Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Casters – Locked
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-07-10
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Casters
Locked
C016S03500D
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256835
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a caster, more particularly to a caster with a locking mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional caster
1
is shown to comprise a wheel support
10
and two wheels
11
mounted rotatably on the wheel support
10
. The wheel support
10
has an arcuate cover member
100
, a tubular seat
101
formed on a top face of the cover member
100
, a connecting post
12
inserted into the seat
101
, and a tubular connecting portion
102
connected to a bottom face of the cover member
100
. A wheel axle
13
extends through the connecting portion
102
, and is connected to central portions
111
of the wheels
11
at two opposite ends thereof. Although such a conventional caster can be connected to a chair to facilitate movement of the same, it cannot be locked to prevent undesirable movement of the chair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a caster that can be locked to prevent undesired movement of a load disposed thereon.
According to the present invention, a caster comprises a wheel body, an axle, a plurality of lock engaging members, a mounting frame, a support frame, a spring member, and a lock member. The wheel body includes a hub portion defining a rotating axis, and a rim portion spaced apart from the hub portion radially and peripherally so as to define an annular accommodation area therebetween. The axle is disposed on and extends from the hub portion along the rotating axis, and has right and left ends respectively proximate and distal to the hub portion, and an intermediate portion interposed between the right and left ends. The lock engaging members are angularly spaced from each other and are disposed on the hub portion around the rotating axis. The mounting frame is disposed in an upright position, and includes a lower mounting portion to journal the intermediate portion so as to permit the axle to rotate relative thereto about the rotating axis, and an upper mounting portion disposed to extend from the lower mounting portion uprightly and in a direction transverse to the rotating axis. The upper mounting portion is spaced apart from the annular accommodation area in a longitudinal direction parallel to the rotating axis so as to define an upright passage therebetween. The support frame is disposed to be movable relative to the mounting frame in the transverse direction. The support frame includes an upper force transmitting member adapted to be swiveled around an axis parallel to the transverse direction and to support a load so that a downward pressure stemming from the load will move the upper force transmitting member downward and towards the mounting frame. The support frame further includes a confining member disposed to extend downward from the upper force transmitting member into the upright passage. The confining member has an inner wall to confine the mounting frame in the upright position, and an outer wall opposite to the inner wall in the longitudinal direction. The outer wall faces the accommodation area. The spring member biases the upper force transmitting member to move upwardly and away from the mounting frame in the transverse direction. The lock member is disposed on the outer wall and extends into the accommodation area so as to face towards the lock engaging members in the transverse direction such that when the upper force transmitting member is under load, the downward movement of the confining member will bring the lock member to engage one of the lock engaging members against the biasing action of the spring member, thereby braking the wheel body from rotation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3735838 (1973-05-01), Greenleaf
patent: 4821369 (1989-04-01), Daniels
patent: 5133106 (1992-07-01), Milbredt et al.
patent: 5232071 (1993-08-01), Kawannabe
patent: 5355550 (1994-10-01), Yang
patent: 5537715 (1996-07-01), Yang
patent: 5617934 (1997-04-01), Yang
patent: 5632360 (1997-05-01), Melera
Browne Lynne H.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Taiwan Golden Ball Industrial Co., Ltd.
Walsh John B.
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