Goods lifting device

Abstract

To make a posture of an article such as a display or the like stable when moving the article in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: An article lifting device 1 comprises a plurality of coupling members 4 that movably couple a movable frame 3 with respect to a fixing frame 2 in a vertical direction. The coupling member 4 is attached to both right and left sides between an outer plate part 6 of the fixing frame 2 and an inner plate part 11 of the movable frame 3 and to a middle in a longitudinal direction between a rear side plate part 7 of the fixed frame 2 and a front side plate part 12 of the movable frame 3. The coupling members 4 at the right side, the left side, and the middle each include: a fixing frame slide rail 21 to be attached to the fixing frame 2; a movable frame slide rail 22 to be attached to the movable frame 3; and a middle slide rail 23 to be attached between the fixing frame slide rail 21 and the movable frame slide rail 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article lifting device that is installed, for example, at railway passenger stations, route buses, airport terminals, etc., and that supports various articles such as displays that show information such as the destination, departure and arrival times, and type of vehicle so that they can be raised and lowered. [Background technology]

[0002] Displays that show information such as destinations, arrival and departure times, and types of vehicles are installed in railway passenger stations, route buses, and airport terminals. These displays are supported by hanging hardware from the ceiling or beams. Maintenance, inspection, and replacement of displays supported by hanging hardware have traditionally been carried out on stepladders. Working on a stepladder makes it difficult to maintain a stable posture, and there is a risk of falling from the ladder, so safety measures must be ensured.

[0003] For the purpose of ensuring safety, a display lifting device that supports a display so that it can be raised and lowered is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This display lifting device has a movable frame portion made up of multiple frame bodies connected to a fixed frame portion so that it can be raised and lowered. The multiple frame bodies are connected to each other so that they can expand and contract between a contracted state in which they are sequentially stored in the front and an extended state in which the front frame body moves downward relative to the rear frame body, and the frontmost frame body is held in the contracted state relative to the fixed frame portion by a locking portion. Furthermore, a display is attached to the frontmost frame body and is urged upward by multiple constant force springs provided on the fixed frame portion.

[0004] An outer slide rail is provided in the up-down direction between a pair of left and right outer plate portions of the fixed frame portion and a pair of left and right inner plate portions of the rearmost frame body. In the multiple frame bodies in the contracted state, the pair of left and right inner plate portions overlap each other in the left-right direction, and an inner slide rail is provided in the up-down direction between each of the overlapping inner plate portions, so that the positions of the outer slide rail and each inner slide rail in the front-rear direction match.

[0005] The display lifting device described in Patent Document 1 releases the locking section, moves the multiple frame bodies downward in sequence so that they are in the extended state, and lowers the frontmost frame body to which the display is attached to a designated working position, allowing maintenance, inspection, replacement, etc. of the display to be performed from the ladder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-118419 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The displays used to display the above information are usually thin and rectangular, and are supported with their longitudinal direction oriented horizontally. As the information to be displayed becomes more diverse, displays of various screen sizes are being adopted.

[0008] The display lifting device described in Patent Document 1 can mount displays of various screen sizes on the frontmost frame. However, the multiple frame bodies, including the frontmost frame body on which the display is mounted, and the fixed frame part are connected by outer and inner slide rails that are aligned in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, when the frontmost frame body with the mounted display is moved up and down, the multiple frame bodies tilt or sway in the front-to-back direction, making the display's posture unstable.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an article lifting device that can stabilize the posture of an article such as a display when the article is moved vertically. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises the following configurations 1 to 9. [Configuration 1] a fixed frame having a pair of left and right outer plate portions facing each other and a rear plate portion connecting the pair of left and right outer plate portions; a movable frame including a pair of left and right inner plate portions facing each other and a front plate portion connecting the pair of left and right inner plate portions, facing a rear plate portion of the fixed frame, and positioned on the front side in the front-to-rear direction; a plurality of connecting members attached between the fixed frame and the movable frame to connect the movable frame to the fixed frame so as to be movable in the up and down direction; An article lifting device in which the movable frame is held in a state of being housed inside the fixed frame, the plurality of connecting members include a right connecting member attached between the right outer plate portion of the fixed frame and the right inner plate portion of the movable frame, a left connecting member attached between the left outer plate portion of the fixed frame and the left inner plate portion of the movable frame, and an intermediate connecting member attached between the rear plate portion of the fixed frame and the front plate portion of the movable frame, the right, left and intermediate connecting members each have a fixed frame slide rail attached to the fixed frame, a movable frame slide rail attached to the movable frame, and an intermediate slide rail attached between the fixed frame slide rail and the movable frame slide rail, and the fixed frame slide rail and the movable frame slide rail are connected in the length direction via the intermediate slide rail so as to be relatively movable in the up and down direction; The intermediate slide rails of the right, left and intermediate connecting members are independent of each other, An article lifting device in which the right and left connecting members are arranged so that the fixed frame slide rails, movable frame slide rails, and intermediate slide rails are aligned in the left-right direction, and the middle connecting member is arranged so that the fixed frame slide rails, movable frame slide rails, and intermediate slide rails are aligned in the front-to-back direction.

[0011] With this configuration, when the movable frame is moved up and down, the middle connecting member can prevent the movable frame from shaking left and right or tilting. Furthermore, the right and left connecting members can prevent the movable frame from shaking forward and backward or tilting. Therefore, when the movable frame is moved up and down, the posture of an item such as a display attached to the movable frame can be stabilized.

[0012] [Configuration 2] an article lifting device according to configuration 1, wherein the fixed frame slide rail, the movable frame slide rail, and the intermediate slide rail each have a first rail, a second rail opposing the first rail, and a strip-shaped movable body interposed between the first rail and the second rail and movable longitudinally relative to the first rail and the second rail, the first rail and the second rail being connected longitudinally via the movable body so as to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction; one of the first and second rails of the fixed frame slide rail is attached to the fixed frame, and the other of the first and second rails of the fixed frame slide rail moves vertically integrally with the first rail of the intermediate slide rail; and one of the first and second rails of the movable frame slide rail is attached to the movable frame, and the other of the first and second rails of the movable frame slide rail moves vertically integrally with the second rail of the intermediate slide rail.

[0013] With this configuration, by moving the first rail and the second rail relative to each other in the up-down direction via the movable body, the distance that the movable frame moves downward relative to the fixed frame due to the fixed frame slide rail itself can be increased. As with the fixed frame slide rail, the distance that the movable frame moves downward relative to the fixed frame due to the movable frame slide rail and the intermediate slide rail themselves can be increased.

[0014] [Configuration 3] The movable body is a pair of strip-shaped members stacked together in opposite directions, a plurality of balls arranged to be rollable on both sides of the width direction within the first rail, and a plurality of balls arranged to be rollable on both sides of the width direction within the second rail, one of the pair of belt-shaped members is movable along the length direction of the first rail via a plurality of balls within the first rail, An article lifting device according to configuration 2, wherein the other of the pair of belt-shaped members is movable along the length of the second rail via a plurality of balls within the second rail.

[0015] With this configuration, multiple balls are arranged on both sides of the width of the first rail and the second rail, so that the movable body can move more smoothly along the length of the first rail and the second rail.

[0016] [Configuration 4] The movable body is a pair of strip-shaped members stacked together in opposite directions, one of the pair of belt-shaped members has a plurality of rollers that are rotatably supported and aligned in the length direction of the belt-shaped member, the plurality of rollers of the one belt-shaped member are arranged within the first rail with their rotation axes parallel to the thickness direction of the first rail, and the one belt-shaped member is movable in the length direction of the first rail via the plurality of rollers, An article lifting device as described in configuration 2, wherein the other of the pair of strip-shaped members has a plurality of rollers that are rotatably supported in a line along its length, the plurality of rollers of the other strip-shaped member are arranged within the second rail with their rotation axes parallel to the thickness direction of the second rail, and the other strip-shaped member can move along the length of the second rail via the plurality of rollers.

[0017] With this configuration, the multiple rollers of the pair of strip-shaped members have their rotation axes parallel to the thickness direction of the first rail or the second rail, so that the multiple rollers can withstand a load greater than that applied to the first rail and the second rail.

[0018] [Configuration 5] An article lifting device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, further comprising a support means provided on the upper part of the fixed frame, the support means supporting the movable frame in a state in which the movable frame can move in the vertical direction.

[0019] According to this configuration, the support means bears part or all of the load acting on the movable frame, so that the movable frame can be moved up and down with a smaller force.

[0020] [Configuration 6] An article lifting device as described in configuration 5, wherein the support means is composed of a support shaft attached to the upper part of the fixed frame along the left-right direction and a constant force spring rotatably attached to the support shaft, the constant force spring having a spring portion wound around the support shaft, and the movable frame is biased upward by the spring portion.

[0021] In this configuration, the movable frame is urged upward by the constant elastic restoring force of the spring portion of the constant force spring, so that the movable frame can be moved upward with a light force.

[0022] [Configuration 7] An article lifting device according to configuration 5, wherein the support means comprises a winch provided on the upper part of the fixed frame and a wire wound around the winch, the wire being connected to the movable frame.

[0023] According to this configuration, the winch can be rotated electrically or manually to wind up or unwind the wire, thereby easily moving the movable frame in the vertical direction.

[0024] [Configuration 8] An article lifting device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, which has a mounting member for mounting the fixed frame to a wall surface, the mounting member having a fixing device fixed to the wall surface and a rear connecting member for connecting the fixing device and the fixed frame, the rear connecting member connecting multiple slide rails to each other in a state where they can be extended and retracted in the front-to-rear direction, and a front end of the rear connecting member fixed to the fixed frame.

[0025] With this configuration, the fixed frame can be displaced in the front-to-rear direction relative to the wall surface by the rear connecting member, which improves the degree of freedom of the display or other item attached to the movable frame in terms of its front-to-rear position relative to the wall surface.

[0026] [Configuration 9] An article lifting device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, comprising a guide rail that extends in the left-right direction and is attached to a wall surface, and a locking portion that locks onto the guide rail, wherein the locking portion is fixed to the fixed frame and, while locked onto the guide rail, is movable along the length of the guide rail.

[0027] With this configuration, the fixed frame can be displaced left and right along the length of the guide rail via the locking portion, which improves the freedom of movement of an item such as a display attached to the movable frame in terms of its left and right position relative to the wall surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] The item lifting device of this invention uses the intermediate connecting member to prevent the movable frame from swaying or tilting left and right when the movable frame is raised and lowered, and the right and left connecting members to prevent the movable frame from swaying or tilting forward and backward, thereby stabilizing the posture of items such as displays attached to the movable frame when the movable frame is raised and lowered.

[0029] Furthermore, the intermediate slide rails of the right, left and middle connecting members are not connected to each other and are independent of each other, which simplifies the structure and enables compactness to be achieved while ensuring stability in the raising and lowering movement of the movable frame. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an article lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]Cross section along line AA in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Enlarged view of the main part of the intermediate connecting member shown in Figure 2 [Figure 4] A longitudinal cross section taken along line BB in Figure 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the article lifting device as viewed from above; [Figure 6] An operational diagram showing a state in which the movable frame is housed within the fixed frame of the article lifting device. [Figure 7] An operational diagram showing a state in which the movable frame is lowered relative to the fixed frame of the article lifting device. [Figure 8] (a) is a front view showing an article lifting device in use; (b) is a side view showing an article lifting device in use; (c) is a side view showing a state in which a movable frame of the article lifting device is lowered relative to a fixed frame; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the movable frame is lowered relative to the fixed frame of the article lifting device; [Figure 10] 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing modified examples of the right, left, and intermediate connecting members of the article lifting device shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a modified example of the support means of the article lifting device; [Figure 12] Cross section taken along line CC in Figure 11 [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the article lifting device attached to a wall surface via a fixing member. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a side view showing the state in which the article lifting device shown in FIG. 13 is displaced forward relative to a wall surface. [Figure 15] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a state in which the article lifting device shown in FIG. 13 is displaced forward relative to a wall surface. [Figure 16] FIG. 14 is a side view showing a state in which the movable frame is lowered relative to the fixed frame of the article lifting device shown in FIG. [Figure 17] A side view showing the article lifting device attached to a wall surface via a guide rail. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the guide rail and the locking portion shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which the article lifting device is moved in the left-right direction relative to the wall surface via the locking portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] An article lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the article lifting device 1 is installed via a suspension frame 100 on the ceiling, beams, or wall of a railway passenger station, a route bus terminal, an airport terminal, or the like, and supports a display D that displays information such as the destination, departure and arrival times, and type of vehicle so that the display D can move up and down.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the article lifting device 1 has a fixed frame 2 to which a suspension frame 100 is fixed, a movable frame 3 stored within the fixed frame 2, a plurality of connecting members 4 attached between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 and connecting the movable frame 3 to the fixed frame 2 so that the movable frame 3 can move in the vertical direction, and a locking member 5 that holds the movable frame 3 stored inside the fixed frame 2.

[0033] The fixed frame 2 has a pair of left and right outer plate portions 6 facing each other, a rear plate portion 7 connecting the pair of left and right outer plate portions 6 at the rear, and a top plate portion 8 spanning the upper portions of the pair of outer plate portions 6. The pair of left and right outer plate portions 6 are provided with fixed pieces 6a at two positions, top and bottom, that extend outward in the left-right direction. Each fixed piece 6a is located at the rear end of the outer plate portion 6. Each fixed piece 6a is fixed to a hanging frame 100 shown in FIG. 8.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2, a long base frame portion 7a is provided in the center of the rear side plate portion 7 in the left-right direction. The base frame portion 7a is arranged in the up-down direction. The base frame portion 7a has a support surface portion 7b that protrudes forward, and the support surface portion 7b is parallel to the rear side plate portion 7.

[0035] Support means for supporting the movable frame 3 in a state in which it can move up and down is provided above the fixed frame 2. This support means is composed of a support shaft 2b attached along the left-right direction and a constant force spring 9 rotatably attached to the support shaft 2b.

[0036] A pair of bearing pieces 2a are arranged on the top plate 8 at a distance from each other in the left-right direction. A support shaft 2b is supported by the pair of bearing pieces 2a. A plurality of constant force springs 9 are rotatably attached to the support shaft 2b and lined up in the left-right direction. The constant force springs 9 consist of a cylindrical drum portion 9a rotatably attached to the support shaft 2b, and a band-shaped spring portion 9b wound around the drum portion 9a. The tip of the spring portion 9b of each constant force spring 9 is fixed to a spring portion fixing piece portion 13a of the movable frame 3, which will be described later.

[0037] The movable frame 3 has a pair of left and right inner plate portions 11 facing each other, a front side plate portion 12 connecting the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11 at the front, and a pair of left and right top plate portions 13, 13 extending inward in the left-right direction from the upper ends of the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11. A spacer frame 19 is fixed to the upper surface of each top plate portion 13. The spacer frame 19 is a U-shaped member that opens inward in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. An elastic body 20 is fixed on the spacer frame 19. The elastic body 20 is formed in the shape of a truncated cone that protrudes upward.

[0038] The pair of left and right inner plate portions 11 are located inside the pair of left and right outer plate portions 6 of the fixed frame 2 in the left-right direction and face each other in the left-right direction. The upper ends of the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11 are located below the top plate portion 8 of the fixed frame 2. The lower ends of the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11 are located above the lower ends of the pair of left and right outer plate portions 6 of the fixed frame 2.

[0039] Two long holder support frames 14 extending in the left-right direction are fixed to the front side of the front side plate portion 12. Each holder support frame 14 is arranged horizontally and spaced apart in the up-down direction. A pair of left and right holder frames 15, 15 extending in the up-down direction are bridged between the upper and lower holder support frames 14, 14. The pair of left and right holder frames 15, 15 hold the display D while being bridged between them.

[0040] The pair of left and right top plate portions 13, 13 have spring portion fixing pieces 13a extending upward from their front ends. The spring portion fixing pieces 13a are formed integrally with the pair of left and right top plate portions 13, 13 on both left and right sides. The upper parts of the spring portion fixing pieces 13a extend outward in the left and right direction beyond the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11, 11 of the movable frame 3. The tips of the spring portions 9b of the multiple constant load springs 9 are fixed to the spring portion fixing pieces 13a.

[0041] An angle frame 16 is fixed to the lower end of the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11. The angle frame 16 spans between the pair of left and right inner plate portions 11, 11. Locking members 5 are fixed to both left and right sides of the angle frame 16. Each locking member 5 has a bearing portion 5a fixed to the angle frame 16, a locking shaft 5b supported by the bearing portion 5a so as to be movable in the left and right direction, and a lever piece 5c fixed to the locking shaft 5b.

[0042] The bearing portion 5a consists of a base plate fixed to the angle frame 16 and a pair of bearing pieces protruding downward from the base plate, and supports the lock shaft 5b at two locations in the left-right direction. A stopper ring is fixed to the inner left-right end of the lock shaft 5b to prevent it from slipping outward in the left-right direction relative to the bearing portion 5a. The outer left-right end of the lock shaft 5b is provided with a through-hole 5d through which a stop pin (not shown) is inserted. As shown in FIG. 1, when the lock shaft 5b of the locking member 5 is moved outward in the left-right direction, the outer left-right end of the lock shaft 5b penetrates the outer plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 2.

[0043] A cover frame 17 is fixed to the center of the angle frame 16 in the left-right direction. The cover frame 17 has a U-shaped cross section that opens upward, and covers the left-right inner portions of the bearing portions 5a of the locking members 5 on both the left and right sides. The upper part of the cover frame 17 is fixed to the angle frame 16, sandwiching the angle frame 16 from the front and back. A handle 18 facing downward is fixed to the center of the cover frame 17 in the left-right direction.

[0044] 2, the multiple connecting members 4 include a right connecting member 4 attached between the right outer plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 2 and the right inner plate portion 11 of the movable frame 3, a left connecting member 4 attached between the left outer plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 2 and the left inner plate portion 11 of the movable frame 3, and an intermediate connecting member 4 attached between the rear plate portion 7 of the fixed frame 2 and the front plate portion 12 of the movable frame 3. The right, left, and intermediate connecting members 4 each have a fixed frame slide rail 21 attached to the fixed frame 2, a movable frame slide rail 22 attached to the movable frame 3, and an intermediate slide rail 23 attached between the fixed frame slide rail 21 and the movable frame slide rail 22.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the fixed frame slide rail 21 of the intermediate connecting member 4 has a first rail 30, a second rail 31 opposite the first rail 30, and a strip-shaped movable body 32 interposed between the first rail 30 and the second rail 31.

[0046] The first rail 30 is a strip-shaped member having side portions 30a facing each other on both sides in the width direction. Each side portion 30a has an arc shape in plan view that curves outward in the width direction of the first rail 30. The second rail 31 has the same shape as the first rail 30 and, like the first rail 30, has side portions 31a, 31a facing each other on both sides in the width direction. The first rail 30 and the second rail 31 are arranged facing opposite directions in the thickness direction, with the side portions 30a and 31a facing each other.

[0047] The movable body 32 is formed by stacking a pair of identical strip-shaped members facing in opposite directions. The movable body 32 has side portions 32a, 32a provided on both widthwise sides of one strip-shaped member and side portions 32b, 32b provided on both widthwise sides of the other strip-shaped member. The side portions 32a, 32a of one strip-shaped member protrude into the first rail 30 and face the side portions 30a, 30a of the first rail 30, respectively. The side portions 32a, 32a are arc-shaped in a plan view, curving inward in the width direction of the movable body 32. The side portions 32b, 32b of the other strip-shaped member protrude into the second rail 31 and face the side portions 31a, 31a of the second rail 31, respectively. The side portions 32b, 32b are arc-shaped in a plan view, curving inward in the width direction of the movable body 32.

[0048] A plurality of balls 35 are arranged side by side in the length direction (up and down direction) of first rail 30 on both sides in the width direction. The plurality of balls 35 in first rail 30 are held by first retainers 33 so as to be able to roll along the length direction of first rail 30. Similarly, a plurality of balls 35 are arranged side by side in the length direction (up and down direction) of second rail 31 on both sides in the width direction. The plurality of balls 35 in second rail 31 are held by second retainers 34 so as to be able to roll along the length direction of second rail 31.

[0049] A plurality of balls 35 held by a first retainer 33 are interposed between the side surface portion 30a of the first rail 30 and the side surface portion 32a of one of the strip-shaped members. One of the strip-shaped members is movable in the length direction of the first rail 30 via the plurality of balls 35 in the first rail 30. Similarly, a plurality of balls 35 held by a second retainer 34 are interposed between the side surface portion 31a of the second rail 31 and the side surface portion 32b of the other strip-shaped member. The other strip-shaped member is movable in the length direction of the second rail 31 via the plurality of balls 35 in the second rail 31. As a result, the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 are connected via the movable body 32 so as to be movable relative to each other in the length direction (up and down direction).

[0050] 5 and 7, the fixed frame slide rail 21 is provided with upper stoppers 30b, 31b and lower stoppers 30c, 31c at both vertical ends of the first rail 30 and the second rail 31. An upper stopper 32c and a lower stopper 32d are also provided at both vertical ends of the movable body 32. Note that the movable frame slide rail 22 and the intermediate slide rail 23 have the same structure as the fixed frame slide rail 21, and therefore the same reference numerals as the fixed frame slide rail 21 are used and their description will be omitted.

[0051] The intermediate connecting member 4 has the fixed frame slide rail 21, the intermediate slide rail 23, and the movable frame slide rail 22 arranged in this order from the rear to the front, in the thickness direction and the front-rear direction. The intermediate connecting member 4 is attached as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the first rail 30 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 is fixed to the base frame portion 7a of the rear side plate 7 of the fixed frame 2 along the vertical direction. The second rail 31 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 and the first rail 30 of the intermediate slide rail 23 are fixed so as to move integrally in the vertical direction. The second rail 31 of the intermediate slide rail 23 and the first rail 30 of the movable frame slide rail 22 are fixed so as to move integrally in the vertical direction. The second rail 31 of the movable frame slide rail is fixed to the front side plate 12 of the movable frame 3.

[0052] The right-side connecting member 4 uses a fixed frame slide rail 21, an intermediate slide rail 23, and a movable frame slide rail 22 that have the same structure as the intermediate connecting member 4. The right-side connecting member 4 is arranged with the fixed frame slide rail 21, the intermediate slide rail 23, and the movable frame slide rail 22 aligned in this order from the outside to the inside in the left-right direction, in the thickness direction and in the left-right direction.

[0053] The right-side connecting member 4 is attached as follows. That is, the first rail 30 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 is fixed along the outer plate portion 6 on the right side of the fixed frame 2. The second rail 31 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 and the first rail 30 of the intermediate slide rail 23 are fixed so that they can move up and down together. The second rail 31 of the intermediate slide rail 23 and the first rail 30 of the movable frame slide rail 22 are fixed so that they can move up and down together. The second rail 31 of the movable frame slide rail is fixed to the inner plate portion 11 on the right side of the movable frame 3.

[0054] The left-side connecting member 4 uses the fixed frame slide rail 21, intermediate slide rail 23, and movable frame slide rail 22, which have the same structure as the intermediate connecting member 4. The left-side connecting member 4 is attached in the opposite direction in the left-right direction to the right-side connecting member 4. That is, the left-side connecting member 4 has the fixed frame slide rail 21, intermediate slide rail 23, and movable frame slide rail 22 arranged in this order in the thickness direction and left-right direction from the outside to the inside in the left-right direction. Therefore, a description of the attachment structure of the left-side connecting member 4 will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the right-side connecting member 4 and the left-side connecting member 4 face each other in the left-right direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate slide rails 23 of the right-side, left-side, and intermediate connecting members 4 are not connected to each other and are independent of each other.

[0055] The article lifting device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above. Next, a method of using the article lifting device 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0056] For example, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the article lifting device 1 has a fixed piece 6a of a fixed frame 2 fixed to a hanging frame 100 fixed to a ceiling C. A holder frame 15 fixed to the back surface of a display D is hooked onto a holder support frame 14 of the article lifting device 1. In this manner, the article lifting device 1 is suspended from the ceiling C.

[0057] When performing maintenance, inspection, or replacement work on the display D, a stepladder (not shown) is placed on the floor F below the article lifting device 1. Next, the person climbs up the stepladder, removes the pin (not shown) attached to the locking shaft 5b of the locking member 5, and moves the locking shaft 5b inward in the left-right direction by holding the lever piece 5c. Then, the locking shaft 5b is removed from the outer plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 2. Note that if the locking member 5 is at a height that can be reached while standing on the floor F, a stepladder is not necessary.

[0058] Next, put your hands on the handles 18 of the movable frame 3 and pull down the movable frame 3. Here, the spring portions 9b of the constant force springs 9 of the fixed frame 2 are fixed to the movable frame 3 via the spring portion fixing pieces 13a. In addition, the movable frame 3 is biased upward by the spring portions 9b of the multiple constant force springs 9, so it can be pulled down with a light force.

[0059] The action of the fixed frame slide rails 21 on the middle, right, and left connecting members 4 when the movable frame 3 is pulled down will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. When the movable frame 3 is pulled down, the movable body 32 and second rail 31 both move downward relative to the first rail 30 fixed to the fixed frame 2. Then, the first retainer 33 comes into contact with the lower stopper 30c of the first rail 30, and the upper stopper 32c of the movable body 32 gets caught on the first retainer 33. The second rail 31 moves further downward relative to the movable body 32 in this state.

[0060] Next, when the second rail 31 moves downward, the second retainer 34 abuts against the lower stopper 32d of the movable body 32, and the upper stopper 31b of the second rail 31 gets caught on the second retainer 34. In this way, the fixed frame slide rail 21 enters an extended state in which the second rail 31 has moved downward relative to the first rail 30 via the movable body 32. The first rail 30 of the intermediate slide rail 23 is fixed to the second rail 31 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 in the extended state.

[0061] Next, we will explain the action of the intermediate slide rails 23 on the intermediate, right, and left connecting members 4 when the movable frame 3 is further pulled down. The intermediate slide rails 23 act in the same way as the fixed frame slide rails 21, and enter an extended state in which the second rail 31 moves downward relative to the first rail 30 via the movable body 32. The first rail 30 of the movable frame slide rail 22 is fixed to the second rail 31 of the intermediate slide rail 23 in the extended state.

[0062] Next, we will explain the action of the movable frame slide rails 22 at the middle, right-hand, and left-hand connecting members 4 when the movable frame 3 is pulled down. The movable frame slide rails 22 act in the same way as the fixed frame slide rails 21, and enter an extended state in which the second rail 31 has moved downward relative to the first rail 30 via the movable body 32. The movable frame 3 is fixed to the second rail 31 of the movable frame slide rails 22 in this extended state.

[0063] By the above-mentioned action, the fixed frame slide rails 21, the movable frame slide rails 22, and the intermediate slide rails 23 are extended. In this extended state, the display D attached to the movable frame 3 is positioned close to the floor surface F. This display D can be easily inspected, maintained, and replaced.

[0064] After maintenance, inspection, or replacement of the display D, the handle 18 is held and the movable frame 3 is pushed up. At this time, in the movable frame slide rails 22 at the middle, right, and left connecting members 4, the lower stopper 31c of the second rail 31 catches on the lower stopper 32d of the movable body 32, and the second rail 31 and the movable body 32 move upward together. Next, the upper stopper 32c of the movable body 32 catches on the upper stopper 30b of the first rail 30. Then, the second rail 31 of the intermediate slide rail 23 moves upward together with the first rail 30 of the movable frame slide rails 22.

[0065] Next, in the intermediate slide rail 23, the second rail 31 of the fixed frame slide rail 21 moves upward integrally with the first rail 30 of the intermediate slide rail 23 due to the same action as in the movable frame slide rail 22. Next, in the fixed frame slide rail 21, the lower stopper 31c of the second rail 31 catches on the lower stopper 32d of the movable body 32, and the second rail 31 and the movable body 32 move upward integrally. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the movable frame 3 is housed within the fixed frame 2, and the lock shaft 5b of the locking member 5 moves outward in the left-right direction, penetrating the outer plate portion 6 of the fixed frame 2. Then, a pin is inserted into the lock shaft 5b.

[0066] In the article lifting device 1 of this embodiment, intermediate, right, and left connecting members 4 are attached between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3. Of these, the fixed frame slide rail 21, intermediate slide rail 23, and movable frame slide rail 22 of the intermediate connecting member 4 are attached side by side in the front-to-rear direction and in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to prevent the movable frame 3 from tilting left and right, and also to prevent the movable frame 3 from shaking left and right. As a result, the posture of the display D fixed to the movable frame 3 is stable.

[0067] The fixed frame slide rails 21, intermediate slide rails 23, and movable frame slide rails 22 of the right and left connecting members 4 are attached side by side in the thickness direction in the left-right direction. This prevents the movable frame 3 from shaking in the front-to-back direction, and also stabilizes the posture of the display D fixed to the movable frame 3.

[0068] Furthermore, in the article lifting device 1, the intermediate connecting member 4 is attached between the base frame portion 7a of the rear plate portion 7 of the fixed frame 2 and the front plate portion 12 of the movable frame 3. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, the intermediate connecting member 4 is disposed inside the movable frame 3. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to provide a gap between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 in the front-to-rear direction that is equal to the thickness of the intermediate connecting member 4 in the front-to-rear direction, and the width of the fixed frame 2 in the front-to-rear direction can be reduced.

[0069] Furthermore, the fixed frame slide rails 21, movable frame slide rails 22, and intermediate slide rails 23 of the middle, right, and left connecting members 4 move the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 relatively in the up and down direction via the band-shaped movable body 32. Therefore, by moving the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 relatively in the up and down direction via the movable body 32, the fixed frame slide rails 21 themselves can increase the length of downward movement of the movable frame 3 relative to the fixed frame 2. Furthermore, similar to the fixed frame slide rails 21, the movable frame slide rails 22 and intermediate slide rails 23 themselves can increase the length of downward movement of the movable frame 3 relative to the fixed frame 2.

[0070] Furthermore, the article lifting device 1 uses the same structure for the right and left connecting members 4 that connect the movable frame 3 to the fixed frame 2 so that it can move up and down, and the middle connecting member 4 that prevents the movable frame 3 from tilting or shaking left and right when the display D is moved up and down, using the fixed frame slide rails 21, movable frame slide rails 22, and middle slide rails 23. Therefore, it is not necessary to use members with different structures for the right and left connecting members 4 and the middle connecting member 4, and it is possible to reduce the number of parts and cut costs by standardizing the parts as the connecting members 4.

[0071] Furthermore, the right and left connecting members 4 are arranged with the fixed frame slide rail 21, the intermediate slide rail 23, and the movable frame slide rail 22 aligned in this order in the thickness direction from the outside to the inside in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to reduce the left-right width of the movable frame 3 by the amount of the left-right thickness of the right and left connecting members 4.

[0072] In addition, the right, left and intermediate connecting members 4 have the fixed frame slide rails 21, movable frame slide rails 22 and intermediate slide rails 23 arranged side by side as described above, and since the intermediate slide rails 23 of these connecting members 4 are independent of each other, the connecting structure for raising and lowering in multiple stages is simplified, and compactness can be achieved while ensuring stability in the raising and lowering operation of the movable frame 3.

[0073] As described above, the article lifting device 1 can reduce the width of the fixed frame 2 in the front-to-rear direction and the width of the movable frame 3 in the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, the display D is attached to the movable frame 3 via the holder support frame 14 and the holder frame 15. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the width of the movable frame 3 in the left-to-right and up-to-down directions according to the screen size of the display D, and the weight of the article lifting device 1 can be reduced.

[0074] In this embodiment of the goods lifting device 1, as shown in Figures 2, 3, etc., the movable body 32 is movable relative to the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 via a plurality of balls 35 on the right, left, and middle connecting members 4. However, for example, as shown in Figure 10, the movable body 32 may be movable relative to the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 via a plurality of rollers 36 on the right, left, and middle connecting members 4.

[0075] 10 , in the right, left, and middle connecting members 4, one of a pair of belt-shaped members constituting the movable body 32 has a plurality of rollers 36 that are rotatably supported and aligned in the length direction of the belt-shaped member. The plurality of rollers 36 are arranged within the first rail 30 with their rotation axes 36a parallel to the thickness direction of the first rail 30. This arrangement allows one of the belt-shaped members to move along the length direction of the first rail 30 via the plurality of rollers 36.

[0076] Similarly, the other of the pair of belt-shaped members also has a plurality of rollers 36 that are rotatably supported and aligned in the length direction. These rollers 36 are arranged within the second rail 31 with their rotation axes 36a parallel to the thickness direction of the second rail 31. This arrangement allows the other belt-shaped member to move in the length direction of the second rail 31 via the plurality of rollers 36. As a result, the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 are connected via the movable body 32 so as to be movable relative to each other in the length direction (up and down direction).

[0077] By connecting the first rail 30 and the second rail 31 via a movable body 32 having a plurality of rollers 36, the plurality of rollers 36 can withstand a load greater than that applied to the first rail 30 and the second rail 31.

[0078] 1, the article lifting device 1 of this embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which the support means is configured with a support shaft 2b provided on the upper part of the fixed frame 2 and a constant force spring 9 rotatably attached to the support shaft 2b. As another support means, for example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, it is possible to use a support means configured with a winch 37 provided on the upper part of the fixed frame 2 and a wire 38 wound around the winch 37, with the wire 38 connected to the movable frame 3.

[0079] The winch 37 is provided above the top plate 8 of the fixed frame 2, and is equipped with a drum 37a that winds up or pays out a wire 38, a rotary shaft 37b that rotates integrally with the drum 37a, and a motor M that rotates the rotary shaft 37b. The tip of the wire 38 wound around the drum 37a passes through a hole 8a formed in the top plate 8 of the fixed frame 2 and is fixed to a wire fixing piece 13b. The wire fixing piece 13b protrudes upward from the front end of the top plate 13 of the movable frame 3.

[0080] Motor M uses electricity to rotate rotary shaft 37b of drum 37a. Motor M can be remotely controlled using a remote control to control the rotation speed and direction of drum 37a. Note that, instead of using motor M to rotate rotary shaft 37b of drum 37a, winch 37 may rotate rotary shaft 37b of drum 37a using an electric tool such as a handle or an electric screwdriver.

[0081] Furthermore, the article lifting device 1 of this embodiment has been described as being attached in a suspended state to the ceiling C via a suspension frame 100, as shown in Figure 8, but as another attachment form, it may also be attached to a wall surface W via an attachment member 40, as shown in Figures 13 to 16.

[0082] In the example shown in FIG. 13, the mounting member 40 has a fixture 41 fixed to a shelf board T protruding forward from a wall surface W, and a rear connecting member 42 that connects the fixture 41 to the fixed frame 2. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rear connecting member 42 interconnects multiple slide rails 43 so that they can extend and retract in the front-to-rear direction. A frame member 6b is attached to the fixed frame 2 via a fixing piece 6a. When the multiple slide rails 43 are extended, the front end of the foremost slide rail 43 is fixed to the frame member 6b. The multiple slide rails 43 of the rear connecting member 42 may have the same structure as the fixed frame slide rails 21 of the intermediate connecting member 4 described above.

[0083] Furthermore, in this article lifting device 1, the position of the fixed frame 2 can be displaced forward relative to the wall surface W by extending the multiple slide rails 43 of the rear connecting member 42 in the front-to-rear direction. Then, as shown in Fig. 16, with the fixed frame 2 displaced forward, the movable frame 3 can be moved downward. This improves the degree of freedom of the display D attached to the movable frame 3 in terms of its position in the front-to-rear direction relative to the wall surface W.

[0084] As another mounting form of the goods lifting device 1, as shown in Figures 17 to 19, it may be mounted via a pair of upper and lower guide rails 44 extending in the left-right direction and attached to the wall surface W, and two locking portions 45 that lock onto the pair of upper and lower guide rails 44.

[0085] The pair of upper and lower guide rails 44 are strip-shaped members each having a cylindrical portion 44a and a flat portion 44b. The cylindrical portions 44a of the upper and lower guide rails 44 are positioned on the outside in the vertical direction, and the flat portions 44b are positioned on the inside in the vertical direction. The two locking portions 45 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each locking portion 45 is formed of a pair of upper and lower hook pieces 45a and a base portion 45b spanning between the hook pieces 45a. The upper and lower hook pieces 45a are locked to the cylindrical portions 44a of the upper and lower guide rails 44, facing opposite directions in the vertical direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 19 , the fixing pieces 6a on both the left and right sides of the fixed frame 2 are fixed to the locking portions 45, respectively.

[0086] In this article lifting device 1, the fixed frame 2 can be displaced left and right relative to the wall surface W by moving the locking portions 45 left and right along the pair of upper and lower guide rails 44. Furthermore, with the fixed frame 2 displaced left and right, the movable frame 3 can be moved downward. This improves the degree of freedom of the display D attached to the movable frame 3 in terms of its left and right position relative to the wall surface W.

[0087] In this embodiment, the article attached to the movable frame 3 of the article lifting device 1 is not limited to the display D shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, which displays information such as the destination, departure and arrival times, and type of vehicle. For example, the article attached to the movable frame 3 may be a display or digital signage that displays information about products or services using text or images. It may also be a monument, illumination medium, or signboard displayed at the entrance of a large store such as a department store, supermarket, or shopping mall, or various exhibits or advertisements displayed at event venues or event sites. It may also be a blackboard or electronic blackboard installed in a classroom or the like of an educational institution such as a school, university, or kindergarten, a banner hung in a gymnasium or auditorium of an educational institution, a national flag, a school flag, or a school emblem. It may also be merchandise sold at various stores, such as bicycles at a cycle shop or motorcycles at a motorcycle shop. It may also be a security camera installed in a hospital or public facility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1. Goods lifting device 2 Fixed Frame 3 Movable frame 4 Connecting members 5 Locking member 6 Outer plate part 6a Fixed piece 6b Frame member 7 Rear plate part 7a Base frame 8 Top plate 8a hole 9 Constant Force Spring 9a Drum section 9b Spring part 11 Inner plate part 12 Front side plate 13 Top plate 13a Spring part fixing piece 13b Wire fixing piece 14 Holder support frame 15 Holder frame 16 Angle Frame 17 Cover Frame 18 Handle 19 Spacer frame 20 Elastic Body 21 Fixed frame slide rail 22 Movable frame slide rail 23 Intermediate slide rail 30 First Rail 31 Second Rail 32 Movable body 30a, 31a, 32a, 32b side part 30b, 31b, 32c Upper stopper 30c, 31c, 32d Lower stopper 33 First retainer 34 Second retainer 35 balls 36 Laura 36a Rotation axis 37 Winch 37a Drum 37b Rotation axis 38 wires 40 Mounting material 41 Fixtures 42 Connecting member 43 Slide rail 44 Guide rail 44a Cylinder part 44b Flat plate part 45 Locking part 45a Hook piece 45b Circuit board

Claims

1. a fixed frame having a pair of left and right outer plate portions facing each other and a rear plate portion connecting the pair of left and right outer plate portions; a movable frame including a pair of left and right inner plate portions facing each other and a front plate portion connecting the pair of left and right inner plate portions, facing a rear plate portion of the fixed frame, and positioned on the front side in the front-to-rear direction; a plurality of connecting members attached between the fixed frame and the movable frame to connect the movable frame to the fixed frame so as to be movable in the up and down direction; An article lifting device in which the movable frame is held in a state of being housed inside the fixed frame, the plurality of connecting members include a right connecting member attached between the right outer plate portion of the fixed frame and the right inner plate portion of the movable frame, a left connecting member attached between the left outer plate portion of the fixed frame and the left inner plate portion of the movable frame, and an intermediate connecting member attached between the rear plate portion of the fixed frame and the front plate portion of the movable frame, the right, left and intermediate connecting members each have a fixed frame slide rail attached to the fixed frame, a movable frame slide rail attached to the movable frame, and an intermediate slide rail attached between the fixed frame slide rail and the movable frame slide rail, and the fixed frame slide rail and the movable frame slide rail are connected in the length direction via the intermediate slide rail so as to be relatively movable in the up and down direction; The intermediate slide rails of the right, left and intermediate connecting members are independent of each other, An article lifting device in which the right and left connecting members are arranged so that the fixed frame slide rails, movable frame slide rails, and intermediate slide rails are aligned in the left-right direction, and the middle connecting member is arranged so that the fixed frame slide rails, movable frame slide rails, and intermediate slide rails are aligned in the front-to-back direction.

2. 2. An article lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed frame slide rail, the movable frame slide rail, and the intermediate slide rail each include a first rail, a second rail opposing the first rail, and a band-shaped movable body interposed between the first rail and the second rail and movable in the longitudinal direction relative to the first rail and the second rail, the first rail and the second rail being connected along the longitudinal direction via the movable body so as to be movable relative to each other in the vertical direction, one of the first rail and the second rail of the fixed frame slide rail being attached to the fixed frame, and the other of the first rail and the second rail of the fixed frame slide rail being movable in the vertical direction integrally with the first rail of the intermediate slide rail, and one of the first rail and the second rail of the movable frame slide rail being attached to the movable frame, and the other of the first rail and the second rail of the movable frame slide rail being movable in the vertical direction integrally with the second rail of the intermediate slide rail.

3. The movable body is a pair of strip-shaped members stacked together in opposite directions, a plurality of balls arranged to be rollable on both sides of the width direction within the first rail, and a plurality of balls arranged to be rollable on both sides of the width direction within the second rail, one of the pair of belt-shaped members is movable along the length direction of the first rail via a plurality of balls within the first rail, 3. An article lifting device according to claim 2, wherein the other of the pair of belt-shaped members is movable along the length of the second rail via a plurality of balls within the second rail.

4. The movable body is a pair of strip-shaped members stacked together in opposite directions, one of the pair of belt-shaped members has a plurality of rollers that are rotatably supported and aligned in the length direction of the belt-shaped member, the plurality of rollers of the one belt-shaped member are arranged within the first rail with their rotation axes parallel to the thickness direction of the first rail, and the one belt-shaped member is movable in the length direction of the first rail via the plurality of rollers, An article lifting device as described in claim 2, wherein the other of the pair of strip-shaped members has a plurality of rollers that are rotatably supported in a line along its length, the plurality of rollers of the other strip-shaped member are arranged within the second rail with their rotation axes parallel to the thickness direction of the second rail, and the other strip-shaped member can move along the length of the second rail via the plurality of rollers.

5. 5. An article lifting device according to claim 1, further comprising support means provided on an upper portion of said fixed frame, said support means supporting said movable frame in a state in which said movable frame is movable in the vertical direction.

6. An article lifting device as described in claim 5, wherein the support means is composed of a support shaft attached to the upper part of the fixed frame along the left-right direction and a constant force spring rotatably attached to the support shaft, the constant force spring having a spring portion wound around the support shaft, and the movable frame is biased upward by the spring portion.

7. 6. An article lifting device according to claim 5, wherein the support means comprises a winch provided above the fixed frame and a wire wound around the winch, the wire being connected to the movable frame.

8. An article lifting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, which has a mounting member for mounting the fixed frame to a wall surface, the mounting member having a fixing device fixed to the wall surface and a rear connecting member for connecting the fixing device to the fixed frame, the rear connecting member connecting multiple slide rails to each other in a state where they can be extended and retracted in the front-to-rear direction, and the front end of the rear connecting member being fixed to the fixed frame.

9. 5. An article lifting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a guide rail extending in the left-right direction and attached to a wall surface, and a locking portion that locks onto the guide rail, the locking portion being fixed to the fixed frame and being movable along the length of the guide rail while locked onto the guide rail.

Images