Slope device and slope unit

Abstract

The objective is to provide a ramp device that can accommodate various levels of unevenness. [Solution] The ramp device 500 is characterized by having a ramp section 210 that is arranged at an incline and a support section 250 that supports the ramp section 210 so as to be adjustable in the height direction. Furthermore, the ramp section 210 is characterized by having a gradient of 1 / 6 or less and 1 / 12 or more.

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a temporary slope device and a slope unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a temporary slope device has been used to easily overcome steps. The portable slope disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of slope plates, a hinge member that connects the slope plates in a foldable manner, and a plurality of stopper members that are spaced apart from each other along the side end faces of the sleep plates on the other surface of each slope plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] <00,00016>

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When using such a temporary slope device, for example, at a work site, it is necessary to accommodate various heights of steps applied at the work site. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a slope device that can accommodate various steps.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention is characterized by having a slope portion disposed obliquely and a support portion that supports the slope portion so as to be adjustable in the height direction.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a slope device that can accommodate various steps can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the ramp device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] These are a plan view and a side view showing an example of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 6] This is a side view showing an example of a ramp device installed at different height differences. [Figure 7] This is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the ramp device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 10] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of the ramp device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the ramp device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] This is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the ramp device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 14] This is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 15] This is a bottom view showing an example of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 16A] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 16B] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 16C] This is a side view showing an example of a part of the configuration of a ramp device. [Figure 17]It is a perspective view showing an example of a handle part. [Figure 18] It is a view showing an example of the configuration of an adjustment member. [Figure 19A] It is a rear view showing an example when the height of the slope device is adjusted. [Figure 19B] It is a rear view showing an example when the height of the slope device is adjusted. [Figure 20A] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example when the height of the slope device is adjusted. [Figure 20B] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example when the height of the slope device is adjusted. [Figure 21] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a slope unit. [Figure 22] It is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a rib.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, the slope device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the slope device 100. FIG. 2 is a plan view and a side view showing the configuration of the slope device 100. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the configuration of the slope device 100. Hereinafter, among the steps, the lower side will be referred to as the lower stage, and the upper side will be referred to as the upper stage. Also, in each figure, for convenience, in the horizontal direction, the front side from the lower stage to the upper stage is shown as Fr, the rear side is shown as Rr, the right side is shown as R, and the left side is shown as L. The slope device 100 of the present embodiment includes a slope part 10 and a support part 50.

[0009] First, the slope part 10 will be described. The slope part 10 is disposed obliquely and has a function of allowing people and objects to pass over the step with a gentle slope. In plan view, the slope part 10 is, for example, a substantially rectangular shape whose front-rear length is longer than the left-right length. The slope section 10 includes a main slope section 11, a first slope section 21, a second slope section 31, and a third slope section 41. The slope section 10 is arranged in the following order from rear to front: the first slope section 21, the second slope section 31, the third slope section 41, and the main slope section 11.

[0010] The main slope section 11 is located between the third slope section 41 and the upper step. The main slope section 11 has a plurality (for example, 8) of slope members 12 and a plurality (for example, 5) of main beam members 16. The slope member 12 is, for example, a substantially flat plate shape in which the length from left to right is longer than the length from front to back. The slope member 12 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The slope members 12 are arranged in parallel from front to back without any gaps between them. Furthermore, the slope member 12 has raised ridges as anti-slip protrusions integrally applied to its upper surface in the left-right direction (width direction). Note that the anti-slip protrusions are not limited to raised ridges, but may also be formed by blasting the entire upper surface or fixing a checker plate. The configuration of the anti-slip protrusions is the same for other slope sections. Furthermore, the slope member 12 at the front of the main slope section 11 and the slope member 12 in the central part of the main slope section 11 each have holes 13 on both the left and right sides for accessing the adjustment members 58 and 68, which will be described later.

[0011] Furthermore, the rear slope member 12 of the main slope section 11 has a different shape from the other slope members 12. Figure 3(a) is an enlarged view of a portion of the side view of Figure 2(b). In Figure 3(a), the angle members 36 and 46, which will be described later, are shown transparently. As shown in Figure 3(a), the rear slope member 12 has a substantially circular rotating part 14 at its rear end. The rotating part 14 engages with the rotated part 43 of the third slope part 41, which will be described later, and they rotate relative to each other. That is, the third slope part 41 is rotatable around the axis of the rotating part 14 along the left-right direction relative to the main slope part 11. The rotating part 14 and the rotated part 43 come into contact with each other and their rotation is restricted when they exceed a certain range of rotation. Furthermore, the rear slope member 12 has a holding portion 15 that extends from the rear end toward the front. There is a gap above the holding portion 15, and the holding portion 15 holds the main beam member 16, which is inserted into the gap from the front, from below.

[0012] The main beam member 16 is positioned on the underside of the slope member 12 to improve the strength of the main slope section 11. The main beam member 16 is a hollow member with a roughly rectangular cross-section along the front-to-back direction. The main beam member 16 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2(a), multiple main beam members 16 are arranged in parallel on the left and right sides with gaps in between. The main beam members 16 are fixed to the underside of the slope member 12 using bolts or rivets. Therefore, each slope member 12 and each main beam member 16 are configured to intersect with each other.

[0013] The first slope section 21 makes contact with the lower step and forms a continuous inclined surface from the lower step. The first slope section 21 is located behind the second slope section 31. The first slope section 21 has a plurality (for example, six) of slope pieces 22. The slope piece 22 is, for example, a substantially flat plate shape with a length from front to back that is longer than its length from side to side. The slope piece 22 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. Multiple slope pieces 22 are arranged in parallel from side to side with almost no gaps between them. Furthermore, the slope piece 22 has a raised ridge as an anti-slip projection integrally formed on its upper surface, extending in the left-right direction. The slope piece 22 may also be a substantially flat plate shape with a length from front to back that is shorter than its length from side to side, and may be made of a flexible synthetic resin.

[0014] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(a), the slope piece 22 has a rotating portion 23 at its front end. The rotating portion 23 engages with the rotating portion 32 of the second slope portion 31, which will be described later, and rotates relative to it. That is, the slope piece 22 is rotatable around the axis of the rotating portion 32 along the left-right direction relative to the second slope portion 31. Note that the rotating portion 32 and the rotating portion 23 come into contact with each other and rotation is restricted when they exceed a certain range of rotation. Since the slope pieces 22 in this embodiment are arranged in parallel on the left and right sides, each slope piece 22 is rotatable independently of the second slope portion 31. Furthermore, the ramp piece 22 has seat portions 24a and 24b at its rear and front ends, respectively, which contact the lower step of the step. The seat portions 24a and 24b are formed across the ramp piece 22 in the left-right direction. Note that the seat portion 24b is located below the rotating portion 23. Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper surface of the slope piece 22 is colored a different color from the upper surfaces of the second slope section 31, the third slope section 41, and the main slope section 11, for example, red, in order to recognize the start of the slope. Coloring includes coloring by surface treatment such as anodizing, coloring by applying paint, coloring by attaching stickers, coloring by mixing coloring agents, etc.

[0015] The second slope section 31 forms an inclined surface that is continuous with the first slope section 21. The second slope section 31 is located in front of the first slope section 21 and behind the third slope section 41. The second slope section 31 is, for example, a substantially flat plate shape in which the length from left to right is longer than the length from front to back, and is composed of a single piece. The second slope section 31 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The upper surface of the second slope section 31 is integrally provided with protrusions that serve as anti-slip projections, extending in the left-right direction. The second slope section 31 has a rotating section 32 at its rear end and a rotated section 33 at its front end. The rotated section 33 engages with the rotating section 42 of the third slope section 41 (described later) and rotates relative to it; that is, the second slope section 31 is rotatable relative to the third slope section 41 around the axis of the rotating section 42 in the left-right direction. Note that the rotating section 42 and the rotated section 33 come into contact with each other and their rotation is restricted if they exceed a certain range of rotation.

[0016] Furthermore, the second slope section 31 has seat portions 34a and 34b at the center and front end in the front-rear direction, respectively, which contact the lower step. A non-slip member 35, such as rubber, is attached to the lower end of the seat portion 34a. The seat portion 34b is located below the rotating section 33 and contacts the lower step in a bifurcated manner, split front and rear. By having the seat portion 34b contact the ground at two points, even when people or objects move back and forth between the second slope section 31 and the third slope section 41, it is possible to prevent the second slope section 31 from swinging like a seesaw with the seat portion 34b as a pivot point.

[0017] The third slope section 41 forms an inclined surface that is continuous with the second slope section 31. The third slope section 41 is located in front of the second slope section 31 and behind the main slope section 11. The third slope section 41 has the same configuration as the second slope section 31, and will be described focusing on the differences. The third slope section 41 has a rotating section 42 at its rear end and a rotated section 43 at its front end. As described above, the rotated section 43 engages with the rotating section 14 of the main slope section 11 and rotates relative to it. That is, the third slope section 41 is rotatable relative to the main slope section 11 around the axis of the rotating section 14 along the left-right direction.

[0018] Furthermore, the third slope section 41 has seating portions 44a and 44b at the center and front end in the front-rear direction, respectively, which contact the lower step. A non-slip member 45, such as rubber, is attached to the lower end of seating portion 44a. Seating portion 44b is located below the rotating section 43 and contacts the lower step in a bifurcated manner, divided into front and rear sections.

[0019] Although the rotating part 32 and the rotated part 23, the rotating part 42 and the rotated part 33, and the rotating part 14 and the rotated part 43 are fitted together and do not separate in the front-to-back direction, they slide relative to each other in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, L-shaped angle members 36 are fixed to both ends of the second slope part 31 as stopper members in the left-to-right direction. The angle members 36 restrict the first slope part 21 and the third slope part 41 from sliding in the left-to-right direction. The third slope part 41 also has L-shaped angle members 46 as stopper members at both ends of the left-to-right direction. The angle members 46 restrict the main slope part 11 from sliding in the left-to-right direction.

[0020] Next, the support portion 50 will be described. The support portion 50 is positioned below the slope portion 10. The support portion 50 also supports the slope portion 10 in a height-adjustable manner. The support portion 50 in this embodiment has a first support portion 50a and a second support portion 50b that are positioned apart in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The first support portion 50a is located on the central side in the front-to-back direction of the slope portion 10. The first support section 50a includes a joist member 51 and two support units 52. The joist members 51 are positioned on the underside of the main beam members 16 to improve the strength of the main slope section 11. The joist members 51 have a length from the right end to the left end in the left-right direction of the slope section 10, and are positioned so as to overlap with the holes 13 on both sides formed in the slope member 12 in the central part of the main slope section 11 in a plan view. The joist members 51 are made of iron, for example, and have a roughly U-shaped cross-section. The joist members 51 are fixed to the underside of the main beam members 16 using bolts or rivets. Therefore, the joist members 51 and each main beam member 16 are configured to intersect with each other.

[0022] The two support units 52 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the joist member 51. Specifically, in a plan view, the two support units 52 are positioned so as to overlap with the holes 13 on both sides formed in the slope member 12 in the central part of the main slope section 11. The two support units 52 have identical configurations. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Figure 2(b) and viewed from the direction of the arrow. As shown in Figure 4, the support unit 52 has a swinging support part 53, a swinging part 54, and an adjustment member 58. The swing support portion 53 supports the swing portion 54 so that it can swing, and also supports the adjustment member 58 so that it can be adjusted in the height direction. The swing support portion 53 is made of iron, for example, and is a roughly U-shaped member that opens downward when viewed from the front or rear direction. A nut 57, which serves as a female screw portion, is fixed inside the U-shape of the swing support portion 53 by welding or the like, with its axis aligned with the height direction.

[0023] The oscillating part 54 swings relative to the oscillating support part 53. The oscillating part 54 is made of iron, for example, and is a roughly U-shaped member that opens downwards when viewed from the front or rear direction. The oscillating part 54 is an enlarged version of the oscillating support part 53 and overlaps it in a loosely fitted state on the outside of the oscillating support part 53. The oscillating support part 53 and the oscillating part 54 are connected by bolts 55 and nuts 56, with a certain amount of play between their hanging side plates. Therefore, the oscillating part 54 can swing relative to the oscillating support part 53 around the axis (La) of the bolt 55, that is, around the axis along the left-right direction. The upper surface of the oscillating part 54 is fixed to the lower surface of the joist member 51 by welding or the like.

[0024] The adjustment member 58 can adjust the amount of protrusion it has from the lower side of the slope section 10 and supports the slope section 10 by making contact with the lower step of the step. The adjustment member 58 can be a so-called adjuster bolt. The adjustment member 58 has a receiving seat 59 at its lower end that makes contact with the lower step of the step and is rotatable around its axis. On the other hand, the adjustment member 58 has an operating hole at its upper end into which a worker can insert a tool T such as a hex wrench. The male threaded portion of the adjustment member 58 is screwed into the nut 57 of the swing support portion 53, so that the adjustment member 58 is positioned with its axis aligned with the height direction. Here, the swing portion 54 and the joist member 51 each have holes through which the adjustment member 58 is inserted. Therefore, the adjustment member 58 passes through the swing portion 54 and the joist member 51, and its upper end is located inside the hole 13 of the slope section 10. Here, the worker inserts tool T into the operating hole at the upper end of the adjustment member 58 and rotates it in one direction, which changes the position where it is screwed with the nut 57, causing the entire thing to advance downwards. On the other hand, by rotating it in the other direction, the position where it is screwed with the nut 57 changes, causing the entire thing to retract upwards. In this way, the worker can adjust the amount of protrusion of the adjustment member 58 that protrudes from the lower side of the slope section 10 by rotating the adjustment member 58.

[0025] The second support section 50b is located on the front end side of the slope section 10. In the following description, we will mainly explain the configuration of the second support section 50b that differs from that of the first support section 50a. The second support section 50b includes a joist member 61, two support units 62, and a ground contact section 70. The joist member 61 has the same configuration as the joist member 51 of the first support section 50a, and is positioned so as to overlap with the holes 13 on both sides formed in the slope member 12 at the front end of the main slope section 11 when viewed from above.

[0026] The two support units 62 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the joist member 61. Specifically, in a plan view, the two support units 62 are positioned so as to overlap with the holes 13 on both sides formed in the slope member 12 at the front end of the main slope section 11. The two support units 62 have identical configurations. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 2(b) and viewed from the direction of the arrow. As shown in Figure 5, the support unit 62 has a swinging support part 63, a swinging part 64, and an adjustment member 68. The swing support portion 63 supports the swing portion 64 so that it can swing, and also supports the adjustment member 68 so that it can be adjusted in the height direction. The swing support portion 63 is made of iron, for example, and is a roughly U-shaped member that opens upward when viewed from the front or rear direction. A nut 67, which serves as a female screw portion, is fixed to the U-shaped exterior of the swing support portion 63 by welding or the like, with its axis aligned with the height direction.

[0027] The oscillating part 64 oscillates relative to the oscillating support part 63. The oscillating part 64 has the same configuration as the oscillating part 54 of the first support part 50a. The oscillating part 64 has a pair of side plates that overlap loosely with the pair of side plates of the oscillating support part 63. The oscillating support part 63 and the oscillating part 64 are connected by bolts 65 and nuts 66, respectively, with a certain amount of play between the side plates. Therefore, the oscillating part 64 can oscillate relative to the oscillating support part 63 around the axis (Lb) of the bolt 65, that is, around the axis along the left-right direction. The upper surface of the oscillating part 64 is fixed to the lower surface of the joist member 61 by welding or the like.

[0028] The adjustment member 68 can adjust the amount of protrusion it has from the lower side of the slope portion 10 and supports the slope portion 10 by making contact with the lower step of the step. The adjustment member 68 has the same configuration as the adjustment member 58 of the first support portion 50a, except that the male screw portion is longer. The adjustment member 68 has a receiving seat 69 at its lower end that makes contact with the lower step of the step and is rotatable around the axis of the adjustment member 68. Therefore, by inserting the tool T into the operating hole at the upper end of the adjustment member 68 and rotating it in one direction, the position in which it is screwed with the nut 67 changes, causing the entire assembly to advance downwards. Conversely, by rotating it in the other direction, the position in which it is screwed with the nut 67 changes, causing the entire assembly to retract upwards. In this way, by rotating the adjustment member 68, the operator can adjust the amount of protrusion of the adjustment member 68 that protrudes from the lower side of the slope portion 10.

[0029] The ground contact portion 70 makes contact with the upper step of the step. Figure 3(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 2(b). As shown in Figure 3(b), the ground contact portion 70 is located in front of the main slope portion 11. The ground contact portion 70 is roughly L-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction, and its length in the left-right direction is roughly the same as that of the slope portion 10. The ground contact portion 70 is made of, for example, iron and is formed by bending. The grounding portion 70 has a fixing portion 71 and a mounting portion 72. The fixed portion 71 is plate-shaped and oriented vertically. The fixed portion 71 is also fixed to the front end of the swing support portion 63 using bolts, rivets, etc. Therefore, the ground contact portion 70 can always maintain a constant posture without tilting in sync with the slope portion 10 even if the inclination angle of the slope portion 10 is changed. The mounting portion 72 is a roughly horizontal plate, and when placed on the upper step of the step, the ground contact portion 70 makes contact with the upper step. The height of the mounting portion 72 is slightly higher than the front end of the main slope portion 11. In addition, there is a gap between the mounting portion 72 and the main slope portion 11 so that the slope portion 10 swings in sync with the swinging portion 64 and does not interfere with the slope portion 10 when the inclination angle is changed (see Figure 6 described later). The mounting portion 72 also has a plurality of holes 73 for fixing to the upper step of the step. Furthermore, it is preferable that the upper surface of the mounting section 72 be colored a different color from the upper surfaces of the second slope section 31, the third slope section 41, and the main slope section 11, for example, red, in order to recognize the start of the slope. Coloring includes coloring by surface treatment, coloring by applying paint, coloring by attaching stickers, etc.

[0030] Next, we will describe how to install the ramp device 100, configured as described above, at a work site with steps. Here, in order to ensure sufficient length in the left-right direction, two ramp devices 100 are installed side by side. First, the worker brings two pre-assembled ramp devices 100 to the work site. At this time, the adjustment members 58 of the support unit 52 and 68 of the support unit 62 of each ramp device 100 are positioned so that the receiving seats 59 and 69 are close to the main ramp section 11, respectively. In other words, the adjustment members 58 and 68 have a short protrusion from the lower side of the ramp section 10.

[0031] Next, the worker places the mounting portion 72 of the grounding portion 70 on the upper step and sets the first slope portion 21, the second slope portion 31, and the third slope portion 41 of the slope portion 10 on the lower step. At this time, the worker positions the two slope devices 100 side by side with almost no gap between them. Next, the worker inserts the tool T through the hole 13 in the main slope section 11 into the operating holes of the adjustment members 58 and 68, and rotates it in one direction to advance the adjustment members 58 and 68 downwards. The worker rotates the receiving seats 59 of the adjustment member 58 and the adjustment member 68 until they touch the lower step. Thus, the slope section 10 is supported by the adjustment members 58 and 68 of the support section 50. Next, the worker can install the ramp device 100 by fixing the grounding portion 70 to the upper step of the step using bolts or the like through the holes 73 in the mounting portion 72. In this way, the ramp device 100 of this embodiment does not require assembly by the worker, so the ramp device 100 can be easily installed. Although the case of installing two ramp devices 100 side by side has been described here, it is also possible to install only one ramp device 100, or to install three or more ramp devices 100 side by side.

[0032] When the ramp device 100 is installed, the ramp section 10 is supported by the adjustment members 58 and 68 of the support section 50. Therefore, the load when passing over the ramp section 10 is not only borne by the first ramp section 21 and the ground contact section 70, but is also borne by the lower section via the adjustment members 58 and 68 of the support section 50, thereby improving the strength of the ramp device 100.

[0033] Figure 6 is a side view showing the ramp device 100 installed on an upper step that is higher than the upper step shown in Figure 2(b). In Figure 6, the protrusion amount of the adjustment members 58 and 68 that protrude from the lower side of the ramp section 10 is adjusted to be longer than in Figure 2(b), so that the adjustment members 58 and 68 are in contact with the lower step. In this way, the support section 50 supports the ramp section 10 so that it can be adjusted in the height direction via the adjustment members 58 and 68, and can accommodate various step heights. In this embodiment, the height from the lower step to the upper step can be accommodated from, for example, 110 mm to 210 mm.

[0034] Furthermore, the slope section 10 swings relative to the swing support section 53, i.e., relative to the adjustment member 58, via the swing section 54. Similarly, the slope section 10 swings relative to the swing support section 63, i.e., relative to the adjustment member 68, via the swing section 64. In other words, even when the protrusion amount of the adjustment members 58 and 68 is adjusted to install on different steps, the slope section 10 can change its inclination angle because it swings relative to the swing support section 53 and the swing section 54, and between the swing support section 63 and the swing section 64. Therefore, it can accommodate various steps.

[0035] Furthermore, the support portion 50 has a ground contact portion 70 that contacts the upper step of the step. Specifically, the ground contact portion 70 is not provided on the slope portion 10, but is connected to the swing support portion 63 of the support portion 50. Therefore, even if the slope portion 10 is installed on different steps and the inclination angle changes, the ground contact portion 70 does not tilt in sync with the inclination angle of the slope portion 10, thus preventing unintended gaps or steps from occurring between the ground contact portion 70 and the upper step.

[0036] Furthermore, the mounting portion 72 of the ground contact portion 70 is positioned slightly higher than the front end of the main slope portion 11. In other words, the front end of the main slope portion 11 is lower than the mounting portion 72 of the ground contact portion 70. Therefore, even when a transport cart passes from the ground contact portion 70 towards the slope portion 10, it is possible to prevent the transport cart from hitting the front end of the slope portion 10. Thus, external forces acting on the slope portion 10 from the front can be suppressed, preventing damage to the slope portion 10 and displacement of the slope portion 10. Furthermore, since there is a gap between the ground contact portion 70 and the slope portion 10, the slope portion 10 swings in sync with the swinging portion 64, and interference with the slope portion 10 can be prevented when the inclination angle is changed.

[0037] Furthermore, the space between the first slope section 21 and the second slope section 31, the space between the second slope section 31 and the third slope section 41, and the space between the third slope section 41 and the main slope section 11 are each rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction. Therefore, when the first slope section 21, the second slope section 31, and the third slope section 41 are brought into contact with the lower step, they rotate among themselves to follow the undulations of the lower step. Consequently, even if there are undulations in the lower step, each slope section can be brought into contact with the ground, thereby suppressing the lifting of the slope section 10.

[0038] Furthermore, the first slope section 21 has slope pieces 22 arranged in parallel on the left and right sides. Since each slope piece 22 can rotate independently of the second slope section 31, when the first slope section 21 is placed on the lower step of a step, each slope piece 22 rotates to follow the undulations even if there are lateral undulations on the lower step. Therefore, each slope piece 22 can form an inclined surface that is continuous with the lower step. By making the slope pieces 22 of a more flexible material (for example, synthetic resin) than the second slope section 31, the slope pieces 22 themselves can bend and further follow the undulations.

[0039] (Second embodiment) In this embodiment, the support portion 50 of the first embodiment is replaced with a support portion 80, and the grounding portion 70 is replaced with a grounding portion 95. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Figure 7 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the ramp device 200. Figure 8 is a side view showing an example of the configuration around the support portion 80 of the ramp device 200. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III shown in Figure 7 and viewed from the direction of the arrow. Note that in Figures 7 and 8, the angle member 97, which will be described later, is shown as transparent. In this embodiment, the support portion 80 is configured only at the front end of the slope portion 10. The support portion 80 includes a swinging portion 81, a swinging support portion 84, an adjustment member 88, and a ground contact portion 95.

[0040] The oscillating part 81 oscillates relative to the oscillating support part 84. The oscillating part 81 is located in front of the main slope part 11 and behind the ground contact part 95. The length of the oscillating part 81 in the left-right direction is approximately the same as that of the slope part 10. In this embodiment, the oscillating part 81 functions as part of the slope part 10 because its upper surface is inclined to be continuous with the main slope part 11. The oscillating part 81 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The oscillating part 81 has a connecting part 82 at its rear end. The connecting part 82 connects the main beam member 16 by clamping the front end of the main beam member 16 from above and below and fixing it using bolts or rivets.

[0041] Furthermore, the oscillating portion 81 has a guided portion 83 whose oscillation is guided by the guide portion 85 of the oscillating support portion 84. The guided portion 83 is formed in a concave shape relative to the lower surface of the oscillating portion 81. Specifically, the guided portion 83 is formed as part of a circle that is curved in an arc shape toward the upper surface, with a horizontal axis (Lb) along the left-right direction as viewed from the left-right direction. The guided portion 83 is formed from the right end to the left end in the left-right direction of the oscillating portion 81. Furthermore, the oscillating portion 81 has holes 13 on both the left and right sides for accessing the adjustment member 88, similar to the first embodiment.

[0042] The swing support portion 84 supports the swing portion 81 so that it can swing, and also supports the adjustment member 88 so that it can be adjusted in the height direction. The length of the swing support portion 84 in the left-right direction is approximately the same as that of the swing portion 81. The rocking support portion 84 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The rocking support portion 84 also has a guide portion 85 at its upper part that guides the guided portion 83 of the rocking portion 81. The guide portion 85 is formed in a convex shape toward the upward. Specifically, when viewed from the left and right directions, the guide portion 85 is a part of a circle centered on the axis (Lb), and the center is formed to be hollow for weight reduction. In addition, a hole is formed at the top of the guide portion 85 that communicates with the hole 13 when viewed from above.

[0043] Furthermore, the swing support portion 84 has a roughly U-shaped base portion 86 at its lower end that opens downward when viewed from the left and right directions. The base portion 86 has a hole formed therein that communicates with the hole 13 in a plan view. A nut 87, which serves as a female threaded portion, is also positioned on the base portion 86 via a mounting plate 90. Specifically, the mounting plate 90 is attached to the base portion 86 in a fitted state, and the nut 87 is fixed to the lower surface of the mounting plate 90 by welding or the like with its axis aligned with the height direction. Furthermore, the base portion 86 is not limited to having a roughly U-shaped opening; it may simply be a roughly horizontal plate. In this case, the mounting plate 90 is fixed to the lower surface of the base portion 86 using bolts, rivets, or the like.

[0044] The adjustment member 88 can adjust the amount of protrusion it has from the lower side of the swinging part 81 and supports the slope part 10 by making contact with the lower step of the step. The support part 80 has two adjustment members 88 on both the left and right sides of the swinging support part 84. The adjustment member 88 has the same configuration as the adjustment member 68 of the first embodiment. The adjustment member 88 has a receiving seat 89 at its lower end that makes contact with the lower step of the step and is rotatable around the axis of the adjustment member 88. The male threaded portion of the adjustment member 88 is screwed into a nut 87 fixed to the swinging support part 84, so that the adjustment member 88 is positioned with its axis aligned in the height direction. Since the guide part 85 and base part 86 of the swinging support part 84 have holes that communicate with the hole 13, the upper end of the adjustment member 88 is located inside the hole 13 of the swinging part 81.

[0045] Furthermore, a retaining member 92 is connected to the receiving seat 89. The retaining member 92 is, for example, a bolt. As shown in Figure 9, the retaining members 92 are located on the outside of the adjustment member 88 in the left-right direction. With its axis aligned with the height direction, the retaining member 92 passes through the mounting plate 90 and the swing support portion 84, approaching the top of the swing support portion 84. The retaining member 92 also has a stopper portion 93 at its upper part. The stopper portion 93 is, for example, the head of a bolt, and is larger in diameter than the diameter of the male thread portion of the bolt. Since the retaining member 92 is connected to the receiving seat 89, it moves in sync with the height movement of the adjustment member 88. If the adjustment member 88 advances excessively downward, the stopper portion 93 of the retaining member 92 contacts the upper surface of the contact portion 91 of the mounting plate 90, preventing the adjustment member 88 from coming off the nut 87. The contact portion 91 is a U-shaped upper surface that protrudes downward from the mounting plate 90 and is located below the lower surface of the mounting plate 90. Alternatively, the adjustment member 88 may be prevented from coming loose from the nut 87 by crimping a portion of the male thread portion of the adjustment member 88; in this case, the retaining member 92 can be omitted.

[0046] The ground contact portion 95 is a single, roughly plate-like piece. The ground contact portion 95 is made of, for example, iron. The ground contact portion 95 is rotatably connected to the front end of the swinging portion 81 by a pivot shaft 96. The pivot shaft 96 passes through the front end of the swinging portion 81 and the rear end of the ground contact portion 95 with its axis aligned in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the inclination angle of the slope portion 10 changes, the ground contact portion 95 can be made flat on the upper step of the step. In addition, by rotating the front end of the ground contact portion 95 toward the receiving seat 89 of the adjustment member 88, the slope device 200 can be carried compactly.

[0047] The operator inserts the tool T through the hole 13 of the oscillating part 81 into the operating hole of the adjustment member 88 and rotates it in one direction, causing the adjustment member 88 to advance downwards. The operator then rotates the receiving seat 89 of the adjustment member 88 until it touches the lower step, and the slope part 10 is supported by the adjustment member 88 of the support part 80. The dashed line in Figure 8 shows the state in which the adjustment member 88 has been adjusted to its limit. At this time, the stopper portion 93 of the retaining member 92 is in contact with the upper surface of the contact portion 91 of the mounting plate 90. Although the oscillating part 81 and the oscillating support part 84 are fitted together and therefore do not separate in the height direction, they slide relative to each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, L-shaped angle members 97 are fixed to both ends of the oscillating part 81 in the left-right direction as stopper members.

[0048] According to this embodiment, since, for example, an aluminum alloy can be used for the oscillating part 81 and the oscillating support part 84, the weight of the ramp device 200 can be reduced. Also, as in the first embodiment, when the ramp device 200 is installed, the adjustment member 88 of the support part 80 supports the ramp part 10. Therefore, the load when passing over the ramp part 10 is not borne only by the first ramp part 21 etc. or the ground contact part 95, but is borne at the lower level via the adjustment member 88 of the support part 80, thereby improving the strength of the ramp device 200.

[0049] Furthermore, since the support section 80 supports the slope section 10 in a height-adjustable manner via the adjustment member 88, it can accommodate various differences in height. Furthermore, since the ground contact portion 95 is rotatably connected to the swinging portion 81, which functions as part of the slope portion 10, the ground contact portion 95 can be made flat on the upper step even if the inclination angle of the slope portion 10 changes. In addition, it is possible to prevent a gap from forming between the swinging portion 81 and the ground contact portion 95.

[0050] (Third embodiment) In this embodiment, the shape of the support portion 80 is partially modified from that of the second embodiment. Also, the retaining member 92 of the second embodiment is replaced with a retaining member 98. Components similar to those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Figure 10 is a side view showing an example of the configuration around the support section 80 of the ramp device 300. The oscillating section 81 of this embodiment has guided sections 83a to 83c. On the other hand, the oscillating support section 84 of this embodiment has guide sections 85a to 85c that guide the guided sections 83a to 83c. The guided sections 83a and 83b and the guide sections 85a and 85b fit together, preventing the oscillating section 81 and the oscillating support section 84 from separating in the height direction.

[0051] Furthermore, the base 86 of the swing support portion 84 has a nut 87, which serves as a female threaded portion, directly fixed to it by welding or the like, with its axis aligned with the height direction. In addition, the fixing portion 71 of the ground contact portion 70 is fixed to the front end of the base 86 using bolts, rivets, or the like. Furthermore, a retaining member 98 is connected between the receiving seat 89 of the adjustment member 88 and the base 86. The retaining member 98 is, for example, a chain. The retaining member 98 is stretched when the adjustment member 88 extends excessively downward, thereby preventing the adjustment member 88 from coming off the nut 87.

[0052] (Fourth embodiment) The ramp device 400 of this embodiment is configured by adding a connecting portion 110 and a connected portion 112 to the ramp device 100 of the first embodiment, and further adding a handle portion 120. Components similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ramp device 400. The connecting portion 110 and the connected portion 112 are used to connect adjacent ramp devices 400 so that they do not separate when multiple ramp devices 400 are installed side by side.

[0053] The connecting portion 110 is fixed to the side surface of the main beam member 16 located at the right end using bolts, rivets, etc. In this embodiment, two connecting portions 110 are arranged separated front to back. The connecting portion 110 is made of iron, for example, and is formed by bending. The connecting portion 110 also has a connecting hole 111 that penetrates in the height direction. The connected portion 112 is fixed to the lower surface of the main beam member 16 located at the left end using bolts, rivets, etc. In this embodiment, two connected portions 112 are arranged separated front to back. Each connected portion 112 is positioned opposite the connecting portion 110 in the left-right direction. The connected portion 112 is made of iron, for example, and is formed by bending. The connected portion 112 extends from the bottom in the height direction.

[0054] Here, we consider the case where the ramp devices 400 are installed side by side. In this case, the first ramp device 400 is installed first, and then the second ramp device 400 is installed to the left of the first ramp device 400. At this time, the second ramp device 400 is installed from above, aligning its position so that the connected portion 112 of the first ramp device 400 is inserted into the connecting hole 111 of the connecting portion 110 of the second ramp device 400. The second ramp device 400 is connected to the first ramp device 400 by inserting the connected portion 112 through the connecting hole 111 of the connecting portion 110. Therefore, the two ramp devices 400 can be installed side by side with almost no gap between them. Even when installing three or more ramp devices 400, they can be installed side by side with almost no gap by connecting them in the same way. Note that the connecting portion 110 and the connected portion 112 are not limited to the shapes described above. For example, the connecting portion 110 may be a shape in which the L-shaped angle member 97 described above is further extended toward the rear. In this case, the second ramp device 400 is connected to the first ramp device 400 by inserting the connected portion 112 between the angle member 97 and the main beam member 16.

[0055] The handle portion 120 is the part that the worker grasps when carrying the ramp device 400. The handle portion 120 is fixed to the lower surface of the main beam member 16 at the right end and the main beam member 16 at the left end using bolts, rivets, etc. In other words, in this embodiment, two handle portions 120 are arranged on the left and right sides. The handle portion 120 is made of, for example, iron or a flexible material (for example, nylon). If the handle portion 120 is made of iron, it is preferable that the handle portion 120 be able to be housed on the lower side of the ramp portion 10. The worker grasps one of the handle portions 120 and carries the ramp device 400 in a hanging state, that is, with the ramp portion 10 hanging down in the left and right directions. At this time, it is preferable that the handle portion 120 is positioned at the center of gravity in the front-rear direction so that the ramp device 400 does not tilt. Thus, because the ramp device 400 has a handle portion 120, the worker can easily carry the ramp device 400.

[0056] (Fifth embodiment) Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the ramp device 500. Figure 13 is a plan view showing the configuration of the ramp device 500. Figure 14 is a side view showing the configuration of the ramp device 500. Figure 14 shows the view through the angle member, which will be described later. Figure 15 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the ramp device 500. The ramp device 500 of this embodiment includes a ramp section 210 and a support section 250.

[0057] First, let me explain the slope section 210. The ramp section 210 is positioned at an incline and has the function of allowing people and objects to pass over steps with a gentle slope. In a plan view, the ramp section 10 is, for example, roughly rectangular in shape, with its front-to-back length being longer than its left-to-right length. The ramp section 210 has a length in the front-to-back direction (La shown in Figure 14) of approximately 960 mm (for example, in the range of 800 mm to 1200 mm) and a length in the left-to-right direction (width direction) of approximately 600 mm (for example, 400 mm to 800 mm). The height (H shown in Figure 14) of the ramp section 210 is adjustable between approximately 100 mm and approximately 150 mm, with an adjustment range of approximately 50 mm (for example, 40 mm to 80 mm). When the gradient of the ramp section 210 in this embodiment is expressed as H / L, the gradient is set to be 1 / 6 or less and 1 / 12 or more. The reason for setting the gradient to 1 / 6 or less is in consideration of the Parking Lot Enforcement Ordinance. If the gradient is greater than 1 / 6, it becomes too steep, so it is preferable to keep the gradient at 1 / 6 or less. Furthermore, setting the gradient at 1 / 12 or more takes into consideration the Act on the Promotion of Smooth Movement for the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities, etc. If the gradient is less than 1 / 12, the ramp device 500 becomes too large, so it is preferable to set the gradient at 1 / 12 or more. The slope section 210 has a main slope section 211, a first slope section 221, and a second slope section 231. The slope section 210 is arranged in the order of the first slope section 221, the second slope section 231, and the main slope section 211, from rear to front. The surfaces (top surfaces) of the main slope section 211, the first slope section 221, and the second slope section 231 are all the same color.

[0058] The main slope section 211 is located between the second slope section 231 and the upper step of the step. The main slope section 211 has a plurality (e.g., six) of slope members 212 and a plurality (e.g., five) of main beam members 217. The slope members 212 have the same configuration as the slope member 12 of the first embodiment. The main slope section 211 has convex ridges as anti-slip protrusions integrally applied to its surface in the left-right direction. The slope member 212b at the front of the main slope section 211 has a hole 216 for exposing the upper end of the adjustment member 261.

[0059] Furthermore, the rear slope member 212a and the front slope member 212b of the main slope section 211 have different shapes from the other central slope members 212. Figures 16A and 16B are enlarged views of a portion of the side view of Figure 14. As shown in Figure 16A, the rear slope member 212a has a substantially circular rotating portion 214 at its rear end. The rotating portion 214 engages with the rotated portion 233 of the second slope member 231, which will be described later, and they rotate relative to each other. That is, the second slope member 231 is rotatable around the axis of the rotating portion 214 along the left-right direction relative to the main slope member 211. Note that the rotating portion 214 and the rotated portion 233 come into contact with each other and rotation is restricted if they exceed a certain range of rotation. The rear slope member 212a also has a holding portion 215 that extends from the rear end toward the front. There is a gap above the holding portion 215, and the holding portion 215 holds the main beam member 217, which is inserted into the gap from the front, from below. As shown in Figure 16B, the front slope member 212b has a holding portion 213 that extends from the front end toward the rear. There is a gap above the holding portion 213, and the holding portion 213 holds the main beam member 217, which is inserted into the gap from the rear, from below. The main beam member 217 has the same configuration as the main beam member 16 in the first embodiment.

[0060] Furthermore, L-shaped angle members 241R and 241L are fixed to both ends of the main slope section 211 in the left-right direction as connecting parts. The angle members 241R and 241L function as protective members that protect the ends of the main slope section 211. The length of the angle members 241R and 241L is approximately the same as the length of the main slope section 211 in the front-rear direction. The angle members 241R and 241L are made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and are formed by extrusion molding. Angle member 241R covers the side and surface of the right end of the main slope section 211, and angle member 241L covers the side and surface of the left end of the main slope section 211. The angle members 241R and 241L are fixed to the surface of the main slope section 211 using bolts, rivets, etc. Here, the angle members 241R and 241L have their surfaces and sides, i.e., exposed surfaces, colored a different color from the surface of the main slope section 211, for example, red. The angle members 241R and 241L function as visual indicators for recognizing the left and right ends of the slope section 210. Coloring can be achieved through surface treatments such as anodizing, by applying paint, by attaching stickers, or by mixing coloring agents. Note that the angle members 241R and 241L are not limited to an L-shape; they may simply be plate members covering the sides of the right and left ends of the main slope section 211, or simply plate members covering the surfaces of the right and left ends of the main slope section 211.

[0061] Furthermore, the angle member 241R has a connecting portion 242. On the other hand, the angle member 241L has a connected portion 243. The connecting portion 242 and the connected portion 243 connect adjacent slope devices 500 so that they do not separate when multiple slope devices 500 are installed side by side. Multiple connecting parts 242 are arranged at a distance (for example, two) on the front and back of the angle member 241R. The connecting parts 242 are grooves in the side plate of the angle member 241R that open downwards. Multiple connected parts 243 are arranged at a distance (for example, two) on the front and back of the angle member 241L. The connected parts 243 are rivets or the like that are fixed to the side plate of the angle member 241L. The connecting parts 242 and connected parts 243 are arranged in positions that are approximately symmetrical with respect to the center line C of the ramp device 500. The two slope devices 500 are connected when the groove of the connecting portion 242 of the second slope device 500 fits from above onto the head of the rivet, which is the connected portion 243 of the first slope device 500. The rivet head of the connected portion 243 is larger than the groove of the connecting portion 242, and the rivet head is positioned between the side plate of the angle member 241R and the main slope portion 211, so that the connecting portion 242 and the connected portion 243 are connected without separating to the left or right.

[0062] Furthermore, the main slope section 211 has handle sections 244R and 244L on both the left and right sides. The handle sections 244R and 244L are the parts that workers grasp when lifting or carrying the slope device 500. Here, the handle portion 244R and the handle portion 244L are configured to be approximately symmetrical with respect to the center line C, and the handle portion 244R will be described below. Figure 17 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the handle portion 244R. When not in use, the handle portion 244R is stored below the main slope portion 211 and is pulled up for use. The handle portion 244R is bar-shaped and bent into a U-shape. Specifically, the handle portion 244R has a handgrip portion 245, a sliding portion 246, and a rotating portion 247. The handgrip portion 245 is the part that the worker actually places their hand on and grasps. The sliding portion 246 is formed by bending from the end of the handgrip portion 245. The sliding portion 246 is inserted into a slide hole 248 formed close to the right end of the main slope portion 211 and spaced apart front to back. The rotating portion 247 is formed by bending from the end of the slide portion 246. The tip of the rotating portion 247 has a retaining portion to prevent it from coming out of the slide hole 248.

[0063] Figure 17(a) shows the handle portion 244R in a state where it is housed below the main slope portion 211. In this state, the handle portion 244R hangs down due to its own weight, and the handgrip portion 245 is in contact with the surface of the main slope portion 211. Figure 17(b) shows the state in which the worker has placed their hands on the handle portion 245 and is pulling up. In this state, the rotating portion 247 of the grip portion 244R is in contact with the periphery of the slide hole 248. The worker can lift the ramp device 500 by pulling further upward from this state. In particular, the worker can lift the entire ramp device 500 by pulling up the grip portions 244R and 244L with both hands. Figure 17(c) shows the state in which the operator has rotated the handle portion 245 around the rotating portion 247. In this state, the handle portion 245 protrudes outward from the side of the angle member 241R. The operator can carry the ramp device 500 with the surface of the main ramp portion 211 oriented vertically by holding the handle portion 244R with one hand.

[0064] The first slope portion 221 makes contact with the lower step of the step and forms a continuous inclined surface from the lower step. The first slope portion 221 is located behind the second slope portion 231. The first slope portion 221 is, for example, a substantially flat plate shape in which the length from left to right is longer than the length from front to back, and is composed of a single piece. The first slope portion 221 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The surface of the first slope portion 221 is integrally provided with protrusions that serve as anti-slip protrusions in the left-right direction.

[0065] The first slope portion 221 has a rotating portion 222 at its front end. The rotating portion 222 engages with the rotating portion 232 of the second slope portion 231 (described later), and they rotate relative to each other. That is, the first slope portion 221 is rotatable relative to the second slope portion 231 around the axis of the rotating portion 232 in the left-right direction. Note that the rotating portion 232 and the rotating portion 222 come into contact with each other and their rotation is restricted when they exceed a certain range of rotation. Furthermore, the first slope portion 221 has a seat portion 223 at its rear end that contacts the lower step of the step. The seat portion 223 is formed extending across the left-right direction of the first slope portion 221. Furthermore, a non-slip member 224 made of rubber or the like is attached to the lower surface of the first slope portion 221. As shown in Figure 15, multiple (for example, three) non-slip members 224 are fixed to the lower surface of the first slope portion 221 at intervals in the left-right direction using screws, rivets, etc. Furthermore, the first slope portion 221 has multiple holes 228 for fixing to the lower step, located near the rear end and near the left and right ends.

[0066] The second slope portion 231 forms an inclined surface that is continuous with the first slope portion 221. The second slope portion 231 is located in front of the first slope portion 221 and behind the main slope portion 211. The second slope portion 231 is, for example, a substantially flat plate shape in which the length from left to right is longer than the length from front to back, and is composed of a single piece. The second slope portion 231 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The second slope portion 231 has convex ridges as anti-slip protrusions integrally applied to its surface in the left-right direction. The second slope portion 231 has a rotating portion 232 at its rear end and a rotated portion 233 at its front end. The rotated portion 233 engages with the rotating portion 214 of the rear slope member 212a. Furthermore, a non-slip member 234 made of rubber or the like is attached to the lower surface of the second slope portion 231. As shown in Figure 15, multiple (for example, three) non-slip members 234 are fixed to the lower surface of the second slope portion 231 at intervals in the left-right direction using screws, rivets, etc.

[0067] Here, the anti-slip members 224 and 234 each have a main body portion 225 and a projection portion 226. The main body portion 225 is the part that is fixed to the lower surface of the first slope portion 221 and the second slope portion 231, respectively. The projection portion 226 is the part that protrudes from the lower surface of the main body portion 225 toward the floor surface. Multiple projection portions 226 are formed at intervals in the front-rear direction. In addition, each projection portion 226 has substantially the same shape along the left-right direction. Figure 16C is an enlarged view of a portion of the projection 226. In Figure 16C, the anti-slip members 224 and 234 are assumed to be in contact with a horizontal floor surface (dotted line). The projection 226 has a front side surface 227a and a rear side surface 227b, and the center line Ce of the front side surface 227a and the rear side surface 227b is inclined toward the front. Furthermore, the front side surface 227a and the rear side surface 227b of the projection 226 are not parallel, but are formed to move toward each other as they extend downwards. Here, the angle between the front side surface 227a of the projection 226 and the floor surface is angle α1, and the angle between the rear side surface 227b of the projection 226 and the floor surface is angle α2. In this case, the projection 226 is formed such that angle α1 is smaller than angle α2. Due to the shape described above, the anti-slip members 224 and 234 are less likely to move backward. Therefore, the first slope section 221 and the second slope section 231, to which the anti-slip members 224 and 234 are fixed, are less likely to move away from the upper step, thereby suppressing the formation of a gap between the slope device 500 and the upper step. On the other hand, even if the first slope section 221 and the second slope section 231 move forward, it is in the direction of moving closer to the upper step, thus reducing the gap between the slope device 500 and the upper step.

[0068] Although the rotating part 232 and the rotated part 222, and the rotating part 214 and the rotated part 233 are fitted together and therefore do not separate in the front-to-back direction, they slide relative to each other in the left-to-right direction. Therefore, L-shaped angle members 236R and 236L are fixed to both ends of the second slope part 231 as stopper members in the left-to-right direction. The angle members 236R and 236L restrict the first slope part 221 and the main slope part 211 from sliding in the left-to-right direction. Here, the angle members 236R and 236L have their surfaces and sides, i.e., exposed surfaces, colored a different color from the surface of the second slope portion 231, for example, red. The angle members 236R and 236L function as visual indicators for recognizing the left and right ends of the slope portion 210. Coloring can be achieved through surface treatments such as anodizing, by applying paint, by attaching stickers, or by mixing coloring agents. Note that the angle members 236R and 236L are not limited to an L-shape; they may simply be plate members covering the sides of the right and left ends of the second slope portion 231, or simply plate members covering the surfaces of the right and left ends of the second slope portion 231.

[0069] Next, we will explain the support section 250. The support portion 250 is located below the slope portion 210 and at the front end of the slope portion 210 in the front-rear direction. The support portion 250 supports the slope portion 210 so that it can be adjusted in the height direction. The support unit 250 of this embodiment has a first support unit 251a and a second support unit 251b. The first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b are located below the front slope member 212b and are positioned on both the left and right sides of the front slope member 212b. Specifically, the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b are positioned so as to overlap with the holes 216 on both sides formed in the front main slope portion 211 in a plan view. The first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b have the same basic configuration. Therefore, the basic configuration of both will be explained using the first support unit 251a as an example, and the different configurations will be described later.

[0070] As shown in Figure 12, the first support unit 251a has a screw member 252 and an adjustment member 261. The threaded member 252 is fixedly attached to the slope portion 210 and is screwed between it and the adjustment member 261. Specifically, the threaded member 252 has a main body portion 253, a first mounting portion 255, a second mounting portion 256, and a nut 257 as a female thread portion. Here, the main body portion 253, the first mounting portion 255, and the second mounting portion 256 are integral members formed by bending through press molding, and are made of, for example, iron.

[0071] The main body 253 is a long, plate-like shape and has a hole 254 through which the adjustment member 261 is inserted approximately in the center (see Figures 20A and 20B described later). The first mounting portion 255 is roughly U-shaped when viewed from the front or rear. Specifically, the first mounting portion 255 extends in a pair parallel to each other upward from the left and right ends on the rear side of the main body portion 253. The first mounting portion 255 sandwiches the main beam member 217 from both sides and is fixed to the main beam member 217 using screws, rivets, etc., through a plurality of mounting holes. The second mounting portion 256 is roughly hat-shaped when viewed from the front or rear. Specifically, the second mounting portion 256 extends in a pair parallel upwards from the left and right ends on the front side of the main body portion 253, then bends and extends in a direction away from each other to the left and right. The second mounting portion 255 is fixed to the slope member 212b using screws, rivets, etc., through a plurality of mounting holes while in contact with the lower surface of the front slope member 212b.

[0072] The nut 257 is fixed to the lower surface of the main body 253, for example by welding, in communication with a hole 254 located approximately in the center of the main body 253. Here, when the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b are attached to the slope portion 210, the axis of the nut 257 is not aligned vertically when viewed from the front or rear direction, but is intentionally tilted at a predetermined angle. In other words, the extension directions of the first mounting portion 255 and the second mounting portion 256 are designed so that the main body 253 to which the nut 257 is fixed is intentionally not parallel to the horizontal plane when viewed from the front or rear direction.

[0073] The adjustment member 261 is screwed into the threaded member 252 and also makes contact with the floor surface. Figure 18(a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the adjustment member 261. Figure 18(b) is a bottom view of the adjustment member 261. The adjustment member 261 has a bolt 262 as a male threaded portion, a fixing plate 264, and a receiving seat 265. The head of the bolt 262 is located inside the receiving seat 265, and the tip is exposed. A hole 263 is formed in the end face of the tip of the bolt 262. The fixing plate 264 is made of iron, for example, and is a roughly circular disc with a larger diameter than the head of the bolt 262. The fixing plate 264 is fixed to the head of the bolt 262 by welding, screwing, or the like while in contact with it.

[0074] The receiving seat 265 is made of, for example, resin or rubber, and is a roughly circular disc shape that is larger than the head of the bolt 262 and the fixing plate 264. The receiving seat 265 has a space 266 that opens upward inside. The head of the bolt 262 and the fixing plate 264 are housed in the space 266. The receiving seat 265 also has a plurality of operating parts 267 around the entire circumference of its outer surface for the user to rotate the adjustment member 261 around its axis. The operating parts 267 are concave from the outer surface toward the center of the receiving seat 265, but are not limited to this shape. The receiving seat 265 also has a bottom surface that is not flat, but a curved surface that is convex toward downward. The part of the bottom surface of the receiving seat 265 that passes through the center line Cr is located at the bottom. The bottom surface of the receiving seat 265 also has irregularities formed on it. Specifically, the seat 265 has annular recesses 268 and annular protrusions 269 formed alternately from the center to the outer edge, with the center line Cr as the center. The bottom surface of the seat 265 has a plurality (for example, four) of counterbore portions 270 to prevent the fixing member 271 for fixing the seat 265 to the fixing plate 264 from protruding from the bottom surface of the seat 265.

[0075] To assemble the first support unit 251a, the fixing plate 264 is first fixed to the bolt 262, and the head of the bolt 262 is housed in the space 266 of the receiving seat 265. Next, the adjustment member 261 is assembled by fixing the receiving seat 265 and the fixing plate 264 using screws or rivets from the counterbore 270 of the receiving seat 265. Next, the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is screwed from below into the nut 257 of the threaded member 252 and inserted through the hole 254 of the main body 253. Finally, the first support unit 251a can be assembled by inserting a screw 273 (see Figures 1, 20A, and 20B) into the hole 263 at the tip of the bolt 262 and attaching a washer 272 as a retaining part to the tip of the adjustment member 261. The second support unit 251b has the same configuration as the first support unit 251a, but the direction in which the axis of the nut 257 is inclined when viewed from the front-rear direction is symmetrical with respect to the center line C in the left-right direction of the slope portion 210. The ramp device 500 can be assembled by attaching the assembled first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b to the main ramp section 211, respectively.

[0076] Next, a method for installing the ramp device 500, configured as described above, at a work site with steps will be explained. The worker brings the ramp device 500 to the work site. At this time, the adjustment member 261 of the support part 250 is assumed to be in a state where the amount of protrusion from the lower side of the ramp is short. Next, the worker places the adjustment member 261 of the support section 250 on the lower level near the step, and places the first slope section 221 and the second slope section 231 of the slope section 210 on the lower level away from the step. Next, the operator extends the adjustment members 261 of the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b downwards. For example, the operator can rotate the adjustment member 261 of the first support unit 251a using the operating unit 267 while the ramp device 500 is being lifted by the handle portion 244R, or rotate the adjustment member 261 of the second support unit 251b using the operating unit 267 while the ramp device 500 is being lifted by the handle portion 244L. The operator then extends the adjustment members 261 downwards to adjust the height so that the front upper end of the front ramp member 212b of the main ramp portion 211 matches the height of the upper step of the step.

[0077] Finally, the worker can install the ramp device 500 by fixing it to the lower step of the step using bolts or the like through the holes 228 in the first ramp section 221. The method of installing the ramp device 500 is not limited to the method described above; the adjustment member 261 may be extended downwards before the ramp device 500 is grounded. Alternatively, the adjustment member 261 of the support portion 250 may be left in a state where it protrudes a long distance from the bottom of the ramp portion 210, and then the adjustment member 261 may be retracted upwards to adjust the height so that the front upper end of the front ramp member 212b matches the height of the upper step of the step.

[0078] Next, with reference to Figures 19 and 20, the state in which the ramp device 500 is installed will be described. Figures 19A and 19B are rear views showing the configuration of the ramp device 500. Figure 19A shows the state in which the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 is shortest, i.e., the main ramp section 211 is at its lowest point (lower limit of the adjustment range). On the other hand, Figure 19B shows the state in which the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 is longest, i.e., the main ramp section 211 is at its highest point (upper limit of the adjustment range). In this way, by adjusting the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261, the main ramp section 211 rotates around the pivot section 214, and the height of the main ramp section 211 changes.

[0079] Here, as shown in Figures 19A and 19B, the adjustment member 261 of the first support unit 251a and the adjustment member 261 of the second support unit 251b are in contact with the floor surface at an inclination. That is, the axes S of the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the bolts 262 of the second support unit 251b are inclined with respect to the floor surface. Specifically, in a rear view, the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the bolts 262 of the second support unit 251b are inclined such that their upper sides are close to each other and their lower sides are far apart. In other words, the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the bolts 262 of the second support unit 251b are roughly V-shaped. Here, because the bottom surfaces of the receiving seats 265 of the first support unit 251a and the receiving seats 265 of the second support unit 251b are curved, the part of the slope device 500 that is offset towards the center line C (see Figure 18(b)) makes contact with the floor. When vibrations are applied to the adjustment member 261 as a person or object passes over the slope section 210, the direction of the reaction force that the adjustment member 261 receives from the floor is roughly parallel to the axis S.

[0080] Therefore, the adjustment member 261 of the first support unit 251a and the adjustment member 261 of the second support unit 251b each tend to move primarily in the tilted direction in the left-right direction. However, since the adjustment member 261 of the first support unit 251a and the adjustment member 261 of the second support unit 251b are tilted symmetrically to each other and tend to move in opposite directions, they are unable to move as a result, and the left-right displacement of the entire slope device 500 is suppressed. In addition, regardless of whether the configuration is as shown in Figure 19A or Figure 19B, the angle of inclination of the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the bolts 262 of the second support unit 251b is always constant or approximately constant.

[0081] Figures 20A and 20B are cross-sectional views showing a part of the ramp device 500. Here, we will describe the first support unit 251a, but the second support unit 251b is similar. Figure 20A shows the state in which the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 is shortest, i.e., the state in which the main slope portion 211 is at its lowest (lower limit of the adjustment range). In the state shown in Figure 20A, the upper end of the adjustment member 261 is located in the hole 216 of the front slope member 212b. Also, since the lower end of the nut 257 is in contact with the surface of the fixing plate 264 of the adjustment member 261, the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 cannot be shortened any further than this state. Figure 20B shows the state in which the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 is at its longest, i.e., the state in which the main slope portion 211 is at its highest point (upper limit of the adjustment range). In the state shown in Figure 20B, the upper end of the adjustment member 261 is located in the hole 254 of the main body portion 253 of the screw member 252. Also, since the upper end of the nut 257 and the washer 272 at the upper end of the adjustment member 261 are in contact, the protrusion amount of the adjustment member 261 cannot be increased beyond this state.

[0082] Here, as shown in Figure 20A, the adjustment member 261 is in contact with the floor surface at an inclination. That is, the axis S of the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is inclined with respect to the floor surface. Specifically, in a side view, the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step; in other words, the upper side is towards the front and the lower side is towards the rear. From this state, by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the adjustment member 261 in the direction of advancement, the gradient of the slope section 210 changes, and consequently, the angle at which the axis S of the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is inclined also changes. Specifically, the angle at which the axis S of the bolt 262 is inclined changes so that it becomes closer to the vertical direction with respect to the floor surface.

[0083] In this embodiment, even in the state shown in Figure 20B, the adjustment member 261 is not vertical, but rather slightly inclined with respect to the floor surface. That is, the axis S of the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is inclined with respect to the floor surface. Specifically, in a side view, the bolt 262 of the adjustment member 261 is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step; in other words, the upper side is towards the front and the lower side is towards the rear. In other words, within the adjustment range of the adjustment member 261, from the lower limit to the upper limit, the axis S of the bolt 262 is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step.

[0084] Here, because the base of the receiving seat 265 of the adjustment member 261 is a curved surface, the part that is offset from the center line Cr (see Figure 18(b)), i.e., the part that is offset towards the front, makes contact with the floor surface. When vibrations are applied to the adjustment member 261 as people or objects pass over the slope section 210, the direction of the reaction force that the adjustment member 261 receives from the floor surface becomes approximately parallel to the axis S. Therefore, if vibrations are applied to the adjustment member 261 due to people or objects passing over it, the adjustment member 261 will try to move forward in the front-to-back direction, i.e., towards the step. Consequently, the formation of a gap between the step and the front slope member 212b is suppressed. In addition, the annular protrusion 269 on the bottom surface of the support seat 265 is in contact with the floor surface in an inclined state. Therefore, the annular protrusion 269 acts similarly to the projections 226 of the anti-slip members 224 and 234, making it difficult for it to move away from the upper step, and further suppressing the formation of a gap between the slope device 500 and the upper step.

[0085] In this embodiment, we have described a case in which, in a side view, the axis S of the bolt 262 is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step, from the lower limit to the upper limit of the adjustment range of the adjustment member 261. However, the embodiment is not limited to this case. For example, in the range from the lower limit to the middle of the adjustment range of the adjustment member 261, the axis S of the bolt 262 may be inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step. Also, if the adjustment range is R, in the range from the lower limit to R × 3 / 4 (more than half of the adjustment range but not the entire adjustment range), the axis S of the bolt 262 may be inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step. In other words, in the upper limit of the adjustment range, the axis S of the bolt 262 may be perpendicular to the floor surface, or it may be inclined such that the upper side is away from the step and the lower side is close to the step. In this case, for example, this can be addressed by informing the worker that the range in which the upper side of the axis S of the bolt 262 is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step is the adjustment range of the adjustment member 261.

[0086] Next, we will explain the case in which multiple (for example, two) ramp devices 500 are installed side by side to form a ramp unit 600. Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the slope unit 600. First, the worker installs the first ramp device 500a, and then installs the second ramp device 500b to the left of the first ramp device 500a. At this time, the worker installs the second ramp device 500b from above, aligning it so that the connecting part 242 of the second ramp device 500b is connected to the connected part 243 of the first ramp device 500a. Therefore, the two slope devices 500a and 500b can be installed side by side with almost no gap in the left-right direction to form a slope unit 600. In the overall slope unit 600, angle members 241R, 241L, 236R, and 236L are located along the front-rear direction, approximately in the center in the left-right direction. Here, the angle members 241R, 241L, 236R, and 236L located approximately in the center in the left-right direction correspond to an example of a linear section. When a worker passes over the slope unit 600, they can recognize the approximate center in the width direction by using the angle members 241R, 241L, 236R, and 236L located approximately in the center in the width direction as an indicator. Therefore, when a worker, for example, drives a trolley over the slope unit 600, they can easily drive the trolley along the approximate center in the width direction of the slope unit 600, preventing it from derailing. Furthermore, the indicators for recognizing the approximate center in the width direction are not limited to the angle members 241R, 241L, 236R, and 236L, but may also be applied by attaching paint, sticking on stickers, or mixing in colorants. Also, the indicators for recognizing the approximate center in the width direction are not limited to being continuous in the front-to-back direction, but may be intermittent in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, even when only one ramp device 500 is installed, a linear section aligned in the front-to-back direction may be provided approximately in the center in the width direction.

[0087] Next, we will explain the raised ridges that serve as anti-slip protrusions. Figure 22 is a side view or cross-sectional view showing an example of the raised ridge 280. The protrusion 280 in this embodiment is approximately triangular in shape. Here, the protrusion 280 is not an isosceles triangle, but rather a so-called sawtooth shape. Specifically, the protrusion 280 has a lower surface 281a and an upper surface 281b. Here, of the inclination angles between the protrusion 280 and the surface F of the slope portion 210, the acute inclination angle between the lower surface 281a and the surface F of the slope portion 210 is denoted as β1. Also, the acute inclination angle between the upper surface 281b and the surface F of the slope portion 210 is denoted as β2. In this embodiment, the upper inclination angle β2 of the protrusion 280 is greater than the lower inclination angle β1.

[0088] Here, we consider a scenario where, for example, a worker drives a trolley and passes over the upper side of the slope section 210 of the ramp device 500. Since the surface 281a of the protrusion 280 has a gentle inclination angle with respect to the surface F, it offers relatively little resistance, and the trolley's casters can easily go over the protrusion 280. On the other hand, after going over the protrusion 280, the surface 281b of the protrusion 280 has a steep inclination angle with respect to the surface F, thus providing resistance, and preventing the trolley's casters from moving from surface 281b to surface 281a. Therefore, workers can easily move towards the upper level on the slope section 210, while preventing them from unintentionally moving towards the lower level after passing through it. The shape of the protrusion 280 is not limited to a triangle with corners, but may also be curved. Furthermore, it is preferable that the protrusion 280 be provided on all of the main slope section 211, the first slope section 221, and the second slope section 231, but it may be provided on at least one of them.

[0089] Although the present invention has been described above in conjunction with the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention, and the embodiments described above may be combined as appropriate. In the first embodiment described above, the support portion 50 was described as having a first support portion 50a and a second support portion 50b, but it is not limited to this case. For example, the support portion 50 may be composed only of the second support portion 50b, omitting the first support portion 50a. Also, for example, the support portion 50 may have first to n (n≧3) support portions. Furthermore, although the second and third embodiments described above describe a case in which the support portion 80 is composed of only one, the invention is not limited to this case. For example, similar to the first embodiment, the support portion 80 may have a first support portion 80a and a second support portion 80b. Also, for example, the support portion 80 may have first to n (n≧3) support portions.

[0090] Furthermore, although the fifth embodiment described above describes a case where the support section 250 has two support units 251a and 251b, it is not limited to this case, and may have three or more support units. For example, if the support section 250 has three support units, and the third support unit is designated as the third support unit 251c, then the third support unit 251c is positioned between the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b. In this case, in a rear view, the bolts 262 of the third support unit 251c are positioned vertically without being inclined with respect to the floor surface, unlike the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b. On the other hand, in a side view, the bolts 262 of the third support unit 251c are inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step, similar to the bolts 262 of the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b. Furthermore, even when adding a fourth or subsequent support unit, it can be positioned between the first support unit 251a and the second support unit 251b, and configured to be inclined in a side view but not inclined in a rear view, similar to the bolt 262 of the third support unit 251c. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 10: Slope section 11: Main slope section 12: Slope member 16: Main beam member 21: First slope section 22: Slope piece 31: Second slope section 41: Third slope section 50: Support section 50a: First support section 50b: Second support section 53: Swinging section 54: Swinging support section 58: Adjustment member 63: Swinging section 64: Swinging support section 68: Adjustment member 80: Support section 81: Swinging section 84: Swinging support section 88: Adjustment member 100: Slope device 200: Slope device 300: Slope device 400: Slope device 500: Slope device 600: Slope unit 210: Slope section 211: Main slope section 212: Slope member 217: Main beam member 221: First slope section 231: Second slope section 250: Support section 252: Screw-in member 261: Adjustment member

Claims

1. The sloped section is arranged at an incline, A ramp device characterized by having a support portion that supports the ramp portion so as to be adjustable in the height direction.

2. The ramp device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ramp section has a gradient of 1 / 6 or less and 1 / 12 or more.

3. The aforementioned support portion is An adjustment member that makes contact with the floor surface, The ramp device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by having a screw-in member that is fixed to the ramp portion and screws into the adjustment member.

4. The adjustment member has a male screw portion, The ramp device according to claim 3, characterized in that the axis of the male screw portion is inclined with respect to the floor surface.

5. The ramp device according to claim 4, characterized in that, in a side view, the axis of the male screw portion is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step.

6. The ramp device according to claim 5, characterized in that, within the adjustment range of the adjustment member, from the lower limit to the upper limit, the axis of the male screw portion is inclined such that the upper side is close to the step and the lower side is away from the step.

7. At least two support units, each having the adjustment member and the screwing member, are arranged at positions separated in the width direction of the slope portion. The ramp device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, in a rear view, the axes of the male screw portions of the adjustment members in the two support units are inclined such that the upper ones are close to each other and the lower ones are far apart from each other.

8. The adjustment member has a support seat that is installed on the floor surface. The ramp device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the receiving seat has a curved bottom surface.

9. The aforementioned slope portion has raised ridges formed on its surface along the width direction. The ramp device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, in a side view, the protrusions are saw-toothed.

10. The aforementioned slope portion has raised ridges formed on its surface along the width direction. The ramp device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, in a side view, the angle of inclination that the protrusion makes with the surface of the ramp portion is greater on the upper side than on the lower side.

11. The ramp device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the ramp portion has a linear portion extending in the front-to-back direction, which is colored in a color different from the color of the surface of the ramp portion, approximately in the center in the width direction.

12. A ramp unit characterized by connecting at least two ramp devices according to any one of claims 1 to 11 in the width direction.

13. The slope unit according to claim 12, characterized in that it has a linear portion extending in the front-to-back direction, which is colored in a color different from the color of the surface of the slope portion, located approximately in the center of the width direction when the two slope devices are combined.

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