Caster wheel
AssigneeSauder Manufacturing Co.
InventorsAnthony J. Warncke, Timothy J. Johnson, Joel D. Alberda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A caster wheel comprising a wheel mount and a bearing plate, both having a pivot pin extending through them such that the wheel mount may pivot relative to the bearing plate. The wheel mount and bearing plate both have at least two magnets each, arranged such that pivoting movement of the wheel mount may position the magnets in registry with one another. The magnetic attraction between the magnets further attracts the wheel mount and bearing plate into registry with one another, aligning an article to which the caster wheel mounts in a straight direction.
Claims18
A caster wheel comprising:
- a wheel mount having a wheel rotatably mounted to an axle secured to the wheel mount, an upper mount member having a wing extending laterally from each of opposite sides of the wheel mount, and a pivot pin extending normal to the axle through the upper mount member;
- a bearing plate adapted to affix to an article, wherein the pivot pin is rotatably mounted to the bearing plate;
- at least two wheel mount magnets mounted in the upper mount member, with one wheel mount magnet in each wing;
- and
- at least two bearing plate magnets mounted in the bearing plate, wherein each bearing plate magnet is positioned to be in registry with a wheel mount magnet when the wheel mount is pivoted relative to the bearing plate with the wheel pointed in a first direction;
- wherein the poles of the wheel mount magnets are opposite from the poles of the bearing plate magnets with which they are in registry so that the wheel mount will tend to pivot relative to the bearing plate to maintain the wheel pointed in the first direction.
An article of furniture having caster wheels, wherein at least one caster wheel comprises:
- a wheel mount having a wheel rotatably mounted to an axle secured to the wheel mount, an upper mount member having a wing extending laterally from each of opposite sides of the wheel mount, and a pivot pin extending normal to the axle through the upper mount member;
- a bearing plate adapted to affix to an article, wherein the pivot pin is rotatably mounted to the bearing plate;
- at least two wheel mount magnets mounted in the upper mount member, with one wheel mount magnet in each wing;
- and
- at least two bearing plate magnets mounted in the bearing plate, wherein each bearing plate magnet is positioned to be in registry with a wheel mount magnet when the wheel mount is pivoted relative to the bearing plate with the wheel pointed in a first direction;
- wherein the poles of the wheel mount magnets are opposite from the poles of the bearing plate magnets with which they are in registry so that the wheel mount will tend to pivot relative to the bearing plate to maintain the wheel pointed in the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.