JP7797038B2 - Nesting rack with alignment pins - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a nesting rack with alignment pins, and more specifically to a nesting rack with highly earthquake-resistant alignment pins that allows multiple nesting racks to be stably stacked one above the other.

Nesting racks are used as shelves for storing various items in warehouses and other places, and allow items to be stacked one inside the other for storage. Furthermore, by using a forklift or other device to change the location of the nesting rack, or by stacking multiple nesting racks one on top of the other, space within the warehouse can be used more effectively.

Alignment pins for connecting multiple nesting racks vertically include hemispherical or bullet-shaped alignment pins that protrude upward. When multiple nesting racks are connected vertically via such alignment pins, the alignment pin on the nesting rack on the lower level fits inside the hollow bottom end of the support column of the rack on the upper level, making the connection strong.

For example, the nesting rack described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with alignment pins that prevent the upper and lower nesting racks from sliding against each other, even when subjected to large vibrations caused by earthquakes, road construction, etc.

Registered Utility Model No. 3200473

However, especially in countries prone to earthquakes, there is a need for nesting racks equipped with alignment pins that allow multiple nesting racks to be connected more stably.

A nesting rack equipped with alignment pins for vertically connecting multiple nesting racks, each having a front support and a rear support formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular pillar, is provided. The alignment pins are composed of a lower portion having a generally rectangular pillar shape sized to fit inside the hollow pillar, and an upper portion having a generally rectangular pyramid shape that matches the generally rectangular pillar shape of the lower portion. A first engagement portion is formed on one or more of the four outer wall surfaces of the rectangular pillar of the lower portion of the alignment pin, while a flexible foot member having a generally rectangular ring shape is joined to the lower end of the pillar. A second engagement portion is formed on one or more of the four inner wall surfaces of the foot member. The nesting rack equipped with alignment pins is configured so that the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion can engage with each other when the alignment pin is fitted inside the hollow pillar.

In one embodiment, the first engagement portion is formed as a recess, while the second engagement portion is formed as a protrusion.

Furthermore, the protrusions are formed so as to protrude inward from the inner wall surface of the leg member.

Furthermore, only the four corners (four corner portions) of the leg member are joined to the lower end of the support.

Furthermore, protrusions are formed on each of the four inner wall surfaces of the leg member, and four recesses that can engage with each of these protrusions are formed in the lower portion of the alignment pin.

Furthermore, the alignment pin is located on the top of one of the front and rear support columns.

1A is a perspective view of a nesting rack, FIG. 1B is a perspective view of an alignment pin, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the lower end of a support column. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of nesting racks when stacked. 10 is a perspective view showing the process up to when the alignment pin is fitted into the inside of the lower end of the support pillar. FIG. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the process up to engagement between the recess of the alignment pin and the protrusion of the leg member. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a first engagement portion of an alignment pin in another embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a method of attaching a leg member in another embodiment.

The nesting rack (hereinafter simply referred to as "rack") of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1(a) is a perspective view of a nesting rack 1 of the present invention. Rack 1 generally comprises a front support 2, a rear support 3, and a beam member 5 for supporting a pallet or the like. In one embodiment, an alignment pin 4 is provided on the top of the front support 2 of rack 1. Alternatively, alignment pin 4 may be provided on the top of the support 3 located on the rear side of rack 1. Also, as in the <Another embodiment> shown in the upper left of Figure 1(a), alignment pin 4 may be provided on the beam member rather than on the support 2.

Figure 1(b) is a perspective view of the alignment pin 4 attached to the top of the support post 2. The alignment pin 4 is composed of a lower portion 10 in the shape of a roughly rectangular prism, sized to fit inside the hollow support post 2, and an upper portion 12 in the shape of a roughly square pyramid that matches the lower portion 10 of the roughly rectangular prism. Furthermore, a first engagement portion is formed on one or more of the four outer wall surfaces of the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1(b), four recesses 14 are formed as first engagement portions on the four outer wall surfaces of the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4.

As shown in Figure 1(c), a leg member (liner) 6 made of a flexible material is joined to the lower end of the support 2. This leg member 6 is formed in a roughly square ring shape, and, for example, only the joints 18 at the four corners of the leg member 6 are welded to the lower end of the steel support of the nesting rack 1. Second engagement portions are formed on one or more of the four inner wall surfaces 8 of the leg member 6. In the example shown in Figure 1(c), four protrusions 16 are formed as second engagement portions on the four inner wall surfaces near the lower end of the support 2.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1(b) and (c), four recesses 14 are formed on the alignment pin 4 as first engagement portions, while four protrusions 16 that can engage with each of these recesses 14 are formed on the support post 2 as second engagement portions. However, in other embodiments, the first engagement portions may be formed as protrusions on the outer wall surface of the alignment pin 4, while the second engagement portions may be formed as recesses on the inner wall surface of the support post.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of nesting racks when stacked. In one embodiment, the rack 1 to be the upper tier is lowered by a forklift in the direction of arrow A onto the rack 1 to be the lower tier. At this time, the forklift operator positions the rack 1 so that the foot member 6 on the lower end of the support column 2 of the rack 1 to be the upper tier fits over the alignment pin 4 on the top of the support column 2 of the rack 1 to be the lower tier. Because the upper portion of the alignment pin 4 is shaped like a square pyramid, even someone unfamiliar with forklift operation can easily position the racks.

Figure 3(a) shows the state after the rack 1 to be the upper tier has been lowered in the direction of arrow A by a forklift or similar device, before the alignment pin 4 of the rack 1 to be the lower tier is fitted inside the lower end of the hollow support 2 of the rack 1.

As shown in Figure 3(b), when the alignment pin 4 of the rack 1 to be the lower tier fits inside the lower end of the support post 2 of the rack 1 to be the upper tier, the protrusion 16 formed on the inner wall surface of the leg member 6 and the recess 14 formed on the outer wall surface of the alignment pin 4 engage with each other. Note that because only the four corners of the flexible leg member 6 are joined to the support post 2, just before the protrusion 16 and the recess 14 engage with each other, the central portion of the leg member 6 (not the joint 18) is momentarily spread outward by the length of the protrusion 16 (it momentarily bends outward as if to escape).

Figures 4(a), (b1), and (c1) show the process of the upper rack 1 being lowered in the direction of arrow A until the protrusion 16 on the leg member 6 of the support 2 of the upper rack 1 engages with the recess 14 on the alignment pin 4 of the lower rack 1. Note that Figure 4(b2) is an end view taken along line I-I in Figure 4(b1). Also, Figure 4(c2) is an end view taken along line II-II in Figure 4(c1).

Figure 4(a) shows the state before the alignment pin 4 of the rack 1 to be the lower tier is fitted inside the hollow support 2 of the rack 1 to be the upper tier.

As shown in Figure 4(b1), just before the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4 fits inside the leg member 6 of the support 2, the protrusion 16 of the leg member 6 abuts against the outer wall surface of the alignment pin 4, causing the central portions of the four sides of the leg member 6 that are not joined to the support 2 to momentarily bulge outward.

In other words, as clearly shown in the end view of Figure 4(b2), just before the protrusion 16 and recess 14 engage with each other, the protrusion 16 abuts against the outer wall surface of the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4, causing the four central portions of the leg member 6 to momentarily expand outward.

When the alignment pin 4 of the support 2 of the lower rack 1 is fully inserted into the inside of the foot member 6 of the support 2 of the upper rack 1, as shown in Figure 4(c1), the center portion of the foot member 6 returns to its original shape, as shown in Figure 4(c2), and the protrusion 16 of the foot member 6 and the recess 14 of the alignment pin 4 engage with each other. This engagement makes the multiple racks 1 connected together highly safe and will not collapse even when subjected to strong vibrations, etc.

In another embodiment shown in Figure 5(a), holes 20 are drilled in the outer wall surface of the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4 as the first engagement portion. These holes 20 are configured to engage or fit with protrusions formed on the leg members of the support 2.

In yet another embodiment shown in Figure 5(b), a notch 22 extending upward from the lower edge of the lower portion 10 of the alignment pin 4 is formed as the first engagement portion, and this notch 22 is configured to engage with a protrusion on the foot member of the support 2.

Figure 6(a) shows another example of a method for attaching a leg member (liner) 24. In this attachment method, when the flexible, square-ring-shaped leg member 24 is moved in the direction of arrow B relative to the support 2, the inner wall surface 26 of the leg member 24 abuts against the outer wall surface 28 of the support 2, and the protrusion 30 formed on the inner wall surface 26 of the leg member 24 is inserted into the notch 32 formed in the bottom edge of the support 2.

Then, as shown in Figure 6(b), the lower end of the support 2 and the foot members 24 can be welded at the joints 18 at the four corners. Figure 6(c) is a bottom view of the support 2 with the foot members 24 welded, showing that the protrusions 30 protrude inward from the support.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 nesting rack 2 (front) support 3 (rear) support 4 alignment pin 5 beam member 6 foot member 8 inner wall surface 10 lower portion 12 upper portion 14 recess (first engagement portion)
16...Protrusion (second engagement portion)
18... Joint portion 20... Hole (first engagement portion in other embodiments)
22...Notch (first engagement portion in further embodiments)
24... Leg member 26... Inner wall surface 28... Outer wall surface 30... Protrusion 32... Notch

Claims (5)

A nesting rack having alignment pins for vertically connecting a plurality of nesting racks each having a front support column and a rear support column formed in the shape of a hollow square pillar,
The alignment pin is composed of a lower portion having a generally square prism shape formed to a size that can fit inside the hollow support, and an upper portion having a generally square pyramid shape that matches the generally square prism shape of the lower portion, and a first engagement portion is formed on one or more of the four outer wall surfaces of the square prism of the lower portion of the alignment pin,
a flexible, generally square-ring-shaped foot member is joined to a lower end of the support post, and a second engagement portion is formed on one or more of the four inner wall surfaces of the foot member;
A nesting rack with alignment pins, characterized in that a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion are configured to be able to engage with each other when the alignment pin is fitted inside the hollow support column ,
A nesting rack with alignment pins, characterized in that the first engagement portion is formed as a recess, while the second engagement portion is formed as a protrusion . 2. The nesting rack with alignment pins according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are formed so as to protrude inward from the inner wall surfaces of the leg members. 3. The nesting rack with alignment pins according to claim 2 , wherein only the four corners of said leg members are joined to said posts. A protrusion is formed on each of the four inner wall surfaces of the leg member,
4. A nesting rack with alignment pins according to claim 3 , wherein four recesses capable of engaging with each of said projections are formed in the lower portion of said alignment pin. 5. A nesting rack equipped with an alignment pin according to claim 1 , wherein the alignment pin is provided on a top portion of one of the front support column and the rear support column.