Caster assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a caster assembly and a parking robot including the caster assembly. Comprises: a bearing provided such that an inner ring rotates with respect to an outer ring; the bearing is fixedly combined with the bearing shell, so that at least one part of the outer ring is supported on the inner peripheral surface side of the bearing shell; a bearing upper cover that is provided so as to surround at least a portion of the inner ring other than the bottom surface thereof, and that is rotatably coupled to the inner peripheral surface side of the bearing housing; a bearing lower cover provided to support at least a portion of a bottom surface of the inner ring and fastened to a lower side of the bearing upper cover; and a wheel rotatably coupled to the bearing upper cover or the bearing lower cover so as to protrude downward from the upper surface side of the bearing upper cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a caster assembly and a parking robot including the caster assembly, and more particularly, to a caster assembly and a parking robot including the caster assembly, which can prevent the height of the wheel from increasing with respect to the distance support surface without reducing the size of the wheel. Background Art

[0002] As the number of vehicles increases, parking spaces are limited, and policy and technical research for solving the shortage of parking spaces is underway. In particular, in order to effectively park a larger number of vehicles in a limited space such as a parking tower or an underground parking facility having a plurality of parking spaces, research and development of an automated parking system is actively underway.

[0003] Generally, such an automatic parking system can be configured to include a tray for carrying a vehicle and a transfer mechanism for moving the tray to a designated parking space. However, such an automatic parking system includes a designated initial space for vehicle entry and exit, and a tray needs to be provided in each designated parking space. Therefore, there are problems that not only the manufacturing cost of the system is high, but also the structure is complex.

[0004] To solve this problem, in recent years, parking robots are being developed and popularized, which enter the front wheel side and the rear wheel side through the lower space of the vehicle, and then lift the vehicle from the ground and transfer it to a designated parking space.

[0005] Generally, since such a parking robot includes: a lifting device for lifting or lowering a vehicle from the ground; a driving device for moving to a designated parking space in a state where the vehicle is carried on the lifting device or entering and exiting the lower part of the vehicle in a state where the vehicle is not carried; and a battery for supplying power to the lifting device or the driving device, the overall size of the parking robot becomes large, and there are problems such as difficulty in applying it to a small vehicle in which the entry space of the parking robot is formed relatively small.

[0006] In addition, a caster refers to a wheel provided on the lower surface of a moving mechanism for movement, so that various moving mechanisms such as a tray for carrying goods and transferring, a mobile rack, a swivel chair, and a travel case can move smoothly on the site. Such a caster can also be applied to a parking robot. However, as the diameter of the caster increases, the running performance of the moving mechanism also improves. As the durability against load increases, casters applied to parking robots for carrying heavy vehicles usually use large-diameter wheels. However, in this case, there is a problem that the height of the parking robot itself from the support surface for supporting the wheels increases.

[0007] Accordingly, while the casters applied to the parking robot ensure running performance and durability, in order to enable the parking robot to enter the space between the bottom surface of a vehicle with a relatively low height and the ground, it is necessary to apply casters capable of minimizing the height. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] The present embodiment provides a caster assembly. In order to transfer a relatively heavy load along the site and ensure running performance and durability, a wheel with a sufficient diameter can be applied, and the situation where the height increases due to the large diameter of the wheel can be minimized.

[0010] The present embodiment provides a caster assembly and a parking robot including the caster assembly. The caster assembly is applicable to the parking robot. After entering the front wheel side and the rear wheel side of the vehicle respectively, the vehicle is lifted from the ground and transferred to a designated parking place.

[0011] Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a caster assembly, including: a bearing configured such that the inner ring rotates relative to the outer ring; a bearing housing, the bearing being fixedly coupled to the bearing housing such that at least a part of the outer ring is supported on the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing; an upper bearing cover configured to surround at least a part of the inner ring except the bottom surface and rotatably coupled to the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing; a lower bearing cover configured to support at least a part of the bottom surface of the inner ring and fastened to the lower side of the upper bearing cover; and a wheel rotatably coupled to the upper bearing cover or the lower bearing cover in a manner of protruding downward from the upper surface side of the upper bearing cover.

[0013] A bearing housing main body that supports the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring; a first bearing housing flange that protrudes inward from the upper part of the bearing housing main body and supports the upper surface of the outer ring.

[0014] The bearing housing includes: a second bearing housing flange that protrudes outward from the lower part of the bearing housing main body;

[0015] A plurality of bearing housing fastening holes formed to penetrate from the upper surface to the bottom surface side along the circumferential surface of the second bearing housing flange.

[0016] The upper bearing cover includes: a disc-shaped upper bearing cover main body that supports the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring; an upper bearing cover flange that protrudes outward from the upper part of the upper bearing cover main body and supports the upper surface of the inner ring; an upper bearing cover opening formed to penetrate from the upper surface to the bottom surface side of the upper bearing cover main body for disposing at least a part of the wheel.

[0017] The upper bearing cover includes: a plurality of upper bearing cover fastening holes formed through from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover main body to the bottom surface side for insertion of fastening members for fastening with the lower bearing cover.

[0018] The lower bearing cover is formed in a disc shape and includes: a lower bearing cover opening formed through from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover to the bottom surface side for arranging at least a part of the wheel; a first wheel fastening portion protruding downward from the bottom surface of the lower bearing cover on both sides of the lower bearing cover opening; and a first wheel pin fixing hole formed through from one side of the first wheel fastening portion to the other side.

[0019] The lower bearing cover may further include a plurality of lower bearing cover fastening holes formed through from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover to the bottom surface side for insertion of fastening members for fastening with the upper bearing cover.

[0020] The wheel includes: a wheel pin through hole provided on the rotation axis of the wheel; and a wheel pin coupled in the wheel pin through hole, with both ends of the wheel pin fixed in the first wheel pin fixing hole.

[0021] The diameter of the wheel is the same as the length of the upper bearing cover opening and the same as the length of the lower bearing cover opening; the upper bearing cover opening is formed through from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover to the bottom surface side for arranging at least a part of the wheel, and the lower bearing cover opening is formed through from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover to the bottom surface side for arranging at least a part of the wheel.

[0022] The lower bearing cover may further include: a first wheel pin insertion groove provided on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover in the central axis direction of the first wheel pin fixing hole so that a part of the wheel pin can be inserted into the first wheel pin insertion groove.

[0023] The upper bearing cover may further include: a second wheel fastening portion protruding downward from the bottom surface of the upper bearing cover main body on both sides of the upper bearing cover opening; and a second wheel pin fixing hole formed through from one side of the second wheel fastening portion to the other side.

[0024] The lower bearing cover may include: a plurality of lower bearing cover fastening holes formed through from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover to the bottom surface side for insertion of fastening members for fastening with the upper bearing cover.

[0025] The wheel may include: a wheel pin through hole provided on the rotation axis of the wheel; and a wheel pin coupled in the wheel pin through hole, with both ends of the wheel pin fixed in the second wheel pin fixing hole.

[0026] The lower bearing cover may further include: a second insertion groove for a wheel pin, which is provided on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover in the central axis direction of the second fixing hole for the wheel pin, so that a part of the wheel pin can be inserted into the second insertion groove for the wheel pin.

[0027] The diameter of the wheel is formed to be the same as the length of the opening of the upper bearing cover.

[0028] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a parking robot, including the caster assembly as described above, which lifts the vehicle from the ground and moves it to a designated parking place after entering the front wheel side and the rear wheel side of the vehicle respectively. The parking robot may include: a first driving module provided on one side in the front; a second driving module provided on one side in the rear; a first lifting module provided between the first driving module and the second driving module; and a second lifting module combined with the caster assembly and provided on the other side of the first lifting module.

[0029] The first driving module includes two first driving wheels provided at both ends of a first driving shaft and independently driven of each other. The second driving module includes two second driving wheels provided at both ends of a second driving shaft and independently driven of each other. The parking robot is configured to move straight or rotate by the rotation of the first driving wheels and the second driving wheels.

[0030] The first lifting module includes two first lifting rods that rotate around first rotation shafts respectively provided on the front side and the rear side of the first lifting module and are simultaneously deployed with each other. The second lifting module includes two second lifting rods that rotate around second rotation shafts respectively provided on the front side and the rear side of the second lifting module and are simultaneously deployed with each other. The parking robot is configured to lift the vehicle from the ground when the first lifting rods and the second lifting rods are deployed.

[0031] The caster assembly may be formed such that the upper surface of the bearing housing and the upper surface of the upper bearing cover are respectively at the same height as the upper surface of the second lifting module.

[0032] The parking robot may further include: a first control module provided on the front side of the second lifting module; a second control module provided on the rear side of the second lifting module; a battery module disposed adjacent to the first driving module and the first control module between the first lifting module and the second lifting module; and a third control module disposed adjacent to the second driving module and the second control module between the first lifting module and the second lifting module.

[0033] Advantages of the Invention

[0034] In order to transfer the caster assembly of this embodiment while carrying relatively heavy goods along the site, and to ensure driving performance and durability, wheels with a sufficiently large diameter can be applied, and the situation where the height increases due to the large diameter of the wheels can be minimized. It can be applied to various mobile mechanisms such as parking robots, hand trucks, swivel chairs, and travel suitcases that transfer vehicles in a state of carrying heavy loads.

[0035] The parking robot including the caster assembly of this embodiment enters the front-wheel side and the rear-wheel side of the vehicle respectively, and then lifts the vehicle from the ground and transfers it to a designated parking place. The parking robot can prevent the increase in its own height due to the height of the caster assembly, thus solving the situation where the parking robot cannot enter between the bottom surface of the vehicle and the ground due to height restrictions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 It is an exploded perspective view showing the exploded state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The perspective view of the assembled state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown.

[0038] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The sectional view of the A-A' section of.

[0039] Figure 4 It is Figure 2 The bottom view of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown.

[0040] Figure 5 It is an exploded perspective view showing the exploded state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 6 It shows Figure 5 The top view of the assembled state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown.

[0042] Figure 7 It is Figure 5 The bottom view of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown.

[0043] Figure 8 It shows Figure 6 The sectional view of the B-B' section of.

[0044] Figure 9 It is a perspective view showing the unfolded state of the parking robot including the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 10It is a perspective view showing the deployed state of a parking robot including a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 11 It is a top view showing the state of lifting a vehicle by a parking robot including a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Description of reference numerals

[0048] V: Vehicle FW: Front wheel

[0049] RW: Rear wheel 10: Parking robot

[0050] 11: First drive module 11a: First drive shaft

[0051] 11b: First drive wheel 12: Second drive module

[0052] 12a: Second drive shaft 12b: Second drive wheel

[0053] 13: First lifting module 13a: First rotating shaft

[0054] 13b: First lifting rod 14: Second lifting module

[0055] 14b: Second rotating shaft 14b: Second lifting rod

[0056] 14c: Caster assembly 15: Battery module

[0057] 16: First control module 17: Second control module

[0058] 18: Third control module 100: Bearing

[0059] 110: Outer ring 120: Inner ring

[0060] 130: Rolling part 200: Bearing housing

[0061] 210: Bearing housing main body 220: Bearing housing first flange

[0062] 230: Bearing housing second flange 231: Bearing housing fastening hole

[0063] 300: Bearing upper cover 310: Bearing upper cover main body

[0064] 311: Bearing upper cover fastening hole 312: Bearing upper cover opening

[0065] 320: Bearing upper cover flange 330: Wheel second fastening part

[0066] 331: Wheel pin second fixing hole 400: Bearing lower cover

[0067] 401: Lower bearing cover fastening hole 402: Lower bearing cover opening

[0068] 403: First wheel pin insertion groove 404: Second wheel pin insertion groove

[0069] 410: First wheel fastening part 411: First wheel pin fixing hole

[0070] 500: Wheel 501: Wheel pin through-hole

[0071] 510: Wheel pin Detailed implementation mode

[0072] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are shown in order to fully convey the idea of the present invention to those skilled in the art. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown here and can be embodied in other forms. In order to make the present invention clear, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in the drawings, and in order to facilitate understanding, the sizes of the components may be exaggerated in the drawings.

[0073] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the exploded state of a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 shows Figure 1 a perspective view of the assembled state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3 shows Figure 2 a cross-sectional view of the A-A' cross-section of Figure 4 is Figure 2 a bottom view of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in

[0074] Referring to Figures 1 to 4 , a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a bearing 100, a bearing housing 200, an upper bearing cover 300, a lower bearing cover 400, and a wheel 500. Among them, the wheel 500 can be rotatably coupled to the lower bearing cover 400 side.

[0075] The bearing 100 can be arranged such that the inner ring 120 can rotate relative to the outer ring 110. In addition, as Figure 3 shown, the bearing 100 may further include a plurality of rolling parts 130. The cross-sectional shape of the rolling parts 130 may be formed as a rectangle, and the rolling parts 130 are provided between the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 to enable the inner ring 120 to rotate relative to the outer ring 110. As an example, the bearing 100 may be a ball bearing in which the rolling parts 130 are formed as spheres or a roller bearing in which the rolling parts 130 are formed as cylindrical rollers.

[0076] In addition, the bearing 100 can be fixedly coupled to the bearing housing 200 such that at least a portion of the outer ring 110 of the bearing 100 is supported on the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing 200. To this end, the bearing housing 200 can include: a bearing housing main body 210 that supports the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 110; and a first bearing housing flange 220 that protrudes inward from the upper portion of the bearing housing main body 210 to support the upper surface of the outer ring 110.

[0077] In addition, the bearing housing 200 can further include: a second bearing housing flange 230 that protrudes outward from the lower portion of the bearing housing main body 210 such that a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention can be disposed below a transfer mechanism such as a parking robot; and a plurality of bearing housing fastening holes 231 that penetrate from the upper surface to the bottom surface side along the circumferential surface of the second bearing housing flange 230.

[0078] In addition, a bearing upper cover 300 is provided to wrap at least a portion of the inner ring 120 so as to be rotatably coupled to the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing 200. To this end, the bearing upper cover 300 can include: a disk-shaped bearing upper cover main body 310 that supports the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 120; a bearing upper cover flange 320 that protrudes outward from the upper portion of the bearing upper cover main body 310 to support the upper surface of the inner ring 120; and a bearing upper cover opening 312 that penetrates from the upper surface to the bottom surface side of the bearing upper cover main body 310 for disposing at least a portion of the wheel 500.

[0079] Among them, as described above, the bearing upper cover opening 312 can be provided in a shape that is the same as or similar to the cross-section of the wheel 500 for disposing at least a portion of the wheel 500. In addition, the bearing upper cover opening 312 can be formed such that at least one of the virtual perpendicular cross lines of the rotation axis of the bearing 100 and the virtual straight line passing through the center of the bearing upper cover opening 312 along the length direction of the bearing upper cover opening 312 is disposed on the same line in a plane corresponding to the upper surface or the bottom surface of the bearing upper cover main body 310.

[0080] In addition, in a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the bearing upper cover main body 310 is formed to be the same as the height of the bearing housing main body 210. The bearing upper cover 300 is fixed to the inner ring 120 side, and when the bearing housing 200 is fixed to the outer ring 110 side, the bearing upper cover 300 and the bearing housing 200 can form upper and lower surfaces of the same height.

[0081] In addition, the upper bearing cover 300 may further include a plurality of upper bearing cover fastening holes 311 which are formed to penetrate from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 toward the bottom surface side for insertion of a fastening member (not shown) for fastening to the lower bearing cover 400. Among them, a plurality of upper bearing cover fastening holes 311 may be formed at preset intervals along the circumferential surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 configured as a disk.

[0082] In addition, the lower bearing cover 400 may be configured to support at least a part of the bottom surface of the inner ring 120 and be fastened to the lower side of the upper bearing cover 300. For this purpose, the lower bearing cover 400 is configured as a disk such that the upper surface of the lower bearing cover 400 supports the bottom surface of the inner ring 120 along the outer peripheral side.

[0083] In addition, the lower bearing cover 400 may include: a lower bearing cover opening 402 which is formed to penetrate from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover 400 toward the bottom surface side for arranging at least a part of the wheel 500; a first wheel fastening part 410 which protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the lower bearing cover 400 on both sides of the lower bearing cover opening 402 respectively; and a first wheel pin fixing hole 411 which is formed to penetrate from one side of the first wheel fastening part 410 to the other side.

[0084] Among them, the lower bearing cover opening 402 may be configured to have the same or similar shape as the cross-section of the wheel 500, similar to the upper bearing cover opening 312, for arranging at least a part of the wheel 500.

[0085] In addition, the lower bearing cover opening 402 may be formed such that at least one of the virtual vertical cross lines perpendicular to the rotation axis of the bearing 100 and the virtual straight line passing through the center of the lower bearing cover opening 402 in the length direction of the lower bearing cover opening 402 are arranged on the same line in the plane corresponding to the upper surface or the bottom surface of the lower bearing cover 400. Thus, the lower bearing cover opening 402 is stacked below the upper bearing cover opening 312, and is configured to form an opening penetrating from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 to the bottom surface of the lower bearing cover 400 for arranging an upper part of the wheel 500.

[0086] In addition, the lower bearing cover 400 may further include a plurality of lower bearing cover fastening holes 401 which are formed to penetrate from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover 400 toward the bottom surface side for insertion of a fastening member (not shown) for fastening to the upper bearing cover 300. Among them, a plurality of lower bearing cover fastening holes 401 may be formed at preset intervals along the circumferential surface of the lower bearing cover 400 configured as an annulus, similar to the upper bearing cover fastening holes 311.

[0087] Thus, in the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, a fastening member (not shown) for coupling the upper bearing cover 300 and the lower bearing cover 400 is inserted from the side of the upper bearing cover fastening hole 311, passes through the lower bearing cover fastening hole 401, and is fixed on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover 400. Thus, the upper bearing cover 300 and the lower bearing cover 400 coupled to the bearing 100 can rotate together about the rotation axis of the bearing 100 relative to the outer ring 110 in a manner that wraps the upper surface, inner circumferential surface, and bottom surface of the inner ring 120.

[0088] In addition, as Figure 4 shown, the lower bearing cover 400 may further include a first wheel pin insertion groove 403 which is provided on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover 400 in the central axis direction of the first wheel pin fixing hole 411 so that a part of the wheel pin 510 for coupling the wheel 500 to the first wheel fastening portion 410 can be inserted into the first wheel pin insertion groove 403. Thus, in the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance of the casters assembly from the support surface for supporting the rotation of the wheel 500 is further minimized.

[0089] In addition, the wheel 500 is rotatably coupled to the lower bearing cover 400 in a manner that protrudes from the upper surface side of the upper bearing cover 300 to the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover 400. To this end, the wheel 500 may include: a wheel pin through hole 501 provided on the rotation axis of the wheel 500; and a wheel pin 510 coupled to the wheel pin through hole 501 and having both ends fixed to the first wheel pin fixing hole 411. Although not shown, the wheel pin 510 may further include structures such as grooves or protrusions for fixing both end sides to the first wheel pin fixing hole 411. In addition, in order to improve the rolling performance, the wheel 500 may further include a bearing provided on the side of the wheel pin through hole 501.

[0090] In addition, in the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the diameter and width of the wheel 500 are formed to be smaller than the lengths and widths of the upper bearing cover opening 312 and the lower bearing cover opening 402, the rotation axis of the wheel 500 may be formed higher toward the upper bearing cover 300 side, thereby further minimizing the height of the casters assembly. However, in order to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the space between the wheel 500 and the upper bearing cover opening 312 and the lower bearing cover opening 402, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the diameter D1 and width of the wheel 500 may be formed to be the same as or similar to the lengths and widths of each of the upper bearing cover opening 312 and the lower bearing cover opening 402.

[0091] In addition, the wheel 500 is formed such that its upper end does not protrude above the upper surface of the bearing upper cover 300 and the upper surface of the bearing housing 200. Therefore, the transfer mechanism for coupling the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention can omit a structure for preventing contact with the wheel 500 and the like.

[0092] In addition, Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an exploded state of a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, Figure 6 and Figure 7 are, respectively, a top view and a bottom view showing an assembled state of the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 5 . In addition, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a B-B` cross-section of Figure 6 .

[0093] Referring to Figures 5 to 8 , a caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a bearing 100, a bearing housing 200, a bearing upper cover 300, a bearing lower cover 400, and a wheel 500. Among them, the wheel 500 is rotatably coupled to the bearing upper cover 300 side.

[0094] The bearing 100 may be provided such that the inner ring 120 can rotate relative to the outer ring 110. In addition, as Figure 3 shown, the bearing 100 may further include a plurality of rolling elements 130. The cross-sectional shape of the rolling elements 130 may be formed as a rectangle and disposed between the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 to enable the inner ring 120 to rotate relative to the outer ring 110. As an example, the bearing 100 may be a ball bearing in which the rolling elements 130 are formed as spheres or a roller bearing in which the rolling elements 130 are formed as cylindrical rollers.

[0095] In addition, the bearing 100 may be fixedly coupled to the bearing housing 200 such that at least a part of the outer ring 110 of the bearing 100 is supported on the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing 200. To this end, the bearing housing 200 may include: a bearing housing main body 210 that supports the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 110; and a bearing housing first flange 220 that protrudes inward from the upper part of the bearing housing main body 210 to support the upper surface of the outer ring 110.

[0096] In addition, the bearing housing 200 may further include: a bearing housing second flange 230 that protrudes outward from the lower part of the bearing housing main body 210 to enable the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention to be disposed below a transfer mechanism such as a parking robot; and a plurality of bearing housing fastening holes 231 that penetrate from the upper surface to the bottom surface side along the circumferential surface of the bearing housing second flange 230.

[0097] In addition, the upper bearing cover 300 is provided to wrap at least a part of the inner ring 120 and is rotatably coupled to the inner circumferential surface side of the bearing housing 200. To this end, the upper bearing cover 300 may include: a disk-shaped upper bearing cover body 310 that supports the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 120; an upper bearing cover flange 320 that protrudes outward from the upper portion of the upper bearing cover body 310 and supports the upper surface of the inner ring 120; and an upper bearing cover opening 312 that penetrates from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 toward the bottom surface side for disposing at least a part of the wheel 500.

[0098] Among them, as described above, the upper bearing cover opening 312 may be formed in a shape that is the same as or similar to the cross-section of the wheel 500 for disposing at least a part of the wheel 500. In addition, the upper bearing cover opening 312 may be formed such that the rotation axis of the bearing 100 and the center of the upper bearing cover opening 312 are disposed on the same vertical line.

[0099] In addition, in the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the upper bearing cover body 310 is formed to be the same as the height of the bearing housing body 210. The upper bearing cover 300 is fixed to the inner ring 120 side. When the bearing housing 200 is fixed to the outer ring 110 side, the upper bearing cover 300 and the bearing housing 200 may form upper and lower surfaces of the same height.

[0100] In addition, the upper bearing cover 300 may further include: a second wheel fastening portion 330 that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 on both sides of the upper bearing cover opening 312; and a second wheel pin fixing hole 331 that penetrates from one side of the second wheel fastening portion 330 to the other side.

[0101] Thus, in the caster assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the wheel 500 is rotatably coupled to the upper bearing cover 300 in a manner that protrudes from the upper surface side of the upper bearing cover 300 toward the bottom surface side of the upper bearing cover 300.

[0102] In addition, the upper bearing cover 300 may further include a plurality of upper bearing cover fastening holes 311 that penetrate from the upper surface of the upper bearing cover body 310 toward the bottom surface side for inserting a fastening member (not shown) for fastening to the lower bearing cover 400. Among them, the upper bearing cover fastening holes 311 may be formed in a plurality at preset intervals along the circumferential surface of the disk-shaped upper bearing cover body 310.

[0103] In addition, as Figure 5As shown, the lower bearing cover 400 can be configured to support at least a part of the bottom surface of the inner ring 120 and be fastened to the lower side of the upper bearing cover 300. To this end, the lower bearing cover 400 may further include a plurality of lower bearing cover fastening holes 401 that penetrate from the upper surface of the lower bearing cover 400 toward the bottom surface side for insertion of a fastening member (not shown) for fastening to the upper bearing cover 300.

[0104] Among them, the lower bearing cover fastening holes 401 may be formed in a plurality at a preset interval along the circumferential surface of the lower bearing cover 400 formed in a ring shape, similar to the upper bearing cover fastening holes 611.

[0105] Thus, in the casters assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, a fastening member (not shown) for coupling the upper bearing cover 300 and the lower bearing cover 400 is inserted from the side of the upper bearing cover fastening hole 311, passes through the lower bearing cover fastening hole 401, and is fixed on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover 400. Thus, the upper bearing cover 300 and the lower bearing cover 300 that are coupled to the bearing 100 in a manner of wrapping the upper surface, the inner circumferential surface, and the bottom surface of the inner ring 120 can rotate together with respect to the outer ring 110 about the rotation axis of the bearing 100.

[0106] In addition, as Figure 7 shown, the lower bearing cover 400 may further include a second wheel pin insertion groove 404 that is provided on the bottom surface side of the lower bearing cover 400 in the central axis direction of the second wheel pin fixing hole 331 for insertion of a part of the wheel pin 510 for coupling the wheel 500 to the second wheel fastening portion 330. Thus, in the casters assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the casters assembly from the support surface for driving the wheel 500 is further minimized.

[0107] In addition, the wheel 500 can be rotatably coupled to the upper bearing cover 300 in a manner of protruding from the upper surface side of the upper bearing cover 300 toward the bottom surface side. To this end, the wheel 500 may include: a wheel pin through hole 501 provided on the rotation axis of the wheel 500; and a wheel pin 510 coupled to the wheel pin through hole 501, with both ends of the wheel pin 510 fixed to the second wheel pin fixing hole 331. Among them, although not shown, the wheel pin 510 may further include structures such as grooves or protrusions for fixing both end sides to the second wheel pin fixing hole 331. In addition, in order to improve the rolling performance, the wheel 500 may further include a bearing provided on the side of the wheel pin through hole 501.

[0108] In addition, in the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the diameter and width of the wheel 500 are formed to be smaller than the length and width of the bearing upper cover opening 312, the rotation axis of the wheel 500 can be formed higher toward the bearing upper cover 300 side, so as to further minimize the height of the casters assembly. However, in order to prevent foreign matters from flowing into the space between the wheel 500 and the bearing upper cover opening 312, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 as shown, the diameter D2 and width of the wheel 500 can be formed to be the same as or similar to the length and width of the bearing upper cover opening 312.

[0109] In addition, as described above, the bearing upper cover opening 312 is formed such that the rotation axis of the bearing 100 and the center of the bearing upper cover opening 312 are arranged on the same vertical line. Thus, the rotation axis of the wheel 500 can be formed to vertically intersect the rotation axis of the bearing 100.

[0110] In addition, the wheel 500 is formed such that its upper end does not protrude above the upper surface of the bearing upper cover 300 and the upper surface of the bearing housing 200. Thus, the transfer mechanism to which the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is coupled can omit a structure for preventing contact with the wheel 500, etc.

[0111] Therefore, in order to smoothly transfer a state of carrying relatively heavy goods on the site and ensure driving performance and durability, the casters assembly of this embodiment can be applied to a wheel having a sufficiently large diameter, and can minimize the increase in height due to the large diameter of the wheel. Thus, it can be flexibly applied to various mobile mechanisms such as a parking robot, a hand truck, a swivel chair, and a travel suitcase that transfer in a state of carrying a heavy vehicle.

[0112] In addition, Figure 9 and Figure 10 are perspective views respectively showing the unfolded state and the unfolded state of a parking robot including the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, Figure 11 is a top view showing a state in which a vehicle is lifted by a parking robot including the casters assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0113] Referring to Figures 9 to 10 , a parking robot 10 including the casters assembly 14c according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a first drive module 11 disposed on one side in the front; a second drive module 12 disposed on one side in the rear; a first lifting module 13 disposed between the first drive module 11 and the second drive module 12; a second lifting module 14 disposed on the other side of the first lifting module 13, and the casters assembly 14c according to an embodiment of the present invention is coupled to the second lifting module 14.

[0114] Among them, the parking robot 10 may further include: a first control module 16, disposed on the front side of the second lifting module 14; a second control module 17, disposed on the rear side of the second lifting module 13; a battery module 15, disposed adjacent to the first drive module 11 and the first control module 16 between the first lifting module 13 and the second lifting module 14; and a third control module 18, disposed adjacent to the second drive module 12 and the second control module 17 between the first lifting module 13 and the second lifting module 14.

[0115] In addition, although not shown, a first drive module 11 is disposed on the front central side of the parking robot 10 including the caster assembly 14c of an embodiment of the present invention, and caster assemblies 14c are respectively disposed on both rear sides, or a first drive module 11 is disposed on the central side, and caster assemblies 14c may also be respectively disposed on both front sides and both rear sides.

[0116] More specifically, the first drive module 11 may include two first drive wheels 11b, which are independently driven from each other and disposed at both ends of a first drive shaft 10a, and both ends of the first drive shaft 10a are disposed on the side of a hole formed by penetrating from the upper surface of the first drive module 11 to the bottom surface side. In addition, although not shown, the first drive module 11 may further include two drive motors for respectively driving the two first drive wheels 11b.

[0117] In addition, the second drive module 12 may include two second drive wheels 11b, which are independently driven from each other and disposed at both ends of a second drive shaft 12a, and both ends of the second drive shaft 12a are disposed on the side of a hole formed by penetrating from the upper surface of the second drive module 12 to the bottom surface side. In addition, although not shown, the second drive module 12 may further include two drive motors for respectively driving the two second drive wheels 12b. Among them, the first drive module 11 and the second drive module 12 are only different in the position of the parking robot 10, but have the same composition and structure.

[0118] In addition, the first lifting module 13 may include two first lifting rods 13b, which rotate around first rotation shafts 13a respectively disposed on the front side and the rear side of the first lifting module 13, so as to be simultaneously unfolded from each other. In addition, although not shown, as described above, the first lifting module 13 may include one drive motor capable of simultaneously rotating the two first lifting rods 13b.

[0119] Among them, as Figure 9As shown, in the state where the first lifting rod 13b is not unfolded, the other end sides of the first lifting rod 13b are respectively arranged on the front end side of the first drive module 11 and the rear end side of the second drive module 12, wherein the other end side of the first lifting rod 13b is separated from the one end side of the first lifting rod 13b where it is coupled to the first rotating shaft 13a. In addition, as Figure 10 shown, in the state where the first lifting rod 13b is unfolded, the other end sides of the first lifting rod 13b rotate 90° respectively in the width direction of the parking robot 10, wherein the other end side of the first lifting rod 13b is separated from the one end side of the first lifting rod 13b where it is coupled to the first rotating shaft 13a.

[0120] In addition, the second lifting module 14 may include two second lifting rods 14b, and the two second lifting rods 14b rotate around second rotating shafts 14a respectively arranged on the front side and the rear side of the second lifting module 14, so as to be unfolded simultaneously with each other. In addition, although not shown, as described above, the second lifting module 14 may include one drive motor capable of rotating the two second lifting rods 14b simultaneously.

[0121] Wherein, as Figure 9 shown, in the state where the second lifting rod 14b is not unfolded, the other end sides of the second lifting rod 14b are respectively arranged on the front end side of the first control module 16 and the rear end side of the second control module 17, wherein the other end side of the second lifting rod 14b is separated from the one end side of the second lifting rod 14b where it is coupled to the second rotating shaft 14a. In addition, as Figure 10 shown, in the state where the second lifting rod 14b is unfolded, the other end sides of the second lifting rod 14b rotate 90° respectively in the width direction of the parking robot 10, wherein the other end side of the second lifting rod 14b is separated from the one end side of the second lifting rod 14b where it is coupled to the second rotating shaft 14a.

[0122] In addition, the caster assembly 14c may be arranged between the second rotating shafts 14a respectively arranged on the front side and the rear side of the second lifting module 14, so that the parking robot 10 can be supported on the ground by the first drive wheel 11b, the second drive wheel 12b and the wheel 500 at three points.

[0123] More specifically, the bearing housing 200 of the caster assembly 14c is inserted from the upper side to the lower side into a bearing housing mounting portion (not shown) formed by recessing downward from the upper surface of the second lifting module 14, so that the upper surface of the bearing housing 200 does not protrude from the upper surface of the second lifting module 14. At this time, the caster assembly 14c can be firmly combined by inserting a fastening member (not shown) into a plurality of bearing housing fastening holes 231 provided along the outer peripheral surface of the second flange 230 of the bearing housing and fixing it on the bottom surface side of the second lifting module 14.

[0124] Thus, the parking robot 10 including the caster assembly 14c of the present embodiment can move stably during the driving of the first driving module 11 and the second driving module 12 by the caster assembly 14c that is set to be able to go straight or rotate.

[0125] In addition, the battery module 15 is integrally formed in a quadrilateral plate shape. As described above, it is disposed between the first lifting module 13 and the second lifting module 14 on the rear side of the first driving module 11 and the first control module 16, and may include a battery (not shown) for supplying the respective required power to the first driving module 11, the second driving module 12, the first lifting module 13, the second lifting module 14, the first control module 16, the second control module 17, and the third control module 18.

[0126] Furthermore, the first control module 16 is integrally formed in a quadrilateral plate shape and is disposed on the front side of the parking robot 10 together with the first driving module 11. Inside, there is a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) etc. installed with various electronic components etc. for controlling the first driving module 11, the second driving module 12, the first lifting module 13, and the second lifting module 14, etc.

[0127] Moreover, the second control module 17 is integrally formed in a quadrilateral plate shape and is disposed on the rear side of the parking robot 10 together with the second driving module 12. Inside, there is a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) etc. installed with electronic components etc. for controlling the first driving module 11, the second driving module 12, the first lifting module 13, and the second lifting module 14, etc.

[0128] In addition, the third control module 18 is integrally formed in a quadrilateral plate shape. It is disposed between the first lifting module 13 and the second lifting module 14 on the rear side of the second driving module 12 and the second control module 17. Inside, there is a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) etc. installed with various electronic components etc. for controlling the first driving module 11, the second driving module 12, the first lifting module 13, and the second lifting module 14, etc.

[0129] In addition, with reference to Figures 9 to 11 the operation method of the parking robot 10 including the caster assembly 14c of an embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described.

[0130] First, with reference to Figure 11, two parking robots 10 respectively enter the space between the bottom surface of the vehicle V and the ground and are arranged on the front-wheel FW side and the rear-wheel RW side. At this time, according to the type of the vehicle V, if the height between the bottom surface of the vehicle V and the ground forms a different height and the height of the parking robot 10 is too high, it cannot enter the space between the bottom surface of the vehicle V and the ground. However, the caster assembly 14c of an embodiment of the present invention can prevent the height of the robot itself from increasing through the height of the caster assembly as described above, thereby being able to prevent the situation where the parking robot 10 cannot enter the space between the bottom surface of the vehicle V and the ground.

[0131] Then, as described above, when the two parking robots 10 arranged on the front-wheel FW side and the rear-wheel RW side are in the deployed state, the vehicle V is lifted by the first lifting rod 13b and the second lifting rod 14b, and the front wheels FW and the rear wheels RW are lifted from the ground and are finally carried on the parking robots 10.

[0132] Then, after the vehicle V is moved to the designated parking space by the two parking robots 10, the first lifting rod 13b and the second lifting rod 14b return to the undeployed state, so as to descend to the ground and complete parking.

[0133] Thus, the parking robot including the caster assembly of this embodiment can omit the moving path of the vehicle required for the parking space due to the turning radius of the vehicle for perpendicular parking or parallel parking, etc., so an economical and effective automatic parking system can be provided.

[0134] So far, although the caster assembly of the present invention and the parking robot including it have been specifically described, various deformations can be made without exceeding the scope of the present invention.

[0135] Therefore, the scope of the present invention cannot be limited to the described embodiments, but is determined by the appended claims and the scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

[0136] That is, the above embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention should not be presented by the above description, but by the claims, and all changes or forms equivalent to the scope of the claims should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A caster assembly, wherein: include: Bearings, arranged so that the inner ring rotates relative to the outer ring, a bearing housing, the bearing being fixedly coupled to the bearing housing so that at least a portion of the outer ring is supported on the inner peripheral surface side of the bearing housing, The bearing upper cover is provided to surround at least a portion of the inner ring except for the bottom surface, and is rotatably coupled to the inner peripheral surface side of the bearing housing. a bearing lower cover, arranged to support at least a portion of the bottom surface of the inner ring and fastened to the lower side of the bearing upper cover, and The wheel is rotatably coupled to the bearing upper cover or the bearing lower cover in a manner of being formed to protrude from the upper surface side of the bearing upper cover toward the lower side.

2. The caster assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing housing comprises: The bearing housing body supports the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring. The first flange of the bearing housing is formed to protrude inward from the upper part of the bearing housing body and supports the upper surface of the outer ring. The second flange of the bearing housing is formed by protruding outward from the lower part of the bearing housing body. A plurality of bearing housing fastening holes are formed along the circumferential surface of the second flange of the bearing housing from the upper surface to the bottom surface.

3. The caster assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing upper cover comprises: The disc-shaped upper bearing cover body supports the inner circumference of the inner ring. The bearing upper cover flange is formed to protrude outward from the upper portion of the bearing upper cover body and supports the upper surface of the inner ring. The bearing upper cover opening is formed through the upper surface of the bearing upper cover body to the bottom surface side, so as to accommodate at least a part of the wheel. A plurality of bearing upper cover fastening holes are formed through the upper surface of the bearing upper cover body toward the bottom surface thereof, and fastening members for fastening to the bearing lower cover are inserted therein.

4. The caster assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing lower cover comprises: The bearing lower cover opening is formed through the upper surface of the bearing lower cover toward the bottom surface side so as to accommodate at least a part of the wheel. The first wheel fastening part is formed by protruding downward from the bottom surface of the bearing lower cover on both sides of the opening of the bearing lower cover. The first wheel pin fixing hole is formed from one side of the first wheel fastening portion to the other side. A plurality of bearing lower cover fastening holes are formed through the upper surface of the bearing lower cover toward the bottom surface side, and fastening members for fastening to the bearing upper cover are inserted.

5. The caster assembly according to claim 4, wherein: The wheel comprises: The wheel pin through hole is provided on the rotating shaft of the wheel, A wheel pin is coupled to the wheel pin through hole, and both ends of the wheel pin are fixed to the first wheel pin fixing hole; The diameter of the wheel is the same as the length of the opening of the upper cover of the bearing and the same as the length of the opening of the lower cover of the bearing, The bearing upper cover opening is formed through the upper surface of the bearing upper cover toward the bottom surface side so as to accommodate at least a portion of the wheel. The bearing lower cover opening is formed through from the upper surface of the bearing lower cover toward the bottom surface side so as to allow at least a portion of the wheel to be disposed thereon.

6. The caster assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The bearing lower cover also includes: The first wheel pin insertion groove is provided on the bottom surface side of the bearing lower cover in the central axis direction of the first wheel pin fixing hole so that a part of the wheel pin can be inserted into the first wheel pin insertion groove.

7. The caster assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The bearing upper cover also includes: The second wheel fastening parts are respectively formed on both sides of the opening of the upper bearing cover and protrude downward from the bottom surface of the upper bearing cover body. The second wheel pin fixing hole is formed through the second fastening portion of the wheel from one side to the other side.

8. The caster assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The bearing lower cover comprises: A plurality of bearing lower cover fastening holes are formed through the upper surface of the bearing lower cover toward the bottom surface side, and fastening members for fastening to the bearing upper cover are inserted.

9. The caster assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The wheel comprises: The wheel pin through hole is provided on the rotating shaft of the wheel, The wheel pin is coupled to the wheel pin through hole, and both ends of the wheel pin are fixed to the second wheel pin fixing holes.

10. The caster assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The bearing lower cover also includes: A second wheel pin insertion groove is provided on the bottom surface side of the bearing lower cover in the direction of the central axis of the second wheel pin fixing hole, so that a part of the wheel pin can be inserted into the second wheel pin insertion groove; The diameter of the wheel is formed to be the same as the length of the opening of the bearing upper cover.

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