WO2006115381A2

WO2006115381A2 - A rocking bench

Info

Publication number: WO2006115381A2
Application number: PCT/KR2006/001581
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jong Wook Lee
Original assignee: Jong Wook Lee
Priority date: 2005-04-27
Filing date: 2006-04-27
Publication date: 2006-11-02
Also published as: KR20060004609A; WO2006115381A3; KR20050046704A; KR20060113388A; KR100796197B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rocking bench, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rocking bench, wherein a seating member (100) on which a user sits is installed to be stably and smoothly rocked forward and backward so that the user can take a comfortable and easy rest. The object of the present invention is achieved by providing a rocking bench, comprising a seating member (100) having a seat (102) on which a user sits and a back support (101) on which the user leans; roller support members (400, 500) having upper ends installed at both sides on a bottom surface of the seat and lower ends provided with roielrs; (401, 502) side support members (200, 210) vertically installed at both sides of the seating member (100) and having arc-shaped rolling plates (202) on inner surfaces thereof so that the rollers can roll on upper surfaces of the rolling plates; a shaft member (300) having both ends installed at the side support members while passaing through insert holes (201, 211) respectively formed at the roller support members (400, 500) and the side support members (200, 210) and stoppers (600, 611 ) installed at front and rear sides of the inner surfaces of the side support members (200, 210) so that the rollers can be restrained not to go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates (202).

Description

A ROCKING BENCH

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a rocking bench, and more particularly, to a rocking bench, wherein a seating member on which a user sits is installed to be stably and smoothly rocked forward and backward so that the user can take a comfortable and easy rest. Background Art

[2] Generally, many benches are installed in rooms, parks and streets so that persons can take a rest thereon, but most of conventional benches take the shape of a chair with a fixed seating member. Thus, there are problems in that the conventional benches do not give better comfort and a user cannot psychologically take a comfortable rest. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[3] The present invention is conceived in consideration of the aforementioned problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a rocking bench that allows a user to take a more comfortable and easier rest.

[4] Another object of the present invention is to provide a rocking bench that can be stably and smoothly rocked. Technical Solution

[5] These objects are achieved by providing a rocking bench, wherein a seating member on which a user sits can be stably and smoothly rocked forward and backward within a predetermined range. The rocking bench comprises a seating member having a seat on which a user sits and a back support on which the user leans; roller support members having upper ends installed at both sides on a bottom surface of the seat and lower ends provided with rollers; side support members vertically installed at both sides of the seating member and having arc-shaped rolling plates on inner surfaces thereof so that the rollers can roll on upper surfaces of the rolling plates; a shaft member having both ends installed at the side support members while passing through insert holes respectively formed at the roller support members and the side support members; and stoppers installed at front and rear sides of the inner surfaces of the side support members so that the rollers can be restrained not to go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates. Brief Description of the Drawings

[6] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rocking bench according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [7] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the rocking bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[8] Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the rocking bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[9] Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state where a seating member of the rocking bench of Fig. 3 is inclined backward.

[10] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a rocking bench according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[11] Fig. 6 is a side sectional view of the rocking bench according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[12] Fig. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state where a seating member of the rocking bench of Fig. 6 is inclined backward.

[13] Fig. 8 is a partially cut-away, enlarged side view of the rocking bench of Fig. 6.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[14] Hereinafter, a rocking bench according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[15] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rocking bench according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the rocking bench, Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the rocking bench, and Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state where a seating member of the rocking bench of Fig. 3 is inclined backward.

[16] The rocking bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a seating member 100 having a seat 102 on which a user sits and a back support 101 on which the user leans; roller support members 400 and 500 having upper ends installed at both sides on a bottom surface of the seat and lower ends provided with rollers 402 and 502, respectively; side support members 200 and 210 vertically installed at both sides of the seating member and having arc-shaped rolling plates 202 and 212 on inner surfaces thereof so that the rollers can roll on upper surfaces of the rolling plates; a shaft member 300 having both ends installed at the side support members while passing through insert holes 401 and 501 formed at the centers of upper portions of the roller support members and insert holes 201 and 211 respectively formed in the side support members at positions on an extension line of the insert holes 401 and 501; and stoppers 600 and 610 installed at front and rear sides of the inner surfaces of the side support members so that the rollers can be restrained not to go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates.

[17] The seating member 100 is made of synthetic resin such as plastics, wood or metal.

The back support 101 may be integrally formed to extend upward from a rear side of the seat 102.

[18] The seating member 100 may be elongated in a longitudinal direction so that several persons may sit thereon together, or it may also be designed as a single chair. A front portion of the seat 102 is provided with a weight 103 heavier than the back support 101 by increasing the thickness thereof or adding a heavy material thereto, so that the seating member can keep its balance when there is no person sitting thereon or no rolling movement.

[19] The roller support members 400 and 500 are formed to have a "T" shape. The upper ends of the roller support members 400 and 500 are coupled to the both sides on the bottom surface of the seat 102 of the seating member 100 by means of coupling means, and the rollers 402 and 502 are rotatably mounted through shafts to lower ends of the roller support members.

[20] As for the coupling means for coupling the roller support members 400 and 500 to the bottom surface of the seat 102, welding may be used in a case where the seating member 100 is made of metal, or bolts and nuts may be used for assembling in a case where the seating member 100 is made of synthetic resin or wood.

[21] The shaft member 300 has a length slightly larger than the longitudinal length of the seating member, and threaded portions 301 and 302 are provided to the both ends of the shaft member 300.

[22] One end of the shaft member 300 is inserted to pass through the insert hole 401 and the insert hole 201 from inside to outside, and a nut 303 is then fastened to the threaded portion 301 exposed on an outer side of the side support member 200. The other end of the shaft member 300 is inserted to pass through the insert hole 501 and the insert hole 211 from inside to outside, and a nut 304 is fastened to the threaded portion 302 exposed on an outer side of the side support member 210.

[23] Meanwhile, in a case where the roller support members 400 and 500 are coupled to the seat 102 of the seating member 100 by using bolts and nuts rather than welding, it is preferred in view of workability that the roller support members be coupled thereto after the roller support members and the side support members 200 and 210 are assembled using the shaft member 300.

[24] The side support members 200 and 210 have a plate shape. The rollers 402 and 502 rotatably mounted through the shafts at lower portions of the roller support members 400 and 500 are in contact with and roll on the upper surfaces of the arc-shaped rolling plates 202 and 212 provided at lower ends on the inner surfaces of the side support members.

[25] The stoppers 600 and 610 perform a braking function so that the rollers 402 and

502 cannot go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates 202 and 212 when rolling forward or backward. Thus, the stoppers 600 and 610 are installed at upper positions within the range of the front and rear ends of the rolling plates.

[26] Since the stoppers 600 and 610 restrain the rollers 402 and 502 so that the rollers cannot go beyond the rolling plates 202 and 212, a forward and backward rocking range of the seating member 100 is also regulated. Accordingly, the rocking range of the seating member may be adjusted according to the installation positions of the stoppers.

[27] The stoppers 600 and 610 may be made of metal. In this case, however, they may cause impact and noise when colliding with the rollers 402 and 502, which may disturb psychological comfort and easiness of a user. Thus, in order to solve this problem, a shock-absorbing material is preferably attached to each of contact surfaces 601 and 611 of the stoppers with which the rollers collide.

[28] However, since the attachment of the shock-absorbing material may increase the number of parts and processes, each of the stoppers 600 and 610 is more preferably formed into a single body out of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber having good elasticity and long life in order to prevent the occurrence of impact and noise without increase in the number of parts and processes.

[29] In addition, if the stoppers 600 and 610 are made of an elastic material, they can provide not only the shock-absorbing function but also a cushioning function when the rollers 402 and 502 rolling during the forward or backward rocking behavior of the seating member 100 collide with the stoppers, thereby allowing a user to feel smoother rocking.

[30] In addition, if each of the contact surfaces 601 and 611 of the stoppers 600 and 610 with which the rollers 402 and 502 are brought into contact has an arc shape corresponding to an outer peripheral surface of one of the rollers, the roller can be brought into surface contact with one of the contact surfaces 601 and 611, thereby preventing partial abrasion and ensuring stable contact.

[31] The rocking bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention constructed as above is maintained in a state shown in Fig. 3 if a user sitting and leaning on the seating member 100 does not swing the rocking bench. If the user swings the rocking bench, the rollers 402 and 502 roll forward or backward along the rolling plates 202 and 212 as shown in Fig. 4, so that the seating member can be rocked forward or backward. At this time, since the rollers make rolling movements along the upper surfaces of the rolling plates, the seating member is stably and smoothly rocked.

[32] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a rocking bench according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6 is a side sectional view of the rocking bench, Fig. 7 is a side sectional view showing a state where a seating member of the rocking bench of Fig. 6 is inclined backward, and Fig. 8 is a partially cut-away, enlarged side view of the rocking bench of Fig. 6.

[33] The rocking bench according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the rollers 402 and 502 make smoother rolling movements so that a user can take an easier and more comfortable rest.

[34] To this end, first and second supports 701 and 711 are respectively installed at front and rear sides of the inner surfaces of the side support members 200 and 210 and at front and rear surfaces of the roller support members 400 and 500, and elastic springs 700 and 710 are interposed between the first and second supports so that the seating member 100 can be kept in its original position due to the balance of elastic forces of the elastic springs when the rollers 402 and 502 do not make rolling movement.

[35] The first supports 701 are bolts that are screwed into threaded holes 703 formed in fixing pieces 702 installed at the front and rear sides of each of the side support members 200 and 210. The second supports 711 are support pins engaged with complementary coupling holes 712 formed at the front and rear surfaces of each of the roller support members 400 and 500.

[36] The support pin has a shape like the bolt. When the elastic springs 700 and 710 are interposed between the bolts and the support pins, which are the first and second supports 701 and 711, heads of the bolts and support pins are fitted into and coupled to both ends of each of the elastic springs. Thus, the elastic springs are installed not to come off unintentionally.

[37] In addition, the coupling hole 712 has a diameter slightly greater than that of the support pin which is the second support 711 such that a gap exists therebetween. Thus, even though the roller support members 400 and 500 are pivoted to any position forward and backward, the second support is moved in the range of the gap so that the elastic spring 710 can always apply the elastic force toward the roller support member and also keep its coupling state.

[38] The rocking bench according to the second embodiment of the present invention is kept in a state shown in Fig. 6 if a user sitting and leaning on the seating member 100 does not swing the rocking bench. If the user swings the rocking bench, the rollers 402 and 502 roll forward or backward along the rolling plates 202 and 212 as shown in Fig. 7 so that the seating member can be rocked forward or backward. At this time, since the elastic springs 700 and 710 apply the elastic forces to the front and rear surfaces of the roller support members 400 and 500, the seating member is not quickly swung but more smoothly and stably rocked even though the user rocks the seating member with a great force. This is because the great force is absorbed by the elastic springs.

[39] At an initial rocking stage, the user should apply his/her own force to rock the seating member 100. However, once the seating member 100 is rocked, one of the elastic springs 700 and 710 is compressed, while the other elastic spring is elastically extended. Thus, the elastic springs are repeatedly compressed and extended so that the rollers 402 and 502 can make rolling movements without subsequent application of a great force by the user.

[40] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the stoppers 600 and 610 are installed at positions within the range of the front and rear ends of the rolling plates to restrain the rollers such that the rollers 402 and 502 do not go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates 202 and 212 while the rollers make rolling movements forward and backward. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent that any expectable modifications made without departing from the spirit of the invention fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the front and rear ends of each of the rolling plates may be upwardly extended with a steep slope to perform a stopper function.

[41] In addition, if the rollers 402 and 502 are positioned not to go beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates 202 and 212 when the elastic springs 700 and 710 installed at the front and rear sides of the roller support members 400 and 500 as in the second embodiment are fully compressed due to the forward and backward movements of the roller support members, the stopper may not be provided. Of course, this modification also falls within the scope of the present invention. Industrial Applicability

[42] As described above, in the rocking bench of the present invention, the seating member can be rocked forward and backward within a predetermined range for user's convenience, and the rocking movement is supported by the rollers rolling along the upper surfaces of the rolling plates so that the seating member can be rocked stably and smoothly. Accordingly, the rocking bench has advantages in that a user can feel psychological easiness and also take a comfortable rest.

Claims

[1] A rocking bench, comprising: a seating member having a seat on which a user sits and a back support on which the user leans; roller support members having upper ends installed at both sides on a bottom surface of the seat and lower ends provided with rollers; side support members vertically installed at both sides of said seating member and having arc-shaped rolling plates on inner surfaces thereof so that the rollers can roll on upper surfaces of the rolling plates; a shaft member having both ends installed at the side support members while passing through insert holes respectively formed at said roller support members and said side support members; and stoppers installed at front and rear sides of the inner surfaces of said side support members so that the rollers can be restrained from going beyond the front and rear ends of the rolling plates. [2] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front portion of the seat has a weight heavier than the back support so that said seating member keeps its balance when no user sits thereon. [3] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stoppers are made of an elastic material and installed at upper positions within the range of the front and rear ends of the rolling plates. [4] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 1 or 3, wherein said stoppers have contact surfaces with which the rollers are brought into contact, and each of the contact surfaces has an arc shape corresponding to an outer peripheral surface of each of the rollers. [5] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 4, wherein the elastic material comprises synthetic rubber. [6] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein elastic springs for applying elastic forces to front and rear surfaces of said roller support members are installed between the front and rear sides of the inner surface of each of said side support members and the corresponding front and rear surfaces of each of said roller support members. [7] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 6, wherein a first support installed in a fixing piece mounted at each of front and rear sides of the inner surface of each of said side support members is coupled to one end of each of the elastic springs, and a second support installed in each of the front and rear surfaces of each of said roller support members in correspondence to the first support is coupled to the other end of each of the elastic springs. [8] The rocking bench as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first support comprises a bolt fastened to a threaded hole formed in the corresponding fixing piece, and the second support comprises a support pin engaged with a coupling hole formed in each of the front and rear surfaces of said roller support members.