JP7650146B2 - Nestable chairs - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. As per the disclosure facts stated in the "Certificate for Application of Exception to Loss of Novelty" submitted on December 15, 2020.

This invention relates to a chair with multiple legs that can be nested one behind the other.

In chairs with casters, whose leg devices are made of pipes, the seats can be flipped up and rotated to allow for nesting back and forth in order to save storage space when not in use. However, when the chairs are moved to nest, the chair being moved from behind collides with the chair that is ahead of it, which can cause damage or deformation at the collision point.

To absorb the impacts caused by nesting, cushioning materials such as rubber are provided at the points where the front and rear chairs come into contact with each other. One example is in Patent Document 1, where the left and right front legs of a chair positioned at the rear fit between the left and right rear legs positioned at the front, dampers are provided on the sides of the rear legs so that the front legs of the chair positioned at the rear come into contact with the dampers when nesting.

JP 2019-63166 A

Patent Document 1 can reduce the impact of nesting, but because the dampers are provided for the sole purpose of reducing the impact, there is a problem in that the number of parts increases, leading to higher costs.

In addition, when moving a chair, it is often done by placing hands on the backrest and pushing it, but in Patent Document 1, the damper is positioned at a height lower than the seat, so when the front legs of a chair being moved collide with the damper of a stationary chair, the chair tends to tilt forward due to inertia, which can cause the chair to swing back and forth.

The present invention was made to improve this current situation.

The present invention includes various configurations, typical examples of which are specified in claims 1 to 5. The invention of claim 1 is as follows:
"It is equipped with a leg device, a seat, a backrest, and armrests, and can be nested forward and backward in a folded state with the seat flipped up and rotated,
When multiple units are nested one behind the other, they are set up so that the armrests of the chairs at the back touch the armrests of the chairs in front.
In a chair with the basic structure,
The leg device has a form in which front legs in a forward inclined position branch off from rear legs in a backward inclined position in a side view, and the seat is connected to the upper part of the front legs so as to be able to be lifted up and turned freely.
The armrests are located on the left and right outer sides of the seat in a plan view and are integrally formed with the left and right side portions of the backrest, and the portions of the armrests closer to the seat are attached to the upper ends of the rear legs,
In the nested state, the elbow pads positioned at the front and rear are set to abut against each other in areas on the left and right outer sides of the upper ends of the rear legs in a plan view .
The structure is as follows.

In this invention, the terms "front" and "back" are used to specify directions, but this front and back are defined as the direction seen by a person normally sitting in the chair. The nesting is done by placing hands on the backrest and moving forward. Therefore, the group of chairs are nested in a forward-facing position.

The invention of claim 2 is an embodiment of the invention of claim 1,
" The elbow pad has a tapered shape when viewed from the side, with the upper end extending forward and backward relative to the axis of the hind leg.
The shape of the front surface of the armrest when viewed from the side is such that, with a boundary located halfway between the top and bottom, the upper part has a gentle inclination angle to the top surface, and the lower part has a steep inclination angle to the top surface .
The structure is as follows.

The invention of claim 3 is an embodiment of the invention of claim 1 or 2,
"The upper surface of the armrest is made of armrest pad material and is inclined so that the front is higher and the rear is lower, and in the nested state, the front end of the armrest of the chair positioned behind overlaps the rear end of the armrest of the chair positioned in front from above."
The structure is as follows.

The invention of claim 4 is in parallel with claim 1, and has the same basic structure as claim 1,
"A notch is formed on the underside of the front end of the armrest, which fits from behind into the rear end of the armrest of the chair positioned forward in the nested state."
The structure is as follows.

As an example of the development of the invention of claim 4, claim 5 provides the following:
"The notch has a wall surface that abuts on the rear end of the elbow rest that is positioned forward in the nested state from the left and right directions."
The following configuration is adopted.

In the present invention, the armrests function as stoppers that determine the positions of the front and rear chairs when nesting, so there is no need to provide dampers as special components. This simplifies the structure and keeps costs down.

In addition, because the armrests are located higher than the seat, when the armrests of a moving chair come into contact with the chair in front and stop, the chair can be stopped in a stable position without tilting forward.

When using the armrests as stoppers during nesting, it is possible to place the armrest of the rear chair against the backrest of the front chair, but by placing the armrests against each other as in the present invention , the chairs can be fitted together deeply, making the nesting pitch as narrow as possible, thereby making effective use of storage space.

When placing elbow rests against each other, it is possible to place the front end face of the elbow rest located behind against the rear end face of the elbow rest located in front, but if the elbow rests are configured to partially overlap as in claim 3, the nesting pitch can be narrowed, further contributing to the effective use of storage space. In addition, the elbow pads provided on the elbow rests act as cushions (dampers) when nesting, which has the advantage of mitigating impacts when nesting.

When elbow rests are partially stacked one on top of the other, forming a notch as in claim 4 makes it possible to minimize the inclination angle of the upper surface of the elbow rest while ensuring that the elbow rests come into contact with each other and ensuring the cushioning function.

By adopting the invention of claim 5, the armrests can be used to prevent the chairs nested back and forth from swaying from side to side, allowing the group of chairs to be neatly stored in a straight line. Also, in cases where multiple chairs are pushed and moved while nested, this has the advantage of increasing the unity of the group of chairs and allowing them to be moved in a stable state.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing a chair according to an embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view seen from the upper front, (B) is a perspective view seen from the upper rear, (C) is a side view, and (D) is a plan view. (A) is an exploded perspective view seen from the upper front, (B) is an exploded perspective view seen from the upper rear, (C) is a partial front view of the backrest, (D) is a side view of the backrest, and (E) is an exploded perspective view of the backrest seen from below. (A) is an oblique view seen from the front and bottom, (B) is an oblique view seen from the top and rear with the seat folded down, (C) is an oblique view seen from the bottom and front with the seat folded down, and (D) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D of (A). 1A is a plan view of the elbow rest in a nested state, FIG. 1B is a side view of the elbow rest in a nested state, and FIG.

(1) Basic Structure of the Chair Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the chair comprises a leg device 1, a seat 2, and a backrest 3, with arm rests 4 provided on the left and right sides of the backrest 3. The arm rests 4 are disposed on the outside left and right sides of the seat 2 in a plan view. The seat 2 can be flipped up and rotated with a portion near its rear end as a fulcrum.

The leg device 1 is equipped with left and right front legs 5 that are tilted backwards in side view, left and right rear legs 6 that are tilted forwards in side view, and left and right longitudinal reinforcing frames 7 (see Fig. 3(C)) that connect the upper parts of the left and right front legs 5, and has a Z-shaped form when viewed from the left side (a human-shaped form when viewed from the right side).

A caster 1a is attached to the lower end of each leg 5, 6. The front legs 5 and rear legs 6 are connected together via joints 8. As shown in Figures 2(A) and (B), the upper ends 6a of the rear legs 6 are exposed above the joints 8, and downward opening bosses 9 provided on the left and right ends of the backrest 3 are fitted and attached to the upper ends 6a of the rear legs 6. The front and rear legs 5, 6 and the reinforcing frame 7 are made of metal pipes such as steel pipes, and the joints 8 are cast products of metal such as steel.

For example, as shown in Fig. 1(D), the left and right front legs 5 are parallel in plan view, while the left and right rear legs 6 are positioned so that the distance between them increases toward the rear. As can be seen from Figs. 1(A) and (B), for example, the front legs 5 are positioned offset left and right inward from the rear legs 6. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, by flipping the seat 2 upward and rotating it, multiple chairs can be nested (interlocked) one behind the other.

The seat 2 has a structure in which a cushioning material (not shown) is attached to the upper surface of the seat plate (seat shell plate) 10 shown in Figures 3 (A) and (C) and this is covered from above with a skin material, and a rectangular frame 11 is fixed to the underside of the seat plate 10, and the rear part of the frame 11 is connected to a part near the upper end of the front leg 5 by a support shaft 12 (and a nut) so that it can be flipped up and rotated. In addition, a posture-maintaining frame 13 that protrudes downward from the frame 11 and rests on the reinforcing frame 7 from above when the chair is unfolded, and a synthetic resin catch material 14 is attached to both the left and right sides of the posture-maintaining frame 13.

The backrest 3 is a molded product made of synthetic resin, and is long on both sides and concave toward the front when viewed from above. The backrest 3 is basically in the shape of a plate, and its upper end is formed into an upper flange piece 3a that curves backward. The upper flange piece 3a functions to reinforce the backrest 3, to function as a handle when moving it, and as a design feature.

(2) Elbow Rest The armrest body 15 constituting the armrest 4 is integrally formed on the left and right side portions 3b of the backrest 3, and the boss portion 9 described above, which has a mounting hole into which the upper portion 6a of the rear leg 6 fits, is integrally formed on the side portion 3b of the backrest 3 and the armrest body 15. For example, as shown in Fig. 1(C), the boss portion 9 is formed offset to the rear portion of the armrest body 15. Therefore, the armrest body 15 protrudes significantly forward from the boss portion 9. The upper portion 6a of the rear leg 6 and the boss portion 9 are fixed by a first screw 17 (see Fig. 2(B)) inserted into the boss portion 9 from behind.

2(D) and (E), the armrest body 15 is connected to the boss 9 while narrowing downward in side and front views, and the boss 9 and the armrest body 15 are integrated in a manner that is difficult to distinguish. Therefore, it can be said that the side block 18 narrowing downward in front and side views is formed on both the left and right sides 3b of the backrest 3, and the upper part of the side block 18 forms the armrest body 15, while the lower half of the side block 18 forms the boss 9 with the mounting hole. Since the side block 18 is provided in approximately the lower half of the side part 3b of the backrest 3, the side part 3b of the backrest 3 has a side surface 3c exposed above the side block 18.
As described above, the elbow rest body 15 has a tapered shape in side view and protrudes significantly forward from the boss portion 9, so the front surface of the elbow rest body 15 is tilted forward, but as shown in Figure 2(D) , the front surface of the elbow rest body 15 smoothly continues beyond the boundary portion 15a midway between the top and bottom, with the lower portion having a greater angle of inclination with respect to the upper surface than the upper portion. Therefore, the front surface of the elbow rest body 15 is recessed upward and rearward in side view.

An elastomer or soft synthetic resin elbow pad 19 is layered on the top surface of the elbow pad main body 15, and the elbow pad 19 is fixed to the elbow pad 4 by a second screw 20. The shaft of the second screw 20 is inserted from below into the front part of the elbow pad 4 and screwed into the elbow pad 19. The second screw 20 is only located on the front part of the elbow pad 4, but it is also possible to fix the elbow pad 19 to the elbow pad main body 15 at multiple points, such as the front and rear parts of the elbow pad 4.

The upper surface of the side block 18 (the upper surface of the elbow rest body 15) is formed with a group of recesses (not shown) to make the thickness as uniform as possible. Alternatively, it can be said that the side block 18 has an upward recess and a number of ribs are formed in the recess.

As shown in FIG. 1(D), the armrest 4 is long from front to back, with the front end 4a and rear end 4b formed into an arc shape in plan view. The armrest 4 is rounded from front to back and its width increases slightly toward the rear, but it is inclined in plan view so that it approaches the backrest 3 as it moves rearward. Therefore, the left and right armrests 4 form a V-shape in plan view.

In addition, because the side block 18 consisting of the armrest body 15 and the boss 9 tapers downward, as shown in Figure 3(D) , the left and right side portions 3b of the backrest 3 to which the side block 18 is connected smoothly change in thickness toward the side block 18. Therefore, the side block 18 and the backrest 3 are smoothly connected, and the overall appearance is streamlined and aesthetically pleasing.
The armrest 4 is positioned on the left and right outer sides of the seat 2 in a plan view, while the upper parts of the front and rear legs 5, 6 are close to the left and right side surfaces of the seat 2. However, as shown in Figure 4 (C), the boss portion 9 of the armrest main body 15 is offset toward the side closer to the side surface 3c of the backrest 3, and the notches 21 of the armrest main body 15, which overlap in a nested state, are located in an area further left and right than the boss portion 9 (more than the upper ends of the rear legs 6).

As shown in Figure 1 (C), the top surface of the armrest 4 is tilted backwards at a slight angle so that it is lower towards the rear. This results in a certain height difference of dimension H between the front and rear ends of the armrest 4. A notch 21 is formed in the underside of the front end 4a of the armrest body 15, so that when multiple chairs are nested one behind the other as shown in Figure 4 (B), the front end 4a of the armrest 4 located at the rear rests on the rear end 4b of the armrest 4 located at the front. The second screw 20 is placed at the notch 21.

It is possible to configure the front end 4a of the rear armrest 4 to ride over the rear end 4b of the front armrest 4 without forming the notch 21, but forming the notch 21 as in the embodiment has the advantage that the wall surface 21a comes into contact with the rear end surface of the front armrest 4, ensuring the stopper function. Also, the upper surface of the notch 21 rests from above on the rear end of the elbow pad 19 of the front armrest 4, absorbing impacts and improving quietness when the chair stops moving.

As shown in FIG. 4(C), the notch 21 has a wall surface 21a against which the rear end 4b of the front armrest 4 abuts, and the wall surface 21a is formed to surround the rear end 4b of the front armrest 4 from the left and right outside. Therefore, the chairs nested one behind the other are held so that they do not shift left and right. From a different perspective, when nesting, if the moved trailing chair is fitted into the stopped leading chair, the guiding action of the wall surface 21a in the notch 21 automatically corrects the position and posture of the trailing chair so that it is aligned in a straight line with the leading chair.

As a result, many chairs can be stored in a neat, straight line. In addition, when multiple chairs are pushed and moved while nested in series, the multiple legs can be moved stably without disrupting the row.

For example, as shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(D), the rear inner end 19a of the elbow pad 19 that comes into contact with the backrest 3 is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape so that its front-to-rear width narrows toward the backrest 3, and as can be seen, for example, in Figure 1(C), the rear inner end 19a of the elbow pad 19 (and the rear inner end of the elbow rest body 15) curves upward. And, as shown, for example, in Figure 2(B), a step 22 is formed on the side surface 3c of the side portion 3b of the backrest 3 into which the rear inner end 19a of the elbow pad 19 fits.

Therefore, the side surface 3c of the backrest 3 and the elbow pad 19 are continuous. In addition, the thickness of the side portion 3b of the backrest 3 gradually decreases upward above the side block portion 18, so that the side surface 3c of the backrest 3 is continuous with the rear inner end portion 19a of the elbow pad 19 and gradually narrows upward.

As a result, the side surface 3c of the backrest 3 and the upper surface of the armrest pad 19 are smoothly connected, giving a good appearance and preventing the armrest pad 19 from peeling off.

When nesting chairs, they can be nested by moving them from right to left in the position shown in Figure 4(B), or they can be nested by moving them from left to right in the position shown in Figure 4(B). In the former case, they can be moved by placing their hands on the upper flange piece 3a of the backrest 3, or by placing their hands on the left and right armrests 4. When nesting from left to right, it is easiest to move the chair by placing your hands on the left and right armrests 4.

In this embodiment, the armrests 4 function as stoppers that determine the nesting pitch, so there is no need for special parts to determine the front-to-back position of the chair, which simplifies the structure and contributes to cost reduction.

In addition, if a positioning stopper (buffer member) such as a damper is located below the seat, when a subsequent chair collides with a preceding chair during nesting, the chair may tend to tilt forward due to inertia, making it easier for the chair to swing back and forth. However, if the armrest 4 is used to stop the chair's movement as in the present invention, the armrest 4 is located at a high position, so even if the front and rear armrests 4 hit each other, the subsequent chair will not tilt forward, and the chair can be stopped stably.

In particular, when a structure is adopted in which the front end 4a of the rear armrest 4 rests on the rear end 4b of the front armrest 4, as in the embodiment, the chair rests on the arm pad 19 of the front armrest 4 from above, allowing the chair to be stopped quietly.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be embodied in various other ways. For example, it is possible to form the backrest so that it extends behind the armrests (increasing the left-right width) so that the tips of the armrests come into contact with the rear surface of the backrest when nesting. Also, the leg device does not need to be in a square (or human) shape, and a form in which the four legs are positioned close to vertical can be used. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to nesting chairs equipped with gas cylinders.

The present invention can be embodied in a nestable chair. Therefore, it can be used industrially.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Leg device 2 Seat 3 Backrest 3b Side of backrest 4 Armrest 4a Front end of armrest 4b Rear end of armrest 5, 6 Leg 8 Joint 9 Boss 10 Seat plate 15 Armrest body
15a Boundary
18 Side block portion 19 Elbow pad 21 Notch 21a Wall surface of notch

Claims (5)

The chair is equipped with a leg device, a seat, a backrest, and armrests, and can be nested forward and backward in a folded state with the seat flipped up and rotated,
A chair in which, when multiple chairs are nested one behind the other, the armrest of a chair positioned at the back is set to contact the armrest of a chair positioned at the front,
The leg device has a form in which front legs in a forward inclined position branch off from rear legs in a backward inclined position in a side view, and the seat is connected to the upper part of the front legs so as to be able to be lifted up and turned freely.
The armrests are located on the left and right outer sides of the seat in a plan view and are integrally formed with the left and right side portions of the backrest, and the portions of the armrests closer to the seat are attached to the upper ends of the rear legs,
In the nested state, the elbow pads positioned at the front and rear are set to abut against each other in areas on the left and right outer sides of the upper ends of the rear legs in a plan view.
Nestable chairs. The elbow pad has an upper end that protrudes forward and backward relative to the axis of the hind leg and has a narrowed shape when viewed from the side,
The side view of the front surface of the elbow pad is such that the upper portion has a gentle inclination angle with respect to the upper surface and the lower portion has a steep inclination angle with respect to the upper surface, with a boundary portion located midway between the upper and lower portions.
2. A nestable chair according to claim 1. The upper surface of the armrest is made of an armrest pad material and is inclined so that the front is higher and the rear is lower, and in the nesting state, the front end of the armrest of the chair located behind overlaps the rear end of the armrest of the chair located in front from above.
3. A nestable chair according to claim 1 or 2 . The chair is equipped with a leg device, a seat, a backrest, and armrests, and can be nested forward and backward in a folded state with the seat flipped up and rotated,
A chair in which, when multiple chairs are nested one behind the other, the armrest of a chair positioned at the back is set to contact the armrest of a chair positioned at the front,
A notch is formed on the underside of the front end of the armrest, which fits from behind into the rear end of the armrest of the chair positioned forward in the nested state.
Nestable chairs. The notch has a wall surface that abuts against the rear end of the elbow rest that is positioned forward in the nested state from the left and right directions.
5. A nestable chair according to claim 4.

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