Hand Cart

Abstract

To provide a hand cart which allows easy positioning of a cargo, even if a heavy object is loaded.SOLUTION: A hand cart has: a vehicle body having wheels on its underside and a handle erected at its rear; and a load-carrying platform provided on an upper surface of the vehicle body so as to be movable laterally.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hand cart, and more particularly to a hand cart that is easy to load and unload. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional hand carts, such as those described in Patent Document 1, have multiple (usually four) wheels on the underside of the platform and a handle provided at the rear of the platform. A user places a load on the platform and operates the handle to move the hand cart and transport the load to a desired location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-030739 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, when a battery is to be loaded onto a hand cart and transported to the vehicle's loading section in order to install it in the vehicle's loading section, it is necessary to align the battery with the loading section while the battery is on the hand cart. With conventional hand carts, it is necessary to operate the handle of the hand cart to move the hand cart and align it. Since large batteries can weigh as much as several hundred kilograms, it is extremely difficult to align the battery with the loading section while the hand cart is still in place.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a hand cart that allows easy positioning of luggage even when a heavy object is loaded thereon. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The hand cart of the present disclosure has a vehicle body having wheels on its underside and a handle provided upright at the rear, and a loading platform provided on the upper surface of the vehicle body so as to be movable laterally. The loading platform is provided with a pair of left and right guide members that extend forward to align the luggage and the loading platform in the laterally direction when the luggage is loaded onto the loading platform. When the hand cart is advanced until the platform is positioned below the baggage, the guide member comes into contact with the baggage and guides it, so that the platform moves laterally and the center of the baggage and the center of the platform are aligned laterally. . Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the hand cart of the present disclosure, the position of luggage can be easily adjusted without operating the hand cart. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (front) of the hand cart. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (rear) of the hand cart. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the loading platform and the locking mechanism. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the loading platform in a neutral position. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the state in which the loading platform has been moved to the left. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an operation of mounting the battery on a vehicle. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an operation of mounting the battery on a vehicle. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an operation of mounting the battery on a vehicle. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an operation of mounting the battery on a vehicle. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of removing the battery from the vehicle. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of removing the battery from the vehicle. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of removing the battery from the vehicle. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of removing the battery from the vehicle. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of removing the battery from the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the hand cart according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the direction in which the hand cart moves when the user pushes the handle is the forward direction, the opposite direction is the rear direction, and the left and right directions with respect to the forward direction are the lateral directions. In FIG. 1, the hand cart 1 has a vehicle body 3, a handle 5 erected at the rear of the vehicle body 3, a fixed wheel 7 provided at the front of the lower surface of the vehicle body 3, and an omnidirectional wheel 9 provided at the rear of the lower surface of the vehicle body 3. The handle 5 is formed in a gate shape by a pair of left and right pillars erected at the rear of the vehicle body 3 and a handle bar stretched between the pair of left and right pillars. The fixed wheel 7 is a wheel whose orientation is fixed in the forward and backward directions. The omnidirectional wheel 9 is a wheel called an omniwheel or a mecanum wheel, which can move forward, backward, left and right without changing the orientation of the wheel. In this embodiment, the omnidirectional wheel 9 is an omniwheel.

[0010] In FIG. 2, a cover 10 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body 3 so as to surround the omni-directional wheels 9 in order to prevent the user's feet from touching the omni-directional wheels 9. The cover 10 is a plate-shaped member formed to cover the periphery of the omni-directional wheels 9. A stopper 11 is provided at the center of the rear of the vehicle body 3 to prevent the hand cart 1 from moving. The stopper 11 is configured to move up and down relative to the vehicle body 3 so as to be located above the lower ends of the omni-directional wheels 9 in the raised position and to protrude below the lower ends of the omni-directional wheels 9 in the lowered position. The front end of the lever 12 is pivotally supported so as to be vertically movable relative to the vehicle body 3, and the middle part is pivotally attached to the stopper 11. The rear end of the lever 12 is formed in a flat plate shape so as to be operable by foot.

[0011] 3 is a bottom view of the hand cart 1. A pair of left and right fixed wheels 7 are provided at the front (left side in the figure) of the vehicle body 3, and a pair of left and right omnidirectional wheels 9 are provided at the rear (right side in the figure) of the vehicle body 3. In the example shown in the figure, the omnidirectional wheels 9 are provided in a pair on the left and right, each pair consisting of two omnidirectional wheels 9-1, 9-2. In other words, there are a total of four omnidirectional wheels. In addition, a stopper 11 is provided between the left and right omnidirectional wheels 9.

[0012] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a lift platform 20 is provided on the vehicle body 3 so as to be movable up and down via a lifting member such as a link mechanism. The lift platform 20 rises by pressing the ascent foot pedal 16 in accordance with the number of times it is pressed. Also, it descends by twisting the descent twist handle 17. The lift platform 20 is composed of a lift platform main body 20A and a base member 21 provided on its upper surface. A pair of front and rear guide rails 22 (see Fig. 4) are provided laterally on the upper surface of the base member 21. A loading platform 30 is provided on the guide rails 22 so as to be movable laterally along the guide rails 22.

[0013] The loading platform 30 has a pair of left and right lower frame members 31 arranged along the front-rear direction, a pair of front and rear connecting members 32 arranged along the lateral direction and connecting the left and right lower frame members 31, a gate-shaped rear frame member 33 erected at the rear end of the lower frame member 31, and a pair of left and right side frame members 35 erected at a distance laterally outward from the lower frame member 31. Furthermore, a pair of left and right guide members 37 that expand forward are provided at the front of the side frame member 35. A pair of springs 38-1, 38-2 that are stretched beyond their natural length are tensioned between the base member 21 and the pair of lower frame members 31, and urge the loading platform 30 toward a neutral position in the lateral center of the base member 21.

[0014] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, a lock mechanism 40 for locking the movement of the loading platform 30 is provided between the base member 21 and the loading platform 30. A lock hole member 43 is provided in the connecting member 32 on the rear side of the loading platform 30. In the lock hole member 43, a number of lock holes that open toward the rear side are aligned in the horizontal direction. Meanwhile, a lock pin 45 that can enter the lock hole is provided in the base member 21 so as to be movable forward and backward. The lock pin 45 is biased forward by a biasing means such as a spring (not shown). One end of a cable 47 is connected to the lock pin 45 via a link mechanism 46. A release lever 48 is connected to the other end of the cable 47, and the release lever 48 is attached to the upper part of the handle 5. When the user pulls the release lever 48, the lock pin 45 is pulled backward against the biasing force of the biasing means via the cable 47 and the link mechanism 46, and retracts from the lock hole. When the user releases the release lever 48, the lock pin 45 moves forward by the biasing force of the biasing means and is inserted into the lock hole.

[0015] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the hand cart 1. Figure 7 shows the state in which the platform 30 is in a neutral position in the lateral center relative to the base member 21. When the release lever 48 is operated to remove the lock pin 45 from the lock hole, the platform 30 is held in the neutral position by the biasing forces of the springs 38-1 and 38-2.

[0016] When a lateral force is applied to the platform 30 or the luggage placed thereon, the platform 30 moves laterally against the biasing forces of the springs 38-1 and 38-2. In FIG. 8, when an external force to the left is applied, the spring 38-1 contracts and the spring 38-2 expands, and a biasing force acts in the direction in which the spring 38-2 contracts (to the right). When the release lever 48 is released in this state, the position of the platform 30 is fixed by the locking mechanism 40. When the locking mechanism 40 is released and the external force is removed, the platform 30 returns to its neutral position in the lateral center due to the contraction force of the spring 38-2.

[0017] 9 to 12 show the procedure for mounting a battery B as baggage on the mounting section 101 of the vehicle 100 using the hand cart 1. Note that the vehicle 100 is shown only in the vicinity of the mounting section 101 on which the battery B is mounted. The mounting section 101 is provided with guide walls 103 on both the left and right sides for guiding the battery B. The guide walls 103 are formed of a tapered section 105 tapered so as to narrow from the front side (outside the vehicle) to the back side (inside the vehicle), and a straight section 107 extending in parallel from the front side to the back side. FIG. 9 shows the hand cart 1 with the battery B placed on the loading platform 30 moving toward the loading section 101 of the vehicle 100 on the left side of the figure. At this time, the loading platform 30 is fixed in position in the lateral center by the lock mechanism 40. The hand cart 1 and the battery B approach the loading section 101 in a state of being slightly shifted to the left side from the center of the loading section 101.

[0018] When the orientation of the hand cart 1 is at an angle to the mounting unit 101, the user adjusts the orientation by swinging the handle 5 left and right. Because the rear wheels are omnidirectional wheels 9, when the user swings the handle 5 left and right, the rear of the hand cart 1 swings left and right, making it easy to adjust the orientation of the hand cart 1. With a typical swivel caster (a caster that can swing around a vertical axis), friction inevitably occurs between the wheel and the floor surface when the wheel swings around the axis to change direction during lateral movement, but the omnidirectional wheels 9 can also roll laterally, making it easy to make fine adjustments in the lateral direction.

[0019] 10 shows the state in which the hand cart approaches the vehicle 100. At this time, the battery B is in contact with the tapered portion 105 of the guide wall 103 on the left side as viewed from the front, and there is a gap between the battery B and the guide wall 103 on the right side as viewed from the front. Then, the user operates the release lever 48 to release the lock mechanism 40.

[0020] Figure 11 shows the state in which the hand cart 1 has further advanced. When the hand cart 1 advances from the state in Figure 10, the front left corner of the battery B advances while being guided by the left tapered portion 105, so that the battery B moves to the right side together with the carrier 30 relative to the main body 3 and is laterally aligned with the mounting unit 101. The user can align the battery B with the mounting unit 101 laterally simply by advancing the hand cart 1 without steering it.

[0021] 12 shows the state in which the hand cart 1 has further advanced. The battery B advances to a predetermined position at the back while being guided by the left and right straight sections 107. Again, the user only needs to advance the hand cart 1 to position the battery B at the predetermined position on the mounting section 101.

[0022] 13 to 17 show the operation of the hand cart 1 when the battery B mounted on the mounting part 101 is unloaded. Fig. 13 shows the state in which the hand cart 1 approaches the battery B mounted on the mounting part 101. At this time, it is not necessary to precisely align the center line of the hand cart 1 with the battery B. The user operates the release lever 48 to release the locking mechanism 40, and then moves the hand cart 1 forward toward the mounting part 101.

[0023] 14, the hand cart 1 moves forward until the lower frame member 31 of the platform 30 is positioned below the battery B. At this time, the guide member 37 of the platform 30 abuts against and is guided by the battery B, so that the platform 30 moves laterally and the center of the battery B and the center of the platform 30 are aligned laterally.

[0024] 15, the lift platform 20 is raised so that the lower frame member 31 of the platform 30 comes into contact with the underside of the battery B, and is further raised to lift the battery B. Then, the battery B is lifted from the mounting portion 101.

[0025] 16, the hand cart 1 is moved backward to remove the battery B from the mounting part 101. When the battery B is removed from the mounting part 101, the biasing forces of the springs 38-1 and 38-2 return the platform 30 to a neutral position in the lateral center relative to the base member 21. Then, the user releases the release lever 48 to lock the locking mechanism 40, thereby locking the position of the platform 30 and stabilizing the platform 30.

[0026] Finally, as shown in FIG. 17, the lift platform 20 is lowered to complete removal of the battery B from the mounting portion 101.

[0027] Although the above description is based on the embodiment, the hand cart of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. In the embodiment, the platform is provided on the lift platform, but the platform may be provided directly on the vehicle body. Needless to say, other modifications may be made within the scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0028] This is suitable for use in hand carts for transporting luggage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 1. Hand Cart 3. Body 5 Handle 7 Fixed ring 9 Omni-Wheel 10. Cover 11 Stopper 12 Lever 20 Lift platform 21 Base material 22 Guide rail 30 Cargo Bed 31 Lower frame member 32 Connecting members 33 Rear frame member 35 Side frame member 37 Guide member 38-1 Spring (right) 38-2 Spring (left) 40 Locking mechanism 43 Lock hole member 45 Lock pin 46 Link mechanism 47 Cable 48 Release lever 100 vehicles 103 Guide Wall 105 Tapered section 107 Straight section B Luggage (batteries)

Claims

1. A vehicle body having wheels on the underside and a handlebar provided at the rear; a loading platform provided on an upper surface of the vehicle body so as to be movable laterally; The loading platform is provided with a pair of left and right guide members extending forward for lateral alignment of the luggage and the loading platform when loading the luggage onto the loading platform. A hand cart, When the hand cart is advanced until the platform is positioned below the baggage, the guide member comes into contact with the baggage and guides it, thereby moving the platform laterally and aligning the center of the baggage with the center of the platform laterally. Hand cart.

2. A locking mechanism is provided to lock the platform against lateral movement. The hand cart of claim 1 .

3. The lock mechanism includes a lock hole formed in the loading platform, a lock pin provided in the vehicle body and capable of entering the lock hole, a biasing member that biases the lock pin to enter the lock hole, and an operating member that operates the lock pin in a direction to retract from the lock hole against the biasing force of the biasing member. The hand cart of claim 2.

4. A guide rail is provided along the lateral direction of the vehicle body, The carrier is guided laterally on the guide rails. The hand cart of claim 1 .

5. A lift platform is provided so as to be liftable relative to the vehicle body, The loading platform is provided so as to be movable laterally relative to the lift platform. The hand cart of claim 1 .

6. The lift platform is provided with a guide rail along a lateral direction, The carrier is guided laterally on the guide rails. The hand cart of claim 5.

7. A biasing member is provided to bias the loading platform toward the center in the lateral direction. The hand cart of claim 1 .

8. The biasing member is an elastic member. The hand cart of claim 7.

9. The wheels include a pair of front wheels consisting of fixed wheels on the left and right, and a pair of rear wheels consisting of omnidirectional wheels that can move forward, backward, left and right without changing the direction of the wheels. The hand cart of claim 1 .

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