Load carriage device

Abstract

To provide a load carriage device that can stably place a container main body on a device placing surface without utilizing a stationary fastener, etc.SOLUTION: A load carriage device includes a container unit, and a placing and carrying stage. The container unit includes a container main body and leg portions. The leg portion protrudes downwardly beyond the lower end of the supported portion of the container main body, and can abut on a device placing surface. The device carrying stage includes a seat portion, a container support portion, and an ascending and descending operation portion. The seat portion can abut on the device placing surface. The container support portion abuts on the lower surface of the supported portion of the container unit so as to support the container main body. The ascending and descending operation portion is placed on the seat, and ascends or descends the container support portion. A height from the lower end of the leg portion to the supported portion of the container unit is higher than a height from the lower end of the grounding portion of the seat portion abutting on the device placing surface to the upper end of the container support portion in the maximally descended state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a load-carrying device equipped with a container. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A known cargo handling device has a transport assist function section provided on the bottom surface of a container to facilitate movement of the container (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cargo handling device described in Patent Document 1 has rollers that can roll on the underside of a container as a transport auxiliary function unit. In this cargo handling device, the container is placed on the platform of a transport vehicle or on a road surface via the rollers, making it easy to move the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-71855 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the cargo handling device described in Patent Document 1, rollers for rolling the container are installed on the underside of the container, so although the container can be moved freely on the device's mounting surface (loading platform), it is difficult to stably support the container on the device's mounting surface. Therefore, as a countermeasure, it was necessary to install a stationary fixing device on the loading platform, which is the device's mounting surface, and fix the container with the fixing device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS The present invention provides a cargo handling device that allows a container body to be stably placed on the device's placement surface without using stationary fasteners or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A load-carrying device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a container unit (e.g., container unit 10 in the embodiment), and a loading and transporting platform (e.g., loading and transporting platform 11 in the embodiment) capable of supporting and transporting the container unit and capable of placing the container unit on an equipment loading surface, the container unit comprising a container body (e.g., container body 12 in the embodiment) capable of accommodating articles therein, and legs (e.g., legs 13 in the embodiment) protruding below a lower end of a supported portion of the container body (e.g., lower surface 15 in the embodiment) and having a lower end capable of abutting against the equipment loading surface, the loading and transporting platform having a ground contact portion at its lower end (e.g., a container support part (e.g., container support part 18 in the embodiment) that supports the container body by abutting against the lower surface of the supported part of the container unit; and a lifting operation part (e.g., lifting device 19 in the embodiment) that is disposed on the pedestal part and lifts and lowers the container support part, and the height from the lower end of the leg to the supported part of the container unit is higher than the height from the lower end of the ground contact part of the pedestal part abutting against the equipment mounting surface to the upper end of the container support part in the lowest position.

[0008] In the above configuration, when the container unit is placed on an equipment mounting surface (e.g., the loading platform of a vehicle), the container unit is placed on the mounting platform and the grounding portion of the base of the mounting platform is brought into contact with the equipment mounting surface. At this time, the container support portion of the mounting platform is raised by the lifting operation portion, and the lower ends of the legs of the container unit are spaced apart from the upper surface of the equipment mounting surface. Therefore, the container unit can be moved to a desired position on the equipment mounting surface via the mounting platform. Next, from this state, the container support part of the equipment transport platform is lowered by operating the lifting operation part. When the container support part is lowered in this manner, the container unit supported by the container support part is lowered at the same time. When the container support part is lowered below a predetermined height, the lower ends of the legs of the container unit come into contact with the equipment mounting surface. When the container support part is further lowered, the container support part moves away from the lower surface of the supported part of the container unit. When the legs of the container unit come into contact with the equipment mounting surface as described above, the container unit is stably supported on the equipment mounting surface via the legs. Furthermore, when the container support surface is separated from the supported portion of the container unit by operating the lifting operation unit, the loading and transporting platform can move freely relative to the container unit. Therefore, from this state, it is possible to move only the equipment transporting platform to another position and use it.

[0009] The base portion comprises a base body (e.g., base block 20 in the embodiment) on which the lifting operation portion is installed, and a wheel holding mechanism (e.g., front wheel 60F and rear wheel 60R in the embodiment) that holds wheels that can roll on the device mounting surface and is connected to the base body so as to adjust the height position of the wheels (e.g., front wheel holding mechanism 21 and rear wheel holding mechanism 22 in the embodiment), the wheel holding mechanism is capable of changing its state between a protruding state in which the wheels protrude downward a predetermined distance from the base body and a stored state in which the wheels are positioned higher than the height position of the wheels in the protruding state, and the wheels may be configured to constitute the ground contact portion that abuts the device mounting surface when the wheel holding mechanism is in the stored state.

[0010] In this case, when the container support part is raised while the wheel holding mechanism is in the stored state, the lower ends of the legs of the container unit rise above the equipment mounting surface while the wheels, which are the grounding parts of the base part, are in contact with the equipment mounting surface. At this time, the loading and transport platform, while supporting the container unit, can move freely over the equipment mounting surface via the wheels. In addition, when the container support part is lowered while the wheel holding mechanism is in the stored state, the lower ends of the legs of the container unit contact the device mounting surface, and the container support part separates from the supported part of the container unit. In this state, the loading and transporting platform can be moved independently via the wheels. Therefore, the loading and transporting platform can be separated from the container unit and used in another location. For example, when the container unit is to be lowered from the bed of a vehicle, which is one form of an equipment mounting surface, to the outside of the vehicle and moved, the wheel holding mechanism is set in a protruding state to protrude the wheels downward a predetermined distance. At this time, the container support part of the loading and transporting platform abuts against the supported part of the container unit. When the wheels abut against the road surface outside the vehicle (the equipment mounting surface) in this state, the container unit can be freely moved on the road surface via the wheel holding mechanism and the wheels.

[0011] The cargo handling device may further include an auxiliary leg (e.g., auxiliary leg 65 in the embodiment) that is detachably attached to the leg of the container unit, and the height from the lower end of the auxiliary leg attached to the leg in the protruding state to the supported portion of the container unit may be set higher than the height from the lower end of the wheel abutting the device mounting surface to the upper end of the container support portion in the lowest position.

[0012] In this case, when the auxiliary legs are attached to the legs of the container unit, the lower ends of the auxiliary legs are brought into contact with the equipment mounting surface (e.g., a road surface) so that the container unit can be placed on the equipment mounting surface. At this time, the container support part of the loading and transporting platform is lowered by the lifting and lowering operation part, and the container support part is separated from the supported part of the container unit. This allows the container unit to be stably supported on the equipment mounting surface via the auxiliary legs. Note that in this state, the loading and transporting platform can also be detached from the container unit and moved to another position. When the container unit is to be moved from the above state, the container support part of the loading and transporting platform is raised by the lifting and lowering operation part, and the container unit together with the auxiliary legs is raised above the equipment surface. As a result, the container unit can be freely moved on the equipment loading surface via the wheel holding mechanism and the wheels.

[0013] In the protruding state, the wheels include a front wheel (e.g., front wheel 60F in the embodiment) disposed toward the front of the base body, and a rear wheel (e.g., rear wheel 60R in the embodiment) disposed toward the rear of the base body, and the wheel holding mechanism includes a front wheel holding mechanism (e.g., front wheel holding mechanism 21 in the embodiment) that holds the front wheel, and a rear wheel holding mechanism (e.g., rear wheel holding mechanism 22 in the embodiment) that holds the rear wheel, and the front wheel holding mechanism has an upper end portion slidably and rotatably connected to the base body in the front-rear direction. and a rear arm (e.g., rear arm 30 in the embodiments) having a lower end connected to a support portion of the front wheel (e.g., support portion 23f in the embodiments), and a front arm (e.g., front arm 31 in the embodiments) having an upper end rotatably connected to the front portion of the base body and a lower end rotatably connected to a midway portion near the lower portion of the rear arm, and the upper end of the rear arm may be positioned on the front side of the base body in the extended state, and positioned on the rear side of the base body in the stored state.

[0014] In this case, when the front wheel holding mechanism is in the protruding state, the upper end of the rear arm is disposed on the front side of the base body, and the rear arm is in the standing state. At this time, the front arm stands up by following the tilting change of the rear arm with the upper end as the pivot point. As a result, the front wheel is supported by the front arm and the rear arm on the front side of the base body. Furthermore, when the front wheel holding mechanism changes from the extended state to the stored state, the upper end of the rear arm slides toward the rear of the base body while the lower end gradually tilts forward. At this time, the front arm tilts following the tilting change of the rear arm with the upper end as the pivot point. At this time, since the front wheel is supported by the lower end of the rear arm, it is stored without moving significantly toward the rear of the base body. As a result, the front wheel is stored compactly on the front side of the base body while ensuring storage space for the rear wheel on the rear side of the base body. In addition, in this configuration, since the lower end of the front arm is tilted backward to be in the stored state, when the front wheel holding mechanism is shifted to the stored state and the entire load carrying device is pushed forward to be placed on the bed of the vehicle, the front arm is unlikely to interfere with the opening of the luggage compartment of the vehicle, which makes it easier to load the load carrying device.

[0015] The rear wheel holding mechanism includes a rear wheel support arm (e.g., rear wheel support arm 35 in the embodiment) whose upper end is connected to the base body so as to be slidable in the fore-and-aft direction and rotatable, and whose lower end is connected to a support portion for the rear wheel (e.g., support portion 23r in the embodiment), and the upper end of the rear wheel support arm may be positioned on the rear side of the base body in the protruding state, and positioned on the front side of the base body in the stored state.

[0016] In this case, when the rear wheel holding mechanism is in the protruding state, the upper end of the rear wheel support arm is disposed on the rear side of the base body, and the rear wheel support arm is in the upright state, so that the rear wheel is supported by the rear support arm on the rear side of the base body. When the rear wheel holding mechanism changes from the extended state to the stored state, the upper end of the rear wheel support arm slides toward the front of the base body, while the lower end of the rear wheel support arm is raised toward the rear with the upper end as a pivot point. The rear wheel support arm is disposed so as to extend in the front-rear direction and generally follow the lower surface of the base body. At this time, the rear wheel is stored compactly under the rear side of the base body.

[0017] The container unit may further include a cover member (e.g., cover member 70 in the embodiment) that is attached to the lower part of a luggage compartment opening (e.g., luggage compartment opening 4 in the embodiment) of the vehicle on which the container unit is mounted, and a guide wheel (e.g., guide wheel 73 in the embodiment) is provided at the front of the loading and unloading platform, and the cover member may be provided with a guide wall (e.g., guide wall 72 in the embodiment) that guides the guide wheel.

[0018] In this case, by attaching the cover member to the bottom of the vehicle's luggage compartment opening, the cover member can prevent the luggage compartment opening from interfering with the luggage compartment opening when loading or unloading the luggage compartment opening into or from the vehicle. In addition, when the load-carrying device is loaded into the vehicle's luggage compartment through the luggage compartment opening, the guide wheels are guided by the guide wall of the cover member, thereby preventing the load-carrying device from coming into contact with the inner walls of the vehicle compartment, etc. Therefore, by adopting this configuration, the loading and unloading of the load-carrying device onto the vehicle can be facilitated.

[0019] The cover member may be provided with an engagement portion (e.g., latch 75 in the embodiment) that can engage with a striker (e.g., striker 74 in the embodiment) for holding the door that opens and closes the luggage compartment opening in a closed state.

[0020] In this case, the cover member can be reliably fixed to the trunk opening by engaging the engaging portion of the cover member with the striker for the vehicle door. Also, since the cover member is positioned by the striker of the vehicle, the guide wall of the cover member can be kept in a fixed position relative to the vehicle. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the load-handling device can be accurately guided to a predetermined loading position through the guide wall of the cover member.

[0021] The container body of the container unit may be configured so that an imaging device (e.g., imaging device 90 in the embodiment) that captures images to the rear is disposed on the rear wall (e.g., rear wall 12r in the embodiment) and a monitor device (e.g., monitor device 91 in the embodiment) that displays images captured by the imaging device to the front side is installed on the front wall (e.g., front wall 12f in the embodiment).

[0022] In this case, when the container unit is placed in the luggage compartment of the vehicle and an image of the rear of the vehicle is captured by the imaging device, the image of the rear of the vehicle is displayed on the monitor device disposed on the front wall of the container body. Therefore, the driver can check the situation behind the vehicle by looking at the image on the monitor device through the rearview mirror or by looking directly behind. Even if the container unit is disposed in a position that blocks the driver's rear view, the situation behind the vehicle can be reliably checked. In addition, when the container unit is not mounted on the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle can be seen through the rearview mirror or rear window, eliminating the need to mount unnecessary imaging devices or monitor devices on the vehicle, which simplifies the vehicle structure and reduces the product costs. Furthermore, the monitor device installed on the container body can display promotional images and videos, so when the container unit is unloaded from the vehicle, it can be effectively used as a promotional monitor, etc. Effect of the Invention

[0023] In the load handling device according to the present invention, the height from the lower end of the legs of the container unit to the supported part is higher than the height from the lower end of the ground contact part of the base part of the loading and transporting platform abutting the device mounting surface to the upper end of the container support part in the lowest position. Therefore, by raising and lowering the container lifting part with the lifting operation part, the legs can be brought into contact with and separated from the device mounting surface. Therefore, when the load handling device according to the present invention is employed, the container body can be stably placed on the device mounting surface without using stationary fixing devices or the like. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the load carrying device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a container unit of a load carrying device according to an embodiment is placed on a loading platform of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a side view showing one operation of the load carrying device of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the load carrying device of the embodiment placed on a road surface. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which the container unit of the load carrying device according to the embodiment is placed on a road surface. [Figure 6] 11 is a side view showing the operation of detaching and removing the loading and transporting platform of the load carrying device of the embodiment from the container unit. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a side view showing a loading operation of the load carrying device of the embodiment onto a vehicle bed. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a side view showing a loading operation of the load carrying device of the embodiment onto a vehicle bed. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the load carrying device according to the embodiment, corresponding to cross section XX in FIG. 9 . [Figure 11] 5A, 5B, and 5C are plan views sequentially showing the loading operation onto the platform of the load carrying device of the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view of the interior of a vehicle cabin on which the container unit of the embodiment is placed. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container body according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view showing a load carrying device 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view showing a state in which a container unit 10 of the load carrying device 1 is placed on a loading platform 3 of a vehicle 2. The load-carrying device 1 comprises a container unit 10 and a loading and transporting platform 11 that can transport the container unit 10 while supporting it, and that can place the container unit 10 on an equipment loading surface such as a loading platform 3 of a vehicle 2.

[0026] The container unit 10 includes a substantially rectangular container body 12 capable of storing articles therein, and four legs 13 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the container body 12. The container body 12 is provided with openable and closable doors 14 on the front and rear walls and on the left and right side walls. Inside the container body 12, shelves, storage boxes, and the like for storing articles are appropriately installed. Articles can be stored inside the container body 12 by opening the doors 14, and can also be removed from inside the container body 12. 1 and 2 will be referred to as the "front", and the side located on the right side of the container unit 10 will be referred to as the "rear". In addition, the vertically upward direction of the container unit 10 will be referred to as the "top", and the opposite side will be referred to as the "bottom", and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and the up-down direction will be referred to as the "left-to-right direction". In the appropriate places on the drawing, there are indicated an arrow FR pointing forward of the vehicle 2, an arrow UP pointing upward, and an arrow LH pointing to the left.

[0027] The legs 13 protrude from the left and right ends of the front and rear end regions of the container body 12. The four legs 13 have the same downward protruding length (protruding length from the container body 12). Each leg 13 protrudes downward from the bottom surface 15 of the central region of the container body 12, and its lower end can abut against an apparatus mounting surface such as the loading platform 3 of the vehicle 2. When the load-carrying device 1 is placed on the loading platform 3 of the vehicle 2, the loading platform 3 serves as the apparatus mounting surface, whereas when the load-carrying device 1 is placed on a road surface 16 outside the vehicle, the road surface 16 serves as the apparatus mounting surface. In this embodiment, the lower surface 15 of the central region of the container body 12 constitutes the supported part that is supported by the loading and carrying platform 11. However, for example, if a separate plate member or the like is attached to the lower surface of the container body 12, the plate member or the like becomes the supported part.

[0028] The loading and transport platform 11 comprises a base portion 17 whose lower end contacts the equipment mounting surface such as the cargo bed 3 (front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R described later), a container support portion 18 which contacts the underside 15 (supported portion) of the container body 12 to support the container body 12, and a lifting device 19 (lifting operating portion) which is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 17 and operates to raise and lower the container support portion 18.

[0029] The pedestal portion 17 includes a rectangular plate-like base block 20 (pedestal body) extending along the front-rear direction, a front wheel holding mechanism 21 connected to the base block 20 to hold the front wheel 60F, and a rear wheel holding mechanism 22 connected to the base block 20 to hold the rear wheel 60R. The lower end of the lifting device 19 is fixed to the upper surface of the base block 20.

[0030] The front wheel 60F and the rear wheel 60R rollably contact an apparatus mounting surface such as the loading platform 3 or the road surface 16. The front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are connected to the base block 20 so that the respective height positions (height positions relative to the base block 20) ​​of the front wheel 60F and the rear wheel 60R can be adjusted. The front wheel holding mechanism 21 is rotatably connected to the base block 20 at its base end, and a support portion 23f for the front wheel 60F is connected to its tip end. Similar to the front wheel holding mechanism 21, the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is rotatably connected to the base block 20 at its base end, and a support portion 23r for the rear wheel 60R is connected to its tip end.

[0031] The front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are capable of changing between a protruding state in which the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R protrude downward a predetermined distance from the base block 20, and a stored state in which the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R are positioned higher than the height positions of the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R in the protruding state. The detailed structures of the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 will be described later. In this embodiment, the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 constitute a wheel holding mechanism.

[0032] The lifting device 19 may be, for example, one that uses a pantograph arm (X-shaped arm) to lift and lower an upper lifting table. In this embodiment, a device is used in which an operating force is applied to a pantograph arm by manually operating an operating handle, thereby lifting and lowering the lifting table. However, the structure of the lifting device 19 is not limited to this. The lifting device 19 may be, for example, a hydraulic or electric type. In this embodiment, the lift table on the upper part of the lift device 19 constitutes the container support part 18. However, the container support part 18 may be structured separately from the lift table of the lift device 19 and connected to the lift table by an appropriate means.

[0033] The container support parts 18 are capable of coming into contact from below with the underside 15 of the container body 12, which is the supported part of the container unit 10. The container support parts 18 come into contact with the underside 15 of the container body 12 when raised by the lifting device 19, and move away from the underside 15 of the container body 12 when lowered by the lifting device 19.

[0034] When the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the stored state described above, the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R of the loading / conveying platform 11 contact an equipment mounting surface such as the loading platform 3. In this state, the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R function as the ground contact portions of the base portion 17.

[0035] Here, the height from the lower ends of the legs 13 of the container unit 10 to the lower surface 15 (supported portion) of the container body 12 is set as follows. In other words, this height is higher than the height from the lower ends of the front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R (the ground contact portions of the base portion 17) that abut against the equipment mounting surface such as the cargo bed 3 to the upper end of the container support portion 18 in the lowest state when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the stored state.

[0036] 2, when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the stored state, if the container support part 18 is lowered to near the lowest position by the operation of the lifting device 19, the upper surface of the container support part 18 moves away from the lower surface 15 of the container body 12. At this time, the lifting device 19 no longer exerts a pushing-up force from the container support part 18 on the container body 12. As a result, the container unit 10 is in the lowest state, and the lower ends of the legs 13 come into contact with the equipment mounting surface, such as the loading platform 3.

[0037] As described above, when the upper surface of the container support portion 18 moves away from the lower surface 15 of the container body 12 and the legs 13 of the container unit 10 contact the equipment mounting surface, the mounting and transport platform 11 can be moved freely relative to the container unit 10. 3 is a diagram showing how the loading and transporting platform 11 is removed from the vehicle in this state. At this time, the loading and transporting platform 11 is in contact with the platform 3 (the equipment mounting surface) through the front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R while separated from the container unit 10, so that the loading and transporting platform 11 can be easily removed from the vehicle by rolling the front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R.

[0038] 1, when the container support part 18 is raised by the operation of the lifting device 19 while the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the stored state, the upper surface of the container support part 18 comes into contact with the lower surface of the container body 12. When the container support part 18 is further raised, the entire container unit 10 floats up, and the legs 13 move upwardly away from the equipment mounting surface such as the loading platform 3. At this time, the container unit 10 is supported on the equipment mounting surface via the front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R of the loading transport platform 11. Therefore, the container unit 10 can be moved forward and backward via the loading transport platform 11.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a state in which the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 of the loading / conveying platform 11 are in the above-mentioned protruding state, and the load-carrying apparatus 1 is placed on the road surface 16 outside the vehicle. Next, the detailed structures of the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 will be described with reference to FIG. The front wheel holding mechanism 21 includes a rear arm 30, the upper end of which is supported by a slide mechanism (not shown) provided on the base block 20 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and is rotatable, and a front arm 31, the upper end of which is rotatably connected to the front end of the base block 20. The upper ends of the front arm 31 and the rear arm 30 are rotatable around an axis facing in the left-right direction. A support part 23f that rotatably supports the front wheel 60F is connected to the lower end of the rear arm 30. The lower end of the front arm 31 is rotatably connected to a position near the lower end of the middle part of the rear arm 30 in the extension direction. The lower end of the front arm 31 is rotatable around an axis facing in the left-right direction.

[0040] The upper end of the rear arm 30 is slidable between a first position near the front of the base block 20 and a second position near the rear of the base block, and can be fixed in position by a locking means (not shown) when in the first position or the second position. When the upper end of the rear arm 30 is in the first position, the rear arm 30 is maintained in an upright position (a position close to a vertical position) in cooperation with the front arm 31. As a result, the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is in a protruding state. When the upper end of the rear arm 30 is in the second position, the lower end side of the rear arm 30 is lifted forward and upward in cooperation with the front arm 31, and is maintained in a lying position (a position close to a horizontal position). As a result, the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is in a stored state. The rear arm 30 and the front arm 31 of the front wheel holding mechanism 21 are disposed on the left and right sides of the base block 20, respectively, and are connected to each other by a connecting rod (not shown).

[0041] The rear wheel holding mechanism 22 includes a rear wheel support arm 35, the upper end of which is supported by a slide mechanism (not shown) of the base block 20 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and is rotatable. The rear wheel support arm 35 is rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction. A support part 23r that rotatably supports the rear wheel 60R is connected to the lower end of the rear wheel support arm 35. The upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is slidable between a first position near the rear of the base block 20 and a second position near the front of the base block 20. The upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is capable of sliding between a first position near the rear of the base block 20 and a second position near the front of the base block 20. When the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is at least in the first position, the position and rotation can be fixed by a locking means (not shown). When the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is in the first position, the rear wheel support arm 35 is maintained in an upright position by the locking mechanism. As a result, the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is in a protruding state. When the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is in the second position, the lower end of the rear wheel support arm 35 can be raised upward and rearward to bring the rear wheel support arm 35 into a lying position (a position close to a horizontal position). As a result, the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is put into a stored state. The rear wheel support arms 35 of the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are similarly disposed on the left and right sides of the base block 20, and the left and right arms are connected to each other by a connecting rod (not shown).

[0042] 5 and 6, the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment is provided with four auxiliary legs 65. Each auxiliary leg 65 is attached to the lower end of each leg 13 of the loading / conveying platform 11 and is detachable. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the container unit 10 is placed on a road surface 16, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of detaching the loading / transport platform 11 from the container unit 10 and removing it. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the auxiliary leg 65 is attached to the lower end of each leg 13 via a connecting member 66 when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the protruding state.

[0043] The height from the lower end of the auxiliary leg 65 attached to the leg 13 to the lower surface 15 (supported portion) of the container body 12 is set as follows. This height is higher than the height from the lower ends of the front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R that abut against the road surface 16 (equipment mounting surface) to the upper end of the container support part 18 in the lowest state when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are in the protruding state.

[0044] For this reason, when the container support parts 18 are lowered by the operation of the lifting device 19 while the front wheel holding mechanisms 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanisms 22 are in the protruding state, the upper surface of the container support parts 18 gradually moves away from the lower surface 15 of the container main body 12. At this time, the upward force of the lifting device 19 no longer acts on the container main body 12 from the container support parts 18. As a result, the lower ends of the auxiliary legs 65 come into contact with the road surface 16, and the container unit 10 is placed on the road surface 16 in a stable position.

[0045] When the container support parts 18 are lowered to the lowest position by the operation of the lifting device 19, the upper surface of the container support parts 18 is separated significantly from the lower surface 15 of the container body 12. At this time, the loading and transporting platform 11 can be separated from the container unit 10 and freely moved to the outside, as shown in Figure 6.

[0046] 7 and 8 are diagrams sequentially showing the operations performed when the load carrying device 1 in the state shown in FIG. 4 is loaded onto the loading platform 3 of a vehicle. A luggage compartment opening 4 is provided at the rear of the vehicle 2. The luggage transport device 1 is provided with a cover member 70 that is detachable from the lower part of the luggage compartment opening 4. A pair of guide wheels 73 are rotatably installed at the front of the loading and transport platform 11 (base block 20) ​​of the luggage transport device 1. The guide wheels 73 are supported by an arm that extends downward and forward from the front end of the base block 20. Each guide wheel 73 is rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction. The pair of guide wheels 73 are arranged at a fixed distance apart in the left-right direction.

[0047] When the load carrying device 1 in the state shown in Fig. 4 is actually loaded onto the bed 3 of the vehicle, the pair of guide wheels 73 at the front of the loading and carrying platform 11 are placed on the rear of the bed 3 through the luggage compartment opening 4 at the rear of the vehicle, as shown in Fig. 7. At this time, if the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is unlocked, when the load carrying device 1 is pushed forward, the upper end of the rear arm 30 moves to the rear side (second position) of the base block 20, and the front wheel holding mechanism 21 gradually enters the stored state. At this time, the front wheels 60F are positioned below the base block 20 and toward the front, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0048] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 8, while pushing the load carrying device 1 forward, the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 of the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is slid forward while the lower end is lifted rearward. When the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 reaches a predetermined position (second position) on the front end side of the base block 20, the rear wheel support arm 35 becomes approximately parallel to the lower surface of the base block 20. By pushing the load carrying device 1 forward in this state, the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R roll on the loading platform 3. Then, when the load carrying device 1 reaches a predetermined position on the loading platform 3, the lifting device 19 lowers the container support part 18, and the legs 13 of the container unit 10 are placed on the loading platform 3 as shown in Fig. 2.

[0049] Fig. 9 is a plan view of the cover member 70, (a) shows the state before the cover member 70 is attached to the lower end of the luggage compartment opening 4, and (b) shows the state after the attachment of the cover member 70 is completed. Also, Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the XX cross section in Fig. 9(b) when the load carrying device 1 is loaded. The cover member 70 is attached to a central region at the lower end of the luggage compartment opening 4 of the vehicle 2 so as to cover the upper surface side of the central region. A striker 74 for holding a door (not shown) for opening and closing the luggage compartment opening 4 in a closed state is protruded from approximately the central position of the luggage compartment opening 4 in the vehicle width direction. A latch 75 (engagement portion) engageable with the striker 74 of the luggage compartment opening 4 is attached to approximately the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the back surface (lower surface) of the cover member 70. The latch 75 has a receiving portion on the front side into which the striker 74 is inserted, and the latch mechanism locks the striker 74 when the striker 74 is inserted into the receiving portion. As a result, the cover member 70 is fixed in a positioned state with respect to the luggage compartment opening 4. Figure 9(a) shows the state before the latch 75 on the cover member 70 side engages with the striker 74 on the vehicle side, and Figure 9(b) shows the state after the cover member 70 is pushed forward and the latch 75 on the cover member 70 side engages with the striker 74 on the vehicle side.

[0050] A pair of guide walls 72 protrude from the upper surface of the cover member 70 and are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each guide wall 72 protrudes upward at a substantially constant height and extends continuously from the rear end of the cover member 70 to the front end. The distance between the left and right guide walls 72 gradually narrows toward the front at the rear edge side of the cover member 70 and is constant further forward. The left and right guide walls 72 guide the guide wheels 73 protruding from the front of the load-carrying device 1 (loading and transporting platform 11) when the load-carrying device 1 is loaded onto the bed 3 through the luggage compartment opening 4 as described above.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the loading operation onto the platform 3 of the load carrying device 1 in sequence at (a), (b), and (c). As shown in Fig. 11, when the load carrying device 1 is loaded onto the vehicle 2 with the cover member 70 attached to the luggage compartment opening 4, a pair of guide wheels 73 at the front of the load carrying device 1 is placed between the left and right guide walls 72 on the upper surface of the cover member 70 (see Fig. 11(a)). When the load carrying device 1 is pushed forward in this state, the guide wheels 73 come into contact with the guide walls 72, forcing the load carrying device 1 to be positioned in the pushing direction and in the vehicle width direction (see Fig. 11(b)). Thereafter, by pushing the load carrying device 1 forward as is, the load carrying device 1 is placed in the desired position in the vehicle in the correct posture (see Fig. 11(c)).

[0052] FIG. 12 is a side view of the interior of the vehicle cabin in which the container unit 10 is placed, and FIG. 12, reference numeral 95 denotes a driver's seat where the driver m sits, reference numeral 96 denotes a room mirror installed in front of the driver's seat, and reference numeral 97 denotes a rear window provided on the tailgate of the vehicle. As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, an imaging device 90 that captures an image of the rear side is attached to the rear wall 12r of the container body 12. The imaging device 90 is disposed in a position where the imaging unit can capture an image of the rear of the vehicle 2 through the rear window 97 when the container unit 10 is mounted in the luggage compartment of the vehicle 2 as shown in Fig. 12. In addition, a monitor device 91 that displays an image captured by the imaging device 90 on the forward side is attached to the front wall 12f of the container body 12. The monitor device 91 is disposed in a position where the driver m can view the image through the rearview mirror 96 when the container unit 10 is mounted in the luggage compartment of the vehicle 2 as shown in Fig. 12. The image of the monitor device 91 disposed in this position can also be directly viewed by the driver m by looking back.

[0053] As described above, in the cargo handling device 1 of this embodiment, the height from the lower end of the leg 13 of the container unit 10 to the supported portion (lower surface 15) of the container body 12 is higher than the height from the lower end of the ground contact portion (front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R) of the base portion 17 of the loading and transporting platform 11 in contact with the device mounting surface (bed 3) to the upper end of the container support portion 18 in the most lowered state. Therefore, by raising and lowering the container support portion 18 with the lifting device 19, the leg 13 can be brought into contact with and separated from the device mounting surface. Therefore, when the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment is employed, the container body 12 can be stably placed on the device placement surface without using stationary fixing devices or the like.

[0054] Furthermore, the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment can move the container unit 10 to a desired position on the device mounting surface via the loading and transporting platform 11 by operating the lifting device 19 to raise the container support portion 18 of the loading and transporting platform 11 and float the container unit 10. Therefore, when the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment is adopted, the container unit 10 can be easily moved.

[0055] Furthermore, the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment can freely move the load carrying platform 11 relative to the container unit 10 by lowering the container support part 18 of the load carrying platform 11 by operating the lifting device 19 to separate the container support part 18 from the underside of the container body 12. Therefore, when the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment is employed, after the container unit 10 is placed on the device mounting surface by the legs 13, only the load carrying platform 11 can be moved to another position and used. Therefore, for example, it is possible to use the loading and transport platform 11 of one load handling device 1 to load one container unit 10 onto one vehicle 2, and then remove only the loading and transport platform 11 from the vehicle 2, and use that loading and transport platform 11 to load another container unit 10 onto another vehicle 2.

[0056] In addition, in the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment, the base 17 of the loading and transporting platform 11 is equipped with a wheel holding mechanism (front wheel holding mechanism 21 and rear wheel holding mechanism 22), and the wheel holding mechanism is switchable between a protruding state in which the wheels (front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R) are protruding downward and a stored state in which the wheels are raised. When the wheel holding mechanism is in the stored state, the wheels (front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R) are the grounding parts of the base 17 that are in contact with the device mounting surface. Therefore, by placing the wheel holding mechanism in the stored state and raising the container support part 18, the loading and transporting platform 11 that is in contact with the device mounting surface by the wheels can support the container unit 10 in a floating state. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the loading and transporting platform 11 that supports the container unit 10 can be freely moved to a desired position on the device mounting surface via the wheels. Furthermore, in the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment, by lowering the container support part 18 with the wheel holding mechanism in the stored state, the loading and transporting platform 11 can be separated from the container unit 10, and in this state the loading and transporting platform 11 can be freely moved on the device mounting surface using the wheels. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, after the container unit 10 is placed on the device mounting surface by the legs 13, the loading and transporting platform 11 can be easily removed from below the container unit 10. Furthermore, in the cargo handling device 1 of this embodiment, by raising the container support part 18 with the wheel holding mechanism in a protruding state, the wheels protruding downward can be brought into contact with the device placement surface (for example, the road surface 16), allowing the container unit 10 to be freely moved. Therefore, for example, when the cargo handling device 1 is lowered from the platform 3 of the vehicle 2 and the container unit 10 is moved, the container unit 10 can be easily moved to a desired position while being maintained at a high position.

[0057] The load carrying device 1 of this embodiment further includes an auxiliary leg 65 detachably attached to the leg 13 of the container unit 10. The height from the lower end of the auxiliary leg 65 attached to the leg 13 in a protruding state (a state in which the wheels protrude downward) to the lower surface 15 of the container unit 10 is set to be higher than the height from the lower end of the wheel abutting against the device mounting surface to the upper end of the container support part 18 in the lowest state. Therefore, by lowering the container support part 18 by the lifting device 19, the lower end of the auxiliary leg 65 can be brought into contact with the device mounting surface, and the container unit 10 can be stably mounted on the device mounting surface. In this state, the loading and unloading platform 11 can be detached from the container unit 10 and moved to another position for use. Furthermore, when the container unit 10 is to be moved to another location from a state in which the container unit 10 is placed on the equipment mounting surface by the auxiliary legs 65, the lower ends of the auxiliary legs 65 can be raised by raising the container support parts 18 of the mounting transport platform 11 below the container body 12. As a result, the container unit 10 can be moved to a desired location via the wheel holding mechanism and the wheels.

[0058] Furthermore, the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment has a front wheel holding mechanism 21, and the front wheel holding mechanism 21 includes a rear arm 30 whose upper end is connected to the base block 20 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and rotatable, and whose lower end is connected to the support portion 23f of the front wheel 60F, and a front arm 31 whose upper end is rotatably connected to the front portion of the base block 20 and whose lower end is rotatably connected to a middle portion near the lower portion of the rear arm 30. The upper end of the rear arm 30 is arranged on the front side of the base block 20 when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is in a protruding state, and arranged on the rear side of the base block 20 when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is in a stored state. Therefore, when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is in a stored state, the front wheel 60F can be stored compactly on the front side of the base block 20 while securing a storage space for the rear wheel 60R on the rear side of the base block 20. In addition, in this configuration, the lower end side of the front arm 31 is tilted backward to be in the stored state. Therefore, when the load carrying device 1 is pushed forward as a whole and placed on the bed 3 of the vehicle 2 while the front wheel holding mechanism 21 is being shifted to the stored state, the front arm 31 is less likely to interfere with the opening 4 of the luggage compartment of the vehicle 2. Therefore, when the load carrying device 1 of this configuration is employed, the loading operation of the load carrying device 1 is facilitated.

[0059] The load carrying device 1 of this embodiment further includes a rear wheel holding mechanism 22, the upper end of which is connected to the base block 20 so as to be slidable and rotatable in the front-rear direction, and the rear wheel support arm 35 to which the support portion 23r of the rear wheel 60R is connected at the lower end. The upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is arranged on the rear side of the base block 20 when the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is in the protruding state, and arranged on the front side of the base block 20 when the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is in the stored state. Therefore, when the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 is changed from the protruding state to the stored state, the upper end of the rear wheel support arm 35 is slid toward the front side of the base block 20, and the lower end side of the rear wheel support arm 35 can be lifted backward with the upper end as a pivot point. As a result, the rear wheel support arm 35 is arranged so as to be approximately along the lower side of the base block 20 in a state of extending in the front-rear direction, and the rear wheel 60R is stored compactly below the rear side of the base block 20. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, when the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22 are stored, the front wheel 60F and the rear wheel 60R can be stored compactly below the base block 20 in a line up in front of and behind each other.

[0060] The load carrying device 1 of this embodiment also includes a cover member 70 that is attached to the bottom of the luggage compartment opening 4 of the vehicle 2, and a guide wheel 73 is provided at the front of the loading and transporting platform 11. The cover member 70 is provided with a guide wall 72 that guides guide wheels 73 at the front of the loading and unloading platform 11. Therefore, by attaching the cover member 70 to the lower part of the luggage compartment opening 4 of the vehicle 2, the cover member 70 can prevent the luggage handling device 1 from interfering with the luggage compartment opening 4 when loading or unloading the luggage handling device 1 into or from the vehicle through the luggage compartment opening 4. Furthermore, when the load carrying device 1 is loaded into the luggage compartment of the vehicle 2 through the luggage compartment opening 4, the guide wheels 73 can be guided by the guide walls 72 of the cover member 70. This can prevent the load carrying device 1 from contacting the inner wall of the vehicle compartment, etc. This can facilitate the loading and unloading of the load carrying device 1 into and from the vehicle 2.

[0061] Furthermore, in the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment, the cover member 70 is provided with a latch 75 (engagement portion) that can engage with a door striker 74 at the bottom of the luggage compartment opening 4. Therefore, by engaging the latch 75 on the cover member 70 with the door striker 74, the cover member 70 can be reliably fixed to the luggage compartment opening 4. In addition, the cover member 70 is accurately positioned on the vehicle body side by the engagement between the latch 75 and the striker 74, so that the guide wall 72 of the cover member 70 can be kept in a fixed position relative to the vehicle 2. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the load-carrying device 1 can be accurately guided to a predetermined loading position through the guide wall 72 of the cover member 70.

[0062] In addition, in the load carrying device 1 of this embodiment, the imaging device 90 that captures the rearward view is disposed on the rear wall 12r of the container body 12, and the monitor device 91 that transfers the image captured by the imaging device 90 to the front side is disposed on the front wall 12f of the container body 12. Therefore, with the container unit 10 placed in the luggage compartment of the vehicle 2, the rearward view of the vehicle can be captured by the imaging device 90, and the image can be displayed on the monitor device 91 disposed on the front wall 12f of the container body 12. Therefore, the driver m can check the rearward view of the vehicle 2 through the rearview mirror 96 or by looking directly back at the image of the monitor device 91. Even if the container unit 10 is disposed in a position that obstructs the driver m's rearward visibility, the driver m can reliably check the rearward view of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, when the container unit 10 is not mounted on the vehicle 2, the rear of the vehicle can be viewed through the rearview mirror 96, the rear window 97, etc., eliminating the need to mount unnecessary imaging devices and monitor devices on the vehicle side. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the vehicle and reduce production costs. Furthermore, when this configuration is adopted, promotional images, videos, etc. can be displayed on the monitor device 91 installed in the container body 12, so that when the container unit 10 is unloaded outside the vehicle, the container unit 10 can be effectively utilized as a promotional monitor, etc.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the base 17 of the loading / conveying platform 11 is provided with front wheels 60F and rear wheels 60R as the ground contact portion, but the ground contact portion of the base 17 does not necessarily have to be equipped with wheels. The ground contact portion of the base 17 may be, for example, a surface that can slide on the device placement surface or an uneven portion. Furthermore, when wheels are used as the ground contact portion of the base 17, the number and installation positions of the wheels are not limited to those of the above embodiment. The number of wheels may be three or less, or four or more. It is also possible to use a ball or the like that can roll instead of the wheels.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the installation height (height relative to the base block 20) ​​of the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R can be changed by the front wheel holding mechanism 21 and the rear wheel holding mechanism 22, but the installation height of the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R does not necessarily have to be changeable. In other words, the front wheels 60F and the rear wheels 60R (wheels, ground contact portions) may always be kept at a constant height position relative to the base block 20.

[0065] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cover member 70 is provided with the latch 75 that can engage with the door striker 74, but the engaging portion that can engage with the striker 74 is not limited to the latch 75. The engaging portion may have another configuration as long as it can engage with the striker 74 to fix the cover member 70 in a positioned state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1…Cargo handling device 3...Platform (equipment mounting surface) 4. Luggage compartment opening 10…Container unit 11...Equipment transport platform 12…Container body 13...legs 15…Bottom surface (supported part) 16...Road surface (device mounting surface) 17…Pedestal 18…Container support section 19...Lifting device 20...Base block (base body) 21...Front wheel holding mechanism (wheel holding mechanism) 22...Rear wheel retention mechanism (wheel retention mechanism) 23f, 23r…Support part 30…Rear arm 31…Front arm 35…Rear wheel support arm 60F...Front wheel (wheel, ground contact part) 60R…Rear wheel (wheel, ground contact part) 65…Auxiliary legs 70…Cover member 72…Signboard 73...Guide wheel 74…Striker 75...Latch (engagement part) 90...Imaging device 91...Monitoring device

Claims

1. A container unit; a loading and transporting platform capable of transporting the container unit while supporting the container unit and capable of placing the container unit on an equipment mounting surface; The container unit comprises: A container body capable of accommodating items therein; a leg portion that protrudes downward from a lower end of the supported portion of the container body and has a lower end that can abut on the device mounting surface, The loading and transporting platform is a base portion having a grounding portion at a lower end thereof capable of contacting the device mounting surface; a container supporting portion that abuts against a lower surface of the supported portion of the container unit and supports the container main body; a lifting / lowering operation unit that is disposed on the base unit and lifts / lowers the container support unit, A cargo handling device characterized in that the height from the lower end of the leg to the supported portion of the container unit is higher than the height from the lower end of the grounding portion of the base portion abutting the equipment mounting surface to the upper end of the container support portion in its lowest state.

2. The base portion is A base body on which the lifting operation unit is installed; a wheel holding mechanism that holds wheels that can roll on the device mounting surface and is connected to the base body so as to be able to adjust the height position of the wheels; the wheel holding mechanism is capable of changing between a protruding state in which the wheels protrude downward a predetermined distance from the base body and a stored state in which the wheels are positioned higher than a height position of the wheels in the protruding state, 2. The load carrying device according to claim 1, wherein the wheels constitute the ground contact portions that come into contact with the device mounting surface when the wheel holding mechanism is in the stored state.

3. The container unit further includes an auxiliary leg portion detachably attached to the leg portion of the container unit, The cargo handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that the height from the lower end of the auxiliary leg attached to the leg to the supported portion of the container unit is higher than the height from the lower end of the wheel that abuts against the device mounting surface in the protruding state to the upper end of the container support part in the lowest state.

4. The wheels have a front wheel disposed toward the front of the base body and a rear wheel disposed toward the rear of the base body in the protruding state, the wheel holding mechanism includes a front wheel holding mechanism that holds the front wheel and a rear wheel holding mechanism that holds the rear wheel, The front wheel holding mechanism includes: a rear arm having an upper end portion connected to the base body so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and rotatable thereto, and a lower end portion connected to a support portion of the front wheel; a front arm having an upper end portion rotatably connected to a front portion of the base body and a lower end portion rotatably connected to a middle portion of the rear arm near a lower portion thereof, 3. The load carrying device according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the rear arm is positioned on the front side of the base body when in the extended state, and is positioned on the rear side of the base body when in the stored state.

5. the rear wheel holding mechanism includes a rear wheel support arm having an upper end portion connected to the base body so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction and rotatable thereto, and a lower end portion connected to a support portion of the rear wheel; The load carrying device according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper end of the rear wheel support arm is positioned on the rear side of the base body when in the extended state, and is positioned on the front side of the base body when in the stored state.

6. The container unit further includes a cover member attached to a lower portion of a luggage compartment opening of a vehicle on which the container unit is mounted, A guide wheel is provided at the front of the loading and transporting platform, 2. The load carrying device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is provided with a guide wall for guiding the guide wheels.

7. 7. The cargo carrying device according to claim 6, wherein the cover member is provided with an engagement portion that can be engaged with a striker for holding a door that opens and closes the cargo compartment opening in a closed state.

8. A cargo handling device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the container body of the container unit has an imaging device that takes pictures of the rearward direction disposed on the rear wall, and a monitor device that displays the image taken by the imaging device on the forward direction mounted on the front wall.

Images