JP7499514B2 - Smartphone holder for hand cart - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a holder for holding a smartphone that can be attached to shopping carts, picking carts, dollies, and other types of hand carts that hold items and can be pushed and moved by hand.

In recent years, smartphone holders that can be attached to shopping carts have been proposed.

Patent document 1 discloses a smartphone holder equipped with a mounting base and a pivot joint. The pivot joint allows the mounting base to rotate between a fixed position when it is leaning against the push handle of a shopping cart and a holding position in which it extends away from the push handle.

Patent document 2 discloses a smartphone holder that has a mobile device holding section and a cart attachment section. The mobile device holding section has a function of holding mobile devices of different shapes, and the cart attachment section has a function of being detachable from the handle of a shopping cart.

The inventor previously disclosed a smartphone holder that includes a stand that is attached to the support of a hand cart and extends upward, and a holder body that is fixed to the upper part of the stand so that the inclination angle can be adjusted (Patent Document 3).

JP 2014-534107 A JP 2017-109687 A Utility Model Registration No. 3231209

The smartphone holders in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are attached so that they extend diagonally upwards or directly upwards from the handlebars, making it impossible to change the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder.

The smartphone holder of Patent Document 3 allows the forward/backward position of the smartphone holder to be changed within a range of several centimeters by tightening which part of the lower part of the stand (attachment part), which has a predetermined length, to the support. However, when considering attaching the same smartphone holder to various hand carts, it became clear that there are cases where it is desired to change the forward/backward position of the smartphone holder by a larger amount. For example, as described below, there are cases where it is desired to move the smartphone holder farther forward from a child's head in a shopping cart equipped with a child chair.

The object of the present invention is to make it possible to greatly change the front-to-rear position of a smartphone holder attached to a hand cart.

[1] A smartphone holder for a hand cart comprising a stand attached to the hand cart and extending upward, and a holder body attached to an upper portion of the stand,
The holder body includes a rear support portion that supports the rear surface of the smartphone, a first mounting plate that protrudes behind the rear support portion and has a plate surface facing left and right, and a second mounting plate that protrudes behind the rear support portion and has a plate surface facing front and rear,
This smartphone holder for hand carts is characterized in that it is possible to select between a first mounting mode in which the end face of the upper part of the stand extending left and right is abutted against the plate surface of a first mounting plate and the holder body is attached to the upper part of the stand, and a second mounting mode in which the end face of the upper part of the stand extending forward and backward is abutted against the plate surface of a second mounting plate and the holder body is attached to the upper part of the stand.

[Action]
The front-rear position of the smartphone holder attached to the hand cart changes significantly depending on whether the first attachment mode is selected or the second attachment mode is selected.

[2] In the above [1], it is preferable that the first mounting plate and the first joining plate joined to the back surface of the back surface receiving part are formed of a first L-shaped metal fitting, and the second mounting plate and the second joining plate joined to the back surface of the back surface receiving part are formed of a second L-shaped metal fitting. This is because it is easy to join both mounting plates to the back surface receiving part, and high rigidity can be obtained.

[3] In the above [1] or [2], it is preferable that the edge of the first mounting plate and the edge of the second mounting plate are joined. This is because the two mounting plates reinforce each other, increasing their rigidity.

[4] In the above [1] to [3], the stand is formed by bending the metal pipe at two bending points midway along its length, and is made up of a middle part between the two bending points, one part on one side of the middle part, and the other part on the other side of the middle part, and when the other part is attached to a hand cart, the one part becomes an upper part of the stand that extends left and right, enabling a first mounting mode, and when the one part is attached to a hand cart, the other part becomes an upper part of the stand that extends forward and backward, enabling a second mounting mode.

[5] In the above [1] to [4], the holder body can be fixed to the stand by an adjustment and fixing mechanism that has the function of adjusting the tilt angle of the holder body and then fixing the holder body so that it cannot be tilted.

[6] In the above [1] to [5], the holder body is provided with a lower end surface receiving part bent from the lower end of the back surface receiving part to receive the lower end surface of the smartphone, a return part bent upward from the end of the lower end surface receiving part to regulate the front side of the smartphone, and a side plate part bent from both side ends of the back surface receiving part to regulate the sides of the smartphone, and it is preferable that at least the inner surface of the left side plate part and the left end of the return part are separated by 3 to 5 mm on the left and right. This is because the outer part of the notebook-type cover for the smartphone can be stably supported by inserting the outer part upright into the gap between them.

According to the present invention, the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder attached to the hand cart can be greatly changed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, seen from the front, of a smartphone holder according to an embodiment of the present invention attached to a standard shopping cart in a first attachment mode. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same case as seen from the rear side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view, seen from the front, of the smartphone holder attached to a shopping cart having a child chair in the second attachment mode. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the same case as seen from the rear side. 5A is an enlarged perspective view showing the main part of FIG. 1 at a different angle, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged perspective view showing the main part of FIG. 3 at a different angle. 6A and 6B show the adjusting and fixing mechanism, where FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view of the main part, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 7 shows the holder body of the smartphone holder, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a bottom view. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the holder body as viewed from below. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the smartphone held in the smartphone holder (together with the notebook-type cover) as viewed from above. FIG. 10 is a side view of the smartphone holder when attached to a dolly.

1. Stand The stand is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use one made of a metal pipe, as this has strength, durability, and light weight.

2. Holder Body The holder body is not particularly limited, but is preferably made of a metal plate, as this has strength, durability, and light weight.

3. Hand Cart The hand cart to which the smartphone holder is attached is not particularly limited, but examples include shopping carts, picking carts (carts for carrying items and books picked at logistics sites and libraries), dollies, etc. The lower part of the stand of the smartphone holder may be attached to any part of the hand cart, but is preferably attached to a support or handle, and more preferably to a support.

A smartphone holder according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the structure, shape, quantity, etc. of each part described are merely examples and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. First, two types of shopping carts will be described as examples of hand carts to which the holder can be attached.

A standard shopping cart 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes a base frame 3 equipped with casters 2, a lower basket carrying section 4 on the base frame 3, left and right support posts 5 extending upward from the base frame 3, an upper basket carrying section 6 fixed to the left and right support posts 5 and positioned in front of the support posts 5, and a handle 7 extending laterally connecting the upper ends of the left and right support posts 5. The left and right support posts 5 are each made of a metal pipe. The upper part of the support post 5 to which the smartphone holder 10 is attached is tilted backward by 5 to 50 degrees with respect to the vertical line.
In this shopping cart 1, in order to make the smartphone easily viewable close to the user, the first mounting mode described below is suitable, in which the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder 10 is behind the rear end of the upper basket loading section 6 or directly above said rear end.

The shopping cart 9 with child chair shown in Figures 3 and 4 also has casters 2, a base frame 3, a lower basket carrying portion 4, a support pillar 5 and an upper basket carrying portion 6, and is equipped with handles 7 extending rearward from the upper ends of the left and right support pillars 5, and further includes a child chair 8 fixed to the left and right support pillars 5 and positioned behind the support pillars 5.
In this shopping cart 9, in order to prevent the head of a child sitting in the child chair 8 from hitting the smartphone holder 10, the second mounting mode described below is suitable, in which the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder 10 is forward of the rear end of the upper basket loading section 6.

The smartphone holder 10 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9 is composed of a stand 11 that is attached to a hand cart (the support pole 5 of the shopping cart 1 or 9) and extends upward, and a holder body 20 that is attached to the top of the stand.

The stand 11 is made by bending a metal pipe at two bending points midway along its length, and is made up of a middle section 12 between the two bending points, a first section 13 on one side of the middle section 12, and a second section 14 on the other side of the middle section 12. Female thread members 15 are inserted and fixed into the first section 13 and the second section 14, respectively.

The stand 11 is fixedly attached to the support 5 by placing one part 13 or the other part 14 parallel to the upper part of the support 5 and fastening it with a fastener 16.
As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5(a), when the other part 14 is attached to the support 5, the one part 13 becomes an upper part of the stand extending to the left and right, enabling a first mounting mode described later.
Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5(b), when one part 13 is attached to the support 5, the other part 14 becomes the upper part of the stand extending in the front-to-rear direction, enabling a second mounting mode described later.

The holder body 20 includes a back support portion 21 formed by bending a metal plate to support the back of the smartphone S (see FIG. 9), a bottom end surface support portion 22 bent from the bottom end of the back support portion 21 to support the bottom end surface of the smartphone S, a return portion 23 bent upward from the bottom end of the bottom end surface support portion 22 to regulate the front side of the smartphone S, and side plate portions 24 bent from both side ends of the back support portion 21 to regulate the sides of the smartphone S.

As shown in Figures 5, 7, 8, etc., the holder body 20 is provided with a first L-shaped metal fitting 25 consisting of a first mounting plate 26 that protrudes behind the rear support portion 21 and has a plate surface facing left and right, and a first joining plate 27 that is joined by welding to the rear surface of the rear support portion 21. It is further provided with a second L-shaped metal fitting 29 consisting of a second mounting plate 30 that protrudes behind the rear support portion 21 and has a plate surface facing front and rear, and a second joining plate 31 that is joined by welding to the rear surface of the rear support portion 21. The edge of the first mounting plate 26 and the edge of the second mounting plate 30 are joined by welding.

The smartphone holder 10 of this embodiment can be attached in one of the following two ways (1) or (2).
(1) As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5(a), a first mounting mode in which the end face of the upper part of the stand (one part 13) extending to the left and right is abutted against the plate surface of the first mounting plate 26, thereby mounting the holder body 20 to the upper part of the stand.
In the first mounting mode, the holder body 20 is fixed to the upper part of the stand (one part 13) by an adjustment and fixing mechanism 35 that has the function of adjusting the tilt angle of the holder body 20 and then fixing the holder body 20 so that it cannot be tilted. The adjustment and fixing mechanism 35 includes a first mounting plate 26 having a hole 28, a female threaded member 15 on the upper part of the stand, a wedge lock washer 36 interposed between the first mounting plate 26 and the end face of the stand 11, and a bolt 37 that passes through the hole 28 and the wedge lock washer 36 and is screwed into the female threaded member 15.

When the first mounting mode is selected, the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder 10 is behind or directly above the rear end of the upper basket loading section 6, making it easier for the user to see the smartphone up close.

(2) A second mounting mode in which the end face of the stand upper part (the other part 14) extending forward and backward is abutted against the plate surface of the second mounting plate 30 to mount the holder body 20 to the stand upper part, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 (b).
In the second mounting mode, the holder body 20 is also fixed to the upper part of the stand (the other part 14) by the adjusting and fixing mechanism 35 similar to that described above.

When the second mounting mode is selected, the front-to-rear position of the smartphone holder 10 is forward of the rear end of the upper basket loading section 6, so that the head of a child sitting in the child chair 8 will not hit the smartphone holder 10.

As shown in Figure 9, a smartphone S is often used with a notebook-type cover C attached. In the smartphone holder 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, at least the inner surface of the left side panel 24 and the left end of the return part 23 are separated by 3 to 5 mm on the left and right sides, so that the cover part C1 of the notebook-type cover C can be inserted upright into the gap between them, providing stable support for the cover part C1.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied by making appropriate modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.
For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the smartphone holder 10 is attached to a dolly 41. This dolly 41 is configured to include a base plate 43 equipped with casters 42, left and right support posts 45 extending upward from the base plate 43, and handles 47 extending from the upper ends of the left and right support posts 45. The smartphone holder 10 can be attached to the top of the support posts by selecting one of the two mounting modes.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Shopping cart 5 Support 7 Handle 8 Child chair 9 Shopping cart 10 Smartphone holder 11 Stand 12 Middle part 13 One part 14 Other part 15 Female thread member 16 Fastener 20 Holder body 21 Back surface receiving part 22 Lower end surface receiving part 23 Return part 24 Side plate part 25 First L-shaped metal fitting 26 First mounting plate 27 First joining plate 29 Second L-shaped metal fitting 30 Second mounting plate 31 Second joining plate 35 Adjustment and fixing mechanism

Claims (6)

A smartphone holder for a hand cart, comprising: a stand (11) that is attached to a hand cart (1, 9) so that the upper part of the stand extends left and right in some cases and the upper part of the stand extends front and rear in other cases; and a holder body (20) that is attached to the upper part of the stand;
The holder body (20) includes a rear support part (21) that supports the rear of the smartphone, a first mounting plate (26) that protrudes behind the rear support part (21) and has a plate surface facing left and right, and a second mounting plate (30) that protrudes behind the rear support part (21) and has a plate surface facing front and rear,
This smartphone holder for hand cart is characterized in that a first mounting mode can be selected in which the end faces of the upper part of the stand extending left and right are abutted against the plate surface of a first mounting plate (26) and the holder body (20) is attached to the upper part of the stand, and a second mounting mode can be selected in which the end faces of the upper part of the stand extending front and rear are abutted against the plate surface of a second mounting plate (30) and the holder body (20) is attached to the upper part of the stand. The smartphone holder for hand cart according to claim 1, wherein the first mounting plate (26) and the first joining plate (27) joined to the back surface of the back surface receiving portion (21) are constituted by a first L-shaped metal fitting (25), and the second mounting plate (30) and the second joining plate (31) joined to the back surface of the back surface receiving portion (21) are constituted by a second L-shaped metal fitting (29). A smartphone holder for a hand cart according to claim 1 or 2, in which the edge of the first mounting plate (26) and the edge of the second mounting plate (30) are joined. The stand (11) is formed by bending a metal pipe at two bending points midway along its length, and is made up of an intermediate part (12) between the two bending points, a part (13) on one side of the intermediate part (12), and a part (14) on the other side of the intermediate part (12). When the part (14) is attached to the hand cart (1, 9), the part (13) becomes an upper part of the stand that extends left and right, enabling a first mounting mode, and when the part (13) is attached to the hand cart (1, 9), the part (14) becomes an upper part of the stand that extends forward and backward, enabling a second mounting mode. The smartphone holder for hand cart according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The smartphone holder for hand cart according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the holder body (20) is fixed to the upper part of the stand by an adjustment and fixing mechanism (35) that has the function of adjusting the tilt angle of the holder body (20) and then fixing the holder body (20) so that it cannot be tilted. A smartphone holder for a hand cart as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the holder main body (20) comprises a lower end surface receiving portion (22) bent from the lower end of the rear surface receiving portion (21) to receive the lower end surface of the smartphone, a return portion (23) bent upward from the end of the lower end surface receiving portion (22) to regulate the front side of the smartphone, and side plate portions (24) bent from both side ends of the rear surface receiving portion (21) to regulate the sides of the smartphone, and the inner surface of at least the left side side plate portion 24 and the left end of the return portion (23) are separated by 3 to 5 mm on the left and right .

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