Caster brake control device

Abstract

A caster brake control device is provided. [Solution] The device comprises a brake cable assembly and a switch box (11), with a manual operation mechanism (12) integrated in the switch box. The brake cable assembly includes two brake wires (2) for one-to-one connection to the braking mechanisms of the casters (9). The brake cable assembly further includes a transition transmission unit (3) and one traction wire (4). The transition transmission unit includes a mounting box (31) and a transmission mechanism disposed in the mounting box. The transmission mechanism includes two wire connection ends for one-to-one connection with the two brake wires and a traction input end for connection to the traction wires. The two wire connection ends can be driven by the traction input end to synchronously pull the two brake wires. The manual operation mechanism includes a hook end for connection to the traction wire. This has the advantage of being easy to assemble.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a caster brake control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Caster brake devices are primarily used on cases and bags, such as suitcases and travel bags, and typically include a control device and a braking mechanism. The braking mechanism is located on the caster, and the control device is divided into a foot brake mode, which is located on the caster, and a hand brake mode, which is located on the top of the case or bag and allows manual operation. Here, the hand brake mode brake control device is connected to the braking mechanism on the caster by a brake wire. A pair of casters (two casters) on a case or bag is configured to be brakeable, and the braking parts of the two casters are connected to a single brake wire, which is then connected to a manual operation unit (usually a switch box in which the manual operation mechanism is integrated). In other words, the single manual operation unit synchronously controls the two casters to lock (brake) and unlock (unlock). The two casters are spaced apart; for example, two casters on a case or bag are located at two corners on one side of the case or bag. Therefore, in the existing structure, two brake wires are directly connected to the manual operation unit, and interference between the two brake wires causes inconvenience when attaching the switch box to a case or bag. Summary of the Invention

[0003] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a caster brake control device that has the advantage of being easy to install, in order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0005] The caster brake control device comprises a brake cable part and a switch box, in which a manual operation mechanism is integrated, and the brake cable part comprises two brake wires for one-to-one connection to the braking mechanisms of the casters; in the caster brake control device, the brake cable part further comprises a transition transmission unit and one traction wire; the transition transmission unit comprises a mounting box and a transmission mechanism disposed in the mounting box; the transmission mechanism comprises two wire connecting ends for one-to-one connection to the two brake wires and a traction input end connected to the traction wires; the two wire connecting ends can be driven by the traction input end to synchronously pull the two brake wires; and the manual operation mechanism comprises one hook end connected to the traction wire.

[0006] Preferably, the manual operation mechanism includes a slide button, the slide button including a slide sheet slidably fitted into the switch box and a toggle key fixed to the slide sheet and exposed to the outside of the switch box, the slide button sliding back and forth between a lock operation position for driving the caster braking mechanism to a locked state and an unlock operation position for driving the caster braking mechanism to an unlocked state, the slide sheet is equipped with a return spring for returning the slide button to the unlock operation position, the slide sheet is equipped with a slide button locking component for locking and unlocking the slide sheet at the lock operation position, and the hook end is positioned on the slide sheet.

[0007] Preferably, the slide button locking component is attached to the slide button and moves back and forth on the switch box following the slide button, a locking opening is provided in the switch box, the slide button locking component has a locking end, an unlocking operation end, and an automatic locking spring, the locking end engages with the locking notch to lock and unlock, the automatic locking spring provides an automatic locking spring force to lock the locking end in the locking notch, and the unlocking operation end operates the locking end to escape from the locking notch, thereby completing the unlocking of the slide button.

[0008] Preferably, the slide button locking part comprises a locking member, the locking member comprising a base and a lock block protruding from the base to form a locking end; a key positioning cavity is provided in the slide seat, the key positioning cavity is provided with an escape hole for the lock block to protrude; the protruding direction of the toggle key is perpendicular to the sliding surface of the slide seat, the key positioning cavity corresponds to the position of the toggle key, and the toggle key is provided with a hollow hole for connecting the key positioning cavity to the outside; the base is slidably fitted into the key positioning cavity, the sliding direction of the base coincides with the direction in which the toggle key protrudes from the slide seat; an automatic locking spring abuts against the lower end of the base; and an unlocking block protruding from the upper end of the base to form an unlocking operation end, the unlocking block passing through the hollow hole.

[0009] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a driving slider, a driven slider, and an elastic elastic member, the driving slider is operatively connected to the driven slider via the elastic elastic member, the driving slider is provided with one of the traction input ends, the driven slider is provided with a wire connecting end, and the elastic elastic member elastically transmits the reciprocating motion of the driving slider to the driven slider, thereby displacing the wire connecting end.

[0010] Preferably, the driving slider has one support plate with two push blocks protruding from the support plate, the driven slider has two slider units corresponding to the two brake wires in a one-to-one relationship, with one wire connecting end arranged corresponding to each slider unit, the slider units are supported on the support plate and are slidable relative to the driving slider, the slider units have opening grooves with openings on the sides of the slider units supported by the support plate, the push blocks are inserted into the opening grooves, the elastic expansion and contraction member has two compression springs combined in a one-to-one relationship with the slider units, the compression springs are arranged in the opening grooves, one end of each compression spring abuts against the push block and the other end abuts against the slider units.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, two brake wires are connected to the transition transmission module, and the transition transmission module is connected to the manual operating mechanism in the switch box via a pulling wire. This means that the switch box is connected to a single wire (specifically, a pulling wire), making it easier and more convenient to attach the switch box to a device (e.g., a case or bag). The length of the two brake wires is shortened, and some of the wires connected to the switch box are replaced with a single pulling wire, reducing the overall amount of wire used. Furthermore, the structure of the manual operating mechanism is simplified. A modular design with multiple modules is realized for the entire brake control device, simplifying the structure of a single module and simplifying and facilitating the assembly of the modules themselves, as well as facilitating future maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] The invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a caster brake system according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded view of a manual operating unit according to the present invention; [Figure 4]1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a manual operating unit according to the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a manual operation unit (without panel) according to the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a transition transmission unit according to the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 is an exploded view of a transition transmission unit according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the present invention discloses a caster brake control device for controlling the locking and unlocking of casters 9. The caster brake control device includes a brake cable assembly and a manual operation unit 1. The manual operation unit 1 includes a switch box 11. The switch box 1 is typically further equipped with a panel 10. A manual operation mechanism 12 is integrated within the switch box 11. The panel 10 and the switch box 11 cooperate to achieve fastening and fixing to a case or bag. The brake cable assembly includes brake wires 2 correspondingly connected to the brake mechanisms (not shown) of the casters 9. Typically, a caster brake control device controls two casters 9 simultaneously, so the brake cable assembly includes two brake wires connected one-to-one to the brake mechanisms of the two casters 9. To solve the problem of the conventional two brake wires 2 being directly connected to the manual operation unit 1 and making it inconvenient to attach the switch box 11 to the case or bag, the brake cable assembly further includes a transition transmission unit 3 and a traction wire. The transition transmission unit 3 includes a mounting box 31 and a transmission mechanism 32 disposed in the mounting box 31. The transmission mechanism 32 includes two wire connecting ends a for one-to-one connection with the two brake wires 2 and a traction input end b for connecting to the traction wire 4. The traction input end b drives the two wire connecting ends a to synchronously pull the two brake wires. The manual operation mechanism 12 includes a hook end c for connecting to the traction wire 4. Here, the wires (such as the aforementioned brake wires and traction wires) are common accessories in this field and typically include a metal core wire. The metal core wire is inserted into and penetrates a soft outer tube made of synthetic resin, allowing for longitudinal reciprocal movement. One common connection method for the metal core wire is a hook attachment. Specifically, an engagement ball I is formed at the end of the metal core wire, and the wire connecting end a, the traction input end b, and the hook end c are formed in hook holes, with the engagement ball I engaging the hook hole. During operation, the manual operating mechanism drives the traction input end b of the transition transmission unit via the traction wire, and further drives the two brake wires via the wire connecting end a.The brake wire controls the locking and unlocking of the caster. By introducing a transition transmission unit and traction wire between the switch box and the two brake wires, a single wire (the traction wire) can be connected to the switch box, making it convenient to install the switch box in a case or bag. This allows the entire brake control device to have a modular design with multiple modules, making future maintenance easier.

[0014] In the above design, the structure of a single module (such as a switch box) is simplified, and the assembly work of the module itself is simplified. Further optimizations are as follows: The manual operation mechanism 12 includes a slide button 121. The slide button 121 includes a slide seat 1212 slidably fitted in the switch box 11 and a toggle key 1213 fixed to the slide seat 1212 and exposed to the outside of the switch box 11. The slide button 121 slides back and forth between a locking operation position where it drives the braking mechanism of the caster 9 to a locked state and an unlocking operation position where it drives the braking mechanism of the caster 9 to an unlocked state (for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6). The slide seat 1212 is equipped with a return spring 122 for returning the slide button 121 to the unlocking operation position. A spiral compression spring is a simple and reliable option for the return spring 122. The slide seat 1212 is equipped with a slide button locking component for locking and unlocking the slide seat 1212 at the locking operation position. The hook end c is located on the slide seat 1212. The manual operation mechanism employs a hook end directly installed on the slide button, i.e., a pulling wire directly connected to the slide button. The manual operating mechanism has a simple structure, is easy to assemble, and is highly reliable. Of course, the manual operating mechanism can also have other structures as feasible implementations of the present invention. For example, it may have a knob-and-slider combination structure, in which an eccentric toggle is installed on the knob. When the knob is rotated, the eccentric toggle drives the slider to slide, and the slider is connected to a traction wire. Alternatively, the manual operating mechanism may have other functional structures. For example, it may have a telescopic traction structure, in which the main slider and the sub-slider are connected by a spring. A button for driving the main slider to slide is provided on the manual operating mechanism, and the button is a slide button or knob. The main slider acts on the spring, and the spring acts on the sub-slider. That is, when the main slider reciprocates, the sub-slider is driven by the power of the spring, and the sub-slider is connected to the traction wire.Of course, the manual operating mechanism may have other structural forms not specifically listed in the present invention. Preferably, the switch box adopts the simple slide button design (as shown) disclosed in this embodiment.

[0015] For easier operation, the slide button locking component is attached to the slide button 121 and moves back and forth on the switch box 11 following the slide button 121. A locking opening 111 is provided within the switch box 11, and the slide button locking component has a locking end d, an unlocking operation end e, and an automatic locking spring 1233. A helical compression spring is a simple and reliable option for the automatic locking spring. The locking end d engages with the locking notch 111 to lock and unlock, and the automatic locking spring 1233 provides the automatic locking spring force that locks the locking end d into the locking notch 111. The unlocking operation end e operates the locking end d to escape from the locking notch 111, thereby completing the unlocking of the slide button 121. The slide button locking component is installed via the slide button, resulting in a more compact structure. Furthermore, the slide button locking component automatically locks when the slide button is slid to the locking operation position, making operation easier and more convenient. Of course, those skilled in the art can come up with other solutions for arranging the slide button locking component on the switch box based on the guidance of the present invention.

[0016] The slide button lock component further includes a locking member 1231. The locking member 1231 includes a base 12311 and a lock block 12312 that protrudes from the base 12311 to form a locking end d. A key positioning cavity is provided in the slide seat 1212, and a recess is provided in the key positioning cavity for the lock block 12312 (locking end d) to protrude through. The protruding direction of the toggle key 1213 is perpendicular to the sliding surface of the slide seat 1212. The key positioning cavity corresponds to the position of the toggle key 1213, and the toggle key 1213 is provided with a hollow hole 12131 that allows the key positioning cavity to communicate with the outside. The base 12311 is slidably fitted within the key positioning cavity, and the sliding direction of the base 12311 coincides with the direction in which the toggle key 1213 protrudes from the slide seat 1212. An automatic locking spring 1233 abuts the lower end of the base 12311, and an unlocking block 12313, which serves as the unlocking operation end e, protrudes from the upper end of the base 12311 and passes through a hollow hole 12131. The overall structure is simple and compact, and the unlocking block is attached to a toggle key, which is pressed to perform the unlocking operation, making operation simple and convenient. The specific locking and unlocking procedures are as follows: Locking operation: When the toggle key is operated to slide the slide button to the locking operation position, the locking member slides along with the slide button to the corresponding position, at which point the locking member is driven by the automatic locking spring, causing the locking block to drop into the locking opening, locking the slide button in the locking operation position. Unlocking operation: When the unlocking block is pressed, the locking block is released from the locking opening, and the slide button is returned to the unlocking operation position by the drive of the return spring. To ensure smooth and reliable sliding of the slide button, the switch box 11 is provided with a clearance groove 112. The clearance groove 112 is located in front of the lock opening 111 and has a long, narrow strip shape that extends along the sliding direction of the slide button 121. The clearance groove 112 is for inserting and suspending the lock block 12312.In other words, when the slide button moves from the unlock operation position to the lock operation position, the lock block is in the clearance groove and is not pressed before reaching the lock operation position. In this way, the lock block is in the clearance groove and there is no contact friction with the switch box (or there is slight friction if there is an error), so the slide button slides smoothly and reliably. The end wall of the clearance groove 112 close to the lock opening 111 is inclined, making it easy for the lock block to come out of the clearance groove 112.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, another embodiment of the present invention requires a functional structure that can eliminate brake reliability issues caused by brake wire length errors to ensure reliable caster braking. However, it is also desirable to simplify the structure of the manual operating mechanism within the switch box. Therefore, preferably, the corresponding functional structure is designed using a transition transmission unit. Specifically, the transmission mechanism 32 includes a driving slider 321, a driven slider 322, and an elastic elastic member 323. The driving slider 321 is operatively connected to the driven slider 322 via the elastic elastic member 323. The driving slider 321 is provided with a traction input end b, and the driven slider 322 is provided with a wire connecting end a. The elastic elastic member 323 elastically transmits the reciprocating motion of the driving slider 321 to the driven slider 322, thereby displacing the wire connecting end a. Of course, under the guidance of this invention and in combination with the prior art, the transmission mechanism can also be of other structural types, such as a simple slider with a spring return, with a traction input end and two wire connection ends at both ends of the slider, respectively.

[0018] In this embodiment, the driving slider 321 has one support plate 3211, and two push blocks 3212 protrude from the support plate 3211. The driven slider 322 has two slider units 322-1 that correspond one-to-one to the two brake wires 2, and one wire connecting end a is arranged corresponding to each slider unit 322-1. The slider units 322-1 are supported by the support plate 3211 and can slide relative to the driving slider 321. The slider unit 322-1 has an opening groove 322-11, and the opening groove 322-11 has an opening on the side of the slider unit 322-1 that is supported by the support plate 3211. The push block 3212 is inserted into the opening groove 322-11. The elastic expansion / contraction member 323 has two compression springs 323-1 that correspond one-to-one to the slider units 322-1, and the compression springs are arranged in the opening grooves. One end of the compression spring abuts against the push block 3212, and the other end abuts against the slider unit 322-1. As a specific configuration of the functional structure that can eliminate the brake reliability problem caused by the length error of the brake wire, for example, the drive slider can be designed as a single molded part that has two wire connection ends at the same time, or other forms can be used.

[0019] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. These new embodiments can be used in combination with other embodiments, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. a brake cable assembly including a brake cable part and a switch box, the switch box having a manual operation mechanism integrated therein, the brake cable part including two brake wires for one-to-one connection to the braking mechanisms of the casters; the brake cable part further including a transition transmission unit and one traction wire; the transition transmission unit including a mounting box and a transmission mechanism disposed in the mounting box; the transmission mechanism including two wire connecting ends for one-to-one connection to the two brake wires and a traction input end connected to the traction wires, the two wire connecting ends being driven by the traction input end to synchronously pull the two brake wires; and the manual operation mechanism including a hook end connected to the traction wire.

2. The caster brake control device described in claim 1, characterized in that the manual operation mechanism includes a slide button, the slide button including a slide sheet slidably fitted into the switch box and a toggle key fixed to the slide sheet and exposed to the outside of the switch box, the slide button sliding back and forth between a lock operation position in which the caster braking mechanism is driven to a locked state and an unlock operation position in which the caster braking mechanism is driven to an unlocked state, the slide sheet is equipped with a return spring for returning the slide button to the unlock operation position, the slide sheet is equipped with a slide button locking component for locking and unlocking the slide sheet at the lock operation position, and the hook end is positioned on the slide sheet.

3. 3. The caster brake control device of claim 2, wherein the slide button locking component is attached to the slide button and moves back and forth on the switch box following the slide button, a locking opening is provided in the switch box, the slide button locking component has a locking end, an unlocking operation end, and an automatic locking spring, the locking end engages with the locking notch to lock and unlock, the automatic locking spring provides an automatic locking spring force to lock the locking end in the locking notch, and the unlocking operation end operates the locking end to escape from the locking notch, thereby completing the unlocking of the slide button.

4. The caster brake control device described in claim 3, characterized in that the slide button locking part comprises a locking member, the locking member comprising a base and a lock block protruding from the base to form a locking end, the slide seat is provided with a key positioning cavity, the key positioning cavity is provided with an escape hole for the lock block to protrude, the protruding direction of the toggle key is perpendicular to the sliding surface of the slide seat, the key positioning cavity corresponds to the position of the toggle key, the toggle key is provided with a hollow hole for connecting the key positioning cavity to the outside, the base is slidably fitted into the key positioning cavity, the sliding direction of the base coincides with the direction in which the toggle key protrudes from the slide seat, an automatic locking spring abuts against the lower end of the base, and an unlocking block protruding from the upper end of the base to form an unlocking operation end, the unlocking block passing through the hollow hole.

5. The caster brake control device of claim 1, characterized in that the transmission mechanism comprises a drive slider, a driven slider, and an elastic expansion / contraction member, the drive slider is operatively connected to the driven slider via the elastic expansion / contraction member, the drive slider is provided with one of the traction input ends, the driven slider is provided with a wire connection end, and the elastic expansion / contraction member elastically transmits the reciprocating motion of the drive slider to the driven slider, thereby displacing the wire connection end.

6. 6. The caster brake control device according to claim 5, wherein the drive slider has one support plate on which two push blocks protrude, the driven slider has two slider units corresponding one-to-one to the two brake wires, each slider unit is provided with a corresponding wire connecting end, the slider units are supported by the support plate and are slidable relative to the drive slider, the slider units have opening grooves, each opening has an opening on a side of the slider unit supported by the support plate, the push blocks are inserted into the opening grooves, the elastic expansion / contraction member has two compression springs that are combined one-to-one with the slider units, the compression springs are arranged in the opening grooves, one end of each compression spring abuts against the push block and the other end abuts against the slider unit.

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