Brakes – Vehicle – Children's carriages
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-29
2001-10-09
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Vehicle
Children's carriages
C188S001120, C188S025000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The invention concerns a steering roller. A steering roller is known from EP 0 484 627 A1. In that steering roller the brake shoe slides permanently on the running wheel. For the user the rolling resistance is increased thereby.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide a steering roller being well adjustable. At least the adjustment of the first two of the following operational positions must be permitted:
A first operational position in which the running wheel is blocked totally, a second operational position in which the running wheel can be moved in all directions without being restricted, and a third operational position in which the running wheel is rotatable but locked in the direction.
This object is resolved by a steering wheel according to claim 1.
For the features relevant for a braking and/or locking position such a steering wheel does not need more than three components, that is said toothed ring, the brake shoe and the bow. All the three components cooperate functionally. The brake shoe and the toothed ring are mounted on said pin, the brake shoe being guided axially by the pin and the toothed ring and being secured against rotational movement by said bow.
While the toothed ring is fixed to the pin and rotates with a rotation of the journal or the carried pin, the position of the brake shoe put loosely onto the pin, for example, rests constant, independent of the turning movement of the journal. However, in a turning of the fork the brake shoe is carried along, according to its function, through the bow engaging the brake shoe and being fixed to the fork.
According to an embodiment the brake shoe is clipped onto the free end of the pin, which requires an appropriate (deformable) material of the brake shoe, which may consist of plastic, for example.
The bow may be attached to the fork by locking, screwing and/or riveting. For constructive reasons the attachment is effected usually in the region of the cover of the fork.
The bow may be realized as a spring, the term “spring” being understood as the bow having a certain resiliency at its free end (below the toothed ring). Said resiliency comes to fruition, when the tooth (teeth) of the toothed ring engages the corresponding opening(s) of the bow in the totally blocked position of the steering roller. Here, a corresponding position of the Bowden cable acting on the pin having been adjusted, the toothed ring attached to the pin is pushed downwardly (towards the running wheel) by the action of the associated spring.
The engagement of the teeth with the openings is aided, if the teeth become narrower towards their free end, that is if they have inclined flanks.
The toothed ring may have at least one catching means on its side opposite the running wheel for engaging a corresponding recess in the region of the cover of the fork. Like a “kinematic reversal” the toothed ring may have at least one recess on its side opposite the running wheel for receiving a corresponding catching means which, then, is disposed in the region of the cover of the fork. The corresponding operational position is adjusted through a corresponding position of the Bowden cable. The pin and with it the toothed ring are moved away (pulled upwardly) from the running wheel against the action of the spring, until the catching means engage the corresponding recesses and this operational condition is stabilized, in which the steering wheel is only able to run straight.
According to this function at least one and at most two catching means and, correspondingly, one or two recesses are sufficient, an arrangement offset by 180 degrees of the catching means and the recesses, respectively, having proved to be convenient.
For example, the brake shoe may consist of a moulded piece having an arcuate braking surface adapted to the running surface of the running roller. In this way, a large braking surface is provided and the braking operation is optimized.
In order to provide an adjustment of the position of the brake shoe with respect to the running roller, an embodiment provides to form the brake shoe as follows:
Like a “triangle”, the brake shoe comprises a base leg being situated against the toothed ring, an adjusting leg sticking out at a right angle from one end of the base leg, and a brake leg extending from the other end of the base leg towards the free end of the adjusting leg and having the arcuate braking surface. The free end of the brake leg has a small distance from the free end of the adjusting leg. In this way, the brake leg is deformable about its region of connection to the base leg within the limits of resiliency of the selected material and is thus able to adapt optimally the contour of the running surface of the running wheel.
In addition, that embodiment makes an adjustment of the brake shoe possible, for which a development provides to dispose an adjusting screw in the region of the adjusting leg, the free end of which is situated against the surface of the brake leg facing the base leg and which thus pushes it towards the running surface of the running wheel.
In the embodiment mentioned above a lock against turning between the bow and the brake shoe may be effected, for example, in that the bow has a projecting tongue on its free end, which engages a corresponding recess of the brake shoe.
The Bowden cable, a first end of which is attached to the upper end of the pin, is to be able to be locked in at least two positions, that is the first two operational positions mentioned and described above.
The Bowden cable which may be actuated at its second end may occupy the third operational position mentioned and described above, if the corresponding mutual recesses and catching means engage on the side of the toothed ring, opposite the running wheel.
The Bowden cable may be operated like a gear shifting for bicycles and be locked in the desired position (operational position) or released again. Only a small effort is required for that. The actuation means at the second end of the Bowden cable may be designed in such a manner that several running wheels, for example four running wheels on a hospital bed, may be acted on at the same time.
Further characteristics of the invention follow from the features of the subclaims as well as the other application documents.
The invention is described below with an embodiment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2262288 (1941-11-01), Klipstein et al.
patent: 2638183 (1953-05-01), Prowinsky
patent: 3237940 (1966-03-01), Johnson
patent: 5133106 (1992-07-01), Milbredt et al.
patent: 5184373 (1993-02-01), Lange
patent: 5261682 (1993-11-01), Chuang
Kirschey Jörg
Oelrichs Günter
Butler Douglas C.
Earley John F. A.
Earley III John F. A.
Harding Earley Follmer & Frailey
Kramer Devon
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