Small portioning assist device

Abstract

This invention provides a dispensing aid suitable for the task of dispensing high-viscosity liquids into smaller quantities. [Solution] The tilting unit 20 has a loading platform 200 on which liquid containers 5 are placed and a handle 205 connected to the loading platform 200, and a link mechanism 21 has a link member 210 provided with a first slider 211 and a second slider 212, a first slider guide 213 that slides the first slider 211 in the height direction, and a second slider guide 214 that is perpendicular to the first slider guide 213 and slides the second slider 212 in the front-rear direction, and the link mechanism 21 is provided on each side of the tilting unit 20 and the lower side of the link member 210 is connected to the tilting unit 20, and a first tilting mechanism 2 is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an apparatus for assisting the operation of portioning a liquid contained in a liquid container.

Background Art

[0002] Industrial liquids are filled into liquid containers and delivered to factories. In factories where the liquids are used, the liquid contained in the liquid container is portioned into smaller containers, and the liquid in the smaller containers is used. Conventionally, the operation of portioning the liquid from the liquid container into the smaller containers has been performed by workers, and this operation is a two-person job involving a person who lifts the liquid container filled with the liquid and a person who receives the liquid discharged from the pouring spout of the liquid container with the smaller container.

[0003] The weight of a liquid container filled with a liquid is heavy, and this weight exceeds 10 kgf. Depending on the liquid, the weight of a liquid container filled with the liquid may exceed 20 kgf. When a high-viscosity liquid is filled into a liquid container, it becomes difficult for the liquid to be discharged from the pouring spout of the liquid container. Therefore, when a high-viscosity liquid is filled into a liquid container, the time until the smaller container is filled with the liquid becomes longer. Due to these reasons, in the case of a high-viscosity liquid, the operation of portioning the liquid from the liquid container into the smaller containers has been a high-load operation. Also, in the case of a high-viscosity liquid, the inclination of the liquid container may not be sufficient, and there may be cases where the liquid container with a large amount of liquid remaining is discarded.

[0004] Therefore, in factories that use high-viscosity liquids, an apparatus for assisting the operation of portioning the liquid contained in the liquid container into the smaller containers has been desired. As such an apparatus, for example, an apparatus provided with a container holding portion that detachably supports the liquid container and rotatably supports the liquid container is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] This invention provides a dispensing aid that allows for easy tilting of liquid containers containing high-viscosity liquids. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention, which solves the problems of the present application, is a small-portion auxiliary device characterized by comprising at least a tilting unit having a loading platform for carrying liquid containers and a handle connected to the loading platform, a link member having sliders on both the upper and lower sides, a first slider guide for sliding one of the sliders in the height direction, and a second slider guide located below the first slider guide and perpendicular to the first slider guide for sliding the other slider in the front-rear direction, wherein the link mechanism is provided on both the left and right sides of the tilting unit, and a first tilting mechanism is provided that connects the lower side of the link member to the tilting unit.

[0008] The second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the first tilting mechanism is provided with an assist mechanism configured to connect a weight suspended on the front side of the first tilting mechanism to the rear side of the tilting unit using a pulley and a wire member.

[0009] The third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, it comprises a second tilting mechanism comprising at least a telescopic rod with a vertically rotatable holding pad attached to its tip, a rod fixing member to which the telescopic rod is attached so as to be vertically rotatable, a rotating roll member connected to the rod fixing member using a pair of arm members, a string member with one end attached to the rod fixing member, and a reel for winding up the string member, and a rod support mechanism that slidably supports the telescopic rod attached to the rod fixing member and is vertically rotatable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The first tilting mechanism of the dispensing assistance device disclosed in this application is configured such that, in order to assist in the dispensing of high-viscosity liquids, the liquid container placed on the platform of the tilting unit tilts simply by pressing the handle of the tilting unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the dispensing assistance device disclosed in this application. [Figure 2] A diagram showing a liquid container according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the roles of the first and second tilting mechanisms. [Figure 4] Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of the first tilting mechanism. [Figure 5] Figure 2 illustrates the configuration of the first tilting mechanism. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the link mechanism. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the inclined unit. [Figure 8] A diagram illustrating the third guide member. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating an example of a guide mechanism provided in the first tilting mechanism. [Figure 10] A diagram showing the tilting unit in an inclined position. [Figure 11] A diagram explaining the assistance function. [Figure 12] Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of the second tilting mechanism. [Figure 13] Figure 2 illustrates the configuration of the second tilting mechanism. [Figure 14] A diagram illustrating the tip of a telescopic rod. [Figure 15] A diagram illustrating the operation of the second tilting mechanism. [Figure 16] A diagram illustrating the action of tilting the liquid container using the second tilting mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described. This embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Also, unless otherwise specified, the drawings are schematic diagrams drawn for facilitating the understanding of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the dispensing assistance device 1 disclosed in the present application. In FIG. 1 and the like, only the elements necessary for explaining the functions of the dispensing assistance device 1 disclosed in the present application are illustrated. The actual dispensing assistance device 1 includes various elements not illustrated in FIG. 1, such as a frame that supports the dispensing assistance device 1.

[0014] The dispensing assistance device 1 disclosed in the present application is a device that assists in the operation of dispensing a liquid from a liquid container 5 into a dispensing container. The dispensing assistance device 1 disclosed in the present application includes two tilting mechanisms for tilting the liquid container 5 containing the liquid so as to assist in the operation of dispensing the liquid from the liquid container 5 into the dispensing container. The first mechanism is the first tilting mechanism 2 that tilts the liquid container 5 to the first maximum angle. The second mechanism is the second tilting mechanism 3 that tilts the liquid container 5 to a second maximum angle greater than the first maximum angle. In FIG. 1, in addition to the first tilting mechanism 2 and the second tilting mechanism 3, a roll conveyor 4 used when moving the liquid container 5 to the first tilting mechanism 2 is shown.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the liquid container 5 according to this embodiment. In recent years, as a liquid container 5 for containing a liquid used in a factory, a back-in box mainly composed of an inner plastic container and an outer cardboard case is often used. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid container 5 is a back-in box. A pouring spout 54 is provided on the upper surface 52 of the liquid container 5 which is a back-in box, and the pouring spout 54 protrudes from the upper surface 52 of the liquid container 5. A cap 540 for opening or closing the pouring spout 54 is attached to the pouring spout 54.

[0016] Figure 3 illustrates the roles of the first tilting mechanism 2 and the second tilting mechanism 3. The left side of Figure 3 shows the liquid container 5 tilted forward with its top surface 52, which has a spout 54, facing forward. The right side of Figure 3 shows the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid container 5 when it is tilted. Figure 3(a) shows the liquid container 5 filled with liquid in an untilted state. Figure 3(b) shows the liquid container 5 tilted at the first maximum angle. Figure 3(c) shows the liquid container 5 tilted at the second maximum angle.

[0017] The reason why the dispensing assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with two tilting mechanisms is to allow the user to select the appropriate tilting mechanism for dispensing the liquid according to the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container 5.

[0018] The first tilting mechanism 2, which can tilt the liquid container 5 to a first maximum angle, is used when there is a large amount of liquid remaining in the liquid container 5. In this embodiment, the liquid container 5 is placed on the first tilting mechanism 2 in a nearly horizontal position. The first maximum angle at which the liquid container 5 can be tilted using the first tilting mechanism 2 is set to the minimum angle at which the liquid level comes directly below the spout 54 when the liquid container 5 is tilted (Figure 3(b)). The minimum angle at which the liquid level comes directly below the spout 54 when the liquid container 5 is tilted varies depending on the size of the liquid container 5 and the position of the spout 54, but in this embodiment it is 75 degrees. As shown in the right-hand figure of Figure 3(b), the amount of liquid remaining when the liquid container 5 is tilted to the first maximum angle is about one-quarter of the amount when the liquid is filled (Figure 3(a)) (Figure 3(b)). In other words, about three-quarters of the liquid filled in the liquid container 5 can be used by using the first tilting mechanism 2. By setting the first maximum angle to the smallest angle at which the liquid level is directly below the spout 54, even if the liquid container 5 is tilted to the first maximum angle using the first tilting mechanism 2 after the dispensing operation using the first tilting mechanism 2 is no longer possible, liquid will not be discharged from the spout 54 of the liquid container 5. The second tilting mechanism 3 is a tilting mechanism for using up almost all of the remaining liquid when the liquid container 5 is tilted to the first maximum angle. In this embodiment, the second maximum angle at which the liquid container 5 can be tilted using the second tilting mechanism 3 is 120 degrees (Figure 3(c)). As shown in the right-hand figure of Figure 3(c), by tilting the liquid container 5 to the second maximum angle, almost all of the liquid that was filled in the liquid container 5 can be used up.

[0019] Next, we will explain the first tilting mechanism 2 provided by the portioning auxiliary device 1. Figure 4 is Figure 1 illustrating the configuration of the first tilting mechanism 2, and Figure 5 is Figure 2 illustrating the configuration of the first tilting mechanism 2.

[0020] The first tilting mechanism 2 comprises at least a tilting unit 20 having a platform 200 on which a liquid container 5 containing liquid is placed and a handle 205 connected to the platform 200, and a link mechanism 21 having a link member 210 with a first slider 211 on its upper end and a second slider 212 on its lower end, a first slider guide 213 that slides the first slider 211 in the height direction, and a second slider guide 214 that is perpendicular to the first slider guide 213 below the first slider guide 213 and slides the second slider 212 in the front-rear direction. In the first tilting mechanism 2, link mechanisms 21 are provided on both the left and right sides of the tilting unit 20, and as shown in Figure 5, the lower side of the link member 210, which has sliders on both the upper and lower sides, is connected to the tilting unit 20. In addition, the first tilting mechanism 2 according to this embodiment is equipped with an assist mechanism 22 that assists in the force required to tilt the liquid container 5.

[0021] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the link mechanism 21. The link mechanism 21 provided in the first tilting mechanism 2 is also called a double slider crank mechanism. As illustrated in Figure 6 and other figures, the link mechanism 21 provided in the first tilting mechanism 2 includes a link member 210 with sliders on both ends, a first slider guide 213 that slides a first slider 211, which is a slider provided on the upper end, in the height direction, and a second slider guide 214 that is located below the first slider guide 213, perpendicular to the first slider guide 213, and slides a second slider 212, which is a slider provided on the lower end, in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, roller followers are used for both the first slider 211 and the second slider 212, and the first slider guide 213 and the second slider guide 214 each have grooves that guide the roller followers.

[0022] The state shown in Figure 6(a) is before the liquid container 5 is tilted. In the state shown in Figure 6(a), the link member 210 is approximately perpendicular to the second slider guide 214. When a force is applied to slide the second slider 212 backward from the state shown in Figure 6(a), the second slider 212 slides the second slider guide 214 backward, and in conjunction with the movement of the second slider 212, the first slider 211 slides the first slider guide 213 downward. When the second slider 212 slides backward from the state shown in Figure 6(a), and the first slider 211 slides the first slider guide 213 downward, the link member 210, which is equipped with the first slider 211 and the second slider 212, becomes tilted, as shown in Figure 6(b). The maximum angle at which the link member 210 can be tilted is determined by the maximum slide amount of the first slider 211 or the maximum slide amount of the second slider 212. Figure 6(c) shows the state in which the first slider 211 is positioned at the lower end of the first slider guide 213. In this embodiment, the length from the upper end to the lower end of the first slider guide 213 is determined such that when the first slider 211 is positioned at the lower end of the first slider guide 213, the link member 210 is tilted at a first maximum angle.

[0023] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the tilting unit 20. Figure 7(a) shows the entire tilting unit 20, and Figure 7(b) shows the loading platform 200 provided by the tilting unit 20. In Figure 7(a), in addition to the tilting unit 20, the link member 210 of the link mechanism 21 is also shown.

[0024] The tilting unit 20 of the first tilting mechanism 2 has a loading platform 200 for placing liquid containers 5 and a handle 205 connected to the loading platform 200. As shown in Figure 7(b), the loading platform 200 of the tilting unit 20 has two fork members 201 and connecting members, a first connecting member 202, a second connecting member 203, and a third connecting member 204, which connect the two fork members 201. The handle 205 is provided at the front ends of each of the two fork members 201.

[0025] In this embodiment, each fork member 201 has a T-shape with an upper protrusion. The first connecting member 202, as shown in Figure 7(b), is a member that connects the upper protrusion of one fork member 201 to the upper protrusion of the other fork member 201, and as shown in Figure 7(a), both sides of the first connecting member 202 are connected to the lower side of the link member 210 of the link mechanism 21. The second connecting member 203, as shown in Figure 7(b), is a member that connects the front side of one fork member 201 to the front side of the other fork member 201. The third connecting member 204, as shown in Figure 7(b), is a member that connects the rear side of one fork member 201 to the rear side of the other fork member 201.

[0026] Considering the tilting of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200, it is necessary to prevent the liquid container 5 from falling off the loading platform 200 and to accurately position the liquid container 5. In Figure 7(a), two first guide members 206 are provided on both the left and right sides of the first connecting member 202 to hold down the front of the upper surface 52 of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200, in order to prevent the liquid container 5 from falling off the loading platform 200. Furthermore, in Figure 7(a), a second guide member 207 is provided near the center of the first connecting member 202 to be placed against the underside of the front of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200, in order to accurately position the liquid container 5. In addition, in Figure 7(a), a third guide member 208 is provided at the rear end of the loading platform 200 to be placed against the underside of the rear of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200, in order to accurately position the liquid container 5. The third guide member 208 will be explained in detail later.

[0027] Considering that the liquid container 5 placed on the cargo bed 200 is tilted to pour the liquid into smaller containers, the first tilting mechanism 2 needs to prevent splashing of the liquid discharged from the liquid container 5. Therefore, a transparent acrylic plate 209 connected to the upper side of the link member 210 is provided on the tilting unit 20 for the purpose of preventing splashing of the liquid discharged from the liquid container 5.

[0028] Figure 8 illustrates the third guide member 208. In this embodiment, the inside of the fork member 201 constituting the loading platform 200 is hollow, and the handle 205 and the third guide member 208 are connected through the inside of the fork member 201. With this configuration, when the handle 205 is pulled forward, the third guide member 208 moves forward, and when the handle 205 that has been pulled forward is pushed backward, the third guide member 208 moves backward. After placing the liquid container 5 on the loading platform 200 (Figure 8(a)), the handle 205 is pulled forward to bring the rear surface 51 of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200 against the third guide member 208 (Figure 8(b)), and by further pulling the handle 205 until the third guide member 208 stops moving, the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200 can be positioned in the front-rear direction (Figure 8(c)).

[0029] The first tilting mechanism 2 can be equipped with a guide mechanism 23 for purposes such as preventing liquid containers 5 placed on the loading platform 200 from falling. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a guide mechanism 23 provided on the first tilting mechanism 2. The guide mechanism 23 shown in Figure 9 includes a spout guide 230 for holding down the spout 54 of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200, and a rear guide 231 for holding down the upper side of the rear surface 51 of the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200. The spout guide 230 is attached to a spout rod 230a, and the length to which the spout guide 230 protrudes can be adjusted. In addition, the guide mechanism 23 can be retracted to the outside of the tilting unit 20 so that it does not get in the way when the liquid container 5 is placed on the loading platform 200.

[0030] Figure 10 shows the tilting unit 20 in an inclined state. In Figure 10, the acrylic plate 209 and other components are omitted. As shown in Figure 7, the tilting unit 20, which has a platform 200 on which the liquid container 5 is placed, is connected to the lower side of the link member 210 of the link mechanism 21 via the first connecting member 202. A handle 205 is provided on the front side of the tilting unit 20, so that the link member 210 can be slid by pushing this handle 205 downwards so that the link member 210 is tilted. Therefore, if a liquid container 5 is placed on the platform 200 of the tilting unit 20, the liquid container 5 placed on the platform 200 can be tilted by pushing this handle 205 downwards.

[0031] Figure 10(a) shows the state before tilting the tilting unit 20. Figure 10(b) shows the state when the tilting unit 20 is tilted at an angle smaller than the first maximum angle. Figure 10(c) shows the state when the tilting unit 20 is tilted to the first maximum angle. In the dispensing assist device 1 according to this embodiment, a link mechanism 21 is used for the mechanism that tilts the liquid container 5 in order to prevent the position of the spout 54 in the front-rear direction from changing significantly even when the liquid container 5 is tilted. As shown in Figure 6 and other figures, in the link mechanism 21 according to this embodiment, the second slider 212 provided on the link member 210 becomes the axis of rotation when tilting the loading platform 200. The position of the second slider 212 provided on the link member 210 is not fixed, and when the loading platform 200 is tilted, the second slider 212 slides to the rear. As shown in Figures 10(a) to 10(c), the position of the spout 54 of the liquid container 5 in the front-rear direction does not change significantly even when the loading platform 200 is tilted.

[0032] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the assist mechanism 22. As shown in Figures 4 and 11, the first tilting mechanism 2 according to this embodiment is equipped with an assist mechanism 22 that utilizes the weight of the counterweight 220 to reduce the force required to push the handle 205 downwards. The weight of a liquid container 5 filled with liquid is heavy. Depending on the liquid filled in the liquid container 5, the weight of a liquid container 5 filled with liquid can range from 10 kgf to 20 kgf. As described above, the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200 of the tilting unit 20 can be tilted by pushing the handle 205 downwards, but it is preferable that the force required to push the handle 205 downwards be small.

[0033] Therefore, the assist mechanism 22 provided in the first tilting mechanism 2 of the portioning assist device 1 according to this embodiment is configured to connect the weight suspended from the first tilting mechanism 2 to the rear side of the tilting unit 20 using a pulley 222 and a wire member 221, as shown in Figures 4 and 11. In Figure 11, one end of the wire member 221 is attached to the weight 220, and the other end of the wire member 221 is attached to the rear end of the acrylic plate 209 provided on the tilting unit 20 via three pulleys 222. With this configuration, the downward force acting due to the weight of the weight 220 acts as a force that pulls the rear side of the tilting unit 20 diagonally upward towards the front by the wire member 221. When the handle 205 is pushed to tilt the link member 210, the rear of the tilting unit 20 on which the liquid container 5 is placed on the loading platform 200 is lifted. However, the weight of the counterweight 220 adds a force that pulls the rear of the tilting unit 20 diagonally upward and forward, which is added to the force required to push the handle 205 downward. Therefore, the assist mechanism 22 can reduce the force required to push the handle 205 downward.

[0034] As described above, the first tilting mechanism 2 of the dispensing assistance device 1 according to this embodiment can tilt the liquid container 5 placed on the loading platform 200 of the first tilting mechanism 2 simply by pushing the handle 205 downwards. Since the operation of pushing the handle 205 downwards can be done with one hand, by pushing the handle 205 downwards with one hand and receiving the liquid discharged from the tilted liquid container 5 in a dispensing container with the other hand, even high-viscosity liquids that take a long time to dispensing can be dispensed by one person. Furthermore, if the first tilting mechanism 2 is equipped with an assist mechanism 22, the workload related to the liquid dispensing operation can be further reduced.

[0035] Next, we will describe the second tilting mechanism 3 provided by the dispensing assistance device 1. Figure 12 is the first diagram illustrating the configuration of the second tilting mechanism 3 provided by the dispensing assistance device 1. Figure 13 is the second diagram illustrating the configuration of the second tilting mechanism 3 provided by the dispensing assistance device 1. Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the tip side of the telescopic rod 300. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the second tilting mechanism 3.

[0036] The second tilting mechanism 3 of the dispensing assist device 1 is a tilting mechanism for tilting the liquid container 5, which has been tilted to a first maximum angle using the first tilting mechanism 2, to a second maximum angle greater than the first maximum angle. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the second tilting mechanism 3 consists of at least a rod moving mechanism 30 having a telescopic rod 300 with a vertically rotatable holding pad 301 attached to its tip, a rod fixing member 302 to which the telescopic rod 300 is attached so as to be vertically rotatable, a rotating roll member 304 connected to the rod fixing member 302 using a pair of arm members 303, a string member 305 with one end attached to the rod fixing member 302, and a reel 306 for winding up the string member 305, and a rod support mechanism 31 that slidably supports the telescopic rod 300 attached to the rod fixing member 302 and is vertically rotatable.

[0037] The telescopic rod 300, with a retaining pad 301 attached to its tip, is a component for holding the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5 when it is tilted beyond the first maximum angle. The retaining pad 301 is the component that contacts the upper side of the bottom surface 53 of the tilted liquid container 5, and the telescopic rod 300 is the component that supports the retaining pad 301 that is in contact with the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5.

[0038] As the angle at which the liquid container 5 is tilted increases, the upper side of the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5 moves towards the front of the dispensing assist device 1. Therefore, in order to bring the retaining pad 301 provided at the tip of the telescopic rod 300 into contact with the upper side of the bottom surface 53 of the tilted liquid container 5, it is necessary to be able to adjust the length of the telescopic rod 300 according to the angle at which the liquid container 5 is tilted. As shown in Figure 14, the telescopic rod 300 of this embodiment has a structure in which the inner rod 300b is housed in the outer rod 300a. By pulling out the inner rod 300b from the outer rod 300a, the tip of the telescopic rod 300 can be extended. The method of fixing the inner rod 300b pulled out from the outer rod 300a is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, the method of fixing the inner rod 300b pulled out from the outer rod 300a is a ratchet type. Furthermore, it is necessary to be able to adjust the angle of the retaining pad 301 provided at the tip of the telescopic rod 300 according to the angle at which the liquid container 5 is tilted. Taking this into consideration, the retaining pad 301 provided at the tip of the telescopic rod 300 is designed to be rotatable up and down around axis B.

[0039] The rod movement mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the telescopic rod 300 up and down. As described above, the rod movement mechanism 30 includes a rod fixing member 302 to which the telescopic rod 300 is attached so as to be able to pivot up and down, a rotating roll member 304 connected to the rod fixing member 302 using a pair of arm members 303, a string member 305 with one end attached to the rod fixing member 302, and a reel 306 for winding up the string member 305.

[0040] As shown in Figure 13, the pair of arm members 303 are fixed to the rotating roll member 304 and the rod fixing member 302, and the pair of arm members 303 connect the left and right sides of the rod fixing member 302 to the left and right sides of the rotating roll member 304. The rotating roll member 304, which is connected to the rod fixing member 302 using the pair of arm members 303, is rotatable about axis A. Therefore, the entire rod fixing member 302, which is connected to the rotating roll member 304 using the pair of arm members 303, is capable of pivoting up and down about the rotating roll member 304.

[0041] The rod fixing member 302 is a member to which the lower end of the telescopic rod 300 is attached. In this embodiment, the telescopic rod 300 is attached to the rod fixing member 302 using a hinge connector that corresponds to rotational movement. As a result, the entire telescopic rod 300 can pivot around the rod fixing member 302. In Figure 13, the lower end of the telescopic rod 300 is attached approximately in the center of the rod fixing member 302, but the lower end of the telescopic rod 300 may also be attached to either the left or right side of the rod fixing member 302.

[0042] The string member 305 is a component that connects the reel 306 and the rod fixing member 302. One end of the string member 305 is attached to the rod fixing member 302, and the other end is attached to the reel 306.

[0043] The rod support mechanism 31, which slidably supports and rotates the telescopic rod 300, slidably supports the telescopic rod 300 attached to the rod fixing member 302. To slidably support the telescopic rod 300, as shown in Figure 13, the telescopic rod 300 is inserted through a support groove 313 provided in the rod support mechanism 31, and the telescopic rod 300 is supported using a linear slider member 311. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, a connector member 312 corresponding to rotational movement is used to connect the linear slider member 311 of the rod support mechanism 31 to a roll-shaped shaft member 310, and the linear slider member 311 of the rod support mechanism 31 is configured to rotate around the shaft member 310. A commercially available hinge connector can be used as the connector member 312 corresponding to rotational movement.

[0044] As shown in Figure 12, when the second tilting mechanism 3 is not in use, the tip of the telescopic rod 300 attached to the rod fixing member 302 does not protrude above the roll conveyor 4. When the string member 305 is wound up using the reel 306 from the state shown in Figure 12, the rod fixing member 302 to which the telescopic rod 300 is attached rotates upward, as shown in Figure 15. When the rod fixing member 302 rotates upward, the telescopic rod 300 slides against the linear slider member 311 of the rod support mechanism 31, and further, the linear slider member 311 of the rod support mechanism 31 rotates forward, causing the tip of the telescopic rod 300 attached to the rod fixing member 302 to protrude above the roll conveyor 4.

[0045] Figure 16 illustrates the operation of tilting the liquid container using the second tilting mechanism. Note that a portion of the first tilting mechanism 2 is omitted in Figure 16. In Figure 16, the liquid container 5 is tilted at the first maximum angle. In Figure 16, the reel 306 winds up the string member 305, causing the telescopic rod 300 to protrude from the roll conveyor 4. The holding pad 301 provided at the tip of the telescopic rod 300 passes between the third connecting member 204 and the third guide member 208 of the first tilting mechanism 2 and contacts the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5, which is tilted to the first maximum angle. From the state in Figure 16, the liquid container 5 can be tilted beyond the first maximum angle by extending the tip of the telescopic rod 300. The second maximum angle to which the liquid container 5 can be tilted using the second tilting mechanism 3 is determined by the length to which the tip of the telescopic rod 300 can be extended.

[0046] By equipping the dispensing assist device 1 according to this embodiment with the second tilting mechanism 3, the liquid filled in the liquid container 5 can be almost completely used up, as shown in Figure 3. The operation to almost completely use up the liquid filled in the liquid container 5 involves extending the tip of the telescopic rod 300 while the holding pad 301 is in contact with the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5. Since the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid container 5 after dispensing using the first tilting mechanism 2 is small and the weight of the liquid container 5 is also reduced, the workload of extending the tip of the telescopic rod 300 while the holding pad 301 is in contact with the bottom surface 53 of the liquid container 5 is small. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1. Small portioning assist device 2 First tilt mechanism 20 Inclined Units 200 cargo beds 201 Fork component 202 First connecting member 203 Second connecting member 204 Third connecting member 205 Handle 206 First guide member 207 Second guide member 208 Third guide member 209 Acrylic sheet 21 Link mechanism 210 Link member 211 First Slider 212 Second Slider 213 First Slider Guide 214 Second Slider Guide 22 Assist mechanism 220 Weight 221 Wire component 222 Pulley 23 Guide mechanism 230 Spout Guide 231 Rear Guide 3 Second tilt mechanism 30 Rod movement mechanism 300 Telescopic Rod 301 Retaining Pad 302 Rod fixing member 303 Pair of arm members 304 Rotating Roll Member 305 String component 306 Reels 307 Pulley 31 Rod support mechanism 310 Shaft member 311 Linear slider component 312 Connector components 313 Support groove 4 Roll conveyor 5 Liquid container 50 front 51 Rear 52 Top side 53 Bottom 54 Spout 540 Cap

Claims

1. The tilting unit comprises at least a platform for carrying liquid containers and a handle connected to the platform, a link member having sliders on both the upper and lower sides, a first slider guide for sliding one of the sliders in the height direction, and a second slider guide located below the first slider guide and perpendicular to the first slider guide for sliding the other slider in the front-rear direction, wherein the link mechanism is provided on both the left and right sides of the tilting unit, and a first tilting mechanism is provided connecting the lower side of the link member to the tilting unit. A dispensing aid characterized by the following.

2. The portioning assist device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first tilting mechanism is provided with an assist mechanism configured to connect a weight suspended on the front side of the first tilting mechanism to the rear side of the tilting unit using a pulley and a wire member.

3. A dispensing assist device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by comprising a second tilting mechanism comprising at least a telescopic rod with a retaining pad attached to its tip that can rotate up and down, a rod fixing member to which the telescopic rod is attached so as to be able to pivot up and down, a rotating roll member connected to the rod fixing member using a pair of arm members, a string member with one end attached to the rod fixing member, and a reel for winding up the string member, and a rod support mechanism that slidably supports the telescopic rod attached to the rod fixing member and is able to rotate up and down.

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