JP2012070873A - Furniture having adjustment mechanism, and chair as one example thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a lumber support from being slipped down due to the body pressure of a seated person without spoiling easiness in an elevation operation, in a chair where a back reception sheet is supported from a backside by a lumber support device.SOLUTION: The lumber support device 25 is mounted on a lumber reception part 16a so as to be freely elevated and lowered. The lumber support device 25 has a movable lock body 20 and an arm 47 is formed in the movable lock body 20. An engagement projection 30 arranged in the arm 47 is fitted to an engagement groove 29 arranged in the holding member 27 of the lumber reception part 16a. The lower surfaces 29a and 30a of the engagement groove 29 and engagement projection 30 are pushed each other to form first engagement surfaces. Thus, the lumber support device 25 is prevented from slipping-down. The upper surfaces 29b and 30b of the engagement groove 29 and engagement projection 30 relatively evading each other to form second engagement surfaces. Consequently, the lumber support device 25 is elevated without turning the movable lock body 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to furniture having an adjustment mechanism for selectively holding a movable member by changing the position thereof, and a chair with a lumbar support function as an example thereof.

  In chairs, the importance of supporting the occupant's lower back (particularly the part centered on the third lumbar vertebra) from behind has been recognized, and there is a lumbar curved in a convex shape in the side view at the bottom of the backrest. Providing a support is common. In this case, the height of the lumbar support varies depending on the user's physique and preference. Therefore, the backrest sheet, which is subject to the body pressure of the seated person, is made of a material that elastically deforms, and the height of the backrest sheet is The height of the lumbar support can be adjusted by supporting it from behind with an adjustable lumbar support.

  As an example, in the patent document 1, the applicant of the present invention uses a lumbar support (lumbar pad) for each of the left and right sides of the back support sheet in a backrest having a structure in which a mesh-shaped back support sheet is stretched on a back frame that is open at the front and back. It has been disclosed that left and right lumbar supports are attached to support members made of plate materials so as to be adjustable in height. According to Patent Document 1, since the lumbar support part of the backrest sheet is in a state of being supported at both ends, the lumbar support part is allowed to deform following the body of the seated person, and as a result, the lumbar support function is improved. Although it is a chair having, it is possible to obtain fit to the body and softness to hit the body (waist).

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, the lumbar support support part has a two-part structure including a main body and a rail part arranged on the front surface thereof, and an engagement protrusion projects forward from the rail part. It is described that a plurality of engaging grooves into which mating protrusions are fitted are formed vertically. In Patent Document 2, the rail portion has a structure that bends and deforms in the front-rear direction. Due to this bend deformation, the engagement groove and the engagement protrusion are fitted and detached, and the lumbar support is allowed to move up and down. .

JP 2010-099104 A JP 2004-049656 A

  Now, the lumbar support part of the backrest seat is subjected to a backward pressing force due to the body pressure of the seated person. Actually, the downward or upward force on the lumbar support part includes a downward or upward component force, such as a downward or upward force acting on the lumbar support part due to relative movement of the backrest. Sometimes. Generally, it often includes a downward component force, and thus the lumbar support tends to slide down due to body pressure.

  On the other hand, conventionally, as disclosed in both patent documents, a combination of a plurality of engaging grooves formed vertically and engaging protrusions fitted to the same is employed as the lumbar support height position holding means. The lumbar support is held at a desired height by selectively fitting the engagement protrusion into one of the engagement grooves, and the lumbar support is moved up and down against elasticity to engage. The protrusion is fitted into and removed from the engaging groove.

  For this reason, if the engagement depth between the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove is shallow or the pressing force against the lumbar support becomes weak due to the extension of the back seat, the downward or upward component force acting on the lumbar support portion A phenomenon may occur in which the lumbar support is displaced. In order to prevent this displacement movement, it is considered that the engagement depth between the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove should be increased. In this case, the engagement protrusion is resisted against the pressing force of the backing sheet. Since a large force is required to disengage from the engaging groove, there is a problem that a large force is required for the lifting operation of the lumbar support. That is, the ease of adjusting the height of the lumbar support is contradictory to the function of preventing the lumbar support from shifting.

  The present invention has been made with such knowledge as an opportunity, and has a movable member such as a lumbar support, and the position thereof is selectively held by an engaging means including an engaging protrusion and an engaging groove. In the furniture that is used, the main problem is to surely prevent the shifting movement even if the movable member moves in one direction and exhibits a tendency of selfishness.

  The furniture according to the present invention includes a fixed member and a movable member that slides relative to the fixed member. One of the two members has an engaging groove, and the other member has the engaging groove. Engagement protrusions that are fitted to each other are provided. For this reason, the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove include a first engagement surface that comes into pressure contact with each other when the movable member tries to slide in one direction, and a first contact surface that comes into pressure contact with each other when the movable member tries to slide in the other direction. The engaging member and the engaging groove are fitted and detached against the elasticity to allow sliding of the movable member.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, in the configuration described above, the first engagement surface of the engagement protrusion and the first engagement surface of the engagement groove are in a state of sticking to each other when pressed. When the second engagement surface and the second engagement surface of the engagement groove are pressed against each other, the escape movement is guided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the movable member is provided with a lever for sliding the movable member, and a lock means for releasing the engagement protrusion from the engagement groove by operating the lever. When the movable member is moved in one direction, the engagement protrusion is separated from the engagement groove by the movement of the lever, and when the movable member is moved in the other direction, the engagement protrusion is the second engagement. The surface is separated from the engaging groove by the guide action of the surface.

  The invention of claim 3 embodies the invention of claim 2, in which the lock means has a movable lock body independent of the lever, and the engagement protrusion or engagement is provided on the movable lock body. While the joint groove is formed, the lever is urged by the lever elastic means so that it returns to the original position. When the lock is released, the movable lock body is forcibly moved to the unlocked position, and the lock is released. When the state is shifted to the locked state, the engaging projection and the engaging groove are fitted by the locking elastic means without moving the lever.

  The invention of claim 4 is applied to a chair. That is, the invention of claim 4 is a chair included in the furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and in this chair, the fixing member is called a lumbar receiving portion (a lumbar receiving member) of the chair. The movable member is a lumbar support device for a chair, an engagement groove is provided in the lumbar receiving portion, an engagement protrusion is provided in the lumbar support device, and the lumbar support device is lowered. The surface that is in pressure contact when moving is the first engagement surface, and the surface that is in pressure contact when the lumbar support device is moved upward is the second engagement surface.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, when the movable member tries to slide in one direction, the first engagement surfaces of the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are stuck against each other to prevent the slide in one direction, and the movable member is in the other direction. When trying to slide in the direction, the second engaging surfaces of the engaging protrusion and the engaging groove are guided so as to escape from each other, thereby allowing movement in the other direction.

  That is, the engaging means composed of the engaging protrusion and the engaging groove acts as a large resistance when the movable member is slid in one direction, and as a large resistance when the movable member is slid in the other direction. Does not work. Therefore, when the movable member has a tendency to shift in one direction, the movement in the other direction can be made easy while accurately preventing the shift movement.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the tension of the first engagement surface can be released by the lock means, the movable member can be easily moved in any direction. In this case, the lock is released by moving the movable member by applying a force to the lever. In other words, when a force in one direction is applied to the lever, the lock is first released and then the movable member moves. Therefore, the lock can be released and the movable member can be moved in one action, which is user-friendly. It is.

  Further, when the movable member is moved by the lever, it is preferable that the lever does not move relative to the movable member as much as possible in order to grasp the moving state of the movable member by hand. When the member moves in the other direction, the lever does not move relative to the movable member, so that the position of the movable member can be adjusted accurately.

  When releasing the lock, it is possible to completely release the engagement between the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove, but by releasing the lock, the engagement between the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove should be made shallower. (That is, it is possible to apply some elasticity when releasing the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove after releasing the lock). Since a click feeling can be obtained when the engagement groove is detached and fitted, it can be more reliably held at a desired position.

  Now, when the lock is released and the movable member is moved, the engagement projection and the engagement groove fit, but the engagement projection and the engagement groove are not aligned when the engagement projection and the engagement groove are fitted. When the relative movement spreads to the lever, it gives a strange feeling to the person. In this regard, in the configuration of the third aspect, since the movable lock body and the lever are not in an interlocking relationship when shifting from the unlocked state to the locked state, the person does not feel uncomfortable.

  In addition, when moving the movable member by moving the lever, it is conceivable that the movable member is stopped at a position where the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are not fitted due to misunderstanding or the like. If the interlocking relationship between the lever and the movable lock body is released when shifting from the state to the locked state, the lever becomes unstable, and there is a possibility that, for example, the lever swings as the chair moves. In this respect, since the lever is biased to the original posture by the lever elastic means in the configuration of the third aspect, even if the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are not fitted, the lever has a stable posture. Retained.

  As described above, in a chair having a lumbar support function, the lumbar support device tends to slide down due to the body pressure of the seated person. However, by applying the lumbar support device to the lumbar support device of the chair as described in claim 4, It is possible to prevent the device from sliding down.

(A) is the whole perspective view of the chair to which this invention is applied, (B) is a side view. (A) is a separated perspective view, (B) is a separated side view. It is a set of the principal part of 1st Embodiment, (A) is a side view, (B) (C) is the perspective view seen from back. It is the perspective view which isolate | separated the whole components. It is a separation perspective view in the state where the lumbar pad was turned sideways. (A) is the isolation | separation perspective view seen from the front, (B) is the isolation | separation perspective view seen from the back. (A) is the perspective view which looked at the principal part from the back, (B) is the separation perspective view which looked at the principal part from the back, (C) is the partial side view which shows the lock mechanism, (D) is the lock mechanism FIG. (A) is a figure which shows a lumbar receiving part and its attachment member, (A) is an isolation | separation perspective view, (B) is an isolation | separation side view of an upper part, (C) is a side view of a lower part. (A) is a whole sectional side view of a locked state, (B) is a partial side view in a locked state. (A) is a sectional side view in the unlocked state, (B) is a partial side view in the unlocked state. It is a separation perspective view of a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment, (A) is a isolation | separation side view, (B) is a vertical side view. It is a separate perspective view of a 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment, (A) is the isolation | separation perspective view in the state which turned over the lumbar pad, (B) is an isolation | separation side view. (A) is a longitudinal side view of the third embodiment, (B) is a side view of the main part of the third embodiment, and (C) is a side view of another embodiment.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is applied to a rocking swivel chair that is frequently used for office work. In the following description and claims, the words “front and rear” and “left and right” are used to specify the direction, but these front and rear and left and right directions are based on a state viewed from a normal seated person.

(1). Outline of chair First, the outline of the chair will be described with reference to FIGS. The chair includes, as main elements, a leg device 1 having a leg column 2 (gas cylinder), a base 3 fixed to the upper end of the leg column 2, a seat 4 disposed above the base 3, and a backrest 5 on which a seated person rests. It has.

  A pair of left and right swing frames 6 are disposed on the left and right sides of the base 3. The rear portion of the swing frame 6 is a back column 6a that rises upward. The swing frame 6 is connected to the base 3 by a left and right longitudinal support shaft portion 7 so as to tilt backward (rotate) around the front end portion. The support portion 7 incorporates a torsion bar as an example of a rocking spring. The left and right swing frames 6 are connected by a lower joint 8 at the lower end of the back column 6a.

  The backrest 5 has a configuration in which a net-like back support sheet 10 is stretched on a back frame 9 having a substantially square shape when viewed from the front, and the back frame 9 is fixed to the back column 6a with screws. The back frame 9 is gently curved in a side view so that a portion corresponding to the waist of the seated person is supported. Therefore, the back support sheet 10 has a lumbar support portion 10a protruding forward in a side view. Lumber pads 11 are in contact with the left and right sides of the lumbar support portion 10a of the back support sheet 10 from the rear, and the height of the lumbar support portion 10a of the back support sheet 10 can be adjusted by moving the lumbar pad 11 up and down. This point will be described later.

  The back frame 9 is a molded product such as a resin, and includes a left and right side member 9a extending in the vertical direction, an upper member 9b connected to the upper ends of the left and right side members 9a, and a lower member 9c connected to the lower ends of the left and right side members 9a. Consists of. Therefore, the back frame 9 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The upper member 9b and the lower member 9c are gently curved in a concave shape facing forward in plan view. For this reason, the lumbar support portion 10a is also recessed in a forward concave shape in plan view.

  The seat 4 is attached to the intermediate member 12 so as to be able to move back and forth. A front portion of the intermediate member 12 is connected to the base 3 via a front link 13. The front link 13 and the intermediate member 12 are connected by a front pin 14.

  A rear link 15 made of a metal plate and having an L shape in a side view is disposed on the inner side surface of the swing frame 10, and the rear link 15 is swung by a pivot pin 17 at a position slightly in front of the base of the upright portion 16. It is connected to the moving frame 6. The front end of the rear link 15 protrudes upward, and is connected to the rear end portion of the intermediate member 12 by a rear pin 18. The back column 6a of the swing frame 6 has a substantially L shape in plan view, and the side member 9a of the back frame 9 overlaps the inner surface thereof. The standing part 16 of the rear link 15 is disposed on the left and right inner sides of the side member 6a. The rear link 15 has a narrow shape when viewed from the front.

  When the seated person leans against the backrest 5, the standing portion 16 of the rear link 15 also tilts backward, but the standing portion 16 also tilts backward relative to the back column 6a. That is, the rate at which the standing portion 16 of the rear link 15 tilts backward is larger than the rate at which the back column 6a tilts backward. And the upper part of the standing part 16 in the rear link 15 forms a lumbar receiving part 16a, and the lumbar pad 11 described above is attached to the lumbar receiving part 16a so that the height can be adjusted. Therefore, the lumbar pad 11 moves backward relative to the back column 6a during locking, and for this reason, the tension of the back support sheet 10 is loosened during locking.

(2). Outline of First Embodiment Next, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the present embodiment is arranged between the lumbar pad 11 described above, the lifting support 19 that is mounted on the lumbar receiving portion 16 a so as to be liftable, and the lumbar pad 11 and the lifting support 19. The movable lock body 20 and the auxiliary metal fitting 21 and the lever 22 as an example of the operating means are included, and these are unitized to constitute the lumbar support device 25. Therefore, in this embodiment, the standing part 16 of the rear link 15 corresponds to the fixed member described in the claims, and the lumbar support device 25 corresponds to the movable member.

  The lumbar pad 11, the lift support 19 and the movable lock body 20 are made of resin, and the auxiliary metal fitting 21 is made of metal. The lumbar support device 25 can also be referred to as a lifting unit. Needless to say, the lumbar support device 25 only needs to include at least the lumbar pad 11.

  The lever 22 has a horizontally elongated central axis (rotating axis) 23, and a flap 22 a extends behind the central axis 23. More precisely, the lever 22 is formed by fixing a resin flap 22a with a screw (not shown) to an L-shaped bar member in plan view with the front portion as the central axis 23, and a seated person Can turn the arm back to pick the flap 22a (you can get off the chair and operate it).

  The elevating support 19 has a trapezoidal holding part 19a that is fitted to the lumbar receiving part 16a from above. Therefore, the elevating support 19 can be moved to the lumbar receiving part 16a in a state that can only move up and down. It is fitted. The elevating support 19 is opened forward, and an auxiliary metal fitting 21 is disposed therein, and the movable lock body 20 is fitted into the auxiliary metal fitting 21. More precisely, the auxiliary metal fitting 21 has a U-shape, in which the movable lock body 20 is fitted, and the auxiliary metal fitting 21 is housed inside the elevating support body 19.

  As can be understood from FIG. 5, inner and outer side ribs 24 a and 24 b sandwiching the elevating support 19 from both the left and right sides are integrally formed on the back surface of the lumbar pad 11. As can be understood from FIGS. 4 and 5, the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 penetrates the inner and outer side ribs 24 a and 24 b of the lumbar pad 11, the lifting support 19, the auxiliary fitting 21, and the movable lock body 20. Therefore, the lumbar support device 25 having the lumbar pad 11, the movable lock body 20, the auxiliary metal fitting 21, and the lifting support 19 moves up and down integrally.

  The lumbar receiving portion 16a is narrower than its lower part, and a resin-made auxiliary member 27 is mounted on its front face so as not to move up and down (the auxiliary member 27 can also be called an edge member or a slider). is there.). The upper part of the auxiliary member 27 is held by the pair of left and right holders 28a and 28b so as not to be displaced by the lumbar receiving portion 16a.

  The auxiliary member 27 is formed with a plurality of engaging grooves 29 constituting a locking means (engaging portion), while the movable locking body 20 is formed with engaging protrusions 30. When the mating protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 are fitted, the lumbar pad 11 is locked in a state where it does not slide down even when body pressure is applied, and when the lever 22 is rotated downward, the lock (regulation) is released. It is cancelled | released and the lumbar support apparatus 25 can be moved down. In addition, it is also possible to directly form the engaging groove 29 in the lumbar receiving portion 16a without using the auxiliary member 27.

  When the body pressure of the seated person is applied to the lumbar support device 25, the body pressure may include a downward or upward component force. For this reason, the lumbar support device 25 is directed downward or upward by the body pressure of the seated person. May have a tendency to shift.

  In the chair of the present embodiment, the lumbar pad 11 tends to shift downward due to body pressure, but does not tend to shift upward. Therefore, only the downward movement of the lumbar pad 11 is locked, and the upward movement is performed using elastic deformation of the movable lock body 20 (details will be described later). For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a U-shaped cover 31 in a plan view is disposed behind the lumbar receiving portion 16a. The cover 31 is attached to the side member 6 a of the back frame 6. Next, details of each member will be described.

(3) Lumber receiving portion and its associated elements First, the lumbar receiving portion 16a of the rear link 15 and its associated elements will be described mainly with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, an upper jaw 33 is formed at the upper end of the auxiliary member 27, and an upper holding groove 34 into which the upper jaw 33 is fitted is formed in the lumbar receiving portion 16a. A lower jaw part 35 protruding rearward is formed at the lower end of 27, and the lower jaw part 35 is fitted in a lower holding groove 36 of a forward opening formed in the standing part 16 of the rear link 15. The lower holding groove 36 is opened obliquely upward, so that the lower jaw 35 is held so as not to move forward. The lower jaw portion 35 is integrally formed with a sandwiching piece 35a for sandwiching the upright portion 16 from the left and right, and the lower portion of the auxiliary member 17 is held by the left and right sandwiching pieces 35a so as not to be laterally displaced.

  The holders 28a and 28b are formed with ribs 38 and 39 that mesh with each other, and the ribs 38 and 39 are fitted against the elasticity to hold the lumbar receiving portion 16a. Further, the rib 39 of the outer holder 28b is formed with a pressing portion 39a that fits into the upper holding groove 34 of the lumbar receiving portion 16a, thereby holding the auxiliary member 27 without any play.

  Further, the upper end surface 33a of the auxiliary member 27 is an inclined surface that becomes higher as going back, while the lower surface 39a 'of the pressing portion 39a of the holder 28b is inclined so as to overlap the upper end surface 33a of the auxiliary member 27. For this reason, the upper end portion of the auxiliary member 27 is held so as not to move forward.

  An upper rear groove 34a opened rearward is formed in the lumbar receiving portion 16a, and a rear rib 38a formed in the inner holder 28a is fitted into the upper rear groove 34a. The upper limit height of the elevating unit 25 is regulated by the holding portion 19a of the elevating support body 19 coming into contact with the holders 28a and 28b, but the elevating support is supported because the holder 28b is fitted to the lumbar receiving portion 16a on both front and rear sides. The stopper function for the body 19 can be exhibited accurately.

  The engagement grooves 29 of the auxiliary member 27 are formed in pairs (two rows) on the left and right. Therefore, the left and right intermediate portions of the auxiliary member 27 are flat surfaces where the engagement grooves 29 do not exist. As clearly shown in FIGS. 9B and 10B, the lower surface 29a of the inner circumferential surface of the engagement groove 29 is close to 90 ° with respect to the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 in a side view. While the upper surface 29b is inclined at a large angle, the crossing angle is small so that the upper surface 29b lies largely against the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 in a side view. Accordingly, the engagement protrusion 30 fitted in the engagement groove 29 is difficult to move downward but easy to move upward.

(4). Lumber Support Device Next, the lumbar support device 25 will be described in detail. The lumbar pad 11 has an elongated shape in the vertical direction, and the front surface of the lumbar pad 11 has a large curvature and is curved forward and convex in a side view. Further, even in plan view, the front surface is gently curved in a forward convex shape.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the elevating support 19 protrudes from both the upper and lower sides of the holding portion 19 a and has a vertically long shape as a whole, and the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 penetrates the left and right side plates 19 b. is doing. Further, a boss portion 40 is formed in the lower part of the lifting support body 19, and the lumbar pad 11 is fixed to the lifting support body 19 with screws 41 screwed into the boss section 40.

  Further, as clearly shown in FIG. 9A, an upper inner rib 42 that connects the left and right side plates 19b is formed in the upper portion of the lifting support 19 and an overhang portion formed on the upper inner rib 42 is formed. A hook 43 formed on the inner surface of the lumbar pad 11 is hooked on 42a from above. For this reason, the lumbar pad 11 is fixed to the elevating support body 19 with only one screw 41 so as not to be separated in the front-rear direction.

  The auxiliary metal fitting 21 has an elongated shape in the vertical direction, and is fitted tightly between the left and right side plates 19b of the lifting support 19. As shown in FIG. 9, the auxiliary metal fitting 21 is supported by the upper and lower receiving portions 44 provided on the elevating support body 19. For this reason, the auxiliary metal fitting 21 is in the same state as that fixed to the elevating support body 19. It has become. The auxiliary metal fitting 21 has a U-shape having left and right side plates and a bottom plate 21a, and the movable lock body 20 is disposed between the left and right side plates.

  The movable lock body 20 has a shape that is long in the vertical direction, and the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 passes through a substantially middle part in the vertical direction. The movable lock body 20 is fixed to the central shaft 23 with screws 45. Therefore, when the lever 22 is rotated, the movable lock body 20 is rotated integrally with the central shaft 23. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a flat portion 23a is formed on the front surface of the central shaft 23, and a washer 46 is overlaid on the flat portion 23a. In FIG. 7, the washer 46 is depicted in a state of being disposed outside the movable lock body 20, but as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the washer 46 overlaps the flat portion 23 a of the central shaft 23. For this reason, the movable lock body 20 is firmly fixed to the central shaft 23.

  A downwardly extending arm 47 is integrally formed on the rear surface of the movable lock body 20, and an engagement protrusion 30 is formed at the tip (lower end) of the arm 47. As shown in FIGS. 7, 9, and 10, a window hole 48 for exposing the arm 47 of the movable lock body 20 toward the auxiliary member 27 is formed in the bottom plate 21 a of the auxiliary metal fitting 21. As described above, the engagement grooves 29 of the auxiliary member 27 are formed in pairs on the left and right. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8D, the engaging protrusion 30 of the movable lock body 20 is bifurcated. Moreover, the side view shape of the engagement protrusion 30 is a rounded trapezoid. If the auxiliary member 27 is provided with a pair of left and right engaging grooves 29 and the engaging protrusions 30 are formed in a bifurcated shape as in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the operation is assured without blurring on the left and right.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 10A, a spring 49 as an example of an elastic body is interposed between the upper end portion of the movable lock body 20 and the bottom plate 21 a of the auxiliary metal fitting 21. Therefore, the movable lock body 20 is urged so that the engagement protrusion 30 is fitted in the engagement groove 29 of the auxiliary member 27 and becomes free.

  Since the lumbar support device 25 slides up and down, the lower surface 30a of the engagement protrusion 30 and the lower surface 29a of the engagement groove 29 come into pressure contact when the lumbar support device 25 is about to descend, and the lumbar support device 25 is engaged when the lumbar support device 25 is about to rise. The upper surface 30b of the protrusion 30 and the upper surface 29b of the engagement groove 29 are in pressure contact. That is, the lower surface 30a of the engaging protrusion 30 and the lower surface 29a of the engaging groove 29 constitute a pair of engaging surfaces, and the upper surface 30b of the engaging protrusion 30 and the lower surface 29b of the engaging groove 29 are set. Thus, a pair of engaging surfaces are formed.

  The lumbar support device 25 tends to slide down due to body pressure, and the lower surface 30a of the engagement protrusion 30 and the lower surface 29a of the engagement groove 29 are formed as the first engagement surface described in the claims. 30a and 29a are crossed at an angle close to 90 ° with respect to the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 in a side view and are brought into close contact with each other, so that the lumbar support device 25 is set to be stretched against each other when attempting to move downward. Thus, the lumbar support device 25 is prevented from sliding down due to body pressure.

  In this case, the engagement protrusion 30 is formed in a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side, and the lower surface 29 a of the engagement groove 29, the lower surface 30 a of the engagement protrusion 30, and the bottom surface of the engagement groove 29 and the side surface of the engagement protrusion 30 are Surface contact is overlapped over the entire surface (line contact in a side view). Therefore, wear can be prevented and durability can be improved.

  The upper surface 30b of the engagement protrusion 30 intersects at an angle close to 90 ° with respect to the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 in a side view, but the upper surface 20b of the engagement groove 29 is in relation to the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 in a side view. Therefore, when an upward force is applied to the lumbar support device 25, the engagement protrusion 30 is smoothly guided to the upper surface 29b of the engagement groove 29, and the arm 47 Can be detached from the engaging groove 29 while bending. Therefore, the upper surface 30b of the engagement protrusion 30 and the upper surface 29b of the engagement groove 29 are the second engagement surface described in the claims.

  The lower surface 29 a of the engagement groove 29 and the lower surface 30 a of the engagement protrusion 30 may be substantially orthogonal to the front surface of the auxiliary member 27. Further, the engaging groove 29 is rounded at the continuous portion between the lower surface 29a and the bottom surface, and the continuous portion between the bottom surface and the upper surface 29b is also rounded, but the adjacent surfaces are angular. May be continued. The same applies to the engaging protrusion 30.

(5) Summary of First Embodiment In the above configuration, the lumbar support device 25 is pushed backward by the tension of the back support sheet 10, and the engagement state between the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 is maintained. Has been. As shown in FIG. 9, in a state where the engagement protrusion 30 is fitted in the engagement groove 29, the lower surface 30 a of the engagement protrusion 30 and the lower surface 29 a of the engagement groove 29 are stuck together so that the lumbar support device 25. Sliding is prevented.

  In order to reduce the height of the lumbar pad 11, a downward force is applied by grasping the flap 22a of the lever 22 with a finger. Then, the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 rotates. As shown in FIG. 10, the movable lock body 20 rotates together with the central shaft 23 so that the engagement protrusion 30 is separated from the movable lock body 20. For this reason, if the flap 22a of the lever 22 is continuously pushed, the lumbar support device 25 can be lowered.

  That is, when the flap 22a of the lever 22 is pressed downward, first, the engagement depth of the engagement protrusion 30 with respect to the engagement groove 29 is reduced, so that the lock is released, and then the lumbar support device 25 is lowered. Therefore, the unlocking and the downward movement of the lumbar support device 25 are performed in a series by one action of pushing the flap 22a downward. For this reason, it is excellent in operability.

  When the movable lock body 20 rotates in the unlocking direction, the unlocking posture is regulated by the upper end portion of the movable lock body 20 coming into contact with the bottom plate 21a of the auxiliary metal fitting 21. In this state, the engagement protrusion 30 is not completely separated from the engagement groove 29 but is slightly in the engagement groove 29.

  Therefore, when the lumbar support device 25 is lowered, when the engagement protrusion 30 is disengaged from the engagement groove 29, the arm 47 of the movable lock body 20 is slightly bent and deformed. A click feeling can be obtained. The same applies when moving downward. By obtaining a click feeling in this manner, the chair user can accurately grasp the state in which the height changes stepwise and stop the chair at a desired height. In particular, when the lumbar support device 25 is provided separately on the left and right as in the embodiment, the user can recognize the height as a direct sensation on the left and right lumbar support devices 25, so the left and right lumbar support devices 25. Are preferably set to the same height. In addition, the problem of stopping the engagement protrusion 30 between the engagement groove 29 and the engagement groove 29 can be significantly suppressed.

  In order to raise the lumbar support device 25, the flap 22a of the lever 22 is picked and an upward external force is applied. In this case, the lever 22 and the movable lock body 20 do not rotate, and the lumbar support device 25 is allowed to move up as the arm 47 of the movable lock body 20 is bent and deformed as shown in FIG. The That is, the lever 22 does not rotate, and therefore, the height position of the lumbar support device 25 can be accurately grasped.

  The arm 47 bends and deforms when the lumbar support device 25 is raised. To raise it with a light force, the arm 47 is bent by making the fitting depth between the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 as shallow as possible. It is preferable to reduce the deformation as much as possible (the engagement depth between the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 is preferably shallow also from the viewpoint of suppressing the sticking of the arm 47).

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, the lower surface 29a of the engagement groove 29 and the lower surface 30b of the engagement protrusion 30 are stretched surfaces, so that the engagement depth between the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 can be as much as possible. It is possible to accurately prevent the engaging protrusion 30 from sliding downward from the engaging groove 29 while making it shallow. Accordingly, the ascending operation can be performed with a light force while accurately retaining the lock function for preventing the body pressure from sliding down.

  As indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 10, an elastic body 50 such as rubber or a spring can be interposed between the main body portion of the movable lock body 20 and the arm 47. With this configuration, there is an advantage that even when the arm 47 has a sag phenomenon, the engagement state between the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 can be maintained. It is also possible to attach the movable lock body 20 directly to the lifting support 19 without using the auxiliary metal fitting 21.

  In this embodiment, the arm 47 is elastically deformed both when the lumbar support device 25 is raised and lowered, and the engagement protrusion 30 is retracted by the elastic restoring force of the arm 47 and is fitted into the engagement groove 29. Therefore, when the lumbar support device 25 is stopped at a desired height and the engaging protrusion is fitted in the engaging groove 29, the movable lock body 20 does not rotate, and therefore, the unlocked state is shifted to the locked state. At this time, no external force is applied to the lever 22, so that the person does not feel uncomfortable. The spring force of the spring 49 is set larger than the spring force of the arm 47. Therefore, when the lumbar support device 25 is raised, the movable lock body 20 does not rotate even if the arm 47 is elastically deformed.

  The lever 22 is urged to the original posture by the spring 49. Therefore, even if the lumbar support device 25 stops in the state as shown in FIG. . Therefore, in the present embodiment, the spring 49 serves as both the elastic means for locking and the elastic means for lever described in claim 3, and the arm 47 is engaged when shifting from the unlocked state to the locked state. Locking elastic means for fitting the protrusion 30 into the engagement groove 29 is formed.

(6). Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 will be described. The basic function of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the lever 22 rotates only when the elevating unit 25 is moved downward. The difference from the first embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, the movable lock body 20 has a single structure, whereas in this embodiment, the first movable lock body 52 and the first movable lock body 52 overlapped with each other. 2 movable lock body 53.

  The form of the engagement protrusion 30 and the engagement groove 29 is basically the same as that of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12B, the lower surface 30a of the engagement protrusion 30 and the lower surface of the engagement groove 29 29a is a first engaging surface that sticks to each other, and the upper surface 30b of the engaging protrusion 30 and the upper surface 29b of the engaging groove 29 are second engaging surfaces that easily slide. In the present embodiment, the upper surface 30 b of the engagement protrusion 30 also intersects the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 at a small angle.

  In the present embodiment, the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 is fixed to the first movable lock body 52 located on the front side so as not to be relatively rotatable, and the engagement protrusion 30 is formed on the second movable lock body 53 located on the rear side. Is formed. Further, the upper end portion of the second movable lock body 53 is urged forward by a spring 49. A portion of the first movable lock body 52 in which the central shaft 23 is fitted is formed with a bulging portion 54 that protrudes backward in a semicircular shape when viewed from the side, while the second movable lock body 53 includes A receiving portion 55 having a semicircular opening facing the front side when the bulging portion 54 is fitted is formed. For this reason, the first movable lock body 52 and the second movable lock body 53 can relatively rotate around the axis of the central shaft 23 by a slight angle.

  An auxiliary rubber 56 is interposed between the stepped portion 52a provided at the lower end of the first movable lock body 52 and the lumbar pad 11 as an example of lever elastic means for biasing the lever 22 to the original posture. The first movable lock body 52 and the second movable lock body 53 are formed with a concave portion 57 and a convex portion 58 for positioning them so that they cannot be displaced from each other.

  In the second embodiment, when the flap 22 a of the lever 22 is pushed downward, the first movable lock body 52 rotates together with the central shaft 23 of the lever 22. The upper part of the second movable lock body 53 is pushed backward, and therefore the second movable lock body 53 rotates against the spring 49, and thereby the lock for the downward movement of the elevating unit 25 is released. When the elevating unit 25 moves up and down, the second movable lock body 53 is rotated by compressing and deforming the spring 49, thereby allowing the engagement protrusion 30 to escape from the engagement groove 29.

  Further, the first movable lock body 52 is improperly postured by the rubber 56 so as to overlap the bottom plate 21 a of the auxiliary metal fitting 21. Therefore, the lever 22 is also biased to the original posture by the rubber 56. Therefore, even if the engagement protrusion 30 of the second movable lock body 53 remains positioned between the adjacent engagement grooves 29, the lever 22 is stably held in the original posture by the rubber 56. .

(7) Third Embodiment In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the central shaft 23 of the lever 22 penetrates the bearing portion 11 a of the lumbar pad 11 so as to be relatively rotatable. An annular groove 23c is formed at the tip of the central shaft 23 of the lever 22, and the central shaft 23 cannot be removed from the lumbar pad 11 by fitting a fastener (not shown) such as an annular groove snap ring. Hold on. As the retaining means, it is possible to provide a latching claw that is elastically deformed on the lumbar pad, and to fit the locking claw into the annular groove 23c.

  In this embodiment, the seesaw member 60 having the boss portions 59 projecting on the left and right sides, the lever member 61 disposed in front of the seesaw member 60, and the movable lock body 62 penetrating through the upper portion of the lever member 61 are provided. is doing. In this embodiment, the elevating support 19 extends considerably long above the holding portion 19a.

  The boss portion 59 of the seesaw member 60 is fitted into a bearing portion 63 formed inside the elevating support 19, and thus the seesaw member 60 can rotate around the axis of the boss portion 59. A recess 64 that fits into the boss 59 of the seesaw member 60 is formed at the lower end of the lever member 61, so that the lever member 61 can rotate relative to the seesaw member 60. As the lever member 61 moves upward in the side view, the front-rear interval becomes narrower, and the portion having the recess 64 abuts the lumbar pad 11, and the interval from the lifting support 19 increases as it goes upward.

  An upper through hole 65 opened in the front-rear direction is formed in the upper end portion of the lever member 61, and a lower through hole 66 opened in the front-rear direction is formed in the lower part near the recess 64, and between the upper and lower through-holes 65, 66. Intermediate holes 67 are formed, and first to third rubbers 68 to 70 are inserted into these holes 65 to 67 as an example of elastic bodies. The second rubber 69 is supported at the bottom of the intermediate hole 67 and exposed to the front (the bottom portion of the intermediate hole 67 may penetrate back and forth while supporting the second rubber 69).

  The movable lock body 62 is mounted in the elevating support body 19 so as to be slidable back and forth. A first rubber 68 is interposed between the movable lock body 62 and the elevating support body 19. The second rubber 69 is interposed between the lever member 61 and the lumbar pad 11, and the third rubber 70 is interposed between the seesaw member 60 and the lumbar pad 11. Therefore, the lumbar pad 11 is biased forward by the rubbers 68 to 70.

  The movable lock body 62 has a sandwiching piece 62a that sandwiches the lumbar receiving member 16a from the left and right, and the engagement protrusion 30 is formed between the left and right sandwiching pieces 62a. Further, the holding portion 19 a of the lifting support body 19 has an escape hole 71 for exposing the holding piece 62 a of the movable lock body 62. Further, stepped portions 62 b are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the movable lock body 62, and the stepped portions 62 b are in contact with the lever member 61.

  In this embodiment, the central shaft 23 abuts on the pressing portion 60a below the boss portion 59 of the seesaw member 60, but the portion of the central shaft 23 that contacts the pressing portion 60a is formed as a horseshoe-shaped portion 23a, and the horseshoe-shaped portion 23a. Are brought into contact with the pressing portion 60a. When the external force is not applied to the lever 22, the seesaw member 60 is urged by the third rubber 70, the lever member 61 is urged by the second rubber 69, and the movable lock body 62 is urged by the first rubber 68. It is energized.

  Further, since the lever member 61 is in contact with the stepped portion 62b of the movable lock body 62 from the front side, the movable lock body 62 causes the engagement protrusion 30 to be detached from the engagement groove 29 unless the lever member 61 is pushed forward. However, since the lever member 61 is urged by the second rubber 69, the movable lock body 62 is urged to the locked state by the two rubbers of the first rubber 68 and the second rubber 69. . For this reason, a locked state can be hold | maintained reliably.

  When a downward or upward force is applied to the flap 22a of the lever 22 and the central shaft 23 rotates in either direction, the pressing portion 60a of the seesaw member 60 is pushed backward by the horseshoe-shaped portion 23a of the central shaft 23. The member 60 rotates clockwise in FIG. Then, the lever member 61 also rotates against the elasticity of the second rubber 69, thereby releasing the pressure on the stepped portion 62 b of the movable lock body 62, and the movable lock body 62 is pushed only by the first rubber 68. It will be in the state. Therefore, the elevating unit 25 can be raised and lowered with a click feeling secured.

  As shown in FIG. 15B, the engaging groove 29 and the engaging protrusion 30 of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment (therefore, the description thereof is omitted). As shown in FIG. 15C as another example, the upper surface 29 b of the engagement groove 29 intersects with the front surface of the auxiliary member 27 at a large angle so that the upper surface 30 b of the engagement protrusion 30 faces the front surface of the auxiliary member 27. The engagement protrusion 30 can also be easily moved upward by crossing at a small angle.

  A portion of the rear surface of the lumbar pad 11 that is slightly above the movable lock body 62 has a hook-like first stopper 72 projecting downward in a side view, while the elevator 19 has a hook-like shape facing upward in a side view. The second stopper 73 is formed, and the maximum rotation angle of the lumbar pad 11 is regulated by engaging both the stoppers 72 and 73. In addition, the lumbar pad 11 has left and right ribs 11b that are long in the vertical direction, and the elevating body 19 is covered with the left and right ribs 11b.

  In this embodiment, when shifting from the unlocked state to the locked state, the movable lock body 62 moves independently. Further, since the seesaw member 60 is biased by the third rubber 70, as a result, the lever 22 is also biased to the original position (therefore, the third rubber 70 is described in claim 3 in this embodiment). It constitutes an elastic means for the lever.)

(8) Advantages of the embodiment The conventional lumbar support device can be lifted directly by picking up the lumbar pad, or can be lifted up by picking up an operation part fixed (or integrated) on the lumbar pad. For this reason, as described above, the easiness of the lifting operation and the certainty of maintaining the height are contradictory. On the other hand, when a lock device having an operation means such as a lever is provided as in the present embodiment, there is an advantage that a height holding function can be ensured while ensuring ease of lifting operation.

  In each of the embodiments, claim 3 is embodied, and when the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are fitted after the lock is released, the relative movement between the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove is determined. The interlocking relationship with the lever is released, and the lever is urged downward by an urging means (elastic means, elastic body) such as rubber or a spring. Even if the lumbar support device stops in a half-hanging state, the operating means such as the lever will not become unstable. This configuration can be an invention independent of claim 1.

(9). Others The present invention can be embodied in various ways other than the above embodiment. For example, when applied to a lumbar support mechanism of a chair, the lumbar support device can be attached to a back frame or a back column (a fixing member may be selected according to the structure of the chair). Further, in the embodiment, the lumbar support devices are arranged independently on the left and right, but it is also possible to have one lumbar support device. The engaging groove may be provided on the movable member, and the engaging protrusion may be provided on the fixed member.

  It is also possible to form a plurality of engaging protrusions or engaging grooves or both in a continuous sawtooth shape. When applied to a chair, it can also be applied to other parts such as a seat back-and-forth adjustment mechanism. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to furniture other than chairs, such as a sliding top plate adjustment mechanism.

  The present invention is useful when applied to a chair. Therefore, it can be used industrially.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Backrest 10 Back support sheet | seat 10a Lumber support part 11 Lumber pad 15 Rear link 16 Rear link standing part 16a Lumber support member 19 Lifting support body 20 Movable lock body 22 Lever 27 Auxiliary member 29 Engaging groove 29a Lower surface of engaging groove ( First engagement surface)
29b Top surface of engagement groove (second engagement surface)
30 engagement protrusion 30a lower surface of engagement protrusion (first engagement surface)
30b Upper surface of engagement protrusion (second engagement surface)
47 arm 49 spring 52 first movable lock body 53 second movable lock body 56 auxiliary rubber as an example of lever elastic means 62 movable lock body

Claims (4)

An engaging protrusion that has a fixed member and a movable member that slides relative to the fixed member, one of the two members engaging with the engaging groove, and the other member engaging with the engaging groove. Therefore, when the movable member tries to slide in one direction, the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are in contact with each other, and the movable member slides in the other direction. Then, the furniture has a second engagement surface that is in pressure contact with each other, and the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove are fitted and detached against elasticity to allow sliding of the movable member. There,
When the first engagement surface of the engagement protrusion and the first engagement surface of the engagement groove are pressed against each other, the second engagement surface and the engagement groove are engaged with each other. The surface is a form in which escape movements are guided to each other when pressed.
Furniture with adjustment mechanism. When the movable member is provided with a lever for sliding the movable member and a lock means for releasing the engagement protrusion from the engagement groove by operating the lever, and when the movable member is moved in one direction When the lever moves, the engagement protrusion is separated from the engagement groove, and when the movable member is moved in the other direction, the engagement protrusion is separated from the engagement groove by the guide action of the second engagement surface.
A furniture having the adjusting mechanism according to claim 1. The lock means has a movable lock body independent of the lever, and the engagement protrusion or the engagement groove is formed in the movable lock body, while the lever elastic means for returning to the original posture. When the lock is released, the movable lock body is forcibly moved to the unlocked posture by the lever, and when shifting from the unlocked state to the locked state, the lever does not move but is engaged by the locking elastic means. And the engaging groove fit together,
A furniture having the adjusting mechanism according to claim 2. The fixed member is a lumbar support portion of the chair, the movable member is a lumbar support device of the chair, an engagement groove is provided in the lumbar support portion, an engagement protrusion is provided in the lumbar support device, and The surface that presses when the lumbar support device is lowered is formed as the first engagement surface, and the surface that is pressed when the lumbar support device is moved up is the second engagement surface.
The chair as furniture described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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