Wheel stopper

Abstract

The present invention provides a wheel stopper that can be easily installed and can restrict the movement (self-propulsion) of multiple wheels within a predetermined range. [Solution] A wheel stopper 1 is placed on the floor surface and restricts the movement of wheels 21, 22, 23, 24, comprising a frame-shaped restricting portion that accommodates at least two or more wheels 21, 22 and restricts the movement of these wheels within a predetermined range, wherein at least a part of the restricting portion includes a first slope portion that extends outward from the restricting portion and inclined toward the floor surface, and a second slope portion that extends inward from the restricting portion and inclined toward the floor surface, and the back surface of the second slope portion is provided to face the back surface of the first slope portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheel stopper that restricts the movement of wheels.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an anti-runaway jig that can be attached to the wheels of a carriage or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the user has to bend down for each wheel to install the wheel stopper, which lacks workability.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a wheel stopper that can be easily installed and can restrict the movement (self-running) of a plurality of wheels within a predetermined range.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is a wheel stopper provided with a frame-shaped restraint portion that is disposed on the floor surface and restricts the movement of a plurality of wheels within a predetermined range.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the wheel stopper in 1st Embodiment, and a moving body with wheels. [Figure 2] It is a top view when the wheel stopper in 1st Embodiment is seen from the top. [Figure 3]This is a side view of the wheel stopper in the first embodiment, as seen from the side. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper in the first embodiment, as seen from the side. [Figure 5] This is a transition diagram showing the state in which wheel 2a has been moved from outside to inside the wheel stopper. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper in the second embodiment, as seen from the side. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper in the third embodiment, as seen from the side. [Figure 8] This figure shows the appearance of the wheel stopper in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows the appearance of the wheel stopper in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows the appearance of the wheel stopper in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the drawings referenced in the first embodiment, the same parts or parts having similar functions are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals (simply a number followed by A, B, etc.), and repeated explanations may be omitted. In order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may be schematic in which dimensional ratios differ from actual ratios, or parts of the configuration may be omitted from the drawings.

[0009] <First Embodiment> Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show the external appearance of the wheel stopper 1 and the wheeled mobile body 2 whose position should be fixed (its range of movement restricted) by the stopper in the first embodiment. Figure 1(a) shows the wheeled mobile body 2 positioned outside the wheel stopper 1, and the wheeled mobile body 2 is in a state where it can move (approach or retreat) relative to the wheel stopper 1 in the direction of the arrow in the figure. On the other hand, Figure 1(b) shows the state in which the two wheels of the wheeled mobile body 2 are housed inside the wheel stopper 1, and the horizontal movement of the wheels 21 and 22 of the wheeled mobile body 2 is restricted within a predetermined range. The wheel stopper 1 is used to be installed or fixed in a removable manner on the ground or on the floor surface of an office or factory (hereinafter referred to as "floor surface"). For this reason, it is desirable that the bottom surface of the mounting part be flat. However, when the wheel stopper 1 is placed on the floor surface, it is sufficient that the wheel stopper 1 is positioned as horizontally as possible, and a recess may be present in part of the bottom surface of the mounting part.

[0010] The wheeled mobile unit 2 is a trolley for transporting goods, and consists of a rectangular platform for carrying goods and wheels 21, 22, 23, and 24 located at the four corners of the trolley's underside to allow the platform to move. In the case of a trolley, a handle is usually provided for the user to control the direction of movement of the mobile unit 2, but this is omitted in this diagram for the sake of explanation. The multiple wheels 21-24 include not only the tires shown in the diagram but also casters, rollers, etc., and the wheeled mobile unit 2 may also include various devices and vehicles other than trolleys. Note that while the example shows a wheeled mobile body with four wheels arranged symmetrically on the left, right, front, and back, the number of wheels is not limited to four. Also, the positions of the multiple wheels 21-24 do not have to be symmetrical on the left, right, front, or back. Furthermore, the multiple wheels 21-24 may all be the same size or of different sizes.

[0011] When the user pushes the wheeled mobile body 2 towards the wheel stopper 1 so that its position changes from the state shown in Figure 1(a) to the state shown in Figure 1(b), the wheels 21 and 22 of the mobile body 2 are retracted into the wheel stopper 1. This eliminates the need for the user to bend down to fix the wheels 21 and 22 in place. Conversely, when the user pulls the wheeled mobile body 2 away from the wheel stopper 1 so that its position changes from the state shown in Figure 1(b) to the state shown in Figure 1(a), the wheels 21 and 22 of the mobile body 2 move from inside the wheel stopper 1 to outside the wheel stopper 1. Again, the user does not need to bend down to release the wheels 2a.

[0012] Figure 2 is a top view of the wheel stopper 1, with the horizontal direction indicated by the x and y axes. The orientation of these coordinate axes is common across different drawings. In the following explanation, the positive x-axis side will be referred to as "front," the negative x-axis side as "rear," the positive y-axis side as "right," and the negative y-axis side as "left." However, this does not limit the orientation in which the wheel stopper 1 of this invention may be installed.

[0013] The wheel stopper 1 includes a frame-shaped constraint portion 3, and a mounting portion 5 is provided as an inner space area enclosed by this constraint portion. In this embodiment of the present invention, both the constraint portion 3 and the mounting portion 5 are formed in a rectangular shape.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, the constraint section 3 includes a front frame section 42 and a rear frame section 44 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and a right frame section 43 and a left frame section 45 facing each other in the left-right direction. In the first embodiment, a first slope section 21 is provided on the front side of the constraint section 3, and this first slope section 21 is adhered to one side of the constraint section 3, i.e., the front frame section 42. Therefore, the front frame section 42 includes the first slope section 21.

[0015] When the wheeled moving body 2 is moved into the wheel stopper 1 as shown in Fig. 1(b), the wheels 21 and 22 are surrounded by the restricting portion 3 from the left-right, front-back directions, so that the movement of the wheels is restricted. In other words, the movement of the wheel 2a outside the range of the placement portion is prevented by the inner wall of the restricting portion 3. Thereby, the movement of a plurality of wheels can be restricted more easily than in the case where wheel stoppers are installed for each individual wheel. Note that the restricting portion 3 may be integrally formed or may have a separated structure. Also, in the first embodiment, the wheels 21 and 22 are housed inside the wheel stopper 1, but the number of wheels to be housed is not limited to two, and any size capable of housing a plurality of wheels may be used.

[0016] The wheel stopper 1 is formed of a high-friction material. For example, natural rubber, diene rubber, non-diene rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, etc. can be used, and it is formed by a conventionally known molding process such as injection molding, extrusion molding, press molding, etc. The wheel stopper 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned high-friction material, and any material having weight, such as a metal with irregularities, etc., can be used as long as it can apply friction to fix the wheel stopper 1 to the ground when moving the wheel into the inside of the restricting portion 3.

[0017] The inner dimension in the front-back direction or left-right direction of the restricting portion 3 is sized to restrict the movement of the plurality of wheels 21 and 22 within a predetermined range when the wheels 21 and 22 are housed inside the restricting portion 3. In other words, it is sized to allow the wheels 21 and 22 to move only a small distance in the moving direction, and is determined in relation to the assumed size (diameter, radius) of the wheels. When housing a plurality of symmetrically arranged wheels such as the wheels 21 and 22 inside the restricting portion 3, it is desirable that the inner dimension of the restricting portion 3 in the moving direction of the wheels is larger than the diameter of the wheels and smaller than the circumference.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a side view of the wheel stopper 1 as viewed from the side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper as viewed from the side. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first slope portion 31 extends in the outer direction of the restricting portion and inclines toward the floor surface. More specifically, the inclined surface of the first slope portion 31 is formed so as to connect a bottom surface that contacts the floor surface, a back surface that rises upward from the bottom surface, an upper end of the back surface, and a tip of the bottom surface.

[0019] The inclination angle of the first slope portion 31 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 to 10 degrees. When the inclination angle of the first slope portion 31 is excessively large, a large force is required to make the wheels 21 and 22 ride on the first slope portion 31, so it becomes difficult to guide the wheels 21 and 22 into the restricting portion 3. On the other hand, when the inclination angle is excessively small, the wheels 21 and 22 have to move on a long inclined surface until they reach a predetermined height, making it difficult to efficiently guide the wheels 21 and 22 into the wheel stopper 1.

[0020] FIGS. 5(a) to (f) show a transition diagram of the wheels 21 and 22 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the wheels 2a) moving from the outside to the inside of the wheel stopper 1 using a schematic cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper. When the wheels 2a are moved in the positive x-axis direction and stored inside the wheel stopper 1, the wheels 2a are guided into the wheel stopper 1 by rolling on the inclined surface of the first slope portion 31. Thereafter, the wheels 2a move on the floor surface 6 toward the rear frame portion 42. When the wheels 2a contact the rear frame portion 42, the movement of the wheels 2a in the positive x-axis direction is restricted. Thereby, the wheels 2a are more likely to be stored inside the wheel stopper 1. Since the first slope portion 31 is inclined so as to contact the floor surface toward the outside of the restricting portion 3, the wheels 2a can be guided into the stopper.

[0021] When the wheels 2a are stored inside the restricting portion 3, the wheels 2a are surrounded by the restricting portion 3. Therefore, even when an external force acts on the wheels due to an earthquake or the like, it is possible to prevent the wheels 2a from detaching from the wheel stopper 1 as compared with the case where there is no restricting portion in the left-right direction of the wheel stopper.

[0022] The internal dimensions of the constraint section 3 in the front-rear or left-right direction are set to dimensions that restrict the range of movement of the wheels 2a to a predetermined range when multiple wheels 2a are housed inside the constraint section 3. This makes it easier to apply acceleration in the direction of movement to the wheels 2a when moving them outside the wheel stopper 1, compared to the case where the internal diameter of the constraint section 3 is approximately the same as or less than the wheel 2a.

[0023] The constraint section 3 has a predetermined height. This predetermined height is the height that restricts the movement of the wheel 2a within a predetermined range when the wheel 2a is housed inside the wheel stopper 1. It is desirable that the height of the constraint section 3 be at least half the radius of the wheel and less than or equal to the diameter of the wheel. If the height of the constraint section 3 is excessively low, it will not be able to adequately prevent the wheel 2a from detaching from the wheel stopper 1 when an external force is applied to the wheel, such as during an earthquake. Conversely, if the height of the constraint section 3 is excessively high, a large force will be required to guide the wheel 2a into or out of the constraint section 3. The heights of the front frame section 41, rear frame section 42, right frame section 43, and left frame section 44 may all be the same or different.

[0024] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. The configuration of the constraint part in the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, only the differences between the configuration of the second embodiment and that of the first embodiment will be described. Components in the second embodiment that are the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0025] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper 1A of the second embodiment, as seen from the side. In the second embodiment, the front frame portion 31 abuts the floor surface toward the outside of the constraint portion 3. Furthermore, it includes a second slope portion 32 that extends inward toward the inside of the constraint portion 3 and slopes toward the floor surface, with the back surface of the second slope portion 32 facing the back surface of the first slope portion 31. This allows the wheel 2a to be guided both inside and outside the stopper.

[0026] When the wheel stopper 1A is rectangular in shape, the front frame portion 31 includes the second slope portion 32. This makes it easier to guide the wheel 2a to the outside of the wheel stopper 1A compared to when the wheel stopper does not have the second slope portion 32.

[0027] The inclination angle of the second slope section 32 is set to be the same as that of the first slope section 31. This provides the same effect as in the first embodiment. Note that the inclination angles of the first slope section 31 and the second slope section 32 may be the same or different.

[0028] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The configuration of the constraint section in the third embodiment differs from that of the second embodiment.

[0029] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel stopper 1B of the third embodiment, as seen from the side. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the wheel stopper 1B of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the rear frame portion 44, the right frame portion 43, and the left frame portion 45 each include third slope portions 33a, 33b, and 33c that extend outward from the constraint portion 3 and inclined toward the floor surface. The third slope portions 33a, 33b, and 33c have the same shape as the first slope portion 31. This allows the wheel 2a to be guided into the interior of the constraint portion 3 from any direction.

[0030] Furthermore, the second slope portion 32 is included on only one side of the constraint portion 3, while the third slope is included on the other side of the constraint portion 3. This reduces the risk of the wheel 2a detaching from the wheel stopper 1B compared to the case where the second slope portion 32 is included on the other side of the wheel stopper.

[0031] All lower edges of the first slope section 31 and the third slope sections 33a, 33b, and 33c are longer than their upper edges. This allows the wheel 2a to be guided into the constraining section 3 from directions oblique to the left-right and front-back directions. At least one lower edge of the first slope section 31 and the third slope sections 33a, 33b, and 33c may be formed to be the same length as the upper edge or shorter than the upper edge, and all of these lower edges may be formed to be the same length as the upper edge or shorter than the upper edge.

[0032] The inclination angles of the third slope sections 33a, 33b, and 33c are set to be the same as those of the first slope section 31. This provides the same effect as in the first embodiment. The inclination angles of the first slope section 31, the second slope section 32, and the third slope sections 33a, 33b, and 33c may be the same or they may be different from each other.

[0033] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 9. The wheel stopper 1C of the fourth embodiment includes a mounting portion in addition to the restricting portion.

[0034] Figure 9 shows the external appearance of the wheel stopper 1C according to the fourth embodiment. In the embodiments described above, the mounting area was an empty space with the floor surface exposed, but in the fourth embodiment, the wheel stopper 1C is further provided with a mounting member 7 for mounting the wheel. By providing the mounting member 7, it is possible to prevent the floor surface from being damaged by the movement of the wheel. The constraint part 3 and the mounting member 7 may be made of different materials or of the same material. Also, the constraint part 3 and the mounting member 7 may be molded as one unit or may be a separate structure.

[0035] The phrase "a first slope portion extending outward from the constraint portion and inclined toward the floor surface is included in at least a portion of the constraint portion" includes both cases where the first slope portion is attached to the constraint portion and cases where the constraint portion includes the first slope portion to form the constraint portion. The same applies to the second slope portion and the third slope.

[0036] Variation This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various other modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail for the purpose of clearly illustrating this invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Some of the configurations of the embodiments may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations. The embodiments described above and the modifications described below can be combined and applied to each other, as long as they do not cause contradictions.

[0037] The shape of the constraint is not limited to a rectangle. The outer frame of the constraint may be rectangular, or it may be a polygon, an annular shape, or any other shape. Similarly, the inner frame of the constraint may be rectangular, or it may be a polygon, an annular shape, or any other shape.

[0038] In the first and second embodiments, the rear frame, right frame, and left frame do not include the third slope, but at least one of the rear frame, right frame, and left frame may include the third slope.

[0039] As shown in Figure 10, the constraint portion may be formed by a first slope portion, a second slope portion, and a third slope portion.

[0040] The first and second slope sections may be provided in a portion of the length, width, or height of the front frame section, or they may be provided throughout the entire section. Similarly, the third slope section may be provided in a portion of the length, width, or height of the rear frame section, right frame section, and left frame section, or they may be provided throughout the entire section.

[0041] The slopes of the first, second, and third slope sections may be flat or formed in a gently curved shape.

[0042] The first slope section, the second slope section, and the third slope section may have a slope or recess on a portion of the back surface of at least one of them.

[0043] A locking mechanism may be provided on at least one of the first, second, and third slope sections. The locking mechanism can be any structure or component that prevents the wheels from slipping, such as a groove, protrusion, or anti-slip feature. This prevents the wheels from sliding on the slope section.

[0044] A magnet may be placed on the back of the mounting section. The position of the magnet is arbitrary, but one at the top is preferable. This prevents the magnet itself from creating a large step, while allowing the wheel stopper to be attached to a metal desk or similar surface for storage.

[0045] The mounting surface may be chamfered. This makes it easier to guide the wheel into the wheel stopper.

[0046] Lights, reflectors, etc., may be installed on the wheel stoppers. This improves visibility during nighttime work.

[0047] Various sensors for detecting wheeled objects may be installed in the wheel stopper. This allows for remote determination of whether a wheeled object is stored inside the wheel stopper. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C: Wheel stoppers 2: Wheeled mobile vehicle 21, 22, 23, 24, 2a: Wheels 3: Constraint part 31: First slope section 32: Second slope section 33a, 33b, 33c: Third slope section 41: Front frame section 42: Rear frame section 43: Right frame section 44: Left frame section 5: Mounting section 6: Floor 7: Mounting member

Claims

1. A wheel stopper that is placed on the floor surface and restricts the movement of the wheels, It comprises a frame-shaped constraint section that accommodates at least two or more wheels and restricts the movement of these wheels within a predetermined range, At least a portion of the constraint portion includes a first slope portion extending outward from the constraint portion and inclined toward the floor surface, and a second slope portion extending inward from the constraint portion and inclined toward the floor surface. A wheel stopper is provided on the back of the second slope portion so as to face the back of the first slope portion.

2. The wheel stopper according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion further includes a third slope portion that extends outward from the restricting portion and is inclined toward the floor surface.

3. The constraint portion is rectangular in shape. The first slope portion is included on one side of the constraint portion, The wheel stopper according to claim 2, wherein the third slope portion is included on the other side of the constraint portion.

4. The wheel stopper according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a mounting member, wherein the upper surface of the mounting member is provided with the restricting portion.

5. The wheel stopper according to claim 4, wherein the mounting member is provided with a magnet on its bottom surface.

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