JP3568619B2 - Furniture equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a furniture device, and more particularly to a furniture device such as a kitchen device, a vanity table, and a desk, in which a counter portion is supported by a pair of legs so as to be vertically movable so that the height of the counter portion can be adjusted.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a furniture apparatus in which a counter unit is supported on a base so as to be vertically movable so that the height of the counter unit can be adjusted is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-39464.
[0003]
This furniture device will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The furniture device 01 is composed of a counter unit 010 having a top plate 02 and an elevating device 04 for raising and lowering the counter unit 010 on a base 03. . As shown in FIG. 7 in particular, the lifting device 04 is rotatably supported at both ends of the bottom surface of the top plate 02, and has screw rods 05 having opposite male threads cut at both ends. A nut 06 that meshes with the upper end is pivotally attached to the nut 06, and a lower end is axially fixed on the base 03, and the counter 06 is moved up and down in response to the screw 06 reciprocating. And a link 07.
[0004]
The counter unit 010 having the lifting device 04 configured as described above at both ends can rotate up and down by rotating the handle 08 and rotating the screw bar 05 via the conductive member 09. .
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described invention, since the counter unit 010 must be manually rotated through the handle 08 in order to move up and down, it is necessary to move the counter unit 010 quickly or to raise or lower the counter unit 010 greatly. It takes time, the amount of work increases, and it is complicated.
[0006]
Therefore, it is possible to automatically raise and lower the counter unit 010 by using an electric motor or the like as a driving unit of the lifting device, but there is a problem that the device becomes large and the cost increases. .
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a furniture device capable of quickly and smoothly adjusting the height of a counter section and easily without using labor. And
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the furniture device of the present invention includes a counter portion, a pair of upper leg portions fixed to the left and right sides of the counter portion, and a pair of lower leg portions that support the upper leg portions so as to be able to move up and down, A vertically expandable and contractible gas spring having a lower end connected to the lower leg and an upper end connected to the upper leg, and a lock mechanism provided on at least one of the gas springs and capable of performing an operation for switching between an expanded and contracted locked state and a free state. Position fixing means for fixing the upper leg to an arbitrary height position with respect to the lower leg , and both ends of the horizontal shaft are rotatably connected to the pair of upper legs so as to be rotatable. The part and each lower leg are coupled to be able to move up and down by a pair of support mechanisms, and the pair of support mechanisms apply a force to rotate the horizontal axis around its central axis when the upper leg moves up and down. The horizontal axis is the left and right upper legs And a synchronization-forcing means for synchronizing the lifting movement and locking with respect to the lower leg portion of the support mechanism includes a first link one end of which is fixed against rotation at both ends of the horizontal shaft, one end portion A second link pivotally attached to the first link and the other end pivotally attached to the lower leg .
[0013]
[Action]
Since the lower end is pivotally attached to the lower leg and the upper end is pivotally attached to the upper leg, and the counter is supported by a gas spring that always exerts a force in the extension direction, by releasing the lock mechanism of the position fixing means. It rises by the gas pressure and can easily fall by applying a downward force. By operating the lock mechanism, the counter section can be fixed at an arbitrary height. Furthermore, since the upper and lower legs provided on the left and right are always moved up and down and locked synchronously with respect to the respective lower legs by means of a synchronous forcing means by a horizontal axis, the counter section is smoothly and horizontally maintained. Ascend and descend while maintaining.
[0014]
The position fixing means is a lock mechanism provided on at least one of the gas springs, and switching between the expansion and contraction lock state and the free state can be performed by, for example, operating a push valve. Even without the provision, the counter unit can be easily moved up and down and fixed in position.
[0015]
The synchronous forcing means comprises a horizontal shaft pivotally connected to both upper leg portions so that the left and right ends are rotatable, and a pair of support mechanisms for vertically connecting the horizontal shaft end portions and the respective lower leg portions, The pair of support mechanisms apply a rotational force about the central axis to the horizontal axis when the upper leg section moves up and down, so that when the counter section moves up or down, or when the counter section is unbalanced, an unbalanced force is locally applied in the vertical direction. Even in such a case, the rotational force of the horizontal shaft generated by the vertical movement is transmitted to the other support mechanism, so that the left and right vertical movement is reliably prevented.
[0016]
A support mechanism having a first link having one end fixed to each end of the horizontal shaft in a non-rotatable manner, and a second link having one end pivotally connected to the first link and the other end pivotally connected to the lower leg. With the configuration including the link, the horizontal axis can be installed in a place that is inconspicuous from outside the lower surface of the counter unit.
[0018]
【Example】
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows a front sectional view of a furniture apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It comprises an upper leg 3 extending downward, and a lower leg 4 which is loosely inserted into the upper leg 3, a lower end of which is in contact with the floor, and which supports the upper leg 3 so as to be able to move up and down. In this embodiment, the upper leg 3 and the lower leg 4 are formed in a substantially box shape by a plurality of leg plates 5 and 6, respectively.
[0019]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper leg 3 is movable up and down with respect to the lower leg 4 via a plurality of guide rollers 7 pivotally mounted via a mounting plate 13 in the upper leg 3. It is supported by. Further, the guide roller 7 is formed to have a substantially H-shaped cross section, and is supported by the lower leg 4 via a convex groove 8 formed in the leg plate 6 of the lower leg 4, so that the guide roller 7 may be laterally displaced or the like. It does not easily deviate from the lower leg 4.
[0020]
Further, gas springs 9 and 9 'are provided in the left and right upper leg portions 3, respectively, and at least one of the gas springs 9 (the right side in FIG. 1) has a lock mechanism. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas spring 9 having the lock mechanism has an upper end of the main body 10 on the lower surface of the counter 2, and a lower end of the piston rod 11 having an outer surface of the leg plate 6 of the lower leg 4 via the mounting member 12. And the upper leg 3 and the lower leg 4 are connected to each other.
[0021]
The gas spring 9 with a lock mechanism opens and closes a valve (not shown) provided in the main body 10 of the gas spring 9 by a push rod 14 extending into the piston rod 11, thereby applying gas pressure to the piston rod 11. , And can be locked at a predetermined position.
[0022]
A wire 15 covered with a cover 16 is fixed to an arm 18 pivotally attached to the mounting member 12, and the wire 15 is connected to a foot pedal 17 mounted on the floor.
[0023]
One point of the arm 18 is in contact with the tip of the push rod 14, and the arm 18 can press the push rod 14 of the piston rod 11 by pressing the pedal 19. That is, the expansion and contraction operation of the gas spring 9 can be made free or locked by the foot pedal 17.
[0024]
In the vicinity of the lower part of the counter part 2, a horizontal shaft 20 is provided extending right and left ends so as to penetrate the leg plates 5, 5 of the upper legs 3, 3, respectively. One end of an elevating arm 23 as a support mechanism connected to the part 4 is fixed non-rotatably, and the horizontal shaft 20 and the elevating arm 23 constitute synchronous forcing means. That is, the lifting arm 23 has a first link 21 non-rotatably fixed to an end of the horizontal shaft 20, one end pivotally connected to the leg plate 6 in the lower leg 4, and the other end pivotally connected to the first link 21. And a second link 22 attached thereto.
[0025]
When raising the counter section 2 of the furniture apparatus 1 configured as described above, the piston rod 14 is pressed by the arm 18 via the pedal 19 of the foot pedal 17. Then, since the force of the gas spring 9 to expand exceeds the load of the entire furniture device 1, the upper leg 3 is forcibly raised with respect to the lower leg 4. In the case of lowering, the load may be applied further downward from above the counter section 2 while pressing the pedal 19 as described above.
[0026]
When it is desired to fix the counter 2 at a desired height, the foot is released from the pedal 19 to stop the expansion / contraction operation of the gas spring 9, that is, the lock mechanism in the gas spring 9 operates, and it is easy and optional. The counter section 2 can be stopped at the height position of.
[0027]
If the up-and-down movement of the counter section 2 is performed via the gas spring 9 in this way, the counter section can be moved up and down smoothly and quickly by an inexpensive and simple mechanism, and a simple lock mechanism can be provided. It can be fixed at an arbitrary height by using it.
[0028]
As described above, when the counter unit 2 moves up and down, in this embodiment, the gas spring 9 having the lock mechanism is used for only one of them, but both the gas springs 9 and 9 'are provided with the lock mechanism. And both gas springs may be locked at the same stroke and at the same timing.
[0029]
However, in the case of the present embodiment, the lock mechanism is used for only one gas spring 9 to simplify the structure. Therefore, the vertical movement of the upper leg 3 provided on the inner side of the gas spring 9 having the lock mechanism is caused by the factors such as the structure of the furniture device 1 and the load, etc. It is also conceivable that a shift occurs in the timing of movement or fixation, which hinders vertical movement. Therefore, by connecting the left and right upper leg portions 3 with each other by the horizontal shaft 20 as described above, the deviation of the elevation timing of the both upper leg portions 3 is structurally covered.
[0030]
That is, as the counter section 2 moves up and down, the two raising and lowering arms 23, 23 composed of the first link 21 and the second link 22 bend and extend, so that a rotational force is applied to the horizontal shaft 20. For example, when a downward force is applied to one of the upper legs 3, one of the lifting arms 23 attempts to bend due to this force. In order to apply a bending force to the arm 23 in the same manner, the counter 2 always moves horizontally. As a result, if only one side has a lock mechanism, the other upper leg 3 is also controlled by this lock mechanism, and the left and right upper legs 3 are moved through the horizontal shaft 20 and the elevating arm 23. Synchronous lifting and locking can be performed more reliably, and smooth operation and vertical movement of the counter are ensured. In this case, there is no need to provide a lock mechanism or the like on each of the two legs, or to provide a separate device for operating the gas spring 9 or the like synchronously.
[0031]
FIG. 4 shows a reference example of the synchronization forcing means . The specific overall configuration is almost the same as that of the above-described embodiment, but the lower leg portion is provided at both ends of the horizontal shaft 20 instead of the lifting arm 23. 4 in that a pinion 25 meshing with a linear rack 24 formed on the side surface of the pin 4 is pivotally mounted.
[0032]
Since the rack 24 is formed in the concave portion 26 formed on the side surface of the lower leg portion 4, the pinion 25 does not easily deviate. The end of the horizontal shaft 20 penetrating through the inside of the leg plate 5 is further extended, and is pivotally connected to the mounting plate 13. As shown in FIG. 5, a guide roller 7 similar to the above-described embodiment is pivotally mounted on the side facing the pinion 25.
[0033]
As described above, since the horizontal shaft 20 moves up and down together with the upper leg portion 3, the rotational force or the fixing force is applied to both the left and right by the pinion 25 meshing with the rack 24. As a result, smooth operation and vertical movement of the counter are ensured. Further, since the pinion 25 functions as the guide roller 7, the apparatus is simplified.
[0034]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are changes and additions without departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention. It is.
[0035]
For example, in the present invention, the gas springs are provided on the left and right. However, only one of them may be provided, or a plurality of gas springs may be provided.
[0036]
Further, the position fixing means may be provided other than the gas spring, and may be a lock mechanism or the like for restricting the rotation of the horizontal shaft.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
[0038]
(A) Since the lower end is pivotally attached to the lower leg and the upper end is pivotally attached to the upper leg, and the counter is supported by a gas spring that always exerts a force in the extension direction, the lock mechanism of the position fixing means is released. As a result, the pressure rises due to the gas pressure, and can be easily lowered by applying a downward force. By operating the lock mechanism, the counter section can be fixed at an arbitrary height. Furthermore, since the upper and lower legs provided on the left and right are always moved up and down and locked synchronously with respect to the respective lower legs by means of a synchronous forcing means by a horizontal axis, the counter section is smoothly and horizontally maintained. Ascend and descend while maintaining.
[0039]
(B) The position fixing means is a lock mechanism provided on at least one of the gas springs, and the switching between the expanded and contracted locked state and the free state can be performed by, for example, operating a push valve. The lifting and lowering movement and the position fixing of the counter section can be easily performed without providing a lock mechanism.
[0040]
(C) Synchronizing forcing means includes a horizontal shaft pivotally connected to both upper legs so that the left and right ends are rotatable, and a pair of support mechanisms for vertically connecting both ends of the horizontal shaft and the respective lower legs. Since the pair of support mechanisms apply a rotational force to the horizontal axis about its central axis when the upper leg moves up and down, an unbalanced force is locally applied to the counter when the counter moves up or down. Even in the case where it is applied in the vertical direction, the rotational force of the horizontal shaft generated by the vertical movement is transmitted to the other support mechanism, so that the left and right vertical movement is reliably prevented.
[0041]
(D) a support mechanism having a first link whose one end is non-rotatably fixed to both ends of the horizontal shaft, one end pivotally attached to the first link, and the other end pivotally attached to the lower leg; And the second link, the horizontal axis can be installed in a place inconspicuous from the outside of the lower surface of the counter section.
[0043]
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating a furniture system of the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation state of the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged main part enlarged view of a furniture device showing a reference example of the synchronization forcing means .
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view showing a conventional furniture device.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Furniture device 2 Counter part 3 Upper leg part 4 Lower leg part 5 Leg plate 6 Leg plate 7 Guide roller 8 Convex part 9, 9 'Gas spring 10, 10' Body part 11 Piston rod 12 Mounting member 13 Mounting plate 14 Push rod 15 Wire 16 Cover 17 Foot pedal 18 Press member 19 Pedal 20 Horizontal shaft 21 First link 22 Second link 23 Elevating arm 24 Rack 25 Pinion 26 Recess

Claims (1)

A counter section,
A pair of upper leg portions fixed to the left and right of the counter portion,
A pair of lower legs for supporting both upper legs so as to be able to move up and down,
A gas spring which can be vertically extended and contracted in which the lower end is connected to the lower leg and the upper end is connected to the upper leg, respectively.
A position fixing means provided on at least one of the gas springs and capable of performing an operation of switching between an extended and contracted locked state and a free state, and a position fixing means for fixing an upper leg at an arbitrary height position with respect to the lower leg. ,
Both ends of the horizontal shaft are pivotally connected to the pair of upper legs so as to be rotatable, and both ends of the horizontal shaft and the respective lower legs are connected so as to be able to move up and down by a pair of support mechanisms. A synchronous forcing means for applying a force to the horizontal axis to rotate around its central axis when the upper leg is moved up and down, so that the horizontal axis synchronizes the vertical movement of the left and right upper legs with the lower leg and locking. and, with a,
The support mechanism has a first link, one end of which is non-rotatably fixed to both ends of the horizontal shaft, one end of which is pivotally connected to the first link, and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the lower leg. And a second link .

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