Vehicle maintenance wagon

Abstract

To provide a vehicle maintenance wagon that can reduce the burden on workers and improve work efficiency. [Solution] The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 comprises a wagon body 2 on which a plurality of shelf sections 4 capable of storing maintenance tools are arranged vertically, and a plurality of casters 9 provided at the bottom of the wagon body 2, and is a vehicle maintenance wagon 1 without a tire lift mechanism, wherein the upper shelf section 4 of the wagon body 2 also serves as a first support section 5 on which a plurality of tires can be placed. The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is fixedly supported by the wagon body 2 and includes a second support section 6 that extends upward from the first support section 5, and the second support section 6 is capable of supporting at least one of the sidewall section and the wheel section of the tire.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wagon for vehicle maintenance used during vehicle maintenance work.

Background Art

[0002] In the inspection and maintenance of vehicle bodies such as automobiles and tire replacement work, when temporarily removing a tire from a lifted vehicle body and placing it temporarily, it is common to place it on the floor of the work area. Therefore, since it is necessary to lift the heavy tire from the floor to the vehicle body again and mount it, the work burden is large and inefficient.

[0003] In recent years, in the automotive maintenance industry, there is a background where the aging of workers is progressing and the activities of female workers are increasing. Reducing the physical burden on workers is an extremely important issue from the viewpoints of improving the working environment and securing human resources.

[0004] For these reasons, for the purpose of improving work efficiency and reducing the burden on workers, the spread of wagons for vehicle maintenance provided with tire holding parts, lifter devices, etc. is progressing little by little but steadily.

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a wagon for vehicle maintenance including a wagon body having a tool holding part and a tire holder composed of two arms protruding laterally from the wagon body. In this wagon for vehicle maintenance, when performing inspection and maintenance of brakes, suspensions, etc., the tire removed from the vehicle body can be placed on the tire holder. In addition, Patent Documents 2 and 3 describe a tire lifter device provided with a lifting mechanism part.

[0006] The tire lifter device described in Patent Document 2 comprises a lifting mechanism and a tool storage section located to the side of the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism has a tire holding section that is driven up and down along a support column. This allows a tire removed from a lifted vehicle body to be placed on the tire holding section in the raised position, and the tire holding section to be lowered by the lifting mechanism. Furthermore, the tire holding section on which the tire is placed can be raised as needed.

[0007] Furthermore, the tire lifter device described in Patent Document 3 has the same configuration as in Patent Document 2, and includes a lifting mechanism (lift mechanism) for raising and lowering the tire holding section, and a workbench positioned to the side of the lifting mechanism. Gripping handles are provided on both the left and right sides of the workbench. In addition, the gripping handles are equipped with a lifting operation section including an open switch (input permission operation section), a lowering switch (lifting operation section), and an upward switch (lifting operation section). This configuration allows for inspection and maintenance work to be performed using tools placed on the workbench while the tire is placed on the tire holding section. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3187416 Gazette [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3230099 Gazette [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-95087 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] Inspections and maintenance of braking systems such as brakes, suspension systems such as suspensions, and power transmission systems such as drive shafts are typically performed with the vehicle body lifted, but this is usually done with the tires removed from the vehicle.

[0010] The vehicle maintenance wagon described in Patent Document 1 has a tire holder located on the side of the wagon body. However, because the tire holder is positioned relatively low, it requires considerable effort for the worker to carry the tire removed from the lifted vehicle to the tire holder and place it there. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the physical burden on the worker with the vehicle maintenance wagon described in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, because the tire holder is located on the side of the wagon body, the wagon body and the maintenance tools stored inside it can obstruct the tire removal and installation work.

[0011] Furthermore, in the tire lifter devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the tires can be moved up and down by a lift mechanism (lifting mechanism) relative to the lifted vehicle body, thus reducing the burden on the worker when considering only the tire attachment and detachment work.

[0012] However, the lift mechanism has a drive means and a mechanism for transmitting the driving force to raise and lower the tire, and especially if it is electric, it is necessary to install actuators such as motors and batteries as a power source, so it is unavoidable that the overall weight of the tire lifter device will be large. Therefore, the tire lifter devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3 have the problem that the burden on the worker when moving the device itself is large.

[0013] Furthermore, the tire lifter devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have the problem that the time required for a series of operations, in which the operator places the tire on the tire holding part of the lifter device, operates the lifter device to raise and lower it at a relatively low speed, and then moves the tire from the tire holding part, becomes long.

[0014] Furthermore, as is common to all three patent documents (Patent Documents 1 to 3), the tire holding section is offset to the side of the wagon body (tool storage section, workbench), which may cause instability due to a shift in the center of gravity when heavy tires are placed on it.

[0015] Similarly, as is common to all three patent documents (1 to 3), the tire holding section is configured to support only one tire at a time, meaning that when attempting to move a tire, it can only be moved one tire at a time. For example, when replacing a tire with a new one, the tire must be moved back and forth one at a time between the lifted vehicle and the tire changer, which is a device for attaching and detaching the tire from the wheel, making it difficult to improve work efficiency.

[0016] Moreover, as mentioned above, the tire lifter devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are heavy, and are not designed to be moved with heavy tires on them. Therefore, they are inherently unsuitable for use in tire transport operations.

[0017] This invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle maintenance wagon that can reduce the burden on workers and improve work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The vehicle maintenance wagon according to the present invention comprises a wagon body having a plurality of shelves arranged vertically in a row and capable of storing maintenance tools, and a plurality of casters provided at the lower part of the wagon body, and is a vehicle maintenance wagon without a tire lifting mechanism, wherein the upper shelf in the wagon body is It has a shape that extends long in the front-to-back direction, It also serves as a first support section capable of holding multiple tires. The wagon body is fixedly supported and extends upward from the first support portion, and further comprises two second support portions arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the first support portion, wherein the area on the first support portion, with respect to the two second support portions, on both outer sides in the front-rear direction, is a tire mounting area, and the tire is configured to be able to be moved in and out of the tire mounting area in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, and the second support portions are configured to support at least one of the sidewall portion and the wheel portion of the tire when the tire is placed upright in the tire mounting area.

[0019] Furthermore, the second support portion may include a third support portion having two extensions extending upward from the first support portion, connecting the two extensions, and configured to be detachable from or repositionable with respect to the two extensions.

[0020] Furthermore, the system may also include a fourth support portion provided on the first support portion and configured to support the tire from the opposite side of the second support portion. 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, although it has a simple structure without a tire lift mechanism, it is possible to place multiple tires, greatly reducing the burden on the operator when removing and attaching tires. Moreover, since tools, parts, etc. can also be placed, a single vehicle maintenance wagon can handle various vehicle maintenance operations, significantly improving work efficiency.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of Embodiment 1 with tires placed on it. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of Embodiment 1 with tires placed on it. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the vehicle maintenance wagon showing the state where the third support part is fixed in the lower position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a left side view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon with multiple tires placed on it. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying the movement sequence of the vehicle maintenance wagon in the maintenance work of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view showing the working state of the brake maintenance work. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the working state of the brake maintenance work. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view showing the working state of the brake maintenance work. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view showing the working state of the brake maintenance work. [Figure 13]Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of this second embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a left side view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of this embodiment 2 with tires mounted on it. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a front view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon of this embodiment 2 with tires mounted on it. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a side view showing the tire rotation procedure. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a perspective view showing a modified example of a vehicle maintenance wagon. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is a left side view showing a modified vehicle maintenance wagon with tires mounted on it. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Embodiment 1

[0024] The following describes an embodiment of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 according to the present invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this embodiment 1, and Figures 2 and 3 are the left side view and front view of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1. Figures 4 to 6 are left side view and front view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 with one tire 11 placed on it. Figure 7 is a left side view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 with multiple tires 11 placed on it.

[0025] In this embodiment 1, "tire 11" refers to the entire structure including a metal wheel portion 11a and a tire portion 11b made of rubber or the like that is mounted on the wheel portion 11a.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 comprises a wagon body 2 and a plurality of casters 9 provided on the lower part of the wagon body 2. On the other hand, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 does not have a tire lifting mechanism 11.

[0027] Here, the lift mechanism is a mechanism for raising and lowering the tire 11 and has a power source such as a motor and a power transmission mechanism. Generally, the lift mechanism for the tire 11 is inevitably heavy because it is necessary to raise and lower the tire 11, which is a heavy object. The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 has a lightweight configuration because it does not have a lift mechanism for the tire 11.

[0028] The wagon body 2 has multiple shelf sections 4 arranged in a vertical direction, and the first stays 3a extending vertically upward from the four corners of the lowest shelf section 4 are fastened to the four corners of the other shelf sections 4, thus providing a robust frame structure.

[0029] A handle 18 is provided on the side of the top shelf for the worker 12 to grasp when moving the vehicle maintenance wagon 1. Casters 9 are also positioned at the bottom of the four corners of the bottom shelf 4 or at the bottom of the first stay 3a, allowing the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 to move freely.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the shelf section 4 is composed of a bottom plate section 4a that is substantially rectangular in plan view and rising wall sections 4b that are connected to at least three sides of the bottom plate section 4a. Each shelf section 4 has a shape that is elongated in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figures 1 and 2), and the bottom plate section 4a is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is elongated in the front-to-back direction. Here, "front-to-back direction" refers to the direction along one side of the rectangular bottom plate section 4a, and in particular, when the bottom plate section 4a is rectangular, it refers to the direction along the longer side of the bottom plate section 4a.

[0031] Furthermore, the bottom plate 4a and the rising wall 4b create a storage space with a certain depth inside the shelf 4. Thus, each shelf 4 can store maintenance tools (not shown) used for vehicle maintenance. The rising wall section 4b is constructed either integrally with the bottom plate section 4a or separately, and serves to prevent stored items from falling and to reinforce the strength of the wagon body 2.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the wagon body 2 has, for example, three shelves 4. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the upper shelf 4 of the wagon body 2 also serves as a first support section 5 on which multiple tires 11 can be placed. Maintenance tools (not shown) can be stored in the space of the first support section 5 where no tires 11 are placed.

[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first support section 5 allows multiple tires 11 to be placed on it, with the front and rear tread surfaces of the tires 11 in contact with the rising wall section 4b of the shelf section 4, and the lower tread surface in contact with the bottom plate section 4a. In other words, the rising wall section 4b of the first support section 5 constitutes an enclosure surrounding the tires 11, and this enclosure has dimensions corresponding to the width of the tires 11.

[0034] The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is further equipped with a second support portion 6 that is fixedly supported by the wagon body 2 and extends upward from the first support portion 5. The second support portion 6 is provided at either the front-rear end of the first support portion 5. In this embodiment 1, for example, the second support portion 6 is located at the rear end of the wagon body 2.

[0035] Here, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, two second stays 3b extending vertically are attached and fixed to the rear end of the wagon body 2, partially overlapping the left and right first stays 3a. The lower ends of the second stays 3b are positioned at approximately the same height as the lower end of the middle shelf 4. On the other hand, the second stays 3b have an extension 6a that extends vertically upward from the first support 5 (i.e., the uppermost shelf 4), and this extension 6a of the second stays 3b constitutes the second support 6.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second support portion 6 is configured to support at least one of the sidewall portion 11c and the wheel portion 11a of the tire 11. The sidewall portion 11c is the side portion of the tire portion 11b around the wheel portion 11a. This prevents the tire 11 from unexpectedly tipping over.

[0037] Furthermore, the second stay 3b is detachably attached to the first stay 3a by means of, for example, a bolt 21, and the mounting position of the second stay 3b on the wagon body 2 can be changed in the front-rear direction. In other words, the position in which the second support part 6 is installed on the wagon body 2 can be changed.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 further includes a third support section 7 that extends horizontally and connects two extensions 6a. Both ends of the third support section 7 are detachably connected to the two extensions 6a, for example, by bolts 22.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the third support part 7 can be connected to and fixed to the two extension parts 6a with its vertical position relative to the extension parts 6a changed. In other words, the third support part 7 is configured to be detachable from the second support part 6 and to be moved vertically. This makes it possible to easily attach and detach the tire 11 in accordance with the work content and the size of the tire 11 and its wheel part 11a to be attached and detached.

[0040] The third support section 7, together with the second support section 6, supports the tire 11 and prevents the tire 11 from tipping over. Furthermore, the second support section 6 and the third support section 7 are configured in a frame-like manner, which makes it possible to support the tire 11 more stably on the first support section 5.

[0041] The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 has a fourth support part 8 provided on the first support part 5, configured to support the tire 11 from the opposite side from the second support part 6. The fourth support part 8 is configured so that the support position of the tire 11 can be changed by changing its installation position on the first support part 5. The fourth support part 8 suppresses displacement of the tire 11 in the front-rear direction and ensures that the tire 11 is reliably supported on the first support part 5.

[0042] The fourth support part 8 can be attached to and detached from the bottom plate part 4a and moved. For example, the fourth support part 8 may be configured to have a magnet part (not shown) made of a ferromagnetic material on its bottom surface, and to be attached to and detached from the bottom plate part 4a made of iron. In this way, the fourth support part 8 can respond to the distance from the second support part 6, which changes depending on the size and number of tires 11 placed on the first support part 5, and firmly fix the placed tires 11.

[0043] However, the detachable and movable configuration of the fourth support portion 8 to the base plate portion 4a is not limited to this. For example, a slit (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction may be formed in the base plate portion 4a, and the fourth support portion 8 may be configured to move and be fixed along the slit.

[0044] The first support section 5, the second support section 6, the third support section 7, and the fourth support section 8 are fitted with protective materials 10 made of rubber or the like at the points where the tire 11 makes contact. This prevents damage to the tire portion 11b and the wheel portion 11a of the tire 11, and also enables more stable support of the tire 11 by increasing frictional resistance due to the contact between the tire 11 and the protective material 10.

[0045] Furthermore, the caster 9 is provided with a stopper (not shown). This makes it possible to securely fix the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 in a stable position when placing the tire 11 on the first support part 5 or during other maintenance work.

[0046] The multiple shelf sections 4 allow for the storage of various tools and parts necessary for maintenance, even with the tires 11 placed on them, in a way that is easily accessible to the worker 12. In other words, since the tires 11 are placed on top of the wagon body 2, rather than on the sides of the wagon body 2, the worker 12 can easily access the shelf sections 4 from all four sides of the wagon body 2. -How to use- Next, the method of using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 in this embodiment 1 will be described. (Brake maintenance)

[0047] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the sequence of movements of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 during maintenance work. Figures 9 to 12 show the sequence of brake maintenance using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1.

[0048] As shown in Figure 8, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is moved around the vehicle body 13 in the order of, for example, wheel position A → wheel position B → wheel position C → wheel position D, to maintain each of the four brake devices 15.

[0049] For example, when servicing the brake device 15 at position A, as shown in Figure 9, the worker 12 inserts the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 under the tire 11 in order to remove the tire 11 from the vehicle body 13 which has been lifted up by a lift (not shown). Here, the vehicle body 13 is fitted with a suspension 16 and a drive shaft 17, and the brake device 15 and hub bolt 14 are located on the tip side of the drive shaft 17.

[0050] Next, as shown in Figure 10, with the second support portion 6 and the third support portion 7 of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 pressed against the tire 11, the wheel nuts (not shown) of the tire 11 are removed.

[0051] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the worker 12 holds the tire 11 between the second support part 6 and the third support part 7 of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 and the worker 12's arm, and moves the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 together with the tire 11 to the opposite side of the vehicle body 13. As a result, the tire 11 detaches from the hub bolt 14 and moves downward along the second support part 6 due to its own weight, and is placed on the first support part 5.

[0052] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 on which the tire 11 is placed is moved from the front position of the brake system 15 to the side. This allows the worker 12 to maintain the brake system 15 in a more convenient working space using the maintenance tools and parts stored on the shelf 4. In addition, maintenance of the suspension 16 and drive shaft 17, etc., can also be performed in the same way as the brake system 15.

[0053] Once the brake system 15 has been serviced, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 on which the tire 11 is placed is moved towards the vehicle body 13, as shown in Figure 11, and brought closer to the mounting position. With the wagon close to the mounting position, the worker 12 temporarily attaches the tire 11 on the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 to the hub bolts 14, as shown in Figure 10. Subsequently, the tire 11 is pushed towards the vehicle body 13 by the second support part 6 and the third support part 7 of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1, so that the tire 11 is securely fitted to the hub bolts 14, and the wheel nuts (not shown) can be installed.

[0054] Finally, by tightening the wheel nuts (not shown) and with the tire 11 attached to the vehicle body 13, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is moved to the opposite side of the vehicle body 13, completing the maintenance work at wheel position A in Figure 8. After that, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is moved to wheel positions B, C, and D, and brake maintenance can be performed at each wheel position using the procedure described above. (Tire rotation)

[0055] Next, we will explain the procedure for tire rotation, which involves swapping the front and rear tires 11. In this case, the front tire 11 is removed from the vehicle body 13 in the same manner as in Figures 9 to 11 described above, and the tire 11 is placed on the first support part 5 of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1.

[0056] Next, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 on which the front tire 11 is placed is moved to the rear wheel side, and with the wagon 1 positioned below the rear wheel, the rear tire 11 is removed. The removed rear tire 11 is placed as is on the lower first support part 5 and temporarily propped up against the front tire 11 that is already placed there. Subsequently, the front tire 11 is attached from the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 to the rear wheel of the vehicle body 13.

[0057] Subsequently, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 on which the rear tire 11 is placed is moved to the front wheel side (see Figure 11), and with the wagon 1 positioned below the front wheel, the rear tire 11 is attached to the front wheel of the vehicle body 13 (see Figure 10).

[0058] Thus, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this embodiment 1 can easily transport tires 11, and can also support multiple tires 11 on the front and rear wheels on the first support section 5, making tire rotation work easy. (Tire replacement) Next, we will explain the tire replacement procedure (re-mounting procedure) in which only the tire portion 11b is replaced while the wheel portion 11a remains the same.

[0059] During tire replacement, a tire changer (not shown) is used to remove the tire 11b from the wheel 11a and install a new tire 11b. Therefore, the tire 11 needs to be transported from the lifted vehicle body 13 to the tire changer's installation location.

[0060] In this embodiment, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 can support multiple tires 11 on the first support section 5, so as shown in Figure 7, multiple tires 11 to be replaced can be transported at once. Therefore, using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this embodiment makes it possible to perform tire replacement work efficiently.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment 1, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 does not have a tire lifting mechanism, so it can be made very lightweight, and even when multiple tires 11 are placed on the first support section 5, it can be easily moved by the casters 9 provided on the bottom of the wagon body 2. Therefore, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 can be quickly moved to the wheel position of the lifted vehicle body 13. At this time, since the upper shelf section 4 of the wagon body 2 also serves as the first support section 5, the wagon body 2 can be positioned opposite the first support section 5 directly below the lifted vehicle body 13. Therefore, the tires 11 removed from the vehicle body 13 can be temporarily placed directly on the first support section 5 of the wagon body 2 without having to temporarily place them on the surrounding floor. Furthermore, after predetermined work such as maintenance of the brake device 15, the tires 11 on the first support section 5 can be directly attached to the vehicle body 13.

[0062] In addition, since the first support section 5 is configured to accommodate multiple tires 11, tire changes can be easily performed. For example, in a tire rotation operation to swap the front and rear tires 11, as described above, the front tire 11 can be removed and placed on the first support section 5, and the wagon 1 can be easily moved to the rear of the vehicle body 13. Next, the rear tire 11 can be removed and placed on the first support section 5. In this state, both the front and rear tires 11 are placed on the first support section 5. After that, the front tire 11 can be directly attached from the first support section 5 to the rear wheel of the vehicle body 13.

[0063] Thus, with the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 described above, the tire 11 can be easily attached and detached, even during the tire attachment and detachment work which is a burdensome task in vehicle maintenance, without the need for a lifting device, thanks to its simple structure. Furthermore, since maintenance tools and parts necessary for the work can be stored on the shelf section 4 while the tire 11 is placed on it, the physical burden on the worker 12 is greatly reduced, and the work can be performed extremely efficiently.

[0064] Furthermore, the tire 11 placed on the first support part 5 can be supported by leaning it against the second support part 6 that extends upward. Therefore, the tire 11 can be temporarily placed on the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 in a vertical position similar to the position of the tire 11 when it is attached to the vehicle body 13. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to change the position of the tire 11, reducing the burden on the worker 12 and enabling quick work.

[0065] Furthermore, by placing another tire 11 against one tire 11 that has been propped up on the second support section 6, it becomes possible to place multiple tires 11 on the first support section 5 in a front-to-back arrangement. Therefore, it is suitable, for example, when multiple tires 11 are to be placed on the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 without changing the orientation of the wagon 1.

[0066] In addition, since the two extensions 6a (second support portion 6) and the third support portion 7 form a frame structure, it is possible to lighten the support structure of the tire 11 while increasing its strength. However, depending on the size of the tire 11, the third support portion 7 may overlap with the wheel nut (not shown) on the wheel portion 11a. In this case, the third support portion 7 becomes a physical obstacle to the attachment and detachment of the wheel nut. In contrast, according to this embodiment 1, the attachment and detachment of the wheel nut can be easily performed by removing the third support portion from the two extensions 6a (second support portion 6) or by rearranging its position vertically.

[0067] Furthermore, the second support portion 6 and the fourth support portion 8 can restrict the forward and backward movement of the tire 11 on the first support portion 5. In particular, the position of the fourth support portion 8 can be appropriately adjusted according to the number of tires 11 placed on the first support portion 5. As a result, the second support portion 6 and the fourth support portion 8 reliably support the tire 11 from both the forward and backward sides, providing stable support for the tire 11. Embodiment 2

[0068] Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 23. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0069] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment, and Figures 14 and 15 are a left side view and a front view showing the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 with a tire 11 placed on it.

[0070] The vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that two second support parts 6 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the first support part 5. In addition, handle parts 18 are provided on both sides of the wagon body 2 in the front-rear direction.

[0071] In other words, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment has a wagon body 2 similar to that of the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 13 to 15, two second support parts 6 are provided on the front and rear sides at intermediate positions in the front-rear direction of the wagon body 2.

[0072] Here, as shown in Figures 13 to 15, two second stays 3b extending in the vertical direction are attached and fixed to the wagon body 2 at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction, on both the left and right sides of the wagon body 2 (both sides in the left-right direction in Figure 15). The second stays 3b are detachably fixed to the wagon body 2 by means of bolts 21, for example.

[0073] The lower end of the second stay 3b is positioned at approximately the same height as the lower end of the middle shelf 4. On the other hand, the second stay 3b has an extension 6a that extends vertically upward from the first support 5, and this extension 6a of the second stay 3b constitutes the second support 6.

[0074] Herein, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this embodiment 2 can also be realized by moving the two detachable second stays 3b of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of embodiment 1 to an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the wagon body 2 and fixing them in place, and by adding two new second stays 3b adjacent to them and fixing them in place on the wagon body 2.

[0075] Similar to Embodiment 1 described above, a third support portion 7 is attached and fixed to each of the two second support portions 6 on the front and rear sides. Furthermore, the third support portion 7 is attached to the second support portion 6 so as to be detachable and movable in the vertical direction.

[0076] With this configuration, in the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the first support part 5 Anteroposterior direction The tires 11 placed on both ends can be supported by leaning them against the second support section 6 and the third support section 7 on the central side, respectively. Furthermore, by arranging the two second support sections 6 at a predetermined interval, maintenance tools and the like can be stored in the space between the two second support sections 6 on the first support section 5. -How to use- Next, the method of using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 in this second embodiment will be described.

[0077] Even when using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment, since it has a second support part 6 extending upward from the first support part 5, brake maintenance can be performed in the same way as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, for tire changes, by placing two tires 11 each on the front and rear sides of the first support part 5, they can be transported together to the tire changer in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0078] This section will explain in detail the case where the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 of this second embodiment is used for tire rotation work. Figures 16 to 21 show the sequence of steps for tire rotation work using the vehicle maintenance wagon 1.

[0079] First, as shown in Figure 16, in order to remove, for example, the front tire 11f of the lifted vehicle body 13, the worker 12 inserts the front end of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 below the front tire 11f. Next, as shown in Figure 17, the wheel nuts (not shown) are removed, and the front tire 11f is removed from the vehicle body 13 and placed on the front end of the first support part 5, similar to Embodiment 1 described above. At this time, the tire 11f is propped up against the second support part 6.

[0080] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 18, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is moved to the rear wheel side of the vehicle body 13, and the rear end of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1, which does not have a tire 11f on it, is positioned below the rear tire 11r. In Figures 18 to 21, the rear tire 11r is shown with hatching for easier understanding.

[0081] Next, as shown in Figure 19, the wheel nuts (not shown) are removed, and the rear tire 11r is removed from the vehicle body 13 and placed on the rear end side of the first support part 5, similar to Embodiment 1 described above. At this time, the tire 11r is propped up against the second support part 6.

[0082] Next, as shown in Figure 20, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is rotated 180 degrees so that the front end of the wagon 1 on which the front wheel tire 11f is mounted is positioned on the rear wheel side of the vehicle body 13. Then, as shown in Figure 21, the front wheel tire 11f mounted on the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 is temporarily attached directly to the rear wheel hub bolt 14 from the first support part 5, and the front wheel tire 11f is mounted to the rear wheel in the same manner as in Embodiment 1 above.

[0083] Subsequently, the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 on which the rear tire 11r is placed is moved to the front wheel side of the vehicle body 13, and the tire 11r is directly attached to the front wheel of the vehicle body 13 from the first support part 5 of the wagon 1. In this way, the tire rotation work can be easily performed. -Variations-

[0084] In the above example, a vehicle maintenance wagon 1 equipped with two second support parts 6 at intermediate positions in the front-rear direction of the first support part 5 was described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a fourth support part 8 is provided on the first support part 5 is also possible, similar to Embodiment 1 described above. Here, Figure 22 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the vehicle maintenance wagon 1. Figure 23 is a left side view showing the modified vehicle maintenance wagon 1 with the tire 11 mounted on it.

[0085] In this modified example, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, fourth support parts 8 are provided on both sides in the front-rear direction relative to the two second support parts 6. The fourth support parts 8 can be attached to, detached from, and moved from the bottom plate 4a, similar to Embodiment 1 described above.

[0086] As a result, the second support portion 6 and the fourth support portion 8 restrict the forward and backward movement of the tire 11 on the first support portion 5, making it possible to properly support and fix the tire 11. Although Figure 23 shows an example in which one tire 11 is placed on each of the two second support portions 6, it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to place multiple tires 11, such as two on each side.

[0087] As described above, this embodiment 2, like embodiment 1, is a lightweight vehicle maintenance wagon 1 that does not have a tire lifting mechanism for the tires 11, and the upper shelf 4 of the wagon body 2 also serves as a first support 5 on which multiple tires can be placed. This significantly reduces the physical burden on the worker 12 and allows for extremely efficient work.

[0088] In addition, the tires 11 can be placed on the front and rear ends of the first support section 5, and each tire 11 can be propped up and supported on the second support section 6 in the intermediate position. Therefore, by rotating the vehicle maintenance wagon 1 180 degrees, the tires 11 at both ends in the front and rear directions can be positioned close to the wheels of the vehicle body 13. Moreover, since the tires 11 can be placed on the first support section 5 in a nearly vertical position, the attachment and detachment of the tires 11 can be performed even more efficiently. [Industrial applicability]

[0089] As described above, the present invention is useful for vehicle maintenance wagons used during vehicle maintenance work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1. Vehicle maintenance wagon 2 Wagon body 4 Shelf section 5 First support part 6 Second support part 6a Extension 7 Third support part 8 4th support part 9 Caster 11 tires 11a Wheel section 11b Tire section 11c Sidewall section 11f Front tire 11r Rear tire

Claims

1. A vehicle maintenance wagon comprising a wagon body having multiple shelves arranged vertically for storing maintenance tools, and multiple casters provided at the bottom of the wagon body, and without a tire lifting mechanism, The upper shelf portion of the wagon body has a shape that extends long in the front-to-back direction and also serves as a first support portion on which multiple tires can be placed. The wagon body is fixedly supported and extends upward from the first support portion, and further comprises two second support portions arranged at a predetermined distance from each other in the front-rear direction at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the first support portion. In the region on the first support portion, the regions on both outer sides in the front-rear direction relative to the two second support portions each serve as tire mounting regions. The tire is configured to be able to be moved in and out of the tire mounting area in the front-rear and up-down directions. The second support portion is configured to support at least one of the sidewall portion and the wheel portion of the tire when the tire is placed upright in the tire mounting area, in a vehicle maintenance wagon.

2. The second support portion has two extensions that extend upward from the first support portion. The vehicle maintenance wagon according to claim 1, further comprising a third support portion that connects the two extension portions and is configured to be detachable from or repositionable with respect to the two extension portions.

3. The vehicle maintenance wagon according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth support portion provided on the first support portion and configured to support the tire from the opposite side from the second support portion.

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