Caster and entanglement prevention tool

Abstract

To provide a caster and an entanglement prevention tool capable of preventing entanglement of waste threads in an axle and easily removing the entangled waste threads with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A caster (1) comprises: a wheel (10); an axle (11) that rotatably supports the wheel; a support (12) having a pair of side plates (121) for supporting both ends of the axle; and an entanglement prevention tool (2) attached to the side plates to prevent entanglement of waste threads in a shaft (11a) exposed to a side space (S1, S2) between the wheel and the side plates. The entanglement prevention tool includes a base (20) fixed to the side plates and extending back and forth in an advancing direction, a first cover (21) that extends from the front end (21) of the base toward the wheel and covers the side spaced from the front side, and a second cover (22) that extends from the rear end of the base toward the wheel and covers the side space from the rear side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a caster and a tangle prevention device, and more particularly to a caster that prevents lint from getting tangled around its shaft, and a tangle prevention device therefor. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, casters that include a wheel, an axle that supports the wheel so that it can rotate freely, and a support portion that has a pair of side walls that support both ends of the axle, such as casters attached to the lower ends of the legs of shopping carts in supermarkets, are well known.

[0003] As the casters move, long pieces of lint or hair (hereinafter referred to as lint) on the floor may adhere to the wheels and become entangled. This lint may then shift in the axial direction and become tangled around the axle. As the casters move, the amount of lint entangled around the axle increases, leading to poor running performance. This is also unhygienic.

[0004] Japanese Patent No. 3641813 (Patent Document 1) discloses a structure in which a disk-shaped dust cover is meshed with a bush fitted into a ball bearing through which a bolt (axle) passes, preventing the dust cover from rotating with the rotation of the wheel and preventing "lint from becoming tangled on the axle due to the rotation of the dust cover."

[0005] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-90682 (Patent Document 2) discloses a structure in which an outward protrusion protrudes outward from the outer surface of a disk-shaped protective plate fixed to a support yoke, and an inward protrusion slides vertically within a long hole provided in the side wall of the support yoke, the outward protrusion forming a large-diameter annular first spool, and the fixed portion of the support yoke and protective plate and the inward protrusion forming a small-diameter second spool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3641813 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 7-90682 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In Patent Document 1, the axle (shaft) between the wheel and the side wall of the grip is exposed, so lint gets tangled in the shaft, and it is difficult to remove the tangled lint.

[0008] The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires the provision of a protective plate, an outward protrusion, an elongated hole, and an inward protrusion, which requires a large number of parts. Furthermore, in order to remove lint wrapped around the second spool, it is necessary to loosen the thumbscrew and slide the inward protrusion downward along the elongated hole, which is cumbersome.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a caster and tangle prevention device with a simple configuration that prevents lint from getting tangled on the axle and allows tangled lint to be easily removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A caster according to one aspect of the present invention is a caster comprising a support portion having a wheel, an axle that supports the wheel so that it can rotate freely, and a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, and is equipped with an anti-tangle device that is attached to the side plate and prevents lint from getting tangled in the axle portion that is exposed in the side space between the wheel and the side plate, and the anti-tangle device includes a base portion that is fixed to the side plate and extends forward and backward in the direction of travel, a first covering portion that extends from the front end of the base portion toward the wheel and covers the side space from the front side, and a second covering portion that extends from the rear end of the base portion toward the wheel and covers the side space from the rear side.

[0011] Preferably, the first and second covering portions have a first end portion axially outward of the wheel and a second end portion axially inward of the first end portion, and the second end portion is radially outward of the wheel than the first end portion.

[0012] Preferably, the wheel has an outer circumferential portion that protrudes axially outward beyond the second ends of the first and second covering portions, and has a first flange portion that protrudes radially outward from the second end of the first covering portion toward the outer circumferential portion, and a second flange portion that protrudes radially outward from the second end of the second covering portion toward the outer circumferential portion.

[0013] Preferably, a comb portion is provided on at least one of the upper end and the lower end of the first covering portion, and a comb portion is provided on at least one of the upper end and the lower end of the second covering portion.

[0014] Preferably, the base portion has a through hole through which the axle passes.

[0015] A caster according to another aspect of the present invention is a caster comprising a support part having a wheel, an axle that supports the wheel so as to be rotatable, and a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, and includes a first covering part that extends from the front end of the side plate in the direction of travel toward the wheel and covers the side space between the wheel and the side plate from the front side, and a second covering part that extends from the rear end of the side plate in the direction of travel toward the wheel and covers the side space from the rear side.

[0016] The tangle prevention device of the present invention is an tangle prevention device that prevents lint from getting tangled in the axle of a caster, which includes a wheel, an axle that supports the wheel so that it can rotate freely, and a support part having a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, and is equipped with a base part that is fixed to the side plates and extends forward and backward in the direction of travel, a first covering part that extends toward the wheel and is bent at the front end of the base part so as to cover from the front side the shaft part that is exposed in the side space between the wheel and the side plate, and a second covering part that extends toward the wheel and is bent at the rear end of the base part so as to cover from the rear side the shaft part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, with a simple configuration, it is possible to prevent lint from getting tangled around the axle and to easily remove tangled lint. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view schematically showing a caster according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view schematically showing the caster according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1(A) is a front view of an entanglement prevention device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(B) is a plan view of the same entanglement prevention device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view schematically showing how lint gets tangled in the caster according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view schematically showing a caster according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like or corresponding parts are designated by like reference numerals and will not be described repeatedly.

[0020] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a caster 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, arrow X1 indicates the front (front side) of the caster 1 in the traveling direction, and arrow X2 indicates the rear (rear side) in the traveling direction. Arrow Y1 indicates the upward direction, and arrow Y2 indicates the downward direction. This also applies to the subsequent figures. In FIG. 2, arrow Z indicates the axial direction of the axle 11, and arrow Z1 indicates the direction toward the outside in the axial direction. This also applies to the other figures.

[0021] (Basic caster configuration) Referring to Figure 1, the caster 1 of this embodiment includes a wheel 10, an axle 11 that supports the wheel 10 so that it can rotate freely, and a support portion 12 that has a pair of side plates 121 that support both ends of the axle 11.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the wheel 10 includes a central portion 101, a tire portion (outer periphery) 102, and a wheel portion (metal core) 103 between the central portion 101 and the tire portion 102. The central portion 101, the tire portion 102, and the wheel portion 103 are integrally fixed to one another. In this embodiment, the wheel portion 103 is recessed axially inward relative to the central portion 101 and the tire portion 102. The wheel 10 may be capable of either forward rotation only or forward and reverse rotation.

[0023] The axle 11 is provided to pass through a center 101 of the wheel 10. A bearing (not shown) is built in the center 101 around the axle 11, and the axle 11 rotatably supports the wheel 10. The axle 11 may be a fastening member such as a bolt and nut (not shown), for example.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 3, the support part 12 has a base plate 120 and a pair of side plates 121, 121 extending downward from both ends of the base plate 120. The base plate 120 is fixed to a mounting seat 19, which will be described later. As shown in Fig. 2, the axle 11 extends through each of the side plates 121. That is, both ends of the axle 11 are supported by the pair of side plates 121.

[0025] Mounting holes (not shown) are provided at each corner of the mounting base 19 in FIG. 3, and fastening members such as bolts are passed through the mounting holes to fix the caster 1 to a mounting portion such as the lower end of a leg of a shopping cart.

[0026] 2, the side plate 121 is spaced axially outward from the wheel 10 (center portion 101), and a side space S is formed between the wheel 10 and the side plate 121. In the side space S, a part of the axle 11 (shaft portion 11a) is exposed. In other words, the side space S is a space surrounding the axle portion 11a.

[0027] In this embodiment, the tangle prevention device 2 is attached to the axially outer side of the side plate 121. The tangle prevention device 2 will be described below. The tangle prevention device 2 is attached to each of the pair of side plates 121, 121, but since both have the same shape, only one of them (the tangle prevention device 2 on the upper side of the paper surface above the center line C in Figure 2) will be described as a representative.

[0028] (About tangle prevention devices) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the entanglement prevention device 2 has a base portion 20 extending forward and backward in the direction of travel, a first covering portion 21 connected to a front end portion 201 of the base portion 20, and a second covering portion 22 connected to a rear end portion 202 of the base portion 20. The entanglement prevention device 2 is provided so as not to come into contact with the wheel 10. The base portion 20 is a flat plate that is rectangular in front view and perpendicular to the axial direction. A through hole 25 is formed in the center of the base portion 20, through which the axle 11 passes when the entanglement prevention device 2 is attached to the side plate 121. The shape of the base portion 20 may be other shapes, such as a square.

[0029] 2, the first covering portion 21 is disposed so as to intersect with the base portion 20, and has a first end portion 211 on the axially outer side and a second end portion 212 located axially inner than the first end portion 211. The front end portion 201 of the base portion 20 and the first end portion 211 of the first covering portion 21 are adjacent to (contiguous with) each other.

[0030] The second end 212 is located radially outward (forward) of the wheel 10 than the first end 211. That is, the first covering portion 21 is formed so as to move axially inward and forward as it moves away from the front end 201 of the base portion 20. The first covering portion 21 is formed by bending a steel plate including the base portion 20. The first covering portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the first and second ends 211, 212 are formed in a long, linear shape in the vertical direction.

[0031] The first covering portion 21 extends to a position close to the wheel 10 (wheel portion 103) and covers the front side space S from the front. The first covering portion 21 (second end portion 212) is located radially inward of the tire portion 102. The first covering portion 21 and the wheel 10 are separated in the axial direction, and a space (back space S1) formed on the back side (axially inner side) of the first covering portion 21 communicates with the front side space S without a partition. The first covering portion 21 is arranged to cover the back space S1 from the front side. The shaft portion 11a is hidden by the first covering portion 21 when viewed from the front.

[0032] The second covering portion 22 is disposed so as to intersect with the base portion 20, and has a first end portion 221 on the axially outer side and a second end portion 222 located axially inner than the first end portion 221. The rear end portion 202 of the base portion 20 and the first end portion 221 of the second covering portion 22 are adjacent to (contiguous with) each other.

[0033] The second end 222 is located radially outward (rearward) of the wheel 10 relative to the first end 221. That is, the second covering portion 22 is formed so as to move axially inward and toward the rear as it moves away from the rear end 202 of the base portion 20. The second covering portion 22 is formed by bending a steel plate including the base portion 20. The second covering portion 22 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and the first and second ends 221, 222 are formed in a long, linear shape in the vertical direction.

[0034] The second covering portion 22 extends to a position close to the wheel 10 (wheel portion 103) and covers the rear side space S from behind. The second covering portion 22 (second end portion 222) is located radially inward of the tire portion 102. The second covering portion 22 and the wheel 10 are separated in the axial direction, and a space (rear space S2) formed on the rear side (axially inner side) of the second covering portion 22 communicates with the rear side space S without a partition. The second covering portion 22 is arranged to cover the rear space S2 from the rear side. The shaft portion 11a is hidden by the second covering portion 22 when viewed from behind.

[0035] A first flange 23 is continuous with the second end 212 of the first covering portion 21. The first flange 23 extends parallel to the base portion 20. The first flange 23 protrudes from the second end 212 of the first covering portion 21 toward the tire portion (outer circumferential portion) 102. The tire portion 102 protrudes axially outward beyond the second end 212 of the first covering portion 21, and the first flange 23 extends to a position close to the inner circumferential surface (cylindrical surface) 102a of the tire portion 102. As shown in FIG. 1 , the first flange 23 is formed in an arch shape so as to fit along the inner circumferential surface 102a of the tire portion 102.

[0036] A second flange 24 is continuous with the second end 222 of the second covering portion 22. The second flange 24 extends parallel to the base portion 20. The second flange 24 protrudes from the second end 222 of the second covering portion 22 toward the tire portion (outer circumferential portion) 102. The tire portion 102 protrudes axially outward beyond the second end 222 of the second covering portion 22, and the second flange 24 extends to a position close to the inner circumferential surface 102b of the tire portion 102. As shown in FIG. 1 , the second flange 24 is formed in an arch shape so as to fit along the inner circumferential surface 102b of the tire portion 102.

[0037] The entanglement prevention device 2 (base portion 20, first and second covering portions 21, 22, and first and second flange portions 23, 24) is formed, for example, by bending a single steel plate having a thickness of about 1.6 to 2.0 mm. Note that the material is not limited to metal, and it may be formed from other materials such as resin.

[0038] 4, comb portions (brushes) 31, 32 are preferably provided on the upper edge 21a and the lower edge 21b of the first covering portion 21. The comb portions 31, 32 are made of, for example, resin, and are bonded to the first covering portion 21 at their base ends.

[0039] Comb portions (brushes) 33, 34 are preferably provided on the upper edge 22a and the lower edge 22b of the second covering portion 22. The comb portions 33, 34 are made of, for example, resin, and are bonded to the second covering portion 22 at their base ends.

[0040] The comb portions 31 to 34 are formed with sawtooth or uneven shapes at their tips, and the processing is shown by a schematic line in Fig. 4. Note that the lines indicating the processing of the tips of the comb portions 31 to 34 are omitted in all figures except Fig. 4.

[0041] As another method for forming the comb portions, metal comb portions may be welded to the first and second covering portions 21, 22. Alternatively, instead of providing the comb portions separately, the comb portions may be integrally formed by processing the upper and lower ends of the first and second covering portions 21, 22. Alternatively, the comb portions may be provided at diagonal corners (for example, the upper edge 21a of the first covering portion 21 and the lower edge 22b of the second covering portion 22). Alternatively, the comb portions may not be provided at all.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 2, the entanglement prevention device 2 is attached to the side plate 121 from the outside in the axial direction. Specifically, the base part 20 is fixed to the side plate 121 with the axle 11 passing through the through hole 25 (Fig. 4(A)) of the base part 20. Fixing methods include screwing, spot welding, and adhesive bonding.

[0043] (About tangled lint) 5 is a rear perspective view that schematically illustrates how lint gets tangled around the caster 1 according to the present embodiment. Lint 91, 92 are indicated by small dots. While the caster 1 is moving, lint 91 that has adhered to the tire portion 102 from the floor surface wraps around the tire portion 102 as the tire portion 102 rotates (arrow R). When the wrapped lint shifts axially outward and comes off the tire portion 102, the tip of the lint heads toward the outside of the first and second covering portions 21, 22 that cover the front and rear side spaces S from the front and rear.

[0044] In this way, like lint 92, the lint passes through the outside of the first and second covering portions 21, 22 and the inside of the side plate 121 (above the side space S), and is caught and wound around the comb portions 31-34 provided on the upper and lower end edges of the first and second covering portions 21, 22. This prevents the lint from getting tangled around the shaft portion 11a exposed in the side space S. It also prevents the lint from clogging the side space S.

[0045] In this embodiment, the tips of the comb portions 31 to 34 function as hook portions that hook the lint 92. If the comb portions 31 to 34 are not provided, the first and second covering portions 21, 22 (upper and lower end edges) function as hook portions. In this case, if the base portion 20 and the axle 11 are arranged to overlap as in this embodiment, the vertical length dimension L (FIG. 4) of the first and second covering portions 21, 22 is greater than the diameter of the axle 11, and therefore the lint 92 is hooked on the upper and lower end edges 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b of the first and second covering portions 21, 22.

[0046] The second ends 212, 222 of the first and second covering portions 21, 22 are provided with first and second flange portions 23, 24 that are formed in an arch shape along the inner circumferential surfaces 102a, 102b of the tire portion 102 and are close to the tire portion 102. This prevents lint tangled in the first and second covering portions 21, 22 from getting into the wheel 10 (wheel portion 103).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the tangle prevention device 2 does not have a portion covering the bottom of the side space S, and the side space S and the rear spaces S1 and S2 are open downward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, lint 92 tangled in the tangle prevention device 2 can be cut and removed by inserting the blade of a cutting tool such as scissors from below into the side space S or the rear spaces S1 and S2. For example, when cutting lint 92 from below at the portion indicated by symbol α, the tip of the blade can enter the rear spaces S1 and S2, improving the reliability of removing lint 92 without damaging the wheel 10 or the like. This makes it easy to remove tangled lint, which is hygienic and particularly suitable for use in supermarkets, medical and nursing care facilities, etc.

[0048] <Embodiment 2> 6, a caster 1A according to the second embodiment has a wheel 10, an axle 11 that rotatably supports the wheel 10, and a support portion 12 that has a pair of side plates 121 that support both ends of the axle 11. The side plate 121 is a flat plate that is perpendicular to the axial direction. A first covering portion 21A and a second covering portion 22A that intersect with the side plate 121 are integrally formed on the side plate 121.

[0049] The first covering portion 21A extends from the front end portion 201A of the side plate 121 toward the wheel 10, and covers the side space S (FIG. 2) between the wheel 10 and the side plate 121 from the front side. The second covering portion 22A extends from the rear end portion 202A of the side plate 121 toward the wheel 10, and covers the side space S from the rear side.

[0050] First and second covering portions 21A, 22A may be formed by bending portions that protrude from the front and rear of side plate 121, or by joining them to rectangular side plate 121. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will not be repeated.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as the present invention or within an equivalent scope.

[0052] For example, the casters 1 and 1A in each embodiment are fixed casters in which the support portion 12 is fixed to the mounting seat 19, but the support portion 12 may be a swivel caster in which the support portion 12 is rotatable.

[0053] Furthermore, the angle formed between the first and second covering portions and the base portion (side plate) may be a substantially right angle instead of an obtuse angle.

[0054] Furthermore, the structure of the wheel 10 is not particularly limited, and the wheel may be one in which the wheel portion and the tire portion have the same width.

[0055] In addition, in the first embodiment, the entanglement preventer 2 is fixed to the side plate 121 from the outside in the axial direction, but it may be fixed from the inside in the axial direction. That is, the base part 20 may be fixed to the inside of the side plate 121.

[0056] Furthermore, when the entanglement prevention device 2 is attached from the outside of the side plate 121, the base portion 20 and the axle 11 may not overlap. For example, the entanglement prevention device 2 may be attached above the axle 11 so that the hook portion is above the axle 11.

[0057] The tangle prevention device 2 may also be retrofitted to an existing caster. In this case, if the through-hole 25 of the base portion 20 is not circular but is a generally U-shaped notch extending from one of the upper or lower ends of the base portion 20 toward the center, the tangle prevention device 2 can be easily attached to the axially inner side of the side plate.

[0058] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the entanglement prevention device 2 is attached so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the floor surface, but it may also be attached so that its longitudinal direction is inclined relative to the floor surface.

[0059] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1, 1A Caster, 2 Protective device, 10 Wheel, 11 Axle, 11a Axle portion, 12 Support portion, 19 Mounting seat, 20 Base portion, 21 First covering portion, 22 Second covering portion, 23 First flange portion, 24 Second flange portion, 25 Through hole, 31, 32, 33, 34 Comb portion, 91, 92 Lint, 101 Center portion, 102 Tire portion (outer periphery), 102a, 102b Inner peripheral surface, 103 Wheel portion, 120 Base plate, 121 Side plate, 201, 201A Front end portion of base portion (or side plate), 202, 202A Rear end portion of base portion (or side plate), 211, 221 First end portion of covering portion, 212, 222 Second end portion of covering portion, S Side space, S1, S2 Back space

Claims

1. A caster having a wheel, an axle that rotatably supports the wheel, and a support part having a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, a tangle prevention device attached to the side plate and configured to prevent lint from getting tangled in the shaft portion exposed in the side space between the wheel and the side plate; The tangle prevention device is a base portion fixed to the side plate and extending forward and backward in the direction of travel; a first covering portion extending from a front end portion of the base portion toward the wheel and covering the side space from the front side; a second covering portion extending from a rear end portion of the base portion toward the wheel and covering the side space from the rear side.

2. the first and second covering portions each have a first end portion on an axially outer side of the wheel and a second end portion located axially inward of the first end portion; The caster according to claim 1 , wherein the second end is located radially outward of the wheel relative to the first end.

3. the wheel has an outer circumferential portion that protrudes axially outward beyond the second ends of the first and second covering portions, a first flange portion that extends radially outward from a second end portion of the first covering portion toward the outer circumferential portion; The caster according to claim 2 , further comprising a second flange portion extending radially outward from a second end portion of the second covering portion toward the outer periphery.

4. a comb portion is provided on at least one of an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the first covering portion; The caster according to claim 1 , wherein a comb portion is provided on at least one of an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the second covering portion.

5. The caster according to claim 1 , wherein the base portion has a through hole through which the axle passes.

6. A caster having a wheel, an axle that rotatably supports the wheel, and a support part having a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, a first covering portion extending from a front end portion of the side plate in the traveling direction toward the wheel and covering a side space between the wheel and the side plate from the front side; a second covering portion extending from the rear end of the side plate in the traveling direction toward the wheel and covering the side space from the rear side.

7. A tangle prevention device for preventing lint from getting tangled in the axle of a caster, the axle including a wheel, an axle that rotatably supports the wheel, and a support part having a pair of side plates that support both ends of the axle, a base portion fixed to the side plate and extending forward and backward in the direction of travel; a first covering portion that extends toward the wheel and is bent at a front end portion of the base portion so as to cover, from the front side, a shaft portion that is exposed in a side space between the wheel and the side plate; a second covering portion that extends toward the wheel and is bent at the rear end of the base portion so as to cover the shaft portion from the rear side.

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