JP6792864B2 - Caster cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a caster cleaning device for cleaning casters (wheels).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-149820 (Patent Document 1) describes a wheel cleaning device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-149820

A conventional caster cleaning device for cleaning casters is configured to place the casters on two rollers (rotating bodies) and clean the casters with a brush from below between the two rollers (for example). See Patent Document 1).

The caster size (outer diameter, width) varies from trolley to trolley depending on the manufacturer and application. For example, if the same caster cleaning device is used for each of the casters having different outer diameters, the height position of the casters supported by the rollers will be different, and there is a possibility that the casters cannot be sufficiently cleaned with a brush. Specifically, if the brush bristles are shorter than the casters having a large outer diameter, they will not reach the bottom surface or side surfaces of the casters and will not be cleaned. Further, if the brush bristles are lengthened while keeping the same roller configuration for the caster having a large outer diameter, the brush bristles interfere (contact) with the rollers. For this reason, it is necessary to adjust the configurations of rollers, brushes, etc. for each caster size, and most caster cleaning devices are divided into types (models) for each caster size.

An object of the present invention is to provide a caster cleaning device capable of cleaning casters of various sizes. One object and other objects of the present invention and novel features will be clarified from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

The caster cleaning device according to one solution of the present invention is a caster cleaning device for cleaning casters, and includes a first rotating body having a first rotating shaft and a second rotating body having a second rotating shaft. The first rotating body and the second rotating body are arranged so that the first rotating body and the second rotating shaft are parallel to each other so that the casters are supported by the first rotating body and the second rotating body. There is disposed, the first rotating member, a plurality of first bristles and a second bristle multiple is configured as a brush, the plurality of first bristles and said plurality of second bristle Are arranged so as to extend radially from the first rotation axis and along the first rotation axis, and the plurality of first brush bristles are provided thicker, shorter, and more than the plurality of second brush bristles. A support surface for supporting the caster is formed by the tip portions of the plurality of first brush bristles, and the plurality of second brush bristles project from the support surface . According to this, even if the casters of various sizes are in contact with one brush (first rotating body) that supports the casters, the casters can be cleaned.

Further , it is possible to more efficiently clean the side surface of the caster with a plurality of second brush bristles while cleaning the bottom surface of the caster with a plurality of first brush bristles (supporting surfaces).

A housing having a housing opening in which the caster cleaning device accommodates the first rotating body and the second rotating body and exposes the first rotating body and the second rotating body, and the housing opening. It is more preferable to further provide a grating provided so as to project from the housing. If one of the casters is a brush (first rotating body), for example, if the casters are free casters, they will rotate freely. Therefore, by providing grating in the opening of the housing, even a universal caster can be prevented from rotating and cleaned like a fixed caster. Further, the casters can be smoothly entered into the housing containing the first rotating body and the second rotating body.

It is more preferable that the caster cleaning device further includes a slide mechanism portion that slides the grating in a direction parallel to the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis. As described above, according to the slide type (movable) grating, the grating can be slid according to the caster position to clean the casters.

It is more preferable that the slide mechanism portion includes a pair of springs for urging the grating from both sides of the grating in the sliding direction. According to this, after the grating slides according to the caster position and the caster is cleaned, the grating can be returned to the predetermined position when the caster exits.

Among the inventions disclosed in the present application, the effects obtained by typical ones will be briefly described as follows. According to the caster cleaning device according to one solution of the present invention, casters of various sizes can be cleaned.

It is explanatory drawing of the caster cleaning apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view of the cleaning part of the caster cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. It is a schematic front view of the cleaning part of the caster cleaning device shown in FIG. It is a schematic right side view of the cleaning part of the caster cleaning device shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the main part of the cleaning part of the caster cleaning device shown in FIG. It is a schematic perspective view of the rotary brush and the electric roller which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic front view of the rotating brush shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rotating brush shown in FIG.

First, the caster cleaning device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be outlined with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view (schematic perspective view) of the caster cleaning device 10. In the present embodiment, the case where the caster 101 (two rear wheels on the handle 102 side and two front wheels on the opposite side, a total of four wheels) of the dolly 100 (loading surface is, for example, 600 × 900 mm) is cleaned by cleaning. The caster cleaning device 10 will be applied and described.

The caster cleaning device 10 includes a cleaning unit 11 for cleaning the casters 101. For example, in the cleaning portion 11 having a rectangular box shape in appearance, the upper portion is open, and the casters 101 enter the inside so as to drop two wheels at a time, and the casters 101 are cleaned. The cleaning unit 11 will be described in detail later.

Further, the caster cleaning device 10 is provided with the cleaning unit 11 sandwiched so as to form a passage of the carriage 100, and includes a pair of slope portions 12 and 13 that incline toward the upper part of the cleaning unit 11. At the time of cleaning, for example, the dolly 100 pushed by the worker W goes up the slope portion 12, and the cleaning portion 11 cleans the casters 101 in the order of the two front wheels and the two rear wheels. Go down the slope part 13. For smooth movement of the carriage 100 to the caster cleaning device 10, it is preferable to make the overall height of the cleaning unit 11 as low as possible so that the slopes 12 and 13 are gently inclined.

Further, the caster cleaning device 10 is provided with a waterproof mat 14 laid on the slope portion 13 because the casters 101 descending the slope portion 13 get wet due to cleaning. It is preferable that the caster 101 after washing is dried. Therefore, the caster cleaning device 10 may be provided on the slope portion 13 and may include an air blow unit (not shown) that blows air onto the casters 101.

Further, the caster cleaning device 10 includes a control unit 15 that controls the cleaning unit 11. The control unit 15 is supported by the stand 16 so that the operator W can easily operate it, and is electrically connected to the cleaning unit 11 by a cable (not shown) passing through the cable outlet 16a of the stand 16. Further, the control unit 15 includes a start button 17, an emergency stop button 18, and a breaker (not shown). For example, when the start button 17 is pressed by the worker W, cleaning is performed, and when the emergency stop button 18 is pressed, cleaning is safely and emergency stopped.

Next, the cleaning unit 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a schematic top view, front view and right side view of the cleaning unit 11 of the caster cleaning device 10, respectively, and for ease of explanation, the XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system (XY is The case where it is arranged in the horizontal direction and Z is the vertical direction) is shown. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a main part of the cleaning unit 11 of the caster cleaning device 10. Note that FIG. 4 shows a state in which a part of the caster 101 is seen through and the caster 101 is cleaned by cleaning.

The cleaning unit 11 includes a housing 20 in which each member is provided. Since the caster 101 is cleaned by cleaning with the cleaning water in the cleaning unit 11, the housing 20 is configured in a box shape in which the cleaning water is stored (FIG. 4 shows the maximum storage water level L of the cleaning water). .. In the upper part of the housing 20, the cleaning portion 11 is easily carried by a pair of handles 21 provided so as to face each other in the longitudinal direction (the X direction is the longitudinal direction and the Y direction is the shorter side in FIG. 2). .. Further, the cleaning portion 11 is supported by, for example, a floor surface by four (plurality) legs 22 provided at the lower four corners of the housing 20.

Regarding the water supply and drainage of the washing water, the washing unit 11 includes a water supply port 23 provided in the housing 20, a water supply pipe 23a (see FIG. 4) connected to the water supply port 23, a drainage pipe 24, and an overflow pipe 25. By collecting all the parts (water supply port 23, etc.) protruding to the right side surface of the housing 20 and making the left side surface of the housing 20 a flat surface like the cleaning unit 11 of the present embodiment (FIG. 2). , FIG. 3), for example, the caster cleaning device 10 can be arranged by attaching the left side surface of the housing 20 to the wall.

In the cleaning unit 11, for example, when the drain pipe 24 to which the manually openable / closable valve is attached is closed, cleaning water is supplied into the housing 20 from a plurality of water supply holes (not shown) along the length of the water supply pipe 23a. It is supplied and stored. Further, with the drain pipe 24 open, used (after cleaning) cleaning water is discharged from the inside of the housing 20 to the outside. Further, when the amount of washing water stored inside the housing 20 exceeds a predetermined amount (maximum storage water level L), the washing water is discharged from the overflow pipe 25 in the constantly open state.

Further, in the upper part (see FIG. 2) of the housing 20 in which the washing water is stored, two housing openings 26 arranged along the longitudinal direction (X direction) are provided. The two housing openings 26 are provided so that the two front wheels and the two rear wheels of the trolley 100 fall (enter) inside the housing 20 in order for the cleaning unit 11 to clean the casters 101. .. For example, of the two front wheels, one (right) caster 101 falls into one (right) housing opening 26, and the other (left) caster 101 falls into the other (left) housing opening 26. Will be.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31 housed in the housing 20 are exposed from each of the two housing openings 26. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the caster 101 that has fallen into the inside of the housing 20 through the housing opening 26 is supported by the rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31, and is cleaned by cleaning with the rotating brush 30. Note that FIG. 4 shows a case where casters 101A having a large outer diameter (for example, 180 mm) and casters 101B having a small outer diameter (for example, 65 mm) are supported.

As described above, the caster cleaning device 10 includes the rotary brush 30 and the electric roller 31. The rotating brush 30 (first rotating body) has a rotating shaft 30a (first rotating shaft) so as to extend in the X direction, and is rotatably provided in the housing 20. Further, the electric roller 31 (second rotating body) has a rotating shaft 31a (second rotating shaft) and is rotatably provided in the housing 20 so as to extend in the X direction. The rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31 are arranged so that the rotating shaft 30a and the rotating shaft 31a are parallel to each other so as to support the caster 101. Further, the rotary brush 30 and the electric roller 31 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as not to come into contact with each other.

A chain (not shown) is tied (hanged around) between the rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31. Therefore, as the electric roller 31 rotates (for example, 30 rpm), the rotating brush 30 also rotates in the same direction (for example, in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, the brush bristles of the rotating brush 30 (the first brush bristles 33 and the second brush bristles 34) come into contact with the washing water stored inside the housing 20 (become below the maximum stored water level L). Therefore, the caster 101 is cleaned by cleaning with the rotating brush 30 containing the cleaning water. In addition, the dirt adhering to the rotating brush 30 is removed in the washing water by cleaning. The rotary brush 30 may be rotated by an electric motor provided separately from the electric roller 31.

In the rotary brush 30 and the electric roller 31 that support the caster 101, the friction coefficient of the electric roller 31 is larger than that of the rotary brush 30. Specifically, a non-slip member (for example, urethane) is provided on the support surface 31b (outer peripheral surface) of the electric roller 31. Therefore, the rotating brush 30 rotates with the rotation of the electric roller 31, but the caster 101 is rotated by the electric roller 31 having a large friction coefficient.

Further, the rotary brush 30 and the electric roller 31 are connected by a chain with different gear ratios, so that the rotation speeds of the rotary brush 30 and the electric roller 31 are different. For example, when the gear ratio is set so that the rotation speed of the electric roller 31 is faster than that of the rotary brush 30, the caster 101 can be rotated faster than the rotary brush 30. By changing the rotation speeds of the rotating brush 30 and the casters 101 (electric rollers 31) in this way, the amount of dirt scraped out from the casters 101 is increased, and the effect of cleaning by cleaning can be improved.

Here, the rotary brush 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31. 7 and 8 are a schematic front view and a cross-sectional view of the rotating brush 30, respectively.

Of the first rotating body (rotating brush 30) and the second rotating body (electric roller 31) that support the caster 101, the first rotating body (rotating brush 30) has a plurality of brush bristles (first brush bristles 33 and second). It is configured as a brush with brush bristles 34). Since the first rotating body that supports the caster 101 is the rotating brush 30 (that is, the rotating brush 30 comes into contact with the caster 101), it is possible to use a simple configuration without providing a brush in addition to the first rotating body and the second rotating body. The caster 101 can be reliably cleaned by cleaning.

In the rotating brush 30, the first brush bristles 33 are thicker and shorter than the second brush bristles 34 (for example, nylon having a length of 20 mm and a diameter of 0.9 mm). The first brush bristles 33 are used, for example, to forcefully scrape and clean pebbles in the groove on the bottom surface of the caster 101. Further, the second brush bristles 34 are longer and thinner than the first brush bristles 33 (for example, nylon having a length of 45 mm and a diameter of 0.5 mm). The second brush bristles 34 are used, for example, to bend flexibly along the side surface of the caster 101 for cleaning.

In this way, in the rotary brush 30, the bottom surface of the caster 101 can be cleaned by the first brush bristles 33, and the side surfaces of the casters 101 can be cleaned by the second brush bristles 34 at the same time. Further, by using long and short brush hairs such as the first brush hair 33 and the second brush hair 34, the rotating brush 30 can withstand the weight of the carriage 100 and support the caster 101. Further, even if the casters 101A and 101B (see FIG. 4) of various sizes are in contact with the rotating brush 30, the casters 101 can be cleaned by cleaning.

In the rotating brush 30, the plurality of first brush bristles 33 and the plurality of second brush bristles 34 extend radially (equally distributed) from the rotating shaft 30a and are arranged along the rotating shaft 30a. Further, the plurality of first brush bristles 33 is larger than the plurality of second brush bristles 34, and the tip portions of the plurality of first brush bristles 33 form a support surface 30b (see FIG. 8) that supports the caster 101. .. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotating brush 30 may be divided into upper and lower parts with the rotating shaft 30a as a boundary and fixed by a fixture.

In the rotating brush 30, for example, in a row along the rotating shaft 30a (longitudinal length of the rotating brush 30), two first brush bristles 33 are arranged between the second brush bristles 34 having a pitch P (for example, 28.5 mm). There is. Further, the first brush bristles 33 and the second brush bristles 34 are staggered in adjacent rows along the rotation axis 30a, and the second brush bristles 34 are arranged so as to be displaced in the rotation direction of the rotation brush 30. The first brush bristles 33 and the second brush bristles 34 are, for example, flocked with an adhesive in staggered brush holes.

Further, in the rotary brush 30, the plurality of second brush bristles 34 extend longer than the plurality of first brush bristles 33, and protrude from the support surface 30b formed by the tip portions of the plurality of first brush bristles 33. (Extended). According to such a rotating brush 30, the bottom surface of the caster 101 can be cleaned more efficiently by the first brush bristles 33 and the side surface of the casters 101 by the second brush bristles 34 while supporting the casters 101. ..

As described above, in the caster cleaning device 10, one of the first rotating body (rotating brush 30) and the second rotating body (electric roller 31) supporting the caster 101 is configured as the rotating brush 30. By the way, for example, when the caster 101 is a universal caster, it may rotate freely during cleaning and become unstable, so that cleaning may not be sufficiently performed. Therefore, in the caster cleaning device 10, grating 35 is provided in each of the two housing openings 26. According to the grating 35, even a universal caster can be detented and cleaned like a fixed caster. In addition, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the grating 35 corresponding to the housing opening 26 on one side (on the right side in the drawing) is removed and shown.

The grating 35 included in the caster cleaning device 10 is provided in the housing opening 26 so as to project from the housing 20. As a result, the grating 35 guides the caster 101 to the housing opening 26, and the caster 101 can smoothly enter the inside of the housing 20 having the rotating brush 30 and the electric roller 31 from the housing opening 26. .. Further, according to the grating 35, it is possible to prevent the feet of the worker W from falling inside the housing 20.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the grating 35 includes a frame portion 37 having a rectangular opening 36 in a plan view, and a plurality (five) guide bars provided in the frame portion 37 straddling the opening 36. It has 38 and. The guide bar 38 extends in a direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the rotation axis 30a of the rotation brush 30 and the rotation axis 31a of the electric roller 31, straddles the opening 36, and projects from the frame portion 37. The guide bars 38 are arranged so that the distance adjacent to each other is larger than the width of the caster 101 and smaller than the outer diameter of the caster 101.

According to such a grating 35, the caster 101 can be guided between the two guide bars 38 so that the radial direction of the caster 101 is parallel to the extending direction (Y direction) of the guide bar 38. .. The caster 101 guided by the grating 35 smoothly enters the inside of the housing 20 and is cleaned by cleaning. The edge portion 37a (see FIG. 4) facing the guide bar 38 in the extending direction (Y direction) across the opening 36 is inclined toward the inside of the housing 20, so that the caster 101 Can be smoothly entered and exited from the inside of the housing 20.

By the way, the caster pitch between the two front wheels and the caster pitch between the two rear wheels of the bogie 100 also differ depending on the manufacturer and application. If the grating 35 is still fixed to the housing 20, for example, one of the two front wheels enters the inside of the housing 20 and is cleaned, but the other rides on the guide bar 38 and is not cleaned. In some cases. Therefore, the caster cleaning device 10 includes a slide mechanism unit 40 for sliding the grating 35. In the present embodiment, the slide mechanism unit 40 is provided so as to correspond to each of the two gratings.

As shown in FIG. 2, the slide mechanism unit 40 can slide the grating 35 (for example, 10 mm to the left and right) in a direction (X direction) parallel to the rotation shaft 30a of the rotation brush 30 and the rotation shaft 31a of the electric roller 31. .. In the present embodiment, the slide mechanism portion 40 includes a slide rail 41 provided on the housing 20 and a carriage 42 that slides on the slide rail 41, and the grating 35 attached to the carriage 42 can be slid. it can. According to such a slide type (movable) grating 35, the grating 35 slides in accordance with the caster 101 so as to match various caster positions (caster pitch), and the caster 101 is made to enter the inside of the housing 20. be able to.

Further, the slide mechanism portion 40 includes a pair of springs 43a and 43b that urge the grating 35 from both sides of the grating 35 in the sliding direction. The pair of springs 43a and 43b allows the sliding grating 35 to be returned (centered) to a fixed position.

As shown in FIG. 5, on one side of the grating 35, a spring 43a is provided between the spring receiver 44a on the housing 20 side and the spring receiver 45a on the grating 35 side. On the other side of the grating, a spring 43b is provided between the spring receiver 44b on the housing 20 side and the spring receiver 45b on the grating 35 side. The grating 35 is centered by the pair of springs 43a and 43b. According to this, after the grating 35 slides according to the caster position and the caster 101 is cleaned, the grating 35 can be returned to the fixed position when the caster 101 exits.

Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case of cleaning the casters of the carriage has been described. Not limited to this, it can be applied to vehicles equipped with casters such as wheelchairs, strollers, and shopping carts.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case where two slide mechanism portions corresponding to each of the two gratings are provided has been described. Not limited to this, it is also possible to provide a slide mechanism portion corresponding to one grating and fix the other grating without providing the slide mechanism portion.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case where the casters are washed and cleaned with washing water has been described. Not limited to this, a cleaning solution (chemical solution) may be used. Further, the casters may be cleaned with a rotating brush without using cleaning water.

10 Caster cleaning device 11 Cleaning unit 12, 13 Slope unit 14 Waterproof mat 15 Control unit 16 Stand 16a Cable outlet 17 Start button 18 Emergency stop button 20 Housing 21 Handle 22 Leg 23 Water supply port 23a Water supply pipe 24 Drain pipe 25 Overflow pipe 26 Housing opening 30 Rotating brush 30a Rotating shaft 30b Support surface 31 Electric roller 31a Rotating shaft 31b Support surface 33 1st brush bristle 34 2nd brush bristle 35 Grating 36 Opening 37 Frame part 38 Guide bar 40 Slide mechanism part 41 Slide Rail 42 Carriage 43a, 43b Spring 44a, 44b, 45a, 45b Spring receiver 100 trolley 101 caster 102 handle P pitch W worker

Claims (4)

A caster cleaning device that cleans casters
A first rotating body having a first rotating shaft and
A second rotating body having a second rotating shaft, and
The first rotating body and the second rotating body have the first rotating body and the second rotating body parallel to each other so that the first rotating body and the second rotating body support the caster. Placed,
The first rotating body
A plurality of first bristles is constructed as a brush and a second brush bristle multiple,
The plurality of first brush bristles and the plurality of second brush bristles extend radially from the first rotation axis and are arranged along the first rotation axis.
By providing the plurality of first brush bristles thicker, shorter, and more than the plurality of second brush bristles, the tip portions of the plurality of first brush bristles form a support surface for supporting the caster.
A caster cleaning device characterized in that the plurality of second brush bristles protrude from the support surface . A housing having a housing opening that accommodates the first rotating body and the second rotating body and exposes the first rotating body and the second rotating body.
The caster cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grating provided projecting in the housing opening from said housing, and further comprising a for. The caster cleaning device according to claim 2 , further comprising a slide mechanism portion for sliding the grating in a direction parallel to the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis. The caster cleaning device according to claim 3 , wherein the slide mechanism portion includes a pair of springs for urging the grating from both sides of the grating in the sliding direction.

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