Pallet

Abstract

To easily execute and release a lock.SOLUTION: A pallet 100 comprises: a bottom plate member 1; a first wall member 2 that is rotatably mounted on at least one of the right and left end parts of the bottom plate member; and a first lock mechanism 4 that locks the first wall member in an upright position on the bottom plate member. The first wall member has a first support 21 that is provided at front and rear end parts thereof, and the bottom plate member has front and rear support receivers 6 to which the front and rear first supports are rotatably connected. The first lock mechanism has: a first lock bar that spans the front and rear first supports and provided so as to be able to rise and fall on the front and rear first supports; and a first slot that is provided on the front and rear support receivers and into which the first lock bar can be inserted and drawn out in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pallet.

Background Art

[0002] In facilities such as factories, pallets are used to transport goods with a forklift or the like. Generally, a pallet has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, and includes a bottom plate member on which goods are placed, and four wall members rotatably provided at the front, rear, left, and right ends of the bottom plate member. When transporting goods, these wall members are locked in an upright state. When storing goods without transporting them, the lock is released, and these wall members are placed on the bottom plate member in a fallen state. Thereby, the pallet is folded. To reduce the storage space, a plurality of folded pallets may be stacked vertically.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the pallet of the first conventional example, when executing and releasing the lock, it is necessary to lift the wall member and insert and remove its support column into and from the support receiver. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for an operator such as a woman with weak strength to perform.

[0005] In the pallet of the second conventional example, when executing and releasing the lock, it is necessary to insert and remove the pins at both ends of the wall member into and from the holes. Therefore, the operator has to move to both ends of the wall member one by one, which is troublesome.

[0006] As described above, in the conventional pallet, there is a problem that the execution and release of the lock are complicated.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure has been devised in view of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a pallet that can easily perform locking and unlocking.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a bottom plate member, a first wall member rotatably provided at at least one of the left and right ends of the bottom plate member, a first locking mechanism for locking the first wall member in an upright state to the bottom plate member, and the first wall member has first struts provided at its front and rear ends, the bottom plate member has front and rear strut receivers to which the front and rear first struts are rotatably connected, the first locking mechanism has a first locking bar that spans the front and rear first struts and is vertically movable on the front and rear first struts, and first slots provided in the front and rear strut receivers and into which the first locking bar can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and a pallet is provided, characterized in that.

[0009] Preferably, the first locking mechanism has a first cam surface provided in the front and rear strut receivers and guiding the first locking bar toward the first slot when the first wall member is erected.

[0010] Preferably, the first cam surface is formed by a rounded surface or a linear inclined surface.

[0011] Preferably, the pallet has the first wall member rotatably provided at the left and right ends of the bottom plate member, a second wall member rotatably provided at at least one of the front and rear ends of the bottom plate member, and a second locking mechanism for locking the second wall member in an upright state to the left and right first wall members. comprises The second wall member has second columns provided at its left and right ends, The second locking mechanism a second locking bar that spans the left and right second columns and is provided on the left and right second columns so as to be movable up and down, a second slot provided on at least one of the front and rear first columns in the left and right first wall members, into which the second locking bar can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and has.

[0012] Preferably, the second locking mechanism has a second cam surface provided on at least one of the front and rear first columns in the left and right first wall members, which guides the second locking bar toward the second slot when the second wall member stands up.

[0013] Preferably, the second cam surface is formed by a rounded surface or a linear inclined surface.

[0014] Preferably, the second wall member has an upper second wall member and a lower second wall member that are rotatably connected to each other, The second locking mechanism is provided individually on the upper second wall member and the lower second wall member.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present disclosure, locking can be easily executed and released.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0018] Figs. 1 and 2 are a front view and a left side view showing the whole pallet according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a top view showing only the bottom plate member of the pallet. For convenience, the directions of front, rear, left, right, up, and down are defined as shown in the drawings.

[0019] The pallet 100 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape (including a cubic shape) with an open upper side, and has a length L in the front-rear direction, a width W in the left-right direction, and a height H in the up-down direction. Fig. 3 shows a front-rear center C1 that is the center of the front-rear length L and a left-right center C2 that is the center of the left-right width W. The pallet 100 is formed symmetrically in the front and rear with the front-rear center C1 as a boundary and symmetrically in the left and right with the left-right center C2 as a boundary. The intersection of the front-rear center C1 and the left-right center C2 is defined as the pallet center O.

[0020] The pallet 100 is made of metal, specifically iron. However, the material of the pallet 100 is arbitrary, and a material other than metal such as resin may be used for at least a part thereof as required.

[0021] The pallet 100 includes a bottom plate member 1 on which packages are placed, a first wall member 2 rotatably provided at the left and right ends of the bottom plate member 1, and a second wall member 3 rotatably provided at the front and rear ends of the bottom plate member 1. These first wall member 2 and second wall member 3 are in an upright state as shown in the figure during the conveyance of packages, and prevent the packages placed on the bottom plate member 1 from falling off during conveyance.

[0022] The first wall member 2 includes a left wall member 2L provided at the left end of the bottom plate member 1 and a right wall member 2R provided at the right end of the bottom plate member 1. Hereinafter, the first wall member 2 in the general sense is mainly used.

[0023] Similarly, the second wall member 3 includes a front wall member 3F provided at the front end of the bottom plate member 1 and a rear wall member (not shown) provided at the rear end of the bottom plate member 1. Hereinafter, the second wall member 3 in the general sense is mainly used.

[0024] The pallet 100 also includes a first locking mechanism 4 for locking the first wall member 2 to the bottom plate member 1, and a second locking mechanism 5 for locking the second wall member 3 to the first wall member 2. Details of these locking mechanisms 4 and 5 will be described later.

[0025] First, the bottom plate member 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIGS. 4 and 5 are a front view and a left side view showing the bottom plate member 1.

[0026] The bottom plate member 1 includes support receivers 6 erected at the four corners of its front, rear, left, and right, a rectangular frame-shaped bottom plate frame 7 connecting these support receivers 6, and a bottom plate material 8 laid within the frame of the bottom plate frame 7.

[0027] The support receivers 6 are formed in an angular tubular shape extending in the vertical direction. The bottom plate frame 7 has left and right side members 7A extending in the front-rear direction and connected and fixed to the front and rear support receivers 6, and front and rear cross members 7B extending in the left-right direction and connected and fixed to the left and right support receivers 6. These side members 7A and cross members 7B are formed of square pipes.

[0028] The bottom plate member 8 is formed of a metal net in this embodiment. The bottom plate frame 7 has a bottom plate member receiver (not shown) provided in a lattice pattern within its frame. The bottom plate member 8 is placed on the bottom plate member receiver, and the bottom plate member 8 is fixed to the bottom plate member receiver and the bottom plate frame 7 by welding or the like. Loads are placed on the bottom plate member 8. Note that the bottom plate member 8 may be formed of a metal plate.

[0029] A tapered insertion portion 9 is provided at the lower end of the support column receiver 6. As shown by the phantom line a in FIGS. 1 and 4, this insertion portion 9 is inserted into the support column receiver 6 of another pallet 100 or the upper end portion of the first support column 21 (described later) when stacking the pallets 100.

[0030] Below the bottom plate frame 7, a grounding plate 10 such as a ski plate is arranged along it. The grounding plate 10 is provided along the side members 7A and the cross members 7B directly below them. Both ends of the grounding plate 10 are fixed to the support column receiver 6 by welding or the like. The middle portion of the grounding plate 10 is connected to the bottom plate frame 7 via a leg member 11 extending in the vertical direction. The leg member 11 is fixed to the grounding plate 10 and the bottom plate frame 7 by welding or the like.

[0031] When the pallet 100 is placed on the ground, the insertion portion 9 is not grounded, and the grounding plate 10 is grounded. Two forks of a forklift are respectively inserted into the two spaces between the grounding plate 10 and the bottom plate frame 7 partitioned by the leg member 11.

[0032] The bottom plate member 1 has bottom wall members 12 provided at its left and right ends. The bottom wall members 12 are fixed in an upright state on the bottom plate frame 7 to prevent the loads placed on the bottom plate member 8 from slipping off. The bottom wall members 12 extend in the front-rear direction, and both ends thereof are fixed to the support column receiver 6 by welding or the like. The bottom wall members 12 have the form of a ladder-shaped metal fence formed by connecting a plurality of vertical members 12B to a pair of upper and lower horizontal members 12A. The height of the bottom wall members 12 is made lower than the height of the support column receiver 6.

[0033] Fig. 6 shows the support receiver 6 with the insertion part 9 omitted, alone. The orientation of the support receiver 6 varies depending on its mounting position. Therefore, Fig. 6(A) is taken as the front view when viewed from the front, and based on this, the directions of front, back, left, right, up, and down are defined as shown in Fig. 6(A). In Fig. 6(A), the front side in the paper thickness direction is the front, the back side in the paper thickness direction is the back, the right side facing the paper is the left, the left side is the right, the upper side is the up, and the lower side is the down. Thus, in Fig. 6, (B) is the top view, (C) is the right side view, and (D) is the left side view.

[0034] The support receiver 6 is a square tube with a square cross-section (substantially square) extending in the vertical direction. The support receiver 6 includes a support receiver body 13 in a U shape when viewed from above, a closing plate 14 that closes the lower half of the front opening of the support receiver body 13, and a support placement fitting 15 in a U shape when viewed from above attached to a substantially middle portion in the height direction of the inner surface of the support receiver body 13. These support receiver body 13, closing plate 14, and support placement fitting 15 are assembled integrally by welding or the like.

[0035] The closing plate 14 is sandwiched and fixed between the left and right front end portions of the support receiver body 13. The support placement fitting 15 has a height dimension shorter than that of the support receiver body 13 and is overlapped and fixed to the inner surface of the support receiver body 13. The support placement fitting 15 is for placing the first support 21 (described later, see Fig. 1) when the first support 21 is erected and supporting the first support 21 from below. The closing plate 14 closes the front opening of the support receiver body 13 in the region below the substantially middle height position of the support placement fitting 15.

[0036] The support receiver body 13 has through holes 16L and 16R that penetrate the left wall portion 13L and the right wall portion 13R coaxially, and a first slot 17 formed on the upper end surface portion 13RU of the right wall portion 13R. Although it will be described in detail later, the through holes 16L and 16R are holes through which a rotation shaft 26 (see Fig. 22) that rotatably supports the first support 21 of the first wall member 2 is inserted. The first slot 17 is a slot, that is, a groove into which the first lock bar 24 (see Fig. 7) in the aforementioned first lock mechanism 4 is inserted and removed, extends in the vertical direction, and has an open upper end.

[0037] The through holes 16L and 16R are provided at the front end portions of the left wall portion 13L and the right wall portion 13R, and are provided at substantially the same height position as the upper end surface of the support mounting fitting 15. The first slot 17 is provided at substantially the center portion in the front-rear direction on the upper end surface portion 13RU of the right wall portion 13R.

[0038] Further, the support receiving body 13 has a first cam surface 18 provided at the intersection of the upper end surface portion 13RU and the front surface portion 13RF of the right wall portion 13R thereof. The first cam surface 18 is formed by a rounded surface formed by notching the intersection at a predetermined radius of curvature. Although details will be described later, the first cam surface 18 is a cam surface that guides the first lock bar 24 toward the first slot 17 when the first wall member 2 stands up.

[0039] When the pallet 100 is folded, the first wall member 2 is in a folded state or a toppled state, and the upper end portion of the support receiving body 13 is exposed in an exposed state. In order to prevent a finger or the like from hitting this upper end portion and getting injured, chamfered surfaces 19A, 19B, and 19C are appropriately provided on the upper end portion (specifically, the upper end surface portion) of the support receiving body 13.

[0040] Crank portions 20 are formed at the same height on the front surface portion 13LF of the left wall portion 13L and the front surface portion 13RF of the right wall portion 13R. As a result, the front-rear width of the left wall portion 13L and the right wall portion 13R is smaller at the upper part than at the lower part. The crank portion 20 is formed at a position higher than the through holes 16L and 16R.

[0041] The support receivers 6 configured as described above are provided at the four corners of the front, rear, left, and right of the bottom plate member 1. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, at the front end portion of the bottom plate member 1, the support receivers 6 provided at the left and right end portions thereof are arranged such that their front surfaces (the surfaces on the front side in the paper thickness direction of FIG. 6(A)) face the left-right center C2. And these left and right support receivers 6 are arranged to face each other.

[0042] The arrangement of the support receivers 6 is the same also at the rear end portion of the bottom plate member 1.

[0043] Next, the first wall member 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

[0044] FIG. 7 shows the first wall member 2 alone. Similarly to the above, the orientation of the first wall member 2 also differs depending on its mounting position (i.e., whether it is the left wall member 2L or the right wall member 2R). Therefore, FIG. 7(A) is taken as the front view when viewed from the front, and the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions are defined as shown in FIG. 7(A). In FIG. 7(A), the front side in the paper thickness direction is the front, the back side in the paper thickness direction is the rear, the right side facing the paper is the left, the left side is the right, the upper side is the up, and the lower side is the down. Thus, FIG. 7(B) is the left side view.

[0045] The first wall member 2 has a pair of first columns 21 provided at its left and right ends, and a first wall body 22 that spans these first columns 21 and is fixed to these first columns 21 by welding or the like. The first wall body 22 is formed of a lattice-shaped metal net and extends in the left-right and up-down directions. The first wall body 22 is configured by assembling a plurality of horizontal members 22A extending in the left-right direction and a plurality of vertical members 22B extending in the up-down direction in a lattice shape.

[0046] The left and right first columns 21 have a bilaterally symmetric configuration. The first column 21 is a square tube with a square cross-section (substantially square) extending in the up-down direction. A shaft insertion tube 23 extending in the left-right direction is fixed by welding or the like to the corner where the front surface portion and the lower surface portion of the first column 21 intersect.

[0047] FIGS. 8(A) and (B) partially show the right and left first columns 21 when viewed from the VIIIA-VIIIA cross-section and the VIIIB-VIIIB cross-section of FIG. 7(A), respectively.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8(B), the left first column 21 is provided with a long hole 25 through which the first lock bar 24 of the first lock mechanism 4 is inserted. The long hole 25 has a special shape and is configured by continuously connecting an upper substantially circular hole 26 and a lower long hole 27. The hole diameter of the substantially circular hole 26 is larger than the hole diameter of the lower long hole 27, and the lower long hole 27 extends downward from the substantially circular hole 26.

[0049] The substantially circular hole 26 is not a perfect circle, but is configured such that the rear end portion of the perfect circular hole is chordally closed by the chord portion 28.

[0050] Such a long hole 25 is provided on the right side surface at the lower end of the left first support column 21, that is, the surface on the inner side in the left - right direction. Here, when assuming the left - right center C3 (corresponding to the front - rear center C1 of the pallet 100) of the first wall member 2, the direction approaching the left - right center C3 in the left - right direction is the inner side in the left - right direction, and the direction moving away from the left - right center C3 is the outer side in the left - right direction. Therefore, the long hole 25 is arranged toward the inner side in the left - right direction.

[0051] The long hole 25 is basically provided symmetrically on the right first support column 21 as well. Therefore, the left and right long holes 25 face each other.

[0052] However, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 8(A) and (B), the substantially circular holes 26 at the upper part of the long hole 25 are not symmetrical. The substantially circular hole 26 on the right side shown in FIG. 8(A) is configured such that the front end portion of the perfect circular hole is chordally closed by the chord portion 28. Therefore, the left and right substantially circular holes 26 are in a front - rear symmetrical shape. The phases around their hole centers are shifted from each other by 180°.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7(B), on the left side surface of the left first support column 21, a perfect circular through - hole 29 is provided coaxially and with the same diameter as the substantially circular hole 26. The through - hole 29 is also provided symmetrically on the right first support column 21.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows the first lock bar 24 alone. Here, FIG. 9(A) is a front view when viewed from the front, and based on this, the front - rear, left - right, and up - down directions are defined as shown in FIG. 9(A). In FIG. 7(A), the front side in the paper - thickness direction is the front, the back side in the paper - thickness direction is the rear, the right side toward the paper is the left, the left side is the right, the upper side is the upper, and the lower side is the lower. Therefore, in FIG. 9, (B) is a right - side view and (C) is a left - side view.

[0055] The first lock bar 24 has a rod-shaped first lock bar body 30 extending in the left-right direction, and left and right flange plates 31L and 31R fitted to the left and right end portions of the first lock bar body 30 and fixed by welding or the like. The first lock bar body 30 is formed of a metal bar or metal pipe having a circular cross-section.

[0056] The left and right flange plates 31L and 31R are configured to fit snugly into the left and right substantially circular holes 26, and have the same shape as the left and right substantially circular holes 26. And the left and right flange plates 31L and 31R are shifted from each other by 180° in phase around the central axis C4 of the first lock bar 24 corresponding to the left and right substantially circular holes 26.

[0057] When the first lock bar 24 is installed, the first lock bar 24 is inserted, for example, from the left side (i.e., the outer side) of the left first support column 21, in the order of the left through hole 29 and the left substantially circular hole 26. At this time, the orientation of the right flange plate 31R of the first lock bar 24 and the left substantially circular hole 26 is aligned. Thereby, the first lock bar 24 penetrates the left first support column 21.

[0058] Next, the first lock bar 24 is inserted toward the right until it reaches the right first support column 21. And when it reaches the right first support column 21, the first lock bar 24 is rotated 180° around its central axis C4, and the orientation of the right flange plate 31R and the right substantially circular hole 26 is aligned.

[0059] Therefore, by inserting the first lock bar 24 to the right, the right flange plate 31R is inserted into the right substantially circular hole 26. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the right and left flange plates 31R and 31L are respectively inside the right and left first support columns 21.

[0060] Thereby, the installation of the first lock bar 24 is completed, and the first lock bar 24 can move up and down along the long hole 25 with respect to the left and right first support columns 21.

[0061] Once the first lock bar 24 is attached, if the orientations of the left and right flange plates 31L and 31R do not match the orientations of the left and right substantially circular holes 26, the first lock bar 24 will not come off, and there is only one such removable phase within 360°. Therefore, the first lock bar 24 will not come off during use, and anti-disengagement can be achieved with a simple structure.

[0062] On the other hand, when it is desired to remove the first lock bar 24 for replacement or the like, it can be easily done by aligning the left and right flange plates 31L and 31R with the substantially circular holes 26. Therefore, the maintenance of the first lock bar 24 can be easily performed.

[0063] The first lock bar 24 is a member operated by an operator. Therefore, it is preferable that the first lock bar 24 be colored in a color different from that of the first wall member 2 so that the first lock bar 24 can be easily distinguished from the first wall member 2.

[0064] Here, the first lock bar 24 is inserted from the left side toward the right side, but conversely, it may be inserted from the right side toward the left side.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the first wall member 2 has an upper bracket 33U and a lower bracket 33D with which the second lock bar 32 of the aforementioned second lock mechanism 5 is engaged. These upper bracket 33U and lower bracket 33D are symmetrically arranged on the left and right first columns 21 and are fixed by welding or the like.

[0066] FIG. 10 shows the upper bracket 33U and the lower bracket 33D in the left first wall member 2, (1A) is a front view of the upper bracket 33U, (1B) is a top view of the upper bracket 33U, (2A) is a front view of the lower bracket 33D, and (2B) is a top view of the lower bracket 33D.

[0067] These brackets 33U and 33D are formed in a U-shape in top view by a metal plate. On the upper end faces of the brackets 33U and 33D, second slots 34U and 34D located at the center in the left-right direction and second cam surfaces 35U and 35D located adjacent to the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) of the second slots 34U and 34D are provided.

[0068] Although details will be described later, the second slots 34U and 34D are slots through which the second lock bar 32 is inserted so as to be able to move up and down. The second cam surfaces 35U and 35D are cam surfaces that guide the second lock bar 32 toward the second slots 34U and 34D when the second wall member 3 stands up. In the case of this embodiment, the second cam surfaces 35U and 35D are formed by linear inclined surfaces that gradually become higher from the right side (inner side in the left-right direction) toward the left side (outer side in the left-right direction). Also, the inclination angle θ1 of the lower second cam surface 35D is made larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the upper second cam surface 35D.

[0069] When attaching the first wall member 2 to the bottom plate member 1, the first lock bar 24 is attached to the first wall member 2 in advance. Next, with the front surface of this first wall member 2 (the surface on the front side in the paper thickness direction of FIG. 7(A)) facing the inner side in the left-right direction of the bottom plate member 1 (see FIG. 1), the first wall member 2 is attached to the left and right ends of the bottom plate member 1. At this time, as also shown in FIG. 22, the first support column 21 of the first wall member 2 is fitted and inserted into the support column receiver 6 of the bottom plate member 1 from above. Then, a rotation shaft 36 is inserted into the shaft insertion tube 23 of the first wall member 2 and the through holes 16L and 16R of the bottom plate member 1. Thereby, the first wall member 2 is rotatably connected to the bottom plate member 1. Note that the rotation shaft 36 is fixed to the support column receiver 6 by welding or the like.

[0070] The first wall member 2 is rotatable between an upright state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a folded state or a fallen state in which it falls approximately 90° inward in the left-right direction (the direction toward the left-right center C2) from the upright state. The first wall member 2 is set in the upright state when the pallet 100 is in use, and is set in the folded state when the pallet 100 is not in use or during storage.

[0071] FIG. 20 shows transparently the mounting state of the first support column 21 of the first wall member 2, the first lock bar 24 of the first locking mechanism 4, and the support column receiver 6 of the bottom plate member 1. The first wall member 2 in the standing state is shown by a solid line, and the first wall member 2 in the folded state is shown by a phantom line. In the standing state, the first support column 21 is placed on the support column mounting fitting 15, and a part of the weight of the first wall member 2 is supported from below by the support column mounting fitting 15. Then, the first lock bar body 30 of the first lock bar 24 is inserted into the first slot 17, and the first wall member 2 is locked in the standing state.

[0072] FIG. 23 shows in a sectional view the mounting state of the first support column 21, the first lock bar 24, and the support column receiver 6 when the first wall member 2 is in the standing state. Since the flange plate 31L of the first lock bar 24 is located inside the first support column 21, the first lock bar 24 cannot come out of the long hole 25. And the first lock bar body 30 of the first lock bar 24 is inserted through the lower long hole 27 of the long hole 25 and the first slot 17, and is located at their lower ends.

[0073] Next, the second wall member 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 16.

[0074] FIG. 11 shows the second wall member 3 alone. Similar to the above, the orientation of the second wall member 3 also varies depending on its mounting position (i.e., whether it is the front wall member 2F or the rear wall member). Therefore, FIG. 11(A) is taken as the front view when viewed from the front, and the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions are defined as shown in FIG. 7(A) based on this. In FIG. 7(A), the front side in the paper thickness direction is the front, the back side in the paper thickness direction is the rear, the right side facing the paper is the left, the left side is the right, the upper side is the up, and the lower side is the down. Thus, FIG. 11(B) is the left side view.

[0075] Similarly, in FIGS. 12, 13, and 16, (A) is the front view and (B) is the left side view. FIG. 14 is the sectional view taken along XIV-XIV of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is the front view.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 11, the second wall member 3 is divided into two parts vertically, and is composed of an upper second wall member 3U and a lower second wall member 3D. The upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D are rotatably connected to each other by a plurality (three) of hinges 37. In this way, the second wall member 3 has an upper second wall member 3U and a lower second wall member 3D that are rotatably connected to each other.

[0077] Since the structures of the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D are substantially the same, the following description will be centered on the upper second wall member 3U.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 12, the upper second wall member 3U has a pair of second struts 38 provided at its left and right ends, and a second wall body 39 that spans these second struts 38 and is fixed to these second struts 38 by welding or the like. The second wall body 39 is formed of a lattice-shaped metal net and extends in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0079] A second lock bar 40 that constitutes the second lock mechanism 5 is provided on the upper second wall member 3U so as to be able to move up and down. The second lock bar 40 spans the left and right second struts 38 and is provided on the left and right second struts 38 so as to be able to move up and down. Fig. 13 shows the upper second wall member 3U alone, and Fig. 15 shows the second lock bar 40 alone.

[0080] As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the left and right second struts 38 in the upper second wall member 3U have a symmetric configuration. The second strut 38 is in the shape of a rectangular plate extending in the up-down direction. The second wall body 39 is sandwiched between the left and right second struts 38 and is fixed by welding or the like. Also, covers 41U and 41D that cover the upper and lower ends of the second wall body 39 are sandwiched between the left and right second struts 38 and are fixed by welding or the like.

[0081] The second strut 38 is provided with a long hole 42 through which the second lock bar 40 is inserted. The long hole 42 is a linear long hole extending in the up-down direction and is provided adjacent to the rear of the second wall body 39 so that the second lock bar 40 and the second wall body 39 do not interfere with each other.

[0082] The long hole 42 is also provided symmetrically with respect to the right second support column 38. Therefore, the left and right long holes 38 face each other.

[0083] The second wall body 39 is configured by assembling a plurality of vertical members 43 and horizontal members 44 in a lattice pattern. On the other hand, in the upper half of the second wall body 39, a missing portion 45 where a predetermined number (two in this embodiment) of the horizontal members 44 are missing is formed. By arranging the ladder-shaped second lock bar 40 in this missing portion 45, it presents an appearance as if there is no missing portion 45.

[0084] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the second lock bar 40 has a ladder-shaped shape extending in the left-right direction as a whole. The second lock bar 40 has a pair of end plates 46 provided at its left and right ends and extending in the up-down direction, and a pair of upper and lower lock bar horizontal members 47 extending in the left-right direction and bridging these end plates 46 and fixed to these end plates 46 by welding or the like, and a plurality of lock bar vertical members 48 connecting these lock bar horizontal members 47.

[0085] The second lock bar 40 also has lock pins 49 protruding from the left and right end plates 46 in a direction away from the outside in the left-right direction (the left and right center C5 of the second wall member 3 (corresponding to the left and right center C2 of the pallet 100)), and flanges 50 fixed to the tip portions on the outside in the left-right direction of the lock pins 49 by welding or the like.

[0086] The lock bar horizontal members 47, the lock bar vertical members 48, and the lock pins 49 are formed of metal bars having a circular cross-section. The distance between the upper and lower lock bar horizontal members 47 is made equal to the distance between the horizontal members 44. The positions and intervals of the lock bar vertical members 48 in the left-right direction are made equal to the positions and intervals of the vertical members 43 in the left-right direction.

[0087] The second lock bar 40 is a member operated by an operator. Therefore, it is preferable that the second lock bar 40 is colored in a color different from that of the second wall body 39 so that the second lock bar 40 can be easily distinguished from the second wall body 39.

[0088] The above configuration is the same for the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D. Therefore, the second locking mechanism 5 is provided separately for the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality (three) of hinges 37 are attached to the front surfaces of the lower cover 41D of the upper second wall member 3U and the upper cover 41U of the lower second wall member 3D.

[0090] In addition, rotation shafts 51 are provided at the bottom and both left and right end portions of the lower second wall member 3D. The rotation shafts 51 are formed by bending a metal bar and have engaging portions 52 extending in the left-right direction at a position behind and slightly below the second wall member 3D.

[0091] Also, a plurality (two) of buffer members 53 for absorbing impact and preventing damage by contacting the bottom plate member 1 when the lower second wall member 3D is overturned are provided on the upper cover 41U of the lower second wall member 3D. The buffer members 53 are formed of an elastic material such as rubber. Note that such buffer members can also be appropriately provided on other members that contact the other member.

[0092] When attaching the second wall member 3 to the bottom plate member 1, first, the second lock bar 40 is attached to the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D in the same manner.

[0093] For example, when attaching the second lock bar 40 to the upper second wall member 3U, the upper and lower lock bar cross members 47 of the second lock bar 40 are inserted into the left and right long holes 42 of the upper second wall member 3U. Then, the left and right end plates 46 are fixed to the left and right end portions of the upper and lower lock bar cross members 47 protruding from the left and right long holes 42 by welding or the like. The lock pins 49 and flanges 50 are fixed to the left and right end plates 46 in advance by welding or the like. Thereby, the second lock bar 40 is attached to the left and right second support columns 38 so as to be movable up and down and slidable along the long holes 42.

[0094] When the second wall member 3 is in the upright state, the second lock bar 40 is positioned at the lower end of the long hole 42. At this time, the lock bar cross member 47 and the cross member 44 are arranged at equal intervals as a whole, and the lock bar vertical member 48 and the vertical member 43 are arranged at the same position. Therefore, an appearance without a sense of incongruity can be presented.

[0095] After attaching the second lock bar 40 to the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D in this way, a plurality of hinges 37 are fixed to the front surface of the lower cover 41D of the upper second wall member 3U and the front surface of the upper cover 41U of the lower second wall member 3D. Thereby, the assembly of the second wall member 3 is completed.

[0096] Next, the completed second wall member 3 is attached to the front and rear ends of the bottom plate member 1 in the same manner. At this time, the front surfaces (the front surfaces in FIG. 11(A)) of the front and rear second wall members 3 are arranged so as to face the inner side in the front-rear direction (the direction approaching the front-rear center C1). In other words, the front and rear second wall members 3 are arranged so that the front surfaces of the front and rear second wall members 3 face each other.

[0097] Also, as shown in FIG. 17, a bracket 54 is pre-attached to the bottom plate frame 7 of the bottom plate member 1, and the engaging portion 52 of the rotating shaft 51 is inserted into the space surrounded by the arm 55 of the bracket 54 and the bottom plate frame 7. The arm 55 of the bracket 54 is initially open as shown by the virtual line a so that the engaging portion 52 can be inserted. After the insertion of the engaging portion 52, it is bent from the root and abutted against the bottom plate frame 7 and fixed by welding or the like. Thereby, the space becomes a closed space and the rotating shaft 51 is prevented from coming off. In this way, the second wall member 3 is rotatably attached to the bottom plate member 1.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 54 is provided at a position corresponding to the rotating shaft 51 of the front and rear second wall members 3. That is, the bracket 54 is provided such that the arm 55 faces the inner surface in the front-rear direction of the front and rear cross members 7B of the bottom plate frame 7.

[0099] Next, lock the first wall member 2 in an upright state, raise the second wall member 3, and engage the locking pins 49 of the upper and lower second locking bars 40 with the upper bracket 33U and the lower bracket 33D of the first wall member 2. At this time, while inserting the flanges 50 at the tips of the upper and lower locking pins 49 into the upper bracket 33U and the lower bracket 33D, insert the upper and lower locking pins 49 from above into the second slots 34U and 34D of the upper bracket 33U and the lower bracket 33. Thereby, the upper and lower second locking bars 40 are engaged with the upper bracket 33U and the lower bracket 33D, and the second wall member 3 is locked to the first wall member 2 in an upright state.

[0100] Next, a method of using the pallet 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0101] First, a folding method when folding the pallet 100 in which the first wall member 2 and the second wall member 3 are in an upright state will be described.

[0102] First, fold the front and rear second wall members 3. Here, it is assumed that the front second wall member 3 is folded first. Fig. 18 schematically shows the state during folding. Fig. 18(A) shows the second wall member 3 in the initial upright state.

[0103] At this time, the operator stands in front of the pallet 100 (the front side in the paper thickness direction of FIG. 1), pulls up the second lock bar 40 of the upper second wall member 3U, and releases the lock of the upper second wall member 3U with respect to the first wall member 2. For example, the operator horizontally pulls up the second lock bar 40 by gripping the upper lock bar cross member 47 of the second lock bar 40 and the upper cover 41U of the upper second wall member 3U (see FIG. 11) directly above it with both hands from the front. As a result, the left and right lock pins 49 in the second lock bar 40 are pulled out from the second slots 34U of the upper brackets 33U, and the lock is released. Then, while gripping the lock bar cross member 47 and the upper cover 41U with both hands, as shown in FIG. 18(B), gently tilt the upper second wall member 3U forward (in the direction approaching the operator). As a result, the upper second wall member 3U rotates with respect to the lower second wall member 3D by the hinge 37, and the upper second wall member 3U is stacked on the front side of the lower second wall member 3D.

[0104] Next, pull up the second lock bar 40 of the lower second wall member 3U to release the lock of the lower second wall member 3U with respect to the first wall member 2. At this time, the operator horizontally pulls up the second lock bar 40 by gripping the upper lock bar cross member 47 of the second lock bar 40 and the upper cover 41U of the lower second wall member 3U (see FIG. 11) directly above it with both hands from behind the lower second wall member 3U. As a result, the left and right lock pins 49 in the second lock bar 40 are pulled out from the second slots 34D of the lower brackets 33D, and the lock is released. Then, while gripping the lock bar cross member 47 and the upper cover 41U with both hands, as shown in FIG. 18(C), gently tilt the lower second wall member 3D backward (in the direction moving away from the operator). As a result, the lower second wall member 3D rotates with respect to the bottom plate member 1 about the engaging portion 52 of the rotation shaft 51, and the lower second wall member 3D is stacked on the bottom plate member 1 together with the upper second wall member 3U.

[0105] In this way, with the upper second wall member 3U stacked on the lower second wall member 3D, they are stacked on the bottom plate member 1, and the second wall member 3 is folded. Such a state of the second wall member 3 is called a folded state or a toppled state.

[0106] On the other hand, the second wall member 3 on the rear side is also folded onto the bottom plate member 1 in the same procedure, except that the front and rear are reversed. Therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that the folded second wall members 3 before and after do not interfere with each other.

[0107] Next, the left and right first wall members 2 are folded. Here, first, the left first wall member 2 (left wall member 2L) is folded. FIG. 19 schematically shows the state during folding. FIG. 19(A) shows the first wall member 2 in the initial standing state.

[0108] At this time, the operator stands on the left side of the pallet 100 (the front side in the paper thickness direction of FIG. 2), pulls up the first lock bar 24, and releases the lock of the first wall member 2 with respect to the bottom plate member 1. For example, the operator horizontally pulls up the first lock bar 24 by gripping the first lock bar main body 30 of the first lock bar 24 and the cross member 22A (see FIG. 2) of the first wall member 2 directly above it with both hands from the left side. As a result, the left and right end portions of the first lock bar main body 30 in the first lock bar 24 are pulled out from the first slots 17 of the left and right column supports 6, and the lock is released. Then, while grasping the upper end portion of the first wall member 2 with one hand, the first wall member 2 is gently tilted to the right (the direction away from the operator) as shown in FIG. 19(B). As a result, the first wall member 2 rotates with respect to the column support 6 and thus the bottom plate member 1 by the rotation shaft 36, falls down, and the first wall member 2 is stacked on the upper second wall member 3U already on the bottom plate member 1.

[0109] In this way, the first wall member 2 is folded. Such a state of the first wall member 2 is referred to as a folded state or a fallen state. FIG. 20 shows the first wall member 2 in the standing state by a solid line and the first wall member 2 in the folded state by a virtual line.

[0110] On the other hand, the right first wall member 2 (right wall member 2R) is also folded in the same procedure, except that the left and right are reversed. Therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that the folded left and right first wall members 2 do not interfere with each other.

[0111] Next, the method of raising the first wall member 2 and the second wall member 3 in the folded state will be described. This basically involves performing the reverse procedure of the aforementioned folding method.

[0112] First, the left and right first wall members 2 are raised. Here, it is assumed that the left first wall member 2 (left wall member 2L) is raised first.

[0113] At this time, the operator stands on the left side of the pallet 100, grabs the upper end of the first wall member 2, and simply pulls it up. As a result, the first wall member 2 rotates and stands up with respect to the support receiving member 6 and thus the bottom plate member 1 by the rotation shaft 36.

[0114] At this time, the first lock bar 24 is automatically locked without any operation. That is, during the rotation of the first wall member 2, the left and right ends of the first lock bar body 30 of the first lock bar 24 slide up on the cam surfaces 18 of the left and right support receiving members 6 as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 20, and are guided toward the first slot 17. When the end of the first lock bar body 30 reaches the upper end entrance of the first slot 17, the first lock bar 24 descends by its own weight, and the first lock bar body 30 is inserted into the first slot 17. As a result, the first lock bar 24 is locked, and the first wall member 2 is locked in the standing state.

[0115] On the other hand, the right first wall member 2 is also locked in the same procedure except that the left and right are reversed. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

[0116] Next, the front and rear second wall members 3 are raised. Here, it is assumed that the front second wall member 3 is raised first.

[0117] At this time, the operator stands in front of the pallet 100, grabs the upper end of the upper second wall member 3U stacked on the upper layer, and simply pulls it up. As a result, the upper second wall member 3U rotates with respect to the lower second wall member 3D by the hinge 37, the lower second wall member 3D rotates with respect to the bottom plate member 1 by the engaging portion 52 of the rotation shaft 51, and the upper second wall member 3U and the lower second wall member 3D are simultaneously erected.

[0118] At this time, the upper and lower second lock bars 40 are automatically locked without any operation. That is, for the second lock bar 40 of the lower second wall member 3D, during the rotation of the lower second wall member 3D, the left and right lock pins 49 on the second lock bar 40 slide up on the cam surface 35D of the lower bracket 33D and are guided toward the second slot 34D as shown in FIG. 21(B). When the lock pin 49 reaches the upper end entrance of the second slot 34D, the second lock bar 40 descends by its own weight, and the lock pin 49 is inserted into the second slot 34D. As a result, the second lock bar 40 is locked, and the lower second wall member 3D is locked in the erected state.

[0119] The same applies to the upper second wall member 3U. During the rotation of the upper second wall member 3U, the left and right lock pins 49 on the second lock bar 40 slide up on the cam surface 35U of the upper bracket 33U and are guided toward the second slot 34U as shown in FIG. 21(A). When the lock pin 49 reaches the upper end entrance of the second slot 34U, the second lock bar 40 descends by its own weight, and the lock pin 49 is inserted into the second slot 34U. As a result, the second lock bar 40 is locked, and the upper second wall member 3U is locked in the erected state.

[0120] On the other hand, the second wall member 3 on the rear side is also locked in the same procedure except that the front and rear are reversed. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

[0121] As described above, in the present embodiment, when unlocking the lock of the first wall member 2 in the erected state, by simply lifting the first lock bar 24, the locks on the front and rear support receivers 6 can be simultaneously released.

[0122] Further, when the first wall member 2 in the folded state is raised and locked, by simply lifting the first wall member 2, the first lock bar 24 can be automatically locked with respect to the front and rear strut receivers 6.

[0123] The same applies to the second wall member 3. When unlocking the second wall member 3 in the erected state, by simply lifting the second lock bar 40, the locks with respect to the left and right first wall members 2 can be released simultaneously.

[0124] Further, when the second wall member 3 in the folded state is raised and locked, by simply lifting the second wall member 2, the second lock bar 40 can be automatically locked with respect to the left and right first wall members 2.

[0125] Therefore, when performing locking and unlocking, it is not necessary to lift the wall member like the pallet of the first conventional example, and even an operator such as a woman with weak strength can easily perform locking and unlocking. Also, like the pallet of the second conventional example, without the operator having to move to both ends of the wall member one by one, the locks at both ends can be simultaneously performed and released. Therefore, locking and unlocking can be performed more easily than in the second conventional example.

[0126] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, but various other embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure can be considered.

[0127] (1) For example, the cam surface 18 of the strut receiver 6 may be formed by a linear inclined surface, and the cam surfaces 35U and 35D of the brackets 33U and 33D may be formed by a rounded surface. The shapes of these cam surfaces can be arbitrarily changed.

[0128] (2) The configurations of the aforementioned first wall member 2 and the first locking mechanism 4 may be applied to only one of the left and right first wall members.

[0129] (3) The configurations of the aforementioned second wall member 3 and the second locking mechanism 5 may be applied to only one of the front and rear second wall members.

[0130] (4) In the above embodiment, the first locking bar 24 was first inserted into the first support column 21 of the first wall member 2 from the outside to attach the first locking bar 24. However, the first locking bar 24 may also be first inserted into the first support column 21 of the first wall member 2 from the inside to attach the first locking bar 24. Hereinafter, the attachment method in this case will be described.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 7 and the like, the first locking bar 24 is inserted into the substantially circular hole 26 on the left side, that is, from the inside, through the right side of the first support column 21 on the left side. At this time, the orientation of the flange plate 31L on the left side of the first locking bar 24 and the substantially circular hole 26 on the left side is aligned. Thereby, the flange plate 31L on the left side is inserted into the first support column 21 on the left side.

[0132] Next, the first locking bar 24 is inserted further to the left. In this way, before the first locking bar 24 reaches the through hole 29 on the left side, the right end of the first locking bar 24 is positioned to the left of the first support column 21 on the right side. Thereby, the right end of the first locking bar 24 can be inserted into the substantially circular hole 26 on the right side from the left side, that is, from the inside, of the first support column 21 on the right side.

[0133] At this time, the first locking bar 24 is rotated 180° around its central axis C4, and the orientation of the flange plate 31R on the right side and the substantially circular hole 26 on the right side is aligned.

[0134] Therefore, by inserting the first locking bar 24 to the right, the flange plate 31R on the right side is inserted through the substantially circular hole 26 on the right side. And the flange plate 31R on the right side is also inserted into the first support column 21 on the right side.

[0135] Thereby, the attachment of the first locking bar 24 is completed, and the first locking bar 24 can move up and down along the long hole 25 with respect to the left and right first support columns 21.

[0136] As understood, in the method of inserting from the inside, the through-hole 29 of the first support column 21 is not used. Therefore, the through-hole 29 may be omitted.

[0137] On the other hand, when it is desired to remove the first lock bar 24 for replacement or the like, it can be easily done by performing the reverse procedure. Therefore, the maintenance of the first lock bar 24 can be easily carried out.

[0138] Here, the first lock bar 24 was first inserted into the first support column 21 on the left side and then into the first support column 21 on the right side, but it may be inserted in the reverse order.

[0139] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing embodiments only, and all modifications, application examples, and equivalents included in the idea of the present disclosure defined by the claims are included in the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively, and it is possible to apply it to any other technology belonging to the scope of the idea of the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0140] 1 Bottom plate member 2 First wall member 3 Second wall member 3U Upper second wall member 3D Lower second wall member 4 First locking mechanism 5 Second locking mechanism 6 Support column receiver 17 First slot 18 First cam surface 21 First support column 24 First lock bar 34U, 34D Second slot 35U, 35D Second cam surface 38 Second support column 40 Second lock bar 100 Pallet

Claims

1. A bottom plate member, a first wall member rotatably provided at at least one of the left and right ends of the bottom plate member, and a first locking mechanism for locking the first wall member in an upright state to the bottom plate member, wherein the first wall member has first struts provided at the front and rear ends thereof, the bottom plate member has front and rear strut receivers to which the front and rear first struts are rotatably connected, the first locking mechanism includes a first locking bar spanning the front and rear first struts and provided thereon so as to be movable up and down, and first slots provided in the front and rear strut receivers and into which the first locking bar is insertable and removable in the vertical direction. A pallet, characterized in that it has the above configuration.

2. The pallet according to claim 1, wherein the first locking mechanism has first cam surfaces provided in the front and rear strut receivers and guiding the first locking bar toward the first slots when the first wall member is erected.

3. The pallet according to claim 2, wherein the first cam surface is formed by a rounded surface or a linear inclined surface.

4. The pallet further includes a second wall member rotatably provided at at least one of the front and rear ends of the bottom plate member, and a second locking mechanism for locking the second wall member in an upright state to the left and right first wall members, wherein the second wall member has second struts provided at the left and right ends thereof, the second locking mechanism includes a second locking bar spanning the left and right second struts and provided thereon so as to be movable up and down, and second slots provided in at least one of the front and rear first struts of the left and right first wall members and into which the second locking bar is insertable and removable in the vertical direction. The pallet according to claim 1, characterized in that it has the above configuration.

5. The pallet according to claim 4, wherein the second locking mechanism has second cam surfaces provided in at least one of the front and rear first struts of the left and right first wall members and guiding the second locking bar toward the second slots when the second wall member is erected.

6. The pallet according to claim 5, wherein the second cam surface is formed by a rounded surface or a linear inclined surface.

7. The second wall member has an upper second wall member and a lower second wall member rotatably connected to each other, and the second locking mechanism is provided individually for the upper second wall member and the lower second wall member. The pallet according to claim 4, characterized in that it has the above configuration. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Images