Dollies and pallets

Abstract

To provide a trolley and pallet that can facilitate manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transport. [Solution] The trolley of the present invention has a substantially rectangular loading platform and has transfer wheels located at both ends and in the center of the loading platform in the direction of the long side, with their upper edges protruding from a predetermined height above the upper surface of the loading platform and rotating. The pallet of the present invention is a pallet that can be placed on the loading platform of a trolley that can have pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and has a support member that forms a loading surface, legs and transfer wheels. The loading surface has notches at the four corners to avoid the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the loading platform, horizontal movement is restricted when pillars are erected at the four corners. The support member has a plurality of legs and transfer wheels on its upper surface. The transfer wheels are fixed so that their upper edges protrude from a predetermined height above the upper end surfaces of the legs and rotate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cart and a pallet for loading cargo, and more particularly, to a cart and a pallet that can facilitate the transfer of loaded cargo.

Background Art

[0002] Carts for loading cargo are widely used for loading and transporting heavy loads, but since the cargo is a heavy object, a large force is required for loading and unloading. Various devices for facilitating the transfer of cargo to the loading platform of a cart have been proposed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses, as a prior art, a cart provided with a roller conveyor as a transfer unit on its loading platform (paragraphs 0002 to 0005, FIG. 12).

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a cart provided with a belt-conveyor-like endless track as a transfer unit on its loading platform. The endless tracks are respectively provided in two recesses formed in the loading platform, and are stored below the loading surface of the loading platform during transportation so as not to come into contact with the cargo. However, by tilting the cart, the endless tracks protrude above the loading surface to lift the cargo, and by rotating the endless tracks, the cargo is slid and moved on the loading platform.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a cart that is provided with mounting holes at four corners and the centers of the long sides of a rectangular loading platform, and a rod-shaped member for preventing cargo collapse can be inserted into the mounting holes to stand upright.

[0006] Patent Document 4 discloses a cart on which columns standing upright at four corners of a substantially square loading platform can be installed. A pallet, which is provided with notches at four corners and whose horizontal movement is restricted by the columns standing upright at the four corners when placed on the loading platform, can be placed on the cart, so that loading and unloading of cargo on this pallet is facilitated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-321626 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-127978 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-150738 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-028192 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] According to the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 1, while cargo transfer is easy, the stability of the cargo during transport is insufficient. In order to stabilize the cargo by tilting the transfer section, the transfer section is rotated on the platform to tilt it from the horizontal, but the mechanism for rotation is complex and costly, and depending on the type of cargo, tilting itself may cause instability of the cargo and even collapse. Similarly, with the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 2, while the belt conveyor-like endless track can be stored below the loading surface of the platform to transport cargo stably, the platform needs to be tilted in order to support the cargo and assist in transfer by having the track protrude above the loading surface. Therefore, similar to the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 1, the problems of high cost and instability due to tilting the cargo arise.

[0009] The trolley disclosed in Patent Document 4, like the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 3, has rod-shaped members erected at the four corners of the loading platform to prevent cargo collapse. Furthermore, the pallet added for transfer, disclosed in Patent Document 4, is simple and inexpensive, but it is only intended for loading and unloading by lifting with a forklift or suspending with wires, and does not take into account the horizontal transfer of cargo from its loaded state.

[0010] The inventors realized that the trolleys disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are intended to be used mainly at construction and civil engineering sites, carrying loads of nearly one ton, and that their operating environment differs from that of the trolleys disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Because the cargo is heavy, a design that assumes tilting is not permissible. Furthermore, when using the trolley indoors, it is not possible to use forklifts or cranes for lifting with wires, and manual transfer to the extent that the use of a hand lift is permitted is essential.

[0011] The objective of this invention is to facilitate manual transfer of cargo while maintaining stability during transport on trolleys and pallets.

[0012] The means for solving these problems are described below, but other problems and novel features will become clear from the description and accompanying drawings in this specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The trolley of the present invention has a substantially rectangular loading platform and transfer wheels located at both ends and in the center of the loading platform in the direction of its long side, with their upper edges protruding from the upper surface of the loading platform to a predetermined height and rotating.

[0014] The present invention provides a pallet that can be placed on the platform of a trolley, which has pillars erected at the four corners of the platform, and comprises a support member, legs, and transfer wheels that form a loading surface. The loading surface has notches at the four corners to avoid the pillars erected at the four corners of the platform, and when the pallet is placed on the platform, horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners. The support member has a plurality of legs and transfer wheels on its upper surface. The transfer wheels are fixed so that their upper edges protrude from the upper end surfaces of the legs to a predetermined height and rotate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The effects obtained by the present invention can be briefly explained as follows: In other words, it is possible to provide a trolley and pallet that can facilitate manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transport. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the trolley of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the trolley and the pallet of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of cargo transfer according to the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section of a state where the pallets of the present invention are stacked on the trolley. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration example of the pallet of the present invention. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] 1. Overview of Embodiments First, an outline of typical embodiments disclosed in the present application will be described. The reference numerals in the drawings referred to with parentheses in the outline description of the typical embodiments are merely illustrative of what is included in the concept of the constituent elements to which the reference numerals are attached.

[0018] [1] Trolley Equipped with Transfer Wheels on Loading Platform (Figures 1, 2) A typical embodiment disclosed in the present application is a trolley (10) having a substantially rectangular loading platform (4), which is provided with transfer wheels (1) that are positioned at both end sides and the center in the long side direction of the loading platform, and whose upper edge portions rotate while protruding a predetermined height from the upper surface of the loading platform.

[0019] Thereby, it is possible to provide a trolley that facilitates manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transportation. When the loading platform is viewed from above, the area occupied by the transfer wheels is limited to a part, and the area without transfer wheels can be used as a stable loading surface, and it also has high consistency with the cargo stabilization by the pillars erected at the four corners of the conventional trolley disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4.

[0020] [2] Removable Transfer Wheels (Figure 1) In the trolley of [1], the transfer wheels are attached to a support part (2) whose horizontal movement is restricted and fitted into a recess (3) formed on the upper surface of the loading platform, and the support part is fitted into the recess to attach the loading platform, and the loading platform has a uniform height on the upper surface other than the recess, forming a loading surface when the transfer wheels are removed.

[0021] This makes the transfer wheels (1) detachable. When the transfer wheels (1) are attached, the transfer of loaded cargo can be made easier, while when they are removed, the trolley can be used as a regular trolley.

[0022] [3] Specific configuration of the support section (Figure 1) In the trolley of [2], the recesses are formed at a total of six locations: at both ends in the short-side direction of the loading platform, at both ends in the long-side direction, and in the center. Each recess has an inner wall in the long-side direction and the short-side direction, and the support portion has an outer wall surface in the long-side direction and the short-side direction that is in contact with the inner wall.

[0023] This provides a concrete example of a configuration for making the transfer wheel detachable. The transfer wheel can be attached and detached very easily by simply fitting the support part into a recess formed in the loading platform. Furthermore, in practical terms, the present invention can be easily applied to the loading platform of conventional trolleys. For example, the loading platform of the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 3 has an open space above (see paragraph 0013, Figure 1) where no mounting plate is attached, so this can be used as the recess (3) and configured so that the transfer wheel (1) with the support part (2) can be fitted into it.

[0024] [4] Transfer plate (Figure 1) In a trolley according to any one of (1) to (3), the trolley has support holes (7) from which columns (5) can be erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and further has a transfer plate (8) that can be placed on the loading platform. The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to avoid the columns erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when the transfer plate is placed on the loading platform, its horizontal movement is restricted when the columns are erected at the four corners, and when the two columns on one side of the loading platform are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels.

[0025] This makes it possible to facilitate manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transport. The mechanism for restricting the horizontal movement of the transfer plate is not necessarily limited to the four corner posts and can be modified in various ways. For example, instead of notches, the transfer plate can be provided with through holes of approximately the same size as the support holes and installed through the posts, so one or two posts are sufficient. If the posts are cylindrical (or cylindrical), two posts are necessary to suppress the rotation of the transfer plate, but if they are rectangular posts and the support holes and the through holes in the transfer plate are also rectangular and have sufficient strength to suppress rotation, one post is sufficient. Also, for example, if two additional posts can be erected in the center of the long side in addition to the four corners of the loading platform, as in the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 3, notches can be provided in the same locations on the transfer plate of the present invention. In this case, four posts are sufficient to restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate, so it is not necessarily required that they be at the four corners. For example, in the trolley disclosed in Patent Document 3, the horizontal movement of the transfer plate can be restricted by the two central posts.

[0026] On the other hand, in practical terms, trolleys with pillars at the four corners of the loading platform are already widely used, and these pillars are used for maneuvering the trolley and for preventing cargo from collapsing when loading easily toppled goods. By using these pillars to also restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate, the present invention can be easily applied to conventional trolleys, and the increase in cost can be kept to a minimum.

[0027] As described above, the transfer of cargo between the trolleys [1] to [4] is achieved by aligning the height of the upper edges of the transfer wheels (1). Not only is it possible to transfer cargo between the same trolleys, but by appropriately adjusting the size and mounting position of the transfer wheels (1) to align the upper edges to the same height, it is also possible to easily transfer cargo between trolleys with different original loading platform heights.

[0028] [5] Pallet on the loading platform (Figure 2) In the trolley of [1], the trolley has support holes (7) from which columns (5) can be erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and further has a pallet (20) that can be placed on the loading platform.

[0029] The pallet has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when the pallet is placed on the loading platform, its horizontal movement is restricted in both the short-side and long-side directions when the pillars are erected at the four corners. The transfer wheel is fixed to the pallet so that its upper edge protrudes a predetermined height from the top surface of the pallet and rotates.

[0030] This makes it possible to provide a pallet (20) that can be placed on the loading platform (4) of a trolley (10) to facilitate manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transport. The mechanism that restricts the horizontal movement of the pallet is not necessarily limited to the four corner pillars and can be modified in various ways. In this respect, it is similar to the various mechanisms that restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate described in [4] above.

[0031] [6] Loading cargo onto an inverted pallet (Figure 4) In the trolley of [5], the loading platform has recesses (3) formed at a total of 6 locations: at both ends and the center in the long side direction, and at both ends in the short side direction. The transfer wheels are formed at a total of 6 locations: at both ends and the center in the long side direction, and at both ends in the short side direction of the pallet.

[0032] When the pallet is inverted and placed on the loading platform, and the columns are erected at the four corners to restrict horizontal movement, the upper surface of the pallet faces downward and contacts the loading platform, and the upper edges of the transfer wheels protruding from the upper surface face downward and fit into the recesses.

[0033] This allows the transfer pallets to be used in the same way as regular pallets placed on the platform of a trolley.

[0034] [7] Transfer plate (Figure 2) In [5] or [6], the trolley further comprises a transfer plate (8) that can be placed on the pallet. The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to avoid the pillars (5) erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the loading platform, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners, and when the two pillars on one side of the loading platform are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels.

[0035] This makes it possible to achieve both stability during cargo transport and ease of manual transfer when the pallet of the present invention is placed on the platform of a trolley with the transfer wheels facing upwards. The mechanism that restricts the horizontal movement of the pallet and transfer plate is not necessarily limited to the four corner pillars, and various modifications are possible. In this respect, it is the same as the various mechanisms that restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate described in [4] above.

[0036] [8] Transfer pallet (Figures 2-5) A typical embodiment disclosed in this application is a pallet (20) that can be placed on the loading platform (4) of a trolley (10) on which pillars (5) can be erected at the four corners of the loading platform (4), and is configured as follows.

[0037] The pallet has a support member (22) forming a loading surface (21), legs (23), and transfer wheels (1). The loading surface has notches at its four corners to avoid columns erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when the pallet is placed on the loading platform, horizontal movement is restricted when the columns are erected at the four corners. The support member has a plurality of legs (23) and the transfer wheels on its upper surface. The transfer wheels are fixed so that their upper edges protrude a predetermined height from the upper end surfaces of the legs and rotate.

[0038] This makes it possible to provide a pallet that can be easily moved by hand while maintaining stability during cargo transport. The mechanism that restricts the horizontal movement of this pallet is not necessarily limited to the four corner posts, and various modifications are possible, in this respect being the same as the various mechanisms that restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate described in [4].

[0039] [9] Use of transfer pallets as regular pallets (Figure 4) In the pallet of [8], the loading surface is rectangular with the notches at the four corners. The platform of the trolley is roughly rectangular and has recesses (3) formed at a total of six locations: both ends and the center in the long side direction, and both ends in the short side direction. The transfer wheels of the pallet are arranged at a total of six locations: both ends and the center in the long side direction of the loading surface, and both ends in the short side direction. When the pallet is inverted and placed on the platform, with the loading surface facing upward, and the columns are erected at the four corners to restrict horizontal movement, the legs face downward and contact the platform, and the upper edges of the transfer wheels face downward and fit into the recesses.

[0040] This allows the transfer pallet to be used in the same way as a regular pallet placed on the platform of a trolley.

[0041]

[10] Compatible with hand lifts (Figure 4) In the pallet of [9], the legs are arranged with a predetermined width of space (25) between the transfer wheels located at both ends in the direction of the long side and in the center, and the space is open on the side opposite to the loading surface.

[0042] This allows the transfer pallet (20) to be compatible with the use of a hand lift. In narrow work sites such as indoors, it is sometimes impossible to use a large electric forklift, and it becomes necessary to use a hand lift. However, the forks of hand lifts are often thick to provide strength and are designed to be open to the floor at the insertion point of the pallet. When arranging the legs and transfer wheels on the back side of the support member that forms the loading surface of the transfer pallet (20) of the present invention, by leaving a gap large enough to allow the forks of a hand lift to be inserted and leaving it open to the floor, it is possible to make it compatible with the specifications of a hand lift.

[0043]

[11] Stopper (Figure 4) In the pallet of [9], the pallet further comprises a stopper (24), the stopper can be in a fixed state in contact with the floor when inverted and the loading surface is facing upward, and a movable state that allows the upper edge of the downward-facing transfer wheel to contact the floor.

[0044] This makes the transfer pallet more multifunctional and easier to use.

[0045]

[12] Used with a transfer plate (Figures 2, 3) In the pallet according to any one of items [8] to

[11] , the trolley further comprises a transfer plate (8) that can be placed on the pallet.

[0046] The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the pallet, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners, and when the two pillars on one side of the loading platform are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels.

[0047] This makes it possible to achieve both stability during cargo transport and ease of manual transfer when the pallet of the present invention is placed on the platform of a trolley with the transfer wheels facing upwards, similar to [7]. The mechanism that restricts the horizontal movement of the pallet and transfer plate is not necessarily limited to the four corner pillars, and various modifications are possible. In this respect, it is similar to the various mechanisms that restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate described in [4].

[0048] In this specification, "horizontal" does not mean mathematically precise horizontality, but rather a level that allows for a practical margin of error so that objects placed on it do not slide off. Similarly, "same" does not mean mathematically precise equality, but rather "same" to the extent that a practical margin of error is acceptable. Furthermore, "(to) restrict (movement)" does not mean restricting movement to the point of being fixed in place, but rather restricting movement to the extent that it does not cause practical problems. For example, "restricting the horizontal movement of the transfer plate" means that a certain amount of rattle is sufficiently acceptable as long as the transfer plate does not slide and fall horizontally.

[0049] 2. Details of the Embodiment The embodiments will be described in more detail.

[0050] [Embodiment 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the trolley 10 of the present invention. To aid understanding, the arrangement of the multiple elements constituting the trolley 10 is shown in a perspective view, separated in the vertical direction.

[0051] The trolley 10 has a roughly rectangular loading platform 4, and transfer wheels 1 are located at both ends of its long side and in the center, with their upper edges protruding a predetermined height from the top surface of the loading platform and rotating. This makes it easier to manually transfer the loaded cargo. The loaded cargo is positioned slightly away from the loading platform 4 by the transfer wheels 1, and can be easily moved horizontally by the rotation of the transfer wheels 1.

[0052] The transfer wheel 1 is attached to a support part 2 that is fitted into a recess 3 formed on the upper surface of the loading platform 4, thereby restricting its horizontal movement. The specific configuration of the support part 2 and the recess 3 is arbitrary. An example is shown in Figure 1. The recess 3 is formed in a total of six locations on the loading platform 4, at both ends and the center in the long-side direction, and at both ends in the short-side direction, and each has inner walls in the long-side and short-side directions. The support part 2 of the transfer wheel 1 has outer wall surfaces in the long-side and short-side directions that are in contact with the inner walls of the recess 3 of the loading platform 4. As illustrated in Figure 1, the support part 2 of the transfer wheel 1 is plate-shaped and can be inserted almost perfectly into the bottom surface of the recess 3 of the loading platform 4, with its ends in the long-side and short-side directions bent upward so as to face the inner walls of the recess 3 of the loading platform 4. The shape of the support part 2 only needs to be such that it can be fitted into the recess 3 and restrict its horizontal movement, so it may be a thick plate or a box shape. Furthermore, the shape of the recess 3 and the support part 2 when viewed from above does not need to be rectangular; they may be circular, triangular, trapezoidal, or any other shape.

[0053] The transfer wheel 1 is attached to the loading platform 4 by fitting the support part 2 into the recess 3, and can be removed by simply pulling it out. The loading platform 4 has a uniform height on all sides except for the recess 3, and a loading surface is formed when the transfer wheel 1 is removed. In short, the trolley 10 with the transfer wheel 1 removed is the same as a conventional trolley. That is, by adopting this configuration, the transfer wheel 1 can be attached and detached, making it easier to transfer loaded cargo when the transfer wheel 1 is attached, while it can be used as a normal trolley when it is removed.

[0054] The trolley 10 has support holes 7 at the four corners of the loading platform 4 from which columns 5 can be erected, and it is more preferable to attach a transfer plate 8 that can be placed on top of the loading platform 4. The transfer plate 8 has roughly the same shape as the loading platform 4 when viewed from above, and has notches at the four corners to avoid the columns 5 erected at the four corners, and when it is placed on the loading platform 4 and the columns are erected at the four corners, horizontal movement is restricted. On the other hand, when two of the four columns on one side of the loading platform 4 are removed, the transfer plate 8 can slide in the direction of that side by the transfer wheels 1. This makes it possible to facilitate manual transfer while maintaining stability during cargo transport. Cargo can be loaded onto the transfer plate 8 in the same way as on a normal trolley, and the transfer plate 8 loaded with cargo can be slid horizontally and transferred (transferred) to another trolley or pallet. It is also possible to remove only one column 5 and configure the transfer plate 8 to slide in that direction.

[0055] [Embodiment 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of the trolley 10 and pallet 20 of the present invention. To aid understanding, similar to Figure 1, the arrangement of multiple components is shown in a perspective view, separated in the vertical direction.

[0056] The trolley 10 has support holes 7 at the four corners of the loading platform 4 from which pillars 5 can be erected. The pallet 20, when viewed from above, is roughly the same shape as the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10, and has notches at the four corners to avoid the pillars 5 that are erected at the four corners. When placed on the loading platform 4 and the pillars 5 are erected at the four corners, horizontal movement is restricted. The transfer wheel 1 is attached to the pallet 20 so that its upper edge protrudes a predetermined height from the top surface of the pallet 20 and it can rotate. As illustrated in Figure 2, the pallet 20 may be shaped like a slatted platform, for example, composed of support members 22 and legs 23 that form a loading surface 21. It is inverted upside down and the loading surface 21 is placed on the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10. The transfer wheel 1 is attached to the support members 22 in the gaps created by the multiple legs 23, and the upper edge of the transfer wheel 1 is configured to protrude a predetermined height from the upper end surface of the legs 23. As illustrated in Figure 2, the transfer wheels 1 are attached to a total of six locations on the pallet 20: both ends and the center in the long direction, and both ends in the short direction. The upper edges of these six transfer wheels 1 are aligned at the same height, allowing them to horizontally support and slide the transfer plate 8 placed on top of them.

[0057] This makes it possible to provide a trolley 10 and pallet 20 that allow the pallet 20 to be placed on the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10, maintaining stability during cargo transport while facilitating manual transfer.

[0058] [Transferring cargo between dollies with different platform heights] The inventors of the present invention realized that the problems to be solved by the present invention are particularly serious when using electric assist trolleys (hereinafter referred to as "electric assist trolleys"). At construction and civil engineering sites, general-purpose trolleys without electric assist functions, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, are widely used to transport materials. Because such trolleys are general-purpose, they are not always used as material storage areas at the destination where the materials have been transported, without the materials being unloaded. On the other hand, electric assist trolleys are expensive and require charging, so they are used exclusively for transporting materials, and at the destination, the materials are not used as material storage areas, and the work of unloading the materials is always carried out. The inventors of the present invention realized that while electric assist trolleys are electrically assisted in movement so that women and the elderly can handle them without relying on muscle strength, they lack a function to assist in loading and unloading cargo.

[0059] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of cargo transfer according to the present invention. An example of transferring cargo from a high-platform trolley 10-1 to a low-platform trolley 10-2 of the same platform, similar to an electric assist trolley, is shown in three steps: the state of cargo loaded on trolley 10-1 [A], during transfer [B], and completion of transfer to trolley 10-2 [C]. The figure shows a cross-section centered on the position where the transfer wheels 1 are located, but it is not an accurate cross-sectional view, but rather an explanatory diagram to aid understanding. The high-platform trolley 10-1 on the left and the low-platform trolley 10-2 on the right are positioned adjacent to each other in the direction of their long sides, with their short sides in contact with each other across the bumper 11. Although the illustration and description of the bumper 11 are omitted in Embodiment 1, just as many conventional trolleys have elastic bumpers attached to the corners or perimeter of the loading platform to mitigate the impact of contact with surrounding walls or other objects, or to prevent damage to surrounding walls or other objects, it is optional to attach the bumper 11 to the trolleys 10, 10-1, and 10-2 of the present invention. On the loading platform 4 of trolley 10-1, transfer wheels 1 with support parts 2 fitted into recesses 3 are arranged, and on the loading platform 4 of trolley 10-2, the pallet 20 of the present invention is placed with the transfer wheels 1 facing upwards. The height of the pallet 20 is designed so that the upper edge of the transfer wheels 1 on trolley 10-1 and the upper edge of the transfer wheels 1 on the pallet 20 on trolley 10-2 are at the same height in order to compensate for the difference in height of the loading platforms 4 between trolleys 10-1 and 10-2.

[0060] As shown in [A], a transfer plate 8 is placed on the transfer wheels 1 of the tall trolley 10-1 on the left side, and cargo 90 is loaded on top of the transfer plate 8. The transfer plate 8 is supported by three transfer wheels 1 arranged in the same cross-section as shown in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 1, there are also three transfer wheels 1 arranged in the same way on the far side, so the transfer plate 8 is supported by a total of six transfer wheels 1. Although not shown in Figure 3, when the trolley 10-1 is moving, pillars 5 are erected at the four corners to restrict the horizontal movement of the transfer plate 8, ensuring stability during transport of cargo 90 including the transfer plate 8.

[0061] By positioning one short side of cart 10-1 facing the short side of the loading platform of cart 10-2, the destination cart, and stopping cart 10-1, and removing the pillars 5 at both ends of the short sides of carts 10-1 and 10-2 that are in contact with each other, the transfer plate 8 can be moved from cart 10-1 to cart 10-2, as shown in [B]. As described above, since the height of the upper edges of the transfer wheels 1 are aligned on carts 10-1 and 10-2, the transfer plate 8 can be moved horizontally without resistance by the rotation of the transfer wheels 1. Also, as shown in the figure, the transfer plate 8 is designed to be supported by at least two transfer wheels 1 in the longitudinal direction even while moving. In other words, the spacing in the long-side direction of transfer theory 1 is set to 1 / 2 to 1 / 3 of the length of the transfer plate 8, and the spacing between the transfer wheels 1 on the two trolleys 10-1 and 10-2 when the two trolleys 10-1 and 10-2 are in contact is also set to 1 / 2 to 1 / 3 of the length of the transfer plate 8.

[0062] As shown in [C], the transfer is completed by moving the transfer plate 8 loaded with cargo 90 onto the pallet 20 placed on the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10-2, erecting pillars 5 at the four corners of the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10-2, and returning the restrictions on the movement of the transfer plate 8.

[0063] Cart 10-1 is, for example, an electric assist cart, which can be used immediately for transporting other materials after the load has been transferred, while cart 10-2 is, for example, a conventional general-purpose cart, which is used as a material storage area in the same way as before. With the present invention, cargo can be transferred at the same height without resistance by the rotation of the transfer wheels 1.

[0064] In this third embodiment, an example was shown in which the transfer plate 8 is moved in the direction of the long side by bringing the short sides of two trolleys into contact. However, it is also possible to transfer the plate in the direction of the short side by bringing the long sides into contact. To enable this, the transfer wheels 1 are mounted upwards as swivel casters or ball casters that can rotate in all directions, and the spacing of the transfer wheels 1 is designed so that the transfer plate 8 is supported at least at two points (at least four points including the rear direction) during transfer, or the number of transfer wheels 1 arranged in the direction of the short side may be increased. On the other hand, if the transfer is limited to the direction of the long side or the short side, the transfer wheels may be mounted as fixed casters that rotate only in the direction of transfer, or as rollers perpendicular to the direction of transfer.

[0065] [Embodiment 3] The present invention can also be positioned as an invention of a pallet 20 that can be applied not only to the trolley 10 of the present invention described in Embodiments 1 and 2, but also to conventional trolleys. The pallet 20 of the present invention can be placed on the loading platform 4 of a trolley 10 (which may be a conventional trolley, not limited to the trolley 10 of the present invention) that can have pillars 5 erected at the four corners of the loading platform 4, and is described as follows with reference to Figure 2.

[0066] The pallet 20 has a support member 22, legs 23, and transfer wheels 1 that form a loading surface 21. The loading surface 21 has notches at the four corners to avoid the pillars 5 that are erected at the four corners of the loading platform 4, and when placed on the loading platform 4, horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars 5 are erected at the four corners. The support member 22 has a plurality of legs 23 and transfer wheels 1 on its upper surface. The transfer wheels 1 are fixed so that their upper edges protrude from the upper end surfaces of the legs 23 to a predetermined height and rotate. This makes it possible to provide a pallet 20 that can be easily moved by hand while maintaining stability during cargo transport.

[0067] The loading surface 21 of the pallet 20 is preferably a rectangle with notches at the four corners. In the example shown in Figure 2, the downward-facing surface of the support member 22 is the loading surface 21 (the reference numeral 21 is not shown in Figure 2), and the transfer wheels 1 are attached to the surface opposite to the legs 23. The loading platform 4 of the trolley 10 is roughly rectangular, with support holes 7 at the four corners to which columns 5 can be erected, and has recesses 3 formed at both ends and the center in the long-side direction, and at both ends in the short-side direction, for a total of six locations.

[0068] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-section of the pallets 20 of the present invention stacked on a trolley 10. The top section [A] shows the trolley 10, the middle section [B] shows the pallets 20 stacked on the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10, and the bottom section [C] shows the pallets 20 placed directly on the floor. Cross-sections near the transfer wheels 1 are shown in all of them to aid understanding, but these are not accurate cross-sectional views.

[0069] [A] shows the transfer wheel 1 with support portion 2 fitted into the recess 3 provided on the loading platform 4 of the trolley 10, as described in Embodiment 1. The upper edge of the transfer wheel 1 protrudes slightly from the loading surface of the loading platform 4 and is aligned to the same height as shown by the dashed line.

[0070] As shown in [B], when the transfer wheel 1 with support part 2 is removed from the trolley 10, the outer edge of the transfer wheel 1 that protrudes beyond the legs 23 is accommodated in the recess 3, and the legs 23 make direct contact with the load bed 4 of the trolley 10, allowing for stable loading. In other words, the arrangement of the transfer wheel 1 and the recess 3 is determined to be in roughly the same position when viewed from above in Embodiment 2, due to the need to support the transfer plate 8. Therefore, the recess 3 for installing the transfer wheel 1 with support part 2 functions as a space to accommodate the protrusion of the outer edge of the transfer wheel 1 from the legs 23 when the pallets 20 are inverted and stacked with the transfer wheel 1 facing downwards.

[0071] As shown in [C], the pallet 20 can also be inverted and placed directly on the floor with the transfer wheels 1 facing downwards. The dashed line indicates the floor surface. The transfer wheels 1 function as casters to move the pallet 20. It is preferable to provide stoppers 24 at the ends of the legs 23. As illustrated in [C], the stoppers 24 can be brought into contact with the floor surface to stop the pallet 20 from moving. The stoppers 24 can be stored along the sides of the legs 23 as shown in [B] when the pallet 20 is being moved using the transfer wheels 1 as casters.

[0072] Preferably, a space 25 is formed between the transfer wheels 1 at both ends and in the center and the legs 23. The space 25 functions to allow the forks of a forklift or hand lift to be inserted and the pallet 20 to be lifted. It is even more preferable that this space 25 is open to the floor. In large forklifts such as electric forklifts, the weight of the body is sufficiently heavy, so the forks can be made thin, and therefore even if the space 25 is not open to the floor, there is sufficient height to insert the forks to lift the pallet 20. On the other hand, when considering indoor work, it is not possible to use large forklifts, and it is necessary to enable the use of hand lifts. The forks of many hand lifts are thick to provide sufficient strength and are intended to be inserted into the space 25 of the pallet 20 from the floor. Therefore, it is desirable that the space 25 of the pallet 20 of the present invention is also open to the floor.

[0073] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration example of the pallet 20 of the present invention. To aid understanding, similar to Figures 1 and 2, the arrangement of multiple components is shown in a perspective view, decomposed in the vertical direction. The loading surface 21 is shown by a dashed line at the very top, and multiple support members 22 form this loading surface 21. "Multiple support members 22 form the loading surface 21" means that the upper end surfaces of the multiple support members 22 are aligned on a plane of the same height, and this plane of the same height is called the loading surface 21. As illustrated in Figure 5, the support members 22 are square timbers, and are arranged along the longitudinal direction so that their upper surfaces are at the same height. As illustrated, gaps may be provided to prevent the loaded cargo from falling. In addition, each support member 22 is, for example, a hollow aluminum square timber with a wall thickness of 1 mm and a square diameter of 20 mm, and weight reduction is achieved by making it hollow and leaving gaps between them.

[0074] The leg 23 is composed of a leg column 27 and leg beams 26 that sandwich it above and below. For example, the leg column 27 is a rectangular column enclosed by thin plates, or a hollow box or cylinder, and the upper and lower leg beams 26 are made of hollow aluminum square bars, for example, 1 mm thick and 20 mm square, similar to the support members 22, and are arranged with gaps between them, similar to the support members 22, in order to reduce weight. The upper and lower leg beams 26 extend along the short side direction and connect the two leg columns 27 located at both ends in the short side direction to function as a single leg 23. In Figure 5, the upper leg beam 26 is shown connected to the support member 22, but this is merely a display method to make the positional relationship between the leg column 27 and the lower leg beam 26 easier to see. Part of the support member 22 is arranged in a grid pattern perpendicular to the short side direction with the other support members 22 that constitute the loading surface 21, and is also arranged alongside the upper leg beam 26, and the transfer wheel 1 is attached to a predetermined position. The components shown in the upper and lower parts of Figure 5 are stacked and combined to form a single pallet 20. The components can be connected to each other by welding, adhesive, screws, or any other method.

[0075] While a hollow aluminum square bar was used as an example, any suitable loading surface 21 can be formed, with legs 23 and transfer wheels 1 attached to the opposite side. Other materials and shapes may also be used, such as U-shaped formed material, iron pipes, hard plastics, or wood. The choice of material should take into account the nature of the cargo to be loaded, particularly its load-bearing capacity.

[0076] The stopper 24 described above is shown only in the lower right of Figure 5, but for example, it can be fixed to the leg columns 27 at the four corners by screws and rotates around the screws so that it can be fixed in contact with the floor surface or lifted off the floor surface, allowing the entire pallet 20 to be moved freely and with little force by the transfer wheels 1. In addition to the shape shown, the stopper 24 may also be configured to protrude in the direction of the floor surface, lifting the transfer wheels 1 off the floor surface and fixing the pallet 20 so that it does not move horizontally.

[0077] Although the present inventors have described the invention in detail based on embodiments above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 Transfer wheel 2 Support part 3 recesses 4. Cargo bed 5 pillars 6 wheels 7 Support hole 8 Transfer plate 10, 10-1, 10-2 Trolley 11 Bumper 20 pallets 21 Loading surface 22 Support member 23 legs 24 Stopper 25 Space 26 Leg beam 27 Pillars 90 Freight

Claims

1. A trolley having a roughly rectangular loading platform, The aforementioned trolley has transfer wheels, The transfer wheels are located at both ends and in the center of the long side of the loading platform, and their upper edges protrude from the top surface of the loading platform to a predetermined height and rotate. Dolly.

2. In claim 1, The transfer wheel is attached to a support portion which is fitted into a recess formed on the upper surface of the loading platform and whose horizontal movement is restricted, and the support portion is fitted into the recess and thus attached to the loading platform. The aforementioned cargo bed has a uniform height on its upper surface, excluding the recess, and forms a loading surface when the transfer wheels are removed. Dolly.

3. In claim 2, The recesses are formed at a total of six locations on both ends of the short side of the cargo bed, and at both ends of the long side and in the center, and each has an inner wall in the long side and the short side. The support portion has outer wall surfaces in the direction of the long side and the direction of the short side that are in contact with the inner wall, Dolly.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The trolley has support holes at the four corners of the loading platform from which pillars can be erected, and further has a transfer plate that can be placed on the loading platform. The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the cargo bed, and when placed on the cargo bed, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners, and when the two pillars on one side of the cargo bed are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels. Dolly.

5. In claim 1, The trolley has support holes at the four corners of the loading platform from which pillars can be erected, and further has a pallet that can be placed on the loading platform. The pallet has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the loading platform, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners. The transfer wheel is fixed to the pallet so that its upper edge protrudes a predetermined height from the top surface of the pallet and rotates. Dolly.

6. In claim 5, The cargo bed has recesses formed at both ends and the center in the long side direction, and at both ends in the short side direction, for a total of six locations. The transfer wheels are formed at a total of six locations: at both ends and the center of the pallet in the direction of the longer side, and at both ends in the direction of the shorter side. When the pallet is inverted and placed on the loading platform, and the columns are erected at the four corners to restrict horizontal movement, the upper surface of the pallet faces downward and contacts the loading platform, and the upper edges of the transfer wheels protruding from the upper surface face downward and fit into the recesses. Dolly.

7. In claim 5 or claim 6, The trolley further has a transfer plate that can be placed on the pallet, The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the cargo bed, and when placed on the cargo bed, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners, and when the two pillars on one side of the cargo bed are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels. Dolly.

8. A pallet that can be placed on the loading platform of a trolley, which has pillars that can be erected at the four corners of the loading platform, The pallet has support members that form a loading surface, legs and transfer wheels, The loading surface has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the loading platform, horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners. The support member has a plurality of legs and the transfer wheel on its upper surface. The transfer wheel is fixed so that its upper edge protrudes a predetermined height from the upper end surface of the leg and rotates. palette.

9. In claim 8, The loading surface is rectangular with the aforementioned cutouts at the four corners. The loading platform of the aforementioned trolley is roughly rectangular and has a total of six recesses formed at both ends and the center in the direction of the longer side, and at both ends in the direction of the shorter side. The transfer wheels of the pallet are arranged at a total of six locations: at both ends and the center in the long-side direction of the loading surface, and at both ends in the short-side direction. When the pallet is inverted and placed on the loading platform, with the loading surface facing upward, and the columns are erected at the four corners to restrict horizontal movement, the legs face downward and contact the loading platform, and the upper edges of the transfer wheels face downward and fit into the recesses. palette.

10. In claim 9, The legs are positioned between the transfer wheel located at both ends in the long direction and in the center, with a space of a predetermined width between them, and the space is open on the side opposite to the transfer surface. palette.

11. In claim 9, the pallet further comprises a stopper, The stopper can be in a fixed state in contact with the floor when it is inverted and the loading surface is facing upward, and a movable state that allows the upper edge of the downward-facing transfer wheel to contact the floor. palette.

12. In any one of claims 8 to 11, The trolley has support holes at the four corners of the loading platform from which pillars can be erected, and further has a transfer plate that can be placed on the loading platform. The transfer plate has notches at its four corners to accommodate the pillars erected at the four corners of the loading platform, and when placed on the pallet, its horizontal movement is restricted when the pillars are erected at the four corners, and when the two pillars on one side of the loading platform are removed, it can slide towards that side by the transfer wheels. palette.

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