JP7473362B2 - Chair - Google Patents

Description

Patent Act Article 30, Paragraph 2 applies 1. Exhibition date: November 6, 2019 - November 8, 2019 Exhibition name and location: Okamura Grand Fair 2019 Okamura Garden Court Showroom (3rd floor, Garden Court, Hotel New Otani, 4-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) Publisher: Okamura Corporation 2. Website posting date: November 5, 2019 Website address: Office General Catalog 2020 (http://gmd.okamura.jp/iportal/cv.do?c=27374300000&pg=1&v=OKM05&pp=R) Publisher: Okamura Corporation 3. Date of website publication: January 17, 2020 Website address: Public [Public Facilities] New Product Catalog 2020 (http://gmd.okamura.jp/iportal/CatalogDetail.do?method=initial_screen&volumeID=OKM05&categoryID=2323290000&catalogID=27410810000&type=mc&position=1&sortKey=&sortOrder=) Publisher: Okamura Corporation

The present invention relates to a chair.

For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a chair used in waiting rooms and the like of public facilities. The chair described in Patent Document 1 comprises a support rod that extends horizontally and linearly along the floor surface, and multiple chair bodies fixed to the support rod. The chair body has a seat that supports the buttocks of the seated person, and a backrest that supports the back of the seated person. The seat and backrest each have a metal seat frame and backrest frame that form the framework. Almost the entire area of the seat frame and backrest frame are collectively covered with molded resin.

Patent No. 6433055

Incidentally, when a pedestrian passes behind the above-mentioned chair, the pedestrian walks while being conscious of the upper side of the backrest. However, when the pedestrian walks while carrying an object such as a carrier bag, there is a possibility that the pedestrian may come into contact with the lower part of the chair backrest. Specifically, the center of the backrest generally protrudes backward on both the left and right sides in accordance with the back shape of the user. Although the pedestrian can recognize the upper end side of the backrest with his/her own line of sight, the lower end side is difficult to recognize because it is in the blind spot of the upper end side of the backrest. Therefore, when carrying an object such as a carrier bag next to the chair, the pedestrian may come into contact with the center of the left and right lower part of the backrest, causing the lower part of the backrest to be scratched or dirty.
In addition, in the above-mentioned chair, it is desired to make the chair thinner and lighter, for example, for the purpose of making the chair easier to transport. However, in the chair disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the molded resin is made thinner to make the chair body thinner and lighter, the frame may be exposed from the molded resin due to, for example, manufacturing errors. Even if the desired range of the frame is covered with the molded resin, the durability may decrease as the molded resin is made thinner. That is, if the molded resin is made thinner, it is possible that the frame may be exposed due to damage to the molded resin when a pedestrian or an object passing around the chair comes into contact with the molded resin during use.

The present invention aims to provide a chair that prevents scratches and dirt from forming on the lower part of the backrest, while maintaining durability and allowing the backrest to be made thinner and the chair as a whole to be made lighter.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a chair according to one embodiment of the present invention is a chair comprising a seat and a backrest, the pair of side frames being provided on both left and right sides, the pair of side frames having seat side frames arranged along the side edges of the seat and backrest side frames connected to the rear ends of the seat side frames and arranged along the side edges of the backrest, and an exterior molded part covering the pair of side frames and constituting the seat surface of the seat and the back support surface of the backrest, the exterior molded part having a pair of frame covering parts covering each of the pair of side frames, and a main body part connected to each of the pair of frame covering parts and forming the seat surface and the back support surface, the main body part having a recess formed in an area including at least the lower part of the part that becomes the backrest that is connected to the part that becomes the seat, the surfaces facing inward in the left and right direction of the pair of frame covering parts being a pair of inner surfaces in the left and right direction and opening rearward.

According to this embodiment, the lower part of the backrest is prevented from protruding backward. As a result, even if a pedestrian carrying an item such as a carrier bag passes behind the chair, the item is unlikely to come into contact with the lower part of the backrest. Therefore, the lower part of the backrest is prevented from being damaged or soiled by contact with the pedestrian's item.
According to this embodiment, at least the lower part of the backrest is formed with a recess that opens toward the rear. This allows at least the lower part of the backrest to be a part that is difficult for pedestrians to touch, so the recess can be used as an optional arrangement space for various optional components. In this case, even if the optional components are provided inside the recess, the optional components can be prevented from protruding toward the rear of the chair compared to the case where the optional components are directly provided on the rear part of the backrest. Therefore, for example, even if a pedestrian passes behind the chair, the optional components can be prevented from coming into contact with the pedestrian or items carried by the pedestrian.
Furthermore, according to this aspect, the thickness of the frame covering part (hereinafter, "thickness" refers to the distance between the front and back surfaces of the exterior molded part) can be ensured at least in the lower part of the backrest, while the main body part of the chair can be made thinner. This allows the chair to be lighter than when the main body part of the chair is made uniform in thickness. Furthermore, by ensuring the thickness of the frame covering part, it is possible to prevent the side frame from being exposed from the exterior molded part due to contact with pedestrians or objects, etc., and improve the durability of the chair.

In the chair of the above-mentioned aspect, the inner surfaces of the recess that face each other in the left-right direction may each extend in directions that move away from each other in the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface of the recess in the opening direction of the recess.
According to this embodiment, since the inner surface of the recess extends to the separating side, the inner surface becomes a draft taper of the part of the molding die for the exterior mold part that molds the recess. This improves the releasability of the molding die. Therefore, the chair can be easily manufactured.

In the chair of the above-mentioned embodiment, the boundary portion between the inner surface of the recess facing in the left-right direction and the outer surface of the frame covering portion may extend outward in the left-right direction toward the side away from the bottom surface of the recess in the opening direction of the recess.
According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent corners from being formed at the boundary between the inner side surfaces of the recess facing each other in the left-right direction and the outer surface of the frame covering part. This reduces the impact when a pedestrian or an object passing behind the chair hits the boundary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the boundary from being damaged or stained.

In the chair of the above aspect, the rear surface of the frame covering portion may extend forward as it moves outward in the left-right direction.
According to this aspect, the portion of the outer periphery of the chair that protrudes toward the rear of the chair can be made small. This reduces the impact when a pedestrian or object passing behind the chair hits the frame covering portion. This prevents the frame covering portion from being damaged or soiled.

According to the above aspects, the present invention can provide a chair that prevents scratches and dirt from forming on the lower part of the backrest, while maintaining durability and allowing the backrest to be made thinner and the chair as a whole to be made lighter.

1 is a perspective view of a chair according to a first embodiment, seen from the front. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair body according to the first embodiment, seen from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair body according to the first embodiment, seen from the rear. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the chair body according to the second embodiment, seen from the rear. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a chair body according to a modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a chair body according to a modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a chair body according to a modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear.

[First embodiment]
A first embodiment of the chair according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the embodiments and modifications described below, the same reference numerals may be used to designate corresponding configurations, and the description may be omitted. In the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "parallel,""orthogonal,""center," and "coaxial," do not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state in which the objects are relatively displaced with a tolerance or an angle or distance that provides the same function.

In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the directions of front, back, up, down, left and right are defined as the side in front of a person sitting in a normal posture on a chair placed on a horizontal floor surface F, referred to as "front", and the opposite side as "rear", and the directions up, down, left and right are the same as those seen by the person sitting on the chair. In the diagrams, the arrow UP indicates upward, the arrow FR indicates forward, and the arrow LH indicates left.

[Chair 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair 1 as seen from the front.
As shown in Fig. 1, chair 1 is used in waiting rooms in hospitals, airport lobbies, etc. Chair 1 is a so-called linked chair in which multiple chair bodies 10 are attached in a row in the left-right direction to one support rod 2. Specifically, chair 1 includes support rod 2 that extends linearly in the left-right direction along floor surface F, a pair of legs 3 attached to both ends of support rod 2, and multiple (e.g., three) chair bodies 10 fixed to support rod 2 in a row in the left-right direction.
The cross sections of the support rod 2 along the up-down and front-rear directions are formed in a rectangular shape. The support rod 2 is placed on the floor surface F via the legs 3. The support rod 2 is made of a highly rigid metal material since it supports the weight of the multiple chair bodies 10 and the seated person.

The pair of legs 3 have the same structure, and therefore the following description will represent only one of the legs 3. The leg 3 has a connecting portion 3a connected to one of the left and right ends of the support rod 2, a front ground rod 3b extending downward and forward in a straight line from the connecting portion 3a, and a rear ground rod 3c extending downward and rearward in a straight line from the connecting portion 3a.
The connecting portion 3a sandwiches the support rod 2 from both the top and bottom sides between the upper member 3d and the lower member 3e. The front ground rod 3b and the rear ground rod 3c extend in a direction away from each other in the front-to-rear direction as they extend downward from the lower member 3e. The lower ends of the front ground rod 3b and the rear ground rod 3c are in contact with the floor surface F.

[Chair body 10]
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair body 10 as seen from the front. In Fig. 2, an exterior molded section 50, which will be described later, is indicated by a chain line. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chair body 10 as seen from the rear. In Fig. 3, a part of the exterior molded section 50 is shown in a cutaway view.
All three chair bodies 10 have the same structure. In the following, only one of the chair bodies 10 will be described as a representative example.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the chair body 10 comprises a seat 11 having a seat surface 11a (upper surface of the seat 11) that supports the buttocks of a seated person, and a backrest 13 that extends upward from the rear end of the seat 11 and has a back support surface 13a (front surface of the backrest 13) that supports the back of the seated person.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.
As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the seat 11 is formed in a rectangular plate shape with its thickness direction extending in the vertical direction.
The backrest 13 is formed in a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the front-rear direction. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the backrest 13 is formed in a curved shape that protrudes backward. The backrest 13 has a front extension portion 13b that extends upward and then extends forward as it goes upward, and a rear extension portion 13d that extends upward via a bent portion 13c at the upper end of the front extension portion 13b and then extends backward as it goes upward.

The chair body 10 has a skeleton frame 20 and an exterior molded part 50.

[Skeletal Frame 20]
The skeleton frame 20 is formed of, for example, a metal material. As shown in FIG. 2, the skeleton frame 20 includes a seat frame 20a, a backrest frame 20c, and a connecting portion 28.

[Seat frame 20a]
The seat frame 20a forms the framework of the seat 11. The seat frame 20a has a seat side frame 22 and a seat connecting frame 25.

A pair of seat side frames 22 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the chair body 10, and are arranged along the side edges of the seat 11. Each seat side frame 22 extends in the front-rear direction.

The seat connection frame 25 is provided between a pair of left and right seat side frames 22. The seat connection frame 25 is a plate-shaped member extending in the left-right direction. The seat connection frame 25 connects the pair of seat side frames 22. The seat connection frame 25 includes portions that correspond to the front and rear ends of the seat 11, and multiple (e.g., four) are provided at intervals in the front-to-rear direction.

[Backrest frame 20c]
The backrest frame 20c forms the framework of the backrest 13. The backrest frame 20c has a backrest side frame 24 and a backrest connection frame 41.

The backrest side frames 24 are connected to the rear ends of the seat side frames 22. A pair of backrest side frames 24 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the chair body 10, and are arranged along the side edges of the backrest 13. The backrest side frames 24 extend upward and have a forward extending portion 24a that extends forward as it goes upward, and a rearward extending portion 24c that extends upward via a bent portion 24b at the upper end of the forward extending portion 24a and then extends rearward as it goes upward.

The backrest connecting frame 41 has a middle connecting frame 42 and an upper connecting frame 43 .
The intermediate connection frame 42 connects the vertical intermediate portions of the forward extending portions 24 a of the backrest side frames 24 .
The upper connection frame 43 connects the upper ends of the rearward extending portions 24c of the backrest side frames 24. The intermediate connection frame 42 and the upper connection frame 43 are members extending in the left-right direction. The upper connection frame 43 has a main body plate 44 extending in the left-right direction and front-rear extending plates 45 extending rearward from the upper ends of the main body plate 44.
The main body plate 44 is formed in a plate shape with its thickness direction being in the front-rear direction. The upper end of the main body plate 44 is located slightly above the upper end of the upper connection frame 43. The front-rear extension plate 45 is formed in a plate shape with its thickness direction being in the up-down direction. Both left and right ends of the front-rear extension plate 45 are located outside the backrest side frames 24 in the left-right direction.

Of the above-mentioned seat side frames 22 and backrest side frames 24, the seat side frames 22 and backrest side frames 24 that correspond to each other (are arranged on the same side) in the left-right direction constitute the side frames 21.

[Connection portion 28]
A pair of connecting portions 28 are provided below the pair of right and left seat side frames 22 .
The connecting portion 28 is a member that connects the seat 11 and the support rod 2. The connecting portion 28 is provided in the center in the front-rear direction of the seat side frame 22. The connecting portion 28 extends downward from the lower surface of the seat side frame 22 and has a pair of connecting posts 29 arranged in the front-rear direction, and a connecting plate 30 that connects the lower ends of the pair of connecting posts 29 in the front-rear direction.

The connecting post 29 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction.
The connecting plate 30 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in the up-down direction. Both ends of the connecting plate 30 in the front-rear direction are located forward or rearward of the pair of connecting posts 29.

A support bracket 32 is provided on the underside of the connecting plate 30. The support bracket 32 is formed, for example, from the same metal material as the skeletal frame 20. The support bracket 32 has an upper plate 33 that is superimposed on the underside of the connecting plate 30, and side plates 34 that extend downward from the outer left and right ends of the upper plate 33.

The upper plate 33 is formed in the same shape as the connecting plate 30 when viewed in the up-down direction.
The side panels 34 are triangular in shape with a vertex at the bottom when viewed from the left-right direction, and the lower edge slopes downward from both left-right ends toward the center. The side panels 34 have openings 36 that open downward and toward both left-right sides. The side panels 34 located at both left-right ends of the chair 1 have their outer left-right surfaces abutting the connecting parts 3a of the legs 3 from the inside in the left-right direction.
The chair body 10 is fixed to the support rod 2, for example, by sandwiching the support rod 2 between another bracket (not shown) and the support bracket 32 with the support rod 2 accommodated in the opening 36 of the support bracket 32, and fastening the support bracket 32, the other bracket and the connecting plate 30 together with bolts or the like.

[Exterior molded part 50]
2 to 4, the exterior molded part 50 covers the skeleton frame 20 including the pair of side frames 21. The exterior molded part 50 constitutes the seat surface 11a of the seat 11 and the back support surface 13a of the backrest 13. The exterior molded part 50 is formed by setting the skeleton frame 20 in a molding die (not shown) and injecting and filling it with a resin such as polyurethane in that state. The exterior molded part 50 has fine irregularities (embossed pattern) at least on its surface.
The exterior molded portion 50 has a seat molded portion 50a and a backrest molded portion 50c.

[Seat mold portion 50a]
The seat molded portion 50a forms the outer shape of the seat 11. The seat molded portion 50a has a seat side frame covering portion 53 and a seat main body portion 58.

A pair of seat side frame covering portions 53 are provided on both left and right ends of the seat 11 .
The seat side frame covering portion 53 covers the seat side frame 22. The seat side frame covering portion 53 extends along the seat side frame 22 from the front end to the rear end of the seat 11. The seat side frame covering portion 53 has a connecting portion accommodating portion 56 on the lower side that accommodates the connecting portion 28 of the seat side frame 22.
The connecting portion accommodating portion 56 is provided in the center of the seat side frame covering portion 53 in the front-rear direction. The connecting portion accommodating portion 56 has an opening 57 that opens downward. The connecting portion accommodating portion 56 covers the connecting pillar 29 of the connecting portion 28 so that the connecting pillar 29 is embedded in the bottom of the opening 57. The connecting plate 30 of the connecting portion 28 is accommodated inside the opening 57. The opening 36 of the support bracket 32 connected to the connecting portion 28 protrudes downward from the opening 57 of the connecting portion accommodating portion 56.

The seat body 58 connects the pair of left and right seat side frame covering parts 53 in the left-right direction across the entire area of the seat side frame covering parts 53 while covering the seat connection frames 25 together. Specifically, the seat body 58 has a front end 58a that covers the seat connection frame 25 located at the front end of the seat connection frames 25, and a central part 58b that is located between the front end 58a and the seat side frame covering parts 53.

The upper surfaces of the front end portion 58a and the central portion 58b are smoothly connected to the upper surface of the seat side frame covering portion 53. In other words, the upper surface of the seat body portion 58 and the upper surface of the seat side frame covering portion 53 form the seat surface 11a of the seat 11 that supports the buttocks of the seated person.

[Backrest molded portion 50c]
The backrest molded portion 50c forms the outer shape of the backrest 13. The backrest molded portion 50c has a backrest side frame covering portion 55 and a backrest main body portion 60.

A pair of backrest side frame covering portions 55 are provided on both left and right ends of the backrest 13 .
The backrest side frame covering portion 55 covers the entire backrest side frame 24. The backrest side frame covering portion 55 is connected to the rear end of the seat side frame covering portion 53. The backrest side frame covering portion 55 extends along the backrest side frame 24 from the lower end to the upper end of the backrest 13. The backrest side frame covering portion 55 has a forward extending portion 55a that extends upward and then extends forward as it extends upward, and a rearward extending portion 55c that extends upward via a bent portion 55b at the upper end of the forward extending portion 55a and then extends rearward as it extends upward.

The backrest main body 60 connects the backrest side frame covering parts 55 to each other over the entire area of the backrest side frame covering parts 55 while covering the backrest connection frame 41. Specifically, the backrest main body 60 has an upper end 60a that covers the upper connection frame 43, and a central part 60b that connects the upper end 60a and the backrest side frame covering parts 55.

The front surface of the upper end 60a is smoothly connected to the front surface of the backrest side frame covering portion 55. The portion of the upper end 60a that covers the front-rear extension plate 45 protrudes rearward relative to the center portion 60b, and both left and right ends are located behind the backrest side frame covering portion 55.

The front surface of the central portion 60b is smoothly connected to the front surface of the backrest side frame covering portion 55. In other words, the front surface of the backrest main body portion 60 and the front surface of the backrest side frame covering portion 55 form the back support surface 13a of the backrest 13 that supports the back of the seated person.

[Side frame covering portion 51]
Of the above-mentioned seat side frame covering parts 53 and backrest side frame covering parts 55, the seat side frame covering parts 53 and backrest side frame covering parts 55 that correspond to each other in the left-right direction (are arranged on the same side) constitute the side frame covering parts 51. In other words, the pair of side frame covering parts 51 cover the pair of side frames 21, respectively.

[Main body portion 52]
The seat body 58 and the backrest body 60 described above constitute the body 52. The body 52 is connected to each of the pair of side frame covering parts 51. The body 52, together with the front surfaces 51b of the pair of side frame covering parts 51, form the seat surface 11a and the back support surface 13a.
The main body 52 has a recess 61 that opens toward the rear in a range including at least the lower part of the part that will become the backrest 13 and that will be connected to the part that will become the seat 11. In this embodiment, the recess 61 is provided continuously from the rear of the front end 58a of the seat main body 58 to below the upper end 60a of the backrest main body 60. That is, the recess 61 is divided in the vertical direction by the upper end 60a of the backrest main body 60, and in the front-rear direction by the front end 58a of the seat main body 58. Therefore, the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 is formed by the back surfaces of the central parts 58b, 60b (surfaces facing the opposite side to the seat surface 11a and the back support surface 13a). In addition, the upper end inner surface of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 61 is formed by the surface facing downward at the upper end 60a. The front end inner surface of the inner circumferential surface of the recess 61 is formed by the surface facing rearward at the front end 58a.

The recess 61 is formed over the entire left-right area of the main body 52. In other words, the recess 61 is surrounded on both left-right sides by the side frame covering portion 51. Therefore, the inner surface 62 of the inner peripheral surface of the recess 61 that faces inward in the left-right direction is formed by the inner surface of the side frame covering portion 51 that faces inward in the left-right direction.

[Cross-sectional structure of chair body 10]
Next, the cross-sectional structure of the chair body 10 will be described using the forward extending portion 13b of the backrest 13 as an example. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Fig. 2. The relationship between the side frame 21 and the exterior molded portion 50 has a generally uniform cross-sectional structure within the range where the recess 61 is formed.
As shown in FIG. 5, the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering part 55 is formed in a triangular shape tapered in thickness in the front-rear direction toward the outside in the left-right direction when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Specifically, the front and rear surfaces of the forward extension 55a (the front surface 51b and the rear surface 51a of the side frame covering part 51) extend while curving forward as they move toward the outside in the left-right direction. The rear surface of the backrest side frame covering part 55 has a smaller radius of curvature than the front surface. The inner surface of the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering part 55 facing inward in the left-right direction forms the inner surface 62 of the recess 61 as described above. The inner surfaces 62 of the recess 61 extend to the sides (outside) that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-rear direction (opening direction of the recess 61). The boundary portion 64 between the inner surface 62 of the recess 61 and the rear surface 51a (outer surface 51c) of the side frame covering portion 51 extends while curving outward in the left-right direction as it moves away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 (rear) in the front-to-back direction (the opening direction of the recess 61).
The outer surface of the backrest side frame covering portion 55 facing outward in the left-right direction is formed into a flat surface extending in the front-rear direction.

The forward extending portion 24a of the backrest side frame 24 described above is embedded in the forward extending portion 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55, toward the inside in the left-right direction, with the width direction coinciding with the left-right direction. The inner end surface in the left-right direction of the forward extending portion 24a of the backrest side frame 24 is located on the outside in the left-right direction relative to the inner surface of the forward extending portion 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55. Either the area between the inner edge in the left-right direction of the forward extension 24a of the backrest side frame 24 and the front surface of the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55, or the area between the outer edge in the left-right direction of the forward extension 24a of the backrest side frame 24 and the rear surface of the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55, is the minimum part of the distance between the forward extension 24a of the backrest side frame 24 and the outer surface of the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55. The distance between the forward extension 24a of the backrest side frame 24 and the outer surface of the forward extension 55a of the backrest side frame covering portion 55 increases as it moves away from the minimum part in the left-right direction.

The bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 is recessed forward with respect to the rear surface of the backrest side frame 24. The bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 is formed into a curved surface that is convex toward the rear. The frontmost portion of the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 (both end edges in the left and right direction) is located behind the rear surface of the backrest side frame 24.
The boundary between the bottom surface 65 and the inner side surface 62 of the recess 61 extends while curving rearward as it moves outward in the left-right direction.

[Action and Effects]
Thus, in this embodiment, the main body 52 has a recess 61 that opens toward the rear in an area that includes at least the lower portion of the part that becomes the backrest 13 and that is connected to the part that becomes the seat 11.
This configuration can prevent the lower part of the backrest 13 from protruding backward. As a result, even if a pedestrian carrying an item such as a carrier bag passes behind the chair 1, the item is less likely to come into contact with the lower part of the backrest 13. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lower part of the backrest 13 from being damaged or soiled by contact with, for example, the pedestrian's item.
Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the thickness of the main body 52 of the chair 1 can be reduced while ensuring the thickness of the side frame covering parts 51 at least in the lower part of the backrest 13. This allows the chair 1 to be lighter than when the thickness of the main body 52 of the chair 1 is made uniform. Also, by ensuring the thickness of the side frame covering parts 51, it is possible to prevent the side frames 21 from being exposed from the exterior molded parts 50 due to contact with pedestrians, objects, etc., and improve the durability of the chair 1.

In this embodiment, among the inner surfaces of the recess 61, the inner surfaces 62 facing each other in the left-right direction each extend to sides that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-to-back direction (the opening direction of the recess 61).
According to this configuration, since the inner surface 62 of the recess 61 extends to the separating side, the inner surface 62 becomes a draft taper of the part of the molding die for the exterior molded part 50 that molds the recess 61. This improves the releasability of the molding die. Therefore, the chair 1 can be easily manufactured.

In this embodiment, the boundary portion 64 between the inner surface 62 of the recess 61 facing in the left-right direction and the outer surface 51c of the side frame covering portion 51 extends outward in the left-right direction toward the side away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-to-back direction (the opening direction of the recess 61).
This configuration can prevent corners from being formed in the boundary portion 64. This can reduce the impact when a pedestrian or an object passing behind the chair 1 hits the boundary portion 64. This can prevent the boundary portion 64 from being damaged or soiled.

In this embodiment, the rear surface 51a of the side frame covering portion 51 extends forward as it moves outward in the left-right direction.
According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the portion of the outer periphery of the chair 1 that protrudes toward the rear of the chair 1. This reduces the impact when a pedestrian or an object passing behind the chair 1 hits the side frame covering portion 51. This makes it possible to prevent the side frame covering portion 51 from being damaged or soiled.

In this embodiment, the recess 61 is provided over the entire chair body 10 (from behind the front end 58a of the seat body 58 to below the upper end 60a of the backrest body 60).
According to this configuration, the exterior molded part 50 can be made thinner by the amount of the recess 61 provided, so that the chair body 10 and therefore the chair 1 can be made lighter in weight.
Furthermore, with this configuration, the inner surface 62 of the recess 61 can be provided over the entire chair body 10. This makes it easy to place your hands on the inner surface 62 when holding the chair body 10, making it easy to transport the chair body 10.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9. In the second embodiment, the configuration for attaching various optional members to the chair body 10 using the recess 61 is different from that of the first embodiment. Note that, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the chair body 71 as seen from the rear.
A hook 72 is provided on a chair body 71 shown in FIG.
The hook 72 is provided in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the forward extending portion 13b of the backrest 13. The hook 72 is provided in the center of the forward extending portion 13b in the left-right direction. The hook 72 has an attachment portion 72a and a hook main body portion 72b. The attachment portion 72a extends upward. The attachment portion 72a is fastened to the intermediate connection frame 42, for example, by a bolt via the backrest main body portion 60 on the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61. The hook main body portion 72b protrudes rearward from the attachment portion 72a. The hook main body portion 72b extends upward as it approaches rearward.
The hook 72 may be provided anywhere inside the recess 61 of the backrest 13 .

As described above, in this embodiment, the chair body 71 has the hook 72 at a portion corresponding to the forward extending portion 13 b of the backrest 13 .
According to this configuration, when a plurality of chairs 1 are lined up in the front-to-rear direction, a person sitting on a rear chair 1 can hang an article such as a handbag on the hook 72 of the front chair 1.

In addition, with this configuration, the hook 72 can be placed inside the recess 61, preventing the hook 72 from protruding rearward. This prevents pedestrians or objects passing behind the chair 1 from coming into contact with the hook 72, even if the hook 72 is provided at the rear of the chair body 71.

[First Modification]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a chair body 71 according to a modification of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear.
7, a chair body 71 is provided with a booklet holder 77 instead of the hook 72. The booklet holder 77 has a belt 73 and a stopper 74. The belt 73 and the stopper 74 are provided in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the forward extending portion 13b of the backrest 13.
The belt 73 has elasticity and is made of, for example, rubber. The belt 73 extends in the left-right direction. Both ends of the belt 73 are fixed to the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61.

The stopper 74 is provided below the belt 73. The stopper 74 has an attachment portion 75 and a protrusion 76. The attachment portion 75 is a member formed into a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The attachment portion 75 extends in the left-right direction. The attachment portion 75 is connected to the underside of the rear end portion of the seat 11 by, for example, bolt fastening. The protrusion 76 extends upward.

Thus, in this modification, the chair body 71 has the belt 73 and the stopper 74 on the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61. The belt 73 is made of an elastic material, and more preferably, a stretchable material.
According to this configuration, with a booklet, for example a pamphlet, sandwiched between the bottom surface 65 and the belt 73 by the elastic force of the belt 73, the lower part of the booklet can be supported from below by the stopper 74. This allows the pamphlet to be held at the rear of the chair 1. Furthermore, if the belt 73 is elastic, it becomes easier to stretch the belt 73 from the bottom surface 65 and sandwich the booklet.

In addition, according to the configuration of this modified example, by providing a booklet holding portion inside the recess 61, it is possible to prevent the belt 73 and the stopper 74 from protruding rearward of the chair body 71. As a result, even if the belt 73 and the stopper 74 are provided at the rear of the chair body 71, it is possible to prevent pedestrians or objects passing behind the chair 1 from coming into contact with the belt 73 and the stopper 74.

[Second Modification]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a chair body 71 according to one modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear.
8, the chair body 71 has a connector unit 81 instead of the hook 72. The connector unit 81 is provided in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the boundary between the seat 11 and the backrest 13.
The connector unit 81 has an attachment portion 82 and a main body portion 83. The attachment portion 82 is located in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the seat 11. The attachment portion 82 is a member formed in a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The attachment portion 82 extends in the left-right direction. The attachment portion 82 is connected to, for example, the lower surface of the rear end of the seat 11 by bolt fastening. The main body portion 83 is located in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the backrest 13. When viewed from the left-right direction, the main body portion 83 is formed in a triangular shape that protrudes toward the rear. The front surface of the main body portion 83 is aligned with the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61. On the upper surface of the main body portion 83, two insertion portions 84 into which, for example, a charging adapter (not shown) is inserted are provided side by side in the left-right direction. In addition, a cable extending from an external power supply source (not shown) is wired inside the main body portion 83 and is electrically connected to the insertion portion 84. The cable pulled out from the main body 83 is routed to the power supply source through, for example, a portion of the recess 61 that is located below the seat 11 .

As described above, in this modified example, the chair body 71 has the connector unit 81 in a portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the boundary between the seat 11 and the backrest 13 .
According to this configuration, when multiple chairs 1 are lined up in the front-to-back direction, a person sitting in a rear chair 1 can charge an electronic device (e.g., a smartphone) using the connector unit 81 of the front chair 1.

In addition, according to the configuration of this modified example, by providing the connector unit 81 inside the recess 61, it is possible to prevent the connector unit 81 from protruding rearward. As a result, even if the connector unit 81 is provided, it is possible to prevent pedestrians or objects passing behind the chair 1 from coming into contact with the connector unit 81.

[Third Modification]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a chair body 71 according to one modified example of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear.
9, the chair body 71 has an advertising panel 91 instead of the hook 72. The advertising panel 91 is provided in a portion of the recess 61 corresponding to the backrest 13.
The advertising panel 91 has a connecting portion 92 and a main body portion 93. Two connecting portions 92 are provided at the upper portion of the advertising panel 91 at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction. The connecting portions 92 are engaged from below with the upper end portion of the backrest 13 (the upper end portion 60a of the backrest main body portion 60). The main body portion 93 is provided in continuity with the lower portion of the connecting portion 92. The main body portion 93 is a plate-shaped member that is aligned with the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61. Advertising images and characters are displayed on the rear surface of the main body portion 93. The lower end portion of the main body portion 93 is fixed to the boundary portion between the seat 11 and the backrest 13, for example, by bolt fastening. As a result, the advertising panel 91 is accommodated in the recess 61 with both ends in the up-down direction supported by the chair body 71.
Further, the rear surface (advertising display surface) of the main body 93 is flush with the rear surface of the backrest side frame covering portion 55 (rear surface 51a of side frame covering portion 51).

As described above, in this modified example, the chair body 71 has the advertising panel 91 in the portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the backrest 13 .
According to this configuration, an advertisement can be displayed on the rear of the chair 1. When multiple chairs 1 are lined up in the front-to-rear direction, an advertisement displayed on the rear of the chair 1 can be recognized by a person sitting on a rear chair 1.

In addition, the configuration of this modified example can prevent the advertising panel 91 from protruding backward. This can prevent pedestrians or objects passing behind the chair 1 from coming into contact with the advertising panel 91, even if the advertising panel 91 is provided. This can prevent the advertising panel 91 from being damaged or soiled.

In these modified versions, the portion of the recess 61 that corresponds to the backrest 13 can be used as an option placement space for placing various optional components.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the above description, but is limited only by the scope of the attached claims.

In the above-described embodiment, the chair 1 has been described as having three chair bodies 10, but the number of chair bodies 10 may be, for example, one or a multiple number other than three, and can be selected as appropriate.
In the above embodiment, the chair 1 is described as having a pair of legs 3 at both ends of the lower part of the support rod 2, but this is not limited thereto. The chair 1 may have only one leg 3. The leg 3 may also be attached to a plurality of positions on the left and right sides of the support rod 2, for example. The leg 3 may also be provided on both sides of one chair body 10, for example.

In the above embodiment, the side frame 21 extends from the front end of the seat 11 to the upper end of the backrest 13. However, this is not limited to this. The front end of the side frame 21 may be located, for example, in the middle or rear end of the seat 11 in the front-rear direction, or at the lower end of the backrest 13.
In the above-described embodiment, the support bracket 32 is described as being formed, for example, from the same metal material as the skeletal frame 20, but the support bracket 32 may be formed, for example, from a material other than the skeletal frame 20.
In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which fine irregularities (embossed pattern) are formed on the surface of the exterior molded part 50. However, for example, the surface does not necessarily have to have fine irregularities.

In the above embodiment, the recess 61 is configured to be continuous from the rear of the front end 58a of the seat body 58 to below the upper end 60a of the backrest body 60. However, this is not limited to this. The recess 61 may be formed, for example, in a range that includes at least the lower part of the part of the body 52 that will become the backrest 13 and that will be connected to the part that will become the seat 11.

In the above-described embodiment, the inner surfaces 62 of the recess 61 facing each other in the left-right direction extend to the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-rear direction (opening direction of the recess 61). However, this is not limited to this. The inner surfaces 62 facing each other in the left-right direction may extend in the front-rear direction, for example. Furthermore, the inner surfaces 62 facing each other in the left-right direction may extend to be positioned inward in the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61, for example. Furthermore, the inner surfaces 62 may be formed in a stepped shape or may be curved.

In the above-described embodiment, the boundary portion 64 between the inner side surface 62 of the recess 61 facing each other in the left-right direction and the outer surface 51c of the side frame covering portion 51 extends outward in the left-right direction toward the side away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-rear direction (the opening direction of the recess 61). However, this is not limited to this. The boundary portion 64 may be formed such that, for example, the interior angle between the inner side surface 62 and the bottom surface 65 is 90 degrees or less. The boundary portion 64 may be formed to protrude rearward and inward in the left-right direction when viewed from the top-down direction, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the boundary portion 64 is curved when viewed from the top-bottom direction. However, this is not limited to this. The boundary portion 64 only needs to extend outward in the left-right direction as it moves away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61 in the front-rear direction (the opening direction of the recess 61). The boundary portion 64 may extend outward in the left-right direction in a linear manner and in stages as it moves away from the bottom surface 65 of the recess 61. In this case, one or more obtuse corners are formed in the boundary portion 64 when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the side frame covering portion 51 extends forward (or upward) from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction, while becoming thinner. In addition, the rear surface 51a (or lower surface) of the side frame covering portion 51 has a smaller radius of curvature than the front surface 51b (or upper surface) of the side frame covering portion 51. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, of the rear surface 51a and lower surface of the side frame covering portion 51, only the rear surface 51a may extend forward as it moves outward in the left-right direction. In addition, the thickness of the side frame covering portion 51 may be uniform in the left-right direction.

In addition, the components in the above-described embodiment may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate.

1... Chair 11... Seat 11a... Seat surface 13... Backrest 13a... Back support surface 21... Side frame 22... Seat side frame 24... Backrest side frame 50... Exterior molded part 51... Side frame covering part (frame covering part)
51a... rear surface 51c... outer surface 52... main body portion 61... recessed portion 62... inner surface 64... boundary portion 65... bottom surface

Claims (4)

A chair having a seat and a backrest,
A pair of side frames are provided on both sides in the left-right direction, the side frames having seat side frames arranged along the side edges of the seat and backrest side frames connected to rear ends of the seat side frames and arranged along the side edges of the backrest;
An exterior molded portion that covers the pair of side frames and constitutes a seating surface of the seat and a back support surface of the backrest,
The exterior molded part is
A pair of frame covering portions covering the pair of side frames, respectively;
a main body portion connected to each of the pair of frame covering portions and forming the seat surface and the back support surface;
The main body portion has a recess formed in it, at least in the area including the lower portion of the portion that forms the backrest, which is connected to the portion that forms the seat , and the surfaces facing inward in the left-right direction of the pair of frame covering portions form a pair of inner surfaces in the left-right direction, and the recess opens toward the rear. The chair of claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the recess that face each other in the left-right direction extend in directions that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction as they move away from the bottom surface of the recess in the opening direction of the recess. A chair as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the boundary portion between the inner surfaces of the recess facing each other in the left-right direction and the outer surface of the frame covering portion extends outward in the left-right direction toward the side away from the bottom surface of the recess in the opening direction of the recess. The chair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rear surface of the frame covering portion extends forward as it moves outward in the left-right direction.

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