4, wherein: the plug portion (21) is a stepped structure, the front end of which has a width substantially smaller than the rear end and forms a positioning end (23); The main body bracket (1) is correspondingly formed with a bending structure (14) extending downward from both side boundaries of the closing groove (42), and the positioning end (23) is supported by the bending Structure (14).  The improved support caster structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: the main body bracket (1) is a three-dimensional long plate-shaped body stamped and formed by a thin metal plate, both ends of which are The structure is symmetrical and a roller bracket (2) is separately mounted.  The improved support caster structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: the roller assembly (3) is rotatably mounted to the roller bracket by means of a vertical shaft (5) 2) The roller assembly (3) is fixed to the lower end of the vertical shaft (5), and the outer surface of the upper end of the vertical shaft (5) is formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs (51).  The improved support caster structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the roller assembly (3) comprises a roller seat (31), a pin (32) and two pieces a roller (33), the roller seat (31) is a hollow housing with a mouth-down, and the two-plate rollers (33) are respectively mounted on two ends of the pin (32), and The pin (33) is mounted in the roller holder (31).  9. The improved support caster structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: the roller bracket (2) and the roller base (31) are injection molded from plastic.