Device comprising a running roller and a suspension system for a running roller

Abstract

A device including a running roller (2) which can be rotated about a rotational axis (10), for a conveyor system, and a suspension system which supports the running roller (2) and has a fork (6) and an axle pin (7) which penetrates the running roller (2) and is supported by the fork (6). The suspension system has, furthermore, a first and a second clip part (8) which have in each case a recess (8a), into which a respective one of the end sections (7a, 7b) of the axle pin (7) protrudes The first and a second clip parts (8), for connection to the fork (6), can be pushed in each case in a push-in direction (13) which lies at a right angle with respect to the rotational axis (10) into a respective push-in track (6d) of the fork (6) and can be snapped together with the fork (6).

Claims

1. A device comprising: a running roller that is rotatable about a rotational axis, for a conveyor system; and a suspension system that supports the running roller and includes: a fork having first and second fork arms, each including a respective push-in track, an axle pin which penetrates the running roller and is supported by the fork, the axle pin having first and second end sections, a first clip part and a second clip part, each having a recess, into which a respective one of the first and second end sections of the axle pin protrudes, and each of which, for connection to the fork, are pushed in a push-in direction which lies at a right angle with respect to the rotational axis into a respective one of the push-in tracks of the fork and are snapped together with the fork.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the push-in tracks are arranged on the inner sides, facing the running roller, of the fork arms of the fork (6) which lie on both sides of the running roller.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the push-in tracks extend in a longitudinal direction of the fork arms.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fork arms are connected to one another by a base section which has a through opening for that is adapted to receive a joint pin.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a respective damping part arranged between each of the respective first and second clip parts and the respective end sections of the axle pin.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the damping part includes a sleeve-shaped section that surrounds the axle pin and is surrounded by a sleeve-shaped section of the clip part.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the end sections of the axle pin have a smaller diameter than a middle section of the axle pin, and an annular collar of the damping part, said annular collar projecting from the sleeve-shaped section of the respective damping part, bears against a respective shoulder between a middle section and the respective end section of the axle pin.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sleeve-shaped section of a respective clip part is adjoined by a guide section which is guided displaceably by the respective push-in track of the fork.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fork and the clip parts are formed of plastic.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle pin is formed of plastic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and details of the invention will be described in the following text using the appended drawing, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a transport trolley of a conveyor system having running rollers which are suspended in the way according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention,

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 show a vertical section and a horizontal section through the rotational axis,

(5) FIG. 5 shows an exploded illustration,

(6) FIGS. 6 to 8 show illustrations in accordance with FIGS. 2 to 4 of the running roller with the axle pin which is plugged in,

(7) FIGS. 9 to 11 show illustrations in accordance with FIGS. 2 to 4 with damping parts which are additionally plugged on,

(8) FIGS. 12 to 14 show illustrations in accordance with FIGS. 2 to 4 with clip parts which are additionally plugged on, and

(9) FIGS. 15 to 17 show illustrations in accordance with FIGS. 2 to 4, additionally with the fork, in the position, in which the clip parts can be pushed into the push-in tracks of the fork.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) One exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in the following text using FIGS. 1 to 17.

(11) FIG. 1 shows a transport trolley 1 which is fitted with running rollers 2 which are suspended in a way according to the invention. The running rollers 2 run on running tracks which are formed by rails 3. The orientation of the running rollers 2 with respect to the rails 3 is brought about by guide rollers 4 which interact with guide faces which are arranged laterally on the rails 3, as is known.

(12) The running rollers 2 are connected by the suspension system to frame parts 5.

(13) The suspension system for a respective running roller 2 has a fork 6 which has a first and a second fork arm 6a, 6b, which are connected to one another by way of a base section 6c of the fork.

(14) The running roller 2 is held in the intermediate space between the fork arms 6a, 6b by way of an axle pin 7 which is arranged in a central opening 2a of the running roller 2, the axle pin 7 being connected to the fork arms 6a, 6b in the way which is described in the further text.

(15) In the exemplary embodiment, the opening 2a is configured by the inner ring of a ball bearing 2b of the running roller, on the outer ring of which ball bearing 2b the rim 2c is arranged, on which in turn the tread 2d is arranged on the outside.

(16) The tread 2d represents a solid rubber tire of the running roller 2.

(17) The longitudinal center axis of the axle pin 7 therefore represents the rotational axis 10, about which the running roller 2 can be rotated.

(18) The axle pin 7 has first and second end sections 7a, 7b which protrude into recesses 8a of clip parts 8, a respective damping part 9 lying between the respective end section 7a, 7b and the respective clip part 8. Here, a respective damping part 9 has a sleeve-shaped section 9a, by way of which it surrounds the respective end section 7a of the axle pin 7 and which is received in a sleeve-shaped section 8b of the respective clip part.

(19) The axle pin 7b advantageously has a middle section 7c which has a greater diameter in comparison with the end sections 7a, 7b and on which the running roller (in the exemplary embodiment, by way of the inner ring of its ball bearing 2b) is arranged. An annular collar 9b of the respective damping part 9 bears against the respective shoulder 7d between the middle section 7c and the respective end section 7a, 7b. The annular collar 9b represents a disk-shaped section of the damping part 9, which disk-shaped section protrudes to the outside from that edge of the sleeve-shaped section 9a of the damping part 9 which faces the running roller 2. An annular collar 8c likewise projects to the outside at that end of the sleeve-shaped section 8b of the respective clip part 8 which faces the running roller 2, which annular collar 8c forms a disk-shaped section of the clip part 8 and bears against that side of the annular collar 9b of the damping part 9 which faces away from the running roller 2. A respective damping part 9 therefore acts not only in the radial direction, but rather also in the axial direction.

(20) The fork arms 6a, 6b of the fork 6 have in each case one push-in track 6d. The latter receives the respective clip part 8, the clip part 8 being secured against a displacement in the longitudinal direction of the push-in track 6d by way of a latching lug 8d which engages into a latching recess 6e of the fork 6.

(21) The push-in track 6d which is arranged on that inner side of the respective fork arm 6a, 6b which faces the running roller 2 runs in the longitudinal direction of the respective fork arm. A respective clip part 8 is guided displaceably with respect to the push-in track 6d by way of a guide section 8e which adjoins the sleeve-shaped section 8b of the clip part 8.

(22) The guide section 8e has a longitudinal extent which lies parallel to the longitudinal extent of the push-in track 6d.

(23) The push-in track 6d is formed by a groove-shaped depression of the fork arm 6a, 6b. Said groove-shaped depression can advantageously have undercut side walls, with the result that the guide section 8e is secured against falling out of the push-in track 6d in all directions at a right angle with respect to the push-in direction 13. To this end, the guide section 8e engages into the undercut region of the push-in track 6d.

(24) The latching lug 8d is arranged on the guide section 8e, to be precise in a region which is remote from the connecting region of the guide section 8e to the sleeve-shaped section 8b.

(25) In the exemplary embodiment, the damping parts 9 have end caps 9c which close the sleeve-shaped sections 9a on the opposite side of the annular collar 9b.

(26) For assembly of the running roller 2 with the suspension system which mounts the running roller 2 rotatably, the axle pin 7 is first of all plugged into the opening 2a of the running roller 2 (in the direction parallel to the rotational axis 10). This state can be seen in FIGS. 6 to 8.

(27) Furthermore, the damping parts 9 are plugged onto the end sections 7a, 7b of the axle pin 7 (in the direction parallel to the rotational axis 10). This state is shown in FIGS. 9 to 11.

(28) Furthermore, the clip parts 8 are plugged onto the damping parts 9 (in the direction parallel to the rotational axis 10). In this way, the sleeve-shaped sections 8b of the clip parts 8 surround the sleeve-shaped sections 9a of the damping parts 9, which sleeve-shaped sections 9a in turn surround the axle pin 7. Furthermore, the annular collar 9b of the respective damping part 9 bears against the respective shoulder 7d of the axle pin 7, and the annular collar 8c of the respective clip part 8 bears against the annular collar 9b of the respective damping part 9 on the opposite side. This state is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14.

(29) The running roller with the plugged-in axle pin 7 and the plugged-on damping parts 9 and clip parts 8 is then positioned in front of the intermediate space between the fork arms 6a, 6b, as is shown in FIGS. 15 to 17. Furthermore, the running roller is pushed into the intermediate space between the fork arms 6a, 6b, the clip parts 8 being pushed with their guide sections 8e in the push-in direction 13 into the push-in tracks 6d, until the latching lugs 8d of the clip parts 8 snap into the latching recesses 6e of the fork arms 6a, 6b. The push-in direction 13 lies at a right angle with respect to the rotational axis 10.

(30) The push-in direction 13 advantageously lies parallel to the direction of the longitudinal extent (=longitudinal direction) of the fork arms 6a, 6b. The push-in direction 13 therefore lies at a right angle with respect to the pivot axis 11. In this way, the state which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is reached.

(31) In the exemplary embodiment, the latching recesses 6e are configured in the form of window openings in the fork arms 6a, 6b. If the running roller 2 is to be dismantled again from the suspension system, the latching lugs 8d can be pressed through said window openings, until they pass out of engagement with the latching recesses 6e, whereupon the clip parts 8 can be pulled off from the fork arms 6a, 6b along the push-in tracks 6d.

(32) Instead of window openings, the latching recesses 6e might also be configured in the form of depressions, it then being possible for the guide sections 8e to be pressed together in order to bring the latching lugs 8d out of engagement with the latching recesses 6e.

(33) In the exemplary embodiment, the fork 6 can be pivoted about a vertical pivot axis 11 with respect to the frame part 5, on which it is held. To this end, the base section 6c has a through opening 6f which is penetrated by a joint pin 12 which is fastened to the frame part 5.

(34) The fork 6 preferably consists of plastic, for example PA. The plastic favorably contains carbon fibers. As a result, a static charge is counteracted. A content of other electrically conductive fibers or particles and/or an electrically conducting coating might also be provided.

(35) The clip parts 8 preferably consist of plastic, for example PA. The plastic favorably contains carbon fibers. As a result, a static charge is counteracted. A content of other electrically conductive fibers or particles and/or an electrically conducting coating might also be provided.

(36) The axle pin preferably consists of plastic, for example PA. The plastic favorably contains carbon fibers. As a result, a static charge is counteracted. A content of other electrically conductive fibers or particles and/or an electrically conducting coating might also be provided.

(37) The damping parts 9 preferably consist of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), for example PU. A construction from another elastomeric material is likewise conceivable and possible.

(38) Smooth, low-vibration running is achieved by way of the damping parts 9 which are connected between the axle pin and the clip parts 8. It is also fundamentally conceivable and possible to omit the damping parts 9. The clip parts 8 are then plugged directly onto the end sections 7a, 7b of the axle pin 7, and the end sections 7a, 7b of the axle pin 7 are held by the clip parts 8 directly (and not with the damping parts 9 being connected in between).

(39) A configuration is also conceivable and possible with push-in tracks which extend at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fork arms 6a, 6b, that is to say the push-in direction 13 lies at a right angle with respect to the direction of the longitudinal extent of the fork arms 6a, 6b.

(40) Costs for the manufacture and/or assembly can be saved by way of the invention.

(41) The device according to the invention is also distinguished by a low weight.

(42) As described, the invention can be used, in particular, in the case of floor-bound, rail-guided transport trolleys of conveyor systems for rack stores for piece goods. A use in conjunction with other running rollers, in particular those with solid rubber tires, is also conceivable and possible, however.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

(43) 1 Transport trolley 2 Running roller 2a Opening 2b Ball bearing 2c Rim 2d Tread 3 Rail 4 Guide roller 5 Frame part 6 Fork 6a Fork arm 6b Fork arm 6c Base section 6d Push-in track 6e Latching recess 6f Through opening 7 Axle pin 7a End section 7b End section 7c Middle section 7d Shoulder 8 Clip part 8a Recess 8b Sleeve-shaped section 8c Annular collar 8d Latching lug 8e Guide section 9 Damping part 9a Sleeve-shaped section 9b Annular collar 9c End cap 10 Rotational axis 11 Pivot axis 12 Joint pin 13 Push-in direction