Device and method for preventing falling-off of rotating body

Abstract

To provide a device and a method not only for preventing loosening of a nut but also for functioning to fasten the nut even if the loosening occurs, in a structure for mounting a rotating body on a hub by using a plurality of hub bolts fixed to the hub and a plurality of nuts screwed onto the hub bolts.SOLUTION: A device includes a plurality of loose-preventing portions and a torque-applying portion. Each of the loose-preventing portions is mounted on a nut screwed on each of a plurality of hub bolts and has: a base portion provided with an opening having on an inner periphery a plurality of grooves with which a side peripheral corner part of the nut is engaged when the nut is inserted; and an extension portion having a length extending from the base portion. Each of the loose-preventing portions is attached to the nut to have a posture in which a lengthwise direction of the extension portion is inclined with respect to a radial direction of a rotating body. The torque-applying portion is attached so as to apply, to each of the plurality of loose-preventing portions, torque in a direction opposite to a direction in which the nut screwed onto the hub bolt is loosened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing a rotating body from falling off a rotating hub in a structure in which a rotating body is attached to a hub using a plurality of hub bolts fixed to the hub and a plurality of nuts screwed onto the hub bolts. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the number of wheel-off accidents involving large vehicles such as trucks and buses has been increasing, and government agencies and related organizations are strengthening their efforts to prevent such accidents. Wheel-offs occur due to a variety of factors, including forgetting to tighten the nuts when changing tires, improper tightening torque, tire vibration due to road unevenness, and the weight of the cargo supported by the tire. Wheel-offs occur primarily on the left side of the vehicle, especially the left rear wheel. This is said to be mainly due to the fact that current large vehicles use right-hand threads to tighten the nuts on both the right and left wheels of the vehicle. In other words, because the nuts are tightened using the right-hand thread method, the rotation of the tire and the loosening of the nuts are in the same direction (leftward when facing the tire), and vibration and centrifugal force apply force in the direction that loosens the nuts, causing the nuts to loosen and the wheels to come off. In addition, the reason why wheel derailment is particularly concentrated on the rear wheels is that large vehicles use twin tires on the rear wheels, and when changing tires, if there is dirt, pebbles, or other foreign objects between the two wheels when the nuts are tightened, the foreign objects can break apart while driving, causing the nuts to loosen.

[0003] Although technology has been proposed that allows an observer to check from outside if a nut has loosened (for example, Patent Document 1), such technology does not prevent the nut from loosening, and unless regular and appropriate checking work is carried out, it will not prevent wheel-off accidents.

[0004] Patent Document 2 proposes a nut loosening prevention device that prevents nuts from loosening by wrapping a cable tie around each of a number of nuts. In this technology, an engagement groove is formed on the side peripheral surface of each of a number of nuts, and a cable tie is attached in a loop so as to fit into this engagement groove and to tighten the entire number of nuts. Although this technology is expected to have an effect of preventing the nuts from falling off, the cable tie slips within the engagement groove of the nut, so it is not very effective in preventing the nuts from loosening in the first place, and there is no function to re-tighten the nuts when they become loose. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2014-531000 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7115713 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an apparatus and method for a structure in which a rotating body is attached to a hub using multiple hub bolts fixed to the hub and multiple nuts screwed onto the hub bolts, which not only prevents the nuts from loosening but also functions to tighten the nuts even if the nuts become loose. Another aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that can prevent the rotating body from falling off the hub even if the nuts come off the hub bolts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventor of the present invention discovered that it is possible to prevent the nuts from loosening by attaching to each of a plurality of nuts a plate having an extension portion with a length extending in the radial direction of the rotor, and by constantly applying a torque to the plate in a direction to tighten the nuts. The inventor of the present invention also discovered that it is possible to prevent the rotor from falling off the hub even if the nuts loosen by fixing a retainer that holds the plate to the hub.

[0008] The present invention provides a device for preventing a rotating body from falling off a rotating hub in a structure in which a rotating body is attached to a hub using a plurality of hub bolts fixed to the hub and a plurality of nuts screwed onto the hub bolts. The device includes a plurality of loosening prevention parts and a torque applying part. Each of the loosening prevention parts is attached to a nut screwed onto each of the plurality of hub bolts, and has a base part provided with an opening having a plurality of grooves on its inner circumference with which a side peripheral corner of the nut engages when the nut is inserted, and an extension part having a length extending from the base part. Each of the loosening prevention parts is attached to the nut with the length direction of the extension part inclined with respect to the radial direction of the rotating body. The torque applying part is attached so as to apply a torque to each of the plurality of loosening prevention parts in a direction opposite to the direction in which the nut screwed onto the hub bolt loosens. The number of the plurality of grooves is preferably 18.

[0009] It is preferable that the device further includes a pressing portion that presses the loosening prevention portions so as not to fall off. The pressing portion has abutment portions that abut against the plurality of loosening prevention portions attached to the nut when the pressing portion is fixed to the hub. The abutment portions abut against the base portions of the loosening prevention portions that are located at the innermost position in the radial direction of the rotating body. In another embodiment, the abutment portions abut against the extension portions.

[0010] In one embodiment, one end of the torque applying portion is fixed to an extension of one of the plurality of loosening prevention portions, and the other end is fixed to the hub. In another embodiment, the one end and the other end of the torque applying portion are connected to each other. In yet another embodiment, when the device further includes a retainer portion, one end of the torque applying portion is fixed to an extension of one of the plurality of loosening prevention portions, and the other end of the torque applying portion is fixed to the retainer portion. In yet another embodiment, the torque applying portion is an elastic body stretched in a substantially circular shape.

[0011] The position of the extension through which the torque applying portion passes is preferably a tip portion of the extension. In one embodiment, the extension has a hole through which the torque applying portion passes. In another embodiment, the extension has a support portion that supports the torque applying portion. In one embodiment, the tip portion of the extension is located radially outward of the rotating body relative to the nut, and in another embodiment, the tip portion is located radially inward of the rotating body relative to the nut. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a rotating body fall prevention device according to one embodiment of the present invention mounted on the rear wheel of a large vehicle, where (a) is a view of the rear wheel from the side of the vehicle, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining the structure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic plan view of one nut loosening prevention plate constituting the rotating body falling-off prevention device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a nut loosening prevention plate holder constituting the rotating body falling-off prevention device of FIG. 1 and a holder fixing plate that can be attached as required. FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B show a rotating body fall prevention device according to another embodiment of the present invention mounted on the front wheel of a large vehicle, where (a) is a view of the front wheel from the side of the vehicle, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining the structure. [Diagram 5]5 is a schematic perspective view of a nut loosening prevention plate holder constituting the rotating body falling-off prevention device of FIG. 4 and a holder fixing plate that can be attached as required. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mechanism by which the rotating body fall-off prevention device in FIG. 1 prevents a nut from loosening. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a rotating body falling-off prevention device according to still another embodiment of the present invention, mounted on a rear wheel of a large vehicle, viewed from the side of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic plan view of one nut loosening prevention plate constituting the rotating body falling-off prevention device of FIG. 7, illustrating a state in which torque is applied by a torque applying wire. FIG. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B show a rotating body fall prevention device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention mounted on the front wheel of a large vehicle, where (a) is a view of the front wheel from the side of the vehicle, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining the structure. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic perspective view of a nut loosening prevention plate holder constituting the rotating body falling-off prevention device of FIG. 9 and a holder fixing member that is attached as required. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a mechanism by which the rotating body falling-off prevention device in FIG. 9 prevents a nut from loosening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, the present invention will be described by taking as an example a rotating body fall prevention device according to the present invention attached to a large vehicle such as a truck or a bus. Specifically, a device that prevents a wheel (rotating body) from falling off a rotating hub in a structure in which a wheel is attached to a hub using a plurality of hub bolts fixed to the hub of a vehicle such as a truck or a bus and a plurality of nuts screwed onto the hub bolts will be described. However, the rotating body prevention device according to the present invention is not limited to being used in vehicles.

[0014] (First embodiment: description of a rotating body fall-off prevention device attached to a rear wheel) FIG. 1 shows a rotating body falling-off prevention device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 1) according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to a rear wheel 7 of a vehicle, where (a) is a view of the rear wheel 7 as seen from the side of the vehicle, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (note that (a) and (b) are shown at different scales). A plurality of hub bolts 52 are fixed to a flange 51 of a hub 5 of the vehicle at positions equidistant radially from the rotation axis of the hub 5. Depending on the vehicle, there may be eight or ten hub bolts 52, and there may be a right-hand thread type or a left-hand thread type. The present invention can be used for any number and type of bolts. In the following embodiment, a vehicle with ten hub bolts 52 and a right-hand thread type will be described.

[0015] A wheel 71 of the rear wheel 7 is attached to the hub 5. The wheel 71 is provided with through holes 72 at positions and in numbers corresponding to the hub bolts 52 at equidistant radial positions from the rotation axis of the wheel 71, and also has an opening 73 at the center corresponding to the spigot 53 of the hub 5. The rear wheel 7 is attached to the hub 5 by passing the hub bolts 52 through the through holes 72 and the spigot 53 through the openings 73, and then abutting the wheel 71 against the flange 51 and tightening the corresponding nuts 9. In this example, the nuts 9 are tightened by rotating them in the right direction.

[0016] The device 1 includes a plurality of nut loosening prevention plates (loosening prevention parts) 12 attached to nuts 9 screwed onto each of a plurality of hub bolts 52, and a torque applying wire (torque applying part) 13 that applies torque to the nut loosening prevention plate 12 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens (i.e., the direction in which the nut 9 is tightened). FIG. 2 is a plan view of the nut loosening prevention plate 12. The nut loosening prevention plate 12 has a generally teardrop-shaped shape with an equal thickness overall, a wide base 121, and an extension part 124 that extends from the base 121 while gradually narrowing in width. The shape of the nut loosening prevention plate is not limited to the teardrop-shaped shape, and may be another shape as long as the effect of the present invention is achieved. For example, it may be a shape in which a narrow plate-like or rod-like extension part extends from a generally circular base.

[0017] The nut loosening prevention plate 12 is attached to the nut 9 with the length of the extension 124 facing outward in the radial direction of the rear wheel 7. That is, the loosening prevention plate 12 is attached so that the tip of the extension 124 is located radially outward of the rotating body from the position of the nut 9. Since the right-hand thread type is used in this embodiment, all the nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached with the length direction of the extension 124 inclined to the right with respect to the radial direction of the rear wheel 7. In the case of the left-hand thread type, the nut loosening prevention plate 12 is attached with the length direction of the extension 124 inclined to the left with respect to the radial direction of the rear wheel 7. The length of the extension 124 is not limited, and may be set to a length that does not interfere with the loosening prevention plate 12 and applies an appropriate torque to the nut 9. The same applies to the loosening prevention plates 22, 32, and 42 described later.

[0018] The base 121 is provided with an opening 122 through which the nut 9 is inserted. The opening 122 has, on its inner periphery, 18 grooves 123 that are provided so that six corners 9a located on the side periphery of the inserted nut 9 can be engaged with. By having the six corners 9a of the nut 9 engage with the grooves 123, that is, by having the nut 9 inserted into the opening 122 so that every third of the six corners 9a enters the grooves 123, the torque applied to the nut loosening prevention plate 12 is reliably transmitted to the nut 9, and loosening of the nut 9 can be prevented.

[0019] The number of grooves 123 is not limited to 18, and may be 12 or 24. When a hexagonal nut is used as the nut 9, the number of grooves 123 is preferably a multiple of 6. If the number of grooves 123 is 18, the position of the extension 124 of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 (i.e., the angle between the length direction of the extension 124 and the radial direction of the wheel) of the nut 9 when the nut 9 is fastened to the hub bolt 52 is generally within a certain range, and interference between the extension 124 and the surface located outside the nut mounting surface of the wheel 71 can be prevented. When the number of grooves 123 is 12 or less, the processing of the grooves 123 is easier, but depending on the angle or position of the corners 9a of the nut 9, the nut loosening prevention plate 12 may interfere with the wheel 71. When the number of grooves 123 is 24 or more, not only is the processing more complicated, but the width of the crest between adjacent grooves 123 is narrowed, and the engagement force with the corners 9a of the nut 9 is reduced.

[0020] The extension 124 has a wire-passing pin 125 that is erected at a tip portion remote from the base 121 so as to protrude from the surface of the extension 124. In Fig. 2, the wire-passing pin 125 has a length in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. The tip portion of the extension 124 includes not only the tip of the extension 124 but also the vicinity of the tip (any position on the base 121 side as viewed from the tip). The wire-passing pin 125 is preferably provided with a wire-passing hole 125a at its tip portion (a position farther from the surface of the extension 124) through which the wire main body 131 of the torque applying wire 13 is inserted.

[0021] The extension 124 may have a protrusion protruding from the surface at the tip of the extension 124 instead of the wire-passing pin 125, and a hole or groove may be provided at the top of the protrusion, through which the torque-applying wire 13 is stretched. Alternatively, a hole may be directly drilled near the tip of the extension 124 without providing the wire-passing pin 125, and the torque-applying wire 13 may be stretched through the hole. In this case, however, there is a possibility that the nut loosening prevention plate 12 and the wire body 131 of the torque-applying wire 13 may interfere with each other, causing the wire body 131 to be cut. Therefore, it is preferable that the torque-applying wire 13 is stretched via the wire-passing pin 125 of the extension 124 or the protrusion as described above.

[0022] The material of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 is not limited as long as it maintains a certain level of strength and is highly durable, and metals such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum, or high-strength plastics can be used as appropriate. The thickness of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 is not limited as long as it maintains a certain level of strength. The length of the extension 124 is not limited as long as it is determined taking into consideration the magnitude of the torque applied to the nut 9, the tension of the torque-applying wire 13, whether or not the extension 124 interferes with the wheel 71, etc.

[0023] Furthermore, the length of the wire-passing pin 125 and the position of the wire-passing hole 125a are not limited. However, since a high load is applied to the wire-passing pin 125 during use, in order to avoid deformation, it is preferable that the length of the wire-passing pin 125 is as short as possible without causing interference between the torque-applying wire 13 and the nut loosening prevention plate 12. The material of the wire-passing pin 125 is not limited as long as it maintains a certain level of strength and is highly durable, and metals such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum, or high-strength plastics can be used as appropriate.

[0024] The torque-imparting wire 13 has a metal wire body 131 and preferably a tensioner for tensioning the wire body 131. The tensioner is not limited as long as it is for tensioning the wire body 131 (applying tension to the wire body 131), and for example, a turnbuckle or a spring can be used. In FIG. 1, a turnbuckle 132 is used as the tensioner. The torque-imparting wire 13 can be tensioned by tightening the turnbuckle 132. In another embodiment, the torque-imparting wire 13 is not limited to having a metal wire body 131 and a tensioner, and may be, for example, a stretchable rubber wire or belt. In yet another embodiment, the wire body 131 may be a stretchable rubber wire or belt rather than a metal wire, and the torque-imparting wire 13 may be configured to have this and a tensioner.

[0025] One end of the wire body 131 (i.e., one end of the torque applying wire 13) is fixed to the wire-passing pin 125 of any one of the nut loosening prevention plates 12. The wire body 131 is tensioned via the wire-passing pins 125 of all the remaining nut loosening prevention plates 12. The other end of the wire body 131 is connected to one end of the turnbuckle 132, and the other end of the turnbuckle 132 (i.e., the other end of the torque applying wire 13) can be fixed to any location on the hub 5, or to any location on the hub 5 when a loosening prevention plate holder 14 (described later) is attached. The torque-applying wire 13, which has a wire body 131 and a turnbuckle 132 stretched in an approximately circular shape so as to pass through the wire-passing pins 125 of all the nut loosening prevention plates 12, applies force to the wire-passing pins 125 in a direction that reduces the diameter of the approximately circular shape, and thereby applies a torque to the nut loosening prevention plates 12 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the nuts 9 loosen (torque in the direction in which the nut is tightened).

[0026] The device 1 preferably includes a loosening prevention plate holder 14 in addition to the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 12 and the torque applying wire 13. Fig. 3 shows the loosening prevention plate holder 14 and a holder fixing plate 16 that is used as needed. The loosening prevention plate holder 14 is fixed to the spigot 53 of the hub 5, and has the function of holding the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 12 attached to the nut 9 so that they do not fall off from the nut 9.

[0027] The anti-loosening plate retainer 14 preferably has a retainer fixing plate 16, and is preferably fixed to the spigot 53 via this retainer fixing plate 16. By using the retainer fixing plate 16, the anti-loosening plate retainer 14 can be attached to the hub 5 without modifying the hub of an existing vehicle.

[0028] The loosening prevention plate holder 14 according to this embodiment has a holder portion 141 which is a plate-like body formed into a circle, and a U-shaped belt-like attachment plate 143 which spans the diameter of the holder portion 141 and has a central portion fixed to the holder fixing plate 16. The loosening prevention plate holder 14 also has a turnbuckle attachment hole 144 on either the holder portion 141 or the attachment plate 143 for attaching the turnbuckle 132 (the hook of the turnbuckle 132) of the torque applying wire 13.

[0029] The presser fixing plate 16 has a base 161 to which the mounting plate 143 is fixed, and five spigot mounting portions 162 provided around the periphery of the base 161. The presser fixing plate 16 is attached to the spigot 53 of the hub 5 by fixing each of the five spigot mounting portions 162 with a bolt, and the loosening prevention plate presser 14 is attached to the presser fixing plate 16 by fixing the mounting plate 143 with two bolts.

[0030] The retaining portion 141 has a retaining edge (contact portion) 142 on the hub 5 side, and the diameter of the retaining portion 141 is selected so that the retaining edge 142 abuts against the surface of the portion of each base portion 121 of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 that is located radially inward of the rear wheel 7 (the portion adjacent to the spigot 53), as shown in Fig. 1. By sandwiching the nut loosening prevention plate 12 between the loosening prevention plate retainer 14 attached to the spigot 53 and the wheel 71 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the nut loosening prevention plate 12 from falling off the nut 9, for example, in the unlikely event that the torque applying wire 13 breaks and the nut 9 loosens.

[0031] 1 and 3, the width of the pressing portion 141 may be increased to correspond to the amount of protrusion of the spigot 53, and the entire opening corresponding to the bottom surface of the cylinder may be covered with a circular plate-like body, that is, the shape of a cylinder that hides the entire spigot 53 (similar to the shape of the loosening prevention plate pressing device 24 in the device 2 described later). Also, for example, instead of attaching the mounting plate 143 to the pressing device fixing plate 16 and then attaching the pressing device fixing plate 16 to the spigot 53, the mounting plate 143 may be directly attached to the spigot 53 without using the pressing device fixing plate 16.

[0032] (Second embodiment: explanation of a rotating body falling prevention device attached to a front wheel) Next, a rotating body falling-off prevention device 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 2) attached to a front wheel will be described. Fig. 4 shows the state in which the device 2 is attached to a front wheel 8 of a vehicle, with (a) being a view of the front wheel 8 from the side direction of the vehicle, and (b) being a longitudinal cross-sectional view (note that (a) and (b) are expressed at different scales). Note that, in the following, configurations that are the same as those of the device 1 attached to the rear wheel 7 will not be described in detail. Also, configurations that are the same as those of the device 1 are given different reference numbers in Fig. 4 than in Fig. 1.

[0033] The device 2 in Fig. 4 is the same as that in Fig. 1 in that it includes a plurality of nut loosening prevention plates 22 attached to nuts 9 screwed onto each of a plurality of hub bolts 62, and a torque applying wire 23 that applies torque to the nut loosening prevention plates 22 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the nuts 9 loosen (i.e., the direction in which the nuts 9 are tightened). For details of the nut loosening prevention plates 22 and the torque applying wire 23, please refer to Fig. 2 and its description.

[0034] The front wheel device 2 preferably includes a loosening prevention plate holder 24 in addition to the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 22 and the torque applying wire 23. The loosening prevention plate holder 24 has a different configuration from the loosening prevention plate holder 14. Figure 5 shows the loosening prevention plate holder 24 for the front wheel and a front wheel holder fixing plate 26 that is used as needed. The loosening prevention plate holder 24 is fixed to the spigot 63 of the hub 6, and has the function of holding the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 22 attached to the nut 9 so that they do not fall off the nut 9.

[0035] The anti-loosening plate retainer 24 preferably has a retainer fixing plate 26, and is preferably fixed to the spigot 63 via this retainer fixing plate 26. By using the retainer fixing plate 26, the anti-loosening plate retainer 24 can be attached to the hub 6 without modifying the hub of an existing vehicle.

[0036] The loosening prevention plate holder 24 has a holder portion 241 which is a plate-like body formed into a circle, and a circular mounting plate 243 which covers the outer circular open surface of the holder portion 241 and is fixed to the holder fixing plate 26. The loosening prevention plate holder 24 also has a wire-passing hole 244 in the holder portion 241 for passing the torque-applying wire 23 through. The holder fixing plate 26 has a base 261 to which the mounting plate 243 is fixed. The holder fixing plate 26 is attached to the spigot 63 of the hub 6 by fixing it with six bolts, and the loosening prevention plate holder 24 is attached to the holder fixing plate 26 by fixing it with four bolts.

[0037] The presser tool fixing plate 26 preferably has a turnbuckle attachment portion 263 for attaching the other end (hook) of the turnbuckle 232 of the torque applying wire 23. The turnbuckle attachment portion 263 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a rod erected from the back surface of the presser tool fixing plate 26 or a hole provided in the presser tool fixing plate 26. The turnbuckle 232 of the torque applying wire 23 is not limited to being attached to the presser tool fixing plate 26, and may be attached to the hub 6 or the loosening prevention plate presser 24.

[0038] The retaining portion 241 has a retaining edge 242 on the hub 6 side, and the diameter of the retaining portion 241 is selected so that the retaining edge 242 abuts against the surface of the portion of each base portion 221 of the nut loosening prevention plate 22 that is located radially inward of the front wheel 8 (the portion adjacent to the spigot 63), as shown in Fig. 4. By sandwiching the nut loosening prevention plate 22 between the loosening prevention plate retainer 24 attached to the spigot 63 and the wheel 81 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the nut loosening prevention plate 22 from falling off the nut 9 even if, for example, the torque applying wire 23 breaks.

[0039] 4 and 5, the loosening prevention plate holder 24 may have a configuration similar to that of the rear wheel loosening prevention plate holder 14. Also, for example, instead of attaching the mounting plate 243 to the holder fixing plate 26 and then attaching the holder fixing plate 26 to the spigot 63, the mounting plate 243 may be configured to be directly attached to the spigot 63 without using the holder fixing plate 26.

[0040] (Mechanism by which the rotor fall prevention device prevents the nut from loosening) Here, a mechanism for preventing the nut 9 from loosening using the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 12 and the torque applying wires 13 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 6, the nut 9 is inserted into the openings 122 of the nut loosening prevention plates 12, and six corners 9a of the nut 9 engage with every three of the eighteen grooves 123 of the openings 122. The nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached to the nut 9 with their length direction inclined toward the direction in which the nut 9 is fastened. In the case of Fig. 6, since the nut 9 is a right-handed thread type, all the nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached with the length direction of their extensions 124 inclined to the right with respect to the radial direction, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0041] The torque-applying wire 13 is stretched on the wire-passing pin 125 of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 attached to the nut 9 inclined to the right with respect to the radial direction. The torque-applying wire 13, which is stretched in a substantially circular shape as shown in FIG. 1 by passing through the tip portions of the extensions 124 of all the nut loosening prevention plates 12, is subjected to tension by tightening the turnbuckle 132. Therefore, the diameter of the substantially circular shape of the torque-applying wire 13 tends to become smaller, and a force directed inward in the radial direction is applied from the torque-applying wire 13 to the loosening prevention plate 12 as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 6. As a result, a torque that rotates the nut loosening prevention plate 12 in the right direction, i.e., a torque in the opposite direction to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens (leftward), is applied to each of the nut loosening prevention plates 12, so that the nut 9 can be prevented from loosening.

[0042] (The process of attaching the rotor fall prevention device to the wheel of the vehicle) Next, the process of attaching the device 1 to the rear wheel 7 will be described. First, the nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached to each of the ten nuts 9 screwed onto the ten hub bolts 52 of the hub 5. The nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached with the nuts 9 inserted into the openings 122 of the base 121 and with the length direction of the extensions 124 tilted to the right from the radial direction of the rear wheel 7.

[0043] A plurality of grooves 123 are provided on the inner periphery of the opening 122, and six corners 9a provided on the side periphery of the nut 9 are adapted to mesh with any of the grooves 123. In this embodiment, since 18 grooves 123 are provided, the nut loosening prevention plate 12 can be attached so as to have an appropriate inclination regardless of the angle or position of the corners 9a of the nut 9 when fastened to the hub bolt 52.

[0044] If the angle between the length direction of the extension 124 and the radial direction of the rear wheel 7 is too small, problems such as the tip of the extension 124 interfering with a surface located outside the nut mounting surface of the wheel 71 and being damaged may occur. Conversely, if the angle between the length direction of the extension 124 and the radial direction of the rear wheel 7 is too large, problems such as the wire body 131 of the tensioned torque applying wire 13 interfering with the nut 9 and being cut may occur. By providing 18 grooves 123, the inclination can be easily adjusted to within the above range.

[0045] After all of the nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached to the nuts 9, the torque applying wire 13 is tensioned. First, one end of the wire body 131 of the torque applying wire 13 is fixed to the wire-passing pin 125 of any one of the nut loosening prevention plates 12. The fixing method is not limited, but one end of the wire body 131 can be fixed by forming a loop at one end of the wire body 131 and passing the loop through the wire-passing hole 125a. The wire body 131 is passed through the wire-passing pins 125 of all of the nut loosening prevention plates 12, and the other end is fixed to the hub 5.

[0046] It is preferable that a turnbuckle 132 is attached to the torque-applying wire 13 near the other end thereof, and in this case, the wire body 131 can be tensioned by tightening the turnbuckle after the other end is fixed to the hub 5. The wire body 131 may be passed through the wire-passing hole 125a of the wire-passing pin 125 after all of the nut loosening prevention plates 12 are attached to the nuts 9, or the wire body 131 may be passed in advance through the wire-passing hole 125a of the nut loosening prevention plates 12 before being attached to the nuts 9, and then the nut loosening prevention plates 12 may be attached to the nuts 9.

[0047] Next, the loosening prevention plate holder 14 is attached to hold the nut loosening prevention plate 12 so that it does not fall off. First, the holder fixing plate 16 is attached to the spigot 53 of the hub 5. The holder fixing plate 16 can be attached by fixing the spigot mounting portion 162 to the spigot 53 with a bolt. It is also possible to attach the loosening prevention plate holder 14 directly to the spigot 53 without using the holder fixing plate 16 by machining the spigot 53.

[0048] Next, the loosening prevention plate holder 14 is attached to the holder fixing plate 16. The loosening prevention plate holder 14 can be attached by fixing the mounting plate 143 to the holder fixing plate 16 with bolts. The loosening prevention plate holder 14 is attached so that the pressing edge 142 of the pressing portion 141 abuts against the surface of the portion of each base portion 121 of the nut loosening prevention plate 12 that is located most inward in the radial direction of the rear wheel 7 (the portion adjacent to the spigot 53). When the loosening prevention plate holder 14 is attached, the other end of the torque applying wire 13 can also be fixed to the turnbuckle mounting hole 144 of the loosening prevention plate holder 14 instead of to the hub 5.

[0049] The process for attaching the device 2 to the front wheel 8 is generally the same as the process for attaching the device 1 to the rear wheel 7. To explain only the differences, the nut loosening prevention plate 22 is attached to the nut 9 while adjusting the inclination so that the extension portion 224 does not protrude outward from the nut attachment surface of the wheel 81 and so that the wire body 231 of the tensioned torque applying wire 23 does not interfere with the nut 9.

[0050] When installing the loosening prevention plate holder 24, the front wheel holder fixing plate 26 is attached to the spigot 63 of the hub 6 as necessary. The holder fixing plate 26 can be attached by fixing the base 261 to the spigot 63 with a bolt. The loosening prevention plate holder 24 can also be attached directly to the spigot 63 without using the holder fixing plate 26 by machining the spigot 63.

[0051] The loosening prevention plate retainer 24 is attached to the retainer fixing plate 26. The loosening prevention plate retainer 24 can be attached by fixing an attachment plate 243 to the retainer fixing plate 26 with bolts. The loosening prevention plate retainer 24 is attached so that the pressing edge 242 of the pressing portion 241 abuts against the surface of the portion of each base portion 221 of the nut loosening prevention plate 22 that is located most inward in the radial direction of the front wheel 8 (the portion adjacent to the spigot 63). When the loosening prevention plate retainer 24 is attached, the other end of the torque applying wire 23 can also be fixed to the turnbuckle mounting portion 263 of the retainer fixing plate 26 instead of to the hub 6.

[0052] (Third embodiment: description of another rotating body fall prevention device attached to a rear wheel) Next, a rotating body falling-off prevention device 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 3) according to yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a view of the device 3 mounted on a rear wheel 7 of the vehicle, as seen from the side of the vehicle. Figure 8 is a plan view of one nut loosening prevention plate 32 constituting the device 3. Only the device 3 for rear wheels is shown here, and a device for front wheels is not described, but the device for front wheels can be realized by combining the nut loosening prevention plate 32 and torque applying wire 33 of the device 3 for rear wheels, which will be described below, with the loosening prevention plate holder 24 and holder fixing plate 26 for front wheels, which are shown in Figure 5.

[0053] In the following description, differences from the device 1 will be mainly described. The device 1 includes a plurality of nut loosening prevention plates 32 attached to the nut 9, and a torque applying wire 33 that applies a torque to the nut loosening prevention plates 32 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens. As shown in Fig. 8, the nut loosening prevention plates 32 have a wire support pin 325 erected near the tip of an extension portion 324 so as to protrude from the surface of the extension portion 324. The wire support pin 325 has a groove 325a (support portion) of a size corresponding to the diameter of the wire body 331 of the torque applying wire 33 over the entire circumferential direction of its tip (a position away from the surface of the extension portion 324), and this groove 325a supports the tensioned torque applying wire 33.

[0054] On the other hand, the torque applying wire 33 has a wire body 331 and a tensioner provided at one end of the wire body 331 for tensioning the wire body 331. The tensioner is not limited as long as it is for tensioning the wire body 331 (applying tension to the wire body 331), and a turnbuckle, a spring, or the like can be used. In FIG. 7, a spring 332 is used as the tensioner. The torque applying wire 33 of the device 3 is tensioned in a substantially circular shape, passing through the wire support pins 325 of the extensions 324 of all the nut loosening prevention plates 32 so as to pass through the portions of the grooves 325a located outside the radial direction of the wheel.

[0055] When attaching the torque applying wire 33, the wire body 331 is hung in the groove 325a of the wire support pin 325. As described above, the wire body 331 is hung in the portion of the groove 325a that is located on the outer side in the radial direction of the wheel. One end of the torque applying wire 33 hung on all the wire support pins 325 (i.e., one end of the wire body 331) and the other end (i.e., the end of the spring 332 that is not connected to the wire body 331) are connected to each other while pulling the torque applying wire 33.

[0056] A tension is applied to the torque applying wire 33, which is stretched in a substantially circular shape, by the spring 332. Therefore, the diameter of the substantially circular shape of the torque applying wire 33 tends to become smaller, and a radially inward force is applied from the torque applying wire 33 to the wire support pins 325 of the nut loosening prevention plates 32, as in Fig. 6. As a result, a torque is applied to each of the nut loosening prevention plates 32 to rotate them in the right direction, i.e., a torque in the opposite direction to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens, and therefore the nut 9 can be prevented from loosening.

[0057] (Fourth embodiment: description of another rotating body falling prevention device attached to the front wheel) Next, a rotating body fall prevention device 4 (hereinafter, simply referred to as device 4) which is yet another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. Fig. 9 shows a state in which the device 4 is attached to a front wheel 8 of a vehicle, (a) is a view of the front wheel 8 from the side direction of the vehicle, and (b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (note that (a) and (b) are expressed at different scales). Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of a nut loosening prevention plate holder 44 constituting the device 4 and a holder fixing member 46 which is attached as necessary. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram explaining a mechanism by which the loosening prevention plate 42 of the device 4 prevents the nut from loosening. Note that, in the following, the same configurations as those of the devices 1, 2, and 3 will not be described in detail. Also, even if the configurations are the same as those of the devices 1, 2, and 3, reference numbers different from those in the drawings explaining these devices are used in Figs. 9 to 11.

[0058] The device 4 in FIG. 9 includes a plurality of nut loosening prevention plates 42 attached to nuts 9 screwed onto each of a plurality of hub bolts 62, and a torque applying rubber 43 that applies torque to the nut loosening prevention plate 42 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens (i.e., the direction in which the nut 9 is tightened). The nut loosening prevention plate 42 can be the same as the loosening prevention plate 32 described in the device 3. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the nut loosening prevention plate 42 has a rubber support pin 425 erected near the tip of the extension portion 424 so as to protrude from the surface of the extension portion 424. The rubber support pin 425 has a groove 425a (support portion) of a size corresponding to the diameter of the torque applying rubber 43 over the entire circumferential direction of its tip (position away from the surface of the extension portion 424), and this groove 425a supports the tensioned torque applying rubber 43.

[0059] In Device 1, Device 2, and Device 3, all of the loosening prevention plates 12, 22, and 32 are attached to the nut 9 with the longitudinal direction of the extensions facing outward in the radial direction of the wheel. On the other hand, in Device 4, the loosening prevention plate 42 is attached with the longitudinal direction of the extensions 424 facing inward in the radial direction of the front wheel 8. In other words, the loosening prevention plate 42 is attached so that the tip portion of the extension 424 is located closer to the rotation shaft of the front wheel 8 than the position of the nut 9. Since this embodiment uses a right-handed thread, all of the nut loosening prevention plates 42 are attached with the longitudinal direction of the extensions 424 inclined to the left with respect to the radial direction of the front wheel 8.

[0060] The torque applying rubber 43 of the device 4 preferably has a substantially circular shape. That is, the torque applying rubber 43 has a circular shape in an unattached state where it is not tensioned via the respective extensions 424 of the loosening prevention plate 42, and has a polygonal shape when it is tensioned via the extensions 424. Although the torque applying rubber 43 in the tensioned state is polygonal, this shape is also included in the substantially circular shape in this specification. The torque applying rubber 43 may have a polygonal shape in an unattached state where it is not tensioned via the extensions 424.

[0061] The diameter of the approximately circular shape of the torque applying rubber 43 in the unattached state is smaller than the diameter of the polygon formed by the line connecting all of the rubber support pins 425 when the loosening prevention plate 42 is attached. Therefore, when tensioning the torque applying rubber 43, the torque applying rubber 43 is inserted into the groove 425a of the rubber support pin 425 while expanding its diameter. The torque applying portion is not limited to one made of rubber as long as it is an elastic body. Note that in the devices 1, 2, and 3, the wire bodies 131, 231, and 331 of the torque applying wires 13, 23, and 33 made of rubber may be used as the torque applying portion, or the torque applying wires 13, 23, and 33 may be replaced with the torque applying rubber 43.

[0062] The device 4 preferably includes a loosening prevention plate holder 44 in addition to the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 42 and the torque applying rubber 43. As shown in Fig. 10, the loosening prevention plate holder 44 is fixed to the spigot 63 of the hub 6, and has the function of holding the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 42 attached to the nut 9 so that they do not fall off from the nut 9.

[0063] In this embodiment, the loosening prevention plate holder 44 is fixed to the spigot joint 63 using three holder fixing members 46. By using the holder fixing members 46, the loosening prevention plate holder 44 can be attached to the hub 6 without modifying the hub of an existing vehicle. Note that the number of holder fixing members 46 is not limited to three, as long as the holder fixing members 46 can reliably fix the loosening prevention plate holder 44 to the hub 6.

[0064] The loosening prevention plate holder 44 has a holder portion 441 formed into a circle from a plate-like body, and a circular mounting plate 443 that covers the outer circular open surface of the holder portion 441 and is fixed to the holder fixing member 46. The holder fixing member 46 is a metal fitting having a stepped cross section with arms extending in opposite directions from both ends of the plate-like body, one arm of which is fixed to the spigot joint 63 with a bolt, and the mounting plate 443 of the loosening prevention plate holder 44 is fixed to the other arm with a bolt.

[0065] The retaining portion 441 has a retaining edge 442 on the hub 6 side, and the diameter of the retaining portion 441 is selected so that the retaining edge 442 abuts against the surface of each extension portion 424 of the nut loosening prevention plate 22, as shown in Fig. 9. By clamping the nut loosening prevention plate 42 between the loosening prevention plate retainer 44 attached to the spigot 63 and the wheel 81 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the nut loosening prevention plate 42 from falling off the nut 9, for example, in the unlikely event that the torque-applying rubber 43 breaks and the nut 9 loosens.

[0066] Here, a mechanism for preventing the nut 9 from loosening using the multiple nut loosening prevention plates 42 and the torque applying rubber 43 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The concept of preventing loosening using this embodiment is the same as that in FIG. 6, except that the orientation of the loosening prevention plate 42 is different. As shown in FIG. 11, the nut 9 is inserted into the opening 422 of the nut loosening prevention plate 42, and each of the six corners 9a of the nut 9 engages with every three of the eighteen grooves 423 of the opening 422. The nut loosening prevention plate 42 is attached to the nut 9 in a position in which its length direction is inclined in the direction in which the nut 9 is fastened, that is, in a position in which the plate extends radially inward of the front wheel 8 and is inclined to the left as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the front wheel 8.

[0067] The torque applying rubber 43 is stretched on the rubber support pin 425 of the nut loosening prevention plate 42 attached to the nut 9 in this manner. A force is applied to the torque applying rubber 43, which is stretched in a substantially circular shape as shown in FIG. 11, in a direction that reduces the diameter of the substantially circular shape by passing through the tip portions of the extensions 424 of all the nut loosening prevention plates 42. Therefore, a force directed radially inward is applied to the loosening prevention plate 42 from the torque applying rubber 43, as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 11. As a result, a torque that rotates the nut loosening prevention plate 42 in the right direction, i.e., a torque in the opposite direction to the direction in which the nut 9 loosens (leftward), is applied to each of the nut loosening prevention plates 42, and therefore the nut 9 can be prevented from loosening. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Rear wheel rotor fall prevention device 12 Anti-loosening plate 121 Base 122 Aperture 123 Groove 124 Extension 125 Wire-passing pin 125a Wire hole 13 Torque Wire 131 Wire body 132 Turnbuckle 14 Anti-loosening plate holder 141 Clamp 142 Pressing edge 143 Mounting plate 144 Turnbuckle mounting hole 16 Clamp fixing plate 161 Base 162 Inlay mounting part 2. Anti-fall device for front wheel rotors 22 Anti-loosening plate 221 Base 222 Aperture 223 Groove 224 Extension 225 Wire-passing pin 23 Torque Wire 231 Wire body 232 Turnbuckle 24 Anti-loosening plate holder 241 Clamp 242 Pressing edge 243 Mounting plate 244 Wire hole 26 Clamp fixing plate 261 Base 263 Turnbuckle mounting part 3. Rear wheel rotor fall prevention device 32 Anti-loosening plate 321 Base 322 Aperture 323 Groove 324 Extension 325 Wire Support Pin 325a Groove 33 Torque Wire 331 Wire body 332 Spring 4. Anti-fall device for front wheel rotors 42 Anti-loosening plate 421 Base 422 Aperture 423 Groove 424 Extension 425 Rubber support pin 425a Groove 43 Torque applying rubber 44 Anti-loosening plate holder 441 Clamp 442 Press edge 443 Mounting plate 46 Clamp fixing member 5, 6 Hub 51, 61 Flange 52, 62 Hub bolts 53, 63 In-low 7, 8 wheels 71, 81 Wheels 72, 82 Through holes 73, 83 aperture 9 Nut 9a Corner

Claims

1. A device for preventing a rotating body from falling off a rotating hub in a structure in which a rotating body is attached to a hub using a plurality of hub bolts fixed to the hub and a plurality of nuts screwed onto the hub bolts, comprising: a plurality of loosening prevention parts, each of which is attached to a nut screwed onto each of a plurality of hub bolts and has a base part having an opening on its inner circumference with a plurality of grooves into which corners of a side circumference of the nut engage when the nut is inserted, and an extension part having a length extending from the base part; a torque applying portion tensioned via the extension portion of each of the plurality of loosening prevention portions; Equipped with Each of the plurality of loosening prevention portions is attached to the nut with the direction of the length of the extension portion inclined with respect to the radial direction of the rotating body, the torque application portion is attached so as to apply a torque to each of the plurality of loosening prevention portions in a direction opposite to a direction in which a nut screwed onto the hub bolt loosens. Device.

2. one end of the torque applying portion is fixed to the extension portion of one of the plurality of loosening prevention portions, and the other end is fixed to the hub; 2. The apparatus of claim 1.

3. One end and the other end of the torque applying portion are connected to each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

4. The torque applying portion is an elastic body stretched in a substantially circular shape.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

5. The position of the extension portion through which the torque applying portion passes is the tip portion of the extension portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

6. The tip portion is located radially outward of the rotating body relative to the nut.

6. The apparatus of claim 5.

7. The tip portion is positioned radially inside the rotating body by a nut.

6. The apparatus of claim 5.

8. The extension portion has a hole through which the torque applying portion is inserted.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

9. The extension portion has a support portion that supports the torque application portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

10. The number of grooves is 18.

2. The apparatus of claim 1.

11. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pressing portion having an abutment portion that abuts against the plurality of anti-loosening portions attached to the nut when the nut is fixed to the hub.

12. The abutment portion abuts on a portion of the base portion that is located radially innermost of the rotating body.

12. The apparatus of claim 11.

13. The abutment portion abuts against the extension portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11.

14. one end of the torque application portion is fixed to the extension portion of one of the plurality of loosening prevention portions; The other end of the torque applying portion is fixed to the presser.

12. The apparatus of claim 11.

Images