Caster protection structure, housing structure using the same, and article

Abstract

To reduce a damage of a caster protection member at the time of collision with an obstacle more than when caster surroundings are covered with the protection member during article transportation.SOLUTION: A caster protection structure comprises a frame member 6, as protection means 5 for protecting a caster 2, which is a part of a frame constituting a bottom 1a of a housing 1 and which extends in a predetermined one direction. The longitudinal end position of the frame member 6 is set in an outer region at or above the outer end position of the caster 2. A housing structure and an article are also provided using this structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a caster protection structure used when transporting an article movably, a housing structure using the same, and an article.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 is already known as this type of caster protection structure. Patent Document 1 discloses a caster cover having a bowl shape that widens from the floor surface toward the bottom surface of the device so as to surround the rollers at the bottom of the device, and the caster cover has a caster protection device in which the bottom surface of the caster cover is provided so as to face the floor surface between the rotation center of the roller and the floor surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to further reduce the breakage of the caster protection member when colliding with an obstacle compared to the case where the periphery of the caster is covered with a protection member during article transportation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The invention according to claim 1 is a caster protection structure provided at the bottom of a housing for movably transporting the housing, The caster is provided at a corner of the bottom of the housing, wherein the bottom of the housing has a frame member that is a part of the frame constituting the bottom of the housing and extends along a predetermined one direction, and the longitudinal direction of the frame member end is in an outer region above the outer end portion position of the caster in an exposed stateA caster protection structure characterized by being configured.

[0006] The invention according to claim 2 is a caster protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal end position of the frame member is disposed outwardly of the outer end position of the caster. The invention according to claim 3 is a caster protection structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal ends of the frame member are disposed at a non-contact interval when the caster rotates in an arbitrary direction. The invention according to claim 4 is a caster protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the frame member is provided along one side edge of the bottom of the housing and is located outside the caster in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the frame member. The invention according to claim 5 is , and is a caster protection structure provided at the bottom of the housing for movably transporting the housing, The caster is provided at a corner of the bottom of the housing, and the bottom of the housing has a recess recessed downward in a region between the casters. The bottom of the housing has a frame member that is part of the frame constituting the bottom of the housing and extends along a predetermined one direction, The frame member has a U-shaped notch surrounding the recess and extends in the longitudinal direction. , and arranges the longitudinal end position of the frame member in an outer region above the outer end position of the caster A caster protection structure characterized by this. The invention according to claim 6 is a caster protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the caster is provided at both end corners of one side edge of the bottom of the housing and is protected at both longitudinal ends of the frame member. The invention according to claim 7 is a caster protection structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member is disposed in a lower region below the center position of the caster. The invention according to claim 8 is a caster protection structure according to claim 7, wherein the lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member is disposed closer to the lower side with respect to the center position of the caster.

[0007] The invention according to claim 9 is a housing and the bottom of the housing cornerIt is provided with casters that are provided on the [object] and that transport the housing in a movable manner, and has a frame member that is a part of the frame constituting the bottom of the housing and that extends in a predetermined one direction, and the longitudinal direction of the frame member end is disposed in an outer region above the outer end position of the caster in an exposed state A housing structure characterized by comprising caster protection means. The invention according to claim 10 is an article characterized by comprising the housing structure according to claim 9 and various article elements mounted on the housing structure.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the invention according to claim 1, when transporting an article, compared with the case where the periphery of the caster is covered with a protection member, it is possible to further reduce the breakage of the protection member of the caster when colliding with an obstacle. According to the invention according to claim 2, including the case where there is an assembly tolerance, it is possible to avoid a situation where only the caster collides with an obstacle, and it is possible to cause the frame member to collide prior to the collision of the caster. According to the invention according to claim 3, the two can be arranged close to each other so that the caster can smoothly perform a moving operation in an arbitrary direction without interfering with the frame member. According to the invention according to claim 4, the caster can be hidden and protected from the outside by a frame member extending along one side edge of the bottom of the housing. According to the invention according to claim 5, when the bottom of the housing has a recess, a preferable frame member can be constructed. According to the invention according to claim 6, a plurality of casters provided at both end corners of one side edge of the bottom of the housing can be protected by one frame member. According to the invention according to claim 7, compared with the case where the lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member is arranged above the center position of the caster, it does not prevent the caster from overcoming an obstacle, and the caster can be effectively protected. According to the invention according to claim 8, by appropriately selecting the lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member, it is difficult to prevent the obstacle from being overcome, and the caster can be protected to the maximum extent. According to the invention according to claim 9, it is possible to provide a housing structure that can further reduce the breakage of the protective member of the caster when colliding with an obstacle, compared with the case where the periphery of the caster is covered with a protective member during article transportation. According to the invention according to claim 10, it is possible to provide an article having a housing structure that can further reduce the breakage of the protective member of the caster when colliding with an obstacle, compared with the case where the periphery of the caster is covered with a protective member during article transportation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] ◎Outline of Embodiment Fig. 1(a) shows an outline of an embodiment of an article provided with a housing structure to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, the article 10 includes a housing 1, a caster 2 provided at the bottom 1a of the housing 1 for movably transporting the housing 1, and a protection means 5 for protecting the caster 2, and is provided with a housing structure in which various article elements (not shown) are mounted. corner And in this example, as the protection means 5, as shown in Figs. 1(b) and (c), it has a frame frame member 6 which is a part of the frame constituting the bottom 1a of the housing 1 and extends in a predetermined one direction, and the longitudinal direction of the frame frame member 6 is arranged in an outer region above the outer end portion position of the caster 2. end That is, it is arranged in such a manner. in an exposed state

[0011] In such a technical means, the article 10 widely includes a multifunctional machine that combines functions such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile, and products such as home appliances and furniture. In particular, it is premised on a mode that can be movably transported to the installation position by the caster 2. Further, the caster 2 widely includes those that can move movably, and is not limited to a double-wheel caster that holds a pair of wheels via an axle in a rotatable wheel holder, and a ball-type caster using balls instead of wheels may also be used. Furthermore, although the caster 2 can move in an arbitrary direction, since the main traveling direction of the caster 2 is determined by the carrier, it is designed assuming the main traveling direction of the caster 2 based on the work of the carrier. For example, the housing 1 is often rectangular in cross-section, and is often designed with the direction parallel to any outer surface of the housing 1 as the main traveling direction. Also, when transporting the article 10, there may be a gripping portion for gripping when lifting the article 10. In such a case, the gripping portion is generally arranged on two opposing surfaces (for example, the left and right side surfaces), but considering lifting the article 10 during transportation of the article 10, it is natural that the surfaces on which the gripping portions are arranged are in front of and behind the traveling direction of the article 10. Thus, it is only necessary to design assuming the main traveling direction of the caster 2.

[0012] Further, the frame includes a frame frame member 6 (including, for example, a timber) to be framed and a plate member closing the space between the frame frame members 6. As the frame frame member 6, there are plate materials having various cross-sectional shapes and pipe materials having a closed cross-sectional structure. In this example, as a protection structure of the caster 2 by the frame frame member 6, the protection means 5 uses the frame frame member 6 extending in a predetermined one direction as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c), and when the caster 2 collides with the obstacle 7, it is intended that the frame frame member 6 collides with the caster 2 at the same time. However, considering that the traveling direction of the article 10 is oblique, dimensional tolerances, etc., it is intended that the frame frame member 6 collides with the obstacle 7 prior to the caster 2, and it is preferable that the frame frame member 6 is arranged on the traveling direction side at 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or less. Here, as the predetermined one direction, typically it is a direction along any of the outer surfaces of the housing 1, but it is not limited thereto, and also includes an oblique direction intersecting at an acute angle with respect to the direction along the outer surface of the housing 1. However, if the intersection angle is too large, the horizontal component of the impact force in the direction crossing the frame frame member 6 increases, and there is a risk that the frame frame member 6 may be deformed by the impact, so it is necessary to pay attention to this point. Thereby, the impact force is dispersed and deformation of the caster 2 is suppressed. In particular, even if the longitudinal end portion of the frame frame member 6 is configured in a plate shape, since the impact at the time of collision with the obstacle 7 is received along the longitudinal direction, the rigidity of the frame frame member 6 is higher than that of the caster 2, and it is possible to weaken the impact force acting on the caster 2.

[0013] Next, representative or preferred embodiments of the caster protection structure according to the present embodiment will be described. First, as a preferred embodiment of the frame member 6, as shown in FIG. 1(c), the longitudinal end position P1 of the frame member 6 is disposed outward relative to the outer end position of the caster 2. In this example, if the span between the longitudinal end position P1 of the frame member 6 and the outer end position of the caster 2 is selected within a range larger than the assembly tolerance, only the caster 2 will not collide with the obstacle 7, and it is possible to cause the frame member 6 to collide before the caster 2. Also, as a preferred embodiment of the frame member 6, the longitudinal ends of the frame member 6 are arranged at a non-contact interval when the caster 2 rotates in an arbitrary direction. This example is effective in ensuring the movement operation of the caster 2 in an arbitrary direction.

[0014] Furthermore, as another preferred embodiment of the frame member 6, it is provided along one side edge of the bottom 1a of the housing 1 and is located outside the caster 2 with respect to the intersecting direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the frame member 6. This example is preferable in that the frame member 6 located outside the caster 2 hides the caster 2 from the side, and in addition to the protection by the longitudinal end of the frame member 6 against the obstacle 7, side protection can also be exerted. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment of the frame member 6, the caster 2 is provided at a corner of the bottom 1a of the housing 1, the bottom 1a of the housing 1 has a recess (not shown) that is recessed downward in the region between the casters 2, and the frame member 6 has a U-shaped notch surrounding the recess and extends in the longitudinal direction. Here, the recess is used as a storage portion for a medium supply device such as paper.

[0015] Also, as another preferred embodiment of the frame member 6, the caster 2 is provided at both end corners of one side edge of the bottom 1a of the housing 1 and is protected at both longitudinal ends of the frame member 6. This example embodies a structure in which a plurality of casters 2 are protected by a common frame member 6. Furthermore, regarding the layout of the frame member 6, as shown in FIG. 1(c), it is preferable that the lower end position P2 of the longitudinal end of the frame member 6 is arranged in a lower region below the center position Q of the caster 2. In this example, it does not prevent crossing over a low obstacle 7, and it is possible to expand the protection range of the caster 2 with respect to the obstacle 7. In particular, in this example, from the viewpoint of being less likely to prevent crossing over the obstacle 7 and protecting the caster 2 to the maximum extent, it is preferable that the lower end position P2 of the longitudinal end of the frame member 6 is arranged closer to the lower side with respect to the center position Q of the caster 2.

[0016] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. ◎Embodiment 1 FIG. 2(a) shows the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus as an article according to Embodiment 1. -Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus- In the figure, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a housing structure including a device housing 21 and a plurality of casters 22 provided at the four corners of the bottom of the device housing 21 for movably transporting the device housing 21, and various article elements are mounted on this housing structure as elements necessary for image formation.

[0017] In this example, the device housing 21 is configured in a vertically long substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and when the user operation side is the front side, it has a shape having a cavity 21a near the top in one side surface (the right side surface in the figure) adjacent to the front side. Further, the front side of the device housing 21 has an openable and closable opening / closing door 21b. Also, in this example, as elements necessary for image formation, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(b), an image forming engine 30 mounted in the upper region within the apparatus housing 21 for forming an image on a medium S such as paper, a medium supply device 40 mounted in the lower region within the apparatus housing 21 for supplying the medium S such as paper toward the image forming engine 30, a medium discharge receiver 50 provided using the hollow portion 21a of the apparatus housing 21 for discharging and accommodating the medium S on which an image has been formed by the image forming engine 30, a medium conveyance system 60 for conveying the medium S supplied from the medium supply device 40 through the image forming engine 30 to the medium discharge receiver 50, and an operation panel 70 provided on the top of the apparatus housing 21 for performing operations necessary for image formation on a control device (not shown) that controls the image forming engine 30, the medium supply device 40, and the medium conveyance system 60 are provided.

[0018] In this example, as the image forming engine 30, for example, a plurality of image forming units 31 that form a plurality of color component images on a plurality of photoreceptors by an electrophotographic method, an intermediate transfer member 32 such as a belt-shaped one for primarily transferring and conveying the color component images of each image forming unit 31, a transfer device 33 for transferring the primary transfer image on the intermediate transfer member 32 to the medium S, and a fixing device 34 for fixing the image transferred onto the medium S are adopted, but it goes without saying that it is not limited to this. Also, in this example, the medium supply device 40 includes three medium supply parts 40a to 40c. In particular, the medium supply part 40c located at the lowermost stage accommodates a device for supplying a medium S dedicated to a standard size (for example, A4 size). Note that the number, layout, etc. of the medium supply parts can be appropriately changed in design, and if necessary, a manual type medium supply part may be added. Furthermore, the medium discharge receiver 50 can also be appropriately changed in design according to the discharge position of the medium S, and for the medium conveyance system 60, in this example, a conveyance method for forming an image on one side of the medium S is adopted, but for example, an image may be formed on both sides of the medium S by adding a duplex conveyance module.

[0019] -caster- In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, for example, mounting plates 81 are respectively attached to the four corners of the bottom lower surface of the device housing 21, and a wheel holder 82 is rotatably provided on the mounting plate 81 via a bearing (not shown), and the axle 84 of the wheel 83 of the corresponding configuration is rotatably held by the wheel holder 82. In addition, reference numeral 85 in the figure is a stopper for the caster 22.

[0020] -Example of the configuration of the device housing- <Example of the bottom configuration of the device housing> In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the bottom of the device housing 21 has a substantially rectangular bottom plate 90. Except for the front side of the bottom plate 90, the left frame member 91, the right frame member 92, and the rear frame member 93 are fixed to the left and right sides and the rear side by welding or the like. Further, in the region between the casters 22 located on the left and right sides of the bottom plate 90, a recess 94 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that extends in the front-rear direction without contacting the casters 22 and is recessed downward is formed. The front frame member 95 is fixed to the front side of the bottom plate 90 by welding or the like without contacting the installation surface 18 (see FIG. 2(b)). Here, the shapes and cross-sectional structures of the frame members 91 to 93 and 95 can be appropriately selected. In this example, the left and right frame members 91 and 92 and the rear frame member 93 are appropriately selected and used from those formed in a U-shaped cross section, an L-shaped cross section, or a closed cross section.

[0021] Further, the front frame member 95 has a long rectangular flat plate portion 95a extending in the left - right direction. An inverted - U - shaped notch 95b that surrounds the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90 is formed on the upper - edge side of this flat plate portion 95a. On the other hand, on the lower - edge side of the flat plate portion 95a, a substantially L - shaped first bent piece portion 95c that is bent at an angle smaller than 90 degrees with respect to the flat plate portion 95a is formed in a range corresponding to the region of the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90. In a portion of the lower - edge side of the flat plate portion 95a other than the region of the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90, a second bent piece portion 95d that is substantially triangular and whose bending amount gradually decreases from a location adjacent to the first bent piece portion 95c is formed. Adjacent to the second bent piece portion 95d, a third bent piece portion 95e that is bent into a short substantially L - shape with a bending amount substantially equal to the minimum bending amount of the second bent piece portion 95d is formed. And, the front frame member 95 is such that the flat plate portion 95a is welded to the front - edge portion of the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90, and the leading - edge of the first bent piece portion 95c is welded to the outer surface of the bottom of the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90.

[0022] <Configuration example other than the bottom of the device housing> Also, four support frame members 100 extending vertically upward are fixed to the four corners of the bottom of the device housing 21. Among the regions surrounding the four support frame members 100, on the left and right sides and the rear side excluding the front side, a left - side side plate 101, a right - side side plate 102, and a rear - side side plate 103 are fixed by welding or fasteners such as screws. In this example, the front side of the lower region of the device housing 21 is open. For example, after opening the opening - closing door 21b (see Fig. 2(a)), when replenishing the medium S, the medium supply portions 40a - 40c of the medium supply device 40 can be taken in and out. In addition, the support frame member 100 is appropriately provided with a mounting bracket 105 for mounting the medium supply device 40, a reinforcing tie bar 106, and the like.

[0023] - Caster protection structure - In this embodiment, when transporting the image forming apparatus 20, in order to prevent the caster 22 from being damaged when it collides with an obstacle, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a structure is adopted in which a frame member constituting the bottom of the apparatus housing 21, specifically the front frame member 95, is used to protect the caster 22. That is, in this example, the front frame member 95 constituting the bottom of the apparatus housing 21 also serves as a protection member H as a protection means for protecting the caster 22. In this example, as already described, the basic configuration of the front frame member 95 has a flat plate portion 95a, a notch 95b, and first to third bent piece portions 95c to 95e. However, the relative positional relationship with the caster 22 is selected as follows. (1) As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6(b), the longitudinal end position P1 of the front frame member 95 is arranged in an outer region above the outer end position of the caster 22. Here, the outer end position of the caster 22 basically refers to the position of the outermost end among the components of the caster 22 (mainly the wheel holder 82 and the wheel 83). However, in the case of the stopper 85 which is a component, since it is originally a movable element, if the position at the time of restraint does not become the outer end position of the caster 22 even if it exists at the outer end position of the caster 22 at the time of release, it is excluded.

[0024] ◆Condition 1: When the longitudinal end position P1 of the front frame member 95 is arranged at the same position as the outer end position of the caster 22. Under this condition, when the caster 22 collides with the obstacle 110, the tip of the front frame member 95, specifically the tip of the flat plate portion 95a, collides with the obstacle 110 at the same time as the caster 22. As a result, the impact force due to the collision is dispersed to the caster 22 and the front frame member 95, so that the impact force on the caster 22 is reduced accordingly, and the deformation of the caster 22 is suppressed. Under this condition, the part of the front frame member 95 that collides with the obstacle 110 is the flat plate portion 95a. However, since the impact force during the collision with the obstacle 110 is received along the longitudinal direction, the rigidity of the front frame member 95 is higher than that of the caster 22, and it is possible to reduce the impact force acting on the caster 22.

[0025] ◆Condition 2: When the longitudinal end position P1 of the front frame member 95 is arranged closer to the outside than the outside end position of the caster 22. Under this condition, in the situation where the caster 22 collides with the obstacle 110, the tip of the front frame member 95, specifically the tip of the flat plate portion 95a, collides with the obstacle 110 first. Therefore, in this example, it is possible to avoid the situation where the caster 22 collides with the obstacle 110. Under this condition, even if the transport direction of the image forming apparatus is oblique with respect to the longitudinal direction of the front frame member 95, or there are assembly tolerances in the apparatus housing 21 or the caster 22, it is possible to avoid the situation where only the caster 22 collides with the obstacle 110, and it is possible to cause the front frame member 95 to collide with the obstacle 110 prior to the collision of the caster 22.

[0026] (2) The longitudinal end of the front frame member 95 is arranged at a non-contact interval when the caster 22 rotates in an arbitrary direction. In this example, as shown in FIG. 5, the relative positional relationship between the flat plate portion 95a of the front frame member 95 and the caster 22 is such that there is a distance that keeps them non-contact, and the front frame member 95 has a second bent piece portion 95d and a third bent piece portion 95e arranged near the caster 22, but the second bent piece portion 95d 、 The third bent piece portion 95e has a sufficiently small bending amount compared to the first bent piece portion 95c. Therefore, there is no concern that the front frame member 95 and the caster 22 will interfere.

[0027] (3) The lower end position P2 of the longitudinal end of the front frame member 95 is located in the lower region below the center position Q of the caster 22 (specifically corresponding to the center position of the axle 84 of the wheel 83). When the lower end position P2 of the longitudinal end of the front frame member 95 is arranged above the center position Q of the caster 22, it does not prevent the obstacle 110 from being overcome, and the caster 22 can be effectively protected. In particular, if the lower end position P2 of the longitudinal end of the front frame member 95 is arranged below the center position Q of the caster 22, it is more effective in protecting the caster 22.

[0028] (4) The front frame member 95 has a U-shaped notch 95b surrounding the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90, and maintains the rigidity of the front edge of the bottom plate 90. In this example, the recess 94 is provided in the bottom plate 90 in advance, and the bottom plate 90, together with the left frame member 91, the right frame member 92, and the rear frame member 93, ensures the surrounding rigidity with the front frame member 95. Therefore, the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90 can be effectively used, for example, as a housing portion for the medium supply portion 40c of the medium supply device 40.

[0029] (5) The front frame member 95 is arranged further forward than the front caster 22. In this example, the front frame member 95 not only suppresses damage caused by the collision of the caster 22 against the obstacle 110 at its longitudinal end side, but also prevents, for example, the user's toes from touching the caster 22 when the user operates, by hiding it from the front by the flat plate portion 95a. (6) The front frame member 95 adopts a structure that protects the casters 22 located on both sides at both longitudinal ends. In this example, it is effective in protecting a plurality of casters 22 with one front frame member 95.

[0030] (7) The front frame member 95 has a structure including not only the flat plate portion 95a but also the first to third bent piece portions 95c to 95e, and enhances the rigidity of the front edge of the bottom plate 90 compared to the structure with only the flat plate portion 95a. That is, the flat plate portion 95a is fixed to the front edge of the bottom plate 90, and the first bent piece portion 95c is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom of the recess 94 of the bottom plate 90, forming a closed cross-section structure with the bottom plate 90 on the front side of the bottom plate 90. Therefore, it is possible to increase the support rigidity on the front side of the bottom plate 90. Furthermore, in this example, since the longitudinal end portion of the front frame member 95 has an L-shaped cross-section of the flat plate portion 95a and the third bent piece portion 95e, the rigidity is higher compared to the case where the third bent piece portion 95e is not present, and accordingly, it is possible to receive the impact against the obstacle 110 without deformation.

[0031] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the front frame member 95 is configured to also serve as a protection member H for the caster 22, but it is not limited thereto, and for example, the following modified forms 1 and 2 can be cited. ◎ Modified form 1 For example, when there is no recess 94 in the bottom plate 90 at the bottom of the device housing 21, as shown in FIG. 7(b), a long plate-like member without a notch may be used as the front frame member 120 to protect the caster 22. At this time, assuming that the front frame member 120 on the front side of the bottom plate 90, for example, has a shape that cannot protect the caster 22 although the rigidity of the bottom of the device housing 21 is ensured, a plate-like additional member that functions as the protection member H may be separately fixed to a part of the front frame member 120 to add the function of the protection member H to the front frame member 120.

[0032] ◎ Modified form 2 In addition, in this embodiment, the front frame member 95 is constructed as the protective member H. However, as shown in FIG. 7(c), in addition to the front frame member 95, the rear frame member 93 may also be constructed as the protective member H for the caster 22. Incidentally, when the rear frame member 93 functions as the protective member H, additional members may be provided on the rear frame member 93 that has been originally used, or the rear frame member 93 may be replaced with a member that functions as the protective member H.

[0033] In evaluating the performance of the caster protection structure according to this embodiment, Comparative Form 1 is shown. ◎Comparative Form 1 FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show a mode without a caster protection structure. In this mode, when the caster 22 collides with the obstacle 110, there is a concern that the caster 22 may be damaged. To eliminate such a situation, in Comparative Form 1, as shown in FIG. 8(c), for example, a guard part 150, which is a dedicated protective member, is attached so as to surround the periphery of the caster 22 at the bottom of the device housing 21, for example, in an L shape from the outside. In this example, since the guard part 150 is separately required and there are no parts for supporting the guard part 150, when the guard part 150 collides with the obstacle 110 and the guard part 150 is deformed, there is a concern that the rotation of the caster 22 may be hindered or there may be interference with the caster 22.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 1... housing, 1a... bottom, 2... caster, 5... protection means, 6... frame member, 7... obstacle, 10... article, P1... longitudinal end position of the frame member, P2... lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member, Q... center position of the caster

Claims

1. A caster protection structure provided at the bottom of a housing for movably transporting the housing, wherein the casters are provided at the corners of the bottom of the housing, and the bottom of the housing has a frame member that is part of the frame constituting the bottom of the housing and extends along a predetermined one direction, and the longitudinal end portions of the frame member are arranged in an exposed state in an outer region above the outer end portion position of the caster. A caster protection structure characterized by this.

2. In the caster protection structure according to Claim 1, a caster protection structure, wherein the longitudinal end position of the frame member is arranged closer to the outside than the outer end position of the caster.

3. In the caster protection structure according to Claim 1 or 2, a caster protection structure, wherein the longitudinal ends of the frame member are arranged at a non-contact interval when the caster rotates in an arbitrary direction.

4. The caster protection structure according to Claim 1, wherein the frame member is provided along one side edge of the bottom of the housing and is located outside the caster with respect to the intersecting direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the frame member. A caster protection structure characterized by this.

5. A caster protection structure provided at the bottom of a housing for movably transporting the housing, wherein the casters are provided at the corners of the bottom of the housing, the bottom of the housing has a recess that is recessed downward in the region between the casters, and the bottom of the housing has a frame member that is part of the frame constituting the bottom of the housing and extends along a predetermined one direction, the frame member has a U-shaped notch surrounding the recess and extends in the longitudinal direction, and a caster protection structure characterized in that the longitudinal end position of the frame member is arranged in an outer region above the outer end position of the caster.

6. In the caster protection structure according to Claim 1, a caster protection structure, wherein the casters are provided at both end corners of one side edge of the bottom of the housing and are protected by both longitudinal ends of the frame member.

7. In the caster protection structure according to Claim 1, a caster protection structure, wherein the lower end position of the longitudinal end of the frame member is arranged in a lower region below the center position of the caster.

8. In the caster protection structure according to Claim 7, A caster protection structure, wherein a lower end position of a longitudinal end portion of the frame member is disposed closer to a lower side with respect to a central position of the caster.

9. A housing, casters provided at corners of a bottom portion of the housing for movably transporting the housing, caster protection means having a frame member that is a part of a frame constituting the bottom portion of the housing and extends in a predetermined one direction, and disposing longitudinal end portions of the frame member in an exposed state in an outer region above an outer end portion position of the caster. A housing structure characterized by comprising:

10. The housing structure according to claim 9, various article elements mounted on the housing structure, An article characterized by comprising:

Images