Self-orienting brake caster

Abstract

The application discloses a self-positioning direction trolley, which comprises a foot connecting frame, a rotating shaft and a rolling wheel, the end of the rotating shaft is provided with an adjusting spring and an adjusting knob, the adjusting spring is provided with a positioning protrusion, a plurality of grooves are arranged along the upper edge of the side plate of the adjusting knob, a direction brake structure is arranged between the clamping structures of the foot connecting frame, one end of the direction brake structure is provided with a sleeve ring structure and the other end is provided with a bending block, the bottom of the rotating body is provided with a direction positioning groove, the sleeve ring structure is further provided with a positioning side edge extending inward, and a trigger is further arranged on the rotating shaft. The trolley is designed in association with the rotating body, the direction brake structure, the trigger, the adjusting spring and the adjusting knob, and has a simple overall structure and is convenient to process and install. The trolley can be switched among the universal rolling state, the directional rolling state and the directional brake stopping state by only rotating the adjusting knob, and the operation is simple, convenient and handy, and the operation discomfort is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of caster technology, specifically to a self-positioning caster with braking. Background Technology

[0002] The caster structure at the bottom of a transport vehicle typically includes a mounting plate, a connecting frame, a pivot, and rollers, with an added braking mechanism to ensure stability when the vehicle is stopped. To ensure smooth steering, the connecting frame and mounting plate are designed with a universal joint. However, for medium and heavy-duty transport vehicles moving in a straight line without directional adjustment, the free rotation of the casters causes the vehicle to wobble and requires considerable effort to pull. When the vehicle stops, the casters' own wobbling further reduces its stability in the event of an impact, increasing the risk of cargo tipping over or even causing the entire vehicle to overturn. Furthermore, the complex caster braking structure with numerous components makes its processing and installation time-consuming and costly. The structure also requires manual operation, and an unreasonable design of the operating mechanism results in significant pressure on the operator's limbs, causing considerable discomfort. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the following problems: When medium and heavy-duty transport vehicles move in a straight line without directional adjustment, the casters' omnidirectional design causes the vehicle to sway and requires excessive pulling force. When the transport vehicle stops, the casters themselves sway, resulting in poor stability of the transport vehicle in the event of an impact, which can easily lead to cargo tipping or even the entire transport vehicle overturning. Furthermore, the complex braking structure of the casters involves numerous components, making the processing and installation of the casters time-consuming and costly. Moreover, the structure requires manual operation, and the unreasonable design of the operating structure results in high pressure on the manual operator's limbs, causing significant discomfort. Therefore, this invention provides a caster with a self-positioning braking direction.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a self-positioning brake caster, comprising a base and a roller rotatably connected to the bottom of the base via a rotating shaft. An adjusting spring and an adjusting knob are sequentially fitted from the inside to the outside at the end of the rotating shaft. A positioning protrusion is provided on the adjusting spring. A first groove, a second groove, and a third groove are sequentially provided along the upper edge of the adjusting knob's side plate. A mounting plate is provided on the top of the base. A rotating body is provided in the center of the mounting plate. The rotating body extends downwards, sequentially connecting a bearing between the mounting plate and the base, and the base, and abuts against the inner wall of the base for vertical positioning. A directional brake structure is provided between the clamping structures of the base. One end of the directional brake structure extends outwards with a collar structure fitted onto the rotating shaft, while the other end extends in the opposite direction with a bending block. Multiple directional positioning grooves corresponding to the bending blocks are provided at the bottom of the rotating body. The collar structure of the directional brake structure also extends inwards with a positioning side edge on one side of the adjusting spring. A starting condition is also fitted onto the rotating shaft.

[0005] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0006] The connecting leg is also provided with a movable groove at the connection with the pivot, and an adjusting spring is provided in the movable groove. A clamping groove is provided at the bottom of the movable groove to limit the bottom of the adjusting spring.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0008] The distances between the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove and the axis of rotation increase sequentially, and the thicknesses of the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove are all less than the thickness of the positioning protrusion.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0010] The adjustment knob has a first limiting flange between the second and third grooves, and multiple pressing plates extend outward from the side edge of the adjustment knob.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0012] The upper end of the adjusting spring extends toward the steering brake structure with a stepped abutment section, and the outer edge of the top of the abutment section is provided with an arc-shaped surface.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0014] A positioning groove is provided on the positioning side edge, and a second limiting flange is provided on both sides of the positioning groove, with the transition surface being an arc-shaped transition surface.

[0015] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0016] The thickness of the top of the abutment section is less than the width of the positioning groove.

[0017] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0018] The depth of the positioning groove is greater than the distance between the top surface of the bending block and the bottom surface of the directional positioning groove.

[0019] As a further description of the above technical solution:

[0020] The overall shape of the starting condition is U-shaped. The first abutting section extends outward from the center of the starting condition and abuts against the rotating body, while the two ends extend in opposite directions and abut against the edge of the directional brake structure on the same side as the bending block.

[0021] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0022] This caster features a simple and easy-to-manufacture structure with a directional positioning groove, directional brake mechanism, start-up mechanism, adjustment spring, and adjustment knob. The caster can be switched between omnidirectional rolling, directional rolling, and directional braking modes simply by rotating the adjustment knob. Operation is simple and convenient, greatly reducing hand pressure and discomfort during operation. It features a more precise multi-functional design to adapt to transport vehicles with different load capacities and usage conditions. This effectively solves the problems of swaying and difficult pulling caused by the free rotation of the casters when medium and heavy-duty transport vehicles move in a straight line without directional adjustment, and the poor stability of the transport vehicle when it comes to stopping due to caster swaying, which can easily lead to cargo tipping or even the entire transport vehicle overturning. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a side view of a caster with a self-positioning braking direction.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional view of a caster with a self-positioning braking direction.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a front view of a caster with a self-positioning braking direction.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a top view of a self-positioning brake caster.

[0028] Legend:

[0029] 1. Connecting leg; 2. Rotating shaft; 3. Roller; 4. Adjusting spring; 41. Positioning protrusion; 42. Abutting section; 5. Adjusting knob; 51. First groove; 52. Second groove; 53. Third groove; 54. First limiting flange; 55. Pressing plate; 6. Bearing; 7. Mounting plate; 8. Rotating body; 81. Directional positioning groove; 9. Directional brake structure; 91. Collar structure; 92. Bending block; 93. Positioning side edge; 94. Positioning groove; 95. Second limiting flange; 10. Starting condition; 101. First abutting section; 102. Second abutting section. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0032] Please see Figure 1-4 This invention provides a technical solution: a self-positioning brake caster, comprising a base 1 and a roller 3 rotatably connected to a clamping structure at the bottom of the base 1 via a pivot 2. An adjusting spring 4 and an adjusting knob 5 are sequentially fitted from the inside to the outside at the end of the pivot 2. A positioning protrusion 41 is provided on the adjusting spring 4. A first groove 51, a second groove 52, and a third groove 53 are sequentially provided along the upper edge of the side plate of the adjusting knob 5. A mounting plate 7 is provided at the top of the base 1. A rotating body 8 is provided in the center of the mounting plate 7. The rotating body 8 extends downwards and is sequentially connected to a bearing 6 between the mounting plate 7 and the base 1, and abuts against the inner wall of the base 1 for vertical positioning. A directional brake structure 9 is provided between the clamping structures of the base 1. One end of the directional brake structure 9 extends outwards with a collar structure 91 fitted onto the pivot 2, while the other end extends in the opposite direction with a bending block 92. A directional brake structure 9 is provided at the bottom of the rotating body 8. There are multiple directional positioning grooves 81 corresponding to the bending block 92. The collar structure 91 of the directional brake structure 9 also extends inward to the side of the adjusting spring 4 with a positioning side edge 93. The rotating shaft 2 is also fitted with a launching condition 10. Through the related structural design of the directional positioning groove of the rotating body, the directional brake structure, the launching condition, the adjusting spring, and the adjusting knob, the overall structure is simple and easy to process and install. By simply rotating the adjusting knob, the caster can switch between omnidirectional rolling state, directional rolling state, and directional braking state. The operation is simple. It has a more precise multi-functional caster adaptation design for transport vehicles with different load capacities and usage conditions. It can effectively solve the problem that when medium and heavy-duty transport vehicles move in a straight line without directional adjustment, the free rotation of the caster itself causes the transport vehicle to shake and be difficult to pull. When the transport vehicle stops, the caster itself shakes, making the stability of the transport vehicle poor when impacted, which can easily lead to the tipping of goods or even the overturning of the entire transport vehicle.

[0033] The connecting bracket 1 is also provided with a movable groove at the connection with the rotating shaft 2. An adjusting spring 4 is provided in the movable groove. A clamping groove is provided at the bottom of the movable groove to limit the bottom of the adjusting spring 4, so that when the adjusting knob is rotated to switch the caster state, the bottom of the adjusting spring is fixed and the top is bent more stably.

[0034] The distances between the first groove 51, the second groove 52, and the third groove 53 and the axis of the rotating shaft 2 increase sequentially. The thickness of the first groove 51, the second groove 52, and the third groove 53 is less than the thickness of the positioning protrusion 41. This causes each groove to press against the positioning protrusion upwards when the adjustment knob is rotated, causing the top of the adjustment spring to bend and deform inwards to varying degrees, thereby achieving the switching and stable positioning of the caster in omnidirectional rolling, directional rolling, and directional braking states.

[0035] The adjustment knob 5 is provided with a first limiting flange 54 between the second groove 52 and the third groove 53. Multiple pressing plates 55 extend outward from the side edge of the adjustment knob 5, so that when the adjustment knob is rotated, the force point and surface between the hand and the adjustment knob are increased, making the operation faster and smoother, and reducing the pressure on the pressure area of ​​the hand, thereby reducing the discomfort of the hand during operation.

[0036] The upper end of the adjusting spring 4 extends toward the steering brake structure 9 and has a stepped abutment section 42, which improves the structural toughness and bending degree of the adjusting spring. The outer edge of the top of the abutment section 42 is provided with an arc surface, which makes the abutment section slide out of the positioning groove more smoothly and with less wear, thereby making the positioning protrusion slide from the second groove to the first groove more quickly and smoothly, and making the switching of the caster's various usage states smoother and more convenient.

[0037] A positioning groove 94 is provided on the positioning side edge 93, and a second limiting flange 95 is provided on both sides of the positioning groove 94, and the transition surface is an arc-shaped transition surface.

[0038] The thickness of the top of the abutment section 42 is less than the width of the positioning groove 94, so that when the positioning protrusion slides in the second and third grooves, the abutment section has sufficient sliding space in the positioning groove, thereby reducing the rotational resistance of the adjustment knob.

[0039] The depth of the positioning groove 94 is greater than the distance between the top surface of the bending block 92 and the bottom surface of the directional positioning groove 81, so that when the abutment section is inserted into the positioning groove, the bending block can be inserted into the directional positioning groove to perform directional positioning of the docking leg, rotating body, and transport vehicle.

[0040] The starting condition 10 is U-shaped in general. The first abutting section 101 extends outward from the center of the starting condition 10 and abuts against the rotating body 8. The two ends of the starting condition 10 extend in opposite directions and abut against the edge of the directional brake structure 9 on the same side as the bending block 92. The preload is applied to the directional brake structure, so that the caster can switch from other states to directional rolling state more quickly, and the caster is more stable in this state.

[0041] The working principle of a self-positioning brake caster in this embodiment includes: the caster can switch between omnidirectional rolling, directional rolling, and directional braking states. In state one, the positioning protrusion 41 is located in the first groove 51, and the caster is in omnidirectional rolling state. By holding the pressing plate 55 of the adjustment knob 5, the upper edge of the side plate of the adjustment knob 5 pushes the positioning protrusion 41 upward. When the adjustment knob 5 is rotated, the positioning protrusion 41 slides along the upper edge of the side plate to the second groove 52. Since the limiting ends of the adjustment spring 4 and the adjustment knob 5 are both the ends of the rotating shaft 2, and the first groove 51, the second groove 52, and the third groove 53 are arranged sequentially and the distance to the axis of the rotating shaft 2 increases sequentially, the positioning protrusion 41 is pushed upward, and the adjustment spring 4 is limited in the vertical direction, causing the upper end of the adjustment spring 4 to bend and deform inward. At the same time, the original abutment on the positioning protrusion 41 is pushed upward. The abutment section 42 on the side edge 93 slides inward along its bottom into the positioning groove 94, causing the directional brake structure 9 to be subjected to the pre-tightening force on its bottom by the trigger condition 10 and rotate around the pivot 2, so that the positioning groove 94 firmly abuts against the abutment section 42, and the bending block 92 abuts against the bottom of the rotating body 8. By appropriately rotating the connecting leg 1, the bending block 92 abuts against the directional positioning groove 81, realizing the positioning of the connecting leg 1, the rotating body 8, and the mounting plate 7, so that the caster is directionally positioned when in use, and the transport vehicle can only move in a straight line, that is, in a directional rolling state, avoiding the swaying and pulling difficulty of the transport vehicle caused by the free rotation of the caster itself when the medium and heavy-duty transport vehicle moves in a straight line without directional adjustment. Rotating the adjustment knob 5 causes the positioning protrusion 41 to abut against the third groove 53, and the abutment section 42 to bend further inward and firmly abut against the side of the roller 3, realizing the roller to stop, that is, in a directional stopping state. Through the interconnected design of the directional positioning groove of the rotating body, the directional brake structure, the starting condition, the adjusting spring, and the adjusting knob, the overall structure is simple and easy to process and install. The caster can be switched between omnidirectional rolling, directional rolling, and directional braking states simply by rotating the adjusting knob, making operation simple.

[0042] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the self-positioning brake caster of this embodiment has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0043] This caster features a simple and easy-to-manufacture structure with a directional positioning groove, directional brake mechanism, start-up mechanism, adjustment spring, and adjustment knob. The caster can be switched between omnidirectional rolling, directional rolling, and directional braking modes simply by rotating the adjustment knob. Operation is simple and convenient, greatly reducing hand pressure and discomfort during operation. It features a more precise multi-functional design to adapt to transport vehicles with different load capacities and usage conditions. This effectively solves the problems of swaying and difficult pulling caused by the free rotation of the casters when medium and heavy-duty transport vehicles move in a straight line without directional adjustment, and the poor stability of the transport vehicle when it comes to stopping due to caster swaying, which can easily lead to cargo tipping or even the entire transport vehicle overturning.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A caster with self-positioning braking direction, characterized in that, The device includes a leg support (1) and a roller (3) rotatably connected to the bottom of the leg support (1) via a rotating shaft (2). An adjusting spring (4) and an adjusting knob (5) are sequentially fitted from the inside to the outside at the end of the rotating shaft (2). A positioning protrusion (41) is provided on the adjusting spring (4). A first groove (51), a second groove (52), and a third groove (53) are sequentially provided along the upper edge of the side plate of the adjusting knob (5). A mounting plate (7) is provided on the top of the leg support (1). A rotating body (8) is provided in the center of the mounting plate (7). The rotating body (8) extends downwards and is sequentially strung between the mounting plate (7) and the leg support (1). The bearing (6) and the connecting leg (1) are abutted against the inner wall of the connecting leg (1) for vertical positioning. A directional brake structure (9) is provided between the clamping structures of the connecting leg (1). One end of the directional brake structure (9) extends outward with a collar structure (91) sleeved on the rotating shaft (2), while the other end extends in the opposite direction with a bending block (92). The bottom of the rotating body (8) is provided with multiple directional positioning grooves (81) corresponding to the bending block (92). The collar structure (91) of the directional brake structure (9) also extends inward with a positioning side edge (93) on one side of the adjusting spring (4). The rotating shaft (2) is also fitted with a launching condition (10). The connecting bracket (1) is also provided with a movable groove at the connection with the rotating shaft (2), and the adjusting spring (4) is provided in the movable groove. A clamping groove is provided at the bottom of the movable groove to limit the bottom of the adjusting spring (4). The distances between the first groove (51), the second groove (52), and the third groove (53) and the axis of the rotating shaft (2) increase sequentially, and the thicknesses of the first groove (51), the second groove (52), and the third groove (53) are all less than the thickness of the positioning protrusion (41). The upper end of the adjusting spring (4) extends toward the direction brake structure (9) with a stepped abutment section (42), and the outer edge of the top of the abutment section (42) is provided with an arc-shaped surface; The positioning side edge (93) is provided with a positioning groove (94), and the two sides of the positioning groove (94) are provided with second limiting flanges (95) and the transition surface is an arc-shaped transition surface; The launching condition (10) is U-shaped in general. The launching condition (10) has a first abutting section (101) extending outward from the center and abutting against the rotating body (8), while its two ends extend in opposite directions with a second abutting section (102) abutting against the edge of the directional brake structure (9) on the same side as the bending block (92).

2. A self-positioning brake caster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment knob (5) has a first limiting flange (54) between the second groove (52) and the third groove (53), and the side plate edge of the adjustment knob (5) extends outward with multiple pressing plates (55).

3. A self-positioning caster for braking according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the top of the abutment section (42) is less than the width of the positioning groove (94).

4. A self-positioning brake caster according to claim 1, characterized in that, The depth of the positioning groove (94) is greater than the distance between the top surface of the bending block (92) and the bottom surface of the directional positioning groove (81).

Images