JPH01195806A - Foot board device for desk - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to install a foot board floated exactly at a designed angle by bringing a link member into resilient contact with a cam surface of a bearing disposed in the middle position of the bottom surface side of the foot board by utilizing the resilience of wire material constituting the link member and a connecting rod. CONSTITUTION:A pair of rail members 3 are attached to opposing inner wall surfaces 11, 12 of a main body 1 of a desk. A foot board 4 with its both end portions of the bottom surface supported with the rail surfaces of both of the rail members is stretched between both of the inner wall surfaces. A front end portion 51 of each of a pair of right and left link members 5 is supported with a bearing 42 disposed in the middle position of the bottom surface side of the foot board 4 while its rear end portion 52 is pivoted with the rear part of the rail member 3. Further, the rear end portion 52 of each of the link members 5 is connected to each other to be in a body via a connecting rod 7. At the same time, an end surface on the link member side of the bearing 42 is provided with a cam surface to bring the link member 5 in resilient contact with the cam surface by utilizing the resilience of the wire material constituting the link member 5 and the connecting rod 7. As a result, the foot board can be float-positioned exactly at the designed angle.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a footboard device suitable for use in study desks and the like.

[Prior Art] Various improvements have been made to learning desks and the like so that they can be used for long periods of time by school children who are rapidly growing.

As one of these, a desk has been developed that combines a desk with a height-adjustable footboard installed between the inner walls below the top plate and a chair with an adjustable seating height. However, this thing is
If the user is a short child, the footboard of the desk and the seat of the chair should be set at a high position, and the position of the footboard and sitting height should be adjusted as the child grows. There is. That is, according to such a combination, it becomes possible to use a desk with a fixed top plate height without difficulty for everyone from children to adults.

Note that, due to its nature, the footboard is placed on the front side of the desk. Therefore, if you make this footboard just like a shelf, it will get in the way.
It becomes impossible to store a chair under the top board when the desk is not in use.

Therefore, in recent years, a pair of rail members has been attached to the opposing inner wall surfaces of the desk body so that their positions can be changed up and down, and a footboard has been installed horizontally between the horizontal rail surfaces of both of these small members. It has been proposed that the front end of a link member is pivotally attached to an intermediate position on the lower surface of the footboard, and the rear end of this link member is pivotally supported to the rear end of the rail. In addition, in this device, the link member is biased by a special torsion coil spring so as to converge near a position perpendicular to the footboard,
The footboard is supported by the rail member while the link member is rotated rearward against the biasing force. When no load is applied to the footboard, the rear end side of the footboard is held slightly lifted from the rail surface by the biasing force of the spring.

However, with this configuration, if a chair is inserted under the desk top when the footboard is not in use and the feet are not placed on it, the legs of the chair will push the front end of the footboard backwards. This will lead to pressure on When the front end of the footboard is pressed rearward, the footboard is held with its rear end floating, and its intermediate position is connected to the rear end of the rail member via the link member. The front end side slides on the rail surface while the rear end side rises and stands upright. Therefore, the chair can be accommodated under the desk top without being obstructed by this footboard.

When the compression by the chair is released, the link member is pressed backward by the biasing force of the spring, so that the footboard returns to its original state due to the biasing force of the spring and gravity acting on itself. It is designed to self-return to its position.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with such a configuration, it is necessary to use a small torsion coil spring to bias the link member not in a fixed direction but to return to an intermediate position.
When in use, the rear end of the footboard must be slightly raised above the rail surface against the force of gravity, which poses a problem in that it is difficult to select the spring force.

In addition, small springs are easily fatigued, so even if the optimal amount of lift is initially secured, as the springs become fatigued due to long-term use, the lift may disappear and the footboard may become horizontal. be.

If the footboard is horizontal, even if the front end is pressed backwards by a chair, the pressing force is difficult to convert into upward rotational force of the link member, leading to a situation where the footboard does not stand up smoothly. (There is a possibility.

The present invention aims to solve such problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

That is, the desk footboard device according to the present invention includes a pair of rail members attached to opposing inner wall surfaces of the desk body;
A footboard is constructed between the two inner wall surfaces with both ends of the lower surfaces supported on the rail surfaces of both rail members, and a front end is supported by a bearing provided at an intermediate position on the lower side of the footboard, and a rear end a pair of left and right link members pivotally supported on the rear end portion of the rail member, the rear end portions of both link members are integrally connected via a connecting rod, and the link member of the bearing A cam surface is provided on the end surface on the member side, and the link member is brought into elastic contact with the cam surface by utilizing the elasticity of the wire forming the link member and the connecting rod.

[Operation] With such a configuration, the link member is always elastically pressed against the cam surface, and the pressing force is converted into rotational force of the link member by the cam surface.

Therefore, as long as the shape of the cam surface is appropriately set, the link member can be elastically biased to converge to a desired position. Therefore, the conventional operation can be performed without using a small torsion coil spring or the like.

[Example 1] An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

FIG. 1 shows a desk main body 1 and a footboard device 2 attached to the desk main body 1. The footboard device 2 has a laterally symmetrical shape, and the intermediate portion thereof is omitted in FIG. 2. This footboard device 2 includes a pair of rail members 3 attached to opposing inner wall surfaces 11 and 12 of a desk body 1, a footboard 4 installed between these rail members 3, and a front end portion 51 attached to the footboard. The link member 5 is pivotally attached to an intermediate position on the lower side of the board 4 and has a rear end 52 pivotally supported on the rear end 3a of the rail member 3.

The desk body 1 has a top plate 15 between the upper ends of the left and right side plates 13 and 14.
The height of the top plate 15 cannot be adjusted. A space 17 formed between one inner wall surface 11 formed by the left side plate 13 and the other inner wall surface 12 formed by the sleeve 16 provided inside the right side plate 14 is provided with a space 17 for adjusting the sitting height. The seat and legs 61 of a possible chair 6 can be accommodated therein. A footboard device 2 according to the present invention is provided on the front side of the space 17, and a storage shelf 18 for placing books and the like is provided at the back.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rail member 3 is made of synthetic resin and is elongated from front to back, and includes a base body 32 attached to the inner wall surface 11.12 via screws 31, and a base body 32 attached to the inner wall surface 11.
A rib 33 is provided that projects inward from the rail, and the upper surface of the rib 33 serves as a rail surface 34. The rear end portion 3a of this rail member 3 is provided with a concave groove 35 that is continuous with the rail surface 34. The recessed groove 35 has an inverted keyhole shape consisting of a narrow entrance portion 35a and a bottom portion 35b that is circular in side view. Base body 32 of rail member 3
The two screws 31 on the front and back that fix the
It is designed to be screwed onto an insert nut 36 buried in 2. The insert nuts 36 are buried in multiple stages at intervals in the vertical direction. By selecting the insert nut 36 to be screwed into, the mounting position of the rail member 3 can be changed in stages. No matter where the rail members 3 are attached, the rail surfaces 34 of both rail members 3 are set to be held horizontally.

The footboard 4 is rectangular and has a depth that is slightly less than half of the depth of the space 17, and its lower surface 41
Both end portions 41a of the rail are supported by both rail surfaces 34, and are constructed between the side inner wall surfaces 11 and 12.

The link member 5 is made of, for example, a metal wire, and has an inwardly bent front end 51 attached to the lower surface 4 of the footboard 4.
The rail member 3 is pivotally connected to bearings 42 attached to portions near both ends of the rail member 3, and its rear end portion 52 protruding outward is engaged with the recessed groove 35 of the rail member 3 for pivotal support. and,
The rear end portions 52 of the left and right link members 5 are connected to each other via a connecting rod 7. Specifically, the left and right link members 5 and the connecting rod 7 are integrally formed of a single wire rod, and the rear end portion 52 of each link member 5 is made into a flat U-shaped wire rod. , the rear end 52 and the bottom 35b.
The rear end portion 52 is engaged with the above-mentioned inverted keyhole-shaped concave groove 35 that allows rotation of the rear end portion 52 only in this case. A gripping portion 71 is provided at the intermediate portion of the connecting rod 7. Gripping part 71
is formed by deforming a member into a U-shape, and can be approached to the rear end 44 of the footboard 4 when the footboard 4 is installed between the rail members 3. Note that, when the link member 5 and the connecting rod 7 are not restrained from the outside, they are shaped so that the front end 51 is located inward from the rear end 52, as shown in FIG. It is molded. Then, the front end sides of the link members 5 are expanded by an external force, and the front end portions 51 are inserted into the shaft hole 4 of the bearing 42, as shown in FIG.
I'm trying to make it engage. Therefore, portions near the front ends of both link members 5 come into elastic contact with the outsides of both bearings 42. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a cam surface 47 is provided on the outside of both bearings 42. As shown in FIGS. These cam surfaces 47 have a semicircular arc shape that can slide into substantially the same portion of the rotating link member 5, and have a configuration in which an intermediate portion 47b is recessed inward with respect to both end portions 47a. Therefore, this link member 5 is
It is pressed against the cam surface 47 by its own elastic contact force, and is biased in the direction of falling into the intermediate portion 47b. FIG. 8 shows the footboard 4 removed from the rail member 3. Due to the guiding action of the cam surface 47 described above, the link member 5 is elastically biased so as to converge to the neutral position shown by the solid line in FIG. has been done.

The inclination of the cam surface 47 and the elastic contact force of the link member 5 against the cam surface 47 are such that when the footboard 4 is placed on the rail surface 34, the rear end 44 side of the footboard 4 is The value is selected so that it stands out slightly from the surface 34.

With such a configuration, the elastic force that attempts to return the link member 5 to the neutral position and the gravity acting on the footboard 4 etc. are balanced, so that the footboard 4
is held on the rail surface 34 at a constant angle θ with respect to the link member 5.

Therefore, when storing the chair 6 in the space 17 under the top plate of the desk body 1, the legs 61 of the chair 6 can be used to
When the front end 43 of the link member 5 is pressed rearward, the rearward pressing force F acts as a force that lifts the front end 51 of the link member 5 upward. As a result, the front end 43 of the footboard 4 moves rearward along the rail surface 34, and the intermediate portion of the footboard 4 is lifted by the tension of the link member 5 and stands upright. .

Then, when the pressing force F by the chair 6 is released,
The force elastically biasing the link member 5 to the neutral position and the force of gravity will cause the footboard 4 to return to its original position as shown in FIG.

In this case, a cam surface 47 is provided on the end face of the bearing 42 on the link member 5 side, and the elasticity of the wire that integrally constitutes the link member 5 and the connecting rod 7 is utilized.
Since the link member 5 is brought into elastic contact with the cam surface 47, the elastic contact force is converted by the cam surface 47 into rotational force of the link member 5. Therefore, the cam surface 47
By setting the shape as described above, the link member 5 can be elastically biased to converge to the neutral position. Therefore, the above-described operation can be performed without using a small torsion coil spring or the like.

In the above embodiments, the cam surface was provided on the outside of the bearing, but as shown in FIG.
A cam surface 147 may be provided on the inside of 42. In this case, the front end 151 of the link member 105 is formed by bending a wire rod outward, and the link member 105 and the connecting rod 107 are formed into a shape that expands forward. , the front end portions 151 of both link members 105 may be engaged with both bearings 142 from the inside while deforming the front end sides of both link members 105 in a direction toward each other.

Also, the shape of the desk body, the shape of the footboard, or
The structure for attaching the rail member to the desk body is not limited to that of the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured as described above, there is no need to provide a small spring for biasing the link member in a desired direction. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced and manufacturing can be facilitated.

Further, in the present invention, the relatively large wire that integrally constitutes the left and right link members and the connecting rod plays the role of a spring, so the elastic force is stable. Moreover, the elastic force can be converted into a link member rotation urging force of desired strength depending on the degree of inclination of the cam surface. Therefore, it is easy to float and install the footboard at a designed angle without making delicate initial settings.

Further, since the large spring made of wire rod can be effortlessly bent to perform the above-described required operation, the elastic force is less likely to decrease due to fatigue. Therefore,
The initial performance can be maintained for many years.

Furthermore, it is possible to make the front ends of the left and right link members free ends, and to engage the front ends with the bearings by utilizing the elastic deformation of the wire. Therefore, the bearing can be first attached to the footboard or provided integrally with the footboard, and then the link member can be easily attached to the bearing. Therefore, the assembly work can be simplified, and automatic assembly can be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 9 show one embodiment f+J of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing main parts, and FIG.
The figure is a side sectional view showing the main parts, Figure 4 is a bottom view of the link member and footboard, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bearing, Figure 6 is a bottom view of the bearing, Figure 7 is a side view of the bearing, FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the footboard, and FIG. 9 is a side sectional view for explaining the operation. FIG. 10 is a bottom view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Desk body 2...Footboard device 3...Rail member 4...Footboard 5...Link member 6...
・Chair 7...Connecting rod 11.12...Inner wall surface 34...Rail surface 35...Concave groove 3
5a...Inlet part 35b...Bottom part 42...
Bearing 47...Cam surface 51...Front end 52.
...Rear end part 71...Gripping part 105...Link member

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of rail members attached to opposing inner wall surfaces of the desk body, a footboard constructed between the two inner wall surfaces with both ends of the lower surface supported on the rail surfaces of these rail members, and a front end of the footboard. a pair of left and right link members supported by a bearing provided at an intermediate position on the lower surface side of the footboard and whose rear end portions are pivoted to the rear end portion of the rail member;
The rear ends of both link members are integrally connected via a connecting rod, and a cam surface is provided on the end surface of the bearing on the link member side, so that the elasticity of the wire forming the link member and the connecting rod is reduced. A footboard device for a desk, characterized in that the link member is brought into elastic contact with the cam surface.