Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vertical cart.

Background Art

Carts are known that extend vertically to meet the needs of space and practicality.

Vertical carts, in fact, with the occupied surface being the same, allow a greater quantity of material to be transported.

Known vertical carts have a base provided with wheels and at least one frame which develops vertically.

The frame comprises substantially horizontal resting elements on which it is possible to rest materials to be transported of various kinds.

The need is known to reduce the overall dimensions of carts, especially when they are not in use.

The carts take up space and when they are not in use they must be positioned in such a way as not to be an obstacle for standard activities.

The need is therefore known to maximize the capacity of carts to transport as much material as possible while occupying the smallest space possible.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise a vertical cart which allows transporting large quantities of material and reducing the overall dimensions thereof.

One object of the present invention is to devise a vertical cart which can extend in height without compromising the practicality of use.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a vertical cart which is easy to handle.

Another object of the present invention is to devise a vertical cart which allows overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art within the scope of a simple, rational, easy, efficient to use and cost-effective solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present vertical cart having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more evident from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive embodiment of a vertical cart, illustrated by way of an indicative, but non-limiting example, in the attached drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are a side sectional view of the cart according to the invention; Figure 3 is a side sectional view of a possible use of the cart according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the cart according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates a vertical cart.

The vertical cart 1 comprises a base 2 provided with sliding means 3.

As illustrated in Figure 1 , the base 2 is provided with a handle 4 which is useful to an operator to maneuver the cart 1.

The illustrated sliding means 3 are of the type of wheels, but different solutions cannot be ruled out, e.g. guides on rails or groups of rollers or other solutions adapted to allow the base to slide from one point to another of a surface.

The cart 1 also comprises a frame 5 having a substantially vertical extension.

The frame 5 comprises at least one interaction portion 6.

In the present embodiment, the frame 5 is a tubular post fixed onto the base 2 and extends vertically starting from the same base.

The interaction portion 6 coincides with the wall of the tubular body and delimits an internal space 7.

Different solutions cannot be ruled out in which, for example, the frame 5 is made of rods and/or trellises, or other profiled elements, e.g. tubes with polygonal sections or other known structural elements.

The cart 1 comprises at least a resting device 8 associated with the interaction portion 6 of the frame 5.

The resting device 8 is provided with a contact portion 9 located at the interaction portion 6.

According to the invention, the resting device 8 is secured in a movable manner to the interaction portion 6 between an opening configuration, in which it is substantially overhanging with respect to the frame 5, and a closure configuration in which it is substantially juxtaposed to the frame 5.

In the present embodiment, the resting device 8 comprises four resting elements 10 hinged to the interaction portion 6, located at the same height and equally spaced from one another.

Each resting element 10 is of the type of a lever the fulcrum of which coincides with the hinging point to the interaction portion 6.

Each lever has an internal arm 11 , in this case the short arm, located inside the interaction portion 6 and an external arm 12, in this case the long arm, located outside the interaction portion 6.

The external arm 12 is intended to support the material to be transported, e.g. tires or other manufactured articles.

In the present embodiment, the internal arms 11 of the levers coincide with the contact portion 9 of the resting device 8.

In the opening configuration, the external arm 12 is rotated with respect to the vertical and is jutting out with respect to the frame 5.

In the closure configuration, the external arm 12 is retained juxtaposed with the frame 5, in a substantially vertical position.

Advantageously, the cart 1 comprises a plurality of resting devices 8 positioned at different heights along the frame 5.

In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the cart 1 provides four resting devices 8 positioned along a predetermined direction 14 at predetermined distances and equal to one another.

Still according to the invention, the cart 1 comprises movement means 13, 20 associated with the frame 5 and interacting with the resting devices 8 for the automatic switch of the resting devices 8 from the opening configuration to the closure configuration and vice versa.

In particular, the movement means 13, 20 comprise at least one interaction element 13 sliding along the predetermined direction 14 and moveable between an interaction position and a free position.

Conveniently, the predetermined direction 14 is substantially vertical.

In the interaction position (Figure 1), the interaction element 13 is in contact with the contact portion 9 and the resting device 8 is in the closure configuration.

In the free position (Figure 3), the interaction element 13 is moved away from the contact portion 9 and the resting device 8 is in the opening configuration. Conveniently, the movement means 13, 20 comprise a plurality of interaction elements 13 sliding integrally with respect to one another.

Each interaction element 13 is moveable between an interaction position and a free position.

In the interaction position, the interaction element 13 is in contact with a respective contact portion 9 and the respective resting device 8 is in the closure configuration.

In the free position the interaction element 13 is moved away from the respective contact portion 9 and the resting device 8 is in the opening configuration.

In particular, the interaction elements 13 comprise a locator portion 15 adapted to come into contact with the contact portion 9 in the closure position.

In the closure position, the locator portion 15 pushes on the contact portion 9 so as to maintain the external arm 12 juxtaposed with the interaction portion 6. Advantageously, the interaction elements 13 have respective locator portions 15 which are adapted to come into contact with the contact portion 9 in the closure position.

In particular, the locator portions 15 have increasing lengths proceeding from downwards upwards along the predetermined direction 14.

In the present embodiment, the interaction elements 13 are four in number, one for each resting device 8.

Each interaction element 13 has a locator portion having a length proportionate to the distance, measured along the predetermined direction 14, between the interaction element itself and a reference point, e.g. the base 2.

In this way, the sliding of the interaction elements 13 involves a differentiated switch from the interaction position to the opening position for each interaction element 13 and, therefore, the differentiated switch from the opening configuration to the closure configuration for each resting device 8. In particular, starting from an initial situation in which all the resting devices 8 are in the closure configuration (Figure 1), by sliding the interaction elements 13 upwards the switch occurs from the closure configuration to the opening configuration which will progressively involve the resting devices 8 themselves starting from the one positioned lower down until reaching the one positioned higher up.

The opening/closure of a resting device 8 occurs when the interaction elements 13 are moved towards the top/bottom by a distance greater than the corresponding length of the locator portion 15 of the same resting device.

In this way it is possible to obtain intermediate situations in which part of the resting devices 8 are open and part of the resting devices 8 are closed (Figure 2).

Conveniently, the cart comprises at least one rotating adjusting member 16 associated with the interaction element 13 for adjusting the sliding of the same interaction element along the predetermined direction 14.

In the present embodiment, the adjusting member 16 is of the type of a star- shaped wheel which defines six angular sectors, each corresponding to an angular rotation of 60°.

Each rotation corresponds to a predetermined sliding of the interaction elements 13 upwards or downwards depending on whether the rotation is clockwise or anti-clockwise.

In this way it is possible to control the switch from the opening configuration to the closure configuration, and vice versa, of the individual resting devices 8.

Conveniently, the locator portions 15 have a length proportionate to the adjusting member 16.

In the present embodiment, the adjusting member 16 is driven by a body 17 mounted on a load post 18 used for loading material.

The load post 18 is provided with a sliding end 19 along the vertical.

The body 17 is mounted on the sliding end 19 and, by sliding along the vertical, is brought into contact with the adjusting member 16.

In this embodiment the material is taken over by the sliding end 19 and placed on a pre-selected resting device 8 moved to the opening configuration. Solutions cannot be ruled out which involve the actuation of the adjusting member 16 in a different manner, e.g. by a manual operation, or by a counterweight system, or other known solutions.

Solutions cannot be ruled out which provide for alternative adjusting members, e.g. screws, knobs, or other known adjusting members.

Advantageously, the movement means 13, 20 comprise a transmission assembly 20 provided with a first pinion 21, a second pinion 22 and a flexible element 23 wrapping the first pinion 21 and the second pinion 22.

The first pinion 21 is associated with the adjusting member 16 for receiving the rotary motion.

The second pinion 22 is located below the first pinion 21 along the predetermined direction 14.

The flexible element 23 wraps the pinions 21, 22 and transforms the rotary motion into forward motion along the predetermined direction 14.

The flexible element 23 is associated with the interaction elements 13 for driving them in motion along the predetermined direction 14.

By rotating the adjusting member 16, the flexible element 23 is moved along the predetermined direction 14, controlling the sliding of the interaction elements and, therefore, the opening/closure of the resting devices 8.

Conveniently, the flexible element 23 is of the type of a chain, but different solutions cannot be ruled out.

Moreover, different solutions cannot be ruled out in which the transmission assembly 20 is different from the illustrated one, for example a transmission assembly comprising a single pinion and an element carrying the interaction elements 13, or a movement assembly which includes pneumatic or hydraulic actuators.

The operation of the present invention is as follows.

By maneuvering the adjusting member 16 the sliding occurs of the interaction elements 13.

By way of example, at a rotation of 60° degrees, the transmission assembly 20 makes the interaction elements 13 to slide by 100 mm.

Starting from Figure 1, in which all the resting devices 8 are in the closure configuration, at a first rotation of 60° corresponds the sliding upwards of the interaction elements 13.

The interaction element 13 located in the lower position slides just enough to free the corresponding contact portion 9 and, therefore, to make the resting element 10 to rotate from the interaction position to the free position (Figure 2). The upper interaction element 13, on the other hand, having the longest locator portion 15, remains in contact with the corresponding contact portion 9, thus preventing the corresponding resting element 10 from switching from the interaction position to the free position.

Proceeding with subsequent rotations of the adjusting member 16, subsequent sliding movements of the interaction elements 13 can occur with consequent switch of the respective resting elements 10 from the interaction position to the free position.

The switch from the free position to the interaction position takes place in a completely similar manner, by reversing the direction of sliding of the interaction elements 13.

It has in practice been found that the described invention achieves the intended objects and in particular the fact is underlined that the vertical cart extends in height without compromising the practicality of use.

The devised vertical cart, in fact, allows minimizing the space occupied when it is not in use.

This also means that it is easy to maneuver because the vertical cart is compact and easy to transport.

Moreover, thanks to the maneuvering member and to the particular conformation of the interaction elements, the opening and closure operations of the various resting devices are simplified.