Nesting rack
The nesting rack design with U-shaped frames and freely selectable diagonal members addresses deformation issues, ensuring robustness and smooth nesting, particularly in truck transportation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025185983
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing nesting racks used in truck transportation are prone to deformation and interference during sudden braking or turning due to insufficient reinforcement and restricted diagonal member design, leading to potential damage and item displacement.
A nesting rack design featuring a U-shaped frame with freely selectable diagonal members, including bent portions and gaps, allowing smooth nesting and enhanced structural integrity under inertial forces.
The design ensures robustness against inertial and centrifugal forces, preventing deformation and item displacement, while enabling efficient space-saving nesting.
Smart Images

Figure 2026016741000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a rack forming a shelf on which items are stored. [Background technology]
[0002] A rack, which is a general term for shelves and stands, is used as a shelf or stand for storing items. In this context, a simple pallet attachment has been proposed in which the receiving portion of the shelf or stand is formed by a cross pole, and the end of the cross pole can be detachably attached to a pallet attachment (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-19928
[0004] Patent document 1 states that by making it possible to "remove and attach attachments for supporting and fixing cross poles using holes formed in the pallet body," "when cross poles are not required, this attachment can be removed, which has the advantage of not increasing the space required when multiple pallets are placed side by side." Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] However, it is a hassle to remove the attachment when the cross pole is not needed and then reattach it when needed. Therefore, the inventors came up with a nesting rack, as shown in Figure 14, which does away with the pallet as a simple pallet with a receiving base formed of cross poles, and is a rack that always forms a shelf for storing items, and when not in use, one rack can be nested inside another. The inventor aimed to create a nesting rack that can be used as a shelf or stand for storing items and can also be stacked in multiple layers. Because this configuration allows for lightweight construction, stacking this in multiple layers is thought to be particularly suitable for use in truck transportation, etc.
[0006] However, when stacked in multiple layers, sudden braking during transport can cause the front and rear round pipe sections to tilt and deform. While an invention to prevent this tilt and deformation was proposed in JP 2005-329954 A, it was insufficient. As stated in claim 1, "...the reinforcing diagonal members must be formed to a thickness thinner than the lateral distance between the inner surface of the front round pipe section and the outer surface of the rear round pipe section," and there were design limitations on the cross-sectional shape and thickness of the reinforcing diagonal members. As a result, there was a risk that the rack structure would not be able to withstand sudden braking during truck transport.
[0007] Truck transportation has become more popular in recent years, and with driver shortages and increased logistics volume, there is a trend toward the use of large-capacity full trailers. It is expected that racks will be used more frequently for truck transportation in everyday activities, not just as a measure against earthquakes. In such cases, racks will be stacked in multiple layers to improve storage efficiency, and stronger racks are required. This is because, when racks loaded with goods are transported in multiple layers on a full trailer, there is a risk that the racks will be deformed or damaged by large inertial and centrifugal forces when the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner. Furthermore, braking and driving around curves are frequent occurrences in truck transport, and the repeated stress generated when braking or driving around curves can cause the rack to break. There is also the risk of items falling or colliding with each other due to the rack shaking back and forth or side to side. This risk is particularly high on the bottom shelf of a multi-tiered rack. The rack shown in Figure 14, which was made lighter with fuel efficiency in mind, was in a situation where the risk was even higher. Furthermore, when transitioning to a nested state in JP 2005-329954 A, due to the configuration of claim 1, there was a risk that the diagonal member 18 of the upper rack in Figure 11(a) of the publication would interfere with the upper side beam 5 of the lower rack, or that the vertical beam 8 of the upper rack in Figure 11(b) would interfere with the diagonal member 18 of the lower rack, making it impossible to transition smoothly to the nested state.
[0008] The present invention solves the above problems by providing a lightweight nesting rack in which the diagonal members can be freely selected without being restricted by their shape, the required strength of the diagonal members can be increased, and nesting can be performed smoothly. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention comprises a horizontally disposed frame portion (1) having a U-shape in plan view, with rod-shaped sub-portions (12) extending from both ends of a rod-shaped base portion (11); a pair of front round pipe portions (2, 2) fixed to the sub-portions at the U-shaped open ends of the frame portion, and a pair of rear round pipe portions (3, 3) fixed to the ends of the base portion, respectively, from both ends of the base portion toward the center in the longitudinal direction, at points where the outer portions of the rear round pipe portions exceed the inner portions of the front round pipe portions in front view, and near the ends of the base portion; and a horizontal bar connecting two non-adjacent vertices of a rectangle in plan view formed by the upper ends of the pair of rear round pipe portions and the upper ends of the pair of front round pipe portions, with both horizontal bars intersecting and connecting the two horizontal bars. and a receiving base portion (4) with a horizontal upper surface, which is integral with the rack main body (RA), and a diagonal member (5) that connects one point on the outer longitudinal direction of the sub-portion (12) to another point on the outer side of the front round pipe (2) and slopes upward from the rear round pipe portion side toward the front round pipe portion, and the diagonal member (5) is a bent main rod portion formed by bending at least one of both ends of a metal rod member and extending a bent portion (52) from the tip portion of a straight main rod portion (51), and the tip portion (522) of the bent portion is fixed to the one point, so that a first gap (ε1) is formed between the sub-portion and the main rod portion near the one point in a plan view. The second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the inclined member (5) is a main rod section with bent portions, in which both end portions thereof are bent and the bent portions (52) are extended to both tip portions of the main rod section (51), and the tip portion (522) of one of the bent portions is fixed to the one point and the tip portion (522) of the other bent portion is fixed to the other point, so that the first gap (ε1) is formed between the sub-section and the main rod section near the one point in a plan view, and the second gap (ε2) is formed between the front round pipe section and the main rod section near the other point in a front view. The third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect, the inclined member (5) is made of a tubular material, and the bent portion (52) is crushed and bent into a flattened protruding portion (52a) that protrudes laterally from the linear main rod portion (51) that is oriented vertically. The fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the inclined member (5) has both ends bent to form a main part (521) of the protruding part (52a) relating to the bent part (52) which protrudes laterally from the main rod part (51) which is vertically oriented, and a flange part (5221) which is the tip part (522) of the protruding part and which extends from the main part while being bent in the opposite direction to the bending direction of the main part, and the flange part is fixed to the one point by abutting the back surface of the flange part of one of the flange parts against the outer surface of the secondary part, and the flange part is fixed to the other point by abutting the back surface of the flange part of the other of the flange parts against the outer part of the front pillar. The fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first to fourth aspects, a protrusion (8) whose tip portion (81) protrudes above the receiving base portion (4) is fixed to the outer surface of each of the four connecting portions between the horizontal bar (41) formed in a cross shape of the receiving base portion (4) and the front round pipe portion (2) or the rear round pipe portion (3).
[0010] (action) If a first gap (ε1) is formed between the secondary section and the main rod section near the point in a plan view, when one nesting rack is placed inside another nesting rack, the front round pipe section and secondary section of the one nesting rack can be nested without interfering with the diagonal members of the other nesting rack, allowing the nesting operation to proceed smoothly. The diagonal member is a main rod portion with a bent portion formed by bending at least one of the two ends of a metal rod-shaped member and extending the bent portion to the tip portion of the main rod portion, and when the tip portion of the bent portion is fixed to the one point, a first gap (ε1) is formed between the secondary portion and the main rod portion near the one point in a plan view.Therefore, when nesting racks, the diagonal member is not restricted by its cross-sectional shape or thickness, and diagonal members of the required strength can be freely selected. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] The nesting rack of the present invention is lightweight and has a simple structure that improves fuel efficiency, especially in truck transport, and is not only earthquake-resistant, but also has great advantages such as maintaining the rack shape even when large inertial and centrifugal forces are applied during sudden braking, sudden acceleration, right or left turns, etc., and allowing nesting work to proceed smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nesting rack according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the positional relationship between a sub-portion and an oblique member around one point in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] (F) is a side end view of an inclined member having the same shape as the front round pipe section of this embodiment, and (A) to (E) and (G) are side end view of inclined members of other embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view of one nesting rack being nested within another nesting rack to save space. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 7 is a side view of one nesting rack housed inside another nesting rack, proceeding from FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the nesting racks of FIG. 1 stacked in two stages. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a nesting rack according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a nesting rack according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The nesting rack of the present invention will be described in detail below. Figures 1 to 13 show one form of the nesting rack (hereinafter also simply referred to as "rack") of the present invention, where Figure 1 is an oblique view of the nesting rack of embodiment 1, Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a partially enlarged oblique view showing the positional relationship between the secondary section and the diagonal member around one point in Figure 1, Figure 4 (F) is a side end view of a diagonal member having the same shape as the front round pipe section of this embodiment, and Figures 1a to 1c and 1d are side end views of diagonal members of other forms. Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a side view showing one nesting rack nested within another to save space, Fig. 7 is a view taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 6, Fig. 9 is a side view of one nesting rack nested within another nesting rack, Fig. 10 is a perspective view of Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the nesting racks of Fig. 1 stacked two-tiered, Fig. 12 is a plan view of a nesting rack of embodiment 2, and Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a nesting rack of embodiment 3. In each figure, essential parts of the invention are emphasized for clarity, and parts not directly related to the present invention are simplified or omitted. Insertion protrusions 91 are shown in Figs. 1, 10, 11, and 13, but are omitted in the other figures. In FIG. 7, the adjustment tool 71 and the support plate piece 72 are not shown, and furthermore, the rear round pipe portion 3 of the upper rack R2 is also omitted.
[0014] (1) Embodiment 1 In this nesting rack R, the support section 4, which corresponds to a shelf, is formed by crossing two horizontal bars 41. Each bar end 411 of the horizontal bars 41 is connected to the upper end 26 of the upright front round pipe section 2 or the upper end 36 of the upright rear round pipe section 3, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. The metal rack R is equipped with a simple, lightweight rack body RA (see Figure 14) in which the lower end 27 of the front round pipe section 2 and the lower end 37 of the rear round pipe section 3 are connected to the frame section 1. The front round pipe section 2 and the rear round pipe section 3, which cross-support the two crossed horizontal bars 41 at their upper ends 26, 36, are held upright by welding their lower ends 27, 37 to the frame section 1.
[0015] In the nesting rack R, the distance L3 between the outer pipe sides of the pair of rear round pipe sections 3 is shorter than the distance L2 between the inner pipe sides of the pair of front round pipe sections 2 (Fig. 5). It forms a shelf on which items can be stored, and when not in use, it enables the nesting state shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in which one rack R2 fits inside another rack R1. In addition, a diagonal member 5 is provided to increase the mechanical strength of the rack body RA. Here, if a member is provided to increase resistance strength against external forces in the front-to-rear direction from the entrance / exit K side toward the rear round pipe section 3, it will generally become difficult to fulfill the function of the nesting rack R. Even if a thin diagonal member such as that disclosed in JP 2005-329954 is attached, sufficient effect cannot be expected. However, the product of the present invention is a nesting rack R in which the rack main body RA, which consists of a frame section 1, a front round pipe section 2, a rear round pipe section 3, and a receiving base section 4, is equipped with diagonal members 5 whose resistance shape can be freely selected as shown in Figures 1 to 10, thereby making nesting easy while significantly increasing the strength of the rack main body R by the diagonal members 5.
[0016] The frame section 1 is a U-shaped frame body in a plan view, with rod-shaped sub-sections 12 extending from both ends 111 of the rod-shaped base section 11 (Figs. 1 to 3). When installing the rack R, the frame section 1 is horizontally disposed on the floor or the like. The rod-shaped base section 11 may be a divided base section 11 in which the lower end of the rear round pipe section 3 is inserted, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-32905. Here, the base section 11 is a single rod-shaped body. The base section 11 and sub-section 12 of the frame section 1 are made of rod-shaped rectangular tubular members of the same shape, as shown in the figure. The rod-shaped length of the base section 11 is approximately the same as the rod-shaped length of the sub-section 12.
[0017] The front round pipe section 2 is a cylindrical pipe that stands upright with its lower end fixed to the auxiliary section 12 at the U-shaped open end of the frame section 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2). A pair of front round pipe sections 2 is provided. Here, the "front" and "front" of the "front round pipe section 2" of the present invention refer to the right side of the page in FIG. 6, a side view in which the lower nesting rack R1 is properly installed, while the "rear" and "rear" of the "rear round pipe section 3" refer to the left side of the page. Also, in FIG. 6, "upper" and "upper" literally refer to the upper side of the page, while "lower" and "lower" refer to the lower side of the page. In this embodiment, the front round pipe section 2 may be erected by fastening its lower end surface to the sub-section 12 near the end surface corresponding to the U-shaped opening, but in this embodiment, the side surface of the lower end of the front round pipe section 2 is fastened to the end surface corresponding to the U-shaped opening of the sub-section 12 of the frame section 1 (FIG. 1). An insertion protrusion 91 is inserted into the pipe opening of the lower end 27 of the front round pipe section (FIG. 11) to facilitate and ensure stacking of the racks R (described in detail later). The length of the front round pipe section 2 is set slightly longer than that of the base section 11.
[0018] In front view of FIG. 5 from the entrance / exit K side, the rear round pipe section 3 is a pair of cylindrical pipes that stand upright like a column, with the outer portions 3a located near the ends of the base section 11 and the lower ends fixed to the base section 11 at a point on the base section 11 where the outer portions 3a extend from both ends 111 of the base section 11 toward the center in the longitudinal direction and exceed the inner portion 2d of the front round pipe section 2 (FIGS. 1 to 3). The rear round pipe section 3 is located near the ends of the base section 11 to ensure that the receiving section 4 has as large an area as possible. To enable nesting racks R, the rear round pipe section 3 stands upright, with the lower ends fixed to the point on the upper surface of the center of the base section 11 where the outer portions 3a extend beyond the inner portion 2d of the front round pipe section 2 in FIG. 5. The rear round pipe section 3 and the front round pipe section 2 are made of pipe members of the same diameter. Here, the "inner portion 2d of the front round pipe portion 2" relating to "the outer portion 3a extending beyond the inner portion 2d of the front round pipe portion 2 in a front view" is the opposing portion of the pair of front round pipe portions 2 in the rack R in the front view of Figure 5. The "outer portion 3a" of the rear round pipe portion 3 relating to "the outer portion 3a in a front view" is the outer side of the pair of rear round pipe portions 3, that is, in Figure 5, the left portion of the rear round pipe portion in the left rear round pipe portion 3, and the right portion of the rear round pipe portion in the right rear round pipe portion 3. The length of the rear round pipe section 3 is slightly shorter than the length of the front round pipe section 2. The lengths of these sections are determined so that the upper end surface of the rear round pipe section 3 erected on the base section 11 and the support section 4 placed on the erected upper end surface of the front round pipe section 2 are horizontal.
[0019] The support base 4 is formed by horizontal bars 41 that intersect two non-adjacent vertices of a rectangle connecting the upper ends 36 of the two rear round pipes 3 and the upper ends 26 of the two front round pipes 2 in a plan view, making the top surface formed by the two horizontal bars 41 horizontal. The plan view of the two horizontal bars 41 forms an X-shape (Figure 2), and the top surface formed by the intersection of the two horizontal bars 41 forms the support base 4 on which an object can be placed. Here, the "top surface horizontal" in "the top surface formed by the two horizontal bars 41 is horizontal" means that the main parts of the horizontal bars 41 are horizontal and an object can be placed on the top surface of the main parts. It is not necessary for the top surface, including the intersection parts 41d and bar ends 411 of the horizontal bars 41, to be horizontal. A slight step at the intersection parts 41d relative to the top surface of the main parts is acceptable. A horizontal bar 41 connecting the upper ends 26, 36 of the rear round pipe section 3 and the diagonally opposite front round pipe section 2 intersects with each other, and the upper surface formed by both horizontal bars 41 coming into the same plane becomes the flat upper surface of the receiving section 4. In this embodiment, the horizontal bar 41 is also made of a pipe member of the same diameter and type as the rear round pipe section 3 and the front round pipe section 2. The two horizontal bars 41 are crushed in the central region in the longitudinal direction to form recessed portions 412 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The recessed portions 412 are then joined together facing each other to form an X-shaped intersection 41d in a plan view, with the upper lines 413 of both horizontal bars 41 on the same plane, forming a support base forming portion with a horizontal upper surface.
[0020] Then, a metal diagonal member 5 is fixed to the metal rack main body RA, which is formed by integrating the above-mentioned frame portion 1, a pair of front round pipe portions 2, a pair of rear round pipe portions 3, and a receiving base portion 4.
[0021] The diagonal member 5 is a metal rod-shaped member that connects a point 12x on the outer longitudinal direction of the secondary portion 12 to another point 2y on the outside of the front round pipe 2, and that slopes upward from the rear round pipe portion 3 side toward the front round pipe portion 2 (Figs. 1 and 5). In the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped secondary portion 12, the diagonal member 5 connects a point 12x on the outer surface 12a of the secondary portion close to the rear round pipe portion 3 to another point 2y on the upper end or an outer upper region 2E close to the upper end of the outer portion 2a of the front round pipe portion 2. The diagonal member 5 is formed by bending at least one of both ends from a single rod-shaped member, to form a bent rod main portion 5A in which a bent portion 52 extends from the tip portion of the straight rod main portion 51. Then, the tip portion 522 of the bent portion 52 is fixed to the point 12x to form a rod-shaped member in which a first gap ε1 is formed around the point between the sub-portion 12 and the main rod portion 51 near the point, as seen in the plan view of Figure 2. The strength of the rack R is increased by providing the inclined member 5 that is inclined upward from the rear round pipe section 3 side toward the front round pipe section 2. Then, when the first gap ε1 is formed, the inclined member 5 does not get in the way, and the upper rack R2 can be smoothly nested in the lower rack R1 from the state shown in FIG. 6 to the state shown in FIG. 10 (details will be described later).
[0022] In the rack of this embodiment, not only is a first gap ε1 formed by attaching the diagonal member 5 to the rack body RA, but also a second gap ε2 is formed between the front round pipe section 2 and the main rod section 51 near the other point 2y, as seen in the front view of Fig. 5. Both ends of the diagonal member 5 are bent to form a diagonal member 5 having a bent main rod section 5A with bent sections 52 extending from both tip portions of the main rod section 51. The tip portion 522 of one bent section 52 is fixed to the one point 12x, and the tip portion 522 of the other bent section 52 is fixed to the other point 2y. As a result, a nesting rack R with diagonal members 5 is formed in which a first gap ε1 is formed between the sub-section 12 and the main rod section 51 near the one point 12x in the plan view of Fig. 2, and a second gap ε2 is formed between the front round pipe section 2 and the main rod section 51 near the other point 2y in the front view of Fig. 5.
[0023] Unlike the diagonal member in JP 2005-329954 A, the diagonal member 5 here is made of a square tubular material with a cross section as shown in Fig. 4(f). The hollow portion 50 is recessed and the bent portion 52 is crushed, forming a flattened protruding portion 52a that protrudes laterally from the linear main rod portion 51 that is oriented vertically, thereby forming the bent diagonal member 5 (Figs. 3 and 7). The diagonal member 5 is not limited to the metal square tube member shown in Fig. 4(f). In addition to the rod-shaped member with a square tube-shaped side end face as shown in Fig. 4(a), it can also be a processed strip with a side end face as shown in Fig. 4(b) to (e), or a metal rod-shaped member with a cross section in the longitudinal direction that is a slightly crushed oval shape like a pipe as shown in (g). In Fig. 4, reference numeral 55 denotes a main portion, reference numeral 56 denotes a bent portion, and reference numeral 57 denotes a curved portion.
[0024] Furthermore, the diagonal member 5 has both ends bent to form a main portion 521 of the protruding portion 52a associated with the bent portion 52 that protrudes laterally relative to the longitudinal main rod portion 51, and a flange portion 5221 at the tip end 522 of the protruding portion that extends from the main portion and bends in the opposite direction to the bending direction of the main portion relative to the main rod portion 51 (FIGS. 3 and 7). The flange back surface 5221b of one of the flange portions 5221 is abutted against the outer surface 12a of the sub-portion 12, and the flange portion 5221 is welded and fixed at one point 12x. The flange back surface 5221b of the other flange portion 5221 is abutted against the outer portion 2a of the front round pipe portion 2 (FIG. 5), and the flange portion is welded and fixed at another point 2y, thereby forming a nesting rack R.
[0025] In this nesting rack R, the widths of the first gap ε1 and second gap ε2 that enable nesting depend only on the degree of bending of the bent portion 52 provided in the diagonal member 5, so the main body portion that becomes the main rod portion 51 of the diagonal member 5 is not subject to shape restrictions. Diagonal members 5 that are strong enough to make a robust nesting rack R can be freely selected. The desired nesting rack R can be obtained with sufficient mechanical strength to withstand application to racks stacked on trailers, etc. In addition, since it is well known that a reinforcing member separate from the diagonal member 5 is incorporated between the pair of rear round pipe sections 3 to suppress lateral shaking, a description of this reinforcing member will be omitted.
[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view of the circle in FIG. 1 , a cover 92 that closes the upper end nozzles of the front round pipe section 2 and the rear round pipe section 3 forms a flat surface 921 on the nozzle and is fixed to the upper end of the front round pipe section 2 and the rear round pipe section 3. The cover 92 closes the upper pipe nozzle of the front round pipe section 2, and an insertion protrusion 91 is provided on the flat surface 921. A small-diameter cylindrical section extends from a base ring whose outer diameter fits inside the lower end nozzles of the pair of front round pipe sections 2, via a tapered ring section, and further includes an insertion protrusion 921 with a narrowed tip. The insertion protrusion enables smooth and reliable stacking of the nesting racks as shown in FIG. 11 . Reference numeral 93 denotes a pad that covers the exposed outer portion of the upper end even after the cover 92 is fixed to the upper end. 1 and 8 designates a stopper that prevents the stacked upper rack R2 from moving rearward as shown in Fig. 11. The stopper 98 is not shown in any figures other than Figs. 1 and 8.
[0027] Symbol 414 is the lower line of the horizontal bar, symbol 71 is a stacking adjustment device in which a horizontally elongated member is placed horizontally on the secondary section 12 and welded to the lower rear wall side of the front round pipe section 2, and symbol 72 is a support plate made of a tongue-shaped plate, the base ends of which are welded and fixed to the terminal portions 112 of the base section 11 protruding outward from the two rear round pipe sections 3, and the height of the upper edge 711 is adjusted to the horizontal height of the adjustment device 71.
[0028] Next, one method of using this nesting rack R will be described. When using the nesting rack R, as shown in Fig. 1, the receiving base 4 is placed on top, and items are stored in the rack R through the entrance K between the pair of front round pipes 2, 2 as indicated by the white arrow, and items are placed on the receiving base 4. In addition, in trailers, for example, the upper rack R2 is stacked on the lower rack R1 in Fig. 1 (Fig. 11), and items are stored and placed on each rack R, improving storage efficiency and making truck transport more efficient. To facilitate and stabilize the stacking, the rack R has a pipe opening exposed at the lower end 27 of the front round pipe section 2, and is provided with an insertion protrusion 91. The pin-shaped insertion protrusion 91 of the lower rack R2 is inserted into the pipe opening at the lower end of the front round pipe section 2 of the upper rack R2, and the upper rack R2 is aligned and locked on top of the lower rack R1, thereby stabilizing the stacking.
[0029] On the other hand, when no rack is required, a nesting state is created in which the upper rack R2 is accommodated within the lower rack R1, as shown in FIGS. For example, first, the entrance K of the upper rack R2 is aligned with the entrance K of the lower rack R1, and the upper rack R2 is advanced from a position slightly higher and rearward than the rear round pipe section 3 of the lower rack R1 so that the front round pipe section 2 of the upper rack R2 straddles the rear round pipe section 3 (FIGS. 6 to 8). The rear round pipe sections 3, 3 extend from both ends of the base section 11 toward the longitudinal center thereof, with the outer surfaces 3a rising up toward the center beyond the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2 in a front view. Therefore, the rear round pipe sections 3, 3 can be advanced without interfering with the outer surface 3a of the rear round pipe section 3 of the lower rack R1 and the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2 of the upper rack R2 (and the auxiliary section 12). As shown in Figure 5, the outer surface 3a of the rear round pipe section 3 is set back from both ends of the base section 11 toward the center in the longitudinal direction by only the terminal portion 112 relative to the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2, and is arranged upright. Therefore, the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2 and the auxiliary section 12 relating to the upper rack R2 can easily move forward from the rear of Figure 6 through the outer area of the rear round pipe section 3 relating to the lower rack R1 and the horizontal bar 41 relating to the receiving base section 4.
[0030] Then, the upper rack R2 is further advanced. As a result, the outer surface 2a and the secondary portion 12 of the front round pipe portion 2 of the upper rack R2 enter the inside of the diagonal member 5 of the lower rack R1. Here, a bent portion 52 is provided at the attachment portion of the diagonal member 5 to the secondary portion 12, creating a first gap ε1 as shown in Figure 7. In addition, a bent portion 52 is provided at the attachment portion of the diagonal member 5 to the front round pipe portion 2, creating a second gap ε2 (Figure 8). Therefore, even if the upper rack R2 advances with a deviation of δ in the rack width direction relative to the lower rack R1 as shown in Figure 8, it can move forward without difficulty from the states in Figures 6 and 8 to the states in Figures 9 and 10. If the second gap ε2 is present, the rack can be smoothly stored up to the final nesting state in Figure 9, even with the deviation of δ in the rack width direction of the upper rack R2. In this way, by placing the front round pipe section 2 of the upper rack R2 on the adjuster 71 of the lower rack R1 and placing the sub-section 12 of the upper rack R2 closer to the rear round pipe section 3 on the support plate piece 72 of the lower rack R1, the nesting state shown in Figure 9, in which the upper rack R2 fits inside the lower rack R1, can be easily achieved. When the rack is not needed, the desired nesting rack R is created, which saves space.
[0031] (2) Embodiment 2 This embodiment is a nesting rack as shown in Figure 12. The diagonal member 5 in embodiment 1 is a bent main rod portion 5A formed by bending only one of both ends of a single metal rod-shaped member, with a bent portion 52 extending from the tip of the main rod portion 51. Unlike the nesting racks R in Figures 1 to 11, this nesting rack R employs a diagonal member 5 that does not have a bent portion 52 formed on the side attached to the front round pipe portion 2. Figure 12 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 2, showing an upper rack R2 at the bottom of the figure moving in the direction of the arrow toward a lower rack R1 at the top of the figure to be nested and stored.
[0032] The main section end 511 of the main rod section 51 of the diagonal member 5 is fixed to the other point 2y of the front round pipe section. The tip portion 522 of the bent section 52 is fixed to the one point 12x, and a first gap ε1 is formed between the secondary section 12 and the main rod section 51 around the one point 12x in a plan view. There is no second gap ε2. In the rack R of Figure 12, the bent section 52 provided at the end of the diagonal member 5 fixed to the secondary section 12 is larger than in Figure 2.
[0033] Because the bent portion 52 is large, when the front round pipe section 2 and the sub-section 12 of the upper rack R2 enter the inside of the diagonal member 5 of the lower rack R1 as shown in Figure 12, the width between the inner surfaces 5d of the two diagonal members of the lower rack R1 is the width W between the outer surfaces 2a, 2a of the front columns plus the two gaps ε1 on both sides. This makes it easier for the front round pipe section 2 and the sub-section 12 of the upper rack R2 to advance into the diagonal member 5 of the lower rack R1. As the final stage of placing the front column 2 of the upper rack R2 on the adjuster 71 of the lower rack R1 approaches, the gap between the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member and the outer surface 2a of the front round pipe section when the outer surface 2a of the front round pipe section 2 of the upper rack R2 enters converges to zero. This corrects lateral wobble of the upper rack R2 relative to the lower rack R1, allowing for stable nesting. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. The same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts.
[0034] (3) Embodiment 3 In this embodiment, the nesting rack R of embodiment 1 is inverted, with the receiving platform 4 facing downward, as shown in FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the nesting rack R viewed from under a transparent floor panel. Under the normal operating condition shown in FIG. 1 , the nesting rack R has protrusions 8, the distal end portions 522 of which protrude upward beyond the receiving platform 4, fixed to the outer surfaces of the four corner regions of the rectangular frame-shaped receiving platform 4, as shown in the figure. When the nesting rack R of FIG. 1 is inverted and used as shown in FIG. 13 , the provision of the protrusions 8 allows the forklift claws F to fit under the receiving platform 4, resulting in a desired nesting rack R that is easy to transport. The protrusions 8 are plate-shaped as shown. While the protrusions 8 are applied to the nesting rack R of FIG. 1 here, they can also be applied to the nesting rack R of FIG. 12 . Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. The same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same or corresponding parts.
[0035] (4) Effects The nesting rack R configured in this manner comprises a frame 1, a pair of front round pipe sections 2, 2, a pair of rear round pipe sections 3, 3, and a receiving base 4, making it possible to form a rack for storing or placing items. In particular, since the receiving base 4 is made up of two horizontal bars 41, it is possible to form a simple and lightweight rack R. Furthermore, by making the front round pipe section 2, the rear round pipe section 3, and even the horizontal bar 41 out of pipes, it is possible to obtain the necessary strength while reducing weight. Furthermore, a diagonal member 5 is provided that connects one point 12x in the outer longitudinal direction of the sub-section 12 with another point 2y in the outer upper region 2E of the front round pipe section 2, and slopes upward from the rear round pipe section 3 toward the front column 2. The bent portion 52 of this diagonal member 5 prevents nesting from being hindered and is not subject to restrictions on cross-sectional shape. When the nesting rack R is subjected to inertial and centrifugal forces due to braking or turning during truck transport, as well as earthquakes, a desired shape of diagonal member 5 can be used to strongly suppress the forward / backward sway of the rack. Therefore, when used in truck transport, the forward / backward sway of the rack R is suppressed, preventing problems such as damage to transported items due to swaying, falling, and even collisions between items.
[0036] Nevertheless, this nesting rack R can be nested when not in use, allowing for space-saving storage. A pair of rear round pipe sections 3 rise from both ends of the base section 11 toward the longitudinal center thereof, fixed near the ends of the base section 11 at a point where, in a front view, the outer surfaces 3a of the lower and upper racks R1 and R2 extend beyond the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2. Therefore, when the nesting rack R is not in use, aligning the entrances K of the lower and upper racks R1 and R2 and advancing the upper rack R2 from the rear side as shown in Figures 6 to 10 leaves a clearance corresponding to the terminal portion 111 between the outer surface 3a of the rear round pipe section 3 and the inner surface 2d of the front round pipe section 2 (Figure 5), making it easy to advance the upper rack R2 toward the lower rack R1.
[0037] The diagonal member 5 is a bent main rod portion 5A formed by bending one of both ends of a single metal rod member and extending a bent portion 52 from the tip of the straight main rod portion 51. When the tip portion 522 of the bent portion 52 is fixed to a point 12x, a first gap ε1 is formed between the main rod portion 51 and the sub-portion 12 around the point 12x in a plan view ( FIG. 2 ). When the upper rack R2 is advanced toward the lower rack R1, the first gap ε1 is secured between the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member main rod portion 51 and the outer portion 2a and sub-portion 12 of the front round pipe portion. This prevents the diagonal member 5 associated with the lower rack R1 from interfering with the outer portion 2a and sub-portion 12 of the front round pipe portion 2 associated with the upper rack. In particular, the large first gap ε1 allows the outer portion 2a of the front round pipe portion 2 to be easily introduced toward the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member main rod portion 51 in FIG. 12 . After that, there is no gap between the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member rod main part 51 and the outer part 2a of the front round pipe part 2, so in the final stage of nesting, the gap between the outer part 2a of the outer upper region 2E of the front round pipe part 2 related to the upper rack R2 and the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member related to the lower rack R1 approaches zero. The lateral deviation of the upper rack R2 relative to the lower rack R1 is corrected, and the upper rack R2 autonomously enters a space-saving nesting state into the lower rack R1.
[0038] 1 to 11 of the first embodiment, the bent portions 52 of the diagonal members 5 at both ends connect a point 12x in the outer longitudinal direction of the secondary section 12 to another point 2y in the outer upper region 2E of the front column 2. Therefore, the diagonal members 5 are not limited to a thin thickness as in Patent Document 1. Because the diagonal members 5 can be made with a main rod portion 51 having a rectangular cross section without being subject to shape restrictions like in the first embodiment, a robust nesting rack R can be selected to meet customer needs. Furthermore, the diagonal members 5 of the first embodiment can be made into various rod-shaped diagonal members 5 by appropriately selecting the shape and thickness as shown in FIG. 4 to increase their strength depending on the application. When a rectangular tubular member as shown in FIG. 4(f) is used for the diagonal members 5, the hollow portion 50 can be recessed to easily fabricate the main rod portion 51 and the bent portion 52 integrated into one rod portion 5A as shown in FIG. 3.
[0039] Moreover, the present invention requires only the simple addition of the bent portion 52 to the diagonal member 5, and does not require any additional components. There are no additional parts such as spacers. The diagonal member 5 is directly fixed to the sub-section 12 and front column 2, without the need for other components, which significantly reduces the number of fixing points by welding, etc. This effectively improves workability, reduces the number of parts, and cuts the manufacturing costs of the nesting rack. In addition, if a flange portion 5221 extending from the main portion 521 is provided at the tip portion 522 of the bent portion 52, the welding portion WD with the secondary portion 12 and the front column 2 can be easily increased (Figure 3), making it possible to manufacture a sturdy nesting rack while keeping production costs down.
[0040] Then, simply by fixing the tip portion 522 of the bent portion 52 provided on the diagonal member 5 to the one point 12x, a first gap ε1 is formed between the rod main portion 51 and the sub-portion 12 around the one point 12x in a plan view. When the upper rack R2 advances toward the lower rack R1, a first gap ε1 is formed between the inner surface 5d of the diagonal member 5 associated with the lower rack R1 and the sub-portion 12 and outer portion 2a of the front round pipe portion 2 associated with the upper rack R2. Therefore, the diagonal member 5 of the lower rack R1 does not interfere with the outer portion 2a and sub-portion 12 of the front round pipe portion 2 associated with the upper rack R2. As a result, smooth operation is possible from the introduction of the outer surface 2a (and sub-portion 12) of the front round pipe portion into the diagonal member 5 in FIG. 6 to the final nesting stage. Furthermore, when the bent portion-equipped rod main section 5A is formed by extending the bent portions 52 to both tip portions of the rod main section 51 and the tip portion 522 of the other bent portion 52 is fixed to the other point 2y, not only the first gap ε1 is formed but also the second gap ε2 is formed between the rod main section 51 around the other point 2y and the front round pipe section 2 when viewed from the front. This allows for smoother operation from the insertion introduction shown in Figure 6 to the final nesting state shown in Figure 9 due to the two gaps ε1 and ε2.
[0041] Furthermore, as in embodiment 3, by fastening protrusions 8 whose tip portions 522 protrude above the receiving base 4 to the outer surfaces of the four corner regions of the receiving base 4 formed in a square frame shape, the nesting rack R of embodiment 1 can be turned upside down to form a nesting rack R as shown in Figure 13, with the receiving base 4 located on the bottom. The claws F of a forklift can fit under the receiving base 4, making it easy to transport and move the nesting rack R. In this way, the present nesting rack R exhibits the many excellent effects described above and is extremely beneficial.
[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention depending on the purpose and application. The shape, size, number, material, etc. of the frame portion 1, the front round pipe portion 2, the rear round pipe portion 3, the support portion 4, the diagonal member 5, the protrusions 8, and the insertion protrusions 91 can be selected appropriately depending on the application. [Explanation of symbols]
[0043] 1 Frame section 2 Front round pipe section 3 Rear round pipe section 4 cradle part 5 Diagonal members 5A Main rod with bent section 51 Rod main part 52 Bending section 522 Tip part ε1 First gap ε2 Second gap R Nesting Rack RA rack body R1 Lower rack (other rack) R2 Upper rack (first rack)
Claims
1. a horizontally disposed frame portion (1) having a U-shape in plan view, with rod-shaped sub-portions (12) extending from both ends of a rod-shaped base portion (11); a pair of front round pipe portions (2, 2) fixed to the sub-portions of the U-shaped open ends of the frame portion and erected respectively; a pair of rear round pipe sections (3, 3) extending from both ends of the base section toward the longitudinal center thereof, the rear round pipe sections (3, 3) being fixed to the ends of the base section at points where their outer portions exceed the inner portions of the front round pipe sections in a front view; A rack body (RA) is integrally formed with a receiving base part (4) having a horizontal bar connecting two non-adjacent vertices of a rectangle in plan view formed by the upper ends of the pair of rear round pipe parts and the upper ends of the pair of front round pipe parts, and the upper surface formed by both horizontal bars is horizontal, The inclined member (5) connects one point on the outer longitudinal direction of the auxiliary section (12) with another point on the outer side of the front round pipe (2), and is inclined upward from the rear round pipe section side toward the front round pipe section. The inclined member (5) is a bent main rod portion formed by bending at least one of both ends of a single metal rod-shaped member, with a bent portion (52) extending from the tip of the straight main rod portion (51), and the tip portion (522) of the bent portion is fixed to the one point, so that a first gap (ε1) is formed between the sub-portion and the main rod portion near the one point in a plan view.
2. 2. The nesting rack according to claim 1, wherein the inclined member (5) is a main rod portion with bent portions, with both end portions bent and the bent portions (52) extending from both tip portions of the main rod portion (51), and the tip portion (522) of one of the bent portions is fixed to the one point and the tip portion (522) of the other bent portion is fixed to the other point, so that the first gap (ε1) is formed between the sub-portion and the main rod portion near the one point in a plan view, and the second gap (ε2) is formed between the front round pipe portion and the main rod portion near the other point in a front view.
3. 3. A nesting rack according to claim 2, wherein the inclined member (5) is made of a tubular material, and the bent portion (52) is compressed and bent to form a flattened protruding portion (52a) that protrudes laterally from the linear main rod portion (51) that is oriented vertically.
4. 4. The nesting rack according to claim 3, wherein the inclined member (5) has a main portion (521) of the protruding portion (52a) associated with the bent portion (52) that protrudes laterally from the main rod portion (51) that is vertically oriented, with both ends bent, and a flange portion (5221) at the tip portion (522) of the protruding portion that is bent in the opposite direction to the bending direction of the main portion and extends from the main portion, and the flange back surface of one of the flange portions is abutted against the outer surface of the secondary portion to fix the flange portion to the one point, and the flange back surface of the other of the flange portions is abutted against the outer portion of the front column to fix the flange portion to the other point.
5. 5. A nesting rack according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion (8) having a tip portion (81) protruding above the receiving base portion (4) is fixed to the outer surface of each of the four connecting portions between the horizontal bar (41) formed in a cross shape of the receiving base portion (4) and the front round pipe portion (2) or the rear round pipe portion (3).
Citation Information
Patent Citations
For pallet attachment
JP1983019928U