Direction-changing tool and direction-changing method

Abstract

To provide a direction-changing tool and a direction-changing method to easily change moving directions of a weight body.SOLUTION: A direction-changing tool to change moving directions of a weight body, which allows movement in the fore-and-aft direction by front and rear wheels provided on a body part and has an engagement part protruding either forward or rearward in the fore-and-aft direction in the body part, has wheel parts, extension parts that pivotally support the wheel parts at base ends and extend therefrom, grip parts that are provided at the tips of the extension parts, and hooks that are provided on the extension parts and can be engaged with the engagement part. A distance between the hook on the extension part and the lower end of the wheel part is greater than a distance in the vertical direction between the engagement part and the lower ends of the front and rear wheels.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a direction-changing device and a direction-changing method for changing the direction of movement of a weight body. [Background technology]

[0002] Heavy objects such as tube pumps used at work sites are equipped with wheels (tires) to facilitate the movement of the object. In particular, tube pumps that transport mud weigh more than 350 kg, and from the viewpoint of the load-bearing capacity of the wheels and the stability of the equipment when used, wheels that cannot rotate horizontally (hereinafter referred to as "fixed wheels") are provided on the bottom of the heavy object. In addition, to prepare for the snake and swaying that may occur when moving the heavy object, at least four wheels are provided on the bottom of the heavy object from the viewpoint of stability of movement.

[0003] However, fixed wheels cannot change direction like swivel casters that can turn horizontally, and movement by wheels is limited to forward and backward. Therefore, when moving a heavy object and there is a constraint on the working space, the worker has no choice but to change direction by dragging the fixed wheels of the heavy object, which is a heavy burden on the worker and causes problems of inefficiency of work.

[0004] Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a heavy object lifting device that allows a single worker to drag out a heavy object such as a vending machine or a refrigerator installed against a wall from one side of the object. Patent Document 2 discloses a heavy object moving device for safely moving a heavy object such as a refrigerator. The heavy object moving device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a heavy object lifting and moving device in which a front roller is supported by a front roller shaft at the front lower part of the main body, a fork extending forward is fixed to the front upper part of the main body, and a rear roller is supported by a rear roller shaft at the edge of a handle part provided at the rear of the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-145712 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-37535 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional techniques have the following problems.

[0007] The heavy lifting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is only capable of pulling out vending machines, refrigerators, etc. that are installed against a wall, and is difficult to apply to changing the direction of a heavy object that can only move forward and backward due to the presence of fixed wheels. Therefore, although the heavy lifting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can move a heavy object in one direction, it cannot change the direction of movement of the heavy object when there are limitations on the working space.

[0008] Furthermore, with the heavy object moving device disclosed in Patent Document 2, like the heavy object lifting device disclosed in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to lift both leg frames on the front side of the heavy object, it is difficult to change the direction of movement of the heavy object when there are constraints on the working space.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a direction-changing device and a direction-changing method that make it easy to change the direction of movement of a weight body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] [1] A direction-changing device for changing the direction of movement of a heavy body, which allows movement in the fore-and-aft direction by front and rear wheels provided on a main body and has an engagement portion protruding either forward or rearward in the fore-and-aft direction on the main body, the direction-changing device having a wheel portion, an extension portion that supports the wheel portion at its base end and extends from it, a grip portion provided at the tip of the extension portion, and a hook provided on the extension portion and capable of engaging with the engagement portion, wherein the distance between the hook on the extension portion and the lower end of the wheel portion is greater than the distance in the vertical direction between the engagement portion and the lower ends of the front and rear wheels. [2] The direction-changing device described in [1], wherein the ratio of the distance between the hook in the extension portion and the lower end of the wheel portion to the distance between the grip portion in the extension portion and the lower end of the wheel portion is 0.12 or greater and 0.72 or less. [3] A direction-changing device as described in [1] or [2], having a locking mechanism that connects the extension portion to the weight body. [4] A direction-changing method for changing the direction of movement of a heavy body that allows movement in the fore-aft direction by front and rear wheels provided on a main body and has an engagement portion protruding either forward or rearward in the fore-aft direction from the main body, the direction-changing method comprising the steps of: for a direction-changing device having an extension portion that supports a wheel portion at a base end and extends, and a hook provided on the extension portion and capable of engaging with the engagement portion, positioning the hook at a position opposite the engagement portion and tilting the extension portion in a direction away from the engagement portion; moving the direction-changing device toward the heavy body while maintaining the extension portion in a tilted state and engaging the hook with the engagement portion; uprighting the extension portion while maintaining the hook engaged with the engagement portion; and changing the axle direction of the wheel portion in any horizontal direction while maintaining the extension portion in an upright state. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily change the direction of movement of the weight body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a weight body and a direction changing device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a direction changing device. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a schematic configuration as an example of a direction changing method for changing the moving direction of a weight body. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of a locking mechanism in a direction changing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an example of a direction-changing device 10 and a weight body 20. Fig. 1(a) shows a schematic plan view of the weight body 20. Fig. 1(b) shows a schematic side view of the weight body 20. Fig. 1(c) shows a schematic front view of the weight body 20. Fig. 1(d) shows a schematic side view of the direction-changing device 10. In Fig. 1(b), the right side of the drawing is the front of the weight body 20 in the front-rear direction E, and the left side of the drawing is the rear of the weight body 20 in the front-rear direction E.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the weight body 20 has a main body 21, front wheels 22, rear wheels 23, and an engagement portion 24. The main body 21 has a weight portion 21a and an installation base 21b. The front wheels 22 and the rear wheels 23 are provided below the main body 21. Also, as shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(c), in this embodiment, two front wheels 22 and two rear wheels 23 are provided in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction E of the weight body 20. The front wheels 22 and the rear wheels 23 are wheels (fixed wheels) that cannot turn in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the direction in which the weight body 20 can move is the front-rear direction E.

[0015] The weight portion 21a corresponds to equipment such as a pump used at a work site (production site, construction site) or the like. The weight portion 21a has a weight of at least 55 kg or more. In the present invention, the weight portion 21a is mainly intended to have a weight of 55 kg or more.

[0016] When the weight of the weight portion 21a is less than 55 kg, the direction of movement of the weight body 20 can be changed by human power, and therefore there is little need to apply the direction-changing device and method of the present invention. In this case, swivel wheels such as swivel casters that can turn horizontally can be used as the front wheels 22 and rear wheels 23 provided below the weight body 20, and the direction of movement of the weight body 20 can be easily changed by human power.

[0017] On the other hand, the weight of the weight portion 21a is intended to be 1000 kg or less. If the weight of the weight portion 21a is 1000 kg or less, the direction of movement of the weight body 20 can be changed by the direction changing device and the direction changing method according to the present invention without using a lifting device such as a lifter or upper, which is pneumatic or hydraulic.

[0018] The weight section 21a may be installed on the upper side of the installation stand 21b. The front wheels 22 and the rear wheels 23 may be provided on the lower side of the installation stand 21b. The weight section 21a may be fixed on the upper side of the installation stand 21b.

[0019] Here, swivel wheels such as swivel casters that can turn horizontally have a lower load resistance than fixed wheels applied to the front and rear wheels 22 and 23, making it difficult to use them to move the weight body 20 having the weight part 21a. In addition, if the device applied to the weight part 21a corresponds to a device such as a pump, vibrations generated by driving the pump are transmitted to the entire weight body 20, making it difficult to maintain the stability of measures such as wheel stops using the swivel wheels.

[0020] For this reason, fixed wheels are provided below the main body 21 of the weight body 20, which enables the weight body 20 to move in the front-rear direction E, but makes it difficult to change the direction of movement of the weight body 20.

[0021] Even if fixed wheels are provided below the main body 21, it is possible to gradually change the direction of travel while moving the weight body 20 by gradually turning in the direction of movement of the weight body 20 and ensuring a large turning radius. However, due to restrictions on the working space in a factory, a construction site, etc., there are significant limitations on changing the direction of movement of the weight body 20.

[0022] The engaging portion 24 is provided on the main body 21 so as to protrude either forward or backward in the front-rear direction E. The engaging portion 24 may not be provided on the main body 21 but may be provided on the installation base 21b so as to protrude therefrom.

[0023] Next, the turning device 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1(d) and Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an example of the turning device 10. Fig. 2(a) shows a schematic front view of the turning device 10. Fig. 2(b) shows a schematic side view of the turning device 10.

[0024] The direction changing device 10 has a wheel unit 1, an extension unit 2, a grip unit 3, and a hook 4. The extension unit 2 is configured to pivotally support the wheel unit 1 at a base end S and extend toward a tip end T. The grip unit 3 is provided at the tip end T of the extension unit 2. The hook 4 is provided in the extension unit 2 between the wheel unit 1 arranged at the base end S and the grip unit 3 arranged at the tip end T.

[0025] The wheel unit 1 has two wheels, as shown in Fig. 2(a). The axles 1a of the two wheels are arranged so as to be coaxial. Therefore, the two wheels of the wheel unit 1 are arranged so that the orientation of the wheels is parallel. The gripping unit 3 is arranged at the tip T of the extension unit 2, and is made of a bar, tube, or square material so that it can be gripped by an operator.

[0026] Next, the direction-changing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a direction-changing method for changing the moving direction of a weight body 20. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic side view of the direction-changing device 10 in a tilted state. Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic side view of the direction-changing device 10 in a moved toward the weight body 20. Fig. 3(c) shows a schematic side view of the direction-changing device 10 in a vertically upright state from a tilted state. Fig. 3(d) shows a schematic plan view of the direction-changing device 10 in a rotated state in the horizontal direction.

[0027] First, as shown in Figure 3(a), the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 is positioned opposite the engagement portion 24 protruding either forward or backward in the fore-and-aft direction E of the weight body 20, and the extension portion 2 of the direction-changing device 10 is inclined in a direction away from the engagement portion 24 of the weight body 20.

[0028] 3(b), while keeping the extension portion 2 of the direction-changing device 10 tilted, the direction-changing device 10 is moved toward the weight body 20 so that the hook 4 reaches a position below the engagement portion 24 of the weight body 20. After that, the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 is engaged with the engagement portion 24 from below toward above.

[0029] 3(c), while keeping the hook 4 engaged with the engagement portion 24, the extension portion 2 of the turning tool 10 is made to stand upright so that the grip portion 3 of the turning tool 10 approaches the weight body 20. As a result, the front wheel 22 is lifted by the turning tool 10.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3(d), since the front wheel 22 is raised, the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 is engaged with the engagement portion 24 and can rotate horizontally (in a planar direction) relative to the engagement portion 24. In the state shown in Fig. 3(d), the axle direction V of the wheel unit 1 is tilted relative to a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction E of the weight body 20 (pre-turning lateral direction K), thereby turning the axle direction V of the wheel unit 1 to any direction in the horizontal direction, and the direction of movement of the weight body 20 can be set as the post-turning direction M, thereby making it possible to turn the direction.

[0031] In addition, a rotating wheel may be applied to the wheel unit 1 of the direction-changing device 10, and each wheel unit 1 may be rotated at each position without rotating (tilting) the direction-changing device 10 (hook 4), thereby changing the axial direction V of each wheel unit 1 to any horizontal direction.

[0032] That is, while keeping the extension part 2 of the turning tool 10 in an upright position, the worker can change the axial direction V of the wheel part 1 of the turning tool 10 to any horizontal direction, thereby changing the moving direction of the weight body 20. Therefore, by carrying out each process shown in Fig. 3(a) to Fig. 3(d), the moving direction of the weight body 20 is changed from the forward / rearward direction E to the rearward direction M.

[0033] 3, it is possible to lift the front wheels 22 off the ground G while keeping the rear wheels 23 of the weight body 20 in contact with the ground G. Then, the weight body 20 is supported by four wheels, namely the wheel section 1 of the direction-changing device 10 and the rear wheels 23 of the weight body 20.

[0034] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when the extension portion 2 of the turning device 10 is in an upright position (when the hook 4 is engaged with the engagement portion 24), the axial direction V of the wheel portion 1 of the turning device 10 can be rotated in any horizontal direction.

[0035] Therefore, when an operator holds the gripping portion 3 of the direction-changing device 10 and pulls the weight body 20, the traveling direction of the wheel portion 1 of the direction-changing device 10 can be set to the rear direction M relative to the traveling direction (front-rear direction E) of the rear wheels 23 of the weight body 20. That is, as shown in Fig. 3(d), the weight body 20 can move along the trajectory N by being pulled by the operator. That is, it becomes possible to easily change the moving direction of the weight body.

[0036] Here, the engaging portion 24 of the weight body 20 is preferably U-shaped in the planar direction as shown in Fig. 3(d) so that the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 can engage with it from below. The engaging portion 24 protrudes from the main body 21 so as to have sufficient strength to support the weight of the weight body 20. The engaging portion 24 has sufficient connection strength with the main body 21 without causing damage to the engaging portion 24 even when the weight body 20 is lifted while the engaging portion 24 is held so that the front wheel 22 or the rear wheel 23 of the weight body 20 is separated from the ground G.

[0037] The extension section 2 in the direction changing device 10 preferably has sufficient strength and rigidity to enable the hook 4 to engage with the engagement section 24 and to lift the weight body 20. The extension section 2 is preferably made of metal or fiber reinforced resin to ensure sufficient strength. To ensure rigidity, the extension section 2 is preferably configured using two long members and has a structure in which a reinforcing section 6 is connected to the long members as shown in FIG. 2. The long members may be configured using rods, tubes, square members, etc. The reinforcing section 6 may be connected to the long members using plate material in addition to rods, tubes, square members, etc.

[0038] The wheels in the wheel unit 1 are preferably fixed wheels having sufficient strength to engage the hook 4 with the engagement portion 24 and to lift the weight body 20. In addition, in consideration of the weight of the weight body 20, if it is determined that there is no problem in terms of strength, swivel wheels may be used as the wheels in the wheel unit 1.

[0039] 2(b), the height HH of the gripping part 3 corresponds to the distance between the gripping part 3 and the lower end of the wheel part 1 in the extension part 2, and is preferably 1400 mm to 1700 mm. This is because this is a height at which an adult of average height can easily grasp the gripping part 3 and work, and the height of the gripping part 3 from the ground G makes it easy for an operator to grasp the gripping part 3 and change the direction of movement of the weight body 20 when the hook 4 is engaged with the engagement part 24 and the weight body 20 is lifted.

[0040] The height HF of the hook 4 corresponds to the distance between the hook 4 and the lower end of the wheel unit 1 in the extension unit 2, and is preferably 200 mm or more and 1000 mm or less. If the height HF of the hook 4 is less than 200 mm, it becomes difficult for the hook 4 to engage with the engagement unit 24 of the weight body 20. If the height HF of the hook 4 exceeds 1000 mm, the ratio of the height HF of the hook 4 to the height HH of the grip unit 3 becomes excessively large, and therefore, the force required for the worker to hold the grip unit 3 and stand the extension unit 2 of the direction changing device 10 upright increases.

[0041] The height HF of the hook 4 is preferably configured in relation to the height HH of the gripping part 3 so that HF / HH is 0.12 to 0.72, and more preferably 0.20 to 0.50. This is because, taking into account the principle of leverage, the extension part 2 of the direction changing device 10 is made to stand upright, and excessive strain is not placed on the operator.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1(c) and Fig. 1(d), the distance HF between the hook 4 in the extension part 2 and the lower end of the wheel part 1 is greater than the distance HW between the engagement part 24 of the weight body 20 and the lower ends of the front wheel 22 and the rear wheel 23 in the vertical direction. The engagement part 24 may be protruded from the weight part 21a or the installation base 21b so that the height of the engagement part 24 from the ground G is 100 mm or more and 500 mm or less. If the height of the engagement part 24 from the ground G is less than 100 mm, the extension part 2 of the direction-changing device 10 needs to be greatly tilted when the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 is engaged from below to above the engagement part 24 (Fig. 3(b)), which causes the worker to work in an unnatural posture and reduces workability. On the other hand, if the height of the engaging portion 24 from the ground G exceeds 500 mm, when the hook 4 of the direction changing device 10 is engaged with the engaging portion 24 from below toward above (FIG. 3(b)), interference may occur between the extension portion 2 and the lower portion of the main body portion 21. In order to prevent interference between the extension portion 2 and the lower portion of the main body portion 21, it becomes necessary to configure the engaging portion 24 so that it protrudes significantly from the main body portion 21, which may result in the engaging portion 24 not being strong enough.

[0043] Next, the locking mechanism 5 in the direction-changing device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an example of the locking mechanism 5 in the direction-changing device 10. FIG. 4(a) shows a schematic side view of the direction-changing device 10 tilted and moved toward the weight body 20. FIG. 4(b) shows an enlarged view of the locking mechanism 5 and the connecting mechanism 25 in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 4(c) shows a schematic side view of the state in which the hook 4 of the direction-changing device 10 is engaged with the engaging portion 24 of the weight body 20, the weight body 20 is lifted, and the connecting mechanism 25 is connected to the locking mechanism 5. FIG. 4(d) shows an enlarged view of the locking mechanism 5 and the connecting mechanism 25 in FIG. 4(c).

[0044] The direction-changing device 10 may have a locking mechanism 5 between the hook 4 and the gripping portion 3 of the extension portion 2, which connects the direction-changing device 10 to the weight body 20. The locking mechanism 5 may be a mechanism that connects the direction-changing device 10 to the weight body 20, in addition to the hook 4 and the engaging portion 24 that engage the direction-changing device 10 with the weight body 20. The locking mechanism 5 may be provided at any position of the extension portion 2 of the direction-changing device 10.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4(a), a lock mechanism 5 which is a lock pin may be provided above the hook 4 of the direction changing device 10, and a connecting mechanism 25 which is a lock arm may be provided on the weight portion 21a of the weight body 20. The connecting mechanism 25 may be supported rotatably with a rotating shaft 25a as the center of rotation.

[0046] The connecting mechanism 25 may be connected to the locking mechanism 5 by rotating the connecting mechanism 25 about the rotating shaft 25a as the center of rotation in a state in which the hook 4 is engaged with the engaging portion 24 and the extension portion 2 is upright (see FIG. 3(c)). That is, the connecting mechanism 25 may be connected to the locking mechanism 5 by rotating the connecting mechanism 25.

[0047] When the direction-changing device 10 is rotated horizontally to tow the weight body 20 with the hook 4 engaged with the engaging portion 24 and the extension portion 2 in an upright position, the range in which the direction-changing device 10 can rotate relative to the weight body 20 is large, making the movement during towing unstable. For this reason, by providing the locking mechanism 5 and the connecting mechanism 25, the range in which the direction-changing device 10 can rotate relative to the weight body 20 can be limited, thereby ensuring stability in the movement of the direction-changing device 10 and the weight body 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Wheel section 2 Stretching section 3 Gripping part 4. Hook 5 Locking mechanism 6 Reinforcement 10. Turning Devices 20 weight body 21 Main body 21a Part by weight 21b Installation stand 22 Front wheel 23 Rear wheel 24 Engagement part 25 Connection mechanism G ground E Anteroposterior direction K Before turning, lateral direction M Turning direction N orbital S proximal end T tip V Axle direction Distance between HF hook and bottom of wheel HH Distance between the grip and the bottom of the wheel HW Vertical distance between the engagement part and the bottom of the front and rear wheels

Claims

1. A direction-changing device for changing the direction of movement of a weight body, the direction-changing device enabling movement in a front-rear direction by front and rear wheels provided on a main body and having an engagement portion protruding from the main body to either the front or rear in the front-rear direction, a wheel portion, an extension portion that axially supports the wheel portion at a base end and extends from the wheel portion, a grip portion provided at a tip end of the extension portion, and a hook provided on the extension portion and capable of engaging with the engagement portion, A turning device, wherein the distance between the hook in the extension portion and the lower end of the wheel portion is greater than the distance in the vertical direction between the engagement portion and the lower ends of the front and rear wheels.

2. The direction-changing device according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a distance between the hook in the extension portion and a lower end of the wheel portion to a distance between the grip portion in the extension portion and a lower end of the wheel portion is greater than or equal to 0.12 and less than or equal to 0.

72.

3. The direction-changing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a locking mechanism for connecting the extension portion to the weight body.

4. A method for changing the direction of a weight body that can move in a front-rear direction by front and rear wheels provided on a main body and has an engagement part protruding from the main body to either the front or rear in the front-rear direction, comprising: For a direction-changing device having an extension part that axially supports a wheel part at a base end and extends therefrom, and a hook that is provided on the extension part and can engage with the engagement part, a step of arranging the hook at a position facing the engagement part and tilting the extension part in a direction away from the engagement part; A step of moving the direction changing tool toward the weight body while maintaining the extension portion in an inclined state, and engaging the hook with the engagement portion; a step of erecting the extension portion while maintaining the hook engaged with the engagement portion; A step of changing an axle direction of the wheel section to any direction in a horizontal direction while maintaining the extension section in an upright state; The method for changing direction comprises:

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