JP2001046174A - Angle-adjustable movable armrest - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a working attitude suited for a worker by making sufficient adjustments of longitudinal inclination and reproduce an armrest configuration after an armrest has been folded and stored. SOLUTION: An armrest support member 4 is secured to the seat receiving part 5 of a chair 10 and the lower end 3a of a support part 3 is longitudinally rotatably attached to the armrest support member 4. A bracket 6 having a support face 6a for supporting an armrest part 2 is attached to the upper end 3b of the support part 3 in such a way as to be rotatable in the longitudinal direction of the chair. Further, the armrest part 2 is horizontally pivotably mounted on top of the bracket 6 to provide three independent rotational axes. Thus, the armrest part 2 and the support part 3 are independently adjustable in inclination to provide a suitable armrest configuration. When only the support part 3 is rotated to store the armrest 1, the armrest configuration can be reproduced during reuse.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an angle-adjustable movable armrest. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved armrest of a chair, particularly for office use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some chairs used for office use have a movable armrest. Such a chair allows the height, width and depth of the armrest to be adjusted, so that an optimal armrest position that differs depending on the physique difference and sitting posture can be obtained.

[0003] Recently, attention has been paid to work in a relaxed state by a reclining posture, and chairs have been designed that allow a user to perform personal computer work or the like with the backrest inclined slightly backward.

[0004] Further, some of the movable armrests can be folded smaller. Armrests during use often hit the desk, but they can be folded in this way so that they can be lowered close to the seat so that the rest of the chair other than the backrest can be stored under the desk when not in use. ing.

[0005]

However, there are cases where even a chair provided with a movable armrest does not have a sufficient adjustment stroke width. For example, when the depth adjustment width of the armrest is limited so as not to hinder the locking mechanism of the backrest, the armrest itself may not be sufficiently adjusted.

[0006] Further, among reclining chairs, the armrest is generally tilted when the backrest is rocked, and there are few chairs in which the inclination of the armrest in the front-rear direction can be independently adjusted. In addition, even if the armrest is provided with a single adjustment function, it can only be tilted in an auxiliary manner mainly for height adjustment, or the main purpose is to adjust forward, and adjust backward. And the inclination of the armrest itself could not be adjusted sufficiently. For this reason, when the backrest is locked, the armrest cannot be extended forward until it becomes horizontal, and the operator may be forced to take a posture that is not suitable for the work in which the angle inside the elbow cannot be increased. In such a case, the forearm is supported only by the tip of the armrest, and it may be difficult to maintain a stable state of the forearm.

[0007] Furthermore, the movable armrest which can be folded can be stored when not in use, but once folded, the armrest shape maintained at an appropriate angle cannot be maintained. In addition, there was the inconvenience of having to readjust. For this reason, even if height adjustment is possible, it is not fully utilized, and the precious function may not be utilized effectively.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an angle capable of performing a sufficient tilt adjustment, particularly in the front-rear direction, providing a suitable working posture for an operator, and reproducing an armrest shape after being folded and stored. It is intended to provide an adjustable movable armrest.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises an elbow rest on which a forearm is placed and a support part for supporting the elbow rest, and is provided in the front-rear direction of the chair. In an angle-adjustable armrest in which a support portion is rotatably attached so that an angle can be adjusted, an armrest support member is fixed to a seat receiving portion of a chair, and the lower end portion of the support portion can be rotated in the front-rear direction on the armrest support member. And a bracket having a support surface for supporting the armrest part is attached to the upper end of the support part so that the chair can be rotated in the front-rear direction, and the armrest part is attached to the upper part of the bracket so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction. This is provided with three independent rotation axes.

[0010] In the movable armrest constructed as described above, the support portion can be rotated in the front-rear direction about the lower end thereof, so that the depth can be adjusted in accordance with the movement of other portions such as the rocking of the backrest portion. However, at this time, a large adjustable range can be ensured. Apart from this movement, it is also possible to rotate the elbow rest together with the bracket in the front-rear direction. By providing two rotating shafts in this way, fine adjustment of the armrest shape is possible,
When the backrest is locked, the angle of the elbow rest can be finely adjusted independently of the movement of the backrest.

[0011] In addition, with respect to the storage function, by utilizing the two rotation shafts, it is easy to fold the armrest so that the armrest can be stored on the desk. In this case, by folding the armrest and the support so that they overlap, the armrest can be stored to a position where the presence of the armrest is not felt, and it can be used in the same way as a chair without an armrest from the beginning. . Further, since the movable range of the support portion is large, the movable armrest can be retracted rearward and stored so that the armrests are located on both sides of the backrest. In this case, the armrest is only retracted while maintaining the shape of the armrest, so that there is no need to readjust when using the armrest.

In addition, with this angle-adjustable movable armrest, it is possible to pivot only the armrest. Therefore, the elbow rest can be fixed at a slightly oblique position, and can be easily turned 180 degrees.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the angle-adjustable armrest according to the first aspect, the support portion is configured to be expandable and contractable by an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder fitted slidably.

Therefore, the length between the upper end and the lower end of the support portion is variable, and the angle adjustment of the armrest and the height adjustment to the armrest can be performed simultaneously and independently. . Therefore, it is also possible to horizontally move in the front-rear direction while maintaining the height of the armrest, and for example, a posture suitable for keyboard operation and writing work, such as an upright posture in which the armrest support is tilted forward. Can be formed.

The third aspect of the present invention provides the first or second aspect.
In the angle adjusting movable armrest described above, the armrest is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the bracket. Therefore, after adjusting the shape of the armrest, it is possible to adjust the position by sliding only the armrest back and forth while maintaining a suitable angle.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 16 show an embodiment of an angle-adjustable movable armrest according to the present invention. The angle-adjustable armrest 1 is provided as a member on which an elbow is placed, as in a normal armrest, as shown in FIG. However, the movable armrest 1 in the present embodiment has a movable joint and is provided so as to be able to move in the chair front-rear direction.
Specifically, the support portion 3 is attached to the armrest support member 4 fixed to the seat receiving portion 5 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction of the chair 10,
Further, it is formed by attaching the elbow rest 2 to the support 3 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction.

First, the armrest supporting member 4 is a member fixed to the left and right of the seat receiving portion 5 of the chair 10 so as to support the left and right movable armrests 1 respectively. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. It is attached to the back side of the part 5. In this case, the attachment portion to the seat receiving portion 5 is formed so as to have substantially the same inclination in accordance with the inclination of the back surface, and is formed to be bent halfway so that the other side is directed upward. The armrest support member 4 of the present embodiment includes three screw holes 4a as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 and is fixed to the seat receiving portion 5 by screwing. On the other hand, in order to mount the support portion 3 rotatably,
As shown in FIG. 8, a through hole 4b for the bolt 9 is provided on the upper end side.

The support portion 3 is a member provided between the armrest portion 2 and the armrest support member 4 so as to support the armrest portion 2 at an appropriate height. As shown in FIG. 3, the support portion 3 is rotatably attached to the armrest support member 4 so that the chair 10 can freely tilt in the front-rear direction. For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, U-shaped protrusions 7 a and 7 b sandwiching the upper end of the armrest support member 4 are provided at the lower end 3 a of the support 3, and the pin is penetrated to form a pin joint. To make it work. In this case, the protruding portions 7a and 7b are formed in a substantially semicircular shape around the pin as shown in FIG.

Further, the supporting portion 3 rotatably provided includes:
Furthermore, it is formed so that it cannot be rotated by fixing at an arbitrary angle. Means for this is not particularly limited. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a bolt 9 serving as a pin is used, and by tightening, the support portion 3 is prevented from rotating.
It can rotate by loosening. In this case, as shown in the figure, a through hole for the bolt 9 is provided on one protruding portion 7a, and a screw hole and a boss are provided on the other protruding portion 7b so that the bolt 9 functions as a holding bolt.
The head of the bolt 9 is provided with a handle 9a that can be manually rotated, although the shape is not particularly limited. A washer 11 is interposed between the handle 9a and the protruding portion 7a as shown in the figure.

Further, the support portion 3 is provided so as to be freely expandable and contractible in the axial direction so that the height of the armrest portion 2 can be freely adjusted. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 3 is constituted by an overlapping inner cylinder 7 and outer cylinder 8, and the inner cylinder 7 is rotatably mounted on the armrest support member 4 side. By sliding the outer cylinder 8, the entire length is changed as shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, a vertical groove 7c is provided on a side portion of the inner cylinder 7, and a through hole 8a and a screw hole 8b are provided in a lower portion of the outer cylinder 8, and a bolt 11 is passed therethrough. The support portion 3 can be expanded and contracted by the distance. Further, the support portion 3 can be fixed by tightening a bolt 12 at a desired length. Note that reference numeral 1
3 is a washer.

In this embodiment, the inner cylinder 7 and the outer cylinder 8
Is formed in a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 7, but the shape is not particularly limited thereto, and may be formed in another shape. For example, the outer pipe may be formed so as to have a circular cross section, and in this case, the outer pipe can be prevented from rotating around the inner pipe by a bolt penetrating both pipes.

An armrest 2 is provided on the upper end 3b of the support 3 via a bracket 6. The bracket 6 has a support surface 6a for supporting the elbow rest 2 so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction. In addition, the bracket 6 is rotatably mounted in the front-rear direction, so that the elbow rest 2 can be rotated and turned. This bracket 6
Is similar to the case where the support portion 3 is rotatably attached to the armrest support member 4, and as shown in FIG.
And is rotatably mounted by a bolt 14 passing through the through hole 8a. In this case, a female screw may be cut into the through hole 6c of the bracket 6 and the bolt 14 may be fitted therein, or a nut 15 as shown in the drawing.
The bolt 11 may be fitted to the. In any case, by loosening the bolt 14, the bracket 6 is rotated together with the elbow rest 2 as shown in FIG. 5, and can be fixed at a desired inclination by retightening.

In this embodiment, the U-shaped bracket 6 is used as shown in FIG. 10, but it may be formed in a torii shape as shown in FIG. 16, for example. The shape may be T-shaped or the like, and the shape is not particularly limited as long as the support surface 6a for supporting the elbow rest 2 and the strength as a whole are provided.

The armrest 2 on which the arm or elbow of the seated person is directly mounted is pivotally mounted on the upper part of the bracket 6 as shown in FIG. For example, in the present embodiment, a screw hole 6d is provided at the upper center of the bracket 6 and a hole 2a is provided at a position to be the center of rotation of the elbow rest 2, and the elbow rest 2 can be turned by passing a bolt 16 therethrough. Attached to. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the elbow rest 2 is rotatable around the bolt 16, and can be fixed at a desired position by tightening the bolt 16. In this case, the turning range of the arm rest 2 is not particularly limited. However, even in the case of restricting, the angle of 180 degrees is secured, and the tip of the arm rest 2 is at least right behind the chair 10. To be able to turn until it turns.

Further, the armrest 2 is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the above-described hole 2a has a long hole shape along the long axis, and the elbow rest 2 can be slid by this length.

The operation of the angle-adjustable armrest 1 provided as described above will now be described with reference to the chair 1 shown in FIGS.
The case of 0 will be described as an example.

First, in a normal use state, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, by fixing the support portion 3 vertically and fixing the arm rest 2 in parallel, it is possible to function as an armrest similar to that of a general chair. In addition, in the following overall view of the chair 10, the expansion and contraction function of the support portion 3 is not particularly shown, but it is possible to use the elbow rest 2 at a desired height by appropriately expanding and contracting.

When the chair 10 is used, it may be used in a reclining state or a rocking state in which the backrest 17 is tilted slightly backward as shown in FIG.
In this case, an appropriate sitting posture can be obtained by tilting the armrest 1 slightly backward in accordance with the tilt angle.
In this case, while the elbow rest 2 is moved horizontally,
It is possible to fix the elbow rest 2 at an optimum position by expanding and contracting the support 3 as needed.

On the other hand, in the chair 10 employing the angle-adjustable armrest 1, it is easy to take a posture called an upright state in which the upper body is slightly inclined forward. In other words, as shown in FIG. 12, the support part 3 is tilted forward, and the elbow rest 2 is positioned more forward than usual, so that it is possible to easily perform personal computer work and writing work with the arm resting on the armrest. Becomes In this case, it is the same as in the reclining state that the height of the elbow rest 2 can be appropriately adjusted by expanding and contracting the support portion 3 to ensure a sitting posture that matches the preference of the worker.

Furthermore, according to the chair 10 provided with the angle-adjustable movable armrest 1, it is possible to store the left and right armrests 1 when not needed. For example, in the reclining state shown in FIG. 1, the support part 3 is further tilted backward with the elbow rest part 2 being horizontal, and the armrest 1 is stored until it becomes the same height as the seat surface as shown in FIG. 14. Is possible.

On the other hand, on the other hand, the armrest 1 is
It can also be accommodated in front of the vehicle. That is, FIG.
The armrest 1 can be folded as shown in FIG. 13 by rotating the armrest 2 in the normal state shown in FIG. 1 by 180 degrees and tilting the armrest 2 forward.

Further, if the support portion 3 of the armrest 1 in the normal state or the upright state is inclined backward, the armrest 1 can be stored as shown in FIG. In this case, the backrest 1 is connected to the backrest 1 as shown in the figure.
Since the armrest 1 is vertically positioned on both sides, it is possible to realize a state in which the armrest 1 is not located on both sides of the seated person in the same manner as when the armrest 1 is folded.

As described above, in the angle-adjustable armrest 1 of the present embodiment, the inclination adjustment of the armrest 2 and the support 3 can be performed independently of each other. Shape can be obtained. Therefore, for example, even if the chair 10 is used in common, a seated person can adjust the shape of the armrest 1 according to his / her physique, and even when the same seated person uses the seat 10, there is a difference in posture during work. It is also possible to make fine adjustments in accordance with.

In addition, since the above-mentioned angle-adjustable armrest 1 has the support portion 3 provided so as to be extendable, if the length is changed, the height of the armrest portion 2 can be freely changed within the stroke range. it can. For example, by performing both the rotation function and the expansion / contraction function described above, the elbow rest 2 can be moved horizontally while maintaining its height when it is moved back and forth. When the armrest 1 is stored, it is also possible to reduce the space required for storage by shortening the support portion 3 to the minimum length.

Further, in the angle-adjustable armrest 1, since the armrest 2 itself is also rotatably mounted so that it can freely rotate, the width of the armrest 2 can be adjusted. In addition, it can be turned 180 degrees so that the tip faces directly behind. This allows
The armrest 1 can be folded and stored in either the front side or the rear side. In addition, the armrest 2 is slidable in the front-back direction with respect to the bracket 6, and after adjusting the armrest shape, only the armrest 2 is slid back and forth while maintaining a suitable angle to adjust the position. can do.

The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the bolt 12 is made to penetrate the inner cylinder 7 and the outer cylinder 8 that constitute the support section 3, and the support section 3 can be expanded and contracted by loosening the bolt 12. The present invention is not particularly limited to this, and for example, an air spring can be used. In this case, an air spring 18 is arranged inside the support portion 3 as shown in FIG.
And the lower end is attached to the armrest support member 4, respectively.
By expanding and contracting the air spring 18,
What is necessary is just to determine the length of. When the air spring 18 is used in this manner, the support portion 3 can be made the maximum length by using the spring force by opening the air inlet / outlet hole, and the air can be released while placing the arm on the armrest 2. By pulling out an appropriate amount, the elbow rest 2 can be lowered and adjusted to an optimum height. Although not shown, if a lever for bleeding air is provided in the vicinity of the back side of the front end of the arm rest 2, the arm 3 is operated while the arm rests on the arm rest 2, and the support 3 is moved. It can be expanded and contracted for convenience. Further, since the air spring 18 also functions as a damper, it acts so as to absorb an impact when the arm is placed on the elbow rest 2.

The upper and lower ends of the air spring 18 are connected to the bolts 14 that penetrate the bracket 6 as shown in FIG.
And the arm 9 is attached to the bolt 9 penetrating the armrest support member 4, so that the length of the support portion 3 can be kept constant regardless of the tilting movement of the support portion 3 itself or the bracket 6. At this time, as shown in FIG. 18, flanges 7d and 8a may be provided on the outer side of the upper end of the inner cylinder 7 and on the inner side of the lower end of the outer cylinder 8, respectively, to prevent the inner cylinder 7 from coming off at the stroke end. .

In the embodiment described above, the elbow rest 2 is slidably and pivotably mounted using the bolt 16, but may be mounted in another configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the armrest 2 can be slid and turned using a slider 19 that can slide in a rectangular long hole 2b provided in the armrest 2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20, a side hole 2c having substantially the same length as the long hole 2b is formed in the elbow rest 2, and the slider 19 is guided and slidable by the bolt 20 passing through the side hole 2c. To be tightened. In addition, the slider 19 is pivotally attached to the support 3 by bolts 20. According to this mechanism, by adjusting the tightening of the bolt 16, the elbow rest 2 can be turned, and by adjusting the tightening of the bolt 20, the elbow rest 2 is elongated.
In addition, it is possible to slide in the front-rear direction by the length of the side hole 2c.

In the above-described embodiment, the support portion 3 and the bracket 6 can be adjusted in a stepless manner so that an arbitrary angle can be adjusted. And tilted stepwise according to the groove shape.

In this embodiment, the angle adjusting mechanism of the movable armrest 1 has been described. However, it is needless to say that the use of this mechanism is not limited to the armrest, and the height and angle of, for example, a sub-table can be freely adjusted. Use as a possible mechanism is also possible.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the movable armrest for angle adjustment according to the first aspect, the armrest itself can be sufficiently adjusted since it has a sufficient adjustment stroke width. It is. In addition, since the inclination of the armrest in the front-rear direction can be adjusted independently, even when the backrest is locked, it is possible to obtain a posture in which the armrest is moved to a desired position to facilitate the work.

Moreover, the movable armrest can be stored by folding or the like. Particularly, if the movable armrest is tilted backward as it is, it is only necessary to return the armrest to a horizontal position when reusing, so that it is troublesome to readjust. There is no.
In addition, since the armrest itself is pivotally mounted so that the armrest can be freely rotated, the armrest can be folded and stored in either the front side or the rear side.

According to the angle adjusting movable armrest of the second aspect, since the supporting portion is configured to be extendable and contractible, the angle adjustment of the armrest and the height adjustment to the armrest can be performed simultaneously and independently. Is possible. This makes it possible to move horizontally in the front-rear direction while maintaining the height of the armrest, and to form a posture suitable for keyboard operation and writing work, such as taking an upright posture with the armrest tilted forward. Can be.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the armrest can be slid in the front-rear direction with respect to the bracket. After adjusting the shape of the armrest, the elbow rests at a suitable angle. The position can be adjusted by sliding only the contact portion back and forth.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a reclining state showing an embodiment in which an angle-adjustable armrest according to the present invention is applied to a chair.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the entire angle-adjustable armrest.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a support portion is rotatably attached to an armrest support member.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the support portion is configured to be extendable.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the bracket is rotatably attached to the support.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state where the elbow rest is pivotally attached to the bracket.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the elbow rest is slidably mounted in the front-rear direction.

FIG. 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view from the front showing the mounting structure of the support portion to the armrest support portion.

FIG. 9 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view from the front showing the expansion and contraction structure of the support portion.

FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view from the front showing a structure for attaching a bracket to a support portion and a structure for attaching an armrest to the bracket.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the entire chair in a normal use state.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the chair in an upright state.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the chair in a state where the armrest is stored in the front.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the chair in a state where the armrest is stored in the rear.

FIG. 15 is a side view of the chair in a state where the armrest is stored on the side of the backrest.

FIG. 16 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view from the front showing an attachment structure when the bracket has another shape.

FIG. 17 is a side view of an angle-adjustable armrest showing another embodiment using an air spring.

FIG. 18 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the expansion / contraction structure of the support portion.

FIG. 19 is a plan view of an armrest showing another embodiment of the mounting structure of the armrest.

FIG. 20 is a side view of an armrest showing another embodiment of the mounting structure of the armrest.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Angle adjustment movable armrest 2 Elbow rest part 3 Support part 3a Lower end part 3b Upper end part 4 Armrest support member 5 Seat receiving part 6 Bracket 6a Support surface 7 Inner cylinder 8 Outer cylinder

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An angle adjuster comprising: an elbow rest on which a forearm is placed; and a support for supporting the elbow rest, wherein the support is rotatably mounted so that the angle of the chair in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. In the movable armrest, a bracket having a support surface for fixing the armrest support member to the seat receiving portion of the chair, attaching the lower end of the support portion to the armrest support member so as to be able to rotate in the front-rear direction, and supporting the armrest portion. The chair is rotatably mounted in the front-rear direction on the upper end of the support, and the armrest is mounted on the bracket so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction. Adjustable angle armrest to do. 2. The angle-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is configured to be extendable and contractible by an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder fitted slidably. 3. The angle-adjustable armrest according to claim 1, wherein the armrest is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the bracket.