Hand-push three-wheel barrow

Abstract

To provide a transport vehicle allowing the elderly and persons feeling uneasy about their legs and backs to perform various kinds of transportation securely and safely without any burden and easily by modifying a wheel barrow to a three-wheel barrow.SOLUTION: From a hand-push wheel barrow body attachment portion of twin-U-shaped pipe stands formed of pipes at a wheel barrow body loading space lower part, the pipe stands are cut by a predetermined length to have any downward length. Thus, the two pipes extending downward from the body are formed as a pair of universal wheel mounting portions. A universal wheel is provided with a universal wheel placement body corresponding to a shape formed by the two pipes, and welds and fixes a universal wheel mounting plate on an iron plate lowermost portion horizontally with the ground. The universal wheel is formed on the opposite side of the universal wheel mounting plate, and a rear wheel is formed in a left and right twin-structure. Accordingly, a wheel barrow is modified into a three-wheel barrow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking-type hand-pushed carrier with three or four wheels that enables the elderly and those with foot or waist problems to move easily, even when used for household waste disposal, especially in rural areas, garden materials, or transporting lightweight items.

Background Art

[0002] Hand-pushed carriers include unicycles, bicycles, shopping carts, and silver carts. Among them, a wheel is provided at the front of a cart body composed of a frame, a middle part is formed, a loading platform is formed, a fixed U-shaped stand is formed at the lower part behind the loading platform, and two grips are formed on two extensions from the rear part of the frame body. There are unicycles, also known as cat carts, and bicycles that are lifted and carried by holding these two grips. However, although about half of the load on the loading platform is supported by the front wheel as the fulcrum and the grip part as the force point, along with the instability of the unicycle, the weight borne is a burden for the elderly and others, and there is a risk of the unicycle tipping over, the load collapsing, or the carrier falling, so its use is avoided. As a result, it is left unused in the warehouse, and there is a current situation where the elderly have difficulty transporting garden materials, especially in rural areas, to distant garbage collection points, etc. Also, there is no form of transporting cat scaffolds at construction sites, and the use of unicycles has become extremely rare, making it a potential source for the revival of cat carts.

[0003] In addition, since the applicant has installed a fish tank in a facility without running water away from the residential area, although not having foot or waist problems, they have to frequently transport water. Due to the weight, etc., and the difficulty in horizontally transporting water, a carrier that ensures stability is required. After searching for various carriers, no carrier with diverse transportation functions was found. In rural areas, there is a further need for a carrier for the elderly that can easily transport mobile garbage (such as cleaning side ditches), or pruned branches, cut grass, etc. without burdening the feet and waist.

[0004] To solve these problems, a three-wheeled vehicle has been proposed, as shown in Published Utility Model Registration No. 109867 (Patent Document 1), which is a unicycle with small wheels attached to both ends of a U-shaped stand. The three-wheeled vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a push-along tricycle for the elderly, with small tires rotatably attached to the lower end of the support column (stand) of the cargo bed, making it horizontal with the bottom surface of the front tire. Furthermore, a powered three-wheeled transport vehicle (Reference 1) is disclosed on the internet. This is for professional use and falls under the category of in-plant transport vehicles such as vehicle-type material handling and transport machinery according to the Industrial Safety and Health Regulations, and cannot be driven on public roads, so it is not considered to fall under the category of solving the problems of the present invention and is therefore listed as a reference.

[0005] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 is one that was reached in the early stages of development after conceiving an idea like the present invention, and wheels attached to the bottom of a feed pushcart stand are also disclosed on the internet. Furthermore, both types of rotatable wheels are for straight-line movement (perhaps swivel wheels, swivel casters, etc., were not disclosed at the time), and these are not suitable for smooth turning of the vehicle body and are small tires, so they are not suitable for rough roads such as those found in rural fields. [Patent Document 1] Published Practical Application Showa 54-109867 Reference 1 Makita Corporation Cordless Transport Vehicle CU180DZ Problems that the invention aims to solve

[0006] However, in the early stages of development, we attempted to create prototypes by installing several types of wheels at the bottom of the stand, similar to [Patent Document 1]. However, it was difficult to determine the diameter of the wheels, the height of the grips, and the incline of the loading platform, making it impossible to keep the water transport container on the platform level. Furthermore, considering the transport of materials on rough roads such as fields, it became clear that the wheels installed at the rear also needed to have approximately the same contact pressure as the front wheels. Additionally, when installing swivel wheels for turning as a three-wheeled vehicle, the stand, which is within the turning range of the wheel itself, became an obstacle, hindering free turning. Furthermore, [Reference 1] is heavy, weighing approximately 45 kg, requires charging, and if it has an engine, it becomes impossible to move if it loses power even temporarily. Also, when using public roads, the vehicle in [Reference 1] is prohibited from being driven automatically on public roads by the Industrial Safety and Health Regulations, and must be moved by hand. In addition, it is expensive, and the cost is too high for simply transporting a single garbage bag. The objective of this invention is to provide a new three-wheeled hand-pushed transport vehicle that is inexpensive and allows elderly people and others to safely and securely transport various items, and that creates a more flexible transport system by changing the position of the swivel wheels according to the severity of the user's physical condition, such as back pain. Means for solving the invention

[0007] (1) In order to make a three-wheeled vehicle while maintaining the function of a unicycle, one obstacle is the design of the stand. That is, since a three-wheeled vehicle is made by installing wheels with approximately the same ground pressure as the front wheel of the unicycle on both stand sections, it is necessary to secure a wide space around the rear wheel. Therefore, in the description of claim 1, at the stage of manufacturing the unicycle, the U-shaped stand section, which is formed from the lower part of the main pipe frame handle section, is cut to an arbitrary length to form two pipe stand frames (hereinafter referred to as frames). The two frames forming the stand on both sides are spaced wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. A corresponding inverted trapezoidal steel plate is attached to both frames with screws or welded to reinforce them, forming a stand reinforcement plate. At the bottom, a steel plate for mounting a swivel wheel is welded to the lowest part of the two frames, or the lower part of the inverted trapezoid is bent at an arbitrary angle, and the newly formed swivel wheel's drive unit is mounted horizontally on it. The inclination of the wheelbarrow body and the ground clearance of the handle grip are set to the ground clearance when walking while maintaining a nearly horizontal position inside the water transport container, and the height is adjusted using the frame and swivel wheel to create a three-wheeled pushcart. (2) The two pairs of pipes extending downward from the handle portion of the unicycle body described above are inclined with respect to the ground, which makes it difficult to determine the position of the bolt through holes when constructing the swivel wheel mounting body. Therefore, the two pairs of pipes extending downward from the handle portion are formed substantially perpendicular to the ground to simplify the attachment of the swivel wheel mounting body, and the swivel wheel mounting location is provided in at least two locations, and the swivel wheel mounting location can be selected from multiple locations. (3) A three-wheeled pushcart characterized in that, in order to increase the strength of the handle portion 6 which constitutes the mounting portion of the swivel wheel, it has an upper reinforcing pipe 5c that connects the two pairs of pipes 5a that extend downward from the handle portion of the unicycle body described above, a lower reinforcing pipe 5d that connects the rear of the two pairs of swivel wheel mounting body holding portions 35, and a front reinforcing pipe 5e that connects the front of the swivel wheel mounting body holding portions 35. (4) A three-wheeled pushcart characterized in that the weight placed on the handle differs depending on the severity of the disability such as lower back pain, and the mounting position of the swivel wheels can be selected when the burden of pushing increases due to the condition of the road surface such as a gravel road. (5) Japan has many hills, and since the unicycle has three wheels, there is a risk that the three-wheeled vehicle itself will move freely and become uncontrollable, so brakes are essential. For this reason, the following parking device was constructed. A three-wheeled pushcart has a parking brake device in which the parking brake pad for the front tire is connected to a pad holder and a compression spring, and is configured to pass through the inside of the spring cover, and presses against the center of the width of the front tire, approximately above the center of the front tire, to restrain the front tire. (6) When converted into a three-wheeled vehicle, the inclination, height of the main body, and the height of the grip become issues. However, if the goal is to keep the water transport container horizontal, the inclination of the main body during water transport is determined by the height of the grip, and the shape of the main body must always be such that the water surface of the loaded water container is kept horizontal. This will allow for the maximum possible loading of various transport materials in the future. Effects of the invention

[0008] ▲1▼Because it is now a three-wheeled vehicle, the load on the front wheel is reduced, allowing it to easily pass over small bumps that it could not overcome before, as well as gravel roads on farms and slightly muddy (low moisture) areas in fields. Furthermore, when transporting water, the vibration of the front wheel is halved, and the water in the container does not shake, allowing for stable transport. ▲2▼One-point turning is now possible. Previously, a person had to turn around the front wheels while holding the grip, but now the front wheels can be lifted using the rear wheels as a pivot point, allowing for turning. In addition, because it is now possible to turn using only the rear wheels around the front wheels, the turning radius is short due to the short wheelbase, and it is not difficult to flip the vehicle over in narrow spaces. ▲3▼Traditional wheelbarrows always required both hands to support them, but this three-wheeled version is more stable and can be carried with one hand. It can now even be used to carry an umbrella, something previously unthinkable. ▲4▼ With conventional unicycles, tipping over is unavoidable unless supported with both hands. However, because the swivel wheels are located at the rear of the platform, it is highly stable and can be moved while putting weight on it, unlike a mobility scooter, so even elderly people with weak legs and hips can transport things freely. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an overall diagram of a three-wheeled pushcart consisting only of a pipe frame, after modifying a wheelbarrow and removing the cargo bed. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the connection between the stand frame and the swivel caster. [Figure 3] This diagram shows how the water transport mechanism maintains the horizontal position of the water transporter, and how the grip position and the height of the loading platform are determined. [Figure 4] This diagram shows a second method for connecting the stand frame and the swivel caster without using tools. [Figure 5] This is a side view of a three-wheeled hand truck with swivel wheels mounted on a main body. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of reinforcing pipes that increase the strength of the handlebars and the main body where the swivel wheels are mounted on a three-wheeled vehicle. [Figure 7]This diagram shows the relationship between the main body that constitutes the swivel wheel mounting system, the swivel wheel, and the connecting pin device that substantially holds both simultaneously. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the brake system configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following explanation will be based on the drawings. [Examples]

[0011] Figure 1 is an overall view of the pipe frame excluding the cargo platform as described in claim 1. The present invention considers a process of changing the stand to a swivel wheel from the basic design of an existing wheelbarrow. Normally, wheelbarrows are made of approximately 25 mm pipes to reduce weight, and the configuration of the present invention is also based on a pipe stand with a diameter of 25 mm.

[0012] The front wheel diameter is 350mm, and the rear swivel wheel diameter is 250mm. Ideally, the swivel wheel should be the same size as the front wheel, but currently, we cannot find a swivel wheel larger than the prototype.

[0013] Figure 1 shows an existing wheelbarrow with both pipe stands cut at arbitrary positions. A stand reinforcing plate 1, made of sheet metal, is attached to cover frame B (hereinafter referred to as the stand frame), which is formed from two pipes extending downward from the main body A. The stand reinforcing plate is formed in the same way as frame B, with a wider upper part and a narrower lower part, creating an inverted trapezoid shape. A swivel wheel mounting plate 2, made of sheet metal, is welded to the bottom of the stand reinforcing plate, horizontal to the ground, and a swivel wheel 3 is attached to the lower opposite side.

[0014] The swivel wheel mounting plate 2 is horizontally elongated, allowing the mounting location of the swivel wheel 2 to be selected. When mounted at the front, the three-point support wheelbase with the front tire 10 is shortened, increasing the contact pressure and making it suitable for transporting heavy objects. When mounted at the rear, the human load on the grip 11 and push assist 12 is applied to the swivel wheel, resulting in a greater proportion of the wheel supporting the person's weight and enabling stable transport.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to prevent the collapse of the load when loading branches, grass, etc. of trimmed garden trees that are bulky due to being stable, a load collapse prevention frame 13 is formed at the forefront of the main body A, and although not further described, by attaching a grip or the like for the previous use, the main body A can be pushed from the front and reverse transportation is also possible.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the installation of the swivel wheel 3 installed on the stand frame 5. Similar to the stand reinforcement plate 1 formed of an iron plate, the swivel wheel mounting plate 2 is welded in accordance with the angle of the stand frame 5 defined in the manufacturing process of each manufacturer of unicycles. Considering the loading load of about 80 kg of the unicycle, the thickness of both iron plates should be approximately 3.2 mm to maintain strength. Furthermore, it is reinforced with bolts 4 penetrating the stand reinforcement plate 1 and the frame 5. At this time, the swivel wheel mounting plate 2 is horizontal in all directions.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows that when configuring the swivel wheel, the height (position) of the grip becomes a problem. Here, it is based on the horizontal level of the water appliance 20 with the upper surface mounted on the loading platform 12 being released. That is, no matter who transports it, the level of the water and the position of the grip do not change. The swivel wheel mounting plate 2 not described in FIG. 2 is long in the front and rear, and the mounting position of the swivel wheel 3 can be selected, enabling the wheelbase to be long or short. A short wheelbase is suitable for transporting heavy objects, a long wheelbase is suitable for transporting lightweight and bulky objects, etc.

Example

[0018] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram in which the swivel wheel mounting plate 2 is separated from the frame reinforcement plate 1 screwed to both frames 5, and a new swivel wheel 3 mounting portion 41 and a support plate 42 are welded and fixed. The support plate 42 is inserted and penetrated through a support plate holder 40 formed on the stand reinforcement plate 1, and the swivel wheel 3 constituted by a fastener 43 is made detachable.

[0019] The fastener 43 is configured approximately in the center, but it is also easy to attach and detach by being positioned above the support plate retainer 40. The range of use of the unicycle is wide, and there are cases where the loading plate 12 is loaded with moist rubble or the like, or when the traveling road is severe, damage to the driving part of the free wheel 3 may occur, so it is desirable that the free wheel 3 can be easily attached and detached without using tools.

Embodiment

[0020] Fig. 5 shows a side view of a tricycle with a free wheel improved from Fig. 4 installed on the unicycle body. The two pairs of two pipes 5 extending downward from the handle part 6 of the unicycle body described above are inclined with respect to the ground. Therefore, when configuring the free wheel installation body 30, since the inclination angle is fixed, it is difficult to change the position during the formation of the bolt penetration 4 etc., so when manufacturing the unicycle body A, change the U-shaped stand and form two pairs of pipes 5a vertically with respect to the ground downward from the handle part 6, and the attachment position of the free wheel installation body 30 can be fixed in consideration of the penetration of the bolt 4 etc. Also, at least two or more free wheel installation locations 37 are provided on the free wheel body 30, and the free wheel 34 with the attachment part formed can select a plurality of free wheel installation locations 37.

[0021] The pipe 5a formed vertically downward with an arbitrary length from the middle part of the handle part 6 and the pipe 5b formed vertically, which is not shown but is formed on the lower body pipe 5 of the loading platform 12, are configured horizontally with respect to the ground for the free wheel installation body 30. The free wheel 34 with the attachment part formed (hereinafter, the formed free wheel) can be attached and detached without using tools by being sandwiched between the free wheel guides 31 through the formed free wheel insertion plate 33, and a plurality of installation locations 37 configured on the free wheel installation body 30 can be selected.

[0022] For people with back pain, the elderly, etc., transporting a unicycle with a load capacity of 80 kg loaded onto the platform 12 places the load on the front wheel 10, making it almost impossible to transport on gravel roads, soft ground, etc. In contrast, with the present invention, when transporting heavy loads, by installing the pre-formed swivel wheel 34 in front of the swivel wheel installation point 37, the point of force is shifted forward, making it possible to put body weight on the push unicycle. Furthermore, the wheelbase of the front wheel 10 and both swivel wheels 3 is shortened, reducing the weight on the front wheel 10, and the load weight is also placed on both swivel wheels 3. The pressure on the wheels due to the load weight is distributed, reducing the pressure on the wheels and making transport easier. Also, for light loads, by positioning the pre-formed swivel wheel 34 behind the swivel wheel installation point 37, it becomes possible to transport by putting body weight on the push unicycle.

[0023] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the pipes and other components that make up the swivel wheel mounting body 30. When the load on the three-wheeled vehicle increases, for example, when both wheels 3 of the formed swivel wheel 34 are parallel and moving forward, if the grip 11 formed on the handle part 6 is pushed laterally, the range of motion between the axle position of the swivel wheel 3 and the swivel ball bearing is small, and lateral pressure is applied to the handle part 6 and the vertical pipe 5a formed on the handle part 6. Deformation of the vertical pipe 5a and the swivel wheel mounting body is expected, so an upper reinforcing pipe 5c, a lower rear reinforcing pipe 5d, and a lower front reinforcing pipe 5e are formed to prevent failure due to lateral load. Both vertical pipes 5a are welded to a pair of swivel wheel mounting body holding parts 35, and it is preferable that the upper reinforcing pipe 5c that connects to the vertical reinforcing pipe 5a is connected by a pipe band or welded. The lower rear reinforcing pipe 5d and the lower front reinforcing pipe 5e are welded to a pair of swivel wheel body holding parts 35. Furthermore, the length of the swivel wheel body holding portion 35 is the same as the bottom extension of the swivel wheel body 30, and is set further outward from the distance between the vertical pipes 5a and 5b formed on the handle portion 6, in order to reinforce the load applied to the swivel wheel 34. Although not shown in the figures, the mounting width of both swivel wheels 34 should preferably be at a position equivalent to the maximum width of the loading platform 12, and within a range that does not obstruct the passage width of existing wheelbarrows.

[0024] Next, Figure 7 will be explained. Figure 7 shows the connection configuration of the swivel wheel body 30. The swivel wheel insertion plate guide 31 is attached to the base 30a of the body, and the guide 31, the body base 30a, and the swivel wheel body reinforcement 32 are brought into close contact at three points by bolts 4. The lower part of the swivel wheel body reinforcement 32b is also brought into close contact with the swivel wheel body holding part 35 by bolts 4. The swivel wheel body reinforcements 32 and 32b cover the swivel wheel body 30, and the guide 31 forms the insertion plate connection space 37 of the insertion plate 33. When the through hole 36 of the body base 30a is aligned with the through hole 36b of the formed swivel wheel insertion plate 33, it is substantially fixed by the pin tip 36a protruding from the connecting holding pin C, and the fixing energy is provided by the built-in magnet v.

[0025] In describing the present invention, the pipes and components are described as being made of metal or aluminum, and both are relevant. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to the installation of the swivel wheel body 30 in aluminum container transport equipment. [Examples]

[0026] The challenge with adding a swivel wheel 3 to an existing unicycle is that while it allows for free movement, if it is pushed and released from the person's hand, it can become uncontrollable. For example, when used on a slope or in windy conditions, the possibility of falls or accidents causing damage to others due to free movement must be considered. In this invention, since it is primarily developed for the elderly, riding on a slope while applying the brakes is extremely dangerous, so a parking brake has been implemented with the assumption that the user will stop if they feel danger.

[0027] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a parking brake device mounted on a three-wheeled pushcart A. The brake pad 57 is located above the center of the front tire 10 and in the center of the tire width 10, and together with the spring cover 59 and spring 55, it is located in a straight line behind the front tire 10. The cylindrical spring cover 59 is welded to the main frame, and the spring 55, which is made up of a brake pad holder 56, passes through the inside of the spring cover 59 and moves back and forth relative to the unicycle body A via the grip 50. The brake pad 57 is made of rubber and presses directly against the front tire 10, thereby substantially fixing the front tire 10 in place. The stopper 51 can control the free movement of the body A by adjusting the pressing pressure of the brake pad 57 in stages at the top of the shaft 52.

[0028] The rotational force of the front wheel tire 10 when loaded is strong, and the brake pad holder 56 is subjected to vertical pressure within the spring cover 59, so it needs to be made of high-strength steel. In contrast, a cover reinforcing ring 60 is formed at the tip of the spring cover 59 to suppress the rotation of the front wheel tire 10. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] A. Unicycle body v Built-in magnet 1. Stand reinforcement plate 2 Universal wheel mounting plate 3 swivel wheels 4. Mounting bolts 5 Main pipe 5a Vertical pipe 5b Reinforcement pipe 10 Front tires 11 Grips 12 cargo bed 13 Push assist bar 30 Swivel Caster Mounting Unit 31 Swivel Wheel Guide 32 Swivel Caster Body Reinforcement 33 Forming Swivel Wheel Insertion Plate 34 Formable wheels 35 Swivel wheel main body holding part 36 Connection through hole 37 Space between insertion plates 39. Connecting retaining pin 50 Brake shaft grip 51 Grip stopper 52 Brake shaft 53 Shaft pivot point 54 Brake bar drive pivot point 55 Compression Spring 56 Brake pad retaining section 57 Brake Pads 60 Spring Cover

Claims

1. A tricycle with two (a pair of) swivel wheels mounted on a pair of U-shaped stand frames formed by a main frame (5) of the tricycle, which is formed with a loading platform (12) mounted in the center of a body (A) formed of a pipe frame, a pair of handle grips (11) at the rear of the body, a pair of U-shaped stand frames at the bottom of the body, and a single wheel (10) at the front bottom of the body, The pair of stand frames are cut to an arbitrary length, and a pair of free-wheel installation bodies (30) are formed horizontally on the ground on the pair of cut stand frames, The swivel wheel installation body (30) includes two upper and lower swivel wheel body reinforcements (32), a swivel wheel guide (31), and a plurality of insertion plate connection spaces (37). A pair of forming wheels (34) and forming wheel insert plates (33) are provided. The formable wheels (34) are detachably inserted into any of the plurality of connecting spaces (37), This hand-pushed tricycle is characterized in that by changing the distance between the front tire (10), the swivel wheel (3), and the wheel base, the target position for reducing the pushing force related to the load weight can be selected by changing the tire installation pressure depending on the tire spacing due to the combination of the front wheel (10) and the two swivel wheels (3) or separation, etc.

2. The formed free wheel (34) which can be attached and detached to the free wheel installation body (30) is a free wheel which can rotate back and forth and can also turn, The tricycle described in claim 1 is characterized in that the formed swivel wheel insertion plate (33) and the connecting through hole (36) that holds the connecting retaining pin (39) are connected to the swivel wheel installation body (30) through the insertion plate connecting space (37), and a magnet is formed inside the connecting retaining pin (39) to prevent it from falling.

3. A push tricycle as described in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the swivel wheels (34) can be configured to select the insertion plate connection space (37), which is the location where the swivel wheels are installed, in order to reduce the pushing force depending on the severity of the disability such as lower back pain or leg pain, the amount of load, and the condition of the running surface.

4. A push tricycle as described in claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the front wheels of the tricycle do not lift up even when the weight of the body is placed on the grip by adjusting the position of the swivel wheels.

5. The tricycle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the parking brake pad is connected to a pad holder and a compression spring, passes through the spring cover, and has a parking brake device that presses against the center of the front tire width approximately above the center of the front tire to restrain the front tire.

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