Lifting device
The lifting device addresses the issue of unintentional lock release and poor operability by integrating the lateral opening lock release and rotation force application mechanisms on the same side of the rotating frame, ensuring safe and easy operation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024059306
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-02
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing lifting devices face issues with the lateral opening lock being easily released unintentionally and require separate operations for lateral opening lock release and lateral rotation force application, leading to poor operability.
A lifting device with a pair of side frames, a pivotally supported rotating frame, a pin plunger, a guide member, and a lock release mechanism that allows simultaneous operation of lateral opening lock release and lateral rotation force application, using a guide member and unlock operation member on the same side of the rotating frame.
Ensures the lateral opening lock is not unintentionally released and allows easy simultaneous operation of lock release and lateral rotation, enhancing safety and operability.
Smart Images

Figure 2025156722000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator device that raises and lowers a platform using a drive unit on a vehicle, and in particular to an elevator device that can open and close a platform (rotating frame) stored in an upright position in a vehicle (e.g., inside the passenger compartment) in a horizontally rotating manner. [Background technology]
[0002] The lifting devices in this field have a function of raising and lowering the platform for loading and unloading luggage onto and from vehicles, but when loading light luggage, the above-mentioned lifting function is not used, and it is convenient to be able to load and unload luggage by opening the platform sideways (rotating sideways) while it is in an upright position.
[0003] When the platform is opened to the side, for safety reasons, a function to keep the platform in the open position (side-opening lock function) is required to prevent the platform from closing unexpectedly.
[0004] One structure for the side-opening lock function is to provide a plunger on the side of the side-opening fulcrum axis and a recess on the stay arm side into which the tip of the plunger engages (for example, Patent Document 1). However, this structure maintains the side-open state using the spring reaction force of the plunger, and the side-open state is easily released when an external force is applied to the platform, making it unreliable and unable to guarantee safety in strong winds or when used on slopes.
[0005] 1 and 2 show another conventional lifting device 101. In FIG. 1, the rotating frame 110 is in a laterally closed state (the rotating frame 110 is closed), and in FIG. 2, the rotating frame 110 is in a laterally open state (the rotating frame 110 is open). As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting device 101 can be stored in a vehicle with the rotating frame 110 (platform 120) in an upright position. The lifting device 101 has a turn pipe 111 that can rotate around a vertical axis 104a that is substantially parallel to one side frame 104 of a drive unit such as a four-bar linkage, and the rotating frame 110 can rotate laterally (horizontally) together with the turn pipe 111. The two-dot chain line 110a in FIG. 2 indicates the rotation trajectory of the rotating frame 110, and the area inside the rotation trajectory 110a is an interference zone.
[0006] 2 and 3 show the side-opening lock mechanism 30 of the lifting device 101. A lock lever 130 is attached to one of the side frames 104, and a bending member 140 is attached to the turn pipe 111 side. While the rotating frame 110 is rotating sideways, the lock lever 130 and the bending member 140 can move relative to each other, allowing the rotating frame 110 to rotate freely sideways (FIG. 3(a)). When the rotating frame 110 is in the side-open state (see FIG. 2), the action of the compression spring 131 causes the tip 130a of the lock lever 130 to engage with the recess 140a of the bending member 140 (FIG. 3(b)). This locks the rotating frame 110 in the side-open position, preventing it from being accidentally released by external force on the platform.
[0007] To close the rotating frame 110 (rotate it horizontally from the horizontally open state to the horizontally closed state), it is necessary to manually move the lock lever 130 and release the horizontal opening lock by disengaging the tip 130a from the recess 140a as shown in Figure 3(c) (this allows the rotating frame 110 to rotate horizontally).
[0008] Furthermore, in the above-described lifting device 101, when rotating the rotating frame 110 laterally in the horizontal closing direction, it is necessary to simultaneously operate the lock lever 130 to release the horizontal opening lock and apply a force (horizontal rotation force) to rotate the rotating frame 110 laterally. The operating member (handle, etc.) 150 for applying the horizontal rotation force is disposed on the outside of the rotating frame 110 (on the opposite side from the vertical axis 104a) so as not to interfere with the inside of the rotation trajectory 110a during the horizontal rotation operation, while the lock lever 130 is operated in the vicinity of the lock lever 130 (near the vertical axis 104a). As such, in Cited Document 2, it is necessary to simultaneously operate the handle 150, for example, on the outside of the rotating frame 110 (on the opposite side from the vertical axis 104a), and operate the lock lever 130 near the vertical axis 104a, which are distant locations, resulting in a problem with operability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-220776 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a safe lifting device in which the lateral opening lock is not easily released unintentionally, and a further object is to provide a lifting device with excellent operability in which the lateral opening lock release operation and the lateral rotation force application operation can be easily performed simultaneously. [Means for solving the problem]
[0011] This application discloses the following invention. <Configuration 1> A pair of side frames; A vehicle-mounted lifting device having a rotating frame whose one end side is pivotally supported on a vertical shaft disposed adjacent to one of the side frames and which can rotate horizontally, one of the side frames has a pin plunger that is extendable and retractable on a straight line passing through the vertical axis, the rotating frame has a guide member and a lock release member on the vertical axis side of the rotating frame, The guide member is a holding portion that abuts against a tip of the pin plunger during the lateral rotation of the rotating frame to keep the pin plunger in a contracted state; an opening portion through which the tip of the pin plunger passes when the rotating frame is in a laterally opened state; and The lifting device, wherein the lock release member is slidable on the rotating frame so as to abut against the tip of the pin plunger and retract the pin plunger when the rotating frame is in the laterally open state. <Configuration 2> The lifting device of configuration 1, wherein the guide member is located between the holding portion and the open portion and further has a recessed wall portion that extends in the direction of the extension and contraction movement when the rotating frame is in the laterally open state. <Configuration 3> an unlocking operation member for applying a sliding force for the sliding movement of the unlocking member; a lateral opening operation member for applying a lateral rotation force for lateral rotation of the rotating frame; The lifting device of configuration 1, wherein the lifting device is arranged on the other end side of the rotating frame. <Configuration 4> The lifting device of configuration 3, wherein the unlocking operation member and the unlocking member are connected by a rod. <Configuration 5> 5. The lifting device of configuration 4, wherein the rod has a crank midway through the rod. <Configuration 6> 6. The lifting device of any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising a turn pipe that rotates integrally with the rotating frame around the vertical axis, and the guide member is supported by the turn pipe. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1]1A shows a conventional lifting device 101 (in a horizontally closed state), in which (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 2] 1 shows a conventional lifting device 101 (in a horizontally opened state). [Figure 3] 10 shows the operation of the lateral opening lock release mechanism of the lifting device 101. [Figure 4] 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D show a lifting device 1 (in a horizontally closed state) according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view, (c) is a left side view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 5] 1 shows an elevation device 1 (in a horizontally opened state) according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a top view, (b) is a perspective view, (c) is a left side view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 6] 1 shows the operation of the platform 20 of the lifting device 1. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B show a side-opening lock mechanism 30 and a side-opening lock release mechanism 40. (a) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in (a), and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 8] 10 shows the operation of the lateral opening lock mechanism 30 and the lateral opening lock release mechanism 40. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] 4 and 5 show a lifting device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 4, the rotating frame 10 is in a laterally closed state (the rotating frame 10 is closed), and in Fig. 5, the rotating frame 10 is in a laterally open state (the rotating frame 10 is open). The lifting device 1 includes a base 2 that can be attached to a vehicle bed / luggage compartment with bolts or the like, a drive mechanism 3 having a four-bar link structure or the like that is installed on the base 2, and a rotating frame 10 that is arranged adjacent to one of the side frames 4 (the drive arm of the drive mechanism 3) (preferably, arranged spaced apart behind the one of the side frames 4 (in the Y direction in Fig. 4(c)) or arranged roughly parallel to the one of the side frames 4) and that can rotate laterally about a vertical axis 4a. In the illustrated example, the turning pipe 11 is rotatably supported by bearings on the upper and lower front sides of the side frame 4 (only the upper bearing 5a is shown in Figure 7(b) - see the upper and lower bearings 105a, 105b in Figure 1(b)), and one end of the rotating frame 10 (the right end in Figures 4(d) and 5(d)) is attached to the turning pipe 11, so that the rotating frame 10 and the turning pipe 11 can rotate horizontally together around the vertical axis 4a.
[0014] The rotating frame 10 has a platform 20 whose base end is supported on a horizontal shaft 12 below the rotating frame 10. Figure 6 shows the operation of the platform 20. The platform 20 can be moved between a standing position (Figure 4) and a prostrate position (Figure 6(a)) by vertically rotating about the horizontal shaft 12. The vertical rotation can be performed manually or mechanically.
[0015] The platform 20 may have a main platform 21, a sub-platform 22, a flapper 23, etc. The sub-platform 22 and the flapper 23 are deployed by manually or mechanically rotating vertically relative to the main platform 21 and the sub-platform 22, respectively, to increase the loading area and ensure safety (preventing cargo from falling) (see FIGS. 6(a) and (b)). The platform 20 can be raised and lowered (FIGS. 6(b) and (c)) by driving the drive mechanism 3, facilitating loading and unloading of cargo onto and from vehicles.
[0016] 7 shows the side-opening lock mechanism 30 and the side-opening lock release mechanism 40, and FIG. 8 shows the operation of the side-opening lock mechanism 30 and the side-opening lock release mechanism 40. As shown in FIG.
[0017] The lateral opening lock mechanism 30 may have a pin plunger 31 and a guide member 32. As shown in the figure, one of the side frames 4 has the pin plunger 31. The pin plunger 31 can extend and retract on a straight line passing through the vertical axis 4a (a straight line intersecting the vertical axis 4a) by the biasing force of a biasing means 31a (see FIG. 8) such as a spring. The intersection is preferably at a substantially right angle.
[0018] The rotating frame 10 has a guide member 32 on the one end side of the rotating frame 10. The guide member 32 rotates horizontally around the vertical axis 4a together with the rotating frame 10 and the turn pipe 11. The guide member 32 is preferably supported on the upper part of the turn pipe 11. In the illustrated example, a U-shaped member 33 is fixed to the upper part of the turn pipe 11 with a bolt, and the guide member 32 is fixed to an L-shaped member 34 fixed to the turn pipe 11 with a bolt.
[0019] The guide member 32 preferably has a holding portion 32a, an opening portion 32b, and a recessed wall portion 32c (see FIG. 8(d)).
[0020] The retaining portion 32a abuts against the tip of the pin plunger 31 to keep the pin plunger 31 in a contracted state during the lateral rotation of the rotating frame 10, and can be formed of a plate material or the like. The retaining portion 32a preferably has a curved shape to smoothly guide the (tip of) the pin plunger 31. For even smoother guidance, the retaining portion 32a may have a curved (e.g., arc) shape.
[0021] The open portion 32b is a portion that does not interfere with the tip of the pin plunger when the rotating frame 10 is in the laterally open state (a state in which the rotating frame 10 has rotated laterally to the laterally open position). In other words, the open portion 32b is a portion that is free of obstacles (such as the retaining portion 32a) that would interfere with the tip of the pin plunger. In the example shown in the figure, the open portion 32b is the portion where the retaining portion 32a ends. The retaining portion 32a may be expanded in the direction of the outline arrow in FIG. 8(d) to form an opening in the vicinity indicated by the symbol 32b, and this opening may be designated as the open portion 32b.
[0022] The recessed wall portion 32c is a wall-like (or plate-like) member located between the holding portion 32a and the open portion 32b. When the rotating frame 10 is in the side-open state (FIG. 5), the recessed wall portion 32c preferably extends substantially parallel to the extension and retraction direction of the pin plunger 31, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).
[0023] The guide member 32 (holding portion 32a, opening portion 32b, and recessed wall portion 32c) can be formed by bending (curving) a plate material. The illustrated guide member 32 is formed by bending a single flat plate material at three locations to facilitate processing.
[0024] The side-opening lock release mechanism 40 may have an unlocking member 41 and an unlocking operation member 42 provided on the rotating frame 10.
[0025] The lock release member 41 is supported by the rotation frame 10 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b).
[0026] When the rotating frame 10 is in the side-open state, as shown in Figures 8(b) and (c), the lock release member 41 can slide leftward in Figures 7(a) and (b) / in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8(b)) without being interfered with by the recessed wall portion 32c (or the holding portion 32a). Therefore, by sliding the lock release member 41 leftward, the tip of the pin plunger 31 is pressed, causing the pin plunger 31 to retract (Figure 8(b) → Figure 8(c)).
[0027] The unlocking member 41 is preferably located on one end side (the vertical axis 4a side, on the right side in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)) of the rotating frame 10. The unlocking member 41 may be a rod-shaped member.
[0028] The unlocking operation member 42 is a member for applying a force for sliding the unlocking member 41 by manual operation or the like. The unlocking operation member 42 is preferably located on the other end side of the rotating frame 10 (the opposite side of the vertical shaft 4a; left side in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b)). The unlocking operation member 42 may be, for example, a push-button type (push-in type) member.
[0029] The side-opening lock release mechanism 40 may further have a rod 43 that connects the lock release member 41 and the lock release operation member 42, and a crank 44 for adjusting the height positions of the lock release member 41 and the lock release operation member 42. The side-opening lock release mechanism 40 may further have a guide bush 45 for smoothing the sliding movement of the lock release member 41 and the rod 43.
[0030] The rotating frame 10 may have a lateral-opening operation member 50 (FIGS. 4(b) and 5(b)) to make it easier to apply a lateral rotation force to the rotating frame 10. The lateral-opening operation member 50 may have the form of a handle. The lateral-opening operation member 50 may be located on the other end side of the rotating frame 10, and in particular, may be located near the lock release operation member 42 on the other end side of the rotating frame 10.
[0031] The lifting device 1 may have an engagement mechanism 51 (see FIGS. 4(b) and 5) made up of a latch or the like for engaging the rotating frame 10 with the side frame 4 on the other end side (for closing the rotating frame 10 to the side frame 4 on the other end side) when the rotating frame 10 is in the laterally closed state, and an operating member for releasing the engagement. The laterally opening operating member 50 may also serve as the operating member.
[0032] The horizontal rotation of the rotation frame 10 will now be described.
[0033] When the rotating frame 10 rotates laterally between the laterally closed state (FIG. 4) and the laterally opened state (FIG. 5), the positional relationship between the laterally opening lock mechanism 30 and the laterally opening lock release mechanism 40 changes between FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b).
[0034] When the rotating frame 10 is in the laterally closed state (FIG. 4), the tip of the pin plunger 31 abuts against the holding portion 32a, as shown in FIG. 8(a), so that the pin plunger 31 is kept in a contracted state. Even during the laterally rotating operation of the rotating frame 10, the tip of the pin plunger 31 consistently abuts against the holding portion 32a (or the recessed wall portion 32c), and the pin plunger 31 is kept in a contracted state until the laterally open state (FIG. 5) is reached.
[0035] When the rotating frame 10 reaches the side-open state (FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 8(b), the open portion 32b is positioned at the tip of the pin plunger 31 (the holding portion 32a / recessed wall portion 32c do not interfere with the tip of the pin plunger 31). Therefore, the pin plunger 31 is extended by the biasing force of the biasing means 31a. At this time, the recessed wall portion 32c (or the end of the holding portion 32a) comes into contact with the side surface (pin straight portion) of the extended pin plunger 31, preventing the rotating frame 10 from rotating sideways toward the side-closed state. Therefore, the rotating frame 10 is locked in the side-open state (the rotating frame 10 is held in the side-open state).
[0036] When the rotating frame 10 in the side-open state is rotated sideways in the side-closing direction, the unlocking member 41 of the rotating frame 10 in the side-open state is slid to the right in FIGS. 7(a) and (b) (direction of the arrow in FIG. 8(b)) by operating the unlocking operation member 42. This causes the pin plunger 31 to contract by being pushed by the unlocking member 41 (FIG. 8(b) → FIG. 8(c)). In this state, the pin straight portion no longer interferes with the recessed wall portion 32c (or the retaining portion 32a), and the rotating frame 10 can freely rotate in the side-open direction (the side-opening lock is released).
[0037] The unlocking operation member 42 only needs to be operated in the initial stage of horizontal rotation to the laterally closed state. If the rotating frame 10 is rotated laterally in the laterally closed direction even slightly, the tip of the pin plunger 31 will come into contact with the holding portion 32a and enter a contracted state, and thereafter, there is no need to operate the unlocking operation member 42 until the laterally closed state is reached.
[0038] In the above-described lifting device 1, the rotating frame 10 can be rotated horizontally even when the platform 20 is in an upright position (when stored) (Figs. 4 and 5). Therefore, lightweight / small luggage can be loaded and unloaded by rotating the rotating frame 10 horizontally without raising or lowering the platform. An additional locking mechanism may be provided to allow the rotating frame 10 to rotate horizontally only when the platform 20 is in an upright position.
[0039] Furthermore, the side frame 4 has a pin plunger 31 that can move in and out in a straight line passing through the vertical axis, and a guide member 32 having the above-mentioned holding portion 32a, opening portion 32b, and recessed wall portion 32c is provided on the vertical axis 4a side of the rotating frame 10.Therefore, even if a lateral rotation force acts in the lateral closing direction when the rotating frame 10 is in the lateral open state, the lateral closing lock state is maintained due to interference between the pin straight portion and the recessed wall portion 32c (or holding portion 32a), and unintentional release of the lateral opening lock can be prevented.
[0040] Furthermore, because the retaining portion 32a, which abuts against the tip of the pin plunger 31 to keep the pin plunger 31 in a contracted state during lateral rotation of the rotating frame 10, and the recessed wall portion 32c are provided between the retaining portion 32a and the release portion 32b, excessive force (force concentration) is prevented from acting on the pin straight portion even when a lateral rotation force acts on the rotating frame 10 in the lateral-open locked state. In particular, by adjusting the angle between the retaining portion 32a and the recessed wall portion 32c so that the recessed wall portion 32c is approximately parallel to the direction of extension and contraction of the pin plunger 31 when the rotating frame 10 is in the lateral-open state (or the extension direction of the pin straight portion when the rotating frame 10 is in the lateral-open state), the excessive force (force concentration) can be prevented even more effectively.
[0041] The side-closing lock can be released by operating the unlocking operation member 42 to cause the unlocking member 41 to slide and contract the pin plunger 31.
[0042] Furthermore, in the lifting device 1, the unlocking operation member 42 and the lateral-opening operation member 50 are both arranged on the same side (the other end) of the rotating frame 10. Therefore, the unlocking operation and the lateral rotation operation can be easily and safely performed simultaneously without interfering with the inside of the rotation trajectory 10a (FIG. 5(b)) of the rotating frame 10.
[0043] By arranging the unlocking operation member 42 and the lateral opening operation member 50 in positions near the same side (one end side) of the rotating frame 10, the above effect can be further enhanced.
[0044] By providing the crank 44 midway along the rod 43, the height positions of the unlocking operation member 42 and the lateral opening operation member 50 can be easily adjusted.
[0045] By providing a turn pipe 11 that rotates integrally with the rotating frame 10 around the vertical axis 4a and supporting the guide member 32 by the turn pipe 11, the stability of rotation of the rotating frame 10 under high gravity and the reliability of the lateral opening lock are improved.
[0046] The dimensions, shape, arrangement, number, materials, etc. of the lifting device and its elements described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and other embodiments are possible. For example, in this embodiment, a button-type operating structure and an operating force transmission structure using rod 43 are used to reduce costs, but a lever-type operating structure or an operating force transmission structure using a wire may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]
[0047] 1. Lifting device 2. Base 3. Drive mechanism 4. Side frame 4a Vertical axis 5a Bearing 10. Rotating frame 10a...Rotation trajectory 11. Turn pipe 12 Horizontal axis 20 Platform 21. Main Platform 22 Sub-platform 23. Flapper 30. Side opening lock mechanism 31 Pin plunger 31a...Biasing means 32 Guide member 32a...Holding part 32b...Open part 32c...Concave wall part 33 U-shaped member 34 L-shaped member 40. Side opening lock release mechanism 41....Lock release member 42....Lock release operation member 43 Rod 44 crank 45 Guide bush 50... Lateral opening operation member 51 Engagement mechanism 101 Lifting device 104···Side frame 104a Vertical axis 105a, 105b... Bearings 110···Rotating frame 110a···Rotation trajectory 111···Turn pipe 120···Platform 130 Lock lever 131 Compression spring 140a···recess 140... Flexural member 150 Side-opening operation member
Claims
1. A pair of side frames; A vehicle-mounted lifting device having a rotating frame whose one end side is pivotally supported on a vertical shaft disposed adjacent to one of the side frames and which can rotate horizontally, one of the side frames has a pin plunger that is extendable and retractable on a straight line passing through the vertical axis, the rotating frame has a guide member and a lock release member on the vertical axis side of the rotating frame, The guide member is a holding portion that abuts against a tip of the pin plunger during the lateral rotation of the rotating frame to keep the pin plunger in a contracted state; an opening portion through which the tip of the pin plunger passes when the rotating frame is in a laterally opened state; and The lifting device, wherein the lock release member is slidable on the rotating frame so as to abut against the tip of the pin plunger and retract the pin plunger when the rotating frame is in the laterally open state.
2. The lifting device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide member further comprises a recessed wall portion positioned between the holding portion and the open portion and extending in the direction of the extension and contraction movement when the rotating frame is in the laterally open state.
3. an unlocking operation member for applying a sliding force for the sliding movement of the unlocking member; a lateral opening operation member for applying a lateral rotation force for lateral rotation of the rotating frame; The lifting device according to claim 1 , wherein a shaft is disposed on the other end side of the rotating frame.
4. 4. The lifting device according to claim 3, wherein the unlocking operation member and the unlocking member are connected by a rod.
5. 5. The lifting device of claim 4, wherein said rod has a crank intermediate said rod.
6. 6. The lifting device according to claim 1, further comprising a turn pipe that rotates integrally with said rotating frame about said vertical axis, said guide member being supported by said turn pipe.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Lifting device
JP2013220776A