JP2008259720A - Movable furniture, furniture with top board and chair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To arrange operation parts for changing-over a lock state of casters by selecting positions suitable for the operation without deteriorating the outer appearance of a table as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: In order to support a table body 1 by the plurality of casters 2, the operation parts 3 for integrally changing-over the locking state and the unlocking state of the casters 2 to be paired are arranged in horizontal joint parts 5 for joining the legs 4, 4 of a structure 1A so as to constitute a part of the line of the table body 1 when the operation is not performed. Thus, the lock states of the casters 2 to be paired are simultaneously changed-over without stepping, thereby keeping the excellent outer appearance of the leg structure 1A when the operation is not performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to moving furniture or the like that can appropriately switch between a locked state and an unlocked state of a caster with a simple operation.

  For example, a conference table is known as a representative example of mobile furniture including a caster with a lock function. This type of table is provided with casters at the lower end of the legs, and each caster is provided with a locking device. By locking all of these casters, the table can be used stably and locked. The table can be moved by setting the release state.

  However, in such a structure, the lock device attached to each caster must be individually operated, so that the operation is complicated, and the caster is located near the floor, so that it is difficult to bend. There is an operational defect that forces the posture.

  In order to solve such problems, for example, those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed.

  In Patent Document 1, a caster is supported by a link, and this link can be operated by an operation lever that protrudes in the horizontal direction at the upper end of the leg, and the link is operated according to the operation position of the operation lever. The caster is selectively switched between a sliding state in which the caster protrudes downward from the fixed leg and a stationary state in which the caster waits upward from the fixed leg.

Further, in Patent Document 2, the operation lever operating position is configured such that a pair of casters can be operated by a U-shaped pipe-shaped operating lever that is rotatably attached to the upper end of the support column and below the top plate. Accordingly, the caster can be selectively switched between the locked state and the unlocked state.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-113641 JP 2006-61257 A

  As described above, the conventional operation lever is handled in a compact manner by selecting a position that is difficult to be visually recognized from the outside so as not to impair the design appearance of the table as much as possible. It is customary to make a configuration of a sufficiently large size as described above, or select one of the modes. For this reason, in the former, the position where the operation lever is provided is easily restricted, and in the latter, the appearance is liable to be sacrificed.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a problem, and an operation unit capable of simultaneously switching the lock state of a plurality of casters is selected by selecting a position suitable for operation without damaging the appearance of furniture as much as possible. The object is to provide new and useful moving furniture that can be arranged.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention takes the following measures.

  That is, the moving furniture of the present invention is a moving furniture in which the furniture body is supported by a plurality of casters, and the operation unit that integrally switches between the locked state and the unlocked state of at least two casters is not operated. It is sometimes provided so as to constitute a part of the line of the furniture body.

  In this way, it can be used by pulling out, pushing in, or rotating the operation part when necessary, and when it is unnecessary, the operation part can be stored in a state that does not disturb the line of the furniture body. Even if the operation unit is arranged at a position suitable for operation, it is possible to effectively avoid deteriorating the appearance of the furniture body. And the convenience of handling of moving furniture can be effectively improved by simultaneously switching the locked state and unlocked state of a plurality of casters from such an operation unit.

  In order to enable the drawer-type operation, the operation unit may be configured to protrude from the surface of the furniture body during operation and to return to a position constituting a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated.

  In order to enable the push button type operation, the operation unit is configured to be immersed from the surface of the furniture body during operation and to return to a position that constitutes a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated. Good.

  In order to eliminate the need for incorporating a large-scale transmission mechanism in the furniture body and to effectively increase the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the operation unit, a flexible transmission element composed of a wire or the like is provided between each caster and the operation unit. It is desirable to be connected.

  In the case where the furniture body has a plurality of legs and a caster is attached to the distal end of each leg, in order to improve the convenience of operation more effectively, the leg coupling that connects the base ends of the legs together It is preferable to provide an operation unit that integrally switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of two or more casters.

  Alternatively, an operation unit that integrally switches between the locked state and the unlocked state of two or more casters is provided at a position displaced from the leg connecting portion that connects the base ends of the legs to the main function portion side of the furniture body. It is also preferable to keep it.

  Examples of mobile furniture configured based on the above include furniture with a top board and chairs.

  In the case of furniture with a top plate, a pair of legs is provided near the width direction end of the top plate, and two or more casters are switched between the locked state and the unlocked state when attaching the caster to the tip of each leg. The operation unit to be integrated can be projected and retracted to the leg connecting part or the top plate receiving part or a part of the top plate located on the lower surface side near the end of the top plate, and mainly among the operation units when not operated. It is preferable that the portion appearing in the appearance is provided so as to be smoothly continuous with the surrounding lines.

  Alternatively, in the case of a chair, a plurality of legs are provided at a position that supports the chair body, and when a caster is attached to the tip of each leg, an operation for integrally switching two or more casters between the locked state and the unlocked state is performed. The part can be projected and retracted to the leg connecting part or the seat receiving part located on the lower surface side of the seat, and the part that mainly appears on the appearance of the operating part when not in operation is provided so that it continues smoothly to the surrounding lines. It is suitable to keep.

  Since the present invention has the configuration described above, the operation unit can be arranged in a conspicuous state at a required position of the furniture body, thereby ensuring proper operation by the operation unit without impairing the appearance of the furniture. In addition, it is possible to effectively improve the ease of use associated with the switching operation between the moving state and the stationary state of the moving furniture.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a table T which is furniture with a top plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. This table T is formed by supporting the table main body 1 on two pairs of casters 2, and switching between the locked state and the unlocked state of the two casters 2 paired at least at the width direction end of the top plate 6 is integrated. The operation unit 3 is provided in a part of the table main body 1 so as to smoothly continue to a part of the line of the table main body 1 when not operated.

  More specifically, the table body 1 is formed by supporting a top plate 6 on a leg structure 1A shown in FIG. 2 in which the base end portions of a pair of legs 4 are connected by a leg connecting portion 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the leg 4 is formed by attaching a leg cover 42 to the leg column 41, and the pair of leg columns 41 are paired along the depth direction of the top plate 6. The support column 41 is connected to a frame member 51 that is a constituent element of the leg connection unit 5 so that the leg is opened from the base end portion 41a toward the tip end portion 41b. The leg strut 41 is provided with a hollow portion 41x at a portion that is closed when the leg cover 42 is attached, and a wire-type flexible transmission that connects the caster 2 and the operation portion 3 to the hollow portion 41x. Element 7 is accommodated. Of course, as long as the flexible transmission element 7 can be accommodated inside the leg 4, the specific structure of the leg 4 may be other than the illustrated example. The leg cover 42 is attached by fitting from the distal end portion 41b of the leg column 41 toward the proximal end portion 41a before attaching the caster 2, but is configured to be divided into an inner cover and an outer cover and fitted from the left and right sides. It doesn't matter.

  The caster 2 is attached to the distal end portion 41b of the leg column 41 by a screwed structure or the like, and has a lock device 8 incorporated therein as shown in principle in FIG. The lock device 8 has a lock member 80, and the lock member 80 is normally pressed against a spring 81 and protrudes downward as shown in FIG. Rotation is prohibited by engaging with the projections and depressions, and swinging is prohibited by spline coupling with the longitudinal axis 21 of the caster 2 by the second lock portion 80b. The wire 71 which comprises the flexible transmission element 7 is connected to. And, when the lock member 80 is pulled up by the wire 71 as shown in FIG. 5 (b) → (a), the lock state between the wheel 20 and the vertical axis 21 of both lock portions 80a, 80b can be released. is there. The locking device 8 based on such a principle can actually be realized by various specific structures.

  On the other hand, the leg connecting portion 5 is composed of the frame member 51 and the lateral cover 52 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the frame member 51 has a top plate receiving surface 51a on the upper surface, and the top plate 6 has its top plate. It is placed on the plate receiving surface 51a and fixed with screws or the like from below.

  The lateral cover 52 is partially concave upward, and is covered with the base material 51 from below, and at least the side surface 52a located on the outer side in the top plate width direction is formed on the upper end side surface 42a of the leg cover 42 having a U-shaped cross section. Constructed so as to be flush with each other, a concave portion 52x for receiving the operating portion 3 is provided at the center of the side surface 52a of the lateral cover 52, and a clue portion 52z for facilitating pulling out the operating portion 3 above the concave portion 52x. Is protruding. The recess 52x of the side cover 52 is surrounded by three sides 52x1, 52x2, and 52x3 as shown in FIG. 5 when viewed from the side where the operation unit 3 is inserted and removed, and the other side 52x4 is on the lower side where the finger is placed. It has a notch window that is partially open. And the operation part 3 is mounted | worn with this recessed part 52x so that insertion / extraction is possible.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 7, the operation unit 3 has a pull-like shape that is slidably accommodated in the recess 52x along the width direction of the top plate 6, and the horizontal cover 52 includes FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6 and the like, a pair of links 81 are rotatably attached via the vertical axis n1 in the vicinity of the inner end of the operation unit 3, and one end 81a of these links 81 is connected to the operation unit via the vertical axis n2. 3 is connected to a part 30 of FIG. Further, on the other end portion 81b side opposite to the one end portion 81a of the link 81 across the vertical axis n1, a wire holding portion 82 disposed so as to be rotatable via the vertical axis n3 is engaged. The tube 72 of the flexible transmission element 7 drawn out from the hollow portion 41x of the leg 4 through the opening portions 52y provided at both ends of the horizontal cover 52 is held by the tube holding portion 83 provided in the horizontal cover 52. The other end of the wire 71 drawn from the tube 72 is held by the wire holding portion 82.

  That is, the operation unit 3 is normally located at a position accommodated in the recess 52x as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, and the operation unit 3 is moved from this position as shown in FIGS. By pulling out and projecting in the width direction of the top plate 6, the link 81 is operated to move the wire holding portion 82 in the direction of pulling the wire 71. As a result, the wire 71 moves in the tube 72, and FIG. The lock member 80 of the lock device 8 shown in FIG. 6 is pulled up as shown in FIG.

  The operation part 3 is a substantially block-like body in which a finger hook part 32 as shown by a broken line in FIG. 5 is recessed below the decorative board 31, and the width dimension between the width direction edges 31 a 2 and 31 a 3 of the decorative board 31. The vertical dimension between the upper and lower edge portions 31a1 and 31a4 is slightly smaller than the width dimension between the left and right side sides 52x2 and 52x3 and the vertical dimension between the upper and lower sides 52x1 and 52x4 of the recess 52x provided in the horizontal cover 52 in FIG. The surface of the decorative plate 31 of the operation unit 3 is set by setting the operation unit 3 to the recess 52x and pushing it into the recess 52x as shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 to FIG. Is at least substantially flush with the side surface 52a of the horizontal cover 52x via the left and right sides 52x2 and 52x3 forming the recess 52x of the horizontal cover 52. That is, when the operation unit 3 is not operated, the surface of the decorative plate 31 of the operation unit 3 is the upper side surface 42a of the leg cover 42 constituting the leg 4 and the side cover of the leg connecting unit 5 as shown in FIGS. 52 hardly protrudes (or is immersed) from the side surface 52a of 52, and together with these, a part of the line of the leg structure 1A is configured smoothly. If the color and material of the operation unit 3 are the same as or similar to the color and material of the leg cover 42 and the side cover 52, the operation unit 3 is further assimilated into a part of the leg structure 1A when not operated. Can be made. When the operation unit 31 is pulled out, the surface of the decorative plate 31 is pulled out to the vicinity of the surface of the clue unit 52z as shown in FIG.

  The table T of FIG. 1 configured as described above is a clue unit by inserting a hand into the operation unit 3 located below the top plate 6 as a set of two persons from both ends in the width direction of the top plate 6. While using 52z, the fingertip is hooked on the finger-hooking portion 32 of the operation unit 3 and pulled out to the outside in that state, thereby simultaneously releasing the locked state of the casters 2 and 2 attached to the paired legs 4 and 4 as they are. The table T can be moved via the casters 2, and when the operating force is released, the operating portion 3 is again accommodated in the recess 52x to form part of the line of the leg structure 1A. It can be held in a locked state.

  As described above, the furniture with a top plate as the movable furniture, that is, the table T according to this embodiment, that is, the table body 1 that is the furniture body is supported by the plurality of casters 2, the locked state and the lock of the casters 2 that make a pair. The operation unit 3 that integrally switches the release state is provided so as to constitute a part of the line of the table body 1 when not operated.

  In this way, the operation unit 3 can be pulled out and used when necessary, and when not necessary, the operation unit 3 can be returned to the position where the line of the table body 1 is not disturbed. Even if 3 is arranged at a position that is easily visible from the end side of the table T as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to effectively avoid impairing the appearance of the table body 1. The convenience of handling the table T can be effectively improved by enabling the lock state and the unlock state of the plurality of casters 2 to be simultaneously switched from the operation unit 3 provided at such an easy-to-operate position. It becomes.

  In particular, the operation unit 3 protrudes from the surface of the table main body 1 during operation, and a portion that is likely to appear in the appearance when viewed from a normal position, ie, a position constituting a part of the line of the table main body 1 during non-operation, that is, a decorative board 31. Is returned to a position where it hardly protrudes from the side surface 52a of the lateral cover 52 of the leg structure 1A forming a part of the table body 1, so that proper operability as the drawer type operation unit 3 is ensured. However, a good appearance during non-operation can be maintained.

  Moreover, since each caster 2 and the operation part 3 are connected via the flexible transmission element 7 which consists of a wire etc., a complicated and large-sized link etc. are integrated in the table main body 1, especially the leg 4 inside. The transmission of the operating force can be realized by appropriately drawing the flexible transmission element 7 to the position where the operation unit 3 is provided.

  In this embodiment, the table main body 1 has a plurality of legs 4, and casters 2 are attached to the distal ends of the legs 4, and the legs that connect the base ends of the legs 4 to each other. Since the operation part 3 which performs switching of the locked state and the unlocked state of the casters 2 which form a pair in the connecting part 5 is provided integrally, the operation part 3 can be operated at a high position, bent down and individually In addition, the inconvenience of switching the lock state of the caster 2 can be eliminated.

  As described above, the table T of this embodiment includes a pair of legs 4 in the vicinity of the end in the width direction of the top plate 6, and the casters 2 are attached to the tips of the legs 4. The operation unit 3 that integrally switches between the locked state and the unlocked state of the pair of casters 2 at each end part projects into a part of the leg connecting part 5 located on the lower surface side near the end part of the top plate 6. The part of the operation unit 3 that can be sunk and that appears mainly in the appearance of the operation unit 3 during non-operation is provided so as to be smoothly continuous with the line of the leg connection unit 5. Furthermore, when the part displaced to the main function part side of the table body 1, for example, when the top board receiver is located at a higher position than the leg connecting part 5, it is provided on this top board receiver, and further, a part of the shelf or the top board, etc. It is also possible to provide it. When the operation unit is provided on a part of the shelf or the top plate, the flexible transmission elements from all casters are gathered near the center in the width direction so that the single operation unit can be simultaneously locked or unlocked. It becomes possible.

  In the above embodiment, the link 81 or the like is arranged in the lateral cover 52 and the operation unit 3 and the flexible transmission element 7 are connected. For example, the wire 71 of the flexible transmission element 7 is connected to a sprocket or the like. Then, by connecting directly to the part 30 of the operation unit 3, it is possible to directly transmit the operation force applied to the operation unit 3 to the lock device 8 without using a link or the like.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the operation unit 3 is configured to protrude from the surface of the table body 1 that is the furniture body during operation and to return to a position that constitutes a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated. However, on the contrary, it can of course be configured as a push button type operation unit in which the operation unit immerses from the surface of the furniture body during operation and returns to a position constituting a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated. is there.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, it is comprised so that it may return to a predetermined position, if operation force is cancelled | released, regardless of whether it is locked or unlocked, and the time when no operation force is applied is regarded as non-operation time. However, if the operation unit has a latch function that is held in a position that protrudes (or immerses) from the furniture main body against each operation and a position that continues to the furniture main body, operating force is applied to the operation unit. In addition, the present invention can be effectively applied when the caster is in a locked state as non-operating.

  Further, in the structure shown in FIG. 9, a leg structure 1A having a caster 2 that is paired only at one end in the width direction of the top plate 6 is disposed, and the other is supported so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis n. The operating table 3 is provided on the leg structure 1A in the same manner as described above. Since the table T ′ having such a structure is particularly easy to turn, it is indispensable to hold the caster 2 in a locked state at the time of use. However, the operation unit 3 is provided only at one end in the width direction of the top plate 6. If provided, the table T ′ can be moved and fixed by switching between the locked state and the unlocked state of the caster 2 and can be operated by only one user, so that the handling convenience is further improved. It becomes.

  Of course, even when the operation units 3 are provided at both ends in the width direction of the top plate 6 as in the above embodiment, the width of the top plate 6 is wide enough to operate both operation units 3 by one person. If it is narrow, it can be switched by one person, or as described above, if a single operation unit is provided at a position where the four casters can be simultaneously switched between the locked state and the unlocked state. It becomes possible to operate by one person regardless of the size of the top board.

  Furthermore, the moving furniture to which the present invention is applied is not limited to furniture with a top plate such as the above table, and can be applied to a chair C as shown in FIG. 10, for example. The chair C in the illustrated example includes a plurality of pipe-like legs 104 at positions that support the chair body 101, and a caster 102 with a lock function similar to that described above is attached to the tip of each leg 104. The operation unit 103 that integrally switches between the locked state and the unlocked state of the pair of casters 102 protrudes into the leg connecting portion (or seat receiving portion) 105 located on the lower surface side of the seat 101a constituting the chair body 101. The portion of the operation unit 103 that appears in the exterior of the operation unit 103 when it is not operated is provided so as to be smoothly continuous with the peripheral line of the chair body 101, and the sliding state of the caster 102 is controlled particularly while sitting. It can be extremely useful in that the operation unit 103 can be arranged in an attractive place. What is indicated by a broken line in the figure is a flexible transmission element 107 that connects the caster 102 and the operation unit 103. Of course, even in a leg-wing type chair, if the flexible transmission element can be raised from the leg blade to the seat receiving side via the support, the same effect can be obtained.

  Of course, the surface of the furniture body on which the operation unit is provided is not limited to a flat surface. If the surface of the furniture body is curved, the line of the furniture body is configured along the curve when not operated. The surface of the operation unit may be curved as described above.

  Although one embodiment and various modifications of the present invention have been described above, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is possible.

The perspective view of the table which is the furniture with a top plate to which one Embodiment of this invention is applied. The perspective view of the leg structure which comprises the table. The exploded view of FIG. The principle figure explaining the lock function of the caster incidental to the table of the embodiment. The perspective view which decomposed | disassembled the side cover, the operation part, and surrounding structure which comprise the leg structure of FIG. The top view which shows the state which assembled FIG. Action explanatory drawing corresponding to FIG. Action explanatory drawing corresponding to FIG. The perspective view which shows the table which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the chair which concerns on further another embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Furniture body (table body)
2 ... Caster 3 ... Operation part 4 ... Leg 5 ... Leg connecting part 6 ... Top plate 7 ... Flexible transmission element 101 ... Furniture body (chair body)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102 ... Caster 103 ... Operation part 104 ... Leg 107 ... Flexible transmission element T ... Moving furniture (table)
C ... Moving furniture (chair)

Claims (8)

A moving furniture in which a furniture body is supported by a plurality of casters, and an operation unit that integrally switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of at least two casters, and a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated Moving furniture, characterized by being configured. The movable furniture according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit protrudes from the surface of the furniture body during operation and returns to a position constituting a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated. The movable furniture according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is immersed from the surface of the furniture body during operation and returns to a position constituting a part of the line of the furniture body when not operated. The movable furniture according to claim 1, wherein each caster and the operation unit are connected via a flexible transmission element made of a wire or the like. When the furniture body has a plurality of legs and a caster is attached to the tip of each leg, two or more casters are locked and unlocked at the leg connecting part that connects the base ends of the legs. The movable furniture according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit that integrally switches the state. When the furniture body has a plurality of legs and a caster is attached to the distal end of each leg, the furniture body is further displaced from the leg connecting part that connects the base ends of the legs to the main function part side of the furniture body. The movable furniture according to claim 1, wherein an operation portion that integrally switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of two or more casters is provided at the site. Operation to switch two or more casters in a locked state and an unlocked state integrally when the pair of legs is provided near the widthwise end of the top plate and casters are attached to the tip of each leg. The part can be projected and retracted to the leg connecting part or the top board receiving part or a part of the top board located on the lower surface side near the end part of the top board, and the part that appears mainly on the exterior of the operation part when not operated A furniture with a top board, characterized in that is provided so as to be smoothly connected to the surrounding lines. In the case where a plurality of legs are provided at a position supporting the chair body, and a caster is attached to the tip of each leg, an operation unit that integrally switches between a locked state and an unlocked state of two or more casters, Provided so that it can protrude into and retract from the leg connecting part or seat receiving part located on the lower surface side of the seat, and the part that mainly appears on the exterior of the operating part when not in operation is smoothly connected to the surrounding lines. A chair characterized by.

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