Patent Publication Number: US-2022212702-A1

Title: Hand cart having lateral coupling means

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a hand cart extendable using various methods by including coupling devices on a side surface thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     A hand cart designed for the purpose of transporting loaded goods is a transport device for putting various goods on a loading plate and moving the loading plate a corresponding direction by a transport wheel installed on a bottom surface when a transporter pulls a handle in a desired direction. 
     In the case of such a hand cart, goods of an appropriate weight needs to be loaded to provide safe transport and facilitate a transport operation of a transporter in transporting the loaded goods, and a loading height of goods needs to be set to a level that does not obstruct a view in the transport operation in consideration of the transporter&#39;s physique. 
     With regard to the prior art related to a hand cart provided to effectively and safely load goods, 
     Korean Patent 10-1106592 discloses a (hereinafter referred to as “prior art”). 
     However, in the case of existing hand carts as well as the prior art, 
     Irrespective of a transporter who transports goods or a type of the goods being loaded, the goods are loaded and transported within an already equipped structure, and thus there is a problem in that many restrictions and inconveniences are caused. 
     As a loading plate of a hand cart simples forms a single plate shape, there is a problem in that it is difficult co change the loading plate of the hand cart to various sizes depending on the size of a loadable item. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem to be Solved 
     The present invention provides a device for extending a loading plate for loading goods thereon using various methods in a hand cart for transporting goods. 
     Technical Solution 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a hand cart a loading plate  10  on which goods are loaded, a first coupling plate  20  and a second coupling plate  30  that are alternately formed on a side surface of the loading plate, a first coupling groove  50  shaped like “L” and formed at one edge of an upper surface of the loading plate, a second coupling groove  55  formed at a remaining edge of the upper surface of the loading plate, and a coupling pin  60  shaped like “C” and installed in the first coupling groove, wherein a height of an upper surface  22  of the first coupling plate  20  is equal to or lower than a height of a lower surface  32  of the second coupling plate  30 . 
     When side surfaces of the two hand carts are coupled to each other, the upper surface  22  of the first coupling plate  20  may overlap the lower surface  32  of the second coupling plate  30 . 
     The coupling pin  60  may include a horizontal part  62  having a predetermined width and a first vertical part  64  and a second vertical part  66  that extend downward from both ends of the horizontal part, the first vertical part  64  extending with a relatively long length, and the second vertical part  66  extending with a relatively short length. 
     The first coupling groove  50  may include a horizontal groove  51  formed in parallel to the side surface of the hand cart, a vertical groove  53  extending from one end of the horizontal groove  51  to be perpendicular to the side surface of the hand cart, and a first hole  54  and a second hole  52  that are formed in both ends of the horizontal groove  51  to be perpendicular to the upper surface of the hand cart, wherein a first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin is installed in the first hole  54 , and the second vertical part  66  is installed in the second hole  52 . 
     When side surfaces of the two hand carts are coupled to each other, the second coupling groove  55  corresponding to the vertical groove  53  of the one hand cart may be formed in the side surface of the remaining one of the hand carts. 
     A third hole  56  may be formed in the second coupling groove  55  to be perpendicular to the upper surface of the hand cart, and the second vertical part  66  of the coupling pin  60  may be installed in the third hole  56  to couple the two hand carts. 
     A protection plate  70  formed perpendicular to the lower surface of the hand cart while surrounding an external side of the first hole  54  may be provided on the lower surface of the hand cart, and in a state in which the first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin is installed in the first hole  54 , the protection plate  70  may protect a user from the first vertical part of the coupling pin. 
     The hand cart may further include a string storage member  80  provided on the lower surface of the hand cart and protruding vertically at a predetermined interval from the lower surface to store a wound string connected to the hand cart to drive the hand cart. 
     Effect of Invention 
     By virtue of the above configuration according to the present invention, side surfaces of hand carts may be successively coupled, and the hand carts may be fixedly coupled to each other not to be moved vertically and horizontally while being coupled to each other, and thus the size and shape of the hand carts may be extendable to various sizes depending on an environment of a work place, and the hand carts may be used various working environments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram showing the state in which two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a hand cart with a handle coupled thereto according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hand cart without a handle coupled to the hand cart of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are diagrams showing an upper surface of a hand cart in the state in which two hand carts are coupled when the two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention,  FIG. 4  showing a portion A of  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 5  showing a portion B of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a coupling pin for coupling hand carts to each other according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the state in which two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a bottom surface of a hand cart according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 9 to 12  are diagrams showing the case in which hand carts are coupled in various ways according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     Hereinafter, objects, advantageous features, and new features of various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms used in the specification are defined in consideration of functions used in the present invention, and can be changed according to the intent or conventionally used methods of users, and operators. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram showing the state in which two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a hand cart with a handle coupled thereto according to the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a hand cart without a handle coupled to the hand cart of  FIG. 2 .  FIGS. 4 and 5  are diagrams showing an upper surface of a hand cart in the state in which two hand carts are coupled when the two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention.  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a coupling pin for coupling hand carts to each other according to the present invention.  FIG. 7  is a diagram showing the state in which two hand carts are coupled to each other according to the present invention.  FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a bottom surface of a hand cart according to the present invention.  FIGS. 9 to 12  are diagrams showing the case in which hand carts are coupled in various ways according to the present invention. 
     The present invention relates to a hand cart that is expandable by combining adjacent hand carts in various ways by including coupling devices on a side surface thereof. 
     A hand cart  100  according to the present invention may include a loading plate  10  on which goods are loaded, a handle  110  held by a person for transport, a plate  120  for fixing the handle to the loading plate  10 , and a wheel  130  provided at a lower part of the hand cart  100 . The handle may be fixed to an upper surface of the loading plate using the plate, and the plate  120  may be fixed to an upper part of the loading plate using a bolt. The handle may also be fixed to different positions by moving being moved on the loading plate rather than being fixed to a specific position. 
     The hand cart according to the present invention may include the loading plate  10  on which goods are loaded, and in this case, the hand cart may each transport goods, but according to the present invention, the hand carts may also be coupled to each other at side surfaces thereof. 
     To couple side surfaces of loading plates to each other, a first coupling plate  20  and a second coupling plate may be alternately formed on a side surface of the loading plate according to the present invention. The first coupling plate  20  may be formed at a relatively low position, and the second coupling plate  30  may be formed at a relatively high position, and thus when side surfaces of the two hand carts are coupled to each other, an upper surface  22  of the first coupling plate  20  may be formed to overlap a lower surface  32  of the second coupling plate  30 . In detail, the upper surface  22  of the first coupling plate  20  and the lower surface  32  of the second coupling plate  30  may be formed at the same height. 
     The first coupling plate  20  may have a hexagonal shape viewed from above (however, other shapes may be possible). On opposite sides of the first coupling plate  20 , a guide inclined surface  23  inclined toward the center of the loading plate may be formed as a vertical surface, and a vertical contact surface  25  may be formed between the two guide inclined surfaces on opposite sides. 
     According to the present invention, a plurality of hand carts may be coupled to each other side surfaces thereof, and for convenience of description, one of the coupled hand carts is referred to as a first cart, and the other hand cart is referred to as a second cart. With regard to a method of coupling hand carts, the first coupling plate  20  of the first cart and the second coupling plate  30  of the second cart may be coupled while overlapping up and down. The lower surface of the second coupling plate may be positioned on the upper surface of the first coupling plate  20 , and the second coupling plate  30  may include protruding couplers  33  and  35  that protrudes to the outside and have shapes corresponding to the guide inclined surface  23  and the vertical contact surface  25  of the first coupling plate  20 . The hand carts may be coupled to each other while an inclined part  33  of the protruding couplers  33  and  35  is guided by the guide inclined surface  23 , and a front end  35  of the protruding couplers  33  and  35  is in contact with the vertical contact surface  25 . 
     As such, when the two hand carts are coupled to each other, the upper surface  22  of the first coupling plate  20  and the lower surface  32  of the second coupling plate  30  may be in contact with each other, and thus the two hand carts may not be moved up and down. In addition, the guide inclined surface  23  and the vertical contact surface  25  of the first coupling plate  20  may be in contact with the protruding couplers  33  and  35  of the second coupling plate  30 , and thus the two hand carts may not be moved in right and left directions. 
     In order to prevent the two hand carts from being separated from each other, a coupling groove and a coupling pint that will be described below may be used. As such, the two coupled hand carts may not be moved forward and backward and thus may be fixedly coupled to each other. 
     The first coupling groove  50  shaped like “L” may be formed at one edge of the upper surface of the loading plate of the first cart ( FIG. 4 ), and a second coupling groove  55  may be formed at a position corresponding to the first coupling groove at one edge of the upper surface of the loading plate of the second cart ( FIG. 5 ). A coupling pin  60  ( FIG. 6 ) may be coupled to the first coupling groove and the second coupling groove to couple the two adjacent hand carts to each other. 
     The first coupling groove  50  may include the horizontal groove  51  formed in parallel to the side surface of the hand cart, and the vertical groove  53  that extends in a vertical direction from one end of the horizontal groove  51  and the vertical groove  53  that extends perpendicular to the side surface of the hand cart. The vertical groove  53  may extends to the end of the loading plate. In addition, a first hole  54  and a second hole  52  that are vertically formed in the upper surface of the hand cart may be penetrated up and down in opposite sides of the horizontal groove  51 . 
     The coupling pin  60  may be a coupling member shaped like “C” and may include a horizontal part  62  having a predetermined width, and a first vertical part  64  and a second vertical part  66  that extend downward from both ends of the horizontal part, and in this case the first vertical part  64  may extend with a relatively long length and the second vertical part  66  may extend with a relatively short length. 
     When the hand cart is used along rather than being coupled to another hand cart, a first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin may be installed in the first hole  54 , and the second vertical part  66  may be installed in the second hole  52 . In this case, the horizontal part  62  of the coupling pin  60  may be positioned in the horizontal groove  51  of the first coupling groove  50 . A transverse through hole (not shown) may be formed in the first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin, and an anti-separation pin  68  may be coupled through the through hole. The first vertical part  64  may be installed in the first hole  54  and may then to couple the anti-separation pin  68 , and thus the coupling pin may be prevented from being separated out of the loading plate. However, although the coupling pin is not separated out of the loading plate, the coupling pin may be capable of being moved up and down by a predetermined distance, and thus the current state may be the state in which the coupling pin is raised upward and rotated by 90 degrees for coupling side surfaces of hand carts, which will be described below. 
     However, when the first cart and the second cart are coupled to each other, the coupling pin  60  may be raised upward and rotated by 90 degrees, the second vertical part  66  of the coupling pin may be inserted into a third hole  56  formed in the second coupling groove  55  of the second cart, and then the first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin may be installed unchanged in the first hole  54  of the first cart. Thus, the first cart and the second cart may be simply coupled to each other through the coupling pin. To this end, the third hole  56  may be formed perpendicular to the upper surface of the hand cart in the second coupling groove  55 . The second coupling groove  55  of the second cart may correspond to the vertical groove  53  of the first cart (refer to  FIG. 7 ). 
     A protection plate  70  that is formed perpendicular to the lower surface of the hand cart while surrounding an external side of the first hole  54  may be provided on the lower surface of the loading plate of the hand cart according to the present invention. Since the first vertical part  64  of the coupling pin has a relatively long length, the first vertical part  64  may penetrate the loading plate and protrude below the lower surface in the state of being installed in the first hole  54 . In this case, since the first vertical part of the coupling pin collides with the foot of a user who is doing a work, in order to prevent this, the protection plate  70  may be provided outside the first vertical part to protect the user from the first vertical part of the coupling pin. 
     The hand cart may be pushed or dragged using the handle, but in some cases, a string (wire) may be tied to a loading plate to drag the hand art, and in order to store the used string after use, a member for storing the wound string on the lower surface of the loading plate may be provided according to the present invention. That is, a string storage member  80  ( FIG. 8 ) for storing the wound string may be further provided on the lower surface of the hand cart. 
     The hand cart according to the present invention may provide devices for coupling adjacent loading plates at four side surfaces, and thus the loading plates may be coupled in various forms to ensure a required loading area. That is, four loading plates may be coupled as shown in  FIG. 9 , loading plates may be coupled longitudinally in a row as shown in  FIG. 10 , loading plates may be coupled horizontally in a row as shown in  FIG. 11 , or a large number of loading plates may be coupled vertically and horizontally as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     Although exemplary embodiments the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention as defined in the following claims are also provided.