JP2023175468A - Fixing member - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a user to easily recognize that he/she forgot to tighten a male screw member.SOLUTION: A fixing member for fixing an outer cylinder 41 and an inner cylinder 42 by using a tightening force between a female screw 442 and a head of a male screw member 441, comprises: the female screw 442; the male screw member 441 to be screwed into the female screw 442; a knob 443 provided at the head of the male screw member 441 and receiving an operation force for screwing the male screw member 441 into the female screw 442 or releasing the screwing; and a tightening omission prevention tool 45 which is partially or entirely visible from the outside when the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened into the female screw 442 and which is concealed by the knob 443 when the male screw member 441 is completely tightened into the female screw 442.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a fixing member used for fixtures suitably used in schools, offices, homes, etc., and used to fix members.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in fixtures such as desks and chairs used in schools and the like, various leg bodies whose longitudinal dimensions can be changed have been devised in order to make it possible to change the height positions of top plates, seats, and the like.

An example of the legs of such a fixture is an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder fitted into the outer cylinder so as to be relatively movable, a positioning mechanism for positioning the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and an outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. Examples include those equipped with a fixing mechanism that fixes the cylinder (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Here, although the fixing mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a male screw member is screwed onto a female screw, it is difficult to visually confirm the screwing state of the male screw member onto the female screw. Therefore, a problem may occur in which the male screw member is left untightened to the female screw.

The above-mentioned problem of forgetting to tighten the screws is not limited to the legs of fixtures, but is also used to fix two parts so that they cannot move relative to each other, and is a problem in cases where a male screw is screwed into a female screw. This can occur in fixing mechanisms or fixing members in general.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-242912

The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to enable a user to easily recognize that he or she has forgotten to tighten a male screw member.

The fixing member according to the invention according to claim 1 is a fixing member that fixes the member by using a tightening force between the female screw and the head of the male screw member, the male threaded member that can be screwed; a knob that is provided on the head of the male threaded member and receives an operating force for screwing the male threaded member onto the female thread or releasing the screwing; and the male threaded member; The screw member is provided with a forget-to-tighten prevention tool that is partially or completely visible from the outside when the screw member is not completely fastened to the female screw.

In the fixing member according to the invention as set forth in claim 2, the forget-to-tighten prevention tool is provided near the female screw, and the knob is attached to the fixing member when the male screw member is screwed onto the female screw. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a gap into which the forget-to-tighten prevention device enters.

The fixing member according to the invention set forth in claim 3 is the fixing member according to claim 2, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the forget-to-tighten prevention device is colored in a color different from that of the knob.

The fixing member according to the invention set forth in claim 4 is the fixing member according to claim 2, wherein the forget-tightening prevention device is a ring-shaped member surrounding the female screw.

The fixing member according to the invention set forth in claim 5 is the fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the forget-to-tighten prevention device is provided integrally with the male threaded member at a portion of the male threaded member adjacent to the knob.

According to the present invention, a user can easily be made aware of forgetting to tighten a male screw member.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a desk that is a fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. An enlarged view of the vicinity of section B in FIG. 1. An enlarged view of the vicinity of section C in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 3. 5 is a sectional view taken along the YY line in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a pedestal and a fixing member according to the same embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar and the fixing member according to the same embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar and the fixing member according to the same embodiment. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar according to the same embodiment. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar according to the same embodiment. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar according to the same embodiment. An explanatory diagram of the operation of the pillar according to the same embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a fixing member according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a fixing member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the desk D, which is a fixture including the fixing member 44 according to the present embodiment, includes a top plate 1 and legs 2 that support the top plate 1, and is symmetrical. It has a shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the leg body 2 includes a leg base 3, a pair of left and right leg columns 4 that stand up from the leg base 3, and a pair of leg columns 4 that are provided above these columns 4 and that support the top plate 1 from below. It has a supporting top plate support 5.

The leg base 3 is made of members such as metal pipes, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, it includes a rear frame 31 extending left and right, and sides extending forward from both ends of the rear frame 31. It is integrally equipped with a frame 32.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the pedestal 4 stands up from the middle part of the side frame 32 of the leg base 3, and its upper end is connected to the top plate holder 5. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, this pedestal 4 includes an outer cylinder 41, an inner cylinder 42 that is fitted into the outer cylinder 41 so as to be relatively movable, and an outer cylinder disposed within the inner cylinder 42. 41 and the inner cylinder 42 in a moderate manner, and a fixing member 44 of the present invention that restricts or releases the movement of the positioning member 43 to maintain or release the positioning state. .

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer cylinder 41 has a lower end fixed to the side frame 32 of the leg base 3, and is formed using a metal pipe member having an oval shape in cross section. There is. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, this outer cylinder 41 has a front wall 411, an inner wall 412, an outer wall 413, and a back wall 414, and the front wall 411 and the back wall 414 are half It has a cylindrical shape. Further, the inner wall 412 of the outer cylinder 41 is provided with two elongated rectangular fixing holes 41a extending in the depth direction and spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the fixing member 44 is inserted into the middle of these fixing holes 41a. A circular fixing member insertion hole 41b is provided for this purpose. As described above, the inner cylinder 42 is fitted into the outer cylinder 41 so as to be relatively movable.

The inner cylinder 42 is formed using a metal pipe member having an oval shape in cross section, and as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, it includes a front wall 421, an inner wall 422, an outer wall 423, The front wall 421 and the back wall 424 have a semi-cylindrical shape. Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the inner wall 422 of the inner cylinder 42 has a plurality of insertion holes 42a to 42h arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, in this embodiment, first to eighth insertion holes 42a to 42h in order from the bottom. In addition, a slit 42s extending in the longitudinal direction while communicating the insertion holes 42a to 42h is provided, and the fixing member 44 is inserted through the slit 42s. Here, the first to eighth insertion holes 42a to 42h are for inserting rectangular positioning portions 42a1 to 42h1 that can be engaged with a protrusion 436, which will be described later, of the positioning member 43, and the fixing member 44. The circular fixing portions 42a2 to 42h2 are provided in communication with each other. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, a positioning member 43 is arranged inside the inner cylinder 42, and one of the insertion holes 42a to 42h is positioned to match the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41. In this state, the positioning member 43 appropriately determines the relative position with respect to the outer cylinder 41. That is, in this embodiment, from the state where the first and third insertion holes 42a, 42c and the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41 match, the sixth and eighth insertion holes 42f, 42h and the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41 The height position of the top plate 1 can be adjusted to six levels until the two match.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 11, the positioning member 43 has a protrusion 436 that is biased by a compression coil spring 433, which is an elastic member, and engages with the insertion holes 42a to 42h and the fixing hole 41a. . More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the positioning member 43 includes a latch plate 431 that is U-shaped in plan view and has a protrusion 436, and a latch plate 431 that is open toward the latch plate 431 in plan view. It includes a U-shaped back plate 432 and a compression coil spring 433 disposed between the latch plate 431 and the back plate 432. The latch plate 431 includes a face plate portion 434 that can be attached to the inner wall 422 of the inner cylinder 42, and side plate portions 435 that extend laterally from both front and rear ends of the face plate portion 434. In addition, rectangular protrusions 436 that protrude in the direction toward the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42 are formed at both upper and lower ends of the face plate part 434 by, for example, sheet metal processing. The fixing hole 41a and the positioning portions 42a1 to 42h1 of the insertion holes 42a to 42i of the inner cylinder 42 are engaged with each other. A retainer 439 for holding the free end of the compression coil spring 43 is provided on a surface of the face plate portion 434 opposite to the surface on which the protruding portion 436 is provided. A guide recess 43a for guiding the direction of relative movement with the back plate 432 is provided at the center of the side plate 435 in the height direction. The back plate 432 includes a face plate portion 437 attached to the outer wall 423 of the inner cylinder 42 and side plate portions 438 extending laterally from both front and rear ends of the face plate portion 437. A retainer 430 for holding the fixed end of the compression coil spring 43 is provided on the surface of the face plate portion 437 facing the latch plate 431. A guide convex portion 43b is provided at the center in the height direction of the side plate portion 438 for movably engaging the guide concave portion 43a of the latch plate 431 in the left-right direction and guiding the direction of relative movement with the latch plate 431. There is. In this embodiment, the guide convex portion 43b has a plate shape that projects on both sides (front and rear) in the depth direction. Further, this positioning member 43 has a temporary release function that can forcefully release the engaged state temporarily. Specifically, the latch plate 431 receives the operation force acting in the direction from the fixing member 44 toward the back plate 432 and moves toward the back plate 432 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 43. The protrusion 436 is removed from the insertion holes 42a to 42i and the fixing hole 41a, allowing relative movement between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42. The fixing member 44 is formed using a female thread 442 formed between both protrusions 436 of the latch plate 431 of the positioning member 43.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the fixing member 44 of this embodiment utilizes the tightening force between the female thread 442 and the head of the male thread member 441 to secure the members, that is, the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder. 42, and includes a female screw 442 provided on the latch plate 431, and a male screw member 441 that is screwed into the female screw 442 and passes through the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41. . A female thread 442 of this fixing member 44 is provided at the center of a truncated conical projection 440. The shape of the protrusion provided with the female thread 442 of the fixing member 44 may be arbitrarily set as long as it can engage with the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41. Further, the head of the male screw member 441 is a knob 443 that receives an operating force for screwing the male screw member 441 onto the female screw 442 or releasing the screwed state. Further, this fixing member 44, more specifically, the knob 443 of this fixing member 44 is operated by a pressing operation to forcibly temporarily release the engagement state between the protrusion 436 and the insertion holes 42a to 42i and the fixing hole 41a. Accept power.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 13, a part or all of the male screw member 441 is visible from the outside when the female screw member 442 is not completely tightened. A tool 45 is provided. In this embodiment, the forget-to-tighten prevention tool 45 is provided near the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41, that is, near the female screw 442. The forget-tightening prevention tool 45 is a ring-shaped member that surrounds the fixing member insertion hole 41b and the female screw 442, and includes a ring-shaped prevention device body 451 and a ring-shaped prevention device body 451 extending from the prevention device body 451 to the outer cylinder 41 side. It is provided with a protruding locking projection 452, and can be attached to the outer cylinder 41 by engaging the locking projection 452 with a preventer locking hole 41h provided in the outer cylinder. In addition, the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 has a gap 44s into which the forget-to-close prevention device 45 enters when the male screw member 441 is screwed onto the female screw 442. The outer peripheral surface 451a of the preventer main body 451 is colored in a different color from the knob 443 of the fixing member 44. In FIGS. 7 to 9, in order to make it easier to understand that the outer circumferential surface 451a of the preventer main body 451 is colored, a pattern is attached to the corresponding portion.

A top plate support 5 is connected to the upper end of this pedestal 4.

The top plate support 5 is attached to the lower surface of the top plate 1 and supports the top plate 1 from below. More specifically, this top plate holder 5 is made of a metal pipe member, and includes a rear top plate holder 51 that supports the vicinity of the unused end of the top plate 1 from below and extends from side to side; It integrally has side top plate receiving parts 52 extending forward from both left and right ends of the plate receiving part 51 and supporting both side ends of the top plate 1 from below. The intermediate portion of the side top plate receiving portion 52 is connected to the upper end of the pedestal 4.

Next, the operation of each part when extending and contracting the pillars 4 in order to change the height position of the top plate 1 of this desk D will be described.

In the state shown in FIG. 6, the first and third insertion holes 42a, 42c match the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41, and the protrusion 436 engages with these insertion holes 42a, 42c and the fixing hole 41a. At the same time, since the male screw member 441 of the fixing member 44 is fastened to the female screw 442, relative movement between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42 is prohibited. From this state, the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 is rotated to release the fastened state and separate the knob 443 from the outer cylinder 41, as shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the knob 443 is pressed toward the outer cylinder 41 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 433. At this time, the latch plate 431 provided with the protrusion 436 of the positioning member 43 is pushed toward the back plate 432, and the protrusion 436 is removed from the insertion holes 42a, 42c and the fixing hole 41a. Then, by moving the inner cylinder 42 relative to the outer cylinder 41, the top plate 1 is raised and lowered to a desired height position. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the top plate 1 is being moved. Then, when the top plate 1 reaches the next height position, as shown in FIG. The protruding portion 436 passes through and engages the insertion holes 42b, 42d and the fixing hole 41a due to the biasing force 433, and the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42 are positioned with respect to each other. By repeating this, the height position of the top plate 1 can be set to a desired height position. Then, when the height position of the top plate 1 reaches a desired height position, the male screw 441 of the fixing member 44 is tightened to the female screw 442 so that the knob 443 is in close contact with the outer cylinder 41, and the inner cylinder 42 and the outer cylinder 41 are again prohibited from moving relative to each other. Note that the actual operation of expanding and contracting the pillar 4 is often performed with the desk D upside down, but in FIGS. 10 to 13, in order to make it easier to understand the correspondence with the state in FIG. The top and bottom of the pillar 4 are shown as they are.

In this embodiment, when tightening the male screw member 441 of the fixing member 44 to the female screw 442, the male screw member 441 is partially screwed into the female screw 442 from the state shown in FIG. The state shown in FIG. 9 is made, and the male screw member 441 is further tightened to make the state shown in FIG. Here, when the male screw member 441 is not completely fastened to the female screw 442, part or all of the outer circumferential surface 451a of the preventer main body 451 is visible from the outside. Due to this and the fact that the outer circumferential surface 451a of the preventer body 451 is colored in a different color from the knob 443, when the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened to the female screw 442, this can be notified to the user. It can be easily recognized.

In addition, when changing the relative position between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42, the male screw member 441 is loosened so that the state shown in FIG. 3 is changed to the state shown in FIG. 9, and the above-mentioned operation is performed. After that, the male screw member 441 is tightened again to obtain the state shown in FIG. 3. In this case as well, when the male screw member 441 is not completely fastened to the female screw 442, part or all of the outer circumferential surface 451a of the preventer body 451 is visible from the outside, so the user should be aware of this. It is designed so that it can be easily recognized.

Here, FIG. 1 is a front view showing a desk D according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of section B in FIG. 1, that is, the vicinity of the fixing member 44. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of portion C in FIG. 2, that is, the vicinity of the fixing member 44. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the YY line in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the pillar 4 of the desk D. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the male screw member 441 (and knob 443) of the fixing member 44 is completely removed, and FIG. It is a diagram showing a state in which it is screwed onto a female screw 442. Note that although only the first to sixth insertion holes 42a to 42f are shown in FIG. 6, and only the first to third insertion holes 42a to 42c are shown in FIG. -Eighth insertion holes 42a to 42h are provided. 10 to 13 are explanatory diagrams showing the operations of the positioning member 43 and the fixing member 44 according to this embodiment. In particular, FIG. 10 shows a state in which the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 is loosened, FIG. 11 shows a state in which the fixing member 44 and latch plate 431 are pressed, and FIG. 12 shows the state shown in FIG. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the inner cylinder 42 is moved relative to the outer cylinder 41 from the state shown in FIG. FIG. Furthermore, in FIGS. 6 and 10 to 13, patterns are attached to portions of the slits 42s of the inner cylinder 42 that do not overlap with the insertion holes 42a to 42h.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the fixing member 44 is provided on the female screw 442, the male screw member 441 screwed into the female screw 442, and the head of the male screw member 441. A knob 443 that receives an operating force for screwing the male screw member 441 onto the female screw 442 or releasing the screwing, and a knob 443 that receives the operating force for screwing the male screw member 441 onto the female screw 442, and a knob 443 that receives the operating force to screw the male screw member 441 onto the female screw 442, Part or all, more specifically, part or all of the outer circumferential surface 451a of the preventer main body 451 is visible from the outside. When part or all of the outer circumferential surface 451a of the threaded member 451 is visible from the outside, the user or other person can easily recognize that the male threaded member 441 is not completely fastened to the female threaded member 442. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the user can easily recognize that the male screw member has been forgotten to be tightened.

Further, the forget-tightening prevention device 45 is provided near the female screw 442, and the knob 443 opens a gap 44s into which the forget-tightening prevention device 45 enters when the male screw member 441 is screwed onto the female screw 442. Therefore, when the male screw member 441 is completely tightened to the female screw 442, the forget-to-tighten prevention device 45 enters the gap 44s, and the forget-to-tighten prevention device 45 is hidden from the outside, and the male screw member 441 is connected to the female screw by the female screw. 442, the appearance when completely tightened can be improved.

Furthermore, since the outer peripheral surface 451a of the forget-tightening prevention device 45 is colored in a different color from the knob 443, the presence of the forget-tightening prevention device 45 occurs when the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened to the female screw 442. Since the forget-to-tighten prevention device 45 is visible from the outside in a conspicuous state, it is possible to more effectively make the user easily recognize the forget-to-tighten male screw member.

Since the forget-tightening prevention device 45 is a ring-shaped member surrounding the female screw 442, the forget-tightening prevention device 45 is inserted into the gap 44s provided in the knob 443 when tightening the male screw member 441 to the female screw 442. It can be stored in

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to the legs of a desk, but the present invention may be applied to legs of chairs and other fixtures other than desks in general. Further, the present invention is not limited to the pillars of fixtures, and may be applied to fixing members in general having a configuration in which a male screw is screwed into a female screw hole.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the forget-tightening prevention device is provided near the female screw, and a gap is provided in the head of the male-threaded member into which the forget-tightening prevention device enters when the male-threaded member is screwed onto the female screw. However, as another embodiment, for example, a device for preventing forgetting to tighten the screw may be provided integrally with the male threaded member at a portion of the male threaded member adjacent to the knob. As a specific example, like the fixing member A44 shown in FIG. 14, a forget-to-tighten prevention tool A45 having a smaller diameter than the knob A443 and a larger diameter than the male threaded member A441 is provided at a portion adjacent to the knob A443, and the male threaded member A441 In some cases, the part of the male threaded member B441 adjacent to the knob B443 is colored and is forgotten to be tightened, as in the case of the fixing member B44 shown in FIG. 15. It is conceivable that a prevention tool B45 is formed and the forget-tightening prevention tool B45 is housed in the female screw B442 with the male screw member B441 screwed onto the female screw B442. In addition, (a) of FIG. 14 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the fixing member A44, and (b) of the same figure is a center front sectional view showing a state in the middle of screwing the male screw member A441 to the female screw A442. (a) of FIG. 15 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the fixing member B44, and (b) of the same figure is a central front sectional view showing a state in the middle of screwing the male screw member B441 to the female screw B442.

On the other hand, even if a gap is provided in the knob provided on the head of the male screw member for the forget-tightening prevention device to fit into, the forget-tightening prevention device does not need to be a ring-shaped member surrounding the female screw; The member may have a partially chipped shape.

Further, the outer circumferential surface of the forget-to-tighten prevention device may have any color. However, if the outer circumferential surface of the forget-tightening prevention tool is made in a different color from the knob, the presence of the forget-tightening prevention tool will be more noticeable when the male threaded member is not completely tightened to the female screw, as mentioned above. It is possible to more effectively and easily make the user aware of forgetting to tighten the male screw member.

In addition, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

44, A44, B44...Fixing member 441, A441, B441...Male thread member 442, A442, B442...Female thread 443, A443, B443...Knob 45, A45, B45...Forget-tightening prevention tool 451a...Outer circumference of forget-tightening prevention tool surface

Claims (5)

A fixing member that fixes a member by using a tightening force between a female thread and a head of a male thread member,
the female screw;
the male screw member that can be screwed onto the female screw;
a knob provided on the head of the male threaded member that receives an operating force for screwing or unscrewing the male threaded member onto the female thread;
When the male screw member is not completely tightened to the female screw, part or all of it is visible from the outside, and when the male screw member is completely tightened to the female screw, there is a knob or a female screw. A fixing member comprising a forget-to-tighten prevention device that is concealed by. The forget-to-tighten prevention device is provided near the female screw,
2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the knob includes a gap into which the forget-to-tighten prevention tool enters when the male screw member is fastened to the female screw. 3. The fixing member according to claim 2, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the forget-to-tighten prevention device is colored in a color different from that of the knob. The fixture pillar according to claim 2, wherein the forget-to-tighten prevention device is a ring-shaped member surrounding the female screw. 2. The fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the forget-to-tighten prevention device is provided integrally with the male threaded member at a portion of the male threaded member adjacent to the knob.

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