Hand-push member and transportation carriage

Abstract

To prevent falling down of a transportation carriage.SOLUTION: A hand-push member 40 for enabling a user to push a transportation carriage 10 by hand when travelling the transportation carriage 10 has a grounding part 54 positioned outside an outer peripheral edge of a carriage body part 20 in a state where the hand-push member 40 is mounted on the carriage body part 20 of the transportation carriage 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a push member and a transport cart. [Background technology]

[0002] Transport carts are used to transport items at work sites, etc. The transport cart has casters attached to the four corners of the underside of the cart body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-46379 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When such a transport cart is loaded with transported goods, the center of gravity becomes high and there is a risk of the cart tipping over. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to prevent the transporting cart from tipping over. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention is a hand push member that a user pushes by hand when moving a transport cart, and is characterized in that the hand push member has a contact portion that is located outside the outer periphery of the cart main body when attached to the cart main body of the transport cart. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the transport cart from tipping over. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport cart according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport cart according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hand push member. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the configuration of a push member and a corner member. [Figure 5] 1 is a view of a transporter according to a first embodiment as seen from the front-rear direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a transport cart according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing the transporter of the first embodiment as viewed from the left and right. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a view of the transporter of the second embodiment as seen from the front-rear direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the transport cart according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transporter of the second embodiment as viewed from the left and right. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a view of the transporter of the third embodiment as seen from the front-rear direction. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the transport cart according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transporter of the third embodiment as viewed from the left and right. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a corner member and a push member of Modification 1. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a corner member and a push member of Modification 2. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a corner member and a push member of Modification 3. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The transport vehicle according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment) 1 and 2 are perspective views of a transport cart 10 according to the first embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 shows a state before a push member 40 (described later) is attached to the cart body 20, and Fig. 2 shows a state after the push member 40 has been attached to the cart body 20. For convenience, in the following drawings, arrow Fr indicates the front side, arrow Rr indicates the rear side, arrow R indicates the right side, and arrow L indicates the left side. However, the transport cart 10 can travel in any direction on the floor surface, forward, backward, left, or right. Also, center line C indicates the center of the transport cart 10 in the left-right length.

[0009] The transport cart 10 comprises a cart body 20, a running section 30, and a push member 40. First, the carriage main body 20 will be described. The dolly main body 20 is formed by connecting a plurality of frame sections and the like, and is used to carry transported objects. When viewed from above the transport dolly 10, the dolly main body 20 has a generally rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction and the transverse direction being the left-to-right direction. The dolly main body 20 has a front frame section 21a, a rear frame section 21b, a right frame section 21c, a left frame section 21d, corner members 22, a reinforcing frame section (reinforcing section) 25, and a mounting section 27.

[0010] The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d constitute the outer shape of the bogie main body portion 20. The front frame portion 21a and the rear frame portion 21b correspond to an example of a pair of opposing frame portions. The right frame portion 21c and the left frame portion 21d correspond to an example of a pair of opposing frame portions. The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d can be formed, for example, from rectangular hollow pipes made of an aluminum alloy.

[0011] The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d are joined at their four corners by corner members 22 to form a rectangular four-sided frame. The corner members 22 are made of an aluminum alloy, for example, formed by extrusion molding. The corner members 22 have an insertion hole 23 that opens to the upper side and a support portion 24 that closes at least a portion of the lower opening (see Figure 3, described later). A push member 40 can be inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The lower end of the push member 40 inserted into the insertion hole 23 is supported by the support portion 24.

[0012] The inside of the frame frame formed by the front frame portion 21a, rear frame portion 21b, right frame portion 21c, and left frame portion 21d is reinforced by a plurality of reinforcing frame portions 25 that are butted together in the front-rear and left-right directions and joined by bolts, rivets, welding, etc. The reinforcing frame portions 25 may be, for example, hollow rectangular pipes made of aluminum alloy or plates with an uneven cross section. The transported goods are loaded on the mounting section 27. The mounting section 27 is connected to each frame section and each reinforcing frame section with bolts, rivets, etc. Note that when the same transport carts 10 are stacked, a part of a caster 31 (described later) of the upper transport cart 10 enters into the space 26 that is not closed by the mounting section 27, i.e., the space 26 that is open on the top.

[0013] Next, the running unit 30 will be described. The running section 30 runs on the floor while supporting the load of the cart body 20 and the transported object. The running section 30 has a plurality of casters 31. In this embodiment, the running section 30 has six casters: four casters 31 arranged at the four corners of the cart body 20 and two casters 31 arranged separately on the left and right in the center in the front-to-rear direction. Each caster 31 is attached to the cart body 20 via a mounting plate 32. A space 26 is located above the mounting plate 32. The upper surface of the mounting plate 32 is the surface on which the casters 31 of the upper transport cart 10 that enters the space 26 when the same transport carts 10 are stacked come into contact.

[0014] Next, the push member 40 will be described. The push members 40 are members that the user holds onto when moving the transport cart 10. The user moves the transport cart 10 by gripping the push members 40 with their hands and pushing or pulling them. The push members 40 are attached to the cart body 20 by inserting their lower ends into the insertion holes 23 of the corner members 22. The transport cart 10 has four push members 40, which are inserted into the insertion holes 23 of the corner members 22. The cart body 20 is not limited to having four push members 40 attached to it, and one, two, or three push members 40 may also be attached to it. The push members 40 can be removed from the cart body 20 by pulling them out of the insertion holes 23 of the corner members 22.

[0015] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the push member 40. Fig. 3 also shows an enlarged view of a portion of the push member 40. The push member 40 has a main body member 41 as a main body, a protective member 43, a reinforcing member 44, and a grounding unit 50. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the right side of the four push members 40 are shown as grounding units 50a and 50b, and the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are shown as grounding units 50c and 50d. The grounding units 50a and 50b have the same configuration, and the grounding units 50c and 50d have the same configuration. The grounding units 50a and 50b and the grounding units 50c and 50d are symmetrical with respect to the center line C. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the grounding units 50a to 50d, they will simply be referred to as the grounding unit 50.

[0016] The main body member 41 is a rod-shaped member extending in the vertical direction, or a long, pipe-shaped member extending in the vertical direction. The main body member 41 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy, and is formed by extrusion molding. The main body member 41 is a circular tube with an outer diameter of, for example, 42 to 45 mm (44 mm in this example) so that it is easy for the user to grasp, which is smaller than a so-called single pipe (single pipe). The inside of the main body member 41 is reinforced in a cross shape to improve its strength. However, the dimensions of the main body member 41 are not limited to those mentioned above, and various rod-shaped or tubular members can be used. The main body member 41 may also be a single pipe. A single pipe is a general structural carbon steel pipe specified in JIS G 3444, and is a circular pipe with an outer diameter of 48.6 mm.

[0017] The protective member 43 protects the user's hands from coming into contact with surrounding objects when the user grasps the push member 40. The protective member 43 also serves as an indicator of the maximum loading height when loading transported items. The protective member 43 is fixed to the upper side of the main body member 41 at a predetermined distance from the upper end with bolts, rivets, etc. The part of the push member 40 above the protective member 43 functions as a grip portion 42 that the user grasps with their hands. The protective member 43 is disc-shaped and protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the main body member 41, and has a larger outer diameter than the main body member 41.

[0018] The reinforcing member 44 is fixed to the lower end of the main body member 41, specifically at a position close to the lower end, with bolts, rivets, etc. The reinforcing member 44 not only reinforces the strength of the main body member 41 but also suppresses rattle between the main body member 41 and the insertion hole 23 when the main body member 41 is inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The reinforcing member 44 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding.

[0019] 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4(b) is a view showing the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. As shown in FIG. As shown in Figure 4(a), the reinforcing member 44 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter larger than that of the main body member 41. The reinforcing member 44 has multiple (here, two) bulging portions 45, which are portions of the outer circumferential surface that bulge radially. The length (vertical dimension) of the reinforcing member 44 is approximately the same as the depth of the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The reinforcing member 44 also has mounting holes 46 that open at the top and bottom for inserting the main body member 41 inside. When attaching the reinforcing member 44 to the main body member 41, the main body member 41 is inserted into the mounting hole 46 of the reinforcing member 44, and the reinforcing member 44 is fixed to the main body member 41 at a predetermined position from the lower end of the main body member 41 using bolts, rivets, etc.

[0020] 4(b), the insertion hole 23 into which the reinforcing member 44 is inserted has a space 47 as a recess that allows the insertion of the bulging portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44. Therefore, by aligning the bulging portion 45 with the space 47 and inserting the reinforcing member 44 fixed to the main body member 41 into the insertion hole 23, the hand push member 40 is positioned at a predetermined position.

[0021] The ground contact unit 50 functions as an outrigger to prevent the transporter cart 10 from tipping over. The ground contact unit 50 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body member 41 via a holding member 60. Specifically, the ground contact unit 50 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body member 41 at a position facing the outside of the transporter cart 10. The ground contact unit 50 is attached below the center of the vertical length of the main body member 41 and above the reinforcing member 44. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, the holding member 60 has a pair of side walls 61 spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and a first connecting portion 62 and a second connecting portion 63 that connect the side walls 61 spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction.

[0022] The pair of side walls 61 are generally fan-shaped or arc-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, and have positioning portions 64a, 64b recessed into the upper and side portions of their outer circumferential surfaces. The pair of side walls 61 also support a pivot pin 65 whose axis is aligned in the front-to-rear direction. The first connecting portion 62 is plate-shaped and aligned vertically. The first connecting portion 62 is joined to the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41 using bolts, rivets, or the like, thereby attaching the holding member 60 to the main body member 41. The second connecting portion 63 is plate-shaped and inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The second connecting portion 63 restricts the movement of the leg portions 51, which will be described later, by abutting against it. The holding member 60 is formed, for example, by bending a steel plate.

[0023] The grounding unit 50 has a leg portion 51 and a grounding portion 54 . The leg 51 is a hollow member with a generally rectangular cross section that extends linearly. The leg 51 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and formed by extrusion molding. The leg 51 is pivotally supported around a pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60. The leg 51 also has an insertion hole 52, through which the pivot pin 65 is inserted. Because the insertion hole 52 is a long, elongated hole that extends along the longitudinal direction of the leg 51, the leg 51 has play corresponding to the length of the elongated hole. A positioning pin 53, which serves as a positioning target, is inserted in the front-rear direction of the leg 51. The ends of the positioning pin 53 protrude beyond both side surfaces of the leg 51. The positioning pin 53 is engageable with the positioning portions 64a and 64b. A spring 66 connects the pivot pin 65 and the positioning pin 53. Therefore, the leg 51 is constantly biased by the spring 66 in a direction toward the holding member 60. When the positioning pin 53 of the leg 51 is engaged with the positioning portion 64b of the holding member 60, the leg 51 extends obliquely downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface. Here, the inclination angle of the leg 51 (the inclination angle α on the acute side between the floor surface and the leg 51) is 25 to 45 degrees.

[0024] The grounding portion 54 is a member that comes into contact with the floor surface. The grounding portion 54 is made of a flexible material such as synthetic rubber or synthetic resin, for example, soft vinyl chloride. The grounding portion 54 is a different color from the leg portion 51, and is colored in a color that stands out even in dark surroundings, such as orange or a fluorescent color. The grounding portion 54 has a main body portion 55 and an attachment portion 57 . The main body 55 has a plurality of protrusions 56 on its underside that comes into contact with the floor. The protrusions 56 are formed so that the force that moves the leg 51 in the horizontal direction toward the cart main body 20 when the leg 51 is in contact with the floor is smaller than the force that moves the leg 51 in the direction away from the cart main body 20. Specifically, the protrusions 56 are formed to protrude obliquely in a direction away from the cart main body 20 as they approach the floor.

[0025] The attachment portion 57 is a portion where the main body portion 55 is attached to the leg portion 51. The attachment portion 57 has a bottomed hole, and the tip of the leg portion 51 is inserted into the bottomed hole. The attachment portion 57 has a plurality of expandable and contractible biasing portions 58 spaced apart from one another. The biasing portions 58 contract when the main body portion 55 touches the floor surface, and generate a biasing force that tries to expand the main body portion 55 from the contracted state.

[0026] Fig. 5 is a view of the transport cart 10 as seen from the front-rear direction, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the transport cart 10, and Fig. 7 is a view of the transport cart 10 as seen from the left-right direction. The ground contact portion 54 of the ground contact unit 50 in this embodiment is located outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. In other words, when viewed from above the transport cart 10, the ground contact portion 54 is arranged so as to extend outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. The positioning pin 53 of the leg 51 engages with the positioning portion 64b of the holding member 60, and the lower surface of the leg 51 abuts against the second connecting portion 63, thereby maintaining the leg 51 in an inclined state. The ground contact portion 54 in this embodiment does not come into contact with the floor surface and is maintained apart from the floor surface.

[0027] In this way, by positioning the ground contact portion 54 outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, even if the transport cart 10 begins to tip over, the ground contact portion 54 located on the side that is beginning to tip over will contact the floor surface at a position outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, thereby preventing the transport cart 10 from tipping over. When the ground contact portion 54 contacts the floor surface, the biasing portion 58 contracts, generating a biasing force that tends to expand the ground contact portion 54. The generated biasing force acts on the floor surface, and the ground contact portion 54 receives a reaction force from the floor surface. Therefore, the transport cart 10 is pushed back by the floor surface in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is attempting to tip over, thereby further preventing the transport cart 10 from tipping over.

[0028] Furthermore, the grounding unit 50 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the leg 51 extends obliquely downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface, bringing the grounding portion 54 closer to the floor surface, and a second state in which the leg 51 extends upward from the holding member 60, bringing the grounding portion 54 further away from the floor surface than in the first state. Specifically, from the state in which the leg 51 extends toward the floor surface, the worker pulls the leg 51 against the bias of the spring 66, thereby disengaging the positioning pin 53 from the positioning portion 64b. Next, the worker rotates the leg 51 upward about the pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60, bringing the leg 51 into a state in which it is aligned substantially vertically (see the two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 3 and 5 ). At this time, the positioning pin 53, biased by the spring 66, engages with the positioning portion 64a of the holding member 60, thereby maintaining the leg 51 in a state in which it is aligned substantially vertically. In the first state, the ground contact units 50a and 50b protrude significantly to the right from the outer periphery of the carriage body 20, and the ground contact units 50c and 50d protrude significantly to the left from the outer periphery of the carriage body 20. On the other hand, in the second state, the ground contact units 50a to 50d are positioned outside the outer periphery of the carriage body 20 but do not protrude more than in the first state, which allows the left-right length of the transport carriage 10 to be shortened. Also, in the second state, the ground contact unit 50 is arranged so as to overlap the body member 41 of the push member 40 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0029] In this way, by preventing the ground contact unit 50 from protruding from the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, it is possible to prevent the ground contact unit 50 from colliding with the wall of the passageway or the like when the transport cart 10 is traveling through the passageway. Note that, from the second state, the worker can again transition the ground contact unit 54 to a state in which it is close to the floor surface at a position outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20 by pulling the leg 51 against the bias of the spring 66 and rotating it downward around the pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60.

[0030] Furthermore, the grounding units 50a to 50d can each independently transition between the first state and the second state. Therefore, the worker can select whether to put each of the grounding units 50a to 50d into the first state or the second state depending on the width of the passage and the storage space for the transport cart 10.

[0031] In the grounding unit 50 of this embodiment, the grounding portion 54 is not in contact with the floor surface and is separated from the floor surface in the first state, but this is not the only case. The grounding portion 54 may be configured to be in contact with the floor surface in the first state. In addition, although the grounding unit 50 of the present embodiment is described as being capable of transitioning between the first state and the second state, the present invention is not limited to this case. The grounding unit 50 may be configured so as not to be able to transition to the second state.

[0032] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the transport cart 110 of this embodiment, the ground contact unit 150 has auxiliary casters 154 positioned outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a view of the transport cart 110 as seen from the front-rear direction. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the transport cart 110. Fig. 10 is a view of the transport cart 110 as seen from the left-right direction. The push member 40 of this embodiment has a grounding unit 150. Of the four push members 40, the grounding units possessed by the front and rear push members 40 on the right side are designated as grounding units 150a and 150b, and the grounding units possessed by the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are designated as grounding units 150c and 150d. The grounding units 150a and 150b have the same configuration, and the grounding units 150c and 150d have the same configuration. The grounding units 150a and 150b and the grounding units 150c and 150d have a configuration symmetrical with respect to the center line C. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the grounding units 150a to 150d, they will be simply referred to as grounding unit 150.

[0034] The grounding unit 150 has legs 51 and auxiliary casters 154. The auxiliary casters 154 are an example of a grounding portion. The auxiliary casters 154 are positioned outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20 and are in contact with the floor surface to prevent the transport cart 110 from tipping over. The auxiliary casters 154 are attached to the tips of the legs 51. The auxiliary casters 154 are rotatable around a rotation axis O1 that extends in the up-down direction. The auxiliary casters 154 of this embodiment are braked casters that can be braked or released in response to a user's operation. The auxiliary casters 154 are a different type of caster from the casters 31 described above.

[0035] The auxiliary caster 154 has two wheels 155 a and 155 b , a support portion 156 , and a swivel portion 157 . The two wheels 155a, 155b have an outer diameter smaller than that of the wheels of the caster 31. Each of the two wheels 155a, 155b has a wheel portion with a built-in bearing and a tire portion fitted around the outer periphery of the wheel portion. The two wheels 155a, 155b are the same size and are supported in parallel so that they can rotate independently. That is, the wheels 155a and 155b can rotate at different rotational speeds, and the wheel 155a can rotate in one direction while the wheel 155b rotates in the other direction at the same time.

[0036] Support portion 156 rotatably supports two wheels 155a, 155b and holds a brake pedal so that it can swing. Support portion 156 is formed, for example, by press-forming a steel plate. Support portion 156 is integrally formed with a pair of side walls located on both sides of wheels 155a, 155b and a circular top plate that connects the pair of side walls above wheels 155a, 155b. The top plate is held rotatably by swivel portion 157. The swivel unit 157 rotates the wheels 155a, 155b, the support unit 156, and the brake pedal around a swivel axis O1.

[0037] The auxiliary caster 154 is set at a position where the ground contact positions of the wheels 155a, 155b and the rotation axis O1 are eccentric when viewed from above the transport cart 110. Therefore, the auxiliary caster 154 rotates around the rotation axis O1 so that the wheels 155a, 155b are on the rear side relative to the front side, which is the direction of travel.

[0038] The auxiliary casters 154 of the ground contact unit 150 of this embodiment are located outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. In other words, when viewed from above the transport cart 110, the auxiliary casters 154 are arranged so as to protrude outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. In this way, by positioning the auxiliary caster 154 outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, even if the transport cart 110 begins to tip over, the auxiliary caster 154 located on the side that is beginning to tip over will be in contact with the floor surface at a position outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, thereby preventing the transport cart 110 from tipping over.

[0039] Furthermore, the grounding unit 150 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the legs 51 extend diagonally downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface and the auxiliary casters 154 come into contact with the floor surface, and a second state in which the legs 51 extend upward from the holding member 60 and the auxiliary casters 154 are further away from the floor surface than in the first state (see the dashed double-dashed line in Figure 8).

[0040] In the present embodiment, the grounding unit 150 has been described as having the auxiliary casters 154 in contact with the floor surface in the first state, but this is not limiting. The auxiliary casters 154 may not be in contact with the floor surface in the first state and may be separated from the floor surface. Furthermore, although the auxiliary caster 154 of this embodiment has been described as having two wheels 155a and 155b, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the auxiliary caster 154 may have one wheel.

[0041] (Third embodiment) The transport cart 210 of this embodiment has a ground contact portion 54 in which the ground contact unit 250 is located outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0042] Fig. 11 is a view of the transport cart 210 seen from the front-rear direction, Fig. 12 is a plan view of the transport cart 210, and Fig. 13 is a view of the transport cart 210 seen from the left-right direction. The push member 40 of this embodiment has a grounding unit 250. Of the four push members 40, the grounding units possessed by the front and rear push members 40 on the right side are designated as grounding units 250a and 250b, and the grounding units possessed by the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are designated as grounding units 250c and 250d. The grounding units 250a and 250b have the same configuration, and the grounding units 250c and 250d have the same configuration. The grounding units 250a and 250b and the grounding units 250c and 250d have a configuration symmetrical with respect to the center line C. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the grounding units 250a to 250d, they will simply be described as grounding unit 250.

[0043] The grounding unit 250 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body member 41 via a holding member 260. The grounding unit 250 is attached above the center of the vertical length of the main body member 41 and below the protective member 43. The holding member 260 has the same mechanism as the holding member 60 of the first embodiment, and is capable of engaging a positioning pin (not shown) of a leg portion 251 (described later) with one of two positioning portions.

[0044] The grounding unit 250 has a leg portion 251 and a grounding portion 54 . Leg 251 is supported rotatably around rotation axis O2 (see FIG. 11) of holding member 260. When the positioning pin of leg 251 is engaged with one of the positioning portions of holding member 260, leg 251 extends obliquely downward from holding member 260 toward the floor surface. The inclination angle of leg 251 (inclination angle β on the acute angle side between the floor surface and leg 251) is 45 to 75 degrees.

[0045] Furthermore, telescopic legs 252 fit within leg portion 251 and can slide along the longitudinal direction of leg portion 251. Telescopic legs 252 are made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and are formed by extrusion molding. The length of telescopic legs 252 that protrude from the lower end of leg portion 251 can be changed. A grounding portion 54 is attached to the lower end of telescopic leg 252.

[0046] By extending the telescopic legs 252 from the legs 251 when the legs 251 extend obliquely downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, the ground contact portion 54 attached to the telescopic legs 252 can be brought into contact with or close to the floor surface. The legs 251 also have a locking mechanism 270. The locking mechanism 270 locks in stages the length by which the telescopic legs 252 protrude from the bottom ends of the legs 251. Therefore, the worker can lock the locking mechanism 270 with the ground contact portion 54 attached to the telescopic legs 252 in contact with or close to the floor surface, thereby maintaining the ground contact portion 54 in a state where it is in contact with or close to the floor surface.

[0047] In this way, by extending the leg portion 251 obliquely downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, the ground contact portion 54 can be positioned outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20. Therefore, for example, even if the transport cart 210 begins to tip over, the ground contact portion 54 located on the side that is beginning to tip over will touch the floor surface at a position outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20, or will remain in contact with the floor, thereby preventing the transport cart 210 from tipping over.

[0048] Furthermore, the grounding unit 250 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the leg 251 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, with the grounding portion 54 in contact with or close to the floor surface, and a second state in which the telescopic leg 252 is retracted so that the positioning pin of the leg 251 engages with the other positioning portion of the holding member 260, with the leg 251 extending downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, with the grounding portion 54 being further away from the floor surface than in the first state (see the dashed double-dashed line in Figure 11).

[0049] Although the ground contact unit 250 of this embodiment has been described as having the ground contact portion 54 as in the first embodiment, this is not limited to this. The ground contact portion 54 of the ground contact unit 250 may be replaced with the auxiliary caster 154 of the second embodiment. In this case, the auxiliary caster 154 may have two wheels 155a, 155b, or may have one wheel.

[0050] The present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and it is possible to combine or modify the above-mentioned embodiments and the examples described below as appropriate. In the above embodiment, the case where each transport cart has the placement portion 27 has been described, but this is not limitative, and the placement portion 27 may be omitted.

[0051] In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the hand push member 40 is positioned at a predetermined position of the corner member 22 by inserting the bulge portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44 into the space 47 of the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22 has been described, but this is not limited to this case. A modified example in which the push member 40 is positioned at a predetermined position on the corner member 22 will be described below.

[0052] <Variation 1> Fig. 14(a) is a perspective view for explaining a positioning method for the push member 140 according to Modification 1, and Fig. 14(b) is a plan view of the corner member 122 according to Modification 1. Fig. 14(a) illustrates a cutaway view of a part of the side wall of the corner member 122 as shown by the dashed dotted line so that the inside of the insertion hole 123 can be seen. The corner member 122 according to this modification includes a cylindrical portion 124, connecting portions 125a and 125b, and a support portion 126.

[0053] The cylindrical portion 124 has an insertion hole 123 formed therein along the vertical direction. The connecting portions 125a, 125b connect two adjacent frame portions among the front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d using bolts, rivets, welding, or the like. The connecting portions 125a, 125b extend in directions perpendicular to each other from the cylindrical portion 124, and each is composed of a pair of parallel side walls. The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d are connected while being sandwiched between the pair of side walls of the connecting portions 125a, 125b.

[0054] The support portion 126 supports the push member 140 inserted into the insertion hole 123. The support portion 126 has a shaft member 127 and a fixing member 128. The shaft member 127 is, for example, a bolt, and the fixing member 128 is, for example, a nut. Opposing side walls of the cylindrical portion 124 are formed with insertion holes for inserting the shaft member 127, and the shaft member 127 is inserted into the insertion holes in a substantially horizontal direction, thereby being positioned so as to cross the insertion hole 123. The fixing member 128 fixes the shaft member 127 on the outside of the cylindrical portion 124 so that the shaft member 127 does not come off from the cylindrical portion 124. Specifically, the fixing member 128 is screwed into a threaded portion of the shaft member 127, thereby fixing the shaft member 127 to the cylindrical portion 124.

[0055] On the other hand, the push member 140 has a main body member 141 with a slit 146 formed at its lower end. A pair of slits 146 are formed in the main body member 141 at positions facing each other across the central axis O. Each of the pair of slits 146 is open at the bottom, allowing the shaft member 127 to be fitted into it. Therefore, by inserting the push member 140 into the insertion hole 123 so that the shaft member 127 fits into the slit 146, the push member 140 can be positioned at a predetermined position. Note that in the first modification, the case where the shaft member 127 is a bolt has been described, but the shaft member 127 may also be a rivet, and the fixing member 128 may be formed by crimping the tip of the rivet. Also, in the first modification, the push member 140 does not have the reinforcing member 44, but it may have the reinforcing member 44. If the reinforcing member 44 is included, the reinforcing member 44 may be formed cylindrically without the bulge 45, and a slit 146 may be formed at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44 or at the lower ends of the reinforcing member 44 and the main member 141, thereby positioning the push member 140 at a predetermined position.

[0056] <Variation 2> Figure 15(a) is a perspective view for explaining a positioning method for a push member 240 according to Modification 2, and Figure 15(b) is a plan view of a corner member 222 according to Modification 2. Figure 15(a) illustrates a cutaway view of a part of the side wall of the corner member 222 as shown by the dashed dotted line so that the inside of the insertion hole 223 can be seen. Corner member 222 according to this modification has a cylindrical portion 224, connecting portions 225a and 225b, and two support portions 226. Cylindrical portion 224 and connecting portions 225a and 225b have the same configurations as cylindrical portion 124 and connecting portions 125a and 125b of modification 1, respectively.

[0057] The support portion 226 supports the push member 240 inserted into the insertion hole 223. The support portion 226 has a shaft member 227, a fixing member 228, and a receiving member 229. The shaft member 227 is, for example, a bolt, and the fixing member 228 is, for example, a nut. The receiving member 229 is a member that mainly receives the load of the push member 240 and is, for example, a rectangular plate-like member. Opposing side walls of the cylindrical portion 224 are formed with insertion holes for inserting the shaft member 227, and the shaft member 227 is inserted through the insertion holes in a substantially horizontal direction. A through hole is formed in the receiving member 229 along the plate thickness direction, and the shaft member 227 is inserted through the through hole at a position inside the cylindrical portion 224. The fixing member 228 fixes the receiving member 229 to the inside of the cylindrical portion 224 so that the receiving member 229 is in pressure contact with the side wall of the cylindrical portion 224. Specifically, the fixing member 228 is screwed onto the threaded portion of the shaft member 227 , whereby the shaft member 227 and the receiving member 229 are fixed to the cylindrical portion 224 .

[0058] On the other hand, the push member 240 has a main body member 241 with a slit 246 formed at its lower end. A pair of slits 246 are formed in the main body member 241 at positions facing each other across the central axis O. Each of the pair of slits 246 is open at the bottom, allowing the receiving member 229 to be fitted into it. Therefore, by inserting the push member 240 into the insertion hole 223 so that the receiving member 229 fits into the slit 246, the push member 240 can be positioned at a predetermined position. In the second modification, the shaft member 227 is described as a bolt, but the shaft member 227 may be a rivet, and the fixing member 228 may be formed by crimping the tip of the rivet. In the second modification, the push member 240 does not have the reinforcing member 44, but it may have the reinforcing member 44. If the reinforcing member 44 is included, the reinforcing member 44 may be formed cylindrically without the bulge 45, and a slit 246 may be formed at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44 or at the lower ends of the reinforcing member 44 and the main member 241, thereby positioning the push member 240 at a predetermined position.

[0059] <Variation 3> FIG. 16(a) is a perspective view for explaining a method for positioning a push member 340 according to the third modification, and FIG. 16(b) is a plan view of a corner member 322 according to the third modification. A corner member 322 according to this modification has a cylindrical portion 324, connecting portions 325a and 325b, and a support portion 326. The connecting portions 325a and 325b have the same configuration as the connecting portions 125a and 125b of the first modification.

[0060] An insertion hole 323 extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the cylindrical portion 324. The insertion hole 323 also has a groove 327 as a recess extending in the vertical direction on the inner circumferential surface. A bulge 345 provided on a main body member 341 of a push member 340 (described later) can be fitted into the groove 327. The support portion 326 closes at least a portion of the lower opening of the insertion hole 323, and supports the lower end of the push member 340 inserted into the insertion hole 323.

[0061] On the other hand, the hand push member 340 has a bulging portion 345 that bulges radially from the outer circumferential surface at the bottom of the main body member 341. The bulging portion 345 is, for example, the head of a bolt, and is formed by screwing the bolt into the main body member 341 from the outside. Therefore, by inserting the push member 340 into the insertion hole 323 so that the bulge 345 fits into the groove 327, the push member 340 can be positioned at a predetermined position. Note that in Modification 3, the case where the bulge 345 is the head of a bolt has been described, but the bulge 345 may also be the tip of a bolt or the head of a rivet, or the bulge 345 may be formed by crimping the tip of a rivet. Also, in Modification 3, the push member 340 does not have the reinforcing member 44, but it may have the reinforcing member 44. If the reinforcing member 44 is included, the push member 340 can be positioned at a predetermined position by forming the reinforcing member 44 in a cylindrical shape without the bulge 45, and forming the bulge 345, for example, consisting of the head of a bolt, on the reinforcing member 44.

[0062] As in the above-described embodiment and modified example, by positioning the push members 40, 140, 240, 340 at predetermined positions in the corner members 22, 122, 222, 322, it is possible to prevent the push members 40, 140, 240, 340 from rotating around the central axis O within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, 323 of the corner members 22, 122, 222, 322. Since the push members 40, 140, 240, 340 do not rotate, the ground contact portions 54 and auxiliary casters 154 of the ground contact units 50, 150, 250 can always be positioned outside the outer periphery of the cart main body 20 in the first state.

[0063] The above-mentioned structure for preventing the push members 40, 140, 240, 340 from rotating within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, 323 of the corner members 22, 122, 222, 322 can also be applied to push members 40, 140, 240, 340 that do not have grounding units 50, 150, 250. When applied to push members 40, 140, 240, 340 that do not have grounding units 50, 150, 250, when a user grasps the push member 40, 140, 240, 340 with their hands and pushes or pulls it, the push member 40, 140, 240, 340 will not rotate within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, 323. Therefore, the user can easily transmit force to the push members 40, 140, 240, 340, and can move the transport carts 10, 110, 210 as intended by the user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 10, 110, 210: Transport cart 20: Cart body 31: Caster 40: Hand push member 50, 150, 250: Grounding unit 51, 251: Leg 54: Grounding part 60: Holding member 154: Auxiliary caster

Claims

1. A hand push member for a user to push by hand when traveling the transport cart, A push member characterized in that it has a ground contact portion located outside the outer periphery of the cart body portion when the push member is attached to the cart body portion of the transport cart.

2. The hand push member according to claim 1, characterized in that it can transition between a first state in which the ground contact portion is close to the floor surface and a second state in which the ground contact portion is further away from the floor surface than in the first state.

3. The grounding portion is 3. The push member according to claim 2, wherein the push member is in contact with a floor surface in the first state.

4. The grounding portion is 3. The push member according to claim 2, wherein in the first state, the transport cart is separated from the floor surface and comes into contact with the floor surface as the transport cart begins to tilt.

5. The hand push member has a leg portion extending from a main body member along the up-down direction of the hand push member toward a floor surface, The leg portion is A hand push member as described in any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the ground contact portion is attached and can transition between the first state and the second state by rotating relative to the cart main body portion.

6. 6. The hand push member according to claim 2, further comprising a holding member that holds the ground contact portion in a state transitioned to the first state or the second state.

7. The grounding portion is 7. The push member according to claim 1, wherein the push member is a caster.

8. The caster is 8. The hand push member according to claim 7, which is rotatable about a vertically extending rotation axis.

9. The carriage main body; A transport cart comprising: a push member according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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