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US 2020/0369083 A1Published application
Hybrid bearing arrangement caster technology
AssigneeNgs Capital Management, LLC
InventorKyle C. Stoehr
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNgs Capital Management, LLC
InventorKyle C. Stoehr
Estimating the term…
The invention provides a caster including two wheels, a central frame member, and a mount member. The two wheels are mounted on the mount member. The caster has a hybrid bearing arrangement comprising both a rolling bearing and two slide bearings. The rolling bearing is located between the central frame member and the mount member and is configured to enable the caster to roll along a straight line with each of the two wheels rotating in a common direction about a first axis. Each of the two slide bearings is located between the mount member and a tread portion of a respective one of the two wheels. The slide bearings are configured to enable the two wheels to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions when the caster swivels about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. In some embodiments, the caster is a hubless caster.
A caster including two wheels, a central frame member, and a central mount member, each of the two wheels being mounted on the central mount member, each of the two wheels having a tread portion and a mount portion, the caster having a hybrid bearing arrangement comprising both a rolling bearing and two slide bearings, the rolling bearing being located between the central frame member and the central mount member, such that the rolling bearing is configured to enable the caster to roll along a straight line with each of the two wheels rotating in a common direction about a first axis, each of the two slide bearings being located between the central mount member and the tread portion of a respective one of the two wheels, such that the two slide bearings are configured to enable the two wheels to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions when the caster swivels about a second axis.
A hubless caster including two wheels, a central frame member, and a tubular mount member, each of the two wheels being mounted on the tubular mount member, each of the two wheels having a tread portion and a mount portion, the hubless caster surrounding an open central corridor, the hubless caster having a hybrid bearing arrangement comprising both a rolling bearing and two slide bearings, the rolling bearing being located between the central frame member and the tubular mount member, such that the rolling bearing is configured to enable the hubless caster to roll along a straight line with each of the two wheels rotating in a common direction about a first axis, each of the two slide bearings being located between the tubular mount member and the tread portion of a respective one of the two wheels, such that the two slide bearings are configured to enable the two wheels to simultaneously rotate in opposite directions when the hubless caster swivels about a second axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.