JPH04262964A - Stairway travelling carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve elevating/lowering of a carrier on a stairway with a landing or the like in a stable manner by providing to a carrier body a rotary supporting rod body where two or more supporting rod parts are fitted radially at equal spaces, and pivotably supporting wheels at the tip part of each rotary supporting rod. CONSTITUTION:There is provided a loading part 4 to the upper part of a carrier body 2, and a back plate 5 is fitted to the body end part so as to be foldable when it is not in use. A changeover switch 16 for speed control and forward/ rearward movement control and a handle 6 with a brake lever 17 or the like thereto are mounted on one end of the carrier body 2. There are provided to this carrier body 2 a rotary supporting rod body 8 where four supporting rods 7 are provided in a rotatable manner through an axle 14, and wheels 11 are pivotably supported at the tip of each supporting rod 7 in a rotatable manner. A driving motor 13 rotates the axle 14 through a reduction gear 12, a belt 20 and the like, and elevating/lowering is realized through engagement of the wheels 11 at the tip of each supporting rod 7 with each step tread.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a transport vehicle for ascending and descending stairs, and more particularly to a multifunctional, simple wheel-driven traveling device suitable for transporting loads while ascending and descending stairs.

[Conventional technology]

In general, uneven surfaces, especially stairs, are the biggest obstacle for transport vehicles, and in addition to delivering electrical appliances and beer to housing complexes, it is still difficult to transport heavy objects such as construction materials and paint cans at work sites. Alternatively, manually operated or wheel-driven transport vehicles have been used, but these require a great deal of effort and have various difficulties, especially when transporting heavy objects, going up and down stairs.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Traditionally, transport vehicles that travel over obstacles or uneven surfaces such as stairs include transport vehicles such as 3-axle handcarts, belt-driven handcarts with a power source, or vehicles that have wheels and drive the wheels. A moving transport vehicle or a traveling type device equipped with a plurality of legs has been proposed. However, although three-axle handcarts are superior to single-axle ones, they require a large amount of force when ascending stairs and may pose a danger to the operator when descending.
Driven transport vehicles with power sources are heavy and expensive, require heavy labor, are difficult to secure a stable load, are at risk of collapsing when transporting heavy objects, and require at least four prime movers such as motors, drive mechanisms, etc. The control device was complex. In addition, in the case of multiple legs, the structure of the legs, their drive device, and control mechanism are complicated. Lifting and lowering was a difficult and dangerous task that required a great deal of effort.

For this reason, various proposals for traveling on non-level surfaces have been made in the past. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-97560 discloses a hand cart for climbing stairs having two or more wheels of the same diameter. However, it requires large wheels and a complicated reduction gear, which takes up space and increases weight.

Furthermore, when a heavy object is loaded, the handle grip part lifts upward due to the amount of the loaded load, which requires effort from the operator to keep it in check. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-68469 discloses a stair transport vehicle driven by a prime mover.
Since the only control means is the wheels, steering such as direction change is not possible, and the brake mechanism is complicated. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-67574 discloses a four-wheel ground-contact type direction change mechanism that allows a robot traveling device for inspection and monitoring work equipped with a rotating arm body with three arms attached to it to enter narrow spaces with wheel-type free operation. However, it is not only unsuitable for manual operation by the operator, but also dangerous when carrying heavy objects up the stairs of apartment complexes with narrow landings, unlike when carrying objects such as cameras. There are some difficulties. In addition, when going up and down stairs, in addition to the weight of the vehicle itself, the cargo load is applied to the operator's hand, and there are also differences in the type of stairs and the dimensions of the treads and rising parts, so the center of gravity movement adjustment mechanism is required. In addition to this, there were still problems in maintaining the horizontal position.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is designed to control the forward and backward movement of the wheels and the drive of the axles when a stairway ascending/descending carrier moves up and down the stairs, and to stably maintain the load placed on the load loading section of the vehicle platform. It is equipped with a mechanism that adjusts the center of gravity of the load in the load loading section at any time, as well as a mechanism that maintains the horizontal state, and is configured to reduce the load on the operator's handle grip.It is a multi-functional device suitable for transporting loads while going up and down stairs. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple wheeled traveling device.

[Means to solve the problem]

The technical means of the present invention for achieving the above object includes a vehicle chassis equipped with a cargo loading section, and a rotary support rod having three or more support bars rotatably mounted radially at equal intervals on the vehicle chassis. and a wheel rotatably supported at the tip of the rotary support rod, and is provided with a rotational drive mechanism for the wheel and a drive steering mechanism for the rotary support body, and a cargo loading portion of the vehicle platform. This is a stair-climbing transport vehicle equipped with a sliding platform mechanism that moves and adjusts the center of gravity of the loaded load and holds it stably, and an adjustment mechanism that maintains the horizontal state.

[Effect]

When a suitably heavy load is placed on the load loading section of the stair-climbing transport vehicle configured as described above and the stairway is moved up and down the stairs, the rotary support body and wheels move forward, backward, and steered by their drive mechanism. This allows you to use light lever movements to go up and down stairs, as well as change direction at landings in housing complexes, etc.
Alternatively, a steering operation can be performed. In addition, in the transport vehicle according to the present invention, the load placed on the load loading section is moved up the stairs by the operator using a lever movement or by operating the load loading sliding mechanism provided on the loading section, while maintaining the balance of the center of gravity. The handle can be raised and lowered, and works to prevent unnecessary load from being placed on the operator's grip on the handle.

Furthermore, by providing an adjustment mechanism that maintains the horizontal position, the load on the operator's hand is reduced, allowing the operator to go up and down the stairs, avoiding the risk of cargo collapsing, and allowing the operator to go up and down the stairs safely and smoothly. .

In addition, a sloped surface is provided at the bottom of the cargo loading section on the side opposite to the handle of the chassis, which prevents the chassis from coming into contact with the stairs when going up or down the stairs.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 6.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view of a main part. A cargo loading section 4 is attached to the upper part of the carrier, and a back plate 5 is attached to the base end so as to be foldable when not in use. Load loading section 4 of chassis 2
An inclined surface 9 is provided at the lower part of the opposite side of the vehicle, and is configured to prevent the vehicle platform 2 from coming into contact with the staircase portion when going up and down the stairs. At one end of the chassis 2, there are handles 6, 6.
', a speed adjustment and forward/backward changeover switch 16 is attached to the grip part 3, a brake lever 17 for the axle 14 is attached to the grip part 3', and a leg is attached to the lower end of the front side of the chassis 2. 10 is mounted so that it can be used fixedly in a vertical position or folded.

The chassis 2 has rotary support rods 8 and 8' having four support rods 7 which are rotatably mounted radially at right angles to the axle 14 at equal intervals and are freely rotated in a vertical plane by the rotation of the axle 14. Wheels 11 and 11' are rotatably supported at each end thereof, and a reduction gear 12, a drive motor 13,
The general configuration includes a built-in battery 15.

The above-mentioned configurations and their working mechanisms will be explained below.The rotating support rods 8, 8' are composed of four support rod parts 7, and the inside of the support rod parts 7 is as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). A wheel braking rod 18 as shown is built in, and a wheel braking cam 22 and a hub bearing 25 are attached to the upper part, which intersect at right angles to the axle 14. It has a protrusion shape. Further, a return spring 23 and a wheel pressure rubber 24 are attached to the lower part of the wheel brake rod 18 to lock the wheel 11.

When the operator switches the changeover switch 16 to forward, the battery 15 and drive motor 13 start, and the speed reducer 1
The rotation of shaft 19 of 2 is caused by belt 20 and sprocket 2.
1, the drive is transmitted to the axle 14, and the rotary support rods 8, 8' rotate around the axle 14, so that forward drive is possible, and forward and reverse rotation as well as speed adjustment are possible. It is. Also, at the same time as the axle 14 starts driving, the wheel braking rod 18 is pushed downward and locks the wheel compression rubber 24, braking the wheels 11 and 11', and all four wheels are fixed. It is designed to be operated repeatedly.

Furthermore, in the braking mechanism for the rotary supports 8, 8' according to the present invention, when the axle 14 is braked, the rotational drive of the rotary supports 8, 8' is braked by the operation of the axle brake 27. In the structure of the transport vehicle according to the present invention, when the loaded weight is usually less than 80 kg, the structure of such an axle brake and wheel brake can be omitted.

Next, regarding the steering operation mechanism and operation, each of the opposing wheels 11 and 11' of the rotary rods 8 and 8', each of which has four support rods 7 mounted radially at equal intervals, is connected to the floor surface. When the wheel is in contact with the ground, the axle 14 is braked by an axle brake 27 equipped with an internal expansion type brake mechanism attached to the axle 14, so that the axle 14 is not driven. The wheels 11 and 11' move upward and become rotatable. For this reason, the operator needs the wheels 11 of the transport vehicle 1
11' is in contact with the ground, the fulcrum abutting portion 26 is used as a fulcrum, and the rotary steering can be performed in a desired direction with light effort using lever motion.

Embodiment 2 Next, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the cargo loading platform provided on the vehicle chassis 2 with a sliding mechanism. Slide bearings 28 and 28' are respectively mounted on the sides, and the support shaft 29 is fixed with support shaft fixing parts 31 and 31' attached to the frame 30 of the chassis 2 so that the support shafts 29 are inserted through the slide bearings 28 and 28'. The loading slide table 32 is configured to slide back and forth over the distance between the parts.

Regarding the operating mechanism of the load loading slide 32, the forward cam 34 has a belt 33 stretched between it and the axle 14.
and a reverse cam 35 are attached, and between them there is provided a mounting arm 37 rotatably supported on a fulcrum 36 at the lower end, and the upper end of the mounting arm 37 is attached to the back side of the load loading slide 32. The mounting arm 37 is fitted into a fitting protrusion 38 provided on the side, and functions to swing in the left-right direction. A mechanism is provided in which the forward cam 34 and the reverse cam 35 each rotate in the opposite direction in the direction of the arrow, and this is repeated so that the upper end of the mounting arm 37 is fitted into the fitting protrusion 38 and fixed. As a result, the load slide mounting table 32 is configured to repeatedly slide in the front-rear direction. Further, even if the structure is equipped with the support shaft 29 of the load mounting slide table 32 and other sliding mechanisms, for example, the support shaft 29 may be tightened and fixed with bolts or the like to perform the sliding movement of the slide table 32. It is also possible to use the device without fixing it, or in case of heavy objects, it can be used after being unfixed as appropriate.

According to the mechanism of the load loading slide table 32, the support shaft 29
Since the chassis 2 can be slid freely while adjusting the balance of the center of gravity back and forth in the longitudinal direction, an unreasonable load is not placed on the operator's handle 6, and steering operations such as direction changes can be performed without difficulty. It is designed to be able to go up and down stairs.

In the sliding mechanism, a load loading slide table 32 is provided.
The range of the sliding distance is 1/2 of the distance L between the respective centers 43 and 43' of the opposing wheels 11 and 11'.
That is, it is the length from the center of the axle 14 to each center of the wheel 43 or 43'.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway sectional view further including a horizontal state holding mechanism, and FIG. 6 is a plan view. 5 and 6, an axle sprocket 40 fixed to the axle 14, a tension sprocket 41 mounted on the chassis 2 at appropriate locations on the chassis 2, for example, on the lower right and lower left sides of the cargo loading platform 4, respectively; A chain 42 is stretched between each of the tension sprockets 41 and 41', and the tension sprockets 41 and 41' are configured to be freely rotatable. An angle of at least 45 degrees or more is appropriate, and it is preferable that the angle is spread out and stretched at a right angle.

Regarding its operating mode, a strong load is applied to the operator's hand due to the repulsion on the opposite side of the rotation direction at the same time as the axle 14 rotates, but in the above configuration, the axle sprocket 40 fixed to the axle 14 and the tension sprocket 4
A chain 42 is stretched between the transport vehicle 1 and a tensile tension state is created between the two, thereby maintaining and adjusting the weight of the transport vehicle 1 and the loaded load in a horizontal state, and keeping it at the operator's hand. This load can be reduced.

Note that a V-belt may be used instead of the chain 42. Furthermore, a small engine or the like may be used as the driving source instead of a battery.

In the above-mentioned configuration of the present invention, the operation mode will be explained. When traveling on a flat running surface, one wheel on each of the left and right wheels is pivoted on the tips of the four support rods 7. It can be grounded on the floor and used as a driving wheel to change direction and smoothly move straight and backward. Also, in this case, the rotating rod 8
, 8' are rotatable, so even on slightly uneven ground, the presence of obstacles, or sloping road surfaces, the rotating supports 8, 8'
rotates to ensure that each of the two wheels remains in contact with the ground, allowing the vehicle to travel while placing the load.

Next, in the operating mode of ascending and descending stairs by the transport vehicle of the present invention, first, when ascending stairs, when the selector switch 16 of the handle 6 is switched to forward, the drive motor 13 is driven, and the rotating support rods 8, 8 ′ rotates. At the same time, wheel 1
1 and 11' are locked and fixed by the action of the wheel braking rod 18, so the wheels 11 and 11' are grounded on the floor of the stairs 39a, and the transport vehicle 1 moves forward using the fulcrum contact portion 26 as a fulcrum, and the rotating support rod 8 The wheels 11, 11' ride on the tread floor surface of the next staircase 39b. Further, the rotary supports 8, 8' rotate and ride on the tread floor surface of the next staircase 39c, and the same operation is repeated thereafter to ascend the staircase step by step. In the present invention, it is appropriate that the radius of the rotating rods 8, 8' be larger than the height of an uneven surface, a convex portion, or an obstacle.

As described above, when the transport vehicle according to the present invention goes up and down stairs, the wheels 11 and 11' are locked and fixed to the ground, and the tread floor surface is reliably gripped, and the fulcrum abutting portion 26 is Secure it and ascend the stairs step by step,
Particularly in the case of heavy loads, it is suitable for stably holding the load horizontally and moving it up and down, and from the perspective of a normal staircase, a configuration with four rotating rods 8 is preferable, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. It is not something that will be done.

In addition, even when descending stairs, there is still a high risk of descending a relatively heavy object, so when descending the stairs, use the selector switch 16.
It is possible to perform an operation of descending the stairs by switching to the backward position and rotating the rotary support rod 88' in the reverse direction. If there is no cargo or the cargo is light, it is possible to descend without using power.

Further, if necessary, a configuration may be provided in which a clutch release mechanism or the like suitable for descending the gears is provided.

Next, if the vehicle platform 2 is equipped with a sliding mechanism that moves and adjusts the center of gravity of the load by providing a load mounting slide 32 and stably holds the load horizontally, it is possible to maintain the balance of the center of gravity of the load. This prevents excessive loads from being applied to the operator's handle 6 and causes the load to collapse, and even when handling heavy objects,
It is equipped with an operation that allows it to stably maintain a horizontal position, operate the handle lightly, and perform directional operations without difficulty. For this reason, it is not suitable for transporting light objects that can be moved manually, but is suitable for lifting relatively heavy objects in narrow spaces such as stairs in apartment complexes with landings.

■Effects of the Invention■ Since the present invention is configured as described above, it produces the effects described below.

A rotary support body consisting of radially provided support rods that can be run on either a flat or non-flat surface is attached to the vehicle chassis, and the wheels and axles are separately driven or locked and fixed, and the configuration also allows for steering operation. Therefore, it is possible to move loads stably up and down even on non-level surfaces such as stairs in housing complexes with landings in the middle, or passages with flat surfaces and stairs in stations, subways, etc., and it is possible to transport loads on stairs. This prevents cargo from collapsing and causing danger. Furthermore, by adopting a structure that is equipped with a sliding mechanism for the cargo loading platform and a mechanism that maintains the horizontal state of the loading sliding platform, even if the cargo is relatively heavy, the balance of the center of gravity of the cargo and the Since it is possible to go up and down stairs while maintaining a horizontal state, it is possible to solve the problem of the conventional difficulty in going up and down stairs with heavy objects, which requires a lot of effort, danger, or difficulty.

Furthermore, the transport vehicle according to the present invention can be easily operated by hand or lifted, and is suitable for transport work on stairs or uneven surfaces with little effort.Moreover, the entire device can be made smaller or simpler. It has a multi-functional structure and can be manufactured economically.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing an embodiment of the stair climbing transporter according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view of the main part, and Fig. 3 (a
)(b) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a wheel braking rod according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a transporter according to the present invention equipped with a sliding mechanism in the load loading section, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sliding mechanism and FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view with a horizontal holding mechanism, and FIG. 6 is a plan view as well. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Transport vehicle for stair climbing, 2... Vehicle platform, 3... Grip part, 4... Load loading part, 5... Back plate, 6... Handle, 7... Support rod part, 8 8'... Rotating support rod, 9... Inclined surface , 10...Leg, 11, 11'...Wheel, 12...・Reduction gear, 13...Drive motor, 14...・Axle, 15...
Battery, 16...Selector switch, 17...Brake lever, 18...Wheel braking rod, 19...Shaft, 20...Belt, 21...Sprocket, 22...Cam, 23...Return spring, 24...・Wheel pressure rubber, 25...Hub holder Bearing 26... Fulcrum contact portion, 27... Axle brake, 28, 28'... Slide bearing, 29... Support shaft,
30... Frame, 31... Support shaft fixing part, 32... Load loading slide, 33... Belt, 34... Forward cam 35... Reverse cam, 36... Fulcrum, 37... Mounting arm, 38... Fitting protrusion, 40...Axle sprocket, 41...Tension sprocket, 42...Chain

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claim 1: A vehicle chassis equipped with a load loading section, a rotating rod having three or more supporting rods rotatably mounted radially at equal intervals on the vehicle chassis, and a tip end of the rotating rod. 1. A stair-climbing transport vehicle comprising wheels rotatably supported on a shaft, and comprising a drive steering mechanism for the rotary support rod and wheels. 2. The stair climbing transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said rotary support rod has four support rods attached thereto. 3. The stair lift according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a sliding platform mechanism that moves and adjusts the center of gravity of the load placed on the load loading portion of the vehicle platform back and forth. transportation vehicle. 4. The stair climbing transport vehicle according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising a horizontal state holding mechanism in which a chain or a belt is stretched around the axle of the rotary support body. .