Transport equipment

Abstract

To provide a carrier capable of stably loading long cargo while preventing the cargo piled up from falling. [Solution] The carrier 1 comprises a roughly rectangular parallelepiped storage section 10 that defines a storage space 2 that opens upward, a cloth-like body 20 that is formed in a cylindrical shape extending from the upper ends of the four side walls of the storage section and has a shrinking function 22 that shrinks the opening 5 at the tip end in the extension direction, and a plurality of wheels 3 that support the storage section, and a first side wall section 11 on one side in a first direction of the four side walls is arranged so that it can be raised and lowered freely using its lower end as a fulcrum, and the base ends 27, 28 in the extension direction of the cloth-like body are fixed to the upper ends of the three side walls 12, 13 of the four side walls excluding the first side wall.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a carrier. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known carriers such as carry carts and outdoor wagons that are used to store and transport various types of luggage, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1 below.) With such carriers, there is a concern that when luggage is piled up in a storage compartment with an upper opening and transported, the luggage may easily fall. For example, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a carry cart in which a mesh cloth cover is sewn to the four peripheral edges of the upper opening of the storage section, and the top opening of this cover can be tightened to cover a pile of luggage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3242389 [Patent Document 2] Design Registration No. 1759487 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the carry cart disclosed in Patent Document 2 above appears to be able to prevent piles of luggage from falling, further improvements are desired from the standpoint of stably loading, for example, long luggage that is longer than the dimension along the first direction of the storage section.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a carrier that can stably carry long cargo while preventing cargo from falling when piled up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, configuration 1 of the carrier device disclosed herein comprises a storage section having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape that defines a storage space that opens upward, a cloth-like body that is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to extend from the upper ends of the four side wall sections of the storage section and has a shrinking function that shrinks the opening at the tip end in the extension direction, and a plurality of wheels that support the storage section, wherein a first side wall section on one side in a first direction of the four side wall sections is arranged so as to be able to rise and fall freely with its lower end section as a fulcrum, and the base end section in the extension direction of the cloth-like body is fixed to the upper ends of the three side wall sections of the four side wall sections excluding the first side wall section.

[0007] The following description of the embodiments discloses that the carrier according to the present disclosure may also include the following subsidiary configurations. <Configuration 2> In the configuration 1, the storage section may be provided with a holding section that holds the first side wall section in the laid-down state in a substantially horizontal state that is substantially flush with the bottom of the storage section. <Configuration 3> In configuration 1 or 2, the base end in the extension direction of the portion of the fabric-like body corresponding to the first side wall portion may be made stretchable by incorporating a string-like rubber that stretches in the circumferential direction. <Configuration 4> In any one of configurations 1 to 3, the portion of the cloth-like body corresponding to the first side wall portion may be separated into one circumferential side and the other circumferential side, and may have a joining portion at the end of each separated side that can be freely attached and detached. <Configuration 5> In configuration 4, a holding portion for holding the fabric-like body in a folded state when not in use may be provided at the upper end of each of the three side walls excluding the first side wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The carrier according to the present disclosure has the above-described configuration, and is therefore capable of stably loading long items while preventing items from falling when piled up. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic perspective views illustrating an example of a carrier according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1(a) is a schematic rear view of the carrier, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the carrier. [Figure 3] 1(a) is a schematic rear view of the carrier, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the carrier. [Figure 4] 1(a) is a schematic rear view of the carrier, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the carrier. [Figure 5] 1(a) to 1(c) are schematic plan views of the carrier. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In some drawings, some of the detailed reference numerals used in other drawings are omitted. In the following embodiment, directions such as the up and down directions will be described based on the state in which the carrier according to this embodiment can be used (carried).

[0011] 1 to 5 are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of a carrier according to this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 5(a)-5(c), the carrier 1 according to this embodiment includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped storage section 10 that defines a storage space 2 that opens upward, and a plurality of wheels 3 that support the storage section 10. With this configuration, luggage can be transported by storing it in the storage section 10 and moving it. The carrier 1 also includes a fabric-like body 20 that is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to extend from the upper ends of the four side wall sections 11, 12, 13, and 13 of the storage section 10 and has a shrinking function 22 that shrinks an opening 5 at the tip end in the direction of extension. With this configuration, even when luggage is piled up in the storage section 10, the opening 5 of the fabric-like body 20 that is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to extend from the upper ends of the four side wall sections 11, 12, 13, and 13 can be narrowed to cover and hold the pile of luggage, preventing it from falling.

[0012] Of the four side walls 11, 12, 13, 13, the first side wall (11) on one side in the first direction is provided so as to be able to rise and fall freely with its lower end as a fulcrum, and the base ends 27, 28 in the extension direction of the fabric-like body 20 are fixed to the upper ends of the three side walls 12, 13, 13 of the four side walls 11, 12, 13, 13 excluding the first side wall (11). With this configuration, by folding down the first side wall (11) of the storage section 10, it is possible to stably load a long item 6 (see FIG. 2(b)) that is longer than the dimension of the storage section 10 along the first direction by utilizing the bottom 14 of the storage section 10 and the first side wall (11) in the folded state. That is, for example, compared to a configuration in which the first side wall portion (11) is provided with an opening that exposes the long cargo 6 so that it protrudes, the first side wall portion (11) can be used to stably load the portion of the long cargo 6 that protrudes beyond the storage section 10, and the risk of cargo falling from the first side wall portion (11) can be reduced. Furthermore, even when the first side wall portion (11) is collapsed in this manner, the base ends 27, 28 in the extension direction of the fabric-like body 20 are fixed to the upper ends of the three side walls 12, 13, 13 excluding the first side wall portion (11), so the fabric-like body 20 can prevent cargo piled up above the long cargo 6 from falling. An example of a specific configuration of the fabric-like body 20 will be described later.

[0013] The carrier 1 is provided with a handle 4 that is gripped when moving the carrier 1 (see also Figures 2 to 4). With this configuration, the carrier 1 can be moved by gripping the handle 4. The handle 4 is provided on the other side in the first direction, which is opposite the first side wall portion (11) of the carrier 1 in the first direction. In the following description, the side on which the handle 4 is provided will be referred to as the front side of the carrier 1, that is, the first side wall portion (11) will be referred to as the rear wall portion 11. The storage section 10 is provided with a holding section 18 that holds the rear wall 11 in the collapsed state in a generally horizontal position that is generally flush with the bottom 14 of the storage section 10. Compared to a configuration in which the collapsed rear wall 11 is held at an angle or a configuration in which a large step is formed between the rear wall 11 and the bottom 14, this configuration allows long items 6 to be stably loaded in a continuous manner from the bottom 14 of the storage section 10 to the collapsed rear wall 11, and also more effectively reduces the risk of items falling from the rear wall 11. The storage section 10 is foldable. With this configuration, when storing the carrier 1 when not in use or when transporting the carrier 1 itself in a car or the like, the storage section 10 can be folded, thereby improving ease of handling and also saving space.

[0014] Specifically, the transportation device 1 may be configured as a so-called carry cart or outdoor wagon. The capacity and load capacity of the storage section 10 of the transportation device 1 may be set appropriately depending on the intended use. The storage section 10 includes a bottom section 14 that defines the bottom side of the storage space 2, and four side walls 11, 12, 13, and 13 that define the four sides of the storage space 2. In the illustrated example, the storage section 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction, which is the first direction. The bottom portion 14 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and is formed so that the upper surface is substantially horizontal. The four peripheral side walls 11, 12, 13, 13 include a rear wall 11 that defines the rear side, a front wall 12 that defines the front side, and a pair of side walls 13, 13 that define both sides in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the up-down direction. The rear wall 11 (the rear wall 11 in an upright state), the front wall 12, and the pair of side walls 13, 13 are provided to rise substantially vertically from a bottom 14. The upper ends of the rear wall 11 (the rear wall 11 in an upright state), the front wall 12, and the pair of side walls 13, 13 are formed to be substantially the same height.

[0015] The storage section 10 includes a fabric material that forms a rear wall 11, a front wall 12, a pair of side walls 13, 13, and a bottom 14, and a frame 15 that is provided on the outer periphery and bottom sides to support the fabric material. The frame 15 is foldable and unfoldable so as to expand and contract in a first direction and a second direction. The storage section 10 is in a folded state (unused state) when the fabric material is folded together with the frame 15, and is in a used state when the fabric material is unfolded together with the frame 15. The frame 15 includes four support pillars located at the four corners in a plan view and extending vertically, a bottom frame portion supporting the bottom side, a front frame portion supporting the front side, a pair of side frame portions supporting both sides in the second direction, and a rear frame portion supporting the rear side. Although detailed illustrations of the four support pillars are omitted, they are extendable in the longitudinal direction, and are in a contracted state when the storage section 10 is in use, and in an extended state when the storage section 10 is not in use.

[0016] Although detailed illustrations of the bottom frame portion are omitted, for example, the bottom frame portion may have four bottom frames extending from a central connecting portion in the center of the plan view to the lower ends of the support columns at the four corners. These bottom frames may be connected to the central connecting portion and connecting portions provided at the lower ends of the support columns so as to be foldable and unfoldable in a first direction and a second direction. Although not shown in detail, the front frame section may have two front frames connected to connecting sections provided at the upper and lower ends of the two front support columns and arranged in an intersecting (X-shaped) configuration. These front frames may be connected to each other at the intersection section so as to be rotatable about an axis along the first direction, and each longitudinal end may be connected to the connecting sections at the upper and lower ends of the two support columns so as to be rotatable about an axis along the first direction, so as to be foldable and unfoldable in the second direction.

[0017] The pair of side frame portions have the same configuration. Each side frame portion is configured with multiple pairs (two pairs in the illustrated example) of two side frames arranged in a crossing (X-shape) configuration in the first direction. The two side frames in each pair are rotatably connected to each other at their intersections around an axis along the second direction, and the ends of adjacent pairs of side frames are rotatably connected to each other around an axis along the second direction. In other words, these side frames are connected to form a so-called magic hand mechanism, and may be foldable and unfoldable in the first direction. Furthermore, the ends of the side frames located at both ends in the first direction are rotatably connected to connecting portions at the upper and lower ends of the support portions on both the front and rear sides around an axis along the second direction.

[0018] The rear frame portion includes a pair of vertical frames, each with a rear wall 11 in an upright position, arranged along the rear side of the two rear support columns. The pair of vertical frames has its lower end rotatably connected to the connecting portions of the lower end of each support column around an axis extending in the second direction, and two rear frames connected to the connecting portions of the upper and lower ends of the vertical frames in an intersecting (X-shaped) configuration. Similar to the support columns, the two vertical frames are extendable and retractable in the longitudinal direction. Similarly to the front frame, the two rear frames may be rotatably connected to each other at the intersecting portion around an axis extending in the first direction, and each longitudinal end may be rotatably connected to the connecting portions of the upper and lower ends of the two vertical frames around an axis extending in the first direction, allowing the rear frames to be folded and unfolded in the second direction. The frame 15 may be made of a suitable metal.

[0019] The fabric material that divides the storage space 2 may be detachably attached to the frame 15 configured as described above using appropriate fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, or the like. This fabric material may be detachably fixed to the upper ends of at least the front wall 12 and the pair of side walls 13, 13 at the positions corresponding to the four corner support columns using fasteners or the like. In the illustrated example, a cover portion is provided at the upper end of the center portion in the first direction on the outer side of the pair of side walls 13, 13 to cover the upper end connecting portion between the ends of adjacent pairs of side frames. This fabric material may be formed such that the front wall 12, the pair of side walls 13, 13, and the bottom 14 are joined together continuously or by stitching or the like to form a shape that opens upward and rearward, and the rear wall 11 is joined to the rear end of the bottom 14 continuously or by stitching or the like. This fabric material may be made of appropriate polyester, canvas, or the like. In addition to the fabric material as described above, a separate fabric material or plate material that forms the bottom portion 14 may be provided.

[0020] The holding portions 18 that hold the rear wall 11 in the collapsed state (substantially horizontal state) are provided in pairs on both sides of the rear wall 11 in the second direction. These holding portions 18, 18 on both sides have the same configuration, so one of them will be described below as an example. Note that the rear wall 11 in the collapsed state held by the holding portions 18 and the bottom 14 of the storage section 10 being substantially flush with each other does not necessarily mean that they are completely flush with each other. Depending on the load to be placed, there may be a step formed so that the rear wall 11 is slightly upward or downward, for example, this may include a step of approximately 20 mm or less. Furthermore, the substantially horizontal state of the collapsed rear wall 11 does not necessarily mean that they are completely horizontal. Depending on the load to be placed, they may be slightly inclined downward toward the front or rear, for example, at an angle of approximately 5 degrees or less relative to the horizontal plane.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the retaining portion 18 is generally elongated in the vertical direction when the rear wall portion 11 is in an upright state, and is provided to connect a longitudinally intermediate portion of the rear support column and a longitudinally intermediate portion of the vertical frame. A connecting portion is provided at the longitudinally intermediate portion of the rear support column, connecting the upper end of the retaining portion 18 rotatably around an axis along the second direction. An engaging portion is provided at a longitudinally intermediate portion of the vertical frame that is below the connecting portion of the support column when the rear wall portion 11 is in an upright state, and the engaging portion engages with a connecting groove provided in the retaining portion 18 and extending in the longitudinal direction, movably in the groove longitudinal direction. When the rear wall portion 11 is in a laid-down state, the engaging portion of the retaining portion 18 is located at the lower end of the connecting groove, and the retaining portion 18 is arranged obliquely to hold the rear wall portion 11 in a laid-down state.

[0022] The storage section 10 is provided with holding portions 17 that hold the rear wall 11 in an upright position (substantially vertical position). The holding portions 17 are provided in pairs on both sides of the rear wall 11 in the second direction. These holding portions 17, 17 on both sides have the same configuration, so one of them will be described below as an example. Note that the holding portions 17 are not shown in FIG. 1(a). 2 and 3, the holding portion 17 is provided to connect the rear end portion on the upper end side of the side wall portion 13 to the second end portion on the upper end side of the rear wall portion 11 in the upright state. This holding portion 17 is a so-called one-touch buckle in which a locking recess 17a is provided on one of the rear end portion of the side wall portion 13 and the second end portion of the rear wall portion 11 to detachably hold a locking claw portion 17b provided on the other.

[0023] When folding the storage compartment 10 in the unfolded state configured as described above, if the rear wall 11 is in a collapsed state, it is brought into an upright state. Then, the central connecting portion of the bottom frame is lifted upward to bend the bottom frame, bringing the rear wall 11 and the front wall 12 closer together, and the storage compartment 10 is contracted in the first and second directions to bring the pair of side walls 13, 13 closer together. This causes the four corner support columns and the vertical frame of the rear wall 11 to extend and the fabric to deform, folding the pair of side frames as well as the front and rear frames, and the storage compartment 10 is brought into a folded state. The bottom 14 may be provided with a tab or the like to be gripped when lifting the central connecting portion of the bottom frame. An appropriate cover, hook-and-loop fastener, or the like may also be provided to maintain the storage compartment 10 in the folded state.

[0024] On the other hand, when unfolding the folded storage compartment 10, the rear wall 11 and the front wall 12 are separated from each other, and the storage compartment 10 is expanded in the first and second directions so as to separate the pair of side walls 13, 13. As a result, the support columns at the four corners and the vertical frame of the rear wall 11 are shortened, and the fabric material is deformed, and the bottom frame, the pair of side frame, the front frame, and the rear frame are unfolded, and the storage compartment 10 is in the unfolded state. When the rear wall 11 in the upright state is to be collapsed, the holding by the holding portion 17 is released and the rear wall 11 is displaced so as to rotate about its lower end portion as a fulcrum, which accompanies the displacement of the holding portion 18, and the rear wall 11 is in a collapsed state while being held by the holding portion 18. On the other hand, when the rear wall 11 in the collapsed state is to be raised, the rear end side of the rear wall 11 in the collapsed state is lifted and displaced so as to rotate about its lower end portion in the upright state as a fulcrum, which accompanies the displacement of the holding portion 18, and the rear wall 11 is in an upright state. In this state, the locking claw portion 17b of the holding portion 17 is engaged with the locking recess 17a, thereby holding the rear wall 11 in an upright state.

[0025] The holding portion 18 that holds the rear wall portion 11 in a collapsed state and the holding portion 17 that holds the rear wall portion 11 in an upright state are not limited to the above-described configurations, and may have various other configurations. Furthermore, the frame 15 that allows the storage unit 10 to be folded and unfolded is not limited to the above configuration, and may have various other configurations. Moreover, instead of being configured so that the storage unit 10 can be folded and unfolded in both the first and second directions, it may be configured so that it can be folded and unfolded in only one of the first and second directions. Moreover, instead of being configured so that the storage unit 10 can be folded and unfolded, it may be configured so that it can be disassembled, or it may even be configured so that it cannot be folded or disassembled.

[0026] The wheels 3 are provided so as to be located below the four corners of the storage section 10 (frame 15) in a plan view. That is, two wheels 3, 3 are provided at the front and rear of the storage section 10, spaced apart in the second direction. Wheel holders 16 that rotatably hold each wheel 3 are provided below the support columns at the four corners of the frame 15. Each wheel holder 16 is rotatable about an axis that extends in the vertical direction relative to the frame 15 so that each wheel 3 can change direction. A braking unit such as a stopper or brake that disables (or suppresses) the rotation of the wheel 3 may be provided on one or all of the front and rear sides of these four wheel holders 16. Furthermore, the wheels 3 may have appropriate diameters and widths (axial dimensions) depending on the object being traveled, and the illustrated example shows an example in which the width is relatively large.

[0027] The handle 4 is located on the front side of the front wall 12. The handle 4 is held by the frame 15 via a handle frame portion. The handle frame portion may include a handle main body frame extending in the vertical direction and having the handle 4 at its upper end, and two connecting frames provided to connect a connecting portion provided at a longitudinal midpoint of the handle main body frame to a connecting portion provided at the lower end of each front support portion. The handle main body frame may be extendable and retractable in the longitudinal direction so that the height of the handle 4 can be adjusted. Each longitudinal end of each connecting frame may be rotatably connected to a connecting portion on the handle main body frame side and a connecting portion on the support portion side about an axis along the first direction so that the storage section 10 can be folded when folded. Furthermore, the end of each connecting frame on the support portion side may be rotatably connected to a connecting portion on the support portion side about an axis along the second direction so that the handle main body frame can be tilted. In the illustrated example, the handle 4 is ring-shaped (O-shaped), but it may be T-shaped or may be a bar-shaped handle that is long in the second direction.

[0028] The fabric-like body 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a circumferential dimension that is roughly the same as the circumferential dimension of the four side walls 11, 12, 13, 13 of the storage section 10. The dimension of this fabric-like body 20 along its extension direction (a direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction and the fabric thickness direction) is roughly uniform over the entire circumferential direction. The dimension of this fabric-like body 20 along its extension direction may be an appropriate dimension from the perspective of stably holding luggage piled up in the storage section 10. The dimension of this fabric-like body 20 along its extension direction may be, for example, approximately the same as the height dimension of the four side walls 11, 12, 13, 13, or may be approximately 0.6 to 1.4 times the height dimension of the four side walls 11, 12, 13, 13. This cloth-like body 20 may be formed from a material similar to the cloth material that constitutes the four peripheral side wall portions 11, 12, 13, 13, or may be formed from a material that is more flexible than the cloth material, or may be formed from a mesh-like material.

[0029] A front base end portion 27, which serves as the base end portion in the extension direction of the portion of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the front wall portion 12, is fixed to the upper end portion of the front wall portion 12. A pair of side base end portions 28, 28, which serve as base end portions in the extension direction of the portions of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side walls 13, 13, are fixed to the upper ends of the respective side walls 13, 13. These front base end portion 27 and side base end portions 28, 28 may be joined to the upper ends of the front wall 12 and side walls 13, 13 by stitching or the like, or may be removably fixed by suitable fasteners such as zippers or buttons.

[0030] A rear base end portion 25, which serves as the base end portion in the extension direction of the portion of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the rear wall portion 11 (rear portion 23), is not fixed to the rear wall portion 11. As shown in FIG. 5( a), this rear portion 23 is provided such that its rear base end portion 25 is located slightly forward of the rear wall portion 11 in a plan view, that is, toward the storage space 2. This configuration can prevent baggage from falling from the rear base end portion 25 side of the rear portion 23. In other words, the portions of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side walls 13, 13 are not provided over the entire first direction of each of the side walls 13, 13, and the rear end portions of the portions of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side walls 13, 13 are configured to be located slightly forward of the rear ends of each of the side walls 13, 13. The rear end of the portion of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side wall portions 13, 13 may be located approximately 10 mm to 100 mm forward of the rear ends of the side wall portions 13, 13. Alternatively, instead of this embodiment, the rear end of the portion of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side wall portions 13, 13 may be provided to extend up to the rear ends of the side wall portions 13, 13.

[0031] The rear base end portion 25 is stretchable, containing a circumferentially stretchable string-like rubber 26 therein. Because the rear base end portion 25 is not fixed to the rear wall portion 11, it is desirable to provide a means for preventing luggage from falling from this portion. With the above configuration, compared to, for example, a configuration in which relatively high tension is applied to the rear base end portion 25 of the fabric-like body 20, a configuration in which a fastener such as a button or hook-and-loop fastener is provided that detachably fastens to the rear wall portion 11, or a configuration in which a tightening string-like member or the like is provided, the rear base end portion 25 can stretch appropriately in accordance with the shape of the luggage to be piled up, and can prevent luggage from falling due to forgetting to fasten or fasten. The rubber string 26 is elongated in the circumferential direction of the rear base end 25 and is provided over substantially the entire circumferential direction of the rear base end 25. The rubber string 26 may be appropriately configured so that luggage is less likely to fall when stretched. The rear base end 25 may be formed with a tubular portion extending in the circumferential direction so as to enclose the rubber string 26. The rear base end 25 may be formed with the rubber string 26 gathered (pleated) in a contracted state so as to be appropriately stretchable.

[0032] 5(a) and 5(b), the rear side portion 23 is separated into one circumferential side and the other circumferential side, and has a joint portion 24 at the end of each separated side that can be attached or separated. With this configuration, when the fabric body 20 is used, the joint portions 24 on the one circumferential side and the other circumferential side of the rear side portion 23 of the fabric body 20 are joined to form a cylindrical body, which makes it possible to prevent piles of cargo from falling. On the other hand, when the fabric body 20 is not needed when the rear wall portion 11 is used in a collapsed state, the joint portions 24 on the one circumferential side and the other circumferential side of the rear side portion 23 of the fabric body 20 can be separated to prevent the fabric body 20 from getting in the way. In the illustrated example, the one circumferential side region 23A and the other circumferential side region 23B of the rear side region 23 have the same circumferential dimension. In other words, the rear side region 23 is separated in the circumferential direction at a central region in the circumferential direction (second direction). Instead of this configuration, one of the one circumferential side and the other circumferential side of the rear side region 23 may be substantially absent, that is, the rear side region 23 may be separated and provided so as to be able to come into contact with or separate from one of the regions of the fabric-like body 20 corresponding to the pair of side wall portions 13, 13.

[0033] The joint 24 is provided along the butted ends of the one circumferential side portion 23A and the other circumferential side portion 23B. The joint 24 may be a linear fastener that allows the ends of the one circumferential side portion 23A and the other circumferential side portion 23B to be attached and detached to each other. For example, the joint 24 may be a linear fastener (slide fastener) that is joined to each end of the one circumferential side portion 23A and the other circumferential side portion 23B by sewing or the like, has elements (teeth) that interlock with each other at the butted end portions, and has a slider on one side that engages and disengages the elements. Instead of or in addition to such a linear fastener, the joint 24 may be a hook-and-loop fastener or a fastener such as a button or a one-touch buckle.

[0034] The upper ends of the three side walls 12, 13, 13 excluding the rear wall 11 are provided with holding sections 19 that hold the fabric body 20, which is folded when not in use. With this configuration, as shown in Figures 1(b) and 5(c), when the fabric body 20 is not needed, the fabric body 20 can be folded and held by the holding sections 19 so that it fits along the upper ends of the three side walls 12, 13, 13, and the fabric body 20 does not get in the way. The retaining portions 19 are provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the upper ends of the three side wall portions 12, 13, 13. At least one retaining portion 19 may be provided on each of the side wall portions 12, 13, 13. In the illustrated example, one retaining portion 19 is provided on the front wall portion 12, and two retaining portions 19 are provided on each of the pair of side wall portions 13, 13, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1( a), the retaining portion 19 is a so-called toggle button having a columnar body attached to the end of a string that is fixed so as to hang down from the outside of the upper end of each of the side wall portions 12, 13, 13. An appropriate loop portion is provided on the inside of the upper end of each of the side wall portions 12, 13, 13, through which the toggle button of the retaining portion 19 is inserted to engage the toggle button. The retaining portion 19 is not limited to such a toggle button, and may be a hook-and-loop fastener or other fastener such as a button or a one-touch buckle. Furthermore, instead of retaining portions 19 that hold the folded fabric body 20 along the upper ends of the three side wall portions 12, 13, 13 at multiple circumferentially spaced locations, a configuration may be provided in which retaining portions 19 are provided to hold the fabric body 20 so as to accommodate substantially the entire circumferential length. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which retaining portions 19 that hold the fabric body 20 when not in use are not provided.

[0036] The shrinking function 22 that shrinks the opening 5 at the tip end of the fabric-like body 20 is provided at the tip end 21 of the fabric-like body 20 in the extension direction. The contraction function 22 includes a string-like body 22a that is enclosed in the cylindrical tip portion 21 so that a portion of the string-like body 22a is exposed to the outside, and a stopper (cord stopper) 22b that restricts the return of the string-like body 22a that has been pulled out from the exposed portion of the tip portion 21. The string-like body 22a may be substantially non-stretchable, or may be made of stretchable rubber or the like. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(b), a pair of shrinking functions 22, 22 are provided that enable one circumferential half portion and the other circumferential half portion of the tip portion 21 of the cloth-like body 20 to be squeezed and shrunk. The shrinking function 22 that shrinks the opening 5 at the tip end of the cloth-like body 20 is not limited to this configuration, but may be a configuration with one shrinking function 22, or a configuration without the stopper 22b as described above, that is, a configuration with only the string-like body 22a, or various other configurations.

[0037] When using the carrier 1 configured as described above to transport a pile of cargo including long cargo 6, the rear wall 11 can be laid down and the long cargo 6 can be placed on the laid down rear wall 11 from the bottom 14, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a) and (b). The pile of cargo can also be held by covering it with the fabric-like body 20 and shrinking the opening 5 at the tip end of the fabric-like body 20. Furthermore, when using the carrier 1 to transport a pile of cargo that does not include long cargo 6, the rear wall 11 can be raised, the pile of cargo can be covered with the cloth-like body 20, and the opening 5 at the tip end of the cloth-like body 20 can be narrowed to hold the cargo, as shown in Figures 3(a), (b) and 5(a).

[0038] Furthermore, when using the carrier 1 to transport cargo that does not need to be covered by the fabric body 20, that is, when the fabric body 20 is not needed, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the rear side region 23 of the fabric body 20 is separated into one circumferential side region 23A and the other circumferential side region 23B by separating the joints 24 from each other. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 5(c), the fabric body 20, folded so that it fits along the upper ends of the three side wall portions 12, 13, 13, is held by the holding portion 19, and in this state, cargo may be stored and transported in the storage space 2 (see also FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)). Furthermore, when transporting cargo that does not need to be covered by the fabric body 20, including long cargo 6, it is also possible to use the rear wall portion 11 in a collapsed state with the fabric body 20 held by the holding portion 19 as described above.

[0039] In the above example, the rear portion 23 of the cloth-like body 20 is separable into one circumferential side and the other circumferential side, but it may also be inseparable, i.e., the cloth-like body 20 may be formed integrally in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, in the above example, the rear base end 25 of the rear portion 23 of the cloth-like body 20 contains a string-like rubber 26, but this is not limited to such an example. For example, the rear base end 25 may be configured to be relatively tensioned, or may be provided with a fastener such as a button or hook-and-loop fastener that can be attached and detached to the rear wall portion 11, or may be provided with a string-like member for tightening. The specific configurations of the members and parts of the transportation device 1 according to the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Transportation equipment 2. Storage space 3 wheels 5 Opening (opening of fabric) 10 Storage area 11 Rear wall (first side wall) 12 Front wall (one of the three side walls) 13 Side wall (one of the three side walls) 14 Bottom 18 Holding part 19 Holding part 20 Cloth-like object 22 Shrinking function 23 rear side region (region corresponding to the first side wall portion of the cloth-like body) 24 Joint 25 rear base end portion (base end portion in the extension direction of the cloth-like body) 26 Rubber string 27 Front base end (base end in the extension direction of the cloth-like body) 28 Lateral base end (base end in the extension direction of the cloth-like body)

Claims

1. The storage unit includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped storage section that defines a storage space that opens upward, a fabric-like body that is cylindrically formed so as to extend from the upper end of each of the four side walls of the storage section and has a shrinking function that shrinks the opening at the tip end in the extending direction, and a plurality of wheels that support the storage section. A carrier device characterized in that a first side wall portion on one side in a first direction of the four side wall portions is configured to be freely raised and lowered using its lower end as a fulcrum, and the base end portion of the extension direction of the cloth-like body is fixed to the upper ends of three of the four side wall portions excluding the first side wall portion.

2. In claim 1, The carrier is characterized in that the storage section is provided with a holding section that holds the first side wall section, which is in a laid-down state, in a substantially horizontal position that is substantially flush with the bottom of the storage section.

3. In claim 1 or 2, A carrier characterized in that the base end of the extension direction of the portion of the cloth-like body corresponding to the first side wall portion is made stretchable by containing a string-like rubber that stretches circumferentially.

4. In claim 1 or 2, A carrier characterized in that the portion of the cloth-like body corresponding to the first side wall portion is separated into one circumferential side and the other circumferential side, and has a joint portion at the end of each separated side that can be freely attached and detached.

5. In claim 4, A carrier characterized in that the upper ends of the three side walls excluding the first side wall are provided with holding portions that hold the cloth-like body in a folded state when not in use.

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