JP7202108B2 - Locking device for folding worktables - Google Patents

Description

The folding structure of the present invention is located at both ends of the top plate, and is pivotally connected between the open leg posture in which the legs are vertically installed downward and the closed leg posture in which the legs are retracted under the top plate. The present invention relates to a locking device for locking the legs of a type workbench in an unrotatable position in an open-leg posture.

Conventionally, foldable workbenches have been constructed to facilitate transportation and storage by storing the legs in a closed position.

However, when the workbench is used for work with the legs in the open position, if there is a risk that the legs may accidentally turn toward the closed position, the top board may tilt or fall, resulting in a fall accident for the worker. Locking devices have been proposed for locking the legs so that they cannot swivel in the open-leg position.

Japanese Patent No. 3030253 Japanese Patent No. 3574391

The present invention provides a new type of locking device that does not exist in the prior art with respect to a locking device for a folding workbench. provided with an arm rotatably pivoted to the leg, and when the leg is turned between the open leg posture and the closed leg posture, the arm is brought into contact with the locking pin to follow the turning motion of the leg, When the arm is turned from the leg-closed posture to the leg-open posture, the locking pin is automatically locked to the arm, thereby enabling automatic locking.

Therefore, what the present invention constitutes as a means is to rotate between the open-leg posture in which the legs are vertically installed downward and the closed-leg posture in which the legs are stored under the top plate, located at both ends of the top plate. A locking device for locking the legs in a freely pivoted folding workbench so that the legs cannot be rotated in an open-leg posture, and the locking device is fixed to one side of the top plate and the legs. It is composed of a locking pin and an arm rotatably pivoted to the other. The arm is elastically biased by an arm spring so as to rotate toward the locking pin and hits the locking pin. By providing a contacting guide edge, when the leg is pivoted between the closed position and the open position, the relative positions of the guide edge and the lock pin are aligned along the guide edge to the closed position. Locking means is provided so as to be moved between the leg-opening positions, and for releasably gripping the locking pin moved to the leg-opening position , wherein the locking means is rotatable on the arm. and elastically urged in the forward direction toward the guide edge, and configured to receive and grip the locking pin that has moved to the leg opening position to lock it. It is in the point of being made.

Preferably, the locking means includes a locking member rotatably supported by the arm, and a distal end portion of the locking member swings between an open position retreated from the guide edge and a closed position advanced with respect to the guide edge. An open/close spring is provided for elastically urging the swinging portion toward the closed position, and the swinging portion moves toward the open position. When pushed by the pin, it assumes an open position to receive the locking pin, and is configured to grip the received locking pin by setting it to a closed position with the opening/closing spring.

The configuration in which the locking pin at the leg-open position is held between the oscillating portion and the guide edge portion in the closed posture is such that the locking pin is fitted and locked to at least one of the guide edge portion and the oscillating portion. Alternatively, the guide edge may be provided with a bottom-side recess into which the locking pin is fitted, and the swinging portion may be provided with a lid-side recess surrounding the locking pin. good.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide edge portion of the arm and the swinging portion of the lock member form a guide approach path that gradually narrows the mutual separation distance toward the recess, and the locking pin moves toward the leg opening position. is moved into the guide entry path, the swinging portion pushed by the locking pin is in the open position against the opening/closing spring.

According to the present invention, a new type of locking device can be provided for worktables. A locking pin 6 is fixed to one of the top plate 2 and the legs 3, and an arm 7 is rotatably attached to the other. , the arm 7 is brought into contact with the locking pin 6 to follow the turning motion of the leg 3, and when the relative positions of the arm 7 and the locking pin 6 are in a specific positional relationship, the locking pin 6 is engaged. Since the arm 7 is provided with the locking means 8 for locking the locking pin 6 so that it can be engaged and disengaged, the locking pin 6 automatically locks against the arm 7 when the leg 3 is turned from the closed leg posture P2 to the open leg posture P1. The leg 3 can be automatically locked so that the leg 3 cannot be turned.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a workbench provided with a locking device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. The workbench is shown, (A) is a front view of the workbench in which the leg is in the open-leg posture, and (B) is a front view of the workbench in which the leg is in the closed-leg posture. It is a perspective view showing a lock device concerning a 1st embodiment. (A) is a perspective view showing the locking device in an exploded state, and (B) and (C) are front views showing the operation of the locking member pivotally supported by the arm, regarding the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the relationship between a locking pin, an arm, and locking means in the locking device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 8A is a front view showing a locked state, and FIG. 8B is a front view showing an unlocked state, with respect to the action of moving the legs from the open-leg posture to the closed-leg posture. (A) is a front view showing a state in which the arm is pushed up from the unlocked state, and (B) is a state in which the locking member is returned in the state in which the arm is pushed up. It is a front view which shows a state. Regarding the action of moving the legs from the open-leg posture to the closed-leg posture, (A) is a front view showing the state in which the arms are returned in the unlocked state, and (B) is a state in which the legs are rotated toward the closed-leg posture. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a folded state; Regarding the operation of moving the legs from the open-legs posture to the closed-legs posture, (A) is a front view showing the state in which the legs are turning toward the closed-legs posture, and (B) is a front view showing the state in which the legs are in the closed-legs posture. It is a diagram. Regarding the action of moving the legs from the closed-legs posture to the open-legs posture, (A) is a front view showing the state in which the legs are turned from the closed-legs posture toward the open-legs posture, and (B) is locked during the turning of the legs. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the pin has entered the guide entry path of the lock member; Regarding the action of moving the legs from the closed leg posture to the open leg posture, FIG. It is a front view which shows the state automatically locked by the member. Fig. 10 shows a locking device according to a second embodiment, (A) is a front view showing a state in which the legs are in the open leg posture and locked by the locking device, and (B) is a state in which the legs are turned to the closed leg posture in the unlocked state. (C) is a front view showing a state in which the legs are in a closed leg posture.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(One example of a workbench)
The workbench for implementing the locking device of the present invention is a general-purpose workbench that includes a wide variety of types used for high-altitude work at construction sites and the like. One non-limiting example is shown in FIGS.

In the example shown in the figure, a workbench 1 is provided with a pair of legs 3, 3 facing each other at both ends of a top plate 2, and the legs 3 are vertically suspended from the top plate 2. A pivoting mechanism 4 is provided for freely changing the posture between the leg posture P1 and the closed leg posture P2 stored under the top plate 2.例文帳に追加Each leg 3 constitutes a ladder leg in which a pair of pedestals 3a, 3a are connected by a tread 3b. A pivoting mechanism 4 is interposed between each, and the locking device 5 is provided on the pivoting mechanism 4 .

The locking device 5 locks the leg 3 in the open leg posture P1 so that it cannot be turned. Only one of the pair of pivoting mechanisms 4, 4 provided in 3a, 3a may be provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the pivoting mechanism 4 includes a top plate-side bracket 4a fixed to the end side of the top plate 4 and a top plate side bracket 4a fixed to the upper end side of the column base 3a of the leg 3. The leg-side brackets 4b are rotatably connected to each other by a pivot 4c, so that the leg 3 is between the open-leg posture P1 and the closed-leg posture P2 about the pivot 4c. It is pivotally supported so that it can turn freely.

(First embodiment of locking device)
A first embodiment of the locking device 5 is shown in FIGS. 3-11.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lock device 5 is a lock pin fixed to the leg 3 side (leg side bracket 4b in the illustrated case) between the top plate 2 and the leg 3. 6, an arm 7 rotatably pivoted on the side of the top plate 2 (top plate side bracket 4a in the case of the figure), and a lock means 8 provided on the arm 7. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the leg 3 is turned between the open-leg posture P1 and the closed-leg posture P2, the locking pin 6 corresponds to the open-leg position Q1 corresponding to the open-leg posture P1 and the closed-leg posture P2. It is moved along the arc defined by the radius R1 from the pivot 4c between the closed leg positions Q2.

The arm 7 extends toward the leg-side bracket 4b from its upper end rotatably attached to the top plate-side bracket 4a by a support shaft 9, and is rotated toward the locking pin 6 by an arm spring 10. It forms a guide edge 11 which is elastically biased to move and abuts against the locking pin 6, and the rib wall 12 is formed by bending the opposite side edge of the guide edge 11. are provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the guide edge portion 11 is an arm edge having a radius R2 with respect to an arc centered on the support shaft 9 of the arm 7 and including the locking pin 6 positioned at the leg closing position Q2 within the arc. formed in the region of In the illustrated example, an arc defined by a radius R2 passes through the center of the locking pin 6 positioned at the closed leg position Q2, and the guide edge 11 is positioned inside the arc. Further, the guide edge portion 11 is formed so as to extend inwardly in an arc to a position where it intersects the arc defined by the radius R1.

Therefore, when the leg 3 is turned from the closed leg position P2 toward the open leg position P1, the locking pin 6 moves from the closed leg position Q2 toward the open leg position Q1. As will be described later, the locking pin 6 slides in contact along the guide edge 11 of the arm 7 elastically biased by the arm spring 10, and when moved to the open leg position Q1, It is gripped by the locking means 8, thereby locking the leg 3 in the state of the open leg posture P1 so that it cannot be turned.

As shown in FIG. 4, the locking means 8 is composed of a locking member 14 rotatably supported via a support shaft 13 at an intermediate portion of the arm 7 in the extending direction. The locking member 14 is provided with a swinging portion 15 which is positioned at the tip portion and is swingable between an open posture K1 in which it is retracted with respect to the guide edge portion 11 and a closed posture K2 in which it is advanced. An opening/closing spring 16 is provided to elastically bias the swinging portion 15 toward the closed position K2.

The locking member 14 has a stopper portion 17 that abuts against the rib wall 12 of the arm 7 to maintain the closed posture K2 in a state in which the swinging portion 15 is set to the closed posture K2 by the opening/closing spring 16 . From this state, when the operator rotates the lock member 14 against the opening/closing spring 16, the swinging portion 15 is set to the open posture K1. A tongue piece 18 is provided for pushing with a fingertip or the like.

With the rocking portion 15 of the locking member 14 in the closed posture K2, as shown in FIGS. An approach road 19 is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, in the state where the leg 3 is in the open leg posture P1, the approach path 19 is defined by an arc with a radius R1 that is the locus of movement of the locking pin 6 and an arc with the support shaft 9 of the arm 7 as the center. It is arranged so as to face the lock start position Q3 located at the intersection with the arc defined by the radius R3 (R3<R2).

Therefore, as will be described later, when the locking pin 6 is moved from the closed leg position Q2 toward the open leg position Q1 by turning the leg 3 from the closed leg posture P2 toward the open leg posture P1, the locking pin 6 slides along the guide edge 11 and enters the entrance path 19, and pushes the swinging portion 15 while expanding the V-shaped entrance path 19. As shown in FIG.

The oscillating portion 15 pushed by the locking pin 6 is in the open position K1 against the opening/closing spring 16, and the locking pin 6 is received between the oscillating portion 15 and the guide edge portion 11. is instantaneously brought to the closed posture K2 by the opening/closing spring 16, and grips the locking pin 6. As shown in FIG.

In order to ensure that the locking pin 6 is gripped, it is preferable to provide at least one of the guide edge portion 11 and the swinging portion 15 with a concave portion into which the locking pin 6 is fitted and locked. In the case of , the guide edge portion 11 is provided with the bottom-side concave portion 20 and the rocking portion 15 is provided with the lid-side concave portion 21 . Therefore, in this configuration, the locking pin 6 entering the entrance path 19 along the guide edge portion 11 is fitted into the bottom recess portion 20 while pushing the swinging portion 15 toward the open posture K1. be done. Immediately after the fitting, the swinging portion 15 is brought to the closed position K2, and the locking pin 6 is surrounded by the lid-side concave portion 21 and locked so that it cannot escape.

As shown in FIGS. 4(B) and 5, when the swinging portion 15 is in the closed position K2, the locking member 14 is configured such that the bottom-side concave portion 20 and the lid-side concave portion 21 are opposed to each other, thereby forming a locking pin as a whole. 6 is formed, and in this state, the leg 3 is pivoted in the closing direction by the dorsal edge of the locking member 14 (the edge located on the opposite side of the recess 21) as will be described later. An abutting edge 22 is formed for abutting the locking pin 6 when it is engaged.

(action)
The operation of the locking device according to the first embodiment will be described below. In the figure, the black arrows indicate the forward rotation direction of the arm 7 due to the elastic biasing force of the arm spring 10 and the forward rotation direction of the lock member 14 due to the elastic biasing force of the open/close spring 16. The arrows indicate the direction in which the arm 7 and locking member 14 are reversed against their respective springs.

(Action when closing the leg from the open leg posture)
6 to 9 show the action from the state in which the leg 3 is in the open-leg posture P1 and locked by the lock device 5 so that it cannot rotate, until the leg is unlocked and is in the closed-leg posture P2.

FIG. 6A shows a state in which the locking pin 6 of the leg 3 in the open leg posture P1 is locked by the locking means 8. FIG. In order to release the lock, as shown in FIG. 6(B), by pushing the tongue piece 18 with a finger or the like of the operator, the lock member 14 is rotated against the opening/closing spring 16, thereby swinging. Let the moving part 15 be in the open posture K1. When the swinging portion 15 is kept in the open posture K1 and continues to be pushed by a finger or the like, the arm 7 is rotated in the lifting direction as shown in FIG. The swinging portion 15 is moved to a position above the locking pin 6 . Therefore, when the operator's fingertips or the like are released, the lock member 14 rotates so that the swinging portion 15 assumes the closed posture K2 as shown in FIG. Then, the arm 7 is rotated toward the locking pin 6 by the arm spring 10 and stops with the contact edge 22 of the locking member 14 contacting the locking pin 6 .

Therefore, since the locking device 5 is unlocked in the state shown in FIG. 8A, the leg 3 can be turned toward the closed leg posture P2 together with the locking pin 6 thereafter.

As shown in FIGS. 8(B) and 9(A), when the leg 3 is turned toward the closed-leg posture P2 and the locking pin 6 is moved toward the closed-leg position Q2, the arm 7 The arm spring 10 rotates following the locking pin 6 . In the state of FIG. 8B, the arm 7 follows the movement of the locking pin 6 while the contact edge 22 of the locking member 14 is in contact with the locking pin 6. Further movement of 6 causes the arm 7 to follow by causing the guide edge 11 to abut against the locking pin 6 . Therefore, while the leg 3 is turning toward the closed-leg posture P2, the components of the locking device 5 including the arm 7 do not rattle, and the turning operation can be performed smoothly. At this time, if the arm spring 10 having a relatively strong spring force is used, the arm 7 can generate a driving force to move the locking pin 6 toward the leg closing position Q2. It is possible to reduce the arm strength required when turning the body 3 toward the closed leg posture P2.

As shown in FIG. 9B, when the leg 3 is in the closed leg position P2, the locking pin 6 is positioned at the closed leg position Q2 below the pivot 4c, and in this state, as indicated by arrow F, It receives a lateral pressing force from the arm 7 . Therefore, the closed leg posture P2 of the leg 3 is maintained, and the leg 3 does not rotate in the open leg direction due to its own weight.

(Action when opening legs from closed leg posture)
10 and 11 show the action of automatic locking by the locking device 5 as soon as the leg 3 reaches the open-leg posture P1 when the leg 3 turns from the closed-leg posture P2 toward the open-leg posture P1. ing.

FIG. 10(A) shows a state in which the leg 3 is pivoted downward from the closed-leg posture P2 indicated by the dashed line. As shown in the figure, the locking pin 6 moves around the pivot 4c together with the leg 3, and the locking pin 6 slides while pressing against the guide edge 11 of the arm 7. It is rotated against the spring 10 .

As shown in FIG. 10B, the locking pin 6, which moves as the leg 3 pivots about the pivot 4c, slides along the guide edge 11 of the arm 7 and reaches the lock start position Q3. and enter the approach road 19. As the leg 3 continues to turn toward the open-leg posture P1, as shown in FIG. At the same time, the rocking portion 15 of the lock member 14 is pushed toward the open position K1 and fitted into the bottom recess 20 in the open state.

As described above, as soon as the locking pin 6 is fitted into the bottom side recess 20, the swinging portion 15 is instantly brought to the closed posture K2, and the locking pin 6 is surrounded by the lid side recess 21, thereby escaping. lock impossible. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(B), the leg 3 is locked in the open-leg posture P1 so as not to turn.

(Second Embodiment of Lock Device)
FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of locking device 5 .

In the above-described first embodiment, the locking device 5 is configured such that the locking pin 6 is provided on the leg 3 (leg-side bracket 4b) and the arm 7 is axially attached to the top plate 2 (top-plate-side bracket 4a). Although shown, in the second embodiment, the locking device 5 is configured by arranging the locking pin 6 and the arm 7 on opposite sides of each other. Accordingly, only the arrangement is different, and the specific constituent members are the same as in the first embodiment, and the same members are indicated by the same reference numerals.

When the leg 3 is in the open-leg posture P1, as shown in FIG. An arm 7 rotatably pivoted to (not shown leg-side bracket) is elastically biased from top to bottom, and the lock pin 6 is gripped by a lock means 8 constituted by a lock member 14 . ing. Therefore, the leg 3 is locked so as not to turn.

When the lock is released by rotating the lock member 14 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the leg 3 can turn toward the closed leg posture P2 as shown in FIG. 12(B). During the swing, the arm 7 is rotated together with the leg 3 while the guide edge 11 is in contact with the locking pin 6, and the leg 3 assumes the closed leg posture P2 as shown in FIG. 12(C). be able to.

When turning the leg 3 from the closed-leg posture P2 toward the open-leg posture P1, contrary to the above, the leg 3 is rotated in the order shown in FIGS. , the guide edge portion 11 of the arm 7 is rotated while being slid in a state of being in elastic contact with the locking pin 6, and the locking pin 6 entering the entrance path 19 is rotated as in the case of the first embodiment. automatically lock by

1 Workbench 2 Top plate 3 Leg 3a Column base 3b Tread 4 Pivot connection mechanism 4a Top plate side bracket 4b Leg side bracket 4c Pivot 5 Locking device 6 Locking pin 7 Arm 8 Locking means 9 Support shaft 10 Arm spring 11 Guide Edge portion 12 Rib wall 13 Support shaft 14 Lock member 15 Swing portion 16 Open/close spring 17 Stopper portion 18 Tongue piece 19 Entrance passage 20 Bottom side recess 21 Lid side recess 22 Contact edge

Claims (5)

Positioned at both ends of the top plate (2), it rotates between the open leg posture (P1) in which the legs (3) are vertically installed downwards and the closed leg posture (P2) in which the legs are stored under the top plate (P2). A locking device that locks the legs in the open leg posture (P1) so that the legs cannot rotate in a freely pivotable folding workbench,
The locking device is composed of a locking pin (6) fixed to one of the top plate and the legs, and an arm (7) rotatably pivoted to the other,
The arm (7) is elastically biased by an arm spring (10) to rotate toward the locking pin (6), and a guide edge (11) abuts against the locking pin (6). so that when the leg is pivoted between the closed and open positions, the locking pin (6) is locked along the guide edge (11) with respect to the relative position of the guide edge (11) and the locking pin (6). The pin (6) is configured to move between the leg closing position (Q2) and the leg opening position (Q1), and the locking pin (6) moved to the leg opening position (Q1) is grasped in a freely engageable and detachable manner. A locking means (8) is provided to hold the
The locking means (8) comprises a locking member (14) rotatably supported by the arm (7) and resiliently biased forward toward the guide edge (11). A locking device for a folding workbench, characterized in that it is configured to be locked by receiving and gripping a locking pin (6) moved to a leg opening position (Q1). The locking means (8) includes a locking member (14) rotatably supported by the arm (7) and an open position (14) in which the distal end of the locking member is retracted with respect to the guide edge (11). K1) and an advanced closed posture (K2). is provided,
When the swinging portion (15) is pushed by the locking pin (6) moving toward the leg opening position (Q1), the swinging portion (15) assumes the open position (K1) to receive the locking pin, 2. The folding workbench according to claim 1, characterized in that it is constructed so as to grip the locking pin (6) received by being brought into the closed posture (K2) by the opening/closing spring (16). locking device. With respect to the configuration in which the locking pin (6) in the leg opening position (Q1) is gripped between the swinging portion (15) in the closed posture (K2) and the guide edge portion (11), the guide edge portion and the swinging portion are arranged. 3. A locking device for a folding workbench according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the moving parts is provided with a recess for fitting and locking the locking pin (6). With respect to the configuration in which the locking pin (6) at the leg-open position (Q1) is gripped between the swinging portion (15) in the closed position (K2) and the guide edge (11), the guide edge (11) ) is provided with a bottom-side recess (20) into which the locking pin is fitted, and the rocking portion (15) is provided with a lid-side recess (21) for surrounding the locking pin. locking device in the folding workbench of The guide edge portion (11) of the arm (7) and the swinging portion (15) of the lock member (14) form a guide entrance path (19) that gradually narrows the mutual separation distance toward the recess, and open. When the locking pin (6) moving toward the leg position (Q1) is caused to enter the guide entrance path (19), the swinging portion (15) pushed by the locking pin (6) is pushed by the opening/closing spring. 4. A locking device for a folding workbench according to claim 3 , characterized in that it is constructed to be in the open position (K1) against (16).

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