Patent ID: 11904919
Assignee: nan
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 2:
3. A mother cart adapted for receiving, transporting, and ejecting, a daughter cart, of the wheels-on ground-type, where the daughter cart has a daughter cart frame supported by casters attached to the daughter cart frame and configured for rolling engagement with an underlying surface during transport of the daughter cart on the underlying surface, the mother cart comprising:
a mother cart frame defining a transport direction and supported by wheels attached to the mother cart frame for rolling engagement with the underlying surface;
a coupling system attached to the mother cart frame, and adapted and oriented for operatively guiding the daughter cart in a loading direction that is substantially transverse to the transport direction into towable engagement in a towing position with the mother cart; and
a daughter cart ejector apparatus attached to the mother cart for aiding the separation of the daughter cart from the mother cart;
the daughter cart ejector apparatus having an ejector element operatively attached to the mother cart frame and configured for movement between an extended position of the ejector element whereat the ejector element operatively bears against the daughter cart frame in a manner urging the daughter cart to move away from the mother cart in an unloading direction that is substantially opposite from the loading direction, and a retracted position of the ejector element whereat the ejector element does not urge the daughter cart to move away from the mother cart in the coupling system in the unloading direction;, wherein the daughter cart ejector apparatus includes:
an ejector element actuator operatively connected between the mother cart frame and the ejector element and configured for selectively moving the ejector element between the retracted and extended positions of the ejector element; and
a control arrangement operatively attached to the mother cart and the ejector element actuator, the control arrangement including a daughter cart initiate-eject input element configured for receiving an initiate-eject input indicating a desire to initiate ejection of the daughter cart from the mother cart, the control arrangement being configured for generating a commence-eject signal to the ejector element actuator in response to the initiate-eject signal, for moving the ejector element from the retracted toward the extended positions of the ejector element; and, wherein:
the ejector element is an ejector arm having a proximal end pivotably attached to the mother cart frame at a pivot point defined by the mother cart frame, and a distal end adapted for bearing against the daughter cart engaged with the coupling system of the mother cart and disposed in the towing position; and
the ejector element actuator is a linear electric actuator operatively connected between the mother cart frame and the ejector arm for pivoting the ejector arm about the pivot point, such that in the extended position of the ejector arm the distal end of the ejector arm is brought to bear against and urge the daughter cart to move in the coupling system away from the towing position in the unloading direction.