Gas container transport trolley

Abstract

The present application provides a gas container transport trolley which can be applied to the transport of gas cylinders to various cylinder cabinets without depending on the structure of the cylinder cabinet and the gas cylinder, and can easily transport, transport out and transport in the heavy gas cylinder without consuming manpower. The gas container transport trolley comprises a frame provided with wheels for driving in the state of placing the gas cylinder; a placing table arranged in the frame, which moves in the state of placing the gas cylinder in the longitudinal posture by a lifting mechanism, so as to move the gas cylinder in the vertical direction; and a roller for slidingly moving the gas cylinder along the placing table in the horizontal direction, wherein the placing table has a hole part opened on the bottom plate for placing the gas cylinder, the roller has a sliding mechanism for moving the roller along the placing table in the horizontal direction, and when the roller is located below the placing table, the placing table is lowered, so that the roller protrudes from the hole part to the bottom plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a trolley for transporting gas containers. Background Technology

[0002] Cylinder cabinets have long been widely used as equipment for supplying various gases. A cylinder cabinet stores gas cylinders (gas containers) filled with various gases in a vertically arranged position within a gas cylinder storage compartment (storage space) with a cylinder access door.

[0003] When using gas cylinders that require weight-based inventory management, weight measuring devices such as weight sensors are needed, and a heating device for the gas cylinder is required to transfer the liquid phase to the gas phase. Therefore, a base is provided at the bottom of the cylinder cabinet, corresponding to the lower part of the gas cylinder, for mounting the aforementioned weight sensor and heating device. Thus, when storing the gas cylinder in the cylinder cabinet's cylinder storage compartment, the gas cylinder needs to be lifted above the height of the base at the bottom of the cylinder cabinet and placed on the base.

[0004] In addition, in order to improve the workability of storing gas cylinders in the cylinder cabinet, a roller conveyor can be installed at the bottom to reduce the transport force of the heavy gas cylinders in the cylinder cabinet.

[0005] On the other hand, the aforementioned storage operation involves lifting heavy gas cylinders from the ground (floor surface) to a certain height, making it both strenuous and dangerous for the operator. Furthermore, storing the gas cylinders in the cylinder cabinet requires first removing used cylinders from the narrow storage compartment and then moving in new ones, making the work far from easy.

[0006] To improve the workability of storing gas cylinders inside cabinets, methods have been proposed, such as using inclined plane tools that tilt the bottom of the cabinet relative to the ground (floor surface) or stepped lifting tools composed of sheet metal blocks. However, using these methods requires manual tilting of the cylinders and expends considerable labor to place them at the bottom of the cabinet. This working environment carries a high risk of injury and accidents, and is a demanding and strenuous task for the elderly and female workers, thus requiring improvement as soon as possible.

[0007] To improve the workability of storing gas cylinders in the cylinder cabinet, a solution is proposed to install a lifting arm for lifting gas cylinders in the gas cylinder storage room (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0008] In addition, a scheme has been proposed to install a transport adapter on the gas cylinder and use the transport adapter to transport the gas cylinder out and in between the gas cylinder transport trolley and the cylinder cabinet (for example, see Patent Document 2).

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Patent Publication No. 63-074600

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-106086

[0011] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves a structure with a lifting arm installed in a gas cylinder storage room, which requires changes to the structure of the gas cylinder storage room, thus limiting the applicability of this technology.

[0012] Furthermore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 involves a structure with a transport adapter installed on the gas cylinder, thus requiring the transport adapter to be installed on all gas cylinders. Therefore, while the cost of the device increases significantly, the surrounding structure of the gas cylinders also changes, resulting in limited applicability, similar to the aforementioned issue. Additionally, as before, the operation of transporting gas cylinders in and out between the gas cylinder transport trolley and the cylinder cabinet requires a large number of personnel. Summary of the Invention

[0013] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a trolley for transporting gas containers, which is independent of the structure of cylinder cabinets and gas cylinders, can be used for transporting gas cylinders into and out of various cylinder cabinets, and can easily transport, transport out and transport gas cylinders as heavy objects without manual intervention.

[0014] To address the aforementioned issues, the present invention provides the following trolley for transporting gas containers.

[0015] (1) A trolley for transporting gas containers, comprising:

[0016] The frame is equipped with wheels for driving while carrying a gas container;

[0017] A platform, disposed within the frame, moves vertically via a lifting mechanism while the gas container is mounted, thereby causing the gas container to move up and down; and

[0018] Rollers cause the gas container to slide horizontally along the mounting platform.

[0019] The gas container transport trolley is characterized in that...

[0020] The stage has an opening in the base plate for holding the gas container.

[0021] The roller has a sliding mechanism for moving the roller horizontally along the platform.

[0022] When the roller is below the mounting platform, the mounting platform descends, causing the roller to protrude from the hole onto the base plate.

[0023] (2) The gas container transport trolley according to (1) is characterized in that a plurality of the holes are arranged on the loading platform.

[0024] The rollers are arranged in a plurality of manner corresponding to the holes.

[0025] (3) The gas container transport trolley according to (1) or (2) is characterized in that when the roller slides to a position deviating from the position below the platform, the platform descends in a grounded manner.

[0026] (4) The gas container transport trolley according to any one of (1) to (3) is characterized in that it further comprises: a shock absorber for absorbing the impact generated when the platform descends through the lifting mechanism.

[0027] (5) The gas container transport trolley according to any one of (1) to (4) is characterized in that it further comprises: a limiter for restricting the movement of the gas container transport trolley.

[0028] (6) The gas container transport trolley according to (5) is characterized in that the limiter is a foot pedal type.

[0029] (7) A trolley for transporting gas containers according to any one of (1) to (6), characterized in that it further comprises: a tool for preventing the gas containers from tipping over.

[0030] (8) The gas container transport trolley according to (7) is characterized in that the anti-tipping tool has: a fixing rod for holding the gas container in a manner that surrounds the side of the gas container; and a screw, which is screwed into a screw hole provided on the fixing rod and is configured such that the front end of the screw abuts against the side of the gas container.

[0031] (9) The gas container transport trolley according to (7) or (8) is characterized in that the anti-tipping tool has a hook for engaging at least a portion removed from the anti-tipping tool.

[0032] (10) The gas container transport trolley according to any one of (1) to (9) is characterized in that it further comprises: a handle for manually driving the gas container transport trolley.

[0033] (11) A gas container transport trolley according to any one of (1) to (10), characterized in that an adjuster for raising or lowering at least a portion of the frame is further provided in the frame.

[0034] (12) The gas container transport trolley according to any one of (1) to (11) is characterized in that it further comprises a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the wheels, so that the gas container transport trolley can move on its own.

[0035] The gas container transport trolley according to the present invention has the following structure: the gas container mounting platform has an opening in the bottom plate for mounting the gas container, and the roller has a sliding mechanism for moving the roller along the mounting platform in the horizontal direction. When the roller is below the mounting platform, the mounting platform descends, so that the roller protrudes from the opening into the bottom plate.

[0036] With the above structure, when placing the gas cylinder on the platform of the gas container transport trolley, the platform is grounded by retracting the rollers to the rear end side, thereby minimizing the step difference between the platform and the ground (floor surface), and thus the gas cylinder can be easily placed on the platform. On the other hand, when the gas cylinder is transported out of the cylinder cabinet, the platform is lowered by advancing the rollers to the front end side, so that the rollers protrude from the holes, and the gas cylinder can be placed on the rollers, thus the gas cylinder can be easily transported out.

[0037] Therefore, it can be used to transport gas cylinders into and out of various cylinder cabinets without changing the structure of the cylinder cabinet and gas cylinders, and it can easily transport, move out and move gas cylinders as heavy objects without consuming manpower. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas container transport trolley to which embodiments of the present invention are applicable, and is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the gas container transport trolley.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas container transport trolley to which embodiments of the present invention are applicable, showing... Figure 1 The front view of the gas container transport trolley with the platform grounded.

[0040] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas container transport trolley to which embodiments of the present invention are applicable. Figure 1 The image shows a side view of a trolley used for transporting gas containers.

[0041] Figure 3B This diagram schematically illustrates a gas container transport trolley to which embodiments of the present invention are applicable, showing how to use... Figure 3A The side view shows the gas container transport trolley with its front end raised and the whole structure tilted.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas container transport trolley to which embodiments of the present invention are applicable. Figure 1 The rear view of the trolley used to transport the gas container is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Hereinafter, a gas container transport trolley according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, feature parts are sometimes enlarged for ease of understanding, and the dimensions and proportions of each structural element may not be the same as actual dimensions. Furthermore, the materials exemplified in the following description are examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto; it can be implemented with appropriate modifications without changing its spirit.

[0044] <Structure of the trolley for transporting gas containers>

[0045] Reference Figures 1-4 The structure of the gas container transport trolley of this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the gas container transport trolley 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 It means in Figure 1 The front view of the gas container transport trolley 1 with the platform 3 grounded. Figure 3A yes Figure 1 The image shows a side view of the trolley used for transporting gas containers. Figure 3B It means by making Figure 3A The side view shown is of the gas container transport trolley 1 with its front end 1A side raised and the entire structure tilted. Additionally, Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The rear view of the gas container transport trolley 1 shown.

[0047] The gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, to transport gas cylinders (gas containers) B into a gas cylinder storage compartment (storage space) provided by a cylinder cabinet (not shown in the figure). That is, the gas container transport trolley 1 lifts the gas cylinder B and places it on a raised base at the bottom of the cylinder cabinet, thereby storing the gas cylinder B in a vertically positioned position within the gas cylinder storage compartment. The cylinder cabinet, for example, supplies the gas filled in the gas cylinder B to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, etc.

[0048] Specifically, such as Figures 1-4As shown, the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment includes a frame 2, a platform 3 disposed in the frame 2, and rollers 4.

[0049] Additionally, the mounting platform 3 has an opening 31 in the base plate 3a for mounting the gas cylinder B. The roller 4 has a sliding mechanism 41 for moving the roller 4 along the mounting platform 3 in the horizontal direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment is configured such that when the roller 4 is below the platform 3, the platform 3 descends, thereby causing the roller 4 to protrude from the hole 31 onto the bottom plate 3a.

[0051] and then, Figures 1-4 The gas container transport trolley 1 shown in the example includes: a shock absorber 5 for absorbing impact, a limiter 6 for restricting the movement of the gas container transport trolley 1, an anti-tipping device 7 for preventing the gas cylinder B from tipping over, a handle 8 for moving the gas container transport trolley 1, and an adjuster 9 for raising and lowering a portion of the frame 2.

[0052] The gas container transport trolley 1 in this embodiment is in Figure 1 The gas cylinder B is transported in and out on the front end 1A side, as shown in the diagram, while the rear end 1B side is mainly the position where the operator performs operations such as moving the gas container transport trolley 1. Therefore, in this specification, for convenience, the front end 1A is sometimes referred to as the front side of the gas container transport trolley 1, the rear end 1B is referred to as the rear side of the gas container transport trolley 1, and the relationship between the front end 1A and the rear end 1B is referred to as "front-back direction," etc.

[0053] In addition, in a horizontal plane, the direction orthogonal to the front-back direction is sometimes described as the "width direction".

[0054] The frame 2 is used to support the various elements of the trolley 1 for transporting the gas container and is constructed to have wheels 25 for traveling while carrying the gas cylinder B.

[0055] In the example shown, a lower frame portion 21, which is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from above, is arranged at the lower part of the frame 2. When viewed from above, the lower frame portion 21 and the support portion 24, which is configured to extend from the side frame portion 22 (described later) to the rear, are each equipped with a wheel 25 that can rotate freely at their four corners. In addition, the lower frame portion 21 functions as the base of the frame 2, and is equipped with the mounting platform 3 and rollers 4 (described in detail later).

[0056] Furthermore, frame 2 extends upward from the aforementioned lower frame portion 21 as a base, such as... Figure 2As shown in the front view, it has a side frame portion 22 that is formed into a generally rectangular shape in top view. Furthermore, the side frame portion 22 is provided on the aforementioned rear end 1B side of the lower frame portion 21. As described above, on the rear end 1B side of the side frame portion 22, the support portion 24 is configured to extend rearward.

[0057] Compared to gas cylinder B, frame 2 is wider overall and slightly longer in the front-to-back direction than in the width direction. Therefore, the height of frame 2 is approximately two-thirds the height of gas cylinder B. Specifically, the lower frame 21 and side frame 22 of frame 2 are wider than gas cylinder B, and the lower frame 21 is slightly longer in the front-to-back direction than in the width direction. Consequently, the height of the side frame 22 of frame 2 is approximately two-thirds the height of gas cylinder B.

[0058] The mounting platform 3 is mounted on the lower frame 21 of the frame 2 and is used to hold the gas cylinder B, which is transported in and out relative to the cylinder cabinet (not shown in the figure). When the mounting platform 3 holds the gas cylinder B in a longitudinally mounted position, it moves vertically via the lifting mechanism 35, thereby causing the gas cylinder B to move up and down.

[0059] The lifting mechanism 35 can be, for example, a device consisting of a hydraulic jack, which moves the platform 3 up and down by operating the lifting handle 35a using hydraulic pressure.

[0060] In addition, the lifting mechanism 35 that raises and lowers the platform 3 is not particularly limited, but in addition to the hydraulic jack mentioned above, an electric motor, pneumatic cylinder, etc. can be appropriately used while taking practicality into consideration.

[0061] The mounting platform 3 is disposed on the aforementioned front end 1A side of the frame 2, that is, on the opposite side of the rear end 1B on the lower frame 21 where the side frame 22 is provided.

[0062] Figure 1 The mounting platform 3 shown is roughly U-shaped in plan view. In the example shown, it has multiple openings 31 in the base plate 3a for mounting the gas cylinder B. Furthermore, the mounting platform 3 is constructed such that it has sidewalls 3d that rise from the periphery of the base plate 3a. Sidewalls 3d are located at the rear end 3c and on both sides, while no sidewalls 3d are formed at the front end 3b, where an opening is only present.

[0063] In addition, Figure 1 In the example shown, the three adjacent holes 31 in the base plate 3a are arranged in two parallel rows. Furthermore, the holes 31 in the example are formed in a generally slit-like shape, allowing the roller 4 (described later) to be inserted through the holes 31 and protrude from the base plate 3a.

[0064] Rollers 4 are used to slide gas cylinder B horizontally along the base plate 3a of the platform 3. In the example shown, three adjacent rollers 4 are arranged in parallel rows, thus constructing a so-called roller conveyor with a total of six rollers 4. Figure 1 In the example shown, there are a total of six rollers 4, each consisting of a freely rotatable roller. Furthermore, the rollers 4 in the example are arranged in a number corresponding to the holes 31 in the mounting platform 3, at positions corresponding to the holes 31. Additionally, each of the multiple rollers 4 is configured to be freely rotatable via a rotation axis (not shown).

[0065] The diameter and number of rollers 4 used in the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the specifications of the gas cylinder B to be placed, etc., to achieve the necessary strength and area.

[0066] The roller 4 has a sliding mechanism 41 for moving the roller 4 horizontally along the base plate 3a of the platform 3 in the front-rear direction of the frame 2. Figure 1 and Figure 4 In the example shown, the roller 4 is positioned below the mounting platform 3 at a position corresponding to the hole 31 by the operation of the sliding mechanism 41, and the roller 4 is in a state where it protrudes from the hole 31 onto the bottom plate 3a as the mounting platform 3 descends from this position.

[0067] The gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment is configured such that, with the gas cylinder B placed longitudinally on the roller 4, the gas cylinder B can slide horizontally.

[0068] Furthermore, in the example described in this embodiment, when the plurality of rollers 4 slide backward to a position offset from below the mounting platform 3, i.e., the rear end 3c side of the mounting platform 3, as... Figure 2 As shown, the base plate 3a of the platform 3 is lowered to ground with the ground (floor surface) J.

[0069] A more detailed explanation follows. In such cases... Figure 3A With the platform 3 raised as shown by the lifting mechanism 35, the multiple rollers 4 are moved to the rear end 3c side of the platform 3, thereby positioning the multiple rollers 4 below the base plate 3a of the platform 3. In this state, as... Figure 2 As shown, the lifting mechanism 35 lowers the platform 3, thereby grounding the base plate 3a with the ground (floor surface) J.

[0070] In the example described in this embodiment, the gas container transport trolley 1 is configured such that, for example, the gas cylinder B placed on the ground (floor surface) J can be easily placed onto the base plate 3a of the placement platform 3 which is grounded to the ground (floor surface) J by means of the above-described structure.

[0071] The sliding mechanism 41 drives multiple rollers 4 to slide along the sliding shaft 42 in the front-to-back direction. As the drive source for the sliding mechanism 41, although there is no particular limitation, for example, a manual manipulator, electric motor, pneumatic cylinder or hydraulic cylinder can be appropriately used while taking practicality into consideration.

[0072] Furthermore, the sliding mechanism 41 in the example figure comprises a manual lever 41a for switching the positions of multiple rollers 4 in the forward and backward direction of the gas container transport trolley 1, multiple connecting rods (not shown), and multiple joints (not shown). Among these, the multiple joints connect the connecting rods to each other, allowing the multiple connecting rods to rotate freely. Additionally, the end of the manual lever 41a is connected to one end of the connecting rod, allowing the multiple connecting rods to rotate freely. Furthermore, by sliding the manual lever 41a horizontally, the sliding mechanism 41 causes the multiple connecting rods to rotate in conjunction with each other, thereby extending and sliding the entire linkage mechanism in the forward and backward direction of the gas container transport trolley 1 and driving the multiple rollers 4.

[0073] Furthermore, in the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment, it is more preferable to have multiple holes 31 arranged in the mounting platform 3, and multiple rollers 4 arranged in a manner corresponding to the multiple holes 31. As a result, each hole 31 can be constructed in a smaller size, which can sufficiently ensure the actual area of ​​the base plate 3a of the mounting platform 3, and thus the gas cylinder B can be mounted in a stable state.

[0074] In the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown in the example, it is more preferable to have a shock absorber 5 for absorbing the impact generated when the platform 3 descends via the lifting mechanism 35. In the example shown, the upper end 51 of the shock absorber 5 is fixed to the support 71 of the anti-tipping tool 7, which will be described in detail later, and the lower end 52 of the shock absorber 5 is fixed to the lower frame 21. Such a shock absorber 5 can be, for example, a shock absorber made of gas shock absorbers or the like.

[0075] The gas cylinder B placed on the mounting platform 3, although depending on its size, weighs close to 150 kg. Therefore, when the mounting platform 3 is grounded while the gas cylinder B is placed on it, it is preferable to use the shock absorber 5 to buffer the grounding of the mounting platform 3 slowly.

[0076] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown in the example, it is more preferable to have a limiter 6 for restricting the movement of the gas container transport trolley 1. Such a limiter 6 can be, for example, a foot-operated limiter (brake) that restricts the rotation of the wheel 25 by stepping on the foot pedal 61, as shown in the example.

[0077] By incorporating the aforementioned limiter 6, for example, when a reaction force is generated during the horizontal movement of gas cylinder B, it is possible to prevent the gas container transport trolley 1 from tilting to the rear (towards the limiter 6).

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is more preferable to include an anti-tipping tool 7 for stably holding the gas cylinder B on the mounting platform 3. Such an anti-tipping tool can be, for example, a tool made of a chain or belt that can be integrated to secure the gas cylinder B to the frame 2. Additionally, the anti-tipping tool is not limited to a chain or belt-like component; for example, it can be a component capable of adsorbing and holding the gas cylinder B.

[0079] Furthermore, as a tipping-off prevention tool 7, it is more preferable to use, for example, Figure 1 An anti-tipping tool with the following structure, as illustrated in the figure, includes: a fixing rod 72 that holds the gas cylinder B in a manner that surrounds the side; and a screw 74 that is screwed into a screw hole 73 provided on the fixing rod 72, and is configured such that its end (front end), which is not shown in the figure, abuts against the side of the gas cylinder B. In the anti-tipping tool 7 illustrated in the figure, the fixing rod 72 is provided at two locations corresponding to the upper and lower parts of the gas cylinder B, respectively, and these fixing rods 72 are fixed to the support column 71. In addition, the support column 71 is fixed to the lower frame 21 of the frame 2. Furthermore, the fixing rod 72 in the figure example consists of a back rod 72a fixed to the support column 71 and a loading / unloading rod 72b provided with the aforementioned screw hole 73. These back rods 72a and loading / unloading rods 72b are freely assembled and detached by inserting and removing metal parts 72c.

[0080] By incorporating the aforementioned anti-tipping tool 7, it is possible to suppress any shaking of the gas cylinder B placed on the platform 3, thereby enabling the gas cylinder B to be transported in a stable posture.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, from the viewpoint of ensuring safety when the gas container transport trolley 1 is being transported back without the gas cylinder B, it is more preferable to provide a hook 23, which can be used to engage at least a portion that has been removed from the anti-tipping tool 7. In this case, for example, the loading / unloading rod 72b that has been removed from the back rod 72a can be engaged with the hook 23 while the screw 74 is screwed into the screw hole 73.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is more preferable to provide a handle 8 for the operator to manually move the gas container transport trolley 1. Figures 1-4In the example shown, handles 8 are provided at two locations on the rear end 1B side of the side frame 22 of the structural frame 2, opposite to the side where the gas cylinder B is disposed. By providing two handles 8 as shown in the example, the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment allows the operator to manually move the gas container transport trolley 1 by operating the handles 8, thereby facilitating the transport of the gas cylinder B.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a manual method is described as where the operator moves the gas container transport trolley 1 by operating the handle 8 and rotating the wheels 25. However, this invention is not limited to such a manual method. For example, a structure can also be adopted in which a rotary drive mechanism, such as a motor (not shown) for rotating the wheels 25, is provided, and the gas container transport trolley can be driven automatically to transport the gas cylinder B.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, an adjuster 9 for raising and lowering at least a portion of the frame 2 can also be provided in the lower frame portion 21 of the frame 2. In the example shown, the adjuster 9 is provided in two locations in the lower frame portion 21 of the frame 2 such that it clamps the mounting platform 3 from the side. Figure 3B As shown, for the adjuster 9, by operating the lever 91, the lower end 92 protrudes from the lower part of the lower frame 21, thereby raising the front end 1A side of the lower frame 21 where the platform 3 is arranged, and raising the platform 3 accordingly.

[0085] By incorporating the aforementioned adjuster 9, for example, when there is a height difference between the gas container transport trolley 1 and the cylinder cabinet (not shown in the diagram), i.e., when the bottom of the cylinder cabinet side is slightly higher, the mounting platform 3 can be slightly raised. Therefore, when the gas cylinder B slides on the mounting platform 3 and rollers 4 to move from the gas container transport trolley 1 to the cylinder cabinet, it can prevent the gas cylinder B from being jammed by the bottom of the cylinder cabinet, thus enabling safe handover.

[0086] According to the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment, by having the above-described structure, it is not necessary to change the structure of the gas cylinder and cylinder cabinet as in conventional gas container transport trolleys (see also Patent Documents 1 and 2 in the aforementioned prior art documents). Therefore, it is applicable to the transport of gas cylinders to and from various cylinder cabinets, regardless of the structure of the cylinder cabinet and gas cylinder.

[0087] The following describes the steps of transporting a new gas cylinder B into the cylinder cabinet (not shown) using the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment, the steps of transporting the used gas cylinder B out of the cylinder cabinet, and the effects.

[0088] First, by stepping on the limit switch 6, the rotation of wheel 25 is restricted.

[0089] Next, the sliding mechanism 41 retracts the multiple rollers 4, bringing the base plate 3a of the platform 3 to the ground (floor surface) J. At this point, the platform 3 is first raised by operating the lifting handle 35a of the lifting mechanism 35. Then, the multiple rollers 4 are slidably moved to the rear end 1B by operating the manual lever (not shown) of the sliding mechanism 41. Finally, the base plate 3a of the platform 3 is lowered to the position where it is in contact with the ground (floor surface) J.

[0090] Next, by loosening the screw 74, the loading and unloading rod 72b of the fixing rod 72 located at the top and bottom is removed from the back rod 72a.

[0091] Next, in the above-described state, the gas cylinder B, which is placed on the ground (floor surface) J, is placed onto the base plate 3a of the mounting platform 3. At this time, after placing the gas cylinder B onto the base plate 3a, the side of the gas cylinder B is positioned against the back support rod 72a. In the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment, since the step difference between the mounting platform 3 and the ground (floor surface) J is very small, it is not necessary to lift the gas cylinder B, which is a heavy object, and it can be easily placed onto the mounting platform 3.

[0092] Next, the loading / unloading rod 72b is installed on the back rod 72a in a manner that surrounds the side of the gas cylinder B, so that the screw 74 is screwed into the screw hole 73 and the end of the screw 74 abuts against the side of the gas cylinder B, thereby holding the gas cylinder B.

[0093] Next, by operating the lifting handle 35a of the lifting mechanism 35, the platform 3 carrying the gas cylinder B is moved to the upper limit of its lifting range. In this state, by operating the manual lever 41a of the sliding mechanism 41, the multiple rollers 4 are moved forward through the sliding mechanism 41 to the front end 1A side.

[0094] Next, the platform 3 is lowered by operating the lifting handle 35a of the lifting mechanism 35, thereby inserting the multiple rollers 4 through each of the multiple holes 31 so that each roller 4 protrudes onto the base plate 3a. Then, the lifting handle 35a is operated again to fix the height position of the platform 3 at that position. Thus, the gas cylinder B on the base plate 3a is supported by the multiple rollers 4 protruding from the multiple holes 31.

[0095] Next, the limit switch 6 is released by stepping on the foot pedal 61, and the gas container transport trolley 1 is driven manually by operating the handle 8 to transport the gas cylinder B to a predetermined location, such as a cylinder cabinet.

[0096] Next, after loosening the screw 74, remove the loading / unloading rod 72b from the back rod 72a.

[0097] Then, by sliding the gas cylinder B horizontally along multiple rollers 4, the gas cylinder B is moved to a predetermined position such as the bottom of the cylinder cabinet. At this time, since the gas cylinder B slides and moves by the rotation of multiple rollers 4, it can be easily placed on the bottom of the cylinder cabinet without having to pick it up.

[0098] In addition, when removing the used gas cylinder B from the cylinder cabinet, the gas container transport trolley 1 can be operated in the reverse order of the above sequence.

[0099] That is, firstly, with the rotation of the wheel 25 restricted by the limiter 6 and the platform 3 raised by the lifting mechanism 35, the multiple rollers 4 are moved forward by operating the manual lever 41a of the sliding mechanism 41, so that each roller 4 protrudes from the hole 31 of the platform 3 onto the bottom plate 3a.

[0100] Next, the used gas cylinder B is slidably moved from inside the cylinder cabinet and pulled onto the multiple rollers 4. Then, as described above, after positioning the side of the gas cylinder B against the back rod 72a, the loading / unloading rod 72b is mounted on the back rod 72a in a manner that surrounds the side of the gas cylinder B, and the screw 74 is screwed into the screw hole 73 and its end abuts against the side of the gas cylinder B to hold the gas cylinder B in place.

[0101] Next, after manually moving the gas container transport trolley 1 to the position where the used gas cylinder B is placed, the rotation of the wheels 25 is restricted by the limiter 6. The lifting handle 35a of the lifting mechanism 35 is then operated to raise the platform 3 carrying the gas cylinder B. In this state, the multiple rollers 4 are moved backward to the rear end 1B side by operating the manual lever 41a of the sliding mechanism 41. Then, the base plate 3a of the platform 3 is lowered to a position where it touches the ground (floor surface) J.

[0102] Next, the loading / unloading rods 72b, located at both the top and bottom, are removed from the back rod 72a by loosening the screw 74.

[0103] Then, the used gas cylinder B, which is placed on the base plate 3a of the platform 3, is pulled out to the ground (floor surface) J.

[0104] Therefore, the used gas cylinder B can be easily transported out from the bottom of the cylinder cabinet with a certain height, and the gas cylinder B can be easily placed on the platform 3 of the gas container transport trolley 1, that is, placed on a plurality of rollers 4 protruding from the hole 31 of the platform 3.

[0105] Furthermore, the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the purpose of transporting the gas cylinder B mentioned above, but can also be widely used for transporting heavy objects that are difficult to move in and out by hand.

[0106] <Effects>

[0107] As explained above, the gas container transport trolley 1 of this embodiment adopts the following structure: the platform 3 for the gas cylinder B has an opening 31 on the base plate 3a on which the gas cylinder B is placed, and the roller 4 has a sliding mechanism 41 for moving the roller 4 along the platform 3 in the horizontal direction. When the roller 4 is below the platform 3, the platform 3 descends, and the roller 4 protrudes from the opening 31.

[0108] With the above structure, when placing gas cylinder B on the mounting platform 3 of the gas container transport trolley 1, the mounting platform 3 is grounded by retracting the rollers 4 to the rear end 3c side of the mounting platform 3. This minimizes the step difference between the mounting platform 3 and the ground (floor surface) J, making it easy to place gas cylinder B on the mounting platform 3. On the other hand, when transporting gas cylinder B out of the cylinder cabinet, the mounting platform 3 is lowered by advancing the multiple rollers 4 to the front end 3b side of the mounting platform 3, causing the rollers 4 to protrude from the holes 31. This allows gas cylinder B to be placed on the multiple rollers 4, making it easy to transport gas cylinder B out.

[0109] Therefore, without changing the structure of the cylinder cabinet and gas cylinder B itself, and without relying on the structure of the cylinder cabinet and gas cylinder B, it can be applied to the transportation of gas cylinder B to various cylinder cabinets, and the transportation, transportation, and transportation of gas cylinder B as a heavy object can be easily carried out without consuming manpower.

[0110] The embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings as described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0111] Industrial applicability

[0112] The gas container transport trolley of the present invention is applicable to the transport of gas cylinders to and from various cylinder cabinets without relying on the structure of the cylinder cabinets and gas cylinders. Furthermore, it allows for easy transport, removal, and loading of heavy gas cylinders without the need for manual labor. Therefore, the gas container transport trolley of the present invention is particularly suitable for applications such as transporting gas cylinders to and from cylinder cabinets used to supply raw material gases to semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0113] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0114] 1...Gas container transport trolley

[0115] 1A...Frontend

[0116] 2A...backend

[0117] 2...Framework

[0118] 21……Lower frame

[0119] 22……Side frame

[0120] 23……Hook

[0121] 24……Support section

[0122] 25...wheels

[0123] 3……Platform

[0124] 3a……base plate

[0125] 3b……Front end

[0126] 3c……rear end

[0127] 3D...side wall

[0128] 31……Hole

[0129] 35……Lifting mechanism

[0130] 35a……Lifting handle

[0131] 4... Rollers

[0132] 41……Sliding Mechanism

[0133] 41a……Manual lever

[0134] 5...Shock absorbers

[0135] 51……Top

[0136] 52……Lower End

[0137] 6... Limiters

[0138] 61... Foot pedal bar

[0139] 7... tools to prevent tipping over

[0140] 71... pillar

[0141] 72……Fixed rod

[0142] 72a...back bar

[0143] 72b... Loading / unloading rod

[0144] 73c...Plug-in metal parts

[0145] 8...handle

[0146] 9... Regulator

[0147] 91... poles

[0148] 92……Lower end

[0149] J...ground (floor surface)

Claims

1. A trolley for transporting gas containers, comprising: The frame is equipped with wheels for driving while carrying a gas container; A platform is provided in the frame. When the gas container is placed in a longitudinally placed position, it moves in the vertical direction by a lifting mechanism, thereby moving the gas container up and down. as well as Rollers are used to slide the gas container horizontally along the platform. The gas container transport trolley is characterized in that... The stage has an opening in the base plate for holding the gas container. The roller has a sliding mechanism for moving the roller horizontally along the platform. When the roller is below the mounting platform, the mounting platform descends, causing the roller to protrude from the hole onto the base plate. For the platform, when the roller slides to a position deviating from the position below the platform, the base plate of the platform descends to the ground.

2. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting platform is provided with a plurality of holes, and the rollers are arranged in a plurality of manner corresponding to the holes.

3. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes: a shock absorber for absorbing the impact generated when the platform descends through the lifting mechanism.

4. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes: a limiter for restricting the movement of the trolley used to transport the gas container.

5. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 4, characterized in that, The limiter is a foot pedal type.

6. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes: a tool for preventing the gas container from tipping over.

7. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 6, characterized in that, The anti-tipping tool includes: a fixing rod for holding the gas container in a manner that surrounds the side of the gas container; and a screw, which is screwed into a screw hole provided on the fixing rod and is configured such that the front end of the screw abuts against the side of the gas container.

8. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 6, characterized in that, The tipping prevention tool includes a hook for engaging at least a portion that has been removed from the tipping prevention tool.

9. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes a handle for manually moving the gas container transport trolley.

10. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The frame is further provided with an adjuster for raising or lowering at least a portion of the frame.

11. The gas container transport trolley according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, It further includes a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the wheels, thereby enabling the gas container transport trolley to move autonomously.

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