1. A dump cart comprising:
a bed configured to carry a load;
a frame for supporting the bed in either a retaining position in which items forming the load are carried in the bed and a dumping position in which the items are dumped from the bed; and
a lift assist mechanism for biasing the bed toward the dumping position to provide a user assistance in shifting the bed from the retaining position to the dumping position.
2. The dump cart of claim 1, wherein the frame further includes a frame crossmember, and
a center beam configured to removably couple to a pulling vehicle, the center beam coupled to the frame crossmember and extending forward therefrom, and
the lift assist mechanism is coupled to the frame crossmember for providing upward force on the bed when the load is dumped.
3. The dump cart of claim 2, wherein the frame further includes
a left leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a left end of the frame crossmember,
a right leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a right end of the frame crossmember, wherein the left leg, the frame crossmember, and the right leg form an inverted \u201cU\u201d shape,
a left wheel coupled to the left leg, and
a right wheel coupled to the right leg.
4. The dump cart of claim 3, wherein there is no axle between left wheel and the right wheel.
5. The dump cart of claim 2, wherein the frame further includes a strut bracket coupled to the frame crossmember extending rearward and downward therefrom, and the lift assist mechanism includes a gas spring with a first end coupled to the strut bracket and a second end that exerts a force on the bed when the load is dumped.
6. The dump cart of claim 2, further comprising a bed adapter configured to couple to a bottom wall of the bed, the bed adapter including a left adapter rail and a right adapter rail with both adapter rails configured to contact the bottom wall, wherein the lift assist mechanism exerts a force on the bed adapter when the load is dumped.
7. The dump cart of claim 6, wherein the frame further includes:
a left frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember and pivotally coupled to the left adapter rail, and
a right frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember and pivotally coupled to the right adapter rail, the right frame rail in combination with left frame rail allowing the bed to dump the load to the rear of the dump cart.
8. The dump cart of claim 6, wherein the bed adapter further includes a center adapter crossmember coupled to the left adapter rail and the right adapter rail and positioned therebetween, and the lift assist mechanism includes a gas spring with a first end coupled to the frame and a second end coupled to the center adapter crossmember.
9. The dump cart of claim 2, wherein the center beam is rotatably coupled to the frame crossmember to allow the dump cart to rotate with respect to the pulling vehicle.
10. A dump cart comprising:
a bed configured to carry a load;
a bed adapter configured to couple to a bottom wall of the bed, the bed adapter including
a left adapter rail and a right adapter rail with both adapter rails configured to contact the bottom wall, and
a center adapter crossmember coupled to the left adapter rail and the right adapter rail and positioned therebetween;
a frame supporting the bed, the frame including
a frame crossmember, and
a center beam configured to removably couple to a pulling vehicle, the center beam coupled to the frame crossmember and extending forward therefrom; and
a gas spring including a first end coupled to the frame and a second end coupled to the center adapter crossmember, the gas spring operable to provide assistance in lifting the bed when the load is dumped.
11. The dump cart of claim 10, wherein the frame further includes:
a left leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a left end of the frame crossmember,
a right leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a right end of the frame crossmember, wherein the left leg, the frame crossmember, and the right leg form an inverted \u201cU\u201d shape,
a left wheel coupled to the left leg, and
a right wheel coupled to the right leg, wherein there is no axle between left wheel and the right wheel.
12. The dump cart of claim 10, wherein the frame further includes:
a left frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember and pivotally coupled to the left adapter rail, and
a right frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember and pivotally coupled to the right adapter rail, the right frame rail in combination with left frame rail allowing the bed to dump the load to the rear of the dump cart.
13. The dump cart of claim 10, wherein the frame further includes a strut bracket coupled to the frame crossmember extending rearward and downward therefrom, and the first end of the gas spring is coupled to the a lower end of the strut bracket.
14. A dump cart comprising:
a bed configured to carry a load;
a frame supporting the bed, the frame including
a frame crossmember,
a left frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember,
a right frame rail rigidly coupled to the frame crossmember, wherein the bed pivots about rear ends of the left frame rail and the right frame rail, and
a center beam coupled to the frame crossmember and extending forward therefrom;
a lift adapter for lifting an object external to the dump cart, the lift adapter releasably coupling to the frame and including
a lift crossmember configured to releasably couple to the left frame rail and the right frame rail after the bed is removed from the frame,
a lift arm configured to releasably insert into the center beam for a user to grip while lifting the object,
a left cradle arm and a spaced-apart right cradle arm coupled to the lift crossmember and configured to couple to one or more features of the object, and
a stabilizer leg rotatably coupled to the lift crossmember and configured to contact the ground so as to support a portion of the weight of the object.
15. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein the lift adapter further includes:
a left lift rail coupled to the lift crossmember and configured to releasably couple to the left frame rail, and
a right lift rail coupled to the lift crossmember and configured to releasably couple to the right frame rail.
16. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein each cradle arm includes a U-shaped cradle attached to the end thereof.
17. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein the lift adapter further includes a lift hitch coupler configured to couple to a hitch connector of the object.
18. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein the frame further includes:
a left leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a left end of the frame crossmember,
a right leg, vertically oriented and coupled to a right end of the frame crossmember, wherein the left leg, the frame crossmember, and the right leg form an inverted \u201cU\u201d shape,
a left wheel coupled to the left leg, and
a right wheel coupled to the right leg.
19. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein the lift adapter releasably couples to the rear of the frame crossmember.
20. The dump cart of claim 14, wherein a bed adapter configured to couple to a bottom wall of the bed, the bed adapter including
a left adapter rail and a right adapter rail with both adapter rails configured to contact the bottom wall, and
a center adapter crossmember coupled to the left adapter rail and the right adapter rail and positioned therebetween.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A cell structure comprising:
a cell structural portion having partition walls forming a plurality of cells extending from one end face to the other end face, and
an outer wall portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the cell structural portion;
wherein the outer wall portion has at least a porous layer having a porosity of 40% or more or a porous layer having a hollow body.
2. A cell structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall portion has an inside shell layer located on the cell structural portion side and an outside shell layer located outside of the inside shell layer with the inside shell layer having a porosity higher than that of the outside shell layer.
3. A cell structure according to claim 1, wherein the cell structural portion contains a ceramic material or a metallic material as a main component, and the outer wall portion contains a ceramic material as a main component.
4. A cell structure according to any one of claims 1, wherein the cell structural portion has a honeycomb structure or a foam-shaped structure.
5. A cell structure according to any one of claims 1, wherein the cell structural portion contains a material having adsorbability or catalytic capability.
6. A cell structure according to any one of claims 1, wherein the outer wall portion contains a material having adsorbability or catalytic capability.
7. A cell structure according to any one of claims 1, wherein the cell structural portion has a honeycomb structure, and at least a part of cells are plugged at an end portion.
8. A cell structure according to any one of claims 1, wherein a catalyst is loaded on the inside of the cells andor the inside of the partition walls.
9. A cell structure according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst has a function of purifying automobile exhaust gas.
10. A method for manufacturing a cell structure, comprising the steps of:
forming a formed body including partition walls forming a plurality of cells,
firing the formed body to obtain a fired body, and
disposing a coating material on a peripheral surface of the formed body or the fired body to form an outer wall portion;
wherein the coating material contains a pore former.
11. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to claim 10, wherein at least a part of the outer periphery of the formed body or the fired body is worked and removed before the step of forming the outer wall portion.
12. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to claim 11, wherein the step of working and removing at least a part of the outer periphery is conducted before the step of firing the formed body.
13. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to claim 11, wherein the step of working and removing at least a part of the outer periphery is conducted after the step of firing the formed body.
14. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to any one of claims 11, wherein, in the step of obtaining a formed body containing an outer wall unitarily joined with the partition walls in the step of obtaining a formed body and working and removing at least a part of the outer periphery, the outer periphery including the outer peripheral wall is worked and removed.
15. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of obtaining a formed body, a formed body excluding the outer peripheral wall is obtained, and a coating material is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the formed body or the fired body to form the outer peripheral portion without working or removing the outer peripheral portion of the formed body and the fired body.
16. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to any one of claims 10, wherein the method includes the step of plugging at least a part of cells at an end portion.
17. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to any one of claims 10, wherein the pore former is one of carbon, a balloon, a foaming resin, a polyester resin, an acrylic resin, and a starch or a combination thereof.
18. A method for manufacturing a cell structure according to any one of claims 10, wherein the pore former has a hollow body.