A swivel caster

Abstract

The present invention discloses a swivel caster, comprising: a connecting seat; a universal seat rotatably connected to the connecting seat; a supporting wheel rotatably connected to the universal seat; a locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the universal seat and the connecting seat, comprising a sliding member slidably connected to the universal seat, a connecting rod whose first end is hinged to the first end of the sliding member, a rotating wheel rotatably arranged at the second end of the connecting rod, and a guiding member connected to the universal seat; the guiding member is provided with an arc groove for guiding the rotating wheel, the circumferential outer wall of the rotating wheel abuts against the circumferential outer wall of the supporting wheel, and the connecting seat is provided with a slot for the second end of the sliding member to extend into or slide out. With such arrangement, no matter whether the transfer device runs forward or backward, the swivel caster close to one end of the forward direction can always be used as a reversing wheel, and the swivel caster far from one end of the forward direction can be used as a fixed wheel, so that the transfer device can change direction, and no manual intervention is required, which is more convenient, quick and labor-saving to use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of casters, in particular to a swivel caster. Background Art

[0002] Casters are usually installed at the bottom of transport devices such as carts or transfer vehicles, and are used to transport items by rotating. Some companies install two rotating casters at the front and rear ends of the transport device. When the transport device changes direction, the four casters can rotate, so the transport device often shifts sideways when changing direction, which is very inconvenient to use.

[0003] Therefore, in some enterprises, two swivel casters are set at the front end of the transfer device, and two fixed casters are set at the rear end, so that the transfer device can be moved safely while changing direction. However, with this setting, it can move safely when moving forward. However, when the transfer device moves in a form with the rear end facing forward, the front end of the transfer device is a fixed caster, and the rear end is a mobile caster, that is, the direction is changed by rotating the mobile casters at the rear end, so the safe movement of the transfer device cannot be guaranteed, and it is inconvenient to use. Usually, the forward transfer device cannot be directly moved backward, and it is necessary to turn the material transfer device so that the front wheel composed of swivel casters is always located at the position of the front wheel.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, in some enterprises, the swivel caster includes a swivel plate and a fixed plate, and a fixing bolt is provided to be combined with or separated when necessary, so as to be used as a fixed and swivel caster. The caster is set on a transfer device, and then the fixing bolt is separated from the caster as the front wheel to form a swivel type, and the fixing bolt is combined with the caster as the rear wheel to form a fixed type, and then the caster moves forward. When it is necessary to move backward, the fixing bolt is separated from the caster as the rear wheel, and the fixing bolt is combined with the caster as the front wheel, so as to move safely. However, the above action needs to be done manually by the operator, which is inconvenient.

[0005] Therefore, how to solve the problem in the prior art that the transfer device is inconvenient to turn when traveling with the rear end facing forward is a technical problem that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a swivel caster that can solve the problem in the prior art that a transfer device is inconvenient to turn when traveling with the rear end facing forward.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0008] The present invention provides a swivel caster, comprising: a connecting seat; a universal seat rotatably connected to the connecting seat; a supporting wheel rotatably connected to the universal seat; a locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the universal seat and the connecting seat, comprising a sliding member slidably connected to the universal seat, a connecting rod with a first end hinged to a first end of the sliding member, a rotating wheel rotatably arranged at a second end of the connecting rod, and a guiding member connected to the universal seat; the guiding member is provided with an arc groove for guiding the rotating wheel, the circumferential outer wall of the rotating wheel abuts against the circumferential outer wall of the supporting wheel, and the connecting seat is provided with a slot for the second end of the sliding member to extend into or slide out.

[0009] Furthermore, the guide member is hinged to the universal seat, and the universal seat is also provided with an adjustment component for adjusting the distance between the guide member and the supporting wheel.

[0010] Furthermore, the adjustment assembly includes an adjustment screw threadably matched with the universal seat and a first spring whose first end is connected to the adjustment screw and whose second end is connected to the universal seat.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjusting screw is optionally screwed with a positioning nut, the universal seat is provided with a positioning boss, the first end of the first spring is sleeved on the adjusting screw and abuts against the positioning nut, and the second end abuts against the positioning boss.

[0012] Furthermore, a positioning column is provided on the positioning boss, and the second end of the first spring is sleeved on the positioning column and abuts against the positioning boss.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a rotating shaft, the rotating wheel and the second end of the connecting rod are rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is slidably arranged in the arc groove.

[0014] Furthermore, a positioning ring, a friction plate and an adjusting mechanism are provided on the rotating shaft, the first end of the rotating wheel is used to abut against the positioning ring, the second end is used to abut against the friction plate, and the adjusting mechanism is used to make the friction plate abut against the second end of the rotating wheel.

[0015] Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment nut threadably matched with the rotating shaft and a second spring sleeved on the rotating shaft, one end of the second spring abuts against the adjustment nut, and the other end abuts against the friction plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the rotating wheel is sleeved on the rotating shaft via a bearing.

[0017] Furthermore, the universal seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat via a bearing.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0019] A swivel caster of the present invention comprises: a connecting seat; a universal seat rotatably connected to the connecting seat; a supporting wheel rotatably connected to the universal seat; a locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the universal seat and the connecting seat, comprising a sliding member slidably connected to the universal seat, a connecting rod whose first end is hinged to the first end of the sliding member, a rotating wheel rotatably arranged at the second end of the connecting rod, and a guiding member connected to the universal seat; the guiding member is provided with an arc groove for guiding the rotating wheel, the circumferential outer wall of the rotating wheel is against the circumferential outer wall of the supporting wheel, and the connecting seat is provided with a slot for the second end of the sliding member to extend into or slide out.

[0020] When in use, two swivel casters provided by the present invention can be respectively arranged at the front end and the rear end of the transfer device, and the clamping slots of the swivel casters arranged at the front end of the transfer device are arranged at one end of the connecting seat close to the front end of the transfer device. The clamping slots of the two swivel casters arranged at the rear end of the transfer device are arranged at one end of the connecting seat close to the rear end of the transfer device.

[0021] When moving forward, the second end of the sliding member of the rotating caster at the front end of the transfer device does not extend into the slot of the connecting seat, and the connecting seat and the universal seat are in an unlocked state. The second end of the sliding member of the rotating caster at the rear end of the transfer device is inserted into the slot of the connecting seat, and the connecting seat and the universal seat are in a locked state. Therefore, the universal seat of the rotating caster at the front end can rotate freely, and the universal seat of the rotating caster at the rear end is fixed relative to the connecting seat, and the transfer device can turn with the rotating caster at the front end.

[0022] When moving backward, or when the rear end of the transfer device is moved forward, first, the support wheels at the front and rear ends of the transfer drive the corresponding rotating wheels to slide downward along the arc groove, and the rotating wheels drive the sliding parts to move downward through the connecting rod. At this time, the sliding parts of the rotating casters originally located at the rear end of the transfer device slide out of the slot. As the transfer device moves with its rear end facing forward, the universal seat rotates 180°, and the sliding parts are staggered with the slot, so the universal seat can rotate freely. At the same time, the rotating casters originally located at the front end of the transfer device, as the transfer device moves with its rear end facing forward, the universal seat rotates 180°, the sliding parts are opposite to the slot, and the rotation of the support wheels drives the rotating wheels to rise along the arc groove, the rotating wheels drive the sliding parts to slide upward through the connecting rod, and the second end of the sliding parts is stuck in the slot, locking the universal seat and the connecting seat, so that the universal seat cannot rotate freely. Therefore, when the transfer device moves with its rear end facing forward, the rotating casters originally located at the rear end are now located at the front end and can rotate freely to change direction, and the rotating casters originally located at the front end are now located at the rear end and are fixed.

[0023] With such an arrangement, no matter whether the transfer device is running forward or backward, the swivel caster at the end close to the forward direction can always be used as a reversing wheel, and the swivel caster at the end away from the forward direction can be used as a fixed wheel, so that the transfer device can change direction without manual intervention, which is more convenient, quick and labor-saving to use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a swivel caster provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a swivel caster provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an adjustment mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure when the swivel caster is installed on the transfer device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure when the transfer device is running in the opposite direction.

[0030] Explanation of the reference numerals: 100, swivel caster; 1, connecting seat; 2, universal seat; 3, supporting wheel; 4, sliding member; 5, connecting rod; 6, rotating wheel; 7, guide member; 8, arc groove; 9, slot; 10, adjusting screw; 11, first spring; 12, positioning nut; 13, positioning boss; 14, rotating shaft; 15, positioning ring; 16, friction plate; 17, adjusting nut; 18, second spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] The object of the present invention is to provide a swivel caster which can solve the problem in the prior art that a transfer device is inconvenient to turn when it moves with the rear end facing forward.

[0033] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] like Figure 1-5 As shown, a swivel caster 100 provided by an embodiment of the present invention comprises a connecting seat 1, a universal seat 2, a supporting wheel 3 and a locking mechanism. The connecting seat 1 is connected to the bottom of the transfer device. The universal seat 2 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 1.

[0035] Optionally, the universal seat 2 can be rotatably connected to the connecting seat 1 by a method known to those skilled in the art, such as a bearing connection, so that the universal seat 2 can rotate freely relative to the connecting seat 1. The support wheel 3 is rotatably arranged on the universal seat 2, and the rotation axis of the support wheel 3 and the rotation axis of the universal seat 2 are perpendicular to each other but do not intersect. The locking mechanism is used to lock or unlock the universal seat 2 and the connecting seat 1. The locking mechanism includes a sliding member 4, a connecting rod 5, a rotating wheel 6 and a guide member 7. The sliding member 4 is slidably connected to the universal seat 2. The first end of the connecting rod 5 is hinged to the first end of the sliding member 4, and the rotating wheel 6 is rotatably arranged at the second end of the connecting rod 5. The guide member 7 is connected to the universal seat 2, and the guide member 7 is provided with an arc groove 8 for guiding the rotating wheel 6. The circumferential outer wall of the rotating wheel 6 is against the circumferential outer wall of the support wheel 3. The connecting seat 1 is provided with a slot 9 for the second end of the sliding member 4 to extend into or slide out. When the sliding member 4 extends into the slot 9, the connecting seat 1 and the universal seat 2 are locked. When the sliding member 4 slides out of the slot 9, the connecting seat 1 and the universal seat 2 are unlocked.

[0036] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, when in use, two swivel casters 100 provided in the embodiment of the present invention can be respectively arranged at the front end and the rear end of the transfer device, and the card slot 9 of the swivel caster 100 arranged at the front end of the transfer device is arranged at an end of the connecting seat 1 close to the front end of the transfer device. The card slots 9 of the two swivel casters 100 arranged at the rear end of the transfer device are arranged at an end of the connecting seat 1 close to the rear end of the transfer device.

[0037] like Figure 4As shown, when moving forward, the sliding member 4 and the slot 9 of the rotating caster 100 located at the front end of the transfer device are staggered, and the second end of the sliding member 4 does not extend into the slot 9 of the connecting seat 1, and the connecting seat 1 and the universal seat 2 are in an unlocked state. The sliding member 4 of the rotating caster 100 located at the rear end of the transfer device is arranged opposite to the slot 9, and the rotating wheel 6 is rotated by the supporting wheel 3 to rise along the arc groove 8, and the rotating wheel 6 drives the second end of the sliding member 4 to be inserted into the slot 9 of the connecting seat 1 through the connecting rod 5, and the connecting seat 1 and the universal seat 2 are in a locked state. Therefore, the universal seat 2 of the rotating caster 100 at the front end can rotate freely, and the universal seat 2 of the rotating caster 100 at the rear end is fixed relative to the connecting seat 1, and the transfer device can turn with the rotating caster 100 at the front end.

[0038] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when the transfer device moves backward or the rear end of the transfer device moves forward, at the beginning, the support wheels 3 located at the front and rear ends of the transfer device respectively drive the corresponding rotating wheels 6 to slide downward along the arc groove 8, and the rotating wheels 6 drive the sliding member 4 to move downward through the connecting rod 5. At this time, the sliding member 4 of the rotating caster 100 originally located at the rear end of the transfer device slides out of the clamping groove 9. As the transfer device moves with its rear end facing forward, the universal seat 2 rotates 180°, and the sliding member 4 is offset from the clamping groove 9, so the universal seat 2 can rotate freely. At the same time, the rotating caster 100 originally located at the front end of the transfer device, as the transfer device moves with its rear end facing forward, the universal seat 2 rotates 180°, and the sliding member 4 is opposite to the clamping groove 9. At this time, the support wheel 3 continues to rotate, which can drive the rotating wheel 6 to rise along the arc groove 8, and the rotating wheel 6 drives the sliding member 4 to slide upward through the connecting rod 5, and the second end of the sliding member 4 is clamped into the clamping groove 9, locking the universal seat 2 and the connecting seat 1, and the universal seat 2 cannot rotate freely. Therefore, when the transfer device is operated with its rear end facing forward, the swivel caster 100 originally located at the rear end is now located at the front end and can rotate freely to change direction, and the swivel caster 100 originally located at the front end is now located at the rear end and is fixed.

[0039] With such arrangement, no matter whether the transfer device is running forward or backward, the swivel caster 100 at one end close to the forward direction can always be used as a reversing wheel, and the swivel caster 100 at one end away from the forward direction can be used as a fixed wheel, so that the transfer device can change direction without manual intervention, which is more convenient, quick and labor-saving to use.

[0040] refer to Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the guide member 7 is hinged to the universal seat 2, and the universal seat 2 is also provided with an adjustment component for adjusting the distance between the guide member 7 and the support wheel 3. With such an arrangement, when at least one of the support wheel 3 and the rotating wheel 6 is worn at the end of the operation, the distance between the guide member 7 and the support wheel 3 can be reduced by the adjustment component, so that the support wheel 3 and the rotating wheel 6 can maintain contact.

[0041] In this embodiment, the adjustment assembly includes an adjustment screw 10 threadedly matched with the universal seat 2 and a first spring 11 connected to the adjustment screw 10 at a first end and connected to the universal seat 2 at a second end. By screwing the adjustment screw 10, the adjustment screw 10 presses the guide member 7 through the first spring 11, so that the magnitude of the interaction force between the support wheel 3 and the rotating wheel 6 can be adjusted, and by providing the first spring 11, the interaction force between the support wheel 3 and the rotating wheel 6 can be adjusted linearly and continuously to avoid excessive interaction between the two.

[0042] In this embodiment, the adjusting screw 10 is screwed with a positioning nut 12, the universal seat 2 is provided with a positioning boss 13, the first end of the first spring 11 is sleeved on the adjusting screw 10 and abuts against the positioning nut 12, and the second end abuts against the positioning boss 13. By providing the positioning nut 12, the first end of the first spring 11 can be positioned or provided with a certain pre-tightening force, and the first end of the first spring 11 is sleeved on the adjusting screw 10, which can prevent the first end of the first spring 11 from moving.

[0043] Optionally, a positioning column is provided on the positioning boss 13, and the second end of the first spring 11 is mounted on the positioning column and abuts against the positioning boss 13. By providing the positioning column, the second end of the first spring 11 can be mounted on the positioning column, thereby preventing the second end of the first spring 11 from slipping and moving, so that the second end of the first spring 11 always maintains contact with the positioning boss 13, ensuring the stability of the entire mechanism.

[0044] In this embodiment, the swivel caster 100 further includes a rotating shaft 14, and the rotating wheel 6 and the second end of the connecting rod 5 are both rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 14, and the rotating shaft 14 is slidably disposed in the arc groove 8. For example, the rotating wheel 6 can be rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft 14 through a bearing. Such a configuration can avoid excessive wear between the rotating wheel 6 and the rotating shaft 14, thereby extending the service life of the swivel caster 100.

[0045] In this embodiment, a positioning ring 15, a friction plate 16 and an adjustment mechanism are provided on the rotating shaft 14. The first end of the rotating wheel 6 is used to abut against the positioning ring 15, and the second end is used to abut against the friction plate 16. The adjustment mechanism is used to make the friction plate 16 abut against the second end of the rotating wheel 6. The force between the rotating wheel 6 and the rotating shaft 14 can be adjusted by the friction plate 16 and the adjustment mechanism. Specifically, the friction force between the rotating wheel 6 and the rotating shaft 14 should be slightly greater than the force generated by the connecting rod 5 and the sliding member 4 on the rotating wheel 6, so that it can be ensured that when the supporting wheel 3 and the rotating wheel 6 cooperate in transmission, the supporting wheel 3 first drives the rotating wheel 6 to slide along the arc groove 8, and the connecting rod 5 and the sliding member 4 are driven to move during the sliding process of the rotating wheel 6, so that the swivel caster 100 works more stably and reliably during the operation. Therefore, when the support wheel 3 only drives the rotating wheel 6 to rotate due to wear or other reasons, but cannot drive the rotating wheel 6 to slide along the arc groove 8, the friction between the friction plate 16 and the rotating wheel 6 can be appropriately adjusted through the adjustment mechanism so that the swivel caster 100 can continue to work normally.

[0046] In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment nut 17 threadedly matched with the rotating shaft 14 and a second spring 18 mounted on the rotating shaft 14. One end of the second spring 18 abuts against the adjustment nut 17, and the other end abuts against the friction plate 16. By pressing the second spring 18 with the adjustment nut 17, and the second spring 18 in turn pressing the friction plate 16, a flexible force can be provided to the friction plate 16, and the friction force on the rotating wheel 6 can be adjusted linearly and continuously to prevent the rotating wheel 6 from being locked.

[0047] The present specification uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A swivel caster, characterized in that: include: Connecting seat; A universal seat rotatably connected to the connecting seat; A support wheel rotatably connected to the universal seat; The locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the universal seat and the connecting seat comprises a sliding member slidably connected to the universal seat, a connecting rod hinged at a first end to the first end of the sliding member, a rotating wheel rotatably arranged at a second end of the connecting rod, and a guiding member connected to the universal seat; the guiding member is provided with an arc groove for guiding the rotating wheel, the circumferential outer wall of the rotating wheel abuts against the circumferential outer wall of the supporting wheel, and the connecting seat is provided with a slot for the second end of the sliding member to extend into or slide out; the guiding member is hinged to the universal seat, and the universal seat is also provided with a slot for An adjustment assembly for adjusting the distance between the guide member and the support wheel, the adjustment assembly comprising an adjustment screw threadedly matched with the universal seat and a first spring connected to the adjustment screw at a first end and connected to the universal seat at a second end, the adjustment screw being screwed with a positioning nut, a positioning boss being provided on the universal seat, a first end of the first spring being sleeved on the adjustment screw and abutting against the positioning nut, a second end being abutting against the positioning boss, a positioning column being provided on the positioning boss, a second end of the first spring being sleeved on the positioning column and abutting against the positioning boss; It also includes a rotating shaft, the rotating wheel and the second end of the connecting rod are both rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is slidably arranged in the arc groove.

2. The swivel caster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is provided with a positioning ring, a friction plate and an adjusting mechanism. The first end of the rotating wheel is used to abut against the positioning ring, and the second end is used to abut against the friction plate. The adjusting mechanism is used to make the friction plate abut against the second end of the rotating wheel.

3. The swivel caster according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjusting mechanism comprises an adjusting nut threadably matched with the rotating shaft and a second spring sleeved on the rotating shaft, wherein one end of the second spring abuts against the adjusting nut and the other end abuts against the friction plate.

4. The swivel caster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating wheel is sleeved on the rotating shaft through a bearing.

5. The swivel caster according to claim 1, characterized in that: The universal seat is rotatably connected to the connecting seat via a bearing.

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