Electric transport assistance device

Abstract

To provide an electric transport assistance device that can electrically assist movement of a load-carrying platform despite of being a separate body from the load-carrying platform.SOLUTION: An electric transport assist device is disclosed that includes: a main body portion; a gripping portion supported to be movable to the main body portion between an upper side position and a lower side position and capable of gripping a frame portion of a load-carrying platform at the upper side position; and electric wheels rotatably supported on the main body portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a powered transportation assist device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A transport cart is known in which a platform and a main body on which an electric motor and electrically driven wheels are provided are integrally fixed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-121216 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional technology, the loading platform is fixed integrally to the main body, and therefore the main body and the loading platform cannot be separated for use, which is inconvenient.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electric transport assist device that is separate from the loading platform but can electrically assist the movement of the loading platform. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, a body portion; a gripping portion that is supported movably between an upper position and a lower position relative to the main body portion and that is capable of gripping a frame portion of the loading platform at the upper position; and a powered drive wheel rotatably supported on the main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electric transport assist device that is separate from the loading platform but can electrically assist in moving the loading platform. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the motorized transport assist device in a standalone state, with the gripping portion in a lower position. [Figure 1B] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the motorized transport assist device in a standalone state, with the gripping portion in an upper position. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1 is a side view (viewed from side to side) of a loaded loading platform. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1 is a front view (viewed from the front to the rear) of a loaded loading platform. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the loading platform and the electric transport assist device. [Figure 4] 10 is a side view showing a state in which the front part of the main body of the electric transport assist device is placed under the loading platform. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a side view showing a state in which the electric transportation assist device is engaged with the loading platform via the gripping portion (gripping state). FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the grip portion and the frame portion in a gripped state. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of pulling the operating part of the electric transport assist device from above on an uphill gradient. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of pushing the operating part of the electric transport assist device from below on an uphill gradient. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motorized transport assist device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electric transport assist device as viewed from below. [Figure 10] 9 is an enlarged side view of a grip portion of the electric transport assist device of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example that replaces the configuration shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a coupling mechanism of the electric transport assist device of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 12] This is a simple explanatory diagram (part 1) of the principle of the connecting mechanism that changes the ease of rotation of the front part of the main body relative to the rear part of the main body. [Figure 13] This is a simple explanatory diagram (part 2) of the principle of the connecting mechanism that changes the ease of rotation of the front part of the main body relative to the rear part of the main body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are merely examples and are not limiting. Furthermore, shapes and the like in the drawings may be partially exaggerated for the sake of explanation. Furthermore, in the drawings, for ease of viewing, reference symbols may be assigned only to some of the parts that exist with the same attribute.

[0010] First, an electric transport assist device 1 according to this embodiment will be outlined below with reference to Figures 1A to 7. Figures 1A to 7 show the electric transport assist device 1 in a simplified manner, and the detailed structure will be described later with reference to Figure 8 onwards.

[0011] 1A and 1B are both side views showing the electric transportation assist device 1 in a standalone state, with FIG. 1A showing the gripping unit 10 in a lower position and FIG. 1B showing the gripping unit 10 in an upper position. 2A and 2B are two-sided views of a loading platform 90 loaded with a load 9 (e.g., materials). 3 is a side view showing the loading platform 90 and the electric transportation assist device 1 together, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the state in which the front body 20 of the electric transportation assist device 1 is submerged under the loading platform 90. 5 is a side view showing the state in which the electric transportation assist device 1 is engaged with the loading platform 90 via the gripping unit 10 (gripped state). 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the gripping unit 10 and the frame unit 92 in the gripped state. Figures 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams showing variations in the method of moving the loading platform 90 using the electric transport assist device 1, where Figure 6 shows the operation of pulling the operating part 31 of the electric transport assist device 1 from above on an uphill slope, and Figure 7 shows the operation of pushing the operating part 31 of the electric transport assist device 1 from below on an uphill slope.

[0012] In Figure 1A and other figures, the X, Y, and Z axes are defined in a right-handed coordinate system. In the following description of the electric transport assist device 1, the X direction is also referred to as the front-to-back direction, and the Y direction is also referred to as the left-to-right direction. The Z direction corresponds to the up-to-down direction. Furthermore, with regard to the front-to-back direction, the "positive side" of the X axis is defined as the front side.

[0013] The electric transport assist device 1 has the function of electrically assisting (assisting) the movement of the loading platform 90 while holding the loading platform 90. As shown in FIG. 3, the loading platform 90 that can be held by the electric transport assist device 1 has wheels W9, and there is a gap (vertical gap) S1 between the ground G and the loading platform main body 91 (see FIG. 3), and other configurations are basically arbitrary as long as it has a frame part 92 described below. The gap S1 between the loading platform main body 91 and the ground G is formed by the wheels W9 of the loading platform 90.

[0014] The electric transport assist device 1 includes a grip portion 10, a front main body portion 20, a rear main body portion 30, wheels 41 to 44, and a pedal portion 50.

[0015] The gripping portion 10 can grip the cargo bed 90. In this embodiment, the gripping portion 10 engages with a frame portion 92 of the cargo bed 90. The gripping portion 10 is supported on the front body portion 20 in a manner that allows it to move between an upper position (FIG. 1B) and a lower position (FIG. 1A). When the gripping portion 10 is in the upper position, it can form a state in which it is engaged with the frame portion 92 (hereinafter also referred to as the "gripping state") (FIG. 5). When the gripping portion 10 is in the lower position, it can form a state in which it is separated downward from the frame portion 92 (hereinafter also referred to as the "non-gripping state") (FIG. 4).

[0016] In the gripping state, the gripping unit 10 may slightly raise the frame portion 92, as shown in Fig. 5 in comparison with Fig. 4. That is, the height of the frame portion 92 clamped by the gripping unit 10 in the gripping state may be slightly higher than the height of the frame portion 92 in the non-gripping state. In this case, the gripping unit 10 can receive the gravity of the loading platform 90 via the frame portion 92, as schematically shown by force F52 in Fig. 5A.

[0017] The front body 20 rotatably supports the wheels 41, 42, which are driven wheels. The front body 20 can be positioned below the loading platform 90 in a manner that allows it to slip under the loading platform 90. In other words, the front body 20 extends at a relatively low height that allows it to be positioned in the gap S1 between the loading platform 90 and the ground G. In this case, the front body 20 is positioned below the loading platform 90 in a manner that allows it to slip under the loading platform 90 from between the left and right wheels W9.

[0018] The rear body portion 30 rotatably supports wheels 43, which are drive wheels. The rear body portion 30 also incorporates a drive system (not shown) for driving the wheels 43. The drive system may include a power source, a reduction mechanism, etc. in addition to an electric motor.

[0019] The rear body part 30 may be integrated with the front body part 20, but preferably supports the front body part 20 so that it can rotate about a vertical axis (Z axis). In this case, the rotation axis may be in the form of a pin, for example, and a through-hole for the pin may be provided near the bottom of the operating part 31.

[0020] The rear main body part 30 has an operating unit 31 that can be manually operated by the user. The operating unit 31 extends in the vertical direction (in the illustrated example, the vertical direction includes a diagonal component) and has a gripped part 310 at its upper end that can be grasped by a human hand. In this case, the gripped part 310 of the operating unit 31 may be shaped like a bicycle handlebar. The user can input steering force to the rear main body part 30 via the operating unit 31.

[0021] The operating unit 31 may include a drive operating unit (not shown) for controlling the drive of the wheels 43 (and therefore the drive of the electric transportation assist device 1). The drive operating unit may be in the form of a lever or pedal that can instruct forward, reverse, etc., or may be in the form of a touch switch. Alternatively, the electric transportation assist device 1 may be equipped with a communication unit that allows remote control. Alternatively, the electric transportation assist device 1 may be designed to operate automatically based on a given program or a program that is created / updated based on artificial intelligence.

[0022] The wheels 41 to 44 have rotation axes parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0023] The wheels 41 are provided on the front body part 20 as described above. In this embodiment, the wheels 41 are wheels for moving straight along the X direction, and the rotation axis (not shown) is fixed to the front body part 20. In the non-gripping state described above, the wheels 41 may have a small gap between them and the ground G. That is, the wheels 41 may be spaced apart from the ground G in the non-gripping state described above. In the gripping state described above, the wheels 41 are supported by (contact with) the ground G in response to the gravity of the loading platform 90. Specifically, in the gripping state described above, the front body part 20 receives the gravity of the loading platform 90 via the grip part 10, causing it to sink, allowing the wheels 41 to come into contact with the ground G. With this configuration, in the non-gripping state, the orientation of the front body part 20 can be changed by steering the wheels 42, which will be described later, and in the gripping state, straight-line stability can be improved.

[0024] In this embodiment, only one wheel 41 is provided, but two or more wheels may be provided spaced apart in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the wheel 41 is provided at the center in the left-right direction of the front body 20, but the wheels may be provided in pairs on both sides of the center in the left-right direction.

[0025] The wheel 42 is provided on the front body part 20 as described above. In this embodiment, the wheel 42 is a steerable wheel, and a rotation shaft (not shown) is supported on the front body part 20 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The wheel 42 may be provided closer to the grip part 10 in the front-rear direction than the wheel 41. Unlike the wheel 41, the wheel 42 is supported on the ground G in the non-gripping state described above. In other words, the wheel 42 comes into contact with the ground in the non-gripping state described above. Note that, although only one wheel 42 is provided in this embodiment, a plurality of wheels may be provided.

[0026] The wheels 42 may be supported by springs and / or dampers (not shown) relative to the main body front part 20. In this case, even if the attitude of the main body front part 20 relative to the ground G changes, the wheels 42 can maintain contact with the ground.

[0027] The wheels 43 can be driven by an electric motor (not shown) as a power source. The wheels 43 may be wheels for moving straight along the X direction, like the wheels 41. The wheels 43 are always supported on the ground G. A plurality of wheels 43 may be provided, but in this embodiment, only one wheel 43 is provided. In this case, the wheels 43 may be disposed at the center of the rear body 30 in the left-right direction. This allows the rear body 30 to be made smaller. The wheels 43 may be supported by the rear body 30 via springs and / or dampers (not shown).

[0028] The wheels 44 may be provided in pairs on the left and right outer sides of the rear body 30. The wheels 44 function as auxiliary wheels that prevent the electric transport assist device 1 from tipping over in the left and right directions. The wheels 44 may be supported by the rear body 30 via springs and / or dampers (not shown).

[0029] The pedal unit 50 is provided on the front body 20. The pedal unit 50 can be operated by foot (an example of manual operation) and is supported on the front body 20 so as to be rotatable about a left-right axis. The pedal unit 50 is rotatable about a left-right rotation axis. In this embodiment, the grip unit 10 described above moves between a lower position (FIG. 1A) and an upper position (FIG. 1B) in conjunction with the movement of the pedal unit 50. Specifically, in the non-gripping state, when the pedal unit 50 is rotated downward (see arrow R51 in FIG. 5), the grip unit 10 rises (see arrow R52 in FIG. 5). Note that in the gripping state, when the pedal unit 50 is rotated upward, the grip unit 10 descends. By providing such a pedal unit 50, it is possible to use a relatively large force (a force applied by the foot) to raise the grip unit 10 against the gravity of the loading platform 90. However, in a modified example, a manual operation unit may be provided instead of the pedal unit 50. Alternatively, the movement of the pedal unit 50 may be electrically assisted. Alternatively, the pedal unit 50 may be omitted, and the grip unit 10 may be electrically raised and lowered.

[0030] A mechanism (see FIG. 9) that converts the rotational movement of the pedal unit 50 into the up and down movement of the grip unit 10 is provided between the pedal unit 50 and the grip unit 10. The mechanism may be provided in the front body unit 20 so as to be built into the front body unit 20. The mechanism may include a speed reduction mechanism or an assist mechanism (for example, an electric assist mechanism).

[0031] Here, some of the effects of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 7.

[0032] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the gripping state, the gripping unit 10 grips the frame unit 92 in a manner that sandwiches the frame unit 92 from the front and rear. This restricts the movement of the platform 90 in the front and rear direction relative to the electric transportation assist device 1 (see forces F51 and F53 in FIG. 5A). As a result, in the gripping state, the platform 90 can be pulled backward (see arrow R6) as shown in FIG. 6, or pushed forward (see arrow R7) as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, the user can also adjust the speed as needed via the drive operating unit of the operating unit 31.

[0033] In this embodiment, as described above, in the gripped state, the loading platform 90 is slightly lifted off the ground G (see force F52 in FIG. 5A), but this is not limited to this. That is, the force F52 in FIG. 6 may be 0 or less than the gravity of the loading platform 90 (in the gripped state, the loading platform 90 may be supported by the ground G).

[0034] Next, the motorized transportation assist device 1 will be described in further detail with reference to FIG. 8 onwards.

[0035] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the electric transportation assist device 1. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the electric transportation assist device 1 as viewed from below. Fig. 10 is an enlarged side view of the grip part 10 of the electric transportation assist device 1 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10A is a diagram showing a modified example that replaces the configuration shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the coupling mechanism 70 of the electric transportation assist device 1 of Fig. 8. Figs. 12 and 13 are simple explanatory diagrams of the principle of the coupling mechanism 70 that changes the ease of rotation of the front main body part 20 relative to the rear main body part 30.

[0036] 8 and 9 show elements that are not shown in the above-mentioned Figures 1A to 7. For example, 81 shown in Figure 8 is a groove that allows the grip part 10 to move up and down, 82 shown in Figure 9 is a drive unit including an electric motor, and 83 is a mechanism that converts the rotational movement of the pedal part 50 into the up and down movement of the grip part 10.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 10 , the gripping unit 10 preferably has a tapered surface 12. The tapered surface 12 is a guide portion that is wider at the top and gradually narrows at the bottom, forming a guide portion for the frame portion 92 into the gripping space S20. The gripping space S20 may have a shape (shape in a side view) that corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the frame portion 92. In this case, as shown by arrow R10 in FIG. 10 , even if the frame portion 92 is shifted forward relative to the positional relationship of the frame portion 92 with respect to the electric transportation assist device 1 in the gripping state, the tapered surface 12 can guide the frame portion 92 to an appropriate position (rear position). That is, as the gripping unit 10 rises, the frame portion 92 contacts the tapered surface 12, and further lifting of the gripping unit 10 can move the frame portion 92 (and the carrier 90 accordingly) rearward. This eliminates the need for the user to precisely position the electric transportation assist device 1 relative to the carrier 90 when forming the gripping state, improving convenience.

[0038] In this embodiment, the grip portion 10 alone regulates the rear position of the frame portion 92 in the front-to-rear direction (the rear position when the grip state is formed). However, a backing plate 60 may be provided instead of or in addition to the grip portion 10. In this case, the backing plate 60 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the grip portion 10. This also regulates the orientation of the frame portion 92 (parallelism in the left and right direction), making it easier to form the grip state. For example, the user can reliably form the grip state by forming a state in which the frame portion 92 is in contact with the backing plate 60 (see FIG. 10A ) and then moving the grip portion 10 to the upper position.

[0039] The coupling mechanism 70 preferably has a mechanism for changing the ease of rotation of the front main body section 20 relative to the rear main body section 30. In this embodiment, the front main body section 20 is supported rotatably relative to the rear main body section 30. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the coupling mechanism 70 includes a roller 72 on the front main body section 20 side and a roller support portion 73 on the rear main body section 30 side. Note that, although Fig. 11 shows a gap Δ between the roller 72 and the roller support portion 73, this gap Δ may be eliminated.

[0040] The roller 72 has a circular roller shape in a top view and is biased rearward (toward the roller receiving portion 73) in the front-to-rear direction by a spring (not shown) or the like. In this case, the gap Δ shown in FIG. 11 disappears. The roller receiving portion 73 has a notch 730 into which a portion of the roller 72 can fit. The state shown in FIG. 12 shows a state in which the roller 72 fits into the notch 730 of the roller receiving portion 73. In this state, the front main body portion 20 is difficult to rotate relative to the rear main body portion 30. This is because resistance to such rotation occurs between the roller receiving portion 73 and the roller 72. In the state shown in FIG. 13, the roller 72 is not fitted into the notch 730 of the roller receiving portion 73. In this state, the front main body portion 20 is easy to rotate relative to the rear main body portion 30.

[0041] Here, in the gripped state described above, the weight of the loading platform 90 has an effect, and the state shown in Fig. 13 is unlikely to occur. Therefore, combined with the straight-line movement ability of the wheels 41 described above, the straight-line movement ability of the electric transportation assist device 1 in the gripped state can be improved. On the other hand, in the non-gripped state described above, the weight of the loading platform 90 has no effect, and the state shown in Fig. 12 is unlikely to occur. Therefore, combined with the lift of the wheels 41 described above (lift from the ground G), the maneuverability (turning ability) of the electric transportation assist device 1 in the gripped state can be improved.

[0042] Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. It is also possible to combine all or a plurality of components of the above-described embodiments.

[0043] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the wheels 41 are separated from the ground G in the non-gripping state, but the wheels 41 may be supported on the ground G in the non-gripping state. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Electric transport aid 9 Loads 10 Gripping part 12 Tapered surface 20 Front of main body 30 Rear of main body 31 Operation section 41 wheels 42 wheels 43 wheels 44 wheels 50 Pedal section 60 Backing Plate 70 Connection mechanism 72 Laura 73 Roller support 90 Cargo bed 91 Cargo bed body 92 Frame section 310 Grasped part 730 Notch

Claims

1. a main body; a gripping portion that is supported movably between an upper position and a lower position relative to the main body portion and that is capable of gripping a frame portion of the loading platform at the upper position; an electric drive wheel rotatably supported on the main body portion;

2. The main body portion is a front body portion having a driven wheel and capable of being positioned below the loading platform; a rear body portion supporting the front body portion and having the drive wheels; 2. The electric transportation assist device of claim 1, wherein when the front of the main body is located below the loading platform and the gripping portion is in the lower position, the driven wheels are off the ground, and when the front of the main body is located below the loading platform and the gripping portion is in the upper position, the driven wheels are in contact with the ground in accordance with the weight of the loading platform.

3. the rear body portion supports the front body portion so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis; The motorized transportation assist device according to claim 2 , further comprising a coupling mechanism that changes the ease of rotation of the front body portion relative to the rear body portion.

4. The main body is provided with a pedal unit that can be manually operated, The motorized transportation assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the grip portion moves between the lower position and the upper position in conjunction with the movement of the pedal portion.

5. The electric transport assist device according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion grips the frame portion in a manner that the gripping portion sandwiches the frame portion in the front-rear direction.

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