JPS6228914Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a stepless locking device that uses a locking mechanism in which the length between both ends can be set steplessly and has a stroke longer than the stroke of the locking mechanism.

When adjusting the height of a table etc. steplessly, a gas spring or friction lock mechanism with a locking function has traditionally been used, but in this type of conventional device, the lifting stroke of the table is the stroke of the locking device used. Many of them are constructed almost equally, and if you want to increase the table stroke, you will need a large locking device. Further, in order to avoid this, it is possible to use a lever mechanism, but the lever mechanism itself is large and has a complicated structure. Therefore, in any case, a large space is required to accommodate each of these mechanical parts, and the space under the top plate of a table or the like is inevitably narrow.

The present invention was developed under the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a locking mechanism that is simple in construction, requires little space, can be locked in a stepless manner, and is especially suitable for table lifting devices. The purpose of this invention is to provide a stopping device.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to the illustrated embodiments. A dining table 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a main table 2 and a side table 3. The main table 2 has upper frames 4, 4,
It has a top plate 8 supported by legs consisting of lower frames 5, 5, pillars 6, 7, etc. The pillars 6 and 7 are arranged side by side so that the distance between them becomes narrower toward the bottom. Further, the side table 3 includes a top plate 9 supported by pillars 6 and 7 so as to be movable up and down, as will be described later. This top plate 9 is configured to be raised and lowered along guide columns 10 erected on the lower frame 5. Each of the above frames 4, 5,
The columns 6, 7, the guide column 10, etc. are all formed from a tubular metal material.

The dining table 1a shown in FIG. 2 has an intermediate frame 5 to which a lower frame 5 is integrally connected.
Other than having a, the structure is substantially the same as Table 1 above, so corresponding parts are shown with the same symbols and their explanation will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, tubular sliding members 11 and 11 are respectively fitted into the pillars 6 and 7 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction. These sliding members 11, 11
Support members 12, 12 are fixed to each of them by appropriate means such as welding. support member 12,
12, arm portions 13, 13 extending obliquely upward;
Each pair of leg portions 14, 14 protrudes laterally. Sliders 15, 15 are attached to the distal ends of the arms 13, 13, respectively. Further, a base end portion of a support arm 17 is fixed to a tubular sliding member 16 that is fitted to the guide column 10 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction by an appropriate means such as welding. The tip of the support arm 17 is attached to the top plate 9. Mounted on the top plate 9 are seats 18, 18 into which the sliders 15, 15 are slidably fitted.

As shown in Fig. 4, the friction lock mechanism 20 is provided with a rod 24 slidably inserted through an outer cylinder 21 via bearings 22, 23. The base end of an operating lever 25 is wound around the outer periphery of the rod 24, and the free end passes through a guide hole 26 rotatably in the circumferential direction and extends outside the outer cylinder 21. The coil springs 27, 28 are wound in opposite directions and have an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the rod 24 in the free state, and each inner end is connected to the operating lever 25.
and the outer ends of the bearings 22 and 23 are fixed to the bearings 22 and 23.
The coil springs 27 and 2
An inner cylinder 29 is provided around the outer periphery of the bearing 22, 23. Coil springs 27, 2
8. An inclined surface 22 having an inclination angle larger than the natural helix angle of
a and 23a are formed, respectively.
In the locked state where the operating lever 25 is not released, the coil springs 27, 28 are in close contact with the outer periphery of the rod 24, and when an external force is applied to the rod 24 in the axial direction, they are bent beyond the natural helical angle, tightening the rod 24 and preventing its axial displacement.
When the operating lever 25 is released, the inner ends of the coil springs 27, 28 are rotated in the rewinding direction. At this time, the increase in the outer diameter of the coil springs 27, 28 is limited by the inner cylinder 29, so the inner diameter increases uniformly over the entire length, and the rod 24 becomes movable in the axial direction. When the release force is removed, the operating lever 25 is returned to the locked position by the restoring force of the coil springs 27, 28, and is maintained in the locked state until the release force is applied again.

In the friction lock mechanism 20, each end of the outer cylinder 21 and the rod 24 facing away from each other has pins 30, 3.
It is rotatably connected to the leg portions 14 through 0.

In the device configured as described above, when the operating lever 25 is released to the unlocked state, the friction lock mechanism 20 becomes telescopic and the top plate 9 becomes movable up and down. In this case, the top plate 9 is the guide pillar 10
, the sliders 15, 15 slide relative to the seats 18, 18 according to the respective inclination angles of the columns 6, 7 with respect to the guide column 10. Therefore,
The top plate 9 is raised and lowered while maintaining an initially set posture, for example, a horizontal state.

When the top plate 9 reaches the desired height, the operating lever 2
If the release force applied to 5 is removed, the friction lock mechanism 20 will no longer be able to extend or contract, and the top plate 9 will also no longer be able to be raised or lowered. That is, since the distance between the columns 6 and 7 changes in the vertical direction, the friction lock mechanism 20 is prevented from expanding and contracting as the top plate 9 moves up and down, and the sliding members 11 and 7 are prevented from expanding and contracting. 11 are engaged with the supports 6 and 7 to hold the top plate 9 at a desired height.

According to the above configuration, on a plane including the central axes of the columns 6 and 7, the included angles between the central axes of the guide column 10 and the central axes of the columns 6 and 7 projected onto this plane are a and β, respectively. , and if the effective stroke of the top plate 9 along the guide column 10 is L, then the effective stroke l of the friction lock mechanism 20 is l
=L(tanα+tanβ). Each included angle a,
Since both β can be set sufficiently smaller than 45 degrees, l<L can be established, and even if the friction lock mechanism 20 with a small effective stroke is used, the effective stroke of the top plate 9 can be set sufficiently large. . Further, the height of the top plate 9 can be set steplessly, and the structure is simple, requiring less space.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be applied to the main table 2 in addition to the side table 3, for example. Moreover, it is applicable to various devices other than tables, and the moving direction may be, for example, the horizontal direction. Further, either one of the supports 6 and 7 may be vertical, and the distance between them may become narrower toward the top. Furthermore, the struts 6, 7 may be arranged on different planes or formed non-linearly.

In the present invention, as described above, sliding members that are slidable in the longitudinal direction are respectively fitted to a pair of columns in which the mutual spacing at each position in the longitudinal direction increases or decreases, and friction locks are attached to these sliding members. Since both ends of the mechanism are connected to each other, when the friction lock mechanism is placed in a telescopic, non-locked state, the sliding member becomes slidable, and when placed in a locked state, the sliding member is locked to the column. Therefore, the relative position between the column and the sliding member can be set steplessly, and the effective stroke of the sliding member can be set sufficiently larger than the effective stroke of the friction lock mechanism. In addition, since the struts, friction lock mechanisms, etc. can be arranged substantially in a plane, the required space is small and the structure is simple. Furthermore, if applied to a lifting device for a top plate, etc., the space under the top plate can be formed sufficiently wide, so that a locking device particularly suitable for a table etc. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views illustrating different tables to which the present invention is applied, Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 illustrates the main parts of the friction lock mechanism. It is an enlarged sectional view. 6, 7... Support column, 11... Sliding member, 20...
Friction lock mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a pair of pillars installed so that the mutual distance at each position in the longitudinal direction increases or decreases in sequence;
It is equipped with a pair of sliding members fitted to each of these pillars so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, and a locking mechanism connected to each of these sliding members and capable of steplessly setting the length between both ends. A locking device.