U.S. patent application number 13/693884 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-24 for loading structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Kenji ISHIZAKA, Tomomi KOBAYASHI, Noritsugu KOKATSU, Yasuhiro MINAMIDATE.
Application Number | 20130276676 13/693884 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49378918 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130276676 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOKATSU; Noritsugu ; et
al. |
October 24, 2013 |
LOADING STRUCTURE
Abstract
A loading structure includes a bottom plate; a support stand; a
pair of first poles; a pair of second poles; a first beam
connecting the pair of the second poles to each other; a pair of
second beams each connecting a corresponding one of the first poles
to a corresponding one of the second poles; and a supporting member
supporting a far-side surface of the object placed on the bottom
plate. The support stand includes a first support, an upright
portion, and a second supporter, the first supporter being placed
on the floor and extending parallel to the floor, the upright
portion standing at an end portion of the first supporter, the
second supporter extending parallel to the floor from an upper end
portion of the upright portion, the second supporter having a
cantilever structure, and the bottom plate being placed on the
second supporter.
Inventors: |
KOKATSU; Noritsugu;
(Kanagawa, JP) ; KOBAYASHI; Tomomi; (Kanagawa,
JP) ; ISHIZAKA; Kenji; (Kanagawa, JP) ;
MINAMIDATE; Yasuhiro; (Kanagawa, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
FUJI XEROX CO., LTD. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
49378918 |
Appl. No.: |
13/693884 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/55.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2519/00029
20130101; B65D 2519/00288 20130101; B65D 81/107 20130101; B65D
2519/00532 20130101; B65D 2519/00273 20130101; B65D 81/02 20130101;
B65D 2519/0082 20130101; B65D 2519/00323 20130101; B65D 19/06
20130101; B65D 2519/0094 20130101; B65D 2519/00502 20130101; B65D
2519/00815 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/55.1 |
International
Class: |
B65D 19/06 20060101
B65D019/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 24, 2012 |
JP |
2012-098332 |
Claims
1. A loading structure comprising: a bottom plate on which an
object is placed; a support stand that supports the bottom plate
from below the bottom plate so as to lift the bottom plate above
the floor; a pair of first poles that stand individually at a left
portion and a right portion on a near side of the loading
structure; a pair of second poles that stand individually at a left
portion and a right portion on a far side of the loading structure;
a first beam located on the far side and extending in a left-right
direction, the first beam connecting the pair of the second poles
to each other; a pair of second beams individually located on a
right side and a left side and extending from the near side to the
far side, each of the second beams connecting a corresponding one
of the first poles to a corresponding one of the second poles; and
a supporting member that stands at such a far-side position as not
protrude toward the far side beyond the pair of second poles, the
supporting member extending substantially orthogonal to the bottom
plate and supporting a far-side surface of the object placed on the
bottom plate, wherein the support stand includes a first supporter,
an upright portion, and a second supporter, the first supporter
being placed on the floor and extending parallel to the floor, the
upright portion standing at an end portion of the first supporter,
the second supporter extending parallel to the floor from an upper
end portion of the upright portion, the second supporter having a
cantilever structure supported by the upper end portion of the
upright portion, and the bottom plate being placed on the second
supporter, wherein the pair of first poles and the pair of second
poles stand while having lower end portions of the first poles and
the second poles supported by the first supporter or the upright
portion of the support stand, and wherein the supporting member
stands on the second supporter of the support stand while being
supported by the second supporter.
2. The loading structure according to claim 1, wherein the
supporting stand has a configuration in which the first supporter
extends from the far side to the near side, the upright portion
stands at a near-side end portion of the first supporter, and the
second supporter extends toward the far side while having a
near-side end portion of the second supporter supported by an upper
portion of the upright portion, and wherein the supporting member
stands by being supported by a far-side end portion of the second
supporter.
3. The loading structure according to claim 2, comprising a shock
absorber interposed between the first supporter and the second
supporter.
4. The loading structure according to claim 2, comprising a pair of
left and right vibration dampers individually fixed to the second
poles and facing left and right outer surfaces of the supporting
member with gaps therebetween, the vibrations dampers suppressing
left and right vibrations of the far-side end portion of the second
supporter.
5. The loading structure according to claim 3, comprising a pair of
left and right vibration dampers individually fixed to the second
poles and facing left and right outer surfaces of the supporting
member with gaps therebetween, the vibrations dampers suppressing
left and right vibrations of the far-side end portion of the second
supporter.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority under 35
USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-098332 filed Apr.
24, 2012.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to loading structures.
SUMMARY
[0003] A loading structure according to an aspect of the invention
includes a bottom plate on which an object is placed; a support
stand that supports the bottom plate from below the bottom plate
the bottom plate so as to lift the bottom plate above the floor; a
pair of first poles that stand individually at a left portion and a
right portion on a near side of the loading structure; a pair of
second poles that stand individually at a left portion and a right
portion on a far side of the loading structure; a first beam
located on the far side and extending in a left-right direction,
the first beam connecting the pair of the second poles to each
other; a pair of second beams individually located on a right side
and a left side and extending from the near side to the far side,
each of the second beams connecting a corresponding one of the
first poles to a corresponding one of the second poles; and a
supporting member that stands at such a far-side position as not
protrude toward the far side beyond the pair of second poles, the
supporting member supporting a far-side surface of the object
placed on the bottom plate. The support stand includes a first
support, an upright portion, and a second supporter, the first
supporter being placed on the floor and extending parallel to the
floor, the upright portion standing at an end portion of the first
supporter, the second supporter extending parallel to the floor
from an upper end portion of the upright portion, the second
supporter having a cantilever structure, and the bottom plate being
placed on the second supporter. The pair of first poles and the
pair of second poles stand while having lower end portions of the
first poles and the second poles supported by the first supporter
or the upright portion of the support stand. The supporting member
stands on the second supporter of the support stand while being
supported by the second supporter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be
described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transportation rack, which
is a loading structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transportation rack from
which an object is removed;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transportation rack
illustrated in FIG. 2 from which a bottom plate and a top plate are
removed;
[0008] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a structure of a belt, where FIG.
4A is a side view of the belt and FIG. 4B is a plan view of the
belt;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transportation rack when
viewed from behind and below;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a front view of the transportation rack;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a right side view of the transportation rack;
[0012] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the transportation rack;
[0013] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the transportation rack on which
the top plate is mounted;
[0014] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of a back frame around
which a belt is wound;
[0015] FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating a process of inserting a
transportation rack into another transportation rack; and
[0016] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of six transportation racks
stacked on top of one another in a nesting manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Referring to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention will be described below.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transportation rack T,
which is a loading structure according to the exemplary embodiment
of the present invention.
[0019] The transportation rack T illustrated in FIG. 1 serves both
as a transportation rack used when an object MC is transported in a
container or the like and as a storage rack used when an object MC
is stored in a warehouse or the like. Typically, the object MC
placed on the transportation rack T is an industrial product. For
example, the object MC is an office machine such as a copying
machine, a printer, or a fax machine. The object MC is placed on or
removed from the transportation rack T through the right side of
transportation rack T illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, the side of the
transportation rack T through which the object MC is placed and
removed is referred so as a near side F, and the side opposite the
front side F is referred to as a far side B. The directions from/to
the near side F and to/from the far side B are also collectively
referred to as a front-back direction FB. When seen from the near
side F of the transportation rack T, the sides on the right and
left of the transportation rack T are referred to as a right side R
and a left side L. The directions from/to the left side L and
to/from the right side R are also collectively referred to as a
left-right direction LR. The side of the transportation rack T
facing the floor is referred to as a lower side D and the side of
the transportation rack T facing vertically upward is referred to
as an upper side U. The directions from/to the upper side U and
to/from the lower side D are also collectively referred to as an
up-down direction UD.
[0020] The transportation rack T is a reusable rack. After the
transportation rack T containing the object MC is transported to
its destination, the object MC is removed from the transportation
rack T without the transportation rack T being disassembled. The
transportation rack T from which the object MC is removed is then
returned to the origin (a production plant or warehouse of the
object MC, for example), and is used to transport another
object.
[0021] The transportation rack T has a structure that allows, while
containing the object MC, another transportation rack having the
same structure to be stacked thereon. Multiple transportation racks
T are stacked on top of one another in accordance with the capacity
of the storage space, such as a container or a warehouse. The
transportation rack T includes four poles 3 and 4 positioned so as
to surround the object MC. When multiple transportation racks T are
stacked on top of one another, the poles 3 and 4 of one of the
transportation racks T support the load of other transportation
racks (T) stacked thereon. The object MC is fixed to the
transportation rack T with belts 9, but not to the poles 3 and
4.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transportation rack T
from which the object MC is removed.
[0023] The transportation rack T includes a bottom plate 1, a
support stand 2, front poles 3, back poles 4, a back beam 5, side
beams 6, a back frame 7, a top plate 8, and belts 9. FIG. 2
illustrates the transportation rack T from which the belts 9 (see
FIG. 3) are removed.
[0024] Here, the front poles 3 are examples of first poles of the
present invention, and the back poles 4 are examples of second
poles of the present invention. The back beam 5 is an example of a
first beam of the present invention, and the side beams 6 are
examples of second beams of the present invention. The back frame 7
is an example of a supporting member of the present invention, and
the belts 9 (see FIG. 1) are examples of a band member of the
present invention.
[0025] The bottom plate 1 is a component on which the object MC
(see FIG. 1) is placed. The bottom plate 1 is a generally
rectangular flat plate made of wood, for example. A rod-shaped
buckle 12 is attached to the bottom plate 1 to fasten an end
portion of one of the belts 9 (see FIG. 1).
[0026] The support stand 2 supports the bottom plate 1 from below
the bottom plate 1 so that the bottom plate 1 is lifted above the
floor. The support stand 2 has a space into or from which a fork of
a hand lift truck or a forklift truck, which is not illustrated, is
inserted or removed. A fork is insertable into or removable from
the support stand 2 from either the near side F, the far side B,
the left side L, or the right side R.
[0027] The back frame 7 is a component that supports a far-side-B
surface of the object MC (see FIG. 1) placed on the bottom plate 1.
The back frame 7 stands on the support stand 2 on the far side
B.
[0028] The top plate 8 is a component that, when the object MC (see
FIG. 1) is contained in the transportation rack T when the
transportation rack T is in use, covers the object MC from above to
protect the object MC from any falling object or other sources of
danger. The top plate 8 is a generally rectangular flat plate
member made of resin, for example. The top plate 8 is mounted on
the side beams 6. When the transportation rack T is not in use, the
top plate 8 is removed from the side beams 6 and placed on the
bottom plate 1.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transportation rack T
illustrated in FIG. 2 from which the bottom plate 1 and the top
plate 8 are removed.
[0030] The bottom plate 1 is fixed to the support stand 2. Although
the bottom plate 1 is continuously joined to an upper portion of
the support stand 2 with screw threads regardless of whether the
transportation rack T is in use or not, FIG. 3 and the following
drawings illustrate the state where the bottom plate 1 is removed
for visibility of the structure. Cushioning members 71 are attached
to the back frame 7 so as to be interposed between the back frame 7
and the object MC. The cushioning members 71 are polyurethane foam
pads, for example. The cushioning members 71 prevent the object MC
from being damaged as a result of the object MC coming into contact
with the back frame 7. The cushioning members 71 also reduce
transmission of impacts. For visibility of the structure of the
back frame 7, however, the positions of the cushioning members 71
are merely illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 3.
[0031] Vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25, serving as shock
absorbers, are mounted on the support stand 2 according to the
exemplary embodiment to assist the support stand 2 in supporting
the load of the object MC. The vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25
are attached to or detached from the transportation rack T
depending on the weight of the object MC contained in the
transportation rack T. The positions at which the
vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25 are disposed may be changed
depending on the weight and the form of the object MC. Examples of
the material of the shock absorbers include materials other than
rubber, such as a polyurethane foam. The vibration-isolation rubber
pieces 25 will be described in detail below.
[0032] FIG. 3 illustrates three belts 9 attached to the
transportation rack T. One of the three belts 9 is attached to the
buckle 12 of the bottom plate 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the
transportation rack T is in use, the belt 9 attached to the bottom
plate 1 extends from the bottom of the object MC over the front and
upper surfaces of the object MC to the outer side (back side) of
the back frame 7 (FIG. 3) to so as to be wound around the object
MC. Ends of the remaining two belts 9 are attached to the back
frame 7. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the transportation rack T
is in use, the belts 9 extend from the back side of the object MC
over the right, front, and left surfaces of the object MC so as to
be wound around the object MC.
[0033] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the structure of each belt 9.
FIG. 4A is a side view of the belt 9, and FIG. 4B is a plan view of
the belt 9.
[0034] The three belts 9 have the same shape and size. The most
part of each belt 9 is made of cloth, and a ring buckle 91 is
attached to an end of each of the belts 9. Loops 92 of a
hook-and-loop fastener and hooks 93 of the hook-and-loop fastener
are disposed on one surface of each belt 9 with a gap therebetween.
The full length X1 of each belt 9 is longer than the outer
periphery (one round) of the object MC that is placeable on the
transportation rack T. The full length X1 of the belt 9 is
sufficiently large to deal with the size of, for example, a large
printer, and is approximately 2,680 mm, for example. The width Y1
of the belt 9 is approximately 200 mm. As illustrated in FIG. 1,
the belts 9 wound around the object MC are folded back at their
buckles 91 (see FIG. 4) and when the loops 92 and the hooks 93 are
joined to one another, the object MC is fastened and fixed to the
back frame 7 and the support stand 2 with the belts 9. The
thickness Z1 of the thickest part of each belt 9, at which the
loops 92 and the hooks 93 are disposed, is approximately 5 mm.
[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transportation rack T
when viewed from behind and below. FIG. 6 is a front view of the
transportation rack T. FIG. 7 is a right side view of the
transportation rack T. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the transportation
rack T. For visibility of the structure, FIGS. 5 to 8 illustrate
the transportation rack T from which the top plate 8 and the belts
9 are removed. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the transportation rack T
from which the bottom plate 1 is also removed. FIG. 7 illustrates
the object MC and the bottom plate 1 with broken lines.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5 to 8, the structure of the
transportation rack T will be described further. The support stand
2, the front poles 3, the back poles 4, the back beam 5, the side
beams 6, and the back frame 7 of the transportation rack T are
formed out of stick-shaped objects made of metal such as iron. More
specifically, these components are formed by joining iron pipes
together by welding or by other ways.
Structures of Support Stand and Back Frame
[0037] The structures of the support stand 2 and the back frame 7
are described now. The support stand 2 includes three first
supporters 21 (21a, 21b, and 21c), three upright portions 22 (22a,
22b, and 22c), and three second supporters 23 (23a, 23b, and 23c).
Firstly, the first supporter 21a, the upright portion 22a, and the
second supporter 23a, which constitute a left-side-L section of the
support stand 2, will be described. The first supporter 21a is
placed on the floor (not illustrated) on which the transportation
rack T is disposed and extends parallel to the floor from the far
side B to the near side F. The upright portion 22a is fixed to a
near-side-F end portion of the first supporter 21a and stands at
the end portion of the first supporter 21a. A near-side-F end
portion of the second supporter 23a is fixed to an upper end
portion of the upright portion 22a, and the second supporter 23a
extends from the upper end portion of the upright portion 22a
parallel to the floor from the near side F to the far side B. The
bottom plate 1 is fixed to an upper portion of the second supporter
23a. The first supporter 21a, the upright portion 22a, and the
second supporter 23a are arranged so as to collectively form a
lying U shape. The second supporter 23a is a cantilever supported
by the upper end portion of the upright portion 22a. The first
supporter 21c, the upright portion 22c, and the second supporter
23c constitute a right-side-R section of the support stand 2 which
has the same configuration as the left-side section. The first
supporter 21b, the upright portion 22b, and the second supporter
23b constitute a middle section of the support stand 2 located
between the left side L and the right side R, the middle section
having the same configuration as the left-side section.
[0038] A pair of front poles 3 stand on the support stand 2 on the
left side L and right side R on the near side F by being supported
by the support stand 2. A pair of back poles 4 stand on the support
stand 2 on the left side L and right side R on the far side B by
being supported by the support stand 2. More specifically, among
the pair of front poles 3, the left-side-L front pole 3 has a
lower-side-D end portion fixed to the upright portion 22a and to a
near-side-F end portion of the left-side-L first supporter 21a. The
right-side-R front pole 3 has a lower-side-D end portion fixed to
the upright portion 22c and to a near-side-F end portion of the
right-side-R first supporter 21c.
[0039] A girder 24 that stands upright toward the upper side U is
attached to far-side-B end portions of the three first supporters
21a, 21b, and 21c including the left and right first supporters 21a
and 21c. The girder 24 connects the far-side-B end portions of the
first supporters 21a, 21b, and 21c together. The girder 24 is
disposed closer to the far side B than the bottom plate 1 is. The
uppermost point of the standing girder 24 is above the bottom plate
1. Lower ends of the pair of back poles 4 are fixed to upper
portions of the girder 24. Hereinbelow, the components forming the
left, right, and middle sections of the support stand 2 are
commonly referred to as the first supporters 21, the upright
portions 22, and the second supporters 23.
[0040] The back frame 7 is fixed to far-side-B end portions of the
second supporters 23a, 23b, and 23c, and substantially vertically
stands at the end portions. The back frame 7 includes multiple
pipes that are fixed to one another and arranged so as to form a
flat plane that intersects substantially perpendicularly to the
front-back direction FB.
[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the second supporters 23 of the
support stand 2 support the object MC with the bottom plate 1
interposed therebetween, and the back frame 7 supports the object
MC with the cushioning members 71 (see FIG. 3) interposed
therebetween. The object MC is held on the second supporters 23 and
the back frame 7 by using the belts 9. The second supporters 23 and
the back frame 7 function as a cantilever that is supported by the
upper end portions of the upright portions 22. The back frame 7 is
supported by the support stand 2. With this structure, when the
transportation rack T receives an external force, such as an
impact, the first supporters 21, the upright portions 22, and the
second supporters 23 of the support stand 2 are elastically
deformed and the second supporters 23 and the back frame 7 holding
the object MC move independently of the first supporters 21 on the
floor. More specifically, the second supporters 23 and the back
frame 7 move so as to rotate in the up-down direction UD and the
left-right direction LR within limited angle ranges about the
upright portions 22. In the transportation rack T according to the
exemplary embodiment, an external impact is absorbed by the elastic
deformation of the first supporters 21, the upright portions 22,
and the second supporters 23. Thus, the transportation rack T
transmits less impact to the object MC than in the case of the
transportation rack T not having the cantilever structure.
Consequently, the transportation rack T is also usable in, for
example, container transportation of the object MC.
[0042] The impact is also absorbed by elastic deformation of the
first supporters 21, the upright portions 22, and the second
supporters 23, which are made of metal. Since metals have a larger
modulus of elasticity than rubber materials, the second supporters
23 and the back frame 7 of the transportation rack T (and hence the
object MC) are moved (or displaced) a smaller distance than in the
case where the transportation rack T only has, for example,
rubber-made shock absorbers. Particularly, an excessive movement
(displacement) in the left-right direction LR is less likely to
occur than in the case where the shock absorbers made of rubber,
for example, are used instead.
[0043] Vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25 (see FIG. 7) are
interposed between the first supporters 21 and the second
supporters 23. The vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25
supplementally support the load of the object MC or the load in the
up-down direction UD. The transportation rack T is more likely to
prevent excessive deformation and vibrations of the first
supporters 21, the upright portions 22, and the second supporters
23 than in the case where the transportation rack T does not
include the vibration-isolation rubber pieces 25.
[0044] A pair of vibration dampers 41 are disposed on the left side
L and the right side R of the back frame 7. Each vibration damper
41 is formed by bending a metal plate in the L shape, and is
disposed so as to face a left or right outer surface of the back
frame 7 with a gap between itself and the outer surface. The
vibration dampers 41 are individually fixed to the back poles 4.
The vibration dampers 41 suppress left-right LR vibrations of the
far-side-B end portions of the second supporters 23. This prevents
the back frame 7 and the second supporters 23 from coming into
contact with external objects due to excessive vibrations or
prevents the support stand 2 from being deformed.
[0045] In the transportation rack T according to the exemplary
embodiment, the upright portions 22 are disposed on the near side F
of the support stand 2 and the near-side-F end portions of the
first and second supporters 21 and 23 are fixed to the upright
portions 22. In other words, the cantilever including the second
supporters 23 is supported by the upright portions 22 disposed on
the near side F of the transportation rack T. When the object MC is
placed on or removed from the transportation rack T, the vertical
position (orientation) of the second supporters 23 changes in
accordance with the change in weight of the object MC. Here, the
height of the second supporters 23 from the floor on the near side
F changes to a smaller extent than that on the far side B since the
cantilever including the second supporters 23 is supported on the
near side F of the transportation rack T. Consequently, the height
of the bottom plate 1 on the near side F, through which the object
MC is placed on or removed from the transportation rack T, changes
to a smaller extent than in the case where the cantilever is
supported on the far side B, the left side L, or the right side R.
This facilitates the placing and removing of the object MC on and
from the transportation rack T. Depending on the weight of the
object MC that is contained in the transportation rack T, the
second supporters 23 on the far side B moves downward a larger
distance than those on the near side F. Thus, the load of the
object MC is more likely to act on the far side B, on which the
back frame 7 is disposed and which is opposite the near side F
through which the object MC is placed and removed. Consequently,
the object MC is more stably placed than in the case where the
cantilever is supported on the far side B, the left side L, or the
right side R.
Structure of Pillars and Beams
[0046] A structure of an outer frame of the transportation rack T
will be described.
[0047] In the transportation rack T, the front poles 3 and the back
poles 4 are disposed at positions corresponding to the four corners
of the object MC (see FIG. 1) and the back beam 5 and the side
beams 6 are disposed above the object MC. The front poles 3, the
back poles 4, the side beams 6, the back beam 5, the first
supporters 21, and the girder 24 constitute an outer frame
structure E, which forms the contour of the transportation rack
T.
[0048] The pair of front poles 3 are disposed individually at left
and right portions on the near side F of the support stand 2 and
extend straight in the up-down direction UD. The pair of front
poles 3 stand by being supported by the first supporters 21 and the
upright portions 22 of the support stand 2.
[0049] The pair of back poles 4 are disposed individually at left
and right portions on the far side B of the support stand 2 and
extend straight in the up-down direction UD. The pair of back poles
4 stand by being supported by the first supporters 21 via the
girder 24 of the support stand 2. More specifically, the back poles
4 stand on the girder 24 that stands at the far-side-B ends of the
first supporters 21.
[0050] The back beam 5 is disposed on the far side B and extends in
the left-right direction LR. The back beam 5 connects the pair of
back poles 4 to each other. The back beam 5 is fixed to upper
portions of the pair of back poles 4. Both ends of the back beam 5
protrude in the left-right direction LR beyond the pair of back
poles 4.
[0051] Front end portions of the side beams 6 are fixed to upper
portions of the front poles 3 and the side beams 6 extend toward
the far side B. Back end portions of the side beams 6 are
individually fixed to left and right ends of the back beam 5. Thus,
the side beams 6 are fixed to the back poles 4 via the left and
right ends of the back beam 5.
Dimensional Relationship
[0052] The dimensions of each part of the transportation rack T
will be described now. FIGS. 6 and 8 show dimension lines
indicating the dimensions of each part. FIG. 9 is a plan view of
the transportation rack T on which the top plate 8 is mounted. In
the drawings, J1 denotes a distance between outer surfaces of the
pair of front poles 3 in the left-right direction LR, J2 denotes a
distance between outer surfaces of the pair of side beams 6 in the
left-right direction LR, J3 denotes a distance between inner
surfaces of the pair of front poles 3 in the left-right direction
LR, J4 denotes a distance between inner surfaces of the pair of
side beams 6 in the left-right direction LR, J5 denotes a distance
between outer surfaces of the pair of back poles 4 in the
left-right direction LR, J6 denotes a distance between inner
surfaces of the pair of back poles 4 in the left-right direction
LR, J7 denotes an outside dimension of the back frame 7 in the
left-right direction LR, J8 (see FIG. 8) denotes the width of the
bottom plate 1 in the left-right direction LR, and J9 (see FIG. 9)
denotes the width of the top plate 8 in the left-right direction
LR.
[0053] The pair of back poles 4 of the transportation rack T
according to the exemplary embodiment are positioned further inward
than the pair of front poles 3 when seen from the front, as
illustrated in FIG. 6. In other words, the distance J5 between the
outer surfaces of the pair of back poles 4 is smaller than the
distance J3 between the inner surfaces of the pair of front poles
3. Moreover, the distance J4 between the inner surfaces of the pair
of side beams 6 is larger than the distance J5 between the outer
surfaces of the pair of back poles 4 but smaller than the distance
J3 between the inner surfaces of the pair of front poles.
[0054] The dimension of the girder 24 in the left-right direction
LR is smaller than the distance J3 between the inner surfaces of
the pair of front poles 3. The width J8 of the bottom plate 1 in
the left-right direction LR is substantially equal to the dimension
of the girder 24 in the left-right direction LR. Thus, the width J8
of the bottom plate 1 is smaller than the distance J3 between the
inner surfaces of the pair of front poles 3. The back frame 7 has
the outside dimension J7 in the left-right direction LR, which is
smaller than the distance J5 between the outer surfaces of the pair
of back poles 4. In addition, the back frame 7 is disposed so as
not to protrude beyond the pair of back poles 4 in the left-right
direction LR and toward the far side B.
[0055] Specifically, in the transportation rack T according to the
exemplary embodiment, the relationship
J1>J2>J3>J4>J5>J6>J7 is satisfied.
[0056] FIG. 8 illustrates the transportation rack T when viewed
from above. In FIG. 8, the left and right edges of the bottom plate
1 of the transportation rack T are indicated by broken lines behind
the side beams 6. The bottom plate 1 has the width J8 in the
left-right direction LR, which is smaller than the outside
dimension of the outer frame structure E of the transportation rack
T excluding the bottom plate 1 when the transportation rack T is
viewed from the above. The bottom plate 1 is disposed so as not to
protrude beyond the outer frame structure E in the left-right
direction LR. The front poles 3 included in the outer frame
structure E are disposed at left and right portions on the near
side F of the bottom plate 1. The width J8 of the bottom plate 1 is
smaller than the distance J1 between the outer surfaces of the pair
of front poles 3. The girder 24 included in the outer frame
structure E is disposed closer to the far side B than the bottom
plate 1 is. The width J8 of the bottom plate 1 is substantially
equal to the dimension of the girder 24 in the left-right direction
24. In other words, the width J8 of the bottom plate 1 is smaller
than the distance J3 between the inner surfaces of the pair of
front poles 3.
[0057] The width J9 (see FIG. 9) of the top plate 8 in the
left-right direction LR is smaller than the distance J2 between the
outer surfaces of the pair of side beams 6 but larger than the
distance J4 between the inner surfaces of the pair of side beams 6.
The width J9 of the top plate 8 is smaller than the distance J3
between the inner surfaces of the pair of front poles 3.
[0058] The distance J1 between the outer surfaces of the pair of
front poles 3 according to the exemplary embodiment is largest in
the transportation rack T in the left-right direction LR.
Preferably, the distance J1 between the outer surfaces of the pair
of front poles 3 ranges from approximately 700 mm to approximately
800 mm, inclusive.
[0059] When the distance J1 between the outer surfaces of the pair
of front poles 3 is approximately 700 mm or larger and the
dimension of each front pole 3 in the left-right direction is
approximately 30 mm, the transportation rack T is capable of
containing a printer having a width below approximately 640 mm. The
most widely used containers in marine transportation are 40-foot
containers (regular containers). The inside dimensions of a 40-foot
container are approximately 12 m in length, 2.34 m in width, and
2.34 m in height. If the maximum dimension of the transportation
rack T in the left-right direction LR is approximately 800 mm or
smaller, the distance J2 between the outer surfaces of the pair of
side beams 6 is approximately 760 mm. Thus, three transportation
racks T are containable side by side in a row in a 40-foot
container having the width of approximately 2.34 m. Here, three
times the maximum dimension of 800 mm is 2.4 m, which exceeds the
width of the container. However, the arranging of three
transportation racks T side by side in a row is enabled by shifting
one of the transportation racks T in the front-back direction FB so
that the three pairs of front poles 3 are not aligned with one
another, the distance between the outer surfaces of each pair of
front poles 3 being maximum of the transportation rack T in the
left-right direction LR. The above arrangement, however, involves
restrictions on the order in which transportation racks T should be
loaded or unloaded into or from the container owing to one of the
three transportation racks T arranged side by side in a row in the
container having been shifted in the front-back direction FB. Here,
the restrictions are avoided if the distance J1 between the outer
surfaces of the pair of front poles 3, i.e., the maximum dimension
of the transportation rack T, is 770 mm or lower.
[0060] A transportation rack T having a height not exceeding 2.34 m
is containable in the container. If having a height not exceeding
1.1 m, two transportation racks T are capable of being stacked one
on top of the other.
[0061] Examples of the dimensions of the parts of the
transportation rack T according to the exemplary embodiment will be
shown below, but are not limited to these examples.
[0062] The distance J1 between the outer surfaces of the pair of
front poles 3: 800 mm
[0063] The distance J2 between the outer surfaces of the pair of
side beams 6: 760 mm
[0064] The distance J3 between the inner surfaces of the pair of
front poles 3: 740 mm
[0065] The distance J4 between the inner surfaces of the pair of
side beams 6: 700 mm
[0066] The distance J5 between the outer surfaces of the pair of
back poles 4: 690 mm
[0067] The distance J6 between the inner surfaces of the pair of
back poles 4: 570 mm
[0068] The outside dimension J7 of the back frame 7: 560 mm
[0069] The width J8 of the bottom plate 1 in the left-right
direction LR: 720 mm
[0070] The width J9 of the top plate 8 in the left-right direction
LR: 720 mm
[0071] The dimension of each front pole 3 in the left-right
direction LR is 30 mm, and the dimension of each back pole 4 in the
left-right direction LR is 60 mm. In addition, examples of the
dimensions in the up-down direction UD and in the front-back
direction FB are shown below.
[0072] The full height H1: 1,320 mm
[0073] The height H2 from the floor to the upper surface of the
bottom plate 1: 133 mm
[0074] The height H3 from the upper surface of the bottom plate 1
to the uppermost point of the back frame 7: 900 mm
[0075] The gap H4 between each first supporter 21 and the
corresponding second supporter 23 of the support stand 2 (when
carrying no object MC, see FIG. 7): 55 mm
[0076] The full length K1: 950 mm
[0077] In the transportation rack T according to the exemplary
embodiment, the front poles 3 and the back poles 4 extend in the
up-down direction UD. Thus, when a different transportation rack T
having the same structure is stacked on top of the transportation
rack T, the transportation rack T supports the different
transportation rack T from below. Consequently, multiple
transportation racks T on each of which an object MC is placed are
capable of being stacked on top of one another in accordance with
the capacity of a storage space.
[0078] The object MC fixed to both the bottom plate 1 and the back
frame 7 is supported by the second supporters 23 forming the
cantilever structure. Thus, the object MC moves independently of
the front poles 3, the back poles 4, the back beam 5, the side
beams 6, and the first supporters 21, which constitute the outer
frame structure E. Thus, the transportation rack T transmits less
external impact to the object MC than in the case of the
transportation rack T not having the cantilever structure.
[0079] When the transportation rack T is viewed from above, the
bottom plate 1 on which the object MC is placed has the dimension
J8 in the left-right direction LR that is shorter than the outside
dimension of the outer frame structure E of the transportation rack
T excluding the bottom plate 1. The bottom plate 1 is placed so as
not to protrude beyond the outer frame structure E in the
left-right direction LR. In case the transportation rack T having
the above structure hits against an external object, the bottom
plate 1 is prevented from being directly hit by the external
object. The back frame 7 to which the object MC is fixed has the
outside dimension J7 in the left-right direction LR that is smaller
than the distance J5 between the outer surfaces of the pair of back
poles 4, and the back frame 7 is disposed so as not to protrude
beyond the pair of back poles 4 either in the left-right direction
LR nor toward the far side B. Consequently, the back frame 7 is
prevented from being directly hit by an external object.
Unoccupied Transportation Rack
[0080] An unoccupied transportation rack T from which an object MC
has been removed at the destination is returned to the origin for
reuse or stored somewhere else. In such a case, the top plate 8 of
the transportation rack T is removed from the side beams 6 and
placed on the bottom plate 1 to be contained in the transportation
rack T.
[0081] The width J9 (FIG. 9) of the top plate 8 in the left-right
direction LR is larger than the distance J4 between the inner
surfaces of the pair of side beams 6 but smaller than the distance
J3 between the inner surfaces of the pair of front poles 3.
Consequently, when the transportation rack T is in use, the top
plate 8 is mounted on the pair of side beams 6. When the
transportation rack T is not in use, the top plate 8 is mounted on
the bottom plate 1 by being inserted into the transportation rack T
through the space between the pair of front poles 3 from the near
side F.
[0082] The belts 9 are wound around the back frame 7 for
storage.
[0083] FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the back frame 7 around
which a belt 9 is wound.
[0084] The belt 9 is wound around the back frame 7 multiple times.
The back frame 7 stands so as to have a gap G1 between itself and
each of the back poles 4. The gaps G1 have such a size as to
accommodate the belt 9 wound around the back frame 7. When, for
example, the outside dimension J7 (see FIG. 6) of the back frame 7
is approximately 560 mm and the full length X1 (see FIG. 4) of the
belt 9 is approximately 2,680 mm, the belt 9 is wound around the
back frame 7 so as to form almost three turns. When the thickness
Z1 (see FIG. 4) of a thickest portion of the belt 9 is
approximately 5 mm, the largest thickness of the three overlapping
layers of the belt 9 is approximately 15 mm. Thus, the gaps G1 that
are approximately 20 mm or more are capable of accommodating the
belt 9 that is wound around the back frame 7. The gaps G1 that are
approximately 25 mm or more are capable of accommodating the belt 9
with sufficient room left. The gaps G1 that are approximately 30 mm
or less allow the outside dimension J7 of the back frame 7 to
become large enough to support the object MC.
[0085] To transport multiple unoccupied transportation racks T
collectively, the multiple transportation racks T are stacked on
top of one another in a nesting manner. Specifically, a first
transportation rack T is inserted into a second transportation rack
T having the same structure. When a first transportation rack T is
inserted into a second transportation rack T, the support stand 2
of the first transportation rack T is mounted on the bottom plate 1
of the second transportation rack T (more specifically, on the top
plate 8 disposed on the bottom plate 1 of the second transportation
rack T). That is, the first transportation rack T is lifted up to a
position above the bottom plate and the top plate 8 mounted on the
support stand 2 of the second transportation rack T and is inserted
into the second transportation rack T from the near side F to the
far side B. Multiple transportation racks T are stacked on top of
one another while having the belts 9 wound around the corresponding
back frames 7.
[0086] FIG. 11 is a plan view for illustrating the process of
inserting one transportation rack into another. FIG. 11 illustrates
two transportation racks T1 and T2. The transportation racks T1 and
T2 have the same structure described in the exemplary embodiment
and have the same orientation. FIG. 11 illustrates the process of
lifting the transportation rack T2 on the lower side of FIG. 11 and
inserting the transportation rack T2 into the transportation rack
T1 on the upper side of FIG. 11.
[0087] In each of the transportation racks T1 and T2, the distance
between the outer surfaces of the pair of back poles 4 in the
left-right direction LR is smaller than the distance between the
inner surfaces of the pair of side beams 6 in the left-right
direction LR. Thus, the pair of back poles 4 of the transportation
rack T2 on the lower side of FIG. 11 move through the space between
the pair of side beams 6 of the transportation rack T1 on the upper
side of FIG. 11 toward the far side B of the transportation rack T1
on the upper side of FIG. 11. In each of the transportation racks T
(T1 and T2) according to the exemplary embodiment, the back frame 7
stands on the support stand 2 (see FIG. 3) on the far side B. Thus,
the back frame 7 of the transportation rack T1 on the upper side of
FIG. 11 does not prevent the transportation rack T2 on the lower
side of FIG. 11 from being inserted into the transportation rack
T1. Consequently, the transportation racks T (T1 and T2) are
capable of being stacked on top of one another in a nesting
manner.
[0088] FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating six
transportation racks stacked on top of one another in a nesting
manner.
[0089] Multiple transportation racks T are stackable on top of one
another in a nesting manner as illustrated in FIG. 12. When the
transportation racks T are to be returned after use, the
transportation racks T are stored in a smaller storage space than
the space that the transportation racks T occupy when being used
for transportation of objects MC. The transportation rack T
functions as a transportation rack and as a storage rack. Moreover,
the transportation rack T occupies a smaller storage space when
returned after use. This reduces transportation and storage costs.
As illustrated in FIG. 12, multiple transportation racks T are
stacked on top of one another while the top plates 8 are
individually disposed on the bottom plates 1.
[0090] Although FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which six
transportation racks are stacked, any feasible number of
transportation racks may be stacked on top of one another in a
nesting manner.
[0091] In the exemplary embodiment, the back beam 5 having both
ends protruding beyond the pair of back poles 4 in the left-right
direction LR is described as an example of a first beam of the
present invention, and the pair of side beams 6 individually fixed
to the pair of back poles 4 via the left and right ends of the back
beam 5 are described as examples of a pair of second beams of the
present invention. The present invention, however, is not limited
to these examples, and the pair of second beams may be directly
fixed to the pair of back poles 4.
[0092] In the exemplary embodiment, the back frame 7 formed by
combining pipes is described as an example of a supporting member
of the present invention. The present invention, however, is not
limited to this example, and may be made of a board, for
example.
[0093] In the exemplary embodiment, the belts 9 made of cloth and
having a hook-and-loop fastener are described as examples of a band
member of the present invention. The present invention, however, is
not limited to this example. Examples of the band member include a
rubber band and a band having a hook instead of the hook-and-loop
fastener. The width of the band member does not have to be as large
as the width of a band, and may be as small as the width of a
string.
[0094] The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention has been provided for the purposes of
illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to
practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiment was chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of the invention
and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in
the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and
with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be
defined by the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *