JP7699486B2 - Aerial work equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to aerial work equipment, in particular to aerial work equipment in which a leg end tool is attached to the ground-facing end of the installation leg that constitutes the leg body.

For example, high-altitude work equipment such as portable work platforms, stepladders, and ladders have a work section at the top of a ladder-like leg body with rungs for the worker to ascend and descend to perform high-altitude work, and leg end fixtures are attached to the ends of the left and right installation legs that make up the leg body that come into contact with the ground.

The working area on which a worker stands to work at height consists of a work top mounted on a pair of legs in the case of a portable work platform, and in the case of a stepladder or ladder, it consists of the upper rung among the multiple steps provided on the legs.

The installation legs that make up the legs are formed by cutting a shape made by extruding a metal material such as aluminum to a specified length, and a leg end fitting is attached to the end on the ground side.

The leg end fitting is made of a shoe-shaped tubular body integrally molded from synthetic resin, and by inserting the end of the installation leg into it, it protects the end of the installation leg and is installed on the ground.

When configuring the legs as extendable legs, the inner leg is slidably inserted into the outer leg, and the inner leg is used as the installation leg, with the leg end fitting attached to its end on the ground side.

JP 2017-66627 A Patent No. 6851883

Traditionally, leg end fittings are formed as shoe-shaped tubular bodies into which the end of the installation leg is inserted and fixed, and the contact area of the bottom surface is limited to a small area. For this reason, even those with anti-slip irregularities on the contact surface tend to slip on the ground when subjected to external force. In addition, there is a problem that the leg end fittings sink into the ground when they come into contact with soft ground.

Therefore, in order to increase the contact area, when the leg end fitting is molded from synthetic resin, it is preferable to integrally form a plate-shaped flange that protrudes outward from the tubular portion into which the end of the installation leg is inserted. However, a flange made of synthetic resin is easily damaged. For example, when the flange is placed on uneven ground and the installation leg is subjected to a load such as the weight of the worker, the crushed flange may crack. Also, if the leg end fitting collides with a foreign object while transporting or moving the high-altitude work equipment, the flange may be damaged.

The present invention aims to provide a high-altitude work device that solves the problems described above regarding leg end fittings.

The present invention is configured as a means to provide a working section on top of a ladder-shaped leg body with steps for workers to ascend and descend, where the worker stands to perform work at height, and leg end fittings are attached to the ends of the left and right installation legs that make up the leg body on the ground side. In the X direction that intersects with the steps, the X1 direction from the center of the leg body toward the ascending and descending side and the X2 direction toward the opposite side, and in the Y direction along the steps, the Y1 direction from the center of a specific installation leg toward the outside of the leg body and the Y2 direction toward the inside of the leg body, the leg end fittings are integrally formed with a cylindrical part into which the end of the installation leg is inserted and a seat part that is grounded on the ground, and the seat part has a plate-shaped outer flange that extends from the cylindrical part at least in the Y1 direction, and the outer flange is configured to have an outer insertion hole that penetrates in the vertical direction near the end in the X1 direction, and the seat part is fixed in a grounded state by driving a stake member into the outer insertion hole.

Preferably, the leg end fitting is integrally molded from an elastic material and integrally forms a connecting wall that connects the X2-direction edge of the outer flange to the tubular portion.

With respect to the first axial direction Z1 extending from a position near the X1 end of the outer flange in the X2 and Y2 directions, it is preferable that the outer insertion hole is formed as a long hole extending in the first axial direction Z1.

In a preferred embodiment, the outer insertion hole is configured to form an inclined hole with an upper opening that opens on the upper surface of the outer flange and a lower opening that opens on the lower surface of the leg end fitting, with the lower opening offset from the upper opening in the first axial direction Z1, so that the tip of the driven pile member is positioned below the tubular portion.

More preferably, the seat of the leg end fitting has a plate-shaped inner flange extending in the Y2 direction from the tubular portion, and an inner insertion hole penetrating in the vertical direction is opened near the end of the inner flange in the X1 direction, and the seat is fixed in a grounded state by driving a stake member into the inner insertion hole.

In this case, with respect to the second axial direction Z2 extending from a position near the X1 end of the inner flange in the X2 and Y1 directions, it is preferable that the inner insertion hole is formed as a long hole extending in the second axial direction Z2.

Furthermore, the inner insertion hole is preferably configured to form an inclined hole with an upper opening that opens on the upper surface of the inner flange and a lower opening that opens on the lower surface of the leg end fitting, the lower opening being offset from the upper opening in the second axial direction Z2, so that the tip of the driven pile member is positioned below the tubular portion.

According to the present invention, the installation legs 7 constituting the leg body 3 of the workbench 1 can be suitably installed in a state where they are stably grounded on the ground by the leg end fittings 8.

FIG. 1 is an oblique view showing a portable work platform as an example of a high-altitude work device, in which a leg end device is attached to the end of the inner leg of the telescopic leg that constitutes the leg body, and the inner leg is in a stored position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable workbench with the inner legs in an extended position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner leg and leg end fittings in an extended position for one embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows a leg end fitting, (A) being a perspective view and (B) being a plan view. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the state in which the inner leg is in the stored position and the pile member is driven into the leg end fixture. FIG. 6 is a side view taken from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5 . FIG. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 . 13 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which an auxiliary plate is attached to a leg end fixture via a stake member. FIG. The figures show the shape of the leg end fitting, with (A) being a plan view, (B) being a bottom view, (C) being a front view, (D) being a rear view, (E) being a right side view, and (F) being a left side view.

A representative embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Extendable leg device)

Figures 1 and 2 show a portable work platform 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "work platform 1") as an example of a high-altitude work device, and the work platform 1 has a work section where a worker stands on the top of a ladder-like leg body 3 equipped with multiple steps 2 that the worker ascends and descends to perform high-altitude work. Although not shown in the figure, the work platform 1 has a pair of legs 3, 3 arranged opposite each other, and the work section is constituted by a work top plate 4 mounted on the legs 3, 3. Therefore, a worker can ascend and descend between the ground and the work top plate 4 by using the steps 2 from the ascending and descending side of the leg body 3 (the left side in the figure).

In the illustrated embodiment, the legs 3 are configured with telescopic legs arranged on the left and right in a V-shape, with the inner legs 3b slidably inserted into the outer legs 3a. The outer legs 3a and the inner legs 3b are formed by cutting a shape of a metal material, such as aluminum, extruded into a specified length.

Each telescopic leg is provided with a locking device 5 consisting of rack teeth and a locking claw that can be freely engaged and disengaged with the outer leg 3a to prevent the inner leg 3b from sliding when the inner leg 3b is contracted and stored in the outer leg 3a (storage position) as shown in Figure 1, and when the inner leg 3b is extended from the outer leg 3a (extension position) as shown in Figure 2.

The leg body 3 of the present invention is not necessarily limited to a telescopic leg, but when the telescopic leg is configured as in the illustrated embodiment, the tread 2 is straddled between the outer legs 3a, 3a of the left and right telescopic legs. In this case, the lowest tread 2a is fixed to the lower ends of the outer legs 3a, 3a via a bracket 6, and a locking device 5 is disposed facing the upper surface of the tread 2a.

For this reason, the leg body 3 is made up of an outer leg 3a and an inner leg 3b, and the inner leg 3b constitutes an installation leg 7 that is grounded to the ground, and a leg end fitting 8 is attached to the end of the installation leg on the ground side. Please note that the meaning of "ground" in "ground" and "ground" used in this specification does not limit to land, but broadly includes the object on which the leg end fitting 8 of the installation leg 7 is placed.

The workbench 1 in the illustrated embodiment has four mounting legs 7 (inner legs 3b) whose lengths can be freely set by configuring the legs 3, 3 as extendable legs, so that one leg 3 can be installed at a high position and the other leg 3 at a low position, which has the advantage of increasing the freedom of choice of the ground on which the workbench 1 can be installed.

(leg end fittings)
The configuration of the leg end fittings 8 will be described below, with the direction from the center of the leg body 3 toward the lifting side in the X direction intersecting the tread 2 being the X1 direction, and the direction toward the underside of the work top plate 4 on the opposite side being the X2 direction, and further with the Y direction parallel to the tread 2 being the Y1 direction from the center of a specified installation leg 7 toward the outside of the leg body 3, and the Y2 direction toward the inside of the leg body 3.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the leg end fitting 8 is integrally molded from rubber (natural or synthetic rubber) or other elastic material, and is integrally formed with a tubular portion 9 into which the end of the installation leg 7 is inserted, and a seat portion 10 that forms the bottom of the tubular portion 9 and is grounded on the ground. With the end of the installation leg 7 inserted, the tubular portion 9 is fixed with a fastener 11 consisting of a bolt and nut that penetrates in the transverse direction.

The seat portion 10 is integrally formed with a plate-shaped outer flange 12 extending in the Y1 direction and a plate-shaped inner flange 13 extending in the Y2 direction so as to protrude from the tubular portion 9, and the X2-direction edges of both flanges 12, 13 are integrally connected to both side surfaces of the tubular portion 9 by connecting walls 14, 15.

(Outer flange)
The outer flange 12 has an outer insertion hole 16 that is located near the end in the X1 direction and penetrates in the up-down direction, with an upper opening 16a opening in the upper surface of the outer flange 12 and a lower opening 16b opening in the lower surface of the outer flange 12 or the lower surface of the seat portion 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower opening 16b opens across the lower surface of the outer flange 12 and the lower surface of the seat portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 4(B), with respect to the first axial direction Z1, which runs from a position near the X1 end of the outer flange 12 in the X2 and Y2 directions, the outer insertion hole 16 is formed as a long hole that extends long in the first axial direction Z1, and forms an inclined hole with the upper opening 16a and the lower opening 16b offset in the first axial direction Z1. In other words, the outer insertion hole 16 is not a hole that is perpendicular to the outer flange 12, but is an inclined hole that is opened in an inclined direction on the first axial direction Z1.

(inner flange)
The inner flange 13 has an inner insertion hole 17 that is located near the end in the X1 direction and penetrates in the vertical direction, with an upper opening 17a opening in the upper surface of the inner flange 13 and a lower opening 17b opening in the lower surface of the inner flange 13 or the lower surface of the seat portion 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower opening 17b opens across the lower surface of the inner flange 13 and the lower surface of the seat portion 10.

As shown in FIG. 4(B), with respect to the second axial direction Z2, which runs from a position near the X1 end of the inner flange 13 in the X2 and Y1 directions, the inner insertion hole 17 is formed as a long hole that extends long in the second axial direction Z2, and forms an inclined hole with the upper opening 17a and the lower opening 17b offset in the second axial direction Z2. In other words, the inner insertion hole 17 is not a hole that is perpendicular to the inner flange 13, but rather forms an inclined hole that is opened in an inclined direction on the second axial direction Z2.

(Pile member)
When the work platform 1 is installed on the ground to perform work at height, the leg end fittings 8 are fixed in the grounded state by driving the outer pile members 18 and the inner pile members 19 into the outer insertion holes 16 and the inner insertion holes 17, respectively, while the leg end fittings 8 are in the grounded state (Figures 5 and 6).

In the illustrated embodiment, the pile members 18, 19 are composed of a bolt or screw having a shaft portion 20a with an outer diameter that is inserted into the insertion holes 16, 17, and a head portion 20b with a larger diameter than the insertion holes 16, 17.

(effect)
When the leg end fitting 8 is grounded to perform high-altitude work, the leg end fitting 8 can be stably installed because it is grounded over a wide contact area including the underside of the seat 10 and the undersides of the outer flange 12 and the inner flange 13. In this case, the outer flange 12 and the inner flange 13 are integrally formed with the entire leg end fitting 8 from an elastic material and are elastically deformable, so that even if the work platform is grounded on uneven ground, it will deform to fit the unevenness and ensure a good contact state. Moreover, even when the work platform is subjected to a load from the installation leg 7 due to the weight of the worker, there is no risk of cracks, and furthermore, even if the work platform 1 is hit by a foreign object while being transported or moved, it will not easily break.

The outer flange 12 and inner flange 13, which are made of an elastic material such as rubber, deform appropriately to conform to the unevenness of the contact surface, but are connected together by connecting walls 14, 14 formed between the edge in the X2 direction and the side of the tube portion 9, so they do not deform unnecessarily and prematurely deteriorate.

Then, with the leg end fitting 8 in contact with the ground, the pile members 18, 19 can be driven into the outer insertion hole 16 and the inner insertion hole 17, thereby fixing the outer flange 12 and the inner flange 13 in a grounded state.

Figures 5 to 7 show the state when the leg end fitting 8 is grounded on the ground surface GL of the land, and the inner leg 3b (installation leg 7) that constitutes the telescopic leg of the leg body 3 is retracted and stored in the outer leg 3a, taking a storage position.

The pile members 18, 19 are driven into the ground by an operator using a tool such as a hammer. At this time, the operator can take a position facing the X1 direction of the lifting side and drive the pile members 18, 19 into the ground, making the work easy, since the operator can drive the pile members 18, 19 into the ground toward the outer flange 12 and inner flange 13 that are open upward in the X1 direction. In other words, unlike the difficulty of the operator reaching out in the X2 direction below the work top 4 to drive the pile members 18, 19 into the ground, no such difficulty arises.

When the inner leg 3b (installation leg 7) of the telescopic leg is in the stored position, as shown in the figure, the leg end fitting 8 is brought close to the bracket 6 of the lowest step 2a. However, even in this state, the upper space of the outer flange 12 is open, making it easy to drive the pile member 18 into the outer insertion hole 16.

In contrast, the space above the inner flange 13 is blocked by the lowest tread 2a, making it difficult to drive the pile member into the pile. However, as described above, the inner insertion hole 17 is formed as an inclined hole that is inclined in the second axial direction Z2, so that a hammer or the like used to strike the pile member 19 can be swung up in a direction that does not interfere with the tread 2a, making it possible to drive the pile without difficulty.

Since the outer insertion hole 16 and the inner insertion hole 17 form the inclined holes described above, the pile members 18, 19 are driven in at an inclination so that their tips are positioned below the tube portion 9, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This results in a large resistance force of the pile members 18, 19 against the force in the direction of lifting the leg end fitting 8. During driving, since both insertion holes 16, 17 form elongated holes, the pile members 18, 19 can be driven in without necessarily being restricted by the inclination angle of the inclined holes, that is, with clearance given to the inclination angle, making the driving operation easier.

The above describes the case where the pile members 18, 19 are driven into the leg end fitting 8 with the inner leg 3b (installation leg 7) of the retractable leg in the stored position, but it goes without saying that the pile members 18, 19 can also be driven into the leg end fitting 8 with the inner leg 3b (installation leg 7) of the retractable leg in the extended position.

In this way, the installation legs 7 of the legs 3 on the workbench 1 are stably installed because the leg end fittings 8 are fixed in a grounded state, ensuring the safety of the worker when working at height.

In this case, the leg body 3 is configured with telescopic legs consisting of left and right outer legs 3a and inner legs 3b arranged in a V-shape, so if the inner legs 3b, 3b are in an extended position and the leg end fitting 8 is fixed in a grounded state, there is an advantage that the outer legs 3a, 3a will not drop even if the locking device 5 is released from the locked state due to a malfunction, etc.

The above describes the case where the grounding state of the leg end device 8 is fixed by driving the stake members 18, 19 into the ground of the land, but as shown in Figure 8, it is also possible to attach and fix an auxiliary plate 21 such as a wooden board to the underside of the leg end device 8 using the stake members 18, 19, and to install the auxiliary plate 21 on the ground.

In this case, the pile members 18, 19 are composed of screws or the like with threads on the shaft portion 20a, and are driven into the pile by rotating the head portion 20a with a tool such as a screwdriver.

When the workbench 1 is installed on soft ground, the auxiliary plate 21 prevents sinking and allows the workbench to be installed in the desired position.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Work platform 2 Step 2a Bottom step 3 Leg body 3a Outer leg 3b Inner leg 4 Work top plate 5 Locking device 6 Bracket 7 Installation leg 8 Leg end tool 9 Cylinder part 10 Seat part 11 Fixing tool 12 Outer flange 13 Inner flange 14, 15 Connecting wall 16 Outer insertion hole 16a Upper opening 16b Lower opening 17 Inner insertion hole 17a Upper opening 17b Lower opening 18, 19 Pile member 20a Shaft part 20b Head part 21 Auxiliary plate

Claims (6)

A working section for a worker to stand on and work at height is provided at the top of a ladder-like leg body with rungs for the worker to ascend and descend, and leg end tools (8) are attached to the ends of the left and right installation legs (7) constituting the leg body (3) on the ground side,
Among the X directions intersecting the tread, the X1 direction from the center of the leg body (3) toward the lifting side and the X2 direction toward the opposite side, and among the Y directions along the tread, the Y1 direction from the center of a specific installation leg (7) toward the outside of the leg body and the Y2 direction toward the inside of the leg body,
The leg end fitting (8) is integrally formed from an elastic material , and integrally forms a tubular portion (9) into which the end of the installation leg (7) is inserted, and a seat portion (10) that is grounded on the ground, and the seat portion has a plate-shaped outer flange (12) that extends at least in the Y1 direction from the tubular portion, and integrally forms a connecting wall (14) that connects the X2-direction edge of the outer flange (12) to the tubular portion (9) ,
The outer flange (12) has an outer insertion hole (16) penetrating in the vertical direction at a position near the end in the X1 direction, and a pile member (18) is driven into the outer insertion hole to fix the seat in a grounded state. 2. The high-altitude working device according to claim 1, characterized in that, with respect to a first axial direction Z1 extending from a position near the X1-direction end of the outer flange (12) in the X2 direction and the Y2 direction, the outer insertion hole (16) is formed as a long hole that is long toward the first axial direction Z1 . The high-altitude working device according to claim 2, characterized in that the outer insertion hole (16) forms an inclined hole in which an upper opening (16a) opening on the upper surface of the outer flange and a lower opening ( 16b) opening on the lower surface of the leg end fitting are offset from the upper opening in the first axial direction Z1, and the tip of the driven pile member (18) is positioned below the tubular portion (9). 4. The high-altitude work device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the seat of the leg end tool (8) has a plate-shaped inner flange (13) extending in the Y2 direction from the tubular part, and an inner insertion hole (17) penetrating in the vertical direction is opened near the end of the inner flange in the X1 direction, and the seat is fixed in a grounded state by driving a pile member (19) into the inner insertion hole. 5. The high-altitude working device according to claim 4, characterized in that, with respect to a second axial direction Z2 extending from a position near the X1-direction end of the inner flange (13) in the X2 direction and the Y1 direction , the inner insertion hole (17) is formed as a long hole that is long toward the second axial direction Z2. The high-altitude work device according to claim 5, characterized in that the inner insertion hole (17) forms an inclined hole in which the upper opening (17a) opening on the upper surface of the inner flange and the lower opening (17b) opening on the lower surface of the leg end fitting are offset from the upper opening in the second axial direction Z2, and the tip of the driven pile member is positioned below the tubular portion.

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