JP7489875B2 - Food delivery cart - Google Patents

Description

The technology described in this specification relates to food delivery vehicles.

Conventionally, food delivery carts that transport stored items such as food in a warm state are known, and one example is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The warming cabinet (food delivery cart) described in Patent Document 1 comprises an insulated box with a storage chamber inside which items are stored, wheels attached to the bottom of the insulated box for transportation, an electric heater that adjusts the temperature inside the storage chamber, and a storage battery for powering the electric heater. The storage battery is located below the insulated box and is relatively heavy, so it also acts as a weight to lower the center of gravity of the food delivery cart and prevent it from tipping over when moved.

Patent No. 3030118

However, depending on the usage environment and the weight of the stored items, the stability of the food cart during movement is insufficient. Specifically, if the stored items are heavy or if the floor of the moving path has steps, joints, or unevenness due to damage, the battery's effect as a weight is insufficient, and the food cart may tilt significantly during movement. In this case, the user is forced to slow down the moving speed of the food cart, resulting in an increase in transport time. Therefore, if the weight of the battery is increased to improve its effect as a weight, the food cart will become heavy even when the stored items are light, and the effort required by the user to move it will increase.

The technology described in this specification was developed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to improve stability during movement.

The food serving cart related to the technology described in this specification comprises an insulated box body that is open at the front and has a storage chamber, a temperature control means for adjusting the temperature inside the storage chamber, wheels for movement provided below the insulated box body, and a weight provided below the insulated box body, the weight being composed of multiple plate-shaped members and removably attached below the insulated box body so that the number of plate-shaped members is variable. In this way, by increasing or decreasing the number of plate-shaped members, the weight of the weight can be adjusted to suit the usage environment and the weight of the stored items, improving the stability of the food serving cart.

The food delivery cart also includes a mounting box that is disposed below the insulated box body and has a bottom surface to which the plate-shaped member can be detachably attached. In this way, the mounting position of the plate-shaped member in the hot food delivery cart can be lowered, making it easier to lower the center of gravity of the food delivery cart and allowing the plate-shaped member to be easily and detachably attached.

The plate-shaped member is attached so that its plate surface overlaps the bottom surface of the mounting box, and through holes are provided in the plate surface of the plate-shaped member and the bottom surface of the mounting box, and fastening members are inserted into the through holes. In this way, the number of plate-shaped members can be easily increased or decreased by stacking the desired number of plate-shaped members and fixing them to the bottom surface of the mounting box with fastening members.

In addition, the first through hole that penetrates the plate surface of the plate-shaped member is shaped like a daruma doll with two openings of different sizes connected together. This makes it easy to increase or decrease the number of plate-shaped members without removing the fastening members.

The food delivery cart also includes a cover member that covers the plate-shaped member from below, and the plate-shaped member and cover member are positioned so as not to overlap the wheels in a plan view, and the distance between the bottom end of the cover member and the bottom end of the wheel is 30 mm or more in the direction intersecting the rotation axis of the wheel and the tangent direction of the bottom end of the wheel (normal direction to the installation floor surface). This prevents the cover member from coming into contact with a step in the travel path, which could damage the cover member or plate-shaped member, or damage the long pile of a carpet laid on the installation floor surface.

The storage compartment also includes a fan for circulating air in the storage compartment, and a machine compartment that is provided above the insulated box and houses a motor for driving the fan. The machine compartment houses electrical components including at least a relay, and the electrical components are attached to the panel wall that constitutes the machine compartment so that they are exposed to the interior space of the machine compartment. In this way, the weight of the machine compartment can be reduced because no electrical box is required, compared to when the electrical components are housed in an electrical box and the electrical box is disposed in the machine compartment. In addition, the electrical components are exposed to the interior space of the machine compartment and release heat into the interior space of the machine compartment, so the burden of heat dissipation measures is reduced compared to when the electrical components are housed in an electrical box.

The food serving cart is attached to the insulated box so that it can swing around a swing axis, and is equipped with a door that can open and close the opening of the insulated box, and a door stopper is provided on the edge of the opening of the insulated box to regulate the maximum angle at which the cart can swing. In this way, the movement of the center of gravity caused by the opening of the door is limited, making it more difficult for the food serving cart to tip over.

The door stopper also has an abutment portion that abuts against the side of the door to restrict the maximum angle, and an extension portion that extends from the abutment portion to close a part of the gap between the abutment portion and the side surface when the side surface is not in contact with the abutment portion. In this way, the extension portion can prevent fingers, etc. from getting caught in the gap between the side surface of the door and the door stopper.

The door stopper also has a door stopper fixing part that is fixed to the opening edge, and a connecting part that extends forward from the opening edge to connect the door stopper fixing part and the abutment part, and the maximum angle is determined by the angle between the connecting part and the abutment part. In this way, the maximum angle at which the door can swing can be easily adjusted.

The door also has at least one engaging portion that is inserted from above into and engages with a hinge member provided on the opening edge of the insulated box, and the door stopper is provided above the at least one engaging portion. In this way, if the door shifts upward, the engaging portion will not hit the lower end of the door stopper and come off the hinge member, preventing it from falling out. As a result, even if the food delivery cart tilts with the door open, the door can be prevented from shifting upward and coming off.

The technology described in this specification can improve stability during movement.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hot food delivery cart according to a first embodiment; Front view of hot food delivery cart Side view of hot food delivery cart A cross-sectional view of line A-A in FIG. Enlarged perspective view of the weight area An exploded perspective view showing how to attach the weight FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a method for attaching the cover member. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the hinge member and the door stopper of FIG. BB line cross-sectional view of FIG. Enlarged view of Figure 9 showing the door stopper area FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2 when the door is in contact with the door stopper. Enlarged view of the door stopper area of FIG. A perspective view showing the door stopper FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the door abuts against the door stopper; A side view of the bottom of a hot food delivery cart moving on a slope with the door open FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of the door stopper and its surroundings in the state shown in FIG. 15 .

First Embodiment
A hot food delivery cart 10 (an example of a hot cart or food delivery cart) according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 16. An X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis are shown in a portion of each drawing, and each axis direction is drawn so as to be a common direction in each drawing. The X-axis direction is the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction is the front-rear direction, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the hot food delivery cart 10 has an overall elongated rectangular shape and transports cooked food (an example of a stored item) while keeping it warm (for example, at about 60°C to 95°C). The hot food delivery cart 10 includes a machine room 11, an insulated box 20, an insulated door 30, a heating unit 40, wheels (casters) 50, a wheel base 60 to which the wheels 50 are attached, a weight 70, and a mounting box 80 to which the weight 70 is attached.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the insulated box 20 is box-shaped with an opening at the front, and as shown in Fig. 4, the wall is filled with a heat-resistant insulating material such as glass wool. Two doors 30 are arranged vertically so that the front opening of the insulated box 20 can be opened and closed, and each door 30 has a handle 31 on the left side when viewed from the front. The machine room 11 is arranged above the insulated box 20, and machines (specifically, the motor 43 and electrical components 48, 49, etc., which will be described later) are housed inside. The wheel base 60 is provided below the insulated box 20 so that the insulated box 20 is placed on its upper surface. The wheel base 60 is generally in the shape of a rectangular plate, and a frame portion 61 is formed on the outer periphery of the wheel base 60, which protrudes downward to form a frame shape. In addition, protective members 62 are attached to the four corners of the frame portion 61 to protect against collisions, etc. Wheels 50 that movably support the insulating box 20 are attached to the underside of the wheel base 60. One wheel 50 is provided at each of the four corners of the underside of the wheel base 60 (Figure 5).

As shown in FIG. 4, the insulated box 20 has a duct 22 extending along the rear wall (back wall) 20A facing the front opening. The part of the insulated box 20 in front of the duct 22 and occupying most of the internal space of the insulated box 20 is a storage chamber 23 for storing food. Warm air is supplied from the heating unit 40 to the storage chamber 23, and food is stored in a warm state. The storage chamber 23 is provided with a shelf column 25 for supporting a tray 24 on which food is placed, and a tray receiver (shelf receiver) 26. The shelf column 25 is fixed to the left wall 20B and the right wall 20C of the insulated box 20. The tray receiver 26 is a rail-shaped member extending along the front-rear direction, and multiple tray receivers are hung on the shelf column 25. The trays 24 are inserted and removed in the front-rear direction along the tray receiver 26 with the door 30 open, and are stored in multiple tiers in the vertical direction.

The heating unit 40 supplies warm air into the storage room 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the heating unit 40 includes a duct 22, a heater 41 (an example of a temperature control means), a fan 42, and a motor 43 for driving the fan 42. Of the heating unit 40, the duct 22 and the heater 41 are disposed in the insulated box 20, and the fan 42 and the motor 43 are disposed in a fan room 13 defined above the insulated box 20 and projecting into the machine room 11.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 9, two ducts 22 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction so that the distances from the rear wall 20A are different. Each duct 22 is formed by bending a long aluminum alloy plate into a cross section of a generally U-shape, and the upper and lower parts are open. The outer duct 22A arranged closer to the storage chamber 23 is formed so that the dimensions in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-rear direction are all larger than the inner duct 22B arranged closer to the rear wall 20A. The space surrounded by the outer duct 22A and the inner duct 22B, and the space surrounded by the inner duct 22B and the rear wall 20A, respectively, become the flow path of warm air that heats the storage chamber 23. In addition, each duct 22 has a plurality of long hole-shaped vents spaced apart from each other for ventilating the inside and outside of the duct 22.

As shown in FIG. 9, a heater (specifically, a cord heater) 41 is disposed on the surface of each duct 22 facing the rear wall 20A and is fixed with aluminum foil tape. Each duct 22 also serves as a heater panel that supports the heater 41.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the fan room 13 penetrates the ceiling wall 20D and the bottom panel 11C (an example of a panel wall) of the machine room 11 at the rear center portion of the ceiling wall 20D of the insulated box body 20, and protrudes upward between the ceiling wall 20D and the rear wall 20A to enter the machine room 11. An air intake 13A is formed on the underside of the fan room 13 to draw in air from the storage room 23. In addition, the fan room 13 is provided with a thermistor 44 above the air intake 13A, which detects the temperature of the air from the storage room 23 taken into the fan room 13.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the fan room 13 is provided with two cross-flow type fans 42 for circulating air in the storage room 23. A motor 43 is connected adjacent to the left side of each fan 42. The air from the fan 42 flows into the duct 22 from the upper opening of the duct 22. When the fan 42 is driven by the motor 43, the air in the storage room 23 is sucked into the fan room 13 through the intake port 13A. When the fan 42 is driven, air flows from the fan 42 into the duct 22 and is heated by the heater 41 to become warm air. The warm air is blown out from a vent formed in the duct 22 into the storage room 23, heating the storage room 23.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the upper and rear of the machine room 11 are covered by a top panel 11A, the front by a front panel 11B (an example of a panel wall), and the lower by a bottom panel 11C. The bottom panel 11C is parallel to the ceiling wall 20D of the insulated box body 20 at a distance, and an opening 11C1 is formed at the rear of it so that the fan room 13 passes through. The left and right sides of the machine room 11 are covered by the left side wall 20B and right side wall 20C of the insulated box body 20, which each extend upward. Therefore, the machine room 11 is a box body surrounded by the top panel 11A, front panel 11B, bottom panel 11C, left side wall 20B, and right side wall 20C.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the front panel 11B of the machine room 11 is provided with a control board 46 including a control unit mainly composed of a CPU and electrically connected to each part of the hot food delivery cart 10, and a memory unit consisting of ROM, RAM, etc. The front surface of the front panel 11B (the surface opposite the machine room 11) is provided with a display unit and an operation unit 45, and the user can operate the operation unit 45 to operate the hot food delivery cart 10 for heating and various settings (changing the set temperature, etc.). The control unit executes a control program recorded in the memory unit to control the operation of the heater 41 and fan 42 (motor 43) based on the operation by the operator and the detection results of each sensor (thermistor 44, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4, the front panel 11B is provided with a plurality of connectors 47 for connecting the control board 46 to wiring from each part, protruding into the machine room 11. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the bottom panel 11C is provided with electrical components (power transformer 48 and relay 49, which is a control component) protruding into the machine room 11. The control board 46, connector 47, power transformer 48, and relay 49 are exposed to the internal space of the machine room 11, and heat from these electrical components 46, 47, 48, and 49 is dissipated into the internal space of the machine room 11. In addition, in the fan room 13, the upper part of the motor 43 is open, as shown in FIG. 1, so that heat from the motor 43 can also be dissipated into the internal space of the machine room 11.

Next, the weight 70 and the mounting box 80 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting box 80 is attached to the underside of the wheel base 60 in the center in the front-rear and left-right directions, at a position that does not overlap with the four wheels 50 in a plan view. The mounting box 80 is made of a urethane material, has a horizontally long rectangular shape that is open at the top, and is hollow inside. A flange 81 is integrally formed at the top of the mounting box 80, and holes formed in the flange 81 are fixed to the wheel base 60 by fastening members (specifically screws) 82.

As shown in Fig. 6, the weight 70 is composed of four plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D. Each plate-shaped member 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D is a rectangular metal flat plate (specifically, a zinc-plated steel plate) and weighs about 2 kg. The plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are stacked and attached so that their plate surfaces overlap the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80. First through holes 70H are formed in the four corners of each of the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D, and second through holes 83H are formed in the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80 so as to overlap the first through holes 70H. Fastening members (specifically, screws) 84 are inserted into the first through-hole 70H and the second through-hole 83H, thereby removably attaching the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D to the mounting box 80.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first through hole 70H has a shape in which two holes of different sizes are connected to the left and right (a so-called Daruma shape). One hole (the left hole) 70H1 of the first through hole 70H is smaller than the planar size of the thread of the screw 84, and the other hole (the right hole) 70H2 is formed to be larger than the planar size of the thread of the screw 84.

Next, a method for attaching and detaching the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D will be described. When attaching the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D, first, the tip of the screw 84 is screwed into the second through hole 83H, and then the threads of the screw 84 are passed through the holes 70H2 of the desired number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D. Next, the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are slid to the right so that the screw 84 overlaps with the hole 70H1. In this state, the screw 84 is tightened to fix the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D. Also, after installation, for example, if the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D is to be reduced by one from four to three, the screw 84 is loosened and the plate-shaped member 70D located at the bottom (the side facing the installation floor) is slid leftward so that the hole 70H2 overlaps with the screw 84. Then, the plate-shaped member 70D is moved downward to remove the plate-shaped member 70D from the screw 84. In this way, the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be easily reduced without removing the screw 84. Also, by performing the work in the reverse order, the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be easily increased or decreased without removing the screw 84. In this way, the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be easily increased or decreased without removing the screw 84.

As shown in FIG. 7, the weight 70 (plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D) is covered from below with a cover member 72, which protects the weight 70. The cover member 72 is in the form of a shallow tray with an open top. After the weight 70 is attached to the mounting box 80, the cover member 72 is attached so as to cover and accommodate the weight 70 from below. The cover member 72 is made of stainless steel, which suppresses corrosion caused by water splashing from the floor surface. A flange 73 that abuts against the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80 is formed on the opening edge of the cover member 72, and the flange 73 is fixed to the bottom surface 83 by a fastening member 74 (specifically, a screw) in a hole formed therein. The hole of the flange 73 is shaped like a daruma, like the first through hole 70H described above, so that the cover member 72 can be easily attached and detached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the position of the lower end of the cover member 72 is at a height H1 of 30 mm or more from the installation floor surface with which the wheels 50 come into contact. That is, the distance between the lower end of the cover member 72 and the lower end of the wheels 50 is 30 mm or more in the direction (Z-axis direction, normal direction to the installation floor surface) that intersects with the rotation axis 50 of the wheels (X-axis direction in FIG. 3) and the tangent direction of the lower end of the wheels 50 (Y-axis direction in FIG. 3). The weight 70 (plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D) and the cover member 72 can be attached and detached by the worker by reaching between the wheels 50 to the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80, but if no food is stored, the worker may do so with the hot food delivery cart 10 lying on its side.

Next, the doors 30 and their mounting structure will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, two doors 30 are provided side by side, one above the other. By opening and closing one opening of the insulated box 20 independently with the two doors 30, food can be put in and taken out while suppressing temperature fluctuations in the storage chamber 23. Each door 30 is attached to the right part (hereinafter referred to as the opening right edge) 27 of the opening edge of the insulated box 20 by a hinge member 28 so that it can swing around a swing axis R1 along the opening right edge 27. The hinge members 28 are provided at a predetermined interval on the opening right edge 27 so that two hinge members 28 engage with each door 30.

As shown in FIG. 8, each hinge member 28 is L-shaped when viewed from the side (Y-Z plane) and has a hinge fixing part 28A and a door receiving part 28B. The hinge fixing part 28A extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and is fixed with a screw to the right edge part 27 of the opening. The door receiving part 28B extends forward from the lower part of the hinge fixing part 28A. The door receiving part 28B is hollow, and a part (protrusion 34A) of the engagement part 34 of the door 30 described later is inserted inside.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each door 30 has a handle 31, a main body 32, and an engagement part 34. The handle 31 is the part that the user places his/her hand on to open or close the door 30, and is provided at the bottom of the upper door 30 and at the top of the lower door 30 so that it is at a height that is easy for the user to grip. The structure and attachment structure of each door 30 are basically the same except for the position of the handle 31. The main body 32 is a rectangular plate that covers the opening of the insulated box 20 and has thermal insulation properties. A packing 33 is provided on the outer edge of the rear surface (the surface facing the insulated box 20) of the main body 32 to ensure airtightness with the insulated box 20 (storage chamber 23) when the door 30 is closed (Fig. 15).

8, the engaging portion 34 is provided at two positions, one above the other, on the right side surface 32A (one example of a side portion) of the main body 32, and is generally columnar. A cylindrical protrusion 34A protruding downward is formed at the bottom of each engaging portion 34, and the protrusion 34A is inserted into the door receiving portion 28B of the hinge member 28. The door 30 is attached so that it can swing around the central axis of the protrusion 34A as the swing axis R1 by inserting the protrusion 34A into the door receiving portion 28B from above. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the door 30 swings around the swing axis R1. Note that in the assembly process of the hot food distribution cart 10, at the stage where the door 30 is engaged with the hinge member 28, the door stopper 90 described later is not attached, and there is sufficient space above the hinge member 28 to insert the protrusion 34A from above.

Next, the door stopper 90 will be described. The door stopper 90 is provided to regulate the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, the door stopper 90 is attached to the right edge 27 of the opening so as to be located between the hinge members 28, two of which are provided for each door 30. In other words, the door stopper 90 is attached so as to be located above one of the two engagement portions 34 that engage with the hinge members 28.

As shown in Figures 10 and 13, each door stopper 90 is formed by bending a metal plate member (more specifically, a stainless steel flat plate) multiple times (specifically, three times) by sheet metal processing. Each door stopper 90 has a door stopper fixing portion 91, an abutting portion 92, an extending portion 94, and a connecting portion 96, each of which corresponds to the four flat plate portions that are divided by bending.

As shown in Figures 10, 12 and 13, the door stopper fixing part 91 is fixed to the right edge part 27 of the opening with a screw. As shown in Figures 12 and 14, when the door 30 is opened, the abutment part 92 abuts against the side surface 32A of the main body part 32 of the door 30, thereby restricting the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing. In addition, a buffer sheet 36 is attached to the side surface 32A of the main body part 32 to reduce the impact when it abuts against the abutment part 92. As shown in Figure 10, the extension part 94 extends from the abutment part 92 so as to block a part of the gap G1 between the end of the abutment part 92 on the door 30 side and the side surface 32A (buffer sheet 36) when the side surface 32A of the door 30 is not abutting against the abutment part 92. The connection part 96 connects the door stopper fixing part 91 and the abutment part 92. The first angle θ1 between the connecting portion 96 and the door stopper fixing portion 91 is a right angle, while the second angle θ2 between the connecting portion 96 and the abutting portion 92, and the third angle θ3 between the abutting portion 92 and the extending portion 94 are obtuse angles. By adjusting the second angle θ2, the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing is adjusted. In this embodiment, the second angle θ2 is designed to be 120°, and the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing is set to 120°. The extending portion 94 does not come into contact with the side surface 32A (buffer sheet 36) when the door 30 is opened or closed, and the extending length and the third angle θ3 are adjusted so that the gap G2 between the extending portion 94 and the side surface 32A (buffer sheet 36) is large enough that the user's fingers cannot be inserted.

As described above, the hot food delivery cart 10 comprises an insulated box 20 that opens to the front and has a storage chamber 23, a heater 41 for adjusting the temperature inside the storage chamber 23, wheels 50 for movement provided below the insulated box 20, and a weight 70 provided below the insulated box 20. The weight 70 is composed of multiple plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D and is removably attached below the insulated box 20 so that the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be changed.

In this way, by increasing or decreasing the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D, the weight of the weight 70 can be adjusted according to the usage environment and the weight of the stored items, and stability during movement can be improved. For example, if the stored items are stored toward the upper part of the storage room 23, or if there are steps, joints, or unevenness due to damage on the floor surface of the moving path, increasing the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D to increase the weight of the weight 70 can prevent the hot food delivery cart 10 from tilting significantly or tipping over during movement. Also, if the weight of the stored items is small, or if they are stored toward the lower part of the storage room 23, or if the floor surface of the moving path is flat, reducing the number of plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D to reduce the weight of the weight 70 can prevent an increase in the user's effort during movement.

The hot food delivery cart 10 also includes a mounting box 80 that is provided below the insulated box body 20 and has a bottom surface 83 to which the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are removably attached. In this way, the mounting positions of the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D on the hot food delivery cart 10 can be lowered. As a result, the center of gravity of the hot food delivery cart 10 can be lowered, making it easier to improve stability during movement. It also makes it easier to removably attach the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D.

The plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D are attached so that their plate surfaces overlap the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80, and through holes 70H and 83H are provided through the plate surfaces of the plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D and the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80, and screws 84 are inserted into the through holes. In this way, the number of plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D can be easily increased or decreased by stacking the desired number of plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D and fixing them to the bottom surface 83 of the mounting box 80 with the screws 84.

Of the through holes 70H and 83H, the first through hole 70H that penetrates the plate surface of the plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D has a daruma shape with two openings of different sizes connected. This makes it possible to increase or decrease the number of plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D without removing the screws 84.

The hot food delivery cart 10 also includes a cover member 72 that covers the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D from below, and the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D and the cover member 72 are arranged in a position that does not overlap the wheels 50 in a plan view, and the distance H1 between the lower end of the cover member 72 and the lower end of the wheels 50 is 30 mm or more in the direction (Z-axis direction) that intersects with the rotation axis 50 of the wheels (X-axis direction) and the tangent direction (Y-axis direction) of the lower end of the wheels 50. In this way, the cover member 72 protects the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D, and by arranging them in a portion below the insulating box 20 where the wheels 50 are not arranged (a position that does not overlap the wheels 50 in a plan view), the space where the wheels 50 are not arranged can be effectively utilized. In addition, because the height H1 of the bottom end of the cover member 72 from the installation floor surface is 30 mm or more, it is possible to prevent the cover member 72 from contacting a step on the installation floor surface of the moving path, which can damage the cover member 72 or the plate-shaped members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D, or damage the long pile of the carpet laid on the installation floor surface.

The hot food delivery cart 10 also includes a fan 42 for circulating air in the storage chamber 23, and a machine room 11 that is provided above the insulated box 20 and contains a motor 43 for driving the fan 42. The machine room 11 contains electrical components including at least a relay 49, and the electrical components 49 are directly attached to the bottom panel 11C that constitutes the machine room 11 so as to be exposed to the internal space of the machine room 11. In this way, the weight of the machine room 11 can be reduced because an electrical box is not required, compared to when the electrical components 49 are contained in an electrical box and the electrical box is disposed in the machine room 11. As a result, the center of gravity of the hot food delivery cart 10 can be lowered, making it easier to improve stability during movement. In addition, the electrical components 49 are exposed to the internal space of the machine room 11, and heat is released into the internal space of the machine room 11, so the burden of heat dissipation measures is reduced compared to when the electrical components 49 are contained in an electrical box. Specifically, heat dissipation measures such as forming an opening for heat dissipation or preventing foreign matter from entering through the opening are not required.

The hot food delivery cart 10 is attached to the insulated box 20 so as to be able to swing around the swing axis R1, and is equipped with a door 30 that can open and close the opening of the insulated box 20, and a door stopper 90 is provided at the edge of the opening of the insulated box 20 to regulate the maximum angle at which it can swing. When the door 30 is opened, the center of gravity of the hot food delivery cart 10 moves forward in the direction of travel, making the hot food delivery cart 10 prone to tilting. Therefore, by regulating the maximum angle at which the door 30 can be opened (maximum angle at which it can swing) using the door stopper 90, it is possible to limit the movement of the center of gravity that accompanies the opening of the door 30, and make it less likely to tip over.

The door stopper 90 also has an abutment portion 92 that abuts against the side surface 32A of the door 30 to restrict the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing, and an extension portion 94 that extends from the abutment portion 92 to close a part of the gap between the abutment portion 92 and the side surface 32A when the side surface 32A is not abutting against the abutment portion 92. In this way, the extension portion 94 can prevent a hand or the like from getting caught in the gap between the side surface 32A of the door 30 and the door stopper 90.

The door stopper 90 also has a door stopper fixing part 91 that is fixed to the right edge 27 of the opening, and a connecting part 96 that extends forward from the right edge 27 of the opening to connect the door stopper fixing part 91 and the abutment part 92, and the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing is determined by the angle between the connecting part 96 and the abutment part 92. In this way, the maximum angle at which the door 30 can swing can be easily adjusted.

In addition, the door 30 has at least one engaging portion 34 that is inserted from above and engages with the hinge member 28 provided at the opening edge of the heat-insulating box body 20, and the door stopper 90 is provided above at least one engaging portion 34. Since the door 30 is inserted from above into the hinge member 28, when the inclination of the moving path is large, the door 30 may shift upward as shown in Figures 15 and 16, and the engaging portion 34 (more specifically, the protruding portion 34A) may come out of the hinge member 28 (more specifically, the door receiving portion 28B). Therefore, by providing the door stopper 90 above at least one engaging portion 34, when the door 30 shifts upward, the engaging portion 34 can be prevented from hitting the lower end of the door stopper 90 and coming out of the hinge member 28. As a result, even if the hot food delivery cart 10 tilts with the door 30 open, the door 30 can be prevented from shifting upward and coming out. In Figure 15, the door stopper 90 is clearly indicated by filling it in.

<Other embodiments>
The technology described in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described in the above description and drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the technology described in this specification.

(1) The number, shape, material, and weight of the multiple plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D that make up the weight 70 are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. In addition, all of the plate-like members 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D do not have to have the same shape, material, or weight.

(2) The electrical components provided in the machine room 11 are not limited to the front panel 11B and bottom panel 11C, and may be provided on other panel walls constituting the machine room 11. For example, if the left side wall 20B and right side wall 20C of the insulated box 20 do not extend upward to the left and right of the machine room 11, and the left and right sides of the machine room 11 are covered by panel walls (side panels), the electrical components may be provided on the side panels.

(3) The number and type of fans 42 and the motors 43 that drive them are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. The fans 42 may be disposed inside the insulating box 20.

(4) There may be one door 30 or three or more doors 30. Also, there may be one engagement portion 34 and one or three or more hinge members 28 for each door 30.

(5) The technology described in this specification can also be applied to food carts other than hot food carts (for example, refrigerated food carts (cold carts) equipped with a cooler as a temperature control means, and hot and cold food carts equipped with both a heater 41 and a cooler as a temperature control means).

10: hot storage food serving cart (food serving cart), 11: machine room, 11C: bottom panel (panel wall), 20: insulated box body, 23: refrigeration chamber, 27: right edge of opening (opening edge), 28: hinge member, 30: door, 34: engagement portion, 41: heater (temperature control means), 42: fan, 43: motor, 48: power transformer (electrical component), 49: relay (electrical component), 50: wheel, 70: weight, 70A, 70B, 70C, 70D: plate-shaped member, 70H: first through hole (through hole), 72: cover member, 80: mounting box, 83H: second through hole (through hole), 84: screw (fastening member), 90: door stopper, 91: door stopper fixing portion, 92: abutment portion, 94: extension portion, 96: connection portion, R1: swing shaft
?

Claims (6)

A thermally insulated box having an opening at the front and a storage chamber;
A temperature control means for controlling the temperature inside the storage chamber;
Wheels for movement provided under the insulating box body;
A weight is provided below the insulating box body,
The weight is composed of a plurality of plate-like members and is detachably attached below the insulating box so that the number of the plate-like members is variable .
The plate-shaped member is detachably attached to a mounting box provided below the insulating box body and having a bottom surface,
The plate-like member is attached so that a plate surface of the plate-like member overlaps the bottom surface of the mounting box,
The plate surface of the plate-like member and the bottom surface of the mounting box are provided with through holes passing therethrough,
A fastening member is inserted into the through hole,
Of the through holes, a first through hole that penetrates the plate surface of the food serving cart has a daruma shape with two openings of different sizes connected together . A cover member is provided to cover the plate-like member from below,
the plate-like member and the cover member are provided at positions not overlapping with the wheel in a plan view,
2. The food serving cart according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between the lower end of the cover member and the lower end of the wheel is 30 mm or more in a direction intersecting the rotation axis of the wheel and the tangent direction of the lower end of the wheel. A fan for circulating air within the storage chamber;
a machine room provided above the heat-insulating box and accommodating a motor for driving the fan;
The machine compartment accommodates electrical components including at least a relay,
3. A food serving cart as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the electrical components are directly attached to a panel wall constituting the machine room so as to be exposed to the interior space of the machine room. A thermally insulated box having an opening at the front and a storage chamber;
A temperature control means for controlling the temperature inside the storage chamber;
Wheels for movement provided under the insulating box body;
A weight provided below the insulating box;
a door attached to the insulating box so as to be swingable around a swing axis and capable of opening and closing the opening;
The weight is composed of a plurality of plate-like members and is detachably attached below the insulating box so that the number of the plate-like members is variable.
A door stopper is provided at an opening edge of the heat-insulating box to regulate the maximum swingable angle,
The door stopper of the food serving cart has an abutment portion that abuts against the side of the door to regulate the maximum angle, and an extension portion that extends from the abutment portion to block part of the gap between the abutment portion and the side portion when the side portion is not abutting against the abutment portion. The door stopper has a door stopper fixing portion fixed to the opening edge portion and a connecting portion extending forward from the opening edge portion so as to connect the door stopper fixing portion and the abutment portion,
The food serving cart according to claim 4 , wherein the maximum angle is determined by an angle between the connecting portion and the abutment portion. The door has at least one engagement portion that is inserted from above and engages with a hinge member provided on the opening edge portion,
The food serving cart according to claim 4 or claim 5 , wherein the door stopper is provided above at least one of the engagement portions.

Images