Pushing member and transport cart

Abstract

To prevent falling down of a transportation carriage.SOLUTION: A hand-push member 40 for enabling a user to push a transportation carriage 10 by hand when travelling the transportation carriage 10 has a grounding part 54 positioned outside an outer peripheral edge of a carriage body part 20 in a state where the hand-push member 40 is mounted on the carriage body part 20 of the transportation carriage 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hand-push member and a transport cart.

Background Art

[0002] Transport carts are used at work sites and the like to transport articles. The transport cart has casters attached to the four corners of the lower surface of the cart main body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a transport cart, when a transported object is loaded, the center of gravity becomes high, and there is a risk that the cart may tip over. The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to prevent the transport cart from tipping over.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The present invention is detachably attachable to a cart main body portion formed in a substantially rectangular shape by short frame portions and long frame portions in a transport cart, The aforementioned The hand-push member is a member that a user pushes by hand when moving the transport cart, Applicable In a state where the hand-push member is attached to the cart main body portion of the transport cart, the hand-push member has a ground contact portion located outside the outer peripheral edge of the cart main body portion and on the side in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the long frame portions of the cart main body portion Furthermore, the ground contact portion can transition between a first state in which it is close to the floor surface and a second state in which it is further away from the floor surface than in the first state, and in the first state the ground contact portion is away from the floor surface and touches the floor surface when the transport trolley tilts. The hand-push member is characterized in that

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the transport cart from tipping over. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the transport cart according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the transport cart according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the push-button member. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the configuration of the push member and the corner member. [Figure 5] This is a view of the transport trolley of the first embodiment from the front and rear directions. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the transport cart according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a view of the transport trolley of the first embodiment, seen from the left and right directions. [Figure 8] This is a view of the transport trolley of the second embodiment, seen from the front and rear directions. [Figure 9] This is a plan view of the transport cart according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a view of the transport cart of the second embodiment, seen from the left and right directions. [Figure 11] This is a view of the transport trolley of the third embodiment, seen from the front and rear directions. [Figure 12] This is a plan view of the transport cart according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a view of the transport cart of the third embodiment, seen from the left and right directions. [Figure 14] This diagram shows the configuration of the corner member and hand-pushing member in the modified example 1. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the configuration of the corner member and hand-pushing member in modified example 2. [Figure 16] This diagram shows the configuration of the corner member and hand-pushing member in modified example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The transport cart according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) Figure 1 and Figure 2 are perspective views of the transport cart 10 according to the first embodiment. Note that Figure 1 shows a state before a hand-push member 40, which will be described later, is attached to the cart main body 20, and Figure 2 shows a state after the hand-push member 40 is attached to the cart main body 20. In the following drawings, for convenience, the arrow Fr is illustrated as the front side, the arrow Rr as the rear side, the arrow R as the right side, and the arrow L as the left side. However, the transport cart 10 can travel on the floor surface in any of the front, rear, left, and right directions. Further, the center line C indicates the center in the left-right direction length of the transport cart 10.

[0009] The transport cart 10 includes a cart main body 20, a traveling unit 30, and a hand-push member 40. First, the cart main body 20 will be described. The cart main body 20 is configured by connecting a plurality of frame portions and the like, and loads transported objects. When viewed from the upper side of the transport cart 10, the cart main body 20 has a substantially rectangular shape with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction and the left-right direction as the lateral direction. The cart main body 20 includes a front frame portion 21a, a rear frame portion 21b, a right frame portion 21c, a left frame portion 21d, a corner member 22, a reinforcement frame portion (reinforcement portion) 25, and a placement portion 27.

[0010] The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d constitute the outer shape of the cart main body 20. The front frame portion 21a and the rear frame portion 21b correspond to an example of a pair of opposing frame portions. Further, the right frame portion 21c and the left frame portion 21d correspond to an example of a pair of opposing frame portions. For the front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d, for example, a square hollow pipe made of aluminum alloy or the like can be used.

[0011] The front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d are joined at four corner portions by corner members 22, thereby constituting a rectangular four-sided frame. The corner member 22 is made of an aluminum alloy formed by, for example, extrusion molding. The corner member 22 has an insertion hole 23 opening upward, and a support portion 24 that closes at least a part of the lower opening (see FIG. 3 described later). A hand-push member 40 can be inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The lower end of the hand-push member 40 inserted into the insertion hole 23 is supported by the support portion 24.

[0012] The inside of the frame constituted by the front frame portion 21a, the rear frame portion 21b, the right frame portion 21c, and the left frame portion 21d is reinforced by a plurality of reinforcing frame portions 25 abutted against each other in the front-rear and left-right directions and joined by bolts, rivets, welding or the like. For the reinforcing frame portion 25, for example, a square hollow pipe made of aluminum alloy, a plate with an uneven cross section, or the like can be used. A transported object is loaded on the placement portion 27. The placement portion 27 is coupled to each frame portion and each reinforcing frame portion by bolts, rivets or the like. Note that in the space 26 not closed by the placement portion 27, that is, the space 26 opening upward, a part of a caster 31 (described later) of the upper transport cart 10 enters when the same transport carts 10 are stacked.

[0013] Next, the traveling unit 30 will be described. The traveling unit 30 travels on the floor surface while supporting the loads of the cart main body 20 and the transported object. The traveling unit 30 has a plurality of casters 31. The traveling unit 30 of the present embodiment has six casters: four casters 31 arranged at the four corners of the cart main body 20, and two casters 31 arranged at the center in the front-rear direction and spaced apart to the left and right. Each of the casters 31 is attached to the cart main body 20 via a mounting plate 32. Note that the space 26 is located above the mounting plate 32. The upper surface of the mounting plate 32 serves as a surface on which the caster 31 of the upper transport cart 10 that has entered the space 26 comes into contact with the ground when the same transport carts 10 are stacked.

[0014] Next, the push member 40 will be described. The push member 40 is a member for the user to grip when moving the transport cart 10. The user moves the transport cart 10 by gripping the push member 40 with their hands and pushing or pulling it. The push member 40 is attached to the cart body 20 by inserting its lower end into the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The transport cart 10 has four push members 40, each inserted into the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. Note that the cart body 20 is not limited to having four push members 40 attached; one, two, or three push members 40 may be attached. The push member 40 can be removed from the cart body 20 by pulling it out of the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22.

[0015] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the push member 40. Figure 3 also shows a magnified view of a portion of the push member 40. The push member 40 comprises a main body member 41, a protective member 43, a reinforcing member 44, and a grounding unit 50. In Figures 1 and 2, the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the right side are shown as grounding units 50a and 50b, respectively, while the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are shown as grounding units 50c and 50d. Grounding units 50a and 50b have similar configurations, and grounding units 50c and 50d have similar configurations. Furthermore, grounding units 50a and 50b and grounding units 50c and 50d are symmetrical with respect to the center line C. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between grounding units 50a to 50d, they will simply be referred to as grounding unit 50.

[0016] The main body member 41 is a rod-shaped or elongated, pipe-shaped member that runs vertically. The main body member 41 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The main body member 41 has an outer diameter of, for example, 42-45 mm (44 mm in this case) so that it is easy for the user to grip, and is a circular pipe with a smaller diameter than a so-called single pipe. In addition, the main body member 41 is reinforced in a cross shape inside to improve its strength. However, the main body member 41 is not limited to the dimensions described above, and various rod-shaped or tubular members can be used. Furthermore, the main body member 41 may be a single pipe. A single pipe refers to a general structural carbon steel pipe as defined in JIS G 3444, which is a circular pipe with an outer diameter of 48.6 mm.

[0017] The protective member 43 protects the user's hand from contact with surrounding objects when the user grasps the push member 40. The protective member 43 also serves as an indicator of the maximum load height when loading transported goods. The protective member 43 is fixed to the upper side of the main body member 41 at a predetermined distance from the upper end using bolts, rivets, etc. The part of the push member 40 above the protective member 43 functions as a grip portion 42 for the user to grasp. The protective member 43 is disc-shaped and protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41, and has a larger outer diameter than the main body member 41.

[0018] The reinforcing member 44 is fixed to the lower end of the main body member 41, specifically at a position close to the lower end, using bolts, rivets, etc. The reinforcing member 44 reinforces the strength of the main body member 41 and suppresses looseness between the main body member 41 and the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22 when the main body member 41 is inserted into the insertion hole 23. The reinforcing member 44 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding.

[0019] Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of line II shown in Figure 3, and Figure 4(b) is a diagram showing the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. As shown in Figure 4(a), the reinforcing member 44 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the main body member 41. The reinforcing member 44 has several (two in this case) bulging portions 45 on its outer circumferential surface that bulge radially. The length (vertical dimension) of the reinforcing member 44 is approximately the same as the depth of the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22. The reinforcing member 44 also has mounting holes 46 that open vertically for inserting the main body member 41 into it. When attaching the reinforcing member 44 to the main body member 41, the main body member 41 is inserted into the mounting hole 46 of the reinforcing member 44, and the reinforcing member 44 is fixed to the main body member 41 at a predetermined position from the lower end of the main body member 41 using bolts, rivets, or the like.

[0020] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4(b), the insertion hole 23 into which the reinforcing member 44 is inserted has a space 47 as a recess that allows the insertion of the bulging portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44. Therefore, by aligning the bulging portion 45 with the space 47 and inserting the reinforcing member 44, which is fixed to the main body member 41, into the insertion hole 23, the push member 40 is positioned in a predetermined position.

[0021] The grounding unit 50 functions as an outrigger to prevent the transport trolley 10 from tipping over. The grounding unit 50 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41 via a holding member 60. Specifically, the grounding unit 50 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41 at a position facing the outside of the transport trolley 10. Furthermore, the grounding unit 50 is attached below the center of the vertical length of the main body member 41 and above the reinforcing member 44. As shown in the enlarged view of Figure 3, the holding member 60 has a pair of side walls 61 separated front to back, and a first connecting portion 62 and a second connecting portion 63 that connect the separated side walls 61 to each other.

[0022] The pair of side walls 61 are roughly fan-shaped or arc-shaped when viewed from the front-rear direction, and have positioning portions 64a and 64b recessed in the upper and side parts of their outer circumferential surfaces. The pair of side walls 61 also support a pivot pin 65 whose axis is aligned in the front-rear direction. The first connecting portion 62 is plate-shaped and aligned in the vertical direction. The holding member 60 is attached to the main body member 41 by connecting the first connecting portion 62 to the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41 using bolts, rivets, etc. The second connecting portion 63 is plate-shaped and inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The second connecting portion 63 restricts the movement of the leg portion 51, which will be described later, by contacting the leg portion 51. The holding member 60 is formed, for example, by bending a steel plate.

[0023] The grounding unit 50 has legs 51 and grounding parts 54. The leg portion 51 is a hollow, substantially rectangular cross-section member that extends in a straight line. The leg portion 51 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The leg portion 51 is pivotally supported on the pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60 so as to be rotatable. The leg portion 51 also has an insertion hole 52 through which the pivot pin 65 is inserted. Since the insertion hole 52 is a long elongated hole along the longitudinal direction of the leg portion 51, the leg portion 51 has play equal to the length of the elongated hole. In addition, a positioning pin 53 is inserted in the front-rear direction as a positioning part of the leg portion 51. The ends of the positioning pin 53 protrude beyond both sides of the leg portion 51. The positioning pin 53 is engageable with positioning parts 64a and 64b. Here, the pivot pin 65 and the positioning pin 53 are connected by a spring 66. Therefore, the leg portion 51 is always biased toward the holding member 60 by the spring 66. When the positioning pin 53 of the leg portion 51 is engaged with the positioning portion 64b of the holding member 60, the leg portion 51 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface. Here, the inclination angle of the leg portion 51 (the inclination angle α on the acute side between the floor surface and the leg portion 51) is between 25 and 45 degrees.

[0024] The ground contact portion 54 is a component that makes contact with the floor surface. The ground contact portion 54 is made of a flexible material such as synthetic rubber or synthetic resin, for example, soft polyvinyl chloride. Furthermore, the ground contact portion 54 is a different color from the leg portion 51 and is painted in a color that is easily visible even in dark surroundings, such as orange or a fluorescent color. The grounding portion 54 has a main body portion 55 and a mounting portion 57. The main body 55 has a plurality of protrusions 56 on its lower surface that contacts the floor. The protrusions 56 are formed such that the force required to move the legs 51 horizontally toward the trolley body 20 is smaller than the force required to move them toward the trolley body 20 when they are in contact with the floor. Specifically, the protrusions 56 are formed to project diagonally toward the trolley body 20 as they face the floor.

[0025] The mounting portion 57 is the part that attaches the main body portion 55 to the leg portion 51. The mounting portion 57 has a bottomed hole through which the tip of the leg portion 51 is inserted. The mounting portion 57 has a plurality of retractable biasing portions 58 spaced apart from each other. The biasing portions 58 contract when the main body portion 55 touches the floor surface and generate a biasing force that causes them to expand from the contracted state.

[0026] Figure 5 is a view of the transport cart 10 from the front and rear. Figure 6 is a top view of the transport cart 10. Figure 7 is a view of the transport cart 10 from the left and right. In this embodiment, the grounding portion 54 of the grounding unit 50 is located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. In other words, when viewed from above the transport trolley 10, the grounding portion 54 is positioned so as to protrude outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. The positioning pin 53 of the leg portion 51 engages with the positioning portion 64b of the holding member 60, and the lower surface of the leg portion 51 abuts against the second connecting portion 63, thereby holding it in an inclined state. In this embodiment, the grounding portion 54 is not in contact with the floor surface and is held in a state away from the floor surface.

[0027] In this way, because the contact point 54 is located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, even if the transport trolley 10 is about to tilt, for example, the contact point 54 on the side that is about to tilt will make contact with the floor surface outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, thereby preventing the transport trolley 10 from tilting. When the contact point 54 makes contact with the floor surface, the biasing part 58 contracts, generating a biasing force that tries to extend. This generated biasing force acts on the floor surface, and the contact point 54 receives a reaction force from the floor surface. Therefore, the transport trolley 10 is pushed back from the floor surface in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is about to tilt, thereby further preventing the transport trolley 10 from tilting.

[0028] Furthermore, the grounding unit 50 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the leg portion 51 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface and the grounding portion 54 is close to the floor surface, and a second state in which the leg portion 51 extends upward from the holding member 60 and the grounding portion 54 is further away from the floor surface than in the first state. Specifically, the worker pulls the leg portion 51 against the biasing force of the spring 66 from the state in which the leg portion 51 extends toward the floor surface, thereby releasing the engagement between the positioning pin 53 and the positioning portion 64b. Subsequently, the worker rotates the leg portion 51 upward around the pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60, thereby transitioning the leg portion 51 to a state aligned substantially vertically (see the dashed lines shown in Figures 3 and 5). At this time, the leg portion 51 is held in the state aligned substantially vertically by the engagement of the positioning pin 53, which is biased by the spring 66, with the positioning portion 64a of the holding member 60. In the first state, the grounding units 50a and 50b protrude significantly to the right from the outer edge of the trolley body 20, and the grounding units 50c and 50d protrude significantly to the left from the outer edge of the trolley body 20. On the other hand, in the second state, although the grounding units 50a to 50d are located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, they do not protrude as much as in the first state, thus shortening the length of the transport trolley 10 in the left-right direction. In addition, in the second state, the grounding units 50 are positioned so as to overlap with the main body member 41 of the push member 40 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0029] In this way, by keeping the grounding unit 50 from protruding beyond the outer edge of the trolley body 20, it is possible to prevent the grounding unit 50 from colliding with the walls of the passageway, etc., even when the transport trolley 10 is traveling in a passageway. Furthermore, from the second state, the operator can pull the leg portion 51 against the biasing force of the spring 66 and rotate it downward around the pivot pin 65 of the holding member 60, thereby transitioning the grounding portion 54 back to a position outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20 and close to the floor surface.

[0030] Furthermore, each of the grounding units 50a to 50d can independently transition between the first and second states. Therefore, the worker can choose whether to set each of the grounding units 50a to 50d to the first or second state, depending on the width of the passageway and the storage space for the transport cart 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the grounding unit 50 has been described in a first state in which the grounding portion 54 is not in contact with the floor surface and is separated from the floor surface, but it is not limited to this case. The grounding portion 54 may be configured to be in contact with the floor surface in the first state. Furthermore, although the grounding unit 50 of this embodiment has been described as being able to transition between a first state and a second state, it is not limited to this case. The grounding unit 50 may be configured so as not to be able to transition to the second state.

[0032] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The transport trolley 110 of this embodiment has auxiliary casters 154 in which the grounding unit 150 is located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0033] Figure 8 is a view of the transport cart 110 from the front and rear. Figure 9 is a plan view of the transport cart 110. Figure 10 is a view of the transport cart 110 from the left and right. The push member 40 of this embodiment has a grounding unit 150. The grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the right side are referred to as grounding units 150a and 150b, respectively, while the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are referred to as grounding units 150c and 150d. Grounding units 150a and 150b have similar configurations, and grounding units 150c and 150d have similar configurations. Furthermore, grounding units 150a and 150b and grounding units 150c and 150d are symmetrical with respect to the center line C. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between grounding units 150a to 150d, they will simply be referred to as grounding unit 150.

[0034] The grounding unit 150 has legs 51 and auxiliary casters 154. The auxiliary casters 154 are an example of a grounding part. The auxiliary casters 154 are located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20 and are in contact with the floor surface, thereby preventing the transport trolley 110 from tipping over. The auxiliary casters 154 are attached to the ends of the legs 51. The auxiliary casters 154 are also capable of swiveling around a pivot axis O1 that runs vertically. The auxiliary casters 154 in this embodiment are casters with brakes that can be applied or released according to the user's operation. The auxiliary casters 154 are a different type of caster from the casters 31 described above.

[0035] The auxiliary caster 154 has two wheels 155a and 155b, a support part 156, and a swivel part 157. The two wheels 155a and 155b have outer diameters smaller than the outer diameter of the caster 31's wheel. Each of the two wheels 155a and 155b has a wheel portion with a bearing built inside and a tire portion fitted around the outer circumference of the wheel portion. The two wheels 155a and 155b are the same size and are supported in a parallel configuration so that they can rotate independently. That is, the wheels 155a and 155b can be rotated at different rotational speeds, and the wheel 155a can be rotated to one side while the wheel 155b is rotated to the other side simultaneously.

[0036] The support section 156 rotatably supports the two wheels 155a and 155b and holds the brake pedal in a swingable manner. The support section 156 is formed, for example, by press forming a steel plate. The support section 156 is integrally formed from a pair of side walls located on both sides of the wheels 155a and 155b and a circular top plate connecting the pair of side walls above the wheels 155a and 155b. The top plate is held in a rotatable manner by a swivel section 157. The swivel section 157 rotates the wheels 155a, 155b, support section 156, and brake pedal around the swivel axis O1.

[0037] The auxiliary caster 154 is positioned such that, when viewed from above the transport trolley 110, the contact points of the wheels 155a and 155b with the pivot axis O1 are eccentric. Therefore, the auxiliary caster 154 rotates around the pivot axis O1 such that the wheels 155a and 155b are at the rear relative to the front, which is the direction of travel.

[0038] In this embodiment, the auxiliary casters 154 of the grounding unit 150 are positioned outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. In other words, when viewed from above the transport trolley 110, the auxiliary casters 154 are positioned so as to protrude beyond the outer edge of the trolley body 20. In this way, because the auxiliary casters 154 are positioned outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, even if the transport trolley 110 is about to tip over, for example, the auxiliary casters 154 on the side that is about to tip over are in contact with the floor surface at a position outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, thereby preventing the transport trolley 110 from tipping over.

[0039] Furthermore, the grounding unit 150 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the leg portion 51 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 60 toward the floor surface and the auxiliary caster 154 is in contact with the floor surface, and a second state in which the leg portion 51 extends upward from the holding member 60 and the auxiliary caster 154 is further away from the floor surface than in the first state (see the dashed line shown in Figure 8).

[0040] In this embodiment, the grounding unit 150 has been described in a first state in which the auxiliary caster 154 is in contact with the floor surface, but it is not limited to this case. The auxiliary caster 154 may not be in contact with the floor surface in the first state and may be separated from the floor surface. Furthermore, although the auxiliary caster 154 of this embodiment has been described as having two wheels 155a and 155b, it is not limited to this case. The auxiliary caster 154 may also have one wheel.

[0041] (Third embodiment) The transport trolley 210 of this embodiment has a grounding portion 54 in which the grounding unit 250 is located outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. Components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0042] Figure 11 is a view of the transport cart 210 from the front and rear. Figure 12 is a top view of the transport cart 210. Figure 13 is a view of the transport cart 210 from the left and right. The push member 40 in this embodiment has a grounding unit 250. The grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the right side are referred to as grounding units 250a and 250b, respectively, while the grounding units of the front and rear push members 40 on the left side are referred to as grounding units 250c and 250d. Grounding units 250a and 250b have similar configurations, and grounding units 250c and 250d have similar configurations. Furthermore, grounding units 250a and 250b and grounding units 250c and 250d are symmetrical with respect to the center line C. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between grounding units 250a to 250d, they will simply be referred to as grounding unit 250.

[0043] The grounding unit 250 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 41 via a retaining member 260. The grounding unit 250 is also attached above the center of the vertical length of the main body member 41 and below the protective member 43. The retaining member 260 has a mechanism similar to that of the retaining member 60 in the first embodiment, and a positioning pin (not shown) of the leg portion 251, which will be described later, can be engaged with either of the two positioning portions.

[0044] The grounding unit 250 has legs 251 and ground contact portion 54. The leg portion 251 is pivotally supported around the pivot axis O2 of the holding member 260 (see Figure 11). When the positioning pin of the leg portion 251 is engaged with one of the positioning portions of the holding member 260, the leg portion 251 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor. The inclination angle of the leg portion 251 (the acute inclination angle β between the floor and the leg portion 251) is between 45 and 75 degrees.

[0045] Furthermore, a telescopic leg 252 is fitted inside the leg portion 251, and the telescopic leg 252 is slidable along the longitudinal direction of the leg portion 251. The telescopic leg 252 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and is formed by extrusion molding. The length to which the telescopic leg 252 protrudes from the lower end of the leg portion 251 can be changed. A ground contact portion 54 is attached to the lower end of the telescopic leg 252.

[0046] When the leg portion 251 is extended diagonally downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor, the telescopic leg 252 is extended from the leg portion 251, allowing the ground contact portion 54 attached to the telescopic leg 252 to be brought into contact with or close to the floor. The leg portion 251 also has a locking mechanism 270. The locking mechanism 270 locks the length to which the telescopic leg 252 protrudes from the lower end of the leg portion 251 in stages. Therefore, the worker can lock the ground contact portion 54 attached to the telescopic leg 252 in a state where it is in contact with or close to the floor by locking the locking mechanism 270.

[0047] In this way, by extending the leg portion 251 diagonally downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, the contact portion 54 can be positioned outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20. Therefore, for example, even if the transport trolley 210 is about to tip over, the contact portion 54 located on the side that is about to tip over will make contact with the floor surface outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20, or will be already in contact with it, thereby preventing the transport trolley 210 from tipping over.

[0048] Furthermore, the grounding unit 250 of this embodiment can transition between a first state in which the leg portion 251 extends diagonally downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface and the grounding portion 54 is in contact with or close to the floor surface, and a second state in which the telescopic leg 252 is retracted so that the positioning pin of the leg portion 251 engages with the other positioning portion of the holding member 260, and the leg portion 251 extends downward from the holding member 260 toward the floor surface, causing the grounding portion 54 to be further away from the floor surface than in the first state (see the dashed line shown in Figure 11).

[0049] In this embodiment, the grounding unit 250 has been described in a case where it has a grounding portion 54, similar to the first embodiment, but it is not limited to this case. The grounding unit 250 may replace the grounding portion 54 with the auxiliary caster 154 of the second embodiment. In this case, the auxiliary caster 154 may have two wheels 155a and 155b, or it may have one wheel.

[0050] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the embodiments described above and the embodiments described later can be combined or modified as appropriate. In the embodiments described above, the case in which each transport trolley has a mounting section 27 was described, but the invention is not limited to this case, and the mounting section 27 may be omitted.

[0051] In the embodiments described above, the case in which the push member 40 is positioned at a predetermined location on the corner member 22 by inserting the bulging portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44 into the space 47 of the insertion hole 23 of the corner member 22 was described, but the invention is not limited to this case. The following describes a modified example in which the push member 40 is positioned at a predetermined location on the corner member 22.

[0052] <Example 1> Figure 14(a) is a perspective view illustrating the positioning method of the push member 140 according to Modification 1, and Figure 14(b) is a plan view of the corner member 122 according to Modification 1. In Figure 14(a), a portion of the side wall of the corner member 122 is cut as shown by the dashed line, so that the inside of the insertion hole 123 can be seen. The corner member 122 in this modified example has a cylindrical portion 124, connecting portions 125a and 125b, and a support portion 126.

[0053] The cylindrical portion 124 has an insertion hole 123 formed inside that runs vertically. The connecting parts 125a and 125b connect two adjacent frame sections from the front frame section 21a, rear frame section 21b, right frame section 21c, and left frame section 21d using bolts, rivets, welding, etc. The connecting parts 125a and 125b extend in directions perpendicular to each other from the cylindrical section 124 and are each composed of a pair of parallel side walls. The front frame section 21a, rear frame section 21b, right frame section 21c, and left frame section 21d are connected while sandwiched between the pair of side walls of the connecting parts 125a and 125b.

[0054] The support portion 126 supports the push member 140 inserted into the insertion hole 123. The support portion 126 has a shaft member 127 and a fixing member 128. The shaft member 127 is, for example, a bolt, and the fixing member 128 is, for example, a nut. Through holes are formed in the opposing side walls of the cylindrical portion 124 for inserting the shaft member 127, and the shaft member 127 is positioned to cross the insertion hole 123 by being inserted through the through holes in a substantially horizontal direction. The fixing member 128 fixes the shaft member 127 on the outside of the cylindrical portion 124 so that the shaft member 127 does not come off the cylindrical portion 124. Specifically, the shaft member 127 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 124 by screwing the fixing member 128 onto the threaded portion of the shaft member 127.

[0055] On the other hand, the push member 140 has a main body member 141 with a slit 146 formed at its lower end. The main body member 141 has a pair of slits 146 formed at opposing positions separated by the central axis O. Each of the pair of slits 146 is open on the lower side, allowing the shaft member 127 to be fitted into it. Therefore, by inserting the push member 140 into the insertion hole 123 so that the shaft member 127 fits into the slit 146, the push member 140 can be positioned in a predetermined position. In Modification 1, the case where the shaft member 127 is a bolt was described, but the shaft member 127 may also be a rivet, and the fixing member 128 may be formed by crimping the tip of the rivet. Also, in Modification 1, the push member 140 does not have a reinforcing member 44, but it may have a reinforcing member 44. If a reinforcing member 44 is present, the push member 140 can be positioned in a predetermined position by forming a cylindrical shape with the bulging portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44 omitted, and forming a slit 146 at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44, or at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44 and the main body member 141.

[0056] <Modification 2> Figure 15(a) is a perspective view illustrating the positioning method of the push member 240 according to Modification 2, and Figure 15(b) is a plan view of the corner member 222 according to Modification 2. In Figure 15(a), a portion of the side wall of the corner member 222 is cut as shown by the dashed line, so that the inside of the insertion hole 223 can be seen. The corner member 222 in this modified example has a cylindrical portion 224, connecting portions 225a and 225b, and two support portions 226. The cylindrical portion 224 and the connecting portions 225a and 225b have the same configuration as the cylindrical portion 124 and connecting portions 125a and 125b in Modified Example 1, respectively.

[0057] The support portion 226 supports the push member 240 inserted into the insertion hole 223. The support portion 226 has a shaft member 227, a fixing member 228, and a receiving member 229. The shaft member 227 is, for example, a bolt, and the fixing member 228 is, for example, a nut. The receiving member 229 is a member that mainly receives the load of the push member 240, and is, for example, a rectangular plate-shaped member. Through holes are formed in the opposing side walls of the cylindrical portion 224 for inserting the shaft member 227, and the shaft member 227 is positioned by inserting it through the through hole in a substantially horizontal direction. The receiving member 229 has a through hole formed along the plate thickness direction, and the shaft member 227 is inserted through the through hole at a position inside the cylindrical portion 224. The fixing member 228 fixes the receiving member 229 to the inside of the cylindrical portion 224 so that the receiving member 229 is pressed against the side wall of the cylindrical portion 224. Specifically, the fixing member 227 and the receiving member 229 are fixed to the cylindrical portion 224 by screwing the fixing member 228 onto the threaded portion of the shaft member 227.

[0058] On the other hand, the push member 240 has a main body member 241 with a slit 246 formed at its lower end. The main body member 241 has a pair of slits 246 formed at opposing positions separated by the central axis O. Each of the pair of slits 246 is open on the lower side, allowing the receiving member 229 to be fitted into it. Therefore, the push member 240 can be positioned in a predetermined location by inserting the push member 240 into the insertion hole 223 so that the receiving member 229 fits into the slit 246. In the modified example 2, the case where the shaft member 227 is a bolt was described, but the shaft member 227 may also be a rivet, and the fixing member 228 may be formed by crimping the tip of the rivet. Also, in the modified example 2, the push member 240 does not have a reinforcing member 44, but it may have a reinforcing member 44. If a reinforcing member 44 is present, the push member 240 can be positioned in a predetermined location by forming it in a cylindrical shape with the bulging portion 45 of the reinforcing member 44 omitted, and forming a slit 246 at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44, or at the lower end of the reinforcing member 44 and the main body member 241.

[0059] <Variation 3> Figure 16(a) is a perspective view illustrating the positioning method of the push member 340 according to Modification 3, and Figure 16(b) is a plan view of the corner member 322 according to Modification 3. The corner member 322 in this modified example has a cylindrical portion 324, connecting portions 325a and 325b, and a support portion 326. The connecting portions 325a and 325b have the same configuration as the connecting portions 125a and 125b in Modified Example 1.

[0060] The cylindrical portion 324 has an insertion hole 323 formed inside that runs vertically. The insertion hole 23 also has a groove portion 327 on its inner circumferential surface that serves as a recess running vertically. The groove portion 327 can accommodate a bulge portion 345 provided on the main body member 341 of the push member 340, which will be described later. The support portion 326 closes at least a portion of the lower opening of the insertion hole 323 and supports the lower end of the push member 340 inserted into the insertion hole 323.

[0061] On the other hand, the push member 340 has a bulge 345 at the lower part of the main body member 341 that bulges radially from the outer circumferential surface. The bulge 345 is, for example, the head of a bolt, and is formed by screwing a bolt into the main body member 341 from the outside. Therefore, by inserting the push member 340 into the insertion hole 323 so that the bulge 345 fits into the groove 327, the push member 340 can be positioned in a predetermined location. In Modification 3, the case where the bulge 345 is the head of a bolt was described, but the bulge 345 may also be the tip of a bolt or the head of a rivet, and the bulge 345 may be formed by crimping the tip of a rivet. Also, in Modification 3, the push member 340 does not have a reinforcing member 44, but it may have a reinforcing member 44. If a reinforcing member 44 is present, the push member 340 can be positioned in a predetermined location by forming the reinforcing member 44 in a cylindrical shape without the bulge 45, and then forming the bulge 345 on the reinforcing member 44, for example, from the head of a bolt.

[0062] As described above in the embodiments and modifications, by positioning the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 at predetermined positions on the corner members 22, 122, 222, and 322, it is possible to prevent the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 from rotating within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, and 323 of the corner members 22, 122, 222, and 322 about the central axis O. Because the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 do not rotate, the ground contact portions 54 of the ground contact units 50, 150, and 250 and the auxiliary casters 154 can always be positioned outside the outer edge of the trolley body 20 in the first state.

[0063] Furthermore, the structure described above, which prevents the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 from rotating within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, and 323 of the corner members 22, 122, 222, and 322, can also be applied to push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 that do not have the grounding units 50, 150, and 250. When applied to push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 that do not have the grounding units 50, 150, and 250, the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 will not rotate within the insertion holes 23, 123, 223, and 323 when the user grasps and pushes or pulls the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340 with their hands. Therefore, the user can easily transmit force to the push members 40, 140, 240, and 340, and the transport carts 10, 110, and 210 can be moved as intended by the user. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 10, 110, 210: Transport cart 20: Cart body 31: Caster 40: Pushing member 50, 150, 250: Grounding unit 51, 251: Legs 54: Grounding part 60: Holding member 154: Auxiliary caster

Claims

1. A hand pusher is attached to and detached from the main body of a transport trolley, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape by a short frame section and a long frame section, and is used by the user to push the transport trolley by hand when it is in motion. When the push member is attached to the trolley body of the transport trolley, it has a contact portion located outside the outer peripheral edge of the trolley body and on a side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal frame portion of the trolley body, and is capable of transitioning between a first state in which the contact portion is close to the floor surface and a second state in which the contact portion is further from the floor surface than in the first state. The aforementioned grounding portion is The push member is characterized in that, in the first state, it is lifted off the floor surface and comes into contact with the floor surface when the transport trolley begins to tilt.

2. A hand pusher for a transport trolley, which can be attached to and detached from the trolley body, which is formed in a substantially rectangular shape by a short frame portion and a long frame portion, and which is used by a user to push the transport trolley when it is in motion. When the push member is attached to the trolley body of the transport trolley, it has a contact portion located outside the outer peripheral edge of the trolley body and on the side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal frame portion of the trolley body, The aforementioned grounding portion is A push member characterized by having casters.

3. The push member according to claim 2, characterized in that it is possible to transition between a first state in which the contact portion is close to the floor surface and a second state in which the contact portion is further from the floor surface than in the first state.

4. The aforementioned grounding portion is The push member according to claim 3, characterized in that it is in contact with the floor surface in the first state.

5. The aforementioned grounding portion is The push member according to claim 3, characterized in that in the first state, it is lifted off the floor surface and the transport trolley tilts so as to come into contact with the floor surface.

6. The push member has legs that extend from the main body member along the vertical direction toward the floor surface, The aforementioned leg portion is The push member according to claim 1, 3, 4, or 5, characterized in that the grounding portion is attached and the grounding portion can transition between the first state and the second state by rotating relative to the trolley body.

7. The push member according to claim 1, 3, 4, 5, or 6, characterized by having a holding member that holds the grounding portion in the state transitioned to the first state or the second state.

8. The aforementioned grounding portion is The push member according to claim 1, 6, or 7, characterized in that it is a caster.

9. The aforementioned caster is, The push member according to claim 2, 3, 4, 5, or 8, characterized in that it is capable of pivoting about a pivot axis along the vertical direction.

10. The aforementioned bogie body, A transport cart comprising a push member according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The trolley body is formed in a roughly rectangular shape by the short frame section and the long frame section, A transport trolley having a push member that can be attached to and detached from the trolley body and is used by the user to push the transport trolley by hand when it is in motion, The aforementioned push member is When the push member is attached to the trolley body of the transport trolley, it has a contact portion located outside the outer peripheral edge of the trolley body and on a side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal frame portion of the trolley body, and is capable of transitioning between a first state in which the contact portion is close to the floor surface and a second state in which the contact portion is further from the floor surface than in the first state. The aforementioned grounding portion is A transport trolley characterized in that, in the first state described above, it is lifted off the floor surface and then comes into contact with the floor surface when it begins to tilt.

12. A trolley body formed in a substantially rectangular shape by a short frame portion and a long frame portion, A transport trolley having a push member that can be attached to and detached from the trolley body and is used by the user to push the transport trolley by hand when it is in motion, The aforementioned push member is When the push member is attached to the trolley body of the transport trolley, it has a contact portion located outside the outer peripheral edge of the trolley body and on the side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal frame portion of the trolley body, The aforementioned grounding portion is A transport cart characterized by having casters.

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