JP2018184976A - Length adjustment mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a length adjustment mechanism which enables easy length adjustment and is suitable for heavy objects.SOLUTION: A leg structure 20 includes: a fixed unit 30 extending in a predetermined axis direction; and a movable unit 50 which may move in the axis direction D relative to the fixed unit 30. Irregularity parts 38 which are provided so as to be arranged in the axis direction D are provided on an outer surface of the fixed unit 30. The movable unit 50 includes: a bracket 51 into which the fixed unit 30 is inserted and which moves in the axis direction D while guided by an outer peripheral surface of the fixed unit 30; an engagement part 71 which may engage with the irregularity parts 38 and be switched to a lock position in which the engagement part 71 engages with the irregularity parts 38 and locks the movable unit 50 so as to prevent movement of the movable unit 50 and a non-lock position in which the engagement part 71 separates from the irregularity parts 38 to allow the movement of the movable unit 50; and a switch part 72 which is provided at the outer periphery side of the bracket 51 and switches the engagement part 71 between the lock position and the non-lock position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a length adjustment mechanism that can be applied to leg height adjustment and the like.

  In the portable toilet, it is preferable that the height of the sitting portion can be adjusted in accordance with the physique such as height from the viewpoint of reducing the burden on the user or caregiver. As a structure for adjusting the height, there is known a structure including a leg portion formed by screwing a sleeve to a support column, and adjusting the length of the leg portion composed of the support column and the sleeve by rotating the sleeve. (For example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  Conventionally, an adjustment leg for adjusting the inclination and height of an electronic / electrical device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3). Patent Document 3 includes a leg formed with a sliding shaft portion provided with an uneven portion such as a screw on the outer periphery, means for locking movement of the leg in the vertical direction, and means for releasing the lock. In the adjusting leg, there is disclosed a structure including a lock piece having a plurality of uneven portions that engage with the uneven portion of the slide shaft portion of the leg, and the lock piece is unlocked by pressing a push button. Yes.

Japanese Patent No. 5820613 Japanese Patent No. 5820615 Japanese Patent No. 3789312

  As in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the operation of rotating the sleeve and the column relatively is complicated. In particular, when the adjustment amount is large, the user feels more troublesome. Moreover, although the technique illustrated in Patent Document 3 is considered to be easy to reduce the complexity when adjusting the height, it is not sufficient in terms of load resistance performance to heavy objects such as portable toilets. It is not a suitable structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a length adjustment mechanism that is easy to adjust the length and is suitable for heavy objects.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a length adjusting mechanism having a first configuration includes a first member extending in a predetermined axial direction, a second member movable in the axial direction with respect to the first member, and the first member And a concavo-convex portion provided on the outer surface of one member and arranged in a plurality in the axial direction. The second member is engageable with the cylindrical portion that is inserted in the first member and moves in the axial direction while being guided by the outer peripheral surface of the first member, and the concave-convex portion. And an engaging portion that can be switched between a locking position that locks the second member so that the movement of the second member cannot be performed, and a non-locking position that allows the movement of the second member apart from the uneven portion, And a switching portion that is provided on an outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion and switches the engaging portion between the locked position and the unlocked position.

  In the above configuration, the length in the axial direction can be adjusted by switching the engagement portion to the non-lock position, and the engagement portion is engaged with the uneven portion by switching to the lock position at a desired position. It is possible to fix the length. In the above configuration, the cylindrical portion of the second member moves while being guided by the outer peripheral surface of the first member, and the switching portion is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion. A large contact area between the peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the first member can be ensured, and the load can be dispersed. Thereby, the intensity | strength of the cooperation part of a 1st member and a 2nd member can be improved. Therefore, according to the said structure, length adjustment is easy and it is suitable for a heavy article.

  According to a second configuration, in the first configuration, the switching unit includes an annular portion that surrounds the tubular portion, and a shaft support portion that pivotally supports the annular portion with respect to the tubular portion, The engagement portion is switched between the locked position and the unlocked position by rotating the annular portion around the shaft support portion. According to this configuration, the annular portion is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion stably disposed on the outer periphery of the first member, and the annular portion is engaged by being rotated about the shaft support portion. Since the lock position / non-lock position of the part is switched, the strength of the switching part can be increased.

  A third configuration is the second configuration, wherein a cylindrical cover portion that further covers the annular portion from the outer peripheral side is provided, and the cover portion covers the shaft support portion from the outer peripheral side, whereby the shaft support portion is provided. Is sandwiched between the tube portion and the cover portion. According to this configuration, the shaft support portion can be prevented from falling off by sandwiching the shaft support portion between the tube portion and the cover portion.

  The fourth configuration is characterized in that, in the third configuration, the cylindrical portion supports the covering portion on both sides of the annular portion as viewed in the axial direction. As in this configuration, by supporting the cover portion at both ends in the axial direction of the tube portion, the tube portion can firmly receive the load applied to the cover portion.

  According to a fifth configuration, in the first to fourth configurations, the outer peripheral surface of the first member and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion are formed in a noncircular shape when viewed from the axial direction. The member and the cylindrical portion are structured to prevent rotation in the circumferential direction with respect to the axis. Thereby, it is possible to stably maintain a state in which the engaging portion is engaged with the uneven portion and adjusted to a desired length.

  According to a sixth configuration, in the first to fifth configurations, the engagement portion is separated from an outer surface of the first member when switched from the locked position to the non-locked position. A blocking portion that prevents switching from the locked position to the non-locked position by collectively pressing the engaging portion and the cylindrical portion from the outer peripheral side when in the position; To do. According to this configuration, inadvertent switching to the non-lock position can be suppressed in a state where the engaging portion is in the lock position. Moreover, it can suppress that the engagement with respect to an uneven | corrugated | grooved part loosens and a 2nd member moves.

The perspective view of the portable toilet provided with the length adjustment mechanism. The perspective view of a leg structure and a cover member. The disassembled perspective view of a leg structure and a cover member. The enlarged view of an uneven part. (A) is a front view, (b) is CC sectional view taken on the line. The perspective view of a movable unit. DD line sectional drawing of a movable unit. The EE sectional view taken on the line of a movable unit. The side view of a movable unit. (A) shows an initial position, and (b) shows an upper position. The perspective view of a cover member. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which expanded the axial support part. AA line sectional view which expanded a leg structure and a cover member. The BB sectional view which expanded the leg structure and cover member of a locked state. The BB sectional view which expanded the leg structure and cover member of a non-locking state.

  Hereinafter, the length adjusting mechanism of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the length adjusting mechanism is realized as the length adjusting mechanism of the leg portion of the portable toilet 10. The portable toilet 10 shown in FIG. 1 is for nursing care, for example, and is used by being placed in a room such as a bedside. The portable toilet 10 is also referred to as a nursing toilet or a simple toilet.

≪Portable toilet 10≫
The portable toilet 10 includes a toilet body 11 and a leg 12 that supports the toilet body 11. The portable toilet 10 is made of resin as a whole. In the following description, the material constituting each member is basically made of resin unless otherwise described. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, front and rear, left and right, and top and bottom are shown based on the direction viewed from the user sitting on the toilet seat.

  The toilet body 11 includes a receiving portion 13 that can receive the excrement of the user, and a toilet seat 14 that is disposed above the receiving portion 13. In the portable toilet 10, an armrest 15 on which a user's hand and arm are placed is provided above the toilet body 11, and the back of the seated user abuts behind the toilet body 11. A backrest 16 is provided.

  The leg portion 12 includes a pair of left and right front legs 17 and a pair of left and right rear legs 18. Each leg of the leg part 12 includes a cover member 110 disposed on the toilet body part 11 side, and a leg structure 20 that is attached to the cover member 110 and can change the length in the axial direction D. . Hereinafter, it demonstrates in detail using FIGS.

≪Leg structure 20≫
As shown in FIG. 3, the leg structure 20 includes a fixed unit 30 that extends in the axial direction D, and a movable unit 50 that can move in the axial direction D with respect to the fixed unit 30. In this embodiment, the axial direction D is the vertical direction with respect to the ground contact surface of the portable toilet 10. Therefore, the axial direction D and the vertical direction are synonymous. The leg structure 20 is configured symmetrically. 2 and 3 show a leg structure 20 attached to the rear leg 18 on the right side of the portable toilet 10.

  In the following, the leg structure 20 provided at the lower part of the rear leg 18 will be described. Unless there is a particular description of each member, the leg structure 20 provided at the lower portion of the front leg portion 17 is the same as the rear leg portion 18. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the structure of the leg structure 20 in a state where the movement of the movable unit 50 in the axial direction D is not permitted.

[Fixed unit 30]
The fixed unit 30 includes a disk-shaped pedestal 31 and a support column 32 extending upward from the pedestal 31. The lower surface of the pedestal 31 is a grounding surface that is grounded to the floor surface. In the present embodiment, a leg rubber 33 is attached to the lower end of the pedestal 31, and the leg rubber 33 is grounded to the floor surface. Thereby, the slip with respect to the floor surface of the leg part 12 is suppressed.

  The pedestal 31 is provided with a caster mechanism 35 having wheels 34. The portable toilet 10 can be moved with respect to the floor surface by grounding the wheel 34 to the floor surface. The caster mechanism 35 is not provided in the leg structure 20 of the front leg portion 17 but is provided only in the leg structure 20 of the left and right rear leg portions 18. Here, the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal 31 is attached behind the pedestal 31.

  As for the support | pillar 32, the outer peripheral surface is formed in non-circle shape seeing from the axial direction D. As shown in FIG. The support column 32 has a rectangular tube shape, and more specifically has a substantially rectangular shape. The support column 32 has four plate portions 36, and specifically, a pair of plate portions 36 a disposed opposite to each other in the left-right direction of the portable toilet 10 and a pair of plate portions 36 b disposed opposite to each other in the front-rear direction. And have. In the four plate portions 36, adjacent plate portions are connected by a connecting plate portion 37. The connecting plate portion 37 is formed obliquely or arcuately with respect to each plate portion 36. The support column 32 is integrally formed with the pedestal 31. Although the support column 32 is hollow, it may be solid.

  On the outer surface of the fixed unit 30, a plurality of concave and convex portions 38 formed so as to be arranged in the axial direction D are provided. The concavo-convex portion 38 is formed on each of the outer plate surfaces of the pair of plate portions 36 a that are opposed to each other in the left-right direction of the portable toilet 10 among the four plate portions 36. That is, the concavo-convex portion 38 is disposed in the left-right direction in the portable toilet 10, and the first concavo-convex portion 38a disposed on the outer side of the leg body portion 12 and the second concavo-convex portion 38b disposed on the inner side (FIG. 11 and FIG. 11). 12).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the convex part 38c which the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 38 has is a protrusion extended in the direction (horizontal direction) which cross | intersects with the axial direction D, and the recessed part 38d is a groove part extended in a horizontal direction. Here, the apex of the convex part 38c and the valley point of the concave part 38d are acute-angled, and a plurality of convex parts 38c and concave parts 38d are arranged alternately and continuously. Thereby, a fine comb-like shape is formed in a limited space of the fixed unit 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the convex portion 38c has an upper surface 38e and a lower surface 38f, and the distal end portion of the upper surface 38e and the distal end portion of the lower surface 38f are connected at an acute angle. The upper surface 38e is an inclined surface that inclines upward toward the horizontal surface or the tip, and the lower surface 38f is an inclined surface that inclines upward as it goes to the tip. The inclination of the lower surface 38f with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of the upper surface 38e.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a rectangular recess 36c that is recessed in the thickness direction is formed on each outer plate surface of the pair of plate portions 36a. The recess 36c has a rectangular shape that is long in the axial direction D, and is formed on substantially the entire outer plate surface of the plate 36a. In the recess 36c, an uneven portion 38 is disposed in the inner space over the entire axial direction D. Both ends in the horizontal direction of the convex portion 38c and the concave portion 38d of the concave and convex portion 38 are respectively connected to the horizontal wall portion 36d of the concave portion 36c. Thereby, the load concerning the convex part 38c is disperse | distributed to the wall part 36d side.

  On the outer surface of the fixed unit 30, a display unit 39 for displaying information on length adjustment is provided. The display unit 39 is provided on a portion of the outer surface of the fixed unit 30 where the uneven portion 38 is not formed. In this embodiment, the display part 39 is provided in the connection board part 37, and more specifically, among the connection plate parts 37 adjacent to the concavo-convex part 38, the display part 39 is disposed outside the portable toilet 10 in the left-right direction. It is provided on each of the two connecting plate portions 37a adjacent to the one uneven portion 38a (see FIG. 4A). Thereby, the display part 39 is arrange | positioned in the position where it is easy to see for a user. In addition, the display part 39 may be arrange | positioned only in either the back or the front rather than the 1st uneven | corrugated | grooved part 38a.

  The display unit 39 is provided with a plurality of scales indicating the length as information relating to the length adjustment. In the support column 32, the length of the leg is displayed by sticking a seal member having a plurality of scales along the axial direction D to the outer surface of the connecting plate portion 37a. In addition, it is good also as a structure which replaces with the structure which affixes a sealing member on the display part 39, and displays length by attaching a scale directly to the connection board part 37a.

[Movable unit 50]
The movable unit 50 includes a bracket 51 disposed on the outer periphery of the fixed unit 30 and a locking member 52 disposed on the outer periphery of the bracket 51.

<Bracket 51>
The bracket 51 is provided on the outer periphery of the support column 32 so as to be movable in the axial direction D. The bracket 51 has an inner peripheral surface 51 a formed in a non-circular shape when viewed from the axial direction D, and has a shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface so that it can contact the outer peripheral surface of the support column 32 of the fixed unit 30. ing. The bracket 51 is movable in the axial direction D while being guided by the outer peripheral surface of the support column 32 in a state where the support column 32 is inserted into the hollow portion 53.

  The bracket 51 has a main body portion 54 having a rectangular tube shape. The main body portion 54 has a substantially rectangular shape and has four wall plate portions 55. Two of the four wall plate portions 55 are a pair of wall plate portions 55a disposed opposite to the pair of plate portions 36a provided with the uneven portions 38, and the rest are not provided with the uneven portions 38. It is a pair of wall board part 55b arrange | positioned facing a pair of board part 36b. Adjacent wall plate portions 55 of the four wall plate portions 55 are connected by a connecting plate portion 67. The connecting plate portion 67 is disposed obliquely or in an arc shape with respect to each wall plate portion 55. The length of the wall plate portion 55 in the axial direction D is longer than the length in the direction intersecting the axial direction D. Thereby, the contact area of the inner peripheral surface of the bracket 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the support | pillar 32 is ensured more largely.

  One of the pair of wall plate portions 55a is a first opening plate portion 57 having a lower opening portion 56 opened downward, and the other is a second opening plate having an upper opening portion 58 opened upward. Part 59. The lower opening 56 has a larger opening area than the upper opening 58. In the first open plate portion 57, a protruding portion 66 that protrudes outward from the first open plate portion 57 in the plate thickness direction is provided above the lower open portion 56. An accommodation groove 66a opened downward is formed at the lower end of the protrusion 66, and one end of a spring can be attached to the accommodation groove 66a.

  The pair of wall plate portions 55b are respectively provided with shaft portions 60 extending outward in the plate thickness direction. The shaft portion 60 is disposed below the main body portion 54. In this embodiment, a U-shaped through portion 61a is formed in the thickness direction of the pair of wall plate portions 55b, and the inner side surrounded by the through portion 61a is bent in the thickness direction with the upper portion as a fixed end. The flexible plate portion 61 can be removed. A shaft portion 60 is disposed on the flexible plate portion 61. When an external force is applied to the shaft portion 60, the wall plate portion 55 b can be bent and deformed inward in the radial direction together with the shaft portion 60.

  A flange portion 62 is provided at the lower portion of the bracket 51 so as to protrude outward in the circumferential direction. The flange portion 62 is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 54 in a state where the lower portion of the lower opening portion 56 is opened. Specifically, the flange portion 62 is continuously disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 54 from one end portion 56 a to the other end portion 56 b in the width direction of the lower opening portion 56. . The peripheral end portion 62 b of the flange portion 62 is formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the axial direction D.

  Below the flange portion 62, a first screw groove portion 64 in which a spiral screw groove 63 is formed is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the 1st thread groove part 64 has the upper part 64a and the lower part 64b, and these are connected in planar shape or curved surface shape. A thread groove 63 is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion 64a, and the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion 64b is inclined inward as it goes downward. A plurality of slit portions 64c extending in the vertical direction are formed in the first screw groove portion 64 at predetermined intervals (see FIG. 8). By the plurality of slit portions 64c, the first screw groove portion 64 can be bent and deformed inward in the radial direction with the upper portion as a fixed end.

  A groove portion 65 in which a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction D are formed along the circumferential direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the first screw groove portion 64 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The groove portions 65 are arranged at positions facing each other on the inner peripheral surface. In the present embodiment, a groove portion 65 is disposed below each shaft portion 60. The groove 65 makes it easier for the first screw groove 64 to bend and deform inward in the radial direction.

  A claw portion 51 b extending upward is provided at the upper end portion of the bracket 51. A plurality of claw portions 51b are provided, and in this embodiment, one claw portion 51b is provided at each of the four corners of the upper end portion (four in total).

<Locking member 52>
As shown in FIG. 3, the locking member 52 includes an engaging portion 71 that can be engaged with the uneven portion 38, and a switching portion 72 that switches engagement / disengagement of the engaging portion 71 with respect to the uneven portion 38. I have. In this embodiment, the locking member 52 is formed by integrally forming the engaging portion 71 and the switching portion 72. The switching unit 72 includes an annular portion 73 that surrounds the bracket 51, and a shaft support portion 74 that pivotally supports the annular portion 73 with respect to the bracket 51. The engaging portion 71 is supported by the annular portion 73.

(Engagement part 71)
Of the two concavo-convex portions 38, the engaging portion 71 includes a first engaging portion 71 a that can be engaged with the first concavo-convex portion 38 a on the lower opening portion 56 side and a second concavo-convex portion 38 b on the upper opening portion 58 side. And a second engaging portion 71b that can be engaged. The engaging portion 71 is switched between a locked position where the engaging portion 71 is engaged with the uneven portion 38 and a non-locking position where the engaging portion 71 is separated from the uneven portion 38 in conjunction with the rotation of the annular portion 73.

(Annular part 73)
The annular portion 73 surrounds the entire outer periphery of the main body portion 54 of the bracket 51. As shown in FIG. 3, the annular portion 73 is disposed on the lower opening portion 56 side, and a pair of the operation portion 80 that is operated by the user at the time of length adjustment and the circumferential ends of the operation portion 80 are connected to each other. The operation part 80 and the belt-like part 79 are connected in a ring shape.

  The operation unit 80 includes an outer protrusion 81 that protrudes outward in the radial direction and an upper protrusion 82 that protrudes upward from the outer protrusion 81. The outer projecting portion 81 includes an outer peripheral plate portion 83 extending in the vertical direction, a pair of side plate portions 84 extending radially inward from the circumferential edge portion of the outer peripheral plate portion 83, and a radial direction from the lower end of the outer peripheral plate portion 83. And a lower plate portion 85 extending inwardly. The inner plate surface of the outer peripheral plate portion 83 faces the lower open portion 56. The inner edge portions of the pair of side plate portions 84 are connected to the outer surface of the band-shaped portion 79. The lower surface 85a of the lower plate portion 85 has a predetermined width in the radial direction (for example, a width that allows a finger to be pressed). On the upper surface of the lower plate portion 85, an attachment portion 85b to which the other end of the spring attached to the accommodation groove 66a of the bracket 51 can be attached is provided.

  The upper protruding portion 82 has a plate shape and protrudes upward from the outer peripheral plate portion 83. When viewed from a position facing the outer plate surface of the outer peripheral plate portion 83, the upper end of the upper protruding portion 82 is located above the upper end of the band-shaped portion 79. At least the upper portion of the upper protruding portion 82 is disposed at a position facing the upper end of the spring attached to the housing groove 66a of the bracket 51 or above it.

  A first engagement portion 71 a is provided below the operation portion 80. The first engaging portion 71 a is a plate portion arranged in the vertical direction, and is a substantially rectangular drooping plate portion that extends downward from the operation portion 80. The first engaging portion 71 a is disposed on at least a part of the lower opening portion 56. Specifically, the first engaging portion 71 a extends from the inner end portion of the lower plate portion 85 of the outer protruding portion 81 to the lower end portion of the bracket 51. The inner peripheral surface 86 of the first engaging portion 71 a forms the inner peripheral surface of the movable unit 50 together with the inner peripheral surface of the bracket 51. In the inner peripheral surface 86, a first claw portion 75 is provided in the upper portion, and a groove portion 87 in which a plurality of grooves extending in the axial direction D are formed is provided in the lower portion. The first claw portion 75 has a shape corresponding to the uneven portion 38 and can be engaged with the uneven portion 38.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first claw portion 75 has a concavo-convex shape formed so as to be aligned in the axial direction D. Specifically, the first claw portion 75 has a comb-like shape in which protrusions extending in a direction (horizontal direction) intersecting the axial direction D and grooves extending in the horizontal direction are alternately arranged in a predetermined number. Is formed. The number of convex portions and concave portions included in the first claw portion 75 is smaller than the number of convex portions 38 c and concave portions 38 d included in the concave and convex portion 38. The convex part which the 1st nail | claw part 75 has has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the front-end | tip part of an upper surface and the front-end | tip part of a lower surface are connected with acute angle shape. Moreover, the upper surface of a convex part is an inclined surface which inclines below as it goes to a front-end | tip part, and a lower surface is an inclined surface which inclines below as it goes to a horizontal surface or a front-end | tip part. The inclination of the upper surface with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of the upper surface.

  A second thread groove 89 having a thread groove 88 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 86b of the first engagement portion 71a. The second screw groove portion 89 has an upper portion 89a and a lower portion 89b (see FIG. 7), which are connected in a planar shape or a curved shape. A thread groove 88 is formed in the upper portion 89a along the circumferential direction, and the lower portion 89b is inclined inward in the radial direction as it goes downward. The second screw groove portion 89 forms a series of screw grooves together with the first screw groove portion 64. In the second screw groove portion 89, the groove portion 87 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 86a, so that it is easily bent and deformed inward in the radial direction.

  The belt-like portion 79 is long and has a predetermined width in the axial direction D. The length of the belt-like portion 79 in the axial direction D is shorter than the length of the main body portion 54 in the axial direction D. On the inner peripheral surface of the belt-like portion 79, shaft support portions 74 that can support the shaft portion 60 are provided at positions facing the shaft portion 60, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the band-like portion 79 includes, as viewed from the side, an intermediate portion 79 a having a shaft support portion 74, a front portion 79 b connected to the operation portion 80, and an upper opening portion 58 side from the intermediate portion 79 a. It has the back part 79c arrange | positioned, and these are connected in the arc form. The intermediate portion 79a has a flat plate shape, and the front side portion 79b and the back side portion 79c have a gently curved plate shape that protrudes outward in the radial direction. The inner surface of the intermediate portion 79a is disposed to face the pair of wall plate portions 55b in a state where the shaft portion 60 is pivotally supported by the shaft support portion 74. Thereby, the annular part 73 can be rotated around the shaft support part 74.

  In the band-like portion 79, the second engagement portion 71 b is disposed above the band-like portion 79 at a position facing the first engagement portion 71 a. The second engaging portion 71 b is a plate portion arranged in the vertical direction, and extends from the upper end portion 79 d of the belt-like portion 79 to the upper end portion of the bracket 51. The inner peripheral surface 93 of the second engaging portion 71 b forms the inner peripheral surface of the movable unit 50 together with the inner peripheral surface of the bracket 51. A second claw portion 76 is provided on the inner peripheral surface 93. The 2nd nail | claw part 76 has a shape corresponding to the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 38, and is a protrusion extended in the direction (horizontal direction) which cross | intersects with the axial direction D, as shown in FIG. The number of convex parts which the 2nd claw part 76 has is smaller than the number of convex parts 38c which the 1st claw part 75 has, and is one in this embodiment. The convex part which the 2nd nail | claw part 76 has has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the front-end | tip part of an upper surface and the front-end | tip part of a lower surface are connected with acute angle shape. The upper surface of the convex portion is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the tip portion, and the lower surface is an inclined surface that is inclined downward as it goes to the horizontal surface or the tip portion. The inclination of the upper surface with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of the upper surface.

  The second engaging portion 71b is disposed at a position facing the first engaging portion 71a and at a position different from the first engaging portion 71a in the axial direction D. Specifically, when viewed in the axial direction D, the first engagement portion 71 a is disposed below the shaft support portion 74, and the second engagement portion 71 b is disposed above the shaft support portion 74. The engaging portion 71 can be engaged with the concavo-convex portion 38 from both sides of the bracket 51 as viewed in the axial direction D and at different positions as viewed in the axial direction D.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the upper end 79 d and the lower end 79 e of the strip 79 are inclined upward as they are separated from the operation unit 80. Further, the inclination of the lower end 79e is larger than that of the upper end 79d. That is, when viewed from the center direction of the shaft support portion 74, the inclination of the lower end portion 79e with respect to the horizontal direction is larger than that of the upper end portion 79d. Further, the band-like portion 79 becomes narrower as it is separated from the operation portion 80.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, the band-shaped portion 79 has a width in the axial direction D from the operation portion 80 to an intermediate position (for example, a position near the shaft support portion 74) in a side view. The width is equal to the predetermined length W1, and the width in the axial direction D is gradually narrower than the predetermined length W1 from the intermediate position toward the back surface. Thereby, the first engaging portion 71a side is wider than the second engaging portion 71b side, and the strength is higher. Further, the lower end portion 79 e is separated from the upper surface 62 a of the flange portion 62 as it is separated from the operation portion 80. Thereby, when the annular portion 73 is rotated, the lower end 79f on the second engagement portion 71b side is prevented from interfering with the flange portion 62.

  The bracket 51 is provided with a restricting portion 96 that restricts the rotation of the annular portion 73 with respect to the bracket 51. As shown in FIG. 8A, the lower end portion 94 of the connecting portion between the belt-like portion 79 and the operation portion 80 is located below the lower end 79 f and is in contact with the upper surface 62 a of the flange portion 62. . When the lower end portion 94 is brought into contact with the upper surface 62a as the restricting portion 96, the annular portion 73 is rotated so that the operation portion 80 does not further rotate downward when the operation portion 80 is not operated. Movement is regulated.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the switching unit 72 is connected to the bracket 51 by, for example, a metal spring 95. One end of the spring 95 is fixed to the accommodation groove 66 a of the bracket 51, and the other end is fixed to the attachment portion 85 b of the operation unit 80. At the normal time when the operation unit 80 is not operated, the lower end portion 94 on the operation unit 80 side of the annular portion 73 is brought into contact with the upper surface 62a as the restricting portion 96, and becomes the initial position shown in FIG. In this state, when an external force is applied to the operation unit 80 so that the operation unit 80 moves obliquely upward, the annular portion 73 rotates against the urging force of the spring 95, as shown in FIG. The upper position. When the annular portion 73 is at the upper position, the inner surface of the outer peripheral plate portion 83 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 66, and the annular portion 73 is rotated so that the operation portion 80 does not further rotate upward. Movement is regulated. When the external force applied to the operation unit 80 is removed, the annular portion 73 is rotated by the urging force of the spring 95 and returns to the initial position again.

<Fixing ring 120>
The leg structure 20 includes a fixing ring 120 that can be screwed to the first screw groove portion 64 and the second screw groove portion 89. The fixing ring 120 is formed in an annular shape, and a screw groove 121 corresponding to the screw shape of the first screw groove 64 and the second screw groove 89 is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The lower portion 122 of the inner peripheral surface of the fixing ring 120 is formed so that the inner diameter decreases as it goes downward. By screwing the screw groove 121 of the fixing ring 120 to the first screw groove 64 and the second screw groove 89 of the bracket 51, the locking member 52 and the bracket 51 are collectively pushed from the outer peripheral side. Accordingly, switching from the locked state in which the engaging portion 71 is engaged with the uneven portion 38 to the unlocked state in which the engagement between the engaging portion 71 and the uneven portion 38 is released is prevented. A plurality of convex portions 123 extending in the axial direction D are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fixing ring 120 at predetermined intervals. When the fixing ring 120 is screwed to the bracket 51 by the plurality of convex portions 123, the user's finger is prevented from slipping.

<Cover member 110>
The cover member 110 is a cylindrical body that covers a part of the leg structure 20 from above. In the present embodiment, the cover member 110 is attached to the lower end of the toilet body 11. Note that the cover member 110 may be integrally formed with the toilet body 11. The cover member 110 has an inner diameter such that the inner peripheral surface 112 can abut against the peripheral end portion 62 b of the flange portion 62. Since the movable unit 50 is covered with the cover member 110 from the axial direction D, the cover member 110 further covers the movable unit 50 from the outer peripheral side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral plate portion 118 of the cover member 110 is provided with an opening 111 that opens downward, and a protrusion 117 that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface above the opening 111. The cover member 110 is disposed with respect to the movable unit 50 such that the operation unit 80 is exposed to the outside from the opening 111 (see FIG. 2). Accordingly, the user can operate the operation unit 80 while the movable unit 50 is further covered from the outside by the cover member 110.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the inner peripheral surface 112 of the cover member 110 is provided with a protection portion 113 for protecting the shaft support portion 74 at a position corresponding to the shaft support portion 74. The protection unit 113 includes an inverted U-shaped covering portion 113 a that covers the shaft support portion 74 from above, and a spacer portion 113 b that is interposed between the inner peripheral surface 112 and the shaft support portion 74. In a state where the outer periphery of the movable unit 50 is covered with the cover member 110, the shaft support portion 74 is covered with the protection portion 113, so that the shaft is placed in the space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface 112, the covering portion 113 a, and the wall plate portion 55. A branch 74 is accommodated. Thereby, the shaft portion 60 is protected by the protection portion 113 so as not to drop off from the shaft support portion 74.

  In the internal space of the cover member 110, an upper plate portion 114 that covers the upper side of the movable unit 50 is provided. An opening 115 having a size substantially the same as or smaller than that of the upper end opening 51c (see FIG. 5) of the bracket 51 is formed in the central portion of the upper plate 114. The opening 115 is provided with a locking portion 116 that can lock the claw portion 51 b provided at the upper end of the bracket 51. When the claw portion 51b is locked to the locking portion 116, the bracket 51 can be positioned with respect to the cover member 110, and the rotation of the bracket 51 with respect to the cover member 110 is suppressed. Further, in the upper plate portion 114, a hole portion 119 that can engage a claw portion (not shown) at the lower end portion of the toilet body portion 11 is provided in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface 112. By engaging the lower end of the toilet body 11 with the hole 119, the toilet body 11 and the cover member 110 can be connected via the upper plate 114.

  The length between the lower end of the cover member 110 and the inner surface of the upper plate portion 114 is substantially the same as or longer than the length between the lower surface 62c of the flange portion 62 and the upper end portion 55c of the wall plate portion 55. ing. In a state where the claw portion 51b is engaged with the locking portion 116, the upper end portion 55c of the wall plate portion 55 is in contact with the inner surface of the upper plate portion 114 (see FIGS. 2 and 11), and The inner peripheral surface 112 is in contact with the peripheral end portion 62b of the flange portion 62 (see FIG. 11). Thus, the bracket 51 is configured to support the cover member 110 on both sides of the annular portion 73 as viewed in the axial direction D. That is, the upper plate portion 114 is supported from below by the wall plate portion 55, and the peripheral plate portion 118 is supported from the inside by the flange portion 62.

<< Operation of Leg Structure 20 >>
Next, the length adjustment of the leg part 12 by the leg structure 20 is demonstrated using FIG.12 and FIG.13.

  As described above, in the leg structure 20, the bracket 51, the locking member 52, and the cover member 110 are arranged in this order toward the outside in the radial direction with the support column 32 as the center. When the user is not operating the operation unit 80, the operation unit 80 side of the annular portion 73 is in contact with the upper surface 62 a of the flange portion 62 by the biasing force of the spring 95, and the rotation of the annular portion 73 is performed. It is regulated. In this state, the engaging portion 71 engages with the concavo-convex portion 38 to be in the locked position.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the first claw portion 75 of the first engaging portion 71a is engaged with the first uneven portion 38a of the two uneven portions 38, and the second uneven portion 38b. In contrast, the second claw portion 76 of the second engagement portion 71b is engaged. Thereby, the movement of the movable unit 50 in the axial direction D is restricted. In this case, since the engaging portion 71 locks the fixed unit 30 so as to sandwich the fixed unit 30 from both sides viewed from the axial direction D, the movable unit 50 is firmly fixed to the fixed unit 30 and the length of the leg portion 12 is increased. Fixed. Further, since the engaging portion 71 engages with the concavo-convex portion 38 at a different position in the axial direction D, the movable unit 50 is more stably disposed with respect to the fixed unit 30.

  Here, in the leg structure 20, when the engaging portion 71 is engaged with the concavo-convex portion 38 and is in the locked position, the inner peripheral surface of the bracket 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the column 32 have a contact area. And the contact area is sufficiently secured. For this reason, when a load is given to leg body part 12 because a user sat down at the time of toilet use, the load can be distributed. Thereby, sufficient strength is ensured in the cooperation portion between the fixed unit 30 and the movable unit 50, and the safety of the portable toilet 10 is high.

  In a state where the movable unit 50 is positioned, the screw groove 121 of the fixing ring 120 is screwed to a series of screw grooves formed by the first screw groove portion 64 and the second screw groove portion 89, thereby moving the movable unit 50. 50, the fixing ring 120 is tightened. Thereby, the 1st engaging part 71a and the bracket 51 are collectively pressed from the outer peripheral side, and the movement of the annular part 73 is controlled. For this reason, inadvertent switching of the engaging portion 71 from the locked position to the unlocked position is suppressed. Further, it is possible to prevent the movable unit 50 from moving due to loose engagement of the engaging portion 71 with the concavo-convex portion 38. That is, rattling of the movable unit 50 with respect to the fixed unit 30 is suppressed, and as a result, rattling of the leg portion 12 is suppressed.

  When changing the length of the leg 12, first, the fixing ring 120 is rotated and the fixing ring 120 is removed from the movable unit 50. Subsequently, the operation unit 80 is moved diagonally upward by pressing the upper projection 82 of the operation unit 80 or the lower surface 85a of the outer projection 81 diagonally upward. In conjunction with this operation, the annular portion 73 is rotated against the urging force of the spring 95 to enter the unlocked position, and accordingly, the engaging portion 71 is separated from the outer surface of the fixed unit 30. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the first claw portion 75 of the first engaging portion 71a is separated from the first uneven portion 38a, and the second engaging portion 71b of the second engaging portion 71b is separated from the first uneven portion 38b. The two claws 76 are separated.

  Subsequently, the movable unit is slid in the axial direction D with respect to the fixed unit 30 while the engaging portion 71 is separated from the outer surface of the fixed unit 30, and moved to a position where the desired length is obtained. . At this time, when the movable unit is brought close to the pedestal 31, the length of the leg portion 12 is shortened, and when the movable unit is separated from the pedestal 31, the length of the leg portion 12 is increased. When the user adjusts the length, it is possible to align the lengths of the four legs accurately and easily by using the display unit 39 arranged adjacent to the concavo-convex portion 38 as a mark. . Further, since the uneven portion 38 has a comb-teeth shape composed of a large number of convex portions 38c and concave portions 38d, the density of the uneven portions can be increased, and fine length adjustment can be performed in a limited space.

  After adjusting the length of the leg portion 12 to a desired length, the pressing of the operation portion 80 is released at that position. Thereby, the annular portion 73 is rotated by the biasing force of the spring 95, and the engaging portion 71 returns to the locked position again as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the fixing ring 120 is screwed to the first screw groove portion 64 and the second screw groove portion 89 to attach the fixing ring 120 to the movable unit 50, and the adjusted length is fixed.

  According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

  Since the bracket 51 of the movable unit 50 moves while being guided by the outer peripheral surface of the support column 32 of the fixed unit 30 and the switching portion 72 is provided on the outer periphery of the bracket 51, the inner periphery of the bracket 51. A large contact area between the surface 51a and the outer peripheral surface of the fixed unit 30 can be ensured. Thereby, the intensity | strength of the cooperation part of the fixed unit 30 and the movable unit 50 can be improved. Therefore, when adjusting the length, it can be performed by a simple operation of sliding the movable unit 50 in the axial direction D, and is suitable for heavy objects. In particular, in the portable toilet 10 to which a large load is applied by the user's seating, a highly safe leg length adjusting structure can be provided.

  As the concavo-convex portion 38, a first concavo-convex portion 38 a and a second concavo-convex portion 38 b are provided on the outer surfaces of a pair of opposing plate portions 36 a, and an engaging portion 71 is engageable with the first concavo-convex portion 38 a. The first engaging portion 71a and the second engaging portion 71b that can be engaged with the second uneven portion 38b are provided. By fixing the movable unit 50 to the fixed unit 30 by such a double engagement structure, even if a problem occurs in a part of the engagement structure, the remaining engagement structure can be locked. Can be maintained.

  A locking member 52 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the bracket 51 that is stably disposed on the outer periphery of the fixed unit 30, and the locking member 52 is rotated about the shaft support portion 74, whereby the engaging portion 71. The lock position / non-lock position are switched. According to such a configuration, the strength of the locking member 52 can be increased.

  A cover member 110 that further covers the locking member 52 from the outer peripheral side is provided, and the cover member 110 covers the shaft supporting portion 74 from the outer peripheral side, whereby the shaft supporting portion 74 is sandwiched between the bracket 51 and the cover member 110. According to this configuration, the shaft support 74 can be prevented from falling off or being damaged by sandwiching the shaft support 74 between the bracket 51 and the cover member 110.

  The upper plate portion 114 is supported from below by the wall plate portion 55, the peripheral plate portion 118 is supported from the inside by the flange portion 62, and the bracket 51 is located on both sides of the locking member 52 in the axial direction D. The cover member 110 is supported. Thereby, the bracket 51 can receive firmly the load provided to the cover member 110 when a user sits down at the time of toilet use.

  By forming the outer peripheral surface of the fixed unit 30 and the inner peripheral surface 51a of the bracket 51 in a noncircular shape when viewed from the axial direction D, the fixed unit 30 and the movable unit 50 are prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction with respect to the axial direction D. The structure. Thereby, the state in which the engaging part 71 is engaged with the uneven part 38 and adjusted to a desired length can be stably maintained. Further, since the rotation is prevented, the display unit 39 can be maintained in an easily viewable position even after the length adjustment, and the caster mechanism 35 is maintained in the rearward state. be able to.

  When the engaging portion 71 is in the locked position by the fixing ring 120, the engaging portion 71 and the bracket 51 are collectively pressed from the outer peripheral side, thereby switching the engaging portion 71 from the locked position to the unlocked position. It was set as the structure which stops. Specifically, the first screw groove portion 64 formed in the engaging portion 71 and the second screw groove portion 89 formed in the bracket 51 and forming a series of screw grooves together with the first screw groove portion 64 are fixed by the fixing ring 120. The configuration is such that the screws are joined together. Thereby, in the state where the engaging part 71 is in the locked position, inadvertent switching to the unlocked position can be suppressed. Further, in a state where the fixing ring 120 is screwed, the annular portion 73 does not move even if the operation portion 80 is operated, and therefore the movement of the movable unit 50 relative to the fixed unit 30 due to an erroneous operation can be suppressed.

  The convex portion 38c of the concavo-convex portion 38 is an inclined surface that is inclined upward as the upper surface 38e goes to the horizontal plane or the tip portion, and the lower surface 38f is an inclined surface that is inclined upward as it goes to the tip portion. In a state where the first claw portion 75 and the second claw portion 76 are engaged with the concavo-convex portion 38, when the user is seated and a load is applied to the leg body portion 12, the load is firmly received by the upper surface 38e. be able to. Thereby, the state which the engaging part 71 engaged with the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 38 can be hold | maintained firmly. Moreover, the upward movement of the movable unit 50 can be performed smoothly.

  Since the concavo-convex portion 38 is arranged in the space inside the dent portion 36c and both the horizontal end portions of the ridge portion 38c and the concave portion 38d of the concavo-convex portion 38 are connected to the horizontal wall portion 36d of the dent portion 36c, respectively. The load applied to the leg body 12 when the user is seated on the toilet can be distributed to the wall 36d side.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be implemented as follows, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the peripheral plate portion 118 is supported by the flange portion 62 from the inside, but the peripheral plate portion 118 may be supported by the flange portion 62 from below. That is, the lower end portion of the cover member 110 is in contact with the upper surface 62 a of the flange portion 62. In this case, the upper plate portion 114 is supported from below by the wall plate portion 55, and the peripheral plate portion 118 is supported from below by the flange portion 62, so that the bracket 51 sandwiches the annular portion 73 in the axial direction D. The cover member 110 can be supported on both sides. Thereby, the load applied to the cover member 110 can be firmly received by the upper part and the lower part of the bracket 51.

  In the concavo-convex portion 38, the apex of the convex portion 38c and the valley point of the concave portion 38d are formed into acute angles. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the apex of the convex portion 38c may be planar. At this time, with respect to the convex portion 38c, the upper surface 38e is an inclined surface that is inclined upward toward the horizontal surface or the front end portion, and the lower surface 38f is an inclined surface that is inclined upward toward the front end portion.

  In the above embodiment, the first engagement portion 71a is provided below the shaft support portion 74, and the second engagement portion 71b is provided above the shaft support portion 74 at a position facing the first engagement portion 71a. The arrangement of the first engaging portion 71a and the second engaging portion 71b when viewed in the axial direction D may be reversed. That is, the first engagement portion 71a is provided above the shaft support portion 74, and the second engagement portion 71b is provided below the shaft support portion 74 at a position facing the first engagement portion 71a. In this case, by pushing the operating portion 80 obliquely downward, the annular portion 73 is rotated about the shaft support portion 74, and the engaging portion 71 is switched from the locked position to the unlocked position.

  In the above embodiment, the flexible plate portion 61 is formed on the pair of wall plate portions 55b and the shaft portion 60 is disposed on the flexible plate portion 61. However, the flexible plate portion 61 is not provided and the wall plate portion 55b is provided with the shaft portion 60. The shaft portion 60 may be disposed.

  The leg structure 20 may not include the caster mechanism 35. In this case, the same leg structure 20 as that of the front leg portion 17 can be applied to the rear leg portion 18. In the leg structure 20, the fixing unit 30 can be easily removed from the portable toilet 10, so that the portable toilet 10 is provided with wheels or no wheels according to the needs of the user. Can be selected. Moreover, since it can be set as the same structure except the presence or absence of the caster mechanism 35, the various portable toilets 10 can be provided, suppressing the increase in manufacturing cost.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the leg structure 20 is applied to the portable toilet 10 has been described. However, the application target of the leg structure 20 is not limited to the portable toilet 10. For example, the leg structure 20 may be applied to the legs of furniture such as a chair, desk, bed, cabinet, or the leg structure 20 is used to adjust the height of an electric product such as a refrigerator or a washing machine. You may apply. Or you may apply the leg structure 20 to the structure for length adjustment of an expansion-contraction stick | rod (for example, laundry basket etc.).

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Portable toilet, 11 ... Toilet body part, 12 ... Leg body part, 20 ... Leg structure, 30 ... Fixed unit (1st member), 38 ... Uneven part, 50 ... Movable unit (2nd member), 51 ... Bracket (cylinder part) 52 ... Locking member (engagement part, switching part) 72 ... Switching part 73 ... Ring part 74 ... Shaft support part 110 ... Cover member (covering part) 120 ... Fixing ring (blocking) Part), D ... axial direction.

Claims (6)

A first member extending in a predetermined axial direction;
A second member movable in the axial direction with respect to the first member;
An uneven portion provided on the outer surface of the first member and arranged in a plurality in the axial direction;
With
The second member is
A cylindrical portion that is inserted into the first member and moves in the axial direction while being guided by an outer peripheral surface of the first member;
A locking position that is engageable with the concavo-convex portion and is locked so that the movement of the second member cannot be performed by engaging with the concavo-convex portion, and the movement of the second member apart from the concavo-convex portion. An engaging portion that can be switched to an allowed non-locking position;
A switching portion that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical portion, and switches the engaging portion between the locked position and the unlocked position;
A length adjustment mechanism comprising: The switching unit is
An annular portion surrounding the tubular portion;
A shaft support portion for pivotally supporting the annular portion with respect to the tube portion;
With
The length adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion is switched between the locked position and the unlocked position by rotating the annular portion around the shaft support portion. A cylindrical cover portion that covers the annular portion from the outer peripheral side is further provided,
The length adjusting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the cover part covers the shaft support part from the outer peripheral side, thereby sandwiching the shaft support part between the tube part and the cover part.   The length adjusting mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical portion is configured to support the covering portion on both sides of the annular portion when viewed in the axial direction.   The outer peripheral surface of the first member and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion are formed in a noncircular shape when viewed from the axial direction, so that the first member and the cylindrical portion rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the axial line. The length adjusting mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the length adjusting mechanism is a stop structure. The engagement portion is separated from the outer surface of the first member when switched from the locked position to the unlocked position,
A blocking portion that prevents switching from the locked position to the non-locked position by collectively pressing the engaging portion and the cylindrical portion from the outer peripheral side when in the locked position is provided. Item 6. The length adjustment mechanism according to any one of Items 1 to 5.