Mobile scaffolding

Abstract

To provide a mobile scaffolding that can easily maintain its folded state. [Solution] The mobile scaffolding 1 comprises a pair of divided plate sections 4, 4 that constitute the top plate section 3 when unfolded, a pair of support sections 2, 2 whose upper ends are rotatably connected to the back side of each divided plate section, and a connecting mechanism 10 that connects the pair of divided plate sections and the pair of support sections so that the pair of divided plate sections fold in half so that the abutting ends in the unfolded state are on the upper side, and the pair of support sections can be displaced between a folded state in which they are close to each other and the unfolded state. The first support section 2A on one side of the pair of support sections is provided with a locking section 49 that engages with a locking receiving section 41 provided on the second support section 2B on the other side as it is displaced in the direction of relative proximity to the second support section 2B on the other side, and is in a locked position that maintains the folded state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mobile scaffold.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a mobile scaffold that is used in a deployed state during high-altitude work at a work site such as a construction site and is in a folded state during transportation or the like is known. In such a mobile scaffold, it is desirable to provide a lock or the like for maintaining the folded state so as not to be displaced unintentionally to the deployment side in the folded state. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a work scaffold including a lift table having left and right folding table portions, lift legs supporting the ends of the left and right folding table portions, and support legs supporting the left and right lift legs so as to be movable up and down. In this work scaffold, in a folded state where the left and right folding table portions are closed to each other, a folding lock means is provided that prevents the left and right folding table portions from opening to each other and is composed of a connecting member that is detachably connected between both leg portions of the left and right lift legs.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the work scaffold described in Patent Document 1 above, it is necessary to close and fold the left and right folding table portions, approach the left and right leg portions, and hold and connect a connecting member connected to one leg portion constituting the folding lock means to the other leg portion while maintaining that state, and further improvement is desired.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a mobile scaffold that can easily maintain a folded state.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the mobile scaffolding configuration 1 according to the present disclosure comprises a pair of divided plate sections that constitute a top plate section in an unfolded state, a pair of support sections whose upper ends are rotatably connected to the back side of each divided plate section, and a connecting mechanism that connects the pair of divided plate sections and the pair of support sections so that the pair of divided plate sections fold in half so that the abutting ends in the unfolded state are on the upper side, and the pair of support sections can be displaced between a folded state in which they are close to each other and the unfolded state, wherein one of the pair of support sections, the first support section, is provided with a locking section that engages with a locking receiver provided on the second support section in the direction of relative proximity to the second support section on the other side, thereby maintaining the folded state.

[0007] The following descriptions of embodiments reveal that the mobile scaffolding relating to this disclosure may have the following dependent configurations. <Configuration 2> Configuration 1 may include a biasing member that biases the locking portion toward the locked position. <Structure 3> Configuration 2 may include an operating part that displaces the locking part to the unlocking side against the biasing force of the biasing member. <Structure 4> In configuration 3, the operating section may be positioned below the lower end of each divided plate section in the folded state. <Composition 5> In configuration 3 or configuration 4, the locking portion including the operating portion and the locking receiving portion may be provided only on one side in the scaffolding width direction that is perpendicular to the abutting direction and thickness direction of the pair of divided plate portions in the pair of support portions. <Composition 6> In any one of configurations 3 to 5, the operating part may be in the shape of a lever that is displaced away from the second support part when displacing the locking part to the unlocking side. <Composition 7> In any one of configurations 1 to 6, the pair of support parts may have wheels at their lower ends. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The mobile scaffolding relating to this disclosure, with the configuration described above, can easily maintain its folded state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view illustrating an example of a mobile scaffolding according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic front view of the mobile scaffolding. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view of the mobile scaffolding. [Figure 4] This is a schematic side view of the mobile scaffolding, with some parts omitted. [Figure 5] This is a schematic side view of the mobile scaffolding. [Figure 6] This is a schematic side view of the mobile scaffolding. [Figure 7] (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view with some parts omitted, corresponding to the view along line XX in Figure 3, and (b) is a schematic enlarged front view with a partial break, schematically showing section Z in Figure 3. [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are partially fractured schematic enlarged front views corresponding to Figure 7(b). [Figure 9] (a) is a schematic longitudinal section of a partially fractured section corresponding to the view along the line Y1-Y1 in Figure 5, and (b) is a schematic longitudinal section of a partially fractured section corresponding to the view along the line Y2-Y2 in (a). [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are schematic longitudinal cross-sectional views of a partial fracture, corresponding to Figure 9(b). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In some of the figures, some of the detailed symbols used in other figures have been omitted. In the following embodiments, directions such as the vertical direction will be described based on the state where the mobile scaffold according to this embodiment is installed.

[0011] Figs. 1 to 10 are diagrams schematically showing an example of the mobile scaffold according to this embodiment. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mobile scaffold 1 according to this embodiment includes a pair of split plate portions 4, 4 that constitute the top plate portion 3 in the deployed state, and a pair of support portions 2, 2 whose upper ends are rotatably connected to the back surface (lower surface in the deployed state) side of each split plate portion 4, 4. With such a configuration, by installing the mobile scaffold 1 at the work site, it can be used as a scaffold during high-altitude work. The pair of support portions 2, 2 have wheels 25, 25 at their lower ends. With such a configuration, it can be easily moved. The mobile scaffold 1 has a configuration in which the pair of split plate portions 4, 4 are in a two-fold shape such that the butting side end portions in the deployed state are on the upper side, and a connecting mechanism 10 that connects the pair of split plate portions 4, 4 and the pair of support portions 2, 2 is provided so that they can be displaced between a folded state where the pair of support portions 2, 2 are close to each other and a deployed state. With such a configuration, by setting the mobile scaffold 1 in the folded state, the handling property during transportation and storage can be improved, and space saving can be achieved. Further, since it is arranged between the pair of split plate portions 4, 4 that are in a two-fold shape with the pair of support portions 2, 2 close to each other, for example, compared with a configuration in which the pair of split plate portions are folded in a valley-fold shape and the support portions are located outside them, when transporting etc. in the folded state, the support portions 2, 2 are less likely to be caught by peripheral members and are less likely to be in the way.

[0012] The mobile scaffold 1 includes a locking mechanism 40 that maintains the above-described folded state, although details will be described later. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the mobile scaffold 1 in the folded state from being displaced to the deployed side unintentionally. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the pair of support parts 2, 2 includes a pair of support legs 20, 20, 20, 20 provided on both sides in the scaffold width direction at intervals in the scaffold width direction which is perpendicular to the butting direction and the thickness direction of each of the divided plate parts 4, 4 so as to be at positions corresponding to the four corners of the top plate part 3. Each support leg 20 includes a cylindrical outer leg part 26 whose upper end is connected to the back side of each divided plate part 4, and an inner leg part 21 inserted so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the outer leg part 26. The inner leg part 21 of each support leg 20 has a wheel 25 at each lower end. The mobile scaffold 1, details of which will be described later, includes a height adjustment mechanism 30 that enables adjustment of the height of the top plate part 3 by expanding and contracting the inner leg part 21 with respect to the outer leg part 26 of each support leg 20. With such a configuration, the height of the top plate part 3 can be adjusted according to the height of the operator and the work site, etc.

[0013] This mobile scaffold 1 is installed indoors (inside a room) and may be used when performing various operations (for example, wiring work, piping work, installation work of various fixtures such as lighting fixtures, installation work of various interior materials such as ceiling panels, wallpaper pasting work, painting work, etc.) targeting the ceiling side or the upper end side of the wall. This mobile scaffold 1 may be used alone, or a plurality of units may be arranged and used in one or both of the scaffold width direction and the butting direction of the divided plate parts 4, 4. In this case, adjacent mobile scaffolds 1 may be connected by an appropriate connecting member. Also, it may be attached so that an appropriate scaffold board or the like is bridged across the gap between adjacent mobile scaffolds 1. Further, appropriate fence members arranged to rise from around the top plate part 3 or appropriate ladder members hooked on the outer peripheral end part of the top plate part 3 or the like may be attached to this mobile scaffold 1.

[0014] The top plate section 3, when viewed from above (in the thickness direction) in its unfolded state, has a rectangular shape with the butt joint direction of the divided plate sections 4, 4 as the longitudinal direction. The width dimension of this top plate section 3 along the scaffolding width direction and the length dimension along the scaffolding longitudinal direction may be set to appropriate dimensions from the viewpoint of workability when used as scaffolding in the unfolded state, and from the viewpoint of saving space when moving or storing in the folded state. The width dimension of this top plate section 3 may be, for example, around 800mm to 1600mm or around 1000mm to 1400mm. The length dimension of this top plate section 3 may be, for example, around 1600mm to 2400mm or around 1800mm to 2200mm. As shown in Figure 1, the individual divided plates 4, 4 that make up the top plate 3 are arranged so that their upper surfaces are on the same plane when unfolded. These divided plates 4, 4 are configured such that a gap is formed between their opposing abutting end faces when unfolded. This gap may be, for example, 10 mm or more. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent fingers from getting pinched between the divided plates 4, 4 when displacing them from the folded state to the unfolded state. This gap may be around 12 mm to 20 mm.

[0015] These divided plate sections 4,4 have the same dimensions along the width direction of the scaffolding and along the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. In the illustrated example, these divided plate sections 4,4 are rectangular in shape, with the dimension along the width direction of the scaffolding being larger than the dimension along the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding (see the dashed line in Figure 4), but the example is not limited to this. These divided plate sections 4,4 may be configured appropriately so that the unfolded top plate section 3 formed by them can be used as scaffolding. These divided plate sections 4,4 may be flat plates made of metal, but from the viewpoint of reducing weight, they may be configured with a mesh-like member such as expanded metal or a perforated plate such as punched metal with many holes inside a frame formed to surround the four sides. Furthermore, these divided plate sections 4,4 may be configured with appropriate cross members that span across the frame to reinforce such mesh-like members or perforated plates. The divided plate sections 4,4 are not limited to these configurations and may be configured in various other ways.

[0016] Each of these divided plate sections 4,4 is provided with connecting sections 5,5 that are connected to each other via a connecting mechanism 10 at the abutting ends. These connecting sections 5,5 are formed to protrude downward from the back surface of the abutting ends of each divided plate section 4,4 in the deployed state, and extend in directions facing each other so that overlapping portions are formed when viewed in the scaffolding width direction. These connecting sections 5,5 are plate-shaped with their thickness in the direction of the scaffolding width, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, are provided at multiple locations (in the illustrated example, two sets of two connecting sections 5,5) spaced apart in the scaffolding width direction at the abutting ends of each divided plate section 4,4. These connecting sections 5,5 are located at positions approximately equidistant from the center of each divided plate section 4,4 in the scaffolding width direction. These connecting sections 5,5 constitute the connecting mechanism 10 and are connected to the top plate connecting support columns 11 that support the abutting ends of each divided plate section 4,4 from below. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the top plate connecting support columns 11 are elongated in the vertical direction and are provided in multiples (two in the example) at intervals in the scaffolding width direction, corresponding to the connecting parts 5, 5 which are provided at intervals in the scaffolding width direction. The connecting parts 5, 5 of each divided plate section 4, 4 are connected to the upper ends of these top plate connecting support columns 11, 11 so as to be rotatable around connecting axes 6, 6 which are aligned along the scaffolding width direction.

[0017] At the outer portions in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, on the sides opposite to the butt joints of each divided plate section 4, 4, which correspond to the four corners of the top plate section 3, two leg connecting sections 7, 7 are provided at intervals in the width direction of the scaffolding (in the illustrated example, there are two sets of two leg connecting sections 7, 7). These leg connecting sections 7, 7 are plate-shaped with their thickness in the direction of the width of the scaffolding, and are provided so as to protrude downward from the back side of each divided plate section 4, 4 in the unfolded state. The leg connecting sections 7, 7 provided on each divided plate section 4, 4 are located at approximately equidistant positions from the butt joint ends of each divided plate section 4, 4. As shown in Figure 5, these leg connecting sections 7, 7 are located at approximately equidistant positions from the center of each divided plate section 4, 4 in the width direction of the scaffolding. In the illustrated example, these leg connecting sections 7, 7 are provided so as to be located further outward in the width direction of the scaffolding than the connecting sections 5, 5 described above. The upper ends of the outer leg portions 26, 26 of each support leg 20, 20 are connected to these leg connecting portions 7, 7 so as to be rotatable around connecting axes 8, 8 that run in the direction of the width of the scaffolding.

[0018] In other words, each support leg 20,20 of the first support section 2A on one side of the pair of support sections 2,2, and each support leg 20,20 of the second support section 2B on the other side of the pair of support sections 2,2, are provided at positions approximately equidistant from the abutting ends of each divided plate section 4,4. Furthermore, the first support leg 20A of the first support section 2A that is on one side in the scaffolding width direction and the first support leg 20A of the second support section 2B that is on one side in the scaffolding width direction are provided at positions that coincide in the scaffolding width direction. The second support leg 20B of the first support section 2A that is on the other side in the scaffolding width direction and the second support leg 20B of the second support section 2B that is on the other side in the scaffolding width direction are provided at positions that coincide in the scaffolding width direction. The first support section 2A and the second support section 2B have similar configurations, and in the following description, common configurations will be referred to as support sections 2,2 or support section 2. Furthermore, the first support legs 20A,20A and the second support legs 20B,20B of each support section 2,2 have similar configurations, and in the following description, common configurations will be referred to as support legs 20.

[0019] As shown in Figure 7(a), the inner leg portion 21 and the outer leg portion 26 of the support leg 20 are each shaped like a rectangular tube. In other words, the inner leg portion 21, which is shaped like a rectangular tube, is inserted from below into the hollow part of the outer leg portion 26, which is also shaped like a rectangular tube. As shown in Figure 1, the wheels 25 of the support legs 20 are mounted on connecting portions 23 that extend outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding when deployed from the lower end of the inner leg portion 21. The wheels 25 are swivel casters that can follow the direction changes of the mobile scaffolding 1. These wheels 25 are held rotatably around an axis along the horizontal direction by a holding portion that is rotatably held around an axis along the vertical direction relative to the connecting portion 23. A suitable stopper to prevent the rotation of these wheels 25 may be provided. The wheels 25 are not limited to the configuration shown in the figure, and may have various other configurations.

[0020] At least one of the abutting ends of the pair of divided plate sections 4, 4 is provided with shock-absorbing members 9, 9 to mitigate the impact when displacing from the folded state to the unfolded state. These abutting-side shock-absorbing members 9, 9 are provided so as to protrude from the abutting end faces of each divided plate section 4, 4. These abutting-side shock-absorbing members 9, 9 may be provided so as to abut each other, or they may be provided so as to abut the abutting end of the divided plate section 4 on the side other than the side on which they are provided. The abutting-side shock-absorbing members 9, 9 may be provided only at the abutting end of one of the pair of divided plate sections 4, 4, or they may be provided at both ends.

[0021] Each segmented plate section 4,4 is provided with shock-absorbing members 9,9 on its outer side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding to mitigate the impact when it is displaced from the deployed side to the folded state. These shock-absorbing members 9,9 on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are provided on the back side of each segmented plate section 4,4 and may be provided so as to abut against the upper end portion of the outer leg portion 26,26 of each support leg 20,20 in the folded state, as shown in Figure 3 (see also Figure 4). These shock-absorbing members 9,9 may be formed from an appropriate rubber material such as SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber). In place of, or in addition to, such shock-absorbing members 9,9, an appropriate damper that absorbs the impact when displacing from the folded side to the unfolded state, or an appropriate damper that absorbs the impact when displacing from the unfolded side to the folded state, may be provided.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the top plate connecting supports 11, 11 that constitute the connecting mechanism 10 have a length smaller than the length of the outer leg portion 26 of the support leg 20 along the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the length of the top plate connecting supports 11, 11 is shown to be approximately half the length of the outer leg portion 26, but it may be set to an appropriate size depending on the dimensions of each divided plate portion 4, 4 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. Lower end support arms 18, 18, which constitute the connecting mechanism 10, are connected to the lower ends of these top plate connecting columns 11, 11. The lower end support arms 18, 18 are elongated members that, when unfolded, extend from the lower ends of the top plate connecting columns 11, 11 toward the support parts 2, 2 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. These lower end support arms 18, 18 are provided to connect the lower ends of the top plate connecting columns 11, 11 with the support parts 2, 2 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. When the lower end support arms 18, 18 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are displaced between the folded state and the unfolded state, they are displaced in a manner that is roughly parallel to each divided plate section 4, 4 when viewed in the width direction of the scaffolding.

[0023] A long connecting crossbar 16, extending in the direction of the scaffolding width, is provided between the lower ends of the top plate connecting support columns 11, 11 (see Figure 4). The end of the lower end support arm 18, 18 on the side facing the center of the scaffolding in the longitudinal direction, which is one side in the longitudinal direction, is rotatably connected to a connecting part provided on the connecting crossbar 16 around a connecting shaft 17, 17 that runs along the direction of the scaffolding width. As shown in Figure 4, a pair of lower end support arms 18, 18 are connected to each of the longitudinal ends of the connecting crossbar 16 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. In other words, four lower end support arms 18, 18 are provided. The pair of lower end support arms 18, 18 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are positioned offset from each other in the width direction of the scaffolding so that they can be superimposed in the width direction of the scaffolding when folded, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0024] The ends of the lower support arms 18, 18 on the other longitudinal side in the scaffolding's longitudinal direction are connected to intermediate crossbars 28, 28 which are provided to span between the outer legs 26, 26 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of each divided plate section 4, 4. These intermediate crossbars 28, 28 are elongated in the direction of the scaffolding's width and are provided to connect the roughly central parts in the longitudinal direction of the outer legs 26, 26 of each divided plate section 4, 4. In the deployed state, the ends of the two lower support arms 18, 18 extending toward one side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are connected to intermediate crossbars 28 between the pair of support legs 20, 20 constituting the first support section 2A at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the outer ends of the two lower support arms 18, 18 that extend toward the other side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding when deployed are connected to the intermediate crossbar section 28 between the pair of support legs 20, 20 that constitute the second support section 2B, at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The outer ends of these lower support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are rotatably connected to connecting parts provided on the intermediate crossbar section 28, 28 around connecting shafts 19, 19 that run along the width direction of the scaffolding (see Figure 4). The intermediate crossbar section 28, 28 may be rectangular or cylindrical in shape.

[0025] The connecting mechanism 10 includes auxiliary arms 15, 15 that connect the top plate connecting columns 11, 11 and the support parts 2, 2 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. When deployed, the auxiliary arms 15, 15 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are arranged in an inclined manner so that they become downward as they move outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding from the upper end of the top plate connecting columns 11, 11. The length of these auxiliary arms 15, 15 is greater than the length of the lower end support arms 18, 18 described above. The ends of these auxiliary arms 15, 15 on one side in the longitudinal direction, which are the central ends in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, are connected to sliding members 12, 12 that are provided to slide vertically relative to the top plate connecting columns 11, 11. A pair of auxiliary arms 15, 15 are connected to each of the sliding members 12, 12 provided on each of the two top plate connecting columns 11, 11, on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. In other words, four auxiliary arms 15, 15 are provided. These auxiliary arms 15, 15 are positioned on the outside in the width direction of the scaffolding relative to the lower end support arms 18, 18.

[0026] Each sliding member 12, 12 has a cylindrical portion through which the top plate connecting support columns 11, 11 are inserted, and connecting portions that protrude from the cylindrical portion on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. The ends of the auxiliary arms 15, 15 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are rotatably connected to the connecting portions on both sides of each sliding member 12, 12 around connecting axes 14, 14 that run along the width direction of the scaffolding. The pair of auxiliary arms 15, 15 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are positioned to coincide in the width direction of the scaffolding. A long connecting crossbar 13 extending in the width direction of the scaffolding is provided to span between the sliding members 12, 12 on both sides in the width direction of the scaffolding. The ends of the auxiliary arms 15, 15 on the other longitudinal side of the scaffolding, which are on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, are rotatably connected around connecting shafts 19, 19 that run along the width direction of the scaffolding to connecting parts provided on the intermediate crossbars 28, 28, similar to the outer ends of the lower end support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding (see Figure 4). In the deployed state, the outer ends of the two auxiliary arms 15, 15 extending toward one side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are connected to the intermediate crossbar 28 between the pair of support legs 20, 20 constituting the first support section 2A at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the outer ends of the two auxiliary arms 15, 15 extending toward the other side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state are connected to the intermediate crossbar 28 between the pair of support legs 20, 20 constituting the second support section 2B at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, each divided plate section 4, 4 and support section 2, 2 (support legs 20, 20) connected by the connecting mechanism 10 configured as described above can be displaced between a folded state and an unfolded state. When folding the mobile scaffolding 1 from its deployed state, as shown in Figure 2, the divided plate sections 4, 4 are rotated around the connecting axes 6, 6 to move the abutting ends of each divided plate section 4, 4 upward, displacing them in a mountain-fold shape. As a result, the top plate connecting columns 11, 11 move upward, and the central side of the lower end support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding moves upward. Along with these movements, the pair of support sections 2, 2 rotate relative to each divided plate section 4, 4 around the connecting axes 8, 8, and are displaced toward each other. In addition, the central side of the auxiliary arms 15, 15 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding moves downward relative to the top plate connecting columns 11, 11 so that it is closer to the central end of the lower end support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding.

[0028] Furthermore, by displacing the divided plate sections 4,4 in a foldable shape and bringing the pair of support sections 2,2 closer together, the mobile scaffolding 1 becomes folded, as shown in Figure 3. In this folded state, the pair of support sections 2,2 are close together, and the divided plate sections 4,4 connected to each of these support sections 2,2 are close to the outside of them. Also, in the folded state, each divided plate section 4,4 is arranged parallel to each other so that its thickness direction is horizontal. The upper parts of the top plate connecting columns 11,11 and auxiliary arms 15,15 and lower end support arms 18,18 on both sides in the width direction of the scaffolding, which constitute the connecting mechanism 10, are arranged in the space between these divided plate sections 4,4, and the upper ends of each support leg 20 are also arranged there. The dimensions along the thickness direction of each segmented plate section 4,4 of the mobile scaffolding 1 in its folded state (same direction as the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in its unfolded state) may be set to an appropriate size from the viewpoint of ensuring stability when moving the scaffolding in its folded state and saving space when storing it. For example, it may be around 300mm to 500mm, or around 350mm to 450mm. The dimensions along the thickness direction of each segmented plate section 4,4 of the mobile scaffolding 1 in its folded state include the dimensions of the parts containing the wheels 25,25.

[0029] When unfolding the mobile scaffolding 1 from its folded state, conversely to the above, displacing the lower ends of each divided plate section 4, 4 in their folded state causes the top plate connecting supports 11, 11 to move downward, and the central side of the lower end support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding also moves downward. As a result of these movements, the pair of support parts 2, 2 rotate relative to each divided plate section 4, 4 around the connecting axis 8, 8 and are displaced to move away from each other. In addition, the central side of the auxiliary arms 15, 15 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding moves upward relative to the top plate connecting supports 11, 11 so that it moves away from the central end of the lower end support arms 18, 18 in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. As described above, when the scaffolding is displaced between the folded and unfolded states, when viewed in the width direction of the scaffolding (front view), the divided plate section 4, support section 2 (first support section 2A), lower end support arm 18, and top plate connecting column 11 on one side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are displaced in the shape of a four-joint parallel link, and the divided plate section 4, support section 2 (second support section 2B), lower end support arm 18, and top plate connecting column 11 on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are displaced in the shape of a four-joint parallel link. In addition, at this time, due to the restriction by the auxiliary arms 15, 15 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, the divided plate sections 4, 4, support sections 2, 2, and lower end support arms 18, 18 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding are displaced symmetrically with respect to the center line in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding as the axis of symmetry. The connecting mechanism 10 provided on the mobile scaffolding 1 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be configured in various other ways.

[0030] The locking mechanism 40 is configured to maintain the folded state of the mobile scaffolding 1. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the locking mechanism 40 includes a locking part 49 provided on the first support part 2A and a locking receiving part 41 provided on the second support part 2B, which the locking part 49 engages with. The locking part 49 is configured to engage with the locking receiving part 41 of the second support part 2B and maintain the folded state when it is displaced in a direction that brings it closer to the second support part 2B. With this configuration, if the pair of divided plate parts 4, 4 are displaced in a folded shape, and the pair of support parts 2, 2 are displaced to bring them closer together, that is, when displaced from the unfolded state to the folded state, the locking part 49 of the first support part 2A engages with the locking receiving part 41 of the second support part 2B and enters a locked position. This makes it easy to maintain the mobile scaffolding 1 in a folded state. Furthermore, since the locking portion 49 and the locking receiving portion 41 are provided on the pair of support portions 2, 2 which are located inside the outer peripheral ends of the pair of divided plate portions 4, 4 (towards the center in the width direction and longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state), these are less likely to get caught on surrounding members and less likely to get in the way compared to a configuration in which the locking portion and locking receiving portion are provided on the outer peripheral ends of the pair of divided plate portions 4, 4, for example.

[0031] At least one of the locking portion 49 and the locking receiving portion 41 is provided with an inclined guide surface 49a that displaces the locking portion 49 so as to cause it to lock into the locking receiving portion 41 by contact with each other as the pair of support portions 2,2 are displaced toward each other. With this configuration, by displacing the pair of support portions 2,2 toward each other, the locking portion 49 can be locked into the locking receiving portion 41 by the guiding action of the inclined guide surface 49a of at least one of the locking portion 49 and the locking receiving portion 41. The mobile scaffolding 1 (locking mechanism 40) is equipped with a biasing member 44 that biases the locking portion 49 toward the locked position. With this configuration, for example, compared to a configuration in which the locking portion 49 is locked by its own weight, the locking portion 49 can be stably locked, and it is possible to suppress unintentional unlocking due to vibrations during transportation. The mobile scaffolding 1 (locking mechanism 40) is equipped with an operating unit 48 that displaces the locking portion 49 to the unlocked position against the biasing force of the biasing member 44. With this configuration, the operating unit 48 displaces the locking portion 49 to the unlocked position against the biasing force of the biasing member 44, thereby allowing the mobile scaffolding 1 to be moved from the folded state to the unfolded state by moving the locking portion 49 from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0032] The operating section 48 is positioned below the lower ends of each dividing plate section 4, 4 in the folded state (see also Figure 3). With this configuration, the pair of dividing plate sections 4, 4 are less likely to get in the way compared to a configuration where the operating section 48 is positioned between the pair of dividing plate sections 4, 4 in the folded state, and the operability when unlocking can be improved. The operating part 48 is lever-shaped and is displaced away from the second support part 2B when displacing the locking part 49 to the unlocking side. With this configuration, the locking part 49 can be set to the unlocked position by displacing the lever-shaped operating part 48 away from the second support part 2B. This makes it easier to displace the operating part 48 to the unlocking side while simultaneously deploying the mobile scaffolding 1, that is, displacing the first support part 2A and the second support part 2B away from each other, compared to, for example, a configuration in which the operating part is displaced vertically or rotated. The locking portion 49, including the operating portion 48, and the locking receiving portion 41 are provided only on one side in the scaffolding width direction of the pair of support portions 2, 2. With this configuration, the locking portion 49 can be displaced to the unlocking side by operating the operating portion 48 on one side in the scaffolding width direction, making it easier to unlock compared to a configuration in which operating portions are provided on both sides in the scaffolding width direction.

[0033] Specifically, the locking mechanism 49 is provided on the first support leg 20A of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of the first support section 2A, which is on one side in the scaffolding width direction. The lock receiving mechanism 41 is provided on the first support leg 20A of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of the second support section 2B, which is on one side in the scaffolding width direction. The locking mechanism 49 and the lock receiving mechanism 41, including the operating mechanism 48, are provided on the outer side in the scaffolding width direction of each first support leg 20A, 20A. With this configuration, compared to configurations where the mechanisms are provided on the center side or opposite side in the scaffolding width direction of each first support leg 20A, 20A, the operability when unlocking can be improved, and the gap between the pair of support sections 2, 2 in the folded state can be effectively reduced. The locking section 49, including the operating section 48, and the locking receiving section 41 are provided on each of the first support legs 20A, 20A so as to be at approximately the same height. With this configuration, the vertical dimensions of the locking section 49, including the operating section 48, and the locking receiving section 41 can be made more compact. The height at which these are provided may be set to an appropriate height from the viewpoint of the operability of the operating section 48, etc. For example, the operating section 48 may be provided at a position of approximately 20 mm to 400 mm from the lower end of each divided plate section 4, 4 in the folded state, or at a position of approximately 40 mm to 200 mm.

[0034] As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), the lock receiving portion 41 is provided on the outer side wall in the scaffolding width direction of the outer leg portion 26 of the first support leg 20A of the second support portion 2B. The lock receiving portion 41 is provided with a receiving recess 42 for receiving the lock portion 49, which will be described later. The receiving recess 42 is provided to open upward. In the illustrated example, the receiving recess 42 also opens outward in the scaffolding width direction. This receiving recess 42 is divided by a bottom wall portion and side wall portions on both sides, which are provided to protrude outward in the scaffolding width direction from the outer side wall of the outer leg portion 26 in the scaffolding width direction. The bottom wall portion and side wall portions on both sides that define this receiving recess 42 may be provided by welding or the like to an appropriate base plate that is fixed to the outer side wall of the outer leg portion 26 in the scaffolding width direction by welding or appropriate fasteners. Of the two side walls that define the receiving recess 42, the side wall on the side of the first support portion 2A constitutes a locking wall portion 42a that engages the lock portion 49.

[0035] The locking portion 49 is provided on a locking member 46 that is displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position by a locking holding portion 43 provided on the outer side wall in the scaffolding width direction of the outer leg portion 26 of the first support leg 20A of the first support portion 2A. The base end portion of this locking member 46 is rotatably held relative to the locking holding portion 43 around a locking axis 47 that is along the scaffolding width direction, and the tip end that faces the locking portion 49 is provided to protrude toward the second support portion 2B, and is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding when deployed. The locking portion 43 is provided with side walls spaced apart in the width direction of the scaffolding to define a receiving recess for receiving the base end portion of the locking member 46. The locking shaft 47 is held so as to span across the side walls of the locking portion 43. The locking portion 43 may be provided by welding or the like to a suitable base plate which is fixed to the outer side wall of the outer leg portion 26 in the width direction of the scaffolding by welding or appropriate fasteners.

[0036] The biasing member 44 is positioned between the side walls of the locking retaining portion 43. With this configuration, the biasing member 44 becomes less conspicuous and unintentional contact of fingers or other body parts with the biasing member 44 can be suppressed. The biasing member 44 engages with a receiving portion 46a provided on the base end of the locking member 46. This receiving portion 46a is provided so as to protrude outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state from the portion of the locking member 46 where the locking shaft 47 is provided. The biasing member 44 is a compression coil spring that biases this receiving portion 46a upward. In other words, the biasing member 44 biases the tip side of the locking member 46 downward. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 44 is configured such that its lower end is held by the bottom wall portion that defines the bottom side of the receiving recess of the locking holding portion 43, and its upper end abuts against the lower surface side of the receiving portion 46a. The biasing member 44 that biases the locking portion 49 toward the locked position is not limited to a compression coil spring, but may also be a tension coil spring, a torsion spring, or other springs or rubber.

[0037] The locking mechanism 40 is provided with a stopper portion 45 to prevent excessive displacement of the locking member 46 further forward from its locked position. In the illustrated example, the stopper portion 45 is shown to abut against the lower surface of the tip side of the portion of the locking member 46 where the locking shaft 47 is provided, but the mechanism is not limited to this example. As shown in Figure 7(b), the operating part 48 is provided so as to protrude upward from a portion of the locking member 46 in the longitudinal direction when the locking part 49 is engaged with the locking receiving part 41 (engaged state). In the illustrated example, the operating part 48 is provided slightly towards the tip of the portion of the locking member 46 where the locking shaft 47 is provided. As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), the operating part 48 is plate-shaped with its thickness direction aligned with the longitudinal direction of the locking member 46. As shown in Figure 8(b), if the operating part 48 is displaced in a direction away from the second support part 2B against the biasing force of the biasing member 44 (generally outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state), the locking member 46 rotates around the locking shaft 47 and the locking part 49 is displaced upward to the unlocked side. A suitable stopper may be provided to prevent further displacement of the operating part 48 to the unlocked side. The operating section 48 is not limited to a flat plate shape as shown in the figure, but may be of an appropriate shape to facilitate manual operation.

[0038] The locking portion 49 is provided at the tip of the locking member 46. This locking portion 49 is provided so as to protrude downward from the tip of the locking member 46. As shown in Figure 8(a), the locking portion 49 is provided with an inclined guide surface 49a that displaces the locking member 46 against the biasing force of the biasing member 44 so as the pair of support portions 2,2 are displaced toward each other, thereby overcoming the locking wall portion 42a of the locking receiving portion 41. In other words, in this example, the inclined guide surface 49a is provided on the locking portion 49, which is at least one of the locking portion 49 and the locking receiving portion 41. This inclined guide surface 49a is an inclined surface that, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding at the locked position, overlaps with the upper edge of the locking wall portion 42a, and is inclined to be outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding as it is directed downward. In the illustrated example, the upper edge of the inclined guide surface 49a is located at approximately the same height as the axis of the lock shaft 47 when the locking portion 49 is in the locked position, but the example is not limited to this.

[0039] The locking portion 49 is provided with a locking surface 49b that engages with the locking wall portion 42a. This locking surface 49b is positioned so that when the locking portion 49 is locked, it faces outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding and is substantially parallel and substantially perpendicular to the locking surface that is on the inner surface side of the recess of the locking wall portion 42a of the lock receiving portion 41. The dimensions of the locking member 46 configured as described above, along the width direction of the scaffolding, may be set to appropriate dimensions from the viewpoint of strength or weight reduction, for example, 10 mm to 40 mm.

[0040] The locking mechanism 40 configured as described above may be locked and unlocked as follows. When the mobile scaffolding 1 is displaced from the unfolded state to the folded state, that is, when the pair of support parts 2, 2 are displaced toward each other, as shown in Figure 8(a), the inclined guide surface 49a of the locking part 49 comes into contact with the upper edge of the locking wall part 42a of the lock receiving part 41, and the locking member 46 rotates toward the unlocked side around the locking shaft 47 due to its guiding action. Furthermore, when the pair of support parts 2, 2 are brought toward each other, the locking member 46 rotates further so that the locking part 49 overcomes the locking wall part 42a due to the guiding action of the inclined guide surface 49a. When the locking part 49 overcomes the locking wall part 42a with further rotation of the locking member 46, the locking member 46 rotates toward the locked side due to the biasing force of the biasing member 44, and becomes the locked position as shown in Figures 7(a) and (b). In other words, the locking surface 49b of the locking portion 49 locks onto the locking wall portion 42a, thereby preventing the pair of support portions 2,2 from moving away from each other, that is, preventing the mobile scaffolding 1 from moving toward the deployment side.

[0041] To release the lock on the locking member 46, which is set to the locked position as described above, the operating part 48 is displaced outward in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, away from the second support part 2B, as shown in Figure 8(b). This causes the locking member 46 to rotate to the unlocked position around the locking axis 47, and the locking part 49 is displaced to the unlocked position, outside the receiving recess 42 of the locking receiving part 41. In this state, by separating the pair of support parts 2, 2 from each other, the mobile scaffolding 1 can be displaced from the folded state to the unfolded state. Then, when the hand is released from the operating part 48, the locking member 46 returns to its initial locked position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 44. The locking mechanism 40 described above can be easily locked and unlocked by one person. In other words, the folding and unfolding of the mobile scaffolding 1 can be easily performed by one person.

[0042] The locking mechanism 40 provided on the mobile scaffolding 1 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, in the above example, the operating part 48 is shown as a lever that is displaced away from the second support part 2B when the locking part 49 is displaced to the unlocking side, but it may also be a lever that is displaced in the opposite direction or in one of the up or down directions, or a knob that is rotated. In the example described above, the operation of the operating part 48 is required when displacing the locking part 49 to the unlocking side. However, instead of this configuration, the locking part 49 may be displaced to the unlocking side accompanied by the relative separation of the pair of support parts 2, 2. In the example described above, the locking mechanism 40 is shown to be provided only on one side in the scaffolding width direction of the pair of support parts 2,2, but it may also be provided on both sides in the scaffolding width direction. In the example described above, the operating section 48 is positioned below the lower end of each divided plate section 4, 4 in the folded state. However, it may also be configured to be positioned between each divided plate section 4, 4 in the folded state. In the example described above, the locking mechanism 40 is shown to be provided with a biasing member 44 that biases the locking portion 49 toward the locked position, but a configuration without such a biasing member 44 is also possible. The locking mechanism 40 provided on the mobile scaffolding 1 may have various other configurations.

[0043] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the support leg 20 (height adjustment mechanism 30) includes a locking part 38 that engages with lock receiving parts 22 provided at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the inner leg 21 via lock insertion holes 27 provided in the outer leg 26, and an operating part 37 that displaces the locking part 38 to the unlocked side. With this configuration, the height of the unfolded top plate 3 can be adjusted by relatively displacing the inner leg 21 in the longitudinal direction relative to the outer leg 26. The operating section 37 of the height adjustment mechanism 30 can be unlocked while gripping the horizontal bar (gripping horizontal bar) 29, which is provided to span between the outer legs 26, 26 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of each divided plate section 4, 4. With this configuration, when adjusting the height, the operating section 37 can be operated to the unlock side while gripping the gripping horizontal bar 29, making height adjustment easier compared to a configuration where it is necessary to unlock the mechanism and then switch to the top plate section 3 to adjust the height.

[0044] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mobile scaffolding 1 is equipped with lower end crossbars 24, 24 that are provided to span between the inner leg portions 21, 21 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of each divided plate section 4, 4. With this configuration, the outer leg portions 26, 26 and inner leg portions 21, 21 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 are connected by the upper gripping crossbar 29 and the lower end crossbar 24, respectively, thereby improving strength. Furthermore, for example, the top plate section 3 can be raised by gripping the upper gripping crossbar 29 while holding down the lower end crossbar 24 with the foot, allowing for smooth height adjustment. The lower end crossbars 24, 24 and gripping crossbars 29, 29 of the pair of support sections 2, 2 have similar configurations, so one will be used as an example in the following explanation. Furthermore, since each support leg 20 and the height adjustment mechanism 30 provided on each of them have the same configuration, one will be used as an example in the following explanation.

[0045] The lower crossbar portion 24 is fixed at each of its longitudinal ends to connecting portions 23, 23 that extend in a direction facing each other from the lower ends of the inner leg portions 21, 21 of the pair of support legs 20, 20. This lower crossbar portion 24 may be in the shape of a square tube or a cylindrical shape. The gripping crossbar portion 29 is provided so as to be located between the lower end crossbar portion 24 and the intermediate crossbar portion 28 described above. The longitudinal ends of the gripping crossbar portion 29 are fixed to the lower end portions of the outer leg portions 26, 26 of the pair of support legs 20, 20. In the illustrated example, the gripping crossbar portion 29 is provided so as to be located approximately in the vertical center of the portion of the outer leg portions 26, 26 that is lower than the portion where the intermediate crossbar portion 28 is provided. As shown in Figure 9(a), the gripping crossbar 29 is cylindrical. This configuration makes it easier to grip compared to a rectangular cylindrical configuration. The outer diameter of the gripping crossbar 29 may be set to an appropriate diameter from the viewpoint of gripping ability, for example, it may be around 25mm to 45mm or around 30mm to 40mm.

[0046] As shown in Figure 9(b), the operating section 37 is provided so as to protrude from the outer leg portion 26 along the longitudinal direction of the gripping crossbar portion 29 and is located below the gripping crossbar portion 29. With this configuration, when the longitudinal ends of the gripping crossbar portion 29 are grasped with both hands, the operating sections 37, 37 of the support legs 20, 20 on both sides are in a position that makes them easy to operate with the fingers of each hand. The support leg 20 (height adjustment mechanism 30) is equipped with a biasing member 33 that biases the locking portion 38 toward the locked position. With this configuration, for example, compared to a configuration in which the locking portion is locked by its own weight, the locking portion 38 can be stably locked, and it is possible to suppress unintentional unlocking due to vibration or the like.

[0047] As shown in Figure 10(a), the locking portion 38 is provided with an inclined guide surface 38a that, when the outer leg portion 26 is displaced upward relative to the inner leg portion 21, contacts the upper edge portion 22a of the lock receiving portion 22, causing the locking portion 38 to be displaced toward the unlocked side against the biasing force of the biasing member 33. With this configuration, when adjusting the height of the top plate portion 3 to raise it, by gripping the gripping crossbar portion 29 or the top plate portion 3 and displacing the outer leg portions 26, 26 upward relative to the inner leg portions 21, 21, the inclined guide surface 38a contacts the upper edge portion 22a of the lock receiving portion 22, and the locking portion 38 is displaced toward the unlocked side by its guiding action. In other words, when adjusting the height of the top plate portion 3 to raise it, the height adjustment can be performed without requiring an unlocking operation by the operating portion 37.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 6, the height adjustment mechanisms 30, 30 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 are positioned below each longitudinal end of the gripping crossbar 29. In other words, the height adjustment mechanisms 30, 30 are positioned on the opposing sides of the pair of support legs 20, 20 (towards the center in the width direction of the scaffolding (towards the center in the width direction of the mobile scaffolding 1 itself)). As shown in Figures 9(a) and (b), the lock receiving portion 22 is a through-hole that penetrates the side wall on the opposite side (center side in the width direction of the scaffolding) of the inner leg portion 21. When viewed in the direction of penetration, this lock receiving portion 22 is approximately rectangular in shape. The inner diameter of this lock receiving portion 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the lock portion 38 so that the lock portion 38, which will be described later, can be received. The number and pitch (spacing) of the lock receiving parts 22, which are provided at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the inner leg portion 21, may be set to an appropriate number and pitch depending on the desired height adjustment stage and degree. For example, 3 to 10 lock receiving parts 22 may be provided at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the inner leg portion 21, or they may be provided at a pitch of approximately 50 mm to 200 mm. Furthermore, the pitch of the lock receiving parts 22 is not limited to uniform and may be uneven. For example, the pitch of the lock receiving parts 22 provided on one of the upper end half and the lower end half of the inner leg portion 21 may be smaller than the pitch of the lock receiving parts 22 provided on the other end, and the pitch of the lock receiving parts 22 may decrease towards the upper end (or lower end) of the inner leg portion 21. The lock receiving parts 22 are not limited to through holes, but may also be recesses or various other configurations.

[0049] The locking portion 38 is held so as to be displaceable in the width direction of the scaffolding by a holding portion 31 provided on the side wall on the opposite side (center side in the width direction of the scaffolding) of the outer leg portion 26. The holding portion 31 may be provided by welding or the like to a suitable base plate which is fixed to the side wall on the opposite side of the outer leg portion 26 by welding or a suitable fastener. This locking portion 38 is shaped like a rectangular prism that is elongated in the direction of the width of the scaffolding. A locking insertion hole 27 is provided through the side wall on the opposite side of the outer leg portion 26 (and the base plate of the holding portion 31) through which the locking portion 38 is inserted. An inclined guide surface 38a is provided at the tip of the locking portion 38 that is on the outside in the width direction of the scaffolding. This inclined guide surface 38a is an inclined surface that, when viewed vertically (in a plan view) in the locked position, overlaps with the upper edge 22a of the locking receiving portion 22 and slopes downward towards the tip. The lower surface of the tip of this locking portion 38 constitutes a locked surface 38b that engages with the lower edge of the locking surface of the locking receiving portion 22. The locking portion 38 has an operating portion 37 at its base end and is connected to an operating member 34 which is held by the holding portion 31. In other words, the locking portion 38 is held by the holding portion 31 via the operating member 34.

[0050] The operating member 34 is held by the holding part 31 so as to be rotatable around an operating shaft 35 that is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state. The operating member 34 has support walls that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding in the deployed state to define a receiving recess for receiving the base end of the locking part 38 below the operating shaft 35. A connecting shaft 39, which is inserted through an insertion hole in the base end of the locking part 38, is provided across these support walls. This connecting shaft 39 is positioned directly below the operating shaft 35 in the locked position. The support walls of the operating member 34 are provided with insertion holes 36, 36 through which the connecting shaft 39 is inserted. These insertion holes 36, 36 are elongated in the vertical direction when locked, so as the operating member 34 rotates around the operating shaft 35, the connecting shaft 39 of the locking part 38 is guided along the guide holes 32, 32 (described later) and displaced in the scaffolding width direction, the connecting shaft 39 of the locking part 38 is guided along these guide holes 32, 32 and displaced in the scaffolding width direction.

[0051] The holding portion 31 has holding walls that define a receiving recess for receiving the operating member 34, including the locking portion 38, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding when it is deployed. The operating shaft 35 is held so as to span between these holding walls. These holding walls are also provided with elongated guide holes 32, 32 in the direction of the width of the scaffolding, which allow the connecting shaft 39 to be displaceable in the direction of the width of the scaffolding. These guide holes 32, 32 are provided so as to extend from the part directly below the operating shaft 35 toward the opposite side (towards the center in the width direction of the scaffolding). As shown in Figure 9(b), the locked position is when the connecting shaft 39 of the locking part 38 is in contact with the outer edge of the guide holes 32, 32 in the scaffolding width direction. As shown in Figure 10(b), the unlocked position is when the connecting shaft 39 of the locking part 38 is in contact with the central edge of the guide holes 32, 32 in the scaffolding width direction. The connecting shaft 39 of the locking part 38 is displaced so as it moves from the locked position to the unlocked position that it moves radially outward from the axis of the operating shaft 35.

[0052] The outer edge of the guide holes 32, 32 in the scaffolding width direction may function as a stopper to prevent excessive displacement of the locking portion 38 further forward from the locked position. Alternatively, the central edge of the guide holes 32, 32 in the scaffolding width direction may function as a stopper to prevent excessive displacement of the locking portion 38 further forward from the unlocked position. The through holes 36, 36 are elongated holes that are aligned with the radial direction of the operating shaft 35 to allow for the displacement of the connecting shaft 39 relative to the operating member 34 as described above. In the illustrated example, the connecting shaft 39 abuts against the hole edge on the axial side of the operating shaft 35 in the through holes 36, 36 in the locked position, and abuts against the hole edge on the radially outer side of the operating shaft 35 in the through holes 36, 36 in the unlocked position.

[0053] The operating section 37 is provided such that, when the locking section 38 is in the locked position, it protrudes toward the opposite side (towards the center in the width direction of the scaffolding) from the portion of the operating member 34 where the operating shaft 35 is provided. In the illustrated example, the operating section 37 is provided so as to protrude toward the opposite side from a portion slightly above the portion of the operating member 34 where the operating shaft 35 is provided. As shown in Figures 9(a) and (b), the operating section 37 is plate-shaped with its thickness direction aligned with the vertical direction when the locking section 38 is in the locked position. The operating section 37 is configured to be operable by hand when the locking section 38 is in the locked position and gripping the gripping crossbar 29. The operating section 37 is not limited to a flat plate shape as shown in the illustrated example, and may be shaped in an appropriate way to facilitate hand operation. As shown in Figure 10(b), by rotating the operating member 34 around the operating shaft 35 so that the tip of the operating part 37 is displaced upward, the locking part 38 connected to the operating member 34 is displaced towards the center in the width direction of the scaffolding, moving from the locked position to the unlocked position. The dimensions of the operating member 34 and locking part 38 configured as described above, along the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding, may be set to appropriate dimensions from the viewpoint of strength or weight reduction, for example, 10 mm to 40 mm may be used.

[0054] The biasing member 33 is positioned between the retaining walls of the retaining portion 31. With this configuration, the biasing member 33 becomes less conspicuous, and unintentional contact of fingers or other body parts with the biasing member 33 can be suppressed. The biasing member 33 engages with a receiving portion 37a provided on the operating member 34. This receiving portion 37a is provided so as to protrude upward from the portion of the operating member 34 where the operating shaft 35 is located, which is the base end portion of the operating portion 37, when in the locked position. The biasing member 33 is a compression coil spring that biases this receiving portion 37a toward the center in the scaffolding width direction. In other words, the biasing member 33 biases the tip side of the operating portion 37 toward the downward direction. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 33 is configured such that its outer end in the scaffolding width direction is held by the side wall side of the outer leg portion 26, and its center end in the scaffolding width direction abuts against the outer surface of the receiving portion 46a in the scaffolding width direction. The biasing member 33 that biases the lock portion 38 toward the locked position is not limited to a compression coil spring, but may also be a tension coil spring, a torsion spring, or other springs or rubber.

[0055] The top plate section 3 may be adjusted in height as follows by the height adjustment mechanism 30 configured as described above. As shown in Figure 5, when raising the top plate 3, which is set to a low position (lowest limit position in the example), the gripping crossbar 29 of one of the pair of support parts 2,2 is grasped, and the scaffolding is raised by lifting one side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding so that the length of the support legs 20,20 on the side of the support part 2 is increased. As a result, the locking parts 38,38, provided on each support leg 20,20 on the side of the support part 2, are released from the locking receiving parts 22,22 by the guiding action of the inclined guide surfaces 38a,38a of the locking parts 38,38, which are provided on the support legs 20,20 on the side of the support part 2, and the locking parts 38,38 are released from the locking receiving parts 22,22 against the biasing force of the biasing members 33,33. Furthermore, each time the locking portion 38, 38 reaches an adjacent locking receiving portion 22, 22 on the upper side, it is locked by the biasing force of the biasing member 33, 33. However, as described above, the guiding action of the inclined guide surfaces 38a, 38a releases it, allowing the outer legs 26, 26 of each support leg 20, 20 on one support portion 2 to be raised relative to the inner legs 21, 21. In other words, it can be raised without requiring operation of the operating portions 37, 37. Then, each locking portion 38, 38 on one support portion 2 is locked to the locking receiving portion 22, 22 at the desired height. At this time, it may be done with the lower end crossbar 24 of one of the pair of support portions 2, 2 being stepped on with the foot.

[0056] Next, the gripping crossbar 29 of the other support part 2 of the pair of support parts 2, 2 on the opposite side is grasped, and the other side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding is raised so that the length of the support legs 20, 20 on the other support part 2 side is increased. This allows the outer legs 26, 26 of each support leg 20, 20 on the other support part 2 side to be raised relative to the inner legs 21, 21. Then, by locking each lock part 38, 38 on the other support part 2 side to the lock receiving parts 22, 22 which are at the same height as the one support part 2 side described above, the top plate 3 can be raised to a higher position (upper limit position in the illustrated example), as shown in Figure 6.

[0057] On the other hand, when lowering the top plate 3, which is positioned high, by gripping the gripping crossbar 29 of one of the pair of support parts 2,2 and operating the operating parts 37,37 located at both ends of it to the unlock position, the outer legs 26,26 of the support legs 20,20 on one of the support parts 2 will descend relative to the inner legs 21,21 due to their own weight. Then, when the desired height is reached, releasing the fingers from the operating parts 37,37 will cause the biasing force of the biasing members 33,33 to lock the lock parts 38,38 and engage with the lock receiving parts 22,22. Furthermore, while gripping the gripping crossbar 29 of the other support part 2 of the pair of support parts 2, 2 on the opposite side from the above, if the operating parts 37, 37 located at both ends are operated to the unlock side as described above, the outer legs 26, 26 of the support legs 20, 20 on the other support part 2 side will descend relative to the inner legs 21, 21 due to their own weight. When they reach the same height as the other support part 2 side, releasing the fingers from the operating parts 37, 37 will cause the biasing force of the biasing members 33, 33 to lock the lock parts 38, 38 and engage with the lock receiving parts 22, 22. This allows the top plate part 3 to be placed in a lower position. The height of the tabletop 3 can be easily adjusted by one person using the height adjustment mechanism 30 described above.

[0058] The height adjustment mechanism 30 provided on the mobile scaffolding 1 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, although the above example shows an example in which an inclined guide surface 38a is provided on the locking part 38, the inclined guide surface may be provided on the lock receiving part 22 side instead or in addition to this, or a configuration without such an inclined guide surface may be used. In other words, the configuration may also require a lock release operation by the operating part 37 when adjusting the height to raise the top plate part 3. In the example described above, the height adjustment mechanism 30 is shown to be equipped with a biasing member 33 that biases the locking portion 38 toward the locked position, but a configuration without such a biasing member 33 is also possible. In the example described above, the operating part 37 is shown to be located below the gripping crossbar 29. However, instead of this configuration, it may be positioned at an appropriate location such as above the gripping crossbar 29 or on one side in the longitudinal direction of the scaffolding. Any position and shape that allows the lock release operation to be performed while gripping the gripping crossbar 29 is acceptable. The height adjustment mechanism 30 provided on the mobile scaffolding 1 may have various other configurations.

[0059] The support parts 2,2, divided plate parts 4,4, connecting mechanism 10, height adjustment mechanism 30, and locking mechanism 40 described above may be made of metal as appropriate from the standpoint of strength, etc. In the example described above, a lower crossbar portion 24 is provided so as to span between the inner leg portions 21, 21 of the pair of support legs 20, 20 of each support portion 2, 2, but a configuration without such a lower crossbar portion 24 is also possible. In the example described above, a wheel 25 is provided at the lower end of each support part 2 (each support leg 20), but a configuration without such wheels 25 is also possible. In the example described above, a pair of support legs 20,20 are provided on each of the two support sections 2,2 in the direction of the scaffolding width. However, instead of these two support legs 20,20, a configuration in which frame-shaped or plate-shaped support sections 2,2 are connected to the back side of each divided plate section 4,4 is also possible. The example described above shows a configuration in which a height adjustment mechanism 30 is provided to allow height adjustment of the top plate 3 of the mobile scaffolding 1. However, the configuration may also be one without such a height adjustment mechanism 30, or it may be a configuration with a height adjustment mechanism of other configurations. The specific configurations of each member and part of the mobile scaffolding 1 according to the above embodiment are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1 Mobile scaffolding 2 Support part 2A 1st support part 2B 2nd support part 3. Top panel 4 Divided plate part 10 Connection mechanism 25 wheels 41 Locking receiver 44. Biasing member 48 Control section 49 Lock section

Claims

1. It comprises a pair of divided plate sections that constitute the top plate section in the unfolded state, a pair of support sections whose upper ends are rotatably connected to the back side of each divided plate section, and a connecting mechanism that connects the pair of divided plate sections and the pair of support sections so that the pair of divided plate sections fold in half so that the abutting ends in the unfolded state are on the upper side, and the pair of support sections are able to move between a folded state and the unfolded state. A mobile scaffolding characterized in that one of the pair of support parts, the first support part, is provided with a locking part that engages with a locking receiver provided on the second support part, in accordance with its relative displacement toward the second support part on the other side, thereby maintaining the folded state.

2. In claim 1, A mobile scaffolding comprising a biasing member that biases the locking portion toward the locked position, and an operating unit that displaces the locking portion toward the unlocked position against the biasing force of the biasing member.

3. In claim 2, The movable scaffolding is characterized in that the operating section is positioned below the lower end of each divided plate section in the folded state.

4. In claim 2, A mobile scaffold characterized in that the locking portion and the locking receiving portion, including the operating portion, are provided only on one side in the scaffolding width direction that is perpendicular to the abutting direction and thickness direction of the pair of divided plate portions in the pair of support portions.

5. In claim 2, The movable scaffolding is characterized in that the operating part is lever-shaped and displaced in a direction away from the second support when the locking part is displaced to the unlocking side.

6. In any one of claims 1 to 5, A mobile scaffold characterized in that the pair of support parts have wheels at their lower ends.

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