JP6871094B2 - Transport cart - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is, for example, a transport cart that can be folded by depressing a foot pedal, which is used as a cart for lower meals in hospitals and the like.

In hospitals and the like, there is known a lower set cart in which inpatients and the like carry a tray on which empty tableware is placed to a hygiene room after eating. From the viewpoint of work efficiency, it is desirable for the lower set cart to carry many trays at one time. To satisfy this demand, the cart itself should be enlarged. In this case, a storage space commensurate with the size of the cart is required.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-173160 describes a tray carrier for transporting a flat rectangular tray, which is a columnar, horizontally extending lower bar and standing on both ends of the lower bar. A pair of columns connected to both ends of the lower bar with its lower end protruding below the lower bar, and a columnar shape, which extends horizontally below the column so as to be orthogonal to the lower bar. A pair of pedestals connected to the lower ends of the stanchions at the center thereof, wheels attached below the pedestals, and the legs above the connecting position of the lower bar of the stanchions. It is provided with a plurality of pairs of rails which are mounted parallel to the columns and at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the columns and which support the trays horizontally inserted between the columns from both ends. By inserting the lower bar of the other tray transport vehicle into the space formed between the rails, the plurality of tray transport vehicles are formed between the columns of the individual tray transport vehicles. Discloses a tray carrier, characterized in that the rails can be stored in a state of being inserted into each other.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 09-173160

However, although the storage space of the conventional tray transport vehicle can be relatively reduced when not in use, a small transport vehicle having a small tray transport amount per vehicle is generally used. In this case, in order to transport a large number of trays, it is necessary to install a plurality of carts, which increases the cost. For this reason, it has been desired to develop a transport cart that is large and reduces the storage space when not in use.

On the other hand, although folding transport carts are known to reduce storage space when not in use, they are not large or large in capacity. In general, the folding structure is applied not only to a transport cart but also to a small one such as a chair, an umbrella, and a stepladder. This is because when folded, the stability deteriorates, and it is limited to those whose posture can be controlled by grasping it by hand. On the other hand, it is conceivable to apply the folding structure to the transport cart, but since the whole body is used when folding, the burden on the worker is heavy, let alone women and elderly people may become workers. In the case of the lower set cart, the burden on the workers was a big problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable transport cart that can reduce the folding burden on the operator.

That is, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has a pair of left and right first columns and an intermediate support frame having a first lower bar that connects the pair of first columns downward. A pair of lower bars that connect the second support column and the pair of second columns below, are located in front of and behind the intermediate support frame body, and are supported by the intermediate support frame body so as to be movable back and forth. It is provided with a front-rear support frame, a link body connected to the first lower bar and a pair of front-rear and second lower bars, and used when folding the pair of front-rear support frames and the intermediate support frame. One end of the link body is a receiving force that receives a stepping force, and the other end is rotatably attached to the first link member with an operation bar extending in the left-right direction and one end rotatably attached to the first lower bar. The other end is rotatably attached to the other end of the operation bar, and one end is rotatably attached to the pair of front and rear second lower bars, and the other end is the extending direction of the operation bar. Provided is a transport cart characterized by having a pair of second link members rotatably attached to an intermediate position of the above.

The present invention also provides the transport cart characterized by having a plurality of first support bars attached to the pair of left and right first columns in the vertical direction.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of second support bars are provided between the pair of left and right second columns at positions corresponding to the first support bar. It is to provide.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that one end has a connecting bar rotatably attached to a lower portion of one second strut and the other end to an intermediate portion of a first strut corresponding to the second strut. The transport cart is provided.

The present invention also provides the transport cart, which comprises a shelf board member that locks to the first support bar and the second support bar corresponding to the first support bar.

The present invention also provides the transport cart, wherein the shelf board member is rotatably locked to the first support bar.

The present invention also provides the transport cart, which comprises a damper member that connects the first lower bar, the connection portion of the first link, and the rear portion of the operation bar.

According to the present invention, it can be easily folded by stepping on a receiving portion (petal portion) that receives a stepping force. Therefore, the folding burden on the operator can be reduced. In addition, the storage space can be reduced after folding.

It is a perspective view of the transport cart in embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view of the transport cart of FIG. It is a perspective view of the link body of the transport cart of FIG. It is a front view of the transport cart of FIG. It is a right side view of the transport cart of FIG. It is a perspective view of the transport cart of FIG. 1 in the middle of folding. It is a right side view of the transport cart in the middle of folding of FIG. It is a perspective view after folding of the transport cart of FIG. It is a front view of the transport cart after folding of FIG. It is a right side view of the transport cart after folding of FIG. (A) right side view of the link body before folding, (B) right side view of the link body during folding, and (C) right side view of the link body after folding. (A) is a front view of the link body before folding, and (B) is a front view of the link body after folding. This is a modified example of the link body.

Next, the transport cart according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. In the present specification, "left and right" refers to a direction in which the position where the link body is viewed on the right side is the front when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the lower bar extending in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the right side surface is a direction (position) viewed from the operator side (operation side) that operates the link body 4.

The transport cart 10 includes (i) an intermediate support frame body 1 having a first lower bar 1c that connects a pair of left and right first columns 1a and 1b and a pair of first columns 1a and 1b downward, and (ii) a pair of left and right columns. It has a second lower bar 2c (3c) that connects the second support 2a, 2b (3a, 3b) and a pair of second support 2a, 2b (3a, 3b) below, and is in front of and behind the intermediate support frame 1. It is provided with a pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2 and 3 which are located in the intermediate support frame body 1 and are supported by the intermediate support frame body 1 so as to be movable back and forth, and (iii) a link body 4.

The intermediate support frame 1 further has a plurality of (7 in this example) first support bars 7b attached to the pair of left and right first columns 1a and 1b in the vertical direction. As the first support bar 7b, a round bar member is preferable. The shelf board member 5 is rotatably locked to the first support bar 7b. The distance between the first support bars 7b that are vertically adjacent to each other is such that the article to be placed can freely move in and out in the front-rear direction. A connecting bar locking portion 61 for locking one end of the connecting bar 6 which is a round bar member is formed in the vertical intermediate portion of the pair of left and right first columns 1a and 1b of the intermediate support frame body 1. Since the connecting bars 6 are on one side (one on the left and right) and are paired in the front and rear, the connecting bar locking portions 61 have locking holes in the front and rear, respectively, with the first columns 1a and 1b interposed therebetween. Further, the connecting bar locking portion 61 is movably attached to the first support column 1a in the vertical direction, and does not hinder the movement when folded. Further, a fixed magnet portion 201 having magnets mounted on both front and rear sides is attached directly above the connecting bar locking portion 61 of the first support column 1a. The fixed magnet portion 201 is fixed to the first support column 1a, and when the pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2 and 3 are folded, the pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2 and 3 side magnets at the corresponding positions are magnets. Magnetically attracts with the metal plate 301 for adsorption.

The pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2 and 3 have the same structure and the same shape as each other, one support frame body 2 will be described, and the description of the other support frame body 3 will be omitted. The support frame body 2 is provided between the pair of left and right first columns 2a and 2b, and is provided at a position corresponding to the first support bar 7b, a plurality of support frames 2 in the vertical direction (7 in this example). It also has a bar 7a. The shelf board member 5 is locked to the first support bar 7b and the second support bar 7a at a position corresponding to the first support bar 7b so as to be in a horizontal state. The distance between the first support bars 7b that are vertically adjacent to each other is such that the article to be placed can freely move in and out in the front-rear direction. A grip portion 301 is formed slightly above the middle of the pair of left and right first columns 2a and 2b. The grip 301 is used when unfolding the folded transport cart 10. Further, a metal plate 301 for attracting magnets is attached to the intermediate support frame 1 side of the grip portion 301. As a result, when the transport cart 10 is folded, the fixed magnet portion 201 and the metal plate 301 of the intermediate support frame 1 are magnetically fixed. Further, casters 9 are attached to the lower ends of the pair of left and right first columns 2a and 2b, respectively. As a result, the pair of front and rear support frames 2 and 3 move smoothly during folding or opening operation.

The connecting bar 6 is formed by bending both ends of a round bar member into a hook shape. The connecting bar 6 is rotatably attached to a lower portion of one of the second columns 2a (2b) at one end and to an intermediate portion of the first column 1a corresponding to the second column 2a (2b) at the other end. That is, one of the connecting bars 6 on the right side connects the first support column 1a and the front second support column 2a, and the other one connects the first support column 1a and the rear second support column 3a. Further, one of the connecting bars 6 on the left side connects the first support column 1b and the front second support column 2b, and the other one connects the first support column 1b and the rear second support column 3b.

The transport cart 10 further includes a shelf board member 5a that locks to the first support bar 7b and the second support bar 7a corresponding to the first support bar 7b. Further, it further has a shelf board member 5b that locks to the first support bar 7b and the second support bar 7c corresponding to the first support bar 7b. That is, the shelf board members 5a and 5b are paired on the left and right, and the surfaces of the shelf board members 5a and 5b are flush with each other in the used state of the transport cart 10. In this example, the shelf board members 5 are provided in pairs on the left and right in seven stages in the vertical direction, and have 14 shelves for convenience. The front end side of the shelf board member 5 in the lateral direction has a hook shape that rotatably locks to the first support bar 7b, which is a round bar member. Further, a semicircular groove corresponding to the shape of the second support bar 7a, 7c, which is a round bar member, is formed at a position corresponding to the second support bars 7a, 7c on the back surface of the shelf board member 5. .. As a result, the shelf board member 5 is locked to the first support bar 7b and the second support bar 7a in the used state to maintain the horizontal position, and in the folded state, the first support bar 7b does not fall off. And the second support bar 7a to hold the tilted state. That is, the shelf board member 5 does not come off from the support bar in the used state and the folded state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the link body 4 is connected between the first lower bar 1c and the pair of front and rear second lower bars 2c and 3c, and folds the pair of front and rear support frames 2 and 3 and the intermediate support frame 1. It is used when. That is, the link body 4 has an operation bar 41, a first link member 42, and a second link member 43. A first connecting piece 432 having a U-shaped cross section is attached to the first lower bar 1c. That is, when the first connection piece 432 is attached to the first lower bar 1c, the pair of opposing arms hang down. Bolt through holes are formed in both arms. As a result, the first connection piece 432 and one end of the first link member 42 are rotatably connected by bolts. The first link member 42 is two short plate-shaped bodies, and bolt through holes are formed at both ends thereof. The through hole penetrates in the front-rear direction. At the other end of the first link member 42 (on the anti-first lower bar 1c side), one end of the operation bar 41 is sandwiched, a bolt is inserted, and the two are rotatably connected. That is, the first link member 42 is connected to the first lower bar 1c in a hanging shape, and is rotatable in the front-rear direction when viewed from the operation side of the link body 4.

The operation bar 41 is a rod-shaped member, and a bolt through hole is formed at the rear end thereof so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction, and the front end is bent by about 90 degrees so that it can be easily stepped on by a foot. .. That is, the operation bar 41 is a receiving portion 411 whose one end (operation side) receives a stepping force, and the other end (back side) is a bar member extending in the left-right direction which is rotatably attached to the first link member 42. ..

A pair of second connection pieces 433 having a U-shaped cross section are attached to both front and rear (left and right when viewed from the operation side) at a position slightly in the operation side direction from the center in the longitudinal direction of the operation bar 41. That is, when the second connection piece 433 is attached to the operation bar 41, the pair of opposing arm portions face outward (the axis side of the anti-operation bar 41). Bolt through holes are formed in both arms. That is, the shaft core of the bolt inserted into the bolt through hole of the second connection piece 433 extends (parallel) along the longitudinal direction of the operation bar 41.

A pair of U-shaped cross-sections of the third connecting piece 431 are attached to the positions of the second lower bars 2c and 3c corresponding to the second connecting piece 433. That is, by attaching the third connection piece 431 to the second lower bars 2c and 3c, the pair of opposing arm portions face each other toward the opposite side (intermediate support frame 1 side). Bolt through holes are formed in both arms. That is, the shaft core of the bolt inserted into the bolt through hole of the third connection piece 431 extends (parallel) along the longitudinal direction of the second lower bar 2c and 3c.

One end of the pair of second link members 43 is rotatably attached to the pair of front and rear second lower bars 2c and 3c, and the other end is rotatably attached to an intermediate position in the extending direction of the operation bar 41. The second link member 43 is a pair on the left and right when viewed from the operation side, and through holes extending in the directions along the second lower bars 2c and 3c are formed at both ends of the pair of link members, respectively. That is, one end of the second link member 43 is rotatably connected to the third connection piece 431, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second connection piece 433. That is, the second link member 43 is rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the first link member 42 rotates.

In the link body 4 of FIG. 3, the reference numeral “a ₁ ” is a connection point between the operation bar 41 and the first link member 42, and the reference numerals “c ₁ ” and “c ₂ ” are the operation bar 41 and the second link member 42. Reference numeral "a ₂ " is a connection point between the first link member 42 and the first lower bar 1c, and reference numerals "b ₁ " and "b ₂ " are the connection points between the first link member 42 and the first lower bar 1c. 2 It is a connection point of the lower bars 2c and 3c. At the connection point, the two link members are rotatably connected in a specific direction.

In the used state (open state) of the transport cart 10, the pair of second link members 43 have an inverted C shape when viewed from the operation side (see FIG. 5), and are downward in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. It hangs down (see Fig. 4). Further, the operation bar 41 is inclined downward toward the counter-operation side when viewed from the front (see FIG. 4). Further, the first link member 42 extends in an inclined manner toward the counter-operation side when viewed from the front.

Next, a method of folding the transport cart will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. In the used transport cart 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 11 and 12, when viewed from the front, the connection points "b ₁ " and "b ₂ " between the second support columns 2a and 3a and the second link member 43 are transported. It is located at a height H from the installation surface of the cart 10, and when viewed from the operation side, the maximum width between the pair of front and rear second columns 2a and 3a is W ₁ , and the second columns 2a, 3a and the second. The distance between the connection points "b ₁ " and "b _{2 " with the link member 43 is w 1} . When folding the transport cart 10, the operator first steps on the receiving portion 411 of the operation bar 41. By stepping on the force receiving unit 411, the first link member 42 rotatably attached to the tip of the operation bar 41 is pushed upward with the connection point between the operation bar 41 and the second link 43 as a fulcrum, and at the same time, a pair. The second link member 43 is closed, and the pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2 and 3 are folded into the intermediate support frame body 1.

_{The third connection piece 431 forming the connection points "b 1} " and "b ₂ " to which the second link member 43 is connected is fixed to a pair of front and rear second columns 2a and 3a, and a pair of front and rear second columns. 2a and 3a are on the installation surface. Therefore, is depressed force receiving portion 411 of the operation bar 41, the connection point "b _1", when a downward force to "b _2" is applied, the connection point "b _1", "b _2" is the installation surface While maintaining the height H from the above, _{the distance between the connection points "b 1} " and "b ₂ " is shortened, and finally the pair of front and rear support frames 2 and 3 are folded into the intermediate support frame 1 and the connection points are connected. The distance between "b ₁ " and "b ₂ " is reduced to about the thickness of the operation bar 41. In synchronization with this, the first link member 42 is pushed upward, and the intermediate support frame 1 is pushed upward.

The folded transport cart 10 shown in FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11 (C) and 12 (B) has a connection point “b ₁ ” between the second support columns 2a and 3a and the second link member 43. , "B ₂ " is located at a height H from the installation surface of the transport cart 10, and the distance between the _{connection points "b 1} " and "b _{2 " is w 2} which is smaller than _{w 1.} Further, when viewed from the operation side, the dimension between the pair of front and rear second columns 2a and 3a is _{W 2 which} is smaller than _{W 1.} Further, the intermediate support frame body 1 is located above the position in the used state by a height h. In this way, the transport cart 10 can be easily folded by stepping on one end of the operation bar 41. The folded transport cart 10 is smaller when viewed from the operation side, and the relative storage space is reduced. Further, the shelf board member 5 is locked to the first support bar 7b and the second support bar 7a, and is held in an inclined state. As shown in FIG. 10, in the folded transport cart 10, a pair of front and rear support frames 2 and 3 are fixed to the intermediate support frame 1 by a magnetic attraction force by a fixed magnet portion 201, and the folded posture is stable. ing.

Next, a method of putting the folded transport cart 10 into use will be described. In order to put the folded transport cart 10 shown in FIG. 8 into a usable state, first, the adjacent grip portions 8a and 8d are gripped and opened on both the left and right sides. At this time, each link member of the link body 10 moves in the opposite direction to the movement from the used state to the folded state, and returns to the original state.

In the transport cart 10, in order to change from a stable posture to an unstable posture when folding, it is an operation to support the whole by hand while using the legs, but when changing from a folded state to a used state, it is stable from an unstable posture. The operation is to the posture, and the transport cart 10 does not tip over even if it is performed only manually.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the link body 4a of the transport cart, _{a damper member 44 that connects the connection point (a 2} ) of the first lower bar 1c and the first link 42 and the rear portion 412 of the operation bar 41 is further added. You may have. The damper member 44 is used to alleviate a sudden change due to an inadvertently strong acting force at the initial stage of operation from the folded state to the used state or at the initial stage of operation from the used state to the folded state. As the damper member, a known gas damper or the like can be used.

In the transport cart of the present invention, the number of shelves (the number of upper and lower shelves) on which the shelf board member 5 is placed is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 or more and 10 or less, particularly 6 or more and 9 or less. Even such a large transport cart can be folded without imposing an excessive burden on the operator. The transport cart of the present invention can be used as a serving cart as well as a lower serving cart. In addition, other items can be transported as long as they fit the size.

According to the present invention, by stepping on the receiving force portion (petal portion) that receives the stepping force, it can be easily folded, so that the folding burden on the operator can be reduced. In addition, the storage space can be reduced after folding.

1 Intermediate support frame body 1a, 1b 1st support 1c 1st lower bar 2, 3 Pair of front and rear support frame bodies 2a, 2b 2nd support 2c, 3c 2nd lower bar 4 Link body 5 Shelf board member 6a to 6d Connecting bar 7a, 7c 2nd support bar 7b 1st support bar 8a-8d Grip 9 Caster 10 Transport cart 41 Operation bar 42 1st link member 43 2nd link member 44 Damper

Claims (7)

An intermediate support frame having a pair of left and right first struts and a first lower bar connecting the pair of first struts downward.
It has a pair of left and right second struts and a second lower bar that connects the pair of second struts downward, is located in front of and behind the intermediate support frame, and is movably supported by the intermediate support frame. A pair of front and rear support frames and
It is connected to the first lower bar and the pair of front and rear lower bars, and includes the pair of front and rear support frames and a link body used when folding the intermediate support frame.
One end of the link body is a receiving force that receives a stepping force, the other end is an operation bar that extends rotatably to the first link member and extends in the left-right direction, and one end is rotatably attached to the first lower bar. The other end is rotatably attached to the other end of the operation bar, and one end is rotatably attached to the pair of front and rear second lower bars, and the other end is an extension of the operation bar. A transport cart having a pair of second link members rotatably attached at an intermediate position in the direction. The transport cart according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first support bars are attached between the pair of left and right first columns in the vertical direction. The transport cart according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of second support bars are provided between the pair of left and right second columns at positions corresponding to the first support bar. The second aspect of claim 2, wherein one end has a connecting bar rotatably attached to a lower portion of one second column and the other end to an intermediate portion of the first column corresponding to the second column. Carrying cart. The transport cart according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a shelf board member that engages with the first support bar and the second support bar corresponding to the first support bar. The transport cart according to claim 5, wherein the shelf board member is rotatably locked to the first support bar. The transport cart according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a damper member that connects the first lower bar, the connecting portion of the first link, and the rear portion of the operating bar.

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