阅读说明：本技术 手推车收纳系统及供电系统 (Handcart storage system and power supply system ) 是由 荻島拓哉 加藤雅一 大石禎利 于 2019-10-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种手推车收纳系统及供电系统,能够简单地在收纳位置可靠地收纳手推车,该手推车收纳系统包括门和止挡件。门沿手推车的收纳位置设置。止挡件,设置于门上,为了使收纳位置上最初要收纳的手推车固定在规定的停止位置上而固定手推车所具有的车架的一部分。(The invention discloses a trolley storage system and a power supply system, which can simply and reliably store a trolley at a storage position. The door is disposed along the storage position of the cart. And a stopper provided on the door for fixing a part of a frame of the cart in order to fix the cart to be first stored at the storage position at a predetermined stop position.)

1. A cart storage system, comprising:

a door provided along a storage position of the cart; and

and a stopper provided on the door to fix a part of a frame of the cart to be stored at the storing position in order to fix the cart to be stored at the storing position at a predetermined stop position.

2. The cart storage system of claim 1,

the doors are disposed on the left and right of the cart stored in the storage position,

the stoppers are respectively provided on the door disposed on the left side and the door disposed on the right side.

3. The cart storage system of claim 2,

the stopper has a holding member forming a frame holding portion, holds the column of the cart inserted into the frame holding portion, and releases the column of the cart pulled out from the frame holding portion.

4. A cart storage system according to claim 3,

an elastic member is provided inside the holding member of the stopper.

5. A cart storage system according to claim 4,

the rubber as the elastic member has a thickness capable of holding the column of the cart and is adhered to the inner side of the holding member.

6. A cart storage system according to claim 3,

the stopper has a claw for fixing a pillar of the cart held on the holding member.

7. A power supply system comprises a power supply unit,

a door provided along a storage position of the cart;

a stopper provided on the door to fix a part of a frame of the cart to be stored at the storing position in order to fix the cart to be stored at the storing position at a predetermined stop position; and

and a power supply coil disposed at a position facing a power receiving coil provided on the cart stopped at the predetermined stop position.

8. The power supply system of claim 7, wherein:

the power supply coil is arranged in a vertical direction with respect to a ground surface on which the cart travels.

9. The power supply system of claim 7, wherein:

the size of the power supply coil is larger than that of the power receiving coil.

10. The power supply system of claim 7, further comprising:

and a power supply control unit provided corresponding to the power supply coil.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a cart storage system and a power supply system.

Background

In recent years, contactless charging is used in electronic devices such as smartphones. In the non-contact charging, power transmission is performed by electromagnetic coupling between a power supply coil provided in a power supply device and a power reception coil provided in an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus charges the battery by using the power received by the power receiving coil. In such non-contact charging, the coupling coefficient between the coils is increased by bringing the power supply coil and the power receiving coil into a state of facing each other, and thereby charging with high circuit efficiency can be performed. Therefore, in order to perform efficient charging, it is important to align the positions of the power supply coil and the power receiving coil.

Conventionally, there is a technology of supplying power from a power supply unit on the ground and charging a battery for driving an information output terminal mounted on a hand-push vehicle such as a shopping cart. In this conventional technique, a roller is provided near a power receiving portion (power receiving coil) of a cart for positioning, and a guide groove for moving the roller is provided near a power supply portion (power supply coil) of a power supply device provided at a place where the cart is placed. The user advances the cart in a state where the roller of the cart is fitted into the guide groove, and moves the cart to a stop position (storage position) provided at the front end of the cart placement portion. In the stop position, the power supply coil of the power supply unit and the power receiving coil of the cart are opposed to each other. However, it is difficult for the user to store the cart while confirming the fitting of the roller into the guide groove located at a remote position from the operating position of the cart (the handle of the cart).

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cart storage system and a power supply system that can reliably store a cart in a storage position.

In an embodiment, the cart storage system has a door and a stopper. The door is disposed along the storage position of the cart. The stopper is provided on the door, and fixes a part of a frame included in the cart so that the cart initially stored in the storage position is fixed at a predetermined stop position.

With this configuration, the cart storage system can be provided in which the cart is reliably stored in the storage position.

In a possible embodiment of the cart storage system, the doors are disposed on the left and right of the cart stored in the storage position, and the stoppers are provided on the door disposed on the left side and the door disposed on the right side, respectively.

With this configuration, the cart at the head row is stopped at a predetermined stop position at the storage position between the doors.

In a possible embodiment of the cart storage system, the stopper has a holding member forming a frame holding portion, holds the column of the cart inserted into the frame holding portion, and releases the column of the cart pulled out from the frame holding portion.

With this configuration, the first cart can be reliably fixed at a predetermined position by the stopper and can be easily taken out.

In a possible embodiment for the trolley storage system, an elastic member is provided inside the retaining member of the stopper.

With this configuration, the stopper can reliably fix the inserted strut, and the elastic member also has the effect of a cushion material.

In a possible embodiment, the rubber as the elastic member has a thickness capable of holding a column of the cart and is attached to the inner side of the holding member.

With this configuration, the stopper can reliably fix the inserted strut, and the elastic member also has the effect of a cushion material.

In a possible embodiment, the stop has a claw for fixing a column of the trolley held on the holding part.

With this configuration, the support column can be reliably fixed or easily removed from the frame holding portion by inserting and removing the claws.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a power supply system including: a door provided along a storage position of the cart; a stopper provided on the door for fixing a part of a frame of the cart to be stored at the storing position at a predetermined stop position; and a power supply coil disposed at a position facing a power receiving coil provided on the cart stopped at the predetermined stop position.

With this configuration, the cart can be reliably stored in a position where the cart can be charged in a non-contact manner.

For the power supply system, in one possible embodiment, the power supply coil is arranged in a vertical direction with respect to a ground power supply surface on which the cart is walking.

With this configuration, it is possible to prevent a foreign object such as a metal from being disposed between the power receiving surface and the power feeding surface, and to prevent a trouble such as heat generation from occurring.

For a power supply system, in one possible implementation, the size of the power supply coil is larger than the size of the power receiving coil.

With this configuration, the error of the storage position of the cart in the storage position can be cancelled.

In a possible embodiment, the power supply system further includes a power supply control unit provided corresponding to the power supply coil.

With this configuration, power can be independently supplied to each power supply coil by the power supply control means.

Drawings

Next, a cart storage system and a power supply system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form a part of this application, and wherein the illustrated embodiments of the invention and the description thereof are intended to illustrate and not limit the invention, wherein:

fig. 1 shows an overall configuration of a cart storage system according to an embodiment;

fig. 2 shows a configuration example of a cart according to the embodiment;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of carts are stored in the cart storage system according to the embodiment;

fig. 4 is a view showing a first configuration example of a stopper provided in the cart storage system according to the embodiment;

fig. 5 is a view showing a second configuration example of a stopper provided in the cart storage system according to the embodiment;

fig. 6 is a view showing a third configuration example of a stopper provided in the cart storage system according to the embodiment; and

fig. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth configuration example of a stopper provided in the cart storage system according to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

2L, 2R door

4(4L, 4R), 4A (4LA, 4RA), 4B (4LB, 4RB), 4D (4LD, 4RD) stop

5(5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) power supply coil

10 shopping trolley

15 power receiving coil

Detailed Description

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a power supply system 1 of a cart storage system (cart yard) according to an embodiment.

The power supply system 1 functions as a cart yard for storing carts 10 such as shopping carts. The power supply system 1 includes doors 2(2L, 2R) disposed along the left and right sides of the storage position of the cart 10 (see fig. 2). The left and right doors 2L, 2R are fixed to the ground by a plurality of fixtures 3.

The power supply system 1 houses a cart 10 that enters from an entering direction a of the cart between the left and right doors 2L, 2R at a housing position. The power supply system 1 includes stoppers 4(4L, 4R) for fixing the cart 10 at a predetermined stop position. The stoppers 4(4L, 4R) are disposed on the left and right doors 2L, 2R, respectively. The stoppers 4L and 4R are provided on the doors 2L and 2R, respectively, to fix a part of the frame of the cart 10 at a predetermined position. Next, the cart 10 in which the power supply system 1 is fixed at the predetermined stop position by the stopper 4 stores the following cart 10 in a nested state. Thus, the power supply system 1 stores the plurality of carts 10 in the storage position in a row.

The power supply system 1 is provided with a plurality of power feeders that supply power to power receiving devices provided on a plurality of carts 10 stored in storage positions. The plurality of power feeding devices are each composed of a power feeding coil 5 and a power feeding control unit 6. In the configuration example shown in fig. 1, the power supply coils 5(5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e) are provided on the side surface of the left door 2L. The power supply control means 6(6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e) are provided on the door 2L in correspondence with the power supply coils (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5 e).

The power supply coil 5 is disposed at a position corresponding to a position of a power receiving coil of a power receiving device provided on the cart 10 accommodated at the accommodation position. In the configuration example shown in fig. 1, it is assumed that the power receiving coil 15 is disposed on the left side surface of the cart 10 with respect to the entering direction as shown in fig. 2 described later. Therefore, in the configuration example shown in fig. 1, each power supply coil 5 is provided on the side surface of the left door 2L.

The installation position of the power supply coil 5 may be set according to the position of the power receiving coil installed on the cart 10. For example, when the power receiving coil is provided on the right side surface of the cart 10, the power supply coil 5 may be disposed on the right side door 2R.

In the configuration example shown in fig. 1, 5 flat power supply coils 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e are attached to the side surface of the left door 2L at equal intervals. The intervals between the power supply coils 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e are set based on the front-rear intervals of the cart 10 connected and stored at the storage position. These power supply coils 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e are provided at a height H corresponding to the height H at which the power receiving coil is provided on the cart 10, and are provided vertically with respect to the ground from a position at the height H away from the ground. For example, the power supply coils 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e are provided on the power supply control units 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, and 6e so as to be perpendicular to the ground at the height H, and the power supply control units 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, and 6e also serve as square fixing members protruding from the mounting surface of the door 2L.

Further, power supply control means (power supply controller) 6 is provided corresponding to each power supply coil 5. The power supply control unit 6 includes a power supply circuit, a control circuit, and the like. The power supply control unit 6 is connected to a power supply coil 5 provided on the mounting surface of the door 2L. The power supply control unit 6 is connected to a power supply such as an AC commercial power supply for supplying power to the power supply circuit and the control circuit. The power supply coil 5 can transmit electric power to a power receiving coil 15 (see fig. 2) of the cart 10 described later by a magnetic flux Φ generated by the ac power supplied from the power supply circuit of the power supply control unit 6. With this configuration, power can be independently supplied to each power supply coil by the power supply control means.

The power supply control units 6 of the power supplies can be independently controlled. Therefore, the power supply coils 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e can independently supply a high-frequency ac power. For example, as the power supply system 1, it is possible to supply an alternating current from the power supply coil 5a among the plurality of power supply coils 5 provided in the door 2L and to cut off the power supply from the other power supply coils 5b to 5 e. Further, ac power can be supplied from the power supply coils 5a and 5b, and power supply from the other power supply coils 5c to 5e can be interrupted.

In the configuration example shown in fig. 1, a stopper 4L is provided above the power supply coil 5a whose side surface of the left door 2L is aligned with the insertion direction a. The stopper 4R is provided at a position facing the stopper 4L in the right door 2R facing the left door 2L. The stoppers 4L and 4R are fixed to, for example, fixing members protruding from the mounting surfaces of the doors 2L and 2R. These stops 4L and 4R fix the position of the carriage on the trolley 10 entering from the entering direction a. The stoppers 4L and 4R are fixed to the respective doors 2L and 2R, respectively, so as to stop the cart 10 at a predetermined stop position at the storage position between the doors. The stops 4L and 4R may also hold (fix) a part of the frame forming the trolley 10 entering from the entering direction a. The shape of the stoppers 4L and 4R will be described in detail later.

In the configuration example shown in fig. 1, the left door 2L and the right door 2R are configured as separate bodies, but may be configured as an integrated structure. For example, it is also possible to configure one door 2 that is integrated across the width in which the cart 10 can pass as a cart parking space (cart storage position). The fixing members for fixing the stoppers 4L and 4R may be formed of a metal frame and may be formed as the doors 2L and 2R. The doors 2L and 2R may be realized as an integrally formed cart yard that is not fixed to the floor surface and can move without changing the positional relationship between the power supply coil and the stopper. That is, the doors 2L and 2R may be configured to hold stoppers so that the cart 10 can be fixed with respect to the installation position of the power supply coil 5.

Next, the cart 10 in which the power supply system 1 is housed will be described.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the cart 10 stored in the storage position of the power supply system 1 according to the embodiment.

The trolley 10 shown in fig. 2 is for example a shopping trolley. The cart 10 is a moving body on which articles such as commodities are placed and moved in accordance with an operation of a user. In the configuration example shown in fig. 2, the cart 10 includes wheels 11(11Fr, 11Fl, 12Rr, 12Rl), a basket 12, a shopping basket placing portion 13, a frame 14, and the like, which form a cart body.

The cart 10 includes a power receiving coil 15, a power receiving control unit (power receiving circuit) 16, a battery 17, and an electronic device 18 mounted on the cart body. The electronic device 18 is a device for providing information or providing a service to a user. The battery 17 is a power supply device for operating the electronic device 18. The power receiving coil 15 and the power receiving control unit 16 constitute a power receiver 19. The battery 17 is charged with the electric power received by the power receiver 19.

The wheels 11 are four wheels, namely, a right front wheel 11Fr, a left front wheel 11Fl, a right rear wheel 11Rr, and a left rear wheel 11 Rl. The frame 14 integrally fixes the wheels 11, the basket 12, and the basket placing part 13 to the rear wheels 11Rr and 11 Rl. The frame 14 includes a right pillar 14r, a left pillar 14l, and a handle 14 h. The right pillar 14r is a part of the frame 14 extending upward from the vicinity of the right rear wheel 11 Rr. The left pillar 14l is a part of the vehicle body frame 14 extending upward from the vicinity of the left rear wheel 11 Rl. The handle 14h is a part of the carriage 14 held by an operator who moves the cart body. In the configuration example shown in fig. 2, the handle 14h is provided parallel to the floor surface.

The shape of the frame 14 is not limited to the shape shown in fig. 2. The cart 10 can be connected to the cart body frame in a nested manner and housed, and the power receiving coil 15 may have a shape in which the power receiving control unit 16, the battery 17, the electronic device 18, and the like are fixed. For example, the handle 14h may be shaped to protrude from the side of the vehicle frame 14 toward the operator side of the cart.

The basket 12 receives articles such as commodities. In the embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the handle 14h side is referred to as a near side and the opposite side is referred to as a front end side with respect to the basket 12. The front side of the basket 12 has an opening/closing surface 12a whose lower end is a free end and which can be opened and closed. The basket 12 is formed to be smaller than a front surface (front surface) of a near side surface (rear surface) including the opening/closing surface 12 a. Thus, when the rear cart is pushed into the front cart, the front end side surface of the rear cart abuts against the opening/closing surface 12a of the front cart, and the basket 12 of the front and rear carts are stacked and stored. Thus, the plurality of carts are connected and stored in a nested manner. The shape of each cart is the same shape except for manufacturing errors. Therefore, the plurality of carts 10 connected and stored in a nested manner are arranged at substantially equal intervals.

The 4 wheels 11 are mounted on the frame 14 via casters, respectively. The 4 casters, to which the wheels 11 are attached, are provided at four corners of the lower portion of the frame 14. The wheels 11 are freely rotatable in the rotation direction by the casters. Thereby, the cart body can freely change the moving direction. The cart 10 is moved by rotation of wheels 11 mounted on the respective casters over the floor.

The lower portion of the frame 14, in which the 4 wheels 11 are provided at four corners, forms a shopping basket placing portion 13. The lower portion of the frame 14 functioning as the shopping basket placing portion 13 is formed to be narrow in the front side and wide in the rear direction in the forward direction. Therefore, the interval between the right front wheel 11Fr and the left front wheel Fl is narrower than the interval between the right rear wheel 12Rr and the left rear wheel Rl. Thus, when a plurality of carts are connected in the front-rear direction and stored, the cart frame of the cart at the rear side is overlapped and stored along the cart frame of the cart at the front side.

The left stay 141 is provided with a power receiving coil 15, a power receiving control unit 16, and a battery 17 between the basket 12 and the shopping basket placing unit 13.

The power receiving coil 15 and the power receiving control unit (power receiving circuit, power receiving control circuit) 16 constitute a power receiver 19 that receives power from the power feeder. The power receiving coil 15 generates an alternating current from the magnetic flux Φ generated when a current is flown to the power feeding coil 5. The power receiving coil 15 is disposed so as to face the power feeding coil 5, and the power receiving surface is disposed at a height H on the lower side surface of the support 141 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the ground. By configuring the power receiving surface of the power receiving coil and the power feeding surface of the power feeding coil to be vertically upright, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as metal from being disposed between the power receiving surface and the power feeding surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent occurrence of a failure such as heat generation due to a foreign object such as a metal existing between the power receiving surface and the power feeding surface.

The power reception control unit 16 includes a power reception circuit, a power reception control circuit, and the like. The power reception control unit 16 is connected to the power reception coil 15. The power reception control unit 16 is provided in the vicinity of the power reception coil 15, for example. The power reception control unit 16 has a circuit for rectifying and smoothing the ac power received by the power reception coil 15 to generate a dc power. Further, the power reception control unit 16 has a charging circuit that supplies power to the storage battery 17 through appropriate power conversion in order to charge the storage battery 17 with dc power generated from the received power. The power reception control unit 16 has a circuit for controlling on/off of the non-contact power supply. The power reception control unit 16 may include a control circuit that controls the supplied power by communication with the power supply path side (corresponding power supply control unit), and the like. The power reception control unit 16 is configured to house the various circuits described above in a circuit box, for example. In the configuration example shown in fig. 2, the power reception control unit 16 is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the power reception coil 15 is arranged, with the strut 141 interposed therebetween.

The battery 17 is fixed to the left column 141, the power receiving coil 15, and the power receiving control unit 16. The storage battery 17 is charged with electric power generated by a charging circuit of the power reception control unit 16. The battery 17 is connected to an electronic device 18 that is a load. The battery 17 supplies (discharges) electric power to the electronic device 18. The battery 17 may be mounted on the cart 10 in a state connected to the power reception control unit 16 and the electronic device 18. For example, the battery 17 may be fixed to the cart 10 at a position other than the support 141, or may be a battery mounted on the electronic device 18.

The electronics 18 are mounted on the cart 10. In the configuration example shown in fig. 2, the electronic device 18 is attached to the handle 14 h. The electronic device 18 is driven by electric power from the battery 17. For example, the electronic device 18 is an information terminal such as a tablet terminal for providing information to the user, or a product reader for acquiring information of a product selected by the user. The electronic device 18 may be a charging device for charging an electronic device of a portable terminal (for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a digital camera, or the like) held by a user with electric power from the battery 17.

For example, when the electronic device 18 is a tablet terminal including an article reader, the tablet terminal is set so that the display portion faces the user holding the handle 14 h. A tablet terminal as the electronic device 18 is a computer having a display portion provided with a touch panel. Further, the article reader as the electronic device 18 is a device that reads article information. For example, the article reader is an RFID tag reader that reads an RFID tag attached to an article that is loaded into and unloaded from the basket 12. The product reader may be a scanner that reads product identification information such as a barcode attached to the product. The tablet terminal displays information of the commodity read by the commodity reader. The tablet terminal may be a terminal that performs payment processing for the commodity read by the commodity reader. In addition, the electronic device 18 may be a device provided with an interface device for connecting to a portable terminal (for example, a smartphone) held by a user, instead of the tablet terminal described above.

As described above, in the configuration example shown in fig. 2, the power reception control unit 16 and the battery 17 are disposed around the left support column 141 between the basket 12 and the shopping basket placing portion 13. This allows the cart operator to operate the movement of the cart 10 with the hand grips 14 while checking the merchandise information and store information obtained from the electronic device 18.

Next, a description will be given of a state of the cart stored in the storage position of the power supply system 1 according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of carts 10 shown in fig. 2 are stored in a storage position of the power supply system 1 shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a state in which 5 carts 10 provided with power receiving coils 15 as shown in fig. 2 are connected in a nested manner and stored in a storage position. In fig. 3, the left door 2L is not shown to illustrate the state of the plurality of carts 10 stored in the storage position.

As shown in fig. 3, each cart 10 has a configuration in which the power receiving coil 15 of the front cart 10 and the power receiving coil 15 of the rear cart 10 do not overlap each other in a nested state in which the carts are connected and stored. The carts 10 are configured such that the power receiving control unit 16 and the battery 17 of each cart 10 do not overlap each other in a nested arrangement.

As shown in fig. 2, each cart 10 is configured such that the height of the power receiving coil 15 from the ground is a predetermined height H. Therefore, when the plurality of carts 10 are arranged in a nested manner, the power receiving coils 15 of the carts 10 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in a straight line at a predetermined height H from the ground. In the storage position, the power receiving coils 15 of the 5 carts 10 are positioned to face the power supply coils 5a to 5c provided on the door 2L. Here, the size of the power supply coil 5 is larger than the size of the power receiving coil 15 so as to correspond to a movement error of the cart 10 (an error of the storage position at the storage position).

Here, the plurality of carts arranged in a nested arrangement are formed in the same design and have the same shape and size. The trolleys which are connected and arranged in a nested manner are determined to be spaced front and back according to the shape of the trolleys. Therefore, if the plurality of carts have a predetermined shape, the front and rear intervals of the carts arranged in the nested state are a predetermined interval. Therefore, in the storage position, the power receiving coils of the plurality of carts stored are connected in a nested manner and arranged at a predetermined interval.

Therefore, in order to accurately face the power receiving coil 15 and the power supply coil 5 of the plurality of (all) carts stored in the storage position, it is necessary to reliably fix the cart 10 at the front row at a predetermined stop position. In order to fix the cart stored in the top row at the storage position at a predetermined stop position, stoppers 4L and 4R are provided on the doors 2L and 2R, respectively. In fig. 3, the gate 2L is not shown.

The stoppers 4L and 4R hold the frame 14 of the cart 10 moved in from the entering direction a. The stopper 4L holds the left pillar 141 on the frame 14 of the cart 10. Further, the stopper 4R holds the right pillar 14R on the frame 14 of the cart 10. The stoppers 4L and 4R also take out the frame of the cart moving in the direction opposite to the entering direction a. In short, the cart 10 fixed by the stoppers 4L and 4R can be removed from the stoppers 4L and 4R and moved after a force in a direction opposite to the entering direction a is applied.

The stoppers 4L and 4R may fix the cart 10 that has moved in from the entry direction a, and may release the cart 10 that has moved in the direction opposite to the entry direction a. In the present embodiment, a configuration example of the stoppers 4L and 4R of the left and right stays 14L and 14R that fix a part of the frame 14 will be described.

Fig. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing a configuration example of the stopper 4 used in the power supply system (cart storage system) according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a stopper 4A (4LA, 4RA) of a first configuration example of the stopper 4(4L, 4R) used as the power supply system according to the embodiment.

The stopper 4A fixes the support column 14 inserted from the entering direction (insertion direction of the support column 14) a of the cart 10, and releases the support column moving in the direction opposite to the predetermined insertion direction. The stoppers 4A are provided on the left and right doors 2L and 2R, respectively. The left and right stoppers 4A provided on the left and right doors 2L and 2R fix the cart 10 at a predetermined stop position, which is the front row of the storage position, by fixing the support columns 14L and 14R as a part of the frame 14 on the left and right sides of the cart 10.

The stopper 4A has a holding member 21 that holds the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10. The holding member 21 is formed as a frame holding portion provided to sandwich the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10 inserted from the cart entry direction (insertion direction) a. The stopper 4A has a claw 22 for fixing the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10 held by the frame holding portion. The claw 22 is pressed by the stay inserted into the frame holding portion, and protrudes after the stay is inserted into the frame holding portion. The projecting claws 22 thereby fix the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10 to the frame holding portion. When the legs 14l and 14r are moved in the direction opposite to the insertion direction a (releasing direction), the claw 22 is pushed down by the legs 14l and 14r and protrudes after the legs pass.

As described above, the stopper 4A of the first configuration example can fix the support columns 14l and 14r forming a part of the frame of the cart 10 or remove the stopper from the frame holding portion by inserting and removing the claws. Further, according to the stopper 4A of the first configuration example, the ease of insertion and removal of the support columns 14l and 14r can be adjusted by adjusting the strength required to press the claws.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a stopper 4B (4LB, 4RB) as a second configuration example of the stopper 4(4L, 4R) used in the power supply system 1 according to the embodiment.

The stopper 4B has a holding member 23 that holds the pillars 14l, 14r of the cart 10. The holding member 23 is formed as a frame holding portion provided to sandwich the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10 inserted from the cart entry direction (insertion direction) a. The stopper 4B is provided with an elastic member 24 inside a holding member 23 forming a frame holding portion. The elastic member 24 is deformed more or less by the inserted struts 14l, 14r, and fixes the inserted struts 14l, 14r in a deformed state. For example, the rubber as the elastic member 24 has a thickness capable of holding the pillars 14l and 14r and is adhered to the inner side of the holding member 23. With this configuration, the stopper can reliably fix the inserted strut, and the elastic member also has the effect of a cushion material.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a stopper 4C (4LC, 4RC) as a third configuration example of the stopper 4(4L, 4R) used in the power supply system 1 according to the embodiment.

The stopper 4C has a holding member 25 that holds the pillars 14l, 14r of the cart 10. The holding member 25 is formed as a frame holding portion provided to surround the support columns 14l, 14r of the cart 10 inserted from the cart entry direction (insertion direction) a. The stopper 4C is provided with an elastic member 26 inside a holding member 25 forming a frame holding portion. The elastic member 26 is deformed by the pillars 14l, 14r inserted into the frame holding portion, and fixes the inserted pillars 14l, 14r in a deformed state. For example, the rubber as the elastic member 26 has a thickness capable of holding the pillars 14l and 14r and is adhered to the inner side of the holding member 25.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a stopper 4D (4LD, 4RD) as a fourth configuration example of the stopper 4(4L, 4R) used in the power supply system according to the embodiment.

The stopper 4D has a holding member 27 that holds the pillars 14l, 14r of the cart 10. The holding member 27 is fixed to sandwich the support columns 14l and 14r of the cart 10 inserted from the cart entrance direction (insertion direction) a. The stopper 4D is configured such that a part of the holding member 27 is expanded by the inserted struts 14l and 14r to fix the struts 14l and 14r therebetween. Further, when the pillars 14l, 14r are released, the holding member 27 is partially expanded by the pillars 14l, 14r, and releases the pillars 14l, 14r by moving in the direction opposite to the insertion direction a (releasing direction).

Further, an elastic member may be provided inside (on the frame holding portion side) the holding member 21 of the stopper 4A as the first configuration example. Further, an elastic member may be provided inside the holding member of the stopper 4D as the fourth configuration example. The stopper 4A or the stopper 4D can reliably fix the inserted struts 14l and 14r by the elastic member provided in the holding member. The elastic member also has an effect as a cushion when the support columns 14l and 14r are inserted.

Next, the procedure of entering and exiting a plurality of carts at the storage position of the power supply system 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

First, a description will be given of a procedure for storing the carts 10 by the operator (procedure for storing the carts 10 at the head row) in a state where one cart 10 is not present at the storage position.

When the cart 10 is not present at the storage position where the doors 2L and 2R are provided, the operator fixes the support columns 14L and 14R for storing the cart 10 to the stoppers 4L and 4R, respectively. For example, the operator of the cart holds the handle 14h of the cart 10 and moves the cart 10 to the cart storage position where the doors 2L and 2R are provided. The operator inserts the support column 14L into the frame holding portion of the stopper 4L while moving the cart 10 forward. For example, the stopper 4L is pushed in by the inserted leg 14L and the pawl 22. Then, the operator advances the cart 10 and pushes the stay 141, and the stay 14l passes through the setting portion of the claw 22. When the stay 14L passes through the claw set portion, the stay 14L is fixed to the frame holding portion of the stopper 4L by the protrusion of the claw 22. The stay 14R is fixed to a frame holding portion having a stopper 4R having the same configuration as the above-described stopper 4L.

When the cart 10 is taken out from the storage position, the operator grips the handle 14h of the cart 10 and pulls it to the near side (applies a force in the direction opposite to the cart entering direction a). When the cart is pulled to the near side, the support columns 14l and 14r of the cart 10 move to the near side while pressing the claws 22. By pressing the claw 22, the columns 14L and 14R of the cart 10 are released from the frame holding portions while being held by the stoppers 4L and 4R.

Here, the stopper 4A (4LA, 4RA) provided with the claw 22 shown in fig. 4 is described as an example, but the stopper 4(4L, 4R) may be removably held by the support columns 14L, 14R by the operation of the cart 10. For example, as shown in fig. 5 or 6, the same operation as described above can be performed even if the inner sides of the holding members 23 and 25 are configured by elastic members 24 and 26 such as rubber. In the stopper 4B or 4C shown in fig. 5 or 6, the support columns 14l and 14r of the frame are held by being sandwiched between the elastic members 24 and 26 when inserted into the frame holding portion. The frame support posts 14l, 14r held by the elastic members 24, 26 are pulled out in the direction opposite to the direction a in which the cart enters, and are released from the elastic members 24, 26.

Further, the stopper 4D shown in fig. 7 can also hold (fix) and release the cart by the same operation of the cart 10 as described above. In the stopper 4D, when the legs 14l and 14r are pushed into the frame holding portion of the stopper 4D, the insertion port of the holding member 27 is enlarged, and the legs 14l and 14r are inserted into the frame holding portion. When the pillars 14l, 14r are retracted into the frame holding portion, the vicinity of the insertion port is closed and the pillars 14l, 14r are held. When the cart 10 is taken out from the storage position, the cart 10 is pulled to the near side, and the enlarged support posts 14l and 14r near the insertion opening are released from the frame holding portion.

As described above, the cart storage system can fix the left and right supports 14L, 14R of the cart 10 to the stoppers 4L, 4R, respectively, by the operator moving the cart 10 forward. The power supply coil 5 is disposed in a direction facing a power receiving surface of a power receiving coil 15 provided on the cart 10 fixed by the two stoppers 4L and 4R. Thus, the power receiving coil can be reliably fixed to a position facing the power supply coil in the cart (cart at the row head of the storage position) initially stored at the storage position where the door is provided.

Next, a case will be described in which the operator stores one or more carts 10 in the storage position, and stores another cart.

The operator can store a plurality of carts in a nested state by lightly pushing the handle 14h of the cart 10 stored continuously toward the rear side of the already stored cart 10. Each cart 10 connected to the front cart 10 is freely taken out from the storage position by the operator gripping the handle 14h and pulling it forward.

In short, the plurality of carts 10 are stored in a nested state with reference to the carts 10 of the row heads fixed to the stoppers 4L and 4R provided on the doors 2L and 2R, and the carts 10 at the storage positions are arranged at equal intervals in the entering direction. On the other hand, the plurality of power supply coils 5 provided on the doors 2L and 2R are disposed at positions facing the power receiving coils 15 of the carts 10 housed in a nested manner with reference to the carts 10 fixed by the stoppers 4L and 4R. Thus, the power receiving coil 15 provided in each cart 10 accommodated in the accommodation position can receive power from the power supply coil 5 arranged along the accommodation position. As a result, the battery 17 provided in each cart 10 accommodated in the accommodation position can be reliably charged in a non-contact manner.

As described above, the power supply system (cart storage system) according to the present embodiment fixes the cart to be stored first by the stoppers attached to the doors provided on both sides of the storage position. Thus, the power receiving coil of the cart stored corresponding to the power supply coil provided at the storage position is aligned with the position where charging can be reliably performed. Further, the position where the circuit-efficient non-contact charging is possible can be easily aligned only by inserting the stay, which is the portion of the frame close to the handle operated by the operator of the cart, into the stopper.

In addition, in the power supply system (cart storage system), a power supply coil is arranged at a position facing a power receiving coil of a plurality of carts stored in a nested connection with the cart fixed by the stopper. In this way, the second and subsequent carts are stored in a nested state in a state where the first cart fixed by the stopper is stored, and thus a plurality of carts can be easily stored in a chargeable position. Further, the carts after the 2 nd station can be stored in the predetermined storage position by pushing lightly without requiring complicated operations, and the flow of positioning for the plurality of carts stored in the storage position is simplified.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments may be embodied in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and the like may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and the invention described in the scope of claims and the equivalent scope thereof are included.