Safety cone attachment

Abstract

The safety cone attachment is designed to allow users to securely hook their fingertips onto the finger rests, enabling them to lift the safety cone stably. [Solution] The attachment 1 of the present invention comprises a pair of upper and lower flanges 12 and 14 formed in the shape of a circular ring, a hollow cylindrical outer wall 15 connecting the lower surface of the upper flange 12 and the upper surface of the lower flange 14, a hollow cylindrical inner wall 16 that is cantilevered downward from the lower surface of the upper flange 12 inside the outer wall 15 and fitted into the cylindrical wall 7 at the upper end of the cone body 4, and a locking claw 17 that is formed to protrude horizontally outward from the lower end of the inner wall 16 and engages with a receiving surface 9 formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4. An upper projection 29 for finger gripping, including an engagement surface 28 that points downward, is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange 12, and through holes 30 for finger gripping are provided at two or more locations in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment to be mounted on the upper part of a safety cone.

Background Art

[0002] In the field of safety cones (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "cones"), in order to be able to easily lift the cone, providing a finger hook part for hooking the operator's finger on the upper part of the cone is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 and is well known. In the cone of Patent Document 1, an annular recess is formed over the entire circumference of the outer surface of the upper part of the cone, and this recess is used as a finger hook part (a finger hooking part). In the cone of Patent Document 2, a through hole for finger hooking is provided in the upper part of the cone. In the cone of Patent Document 3, on the outer peripheral surface of a ring-shaped attachment mounted and fixed to the upper part of the cone, a finger hook part composed of a plurality of rib-shaped locking convex parts is protruding.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, some cones used in highway construction have a conical body and a base that supports it integrated into one unit, and some weigh more than 3 kilograms. Furthermore, to prevent them from tipping over due to strong winds or contact with vehicles, rubber weights called cone beds are sometimes attached to the top surface of the base or inside the base. In order to lift such heavy cones by hooking them with one's fingers, the finger-holding portion must have sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the weight of the cone. However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, a thin-walled portion is carved into the top of the cone to form an annular recessed finger-holding portion. Therefore, the strength of the finger-holding portion inevitably depends on the material of the cone. For example, if the cone is made of soft polyvinyl chloride resin, when a finger is placed on the finger-holding portion, the portion may deform, and the finger may slip off. The same is true in Patent Document 2, where if the cone is made of soft polyvinyl chloride resin, when a finger is placed on the perforated finger-holding portion, the periphery of the perforation may deform, and the finger may slip off.

[0005] As described in Patent Document 3, when a finger rest is formed on the outer surface of a ring-shaped attachment that is attached and fixed to the top of the cone, the finger rest can be given more appropriate strength and rigidity by adjusting the attachment's structure or material. However, in this configuration where the attachment is attached to the cone, the locking structure between the two inevitably becomes a bottleneck. That is, even though the weight of the cone has increased as described above, if the locking structure between the cone and the attachment is weak, there is a risk that when a finger is placed on the attachment or the attachment is grasped, the attachment and the cone may be released and the two may separate. In particular, the attachment in Patent Document 3 consists of a ring member made of an elastic material such as rubber that is easily stretched and contracted by human hands, and is only attached to the outer surface of the top of the cone, so there is a risk that the attachment may come off the top of the cone.

[0006] Furthermore, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, where the finger rest is formed by an annular recess formed on the upper part of the cone, only a few millimeters of the worker's fingertips catch on the upper edge that defines the work recess. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the grip of the fingertips on the finger rest and lift the cone stably. The same is true in Patent Document 3, where the finger rest is formed by a plurality of rib-shaped locking protrusions protruding from the outer surface of the attachment. When the worker lifts the cone, only a few millimeters of the worker's fingertips catch on the locking protrusions, making it difficult to maintain the grip and lift the cone stably.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a safety cone attachment that can be easily attached to the top of the cone, yet does not easily separate or fall off from the top of the cone after attachment, and moreover, allows the user to more reliably hook their fingertips onto the finger rest and lift the safety cone stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to an attachment 1 that is mounted on the upper end of a hollow, frustoconical cone body 4 that widens downwards. The attachment 1 comprises a pair of upper and lower flanges 12 and 14 formed in the shape of a circular ring, a hollow cylindrical outer wall 15 connecting the lower surface of the upper flange 12 and the upper surface of the lower flange 14, a hollow cylindrical inner wall 16 that is cantilevered downwards from the lower surface of the upper flange 12 inside the outer wall 15 and fitted into the cylindrical wall 7 at the upper end of the cone body 4, and locking claws 17 that are formed to protrude horizontally outwards from at least two locations at the lower end of the inner wall 16 and engage with downward-facing receiving surfaces 9 formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4. Furthermore, an upper projection 29 for finger gripping, including a downward-facing engaging surface 28, is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange 12, and at least two or more through holes 30 for finger gripping are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15.

[0009] The through-hole 30 is formed extending from the upper end to the lower end of the outer wall 15.

[0010] Four through-holes 30 are provided in the outer wall 15, and a locking claw 17 is formed at a position facing the inner wall 16 through each through-hole 30.

[0011] Four through-holes 30 are provided in the outer wall 15. When two of these four through-holes 30 are defined as the first hole group and the remaining two through-holes 30 are defined as the second hole group, both hole groups are formed at opposing positions in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As with the attachment of the present invention, the attachment is provided with a hollow cylindrical inner wall 16 that is cantilevered downward from the lower surface of the upper flange 12 and fitted into the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4, and locking claws 17 that engage with downward receiving surfaces 9 formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4 are formed at least two locations on the lower end of this inner wall 16, then the attachment 1 can be easily attached and fixed to the cone body 4 simply by engaging the locking claws 17 with the receiving surface 9. Furthermore, once attached and fixed, the attachment 1 will not separate or fall off the cone body 4 unless the engagement between the receiving surface 9 and the locking claws 17 is released, and the attachment 1 can be securely attached and fixed to the upper end of the cone body 4. Thus, according to the present invention, even when the cone 2 is lifted by placing a finger 40 on the attachment 1, the attachment 1 and the cone body 4 are not released, and the two 1 and 4 will not separate unintentionally, making it possible to lift the cone 2 more reliably.

[0013] If an upward projection 29 for finger gripping, including a downward-facing engagement surface 28, is formed on the outer periphery of the upper flange 12, it becomes easier to hook a finger 40 onto the upward projection 29 and lift the cone 2. Furthermore, if at least two or more through-holes 30 for finger gripping are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15, inserting the fingertip into the through-hole 30 allows for a deeper grip on the upward projection 29, thus enabling a more secure grip on the attachment 1. Therefore, according to the present invention, the fingertip can be more reliably gripped onto the attachment 1, and the safety cone 2 can be lifted stably.

[0014] If the through-hole 30 is formed from the upper end to the lower end of the outer wall 15, the opening area of ​​the through-hole 30 can be made larger, so that a fingertip can be more reliably inserted into the through-hole 30.

[0015] If four through-holes 30 are provided in the outer wall 15, and locking claws 17 are formed at positions facing the inner wall 16 through each through-hole 30, the mold for forming the locking claws 17 can be removed outward through the through-holes 30, making it easier to obtain an attachment 1 equipped with locking claws 17. In addition, by providing four locking claws 17 at the lower end of the inner wall 16, the engagement and fixing state of the attachment 1 with the cone body 4 can be made stronger, so that the attachment 1 can be securely attached and fixed to the cone body 4.

[0016] Four through-holes 30 are provided in the outer wall 15. If two of these four through-holes 30 are defined as the first hole group and the remaining two as the second hole group, a configuration can be adopted in which both hole groups are formed at opposing positions in the circumferential direction of the outer wall. This allows the four through-holes 30 to be distributed in the circumferential direction, making it possible to more reliably insert fingertips into the through-holes 30. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1]A longitudinal front view showing a state where an attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the upper end of a safety cone. [Figure 2] An overall front view showing a state where an attachment and an indicator light are attached to the upper end of a safety cone. [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of the upper end of a safety cone, showing a state where the attachment and the indicator light are removed from the safety cone. [Figure 4] A sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] A sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] A longitudinal front view showing a state where an attachment is attached to the upper end of a safety cone, showing a state where the safety cones are stacked. [Figure 7] (a) is a view showing a state where a finger is placed on the attachment, and (b) is a view showing a state where the attachment is gripped.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 7 show an attachment for a safety cone according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, front-rear, left-right, and up-down refer to the cross arrows shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the notations of front-rear, left-right, and up-down in the vicinity of the cross arrows. As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment 1 of the present embodiment is attached to and used at the upper end of a safety cone (hereinafter referred to as "cone") 2. Further, the attachment 1 is used as an adapter for attaching and holding an indicator light 3 on the upper part of the cone 2.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 2, the cone 2 is composed of a cone body 4 having a vertically elongated frustum - shaped outer profile and a pedestal 5 having a square shape in plan view formed at the lower end of the cone body 4. The outer - dimension of the cone body 4 is formed in a downward - expanding shape that gradually increases downward. Also, the inside of the cone body 4 is hollow. The cone body 4 and the pedestal 5 are made of a plastic material composed of polyvinyl chloride, and a relatively heavy rubber weight is installed inside the pedestal 5. The top of the cone of the cone body 4 is cut off, and its upper end is a cylindrical wall 7 having an upward opening 6 (see Fig. 3). As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an upward regulating surface 8 is formed over the entire circumference on the outer surface of the upper end of the cone body 4. As shown in Fig. 1, a downward receiving surface 9 is formed over the entire circumference on the inner surface of the upper end of the cone body 4. In Figs. 1 and 3, reference numeral 10 indicates the cylindrical end - face of the cylindrical wall 7 that constitutes the upper end of the cone body 4.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the attachment 1 is made of a relatively hard plastic (e.g., ABS resin), and includes an upper flange 12 formed in a circular - ring shape having a central opening 11, a lower flange 14 formed in a circular - ring shape having a central opening 13, a hollow cylindrical outer wall 15 connecting the lower surface of the upper flange 12 and the upper surface of the lower flange 14, a hollow cylindrical inner wall 16 that is cantilever - suspended downward from the lower surface of the upper flange 12 inside the outer wall 15 and is fitted into the cylindrical wall 7 at the upper - end portion of the cone body 4, and locking claws 17 that project horizontally outward in the radial direction from four locations at the lower end of the inner wall 16 and engage with the downward receiving surface 9 of the cone body 4. The central opening 11 of the upper flange 12 and the hollow portion of the inner wall 16 are in communication, and the central opening 13 of the lower flange 14 and the hollow portion of the outer wall 15 are in communication. A guide surface 18 that slopes upward in the horizontal - outward direction is formed on the lower surface of the tip of the locking claw 17 (see Fig. 4). Also, corresponding to each locking claw 17, a rib 19 for reinforcing the locking claw 17 projects from the outer surface of the inner wall 16 (see Fig. 5).

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the outer surface of the outer wall 15 is tapered upwards, with the diameter gradually decreasing towards the top. The outer surface of the inner wall 16 is tapered downwards, with the diameter gradually decreasing towards the bottom (see Figure 1). The inner diameter of the inner wall 16 is larger than the small diameter cylindrical portion 25 so that the small diameter cylindrical portion 25 of the indicator light 3 can be inserted into the inner wall 16 from the upper end side. A groove 20 is formed on a part of the inner surface of the inner wall 16 to allow insertion of the protrusion 26 formed on the outer surface of the small diameter cylindrical portion 25 of the indicator light 3. Multiple ribs 21 are provided on the inner surface of the inner wall 16 to reduce friction in order to smoothly engage and disengage the indicator light 3.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the indicator light 3 comprises a light-emitting section 23 equipped with an LED, a large-diameter cylindrical section 24 located below the light-emitting section 23, and a small-diameter cylindrical section 25 located below the large-diameter cylindrical section 24. A protrusion 26 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical section 25, which engages with a groove 20 in the inner wall 16, in order to prevent the indicator light 3 from rotating unintentionally relative to the attachment 1.

[0023] The outer diameter of the upper flange 12 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper end portion of the outer wall 15, and an upper projection 29 for finger gripping, including an overhanging engagement surface 28 that points downward, is formed on the outer periphery of the upper flange 12. In addition, four through-holes 30 for finger gripping are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15. Each through-hole 30 is formed in a square shape when viewed from the front. The upper edge of the through-hole 30 is located at the boundary between the upper flange 12 and the outer wall 15, and the lower edge of the through-hole 30 is located at the boundary between the lower flange 14 and the outer wall 15; in other words, the through-hole 30 is formed from the upper end to the lower end of the outer wall 15.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, of the four through-holes 30, two (30a and 30b) are located on the front side, and the remaining two (30c and 30d) are located on the rear side. In this embodiment, when the two through-holes located on the front side (30a and 30b) are defined as the first hole group, and the two through-holes located on the rear side (30c and 30d) are defined as the second hole group, the space between two adjacent through-holes 30 constituting each hole group is separated by a partition wall 15a that constitutes the outer wall 15. Each through-hole 30 is formed in correspondence with a locking claw 17 and a reinforcing rib 19, and these locking claws 17 and reinforcing ribs 19 can be seen from the outside through the through-hole 30.

[0025] Attachment 1 is attached to the top of the cone body 4 by the following procedure. First, attachment 1 is positioned above the cone body 4, and then attachment 1 is pushed down. More specifically, attachment 1 is positioned above the cone body 4 so that the cylindrical end face 10 contacts the guide surface 18 of the locking claw 17, and then attachment 1 is pushed down (pushed downwards). As a result, the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4 is temporarily expanded outward along the guide surface 18, and when the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 7 becomes larger than the outer diameter of the locking claw 17, the locking claw 17 enters the cylindrical wall 7 through the upper opening 6. When the locking claw 17 passes through the cylindrical wall 7 and protrudes from the lower end of the cylindrical wall 7, the upper opening 6 shrinks in diameter due to the elasticity of the plastic material forming the cone body 4, the inner wall 16 is fitted into the cylindrical wall 7, the inner circumferential surface of the outer wall 15 comes into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 7, and the inner wall 16 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical wall 7 (see Figures 1 and 5). Furthermore, when the locking claw 17 passes through the cylindrical wall 7 and protrudes from the lower end of the cylindrical wall 7, the locking claw 17 engages with the downward-facing receiving surface 9 of the cylindrical wall 7. In this way, the locking claw 17 engages with the receiving surface 9, allowing the attachment 1 to be securely attached and fixed to the upper part of the cone body 4. In this attached and fixed state, the cylindrical end surface 10 of the cone body 4 abuts against the lower surface of the upper flange 12, and the lower surface of the lower flange 14 abuts against the restricting surface 8 of the cone body 4, thereby restricting the downward movement of the attachment 1. By following the above procedure, the attachment 1 can be easily attached to the top of the cone body 4. Figure 6 shows a stack of multiple cones 2 with attachment 1 attached, and the outer diameter of the attachment 1 is set so as not to interfere with the inner surface of the cone body 4 of the cone 2 that covers the attachment 1.

[0026] To attach and hold the indicator light 3 to the attachment 1, first, the protrusion 26 of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 25 of the indicator light 3 is aligned with the groove 20 of the inner wall 16 of the attachment 1, and then the small-diameter cylindrical portion 25 is inserted into the inner wall 16 through the central opening 11 and fitted into place. Next, the indicator light 3 is rotated in the axial direction of the attachment 1 to relatively shift the positions of the groove 20 and the protrusion 26, so that the protrusion 26 engages with the lower end of the inner wall 16 and does not come off. In this way, the indicator light 3 can be stably attached and held on the upper part of the cone body 4 and the attachment 1.

[0027] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) show the procedure for lifting the cone 2 via the attachment 1. Figure 7(a) shows the attachment being grasped with three fingers: the index finger 40a, the middle finger 40b, and the thumb 40c. In this position, the fingertips of the index finger 40a and the middle finger 40b are inserted into two of the first group of four through-holes 30, while the fingertip of the thumb 40c is inserted into one of the two through-holes 30 that make up the second group. By inserting the fingertips of each finger 40 into the through-holes 30 in this way, the entire fingertips beyond the first joint of each finger 40 can be hooked onto the upper projection 29, allowing the fingertips to be hooked onto the attachment 1 more reliably and stably. This also allows the cone 2 to be lifted more reliably and stably.

[0028] Figure 7(b) shows the hand grasping the top of the cone 2, where the fingertip of the thumb 40c is inserted into one of the two through-holes 30a that make up the first group of four through-holes 30, and the fingertip of the index finger 40a is inserted into the other through-hole 30b. By inserting the fingertips of each finger 40 into the through-holes 30 in this way, the entire fingertip beyond the first joint of each finger 40 can be hooked onto the upper projection 29, allowing the fingertips to be hooked onto the attachment 1 more securely and stably. Furthermore, the cone 2 can be lifted more securely and stably.

[0029] As described above, in the attachment 1 of this embodiment, a hollow cylindrical inner wall 16 is provided that is cantilevered downward from the lower surface of the upper flange 12 and fitted into the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4. Locking claws 17 are formed at least two locations on the lower end of this inner wall 16, which engage with a downward-facing receiving surface 9 formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 7 of the cone body 4. Therefore, the attachment 1 can be easily attached and fixed to the cone body 4 simply by engaging the locking claws 17 with the receiving surface 9. Furthermore, once attached and fixed, the attachment 1 will not separate or fall off the cone body 4 unless the engagement between the receiving surface 9 and the locking claws 17 is released, and the attachment 1 can be securely attached and fixed to the upper end of the cone body 4. Thus, according to this embodiment, even when the cone 2 is lifted by placing a finger 40 on the attachment 1, the attachment 1 and the cone body 4 are not released, and the two 1 and 4 will not separate unintentionally, making it possible to lift the cone 2 more reliably.

[0030] An upward projection 29 for finger gripping, including a downward-facing engagement surface 28, is formed on the outer periphery of the upper flange 12, making it easy to hook a finger 40 onto the upward projection 29 and lift the cone 2. Furthermore, through holes 30 for finger gripping are provided at least two or more locations in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15, so that by inserting the fingertip into the through hole 30, the portion of the fingertip that grips the upward projection 29 can be made deeper, allowing the fingertip to grip the attachment more securely. Specifically, for example, in a configuration without through holes 30, when a fingertip is placed on the upward projection 29, the central part of the fingertip pad is in a position where it grips the upward projection 29, and only about 5 mm of the fingertip grips the upward projection 29. In contrast, in the configuration with the through-hole 30 as in this embodiment, when a fingertip is placed on the upper projection 29, the fingertip enters the through-hole 30, so that the pad of the finger 40 contacts the engagement surface 28 of the upper flange 12, and the first joint of the finger 40 contacts the upper projection 29. This makes it possible to hook the entire fingertip beyond the first joint onto the upper projection 29, allowing a wider area of ​​the fingertip (approximately 2 cm) to be hooked onto the upper projection 29. Therefore, with the attachment 1 of this embodiment, which has the through-hole 30 in addition to the upper projection 29, the fingertip can be hooked onto the attachment 1 more reliably, and the cone 2 can be lifted more stably.

[0031] Since the through-hole 30 is formed from the upper end to the lower end of the outer wall 15, the opening area of ​​the through-hole 30 can be made larger. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably insert a fingertip into the through-hole 30.

[0032] Since four locking claws 17 are provided at the lower end of the inner wall 16, the engagement and fixation of the attachment 1 with the cone body 4 is strengthened, allowing the attachment 1 to be securely attached and fixed to the cone body 4. In addition, since four through holes 30 are provided in the outer wall 15 and the locking claws 17 are formed at positions facing the inner wall 16 through each through hole 30, it is possible to remove the mold for forming the locking claws 17 outward through the through holes 30. Therefore, an attachment 1 equipped with locking claws 17 can be obtained more easily.

[0033] When two of the four through-holes 30 are designated as the first hole group and the remaining two as the second hole group, and both hole groups are formed at opposing positions in the circumferential direction of the outer wall 15, the four through-holes 30 can be dispersed in the circumferential direction. Therefore, it becomes easier to insert fingertips into the through-holes 30. In addition, since the four locking claws 17 can be dispersed in the circumferential direction, the engagement and fixing state of the attachment 1 with the cone body 4 can be made stronger, and the attachment 1 can be firmly attached and fixed to the upper end of the cone body 4.

[0034] The number of through-holes 30 formed in the outer wall 15 may be two or more, and is not limited to four as shown in the above embodiment. Similarly, the number of locking claws 17 may be two or more, and is not limited to four as shown in the above embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 Attachment 2 Corn 4. Cone body 12 Upper flange 14 Lower flange 15 Exterior Wall 16 Inner wall 17 Locking claws 29 Upper protrusion 30 Through-holes

Claims

1. In an attachment mounted on the upper end of a hollow, frustoconical cone body (4) that widens at the bottom, A pair of upper and lower flanges (12 and 14) formed in a circular ring shape, A hollow cylindrical outer wall (15) connects the lower surface of the upper flange (12) and the upper surface of the lower flange (14), A hollow cylindrical inner wall (16) is cantilevered downward from the lower surface of the upper flange (12) on the inside of the outer wall (15) and fitted into the cylindrical wall (7) at the upper end of the cone body (4), A locking claw (17) is formed to protrude horizontally outward from at least two locations on the lower end of the inner wall (16) and engage with a downward receiving surface (9) formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical wall (7) of the cone body (4), Equipped with, A safety cone attachment characterized in that an upward projection (29) for finger gripping, including a downwardly oriented engaging surface (28), is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the upper flange (12), and at least two or more through holes (30) for finger gripping are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer wall (15).

2. The safety cone attachment according to claim 1, wherein a through-hole (30) is formed extending from the upper end to the lower end of the outer wall (15).

3. Four through-holes (30) are provided in the exterior wall (15). The safety cone attachment according to claim 1, wherein locking claws (17) are formed at positions facing the inner wall (16) through each through-hole (30).

4. Four through-holes (30) are provided in the exterior wall (15). When two of these four through-holes (30) are defined as the first group of holes, and the remaining two through-holes (30) are defined as the second group of holes, The safety cone attachment according to claim 1, wherein both groups of holes are formed at opposing positions in the circumferential direction of the outer wall (15).

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