JPH11332694A - Armrest device of chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To freely and easily change the arrangement of an armrest with respect to a seat body in accordance with the figure and work contents of a seated person. SOLUTION: In the armrest device of a chair, an armrest supporter 2 is constituted by mounting an upper support rod 2b on a lower support rod 2a which is erected from the side part of the seat body so that the height thereof is adjustable. Front and rear parts on the lower surface of the armrest 3 are mounted on the front and rear parts of an armrest support part 5c which is disposed in the upper end part of the upper support rod 2b and directed in a front and rear direction so that the angle of them are independently changed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an armrest device for a chair in which the position of an armrest on a seat can be changed in accordance with the body type and work content of a sitting person.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Differences in arm positions depending on the shape of a sitting person,
In order to adjust the support position of the arm when operating the keyboard and mouse of a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as a personal computer), a chair that can adjust the position and height of the armrest in the left and right direction is, for example, an actual chair. It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 4-751. However, when actually operating the keyboard and mouse of a personal computer, it is not enough to simply move the elbow rest to the left or right, and rotate the front end inward,
It would be desirable to be able to rest an arm or wrist on it.

[0003] As described above, an elbow pad capable of rotating about a vertical axis is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-1095.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56 and the like. However, the configuration disclosed in this publication is
In combination with the configuration disclosed in No. 751 publication, if the elbow rest is height-adjustable, and can be rotated in the left-right direction, with the elbow rest rotated to the maximum sideways, When a large load such as the weight of the occupant is applied to the distal end of the armrest, a large moment acting on the armrest with the lateral displacement of the armrest acts on the support portion of the armrest and the height adjustment mechanism of the armrest. If the structure of each part is not made very strong, the armrest itself, its supporting part, the height adjustment mechanism, etc. may break, rattling in the left and right direction may occur, or Adjustment may not be smooth. Also, if both the height adjustment mechanism of the armrest and the horizontal rotation mechanism are adopted, the structure of the entire armrest device becomes extremely complicated,
There is also a problem that it becomes expensive.

A chair in which the height of an armrest can be adjusted is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-130 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-4660.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7 and the like.

In any of these publications, a metal support member slidably fitted in the longitudinal direction of a lower support rod is attached to a lower portion of a synthetic resin side cover.
Since the upper part is buried and fixed, the upper part of the support member is put into the mold for molding the side cover, and then the synthetic resin is injected into the mold for molding, The cover and the support member must be integrated, which takes a lot of time to manufacture and makes the product expensive.
There is a problem that the metal support member and the synthetic resin side cover cannot be separated.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, a first object of the present invention is to deal with the body type and work contents of a sitting person, particularly, the operation of a keyboard and a mouse of a personal computer. At the same time, the position of the elbow rest relative to the seat body can be freely and easily changed.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned first problem, in which a large load is applied to the distal end of the elbow rest while the elbow rest is rotated to the maximum side. The moment applied to the base of the armrest, the armrest support, the height adjustment mechanism, etc. is made as small as possible. Or the height adjustment is prevented from becoming uneven, and, consequently, it is possible to realize a combined use of a height changing mechanism and a left-right angle changing mechanism of an armrest. .

A third object of the present invention is to freely adjust the longitudinal direction and the left-right position of the armrest on demand while maintaining the lateral movement of the armrest relative to the armrest support at a small value. Is to be changed to

A fourth object of the present invention is to improve the supporting strength of the elbow rest, and separately manufacture a metal supporting member used for improving the strength and a side cover made of synthetic resin. At the time of assembly, the metal support member and the side cover made of synthetic resin can be easily separated when the product is discarded, and the structure is simple and the assembly is simple. It is an object of the present invention to provide a chair armrest device which can be manufactured easily and at low cost.

[0010] A fifth object of the present invention is to provide the above-described first to fourth aspects.
It is an object of the present invention to achieve simplification of the structure, miniaturization, especially thinning, improvement of operability, reduction of the number of parts, ease of assembly, reduction of manufacturing cost, and the like.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is solved as follows. (1) An upper support rod is mounted on the upper part of the lower support rod standing upright from the side of the seat so that the height of the upper support rod can be adjusted. The elbow pad is mounted on the facing elbow pad support so that the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the elbow pad support, and the longitudinal direction of the elbow pad is changeable in the horizontal direction. .

(2) In the above item (1), the front and rear elbow rest supporting portions provided at the upper end portion of the upper support rod and facing the front and rear direction may include:
By mounting the front and rear parts of the lower surface of the elbow rest independently movable in the left and right direction, the elbow rest can be translated in the left and right direction, and the rotation center is between the front and rear ends of the elbow rest support. The position of the elbow pad in the longitudinal direction can be changed in the horizontal direction.

(3) An upper and lower armrest supporting portion is formed on the upper part of the armrest supporting column standing upright from the side of the seat body, and the front and rear portions of the lower surface of the armrest are provided at the front and rear portions of the armrest supporting portion. The armrests can be moved in the left-right direction independently of each other so that they can be moved in parallel in the left-right direction, and the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the armrest support. In the longitudinal direction can be changed in the left-right direction.

(4) In the above item (2) or (3), by pressing one of the armrest support portion and the armrest against the other, the movement of each part before and after the armrest in the left-right direction can be prevented. Elastic holding means for providing resistance is provided.

(5) In the above item (4), a fitting groove having a width larger than the width of the elbow support is provided on the lower surface of the elbow support, and elastic holding means is provided in the fitting groove with the elbow support. A holding member that is fitted between the fitting grooves of the armrests to fit the armrest supporting portions and that the lower surfaces of the armrests prevent the front and rear ends of the armrest supporting portions from falling out of the fitting grooves. Secure the board.

(6) In the above item (4) or (5), a plurality of engaging portions are respectively provided at a front portion and a rear portion of the fitting groove on the lower surface of the armrest, and a front portion of the upper surface of the elastic holding means is provided. And, at the rear portion, one locking portion that can elastically engage with the engaging portion is provided.

(7) In the above item (6), the engaging portion formed on the lower surface of the armrest is an engaging concave portion, and the engaging portion formed on the upper surface of the elastic holding means is a projection.

(8) In the above item (6) or (7), a metal receiving plate is provided in the fitting groove on the lower surface of the armrest, and a plurality of engaging plates are provided on the metal receiving plate. Form a part.

(9) In any one of the above items (4) to (8), the elastic holding means is an inverted trapezoidal leaf spring having a high front and rear portion and a low center portion.

(10) In any one of the above items (1) and (2) and the above items (4) to (9) subordinate thereto,
It is composed of a metal tubular support member having an inner peripheral surface in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower support rod, and left and right synthetic resin side covers which cover and fasten the tubular support member from both sides.

(11) In the above item (10), ribs are provided at a plurality of upper and lower positions on the inner surface of the side cover so as to be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tubular support member.

(12) In the above item (10) or (11), engaging means for engaging with each other are provided at a plurality of positions inside the mutually facing and abutting portions of the left and right synthetic resin side covers. Provide.

[0023]

1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of a chair (A) to which the present invention is applied. Armrests (1) on both sides support an armrest (3) by an armrest support (2).

The armrest support (2) has a cylindrical lower support (2a) standing slightly upward and slightly forward from both sides of the seat, and a lower support (2a) that extends in the longitudinal direction, It consists of a cylindrical upper support rod (2b) fitted externally so as to be slidable upward. The operation lever (7) is pressed to move the upper support rod (2b) up and down, so that the height of the elbow rest (3) is increased. You can adjust it.
Also, the elbow rest (3) is moved in different directions at the front and rear portions and moved sideways to change the longitudinal direction,
The rotation center is located between the front and rear ends of the upper end of the upper support (2b) so that the angle can be changed in the left-right direction.

First, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an elbow pad (3)
The height adjustment mechanism is explained, and then the elbow rest (3)
The horizontal adjustment mechanism will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower support (2a) is made of a metal pipe having an oval or elliptical cross section, and the upper support (2b) is connected to the lower support (2a). A metallic tubular support member (4) having an inner shape that fits therein, and a left and right synthetic resin side cover (5a) (5)
b).

A plurality of (six in the illustrated case) engagement holes (6a) which are vertically arranged at predetermined intervals and which are long in the front and rear direction are provided on both sides of the upper portion of the lower support rod (2a). An adjusting hole (6) formed with a vertically long communication hole (6b), which communicates the rear ends of the joint hole (6a), is formed.

A screw insertion hole (8) is provided in the front or rear portion (the rear portion in the figure) of the upper end of the metallic tubular support member (4).
At the lower part of both sides, a slot (10) facing the front-rear direction is bored, and at a plurality of places (two places on one side in the figure) on the inner surface. Is formed with a ridge (11) pointing in the vertical direction.

Left and right two side covers made of synthetic resin (5
a) and (5b) have an approximately oval or elliptical cross-sectional shape so as to cover the tubular support member (4) when they are assembled, and the upper end thereof has a long elbow support ( 5c), and an opening for accommodating the operation lever (7) is formed in the front part.

Ribs (12) are provided at a plurality of upper and lower locations on the inner surface of the side covers (5a) and (5b) to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tubular support member (4).

A plurality of engaging portions formed by engaging projections and engaging recesses are provided at a plurality of inner portions of the edges or surfaces of the left and right split side covers (5a) and (5b) which abut against each other. A combining means (13) is formed.

At the lower ends of the side covers (5a) and (5b), outward engaging claws (14) are provided, and the engaging portions engaging with the outward engaging claws (14) are combined. It is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a resin-made tubular lower cover (15).

The front part of the operating lever (7) is located on the side cover (5a).
A spring (16) is exposed to the front part of (5b), and a spring (16) is contracted on the back surface between the spring and the tubular support member (4). Operation lever
The upper end of (7) is pivotally attached to the side covers (5a) and (5b) by pins (17) so as to be pivotable in the front-rear direction, and extends from the pivot into the inside of the tubular support member (4). The fork (7b) at the tip of the extension (7a) is connected to the slot (10) of the tubular support member (4) and the engagement shaft (18) inserted into the adjustment hole (6) of the lower support (2a). ) Is engaged from above.

The tubular support member (4) is provided with a mounting piece at the rear thereof.
(9) is attached to the side cover (5a) by passing the screw (19) through the screw insertion hole (8). After attaching the lower support rod (2a) and the operating lever (7) to the tubular support member (4), the side cover (5b) is engaged with the engagement means (13) by the engagement means of the side cover (5a). (13), the upper part is fastened to each other by screws (20), and the lower part is a tubular lower cover (15) on the outward engaging claw (14).
Are fitted to complete the armrest support (2).

The armrest (1) pushes the operating lever (7) against the force of the spring (16) to adjust the engaging shaft (18) sandwiched between the forked portions (7b). From the engagement hole (6a) of the hole (6) to the communication hole
Move to (6b), and in this state, grasp the elbow pad (3) by hand and move it up and down. With this, along with the elbow pad (3),
The side covers (5a) and (5b) and the tubular support member (4) are the lower support (2a).
To move up and down. When the operator releases the operating lever (7) at the desired height, the engagement shaft (18) is settled from the communication hole (6b) to the nearest engagement hole (6a) by the force of the spring (16). Fixed.

Next, a mechanism for adjusting the position of the elbow rest (3) in the left-right direction will be described.

Side covers (5a) and (5b) of the upper support (2b)
A shallow groove (21) extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the upper surface of the elbow support portion (5c) which is long in the front-rear direction at the upper end of the elbow rest.

The concave groove (21) accommodates a leaf spring (22) as an elastic holding means which can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction. The front and rear portions (22a) and (22b) of the leaf spring (22) float with respect to the central portion (22c), and each of the front and rear portions (22a) and (22b) has one locking portion or projection on the upper surface. (23) is formed. The lower central part (22c) is in contact with the bottom of the groove (21).

On the lower surface of the armrest (3), an armrest support (5c) is provided.
Has a length in the front-rear direction that can be fitted, and an elbow support portion
(5c) upward fitting groove (3
a) is formed.

The front and rear ends of the fitting groove (3a) are formed in two stages, upper and lower, and a slightly wider metal backing plate (24) is fitted in the upper stage. At positions corresponding to the protrusions (23) at the front and rear portions of the leaf spring (22) at the front and rear portions of the backing plate (24),
A plurality of (three in the figure) engagement portions, that is, engagement recesses (25) long in the front-rear direction are formed at intervals in the left-right direction.

Fitting groove of elbow pad (3) fitted with pad plate (24)
(3a), the elbow support (5c) is fitted so that the leaf spring (22) is sandwiched between the lower surface of the backing plate (24) and the bottom of the concave groove (21), and The holding plate (26) prevents the elbow support portion (5c) from coming off the fitting groove (3a).

The holding plate (26) is long in the front-rear direction and has a large opening (27) at the center which is considerably wide in the left-right direction.
(2b) is fitted from below the elbow support (5c), and its front and rear parts (26a) (26b) are fitted into the lower groove of the two-step fitting groove (3a) of the elbow support (3). By fixing with the screw (28), the front and rear ends of the elbow rest support portion (5c) are prevented from dropping out of the fitting groove (3a).

In this state, the leaf spring (22) is elastically pressed between the bottom of the concave groove (21) of the elbow pad support portion (5c) and the pad (24), and its projection (23) ) Is one of the engagement recesses (2
5) to be elastically engaged.

In use, when the elbow pad (3) is grasped from above and a force is applied in the left-right direction, the leaf spring (22) on the fixed side contracts, and the projection (23) has been engaged until now. After coming off the engagement recess (25), the backing plate (24) of the elbow rest (3) shifts laterally and stops by engaging with another engagement recess (25) arranged in the left-right direction.

In this case, since a plurality of engaging recesses (25) at the front and rear portions are provided and are long in the front and rear direction, the front and rear portions of the elbow rest (3) are left and right with respect to the elbow rest support (5c). It can be moved in different directions. That is, elbow rest (3)
The longitudinal direction of the armrest can be changed in the left-right direction so that the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the armrest support portion (5c), and the armrest (3) can be moved in the left-right direction. It can also be translated.

It is to be noted that the contact plate (24) is omitted and the engagement recess (2
5) is formed directly on the lower surface of the elbow pad (3), or a leaf spring (elastic holding means) (22) is pressed against the bottom surface of the concave groove (21) so that the front part of the elbow pad (3) and The rear part may be attached to the armrest (3) side so as to provide a resistance to the left-right movement.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an armrest support portion (30) that is long in the front-rear direction is formed at the upper end of an armrest support (2 ′) standing upright from both sides of the seat body. The armrest (3) is attached with the same horizontal position adjustment mechanism as that of (1).

In the second embodiment, the height of the elbow rest cannot be adjusted, but the same operation and effect as the left-right position adjustment mechanism of the first embodiment can be achieved.

In addition to the above embodiment, for example,
Deformation such as supporting the elbow rest (3) so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis (not shown) protruding at a proper position between the front and rear ends on the upper surface of the elbow rest support (5c) is possible.

[0050]

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, the height of the armrest can be adjusted and the longitudinal direction of the armrest can be changed in the left-right direction. The position of the elbow rest relative to the seat can be effectively adjusted according to the type of work and the type of work. In particular, when operating the keyboard and mouse of a personal computer, the user holds the seat and sits on the chair while grasping the front or rear part of the elbow rest by hand to rotate the front end of the elbow rest inward. You can put your arm or wrist on it and operate the keyboard and mouse easily.

When the angle of the longitudinal direction of the armrest is changed, the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the armrest support, so that the tip of the armrest is separated from the armrest support. The base of the armrest, the armrest support, and the height adjustment mechanism when a large load is applied to the tip of the armrest even when the armrest is rotated to the maximum side without being largely separated to the side. Can be maintained at a small value, so that the armrest, armrest support, height adjustment mechanism, etc. may break, rattling in the left and right directions may occur, or height adjustment may not be smooth. It is possible to prevent the camber from becoming sluggish, and thus to realize a combined use of the mechanism for changing the angle of the elbow rest in the left-right direction and the mechanism for adjusting the height.

(2) According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, not only can the direction of the elbow rest be changed in the left-right direction, but also
Since the elbow rest can be slightly translated in the left-right direction, the function of adjusting the elbow rest is further expanded.

Further, since the elbow rest can be moved in parallel in the left-right direction and can be slightly swung about the vertical axis, there is no need to largely move the entire elbow rest in the left-right direction. , While keeping the lateral movement amount of the arm rest to a small value, the position adjustment request of the arm rest can be sufficiently satisfied.

As a result, even when the armrest is moved to the maximum side, the moment acting on the armrest support and the height adjustment mechanism of the armrest when a large load is applied to the armrest in that state is reduced to a small value. Therefore, sufficient durability can be obtained without increasing the strength of the armrest support rod and the height adjustment mechanism of the armrest.

(3) According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the left and right movement of the elbow rest is prevented by the resistance force of the elastic holding means, so that the resistance force can overcome the resistance force. By shifting the front part or the rear part of the armrest to the side, the position or orientation of the armrest in the left-right direction can be easily changed, and the operability is good.

(4) According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the mechanism for adjusting the position of the armrest in the left-right direction can be made simple and the thickness in the up-down direction can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce the number of parts, ease of assembly, reduction of manufacturing cost, and the like.

(5) According to the invention described in claim 6, the movement of the elbow rest in the left-right direction can be reliably stopped.

(6) According to the seventh aspect of the invention, a steady locking effect can be obtained.

(7) According to the eighth aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the engagement portion from being worn.

(8) According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, independent elastic biasing of the front and rear portions of the elbow rest can be realized with a simple structure.

(9) According to the tenth aspect, the strength and durability of the upper support rod can be improved, and the appearance can be improved. As described above, by improving the strength of the armrest height adjustment mechanism, it is possible to realize both the left-right position adjustment mechanism and the height adjustment mechanism of the armrest. Also, by separately manufacturing the side cover and the tubular support member and attaching them during assembly, the tubular support member and the side cover can be easily separated at the time of product disposal, and the structure is simple. In this case, assembly can be easily performed, so that the device can be manufactured at low cost.

(10) According to the invention described in claim 11,
The side cover and the tubular support member can be attached without play.

(11) According to the invention of claim 12,
The left and right side covers can be connected without displacement or gap.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a chair provided with a first embodiment of an armrest device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the armrest device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the upper part is disassembled and a part of the armrest is cut away.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing only an armrest support column in the same manner.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing a part of the same.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing an armrest device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which an upper part is disassembled and a part of an armrest is cut away.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an upper portion in a broken manner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (A) Chair (1) Armrest (2) (2 ') Armrest support (2a) Lower support (2b) Upper support (3) Armrest (3a) Fitting groove (4) Tubular support (5a) ( 5b) Side cover (5c) Elbow rest support (6) Adjustment hole (6a) Engagement hole (6b) Communication hole (7) Operation lever (7a) Extension (7b) Forked part (8) Screw insertion Hole (9) Mounting piece (10) Slot (11) Rib (12) Rib (13) Engagement means (14) Outward engagement claw (15) Tubular lower cover (16) Spring (17) Pin (18) ) Engaging shaft (19) (20) screw (21) concave groove (22) leaf spring (elastic holding means) (22a) front part (22b) rear part (22c) central part (23) projection (locking part) ( 24) Backing plate (25) Recessed recess (engaging portion) (26) Holding plate (26a) Front (26b) Rear (27) Opening (28) Screw (30) Elbow support

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An armrest support column is formed by mounting an upper support rod on the upper part of a lower supporter standing upright from a side portion of a seat so as to be adjustable in height, and is formed at an upper end of the upper supporter. Elbow rest on the elbow rest support that faces the front and rear direction
An armrest device for a chair, wherein the rotation center is located between the front and rear ends of the armrest support portion, and the longitudinal direction of the armrest support portion is changeable in the left-right direction. 2. A front-rear portion of a lower surface of an armrest is provided on a front-rear portion of an elbow-rest support portion provided at an upper end portion of an upper support rod and facing the front-rear direction.
By being mounted so that it can move in the left and right direction independently of each other, the elbow pad can be translated in the left and right direction,
2. The armrest device for a chair according to claim 1, wherein the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the armrest support portion, and the longitudinal direction of the armrest can be changed in the horizontal direction. . 3. An armrest supporting portion which is oriented in the front-rear direction is formed on an upper part of an armrest supporting column standing upright from a side portion of the seat body, and front and rear portions of a lower surface of the armrest are provided on front and rear portions of the armrest supporting portion. By mounting it as movable left and right independently of each other,
As the elbow rest can be translated in the left and right direction, the center of rotation is located between the front and rear ends of the elbow rest support,
An armrest device for a chair, wherein the longitudinal direction of the armrest can be changed in the left-right direction. 4. An elastic holding means adapted to press against one of the elbow rest support and the elbow rest against the other, thereby imparting a resistance to lateral movement of each part before and after the elbow rest. The armrest device for a chair according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the armrest device is provided. 5. A fitting groove having a width wider than the width of the armrest support portion is provided on the lower surface of the armrest, and in the fitting groove, elastic holding means is provided between the armrest support portion and the fitting groove of the armrest. Characterized in that a holding plate for preventing the falling off of the front and rear ends of the armrest support portion from the fitting groove is fixed to the lower surface of the armrest support portion. The armrest device for a chair according to claim 4, wherein 6. A plurality of engaging portions are provided at a front portion and a rear portion of the fitting groove on the lower surface of the armrest, respectively, and the front and rear portions of the upper surface of the elastic holding means are elastically engaged with the engaging portions. The armrest device for a chair according to claim 4 or 5, wherein one locking portion is provided. 7. The armrest of a chair according to claim 6, wherein the engagement portion formed on the lower surface of the armrest is an engagement recess, and the engagement portion formed on the upper surface of the elastic holding means is a projection. apparatus. 8. A metal receiving plate is provided in a fitting groove on a lower surface of an armrest, and a plurality of engaging portions are formed on the metal receiving plate. Or an armrest device for a chair according to 7. 9. The armrest device for a chair according to claim 4, wherein the elastic holding means is an inverted trapezoidal leaf spring having a high front and rear portion and a low center portion. 10. An upper rod, a metallic tubular support member having an inner peripheral surface abutting against an outer peripheral surface of the lower rod, and right and left synthetic resin covers and fastens the tubular support member from both sides. The armrest device for a chair according to any one of claims 1 and 2, and a subordinate portion thereof. 11. At a plurality of upper and lower locations on the inner surface of the side cover,
The armrest device for a chair according to claim 10, wherein a rib is provided for contacting the outer peripheral surface of the tubular support member. 12. The left and right synthetic resin side covers are provided with engaging means for engaging with each other at a plurality of positions inside the opposing and abutting portions.
Or an armrest device for a chair according to 11.