JP2679649B2 - Top plate and leg connection mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a top plate / leg connecting mechanism which is preferably used in a table or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a general connecting mechanism of a top plate and legs in a conventional table or the like, a mounting plate extending horizontally is fixedly provided on the upper ends of the legs, and a screw fastener such as a screw is attached to the mounting plate. An insertion hole for inserting the through hole is provided, and a screw hole is provided on the lower surface of the top plate at a position corresponding to the insertion hole. And
After the upper ends of the legs are attached to the back surface of the top plate, screws are inserted into the insertion holes of the mounting plate and screwed into the screw holes of the top plate to connect the legs and the top plate.

[0003]

However, such a top plate and leg connecting mechanism has a problem that the connecting work is complicated. That is, in order to attach the legs to the top plate, it is necessary to accurately position the insertion holes of the legs and the screw holes of the top plate before screwing the screws. Further, the work of screwing a plurality of screws is necessary, and the work is very time-consuming. In addition, tools such as a screwdriver are essential for connecting work.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to solve these problems at once.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

That is, the top plate and leg connecting mechanism according to the present invention is configured such that the upper ends of the legs are inserted into the recesses formed in the lower surface of the top plate and are connected to each other. , Providing an engaging piece extending in a substantially horizontal direction near the upper end,
The recessed portion is provided with an engaged portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction so as to engage with the engaging piece at an opening edge, and an insertion window in which the engaged portion is cut out larger than the engaging piece. , The engaging piece is inserted into the insertion window and inserted into the recess, and at that position, the engaging piece is rotated around the vertical axis to engage the lower surface of the engaging piece with the upper surface of the engaged portion. It is characterized by being done.

In order to further simplify the connecting work, an operating portion which is rotatable about a vertical axis and is immovable in the longitudinal axis is provided at the upper end of the leg, and the engaging piece is formed on this operating portion. Good to do.

In the case where the leg has a polygonal cross section, in order to easily and accurately position the leg, a detent portion is formed in the recess, and the detent portion and the upper end of the leg are joined together. Should be engaged.

In order to effectively increase the coupling strength, the lower surface of the engaging piece may be formed as a tapered surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the engaging piece when engaging. Further, the upper surface of the engaged portion may be configured to have a tapered surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the engaging piece when engaging.

[0010]

The connecting work of the connecting mechanism for the top plate and the leg having the above-mentioned structure is as follows. First, turn the top plate upside down and place it on the floor. Next, turn the legs upside down, insert the engagement piece formed near the upper end into the insertion window, insert the upper end of the leg into the recess, and rotate the engagement piece around the vertical axis at that position. The lower surface of the engaging piece is brought into contact with the upper surface of the engaged portion. In this state, the engagement piece is prohibited from being displaced downward by the engaged portion, and the upper ends of the legs are attached to the recesses in a non-removable state.

When the engaging piece is fixed to the leg, if the leg is rotated about the longitudinal axis, the engaging piece is also rotated at the same time, so that the work is simple. The positioning operation is necessary when the engaging piece is inserted through the insertion window, but does not require so high accuracy as compared with the positioning operation for engaging the screw. Further, the above-mentioned work can be completed without screwing the screw and without using any tool such as a screwdriver.

When the upper end of the leg is provided with an operating portion which is rotatable about the vertical axis and is not movable in the longitudinal axis direction, and the engaging piece is formed on this operating portion, the engaging piece is placed in the recess. After the insertion, the operating part is rotated about the vertical axis to rotate the engaging piece. According to this structure, since the legs do not need to be rotated, the connecting work can be further simplified.
At this time, if the detent portion is formed on the lower surface of the recess at the same time and the upper end of the leg is engaged with the detent portion, the positional relationship between the leg and the top plate when the operation portion is rotated is also used. Can be made invariable, so that the work of positioning the legs can be ensured.

Further, when the lower surface of the engaging piece is formed to have a tapered surface which spirally rises in the rotation direction of the operating portion when engaging, or simultaneously, the engaged portion of the engaged portion is When the upper surface is configured to have a taper surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the engaging piece when engaging, when the engaging piece engages with the engaged portion, it is accompanied by rotation. The engaging piece is pushed upward along the tapered surface, and the upper ends of the legs can be configured to be pressed against the ceiling of the recess at the end of rotation, so that the legs are more reliably connected to the top plate. It becomes possible.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The top plate and leg connecting mechanism in this embodiment is used in a table. As shown in FIG. 1, this table is composed of a top plate 1 and four legs 2.

The top plate 1 is, for example, a rectangular plate made of plywood, and a resin decorative plate is attached to the surface thereof.

The leg 2 is made of steel, for example, and is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the leg joint portion 22 is fitted to the upper end 2a of the columnar leg pipe 21, and is vertically attached to the lower surface 1a of the top plate 1 near the corner portion 1b via the connecting mechanism 3. The leg joint portion 22 has a cylindrical pipe shape made of a metal material, has an outer diameter set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the leg pipe 21, and is fitted into the leg pipe 21 so as not to be rotatable. A circular upper lid 221 is formed at the upper end of the leg joint portion 22, and its outer diameter is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the leg pipe 21 so that the leg pipe 21 extends horizontally outwardly. It is blocking. A square recess 23 is provided in the center of the upper lid 221 of the leg joint portion 22. The "upper end of the leg" referred to in the present invention means not only the upper end of the upper lid 221 of the leg joint portion 22 but also the upper end 2a of the leg pipe 21. Can be replaced by the term "neighborhood".

In such a table, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a leg lock fitting 4 serving as an operating portion for disposing the connecting mechanism 3 on the upper end 2a of the leg pipe 21.
And a leg mounting plate 5 arranged near the corner 1b of the lower surface 1a of the top plate 1.

The leg lock fitting 4 is made of, for example, a steel material and has an annular shape. The inner diameter of the leg lock fitting 4 is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the leg pipe 21, and the leg lock fitting 4 is loosely fitted around the vertical axis of the leg 2. There is. A locking surface 42 having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the leg pipe 21 extends horizontally inward from the upper end 4a of the leg lock fitting 4, and the locking surface 42 is formed around the circumference of the upper end 2a of the leg pipe 21. It is attached to the upper surface of the stopper 24 that is projected outward in the horizontal direction by press molding from three points in the direction, and is supported immovably downward in the longitudinal axis direction. In addition, the lower surface of the upper lid 221 of the leg joint portion 22 is attached to the upper end 4a of the leg lock fitting 4 so that the leg lock fitting 4 cannot move upward in the longitudinal axis direction. The engaging piece 41 extends horizontally outward from the upper end 4a of the leg lock fitting 4. The engaging piece 41 has a partially arcuate outer circumference, is formed at three equiangular locations on the outer circumference of the leg lock fitting 4, and has its lower surface 41a spirally rising counterclockwise when viewed from above. It is formed so as to form a tapered surface. In addition,
An operating rod 42 extends outward from the outer periphery of the leg lock fitting 4.

The leg mounting plate 5 is, for example, a downward cup-shaped member made of a steel material, and a recess 50 according to the present invention is opened at the center of the lower surface. Then, the recess 50 is fitted into the recess engaging hole 11 provided in the vicinity of the corner 1b of the lower surface 1a of the top plate 1, and the mounting portion 51 around the recess is bolted to the top plate 1.
Is fixed to the lower surface 1a of the. The recess 50 has an outer diameter and a depth slightly smaller than the recess engagement hole 11, and an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the engagement piece 41 of the leg lock fitting 4, and has an opening. The engaged portion 52 extends horizontally inward from the edge 5a. This engaged portion 52
Has a circular inner circumference, and its inner diameter is set to be slightly larger than that of the leg lock fitting 4. Then, the engaged portion 52
Notch larger than the engaging piece 41 at 3 locations in the circumferential direction of
An insertion window 53 through which the engagement piece 41 can be inserted is formed in that portion. The upper surface 52a of the engaged portion 52 is set so as to form a tapered surface that spirally rises counterclockwise when viewed from above. Further, in this embodiment, a square convex portion 54 serving as a rotation stopping portion is fixedly provided on the ceiling surface 5b of the leg mounting plate 5. This convex portion 54 is the upper lid 2 of the leg joint portion 22.
21 has a shape capable of engaging concave and convex with a concave portion 23 formed therein, and when the leg 2 is inserted into the leg mounting plate 5, the concave portion 23 engages concave and convex to prevent the leg 2 from rotating with respect to the top plate 2. You can do it.

With the above-structured top plate and leg connecting mechanism, the connecting work is as follows. First, the top plate 1 is turned upside down and placed on the floor. Next, the leg 2 is turned upside down and, as shown in FIG.
1 is inserted into the leg attachment plate 5 through the insertion window 53 of the leg attachment plate 5. At that time, the concave portion 23 provided on the upper end of the upper lid 221 of the leg joint portion 22 and the convex portion 54 provided on the ceiling surface 5b of the leg mounting plate 5 engage with each other in a concave-convex manner to rotate the leg 2 with respect to the top plate 1. Is positioned. At this position, when the leg lock fitting 4 is turned counterclockwise when viewed from above by operating the operating rod 42 in the direction A shown in FIG.
Is rotated so that its lower surface 41a is the upper surface 52a of the engaged portion 52.
The upper end portion of the leg 2 is prohibited from coming off from the recess 50. Since the lower surface 41a of the engaging piece 41 and the upper surface 52a of the engaged portion 52 form a tapered surface that rises spirally in the counterclockwise direction, the engaging piece 41 is pushed upward with rotation. , The upper lid 22 of the leg joint portion 22 at the end of rotation
The upper end of 1 is strongly pressed against the ceiling surface 5b of the leg mounting plate 5, and as a result, the upper end 2a of the leg pipe 21 is strongly pulled in the same direction, and the leg 2 is firmly fixed in the recess 50.

With the above-described connecting mechanism, the positioning operation necessary for the connecting operation is a simple one for inserting the engaging piece 41 into the insertion window 52, and the operation of screwing a screw is sufficient. It is not necessary and no tools such as a screwdriver are needed. Therefore, the connecting work can be remarkably simplified as compared with the related art. Further, since the operation of rotating the engagement piece 41 only needs to rotate the leg lock fitting 4 without rotating the leg 2, the burden at the time of connecting work can be lightened,
It is possible to attach / detach the leg 2 while it is in contact with the ground, or to position the leg 2 first through the concave-convex engaging portion formed by the convex portion 54 and the concave portion 23 when the leg 2 has a polygonal cross section. It is possible to work in an advantageous manner. Further, along with the rotation, the engagement piece 41 is pushed upward according to the taper surface of the lower surface 41a and the taper surface of the upper surface 53a of the engaged portion 53, and at the end of the rotation, the leg pipe 21. Since the upper end 2a of the leg is pressed against the ceiling surface 5b of the leg mounting plate 5 through the upper lid 221 of the leg joint portion 22, the leg 2 is extremely firmly connected to the top plate 1, and the simple mounting operation is required. Even if there is, it is possible to maintain a state without rattling for a long period of time.

Instead of the above-mentioned structure, an operating portion for rotating the engaged piece is provided in the recess of the top plate, and the operating portion is operated with the upper end of the leg inserted in the recess. The engaging piece formed at the upper end may be configured to be engaged with the engaged piece, but configuring a rotatable operation portion on the lower surface of the top plate involves a complicated structure, and Since it is unavoidable that the burden also increases, the structure of the present invention can more easily achieve the object.

The configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the structure of the anti-rotation portion of the leg mounting plate 5 is not limited to the concave and convex engagement. For example, the outer shape of the leg 2 and the inner shape of the leg mounting plate 5 are similar polygons, and the upper end portion of the leg 2 is formed. The leg mounting plate 5
It is also possible to make a rotation stop by fitting it to. Further, the direction of rotation when engaging the engaging piece 41 with the engaged portion 52 can be opposite to that of the embodiment. In addition, various modifications such as the material and shape of each member are possible without departing from the present invention.

[0025]

As described above in detail, the mechanism for connecting the top plate and the leg according to the present invention inserts the upper end of the leg into the recess formed in the lower face of the top plate, and the engaging piece provided on the leg side. The connecting work can be completed only by engaging the engaged piece formed on the top plate side through the rotating operation. Therefore, the work relating to positioning and connection can be significantly simplified as compared with the related art, and at the same time, parts such as screws and tools can be eliminated at all.

Further, in the case where the upper end of the leg is provided with an operating portion which is rotatable about the vertical axis and is not movable in the longitudinal axis direction, and the engaging piece is formed on this operating portion, the operating portion is rotated. Since it only needs to be moved and the legs do not need to be rotated, it is possible to perform the above-mentioned connecting work more easily,
There is also an advantage that the connection operation or the connection release operation can be performed even with the legs grounded. In addition, if a combination of a structure in which a detent portion is fixed to the ceiling surface of the recess and engages with the upper ends of the legs is used, the legs will not rotate even if the operating portion is rotated, so that the legs will be cylindrical. In the case of a prism or the like that does not have a non-directional appearance, the positioning work can be reliably performed.

Further, when the lower surface of the engaging piece is formed to have a tapered surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the operating portion when engaging, or simultaneously, the engaged portion of the engaged portion is When the upper surface is configured to have a tapered surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the engaging piece when engaging,
By simply rotating the engaging piece in the direction of engaging the engaged part,
The strength of connection between the upper ends of the legs and the recesses of the top plate will gradually increase. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a high connection strength and properly exhibit a state with very little rattling over a long period of time, despite the simple work.

As described above, the present invention has a particular effect that the connection work can be simplified and the connection can be made strong.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a connecting mechanism of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a connecting mechanism of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway bottom view for explaining the connecting operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Top plate 1a ... Top plate lower surface 2 ... Leg 2a ... Leg pipe upper end 3 ... Connection mechanism 4 ... Operation part (leg lock metal fitting) 5a ... Recess opening edge 41 ... Engaging piece 41a ... Engaging piece lower surface 50 ... Recess 52 ... engaged portion 52a ... engaged portion upper surface 53 ... insertion window 54 ... rotation preventing portion (convex portion)

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A top plate-leg connecting mechanism configured to insert and connect upper ends of legs into a recess formed in a lower surface of the top plate, wherein the legs have a substantially upper end near the upper ends. An engaging piece extending in a horizontal direction is provided, and an engaged portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction is provided in the opening edge so as to engage with the engaging piece, and the engaged portion is engaged with the engaging portion. An engaging window that is cut out larger than the joint piece is provided, and the engaging piece is inserted into the inserting window and inserted into the recess, and the engaging piece is rotated around a vertical axis at that position. A top plate and leg connecting mechanism, wherein the lower surface of the table is in contact with the upper surface of the engaged portion. 2. An operating portion, which is rotatable about a vertical axis and immovable in the longitudinal axis direction, is provided at the upper end of the leg, and the engaging piece is formed on the operating portion. Item 2. A top plate and leg connection mechanism according to Item 1. 3. The top plate and leg connecting mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a rotation preventing portion is formed in the recess, and the rotation preventing portion is engaged with the upper ends of the legs. 4. The lower surface of the engagement piece has a taper surface which spirally rises in a rotation direction of the engagement piece when engaging the engagement piece. Top plate and leg connection mechanism. 5. The upper surface of the engaged portion has a tapered surface that spirally rises in the rotation direction of the engaging piece when engaging, or the upper surface of the engaged portion is a second surface. The top plate and leg connection mechanism described in 4.