Carrier

Abstract

To provide a carrier capable of stabilizing a mounted state of wireless information means.SOLUTION: A pallet 1 has an insertion opening 13 that allows an ID tag 11 to be inserted into a storage part 12 from above, and a cover part 14 that is provided adjacent to the insertion opening 13 and covers an upper part of the storage part 12. The ID tag 11 stored in the storage part 12 can be displaced between a preparatory position in which its entire upper surface fits within the range below the insertion opening 13 and a storage position in which part of the upper surface of the ID tag 11 overlaps vertically with the cover section 14. A bottom wall part 15 of the storage part 12 has an elastic piece 17 that can elastically deform up and down, and the elastic piece 17 has a support part 20 that supports the underside of the ID tag 11 at the storage part, and a lower regulation part 21 that can regulate the displacement of the ID tag 11 at the storage part toward the preparation position. A cap member 31 attached to the periphery of the insertion opening 13 includes a cap regulation part 38 that can regulate the displacement of the ID tag 11 at the storage part toward the preparation position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier to which wireless information means is attached. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a transport device such as a pallet that has a storage section to which a wireless information means such as an ID tag can be attached. Also, there is a technology that includes an insertion opening that allows the wireless information means to be stored in the storage section, and a cover section that is adjacent to the insertion opening and covers an upper part of a part of the storage section, and at least a part of the wireless information means stored in the storage section is positioned below the cover section, so that the cover section prevents the wireless information means from being displaced upward relative to the storage section and falling out of the storage section (see, for example, Patent Document 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-11092 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition, in the carrier described in Patent Document 1, the wireless information means accommodated in the accommodation section is moved from a ready position, where the entire wireless information means fits within the range of the insertion opening in a plan view of the carrier, to the accommodation position through the insertion opening, and then a cap member is attached to the periphery of the insertion opening. Although the displacement of the wireless information means in the accommodation position toward the ready position is restricted by the cap member, a configuration that provides more stable restriction is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the problems exemplified above, and its object is to provide a carrier that can stabilize the mounting state of wireless information means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The following describes each means suitable for achieving the above objects, etc., by item. Note that, as necessary, the effects and advantages specific to the corresponding means will be added.

[0007] Means 1. A placement section on which an article is placed; a carrier having a storage section capable of storing wireless information means, an insertion opening that opens upward in the housing and allows insertion of a wireless information means into the housing; a cover portion provided adjacent to the insertion opening and covering an upper portion of the storage portion, the storage section is configured so that the wireless information means stored in the storage section can be displaced between a ready position in which the entire upper surface of the wireless information means is within the range of the insertion opening when the carrier is viewed from above, and a storage position in which at least a portion of the upper surface of the wireless information means overlaps with the cover section in the vertical direction; The storage section is a bottom wall defining a lower edge of the housing; a storage restriction unit that restricts further displacement of the wireless information means that has been displaced from the preparation position to the storage position, the bottom wall portion includes an elastic piece that is elastically deformable in directions including the up-down direction, the elastic piece includes a support portion, the upper side of which is located above the upper surface of the general portion of the bottom wall portion and which abuts against and supports the lower surface of the wireless information means in the storage position, and a lower restricting portion, the upper end of which is located above the support portion and which can restrict displacement of the wireless information means in the storage position toward the preparation position, the general portion of the bottom wall portion has an abutment portion that abuts against the wireless information means when the elastic piece supporting the wireless information means is elastically deformed downward by a predetermined amount, the carrier includes a cap member attached to a periphery of the insertion opening; The carrier is characterized in that the cap member is located on the opposite side of the storage restriction portion from the wireless information means when it is in the storage position, and is equipped with a cap restriction portion that can restrict the displacement of the wireless information means toward the preparation position.

[0008] According to the first aspect, the support portion that abuts against and supports the underside of the wireless information means in the storage position is provided on the elastic piece, and the elastic piece is further provided with a lower restricting portion that restricts displacement of the wireless information means in the storage position toward the ready position. This allows the wireless information means to be displaced between the ready position and the storage position by appropriately elastically deforming the elastic piece, while allowing the wireless information means supported by the support portion and the cover portion to abut against or be close to each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in the direction in which the ready position and the storage position are aligned (the direction in which the insertion opening and the cover portion are aligned), the lower restricting portion, which has a sufficient upward protrusion length, can be positioned to abut against or be close to the lower part of the surface of the wireless information means in the storage position that abuts against the storage restricting portion and is in the ready position. Additionally, the cap restricting portion of the cap member can be positioned to abut against or be close to the upper part of the wireless information means in the storage position that is in the ready position. Therefore, the cap restricting portion and the lower restricting portion reliably restrict the movement of the wireless information means in the stored position toward the ready position at both the upper and lower portions of the wireless information means, thereby more reliably preventing the wireless information means in the stored position from rotating (the upper or lower portion of the wireless information means shifting toward the ready position). Furthermore, the space in which the wireless information means in the stored position can move can be minimized in both the vertical direction and the direction in which the ready position and the stored position are aligned. This prevents, for example, the wireless information means in the stored position from rattling during transportation of the carrier, generating abnormal noise or otherwise adversely affecting the wireless information means. As a result, the state in which the wireless information means is attached to the carrier (the attached state of the wireless information means) can be stabilized.

[0009] Furthermore, when the wireless information means is displaced in the housing, if the elastic piece is pressed by the wireless information means and deforms downward a predetermined amount, the underside of the wireless information means abuts the abutment portion of the bottom wall, restricting further downward displacement of the wireless information means and, ultimately, further downward deformation of the elastic piece. Therefore, damage to the elastic piece when displacing the wireless information means in the housing can be prevented. Additionally, by shifting the wireless information means from the standby position to the housing position, the position of the wireless information means is determined by the cover and elastic piece, and space is secured in the insertion opening and housing for attaching the cap member. Therefore, workability when attaching the cap member to the periphery of the insertion opening can be improved.

[0010] Means 2. The elastic piece is provided by forming a substantially U-shaped slit in the bottom wall portion, and includes an elastic piece main body whose edge portion on the storage position side in the displacement allowance width direction of the storage portion, which allows displacement of the wireless information means between the preparation position and the storage position, is connected to the general portion; The lower restricting portion protrudes upward from a portion of the elastic piece main body on the preparation position side, The carrier described in means 1 is characterized in that the support portion protrudes upward from the elastic piece main body, extends along the displacement allowable width direction, is provided in multiple parallel lines, extends continuously to the general portion on the storage position side, and is connected to the lower regulating portion on the preparation position side.

[0011] According to the second aspect, by providing a plurality of support portions, the rigidity of the elastic piece can be prevented from becoming too high, and the wireless information unit can be supported more stably. Also, by extending the support portions to the general portion of the bottom wall, the area around the connection between the elastic piece and the general portion can be reinforced. Furthermore, by connecting the support portions to the lower restricting portion, the strength of the support portions and the lower restricting portion can be mutually increased.

[0012] Means 3. The lower regulating portion is configured so that at least a portion thereof fits within the range of the insertion opening when the carrier is viewed from above, and the entire lower regulating portion is positioned on the opposite side of the center of the insertion opening from the storage regulating portion side, The lower restricting portion is a receiving portion that abuts against the wireless information means inserted into the accommodation portion through the insertion opening and restricts downward displacement of the abutting portion; A carrier described in means 1 or 2, characterized in that it is arranged adjacent to the receiving portion on the storage restriction portion side, and has an inclined portion whose upper edge slopes downward from the receiving portion side toward the storage restriction portion side.

[0013] According to means 3, due to the arrangement and shape of the lower regulating part, by inserting the wireless information means into the storage part through the insertion opening, the elastic piece is elastically deformed in an appropriate manner, and the lower side of the wireless information means can be displaced relatively smoothly toward the storage position (the lower side of the wireless information means is guided toward the storage position by the inclined part of the elastically deformed elastic piece, and when the elastic piece returns to its original shape, a force toward the storage position is applied to the lower part of the wireless information means by the lower regulating part, etc.).

[0014] Means 4. The carrier is a pallet comprising a plurality of columns and a deck portion connecting the upper ends of the plurality of columns, and a loading surface on which an article is placed is formed by the upper surfaces of the columns and the upper surface of the deck portion, The pallet is constructed by welding together an upper constituent part that constitutes an upper part of the pallet and a lower constituent part that constitutes a lower part of the pallet, The carrier described in means 1 or 2, characterized in that the storage section is provided across the upper component and the lower component.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect, the storage section is provided across the upper and lower components. When the upper and lower components are formed, the upper and lower components can be opened at their respective intermediate positions in the vertical width direction. This allows the storage section to be formed relatively easily. Even if slight variations in the vertical width of the storage section occur due to, for example, the precision of welding the upper and lower components or the dimensional tolerances of the components, the support section that essentially defines the lower edge of the storage section (supporting the underside of the wireless information means in the storage position) is provided in the elastic piece. This minimizes the space in which the wireless information means in the storage position can move, and allows the elastic piece to absorb such variations. Therefore, even when the carrier is embodied as a pallet formed by welding the upper and lower components, the attachment state of the wireless information means to the pallet can be stabilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the top side of a pallet without an ID tag or a cap member attached thereto. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view showing the periphery of the storage section. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2 showing the periphery of the storage section. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 showing the periphery of the housing portion. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic exploded perspective view including a partial cross section of a pallet showing the periphery of a storage section, an ID tag, and a cap member. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view including a partial cross section showing the periphery of the storage section. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged schematic perspective view showing the periphery of the housing unit with the ID tag and the cap member attached. [Figure 8] 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the process of inserting the ID tag into the receiving part through the insertion opening (for convenience, the ID tag is shown in side view). FIG. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the lower configuration (bottom surface portion) of the storage section. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the accommodation unit when the ID tag is in the accommodation position (for convenience, the ID tag is shown as a side view). [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the container with the ID tag and cap member attached (for convenience, the side of the ID tag is shown). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a pallet 1 serving as a carrier has a generally rectangular shape (a generally square shape) in a plan view. The pallet 1 also includes a pair of side posts 2 provided along a pair of opposing side edges of the pallet 1, a central post 3 provided parallel to the pair of side posts 2 and passing through the center of the pallet 1, an upper deck 4 connecting the upper ends of the side posts 2 and the central post 3, and a lower deck 5 connecting the lower ends of the side posts 2 and the central post 3. Additionally, fork insertion portions 6 are provided between the side posts 2 and the central post 3, into which forks of a forklift or the like can be inserted. The pallet 1 of this embodiment is a two-way insertion type pallet, allowing forks to be inserted from two of the four sides that make up the outer periphery of the pallet 1.

[0018] In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the side columns 2, the central column 3, and the upper deck 4 form a "loading surface 7" as a loading section on which items can be loaded, and the lower surfaces of the side columns 2, the central column 3, and the lower deck 5 form a "grounding surface 8" that comes into contact with an installation surface such as a floor on which the pallet 1 is placed. Furthermore, the pallet 1 comprises an upper structural section 9 that includes the upper halves of the side columns 2 and the central column 3 and the upper deck 4, and a lower structural section 10 that includes the lower halves of the side columns 2 and the central column 3 and the lower deck 5. In this embodiment, the upper structural section 9 and the lower structural section 10 are configured to be identical in shape and size, and are each integrally formed from polypropylene. Then, the lower edge portions of the side column portions 2 and central column portion 3 of the upper component 9 are heat-welded (or vibration-welded) to the upper edge portions of the side column portions 2 and central column portion 3 of the lower component 10, thereby integrating the upper component 9 and the lower component 10 and forming the pallet 1 of this embodiment.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, an ID tag 11 (also called a wireless tag, RFID tag, IC tag, electronic tag, non-contact tag, etc.) is attached to the pallet 1. The ID tag 11 stores information about the items placed on the pallet 1 and serves as wireless information means capable of wireless communication with a corresponding reader / writer. The ID tag 11 includes a control circuit, a memory, and an antenna, as well as a case that covers (contains) these components. The case (the external shape of the ID tag 11) is substantially rectangular. The ID tag 11 in this embodiment is an active ID tag with a built-in battery.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, etc., the pallet 1 is provided with a storage section 12 in the central column 3 that can store an ID tag 11. Furthermore, the pallet 1 is equipped with an insertion opening 13 that opens the storage section 12 upward and allows the ID tag 11 to be inserted into the storage section 12, and a cover section 14 that is provided adjacent to the insertion opening 13 and covers an upper portion of a part of the storage section 12. In this embodiment, the ID tag 11 is inserted into the storage section 12 through the insertion opening 13 with its longitudinal direction aligned in the up-down direction (approximately vertical direction) (see Figures 5, 8, etc.).

[0021] The storage section 12 is configured so that the ID tag 11 stored in the storage section 12 can be displaced between a preparatory position (a position shown in FIG. 8 where the ID tag 11 is displaced vertically downward until it abuts against an elastic piece 17, which will be described later) where the entire upper surface of the ID tag 11 fits within the range of the insertion opening 13 when the pallet 1 is viewed from above, and a storage position (see FIG. 10) where a part of the upper surface of the ID tag 11 overlaps with the cover section 14 in the up-down direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the storage section 12 also includes a bottom wall 15 that defines the lower edge of the storage section 12, and a storage restricting section 16 that restricts further displacement of the ID tag 11 that has been displaced from the preparatory position to the storage position. The storage restricting section 16 in this embodiment is configured by a wall (rib) whose upper edge is connected to the cover section 14 and extends in the up-down direction (vertical direction). Furthermore, the cover portion 14 of this embodiment has a wall portion extending horizontally and whose upper surface forms part of the mounting surface 7, and a rib protruding downward from the wall portion and extending along the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover portion 14 are aligned, and the lower edge portion of the rib abuts or is close to the upper surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position, and the portion of the rib on the storage restriction portion 16 side is connected to the storage restriction portion 16.

[0022] 3 to 5, the bottom wall 15 is provided with an elastic piece 17 that is elastically deformable in directions including the up-down direction. The elastic piece 17 is provided by forming a substantially U-shaped slit in the bottom wall 15, and is provided with an elastic piece main body 19 whose edge on the storage position side in the displacement allowance width direction of the storage section 12 (the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover section 14 are aligned), which allows displacement of the ID tag 11 between the preparation position and the storage position, is connected to a general portion 18 of the bottom wall 15. Furthermore, the elastic piece 17 is provided with a support portion 20 that protrudes upward from the elastic piece main body 19, has an upper side portion located above the upper surface of the general portion 18 of the bottom wall 15, and abuts against and supports the lower surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position, and a lower-side restricting portion 21 that protrudes upward from a part of the elastic piece main body 19 on the preparation position side, has an upper end portion located above the support portion 20, and can restrict displacement of the ID tag 11 in the storage position toward the preparation position. In this embodiment, two support portions 20 are provided parallel to each other and extend along the displacement allowable width direction of the storage portion 12. Furthermore, each support portion 20 extends continuously to the general portion 18 of the bottom wall portion 15 on the storage position side (connected to the upper surface of the general portion 18), and is connected to a lower restricting portion 21 on the preparation position side (see FIGS. 3 and 9). In addition, the general portion 18 of the bottom wall portion 15 has an abutment portion 22 that abuts against the ID tag 11 when the elastic piece 17 supporting the ID tag 11 is elastically deformed downward by a predetermined amount, for example, by being pressed by the ID tag 11 (see FIG. 3).

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the pallet 1 is provided with a cap mounting portion 41 adjacent to the insertion opening 13, on the opposite side of the insertion opening 13 from the cover portion 14, to which the cap member 31 can be attached. As shown in Figures 5 and 11, the cap member 31 includes a base portion 32 having a generally rectangular plate shape in a plan view, a cap locking portion 33 protruding downward from a position on the underside of the base portion 32 at a predetermined distance inward from the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 32, a positioning reinforcement portion 34, and a cap support leg portion 35 protruding downward from the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 32, all of which are integrally formed from polypropylene. A pair of the cap locking portions 33 is provided corresponding to each long side edge of the base portion 32. A single positioning reinforcement portion 34 is provided corresponding to each short side edge of the base portion 32. The cap support legs 35 are provided over the entire area of ​​each short side edge of the base 32, and are provided at a portion that connects to each short side edge of the base 32 and at two other portions spaced a predetermined distance from the respective portions, corresponding to each long side edge of the base 32. The cap locking portion 33 and the positioning reinforcement portion 34 extend downward beyond the cap support legs 35, and the cap locking portion 33 is provided with a claw portion 36 that protrudes from its lower side toward the outer periphery of the base 32. The cap member 31 is further provided with an anti-slip member 37 made of a thermoplastic elastomer and attached to the upper surface of the base 32 (see FIG. 11).

[0024] 2 to 5, the cap mounting portion 41 is adjacent to the insertion opening 13 on the mounting surface 7 of the pallet 1, and is formed so as to be continuous with the insertion opening 13. The cap mounting portion 41 includes a cap support wall portion 42 that protrudes inward from the opening from a position displaced downward from the mounting surface 7 by a predetermined distance (the combined length of the anti-slip member 37, the base portion 32, and the cap support leg portion 35 in the vertical direction) among the wall portions that extend downward along the opening. The cap member 31 is mounted to the cap mounting portion 41 by displacing it relative to the insertion opening 13 (cap mounting portion 41) in a direction including the vertical direction (in this example, a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 7 in which the insertion opening 13 is provided is preferable) (see FIG. 11).

[0025] 7, in this embodiment, the cap member 31 is attached to the cap attachment portion 41 so that the longitudinal width direction of the cap member 31 (base portion 32) extends in the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cap attachment portion 41 are aligned. Also, as shown in FIG. 11, by attaching the cap member 31 to the cap attachment portion 41, the lower side portions of the cap support legs 35 are supported by abutting against the upper surface of the cap support wall portion 42, and the claw portions 36 of the cap locking portion 33 are locked to the lower surface side of the cap support wall portion 42. In addition, the upper surface (of the non-slip member 37) of the cap member 31 attached to the cap attachment portion 41 is made substantially flush with the placement surface 7.

[0026] 2, 5, 6, etc., in this embodiment, although the insertion opening 13 and the opening of the cap mounting portion 41 are continuous (one piece) on the placement surface 7, an insertion restricting portion 43 is provided that extends downward from the side edge of the cap support wall 42 on the insertion opening 13 side (the storage portion 12 side) and defines the edge of the storage portion 12 on the cap mounting portion 41 side, and the edge of the insertion opening 13 on the cap mounting portion 41 side is essentially defined by the insertion restricting portion 43 and the cap support wall 42. Furthermore, when the pallet 1 is viewed from above, the width of the insertion opening 13 (the distance between the cap support wall 42 or the insertion restricting portion 43 and the cover portion 14) in the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover portion 14 are aligned is 1 to 1.1 times the width of the ID tag 11 to be inserted into the insertion opening 13 (see FIG. 8).

[0027] 11, the portion of the cap member 31 attached to the cap attachment portion 41 that faces the insertion opening 13 protrudes further toward the insertion opening 13 than the cap attachment portion 41 and is disposed inside the insertion opening 13. In this embodiment, the positioning reinforcement portion 34, which is provided corresponding to the short side edge portion of the base portion 32 and disposed on the insertion opening 13 side, is disposed so as to face and be close to or abut against the portions of the cap support wall portion 42 and the insertion restricting portion 43 that define the insertion opening 13. Also, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 11, the cap attachment portion 41 is provided with a cap positioning portion 44 that abuts or is close to the side edge portion of the target cap locking portion 33 and restricts displacement of the cap member 31 toward the insertion opening 13.

[0028] Additionally, in this embodiment, the insertion opening 13, the cap attachment portion 41, the accommodation restriction portion 16, the insertion restriction portion 43, etc. are provided in the upper constituent portion 9, and the bottom wall portion 15 is provided in the lower constituent portion 10. In other words, the accommodation portion 12 is provided across the upper constituent portion 9 and the lower constituent portion 10. Also, as described above, since the upper constituent portion 9 and the lower constituent portion 10 have the same shape, another set of configurations for the accommodation portion 12 that is upside down is provided.

[0029] 3 and other figures, lower restricting portion 21 is configured so that its entirety fits within the formation range of insertion opening 13 when pallet 1 is viewed from above, and is configured so that its entirety is located on the opposite side from storage restricting portion 16 relative to the center of insertion opening 13. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 and other figures, lower restricting portion 21 is provided with receiving portion 23 whose upper side extends horizontally and abuts against the underside of ID tag 11 inserted into storage portion 12 (set to the ready position) through insertion opening 13 to restrict downward displacement of the abutting portion, and an inclined portion 24 which is arranged adjacent to receiving portion 23 on the storage restricting portion 16 side, and whose upper side is inclined downward from a portion where it connects with the upper side portion of receiving portion 23 toward a portion on the storage restricting portion 16 side and connects with the upper side portion of support portion 20.

[0030] In either case, when the ID tag 11 is inserted into the insertion opening 13 while being positioned close to the edge of the insertion opening 13 opposite the storage restricting portion 16 side (while being in sliding contact with the insertion restricting portion 43), or when the ID tag 11 is inserted into the insertion opening 13 while being positioned close to the edge of the insertion opening 13 closer to the storage restricting portion 16 side (while being in sliding contact with the cover portion 14), the receiving portion 23 is configured to face up and down against a range of the lower surface of the ID tag 11 that is opposite the storage restricting portion 16 side from the center of the ID tag 11 (see FIG. 8). The ID tag 11 inserted into the storage portion 12 through the insertion opening 13 and abutting against the receiving portion 23 of the lower restricting portion 21 (set to the ready position) is restricted from displacement toward the storage position by the edge of the cover portion 14 on the insertion opening 13 side. Therefore, the ID tag 11 is pushed further downward, causing the elastic piece 17 to elastically deform downward. As a result, the entire ID tag 11 is positioned below the cover portion 14, allowing the ID tag 11 to move toward the storage position. By further pushing the ID tag 11 toward the storage position from this state, the ID tag 11 moves toward the storage position, as shown in FIG. 10 . At this time, the worker applies force by contacting the upper side of the ID tag 11 near the corner on the cap attachment portion 41 side. However, the lower side of the ID tag 11 is also assisted (guided) in its movement toward the storage position by the lower restricting portion 21 of the elastically deformed elastic piece 17, and the entire ID tag 11 moves relatively smoothly toward the storage position. Since the cap attachment portion 41 is provided adjacent to the insertion opening 13, during the operation stage of storing the ID tag 11 in the storage portion 12, the worker can use the space of the cap attachment portion 41 when the cap member 31 is not attached to press the upper corner of the ID tag 11 diagonally downward with his or her fingertip.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 10 , when the ID tag 11 is in the storage position, a predetermined portion of the surface of the ID tag 11 facing the storage restriction portion 16 abuts against the storage restriction portion 16, restricting further sliding movement. Furthermore, when the ID tag 11 is accommodated in the storage position, the elastically deformed elastic piece 17 also returns to its original posture before deformation. The "storage position" in this embodiment is the position where the ID tag 11 abuts against the storage restriction portion 16. Furthermore, when the ID tag 11 is in the storage position, its lower surface abuts against the multiple support portions 20 of the elastic piece 17 and is supported, and the ID tag 11 is configured to be spaced apart in the vertical direction from the general portion 18 (abutment portion 22) of the bottom wall portion 15. Furthermore, when the ID tag 11 is in the storage position, a lower portion of the surface of the ID tag 11 facing the preparation position abuts against or is close to the lower restriction portion 21 (inclined portion 24) of the elastic piece 17, restricting displacement toward the preparation position. In addition, the upper surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position abuts against or is close to the cover portion 14 (the rib on the lower surface side), and upward displacement is restricted.

[0032] 10 , a gap (space) is formed between the edge of the insertion opening 13 on the cap attachment portion 41 side (the insertion restricting portion 43 and the cap support wall portion 42) on the cap attachment portion 41 side and the top surface of the ID tag 11, allowing insertion of a portion of the cap member 31 that protrudes toward the insertion opening 13 and is located in the insertion opening 13. As shown in FIG. 11 , by attaching the cap member 31 to the cap attachment portion 41, a portion of the cap support leg portion 35 of the cap member 31 that is provided along the short side edge of the base portion 32 and that is located in the insertion opening 13 abuts or is close to the end of the top surface of the ID tag 11 on the cap attachment portion 41 side, and the positioning reinforcement portion 34 located in the insertion opening 13 is located between the insertion restricting portion 43 and the ID tag 11. Hereinafter, the cap support leg 35 and the positioning reinforcement 34 located in the insertion opening 13 and the storage section 12 when the cap member 31 is attached will also be referred to as the "cap restriction section 38." In this way, the cap restriction section 38 (particularly, by the action of the cap support leg 35 constituting the cap restriction section 38) restricts displacement of the upper corner of the ID tag 11 on the cap restriction section 38 side (upward displacement so as to avoid the lower restriction section 21), and (particularly, by the action of the positioning reinforcement 34 constituting the cap restriction section 38) makes it impossible to displace the ID tag 11 to the ready position as long as the cap member 31 is attached.

[0033] Furthermore, the wall portion (portion defining the range of the storage portion 12) surrounding the storage portion 12, including the storage restricting portion 16, the elastic piece 17, etc., is configured to improve heat dissipation, water drainage, etc. by minimizing the contact area with each surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position. That is, the storage restricting portions 16 are provided in pairs at a predetermined distance in a direction horizontally orthogonal to the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cap attachment portion 41 are aligned, and ribs extending in the vertical direction and coming into contact with or close to the ID tag 11 in the storage position are provided on the wall portion facing the ID tag 11 in the direction horizontally orthogonal to the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cap attachment portion 41 are aligned, and the cover portion 14 exposes more than half of the upper surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position upward through the insertion opening 13, and the portion of the cover portion 14 that can come into contact with the ID tag 11 is configured in a rib-like shape, and the support portion 20 of the elastic piece 17 is configured by two ribs. Furthermore, most of the surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position on the cap mounting portion 41 side (preparation position side) (the portion located between the cap regulating portion 38 in the vertical direction and the lower regulating portion 21) is exposed on the preparation position side of the storage portion 12, and the insertion regulating portions 43 that define the edge of the storage portion 12 on the cap mounting portion 41 side are provided in pairs, each spaced a predetermined distance apart in a direction horizontally perpendicular to the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cap mounting portion 41 are aligned.

[0034] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the support portion 20 that abuts against and supports the lower surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position is provided on the elastic piece 17. Furthermore, the elastic piece 17 is provided with a lower restricting portion 21 that can restrict displacement of the ID tag 11 in the storage position toward the preparation position. This allows displacement of the ID tag 11 between the preparation position and the storage position by appropriately elastically deforming the elastic piece 17, while allowing the ID tag 11 supported by the support portion 20 to abut against or be close to the cover portion 14 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in the direction in which the preparation position and the storage position are aligned (the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover portion 14 are aligned), the lower restricting portion 21, which has a sufficient upward protrusion length, can be disposed so as to abut against or be close to the lower part of the surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position that abuts against the storage restricting portion 16 and is close to the preparation position. Additionally, the cap restricting portion 38 of the cap member 31 can be disposed so as to abut against or be close to the upper part of the ID tag 11 in the storage position that is close to the preparation position. Therefore, the displacement of the ID tag 11 in the storage position toward the preparation position is reliably restricted by the cap restricting portion 38 and the lower restricting portion 21 at the upper and lower portions of the ID tag 11, respectively, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the ID tag 11 in the storage position from rotating (the upper or lower portion of the ID tag 11 shifting toward the preparation position). Furthermore, it is possible to minimize the space in which the ID tag 11 in the storage position can move in both the vertical direction and the direction in which the preparation position and the storage position are aligned. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, the ID tag 11 in the storage position from rattling during transportation of the pallet 1, generating abnormal noise, or otherwise adversely affecting the ID tag 11. As a result, it is possible to stabilize the state in which the ID tag 11 is attached to the pallet 1 (the attached state of the ID tag 11).

[0035] Furthermore, when the ID tag 11 is displaced in the storage section 12, if the elastic piece 17 is pressed by the ID tag 11 and deformed downward by a predetermined amount, the lower surface of the ID tag 11 abuts against the abutment portion 22 of the bottom wall portion 15, restricting further downward displacement of the ID tag 11 and, in turn, restricting further downward deformation of the elastic piece 17. Therefore, damage to the elastic piece 17 when the ID tag 11 is displaced in the storage section 12 can be prevented. In addition, by changing the ID tag 11 from the preparation position to the storage position, the ID tag 11 is positioned by the cover portion 14, the elastic piece 17, etc., and space for attaching the cap member 31 is secured in the insertion opening 13 and the storage section 12. Therefore, workability can be improved when attaching the cap member 31 to the periphery of the insertion opening 13.

[0036] Furthermore, the configuration in which the ID tag 11 in the storage position is supported by multiple support portions 20 makes it possible to more stably support the ID tag 11 while preventing the rigidity of the elastic piece 17 from becoming too high. Furthermore, the support portions 20 extend to the general portion 18 of the bottom wall portion 15, thereby reinforcing the area around the connection between the elastic piece 17 and the general portion 18. In addition, the support portions 20 are connected to the lower restricting portion 21, thereby mutually increasing the strength of the support portions 20 and the lower restricting portion 21.

[0037] Furthermore, when the pallet 1 is viewed from above, the lower restricting portion 21 is configured so that its entirety fits within the formation range of the insertion opening 13, and is configured so that its entirety is located on the opposite side from the storage restricting portion 16 side (the cap attachment portion 41 side) of the center of the insertion opening 13. Furthermore, the lower restricting portion 21 includes a receiving portion 23 that abuts against the ID tag 11 inserted into the storage portion 12 through the insertion opening 13 and restricts downward displacement of the abutting portion, and an inclined portion 24 that is disposed adjacent to the receiving portion 23 on the storage restricting portion 16 side and has an upper edge that inclines downward from a position on the receiving portion 23 side toward the storage restricting portion 16 side. Therefore, due to the arrangement and shape of the lower regulating portion 21, by inserting the ID tag 11 into the storage portion 12 through the insertion opening 13 (pushing the ID tag 11, which has been inserted to the preparation position, downward toward the storage position), the elastic piece 17 is elastically deformed in an appropriate manner, and the lower side of the ID tag 11 can be displaced relatively smoothly toward the storage position (the lower side of the ID tag 11 is guided toward the storage position by the inclined portion 24 of the elastically deformed elastic piece 17, etc., and when the elastic piece 17 returns to its original shape, a force toward the storage position is applied to the lower part of the ID tag 11 by the lower regulating portion 21, etc.).

[0038] Furthermore, the pallet 1 is constructed by welding together an upper component 9 that constitutes the upper part of the pallet 1 and a lower component 10 that constitutes the lower part of the pallet 1, and the storage section 12 is provided across the upper component 9 and the lower component 10. Therefore, when forming the upper component 9 and the lower component 10, the storage section 12 can be opened at the middle position in the vertical width direction in the upper component 9 and the lower component 10, respectively, and the storage section 12 can be formed relatively easily. Furthermore, even if slight variations occur in the vertical width, etc. of the storage section 12 due to, for example, the precision in welding the upper component 9 and the lower component 10 together, or the dimensional tolerances of the components 9, 10, the support section 20 that essentially defines the lower edge of the storage section 12 (supports the underside of the ID tag 11 in the storage position) is provided in the elastic piece 17, so that the space in which the ID tag 11 in the storage position can move is minimized, and the variation can be designed to be absorbed by the elastic piece 17. Therefore, even when the pallet 1 is embodied as a pallet 1 configured by welding the upper component 9 and the lower component 10 together, it is possible to stabilize the attachment state of the ID tag 11 to the pallet 1.

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented as follows: Of course, other applications and modifications not exemplified below are also possible.

[0040] (a) In the above embodiment, the arrangement and number of the storage sections 12, the posture of the ID tag 11 at the storage position, etc. are not particularly limited. For example, the storage sections 12 may be provided on the side column sections 2. Note that in the above embodiment, the width of the insertion opening 13 in the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover section 14 are aligned may be set to be 1 time or more and 1.2 times or less (more preferably 1.1 times or less) the width of the ID tag 11 to be inserted into the insertion opening 13. In this case, regardless of the relative position or posture of the ID tag 11 inserted with respect to the insertion opening 13, the lower restricting section 21 can be reasonably set so that the ID tag 11 inserted into the storage section 12 via the insertion opening 13 and the lower restricting section 21 (receiving section 23) are within a desired relative positional relationship. This more reliably achieves the effect of guiding the lower part of the ID tag 11 stored in the storage section 12 by the lower restricting section 21 toward the storage position.

[0041] Furthermore, the shape of the elastic piece 17 is not particularly limited, and for example, the lower regulating portion 21 may be configured to connect the ends of the two support portions 20 on the cap mounting portion 41 side, or the two support portions 20 may be connected to form a single support portion 20, or the elastic piece main body 19 may be omitted, or the inclined portion 24 may be omitted and the surface of the lower regulating portion 21 that regulates the displacement of the ID tag 11 in the storage position toward the preparation position may be configured to extend approximately parallel (along approximately vertically) to the surface of the ID tag 11 in the storage position toward the preparation position, or a portion of the lower regulating portion 21 may be positioned outside the formation range of the insertion opening 13 when the pallet 1 is viewed in a plane.

[0042] (b) In the above embodiment, the pallet 1 is made of polypropylene, but it may be made of other (synthetic) resin materials such as polyethylene, PET, and polyamide. While the above embodiment is embodied as a two-way pallet, it may also be embodied as a four-way pallet that includes four corner posts at the four corners of the pallet, intermediate posts at the middle of a pair of corner posts aligned along each side of the pallet, and a central post at the center of the pallet, allowing forks to be inserted from the four sides that form the pallet's outer periphery. Furthermore, for example, the present invention may be applied to a pallet that is integrally formed as a whole. Additionally, for example, the fork insertion section 6 may be opened downward in the lower deck section 5, and a lower opening may be provided to allow the casters of the hand lift to touch the ground, or the lower deck section 5 may be omitted. Although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiment, the placement surface 7 and the ground surface 8 may be configured to have holes appropriately formed in addition to the insertion opening 13 (for example, a generally approximately lattice-like configuration), or may have no holes other than the insertion opening 13.

[0043] (c) In the above embodiment, the carrier is embodied as the pallet 1. However, the carrier may also be, for example, a container or a cart used for transporting goods. The ID tag 11 is not limited to an active ID tag, but may be a passive or semi-active ID tag. Furthermore, the wireless information means may be a device (tag) capable of wireless communication with a corresponding reader / writer (which may not have a writer function) using infrared rays or radio waves at a frequency different from that used by the ID tag. The wireless information means may also be configured to have a GPS function. The shape of the ID tag 11 is not particularly limited and may be modified as appropriate. For example, the ID tag 11 may be a relatively thin card-shaped tag or may have a curved outer surface. The storage section 12 (storage restricting section 16, insertion restricting section 43, etc.) is formed to fit the shape of the ID tag 11.

[0044] The configuration of the cap member 31 is not particularly limited, and the anti-slip member 37 may be omitted, or the entire cap member 31 may be made of a material with a higher coefficient of friction than the pallet 1. Furthermore, both the cap support legs 35 and the positioning reinforcement 34, which are located at the insertion opening 13 and the storage section 12 when the cap member 31 is attached, are provided as the cap restricting section 38, but it is sufficient that the upper part of the ID tag 11 at the storage position on the preparation position side be provided with any of the following: 1) a configuration that restricts displacement itself, 2) a configuration that allows some displacement but restricts displacement to the preparation position, 3) a configuration that restricts upward displacement, or 4) a configuration that restricts displacement toward the preparation position in the direction in which the insertion opening 13 and the cover section 14 are aligned (a configuration that causes the cap restricting section to abut against or approach the surface of the ID tag 11 at the storage position on the preparation position side) (of course, a combination of these may be provided). Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cap member 31 is configured to be attached to the peripheral portion of the insertion opening 13 (cap attachment portion 41) by being displaced relative to the pallet 1 in the vertical direction, but it may also be configured to be attached to the peripheral portion of the insertion opening 13 by being displaced relative to the pallet 1 in the horizontal direction along the mounting surface 7, or by being rotated or slid to cause relative displacement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...pallet, 7...loading surface, 9...upper structural part, 10...lower structural part, 11...ID tag, 12...storage part, 13...insertion opening, 14...covering part, 15...bottom wall part, 16...storage restriction part, 17...elastic piece, 18...general part, 20...support part, 21...lower restriction part, 22...contact part, 23...receiving part, 24...inclined part, 31...cap member, 35...cap support leg part, 38...cap restriction part, 41...cap mounting part.

Claims

1. a placement section on which an article is placed; a carrier having a storage section capable of storing wireless information means, an insertion opening that opens upward in the housing and allows insertion of a wireless information means into the housing; a cover portion provided adjacent to the insertion opening and covering an upper portion of the storage portion, the storage section is configured so that the wireless information means stored in the storage section can be displaced between a ready position in which the entire upper surface of the wireless information means is within the range of the insertion opening when the carrier is viewed from above, and a storage position in which at least a portion of the upper surface of the wireless information means overlaps with the cover section in the vertical direction; The storage section is a bottom wall defining a lower edge of the housing; a storage restriction unit that restricts further displacement of the wireless information means that has been displaced from the preparation position to the storage position, the bottom wall portion includes an elastic piece that is elastically deformable in directions including the up-down direction, the elastic piece includes a support portion, the upper side of which is located above the upper surface of the general portion of the bottom wall portion and which abuts against and supports the lower surface of the wireless information means in the storage position, and a lower restricting portion, the upper end of which is located above the support portion and which can restrict displacement of the wireless information means in the storage position toward the preparation position, the general portion of the bottom wall portion has an abutment portion that abuts against the wireless information means when the elastic piece supporting the wireless information means is elastically deformed downward by a predetermined amount, the carrier includes a cap member attached to a periphery of the insertion opening; The carrier is characterized in that the cap member is located on the opposite side of the storage restriction portion from the wireless information means when it is in the storage position, and is equipped with a cap restriction portion that can restrict the displacement of the wireless information means toward the preparation position.

2. the elastic piece is provided by forming a substantially U-shaped slit in the bottom wall portion, and includes an elastic piece main body whose edge portion on the storage position side in a displacement allowance width direction of the storage portion, which allows displacement of the wireless information means between the ready position and the storage position, is connected to the general portion; The lower restricting portion protrudes upward from a portion of the elastic piece main body on the preparation position side, The carrier device described in claim 1, characterized in that the support portion protrudes upward from the elastic piece main body, extends along the displacement allowance width direction, is provided in multiple parallel lines, extends continuously to the general portion on the storage position side, and is connected to the lower regulating portion on the preparation position side.

3. The lower regulating portion is configured so that at least a portion thereof fits within the range of the insertion opening when the carrier is viewed from above, and is configured so that the entire portion is located on the opposite side of the center of the insertion opening from the storage regulating portion side, The lower restricting portion is a receiving portion that abuts against the wireless information means inserted into the accommodation portion through the insertion opening and restricts downward displacement of the abutting portion; A carrier device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is arranged adjacent to the receiving portion on the storage restriction portion side, and has an inclined portion whose upper edge slopes downward from the receiving portion side portion toward the storage restriction portion side portion.

4. The transporting device is a pallet comprising a plurality of pillars and a deck portion connecting upper ends of the plurality of pillars, and a loading surface on which an article is placed is formed by the upper surfaces of the pillars and the upper surface of the deck portion, The pallet is constructed by welding together an upper constituent part that constitutes an upper part of the pallet and a lower constituent part that constitutes a lower part of the pallet, 3. The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the storage section is provided across the upper and lower components.

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