System for the support and handling of objects

Abstract

A system for supporting and handling one or more objects including a cart having a front (F) and a rear (R), and a furniture. The cart can be extracted along an extraction and insertion axis (X) in the direction from the front (F) towards the rear (R), from the furniture and can be inserted along the extraction and insertion axis (X) in the direction from the rear (R) towards the front (F), in the furniture. The cart comprises a frame, movement means of the frame, operatively connected to the latter in a movable or rotatable manner, which define, when the cart is inserted or partially inserted, a rest operating position (RP) in which they do not support and/or are not able to move the frame and, when the cart is extracted, at least one working operating position (WP) in which they support and/or are able to move the frame.

1 . A system for supporting and handling one or more objects comprising a cart or transport device of one or more objects having a front (F) and a rear (R), and a furniture equipped with at least two opposite walls and guide means which define an extraction and insertion axis (X) for said cart or transport device, said cart or transport device being extractable, in use, along said extraction and insertion axis (X) in the direction from said front (F) towards said rear (R), from said furniture so as to define at least one extracted operating position (EP) in which said front (F) of said cart or transport device is outside said furniture, and insertable, in use, along said extraction and insertion axis (X) in the direction from said rear (R) towards said front (F), in said furniture so as to define at least one inserted or partially inserted operating position (IP) in which said front (F) of said cart or transport device is inside said furniture, said cart or transport device comprising a frame, and movement means of said frame, operatively connected to the latter in a movable or rotatable way, which define, when said cart or transport device is in said at least one inserted or partially inserted operating position (IP), at least one rest operating position (RP) in which they do not support and/or are not able to move said frame and, when said cart or transport device is in said at least one extracted operating position (EP), at least one working operating position (WP) in which they support and/or are able to move said frame, wherein said cart or transport device, when it is in said extracted operating position (EP), is moveable as a separate unit from said furniture. 
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said guide means comprise at least two main parallel sliding guides for said cart or transport device each fixed or mounted on a respective opposite wall of said furniture. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one main parallel sliding guide of said at least two main parallel sliding guides comprises or delimits a first section substantially rectilinear and parallel to said extraction and insertion axis (X) and a second section inclined or curved downwards. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said guide means ( 4 ) comprise two secondary parallel sliding guides ( 4   b ) each fixed or mounted on a respective opposite wall ( 3   a ,  3   b ) of said furniture ( 3 ) and configured to support said cart or transport device ( 2 ) during the passage from said extracted operating position (EP) to said inserted or partially inserted operating position (IP) and vice versa. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said frame comprises a bottom wall, two opposite flanks each including a plurality of uprights and a top wall supported by said plurality of uprights. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein said frame comprises at least one intermediate wall or shelf interposed between said bottom wall and said top wall. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein said top wall or said at least one intermediate wall or shelf comprises side fins and/or a support component, in use, operatively coupled with said guide means to support said cart or transport device during the passage from said extracted operating position (EP) to said inserted or partially inserted operating position (IP) and vice versa. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means comprise a plurality of support elements or legs, and a plurality of displacement members each operatively connected to a respective support element or leg, at least one support element or leg of said plurality of support elements or legs being operatively connected with said actuation means. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein said cart or transport device comprises at least one reinforcing component for at least one or each supporting element or leg of said plurality of supporting elements or legs. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said cart or transport device comprises at least one locking component or lever, kinematically coupled with said movement means, which defines a slot slidably engaged with a protruding element or portion included in, or delimited on, said movement means, or comprises or delimits a protruding element or portion slidably engaged in a slot delimited on said movement means. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said locking component or lever delimits or comprises at least one abutment portion configured to abut with said furniture when said cart or transport device is inserted, along said extraction and insertion axis (X) in the direction from said rear (R) towards said front (F), in said furniture so as to activate a displacement or rotation of said movement means to allow, in use, the operative coupling of said actuation means with said guide means. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , comprising actuation means, in use, operatively associable with said guide means to actuate a displacement or rotation of said movement means from said at least one rest operating position (RP) to said ad least one working operating position (WP) and vice versa or actuation means configured to actuate the displacement or rotation of said movement means from said working operating position (WP) to said rest operating position (RP). 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said actuation means comprise at least one actuation mechanism which includes a first kinematic member or rotation or displacement component operatively rigidly connected in rotation or displacement with said movement means, and a second kinematic member, operatively connected with said first kinematic member or rotation or displacement component, configured to slide in or on said guide means to transmit motion to said first kinematic member or rotation or displacement component so as to actuate a displacement or rotation of said movement means from said at least one rest operating position (RP) to said at least one working operating position (WP) and vice versa. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said movement means comprise, in use, front movement means proximal to said front (F) and, in use, rear movement means proximal to said rear (R), said cart or transport device comprising return means configured to transfer the displacement or rotation of said, in use, front movement means to said, in use, rear movement means. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein said return means comprise at least one connecting rod which includes a first end operatively connected to said, in use, front movement means and a second end operatively connected to said, in use, rear movement means, said connecting rod being configured to transfer the displacement or rotation of said, in use, front movement means to said, in use, rear movement means. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein said cart or transport device comprises a locking mechanism of said return means which includes an abutment component, operatively connected with said first end of said connecting rod, and a stop component or lever, operatively connected to said frame, said stop component or lever being rotatable or movable between a plurality of operating arrangements (DI, D 2 , D 3 ) for locking said abutment component in position when said cart or transport device is in said extracted operating position (EP). 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein said locking mechanism comprises a control component of said stop component or lever configured to lock said locking component or lever in a first operating arrangement (DI) when said cart or transport device is in said extracted operating position (EP), and to release said stop component or lever from said first operating arrangement (DI), so that said stop component or lever can free the movement of said abutment component, when said cart or transport device is in said operating position inserted or partially inserted (IP). 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein said stop component or lever comprises elastic means operatively associated therewith and configured to maintain said stop component or lever in said first operating arrangement (DI), i.e., keeping said stop component or lever in a locking position of said abutment component, when said cart or transport device is in said extracted operating position (EP). 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein said stop component or lever defines a slotted hole slidably engaged with a projecting element or portion included in or delimited on said frame, or comprises or delimits a protruding element or portion slidably engaged in a slotted hole delimited on said frame. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said cart or transport device comprises support and cushioning means, operatively connected to said movement means, configured to support the movement or rotation of said movement means in the passage of the latter from said working operating position (WP) to said rest operating position (RP) and to cushion the movement or rotation of said movement means in the passage of the latter from said rest operating position (RP) to said working operating position (WP). 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein said support and cushioning means comprise a gas spring which includes a cylinder, a piston enclosed in said cylinder and a rod having a first end operatively connected with said piston and a second end operatively connected with said actuation means of said movement means. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said furniture comprises a baseboard. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 1 , comprising selective blocking means designed to selectively block or unblock the extraction of said cart or transport device from said furniture along said extraction and insertion axis (X) when the latter is in said inserted or partially inserted operating position (IP). 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 23 , wherein said selective blocking means comprise at least a stop element mounted or fixed at said front (F) of said frame of said cart or transport device and a balance wheel, operatively associated to a tilting element, movable between a blocking position (BP) of said stop element and an unlocking position (UP) of said stop element. 
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein said balance wheel comprises an actuation portion designed to be pressed by an operator to actuate the release of said stop element and an interference portion inclined downwards and arranged so that, following the pressure of the operator on said actuation portion, the movement or passage of said balance wheel from said blocking position (BP) to said unlocking position (UP) is generated. 
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein respective selective blocking means are provided on each opposite wall of said furniture and said system comprises a connection element that connect the balance wheel of the selective blocking means provided on said first wall of said furniture to the balance wheel of the selective blocking means provided on the other wall of said furniture so that by acting on a respective balance wheel the motion is also transferred to the other balance wheel.