Trolley with a swivable guide wheel

摘要

The present invention relates generally to a castor wheel assembly 1 fitted onto the underside of the frame of a shopping trolley. The wheel assembly 1 comprises a wheel 2 mounted to a wheel mount 4 and rotatable about its rotational axis 6. Locking means in the form of an engagement element 8 and an actuator element 10 is operatively coupled to the wheel mount 4 for releasably engaging a locking element 12 of the wheel mount 4 to restrict swivelling of the wheel 2 about a swivel axis S of the wheel mount 4. The wheel 2 is substantially freely rotatable about the swivel axis S when the wheel 2 is rotated in the reverse direction. Rotation of the wheel 2 in the reverse direction urges the actuator element into pressing engagement with the wheel driving the coupling portion of the engagement element away from the peripheral surface of the wheel for disengagement of the engagement element from the locking element. Engagement of the engagement element 8 and the locking element 12 is only effected when the wheel 2 is rotated in a forward direction to reduce the pressing engagement.