JP7658295B2 - Cart traction device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a traction device used to tow a transport traction vehicle.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a parts transport cart. The cart body of this parts transport cart is provided with a towing member called a towing hook that is used when towing. The towing member is configured to be stored inside the push handle in a vertical position when pushed by hand, and to be removed from the inside of the push handle and set to a horizontal position when towing. Therefore, when pushing the parts transport cart by hand, the worker sets the towing member to a vertical position and operates the push handle. In contrast, when towing the parts transport cart with a traveling vehicle, the worker switches the towing member from a vertical position to a horizontal position and then performs an operation to connect the towing member to the traveling vehicle.

JP 2019-77389 A

When using a parts transport cart with the above configuration, the worker must directly grasp the towing member with his or her fingers and switch it between a vertical position and a horizontal position. This operation requires the worker to bend over to match the height of the towing member when it is in the horizontal position, which creates the problem of a heavy workload when towing the transport cart. In general, the height of the towing member when in the horizontal position is often set relatively low to match the height of the connecting part of the traveling vehicle, so there is a need to solve the above-mentioned problems when designing towing technology for transport carts.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and provides a trolley towing device that is easy to use when towing a transport trolley.

One aspect of the present invention is
A traction device for use in towing a transport traction vehicle,
a towing member provided on the transporting carriage so as to be switchable between a lateral towing position and a standby position in which the towing member stands up from the towing position;
An operating member for switching the towing member;
a coupling mechanism that couples the towing member and the operating member so that their relative positions are variable;
Equipped with
The operating member is configured to be able to form an operating posture in which the operating member is operated at a higher position than the towing member in the towing position by performing an operation to change a relative position with respect to the towing member ,
a first holding portion for holding the operating member in the operating posture when the towing member is in the towing position;
a second holding portion for holding the operating member in the operating posture when the towing member is in the standby position;
Equipped with
the connecting mechanism includes a bracket fixed to the towing member and a switching pin fixed to the operating member, and the bracket is provided with a substantially L-shaped guide hole including a first hole portion and a second hole portion extending perpendicular to each other so as to be capable of guiding the switching pin;
a carriage towing device in which, when the towing member is in the towing position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides in the second hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a held state and a held release state of the operating member by the first holding portion, and, when the towing member is in the standby position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides in the first hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a held state and a held release state of the operating member by the second holding portion ;
is located.

In the trolley towing device of the above-mentioned aspect, the towing member is switched between a sideways towing position and a standby position in which it stands up from the towing position by operating the operating member. At this time, the towing member and the operating member are connected by a connecting mechanism, and are configured so that the relative positions of the two members can be changed by this connecting mechanism.

When the operating member is operated to change its relative position with respect to the towing member via the connecting mechanism, the operating member can assume an operating posture in which it is operated at a higher position than the towing member facing sideways in the towing position. Therefore, when towing a transport vehicle, an operator can operate the operating member at a higher position than the towing member facing sideways in the towing position, without directly grasping the towing member with his or her fingers, to switch the position of the towing member. This type of operation imposes a smaller workload on the operator than the work of bending over to match the height of the towing member when facing sideways.

As described above, the above-mentioned aspect provides a trolley towing device that is easy to use when towing a transport trolley.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the transporting platform according to the first embodiment is towed by a traveling vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bogie traction device of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bogie traction device of FIG. 2 as seen from above. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the connecting mechanism shown in FIG. 1 . 1 is a side view showing the traction device of the first embodiment in a state in which the traction member is in a vertical standby position and the operating member is in a vertical operating posture. FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the bogie traction device of FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the connecting mechanism shown in FIG. 5 . 8 is a side view showing the connecting mechanism of FIG. 7 in a state after the operating member is lifted from that state. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the connecting mechanism of FIG. 8 in a state after the operating member is lifted from that state. 10 is a side view showing the connecting mechanism of FIG. 9 in a state after the towing member has been rotated from that state to a towing position; FIG. 11 is a side view showing the connecting mechanism of FIG. 10 in a state after the operating member is pressed down from that state. 1 is a side view showing the bogie towing device of embodiment 1 in a state in which the towing member is in a towing position and the operating member is in a vertical operating position. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view of the bogie traction device of FIG. 12 . 1 is a side view showing the traction device of the first embodiment in a state in which the towing member is in a towing position and the operating member is in a lateral position. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bogie traction device according to a second embodiment. 11 is a side view showing a traction device of a second embodiment in a state in which the traction member is in a vertical standby position and the operating member is in a vertical operating position. FIG. FIG. 17 is a front view of the bogie traction device of FIG. 16 .

A preferred embodiment of the above aspect will be described.

In the cart towing device of the above aspect, the towing member is attached to the transport cart so as to be rotatable between the towing position and the standby position, and the towing member and the operating member are rotatably connected to each other by the connecting mechanism,
The connecting mechanism is preferably configured to enable rotational operation of the towing member between the towing position and the standby position while the operating member remains in the operating posture.

According to this trolley towing device, the towing member and the operating member are rotatably connected to each other by the above-mentioned connecting mechanism, and the towing member is allowed to be rotated via the connecting mechanism while the operating member is in a vertical operating position. This provides a structure in which the towing member and the operating member rotate relative to each other via the connecting mechanism.

The trolley towing device of the above aspect preferably includes a first holding part for holding the operating member in the operating position when the towing member is in the towing position, and a second holding part for holding the operating member in the operating position when the towing member is in the standby position.

According to this trolley towing device, when the towing member is in the towing position, the first holding part can hold the operating member in a vertical operating position to allow it to stand on its own. Also, when the towing member is in the standby position, the second holding part can hold the operating member in a vertical operating position to allow it to stand on its own. This has the advantage that no support operation by the operator is required to hold the operating member in the operating position whether the towing member is in the towing position or the standby position.

In the trolley towing device of the above aspect, the coupling mechanism includes a bracket fixed to the towing member and a switching pin fixed to the operating member, and the bracket is provided with a substantially L-shaped guide hole consisting of a first hole portion and a second hole portion extending perpendicular to each other so as to be capable of guiding the switching pin, and when the towing member is in the towing position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides through the second hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a holding state and a release state of the operating member by the first holding portion, and when the towing member is in the towing position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides through the first hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a holding state and a release state of the operating member by the second holding portion.

According to this trolley towing device, when the towing member is in the towing position, the operator can switch between a holding state and a release state of the operating member by the first holding part by moving the operating member so that the switching pin slides through the second hole portion. Also, when the towing member is in the standby position, the operator can switch between a holding state and a release state of the operating member by the second holding part by moving the operating member so that the switching pin slides through the first hole portion. Therefore, by operating the operating member when switching the position of the towing member, it is possible to switch between a holding state and a release state of the operating member in each of the first holding part and the second holding part.

In the trolley towing device of the above aspect, it is preferable that the towing member is configured to move to the towing position according to its weight balance when the second holding part releases its hold on the operating member.

With this trolley towing device, after the holding of the operating member is released when the towing member is in the standby position, the position of the towing member can be automatically switched to the towing position according to its weight balance. Therefore, the towing member can be moved to the towing position without operating the towing member separately from the operating member.

The trolley towing device of the above aspect is preferably configured so that the grip of the operating member is located higher than the towing member when the towing member is in the standby position.

This trolley towing device is effective in encouraging the worker to preferentially grip the gripping portion of the operating member over the towing member. This makes it possible to prevent the worker from directly gripping the towing member in the standby position.

The trolley towing device of the above aspect is preferably configured such that when the towing member is in the towing position and the operating member is positioned sideways, the gripping portion of the operating member extends beyond the towing member.

With this trolley towing device, if the operating member is positioned sideways when the towing member is in the towing position, the gripping portion of the operating member, which extends beyond the towing member, can prevent an operator from directly gripping the towing member. Furthermore, it can be made impossible to couple the transport trolley to the traveling trolley.

The following describes a specific embodiment of the trolley towing device described above with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings used in the description of this specification, unless otherwise specified, the first direction, which is the front-to-rear direction of the transport cart, is indicated by arrow X, the second direction, which is the left-to-right direction of the transport cart, is indicated by arrow Y, and the third direction, which is the up-down direction of the transport cart, is indicated by arrow Z.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in Fig. 1, the transport cart 10 according to the first embodiment is for transporting a work (not shown). The transport cart 10 has a base 11 on which the work is placed and a plurality of wheels 12 that support the base 11 so that the work can run. The transport cart 10 does not have a drive mechanism for self-propelling. The transport cart 10 is also called a "transport cart 10" that transports the work. The "work" here includes parts and various other transported objects.

The traction device 101 of the first embodiment (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "traction device") is provided on one end side of the base portion 11 in the first direction X. This traction device 101 is used to tow the transport trolley 10, and includes a traction member 20, an operating member 30, and a connecting mechanism portion 40. The traction device 101 may be configured as a separate element from the transport trolley 10, or may be configured as one component of the transport trolley 10.

The towing member 20 is provided on the base 11 of the transport cart 10 so that it can be switched between a horizontal towing position P1 (see the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1) and a vertical standby position P2 (see the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) that stands up from the towing position P1. In this embodiment, the towing member 20 is attached to the base 11 of the transport cart 10 so that it can rotate between the towing position P1 and the standby position P2.

The "traction position P1" here refers to a position where the towing member 20 is arranged sideways so as to extend along the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the towing member 20 may extend in a strictly horizontal direction, or may extend in a direction that is inclined obliquely relative to the strictly horizontal direction.

The "standby position P2" here refers to a position where the towing member 20 is arranged vertically so that it stands up from the towing position P1 and extends along the vertical direction. Therefore, when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, the towing member 20 may extend in a strictly vertical direction, or may extend in a direction that is inclined obliquely relative to the strictly vertical direction.

The operating member 30 is a member that is operated when switching the position of the towing member 20. An operator can switch the towing member 20 by gripping and operating this operating member 30 with his or her fingers. The connecting mechanism 40 has a function of connecting the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 so that their relative positions can be changed. In this embodiment, the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 are connected to each other rotatably by the connecting mechanism 40.

As will be described in more detail later, the operating member 30 is configured to be able to stand on its own in an operating posture that allows it to be operated at a higher position than the towing member 20 at the towing position P1 by performing an operation that changes its relative position with respect to the towing member 20.

The transport cart 10 is towed by a traveling vehicle 1. The traveling vehicle 1 may be a manned vehicle or an unmanned vehicle. This traveling vehicle 1 is configured to be self-propelled and is equipped with a bracket 2 at a low position at its rear end. This bracket 2 has an insertion hole 3 formed in which the shaft portion 5 of a connecting jig 4 can be inserted.

When connecting the transport cart 10 to the traveling vehicle 1, the shaft portion 5 of the jig 4 is passed through the curved portion of the tip end 23 of the towing member 20 and then inserted into the insertion hole 3 of the bracket 2. This completes preparations for towing the transport cart 10 by the traveling vehicle 1. On the other hand, when the shaft portion 5 of the jig 4 is pulled out of the insertion hole 3 of the bracket 2, the shaft portion 5 is removed from the tip end 23 of the towing member 20. This allows the transport cart 10 to be separated from the traveling vehicle 1.

(Structure of traction member)
2 and 3, the towing member 20 is substantially U-shaped and has left and right end portions 21, 22, a curved tip portion 23, and left and right arm portions 24, 25 connecting the left and right end portions 21, 22 to the tip portion 23. The left and right arm portions 24, 25 are connected to each other by three connecting portions 26, 27, 28 each extending parallel to the second direction Y.

The towing member 20 is attached to left and right support parts 13 fixed to the base part 11. Each support part 13 is provided with a guide groove 14 capable of guiding the end part 21 or the end part 22 of the towing member 20 in the third direction Z. That is, the guide groove 14 extends in the third direction Z from the upper region to the lower region.

When the left and right ends 21, 22 of the towing member 20 are pulled up to the upper region of the guide groove 14, the towing member 20 becomes rotatable about the left and right ends 21, 22. This allows the towing member 20 to be tilted forward so as to be oriented horizontally from the standby position P2 to the towing position P1 about the left and right ends 21, 22, or to be raised so as to be oriented vertically from the towing position P1 to the standby position P2. When the towing member 20 is placed at the horizontal towing position P1, the left and right arm portions 24, 25 are supported from below by the stoppers 15. This allows the towing member 20 to be held at the towing position P1.

In contrast, when the left and right ends 21, 22 of the towing member 20 are pushed down into the lower region of the guide groove 14, the forward movement of the left and right arm portions 24, 25 is restricted by the stopper 15, and the rearward movement is restricted by the holding plate 16 erected behind the stopper 15. As a result, the towing member 20 is held in the standby position P2.

(Structure of Operation Member)
As shown in Fig. 2, the operating member 30 includes a shaft portion 31 extending linearly and a grip portion 32, which is a grip for operation and is provided on one end side of the shaft portion 31. The shaft portion 31 of the operating member 30 is provided with a locking hook 34 that can be hooked onto the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. The shaft portion 31 is also fixed at an end portion 33 opposite to the grip portion 32 to a switching pin 45 of the connecting mechanism portion 40 by welding or other joining so as not to come off (see Fig. 3). The grip portion 32 is used by an operator to directly grip the operating member 30 with his/her fingers when operating the operating member 30.

(Structure of the connecting mechanism)
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connecting mechanism 40 includes a base plate 41 fixed to the left and right arm portions 24, 25 of the towing member 20, a pair of left and right brackets 42, 43 standing upright from the base plate 41, a cylindrical switching pin 45, and a connecting bar 46 connecting the two brackets 42, 43.

As shown in FIG. 2, both brackets 42 and 43 have a generally L-shaped guide hole 44 capable of guiding the switching pin 45. The guide hole 44 of bracket 42 and the guide hole 44 of bracket 43 have the same shape and are arranged symmetrically. The connecting bar 46 is provided so as to be able to come into contact with the shaft portion 31 of the operating member 30, and has the function of preventing the operating member 30 from being tilted backward from the operating position.

As shown in FIG. 4, the guide hole 44 of the bracket 42 that guides the switching pin 45 consists of a first hole portion 44a and a second hole portion 44b that extend perpendicular to each other. Although not specifically shown, the same is true for the guide hole 44 of the bracket 43.

The details will be described later, but this connecting mechanism 40 is configured to enable the towing member 20 to be rotated between the towing position P1 and the standby position P2 while the operating member 30 remains in a vertical operating position.

Next, the operation of switching the towing device 101 between the standby state and the towing state will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 14.

(standby state)
As shown in Figures 5 and 6, after the transport cart 10 is detached from the traveling vehicle 1 (see Figure 1), the towing device 101 is set to a standby state in which the towing member 20 stands independently in a vertical standby position P2 and the operating member 30 stands independently in a vertical operating position.

When the towing device 101 is in a standby state, the ends 21 and 22 of the towing member 20 are pushed down to the lower region of the guide groove 14, and the movement in the forward and backward directions is restricted by the stopper 15 and the holding plate 16. This allows the towing member 20 to stand on its own at the standby position P2.

In the standby state of the towing device 101, the shaft portion 31 of the operating member 30 is disposed in a position close to the rear of the tip portion 23 of the towing member 20. In addition, the locking hook 34 of the operating member 30 is hooked to the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. Therefore, the movement of the operating member 30 in the front-rear direction is restricted by the tip portion 23 and connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20 and the locking hook 34. At this time, the tip portion 23, the connecting portion 26, and the locking hook 34 function as a "second holding portion" that holds the operating member 30 in an operating posture when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2. In this way, since the towing device 101 is provided with the second holding portion, the operating member 30 can be maintained in an independent operating posture when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the connecting mechanism 40, the brackets 42, 43 are arranged so that the first hole portion 44a of the guide hole 44 extends in the third direction Z and the second hole portion 44b extends in the first direction X. At this time, the switching pin 45 is arranged at the engagement position Qa of the first hole portion 44a by the weight of the operating member 30 fixed to this switching pin 45. At this time, the engagement position Qa is a position corresponding to the end of the first hole portion 44a on the opposite side to the second hole portion 44b. This allows the operating member 30 to maintain an independent operating posture.

The operating member 30 is configured so that the gripping portion 32 is located higher than the towing member 20 when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2. This configuration is effective in encouraging the worker to preferentially grip the gripping portion 32 of the operating member 30 over the towing member 20. This makes it possible to prevent the worker from directly gripping the towing member 20 in the standby position P2.

(Switching from standby to towing mode)
When switching the towing device 101 from the standby state (see Figs. 5 and 6) to the towing state, the operator first grasps the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 with his/her fingers and lifts it up. At this time, as the operating member 30 moves upward, the switching pin 45 of the connecting mechanism 40 slides upward from the engagement position Qa of the guide hole 44 to the engagement position Qb, as shown in Fig. 8. At this time, the engagement position Qb is a position corresponding to the boundary portion between the first hole portion 44a and the second hole portion 44b.

When the switching pin 45 reaches the engagement position Qb, the locking hook 34 of the operating member 30 is released from the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. This releases the holding of the operating member 30 in the operating posture by the second holding portion. In addition, when the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 is further lifted by the operator, the left and right ends 21, 22 of the towing member 20 are pulled up to the upper region of the guide groove 14. Conversely, when the switching pin 45 returns from the engagement position Qb to the engagement position Qa, the locking hook 34 of the operating member 30 is hooked on the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. In this way, when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, the operating member 30 moves so that the switching pin 45 slides through the first hole portion 44a of the guide hole 44, switching between the holding state of the operating member 30 by the second holding portion and the holding release state.

As shown in FIG. 9, the towing member 20 tries to rotate forward around the left and right ends 21, 22 according to its preset weight balance. Therefore, while holding the gripping portion 32 in the operating posture of the operating member 30, the operator moves the gripping portion 32 forward in accordance with the rotational movement of the towing member 20. At this time, the towing member 20 is configured to move to the towing position P1 according to its weight balance when the second holding portion releases the holding of the operating member 30. As a result, after the holding of the operating member 30 is released when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, the position of the towing member 20 can be automatically switched to the towing position P1 according to its weight balance. Therefore, the towing member 20 can be moved to the towing position P1 while maintaining the operating posture of the operating member 30 without operating the towing member 20 separately from the operating member 30.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the towing member 20 is placed at the towing position P1, the brackets 42, 43 of the connecting mechanism 40 are positioned so that the first hole portion 44a of the guide hole 44 extends in the first direction X and the second hole portion 44b extends in the third direction Z. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, when the operator presses down the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30, the switching pin 45 of the connecting mechanism 40 slides downward through the second hole portion 44b of the guide hole 44 from the engagement position Qb to the engagement position Qc. At this time, the engagement position Qc is a position corresponding to the end of the second hole portion 44b opposite to the first hole portion 44a.

(Towed state)
As shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the switching pin 45 is in the engagement position Qc, the towing device 101 is set in a self-supporting towing state in which the towing member 20 is disposed in a horizontal towing position P1 and the operating member 30 is in a vertical operating posture.

When the towing device 101 is in the towing state, the downward movement of the left and right arm portions 24, 25 of the towing member 20 is prevented by the stopper 15. This allows the towing member 20 to be held at the towing position P1.

In the towing state of the towing device 101, the end 33 of the operating member 30 is disposed between the two connecting parts 27, 28 of the towing member 20 in the first direction X, and the connecting bar 46 of the connecting mechanism part 40 is disposed behind the shaft part 31 of the operating member 30. At this time, the movement of the operating member 30 rotating around the switching pin 45 is restricted by the two connecting parts 27, 28 of the towing member 20 and the connecting bar 46 of the connecting mechanism part 40. The two connecting parts 27, 28 and the connecting bar 46 function as a "first holding part" that holds the operating member 30 in an operating posture when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1. In this way, since the towing device 101 is provided with the first holding part, the operating member 30 can be maintained in an independent operating posture when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1.

When the switching pin 45 reaches the engagement position Qc, the first holding portion holds the operating member 30 in the operating posture. Conversely, when the switching pin 45 returns from the engagement position Qc to the engagement position Qb, the first holding portion releases the operating member 30 from being held in the operating posture. In this way, when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the operating member 30 moves so that the switching pin 45 slides through the second hole portion 45b of the guide hole 44, switching between a held state and a released state of the operating member 30 by the first holding portion.

(Switching from towing state to standby state)
When switching the towing device 101 from the towing state (see FIG. 4) to the standby state (see FIG. 8), the operator simply moves the operating member 30 in the reverse order to that of the above-described "switching from the standby state to the towing state."

As described above, the operator can switch the position of the towing member 20 with a single touch while still holding the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the operating member 30 is placed sideways when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the gripping portion 32 is configured to extend outward (to the left in FIG. 14) beyond the tip 23 of the towing member 20. As a result, if the operating member 30 is placed sideways when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the gripping portion 32 of the operating member 30, which extends outward beyond the towing member 20, can prevent an operator from directly gripping the towing member 20. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the transport cart 10 from being connected to the traveling cart 1.

The above-mentioned first embodiment provides the following effects:

In the towing device 101 of the first embodiment, the towing member 20 is switched between a horizontal towing position P1 and a standby position P2 in which the towing member 20 stands up from the towing position P1 by operating the operating member 30. At this time, the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 are connected by a connecting mechanism 40, and are configured so that the relative positions of the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 can be changed by the connecting mechanism 40.

When the operating member 30 is operated to change its relative position with respect to the towing member 20 via the connecting mechanism 40, the operating member 30 can assume an operating posture in which it is operated at a higher position than the towing member 20 in the horizontal orientation at the towing position P1. Therefore, when towing the transport cart 10, the worker can operate the operating member 30 at a higher position than the towing member 20 in the horizontal orientation at the towing position P1, without directly grasping the towing member 20 with his/her fingers, to switch the position of the towing member 20. This type of operation imposes a smaller workload on the worker than the work of bending his/her waist to match the height of the towing member 20 when it is in the horizontal orientation.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment, a towing device 101 that is easy to use when towing the transport cart 10 can be provided.

According to the towing device 101 of the first embodiment, the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 are rotatably connected to each other by the connecting mechanism 40, and the towing member 20 is allowed to be rotated via the connecting mechanism 40 while the operating member 30 is in a vertical operating position. This provides a structure in which the towing member 20 and the operating member 30 rotate relative to each other via the connecting mechanism 40.

According to the towing device 101 of the first embodiment, when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the first holding part can hold the operating member 30 in a vertical operating position to allow it to stand on its own. Also, when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, the second holding part can hold the operating member 30 in a vertical operating position to allow it to stand on its own. Therefore, there is an advantage that no support from an operator is required to hold the operating member 30 in the operating position whether the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1 or the standby position P2.

According to the towing device 101 of the first embodiment, when the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, the operator can switch between the holding state and the release state of the operating member 30 by the first holding part by moving the operating member 30 so that the switching pin 45 slides through the second hole portion 44b of the guide hole 44. Also, when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, the operator can switch between the holding state and the release state of the operating member 30 by the second holding part by moving the operating member 30 so that the switching pin 45 slides through the first hole portion 44a of the guide hole 44. Therefore, the holding state and the release state of the operating member in each of the first holding part and the second holding part can be switched in accordance with the operation of the operating member 30 when switching the position of the towing member 20.

Below, other embodiments related to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the other embodiments, elements that are the same as those in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same elements will be omitted.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the towing device 102 of embodiment 2 differs from the towing device 101 of embodiment 1 only in the structure of the second holding part that holds the operating member 30 in an operating posture when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2 (see Figures 16 and 17).

The second holding portion of the towing device 102 employs a magnet 35 instead of the locking hook 34 of the first embodiment. The magnet 35 is a permanent magnet joined to the shaft portion 31 of the operating member 30. The connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20 is made of a material to which the magnet 35 can be attracted.

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, after the transport cart 10 is separated from the traveling vehicle 1 (see Figure 1), the towing device 102 is set to a standby state in which the towing member 20 stands independently at a vertical standby position P2 and the operating member 30 stands independently in a vertical operating position.

When the towing device 102 is in a standby state, the shaft 31 of the operating member 30 is disposed in a position close to and behind the tip 23 of the towing member 20. In addition, the magnet 35 attached to the shaft 31 of the operating member 30 attracts and holds the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. Therefore, the movement of the operating member 30 in the forward and backward directions is restricted by the tip 23 and connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20 and the magnet 35.

Although not specifically shown, when the operator grasps and lifts the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 with his/her fingers when switching the towing device 102 from the standby state (see Figs. 16 and 17) to the towing state, the magnet 35 moves above the connecting portion 26 of the towing member 20. This causes the magnet 35 to move away from the connecting portion 26 and release the suction hold of the connecting portion 26. Therefore, as in the case of the towing device 101 of embodiment 1, the towing member 20 is permitted to rotate toward the towing position P1.

The traction device 102 of embodiment 2 can provide a structure that uses a magnet 35 to hold the operating member 30 in a vertical operating position.

Otherwise, it has the same effects as embodiment 1.

The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above, and various applications and modifications are possible without departing from the purpose of the present invention. For example, the following forms can be implemented by applying the above-described embodiment.

In the above embodiment, an example was given of a case in which the first holding portion and the second holding portion are used to hold the operating member 30 in an operating position regardless of whether the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1 or the standby position P2. However, instead of this, a structure in which at least one of the first holding portion and the second holding portion is omitted can also be adopted.

In the above embodiment, an example was given of the case where the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 is located higher than the towing member 20 when the towing member 20 is in the standby position P2, but instead, a structure can be adopted in which the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 is located at the same height as the towing member 20 or lower than the towing member 20.

In the above embodiment, an example was given of the case where the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 extends beyond the towing member 20 when the operating member 30 is positioned sideways while the towing member 20 is in the towing position P1, but instead, a structure can be adopted in which the grip portion 32 of the operating member 30 does not extend beyond the towing member 20.

In the above embodiment, an example is given of a case where the transport cart 10 is connected to the traveling vehicle 1, but the transport cart 10 is not limited to being connected to only the traveling vehicle 1. For example, instead of the traveling vehicle 1, the transport cart 10 may be connected to another transport cart 10 having the same structure as the transport cart 10.

10 Transport vehicle 20 Towing member 23 Tip portion (second holding portion)
26 Connecting part (second holding part)
27 Connecting part (first holding part)
28 Connecting part (first holding part)
46 Connecting bar (first holding portion)
30 Operating member 32 Grip portion 34 Engagement hook (second holding portion)
35 Magnet (second holding portion)
40 Connection mechanism 42, 43 Bracket 44 Guide hole 44a First hole 44b Second hole 45 Switching pin 101, 102 Carriage traction device (traction device)
P1 Towing position P2 Standby position

Claims (5)

A traction device for use in towing a transport traction vehicle,
a towing member provided on the transporting carriage so as to be switchable between a lateral towing position and a standby position in which the towing member stands up from the towing position;
An operating member for switching the towing member;
a coupling mechanism that couples the towing member and the operating member so that their relative positions are variable;
Equipped with
The operating member is configured to be able to form an operating posture in which the operating member is operated at a higher position than the towing member in the towing position by performing an operation to change a relative position with respect to the towing member ,
a first holding portion for holding the operating member in the operating posture when the towing member is in the towing position;
a second holding portion for holding the operating member in the operating posture when the towing member is in the standby position;
Equipped with
the connecting mechanism includes a bracket fixed to the towing member and a switching pin fixed to the operating member, and the bracket is provided with a substantially L-shaped guide hole including a first hole portion and a second hole portion extending perpendicular to each other so as to be capable of guiding the switching pin;
When the towing member is in the towing position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides through the second hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a held state and a released state of the operating member by the first holding portion, and when the towing member is in the standby position, the operating member moves so that the switching pin slides through the first hole portion of the guide hole, thereby switching between a held state and a released state of the operating member by the second holding portion . the towing member is attached to the transporting carriage so as to be rotatable between the towing position and the standby position, and the towing member and the operating member are rotatably connected to each other by the connecting mechanism,
The trolley towing device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting mechanism is configured to enable rotational operation of the towing member between the towing position and the standby position while the operating member remains in the operating posture. 3. The traction device according to claim 1 , wherein the towing member is configured to move to the towing position according to its weight balance when the second holding portion releases the holding of the operating member. The traction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein when the towing member is in the standby position, a grip portion of the operating member is positioned higher than the towing member. The traction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the operating member is arranged sideways while the towing member is in the towing position, a grip portion of the operating member is configured to extend outward beyond the towing member .

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