JP2001299493A - Chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chair having a relatively high freedom of designing and contributing to improvement of the efficiency of repairing and assembling. SOLUTION: An expandable actuator 4, the upper side is fitted to a moving member 2, and the lower side is fitted to a fixed member 1 is provided, and the moving member 2 and a seat 31 can be lifted and lowered between the highest position P and the lowest portion Q by the actuator 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chair capable of raising and lowering a seat.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An elderly person or a physically handicapped person often has trouble in the operation when standing up from a sitting posture.
In particular, when the seat is located near the floor, such as a seating chair, this is remarkable, but the same problem may occur when sitting. Therefore, recently, a chair has been developed in which the seat is configured to be capable of automatically moving up and down, and the seat is moved up and down to assist the user in standing up or sitting down. Such a function of raising and lowering the seat works well when an elderly person or the like is transferred to a wheelchair or a bed.

[0003] On the other hand, as a typical seat elevating mechanism of this kind of chair, a belt drive system described below is known.

In the belt drive system, a winding shaft connected to an output shaft of a rotary drive source such as a motor and a seat are connected by a belt. Specifically, the belt is hooked on a pulley provided above the motor and the seat, and the seat is pulled up from above by rotating the motor to wind the belt around the winding shaft. It is what was constituted. Conversely, if the belt is extended from the winding shaft, the seat can be lowered.

[0005]

However, in the above-described structure in which the seat is pulled up, it is necessary to arrange a pulley or the like above a portion where a pulling force is applied to the seat. And the stroke that can move up and down the seat is
It depends on the distance between the lowest seat and the pulley. Therefore, in order to secure a sufficient up-and-down stroke of the seat, the pulley must be located relatively high, and a fixing member having a height capable of supporting the pulley is required.

As a result, the degree of freedom of design is low, for example, the height of the fixing member cannot be reduced to a certain level or more. In addition, parts other than the support are limited, and the function is improved. It can be a hindrance.

Further, the belt drive system has a risk that the belt may be damaged or come off, and the structure is relatively complicated.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem at once, and the seat is raised and lowered by using an actuator which can expand and contract itself instead of a belt. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a chair having a relatively high degree of freedom in design and to improve the workability of repair and assembly.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In other words, a chair according to the present invention comprises a fixed member arranged on the floor, a movable member supported by the fixed member so as to be able to move up and down between a highest position and a lowest position.
And a seat supported by the movable member, wherein an upper end is attached to the movable member, and a lower end is provided with an extensible actuator which is attached to a fixed member. The movable member and the seat can be driven up and down between the position and the position.

[0010] In such a case, since the seat is pushed up by the actuator and raised, the pulley or the like is not required unlike the above-described structure of pulling up, and the fixing member having a height is used. Even if not used, a sufficient lifting stroke of the seat can be secured.

In addition, since the movable member moves up and down with the expansion and contraction of the actuator, and the actuator is located at a position lower than the upper end of the movable member, the pulley is located above the movable member or the seat as in the prior art. Can avoid itself.

Therefore, the degree of freedom in design is greatly improved, and the possibility of improving the function of the chair can be expanded. In addition, the appearance can be prevented from being adversely affected.

Furthermore, if the actuator moves the movable member up and down by expanding and contracting the cylinder, there is no need to use a belt or the like which may be damaged, so that the number of troubles can be reduced and the chair can be reduced. Can be given reliability.

In order for the user to be able to raise and lower the seat without worrying about the driving noise and to improve the workability of repairing and replacing the actuator, the actuator must be entirely or partially provided with its mechanical members. It is desirable that the unit be put in a casing and unitized.

In order to further improve the workability of repair or replacement when the actuator breaks down, it is preferable that the actuator is detachably mounted.

In order to make the raising and lowering operation of the seat smooth and to give a comfortable feeling of use, it is preferable that the movable member is supported by a fixed member so as to be slidable up and down.

As a specific example of the actuator, an actuator having an electric motor and a cylinder driven to expand and contract by the electric motor can be cited.

An extremely large frictional resistance is generated between the movable member and the fixed member, for example, when the movable member is displaced from the axis of the elevating slide during the elevating slide of the seat, thereby causing poor sliding of the movable member. In order to prevent this, to give certainty to the raising and lowering sliding movement of the seat, to allow the mounting accuracy error of the actuator, and to reduce the manufacturing cost, the upper end of the actuator must be
It is preferable that the lower end is rotatably attached to the movable member and the lower end is rotatably attached to the fixed member.

In order to efficiently convert a change in expansion and contraction of the actuator into a vertical sliding movement of the movable member, it is desirable that the direction of expansion and contraction of the actuator and the vertical sliding direction of the movable member be substantially matched.

In order to stabilize the balance of the whole chair, it is preferable that the electric motor is located at the lower end and the cylinder is located at the upper end.

[0021] The maintenance and mounting of the actuator can be facilitated, the height of the fixing member can be reduced while securing a sufficient up-and-down stroke of the seat, and a complicated structure such as using a link is not required. An example of a preferable mounting mode of the actuator includes a mode in which a back is supported by a movable member and the upper end of the actuator is mounted on the back side of the back.

As a specific embodiment, a fixing member is formed by connecting a pair of right and left columnar members disposed on a floor surface and extending forward and backward with a horizontal member, and extends upward and obliquely rearward from the base. And a pair of left and right guide rails, a reinforcing member connecting the upper ends of the guide rails, and a handle provided on an upper surface of the reinforcing member. One that includes a guide member that can be fitted and slid up and down.

[0023]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A chair 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a fixed member 1 arranged on the floor, a movable member 2 supported by the fixed member 1 so as to be able to move up and down between a highest position P and a lowest position Q,
A back seat 3 supported by the movable member 2 is provided so that the movable member 2 can be used as a chair at the lowest position Q.

The fixing member 1 is connected to a base 18 formed by connecting a pair of right and left round pipes 11 which are disposed on the floor surface and extend forward and backward by a horizontal member 16 which is bridged between the vicinity of the rear ends thereof. A pair of guide rails 12, each of which is formed to extend obliquely rearward and upward from each of the left and right ends of the horizontal member 16, and a reinforcing member 13 connecting the upper ends of the guide rails 12, Provided on the upper surface of the reinforcing member 13,
It has a handle 14 used when the chair 10 is moved. Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the rear end of the horizontal support plate 17 attached to the rear end of the
A pair of rollers 15 are mounted so as to project right and left, respectively. The lower end of these rollers 15 is positioned at the same height as or slightly above the lower end of the round pipe 11. By tilting the chair 10 backward, only the rollers 15 are brought into contact with the floor, and Is configured to be movable.

The movable member 2 has a back seat support 21 and a guide member 22 attached to the back seat support 21 and fitted to the guide rail 12.

The back support 21 is formed by connecting a pair of pipe-shaped support members 211 having a substantially L-shape in side view so as to be separated from each other by a horizontal member 212. Each pipe-shaped support member 211 is formed integrally with the upright portion 213 and the horizontal portion 214, and the angle formed by the upright portion 213 and the horizontal portion 214 is the angle formed by the round pipe 11 and the guide rail 12. Approximately. Horizontal material 212
Is disposed between the front ends of the horizontal portions 214, and is formed by bending the left and right pipe-shaped support members 211 and integrally with them.

The guide member 22 includes a pipe-like support member 211.
A pair is provided up and down with respect to the upright portion 213 of
The rear end is screwed to the pipe-like support member 211. Each of the guide members 22 includes a pair of rollers (not shown),
The movable member 2 is guided by the guide rails 12 so that the movable member 2 can slide up and down smoothly.

The back seat 3 is integrally provided with a back 31 and a seat 32, and is attached to the movable member 2 through a pair of attachments 8 provided on an upright portion 213 of each of the pipe-shaped support members 211. Things. The back 31 is mainly supported by the upright portion 213 of the pipe-shaped support member 211, and the seat 32 is mainly supported by the horizontal portion 214.

Thus, in this embodiment, only the actuator 4 is provided between the movable member 2 and the fixed member 1, and the movable member 2 and the back seat are moved between the highest position P and the lowest position Q by this actuator 4. 3 enables a vertical slide drive.

The actuator 4 is an integral unit of an electric motor 41 housed in a casing 81 and a cylinder 42 located above the electric motor 41 and substantially parallel to the guide rail 12.
By rotating the electric motor 41, a rod 422 provided on the cylinder 42 is driven by an internal screw feed mechanism.
Is a ball screw type that is configured to perform a retracting operation. In particular, in this embodiment, the lower end of the actuator 4, that is, the electric motor 41 side is rotatably and detachably attached to the fixed member 1, and the upper end, that is, the cylinder 42 side is rotatably and detachably attached to the movable member 2. I have. Reference numeral 99 denotes a cover for hiding the actuator 4.

More specifically, the lower surface of the actuator 4 is
As shown in FIG. 6, the pin 413 is passed through the first through hole 411 and the second through hole 412 provided in
Is mounted so as to be rotatable around the left and right horizontal axes.

The first through hole 411 penetrates in a lateral width direction formed in a protruding column protruding downward from the lower surface of the actuator 4. In particular, in the present embodiment, the projecting pillar is provided with a notch at the center thereof to provide two foot elements 414.
The foot elements 414 are provided with first through holes, respectively.

The second through hole 412 penetrates the bracket plate 415 attached to the horizontal member 16 in the left-right width direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the second through hole 4
Numeral 12 is formed on a protruding piece 416 provided on the bracket plate 415. The protruding piece 416 is arranged between the foot elements 414, and is superposed on the first through hole 411 from both left and right sides.

The tip of the pin 413 is inserted through one of the first through holes 411, and is sequentially passed through the second through hole 412 and the other first through hole 411. A washer 417 is fitted.

The upper end of the actuator 4 is located on the back side of the back 31. Pins 425 are passed through the first through-hole 423 and the second through-hole 424 provided in each part, and the movable member 2 is rotated around the left and right horizontal axes. It is rotatably mounted on.

The first through hole 423 penetrates in the left-right width direction formed at the upper end of the rod 422. Particularly, in this embodiment, the upper end of the rod 422 is provided with a notch at the center thereof to form a bifurcated shape including two foot elements 426, and the foot elements 426 are provided with the first through holes 423, respectively.

The second through hole 424 is formed in the pipe-shaped support member 2.
11 penetrates in the left-right width direction formed on the horizontal member 5 that is horizontally mounted between the upper end portions. In particular, in the present embodiment, the second through hole 424 is
The projecting pieces 424 are arranged between the foot elements 426, and the first through holes 423 are overlapped from both left and right sides.

The tip of the pin 425 is inserted through one of the first through holes 423, and is sequentially passed through the second through hole 424 and the other first through hole 423. A washer 427 is fitted.

When the electric motor 41 is driven,
The rod 422 moves in and out along the guide rail 12, so that the movable member 2 and the back seat 3 slide up and down along the guide rail 12. The driving and stopping of the actuator 4 can be controlled by an operation lever 34 which can be selectively attached to one of armrests 33 provided on both sides of the seat 32 according to the user's preference. The movable member 2, that is, the seat 32, can be moved up and down and fixed in height. Therefore, the raising and lowering function of the back seat 3 can suitably assist a user, particularly an elderly person or a person with a physical disability, to stand up and transfer an elderly person or the like to a wheelchair or a bed.

According to the present embodiment configured as described above,
Since the actuator 4 moves the movable member 2 up and down by pushing and retracting the rod 422, there is no need for a belt or pulley that may be damaged, and a sufficient back seat can be used without using a tall member for the fixed member 1. 3 can be secured. Further, the movable member moves up and down as the actuator 4 expands and contracts, and the actuator 4 is located at a position lower than the upper end of the movable member 2. Can be avoided.

As a result, the degree of freedom in design is drastically improved, adverse effects on the appearance can be prevented, and further, the function and reliability of the chair 10 can be improved.

Also, since the actuator 4 is integrally formed as a unit and is detachably mounted, and the upper end of the actuator 4 is mounted so as to be located on the back side of the back 31, the actuator 4 is mounted. The workability of repair and replacement of No. 4 can be dramatically improved.

Further, in the actuator 4, the electric motor 41 accommodated in the casing 81 is located on the lower side, so that the user can raise and lower the back seat 3 without worrying about the driving sound, and the chair 10 as a whole. Can be maintained in a good balance.

The lower end of the actuator 4 is rotatably mounted on the fixed member 1, the upper end is rotatably mounted on the movable member 2, and the movable member 2 is supported by the fixed member 1 so as to be vertically slidable. As a result, the raising and lowering operation of the back seat 3 becomes smooth and a comfortable feeling of use is given, and the movable member 2 is displaced from the vertical sliding direction axis while the back seat 3 is being slid up and down. An extremely large frictional resistance is generated between the movable member 2 and the fixed member 1 to prevent the movable member 2 from sliding poorly, and to provide certainty to the vertical sliding operation of the back seat 3. Become. Further, the mounting accuracy error of the actuator 4 can be allowed, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, for the regulation of the highest position and the lowest position of the movable member, a position detecting means such as a limit switch is provided, and the signal from the detecting means prevents the movable member from sliding up and down beyond the lowest position or the highest position. The actuator may be forcibly stopped.

Further, if the maximum projecting position and the minimum retracting position of the rod are adjusted in advance, it is possible to mechanically regulate the maximum position and the minimum position of the movable member without requiring a separate structure. In addition, it can be advantageous in terms of cost and space.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the armrest is rotatably attached to the upright portion of the pipe-like support member, for example, at the rear end, so that the horizontal use position and the upright nonuse position If it is configured to be rotatable between the positions, the user can easily stand up from the seat or sit on the seat.

Also, for example, the actuator is turned upside down from the above embodiment, and the electric motor is attached to the movable member.
The piston may be attached to the fixed member. Further, the guide member may have a vertically long cylindrical shape, and may be placed on the guide rail from above. Further, the guide rail may have a vertically extending groove, and a guide member may be engaged with the groove to slide up and down along the groove. Further, a gas damper or the like can be used as another actuator.

Furthermore, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained even with a chair having only the seat raised and lowered and the back fixed, or a chair having only the seat without the back. In addition, the present invention is not limited to a seat that can be used as a chair, and a seat whose minimum position is set higher than the embodiment may be used.

In addition, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0052]

According to the present invention described in detail above, since the seat is pushed up by the actuator and lifted up, unlike the above-described pull-up structure, a pulley or the like is not required, and the fixing member is not required. Even if a tall object is not used, a sufficient up-and-down stroke of the seat can be secured.

Further, since the actuator is always located at a position lower than the movable portion, it is possible to avoid the pulley itself being located above the movable member or the seat as in the related art.

Therefore, the degree of freedom in design is greatly improved, and the possibility of improving the function of the chair can be expanded, and the appearance can be prevented from being adversely affected.

Furthermore, if the actuator moves the movable member up and down by expanding and contracting the cylinder, there is no need to use a belt or the like which may be damaged, so that the number of troubles can be reduced and the chair can be reduced. Can be given reliability.

If the actuator is a unit in which all or a part of the mechanism members are housed in a casing, the user can raise and lower the seat without worrying about the driving noise, and can repair the actuator or perform the repair. The workability of replacement can be improved.

If the actuator is detachably attached, the workability of repair and replacement can be further improved.

If the movable member is supported by the fixed member so as to be slidable up and down, the up and down movement of the seat can be made smooth and a comfortable feeling of use can be given.

As a specific example of the actuator, an actuator having an electric motor and a cylinder driven to expand and contract by the electric motor can be cited.

If the upper end of the actuator is rotatably attached to the movable member and the lower end is rotatably attached to the fixed member, the movable member can be moved up and down during the up and down sliding of the seat. Extremely large frictional resistance is generated between the movable member and the fixed member due to deviation from the direction axis, thereby preventing the movable member from sliding poorly and providing certainty to the vertical sliding movement of the seat. At the same time, the mounting accuracy error of the actuator is allowed, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

If the direction of expansion and contraction of the actuator and the direction of vertical movement of the movable member are substantially matched,
The change in expansion and contraction of the actuator can be efficiently converted to the vertical sliding movement of the movable member.

If the electric motor is located at the lower end and the cylinder is located at the upper end, the balance of the whole chair can be stabilized.

If the device has a back supported by a movable member and the upper end of the actuator is mounted on the back side of the back, maintenance and mounting of the actuator can be facilitated. The height of the fixing member can be reduced while securing a sufficient up-and-down stroke of the seat, and the need for a complicated structure using a link or the like can be easily realized.

As a specific embodiment, a fixing member is formed by connecting a pair of right and left columnar members disposed on a floor surface and extending forward and backward by a horizontal member, and extending upward and obliquely rearward from the base. And a pair of left and right guide rails, a reinforcing member connecting the upper ends of the guide rails, and a handle provided on an upper surface of the reinforcing member. One that includes a guide member that can be fitted and slid up and down.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the lowest position of the movable member of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the highest position of the movable member of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the chair of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the chair of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the actuator of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fixed member 2 ... Movable member 3 ... Seat (back seat) 4 ... Actuator 10 ... Chair 11 ... Columnar member (round pipe) 12 ... Guide rail 13 ... Reinforcement 14 ... Handle 16 ... Horizontal member 18 ... Base 21 ... Back seat support 22 ... Guide member 31 ... Back 32 ... Seat 41 ... Electric motor 42 ... Cylinder 81 ... Casing P ... Highest position Q ... Lowest position

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Osamu Miwa 2-4 Hozo-cho, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi F-term in Yamada Kogyo Co., Ltd. (reference) 3B091 JA04

Claims (10)

[Claims] A fixed member disposed on a floor, a movable member supported by the fixed member so as to be able to move up and down between a highest position and a lowest position, and a seat supported by the movable member. Wherein an upper end is attached to a movable member, and a lower end is attached to a fixed member, which itself is provided with an extensible actuator, and the actuator drives the movable member and the seat up and down between a highest position and a lowest position. A chair characterized by being configured as possible. 2. The chair according to claim 1, wherein all or part of the actuator is housed in a casing to form a unit. 3. The chair according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is detachably mounted. 4. The chair according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is supported by the fixed member so as to be slidable up and down. 5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor and a cylinder driven to expand and contract by the electric motor.
The described chair. 6. An actuator according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the actuator is rotatably attached to the movable member, and a lower end of the actuator is rotatably attached to the fixed member.
The chair according to 3, 4 or 5. 7. The chair according to claim 1, wherein a direction in which the actuator expands and contracts and a direction in which the movable member slides up and down substantially coincide with each other. 8. The chair according to claim 5, wherein the electric motor is located at a lower end and the cylinder is located at an upper end. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a back supported by a movable member, wherein the upper end of the actuator is mounted on the back side of the back.
The chair according to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8. 10. A base in which a pair of left and right columnar members arranged on a floor surface and extending front and rear are connected by a horizontal member, and a pair of left and right guides provided to extend obliquely rearward from the base. A rail, a reinforcing member connecting the upper ends of the guide rails, and a handle provided on an upper surface of the reinforcing member, wherein a movable member is fitted to the guide rail from the outside,
A guide member which can be slid up and down is provided.
Or the chair according to 9.