U.S. patent application number 10/170676 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-14 for ball plunger with brim.
Invention is credited to Nokura, Makoto, Takai, Koichiro.
Application Number | 20030150079 10/170676 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27655634 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030150079 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takai, Koichiro ; et
al. |
August 14, 2003 |
Ball plunger with brim
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to provide a ball plunger
wherein a main ball of the ball plunger is rotated surely and
smoothly, when a mold, jig or other article is fixed, positioned,
or transported. Another object is to control and keep constant the
main ball projection height from a surface fixed to the ball
plunger. A plurality of the sub balls are accommodated on the
bottom portion of the ball roller which farther accommodates the
main ball on the sub balls, thereby reducing the rolling friction
between the main ball and the sub balls. Thus, the main ball rolls
smoothly. The ball roller and the spring is inserted into the
casing. Finally, the spring is fixed to the casing by the coupling
ring such as a c-shaped ring.
Inventors: |
Takai, Koichiro; (Mino-shi,
JP) ; Nokura, Makoto; (Mino-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHLESINGER, ARKWRIGHT & GARVEY LLP
3000 South Eads Street
Arlington
VA
22202
US
|
Family ID: |
27655634 |
Appl. No.: |
10/170676 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 16/1889 20150115;
B60B 33/08 20130101; F16C 29/046 20130101; B65G 39/025
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
16/26 |
International
Class: |
A47L 011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 12, 2002 |
JP |
2002-77287 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A ball plunger fixed at an object surface, which comprises: a
plurality of sub balls; a ball roller for accommodating said
plurality of sub balls; a main ball disposed on said plurality of
sub balls; a spring for supporting said ball roller; a casing which
accommodates said ball roller and said spring; a brim on an outer
circumference of said casing for stopping said ball plunger at a
surface of said object; and a coupling ring for fixing said spring
to said casing, wherein: said sub balls reduce an rolling friction
of said main ball and said coupling ring fixes said spring at a
prescribed length of said spring.
2. The ball spring according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface
of said casing is tapped by a male screw.
3. The ball plunger according to claim 1, wherein said coupling
ring is a c-shaped ring.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a ball plunger with a brim
on a surface of the ball plunger, wherein a main ball is rotated
surely and smoothly, by employing a plurality of small balls
smaller than the main ball which are in contact with the main ball,
in order to reduce a rolling friction of the main ball.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Some of conventional ball plungers are designed in such a
manner that the main ball is stroked by a spring. Therefore, the
main ball can not be rotated smoothly, although a load and stroke
length of the main ball can be controlled.
[0005] Other conventional ball caster with a spring is designed in
such a manner that an impact by a weight of an article during
transportation is absorbed Therefore, the conventional ball caster
can not be utilized for a plunger which can control the load and
stroke.
[0006] Further, another conventional ball plunger is designed in
such a manner that the plunger body is tapped by a male screw.
Therefore, the ball projection height from a surface of a target
object of the ball plunger is merely controlled by a screw rotation
of the ball plunger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a ball
plunger wherein the main ball of the ball plunger is rotated easily
and smoothly, and the ball plunger controls the load and stroke of
the main ball and the ball projection height form a surface of an
object fixed to the ball plunger. Concretely, an object of the
present invention is to provide a ball plunger wherein a main ball
of the ball plunger is rotated surely and smoothly, when a mold,
jig or other article is fixed, positioned, or transported.
[0008] The ball plunger of the present invention comprises: a ball
roller; a spring; a casing for accommodating the ball roller and
the spring, wherein the ball roller is stroked in the casing.
[0009] The casing has a brim for stopping the ball plunger on the
surface of the object.
[0010] According to the present invention, the main ball is shifted
upward and downward by using the spring. Further, the main ball is
rotated surely and smoothly, due to the reduction of the rolling
friction. Accordingly, the main ball is rotated surely and smoothly
under the load applied in a transverse direction perpendicular to
the stroke direction of the main ball. Due to the smooth rotation
of the main ball, machines, products or articles are set and moved
without being damaged.
[0011] Further, according to the present invention, the ball
plunger is fixed quickly and surely to an object surface, with
fixed ball projection height kept constant, due to the brim which
prevents the ball plunger from proceeding any more when the brim
contacts the object surface.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ball plunger
of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the ball
plungers of the present invention fixed to an object plate. The
left plunger is a plunger without any tapped screw on the outer
surface of the ball plunger of the present invention, while the
right plunger is a plunger with a male screw on the outer surface
of the ball plunger of the present invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained,
referring to the drawings.
[0015] The ball plunger of the present invention comprises: the
ball roller 1; the spring 2; the casing 3; the brim 4; the coupling
ring 5; the main ball 6; the sub balls 7.
[0016] A plurality of the sub balls 7 are accommodated on the
bottom portion of the ball roller 1 which further accommodates the
main ball 6 on the sub balls 7, thereby reducing the rolling
friction between the main ball 6 and the sub balls 7. Thus, the
main ball 6 rolls smoothly.
[0017] The ball roller 1 and the spring 2 is inserted into the
casing 3. Here, the spring 2 may be connected together beforehand
with the ball roller. Alternatively, the spring 2 may be inserted
independently into the casing 3.
[0018] Finally, the spring 2 is fixed to the casing 3 by the
coupling ring 5 such as a c-shaped ring. Thus, the spring 2 is
fixed to the casing 3 precisely at a prescribed length of the
spring.
[0019] Further, the casing 3 has the brim 4 on its outer edge where
the main ball is projected. The brim 4 prevents the ball plunger
from proceeding any more in the object, when the brim 4 contacts
the object surface.
[0020] Thus, the ball projection height 8 is kept constant.
* * * * *