JP7509985B1 - cart - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a small, lightweight cart that can be carried when walking a pet or going shopping and that can be easily unfolded and folded.
[Solution] The cart is composed of a drive frame, a driven frame, and a platform frame, which are made of a lightweight tubular member and a joint member made of a lightweight plastic, and has a locking mechanism that allows the relative positions of each frame to be fixed by operating a knob linked to a lock pin incorporated in the joint member through which the long side rod member of the drive frame is slidably inserted, and can be easily switched between the unfolded and folded states. In addition, at least one of the drive frame and the driven frame is provided with a freely movable caster on the lower part, making it easy to change direction, and even in the folded state, the casters of the drive frame and the driven frame are simultaneously grounded and independent, allowing both hands to be used freely. Furthermore, the caster stopper mechanism allows the cart to be fixed even on slopes, etc., making it a safe structure to use.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a cart for transporting animals or luggage, and more particularly to a cart that can be folded compactly when not in use and easily unfolded when in use.

In recent years, the pet boom has led to the development of a medical system for pets, which has resulted in pets living longer and aging. Dogs need to be walked, but elderly dogs have problems such as being unable to walk more than a certain distance continuously, and even for dogs that are not elderly, there are places on the walking route where it is difficult to walk or where you do not want to walk them. In addition, there is a demand for carts that are easy to carry, not only for pets, but also for shopping and other uses.

However, conventional carts have a complicated folding structure, making them difficult to fold up and carry compactly for shopping or walking a dog; the cart needs to be moored or monitored in a designated location when shopping or walking a dog, and needs to be returned to where it was parked after the walk or shopping is finished.

There are many baby strollers on the market as a type of foldable cart. Patent Document 1 discloses a frame folding mechanism including a frame, a seat, and interlocking parts, wherein the frame includes a handle, front legs, and rear legs, the handle, the front legs, and the rear legs are pivotally connected to the same axis to form a first center of rotation, the front legs are pivotally connected to the seat to form a second center of rotation, one end of the interlocking part is pivotally connected to the seat to form a third center of rotation, and the other end of the interlocking part is pivotally connected to the handle to form a fourth center of rotation, the first center of rotation, the second center of rotation, the third center of rotation, and the fourth center of rotation D4 are distributed at intervals, and the frame is rotated and folded, thereby rotating and folding the seat by the interlocking parts.

However, the frame folding mechanism disclosed therein is intended for carrying an infant, and in view of the limitations on the size of luggage or animals that can be transported, it is believed that there is room for improvement.

JP 2023-511856 A

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a small, lightweight cart that can be carried when walking a pet or going shopping, and that can be easily unfolded and folded.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors conducted extensive research into the configuration of a frame, i.e., a framework, made of a lightweight tubular member and a connecting member made of a lightweight plastic or the like, and as a result, they came up with the present invention.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a cart according to one aspect of the present invention includes a drive frame body having a rod-shaped member configured in a substantially rectangular shape, a pair of first casters at both ends of one short side, and a first joint member having a first through hole, for slidably inserting the rod-shaped member of the long side, and a first rotation shaft for rotatably attaching another member, on each long side; a driven frame body having a pair of second casters at both ends of the other short side, and a loading platform frame body having a rod-shaped member configured in a substantially rectangular shape, one short side of which is rotatably attached to a side of the first rotation shaft on which the drive frame body moves by pushing the drive frame body, and one short side of which is rotatably attached to a second rotation shaft provided in the vicinity of the first joint member of the driven frame body; the first support member having one end rotatably attached to a third pivot shaft provided on one of the short sides of the drive frame body and the other end rotatably attached to the fourth pivot shaft of a second joining member having a second through hole provided on a long side of the driven frame body, through which a rod-shaped member of the long side passes, and a fourth pivot shaft for rotatably attaching two other members individually; and a second support member having one end attached to the fourth pivot shaft of the second joining member and the other end rotatably attached to the fifth pivot shaft of a third joining member having a third through hole provided on a long side of the loading platform frame body, through which a rod-shaped member of the long side passes, and a fifth pivot shaft for rotatably attaching another member.

In addition, a cart according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a tubular member is attached to the first joining member, perpendicular to the rod-shaped member constituting the long side of the drive frame body, and having a pin inside that can slide longitudinally, and the pin engages with a bottomed hole or a through hole provided in the rod-shaped member constituting the long side of the drive frame body, thereby enabling the relative positions of the drive frame body, the driven frame body, and the loading platform frame body to be fixed.

In addition, the cart according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of the first caster and the second caster is a swivel caster.

In addition, a cart according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the first caster has a stopper having a friction pad that can rotate in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the wheel to press against the outer periphery of the caster.

Because the cart according to the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, the loading platform frame can secure a certain amount of space, making it possible to load pets such as dogs and various luggage, and it can be folded up to be lightweight and compact, and since the folded and unfolded states can be secured by a locking mechanism, when walking a dog, one hand can be held on the dog's lead and the other hand can be used to pull the cart. When shopping, even if the cart according to the present invention is pulled around a store in the folded state, it does not obstruct other shoppers' walking.

In addition, even in the folded state, the casters of the drive frame body and the driven frame body can touch the ground at the same time, and the cart can stand on its own even if you let go of it, so it can also be used in situations where you want to use both hands at the same time, such as when cleaning up dog waste. By providing two bottomed or through holes at specified positions for engaging the pins on the drive frame body, the cart can be fixed in place whether it is in the folded or unfolded state, which contributes to improved safety.

In addition, due to the structural features, a sufficient horizontal distance can be secured between the upper end of the drive frame body that is pushed with the hand and the casters attached to the drive frame body in the unfolded state, preventing the feet from hitting the casters and allowing for comfortable walking. Furthermore, by making some or all of the casters swivel casters, it becomes easier to control the direction of travel, and the movement of the cart can be stopped by a stopper provided on the first caster, which also contributes to improved safety.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a pet cart according to the present invention when unfolded, FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view from above, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view from below. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a pet cart according to the present invention, in which FIG. 2(a) shows the pet cart in a folded state, FIG. 2(b) shows the pet cart in the middle of being unfolded, and FIG. 2(c) shows the pet cart in an unfolded state. FIG. 3 shows an example of how the cart is used, in which a foldable basket is attached to the platform frame. FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of the cart and basket when unfolded, FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the cart and basket when folded, and FIG. 3(c) is a side view of the cart and basket when folded. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a locking mechanism capable of fixing the relative positions of the frames according to the present invention, in which FIG. 4A is a plan view in a locked state, FIG. 4B is a side sectional view in a locked state, FIG. 4C is a plan view in an unlocked state, and FIG. 4D is a side sectional view in an unlocked state. FIG. 5 shows examples of the types of swivel casters according to the present invention. FIG. 5(a) shows a double-wheel swivel caster, and FIG. 5(b) shows a single-wheel swivel caster. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a caster lock mechanism according to the present invention, in which FIG. 6(a) is a side view showing a caster unlocked state, and FIG. 6(b) is a side view showing a caster locked state.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a pet cart according to the present invention when unfolded, Fig. 1(a) is a perspective view from above, and Fig. 1(b) is a perspective view from below. In Fig. 1, 1 denotes a drive frame body, which is constructed by assembling rod-shaped members made of lightweight metal pipes such as aluminum into a rectangular shape. A pair of long sides of the drive frame body are provided with first joint members 2 having first through holes (not shown) through which the rod-shaped members of the long sides can be inserted, which are slidable in the length direction of the rod-shaped members, and which have a first rotation shaft (not shown) for rotatably mounting one end of the long side of the rod-shaped members constituting the driven frame body 4.

The driven frame 4 is made of metal pipes similar to the drive frame 1, assembled into a rectangle, with one short side rotatably attached to the first rotation shaft and a second joint member 10 attached to the long side. Similarly to the drive frame 1 and the driven frame 4, the loading platform frame 7 is made of metal pipes assembled into a rectangle, with one short side attached to the second rotation shaft 6 and a third joint member 11 attached so as to be slidable along the long side.

A first support member 9 is attached between a fourth pivot axis (not shown) of the second joining member 10 and the third pivot axis 8 attached to the lower short side of the drive frame body 1, in a state in which it can rotate about the third pivot axis 8 and the fourth pivot axis, and further, a second support member 12 is attached between the fourth pivot axis of the second joining member 10 and a fifth pivot axis (not shown) of the third joining member 11 of the cargo bed frame body 4, in a state in which it can rotate about the fourth pivot axis and the fifth pivot axis.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing an example of a pet cart according to the present invention, Fig. 2(a) shows a folded state, Fig. 2(b) shows a state in the middle of unfolding, and shows the operation of each member when unfolding from the folded state. (c) shows the unfolded state. As shown in Fig. 2(a), when both the first caster 3 and the second caster 5 of the cart of the present invention are in contact with the ground or floor surface, and the first joint member 2 is slid downward in the figure while holding the upper end of the drive frame body 1, each joint member slides in the direction of the arrow, and accordingly each rod-shaped member rotates in the direction of the arrow to reach the unfolded state.

Figure 3 shows an example of how the cart can be used, with a foldable basket attached to the loading platform frame, where Figure 3(a) is an oblique view from above of the cart and basket unfolded, Figure 3(b) is an oblique view from above of the cart and basket folded up, and Figure 3(c) is a side view of the cart and basket folded up. A foldable basket 31 which can be attached and detached using a belt or buckle (not shown) is attached to the cart loading platform frame, and the cart and basket are unfolded when in use, and folded up when transporting or storing.

Fig. 4 shows a lock mechanism for fixing the relative positions of the drive frame, the driven frame and the bed frame according to the present invention, in which Fig. 4(a) is a plan view in a locked state, Fig. 4(b) is a side cross-sectional view in a locked state, Fig. 4(c) is a plan view in an unlocked state and Fig. 4(d) is a side cross-sectional view in an unlocked state. In Fig. 4(a) and (b), a pair of first joint members 2 are connected by a connecting pipe 18, into which a pair of small diameter pipes 19 having a pin 20 at one end and a cylindrical member 21 at the other end are inserted. The small diameter pipes 19 are pushed in the left-right direction in the figure by a compression spring 24, and engage with a bottomed hole or a through hole provided in the long side rod member 1a of the drive frame, thereby locking the frames. In addition, the small diameter pipe 19 is connected to a knob 23 via a spring pin 22, and the connecting pipe 18 has a slot (not shown) for the spring pin 22, so that the pair of pipes 19 move in unison by sliding the knob 23. In Figures 4(c) and 4(d), by pulling the knob 23 to the position shown in the figures, the pin 20 comes out of the hole provided in the long side rod member 1a of the drive frame, and the lock is released.

FIG. 5 shows examples of the types of swivel casters according to the present invention, where FIG. 5(a) is a double-wheel swivel caster and FIG. 5(b) is a single-wheel swivel caster; the swivel casters of this cart can be of either type.

Fig. 6 shows the caster lock mechanism according to the present invention, Fig. 6(a) is a side view of the caster unlocked state, and Fig. 6(b) is a side view of the caster locked state. In Fig. 6(a), a lock lever 25 that rotates around a rotation center 27 on the upper part of the caster 3 and a holder 26 that holds the lock lever 25 are fixed to the long side rod-shaped member 1a of the drive frame body. The lock lever 25 is integrated with a friction pad whose rotation center is eccentric, and in the unlocked state, the tip of the lever faces upwards due to a spring (not shown), and there is a gap between the friction pad and the caster. In Fig. 6(b), by rotating the lock lever 25 in the direction of 28, the eccentric friction pad portion comes into contact with the caster to form a contact point 29. Since this contact point 29 is located beyond the apex 30 of the eccentric friction pad portion, the lock lever 25 will not rotate in the opposite direction to the direction 28 and will be in the locked state unless a force exceeding the spring force of a spring (not shown) attached to the lock lever 25 acts.

As described above, according to the present invention, a small and lightweight pet cart with a relatively simple structure can be provided that can be carried when walking a pet and can be easily unfolded and folded, and thus a safer and more stress-free walk or outing with a pet can be proposed. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that any design change that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention, including various modifications and corrections that can be conceived by a person with ordinary knowledge in the field of the present invention, is included in the present invention, for example, so that the cart can be used for carrying luggage other than a pet cart under the right conditions.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Drive frame body 1a Long side rod-shaped member of drive frame body 2 First joint member 3 First caster 4 Driven frame body 5 Second caster 6 Second rotating shaft 7 Platform frame body 8 Third rotating shaft 9 First support member 10 Second joint member 11 Third joint member 12 Second support member 13 Sliding direction of first joint member 14 Rotation direction of driven frame body around first rotating shaft 15 Rotation direction of platform frame body 16 Rotation direction of driven frame body around second joint member 17 Sliding direction of third joint member 18 Connecting pipe 19 Small diameter pipe
20... pin
21 ... Cylindrical member
22 ... Spring pin 23 ... Knob 24 ... Compression spring 25 ... Lock lever 26 ... Holder 27 ... Lock lever rotation center 28 ... Lock lever rotation direction 29 ... Contact point between friction pad and outer periphery of caster 30 ... Apex of eccentric friction pad portion 31 ... Basket

Claims (4)

a drive frame body formed by a rod-shaped member in a substantially rectangular shape, with a pair of first casters at both ends of one short side, with a first through hole at each long side through which the rod-shaped member of the long side is slidably inserted, and a first joint member having a first rotation shaft for rotatably mounting another member;
a driven frame body formed by forming a rod-shaped member into a substantially rectangular shape, one short side of which is attached to the first rotation shaft so as to be rotatable toward the side of the drive frame body that moves by pushing the drive frame body , and the other short side of which has a pair of second casters at both ends;
a loading platform frame formed by configuring a rod-shaped member into a substantially rectangular shape, one short side of which is rotatably attached to a second rotation shaft provided in the vicinity of the first joint member of the driven frame;
a first support member, one end of which is rotatably attached to a third rotation shaft provided on one of the short sides of the drive frame body, and the other end of which is rotatably attached to the fourth rotation shaft of a second joining member, the second joining member having a second through hole provided on a long side of the driven frame body, through which a rod-shaped member on the long side is inserted, and a fourth rotation shaft for individually rotatably attaching two other members;
a second support member having one end attached to the fourth pivot shaft of the second joint member and the other end rotatably attached to the fifth pivot shaft of a third joint member having a third through hole provided on a long side of the bed frame, through which a rod-shaped member on the long side is slidably inserted, and a fifth pivot shaft for pivotally attaching another member;
A cart comprising: 2. The cart according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism in which a tubular member is attached to the first joint member, the tubular member being perpendicular to the rod-shaped member constituting the long side of the drive frame body and having a pin therein that can slide in the longitudinal direction, the pin engaging with a bottomed hole or a through hole provided in the rod-shaped member constituting the long side of the drive frame body, thereby fixing the relative positions of the drive frame body, the driven frame body, and the loading platform frame body. 3. The cart according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first caster and the second caster is a swivel caster. 3. The cart according to claim 1, wherein the first caster has a stopper having a friction pad capable of rotating in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the wheel to press against the outer periphery of the caster.

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