Case and bag casters

Abstract

To provide a caster for a case and a bag which is easy to assemble and operates reliably. [Solution] The caster for cases and bags according to the present invention comprises a caster holder 1 and a wheel body 2. The caster locking component on the wheel body includes a drive member and a locking member. The caster holder has a pin receiving hole, and the locking member is a locking pin disposed in the pin receiving hole. The drive member is configured as a sliding block that is restricted by the caster holder and slides vertically. The locking mechanism control surface on the sliding block includes a locking retaining surface, an intermediate inclined surface, and an escape surface. When the caster locking component is in the unlocked state, the drive member slides to the escape surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, allowing the locking pin to move and disengage from the annular locking portion. When the caster locking component is in the braking state, the drive member slides to the locking retaining surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, the locking pin is restricted by the locking retaining surface and brakes against the annular locking portion, and the intermediate inclined surface of the sliding block can be pushed up to move the locking pin from the unlocked position to the locked position. The drive member is equipped with a resilient return member.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to accessories for cases and bags, and more particularly to casters that support the movement of cases and bags. [Background technology]

[0002] Existing brake design methods for casters of cases and bags include a foot brake method in which an operating key is located on the caster and operated by stepping on it with the foot, and a hand brake method in which an operating key is moved to the top of the case or bag and manually operated via a brake wire. The hand brake method for casters of cases and bags has the advantage of being easy to operate and has attracted widespread attention. Here, the applicant aims to develop a brake structure that is different from the existing hand brake method, and is simple, convenient to assemble, and reliable to use. Summary of the Invention

[0003] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a caster for cases and bags with braking controlled by a brake wire, which has the advantages of being simple to assemble and reliable in operation.

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

[0005] a caster for a case or bag, comprising a caster holder and a wheel body attached to the caster holder, the wheel body being provided with an annular locking portion, the caster holder being provided with a caster locking component, the caster locking component including a drive member connected to a brake wire and a locking member that is aligned with and corresponds to the annular locking portion, the caster locking component having a braking state and an unlocked state in which the locking member is released from engagement with the annular locking portion, when the caster locking component is in the braking state, the drive member brakes the wheel body by restricting the locking member to be aligned with and corresponds to the annular locking portion, the caster holder being provided with a pin accommodating hole, an opening at one end of the pin accommodating hole corresponds to the annular locking portion and an opening at the other end of the pin accommodating hole corresponds to the drive member, and the locking member is a locking pin arranged in the pin accommodating hole, the drive member is configured as a slide block that is restricted by the caster holder and slides in a vertical direction, the slide block has a locking mechanism control surface, and the locking mechanism control surface includes a locking holding surface, an intermediate inclined surface, and an avoidance surface that are connected in this order from bottom to top along the sliding direction of the slide block; When the caster locking component is in the unlocked state, the driving member slides to the avoidance surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, and the locking pin can move and disengage from the annular locking portion; when the caster locking component is in the braking state, the driving member slides to the locking retaining surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, and the locking pin is restricted by the locking retaining surface and mates with the annular locking portion to brake, and the intermediate inclined surface of the slide block can push up to move the locking pin from the unlocked position to the locked position; The drive member is equipped with an elastic return member that provides the elastic return force necessary for the drive member to slide back to its original position, and the elastic return force causes the drive member to slide to the avoidance surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin.

[0006] Preferably, the annular locking portion is provided with a plurality of locking grooves spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction, and the locking pins are engaged in the locking grooves to provide a locking fit.

[0007] Preferably, the unlocked state of the caster locking component further includes a provisionally locked state in which the locking pin is inserted into the locking groove, and when the wheel body rotates, the locking pin comes out of the locking groove and the provisionally locked state is released.

[0008] Preferably, the locking pin is spherical, and the locking groove is a recess that fits over the locking pin.

[0009] Preferably, the opening at one end of the pin receiving hole facing the locking portion is an assembly opening for inserting the locking pin into the pin receiving hole.

[0010] Preferably, the locking pin is coated with a lubricant, which creates a blocking force between the locking pin and the wall of the pin receiving hole.

[0011] Preferably, the caster holder has a vertical insertion hole cavity with an open bottom and a pin shaft hole formed in the horizontal direction, the slide block is slidably inserted into the insertion hole cavity from the opening at the bottom end of the vertical insertion hole cavity, the slide block has a strip-shaped mounting hole groove extending in the sliding direction of the slide block, and a horizontal pin is inserted into the pin shaft hole and passes through the strip-shaped mounting hole groove.

[0012] Preferably, the elastic return member is a spiral spring, the slide block is provided with a spring insertion hole, and the elastic return member is inserted into the spring insertion hole.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when the case and bag caster is braked, the brake wire pulls the drive member, sliding it upward, and the intermediate inclined surface of the drive member pushes the locking pin up and moves it along the pin receiving hole. When the drive member moves to the locking holding surface and engages with the locking pin, the locking pin engages with the annular locking portion, braking the wheel body. The annular locking portion employs a locking groove that engages with the locking pin, ensuring reliable locking and stopping of the wheel body and improving braking performance. When the lock is released, the pulling force of the brake wire on the drive member is released, and the drive member is driven downward by the elastic return force of the elastic return member, returning to the avoidance surface of the drive member and corresponding to the position of the locking pin. The locking pin then moves along the pin receiving hole, releasing the brake engagement with the annular locking portion. Furthermore, when the drive member returns to the avoidance surface and corresponds to the position of the locking pin, the caster locking component is in the unlocked state, where the locking pin is inserted into the locking groove, forming a provisional lock to the wheel body. In other words, the locking pin still limits the rotation of the wheel body, and when an external force is applied to move the related device (for example, pulling a case or bag), the wheel body rotates, causing the locking pin to come out of the locking groove and release the provisional lock. Furthermore, because the locking pin is spherical, it can be released more smoothly from the provisional lock and the possibility of damage is reduced. Furthermore, the caster locking component has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, and easy assembly.

[0014] The invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a caster for cases and bags according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a caster for a case and a bag according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view taken along line AOB in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded view of a caster for a case and a bag according to the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a braking state diagram of the caster for cases and bags according to the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic view of the case and bag caster of the present invention in a partially locked state after being released from the locked state; FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a state in which the caster for a case and a bag according to the present invention is in an unlocked state and the wheel body can rotate normally. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the caster for cases and bags disclosed in the present invention includes a caster holder 1 and a wheel body 2 attached to the caster holder 1. The wheel body 2 is provided with an annular locking portion 21, and the caster holder 1 is provided with a caster locking component. The caster locking component includes a drive member 4 connected to a brake wire 3 and a locking member that mates with the annular locking portion 21. The drive member 4 has a connection portion 40 for connecting the brake wire 3. In this embodiment, wheel bodies 2 are attached to both sides of the caster holder 1. In a typical configuration, two wheel bodies 2 are provided with annular locking portions 21, and locking members are provided on the left and right sides to mate with the annular locking portions 21 of the two wheel bodies 2 in a one-to-one correspondence. The caster locking component has a braking state and an unlocked state in which the locking member is released from the annular locking portion 21. When the caster locking component is in a braking state, the driving member 4 brakes the wheel body 2 by restricting the locking member to align with the annular locking portion 21. The caster holder 1 is provided with a pin receiving hole 11. An opening at one end of the pin receiving hole 11 corresponds to the annular locking portion 21, and an opening at the other end of the pin receiving hole 11 corresponds to the driving member 4. The locking member is a locking pin 5 disposed in the pin receiving hole 11. The driving member 4 is configured as a slide block that is restricted by the caster holder 1 and slides vertically (note that the vertical direction here refers to the height direction based on the caster supporting the device (such as a case or bag), as in the X direction shown in the figure). The slide block has a locking mechanism control surface 41, which includes a locking retaining surface 411, an intermediate inclined surface 412, and an avoidance surface 413, which are connected in this order from bottom to top along the sliding direction of the slide block. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the caster locking part is in the unlocked state, the driving member 4 slides to the avoidance surface 413 to correspond to the position of the locking pin 5, and the locking pin 5 can move and disengage from the annular locking portion 21.As shown in Figure 5, when the caster locking component is in a braking state, the drive member 4 slides to the locking retaining surface 411 to correspond to the position of the locking pin 5, and the locking pin 5 is restricted by the locking retaining surface 411 and brakes against the annular locking portion 21, and the intermediate inclined surface 412 of the slide block can push up the locking pin 5 to move it from the unlocked position to the locked position. The drive member 4 is equipped with an elastic return member 6 that provides the elastic return force required for the drive member 4 to return to the sliding position, and this elastic return force can slide the drive member 4 to the avoidance surface 413 to correspond to the position of the locking pin 5. A spiral spring is used as the elastic return member 6, and a spring insertion hole is provided in the slide block, into which the elastic return member 6 is inserted.

[0017] To ensure reliable caster braking, the annular locking portion 21 is provided with multiple locking grooves 211 spaced apart along the circumferential direction, and the locking pin 5 engages with the locking grooves 211 to achieve locking. When the locking pin 5 abuts against the wall between the two locking grooves 211 of the annular locking portion 21, the brake is not yet fully secured, and the wheel body may move slightly due to external force. However, after this movement, when the locking groove aligns with the position of the locking pin, the locking pin engages with the locking groove, achieving locking, and the wheel body is locked, achieving reliable braking. The manually operated hand-braked caster brake system uses an energy storage design with a spring member for the brake wire traction mechanism. When the locking pin presses against the annular locking portion and the locking groove aligns with the locking pin, the locking pin engages with the locking groove, achieving a locked state. Of course, braking can be achieved by using frictional resistance with the annular locking portion as an annular surface and the locking pin pressing against the annular surface, but this design has problems such as unreliable braking and susceptibility to damage. When the case and bag caster is braked, the brake wire pulls the drive member, sliding it upward, and the intermediate inclined surface 412 of the drive member 4 pushes the locking pin 5 up and moves it along the pin receiving hole 11. When the drive member 4 moves to the locking holding surface 411 and engages with the locking pin 5, the locking pin 5 engages with the annular locking portion 21, braking the wheel body 2. The annular locking portion 21 employs a locking groove 211 that engages with the locking pin 5, ensuring reliable locking and stopping of the wheel body and improving braking performance. When the locking is released, the traction force of the brake wire on the drive member is released, and the drive member 4 is driven downward by the elastic return force of the elastic return member 6, returning to the avoidance surface 413 of the drive member 4 and corresponding to the position of the locking pin 5, so that the locking pin 5 moves along the pin accommodating hole and the braking engagement with the annular locking portion can be released.

[0018] Here, as a structural form of the locking pin 5 that is easy to obtain and structurally reliable, the locking pin 5 is a spherical shape such as a steel ball, but of course the locking pin 5 may also be cylindrical. Based on the design of the locking groove 211, the locking groove 211 is a recess that fits the locking pin 5, for example a ball-socket recess. The locking pin has a spherical design, a compact structure, high reliability, and is easily available on the market at low cost.

[0019] Unlike the conventional active release method using a spring, this simple and reliable mounting method does not require a return spring on the locking pin 5. Instead, the locking pin 5 is released from the annular locking portion 21 through passive release. This design not only simplifies the structure but also simplifies the assembly of the locking pin. As shown in FIG. 6, the unlocked state of the caster locking component further includes a provisionally locked state in which the locking pin 5 is inserted into the locking groove. That is, when the drive member 4 slides to the escape surface 413 and reaches the return position corresponding to the position of the locking pin 5, the restriction on the drive member 4 to the locking pin 5 is released, but the locking pin 5 remains inserted into the locking groove 211, forming a provisionally locked state with respect to the wheel body 2. Therefore, the locking pin 5 still has a certain restriction on the rotation of the wheel body 2. Therefore, when the wheel body 2 rotates during movement of an apparatus (such as a case or bag), the locking pin 5 comes out of the locking groove 211, releasing the provisionally locked state. Furthermore, the locking pin has a spherical design, which allows for smoother release from the provisionally locked state and reduces the possibility of damage.

[0020] In one embodiment, the locking pin 5 is coated with a lubricant (not shown), which creates a blocking force between the locking pin 5 and the wall of the pin receiving hole 11. The application of the lubricant ensures that the locking pin is positioned securely in the pin receiving hole and prevents the locking pin from accidentally inserting into the locking groove and interfering with the rotation of the wheel body. While this interference does not prevent the normal rotation of the caster wheel body, this design is preferred because it is simple, inexpensive, and avoids the aforementioned interference as much as possible. This design also improves the ease of assembly of the locking pin into the pin receiving hole, especially when the locking pin is spherical.

[0021] As described above, the passive release mechanism of the locking pin 5 allows the locking pin 5 to be simply assembled into the pin receiving hole 11. The opening at one end of the pin receiving hole 11 facing the locking portion 21 serves as an assembly opening for inserting the locking pin 5 into the pin receiving hole 11. That is, the locking pin is assembled along the outer end opening of the pin receiving hole, making assembly more convenient. During assembly, the locking pin is installed along the outer end opening of the pin receiving hole before the wheel body is secured to the caster holder, and then the wheel body is attached to the caster holder. This restricts the locking pin and prevents it from slipping out of the pin receiving hole. This design relies on the use of a lubricant, which more effectively prevents the locking pin from slipping out of the pin receiving hole during assembly of the wheel body.

[0022] In this embodiment, the caster holder 1 has a vertical insertion hole 12 with an open bottom and a horizontal pin shaft hole 13. The slide block is slidably inserted into the vertical insertion hole 12 through the opening at the bottom end of the vertical insertion hole 12. The slide block has a strip-shaped mounting hole groove 42 extending in the sliding direction of the slide block, and a horizontal pin 7 is inserted into the pin shaft hole 13 and passes through the strip-shaped mounting hole groove 42. During installation, the elastic return member is inserted into the drive member, the drive member is inserted into the vertical insertion hole, and the drive member is pressed up to the strip-shaped mounting hole groove, aligned with the pin shaft hole, and the horizontal pin is inserted to assemble the drive member to the caster holder. Installation of the drive member is convenient and reliable.

Claims

1. a caster for a case or bag, comprising a caster holder and a wheel body attached to the caster holder, the wheel body being provided with an annular locking portion, the caster holder being provided with a caster locking component, the caster locking component including a drive member connected to a brake wire and a locking member that is aligned with and corresponds to the annular locking portion, the caster locking component having a braking state and an unlocked state in which the locking member is released from engagement with the annular locking portion, when the caster locking component is in the braking state, the drive member brakes the wheel body by restricting the locking member to be aligned with and corresponds to the annular locking portion, the caster holder being provided with a pin accommodating hole, an opening at one end of the pin accommodating hole corresponds to the annular locking portion and an opening at the other end of the pin accommodating hole corresponds to the drive member, and the locking member is a locking pin arranged in the pin accommodating hole, the drive member is configured as a slide block that is restricted by the caster holder and slides in a vertical direction, the slide block has a locking mechanism control surface, and the locking mechanism control surface includes a locking holding surface, an intermediate inclined surface, and an avoidance surface that are connected in this order from bottom to top along the sliding direction of the slide block; When the caster locking component is in the unlocked state, the driving member slides to the avoidance surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, and the locking pin can move and disengage from the annular locking portion; when the caster locking component is in the braking state, the driving member slides to the locking retaining surface to correspond to the position of the locking pin, and the locking pin is restricted by the locking retaining surface and mates with the annular locking portion to brake, and the intermediate inclined surface of the slide block can push up to move the locking pin from the unlocked position to the locked position; The drive member is equipped with an elastic return member that provides the elastic return force required for the drive member to slide back to its original position, and the elastic return force allows the drive member to slide to the avoidance surface and correspond to the position of the locking pin.

2. 2. A caster for cases and bags according to claim 1, characterized in that the annular locking portion is provided with a plurality of locking grooves spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the locking pins are engaged with the locking grooves to form a locking fit.

3. 3. A caster for cases and bags according to claim 2, characterized in that the unlocked state of the caster locking part further includes a provisionally locked state in which the locking pin is inserted into the locking groove, and when the wheel body rotates, the locking pin comes out of the locking groove and the provisionally locked state is released.

4. 4. A caster for cases and bags according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the locking pin is spherical, and the locking groove is a recess that fits the locking pin.

5. 4. The caster for cases and bags according to claim 2, wherein an opening at one end of the pin receiving hole facing the locking portion is an assembly opening for inserting the locking pin into the pin receiving hole.

6. 4. The caster for cases and bags according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the locking pin is coated with a lubricant, and the lubricant forms a blocking force between the locking pin and the wall of the pin receiving hole.

7. The caster for cases and bags described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the caster holder has a vertical insertion hole cavity with an open bottom and a pin shaft hole formed in the horizontal direction, the slide block is slidably inserted into the insertion hole cavity from the opening at the bottom end of the vertical insertion hole cavity, the slide block has a strip-shaped mounting hole groove extending in the sliding direction of the slide block, and a horizontal pin is inserted into the pin shaft hole and passes through the strip-shaped mounting hole groove.

8. The caster for cases and bags according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elastic return member is a spiral spring, a spring insertion hole is provided in the slide block, and the elastic return member is inserted into the spring insertion hole.

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