JP3215832B2 - Camber type twin wheel caster - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camber-type two-wheel caster in which two coaxial wheels are arranged so that one of the wheels is wide and the other is narrow.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a two-wheel caster is fixed to an axle and rotates in conjunction with the axle, so that two wheels rotate in a vertical posture. However, if the distance between the wheels is wide and vertically parallel, there may be a problem in terms of stability when traveling straight on the floor.

[0003]

The inventor of the present invention has found that the straight running stability of the caster can be obtained by arranging the two wheels in a camber shape, and as a result of intensive development, the present invention has been completed. Was. That is, a main object of the present invention is to provide a two-wheel caster excellent in straight running stability by fixing the axle and arranging the posture of the wheels on the camber.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a pair of left and right wheels are mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on a mounting portion.
An axle is fixed to the support yoke, wheels are rotatably mounted on the axle, and a pair of wheels increases a gap between upper wheels and a gap between lower wheels when viewed from the front, one of which is wider, the other. In a camber type two-wheel caster which can rotate in a posture inclined so as to become narrower, a collar is interposed between a horizontally extending axle and each wheel, and a collar-shaped locking piece is provided at an outer end of the collar. There is provided a technical means in which a locking receiving portion for restraining and fixing the locking piece is formed at a position corresponding to the locking piece on the inner wall surface of the support yoke.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a pair of left and right wheels are mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on the mounting portion, and an axle is fixed to the support yoke, and the wheels are rotatable on the axle. A camber-type twin wheel in which a pair of wheels can rotate in an inclined posture such that one is wider and the other is narrower, as viewed from the front, the distance between the upper wheels and the distance between the lower wheels. In the caster, a technical measure is taken such that a collar is interposed between a horizontally extending axle and each wheel, and an outer peripheral wall of the collar is formed eccentrically with respect to the axle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a collar is provided between the horizontally extending axle and each wheel, and the outer peripheral wall of the collar is formed eccentrically with respect to the axle. It is taking technical measures to be done. According to the invention of claim 4, there is provided a twin-wheel caster comprising a pair of left and right wheels mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on a mounting portion, wherein each wheel is independently mounted on an axle, and a pair of wheels is provided. When viewed from the front, the distance between the upper wheels and the distance between the lower wheels are set so that one is wide and the other is narrow so that the other is narrow. A technical measure is taken such that the distance between the wheels on the side that can be rotated can be inclined so that one is wide and the other is narrow. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a technical measure is taken such that the distance between the wheels is set to be wide on the upper side and narrow on the lower side when viewed from the front.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a camber type double wheel caster according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the twin wheel caster 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of left and right wheels 5 and 6 are independently attached via a axle 4 to a support yoke 3 that is rotatably provided on an attachment shaft 2. The mounting shaft 2 is fixed to a mounting base 10, and the diameter of a shaft 2a hanging from the mounting base 10 is small, and a base 3a of a support yoke 3 is thrust-beared on the shaft 2a (FIG. 5). As a result, the support yoke 3 is freely rotatable with respect to the mounting shaft 2.

The support yoke 3 has a substantially channel shape, and has a top wall 3b extending rearward from the base 3a, and a pair of side walls 3c hanging at the left and right ends of the base 3a to the top wall 3b. , 3c. And, between the left and right side wall portions 3c, 3c, a fixing pin serving as the axle 4 is horizontally suspended and fixed. Further, in this embodiment, the axle 4
And collars 7, 8 between the wheels 5 and 6, respectively.

Further, between the collars 7 and 8 and the wheels 5,
Spacers 11 for maintaining their posture are mounted on the axle 4 between the six. The spacer 11 has a disk shape, and has a boss portion having a hole at the center and a rim portion at the outer periphery. Then, the boss portions are fitted between the boss portions of the collars 7, 8 to the wheels 5, 6,
The rim portion is fitted between the inner concave portions of the wheels 5 and 6, and positions the left and right wheels so as to be separated from each other in a positive camber posture.

The collars 7 and 8 are formed so that their outer peripheral walls are inclined so as to be gradually upward toward the center and are eccentric with respect to the axle 4. And color 7, 8
Are provided with flange-shaped locking pieces 7a, 8a protruding from the outer end thereof. The locking pieces 7a and 8a have a rectangular upper part and a semicircular lower part.

On the other hand, on the inner surface of the side wall of the support yoke 3, lock receiving portions 9a,
9b is formed. That is, the locking receiving portions 9a, 9b
Is formed of a groove extending from the lower end of each of the side walls 3c, 3c of the support yoke to an intermediate position where the axle 4 is inserted, and the width of the groove is such that the locking pieces 7a, 8a can slide up and down. Is set to The upper portions of the locking receiving portions 9a and 9b have a U-shape at the top, and the upper ends of the locking pieces 7a and 8a are fitted and restrained with almost no gap.

Therefore, the collars 7, 8 are provided with locking pieces 7a, 8a.
Is restricted by the side walls 3c, 3c of the support yoke, so that the axle 4 can be inserted from the outside.
The collars 7, 8 attached in this manner are formed so as to be eccentric so that the sliding surfaces with the wheels 5, 6 serving as the outer peripheral walls gradually become upward toward the center of the axle with respect to the axis (horizontal line) of the axle. .

On the other hand, the wheels 5 and 6 are set such that the holes of the central boss portion are horizontal when the wheels are in a positive camber position. Therefore, a pair of wheels 5,
The positive camber 6 has a posture of a positive camber which is inclined so that the upper side is widened and the lower side is narrowed when viewed from the front of the caster, so that the camber can be rotated in that posture to improve the straightness (FIG. 2 (a) )reference).

Further, in the present invention, contrary to the above configuration,
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the wheels 5 and 6 assume a negative camber posture in which the upper side is narrowed and the lower side is widened when viewed from the front of the caster, and the wheels 5 and 6 can rotate in that posture. Is also good. In this case, the collars 7 and 8 only need to be formed so that their outer peripheral walls are inclined so as to gradually become upward from the center toward the left end side and from the center toward the right end side and are eccentric with respect to the axle 4. The other configuration is the same as that of the above embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
In addition to the above configuration, a case is shown in which a pair of wheels have different wheel intervals in the front-rear direction. In other words, all of the above configurations are provided, and the pair of wheels 5 and 6 are set so as to be able to rotate in a tilted posture such that the front side is narrowed and the rear side is widened when traveling straight.

In this case, the collars 7 and 8 are formed eccentric with respect to the axle such that the outer peripheral walls thereof gradually become upward toward the center and gradually tilt rearward toward the center. Accordingly, the pair of wheels 5, 6 is
As shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4A, a posture inclined such that an upper interval and a rear interval in a traveling direction when traveling straight are widened and a lower interval and a front interval are narrowed when viewed from the front. And rotate while maintaining its posture.
Thereby, straightness can be further improved.

Also, in the present invention, contrary to the above configuration,
As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the wheels 5 and 6 have the configuration shown in FIG. 2 (b) and are inclined so that the front side is widened and the rear side is narrowed when straight ahead. It may be configured to be rotatable. In this case, the collars 7 and 8 only need to be formed eccentrically with respect to the axle so that the outer peripheral walls are gradually inclined forward from the center to the left end side and from the center to the right end side. The other configuration is the same as that of the above embodiment, and the description is omitted. In addition, the combination of the inclination postures of the wheels is not limited to the above embodiment, and the combination of the posture of FIG. 2 (a) and the posture of FIG. 4 (b), the combination of the posture of FIG. 2 (b) and the posture of FIG. It may be a combination.

In the above embodiment, the structure in which the collars 7 and 8 are interposed between the axle and the wheels is illustrated. In the present invention, the outer peripheral surface of the axle is formed in the same manner as the outer peripheral surface of the collar. Is also good. That is, in the case corresponding to the first embodiment (FIG. 2 (a)), the axle 4 is set such that the axis of the cylindrical shaft is gradually upward with respect to the horizontal line toward the center of the axle at the portion where the wheel slides. It is composed of

The second embodiment (FIG. 2A and FIG. 4)
(Combination of (a)), the axle 4 is configured such that the axis of the cylindrical shaft is set gradually upward toward the center of the axle with respect to the horizontal line at the portion where the wheel slides,
It is configured to be set eccentrically so as to be gradually inclined backward toward the center. Also in these cases, the axle 4 is fixed to the side walls 3c, 3c of the support yoke 3, and the outer peripheral portion on which the wheel slides has the above-mentioned shape. Can rotate. In the case of other color combinations, similarly, the wheel sliding portion of the axle may be formed according to the shape of the outer peripheral wall of the collar.

In this embodiment, a braking device is provided as an example. That is, above the side wall 3c of the support yoke 3, a brake plate 12 made of a wide spring material biased in the brake release direction is pivotally supported at an intermediate position by the pin P1. The brake plate 12 has a claw portion 13 formed at one end, and a shoe portion 1 pressed against a trad surface of a wheel at the other end.
4 are formed. The top wall 3a of the support yoke 3
An operation lever 14 is pivotally mounted on the control lever.

Then, when the operating lever 14 is pushed in, the brake plate 12 on the shoe portion 14 is pushed down by the displaced cam surface, and the claw portion 13 is pushed up and formed at the lower end of the small diameter shaft portion 2a of the mounting shaft 2. The shoe portion 14 is strongly pressed against the wheels 5 and 6 to brake the rotation of the wheels by engaging with the recessed portion of the dish-shaped member 2b. The configuration of the braking device is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration that brakes only one wheel.

Next, the axle 4 may be slidably mounted to provide a cushioning function. 6 and 7 show different embodiments in which a fitting structure is provided. That is, the support yoke 3 has a substantially channel shape, and a top wall 3b extending rearward from a base 3a formed at the zenith,
It has a pair of side wall portions 3c that hang down at the left and right ends of the base portion 3a to the top wall portion 3b. A substantially rectangular long hole 31 extending in the front-rear direction is formed at an intermediate position in the side wall portion 3c.

A slider 33 is fitted into the elongated hole 31 so as to be slidable back and forth. The slider 33 is set to be substantially equal to the vertical length of the long hole 31 and shorter than the horizontal length, and the outer side is formed so that the cross section of the outer peripheral portion 33a corresponds to the cross section of the peripheral portion 31a of the long hole 31. It is formed in a step portion that expands and narrows inside. Therefore, even if the slider 33 is fitted in the long hole 31, it can slide in the front-rear direction without dropping inward.

A coil spring S shown as an example of a biasing means is interposed between the elongated hole 31 and the slider 33. Here, as the urging means, a leaf spring, synthetic rubber, or other known urging means can be used instead of the coil spring. The rear side of the peripheral wall portion 31a of the elongated hole 31 is formed with a rear receiving portion 31b formed between a pair of upper and lower grooves into which the rear end side of the spring S is fitted to fit the rear end of the spring. ing.

On the other hand, on the rear side of the slider 33, there is formed a front receiving portion 33b formed between a pair of upper and lower grooves into which the front end of the spring S is fitted, and into which the front end of the spring is fitted. . Then, the front receiving portion 33b and the rear receiving portion 31b
And a coil spring S is mounted between the
Is constantly urged toward the front side of the long hole 31 (the right side in the drawing of FIG. 1).

A fixed pin serving as the axle 4 extends horizontally between the left and right sliders 33 and is fixed at both ends. That is, the axle 4 penetrates the pair of sliders 33, 33, the pin head abuts on the outside of one slider 33, and the tip is caulked on the outside of the other slider 33. It has the configuration shown in the figure.

The slider 33 is held at a position where it abuts against the front end of the elongated hole 31 by the bias of the coil spring S, and that position becomes the normal position of the wheels 5 and 6.
In this state, when the caster 1 moves straight, the vehicle runs in a posture in which the axle is located rearward of the turning shaft of the mounting portion as shown in FIG. 7B. When an external impact force is applied to the wheels 5 and 6,
The wheels 5 and 6 are displaced rearward together with the slider 33, and the coil spring S can buffer the force acting in the rearward direction.

The support yoke 3 has a side wall 30
In addition, it is preferable to attach a cover 35 that bulges into a spherical shape with a small diameter and covers the elongated hole 31 and the slider 33 from the outside (see FIG. 8). The cover 35 is, for example, a side wall 3
Although it is detachably attached to the housing 0 by screwing or locking, it may be integrally fixed.

In the above embodiment, the axle 4 is fixed so as to penetrate the slider 33. However, the axle 4 may be integrally fixed to the inner wall of the slider 33. In other words, various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0030]

As described in detail above, according to the camber-type twin-wheel caster of the present invention, the two wheels can be maintained in the camber posture with a simple structure, and the straightness of the caster when traveling can be improved. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of a camber type two-wheel caster.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part schematically showing a configuration of a first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part schematically showing a configuration upside down.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the camber-type twin wheel caster.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part schematically showing a configuration of a second embodiment, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part schematically showing a configuration in which the front and rear parts are reversed.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and FIG. 5B is a side view in which the same part is cut away.

6 (a) is a plan view and FIG. 6 (b) is a side view of an embodiment in which a buffer structure is provided.

FIG. 7 is a side view, partially broken away, of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a two-sided view with a cover attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Double wheel caster 2 ... Mounting shaft 3 ... Support yoke 4 ... Axle 5, 6 ... Wheel 7, 8 ... Collar 7a, 8a ... Locking piece 9a, 9b ... Locking receiving part

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] A pair of left and right wheels are mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on a mounting portion, an axle is fixed to the support yoke, and wheels are rotatably mounted on the axle, and a pair of wheels are provided. The axle that extends horizontally in a camber-type twin-wheel caster that can rotate in an inclined position such that one is wider and the other is narrower when viewed from the front And a collar interposed between each wheel and a collar-shaped locking piece is provided at an outer end of the collar, and the locking is performed at a position corresponding to the locking piece on the inner wall surface of the support yoke. A camber-type two-wheel caster, wherein a lock receiving portion for restraining and fixing a piece is formed. 2. A pair of left and right wheels are mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on a mounting portion, an axle is fixed to the support yoke, and wheels are rotatably mounted on the axle, and a pair of wheels are provided. The axle that extends horizontally in a camber-type twin-wheel caster that can rotate in an inclined position such that one is wider and the other is narrower when viewed from the front And a collar interposed between the wheels and each wheel, wherein an outer peripheral wall of the collar is formed eccentric to an axle. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a collar is provided between the horizontally extending axle and each wheel, and an outer peripheral wall of the collar is formed eccentrically with respect to the axle. Camber type twin wheel caster. 4. A two-wheel caster comprising a pair of left and right wheels mounted on a support yoke provided rotatably on a mounting portion, wherein each wheel is independently mounted on an axle, and a pair of wheels are provided from the front. The distance between the upper wheels and the distance between the lower wheels are set so that one is wide and the other is narrow so that the other is narrow. The distance between the front wheels and the rear 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the wheels can be set to be inclined such that one is wide and the other is narrow.
Or the camber type two-wheel caster according to claim 2. 5. The distance between the wheels is wider on the upper side as viewed from the front,
The camber-type twin wheel caster according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower side is set narrow.