JP7616094B2 - Under-stairs workspace - Google Patents

Description

This application relates to an under-stair workspace that utilizes the space formed between the bottom of the sloping steps and the floor.

In homes and other buildings, the small space formed below the stairs and surrounded by the sloping back of the steps and the floor (referred to as the "space under the stairs" in this specification) is often enclosed with walls and fixtures and used as storage space or a toilet (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3, etc.).

On the other hand, there are proposals to not completely enclose the space under the stairs with walls or fixtures, but to open it up to the living room or hallway, creating a sense of spaciousness that is integrated with the interior space, while using the corner that is half enclosed by the back of the sloping steps and the wall adjacent to the stairs as a study or workspace (for example, Patent Documents 4 and 5, etc.).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-248080 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-288052 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-42039 JP 2003-227237 A JP 2013-57172 A

In recent years, as working from home has become more common, there is a demand for securing a suitable workspace within the home. As a means of providing this space, the use of the space under the stairs as mentioned above is being reconsidered, but if the space under the stairs is completely enclosed with walls and fixtures, it will feel cramped and stuffy, and there will be a lack of unity with the living space and corridor space adjacent to the stairs.

However, if the space under the stairs is left as an open corner, unenclosed by walls or fixtures, there is a risk that family members coming and going or talking will disrupt your concentration on work, or interfere with online meetings that require the use of cameras.

In addition, to use the space under the stairs as a workspace, you need a desk, chairs or other seating space, shelves, power outlets, lighting, and other equipment, but in reality, it is quite difficult to keep all of this equipment in the space under the stairs, which is not very spacious to begin with.

The invention disclosed in this application has been made in consideration of this situation, and provides an under-stairs workspace that is configured by adding a function to temporarily enclose the under-stairs space, which is an open space that is integrally connected to the adjacent living space and passageway space, and transforms the space into one that makes it easier to concentrate on work.

The invention disclosed in this application is characterized as an under-stairs workspace that utilizes an under-stairs space formed between the back of an upper staircase, which is located in the upper floor area in the ascending and descending direction of a staircase connecting the floor surface of a lower floor with the floor surface of an upper floor, and the floor surface of the lower floor, in which the under-stairs space is installed so that the front side of the upper floor in the ascending and descending direction of the upper staircase and a majority of at least one side surface are open to other living spaces or corridor spaces in a plan view, at least the upper half of the front side of the under-stairs space in the height direction is shielded by a retractable partition panel, and the lower part of the partition panel held in the shielding position is bent toward the under-stairs space to form a desk surface in the under-stairs space where work can be done in a seated position, and a gap is provided between the partition panel and the floor surface of the lower floor.

Furthermore, the upper edge of the partition panel can be rotatably supported at the top of the space under the stairs via a horizontal pivot shaft arranged in the width direction of the upper stairs, and the partition panel can be configured to be stored so as to overlap the back of the steps of the upper stairs.

The partition panel can also be configured so that one side edge of the partition panel is supported via a vertical pivot shaft arranged on a side wall surface that contacts the other side surface of the upper staircase, and the partition panel is stored so that it overlaps the side wall surface.

Furthermore, when the partition panel is held in the shielding position, the side of the space under the stairs that is open to other living spaces or the passage space can be shielded by a shielding member stretched between the side girder of the upper stairs and the partition panel.

If the staircase is a turn-back staircase with a landing midway in the ascending/descending direction, at least a portion of the steps of the lower staircase, located in the area below the landing, can be extended below the upper staircase to form a seating space in the space under the staircase. In that case, the seating space can be a box staircase with a drawer storage in the riser.

The under-stairs workspace according to the invention disclosed in this application can be easily created by simply shielding the front of the upper floor side of the under-stairs space, which is open to the adjacent living space and passageway space, with a retractable partition panel. Therefore, the partition panel can be normally stored to leave the under-stairs space open, and when desk work or the like is required, the partition panel can be unfolded and effectively used as a work space. By folding the lower part of the partition panel, a simple desk surface is formed in the under-stairs space where a person can work in a seated position, so there is no need to keep another desk or the like in the under-stairs space or to bring it in. In addition, a gap is provided between the lower edge of the partition panel and the floor, creating a space where people are less likely to feel cramped or stuffy even while working.

FIG. 1 is a first floor plan view showing the structure around the stairs in which an under-stairs workspace is provided according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in the present application. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the second floor around the staircase. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the staircase. FIG. This is a perspective view of the staircase from position B on the first floor. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC, showing the state in which the partition panel is deployed in the space under the stairs. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the state of FIG. 6 as seen from position B on the first floor. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the modified under-stair workspace. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 4 show the structure around the stairs where the under-stairs workspace is provided according to an embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application. This staircase connects the floor surface 11 of the lower floor (first floor) with the floor surface 21 of the upper floor (second floor), and is a turn-back staircase similar to a skip floor type, with a wide landing 32 provided midway in the ascending and descending direction. In this specification, the staircase 31 located in the area on the lower floor side than the landing 32 is called the "lower staircase" and the staircase 33 located in the area on the upper floor side is called the "upper staircase". The height and horizontal distance of each area do not have to be equal to each other. In the example embodiment, the landing 32 is provided slightly below the halfway point of the floor height, and therefore the upper staircase 33 has more steps than the lower staircase 31. In addition, the width of the lower staircase 31 is greater than the width of the upper staircase 33.

The stairs are arranged adjacent to two walls that are continuous and form an L-shape in plan view. In the following explanation, the near/depth directions will be determined based on the viewpoint in FIG. 4 (the direction in which the landing 32 is viewed from position B in FIGS. 1 and 3), and the wall 42 at the rear of the landing 32 (the wall on the left in FIGS. 1 and 2) will be called the "rear wall," and the wall 43 (the upper wall in FIGS. 1 and 2) that is adjacent to the left side of the upper stairs 33 in the ascending direction will be called the "side wall."

The lower staircase 31 is wide open to the main living room 12, which constitutes the living space on the lower floor, and the corridor 13, which serves as a passageway space connecting to the main living room 12. A handrail wall 14, which also serves as a storage shelf, is erected between the lower staircase 31 and the corridor 13. The top surface of the handrail wall 14 extends horizontally to the rear wall 42, where it is integrally connected to a counter 15 installed on the rear wall 42. This counter 15 forms a space on the landing 32 where people can sit on chairs 16 and do simple desk work.

The upper staircase 33 is connected to the sub-living room 22 that constitutes the living space on the upper floor, and the entire upper part of the staircase on the upper floor is an atrium 23. One side of the upper staircase 33 is open to the landing 32 and the atrium 23 through the handrail, and the other side is in contact with the side wall surface 43. The back 34 of the upper staircase 33 faces the main living room 12 on the lower floor. Below the upper staircase 33, the steps of the lower staircase 31 are extended to the side wall surface 43 every other step, forming a box staircase 35 with a height twice the rise of the ascending and descending part. A drawer storage 36 is provided in the rise part of this box staircase 35. In this specification, the highest part of the space under the staircase, which is formed between the back 34 of the upper staircase 33 and the floor surface 11 of the lower floor and has a substantially equal width with an inclined upper part, on the main living room 12 side to which this space is open (the upper floor side in the ascending and descending direction of the staircase in a plan view) is called the "front".

The main feature of the invention disclosed in this application is that the front of the space under the upper staircase 33 can be easily shielded by a retractable partition panel 51, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The partition panel 51 is formed using a lightweight, non-flexible plate of approximately uniform thickness with a width approximately equal to the width of the upper staircase 33. The upper edge of the plate is pivotally supported at the top of the space under the staircase via a horizontal pivot shaft 52 arranged in the width direction of the upper staircase 33, as shown in Figure 5. In the illustrated embodiment, it is attached to the vicinity of the top of the back of the steps 34 or to the floor structure member of the upper floor that supports the upper staircase 33, using a hinge member such as a hinge (not shown).

When not in use, the partition panel 51 thus installed is stacked on the back 34 of the upper staircase 33 as shown in FIG. 4, and is stored so as not to be conspicuous or to get in the way. Therefore, the height dimension of the partition panel 51 is set to a dimension that fits within the length of the inclined portion of the back 34 of the step, and does not interfere with the box staircase 35 when it is rotated. The stored partition panel 51 is temporarily fixed in an inclined state via a hook, latch, magnet, or other appropriate fixing means installed on the partition panel 51 side or the back 34 side of the step. If necessary, the fixing means can be released, and the partition panel 51 can be rotated and suspended approximately vertically, and held in a position that shields at least the upper half of the front of the space under the stairs. Even in the shielded state (suspended state), the partition panel 51 is fixed so as not to sway via a hook, latch, magnet, or other appropriate fixing means installed on the partition panel 51 side or the side wall surface 43 side.

The partition panel 51 is divided from the top by a uniform height range from the bottom edge, and the divided lower part 53 is formed so that it is folded towards the space under the stairs. By folding up the lower part 53 almost horizontally and fixing it, a simple desk surface is formed that allows the user to work while seated on the box stairs 35. The lower part 53 can also be fixed using a hook, latch, magnet or other suitable fixing means installed on the partition panel 51 side or the side wall surface 43 side.

In this way, when the upper half of the front of the space under the stairs formed between the back of the steps 34 of the upper stairs 33 and the floor surface 11 of the lower floor is temporarily shielded by the partition panel 51, a semi-private under-stairs workspace 50 is created, where a person can sit with his/her back to the back of the steps 34 and work at a desk facing the partition panel 51. The front of the seating position of the under-stairs workspace 50 is shielded, making it easy to concentrate on work. The partition panel 51 can be used to post or write on, and the usability can be further improved by installing an outlet 44, built-in lighting 45, etc. on the side wall surface 43. Since the back of the seating position is shielded by the back of the steps 34, it can be used without worrying about the background, for example, even if it is reflected in the camera during an online conference. The atmosphere in the space can also be changed by embedding a lighting fixture (not shown) in the back of the steps 34 or by making part of the riser of the upper stairs 33 a translucent material to let in light. In addition to the side facing the lower staircase 31 being open, a gap is formed between the partition panel 51 and the floor surface 11, leaving the feet open, so even though the space is small in area, it is not likely to feel cramped or stuffy.

In addition, a curtain-like shielding member 54 (lightly ink-filled part in FIG. 5) made of a flexible cloth material or sheet material is attached between the upper staircase 33 and the lower staircase 31 so that the side of the lower staircase 31 can also be shielded if necessary. The shielding member 54 is suspended between the side beam (side plate, stringer, etc.) of the upper staircase 33 and the side edge of the partition panel 51, and unfolds into a fan shape when the partition panel 51 is suspended. By attaching such a shielding member 54, the under-stair workspace 50 can be softly enclosed when you want to increase your concentration or when you are concerned about the line of sight of your family. By selecting the material, color, translucency, etc. of the shielding member 54 according to your preference, you can adjust the open feeling of the under-stair workspace 50 and increase work efficiency. If the shielding member 54 is not needed, it can be removed, or when the partition panel 51 is stored by stacking it on the back of the step 34, it can be folded and hidden between the back of the step 34 and the partition panel 51. If the shielding member 54 can be folded like a folding fan, it can be stored neatly.

Figure 7 shows a modified form of the under-stair workspace 50. In this form, one side edge of the partition panel 51 is pivoted to a lateral position on the front of the under-stair space via a vertical pivot shaft 55 arranged on the side wall surface 43. As a result, the partition panel 51 is stored stacked on the side wall surface 43 rather than on the back of the stair step 34, and when in use, it rotates horizontally toward the front side of the figure and is deployed to a position that blocks the front of the under-stair space. This partition panel 51 is also formed so that the lower part 53 is folded to form a desk surface. The partition panel 51 deployed perpendicular to the side wall surface 43 and the folded lower part 53 are fixed via a hook, latch, magnet or other appropriate fixing means installed on the partition panel 51 side or the side wall surface 43 side, as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

In addition, in this configuration, the steps of the lower staircase 31 do not extend below the upper staircase 33, and therefore the space below the upper staircase 33 extends to the floor surface 11. In this configuration, by placing a chair 56 of an appropriate height on the floor surface 11 below the upper staircase 33, a preferred seating position can be achieved that matches the height of the desk surface formed by bending the lower portion 53 of the partition panel 51. Although not shown in Figure 7, it is of course possible to attach a shielding member 54 to the lower staircase 31 side in this configuration as well.

As described above, the under-stairs workspace according to the invention disclosed in this application can be easily created by simply shielding the front of the upper floor side of the under-stairs space, which is open to the adjacent living space and passage space, with a storable partition panel. Therefore, the partition panel is usually stored so as not to be noticeable or get in the way, leaving the under-stairs space open, and when desk work or the like is required, the partition panel can be unfolded and effectively used as a work space. By folding the lower part of the partition panel, a simple desk surface is formed in the under-stairs space where one can work in a seated position, so there is no need to keep or bring in another desk or the like in the under-stairs space. A gap is provided between the lower edge of the partition panel and the floor surface, so the space is not cramped or stuffy even during work. The sense of shielding can be moderately increased by extending a shielding member to the side of the under-stairs space. The detailed dimensions of the stairs should be set appropriately based on the planar size of the space around the stairs and the floor height, and also taking into consideration the physical build of the users, within a range that is practically inconvenient and does not pose a danger.

This under-stair workspace is not limited to the folded staircase shown in the example, but can also be provided in the under-stair space in the upper floor area of a straight staircase, a spiral staircase, a spring-shaped staircase, etc. Even in a house with a split-floor floor, if a seatable under-stair space can be secured below the stairs of about half a floor, it can be provided there. In the spiral staircase or spring-shaped staircase, as in the example, the step of the lower staircase can be extended to the bottom of the upper staircase to create a seating space. In the example, one side of the under-stair space is open and the other side is surrounded by a side wall, but even in a staircase with both sides open, a partition panel can be attached to the back of the step to create an under-stair workspace. If there is no need to shield the back of the seating position, the under-stair space of a skeleton staircase without risers (open staircase, see-through staircase) can be used.

The technical scope of the invention disclosed in this application should not be interpreted as being limited by the illustrated embodiments, but should be interpreted conceptually based on the claims. When implementing the invention disclosed in this application, the detailed shape, dimensions, structure, material, quantity, form of connection with other elements, relative positional relationship, etc. of components not specifically specified in the claims (such as the members constituting a staircase) may be modified as appropriate within the scope that provides substantially the same or greater operational effects as the illustrated embodiments.

The invention disclosed in this application can be widely used in homes and other multi-story buildings as a way to effectively utilize the space under stairs, which tends to become dead space.

11 Lower floor (1st floor) floor surface 12 Main living room 13 Corridor 14 Handrail wall 15 Counter 16 Chair 21 Upper floor (2nd floor) floor surface 22 Sub-living room 23 Atrium 31 Lower staircase 32 Landing 33 Upper staircase 34 Back of steps 35 Box staircase 36 Storage drawer 42 Back wall surface 43 Side wall surface 44 Electrical outlet 45 Built-in lighting 50
51 Partition panel 52 Horizontal rotation shaft 53 Lower part 54 Shielding member 55 Vertical rotation shaft 56 Chair

Claims (6)

A staircase under-stair workspace utilizing a space under the stairs formed between the back of the upper stairs arranged in the upper floor area in the ascending/descending direction of the stairs connecting the floor surface of the lower floor and the floor surface of the upper floor,
The space under the stairs is installed so that the front side of the upper floor in the ascending and descending direction of the upper stairs in a plan view and a majority of at least one side are open to other living spaces or a passage space;
At least the upper half of the front of the space under the stairs in the height direction is shielded by a retractable partition panel,
An under-stairs workspace characterized in that the lower part of the partition panel held in a shielding position is bent toward the under-stairs space, thereby forming a desk surface on which a person can work in a seated position in the under-stairs space, and a gap is provided between the partition panel and the floor surface of the lower floor. The under-stairs workspace according to claim 1,
The upper edge of the partition panel is rotatably supported on the upper part of the under-stair space via a horizontal pivot shaft arranged in the width direction of the upper staircase,
The under-stairs workspace is characterized in that the partition panel is stored so as to overlap the back of the upper staircase. The under-stairs workspace according to claim 1,
One side edge of the partition panel is pivotally supported via a vertical pivot shaft arranged on a side wall surface that contacts the other side surface of the upper staircase,
The under-stairs workspace is characterized in that the partition panel is stored so as to overlap the side wall surface. In the under-stairs workspace according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
With the partition panel held in the shielding position,
An under-stair workspace, characterized in that the side of the under-stair space that is open toward other living spaces or a passageway space is shielded by a shielding member extended between the side girder of the upper staircase and the partition panel. In the under-stairs workspace according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The staircase is a turn-back staircase having a landing in the middle in the ascending/descending direction,
A workspace under the stairs, characterized in that at least a portion of the steps of the lower stairs, located in the area below the landing, is extended to below the upper stairs, forming a seating space in the space under the stairs. The under-stairs workspace according to claim 5,
An under-stair workspace, characterized in that the seating space is a box staircase with a drawer storage unit in the riser section.

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