JP7710675B2 - Transport equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a transport device that has a locking mechanism on the movable part.

Conventionally, this type of transport device is known to have a locking member that can be slid to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-51469 (Figs. 6, 14, and 17)

There is a demand for the development of a transport device that can be easily locked with one hand, in contrast to the conventional transport devices described above.

A first aspect of the invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is a transport instrument in which a locking member is slidably supported on a second of first and second instrument components constituting a part or the whole of a transport instrument, and when the locking member is moved to a locked position at one end of the slidable range, the relative movement or relative rotation of the first and second instrument components is restricted, and when the locking member is moved to an unlocked position at the other end of the slidable range, the restriction is released. The transport instrument comprises a lock operation surface provided on the locking member and facing the unlocked position, and a locking finger hook surface provided on the first or second instrument component, arranged on the locked position side of the lock operation surface and facing the opposite side to the lock operation surface, and by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the lock operation surface and the locking finger hook surface, the locking member can be slid to the locked position, and the lock operation surface and the locking finger hook surface have finger rest recesses that are curved so as to approach each other and can accommodate fingertips.

A second aspect of the invention is a transport instrument as described in the first aspect, which comprises an unlocking operation surface provided on the locking member and facing the locked position, and an unlocking finger hook surface provided on the first or second instrument component, positioned closer to the unlocking position than the unlocking operation surface and facing the opposite side to the unlocking operation surface, wherein the locking member can be slid to the unlocked position by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the unlocking operation surface and the unlocking finger hook surface, and wherein the unlocking operation surface and the unlocking finger hook surface are curved so as to approach each other and have finger rest recesses formed therein into which the fingertips can be placed.

A third aspect of the invention is the conveying device according to the second aspect, wherein the locking member is formed with a finger insertion recess into which fingertips can be inserted, and a pair of opposing inner surfaces of the finger insertion recess serve as the lock operation surface and the unlock operation surface.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the conveying instrument according to the third aspect , wherein the finger rest recess on the lock operation surface and the finger rest recess on the unlock operation surface are aligned in a sliding direction of the lock member.

A fifth aspect of the invention is a transport device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the lock operation surface and the unlock operation surface are arranged opposite each other, and which includes an engagement protrusion that protrudes in a cantilever shape from a wall portion of the locking member having the lock operation surface in the sliding direction of the locking member on the side opposite to the lock operation surface, an engagement hole that is provided in the first device component and with which the engagement protrusion is engaged when the locking member is placed at the locked position, an elastic engagement piece that protrudes in a cantilever shape from a wall portion of the locking member having the unlock operation surface in the sliding direction on the side opposite to the unlock operation surface, and an engagement portion that is provided in the second device component and which interferes with the elastic engagement piece at positions other than the locked position and the unlocked position and which deflects the elastic engagement piece.

A sixth aspect of the invention is a conveying device according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the lock operation surface, the unlock operation surface, the locking finger hook surface or the unlocking finger hook surface has a wave shape in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the locking member and parallel to the outer surfaces of the first and second device components, and a plurality of valleys included in the wave shape form the finger rest recesses.

A seventh aspect of the invention is a transport device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, in which a portion of a side wall forms a movable wall that is rotatable or slidable, and the movable wall and an adjacent side wall are provided as one and the other of the first and second device components, and the movable wall is locked or unlocked by the locking member .

In the transport device of the first aspect , the locking member can be slid to the lock position by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the lock operation surface of the locking member and the lock finger hook surface of the first or second device component. In addition, the lock operation surface and the lock finger hook surface are formed with finger rest recesses that are curved so as to approach each other, so that the fingertips fit into the finger rest recesses and the fingers are prevented from slipping. In other words, the transport device of the present invention makes it possible to easily perform the locking operation with one hand.

In the transport device of the second aspect , the locking member can be slid to the unlock position by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the unlock operation surface of the locking member and the unlock finger hook surface of the first or second device component. In addition, the unlock operation surface and the unlock finger hook surface are formed with finger rest recesses that are curved so as to approach each other, so that the fingertips fit into the finger rest recesses and the fingers are prevented from slipping. In other words, the transport device of the present invention makes it easy to perform the unlock operation with one hand.

Here, the lock operation surface and the unlock operation surface may be arranged back-to-back on a protruding wall provided on the locking member, but if they are arranged facing each other within a finger insertion recess provided on the locking member as in the third embodiment , both the lock operation and the unlock operation can be performed by inserting a finger into a common space, that is, the space within the finger insertion recess, thereby making effective use of space.

In the transportation device of the fourth aspect , the finger rest recess on the lock operation surface and the finger rest recess on the unlock operation surface are aligned in the sliding direction, so that switching between the lock operation and the unlock operation can be easily performed.

In the transport device of the fifth aspect , the elastic engagement piece and the engagement protrusion protrude from the operating portion of the locking member having a lock operation surface and an unlock operation surface to opposite sides in the sliding direction, thereby suppressing tilt caused by the operating force of the locking member and stabilizing the sliding movement of the locking member.

In the sixth aspect of the conveying device, the lock operation surface, the unlock operation surface, the lock finger hook surface, or the unlock finger hook surface has a wave-like shape, so that the locking and unlocking operations can be performed by utilizing the multiple valleys of the wave-like shape as multiple finger rest recesses.

According to the container which is the transportation device of the seventh aspect , the movable wall can be easily locked and unlocked.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; A perspective view of the container in a folded state. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container with a second upper wall folded down; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an engagement portion between a first side wall and a second side wall; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an engagement portion between a first side wall and a second side wall; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an engagement portion between a first side wall and a second side wall; FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an engagement portion between a first side wall and a second side wall; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a side portion of the second side wall; 1A is a plan sectional view of the second upper wall and the upper side protruding wall in a locked state, and FIG. 1B is a plan sectional view of the second upper wall and the upper side protruding wall in an unlocked state. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the periphery of the storage portion in the second upper wall; FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a locking member; FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the locking member; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of the first upper wall and the upper side protruding wall; A perspective view of a corner of a container FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer side of the first upper wall and the upper side protruding wall; FIG. 1A is a side view of the second upper wall and the upper side protruding wall in a locked state, and FIG. 1B is a side view of the second upper wall and the upper side protruding wall in an unlocked state.

Below, an embodiment of a container 10A as an example of a transport device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 15. The container 10A shown in Fig. 1 is made of resin and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top, with each wall having a batten structure. As shown in Fig. 2, the container 10A can be folded by tilting the side walls 20, 30 onto the bottom wall 11. The container 10A is provided with beams 12 at the four corners of its underside, allowing the bottom wall 11 to float above the floor or ground.

Hereinafter, the pair of side walls 20 of the container 10A that face each other in the first horizontal direction H1 will be referred to as the "pair of first side walls 20," and the pair of side walls 30 that face each other in the second horizontal direction H2 that is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction H1 will be referred to as the "pair of second side walls 30." In addition, in the description of each part, the up-down direction of each part refers to the up-down direction when the container 10A is not folded, i.e., in the assembled state (see FIG. 1), unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first side wall 20 is divided into two parts, a first upper wall 21 and a first lower wall 22, at the vertical middle. The first lower wall 22 is integrally formed with the bottom wall 11 and fixed in an upright state. A pair of inner grooves 22A (only one of the inner grooves 22A is shown in FIG. 1) extending from the upper end to the vertical middle are formed on the inner surface of the first lower wall 22, and a pair of hinge legs 21A hanging down from the first upper wall 21 are received in the pair of inner grooves 22A. The first upper wall 21 rotates around hinge protrusions (not shown) extending laterally from the lower ends of the pair of hinge legs 21A, and the first upper wall 21 is changed to an upright state in which it stands on the first lower wall 22 and a folded state in which it rotates inwardly by approximately 90 degrees from there (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of upper side protrusions 23 protrude toward the second side wall 30 from both lateral ends of each first upper side wall 21, and a pair of lower side protrusions 24 protrude toward the second side wall 30 from both lateral ends of each first lower side wall 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, each second side wall 30 is divided into two parts, a second upper wall 31 and a second lower wall 32, at the middle part in the vertical direction. The second lower wall 32 is hinged to the outer edge of the upper surface of the bottom wall 11, and can be changed between an upright state in which it stands up from the upper surface of the bottom wall 11 and a folded state in which it overlaps the upper surface of the bottom wall 11. In addition, a pair of side protrusions 32A (only one side protrusion 32A is shown in FIG. 1) protrude from the upper end of both lateral sides of the second lower wall 32, and these side protrusions 32A are received in the recess 23A formed in the upper side protrusion wall 23 and opening inward. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the side protrusions 32A abut against the inner surface 23Z of the recess 23A, restricting the second lower wall 32 from rotating outward from the upright state.

The second lower wall 32 can also move slightly upward from the upright state. As shown in FIG. 4, when the second lower wall 32 is in the upright state and at the lower end of its vertical movable range, the rotation of the second lower wall 32 inward from the upright state is restricted by the engagement between the rotation restricting protrusion 32B on the lower surface of the side protrusion 32A and the rotation restricting protrusion 23B on the lower surface of the recess 23A. When the second lower wall 32 is in the upright state and at the upper end of its vertical movable range, the engagement between the rotation restricting protrusions 23B, 32B is released as shown in FIG. 6, and the second lower wall 32 can rotate inward as shown in FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the second upper wall 31 is hinged to the upper end of the second lower wall 32 via multiple connecting members 33, and can be moved between an upright state in which it stands on the second lower wall 32 and a forward-leaning state in which it overlaps the outer surface of the second lower wall 32 as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, a pair of side projections 31A protrude from the upper ends of both lateral sides of the second upper wall 31, and these side projections 31A are received in cutouts 23D formed on the inner surface of the upper side projection wall 23.

The second upper wall 31 can move slightly upward from the upright state relative to the second lower wall 32. As shown in FIG. 4, when the second upper wall 31 is located at the lower end of the vertical movable range relative to the upright second lower wall 32, the second upper wall 31 is restricted from rotating outward from the upright state on the second lower wall 32 by the engagement between the rotation restricting protrusion 31B on the lower surface of the side protrusion 31A and the rotation restricting protrusion 23E in the notch 23D, and the second upper wall 31 is also restricted from rotating inward by the engagement between the rotation restricting protrusion 31C on the lower surface of the side protrusion 31A shown in FIG. 10 and the rotation restricting protrusion 23F of the upper side protrusion wall 23 shown in FIG. 14.

When the second upper wall 31 is positioned at the upper end of its vertical movable range relative to the second lower wall 32, the rotation restricting protrusions 23E, 31B are disengaged from each other as shown in FIG. 5, and the rotation restricting protrusions 23F, 31C are also disengaged from each other. Then, by moving the second upper wall 31 upward and rotating it outward, the container 10A can be placed in a side half-open state as shown in FIG. 3.

When the second lower wall 32 is pulled upward from the upright position via the second upper wall 31 (see FIG. 6), the engagement between the rotation restriction protrusions 23E, 31B and the engagement between the rotation restriction protrusions 23F, 31C are released, and the second upper wall 31 can be rotated outward to set the side of the container 10A in a half-open state.

When the second lower wall 32 is pulled upward from the upright state via the second upper wall 31 as shown in FIG. 6, the entire second side wall 30 can be tilted inward as shown in FIG. 7 and folded over on the bottom wall 11 as shown in FIG. 2. Even when the pair of second side walls 30 are folded, they do not overlap each other vertically but are lined up on the bottom wall 11. Then, the pair of first upper walls 21 are stacked on top of the pair of folded second side walls 30, and the entire container 10A is folded.

As described above, the container 10A of this embodiment is composed of a number of device components including the bottom wall 11, the first upper wall 21, the second upper wall 31, the second lower wall 32, etc. A pair of locking members 40 are attached to each of the second upper walls 31 in order to lock the pair of second upper walls 31 as the "second device components" to the pair of first upper walls 21 as the "first device components" and restrict rotation and vertical movement.

The pair of second upper side walls 31 and the pair of second lower side walls 32 are located within the rotational range of both lateral ends of the pair of first upper side walls 21, so that the entire container 10A is locked in the assembled state by locking the pair of second side walls 30 in the upright position.

As shown in FIG. 8, each locking member 40 is accommodated in a storage section 35 provided at the upper part of the lateral end of the second upper side wall 31 and supported so as to be slidable in the lateral direction. A through hole 35A communicating with the storage section 35 is opened in the lateral end face (hereinafter referred to as the "side end face") of the second upper side wall 31. When the locking member 40 is placed in the lock position at one end of the slidable range, the engagement protrusion 41 of the locking member 40 penetrates the through hole 35A and protrudes from the side end face of the second upper side wall 31, and engages with the engagement hole 23K formed in the upper side protruding wall 23 as shown in FIG. 9 (A). This locks the second upper side wall 31 so that it cannot rotate or move up and down relative to the upper side protruding wall 23.

On the other hand, when the locking member 40 is positioned in the unlocked position at the other end of the sliding range, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the engagement protrusion 41 of the locking member 40 retreats from the side end face of the second upper wall 31 toward the through hole 35A, thereby unlocking the second upper wall 31.

In detail, as shown in FIG. 10, the storage section 35 is surrounded on all four sides by first to fourth protruding walls 39A, 39B, 39C, 39D that protrude from the outer surface of the second upper wall 31, and is closed on the inside by the main plate portion 39E of the second upper wall 31 and is open on the outside. In the following description of the storage section 35 and the locking member 40, the lateral direction of the second upper wall 31 is simply referred to as the lateral direction, the side facing the lock position in the lateral direction is referred to as the locked side, and the opposite side is referred to as the unlocked side. In addition, the direction of the storage section 35 that is perpendicular to the main plate portion 39E is referred to as the front-rear direction, the side of the storage section 35 that is closer to the main plate portion 39E of the second upper wall 31 is referred to as the rear side, and the side away from the main plate portion 39E to the outside is referred to as the front side.

The aforementioned through hole 35A penetrates the third protruding wall 39C on the lock side of the storage section 35. The through hole 35A is located in the vertical center of the storage section 35 and is a vertically elongated rectangle. A guide wall 35B protrudes from the opening edge of the through hole 35A on the inner surface of the storage section 35, and its tip becomes the through hole 35A. A rectangular protrusion 35C is provided in the vertical center of the rear inner surface within the through hole 35A. A curved portion 39G is provided on the fourth protruding wall 39D on the unlock side of the storage section 35, with the vertical middle portion bulging into the storage section 35.

A step 35D is formed in the upper and lower surfaces of the storage section 35 midway in the horizontal direction, and the locked side of the storage section 35 from the step 35D forms a wide section 35X with a stepped vertical width, while the unlocked side forms a narrow section 35Y with a stepped vertical width.

A first slide engagement portion 36 protrudes from the horizontal center of the upper and lower inner surfaces of the wide portion 35X, approximately at the center in the front-to-rear direction. The first slide engagement portion 36 is elongated and extends horizontally, and has a flat rear surface.

A second slide engagement portion 37 protrudes from the unlocked end of the upper and lower inner surfaces of the narrow portion 35Y. The second slide engagement portion 37 is shorter than the first slide engagement portion 36, extends laterally, and has a flat rear surface. A wedge-shaped guide 37A extends forward from the front surface of each second slide engagement portion 37.

A pair of guide ribs 38A are provided at the upper end and lower end of the narrow portion 35Y, which protrude forward from the main plate portion 39E. The pair of guide ribs 38A extend laterally, with one end of each being located at the same position as the step portion 35D in the lateral direction of the storage portion 35, and the other end being connected to the fourth protruding wall 39D. In addition, a pair of engaging portions 38B protrude from the lock side end at the front end of the pair of guide ribs 38A on the side where they approach each other. The pair of engaging portions 38B are shaped like a band plate extending laterally that is bent rearward in a mountain shape. The lock side end of each engaging portion 38B is connected to a pair of reinforcing ribs 38C that protrude forward from the main plate portion 39E and are perpendicular to the guide ribs 38A.

As shown in FIG. 11(A), the locking member 40 has a vertically symmetrical structure and includes a housing section 42 in the horizontal middle section. The housing section 42 has a pair of vertically opposing walls 44 that face each other in the vertical direction, a pair of horizontally opposing walls 45, 46 that face each other in the horizontal direction, and a flat back wall 43 that covers the space surrounded by them from the rear, and the front is open.

The pair of horizontally opposing walls 45, 46 are curved in a symmetrical wave shape. The vertical center of the opposing surfaces of the pair of horizontally opposing walls 45, 46 is provided with central recesses 45C, 46C that curve away from each other, and on both the top and bottom of each of the central recesses 45C, 46C, peaks 45D, 46D that curve toward each other, and end recesses 45E, 46E are provided at both the top and bottom ends.

The pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44 are horizontally flat and extend from the housing 42 to the unlocked side, and the extended portions are formed with bent portions 44D bent in a crank shape so that the ends on the unlocked side approach each other. In addition, a band-shaped horizontal end wall 47 facing the horizontal opposing wall 46 is inserted between the ends on the unlocked side of the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44. A curved portion 47G that bulges toward the housing 42 side is formed in the vertical middle portion of the horizontal end wall 47. The front side of the horizontal end wall 47 on the housing 42 side (locked side) is inclined toward the unlocked side as it approaches the front end. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(B), the rear surfaces of the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44 are flush with the rear surface of the back wall 43 over the entire pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44. The rear surface of the horizontal end wall 47 is located forward of the rear surfaces of the upper and lower opposing walls 44.

As shown in FIG. 11(A), an elastic engagement piece 49 and a front wall 48 are provided in the area surrounded by the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44, the lateral end wall 47, and the lateral opposing wall 46. As shown in FIG. 11(B), the elastic engagement piece 49 includes an engagement piece main body 49A extending from a position near the front end of the vertical center of the lateral opposing wall 46 toward the unlock side with a certain width, a rear protrusion 49B protruding rearward from the tip of the engagement piece main body 49A, a pair of reinforcing ribs 49C connecting the upper and lower ends of the rear protrusion 49B to the engagement piece main body 49A, and a pair of engagement protrusions 50 protruding upward and downward from the pair of reinforcing ribs 49C. In addition, a reinforcing protrusion 49D is provided in the center of the width of the rear surface of the engagement piece main body 49A.

As shown in FIG. 11(A), the front wall 48 is in the form of a plate that covers the gap between the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44, the lateral end wall 47, and the lateral opposing wall 46 and the elastic engagement piece 49. A step portion 48D is formed in the front wall 48 at a position closer to the housing part 42 in the lateral direction, and the front surface of the front wall 48 on the unlock side of the step portion 48D is arranged flush with the front surface of the elastic engagement piece 49, and the front surface on the opposite side is arranged flush with the front surface of the housing part 42.

From the outer surfaces of the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44, first and second slide engagement parts 51, 54 that engage with the first and second slide engagement parts 36, 37 of the storage section 35 protrude. The pair of first slide engagement parts 51 are arranged at positions near the rear end in the front-rear direction at both upper and lower ends of the housing section 42, and extend in a slender shape in the horizontal direction. The pair of first slide engagement parts 51 also have a flat front surface. Furthermore, a pair of wedge-shaped guides 53 extend from the first slide engagement parts 51 to the rear ends of the upper and lower opposing walls 44 on the rear side of the pair of first slide engagement parts 51. In addition, a pair of protrusions 52 that protrude smaller than the first slide engagement parts 51 from the outer surfaces of the upper and lower opposing walls 44 and extend in the horizontal direction are provided in front of the pair of first slide engagement parts 51. On the other hand, the pair of second slide engagement parts 54 are disposed at the unlocked ends of the pair of upper and lower opposing walls 44 and extend horizontally in an elongated manner. The pair of second slide engagement parts 54 also have a flat front surface.

An engagement protrusion 41 is provided on the lock side of the housing part 42. The engagement protrusion 41 protrudes in a cantilever shape from a position near the rear end in the front-rear direction in the center of the vertical direction of the horizontal opposing wall 45 of the housing part 42. In detail, as shown in FIG. 11(B), a pair of horizontally extending square grooves 41A are provided at both ends in the width direction of the engagement protrusion 41, and the groove openings of the pair of square grooves 41A face rearward. In addition, the middle parts of the opposing surfaces of the pair of square grooves 41A in the front-rear direction are connected by a strip-shaped central wall 41B. And, a central groove surrounded by the pair of square grooves 41A and the central wall 41B is formed in front of and behind the central wall 41B, and as shown in FIG. 11(A), the tip of the front central groove is closed by a connecting wall 41C that connects the tips of the pair of square grooves 41A. Furthermore, the entire tip of the engagement protrusion 41 is tapered in both the front-to-back and up-to-down directions.

The locking member 40 is inclined relative to the front-rear direction, the engagement protrusion 41 is inserted into the through hole 35A, and the side end wall 47 is placed on the inner surface of the fourth protruding wall 39D and pushed into the storage section 35. Then, the storage section 35 is elastically deformed so as to be expanded in the vertical direction due to the sliding contact between the first slide engagement section 36 (FIG. 10) and the wedge-shaped guide 53 (see FIG. 11B) and the sliding contact between the second slide engagement section 54 (see FIG. 11B) and the wedge-shaped guide 37A (FIG. 10). When the first and second slide engagement sections 51, 54 of the locking member 40 reach the rear of the first and second slide engagement sections 36, 37 of the storage section 35, the storage section 35 elastically returns to its original state. As a result, the flat front surfaces of the first and second slide engagement parts 51, 54 of the locking member 40 overlap with the flat rear surfaces of the first and second slide engagement parts 36, 37 of the storage section 35 to prevent dislodging, and the locking member 40 is supported so that it can slide laterally. As described above, when the locking member 40 is moved to the locked position at one end of the slidable range, the engagement protrusion 41 protrudes from the side end face of the second upper wall 31, and when it is moved to the unlocked position at the other end, the engagement protrusion 41 retracts toward the storage section 35 and no longer protrudes from the lateral side face of the second upper wall 31.

As shown in FIG. 12, the engagement hole 23K of the upper side protruding wall 23 is a vertically long rectangle that fits the engagement protrusion 41 protruding from the side end surface of the second upper wall 31. As shown in FIG. 9(A), when the second upper wall 31 and the second lower wall 32 of the second side wall 30 are both in an upright position and positioned at the lower end of the vertical movable range, the engagement protrusion 41 can be engaged with the engagement hole 23K of the upper side protruding wall 23. When the engagement protrusion 41 engages with the engagement hole 23K, the second upper wall 31 enters a locked state in which both vertical movement and rotation are restricted, and when the engagement protrusion 41 leaves the engagement hole 23K, the second upper wall 31 enters an unlocked state.

As shown in Figures 9(A) and 9(B), while the locking member 40 is moving between the locked position and the unlocked position, the engagement protrusion 50 of the locking member 40 comes into contact with the engagement portion 38B of the accommodation portion 35, causing the elastic engagement piece 49 (see Figure 11(A)) to elastically deform downward, and when the locking member 40 reaches the locked or unlocked position, the elastic engagement piece 49 elastically returns to its original position. This holds the locking member 40 in the locked or unlocked position.

The locking operation of moving the locking member 40 from the unlocked position to the locked position can be performed by bringing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the locking operation surface S1, which is the inner surface of the lateral opposing wall 45 of the housing 42 facing the unlocked position, and the locking finger hook surface T1, which is a wall surface located closer to the locked position than the locking operation surface S1 and facing the opposite side from the locking operation surface S1. There are multiple wall surfaces on the container 10A that can become such locking finger hook surfaces T1, but the locking finger hook surface T1 is provided in a position that ensures a space where an average adult can easily apply force and place their fingers.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the container 10A is provided with a wall portion having a wall surface facing the opposite side of the lock operation surface S1 on the lock position side of the lock operation surface S1, the wall portion being provided with a first vertical rib 90A that protrudes in the second horizontal direction H2 from the tip of the upper side protruding wall 23 and extends in the vertical direction, and a second vertical rib 90B that faces the first vertical rib 90A from the side away from the lock operation surface S1. The surface of the second vertical rib 90B that faces the opposite side of the lock operation surface S1 is the lock finger hook surface T1.

In order to secure a space to the side of the locking finger hook surface T1 that allows easy insertion of a finger, a space having approximately the same vertical width as the wide portion 35X of the storage section 35 and no horizontal rib is formed between the second vertical rib 90B and the third vertical rib 90C on the side further from the locking operation surface S1. The third vertical rib 90C protrudes diagonally from the corner between the first upper wall 21 and the upper side protruding wall 23.

Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that a finger is placed on the locking finger hook surface T1, the second vertical rib 90B having the locking finger hook surface T1 is curved in a wave shape similar to the horizontal opposing wall 45 having the lock operation surface S1. The locking finger hook surface T1 also has a central recess 60C and a pair of end recesses 60E, similar to the lock operation surface S1. The central recess 60C of the locking finger hook surface T1 is located at the same height in the vertical direction as the central recess 45C of the lock operation surface S1, and is wider in the vertical direction than the central recess 45C of the lock operation surface S1.

The unlocking operation of moving the locking member 40 from the locked position to the unlocked position can be performed by bringing the thumb and fingers of one hand close to the unlocking operation surface S2, which is the inner surface of the lateral opposing wall 46 of the housing 42 facing the locked position, and the unlocking finger hook surface T2, which is a wall surface located closer to the unlocking position than the unlocking operation surface S2 and facing the opposite side to the unlocking operation surface S2. The wall surface of the fourth protruding wall 39D of the storage section 35 is located at a position where an average adult can easily exert force against the unlocking operation surface S2, so the surface of the fourth protruding wall 39D facing the opposite side to the unlocking operation surface S2 serves as the unlocking finger hook surface T2.

In addition, to ensure a space to the side of the unlocking finger hook surface T2 that allows easy insertion of a finger, a space is formed between the fourth protruding wall 39D and the vertical rib 90D of the second upper wall 31 that faces it from the opposite side of the unlocking operation surface S2, in which the horizontal ribs are lowered to allow easy insertion of a finger within a range of approximately the same vertical width as the narrow portion 35Y of the storage section 35. Furthermore, as described above, the fourth protruding wall 39D is provided with a curved portion 39G in the center in the vertical direction, and the recess in the unlocking finger hook surface T2 caused by the curved portion 39G becomes a central recess 39H. Note that the central recess 39H is located at the same height in the vertical direction as the central recess 46C of the unlocking operation surface S2 and has approximately the same vertical width.

The above is the description of the configuration of the container 10A of this embodiment. As described above, in the container 10A of this embodiment, the lock operation can be performed by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the lock operation surface S1 and the lock finger hook surface T1. Similarly, the unlock operation can be performed by placing the thumb and other fingers of one hand close to the unlock operation surface S2 and the unlock finger hook surface T2. Here, the lock operation surface S1 and the lock finger hook surface T1 are formed with the central recesses 45C, 60C and the end recesses 45E, 60E as "finger rest recesses" that are curved so as to approach each other, so that the fingertips fit in them and the fingers are prevented from slipping. In addition, the unlock operation surface S2 and the unlock finger hook surface T2 are also formed with the central recesses 46C, 39H and the end recesses 46E as "finger rest recesses", so that the fingers are prevented from slipping in the vertical direction. As a result, the container 10A of the present disclosure makes it possible to easily perform the lock operation and the unlock operation with one hand. In addition, the lock operation surface S1, the unlock operation surface S2, and the lock finger hook surface T1 are wavy, forming multiple finger rest recesses that are multiple valleys of the wavy shape, and multiple fingers can be placed against the finger rest recesses to perform the lock operation and unlock operation, stabilizing these operations. Furthermore, the elastic engagement piece 49 and the engagement protrusion 41 protrude from the operation portion (housing portion 42) of the lock member 40 that has the lock operation surface S1 and the unlock operation surface S2 on opposite sides in the sliding direction, so that the tilt of the lock member 40 due to the operating force is suppressed, stabilizing the sliding operation of the lock member 40.

The lock operation surface S1 and the unlock operation surface S2 may be provided back-to-back on a protruding wall provided on the locking member 40, but if they are arranged facing each other on the inside of the housing part 42 (corresponding to the "finger insertion recess" of this disclosure) provided on the locking member 40 as in the container 10A of this embodiment, both the lock operation and the unlock operation can be performed by inserting a finger into a common space, the space inside the housing part 42, thereby making effective use of space.

In addition, the central recesses 39H, 45C, 46C, and 60C are aligned on a common straight line parallel to the sliding direction of the locking member 40, making it easy to switch between the locking and unlocking operations.

[Other embodiments]
(1) In the above embodiment, a container 10A is given as an example of a transport instrument according to the present disclosure. However, the transport instrument according to the present disclosure is not limited to a container and may be, for example, a cart or a pallet that can be disassembled into multiple instrument components.

(2) The locking member 40 in the above embodiment fixes the second tool component (second upper wall 31) relative to the first tool component (first upper wall 21) so that it does not rotate, but the locking member may fix the second tool component relative to the first tool component so that it does not slide, or may fix the first tool component so that it does not separate. Specifically, for example, the container body and the lid body that is attached and detached to the container body may be the first and second tool components, and a locking member may be provided to lock them together, or the cart body and the fixing member that slides relative to the cart body to fix the casters together may be the first and second tool components, and a locking member may be provided to lock them together.

(3) In the above embodiment, the locking finger hook surface T1 was provided on the first upper wall 21, which is a separate device component from the second upper wall 31 to which the locking member 40 is attached. However, the locking finger hook surface T1 may also be provided on the second upper wall 31.

(4) In the above embodiment, the lock operation surface S1 and the unlock operation surface S2 are provided so as to face each other. However, for example, two surfaces of the protruding wall provided on the lock member 40 that are in a front-back positional relationship in the horizontal direction may be set as the lock operation surface S1 and the unlock operation surface S2, and one or more finger rest recesses may be provided on them.

(5) In addition, in the above embodiment, the central recesses 39H, 45C, 46C, and 60C (finger contact recesses) and the end recesses 45E, 46E, and 60E (finger contact recesses) are aligned on a common straight line parallel to the sliding direction of the locking member 40, but either one or both may be aligned with a vertical offset.

(6) In the above embodiment, the finger rest recesses such as the central recesses 39H, 45C, 46C, and 60C and the end recesses 45E, 46E, and 60E are groove-shaped, but they may also be crater-shaped. Such a shape enhances the anti-slip effect.

(7) In the above embodiment, the lock operation surface S1 and the lock finger hook surface T1, and the unlock operation surface S2 and the unlock finger hook surface T2 each had a finger rest recess. However, only the lock operation surface S1 and the lock finger hook surface T1 may have a finger rest recess, only the unlock operation surface S2 and the unlock finger hook surface T2 may have a finger rest recess, or further, only the lock operation surface S1 and the unlock operation surface S2 may have a finger rest recess, or only the lock finger hook surface T1 and the unlock finger hook surface T2 may have a finger rest recess.

Note that although specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims are disclosed in this specification and drawings, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken separately.

10A Container 21 First upper wall (first device component, side wall)
31 Second upper wall (first device component, side wall, movable wall)
39H, 45C, 46C, 60C Central recess (finger rest recess)
40 Locking member 42 Housing portion (finger insertion recess)
45E, 46E, 60E End recess (finger rest recess)
S1 Lock operation surface S2 Unlock operation surface T1 Finger hook surface for locking T2 Finger hook surface for unlocking

Claims (4)

A transport device, comprising first and second device components constituting a part or the whole of the transport device, a locking member slidably supported on the second device component, the locking member restricting relative movement or relative rotation of the first and second device components when the locking member is moved to a locking position at one end of the slidable range, and the restriction being released when the locking member is moved to an unlocking position at the other end of the slidable range,
The locking member is provided with a finger insertion recess between a pair of inner surfaces facing each other in a sliding direction, and includes a lock operation surface facing the unlock position side , an unlock operation surface facing the lock position side, and an unlock side outer wall disposed closer to the unlock position than the finger insertion recess,
a lock finger hook surface provided on the first or second tool component, disposed on the lock position side of the lock operation surface, and facing an opposite side to the lock operation surface ;
An unlocking finger hook surface is provided on the first or second tool component, is disposed on the unlocking position side of the unlocking operation surface, and faces the opposite side to the unlocking operation surface .
By placing the thumb and the other fingers of one hand on the lock operation surface and the lock finger hook surface and bringing them close to each other, it is possible to perform a sliding operation of the lock member to the lock position,
The lock operation surface and the lock finger hook surface are curved so as to approach each other, and a finger hook recess capable of accommodating a fingertip is formed ,
By placing the thumb and the other fingers of one hand on the unlock operation surface and the unlock finger hook surface and bringing them close to each other, it is possible to perform a sliding operation of the lock member to the unlock position,
The unlock operation surface and the unlock finger hook surface are curved to approach each other and have finger rest recesses in which a fingertip can be accommodated, and the finger rest recesses of the unlock finger hook surface are received in a recess formed in the unlock side outer wall in the unlock position,
The finger rest recess on the lock operation surface and the finger rest recess on the unlock operation surface face each other in a sliding direction of the lock member so as to expand a part of the finger insertion recess. A transport device, comprising first and second device components constituting a part or the whole of the transport device, a locking member slidably supported on the second device component, the locking member restricting relative movement or relative rotation of the first and second device components when the locking member is moved to a locking position at one end of the slidable range, and the restriction being released when the locking member is moved to an unlocking position at the other end of the slidable range,
The locking member is provided with a finger insertion recess between a pair of first opposing walls opposed to each other in a sliding direction, and includes a lock operation surface facing the unlock position side, an unlock operation surface facing the lock position side, and an unlock side outer wall disposed closer to the unlock position side than the pair of first opposing walls,
a lock finger hook surface provided on the first or second tool component, disposed on the lock position side of the lock operation surface, and facing an opposite side to the lock operation surface;
An unlocking finger hook surface is provided on the first or second tool component, is disposed on the unlocking position side of the unlocking operation surface, and faces the opposite side to the unlocking operation surface.
By placing the thumb and the other fingers of one hand on the lock operation surface and the lock finger hook surface and bringing them close to each other, it is possible to perform a sliding operation of the lock member to the lock position,
The lock operation surface and the lock finger hook surface are curved so as to approach each other, and a finger hook recess capable of accommodating a fingertip is formed,
By placing the thumb and the other fingers of one hand on the unlock operation surface and the unlock finger hook surface and bringing them close to each other, it is possible to perform a sliding operation of the lock member to the unlock position,
The unlocking operation surface and the unlocking finger rest surface are curved so as to approach each other, and a finger rest recess capable of receiving a fingertip is formed ,
the finger rest recess on the lock operation surface and the finger rest recess on the unlock operation surface face each other in a sliding direction of the lock member so as to expand a part of the finger insertion recess,
an engagement protrusion extending in a cantilever shape from the first opposing wall having the lock operation surface of the lock member in a sliding direction of the lock member on a side opposite to the lock operation surface;
an engagement hole provided in the first tool component and into which the engagement protrusion engages when the locking member is disposed at the lock position;
an elastic engagement piece that protrudes in a cantilever shape from the first opposing wall having the unlock operation surface of the lock member toward the unlock side outer wall side;
a locking member provided on the second device component and configured to interfere with the elastic engagement piece at a position other than the locked position and the unlocked position, thereby deflecting the elastic engagement piece. The transport device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lock operation surface, the unlock operation surface, the lock finger hook surface or the unlock finger hook surface has a wave shape in which peaks and valleys are alternately arranged in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the locking member and parallel to the outer surfaces of the first and second device components, and a plurality of valleys included in the wave shape form the finger rest recesses. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of a side wall forms a rotatable or slidable movable wall, and the movable wall and an adjacent side wall are provided as one and the other of the first and second device components, and the movable wall is locked or unlocked by the locking member.