JPH04269910A - Brake leg of furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase safety of furniture in use bu holding braking body higher than the floor face transferring the furniture and pressing the braking body elastically against the floor face in such an extent that the caster is not floated up when the furniture is used. CONSTITUTION:Through a simple one time treading motion of a pedal 42e equipped at the right and left sides of a table A, the sliding motion and swinging motion of a caster 2 are not hindered by retreat of the blaking body 3 from the face F on transferring the table, and the braking body is pressed elastically against the floor face F on using the table to brake the motion of table body (a) resulting from the caster 2. When the braking body 3 is pressed elastically on the floor face, F as the braking body is a flat plate, it bends with flexibility in the space from the state shown by an imaginary line to the cushion member 31, and hence, the middle part can be contact partly on the floor and the braking force can effectively be increased.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a leg movement device for furniture, which is applied to furniture in which a furniture body is supported by legs having paired casters. .

[Prior Art] General furniture may be moved for carrying in/out, rearranging, etc. The more frequently this occurs, or the less frequently, the heavier the object that is extremely difficult to move, the more essential it is to provide casters. However, conventional casters used in this type of furniture are attached to the lower surfaces of legs that support the left and right edges of the furniture body in pairs, front and back. By supporting the furniture body so that it can roll through the furniture, or by locking the axle of each caster when the furniture is in use, the legs can be fixed on a fixed floor surface to prevent the furniture body from accidentally moving. ing.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional configuration, it is necessary to lock and release each caster. This causes the inconvenience of complicated operations. Further, although such a configuration can effectively lock the axle, it does not prohibit swinging motion. For this reason, there is also the problem that the furniture tends to wobble, making the installation state unstable.

In contrast, the adjuster is usually placed above the floor at a position on the underside of the leg where it does not get in the way between the front and rear casters, and when the furniture is in use, the adjuster is placed below the leg. It is also conceivable that the casters be made to protrude and come into contact with the floor surface so that the casters float. but,
In this case, the furniture must be completely lifted, which requires a large operating force, especially if the furniture is heavy. In addition, if each adjuster is installed between the front and rear casters, the support width between the adjusters cannot be made as wide as possible, making it difficult to stably apply a load to each adjuster, which inconveniences the furniture to easily fall over during use. arise.

Furthermore, it is conceivable to provide adjusters on the outside of the front and rear casters, but if this is done, the installation width of the casters will become narrower, which will impede the stability of the furniture during movement.

The present invention has been made with attention to such problems, and an object thereof is to effectively solve these problems.

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

That is, the leg movement device for furniture of the present invention includes a brake body and a brake body drive mechanism.

The legs are placed in a position to support the furniture body.
A pair of casters is attached to the lower surface, and a brake body is arranged between the pair of casters to be able to move up and down on the lower surface of the leg body.The brake body drive mechanism is configured to move the brake body when moving the furniture. The casters are held above the floor surface, and when the furniture is in use, the brake body can be elastically pressed against the floor surface to the extent that the casters do not lift up.

In order to secure a sufficiently large ground contact area for the brake body, it is best to provide the brake body in the form of a plate extending horizontally between a pair of casters. In order to obtain an appropriate braking effect, it is preferable to provide cushioning materials on the lower surfaces of both ends.

A specific embodiment of the brake drive mechanism includes a ratchet wheel pivoted on a leg body, an operation unit that rotates the ratchet wheel in pitch units, and a feed operation that synchronizes with the ratchet wheel every other pitch. A rotary cam that repeats a return operation, and when this rotary cam performs a feed operation, it engages with the cam surface to push down the brake body, and when the rotary cam performs a return operation, the engagement is stopped. One example includes a link element that releases and a spring that pulls the brake body upward when the link element releases engagement with the cam surface.

In this case, as an assembly structure of the brake body, the leg body has a suspension member at the center of the upper surface, and this suspension member is slidably fitted into a guide member fixed to the leg body. Conceivable.

A specific embodiment of the link element includes first and second link members whose one ends are pivotally connected to each other, the opposite end of the first link member is pivotally connected to the leg body, and the second link member is pivotally connected to the leg body. One example is one in which the opposite end of the member is pivotally connected to the suspension member, and the intermediate pivot point is engaged with the cam surface of the rotating cam. Such link elements are preferably provided on both sides of the rotary cam, and the shaft bridging the intermediate pivot points of both link elements is engaged with the cam surface of the rotary cam.
Desirable for stable operation.

In order to make the operation section excellent in operability, it is necessary to have an arm whose intermediate portion is pivotally connected to the leg body, and a ratchet that engages with the ratchet wheel rotatably attached to one rotating end of this arm. It consists of a pawl and a pedal attached to the other rotating end of the arm, and each time the pedal is depressed, the ratchet wheel rotates one pitch at a time, returning the pedal to the state before operation each time. good.

[Function] With this configuration, when the furniture is moved, the brake body is retracted from the floor surface so that it does not interfere with the rolling or swinging motion of the casters, and when the furniture is in use, the brake body is moved elastically against the floor surface. By pressing on the caster, it is possible to brake the behavior of the legs caused by the casters, including the swinging motion. In particular, when a plate-shaped elastic body is used and cushioning material is provided on the lower surface of both ends, the elastic body under load will elastically bend between the two cushioning materials, causing the central part of the elastic body to bend. This allows the brake to elastically contact the floor surface over a certain width, thereby increasing the braking effect.

Moreover, since the casters are not completely lifted off the floor when the furniture is in use, the operating force of the brake body drive mechanism is to press the brake body against the floor surface and create an appropriate gap between the brake body and the floor surface. It is sufficient that it generates a frictional force,
Furthermore, since the casters are in contact with the ground, it is possible to secure a support width that is actually wider than the size of the braking body.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

The leg movement device of this embodiment is applied to a table A used for conferences, etc., as shown in FIG. The table A is formed by supporting the left and right edges of the table body a by leg bodies 1 each having a support 11 and a support base 12.

A caster 2 is attached to the support base 12 of the leg 1, and a brake body 3 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is installed inside the caster 2.
and a brake body drive mechanism 4 are incorporated.

The casters 2 are attached to the bottom plate 12a of the support base 12 in pairs in the front and rear.

The brake body 3 is a plate-shaped member extending horizontally between the front and rear casters 2, and has a cushioning material 31 attached to the lower surface of the front end side and the lower surface of the rear end side, and a suspension member at the center of the upper surface. A certain rod 32 is integrally provided. On the other hand, in the support base 12, a frame 13 having a U-shaped cross section is fixed to the leg on the lower surface of the bottom plate 12a. And this frame 1
The brake body 3 is raised and lowered in the gap between the bottom plate portion 13a of the brake body 3 and the floor surface F. Specifically, the bottom plate portion 13a of the frame 13 has a through hole 13 in the center.
b is bored, and a pipe-shaped lower guide member 13c is erected around this through hole 13b. Further, a pipe-shaped upper guide member 12c having a different diameter from the top plate 12b of the support base 12 is disposed on the same axis as the through hole 13b.
is hanging down. And the rod 32 of the brake body 3
is inserted through the through hole 13b of the frame 13, and its upper end is slidably fitted into the upper guide member 12c. Also,
At this time, a synthetic resin slider 32a attached to the outer periphery of the lower end of the rod 32 is fitted into the lower guide member 13c.

Further, the brake body drive mechanism 4 includes a ratchet wheel 41, an operating section 42, a rotating cam 43, a link element 44,
It is configured by a spring 45.

The ratchet wheel 41 is connected to the side frame portion 13 of the frame body 13.
It is mounted between the shafts 41a and 41a, and has a large number of teeth at a predetermined pitch on the outer periphery, and is prohibited from rotating clockwise in the figure by the pawl pawl 41b, and only rotates counterclockwise. is allowed.

The operating portion 42 has an intermediate portion attached to the side frame portion 13d of the frame body 13 with a shaft 4.
The arm 42b is pivoted via the arm 42a, and the arm 4 is in a position where it can engage with the ratchet wheel 41.
Ratchet pawl 42 rotatably attached to the front end of 2b
c, and a shaft 42d extends externally from the rear end of the arm 42 through a long hole 13d bored in the side frame 13d of the frame 13, and a pedal 42e is fixed to the shaft 42d.
and a spring 42f that applies an upward pulling force to the rear end of the arm 42b.

Each time the pedal 42e is depressed, the ratchet wheel 41 rotates one pitch at a time, and then, when the arm 42b is pulled up by the spring 42f, the ratchet pawl 42c bends over the tooth and moves in front of the next tooth. It can be stopped with .

The rotary cam 43 has a cam surface 43a that protrudes intermittently along its outer periphery, and is rotatably attached to the side frame portion 13d of the frame body 13 via a shaft 41a together with the ratchet wheel 41. There is.

Then, the first one-pitch rotation of the ratchet wheel 41 performs a feeding operation from the solid line position to the imaginary line position in FIG. The operation of returning to the position is repeated. and,
This rotating cam 43 drives a pair of link elements 44 provided on the left and right sides.

The link element 44 includes a first
It comprises a link member 44b and a second link member 44c, and the opposite pivot end of the first link member 44b is connected to the frame 1.
The second link member 44c is pivotally connected to the side frame portion 13d of the rod 3 via a pin 44d, and the opposite end of the second link member 44c is connected to the side frame 13d of the rod 3.
It is pivotally connected to a pin 32c inserted through two long holes 32. That is, the pins 44a, 44d, and 32c are commonly used to bridge the left and right link elements 44. A collar 4 fitted around the outer periphery of the pin 44a
4e, the rotary cam 43 engages with the cam surface 43a when performing a feeding operation, and disengages from it when the rotary cam 43 performs a return operation. That is, the rod 3 is moved by the feeding operation of the rotary cam 43 when the link element 44 engages with the rotary cam 43.
The braking body 3 is pushed down via the rotary cam 43, and when the engagement with the rotary cam 43 is released, the pushing force disappears.

The spring 45 is installed between the rod 32 and the top plate 12b of the support base 12, and applies an upward lifting force to the brake body 3 via the rod 32. Then, when the link element 44 releases its engagement with the cam surface 43a, the brake body 3 can be pulled upward.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. First, assume that the table A is in a movable state as shown by the solid line in the figure, and when the pedal 42e is depressed from this state, the ratchet pawl 42c
rotates around the shaft 42a to rotate the ratchet wheel 41 counterclockwise by one pitch. At this time, the rotary cam 43 engages with the collar 44e of the link element 44 on the cam surface 43a, and performs the feeding operation while pressing this portion diagonally downward to the left in the figure. As a result, the operating force is transmitted to the rod 32, and the rod 32 resists the reaction force of the spring 45 and elastically presses the brake body 3 against the floor surface F to the extent that the casters 2 do not float (imaginary line in Figure 1). (Illustrated). After that, when you take your foot off the pedal 42e, the ratchet wheel 41 is locked by the pawl pawl 41b, so a holding force acts on the brake body 3, whereas the pedal 42e has a spring 4.
The pulling blade 2f acts to return it to the position before the operation. During this time, the ratchet pawl 42c climbs over the teeth while bending and stops in front of the next tooth.

Furthermore, when the pedal 42e is depressed once more, the ratchet pawl 42c engages with the tooth adjacent to the previously engaged tooth, causing the ratchet wheel 41 to rotate counterclockwise by one pitch again. At this time, the rotating cam 43 moves the cam surface 43a to a position where it cannot engage with the collar 44e of the link element 44.

As a result, the only force acting on the rod 32 is the pulling force exerted by the spring 45, and the brake body 3 is pulled upward together with the rod 32, and floats above the floor surface F.

In this way, according to the table of this embodiment, table A
By simply depressing the pedals 42e provided on the left and right sides of the caster 2 once, the brake body 3 is retracted from the floor F when the table is moved.
The movement of the table body a caused by the casters 2 can be damped by elastically pressing the braking body 3 against the floor surface F when the table is in use. At this time, when the brake body 3 is elastically pressed against the floor surface F, since the brake body 3 has a plate shape, the front and rear cushioning materials 3 By bending with elasticity between the parts, the central part is partially brought into contact with the ground, and the braking force is effectively increased.

Moreover, since it is not necessary to completely lift the casters 2 above the floor surface F when the table is used, the operating force for the brake body drive mechanism 4 can be relatively small, and compared to when operating the brake body drive mechanism 4 by hand. For example, the stepping operation using the foot is much easier and is desirable for smooth work.

Furthermore, since the height of the top plate remains constant throughout, it is possible to operate the machine with objects placed on it, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, if the casters 2 are in contact with the ground when the table is in use, the distance between both casters 2 becomes the actual support width, and a more stable support condition than relying only on the brake body 3 can be obtained.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to other furniture. For example, perch-type tandem chairs B used as movable bleachers as shown in Figure 6, panel C used as a stand or blackboard as shown in Figure 7,
It is extremely suitable for items that are carried in and out and rearranged relatively frequently on a daily basis, such as the umbrella stand D shown in the figure and the plant box (not shown) used to bring ornamental plants indoors. Become. In addition, there are heavy items that are not moved very often but would be extremely difficult to actually move, such as items that have their own weight, as well as items that lose weight due to the increase in their contents as they are used. It is also useful when applied to things that increase the size, such as desks, bookshelves, chests of drawers, and safes.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the leg movement device for furniture of the present invention, when the furniture is in use, elastically presses the braking body against the floor within a range where the casters do not lift up, thereby controlling the casters including swinging. It is possible to dampen the behavior of the legs caused by this. Moreover, since it is not necessary to completely float the casters, only a small amount of operating force is required to be applied to the brake drive mechanism, and the operation is simple. In particular, if the brake body is made into a plate and cushioning material is provided on the lower surface of both ends, the ground pressure with the floor surface can be made stable by bending the brake body, and the braking force can be stabilized. This makes the furniture more reliable and improves the stability of the furniture during use. Furthermore, although the present invention disposes the braking body between the pair of casters, the casters are not completely lifted up during use, making the space between the casters an actual effective supporting width. This has the effect of further improving the stability of the furniture.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the leg, FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a partially omitted cross-sectional view of the same, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a table that is furniture, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the function. 6 to 8 are perspective views corresponding to FIG. 4 showing other embodiments of the present invention. A...Furniture (table) a...Furniture main body (table main body) 1...Legs F...Floor surface 2...Casters 3...Brake body 4...Brake body drive mechanism 12c...Upper guide member 13c...Lower guide member 31...Cushion material 32 ... Suspension member (rod) 41 ... Ratchet wheel 42 ... Operation part 42b ... Arm 42c ... Ratchet pawl 42e ... Pedal 43 ... Rotating cam 43a ... Cam surface 44 ... Link element 44a ... Shaft 44b ... First link member 44c ... Second Link member 45...Spring B...Furniture (tandem chair) C...Furniture (panel) D...Furniture (umbrella stand) Agent Patent attorney Kazuhiro Akazawa

Claims (8)

[Claims] Claim 1: A leg movement device for furniture comprising a brake body and a brake body drive mechanism, wherein the legs are disposed at a position to support the furniture body, and the legs are disposed in a position to support the furniture body, and the legs are disposed in a position to support the furniture body, and the legs are disposed in a position to support the furniture body, and the legs are disposed in a position to support the furniture body. The casters are attached to form a pair of casters, and the brake body is disposed on the lower surface of the leg body between the pair of casters so that it can be raised and lowered, and the brake body drive mechanism moves the brake body to the floor surface when moving the furniture. 1. A leg movement device for furniture, characterized in that the leg movement device can be held above the floor and elastically press a braking body against a floor surface within a range where the casters do not lift up when the furniture is in use. 2. The leg movement device for furniture according to claim 1, wherein the braking body has a plate shape extending horizontally between a pair of casters. 3. The leg movement device for furniture according to claim 2, wherein the brake body has cushioning material on the lower surface of both ends. 4. The braking body drive mechanism includes a ratchet wheel pivotally attached to the leg, an operation unit that rotates the ratchet wheel in pitch units, and a feed operation and a return operation every other pitch in synchronization with the ratchet wheel. A rotating cam that repeats this process, and when this rotating cam performs a feed operation, it engages with the cam surface to push down the brake body, and when the rotating cam performs a return operation, the engagement is released. 2. The leg movement device for furniture according to claim 1, comprising a link element and a spring that pulls up the braking body when the link element releases engagement with the cam surface. 5. The braking body has a suspension member integrally formed in the center of the upper surface, and the suspension member is slidably fitted into a guide member fixed to the leg body. The leg movement device for furniture according to claim 4. 6. The link element comprises first and second link members whose one ends are pivotally connected to each other, the opposite end of the first link member being pivotally connected to the leg body, and the second link member being pivotally connected to the leg body. 6. The leg movement device for furniture according to claim 5, wherein the opposite pivot end of the member is pivotally connected to the suspension member, and the intermediate pivot point is engaged with a cam surface of the rotating cam. . 7. A claim characterized in that link elements are provided on both sides of the rotary cam, and a shaft bridging intermediate pivot points of both link elements is engaged with a cam surface of the rotary cam. A leg movement device for the furniture according to item 6. 8. The operating portion includes an arm having an intermediate portion pivotally connected to a leg body, a ratchet pawl that engages with the ratchet wheel rotatably attached to one rotating end of the arm, and the other arm of the arm. and a pedal attached to the rotating end of the ratchet wheel, and each time the pedal is depressed, the ratchet wheel rotates one pitch at a time, returning the pedal to the state before the operation each time. A leg movement device for the furniture according to item 7.