Patent Application
20100132157
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a caster device for a portable dehumidifier, especially to a caster device with detachable casters to allow convenient replacement of the casters.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Unlike a stationary air conditioner such as window-type air conditioner or split-type air conditioner that is fixed high on a window or a wall, a portable air conditioner is placed on a ground without causing damage to the window or the wall and is moved and stored conveniently. Therefore, the portable air conditioner becomes popular. A dehumidifier is one kind of the air conditioners that regulates indoor humidity.
A conventional portable dehumidifier has multiple casters being securely attached to a bottom of the conventional portable dehumidifier for convenient moves of the conventional portable dehumidifier. However, the assembling processes are complicated while attaching the casters to the bottom of the conventional portable dehumidifier one by one with fasteners such as screws and the like. Furthermore, a broken caster is hard to detach from the conventional portable dehumidifier to replace with a new caster.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a caster device with detachable casters for a portable dehumidifier to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a caster device with detachable casters for a portable dehumidifier. The caster device has a base mounted on a bottom of the portable dehumidifier, multiple positioning assemblies formed on the base and multiple casters respectively and detachably mounted between the positioning assemblies. Therefore, the casters are easily attached to the base for use or detached from the base for clean, repair or replacement.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
With further reference to
With further reference to
The holders (21) are separately and parallelly formed on and protrude downwardly from the top panel of the base (10) and may be formed between the perimeter panel (11) and a corresponding mounting hole (12) of the base (10). Each holder (21) has a distal edge, a support (211) and an elongated recess (212). The support (211) is formed transversely on the distal edge of the holder (21). The support (211) of one holder (21) of each positioning assembly (20) is toward the support (211) of the other holder (21) of the positioning assembly (20). The elongated recess (212) is formed between the top panel of the base (10) and the support (211) and may have two opposite open ends. The open ends of the elongated recess (212) respectively correspond to the perimeter panel (11) and the corresponding mounting hole (12) of the base (10).
With further reference to
With further reference to
Each resilient device (223) is mounted in a corresponding mounting recess (222) of the abutting protrusion (22) and may be a spring.
Each positioning ball (224) is mounted in a corresponding mounting recess (222) of the abutting protrusion (22), is pushed by a corresponding resilient device (223) and protrudes out of the taper open end of the corresponding mounting recess (222) of the abutting protrusion (22).
The casters (30) are respectively and detachably mounted between the positioning assemblies (20). Each caster (30) has a mounting panel (31) and a wheel (32).
The mounting panel (31) is mounted in the elongated recesses (212) of the holders (21), is mounted on the supports (211) of the holders (21) of a corresponding positioning assembly (20), has a perimeter edge, a positioning surface and a supporting surface and may have at least one indentation (311). The positioning surface of the mounting panel (31) corresponds to the top panel of the base (10) and may correspond to the distal surface (221) of the abutting protrusion (22). The supporting surface of the mounting panel (31) corresponds to and is mounted on the supports (211) of the holders (21) of the corresponding positioning assembly (20). The at least one indentation (311) is formed in the positioning surface of the mounting panel (31), selectively aligns with the mounting recess (222) of the abutting protrusion (22) and selectively engage the positioning ball (224) in the mounting recess (222).
The wheel (32) is mounted securely on the supporting surface of the mounting panel (31) and is mounted slidably between the holders (22) of the corresponding positioning assembly (20).
With reference to
The caster device with detachable casters for the portable dehumidifier as described has the following advantages. The casters (30) are easily attached to the base (10) without any fasteners for use and are also easily detached from the base (10) for clean, repair or replacement.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
