Caster lock indicator

Claim 2

1 . A caster lock indicator to be used for a caster comprising a wheel fitted to a leg member rigidly or rotatably secured to a fitting section, said caster having a stopper lever rotatably fitted to said leg member by way of a lever support member and adapted to be rotated in order to turn a stopper spring also fitted to said leg member by way of a spring support member, thereby causing the fitting section side part of the stopper spring to be held relative to said fitting section so as to lock the leg member against any rotary motion and/or causing the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring to abut the wheel so as to lock the wheel against any swiveling motion, said lock indicator having a lock indicator plate, characterized in that the part for indicating the unlocked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate slidably contained in a guide space of the stopper lever is visually recognizable through the indicator window when the stopper lever is in the unlocked state, whereas the part for indicating the locked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate located adjacent to the part for indicating the unlocked state is visually recognizable through the indicator window instead of said part for indicating the unlocked state when the stopper lever is rotated to lock the leg member and/or the wheel as the lock indicator plate anchored to a stopper lever side part of the stopper spring supported by the spring support member arranged at a position different from said lever support member is made to returnably slide in said guide space relative to the stopper lever.

Claim 3

2 . A caster lock indicator to be used for a caster comprising a wheel fitted to a leg member rigidly or rotatably secured to a fitting section, characterized in that said stopper spring is fitted to an upper part of the leg lateral wall sections of said leg member by way of a spring support member so as to be turned freely, said stopper spring having a stopper lever side part extending at the side opposite to the fitting section side thereof, a stopper lever is also rotatably fitted to the leg member by way of a lever support member arranged at a position more remote from the fitting section than the spring support member, said stopper lever having an indicator window, a projecting pusher section formed near the lever support member and a guide space containing a lock indicator plate so as to make the latter slidable, the free end side of said stopper lever side part being releasably engaged with an engaging section formed at the lever support member side of the lock indicator plate, so that the part for indicating the unlocked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate slidably and releasably anchored to the stopper lever is visually recognizable through the indicator window when the caster is in the unlocked state, whereas the part for indicating the locked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate located adjacent to the part for indicating the unlocked state is visually recognizable through the indicator window instead of said part for indicating the unlocked state when the stopper lever is operated from the locked state of the caster in order to rotate it around the lever support member, thereby causing said projecting pusher section to push and resiliently deform said stopper lever side part so as to lock the leg member against any rotary motion by making the fitting section side of the stopper ring to be engaged with the fitting section and/or lock the wheel against any swiveling motion by making the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring to be pushed against the wheel.

Claim 4

2 . A caster lock indicator to be used for a caster comprising a wheel fitted to a leg member rigidly or rotatably secured to a fitting section, characterized in that said stopper spring is fitted to an upper part of the leg lateral wall sections of said leg member by way of a spring support member so as to be turned freely, said stopper spring having a stopper lever side part extending at the side opposite to the fitting section side thereof, a stopper lever is also rotatably fitted to the leg member by way of a lever support member arranged at a position more remote from the fitting section than the spring support member, said stopper lever having an indicator window, a projecting pusher section formed near the lever support member and a guide space containing a lock indicator plate so as to make the latter slidable, the free end side of said stopper lever side part being releasably engaged with an engaging section formed at the lever support member side of the lock indicator plate, so that the part for indicating the unlocked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate slidably and releasably anchored to the stopper lever is visually recognizable through the indicator window when the caster is in the unlocked state, whereas the part for indicating the locked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate located adjacent to the part for indicating the unlocked state is visually recognizable through the indicator window instead of said part for indicating the unlocked state when the stopper lever is operated from the locked state of the caster in order to rotate it around the lever support member, thereby causing said projecting pusher section to push and resiliently deform said stopper lever side part so as to lock the leg member against any rotary motion by making the fitting section side of the stopper ring to be engaged with the fitting section and/or lock the wheel against any swiveling motion by making the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring to be pushed against the wheel.

Claim 5

3 . A caster lock indicator to be used for a caster comprising a wheel fitted to a leg member rigidly or rotatably secured to a support of a fitting section, characterized in that a stopper spring is fitted to an upper part of the leg lateral wall sections of said leg member by way of a spring support member so as to be turned freely, said spring support member being running in parallel with the axle of the wheel and supporting said stopper spring substantially at the center thereof, said stopper spring having a fitting section side part extending at the support side thereof and having a biasing spring to be resiliently abutted against the leg member so as to operate as stopper for preventing the leg member from rotating and a stopper lever side part extending at the side opposite to the fitting section side thereof so as to operate as stopper for preventing the wheel from swiveling, a rotatable stopper lever being fitted to said leg member by way of a stopper lever support member arranged in parallel with the stopper spring support member at a position more remote from the fitting section than the stopper spring support member, said stopper lever having an indicator window, a projecting pusher section formed near said stopper lever support member and a guide space containing a lock indicator plate so as to make the latter slidable, the free end side of said stopper lever side part being releasably engaged with an engaging section formed at the lever support member side of the lock indicator plate, so that the part for indicating the unlocked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate slidably and releasably anchored to the stopper lever is visually recognizable through the indicator window when the caster is in the unlocked state, whereas the part for indicating the locked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate located adjacent to the part for indicating the unlocked state is visually recognizable through the indicator window instead of said part for indicating the unlocked state when the stopper lever is operated from the locked state of the caster in order to rotate it around the lever support member, thereby causing said projecting pusher section to push and resiliently deform said stopper lever side part so as to lock the leg member against any rotary motion by making the fitting section side of the stopper ring to be engaged with the fitting section and also lock the wheel against any swiveling motion by making the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring to be pushed against the wheel.

Claim 6

3 . A caster lock indicator to be used for a caster comprising a wheel fitted to a leg member rigidly or rotatably secured to a support of a fitting section, characterized in that a stopper spring is fitted to an upper part of the leg lateral wall sections of said leg member by way of a spring support member so as to be turned freely, said spring support member being running in parallel with the axle of the wheel and supporting said stopper spring substantially at the center thereof, said stopper spring having a fitting section side part extending at the support side thereof and having a biasing spring to be resiliently abutted against the leg member so as to operate as stopper for preventing the leg member from rotating and a stopper lever side part extending at the side opposite to the fitting section side thereof so as to operate as stopper for preventing the wheel from swiveling, a rotatable stopper lever being fitted to said leg member by way of a stopper lever support member arranged in parallel with the stopper spring support member at a position more remote from the fitting section than the stopper spring support member, said stopper lever having an indicator window, a projecting pusher section formed near said stopper lever support member and a guide space containing a lock indicator plate so as to make the latter slidable, the free end side of said stopper lever side part being releasably engaged with an engaging section formed at the lever support member side of the lock indicator plate, so that the part for indicating the unlocked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate slidably and releasably anchored to the stopper lever is visually recognizable through the indicator window when the caster is in the unlocked state, whereas the part for indicating the locked state of the lock indicator surface of the lock indicator plate located adjacent to the part for indicating the unlocked state is visually recognizable through the indicator window instead of said part for indicating the unlocked state when the stopper lever is operated from the locked state of the caster in order to rotate it around the lever support member, thereby causing said projecting pusher section to push and resiliently deform said stopper lever side part so as to lock the leg member against any rotary motion by making the fitting section side of the stopper ring to be engaged with the fitting section and also lock the wheel against any swiveling motion by making the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring to be pushed against the wheel.

Claim 7

4 . A caster lock indicator according to any of claims 1 through 3 , wherein a projecting guide is arranged in the guide space of the stopper lever so that the indicator plate section of the lock indicator plate is slidably pinched between the top surface of the guide and the top wall surface of the guide space where the indicator window is arranged.

Claim 8

5 . A caster lock indicator according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the projecting pusher section of the stopper lever may be in the form of a cam carrying the lever support member.

Claim 9

6 . A caster lock indicator according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the stopper lever side part of the stopper spring has a flat panel-shaped base section extending from the spring support member, a bent link section bent and extended downward from the base section, a linked bottom section bent and extended outward from the link section and an upwardly bent front end section bent and extended upward from the bottom section, whereas the lock indicator plate includes an indicator plate section having the part of the lock indicator surface for indicating the unlocked state and the part of the lock indicator surface for indicating the locked state and a bifurcated section in such a way that the projecting pusher section of the stopper lever abuts the bent link section and the linked bottom section arranged at the stopper lever side part and the upwardly bent front end section is engaged with the engaging section formed in the bifurcated section of the lock indicator plate in the unlocked state, whereas the projecting pusher section abuts the flat panel-shaped section of the stopper lever side part and the upwardly bent front end section can retractably enter the escape hole cut through the lock indicator plate between the engaging section and the base side of the anchor plate section.