JP2005263366A - One-wheel truck - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a truck, coping with an inclined floor while making the most of characteristics of an air pallet, and having excellent turning performance. <P>SOLUTION: In this truck, a wheel 23 is provided in the center of a frame body 11, diaphragms 22, 22 are provided in front and at the back of the wheel 23, and floor abut seats 21, 21 are disposed in front and at the back of the diaphragms. The frictional resistance against the floor can be enough reduced by the diaphragms, and one wheel is brought into contact with the floor, whereby the lateral movement in the inclined floor can be prevented and one wheel enables turning on the grounding point of the wheel. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the truck, capable of coping with an inclined floor while making the most of characteristics of the air pallet, and having excellent turning performance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a truck for carrying goods.

  Various carts have been put into practical use for the purpose of carrying luggage. An air pallet that can significantly reduce the frictional resistance with the floor surface by lifting slightly with air pressure is suitable for transporting a load that does not like vibration.

  The air pallet has the advantage that it can be moved by applying a slight horizontal force, but the inclined floor has the disadvantage of descending along the slope due to the gravitational action.

Conventionally, an air pallet that solves the above-described drawbacks has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-267531 (FIG. 4)

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the basic principle of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 9B, the air pallet 100 includes a diaphragm 102 in the center of a frame 101, and a plurality of diaphragms 102 are provided in the diaphragm 102. The air injection hole 103 (... indicates a plurality, the same applies hereinafter), and two wheels 104, 104 are arranged in series on one side of the diamond frame 102.

  As shown in the side view (a), the air injected from the air injection holes 103 and 103 forms an air film between the diaphragm 102 and the floor 106 to support the frame 101.

  The two wheels 104 and 104 always contact the floor 106 by the cushioning action of the springs 107 and 107. When the frame 101 moves to the left and right of the drawing, the floor 106 may be inclined and the frame 101 may be shifted to the front and back of the drawing, so that the deviation can be suppressed by the two wheels 104 and 104. . Since there are two wheels 104, it is possible to secure straightness to the left and right of the drawing.

  In general, a load carrying cart needs to be turned in addition to moving straight. However, the above-described air pallet 100 cannot be easily turned due to the presence of the two wheels 104, 104, and the use is limited.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a cart that can handle an inclined floor while taking advantage of the characteristics of an air pallet and is excellent in turning performance.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a frame having a load placement surface on an upper surface, a handle provided to the frame so that an operator can operate, and one wheel provided at the bottom and in the center of the frame. A diaphragm provided at the bottom of the frame and surrounding the wheel, an air hose for sending compressed air to the diaphragm, and a plurality of openings opened in the diaphragm for injecting air accumulated in the diaphragm toward the floor And an air injection hole.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the wheel is attached to the frame so as to be vertically movable, and can be moved up and down by a wheel lifting means attached to the frame.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the wheel is provided with wheel driving means and can be moved forward, braked or moved backward.

The invention according to claim 1 relates to a carriage in which a diaphragm is combined with one wheel, and the diaphragm can sufficiently reduce the frictional resistance with the floor, and allows one wheel to contact the floor. Lateral movement on an inclined floor can be prevented, and since there is one wheel, it can be turned around the ground contact point of the wheel.
Therefore, according to the first aspect, it is possible to provide a cart that can cope with an inclined floor while taking advantage of the characteristics of the air pallet and is excellent in turning performance.

In the invention according to claim 2, the wheel can be raised and lowered by the wheel raising and lowering means. If the horizontal floor is simply moved, if the wheel is raised, the grounding resistance of the wheel is eliminated, and the vehicle can be moved forward and backward with a very small force like a normal air pallet.
When turning frequently or dealing with an inclined floor, the wheels are lowered to contact the floor. Thereby, while improving turning property, it can prevent flowing along the inclination of a floor.
Therefore, according to claim 2, the usability of the single-wheel carriage is improved.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the wheel is provided with wheel driving means so as to be able to move forward, brake or reverse. Since the one-wheel carriage can be self-propelled by the wheel driving means, the burden on the operator can be greatly reduced.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are viewed in the direction of the reference numerals.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a single-wheel carriage according to the present invention. A single-wheel carriage 10 includes a box-shaped frame 11 formed by combining shape steel or steel plates, and a handle 12 raised from the rear portion of the frame 11. An operation plate 13 provided on the upper portion of the handle 12, an air on / off operation element 14, a wheel lift switch 15 and a cart travel switch 16 disposed on the operation plate 13, and four triangular plates on the upper surface of the frame 11, for example. 17 ... and the U-shaped member 18 ..., a load placement surface 19 formed on the bottom surface of the frame 11, and floor support seats 21 arranged at the four corners of the lower surface of the frame 11. And a single wheel 23 provided at the center of the bottom of the frame 11.

The frame 11 can be reduced in weight while securing rigidity by using a “watermark box” formed by combining shape steel and / or flat steel. It is desirable to make it easier to place small packages by placing a flat plate or a net on the load placement surface 19.
The frame 11 may be a box in which flat plates are combined and only the lower surface is opened. Therefore, the shape and structure of the frame 11 can be appropriately determined as necessary.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the single-wheel carriage according to the present invention, in which one wheel 23 is arranged at the center of the rectangular frame 11 and four diaphragms 22 are arranged so as to surround the wheel 23. The floor pad seats 21 are arranged at the four corners of the frame 11.
The number of diaphragms 22 may be one, three, or five or more.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the single-wheel truck according to the present invention. A wheel 23 is provided in the center of the frame body 11, and diaphragms 22 and 22 are provided before and after the wheel 23 (left and right in the drawing). It shows that floor pad seats 21 and 21 are arranged before and after 22.
The wheel 23 is supported by the frame body 11 through the front cross member 24 and the rear cross member 25 delivered to the frame body 11, and details thereof will be described next.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of the single-wheeled carriage according to the present invention, and the floor seat 21 is preferably composed of a rubber block or a resin block so as not to damage the floor 26.
The diaphragm 22 is a donut-shaped annular body made of flexible rubber or soft resin, has air injection holes 27, and is a member that injects air toward the floor 26 as indicated by arrows. is there. The injected air is interposed between the floor 26 and the diaphragm 22 and plays a role of greatly reducing the frictional resistance between the floor 26 and the diaphragm 22.

Next, the mounting structure of the wheel 23 will be described.
First, the swing plate 28 is attached to the rear cross member 25 through the hinge 29 so as to be movable up and down. On the other hand, the rotary actuator 31 is mounted on the front cross member 24, the arm 32 of the rotary actuator 31 is extended rearward (right side in the figure), and the tip of the swing plate 28 is engaged with the arm 32. This engagement is performed by opening a long hole 33 extending laterally in the arm 32 or the swing plate 28 and arranging a pin 34 in the long hole 33 so as to be laterally movable. When the arm 32 is rotated counterclockwise, the swing plate 28 can be smoothly rotated clockwise by the action of the long hole 33.

  That is, in this embodiment, the wheel lifting / lowering means 30 is constituted by the hinge 29, the swing plate 28, the arm 32 long hole 33, the pin 34, and the rotary actuator 31. However, the wheel lifting / lowering means 30 may be any mechanism that can move the wheel 23 up and down with respect to the frame 11, and may be any of a pinion rack, a screw, an electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, and a hydraulic cylinder. The structure is not limited.

And the speed reducer 35 is attached to the swing plate 28 with bolts 36... And the wheel 23 is attached to the output shaft 37 of the speed reducer 35. Reference numeral 38 denotes a motor.
When the motor 38 is energized and rotated, the output shaft 37 rotates at a low speed, the wheel 23 rotates, and the frame 11 moves forward or backward.

  The motor 38 is preferably a brake built-in motor that enters a braking state when not energized. Since the reduction gear 35 requires a large torque to be rotated from the load side (output shaft 37 side), even if the motor 38 is a non-brake motor, the wheel 23 is brought into a braking state when not energized. I can. In addition, a motor without a brake can be adopted if it has a self-lock function (a lock is applied when it is turned from the load side) like a worm reducer.

That is, in this embodiment, the wheel driving means 40 is constituted by the motor 38 and the speed reducer 35.
The wheel 23 may be a pneumatic rubber tire, a solid rubber tire, or an iron tire.

  FIG. 5 is a control system diagram of the single-wheel carriage according to the present invention. The air hose 43 is extended from the compressed air source 42 and the air hose 45... Is connected to the diaphragm 22. Connect to By operating the air on / off operation element 14, the compressed air can be supplied to or stopped from the diaphragms 22.

  Further, the wheel lift switch 15 is interposed in the harness 47 extending from the power source 46 to the rotary actuator 31 and the wheel lift switch 15 is operated, so that the rotary actuator 31 can be rotated forward, stopped, or reversed.

Further, the carriage traveling switch 16 is interposed in a harness 49 extending from the power supply 48 to the motor 38, and the carriage traveling switch 16 is operated, whereby the carriage can be advanced, stopped, or moved backward.
The power sources 46 and 48 may be on-vehicle batteries. If it is a battery, it will take time to charge, but it is not necessary to route the harnesses 47 and 49, so the operability of the carriage can be improved.

Next, the operation of the one-wheeled carriage having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the basic operation of the single wheel bogie according to the present invention.
In (a), the wheel 23 waits upward, and the one-wheeled carriage 10 is deposited on the floor 26 with the floor seats 21 and 21 in a state where air is not supplied to the diaphragms 22 and 22. The up arrow (↑) indicates the main support point. In this state, the luggage 50 is loaded. Alternatively, the luggage 50 is lowered.

  In (b), compressed air is supplied to the diaphragms 22 and 22. As a result, the floor seats 21 and 21 are separated from the floor 26, and an air film is formed between the diaphragms 22 ... and the floor 26. In this state, the single wheel carriage 10 can be moved forward or backward by pushing or pulling the handle 12. However, when the floor 26 is inclined, the following operation is performed prior to the forward or reverse movement.

  In (c), the wheel 23 is lowered and brought into contact with the floor 26. The main support point is now the wheel 23. If the wheel 23 is rotated forward or backward in this state, the single-wheel carriage 10 can be moved forward or backward. At this time, the single wheel carriage 10 moves without shaking by the action of the diaphragms 22 and 22. Therefore, the luggage 50 can be moved without giving vibration.

FIG. 7 is an operation diagram when the single-wheel carriage of the present invention is applied to an inclined floor. In a food factory or the like, the floor 26 is frequently washed with water in order to maintain cleanliness. The floor 26 is an inclined floor with a gradient of about 7/1000 so that the water can quickly flow into the drain.
Even if the floor 26 is an inclined floor, the wheels 23 are in contact with the floor 26, and the one-wheel carriage 10 does not flow to the right in the figure due to the frictional force. The operator can stand the wheel 23, that is, the one-wheeled carriage 10 vertically by lightly holding the handle 12 like a white arrow.
In this state, if the handle 12 is pushed toward the front and back of the drawing, the single-wheel carriage 10 can be moved.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for turning the single-wheel carriage of the present invention. When the handle 12 is turned as shown by an arrow, the single-wheel carriage 10 can be turned around the ground contact point 51 of the wheel 23.

  In addition, the one-wheel-type trolley | bogie of Claim 1 should just be a form of FIG.6 (c). That is, the wheel lifting / lowering means 30 (see FIG. 4) and the wheel driving means 40 may not be provided.

  Moreover, the one-wheel-type trolley | bogie of Claim 2 should just implement FIG. 6 (a)-(c). That is, the wheel driving means 40 (see FIG. 4) may not be provided.

  The single wheel bogie of the present invention is suitable for a load carrying bogie that runs on an inclined floor.

It is a perspective view of the single-wheel trolley concerning the present invention. It is a bottom view of the single-wheeled trolley | bogie which concerns on this invention. It is a side view of the single-wheeled carriage concerning the present invention. It is a principal part enlarged view of the single-wheeled trolley | bogie which concerns on this invention. It is a control system diagram of the single-wheeled carriage concerning the present invention. It is basic operation explanatory drawing of the single-wheel type trolley | bogie which concerns on this invention. It is an effect | action figure when applying the single-wheeled trolley | bogie of this invention to an inclined floor. It is explanatory drawing when turning the single-wheeled trolley | bogie of this invention. It is a figure explaining the basic principle of the prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Single-wheel trolley, 11 ... Frame, 12 ... Handle, 19 ... Luggage placement surface, 21 ... Floor seat, 22 ... Diaphragm, 23 ... Wheel, 26 ... Floor, 27 ... Air injection hole, 30 ... Wheel lift Means, 40 ... wheel drive means, 45 ... air hose.

Claims (3)

  A frame having a load placement surface on an upper surface; a handle provided on the frame so that an operator can operate; one wheel provided at the bottom and center of the frame; and a bottom of the frame And a diaphragm provided at a position surrounding the wheel, an air hose for sending compressed air to the diaphragm, and a plurality of air injection holes opened in the diaphragm for injecting the air accumulated in the diaphragm toward the floor A one-wheeled carriage characterized by that.   2. The one-wheel carriage according to claim 1, wherein the wheel is attached to the frame so as to be movable up and down, and can be moved up and down by a wheel lifting means attached to the frame. The one-wheel carriage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wheel is provided with a wheel driving means so as to be able to move forward, brake or reverse.

Images