JPH0465950B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a technology for a hanging wheel and a running rail for suspending and moving a wall panel of a movable partition (hereinafter referred to as a panel), and particularly relates to a technology for changing the direction of a movable panel in a perpendicular direction. .

Conventionally, a hanging wheel is fitted loosely onto a running rail laid above a room, and panels are hung from this wheel and moved, lined up in a row to create a partition, and then untied to move the panels into a room while still hanging. The panels are stacked on top of each other and housed in one corner. When storing this panel, please adjust the orientation of the panel.
The intersection (branch point) is a 90-degree turn and the suspended vehicle runs on two parallel running rails, separated into the front and back.
There is a curved traveling method using gently curved traveling rails, and a cross traveling method in which the traveling rails are crossed at right angles. In either method,
Rolling radial ball bearings are used as wheels, and while the wheels are used vertically for curved travel, they are used horizontally for cross travel. The latter is a horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle as shown in Figure 7, and the former is a vertical two-wheeled vehicle.

The present invention relates to a method of cross travel, and therefore the example shown in FIG. 7 is considered to be the prior art. This traveling rail has two layers of upper and lower wheel sheaths that accommodate the wheels of a horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle, and one of the opposing wheel bottoms is provided with a sloped surface and the top and bottom are staggered, and the lower end of the horizontal wheel is supported by the sloped surface. It rotates in the direction.

The suspension shaft that hangs vertically from the wheel can easily slide along the sliding groove, which is the downward opening of the running rail, and the openings of the sliding groove intersect at the intersection of the running rail. Even if the bottom of the wheel is cut, a vertical two-wheeled vehicle has wheels on both sides of the sliding groove, so there is a risk of the wheel falling into the sliding groove at an intersection when changing direction. However, in the case of a horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle, no additional means are required. Therefore,
The technique shown in FIG. 7 is considered to be the most logical for cross travel where the travel rails intersect at right angles.

However, its drawback is that it does not use radial ball bearing wheels like the vertical two-wheeled vehicle. In other words, as mentioned above, only the lower end of the horizontal wheel is supported, and the weight of the suspended panel is supported unevenly, so to speak. ,
It is easy to lose balance and it is difficult to keep the wheels level. In addition, when the panel travels in a straight line, it tends to swing left and right from the above structure, and the 8th
When moving horizontally as shown in the figure, the lower part tends to protrude and swing obliquely as shown in FIG. 9. For this reason, suspension wheels, including radial ball bearings, often fail.

Furthermore, at the cross section of the running rail, the openings are generally wide because the sliding grooves intersect (Fig. 2). For this reason, the wheels of the horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle are supported down an inclined surface, and in addition, there is a step between the inclined wheel bottom and the flat wheel bottom, which hinders smooth cross running. There are drawbacks that can be hindered. The fact that the wheel sheath is formed in two layers also complicates the relationship between the cross section and the wheels, and most suspension wheel failures occur at the cross section. Regarding the above-mentioned step, the slope is shaved to create a gentle step, but the installation work of the running rail at the cross section is extremely difficult, and there is a risk that the strength of the running rail (strength of the cross section) in particular may be weakened. .

Furthermore, using radial ball bearings, which are normally used for rotation in a vertical plane, for rotation in a horizontal plane has a problem with the load of gravity as a hanging vehicle, and the load is particularly weak for heavy panels (e.g., 300 kg or more). There are drawbacks.

As described above, there are many points that are dissatisfied with the conventional cross-travel device for moving panels, and it is thought that it is difficult to sufficiently eliminate the drawbacks with simple improvements.In the present invention, we have moved away from the radial ball bearing wheel and have used a conical wheel. We devised a sturdy rotating wheel, and made it into a hanging wheel that is placed on the same plane and arranged in two places with a sliding groove in between.The structure of the running rail was also a simple shape with one wheel sheath, and the wheel bottom and rotating wheel were separated. This problem was solved by increasing the number of points of contact with the wheel to four, which stabilized the suspended wheel during travel, and by supporting the tip of the rotating wheel of the downward conical body with a guide bottom in preparation for the drop of the contact point at the cross section. This is what I did. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

The moving panel cross traveling device of the present invention comprises a hanging wheel 1 made of a hard material such as metal and a traveling rail 2 (FIG. 1). As seen in FIG. 5, the hanging wheel 1 has a main body 3, which is a small flat square part, with a hanging shaft hole 5 in the center of which a hanging shaft 4 is inserted, which has a circular cross section and extends from the top surface to the bottom surface. Open your mouth. The upper end of the hanging shaft hole 5 may be further cut out and the circular plate 6 may be formed by expanding the flat cylindrical shape to a slightly larger size.

The main body 3 is further provided with four axle holes 8 having a circular cross section and opening from the upper surface to the lower surface with the disk 6 as the center. It is assumed that the axle center 7, which is the center point of the axle holes 8, 8, is located on a diagonal line of the square plane, and is located at a symmetrical position with respect to the suspension axle hole 5. The lower end of the axle hole 8 is further enlarged and a slightly larger cylindrical notch is formed to form a bearing plate 9.

On the other hand, a downward cone with a gently rounded tip 1
The conical wheel 12 has a cylindrical axle 11 vertically protruding from the center of the upper surface of the wheel. The axle 11 is sized to be inserted into the axle hole 8, and is slightly longer than the vertical length of the axle hole 8.

A radial ball bearing 14 having rolling balls 13 is arranged horizontally on the upper surface of the conical body 10 of the conical wheel 12, and is fitted into the axle hole 8 from the lower surface of the main body 3 with the axle 11 of the conical wheel 12 facing upward. Insert. in this case,
The radial ball bearing 14 is housed in the bearing plate 9 of the main body 3, and the tip of the axle 11 slightly protrudes upward (FIG. 3). This tip is fixed with a clip washer 15, and the conical wheels 12, 12, 1 are attached to the main body 3.
2 and 12 are attached rotatably. The conical wheel rotates in a horizontal plane.

On the other hand, a hanging shaft 4 having a flat cylindrical head 17 at the upper end of the cylindrical body 16 is sized to fit inside the circular plate 6, and the cylindrical body 16 is first inserted into the hanging shaft hole 5 of the main body 3. The head 17 is inserted into the hanging shaft hole 5 so as to protrude from the lower surface, and the head 17 is brought into contact with the upper surface (FIGS. 1 and 4). When the main body 3 has a circular plate 6, the head 1 is placed inside the circular plate 6.
7 is an internal fit. In this state, the hanging shaft 4 is rotatably attached to the main body 3.

The above is the structure of the suspended wheel 1, and FIG. 4 shows the suspended wheel 1 viewed from below. Next, the traveling rail 2 is a long member having a U-shaped cross section with an opening facing downward, and both open ends of the U-shape project inward by a small width at right angles to form wheel bottoms 18, 18.
Furthermore, the open end of the wheel bottom 18 is made to protrude downward at a right angle. The protrusion length is the cone body 10 of the cone wheel 12.
The length should be approximately equal to the height of. Furthermore, the open tip of the protruding portion is made to protrude inward at a right angle, leaving a sliding groove 19 in which the hanging shaft 4 slides in the center of the U-shaped cross-sectional opening of the long material. ,
This will be referred to as guide bottoms 20, 20. In this state, the hollow part inside the running rail 2 is
shall be. The wheel sheath 21 is sized to accommodate the hanging wheel 1 almost to its full width, leaving a little space above. The structure of the traveling rail 2 has been described above.

Next, how to use this traveling device will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6. The running rails 2, 2... are laid in a criss-cross manner in the upper part of the room, the hanging wheels 1, 1 are housed in the wheel sheaths 21 of the running rails 2, and the hanging shafts 4 are suspended between the sliding grooves 19.
The upper slopes of the cones 10, 10, 10, 10 are supported by the protrusions 22, 22, 22, 22 of the wheel bottom 18,
The tip of the cone 10 is placed slightly above the guide bottom 20 (12 mm in the example), and the two hanging wheels 1,
The lower ends of the hanging shafts 4, 4 of 1 are rotatably connected to the upper end surface of the panel 23, and the panel 23 is attached to the traveling rail 2.
will be suspended. Regarding the movement of the hanging panel 23, when the panel moves straight along the traveling rails 2, 2..., the conical wheels 12, 12 of the hanging wheels 1, 1
... rotates on the protrusion 22 of the wheel bottom 18 and travels. In cross running at the cross section 24 where the running rails 2, 2 intersect at right angles, the wheel bottoms 18, 1 in the change direction are similar to those in straight running.
8 to the conical wheel 12 of the hanging wheel 1 to its protrusions 22, 2.
At the same time, the tip of the conical body 10 of the hanging wheel 1 is supported by the guide bottoms 20, 20, 20, 20 of the traveling rail 2 in the cross section 24, thereby achieving cross traveling.

According to the present invention, all the drawbacks found in the conventional horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle 25 and the two-layer (with inclined surface) traveling rail 26 are eliminated. That is, the solid conical wheel 12 is fitted into the main body 3 of the vehicle body, which has a flat and stable shape, and the vehicle body is stable at a low position. Two conical wheels 12 face each other with a sliding groove 19 in between, and the main body 3 is connected to the running rail 2.
Since the suspension wheel 1 is completely accommodated within its width, the above-mentioned rocking of the hanging wheel 1 within the running rail 2 does not occur at all.

In the present invention, the radial ball bearing 14 is not used as a rotating wheel, and the suspension and movement of the panel 23 requires a gravity load several times that of the horizontal two-wheel suspension vehicle 25. When the hanging wheel 1 moves straight on the running rail 2, the slope of the conical body 10, which is the rotating wheel portion of the conical wheel 12,
Since the rotation progresses while making contact at one point along the line, there is little friction, and stable and smooth running can be achieved by the guidance of the right-angled protrusion 22. At the cross section 24 of the running rails 2, 2, the opening of the running rail 2 becomes wider due to the intersection of the sliding grooves 19, and therefore the contact slope of the conical wheel 12 that contacts the protrusion 22 of the wheel bottom 18 is different from that of the embodiment. It shows a drop of about 1 to 2 mm.

In the conventional horizontal two-wheel suspended vehicle 25, when the radial ball bearing 28 descends on the inclined surface 27 with a creaking sound, the cross portion 24 swings back and forth, left, right, up and down, and it is difficult to maintain the wheels horizontally. In the present invention, when descending by 1 to 2 mm or more, the hanging wheel 1 connects the rounded tip of the conical body 10 to the guide bottom 20 of the preceding rail 2.
It is supported by and passes through the cross section 24 without any problem.

Furthermore, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, the conical wheels 12, 12, 12, 12 are in a state where they can be tangential to the wheel bottoms 18, 18 in the traveling direction (arrow direction) even at the cross portion 24, and are at right angles. It is extremely convenient for cross driving by folding down. Furthermore, in the present invention, the wheel bottom 18 is a flat protruding surface, and unlike the two-layer running rail 26, a difference in level due to the intersection of the inclined surface 27 and the flat surface 28 does not occur at the cross portion 24. For this reason, it is not necessary to shake up or down the slope, and at that time, there is no need to apply a thrust to the panel 23 (FIG. 9). The panel 23 in the horizontal movement of the panel 23 (FIGS. 8 and 9)
In the present invention, no lower protrusion or rocking occurs at all.

The running rail 2 of the present invention has a simple structure as described above, and since the wheel bottom 18 does not have an inclined surface 27 or a special shape, it is difficult to connect the ends by butting each other at the cross section 24. There are no difficulties. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, the orthogonal formation of the wheel bottoms 18, 18, which are continuous flat surfaces, is easily achieved. Therefore, the structures of the hanging wheel 1 and the traveling rail 2 are reasonably strong, and there is little risk of accidents due to breakdowns.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway vertical cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the relationship between the hanging wheel 1 and the running rail 2, and FIG. 3 is a hanging shaft 4 in the hanging wheel 1. 4 is a perspective view of the hanging wheel 1 seen from below, and FIG. 5 is a plan view and a sectional view of the hanging wheel 1 seen from above, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the relationship between the hanging wheel 1 and the running rail 2 at the cross section 24,
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a conventional device;
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the horizontal movement of the panel 23, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing one aspect of the movement. 1...Hanging wheel, 2...Traveling rail, 3...Main body,
4... Hanging shaft, 5... Hanging shaft hole, 7... Shaft center, 8...
Axle hole, 10... Conical body, 12... Conical wheel, 1
4...Radial ball bearing, 15...Clip washer,
18...Wheel bottom, 19...Sliding groove, 20...Guide bottom, 21...Wheel sheath, 24...Cross portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A hanging wheel 1 made of a hard material such as metal and a traveling rail 2.
The axle holes 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8,
8 are cut through with circular cross-sections in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the axle hole 8 is further expanded to form a slightly larger diameter bearing plate 9, while the tip is rounded into a gently curved surface. A conical wheel 12 with a cylindrical axle 11 protruding upward from the center of the upper surface of a downward cone body 10 is provided with a radial ball bearing 14, and the axle 11 is fitted to attach the conical wheel 12 in a rotatable manner, On the other hand, a hanging shaft 4 having a head 17 formed at the upper end of a cylindrical body 16 extending downward is inserted through the hanging shaft hole 5 from above to below with the cylindrical body 16 first, and is rotatable. (b) The running rail 2 is a long member with a U-shaped cross section with an opening facing downward, and both open ends thereof protrude inward at right angles to a small width to form wheel bottoms 18, 18. 18 projecting downwardly at right angles for a length approximately equal to the height of the cone 10 of said conical wheel 12, and further projecting its open ends inwardly at right angles;
Guide bottoms 20 and 2 protrude leaving a sliding groove 19 in which the hanging shaft 4 slides in the center of the opening having a U-shaped cross section;
0, and a hollow part with a U-shaped cross section is formed into a wheel sheath 21 of a size that accommodates the hanging wheel 1 to almost the full width, with a little space above; The rails 2, 2... are laid so as to intersect vertically and horizontally at right angles, the hanging wheels 1, 1... are loosely fitted into the running rail 2, and the hanging shafts 4 are suspended in the sliding grooves 19 of the running rail 2. The upper slopes of the cones 10, 10, 10, 10 of the conical wheel 12 are supported by the protrusions 22, 22, 22, 22 of the bottom 18, and the tip of the cone 10 does not reach the surface of the guide bottom 20, The lower ends of the hanging shafts 4, 4 are attached to the panel 2.
3, the panel 23 is suspended from the running rail 2, and when the panel 23 moves straight along the running rails 2, 2..., the hanging wheels 1, 1
The conical wheels 12, 12, . ,20
A cross traveling device for a movable panel, characterized in that the panel 23 is supported in a cross manner so that the panel 23 can travel crosswise.