Transport cart

Abstract

To ensure visibility of the brake pedal that fixes the position of the braked caster wheels arranged on the underside of the trolley body and to prevent damage to the brake pedal. SOLUTION: A frame 4 is formed by vertical frame members 11, horizontal frame members 12, and four corner members 13, a platform member 5 and a base member 6 are attached to the frame 4 to form a bogie body 3, and brake-equipped caster wheels 7 are arranged at the four corners of the bogie body 3. The caster wheels 7 have a mounting base 31 attached to the underside of the base member 6, a support yoke 33 is rotatably supported on the mounting base 31, and a brake 8 for braking the wheel 7a is supported in an outwardly protruding manner. A buffer 9 having a buffer outer surface G protruding from the outer surface of the frame 4 is provided on the outer surface of the corner member 13, and the brake 8 has an operating part K that can be stepped on and is fixed in position in the rotation direction of the support yoke 33, and a tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 and is recessed from the buffer outer surface G of the buffer 9.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport cart for carrying and transporting luggage. [Background technology]

[0002] A transport cart is constructed by attaching a platform on which cargo can be placed to a square frame and attaching a base material to the bottom to form the cart body, and by providing wheels on the underside of the four corners of this cart body. Some carts use caster wheels with brakes (stoppers).

[0003] The transport cart disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a braked caster consisting of a yoke, a wheel, a brake shoe, and a brake pedal, and the brake pedal has an operating part at one end which is stepped on and swung to press the brake shoe against the wheel and fix the wheel.One end is journalled on the brake shoe and the other end is formed so as to spring up as the operating part, and when the wheel is facing forward / backward when the brake is released, this part is visible from around the cart body in a plan view (claim 4), thereby improving the visibility of the brake pedal operating part.

[0004] The transport cart disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a transport cart comprising a cart main body and casters arranged at at least four corners of the cart main body, the casters having support parts, wheels rotatably supported by the support parts, and a brake pedal for fixing the rotation of the wheels, the brake pedal having an operating part that is pressed with the foot, the operating part being located rearward of the wheels, and when viewed in a plan view with the wheels facing forward and backward, the operating part overlaps the cart main body (claim 1), which makes the brake pedal less likely to be damaged.

[0005] The caster wheel with brake (stopper) of a transport cart disclosed in Patent Document 1 (as well as Patent Document 2) consists of a yoke, a wheel, a brake shoe, and a brake pedal. The brake pedal has an operating part at one end which is stepped on and swung to press the brake shoe against the wheel and fix the wheel. One end is journalled on the brake shoe and the other end is formed to be raised as the operating part. The brake pedal is pivoted to the yoke and can rotate with the caster together with the yoke and wheel.

[0006] When the brake pedal rotates on casters together with the yoke and wheels, it becomes difficult to expose or overlap the brake pedal operating part from the cart body unless the transport cart is moved so that the wheels are facing forward or backward.

[0007] There are caster wheels with brakes (stoppers) where the brake pedal is fixed in position, whereas the brake pedal caster pivots with the yoke and wheel.

[0008] The caster with a locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a caster in which a swivel base and a mounting base are formed on the upper part of a pair of support yokes that support the wheels of the caster, and the swivel base and the mounting base are thrust-bearinged by a pivot. The caster has an operating lever mounting bracket plate that is fixed to the mounting base so as to extend to the side of the mounting base, an operating lever that is pivotally supported on the operating lever mounting bracket plate so as to be freely rotatable, a stopper member that is provided integrally with the operating lever and has a braking stopper surface and a non-braking stopper surface, and a stopper member that passes coaxially through the axis of the pivot and is free to move up and down. The brake shoe pressing member is pivotally attached to the support yoke and displaces in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the operating pin to press the brake shoe against the circumferential surface of the wheel and to a brake release position where the brake shoe is separated from the wheel (Claim 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-61988 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-86185 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 3243730 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The transport cart of Patent Document 1 achieves the objective of improving the visibility of the brake pedal operating part, and the transport cart of Patent Document 2 achieves the objective of making the brake pedal less likely to be damaged, but because the brake pedal rotates on the casters together with the yoke and wheels, the transport cart must be rocked to ensure that the wheels are facing forward and backward.

[0011] To solve this problem, it would be possible to employ caster wheels with brakes in which the brake pedal of Patent Document 3 has a fixed position; however, if the brake pedal of Patent Document 3 is employed on the transport cart of Patent Document 1, the visibility of the brake pedal operation part can be improved, but there is a higher possibility of it colliding with a wall or the like and being damaged; and if the brake pedal of Patent Document 3 is employed on the transport cart of Patent Document 2, the brake pedal operation part can be prevented from being damaged, but a new problem arises in that it becomes difficult to see the operation part.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a transport cart that can solve the problems of the conventional technology.

[0013] The present invention provides a caster wheel with brakes, the brake pedal of which is fixed in position, on the carriage body, To provide a transport cart in which a buffer body is provided on the outer surface of the corner of the cart body, and the tip of a brake pedal is protruded from the outer surface of an underframe and recessed from the outer surface of the buffer body, thereby ensuring visibility of the brake pedal and preventing damage to the brake pedal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The specific means for solving the problems in the present invention is to form a frame 4 having a rectangular shape in plan view by connecting two parallel vertical frame members 11 and two parallel horizontal frame members 12 with four corner members 13 into which a handle support 16 can be inserted, attach a loading member 5 on which luggage can be placed to the frame 4, and attach a base member 6 to the bottom of the frame 4 to form a trolley body 3. Braked caster wheels 7 are arranged at the four corners of the carriage body 3. The caster wheels 7 have a mounting base 31 attached to the underside of the base material 6, a bifurcated support yoke 33 supporting the wheels 7a is supported on the mounting base 31 so as to be freely rotatable, and a brake 8 for braking the wheels 7a is supported on the mounting base 31 in an outwardly protruding manner. A buffer body 9 having a buffer body outer surface G protruding from the outer surface of the underframe 4 is provided on the outer surface of the corner member 13, The brake 8 has an operating part K which can be stepped on and is fixed in position in the pivoting direction of the support yoke 33. A tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 and is recessed from the outer surface G of the buffer 9. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the brake pedal that fixes the position of the braked caster wheel arranged on the underside of the trolley body allows one to be confident that the brake 8 is in a position where it can be operated without moving the trolley body, and also ensures visibility of the tip Ka of the operating part K and prevents damage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3]FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a caster wheel. [Figure 7] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the mounting body in a caster wheel protruding state. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a caster wheel retracted state, illustrating a modified example of the mounting body. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the caster wheel. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a first modified example of the caster wheel. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a front view of the main parts showing a first modified example of the caster wheel. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the caster wheel. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a second modified example of the caster wheel. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a plan view of the main parts showing a second modified example of the caster wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] In Figures 1 to 7, the transport cart 1 has a rectangular (oblong, quadrilateral) frame 4 to which a loading material 5 on which cargo can be placed is attached, and a base material 6 is attached to the bottom of the rectangular frame to form the cart body 3, and brake-equipped caster wheels 7 are attached to the underside of the base material 6 at both corners of at least one side of the cart body 3 (in this embodiment, six places: the four corners and the center of the long sides).

[0019] The transport cart 1 has a rectangular shape that is long in the direction of transport and movement, with the longitudinal direction being the vertical direction, with the frame members that are long in the longitudinal direction being called vertical frame members 11, and the direction perpendicular to this being the horizontal direction, with the frame members that are long in the horizontal direction being called horizontal frame members 12. However, the length and width of the frame 4 may be reversed, with the vertical frame members being called horizontal frame members and the horizontal frame members being called vertical frame members.

[0020] The underframe 4 is formed into a rectangular shape (rectangular shape) in a plan view by connecting two parallel vertical frame members 11 (frame members that are long vertically in Figure 1) and two parallel horizontal frame members 12 with four corner members 13, and at least two vertical cross members 14 are provided between the two horizontal frame members 12, with both ends connected to the horizontal frame members 12. The supporting material 5 is fixed to the vertical frame members 11, the horizontal frame members 12 and the vertical cross members 14.

[0021] The vertical frame members 11, horizontal frame members 12 and vertical crosspiece members 14 are formed into a square pipe shape from an aluminum alloy or the like, and the corner members 13 are also extruded from an aluminum alloy and have a hole a passing through them in the vertical direction, into which the handle support 16 can be inserted.

[0022] The corner member 13 is formed with a cylindrical portion 13a having a hole a on its inner circumference into which the lower end of the handle support 16 can be inserted, a pair of vertical connecting pieces 13b that connect the vertical frame material 11 by sandwiching it therebetween, and a pair of horizontal connecting pieces 13c that connect the horizontal frame material 12 by sandwiching it therebetween, extending vertically and vertically.

[0023] The corner member 13 has a bolt 18 passing through a hole a at the lower part of the cylindrical portion 13a, and receives the lower end of a handle support 16 inserted into the hole a.

[0024] Additionally, the outer surface of the corner member 13 is covered with a shock absorbing body 9 made of synthetic resin that absorbs shock when it comes into contact with an obstacle such as a wall or a car stop.

[0025] The outer surface G of this buffer body 9 has an outer surface facing forward and backward and an outer surface facing left and right. The outer surface G facing forward and backward is located outside the horizontal connecting piece 13c and protrudes by a dimension α from the outer surface H of the horizontal frame member 12. The outer surface G facing left and right is located outside the vertical frame member 11 and protrudes by a dimension α from the outer surface H of the vertical frame member 11.

[0026] Three parallel mounting bodies 21 that form the base material 6 between the two horizontal frame members 12 are installed on the undersides of the vertical frame members 11, the horizontal frame members 12, and the vertical crosspiece members 14. The mounting bodies 21 on both sides are formed with a reinforcing rib 21a that rises from one side edge, and two downward-protruding mounting seats 21b that have grooves into which the bolt heads can be inserted.

[0027] The mounting body 21 has both longitudinal ends of the flat plate portion fixed to the undersides of the vertical frame material 11 and the vertical crosspiece material 14, and the mounting base 31 of the brake-equipped caster wheel 7 is fixed to its underside at positions corresponding to the four corners of the trolley body 3 via fasteners 22 such as bolts.

[0028] The mounting bodies 21 on both sides are positioned relative to the horizontal frame member 12 of the trolley body 3 in order to fix the mounting base 31, and a gap C is formed between the inner surface of the horizontal frame member 12 and the mounting bodies 21 on the horizontal frame member 12 side.

[0029] The supporting materials 5 attached to the underframe 4 include a flat aluminum plate fixed to the upper surfaces of the vertical frame members 11, horizontal frame members 12 and vertical crosspiece members 14, and a rectangular aluminum profile installed between the inner faces of the two vertical frame members 11 and between the two horizontal frame members 12, with the upper surfaces of the aluminum profile members approximately flush with the upper surfaces of the vertical frame members 11 and horizontal frame members 12, and these upper surfaces serving as supporting surfaces.

[0030] The loading material 5 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is made of the former aluminum plate, and its upper surface serves as a loading surface for luggage. The loading material 5 is cut out in six places to form spatial recesses P on the upper surface of the frame 4, exposing the fixed portions of the mounting base 31 of the lower mounting body 21. These six spatial recesses P provide space to accommodate the six wheels 7a of the upper transport cart 1 when another transport cart 1 is placed on top of the transport cart 1.

[0031] The spatial recess P of the support member 5 reaches the horizontal frame member 12, and opens upward a gap C between the horizontal frame member 12 and the reinforcing rib 21a of the mounting body 21. In other words, the spatial recess P and the gap C penetrate vertically between the horizontal frame member 12 and the mounting body 21 and above the brake-equipped caster wheels 7, so that the brakes 8 of the caster wheels 7 can be seen from above.

[0032] In Figure 6, the brake-equipped caster wheel 7 has a swivel base 34 provided on the top of a bifurcated support yoke 33 that supports the wheel 7a for free rotation via a support shaft, the mounting base 31 is fixed to the mounting body 21, the swivel base 34 is supported on the swivel receiving portion of the mounting base 31 via a thrust bearing 35, and the underside of the swivel base 34 is supported by a thrust receiving body 36 via a ball, and the swivel base 34 and thrust bearing 35 are fitted onto a swivel shaft 37 provided on the mounting base 31, thereby supporting the support yoke 33 on the swivel shaft 37 for caster rotation.

[0033] The brake mechanism F has a two-stage lever structure brake (brake operating member) 8 having a first brake lever 8A and a second brake lever 8B, an operating rod 38 that is moved up and down by the end of the second brake lever 8B, and a braking member 39 that changes from a released state to a braked state when the operating rod 38 moves downward.

[0034] The first brake lever 8A has an operating portion K on the upper surface which serves as an operating surface that can be stepped on by foot, and its base is supported via a pivot pin 40 on the tip of a lever support portion 31a which protrudes outward from the mounting base 31 so as to be able to swing up and down, and a cam portion 8c is formed at its base.

[0035] The second brake lever 8B is formed by bending a strip of plate material into a roughly Z shape when viewed from the front, with its tip abutting the cam portion 8c so that it can be pushed upward by rotation of the cam portion 8c, and its end being connected to the upper part of the operating rod 38 so that it can push the operating rod 38 downward.

[0036] The second brake lever 8B has a bent portion 8d at its middle portion in contact with a fulcrum portion 31b provided on the mounting base 31, forming a fulcrum that converts the upward movement of the tip of the second brake lever 8B into downward movement of the operating rod 38 at the end.

[0037] The second brake lever 8B is disposed within the mounting base 31 from its distal end to its intermediate portion, and is bent significantly outwardly and downwardly from a bent portion 8d that abuts against the fulcrum portion 31b, with its tip abutting against the cam portion 8c of the first brake lever 8A. This cam portion 8c and the pivot pin 40 are disposed at approximately the same height as the braking member 39, and therefore the first brake lever 8A is positioned at a sufficient distance from the underside of the carriage body 3, ensuring a sufficient space between the first brake lever 8A and the underside of the carriage body 3 for inserting the toe when stepping on it.

[0038] The operating rod 38 is inserted into a through hole formed in the axis of the pivot shaft 37 so as to be able to move up and down freely, is biased upward by a spring 43 fitted to the upper part, and is engaged with the end of the second brake lever 8B. Its lower end abuts against a recess in the push body 39b of the braking member 39.

[0039] When the operating rod 38 moves downward, the braking member 39 is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the wheel 7a, thereby braking (stopping action, braking action) the wheel 7a.

[0040] In the braked caster wheel 7, the support yoke 33 is freely rotatable relative to the mounting base 31, so the wheel 7a can also caster rotate. However, since the mounting base 31 is fixed to the mounting body 21, the brake mechanism F does not caster rotate together with the support yoke 33 and wheel 7a, but is a member that is always fixed in position and facing in the forward / backward direction.

[0041] In Figures 1 to 6, the braked caster wheels 7 at the four corners of the trolley body 3 are arranged so that the first brake lever 8A and the second brake lever 8B of the brake 8 are arranged along the fore-and-aft direction of the trolley body 3, and the first brake lever 8A is arranged outside the second brake lever 8B so that it can be seen from the fore-and-aft outside of the horizontal frame material 12 of the trolley body 3, and the tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the horizontal frame material 12.

[0042] The tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 by a protruding dimension β, which is slight but can be clearly seen from the outside of the trolley body 3. The protruding dimension β is smaller than the protruding dimension α of the outer surface G of the buffer body 9, and is a dimension that allows contact to be avoided when the buffer body 9 comes into contact with an obstacle.

[0043] In Figures 1, 2 and 7, in the case of a braked caster wheel 7 arranged in the longitudinal center of the rectangular trolley body 3, the first brake lever 8A and the second brake lever 8B of the brake 8 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the trolley body 3, and the first brake lever 8A is arranged outside the second brake lever 8B so that it can be operated by stepping on it from the outside in the left-right direction of the vertical frame material 11 of the trolley body 3, and the tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the vertical frame material 11.

[0044] Even in this intermediate caster wheel 7, the tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 by a protruding dimension β, which is small but can be clearly seen from the outside of the trolley body 3, and this protruding dimension β is smaller than the protruding dimension α of the outer surface G of the buffer 9, making it possible to avoid contact when the buffer 9 comes into contact with an obstacle.

[0045] Figures 8 and 9 show a modified example of the mounting body 21, which has two positions for attaching the mounting base 31. The first position Q1 is a position where the tip Ka of the operating part K of the brake 8 protrudes from the outer surface of the frame 4 and is recessed from the outer surface of the buffer body 9, and the second position Q2 is a position where the operating part K of the brake 8 is recessed from the outer surface H of the frame 4 and is positioned below the gap C.

[0046] When the mounting base 31 is attached to the first position Q1, the tip Ka of the operating portion K of the brake 8 protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 by a dimension β and is recessed from the outer surface H of the frame 4 by a protruding dimension α.

[0047] When the mounting base 31 is attached to the second position Q2, the tip Ka of the operating portion K of the brake 8 is recessed from the outer surface H of the underframe 4. However, the operating portion K of the brake 8 is recessed from the outer surface H of the underframe 4 and disposed below the gap C, and the brake 8 can be visually confirmed through the gap C.

[0048] The user can freely select between the first position Q1 and the second position Q2, i.e., whether the position of the operating part K of the brake 8 supported by the mounting base 31 is to be a position protruding from the outer surface H of the frame 4 or a position recessed therein.

[0049] In the first modified example of the caster wheel shown in Figures 10 to 12, the first brake lever 8A has a first lever main part L1 supported on the tip of the lever support part 31a so as to be able to swing up and down and having a cam part 8c formed thereon, and a first lever operating part L2 supported on the first lever main part L1 so as to be able to move linearly and having an operating part K that can be stepped on by the foot.

[0050] The base of the first lever operating part L2 is movably housed inside the first lever main part L1 and is biased in the protruding direction by a spring 43, and a pin 42 fixed to the first lever main part L1 penetrates a long groove 41 formed in the first lever operating part L2, and is capable of linear movement inward and outward within a movable dimension γ of the long groove 41. It is preferable that the movable dimension γ of the long groove 41 is longer than a protruding dimension β of the tip Ka of the operating part K protruding from the outer surface H of the frame 4.

[0051] When the tip Ka of the operating part K hits an obstacle, the operating part K can move within the range of the dimension γ, and the obstacle hits the outer surface H of the frame 4, so that the operating part K is protected.

[0052] In the second modified example of the caster wheel shown in Figures 13 to 15, the first brake lever 8A has a first lever main part L1 that is supported at the tip of the lever support part 31a so as to be able to swing up and down and has a cam part 8c formed thereon, and a first lever operating part L2 that is supported at the first lever main part L1 so as to be able to swing and has an operating part K that can be stepped on by the foot.

[0053] The first lever main portion L1 has a bifurcated shape when viewed from the front, and the base of the first lever operating portion L2 is pivoted via an eccentric shaft 44 and biased by a spring 45 to project to the maximum extent.

[0054] The first lever operating part L2 forms a substantially semicircular operating part K, and the tip Ka of the operating part K can be swung from the maximum protruding position to the minimum protruding position by the eccentric shaft 44, as shown in Fig. 15. Due to this swing, the tip Ka of the operating part K moves inward and outward by a dimension γ.

[0055] In other words, the tip Ka of the operating part K of the brake 8 can swing from a position protruding by dimension β from the outer surface H of the frame 4 to a position recessed inside the outer surface H, and when the tip Ka of the operating part K hits an obstacle, the operating part K can swing within the range of dimension γ, and the operating part K is protected by the obstacle hitting the outer surface H of the frame 4.

[0056] In the embodiment described above, two parallel vertical frame members 11 and two parallel horizontal frame members 12 are connected by four corner members 13 into which handle posts 16 can be inserted to form a frame 4 that is rectangular in plan view, a loading member 5 on which luggage can be placed is attached to this frame 4, and a base member 6 is attached to the bottom of the frame 4 to form a trolley body 3. Braked caster wheels 7 are arranged at the four corners of the trolley body 3, and the caster wheels 7 have a mounting base 31 attached to the underside of the base member 6, and the mounting base 3 is attached to the bottom of the base member 6. A bifurcated support yoke 33 that supports the wheel 7a is supported rotatably on the mounting base 31, and a brake 8 that brakes the wheel 7a is supported on the mounting base 31 in an outwardly protruding manner. A buffer 9 having a buffer outer surface G that protrudes beyond the outer surface of the frame 4 is provided on the outer surface of the corner member 13, and the brake 8 has an operating part K that can be stepped on with the foot and is fixed in position in the rotation direction of the support yoke 33, and a tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes beyond the outer surface H of the frame 4 and is recessed below the buffer outer surface G of the buffer 9.

[0057] With this configuration, the brake 8 is supported by the mounting base 31 and is fixed in position without caster rotation, so that it is always possible to be sure that the brake 8 is in a position where it can be operated without moving the carriage body to orient the wheels 7a in the forward / rearward direction. Furthermore, the operating part K of the brake 8 supported by the mounting base 31 protrudes from the outer surface H of the frame 4 to ensure improved visibility, and the operating part K of the brake 8 is recessed below the outer surface G of the buffer 9 to prevent damage.

[0058] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the corner member 13 has a cylindrical tubular portion 13a having a hole a for inserting the handle support 16, a vertical connecting piece 13b connected to the outer surface of the vertical frame member 11, and a horizontal connecting piece 13c connected to the outer surface of the horizontal frame member 12, and the buffer 9 has a buffer outer surface G that covers the outer surface of the tubular portion 13a of the corner member 13 and protrudes beyond the outer surface of the horizontal connecting piece 13c.

[0059] With this configuration, the buffer 9 is placed over the outer surface of the tubular portion 13a of the corner member 13 to form a buffer outer surface G that protrudes beyond the outer surface of the horizontal connecting piece 13c, thereby protecting the operating portion K of the brake 8.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the above-mentioned storage material 5 has a space recess P formed in it at a position corresponding to the arrangement of the caster wheels 7, exposing the upper surface of the base material 6, and the base material 6 has a mounting body 21 mounted between two vertical frame members 11 for attaching a mounting base 31, and this mounting body 21 is parallel to the horizontal frame member 12, and forms a gap C between the horizontal frame member 12 that communicates with the space recess P and enables the brake 8 to be visually observed from above.

[0061] With this configuration, the operating portion K of the brake 8 supported by the mounting base 31 can always be seen through the gap C in the frame 4.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting body 21 is formed with two positions for mounting the mounting base 31, and the first position Q1 is a position where the tip Ka of the operating part K of the brake 8 protrudes from the outer surface of the frame 4 and is recessed below the outer surface G of the buffer body 9, and the second position Q2 is a position where the operating part K of the brake 8 is recessed below the outer surface H of the frame 4 and is positioned below the gap C.

[0063] With this configuration, the arrangement of the operating portion K of the brake 8 supported by the mounting base 31 can be selected between a position protruding from the outer surface H of the frame 4 and a position recessed therein.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the braked caster wheel 7 has a swivel base 34 provided on the upper part of the support yoke 33, and the swivel base 34 is rotatably supported on the mounting base 31 via a swivel shaft 37. The brake 8 has a two-stage lever structure having a first brake lever 8A and a second brake lever 8B, and has an operating rod 38 that is moved up and down by the end of the second brake lever 8B, and a braking member 39 that is changed from a released state to a braking state with respect to the wheel 7a by the downward movement of the operating rod 38. The upper surface of the first brake lever 8A is an operating surface that can be stepped on by foot. The second brake lever 8B is supported at the tip of a lever support portion 31a protruding outward from the mounting base 31 so as to be able to swing up and down, and a cam portion 8c is formed at its base. The tip of the second brake lever 8B abuts against the cam portion 8c and can be pushed upward by rotation of the cam portion 8c. The end of the second brake lever 8B is connected to the upper part of the operating rod 38 so as to be able to push the operating rod 38 downward. A bent portion 8d at the middle abuts against a fulcrum portion 31b provided on the mounting base 31, forming a fulcrum that converts the upward movement of the tip Ka of the second brake lever 8B into downward movement of the operating rod 38 at the end.

[0065] With this configuration, the brake 8 can be supported by a mounting base 31 fixed to the base material 6, rather than by a pivoting support yoke 33, and the brake 8 can always be placed in a fixed position without pivoting.

[0066] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the first brake lever 8A has a first lever main part L1 supported on the tip of the lever support part 31a so as to be able to swing up and down and having a cam part 8c formed thereon, and a first lever operating part L2 supported on the first lever main part L1 so as to be able to move in a straight line and having an operating part K that can be stepped on by the foot, and the tip Ka of the operating part K of the first lever operating part L2 is movable from a position protruding from the outer surface H of the frame 4 to a position recessed inside the outer surface H.

[0067] With this configuration, even if the obstacle against which the buffer outer surface G of the buffer 9 hits has a protrusion that penetrates into the buffer outer surface G and that protrusion collides with the tip Ka of the operating part K of the first lever operating part L2, the first lever operating part L2 can move in a straight line to the inside of the outer surface H of the frame 4 and escape, thereby avoiding damage.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the first brake lever 8A has a first lever main part L1 supported on the tip of the lever support part 31a so as to be able to swing up and down and having a cam part 8c formed thereon, and a first lever operating part L2 supported on the first lever main part L1 so as to be able to swing and having an operating part K that can be stepped on by the foot, and the tip Ka of the operating part K of the first lever operating part L2 can swing from a position protruding from the outer surface H of the frame 4 to a position recessed inside the outer surface H.

[0069] With this configuration, even if the obstacle against which the buffer outer surface G of the buffer 9 hits has a protrusion that penetrates into the buffer outer surface G and that protrusion collides with the tip Ka of the operating part K of the first lever operating part L2, the first lever operating part L2 can swing to the inside of the outer surface H of the frame 4 and escape, thereby avoiding damage.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, the brake-equipped caster wheels 7 are arranged not only at the four corners of the trolley body 3, front, rear, left and right, but also at the left and right in the middle in the front-to-rear direction. This intermediate caster wheel 7 has a mounting base 31 attached to the underside of the base material 6, and a bifurcated support yoke 33 that supports the wheel 7a is supported on the mounting base 31 so as to be freely rotatable. The mounting base 31 supports a brake 8 that brakes the wheel 7a in an outwardly protruding manner. The brake 8 of the intermediate caster wheel 7 has a foot-depressable operating part K that is fixed in position in the rotation direction of the support yoke 33, and the tip Ka of the operating part K protrudes from the outer surface H of the vertical frame material 11 of the underframe 4 and is recessed from the outer surface G of the buffer 9.

[0071] With this configuration, the intermediate caster wheel 7 allows the operating part K of the brake 8 supported on the mounting base 31 to protrude from the outer surface H of the vertical frame material 11 of the underframe 4, thereby improving visibility, and the operating part K of the brake 8 is recessed below the outer surface G of the buffer 9, thereby reliably preventing damage.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the shape, configuration, and combination of the members can be changed.

[0073] For example, when the trolley body 3 is rectangular and has caster wheels at four or six locations, the braked caster wheels 7 may be provided only at the corners on both sides of one side of the trolley body 3.

[0074] When the braked caster wheel 7 is disposed in the longitudinal center of the cart body 3, the mounting body 21 to which it is attached may be formed with an opening through which the first brake lever 8A can be seen from above.

[0075] The operating portion K of the brake 8 is generally rectangular in plan view, but may be formed in a trapezoidal shape in plan view that becomes wider from the inner end of the operating portion K toward the tip Ka. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Transport cart 3. Cart body 4 Frame 5 Placement material 6 Bottom material 7 Caster wheels 7a wheels 8. Brakes 8A First brake lever 8B Second brake lever 8c Cam section 8d bent part 9 Buffer 11 Vertical frame material 12 Horizontal frame material 13 Corner member 13a Cylinder part 13b Vertical connecting piece 13c Horizontal connection piece 14 Vertical beams 16 Handle support 18 Volts 21 Mounting body 21a Reinforcement rib 21b Mounting seat 22 Fasteners 31 Mounting base 31a Lever support 31b Fulcrum part 33 Support yoke 34 Swivel table 35 Thrust bearing 36 Thrust receiving body 37 Swivel Axis 38 Operating rod 39 Braking members 40 Pivot pin 41 Nagamizo 42 pin 43 Spring 44 Eccentric shaft 45 Spring A hole α Projection dimension β Projection dimension γ Movable dimensions C Gap F Brake mechanism G Buffer outer surface H Outer surface of frame K Operation section Ka Tip L1 First lever main part L2 First lever operating part P Space recess Q1 1st position Q2 2nd position

Claims

1. Two parallel vertical frame members (11) and two parallel horizontal frame members (12) are connected by four corner members (13) into which handle posts (16) can be inserted to form a frame (4) that is rectangular in plan view, a loading member (5) on which luggage can be placed is attached to this frame (4), and a base member (6) is attached to the bottom of the frame (4) to form a trolley body (3); Braked caster wheels (7) are arranged at the four corners of the carriage body (3), and the caster wheels (7) are attached to a mounting base (31) on the underside of the base material (6), and a bifurcated support yoke (33) supporting the wheels (7a) is supported rotatably on the mounting base (31), and a brake (8) for braking the wheels (7a) is supported on the mounting base (31) in an outwardly protruding manner. A buffer body (9) having a buffer body outer surface (G) protruding from the outer surface of the underframe (4) is provided on the outer surface of the corner member (13), The brake (8) has a foot-depressable operating part (K) whose position is fixed in the rotation direction of the support yoke (33), and the tip (Ka) of the operating part (K) protrudes from the outer surface (H) of the frame (4) and is recessed from the outer surface (G) of the buffer (9).

2. The corner member (13) has a cylindrical portion (13a) having a hole (a) for inserting a handle post (16), a vertical connecting piece (13b) connected to the outer surface of the vertical frame member (11), and a horizontal connecting piece (13c) connected to the outer surface of the horizontal frame member (12), The transport cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the buffer body (9) covers the outer surface of the tubular portion (13a) of the corner member (13) and has a buffer body outer surface (G) protruding beyond the outer surface of the horizontal connecting piece (13c).

3. The support member (5) is formed with a space recess (P) that exposes the upper surface of the base member (6) at a position corresponding to the arrangement of the caster wheels (7), The transport cart described in claim 1, characterized in that the base material (6) has a mounting body (21) for attaching a mounting base (31) between two vertical frame members (11), and this mounting body (21) is parallel to the horizontal frame member (12), and forms a gap (C) between the horizontal frame member (12) that communicates with the spatial recess (P) and makes the brake (8) visible from above.

4. The transport cart described in claim 3, characterized in that the mounting body (21) is formed with two positions for mounting the mounting base (31), the first position (Q1) is a position where the tip (Ka) of the operating part (K) of the brake (8) protrudes from the outer surface of the frame (4) and is recessed from the outer surface (H) of the buffer body (9), and the second position (Q2) is a position where the operating part (K) of the brake (8) is recessed from the outer surface (H) of the frame (4) and is positioned below the gap (C).

5. The brake-equipped caster wheel (7) has a swivel base (34) provided on the upper part of a support yoke (33), and the swivel base (34) is rotatably supported on a mounting base (31) via a swivel shaft (37). The brake (8) has a two-stage lever structure having a first brake lever (8A) and a second brake lever (8B), and has an operating rod (38) that is moved up and down by the end of the second brake lever (8B), and a braking member (39) that goes from a released state to a braking state with respect to the wheel (7a) by the downward movement of the operating rod (38), The first brake lever (8A) has an upper surface which is an operation surface that can be stepped on by foot, and is supported on the tip of a lever support part (31a) which protrudes outward from a mounting base (31) so as to be capable of swinging up and down, and has a cam part (8c) formed on its base. The transport cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the second brake lever (8B) has a tip abutting against the cam portion (8c) and can be pushed upward by rotation of the cam portion (8c), and an end connected to the upper part of the operating rod (38) and can push the operating rod (38) downward, and a bent portion (8d) in the middle abuts against a fulcrum portion (31b) provided on the mounting base (31), forming a lever fulcrum that converts the upward movement of the tip (Ka) of the second brake lever (8B) into downward movement of the operating rod (38) at the end.

6. The first brake lever (8A) has a first lever main portion (L1) supported on the tip of a lever support portion (31a) so as to be vertically swingable and having a cam portion (8c) formed thereon, and a first lever operating portion (L2) supported on the first lever main portion (L1) so as to be linearly movable and having an operating portion (K) that can be depressed by the foot, The transport cart described in claim 5, characterized in that the tip (Ka) of the operating portion (K) of the first lever operating portion (L2) is movable from a position protruding from the outer surface (H) of the frame (4) to a position recessed inside the outer surface (H).

7. The first brake lever (8A) has a first lever main portion (L1) supported on the tip of a lever support portion (31a) so as to be vertically swingable and having a cam portion (8c) formed thereon, and a first lever operating portion (L2) supported on the first lever main portion (L1) so as to be swingable and having an operating portion (K) that can be depressed by a foot, The transport cart described in claim 5, characterized in that the tip (Ka) of the operating portion (K) of the first lever operating portion (L2) is capable of swinging from a position protruding from the outer surface (H) of the frame (4) to a position recessed inside the outer surface (H).

8. The brake-equipped caster wheels (7) are arranged on the four corners of the front, rear, left and right of the carriage body (3) as well as on the left and right in the middle of the front-rear direction, and the middle caster wheels (7) have a mounting base (31) attached to the underside of the base material (6), a bifurcated support yoke (33) supporting the wheels (7a) is supported on the mounting base (31) so as to be freely rotatable, and a brake (8) for braking the wheels (7a) is supported on the mounting base (31) in an outwardly protruding manner, The transport cart according to claim 1, characterized in that the brake (8) of the intermediate caster wheel (7) has a foot-depressable operating part (K) whose position is fixed in the rotation direction of the support yoke (33), and the tip (Ka) of the operating part (K) protrudes from the outer surface (H) of the vertical frame member (11) of the frame (4) and is recessed from the buffer outer surface (G) of the buffer (9).

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