Rack

Abstract

To provide a rack having a locking mechanism for preventing falling of a stacked upper-layer rack.SOLUTION: An installation seat (6) of an upper-layer rack (R1) is placed on a placement surface (10) of a girder member (4) of a lower-layer rack (R2) so as to be stackable. A locking mechanism (13) that detachably locks the girder member (4) and the installation seat (6) to each other is provided, and in a stacked state, with respect to an initial position (P) where a base body of an upper rack (R2) is located substantially facing a base body of a lower rack (R1) and a displaced position (Q) where the base body of the upper rack (R2) is located in front of the initial position, the locking mechanism (13) is in an unlocked state when the upper rack (R2) is at the displaced position (Q), when the upper rack is in the predetermined position (P), the upper rack is locked so that the upper rack cannot move forward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rack such as a nesting rack, and in particular to a rack provided with a locking mechanism that prevents the racks from falling off when stacked. [Background technology]

[0002] Nesting racks (also called nesters) have traditionally been used in warehouses and the like. Nesting racks can improve storage efficiency by stacking cargo (items) that cannot be stacked directly, and the arrangement within the warehouse can be changed by lifting and moving the entire rack with a forklift or the like. When not in use, multiple racks can be nested (fitted) together to save space when stored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-116001 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The nesting rack is configured so that a cargo compartment is formed above the base body, allowing for efficient storage work when storing cargo by placing the loaded pallet on top of the base body.

[0005] The loaded racks are then moved in a warehouse or the like by lifting the base body with a forklift or the like, and upper racks are stacked on top of lower racks.

[0006] The rack is composed of the base body, a pair of front pillars erected on the left and right sides at the front of the base body, a pair of rear pillars erected on the left and right sides at the rear of the base body, and beam members positioned on the left and right and equipped with mounting surfaces extending in the front-to-back direction above the front and rear pillars, and a cargo compartment is formed by the space surrounded by the pillars and beam members.When multiple racks are stacked, the mounting seats provided on the left and right lower sides of the base body of the upper rack are placed on the mounting surfaces of the beam members of the lower rack.

[0007] For this reason, the four pillars consisting of the front and rear pillars tend to sway when subjected to the load of the upper rack, which may result in a misalignment between the support surface of the beam member of the lower rack and the installation seat of the upper rack placed on top of it.

[0008] If the positional deviation becomes severe, the installation base may fall off the mounting surface, causing the upper rack to fall off the lower rack, resulting in a serious accident.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a nesting rack or other rack that solves the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a rack that is configured as a means for solving the problem, and that is configured to include a base body that forms a substantially rectangular loading platform that defines the front-to-back and left-to-right directions and has installation seats arranged on the left and right undersides, a pair of front support columns located at the front of the base body and erected on the left and right, a pair of rear support columns located at the rear of the base body and erected on the left and right, and beam members that are located on the left and right and have mounting surfaces that extend in the front-to-back direction above the front and rear support columns, and a loading compartment is formed by the space surrounded by the support columns and beam members, and a plurality of racks can be stacked by placing the mounting seats of upper racks on the mounting surfaces of the beam members of lower racks, and a locking mechanism is provided to lock the beam members and the mounting seats together in a freely engageable and detachable manner, and in the stacked state where the mounting seats are placed on the mounting surfaces of the beam members, the base body of the upper rack can be locked onto the lower racks With regard to the intended position in which the upper rack is positioned substantially opposite the base body of the rack, and the displaced position in which the base body of the upper rack is positioned forward of the intended position, the locking mechanism is composed of locking means provided to protrude freely from the mounting surface of the beam member, and locking means and unlocking means provided on the mounting seat, and when the upper rack is at the displaced position, the unlocking means retracts the locking means from the mounting surface, thereby setting up an unlocked state in which the mounting seat is movable forward and backward on the mounting surface, and when the upper rack is at the intended position, the locking means faces the locking means, causes the locking means to protrude from the mounting surface, and engages with the locking means, thereby setting up a locked state in which the mounting seat cannot move forward on the mounting surface.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the unlocking means is formed by a long surface extending in the front-rear direction and provided on the underside of the installation seat, and the locking means is formed by a space portion that opens downward and is provided on the underside of the installation seat and a locking wall that faces the space portion from the rear, and the locking means is formed by a locking claw that is pivotally supported on the beam member and protrudes from the installation surface when in an upright position and retracts from the installation surface when in a tilted position rotated rearward, and the locking claw has guide means that rotates the locking claw from the upright position to the tilted position when it receives a downward pressing force, and a return means that returns the locking claw from the tilted position to the upright position when the pressing force is released. The upper rack is provided with a return means and a position maintaining means that prevents the locking claw from rotating forward from an upright position, and when the upper rack is in the displaced position, the installation seat presses the guide means with the long surface to rotate the locking claw from an upright position to a tilted position, causing it to recede from the placement surface and being in an unlocked state in which it can move freely in the forward and backward directions on the placement surface, and when the upper rack is in the intended position, the installation seat protrudes from the placement surface by rotating the locking claw from a tilted position to an upright position using the space portion, and the locking wall engages with the locking claw, thereby being in a locked state in which it cannot move forward on the placement surface.

[0012] In this case, the locking claw is provided near the front end of the beam member in the longitudinal direction, while the installation seat is composed of a tubular member located at the front of the base body and fixed to the lower left and right sides, and a frame extending rearward from the rear side of the tubular member, with the tubular member forming the space and locking wall of the locking means, and the underside of the frame forming the long surface of the unlocking means.

[0013] Preferably, the beam member has side walls that run along the outside of the mounting surface, and the side walls are configured so that when a pair of left and right mounting seats on the upper rack are placed on the mounting surfaces of the pair of left and right beam members on the lower rack, the side walls hold the mounting seats from the outside on the left and right.

[0014] The rack is typically a nesting rack, with the width of the opening (FW) between the pair of left and right front posts and the width of the outside clearance (RW) of the pair of left and right rear posts being FW > RW. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, when stacking multiple racks in tiers, the upper rack R2 is lifted relative to the lower rack R1 using the forks of a forklift or the like, placed at the offset position Q, and then simply placed at the intended position P. This simple operation activates the locking mechanism 13, locking the upper rack R2 so that it cannot move forward, thereby effectively preventing the upper rack from falling. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a nesting rack according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing two nesting racks nested together. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which two nesting racks are stacked. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing two nesting racks stacked one on top of the other. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rack components in an exploded state. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a rack in which columns of different lengths are combined. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a beam member installed between the front support pillar and the rear support pillar on the left side of the rack. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the front end portion of the beam member and the front bracket in an exploded state. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the rear end portion of the beam member and the rear bracket. [Figure 10]Regarding the locking means that constitutes the locking mechanism, (A) is an oblique view showing the locking claw in an upright position, (B) is an oblique view showing an enlarged view of the locking claw, and (C) is an oblique view showing the locking claw in a tilted position. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an unlocked state of the locking mechanism in a state where the installation seat of the upper rack in a displaced position is placed on a beam member of the lower rack. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the locking mechanism when the installation seat of the upper rack is in a desired position and placed on a beam member of the lower rack. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] (Overall composition) As shown in Figure 1, the rack R comprises a substantially rectangular base body 1 that defines the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right width direction, a pair of front support pillars 2L, 2R (simply referred to as "front support pillars 2" when the left and right are not distinguished) located in front of the base body 1 and erected on the left and right, a pair of rear support pillars 3L, 3R (simply referred to as "rear support pillars 3" when the left and right are not distinguished) located in the rear of the base body 1 and erected on the left and right, and beam members 4L, 4R (simply referred to as "beam member 4" when the left and right are not distinguished) located on the left and right and erected between the front support pillars 2 and the rear support pillars 3, and a luggage compartment is formed by the space surrounded by the support pillars and beam members above the base body 1. The pair of rear support pillars 3L, 3R are connected at their upper ends by a connecting member 5.

[0019] The base body 1 includes left and right installation seats 6L and 6R (when not distinguishing between left and right, simply referred to as "installation seat 6") arranged at intervals within a predetermined width BW. On top of them, a frame structure is formed by framing a pair of left and right side frames 7L and 7R, a front frame 8, and a rear frame 9 in a rectangular shape. As a result, when the base body 1 grounds the installation seats 6L and 6R on the floor surface, a space is formed between the floor surface and the frame structure, and the base body 1 can be lifted by inserting the forks of a forklift into this space from the front.

[0020] (Nesting) The pair of front columns 2L and 2R are erected on the left and right outer sides of the predetermined width BW with a predetermined interval FW in the left and right width direction. In contrast, the pair of rear columns 3L and 3R are erected on the left and right inner sides of the predetermined width BW with a predetermined interval RW in the left and right width direction. Therefore, the intervals are set such that RW < BW < FW.

[0021] As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of racks R1 and R2 can be nested (inserted) into each other such that one rack R2 is inserted into the cargo compartment of the other rack R1 from the front to the rear. That is, as shown in the figure, by moving the base body 1 and the rear columns 3L and 3R of the front rack R2 indicated by the chain line backward from between the front columns 2L and 2R of the rear rack R1 indicated by the solid line, the base body 1 of the front rack R2 can be placed on the base body 1 of the rear rack R1, that is, it is nestable, which contributes to space saving when storing the racks when not in use.

[0022] (Stacking) The pair of beam members 4L, 4R are positioned parallel to and directly above the mounting seats 6L, 6R, and the mounting seats 6L, 6R of the upper rack R2 can be placed on the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1, thereby allowing multiple racks R1, R2 to be stacked one above the other as shown in Figure 4. In the normal stacked state, the upper rack R2 is stacked in a position where its base body 1 substantially faces the base body 1 of the lower rack R2 (hereinafter referred to as the intended position P). In this way, stacking multiple racks containing cargo in a tiered manner contributes to improving the storage efficiency of cargo in warehouses, etc.

[0023] The work of stacking the racks in tiers is performed by inserting the forks of a forklift from the front into the space between the installation seats 6L, 6R below the base body 1, lifting the rack R2 together with the base body 1, and placing the installation seats 6L, 6R of the rack R2 on the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1. At this time, it is difficult to immediately position the rack R2 at the desired position P1 in one go using a forklift, so as shown in Figure 3, the base body 1 of the lifted rack R2 is in a position forward of the desired position P (hereinafter referred to as the offset position Q), and the installation seats 6L, 6R are first placed on the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1, and then the upper rack R2 is moved along the beam members 4L, 4R using the forklift forks or manually until it stops at the desired position P.

[0024] (Assembly of components) The rack is assembled using components as shown in FIG.

[0025] As described above, the base body 1, which is formed by a substantially rectangular framework structure as a whole, has support cylinders 8a fixed to both the left and right ends of the front frame 8 for detachably erecting the front columns 2L, 2R, and support cylinders 9a fixed to both the left and right ends of the rear frame 9 for erecting the rear columns 3L, 3R. As a result, the lower ends of the front columns 2L, 2R and the rear columns 3L, 3R are inserted into the support cylinders 8a, 9a and fixed in place with fasteners such as bolts and nuts.

[0026] The upper ends of the left and right rear supports 3L, 3R are fixed to both ends of the connecting material 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting material 5 is fixed with fasteners such as bolts and nuts while the upper ends of the rear supports 3L, 3R are embraced by connecting pieces 5a fixed to both ends of the connecting material 5.

[0027] The beam members 4L, 4R are each formed from a metal angle member (a long member with an L-shaped cross section) with a horizontal flat wall 4a and vertical side walls 4b, and are erected on the upper ends of the front support columns 2L (2R) and rear support columns 3L (3R) with the flat walls 4a, 4a of the left and right beam members 4L, 4R facing each other. The upper surfaces of the flat wall 4a form a mounting surface 10 on which the mounting seats 6L, 6R of the upper stacked racks are placed.

[0028] A front bracket 11 is provided at the front end of the beam members 4L, 4R, and a rear bracket 12 is provided at the rear end. The beam members 4L, 4R are assembled by fitting the front bracket 11 and the rear bracket 12 onto the upper ends of the front columns 2L, 2R and the rear columns 3L, 3R and fastening them with fasteners such as bolts and nuts. In this case, the front ends of the beam members 4L, 4R are positioned and fixed inside the front columns 2L, 2R, and the rear ends of the beam members 4L, 4R are positioned and fixed outside the rear columns 3L, 3R, so that the flat wall 4a is positioned directly above the installation seats 6L, 6R of the base body 1.

[0029] Although not shown in the figure, the front columns 2L, 2R and rear columns 3L, 3R are prepared in a variety of types that differ only in length, making it possible to provide racks R with different heights. For example, the rack RL shown by the solid line in Figure 6 is H1200 (height 1200 mm), but by simply changing the front columns 2L, 2R and rear columns 3L, 3R, it is possible to provide a rack RH of H1500 (height 1200 mm) as shown by the chain line. In addition, it is also possible to provide racks with the lowest height of H900 (height 900 mm) and the highest height of H2000 (height 2000 mm).

[0030] The rear bracket 12 is provided with a stopper portion 12a located at the rear end of the beam members 4L, 4R and blocking the space between the flat wall 4a and the side wall 4b. As a result, when the installation seats 6L, 6R of the upper rack R2 are placed on the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1 and positioned at the desired position P, the rear ends of the installation seats 6L, 6R face the stopper portion 12a, preventing rearward movement.

[0031] (Configuration to prevent upper racks from falling) When racks configured as described above are stacked, the four supports of the lower rack R1, consisting of the front supports 2L, 2R and the rear supports 3L, 3R, may sway due to the weight of the upper rack R2. In particular, when a tall rack is created by assembling long supports, the supports are longer but have the same thickness, making them more likely to sway. As a result, the mounting bases 6L, 6R of the upper rack R2, which are placed on the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1, may shift and fall off, causing the upper rack R2 to fall.

[0032] In the case of the rack of the illustrated embodiment, the mounting seats 6L, 6R placed on the mounting surfaces 10 of the flat walls 4a of the beam members 4L, 4R are configured to be held from the outside on the left and right by the side walls 4b, 4b of the beam members 4L, 4R, thereby preventing the mounting seats 6L, 6R from falling off to the outside on the left and right of the beam members 4L, 4R.

[0033] The stopper portion 12a of the rear bracket 11 prevents the installation seats 6L, 6R from shifting rearward of the beam members 4L, 4R.

[0034] However, these configurations cannot prevent the installation seats 6L, 6R from shifting toward the front of the beam members 4L, 4R.

[0035] Therefore, in order to prevent forward slippage, the rack of the present invention is provided with a locking mechanism 13 that detachably locks the beam members 4L, 4R and the mounting seats 6L, 6R to each other.

[0036] In this regard, as described above, the work of stacking racks in tiers is carried out by first placing the mounting seats 6L, 6R of the upper rack R2, which have been lifted by the forks of a forklift, on the mounting surfaces 10 of the beam members 4L, 4R of the lower rack R1 at the offset position Q, and then moving the mounting seats 6L, 6R of the upper rack R2 along the mounting surfaces 10 and stopping them at the desired position P.

[0037] For this reason, the locking mechanism 13 is configured to be in an unlocked state where it is not locked when the installation seats 6L, 6R are located at the offset position Q, and to be locked when they are moved from the offset position Q to the intended position P.

[0038] (locking mechanism) 7, 8, 10 to 12 show an embodiment of the locking mechanism 13, and illustrate its configuration and operation. The drawings show the locking mechanism 13 provided between the left beam member 4L and the mounting seat 6L, but the locking mechanism 13 provided between the right beam member 4L and the mounting seat 6R is configured in the same way. For this reason, the left and right will not be distinguished and the description will be given as the beam member 4 and the mounting seat 6.

[0039] As shown in the figure, the locking mechanism 13 is composed of a locking means 14 that protrudes freely from the mounting surface 10 of the beam member 4, and a locking means 15 and an unlocking means 16 that are provided on the mounting base 6.

[0040] Therefore, when the installation seat 6 is positioned at the offset position Q and placed on the placement surface 10, the unlocking means 16 retracts the locking means 14 from the placement surface 10, thereby placing the installation seat 6 in an unlocked state in which it can move freely in the forward and backward directions on the placement surface 10.

[0041] When the installation seat 6 is located at the intended position P and placed on the placement surface 10, the locking means 15 faces the engaging means 14, causing the engaging means 14 to protrude from the placement surface 10 and engage with the locking means 15, thereby placing the installation seat 6 in a locked state in which it cannot move forward on the placement surface 10.

[0042] (Methods of locking and unlocking) As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the installation seat 6 is composed of a tubular member 6a located at the front of the base body 1 and fixed to the lower left and right sides, and a frame 6b connected to the rear side of the tubular member 6a and extending rearward.

[0043] The frame 6b has a flat lower surface that forms a long surface 16a extending in the front-to-rear direction, and the long surface 16a constitutes the unlocking means 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the long surface 16a is placed in contact with the mounting surface 10 of the beam member 4, but the long surface 16a may be slightly raised above the mounting surface 10 when the tubular member 6a is placed in contact with the mounting surface 10.

[0044] The cylindrical member 6a has a space 15a that opens downward and a locking wall 15b that faces the space 15a from the rear, and the space 15a and the locking wall 15b form the locking means 15. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower end of the cylindrical member 6a is placed in contact with the mounting surface 10 of the beam member 4, but the lower end of the cylindrical member 6a may be slightly raised above the mounting surface 10 when the long surface 16a of the frame 6b is placed in contact with the mounting surface 10.

[0045] (locking means) The locking means 14 is formed by a locking claw 17 which is pivotally supported on the beam member 4 and which protrudes from the support surface 10 when in an upright position and which retracts from the support surface 10 when in a tilted position rotated backward.

[0046] 8 and 10(A), the locking claw 17 is pivotally supported on a base member 18 by a shaft member 19 such as a bolt, and by fixing the base member 18 to the front bracket 11 by welding or the like, the claw portion above the pivotal support portion of the locking claw 17 is configured to protrude from the mounting surface 10 through a slit 20 formed in the flat wall 4a of the beam member 4. In this manner, in the illustrated embodiment, the locking claw 17 is pivotally supported on the beam member 4 via the front bracket 11, but it may also be configured so that the locking claw 17 is pivotally supported directly on the beam member 4 by fixing the base member 18 to the underside of the flat wall 4a.

[0047] The locking claw 17 is configured to rotate from an upright position in which it protrudes from the slit 20 to a tilted position in which it retracts into the slit 20 when a downward pressing force is applied from above the mounting surface 10. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10(B), a guide means 17a is formed by a tapered surface that slopes from the tip of the locking claw 17 protruding from the slit 20 toward the front edge. As a result, when the long surface 16a constituting the unlocking means 16 is placed on the locking claw 17 in the upright position, the locking claw 17 receives the load and is rotated toward the tilted position.

[0048] When the downward pressing force is released, the locking claw 17 is returned from the tilted position to the upright position and again projects from the slit 20. In the illustrated embodiment, an arm 21 is provided extending downward from the locking claw 17, thereby forming a return means 17b that uses the arm as a weight to rotate the locking claw 17 in the upright direction.

[0049] An arm 21 extending from the locking claw 17 is disposed outside through a slit 11a in the front bracket 11 and faces the outer surface 11b of the front bracket 11. As a result, when the locking claw 17 rotates toward the tilted position, the arm 21 moves away from the outer surface 11b, thereby allowing the locking claw 17 to rotate, but when the locking claw 17 is in the upright position, the arm 21 abuts against the outer surface 11b, thereby forming a position maintaining means 17c that prevents the locking claw 17 from rotating forward.

[0050] (Arrangement and operation of the locking means, unlocking means and locking means) When the mounting base 6 is placed on the mounting surface 10 of the beam member 4, when it is located at the displacement position Q, the unlocking means 16 (the long surface 16a of the frame 6b) faces onto the locking means 14 (locking claws 17), and when it is located at the intended position P, the locking means 15 (the space portion 15a of the tubular member 6a) faces onto the locking means 14 (locking claws 17).

[0051] 11, when the upper rack R2 is placed on the support surface 10 of the beam member 4 of the lower rack R1 with the installation seat 6 thereof lifted by the forks of a forklift in the offset position Q, the locking claws 17 protruding in an upright position from the support surface 10 are pushed down by the unlocking means 16, rotated via the guide means 17a toward a tilted position, and retracted from the slits 20. Therefore, in this state, the upper rack R2 is slidable in both the forward and backward directions along the support surface 10.

[0052] 12, when the upper rack R2 is moved backward along the mounting surface 10 by the forks of a forklift or manually until the rear end of the mounting base 6 abuts against the stopper portion 12a of the beam member 4, the upper rack R2 is stopped at the desired position P. At this time, the space portion 15a of the locking means 15 faces above the engaging claws 17, so that the engaging claws 17 are rotated upright by the return means 17b formed by the arms 21 and protrude from the slits 20 in an upright position.

[0053] In this state, the locking claw 17 protruding from the slit 20 is positioned in the space 15a of the tubular member 6a. Therefore, when the upper rack R2 attempts to move forward from the intended position P, the locking claw 17 receives the locking wall 15b of the tubular member 6a, thereby preventing the movement. As described above, when the locking claw 17 is in the upright position, the arm 21 abuts against the outer surface 11b of the front bracket 11, thereby forming a position maintaining means 17c, thereby creating a locked state that prevents the locking wall 15b from moving forward.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the locking mechanism 13 is provided at the front end of the beam member 4 and the installation base 6 of the racks R1 and R2 stacked in tiers, and the arm 21 of the locking claw 17 is located on the forward-facing outer surface 11b of the front bracket 11, so that the worker can easily visually confirm the position of the arm 21 from the front of the rack. In other words, when the locking means 14 is in the locked state, the arm 21 is aligned with the outer surface 11b, and when it is in the unlocked state, it is away from the outer surface 11b, so by visually identifying this, safety can be confirmed.

[0055] (Other embodiments) Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this. The locking mechanism 13 is merely required to be configured such that it is unlocked when the upper rack R2 is placed at the offset position Q between the beam member 4 and the installation base 6, and is locked when the upper rack R2 is placed at the desired position P. Therefore, it is not limited to the locking claw 17 that rotates between the upright position and the tilted position as shown in the figure. For example, a locking member that protrudes vertically from the installation surface 10 may be retracted against a spring, or various other specific configurations are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] R, R1, R2 rack P Intended position Q deviation position 1 base body 2L, 2R front strut 3L, 3R rear strut 4L, 4R beam members 4a flat wall 4b side wall 5 Connecting material 5a Connecting piece 6L, 6R installation seat 6a Cylinder member 6b frame 7L, 7R side frame 8 Front frame 8a Support tube 9 Rear frame 9a Support tube 10. Placement surface 11 Front bracket 11a Slit 11b External surface 12 Rear bracket 12a Stopper part 13 Locking mechanism 14 Locking means 15 Locking means 15a Space part 15b Locking wall 16 Unlocking Methods 16a Long side 17 Locking claw 17a Guide means 17b Recovery Method 17c Posture maintenance means 18 Base member 19 Shaft member 20 slits 21 Arm

Claims

1. The rack is comprised of a base body (1) that forms a substantially rectangular loading platform that defines the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions and has installation seats (6L, 6R) arranged on the left and right undersides, a pair of front support columns (2L, 2R) located at the front of the base body and erected on the left and right, a pair of rear support columns (3L, 3R) located at the rear of the base body and erected on the left and right, and beam members (4L, 4R) located at the left and right and equipped with loading surfaces that extend in the front-to-rear direction on the front support columns (2) and the rear support columns (3), and the space surrounded by the support columns and beam members forms a loading compartment. The plurality of racks are configured to be stackable by placing the installation base (6) of the upper rack (R2) on the installation surface (10) of the beam member (4) of the lower rack (R1), A locking mechanism (13) is provided to lock the beam member (4) and the installation seat (6) together in a detachable manner, In a stacked state in which the installation seat (6) is placed on the placement surface (10) of the beam member, the desired position (P) where the base body of the upper rack (R2) is positioned substantially opposite the base body of the lower rack (R1) and the displaced position (Q) where the base body of the upper rack (R2) is positioned forward of the desired position are as follows: The locking mechanism (13) is composed of a locking means (14) provided so as to protrude freely from the mounting surface (10) of the beam member (4), and a locking means (15) and an unlocking means (16) provided on the mounting seat (6), When the upper rack (R2) is at the offset position (Q), the unlocking means (16) retracts the locking means (14) from the mounting surface (10), thereby bringing the mounting seat into an unlocked state in which it is movable forward and backward on the mounting surface, When the rack is set to the intended position (P), the locking means (15) faces the engaging means (14), causing the engaging means (14) to protrude from the mounting surface (10) and engage with the locking means (15), thereby establishing a locked state in which the mounting seat cannot move forward on the mounting surface.

2. The unlocking means (16) is formed by a long surface (16a) extending in the front-rear direction and provided on the underside of the installation seat, and the locking means (15) is formed by a space (15a) that opens downward and is provided on the underside of the installation seat, and a locking wall (15b) that faces the space from the rear. The locking means (14) is formed by a locking claw (17) that is pivotally supported on the beam member and that protrudes from the placement surface (10) when the device is in an upright position and retracts from the placement surface (10) when the device is in a tilted position rotated rearward, The locking claw (17) is provided with guide means (17a) for rotating the locking claw from an upright position to a tilted position when it receives a downward pressing force, return means (17b) for returning the locking claw from the tilted position to the upright position when the pressing force is released, and position maintaining means (17c) for preventing the locking claw from rotating forward from the upright position, When the upper rack (R2) is in the deviated position (Q), the installation seat (6) presses the guide means (17a) with the long surface (6a) to rotate the locking claw (17) from an upright position to a tilted position, thereby retracting from the placement surface (10) and setting the installation seat (6) in an unlocked state in which it is movable forward and backward on the placement surface, 2. The rack according to claim 1, wherein, when the installation base (6) is in the intended position (P), the space (15a) causes the locking claws (17) to rotate from a tilted position to an upright position, thereby causing the installation base (6) to protrude from the placement surface (10), and the locking walls (15b) are engaged with the locking claws (17), thereby bringing the installation base (6) into a locked state in which it cannot move forward on the placement surface.

3. The locking claw (17) is provided in the vicinity of the front end of the beam member (4) in the longitudinal direction, The rack according to claim 2, characterized in that the installation seat (6) is composed of a tubular member (6a) located at the front of the base body (1) and fixed to the lower left and right sides, and a frame (6b) extending rearward from the rear side of the tubular member, the tubular member (6a) forming a space (15a) and an engaging wall (15b) of the locking means (15), and the lower surface of the frame (6b) forming the long surface (16a) of the unlocking means (16).

4. The beam member (4) has a side wall (4b) that extends along the outer side of the mounting surface (10), The rack according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the side walls (4b) are configured so that when a pair of left and right mounting seats (6) in the upper rack (R2) are placed on the mounting surfaces (10) of a pair of left and right beam members (4) in the lower rack (R1), the side walls (4b) hold the mounting seats (6) from the outside on the left and right.

5. The rack according to claim 4, characterized in that the nesting rack is constructed by forming the outer width (RW) of the pair of left and right rear supports (3L, 3R) so that FW > RW, relative to the opening width (FW) between the pair of left and right front supports (2L, 2R).

Images