JPH0455686B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a footboard device suitably used as a study desk or the like.

[Prior Art] Various improvements have been made to study 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 whose seating height is adjustable. However, 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 the sitting height can be adjusted as the child grows. I'm starting to do that. 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 this footboard is made into a mere shelf board, this footboard will get in the way, making it 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 have been attached to the opposing inner wall surfaces of the desk body so that their positions can be changed vertically, and a footboard is suspended horizontally between the horizontal rail surfaces of these two rail members, and the bottom surface of this footboard is It has been proposed that the front end of a link member is pivotally mounted at an intermediate position, and the rear end of this link member is pivotally supported on the rear end of the rail member. In addition, in this case, the link member is
A special torsion coil spring biases the link member so that it converges near a position orthogonal to the footboard, and when this link member is rotated backwards against the biasing force, the footboard is It is supported by a rail member. 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.

With this configuration, if a chair is inserted under the desk top when the footboard is not in use and the footboard is not in use, the legs of the chair will push the front end of the footboard backwards. I will do it. Press the front edge of the footboard backwards.
Since this footboard is held with its rear end floating, and its intermediate position is connected to the rear end of the rail member via a link member, this footboard can slide on the rail surface while its front end side is floating. The end side will rise and stand up. Therefore, the chair can be accommodated under the desk top without being obstructed by the footboard.
Then, when the pressure from the chair is released, the link member is pressed backward by the biasing force of the spring, so the footboard
Due to the biasing force of the spring and the gravity acting on itself, it returns to its original position of use.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this configuration, the link member is connected by a small torsion coil spring.
It is necessary to force the footboard to return to an intermediate position rather than in a fixed direction, and when in use, the rear end of the footboard must be slightly raised above the rail surface against gravity.
There is a problem in that it is difficult to select the spring force.
Also, small springs are easily fatigued, so
Even if the optimal amount of lift is initially secured, as the springs become fatigued after long-term use, the lift may disappear and the footboard may become flat. If the footboard becomes horizontal, even if the front end is pressed backwards by a chair, the pressing force will be difficult to convert into upward rotational force of the link member, which may lead to a situation where the footboard will not stand up smoothly. There is.

The present invention aims to solve such problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve such objects, the present invention has the following features:
The following configuration is adopted.

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

[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] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described 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 symmetrical shape, and has a second
In the figure, the intermediate portion is omitted. 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 foot board 4 is installed between both rail members 3, and a front end 51 is pivotally connected to an intermediate position on the lower surface side of the foot board 4, and a rear end 52 is pivotally supported to the rear end 3a of the rail member 3. and a link member 5.

The desk main body 1 has a top plate 15 installed between the upper ends of left and right side plates 13 and 14, and the height of the top plate 15 cannot be adjusted. One inner wall surface 11 formed by the left side plate 13 and the right side plate 1
The seat and legs 61 of the chair 6 whose seat height is adjustable can be accommodated in a space 17 formed between the sleeve 16 provided on the inside of the chair 4 and the other inner wall surface 12 . 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.
a base body 32 attached to the inner wall surfaces 11 and 12 via the ribs 3 protruding inward from the base body 32;
3, and the upper surface of the rib 33 serves as a rail surface 34. A concave groove 35 continuous to the rail surface 34 is provided at the rear end 3a of the rail member 3. The recessed groove 35 has a narrow entrance portion 35a and a bottom portion 35 that is circular in side view.
It has an inverted keyhole shape consisting of b. The two front and rear screws 31 that fix the base 32 of the rail member 3 are
It is adapted to be screwed into an insert nut 36 embedded in the inner wall surfaces 11 and 12. 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. And, no matter which position the rail member 3 is attached, both rail members 3
The rail surface 34 of is set to be held horizontally.

The footboard 4 is rectangular and has a depth that is slightly less than half the depth of the space 17. Both ends 41a of the lower surface 41 are supported by the rail surfaces 34, and the inner wall surfaces 11, It is built between 12 rooms.

The link member 5 is made of, for example, a metal wire, and has an inwardly bent front end 51 pivotally connected to bearings 42 attached to portions near both ends of the lower surface 41 of the footboard 4, and protrudes outward. The rear end portion 52 is engaged with the recessed groove 35 of the rail member 3 and is pivotally supported. 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 is engaged with the aforementioned inverted keyhole-shaped concave groove 35 that allows rotation of the rear end 52 only at the bottom 35b. A gripping portion 71 is provided at the intermediate portion of the connecting rod 7. The gripping portion 71 is formed by deforming a member into a U-shape, and when the footboard 4 is installed between the rail members 3, the rear end 44 of the footboard 4 is
It is becoming possible to get close to 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 these link members 5 are expanded by an external force, and the front end portions 5 are expanded.
1 is engaged with the shaft hole 46 of the bearing 42, as shown in FIG. Therefore, portions near the front ends of both link members 5 come into elastic contact with the outsides of both bearings 42. Therefore, on the outside of both of these bearings 42, there are parts shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, a cam surface 47 is provided. 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, the link member 5 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. Therefore, the link member 5 is elastically biased by the guiding action of the cam surface 47 described above so as to converge to the neutral position shown by the solid line in FIG. There is. The inclination of the cam surface 47 and the elastic contact force of the link member 5 with respect to the cam surface 47 are such that when the foot board 4 is placed on the rail surface 34, the rear end 44 side of the foot board 4 touches the rail surface 34. The value is selected so that it slightly rises from the .

With such a configuration, the footboard 4 is held at a certain angle with respect to the link member 5 due to the balance between the elastic force that attempts to return the link member 5 to the neutral position and the gravity acting on the footboard 4, etc. It is held on the rail surface 34 with an angle θ. Therefore, when the chair 6 is stored in the space 17 under the top plate of the desk body 1, when the front end 43 of the footboard 4 is pressed backward with the legs 61 of the chair 6, the backward pressing force F is This acts as a force that lifts the front end portion 51 of the link member 5 upward. As a result, the footboard 4
As shown in the figure, the front end 43 moves rearward along the rail surface 34, and the intermediate portion thereof is lifted up by the tension of the link member 5 and stands upright. When the pressing force F by the chair 6 is released, the footboard 4 returns to its original position as shown in FIG. I will do it.

In addition, this device provides a cam surface 47 on the end face of the bearing 42 on the link member 5 side, and utilizes the elasticity of the wire that integrally constitutes the link member 5 and the connecting rod 7. 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, if the shape of the cam surface 47 is set 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.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a cam surface is provided on the outside of the bearing, but as shown in FIG. 10, a cam surface 147 may be provided on the inside of the bearing 142. 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. , while deforming the front end sides of both link members 105 in a direction toward each other, the front and rear parts 151 of both link members 105 are moved toward both bearings 142.
All you have to do is engage it from the inside.

In addition, the shape of the desk itself, the shape of the footboard,
Alternatively, 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 the designed angle without making delicate initial settings.

Further, since the large spring made of the wire rod can be effortlessly bent to carry out the above-described required operation, the elastic force is less likely to decrease due to fatigue. Therefore, 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, it is possible to first attach the bearing to the footboard or provide it integrally with the footboard, and then easily attach the link member 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 an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the main parts, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the main parts. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the link member and footboard, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bearing, Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the bearing, Fig. 7 is a side view of the bearing, Fig. 8 is a side sectional view of the footboard, FIG. 9 is a side sectional view for explaining the action. 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, 11,1
2...Inner wall surface, 34...Rail surface, 35...Concave groove, 35a...Inlet part, 35b...Bottom part, 42...
...Bearing, 47...Cam surface, 51...Front end, 52
... Rear end portion, 71 ... Grip section, 105 ... Link member, 107 ... Connection rod, 142 ... Bearing, 1
47...Cam surface, 151...Front end.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A pair of rail members attached to opposing inner wall surfaces of the desk main body, a foot board 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 foot board. 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 end portions of both link members are integrally connected via a connecting rod, a cam surface is provided on the end surface of the bearing on the link member side, and the link member is moved by using the elasticity of the wire that constitutes the link member and the connecting rod. A footboard device for a desk, characterized in that the footboard device is brought into elastic contact with the cam surface.