JP7710873B2 - Experimental Table - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laboratory table having a core with a sink at the top.

For example, in school science classrooms and research laboratories, laboratory tables are installed for various experiments. Some of these tables have a core with a sink on top for washing hands and rinsing off chemicals with water, and a table top adjacent to the core. When the sink is not in use, the top opening of the sink is covered with a removable rectangular flat lid member, and the top of the lid member and the top plate ensure a large working space.

When it becomes necessary to use a sink on the above-mentioned laboratory bench, the lid covering the top opening of the sink is removed, but the storage location of this removed lid becomes an issue. For example, if the lid is dirty, there are hygiene and safety issues during storage, and depending on the storage location, it may get in the way of work using the sink.

In this regard, Patent Document 1 proposes an experiment table in which the removed lid member 109 is stored in a state where it is hung vertically on the front side of the sink 104 of the core part 102, as shown in FIG. 18. According to this experiment table, when the sink 104 is not in use, the top opening of the sink 104 is covered with the lid member 109, as shown in FIG. 18(a). When the sink 104 is to be used, the lid member 109 is removed from the sink 104 by grasping a pair of left and right handles 121 provided on the top surface of the lid member 109, and a pair of left and right hooks (not shown) provided on the back surface of the removed lid member 109 are hooked onto a pair of left and right U-shaped engaged members 122 (see FIG. 18(a)) protruding from the front surface of the core part 102, so that the lid member 109 is stored in a state where it is hung vertically, as shown in FIG. 18(b).

Patent No. 5220913

However, in the laboratory table proposed in Patent Document 1, the lid member 109, which is stored in a vertically suspended state as shown in FIG. 18(b), is exposed on the front side of the core part 102, so that when an experimenter such as a student or researcher stands in front of the sink 104, the experimenter's thighs naturally touch the lid member 109, or the side of the lid member 109 hits the experimenter when the experimenter moves sideways in front of the sink 104. In addition, if the lid member 109, whose surface is contaminated with chemicals, etc., is supported vertically suspended in an exposed state, hygiene and safety problems cannot be solved. Furthermore, if the body of the experimenter or an object or device being moved comes into contact with or collides with the suspended lid member 109, the locking members provided on the lid member 109 and the core part 102 may break, causing the lid member 109 to fall or be damaged, or there is a risk of personal injury due to the lid member 109 falling.

In addition, in the laboratory table proposed in Patent Document 1, the handle 121 protrudes from the surface of the lid member 109, and the back surface is provided with multiple (four) protrusions as cushioning materials in addition to a hook, which increases the number of parts in the lid member 109, resulting in a complex structure and increased weight of the lid member 109. Furthermore, if the lid member 109 is removed from the sink 104 and the operation of hanging and supporting it vertically is repeated many times, the part that supports and hangs the lid member 109 may be broken or damaged, and it may become impossible to store the lid member 109 stably while hanging it for a long period of time.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a laboratory bench in which the lid member, which can be removed from the sink for storage, does not get in the way of the experimenter, the lid member can be stored hygienically and safely, and the structure of the lid member can be simplified and made lighter, while the durability of the storage structure can be improved.

To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that the laboratory bench comprises a core part with a sink on top and a top plate on the core part, the bench comprising a lid member that detachably covers an opening on the top surface of the sink, an opening having at least the width of the lid member formed on the outer peripheral surface of the core part below the sink, a storage space formed inside the core that stores the lid member removed from the sink through the opening, and a holding means that supports the lid member removed from the sink in an upright position when stored in the storage space.

Here, the holding means includes either or both of a back plate that is arranged inside the storage space so that the rear surface of the lid member stored in the storage space faces the back plate, and a locking means that detachably locks the stored lid member.

According to the present invention, when the sink is used, it is removed from the sink, and the removed lid member is stored in the storage space through the opening of the core part, and the lid member is held in an upright position, including an inclined position, by the holding means, so that the lid member can be stably stored in the storage space. In this case, since the lid member hardly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the core part, the lid member does not get in the way of the experimenter, and no hygiene or safety problems arise due to the soiled lid member being exposed to the outside.

The lid member is stored in an inclined state in the storage space, and the simple structure of the locking means locks the lid member securely in the storage space, simplifying the structure of the lid member and reducing its weight, making it easy to attach and remove the lid member. In addition, because a locking means with a simple structure can be used, the locking means will not break or be damaged even if the lid member is repeatedly stored in and removed from the storage space many times, and the durability of the storage structure for the lid member is increased.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the experiment table according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the laboratory bench of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the experimental bench of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the core portion of the experiment table of FIG. 1 . 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 . FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of part B in FIG. 5 . 4A to 4E are partial cross-sectional side views of a core part showing the steps of storing and storing the cover member of the laboratory bench according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a core portion of a laboratory bench according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A partial cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 8. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the holding portion of FIG. 8 and FIG. 10A to 10D are partial side cross-sectional views of the core part showing the procedure for storing the cover member of the laboratory bench shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 in order of steps. FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a core portion of a laboratory bench according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Cross-sectional view of line D-D in Figure 12. 14A to 14D are front views and partial side sectional views of a core part showing the procedure for storing the cover member of the laboratory bench shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 in order of steps. FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a core portion of a laboratory bench according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A partial cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in Figure 15. 17A to 17D are front views and partial side cross-sectional views of the core part, showing the procedure for storing the cover member of the laboratory bench shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 in the order of steps. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a core part of a laboratory bench proposed in Patent Document 1, in which (a) shows a state when the sink is not in use, and (b) shows a state when the sink is in use.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First embodiment>
Fig. 1 is a front view of a laboratory bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same bench, Fig. 3 is a side view of the same bench, Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the core part of the same bench, Fig. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view along line A-A in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of part B in Fig. 5, and Figs. 7(a) to (e) are partial side cross-sectional views of the core part showing the steps of storing and storing the cover member of the laboratory bench according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the directions indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 to 3 are the "up-down", "left-right" and "front-rear" directions, respectively.

The laboratory table according to the present invention is installed on the floor surface FL of a school science classroom or the like. The laboratory table 1 shown as an example in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a rectangular box-shaped core portion 2 installed in the center in the width direction, and a pair of tables 3 installed adjacent to the core portion 2 on the left and right.

A pair of ceramic sinks 4, open at the top, are arranged facing each other at two locations on the front and back of the core section 2, and a pair of left and right water faucets 5 bent in an inverted U shape are erected at the back of each sink 4 (the back side from the perspective of the experimenter standing in front of each sink 4), and an opening and closing valve 6 is disposed at the base of each faucet 5 (see Figure 1). In addition, a pair of front and back gas valves 7 for connecting gas burners, etc., are erected on the left and right of a flat top plate 2A (see Figures 1 and 2) formed in the center of the top surface of the core section 2, for a total of four. Here, the top surface of the top plate 2A is a decorative surface.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, each of the pair of left and right tables 3 has a horizontal rectangular flat top plate 3A on its upper portion, and both left and right ends of each top plate 3A are supported horizontally by a core portion 2 and rectangular plate-shaped supports 8. Here, the upper surface of each top plate 3A is a decorative surface.

In the laboratory bench 1 according to this embodiment, the upper opening of the sink 4 that is not in use is covered by a rectangular flat lid member 9. A pair of faucets 5 that stand upright when in use are tilted down and stored inside the sink 4 when not in use, so there is no interference between the faucets 5 and the lid member 9. The upper surface of the lid member 9 that covers the upper opening of the sink 4 is a decorative surface 9a, and when the lid member 9 is covering the sink 4, the decorative surface 9a of the lid member 9 and the top plates 3A of the left and right tables 3 and the top plate 2A of the core section 2 are positioned on the same horizontal plane (flush), ensuring a large working space on the laboratory bench 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, a storage space S with an opening 2a (described later) is formed below each sink 4 (only one side (the front side) is shown in FIG. 5) of the rectangular box-shaped core part 2, and a rectangular opening 2a having at least the left-right width of the lid member 9 is formed on the outer peripheral surface below each sink 4 of the core part 2, which in the illustrated example is the surface 2B facing the experimenter standing in front of the sink 4, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, and is connected to the storage space S.

As shown in FIG. 5, a rectangular flat back panel 10 is disposed near the opening 2a of the storage space S (at the back of the storage space S) so as to cover the opening 2a from inside the storage space, tilting obliquely with respect to the vertical (the upper side is tilted forward). Specifically, the back panel 10 is disposed so as to tilt obliquely (forward) at the angle α shown in the figure with respect to the vertical so that the upper end approaches the opening 2a.

As shown in Fig. 4, a guide wire 12 is provided near the upper opening 2a of the storage space S of the core portion 2, with both left and right ends rotatably supported by support members 11 fixed to both side walls 2C of the storage space S. The guide wire 12 has a horizontally elongated, generally concave retaining portion 12a that protrudes and bends by a predetermined length from both left and right ends. Here, flat support members 11 are attached by screws 13 to the upper inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 2C that define the storage space S of the core portion 2, and both left and right ends of the guide wire 12 are rotatably supported by these support members 11.

More specifically, the guide wire 12 is made of a round metal rod, and as shown in Fig. 4, in the center of its width, it has a horizontally elongated, generally concave retaining portion 12a that protrudes and bends at a predetermined length from both the left and right ends. The guide wire 12 constitutes a locking means for locking a part of the cover member 9 when the cover member 9 is stored in the storage space S of the core part 2 as described below, and when the cover member 9 is not stored in the storage space S, the retaining portion 12a of the guide wire 12 is in position a shown in Fig. 5, inclined obliquely toward the back plate 10 with respect to the vertical, and is supported by the back plate 10 by its own weight.

As described above, in the laboratory table 1 according to this embodiment, when the sink 4 is not in use, the top opening of the sink 4 is covered by the lid member 9. When the sink 4 is to be used, the lid member 9 is removed from the sink 4, and the removed lid member 9 is introduced into the storage space S through the opening 2a that opens into the core portion 2 and stored at an angle along the back panel 10.

Here, the back plate 10, which is disposed at an angle inside the storage space S so that at least a portion of the decorative surface 9a of the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S abuts against the back plate 10, and the guide wire 12, which is a locking means for detachably locking the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S, constitute a holding means for holding the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S in an inclined upright position. Note that in the first embodiment, the holding means is constituted by the back plate 10 and the guide wire 12, which is a locking means, but in the present invention, the holding means may be constituted by only either the back plate 10 or the guide wire 12. This point is the same in the second to fourth embodiments described below.

As an example, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, resin positioning blocks 14 (only one of which is shown in Figures 5 and 6) are fixed in parallel along the front-to-rear direction (left-to-right direction in Figures 5 and 6) at two locations on the left and right sides of the bottom plate 2D of the storage space S. Here, the positioning blocks 14 are used to guide and position both lower ends of the lid member 9 in the width direction when the lid member 9 is introduced into the storage space S, and as shown in detail in Figure 6, a V-shaped engagement groove 14a is formed in part of the positioning block 14 for engagement with the lower end of the lid member 9 in the width direction.

In the experimental bench 1 according to the present embodiment 1, the cover member 9 that covers the top opening of the sink 4 when the sink 4 is not in use is removed from the sink 4 when the sink 4 is in use and stored in the storage space S in the core part 2. Below, the procedure for storing the cover member 9 in the storage space S will be explained with reference to Figures 7(a) to (e).

When the sink 4 is in use, the top opening of the sink 4 is covered by the cover member 9, as shown in FIG. 7(a). At this time, the guide wire 12 constituting the locking means has its central retaining portion 12a raised at an angle, as described above, and is held by its own weight against the back plate 10 in the illustrated position (position a in FIG. 5).

When the sink 4 is used, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the cover member 9 covering the upper opening of the sink 4 is manually removed from the sink 4, and the removed cover member 9 is introduced into the storage space S through the opening 2a opening in the outer peripheral surface 2B of the core part 2. The cover member 9 introduced into the storage space S is moved to the back side of the storage space S while both lower ends in the width direction are guided by the resin positioning block 14, and as shown in FIG. 7(c), it is manually maintained in an upright state (as shown by the chain line in FIG. 5) in which the decorative surface (upper surface) 9a is in almost intimate contact with the back panel 10 at the same inclination angle α as the back panel 10. The cover member 9 can be partially abutted against the back panel 10 by the position of the engagement groove 14a of the positioning block 14, so that the cover member 9 and the back panel 10 are not in almost intimate contact with each other. This prevents the transfer of dirt to the back panel 10 even if the top surface 9a remains soiled with chemicals or laboratory animals, such as the body fluids of dissected organisms or germs on plants.

Next, the guide wire 12 is rotated by hand from the state shown in FIG. 7(c) (the state shown by the chain line in FIG. 5) in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise) as shown in FIG. 7(d). Then, the holding portion 12a of the guide wire 12 hangs down vertically under its own weight (rotates to position b shown in FIG. 5). Then, when the hand that was supporting the cover member 9 is released from the cover member 9 from this state, the cover member 9 rotates counterclockwise around the lower edge due to the counterclockwise moment caused by its own weight, but this rotation is prevented by the holding portion 12a of the guide wire 12 engaging with the upper part of the cover member 9 over its entire width. In other words, the cover member 9 is prevented from falling over by the holding portion 12a of the guide wire 12 engaging its upper front part over almost its entire width, and is stored in the storage space S in an upright state inclined by the angle β (>α) shown in FIG. 7(e) and FIG. 5, as shown. At this time, the holding portion 12a of the guide wire 12 is in position c as shown in Figure 5.

Now, a counterclockwise moment M acts on the lid member 9, which is in the state shown by the dotted line in Figure 5, tending to topple it. If the weight of the lid member 9 is W and the distance from the end of the center of gravity G of the lid member 9 is L, this moment M can be calculated using the following formula.

M = W sinβ L
The cover member 9 stored in the storage space S in the above manner will not fall over unless the guide wire 12 is intentionally lifted to release its engagement with the cover member 9, and is therefore stably stored and maintained in the storage space S.

When the sink 4 is not in use, the cover member 9 is tilted backward from the position shown in FIG. 7(e) so that it is in close contact with the back plate 10, the guide wire 12 is lifted and rotated to position a shown in FIG. 5 so that it rests against the back plate 10, the guide wire 12 is released from the cover member 9, and the cover member 9 is removed from the storage space S in the reverse order to when it was stored. The removed cover member 9 is then placed over the sink 4 from above as shown in FIG. 7(a), so that the top opening of the sink 4 is covered with the cover member 9.

As described above, according to the experiment table 1 of the present embodiment 1, when the sink 4 is used, the cover member 9 removed from the sink 4 is stored in the storage space S through the opening 2a of the core part 2, and the cover member 9 is also tilted in the storage space S along the back plate 10 arranged at an angle in the storage space S, and the upper front part of the cover member 9 is engaged with the guide wire 12 over almost the entire width, so that the cover member 9 can be stably held in the storage space S. In this case, since the cover member 9 hardly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the core part 2, the cover member 9 does not get in the way of the experimenter, and there is no hygiene or safety problem caused by the soiled cover member 9 being exposed to the outside. In the present embodiment 1, when the cover member 9 is stored in the storage space S with the decorative surface 9a facing the back plate 10, even if the experimenter kicks the cover member 9 with a shoe or the like, the decorative surface 9a of the cover member 9 is not damaged or soiled, and the durability of the cover member 9 is increased.

In addition, the cover member 9 can be stored in a securely stored state in the storage space S by simply engaging a part of the cover member 9, which is stored in an inclined state in the storage space S, with the guide wire 12. This simplifies the structure of the cover member 9, reduces the weight of the cover member 9, and makes it easy to attach and remove the cover member 9. Furthermore, since the guide wire 12, which has a simple structure, can be used as the engaging means, the guide wire 12 is not broken or damaged even if the cover member 9 is repeatedly stored in and removed from the storage space S many times, and the durability of the storage structure of the cover member 9 is improved.

In addition, in this embodiment 1, both lower ends in the width direction of the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S are guided and positioned by the positioning block 14 arranged on the bottom plate 2D of the storage space S, which has the effect of preventing damage to the bottom plate 2D and the back plate 10 due to friction between the lid member 9 and the bottom plate 2D or the back plate 10. Note that the positioning block 14 is not limited to the embodiment example. For example, it may be integrated with the bottom plate 2D, and the engagement groove 14a may be a convex engagement protrusion. In addition to resin, the material of the positioning block 14 can be selected appropriately from metal, wood, and other materials, and it is sufficient if it has a configuration that can function as a stopper for the lower end of the lid member 9, if necessary.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Figure 8 is a front view of the core part of the laboratory bench according to the second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in Figure 8, Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the retaining part, and Figures 11(a) to (d) are partial cross-sectional side views showing the steps of storing the cover member of the laboratory bench according to the second embodiment of the present invention in order of steps. In these figures, the same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 7 are given the same reference numerals, and further explanation of these elements will be omitted below.

In this second embodiment, only the locking means of the cover member 9 is different from that of the first embodiment, and the other configurations are the same as those of the experimental table 1 according to the first embodiment. In this second embodiment, the locking means is composed of a concave retainer 15 having a generally concave shape in front view, both ends of which are rotatably supported at the center of the upper part of the back plate 10 in the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, the concave holding portion 15 is formed by bending a round metal rod. Specifically, the concave holding portion 15 is formed in a generally concave shape when viewed from the front, protruding and bending at a predetermined length from both the left and right ends, and a hook-shaped locking portion 15a is formed at the tip of the concave holding portion 15, bending into a generally L-shape when viewed from the side. In addition, both the left and right ends of the concave holding portion 15 form shaft portions 15b that extend horizontally in the lateral direction, and these shaft portions 15b are inserted into bearing portions 17a formed in a metal bracket 17 attached to the back plate 10 by screws 16, so that the concave holding portion 15 is supported by the back plate 10 so as to be able to rotate up and down around the left and right shaft portions 15b.

In this second embodiment, too, the lid member 9 that covers the top opening of the sink 4 when the sink 4 is not in use is removed from the sink 4 when the sink 4 is in use and stored in the storage space S in the core part 2. Below, the procedure for storing the lid member 9 in the storage space S will be explained with reference to Figures 11(a) to (d).

When the sink 4 is in use, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the top opening of the sink 4 is covered by the cover member 9. At this time, the recessed retaining portion 15 constituting the locking means is in a vertically hanging state due to its own weight (position indicated by d in FIG. 9).

When the sink 4 is to be used, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the cover member 9 covering the top opening of the sink 4 is removed from the sink 4, and this removed cover member 9 is introduced into the storage space S through the opening 2a that opens into the core portion 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the cover member 9 introduced into the storage space S is pushed into the back of the storage space S with the concave retaining portion 15 lifted upward (position shown by e in FIG. 9), and the decorative surface (upper surface) 9a is kept in nearly intimate contact with the back panel 10 and inclined at nearly the same angle as the back panel 10.

Next, if the hand that was supporting the lid member 9 is released from the state shown in FIG. 11(c), the lid member 9 will fall over due to the counterclockwise moment acting on it, but as shown in FIG. 11(d), the concave retaining portion 15 will rotate downward (counterclockwise) under its own weight to position f shown in FIG. 9, and its locking portion 15a will lock the upper edge of the lid member 9. Therefore, the lid member 9 is prevented from falling over by the concave retaining portion 15, and as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11(d), the lid member 9 is stored in the storage space S while being held upright and inclined relative to the vertical.

The lid member 9 stored in the storage space S in the above manner will not fall over unless the concave retaining portion 15 is intentionally lifted to release the engagement with the lid member 9, and therefore is stably stored in the storage space S.

When the sink 4 is not in use, the lid member 9 is tilted backward from the state shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 11(d) so that it is in almost intimate contact with the back panel 10, and the concave retaining portion 15 is lifted upward as shown in Fig. 11(c) to release the engagement between the locking portion 15a and the lid member 9. The lid member 9 is then removed from the storage space S in the reverse order to that used when storing the sink 4, and the removed lid member 9 is placed over the sink 4 from above as shown in Fig. 11(a) to cover the top opening of the sink 4.

As described above, in this second embodiment, when the sink 4 is used, the lid member 9 removed from the sink 4 is stored in the storage space S through the opening 2a of the core part 2, and the lid member 9 is also tilted in the storage space S along the back plate 10 arranged at an angle in the storage space S, and the top of the lid member 9 is engaged by the concave retaining part 15, so that the lid member 9 can be stored stably in the storage space S. In this case, since the lid member 9 hardly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the core part 2, the lid member 9 does not get in the way of the experimenter, and there are no hygiene or safety problems caused by the dirty lid member 9 being exposed to the outside.

In addition, the same effects as those obtained in the first embodiment can be obtained in the second embodiment.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Figure 12 is a front view of the core part of the laboratory bench according to embodiment 3 of the present invention, Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in Figure 12, and Figures 14(a) to (d) are front views and partial cross-sectional side views of the core part showing the steps for storing and storing the cover member of the laboratory bench according to embodiment 3 of the present invention in order of steps. In these figures, the same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 7 are given the same reference numerals, and further explanation of these elements will be omitted below.

In this third embodiment, only the locking means of the lid member 9 differs from that of the first and second embodiments, and the other configurations are the same as those of the experimental table 1 according to the first and second embodiments. In this third embodiment, the locking means is composed of a stopper plate 18 supported by a support shaft 18a such as a screw on the upper inner surface at the center of the width direction of the periphery of the opening 2a of the core part 2 so as to be rotatable around one longitudinal end, and this stopper plate 18 normally hangs down vertically due to its own weight as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

In this third embodiment, the lid member 9 that covers the top opening of the sink 4 when the sink 4 is not in use is removed from the sink 4 when the sink 4 is in use and stored in the storage space S in the core part 2. The procedure for storing the lid member 9 in the storage space S will be described below with reference to Figures 14(a) to (d).

When the sink 4 is in use, the top opening of the sink 4 is covered by the lid member 9, as shown in FIG. 14(a). At this time, the stopper plate 18, which constitutes the locking means, is in a state of hanging down vertically due to its own weight.

When the sink 4 is to be used, the cover member 9 covering the top opening of the sink 4 is removed from the sink 4 as shown in FIG. 14(b), and this removed cover member 9 is introduced into the storage space S through the opening 2a that opens into the core portion 2. The cover member 9 introduced into the storage space S is then pushed into the back of the storage space S with the stopper plate 18 lifted upward (retracted to the side) as shown in FIG. 14(c), and its decorative surface (upper surface) 9a is kept in a state in which it is in close contact with the back panel 10 and inclined at the same angle as the back panel 10.

Next, if the stopper plate 18 and the lid member 9 are released from the state shown in FIG. 14(c), the stopper plate 18 will hang down vertically under its own weight, and the lid member 9 will fall due to the counterclockwise moment acting on it, as shown in FIG. 14(d). However, this fall of the lid member 9 is prevented by the stopper plate 18 engaging with the upper widthwise portion of the lid member 9, and the lid member 9 is held in an upright position inclined from the vertical and stored in the storage space S.

The lid member 9 stored in the storage space S in the above manner will not fall over unless the stopper plate 18 is intentionally rotated to release the engagement with the lid member 9, and therefore will be stably stored in the storage space S.

When the sink 4 is not in use, the cover member 9 is tilted backward from the position shown in FIG. 14(d) so that it is in close contact with the back panel 10, and the stopper plate 18 is rotated upward as shown in FIG. 14(c) to move it away from the opening 2a. The cover member 9 is then removed from the storage space S in the reverse order to that used when storing the sink 4, and the removed cover member 9 is placed over the sink 4 from above as shown in FIG. 14(a) to cover the top opening of the sink 4.

As described above, in this third embodiment, when the sink 4 is used, the lid member 9 removed from the sink 4 is stored in the storage space S through the opening 2a of the core part 2, and the lid member 9 is also tilted in the storage space S along the back plate 10 arranged at an angle in the storage space S, and the top of the lid member 9 is locked by the stopper plate 18, so that the lid member 9 can be stably stored in the storage space S. In this case, the lid member 9 hardly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the core part 2, so that, as in the first and second embodiments, the lid member 9 does not get in the way of the experimenter, and there are no hygiene or safety problems caused by the dirty lid member 9 being exposed to the outside.

In addition, the same effects as those obtained in the first and second embodiments can be obtained in the third embodiment as well.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Figure 15 is a front view of the core part of the laboratory bench according to embodiment 4 of the present invention, Figure 16 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of Figure 15, and Figures 17(a) to (d) are front views and partial cross-sectional side views of the core part showing the steps for storing and storing the cover member of the laboratory bench according to embodiment 4 of the present invention in order of steps. In these figures, the same elements as those shown in Figures 1 to 7 are given the same reference numerals, and further explanation of these elements will be omitted below.

In this embodiment 4, only the locking means of the cover member 9 differs from that of the embodiments 1 to 3, and the other configurations are the same as those of the experimental table 1 according to the embodiments 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the locking means is composed of a pair of rectangular plate-shaped locking blocks 20, the lower ends of which are supported rotatably by screws 19 at the upper sides of the periphery of the opening 2a of the core part 2 in the width direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 15, the center of rotation of each locking block 20 (the center of the screws 19) is offset by ε outward in the width direction from the center of the locking block 20 in the width direction.

In this fourth embodiment, too, the cover member 9 that covers the top opening of the sink 4 when the sink 4 is not in use is removed from the sink 4 when the sink 4 is in use and stored in the storage space S inside the core part 2. Below, the procedure for storing the cover member 9 in the storage space S will be explained with reference to Figures 17(a) to (d).

When the sink 4 is not in use, the top opening of the sink 4 is covered by the cover member 9. At this time, the pair of left and right locking blocks 20 constituting the locking means are in a state of inclination toward the inside of the opening 2a due to their own weight (the left and right locking blocks 20 are in a state of approximately V-shape when viewed from the front). That is, as described above, the center of rotation of each locking block 20 is offset by ε (see FIG. 15) toward the outside in the width direction (opposite the opening 2a) from the width direction center of the locking block 20, so that when no external force is acting on each locking block 20, as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 17(a), each locking block 20 is in a state of inclination toward the inside of the opening 2a due to its own weight (the left and right locking blocks 20 are in a state of approximately V-shape when viewed from the front). The angle of inclination of each locking block 20 is regulated by a notch or a stopper (not shown).

When the sink 4 is to be used, as shown in FIG. 17(a), the cover member 9 covering the top opening of the sink 4 is removed from the sink 4, and the removed cover member 9 is introduced into the storage space S through the opening 2a that opens into the core portion 2. When the cover member 9 is introduced, the upper end of the cover member 9 supported by the engagement groove 14a of the positioning block 14 is pushed into the back of the storage space S with the lower end as the center of rotation. As the cover member 9 is pushed in, the left and right outer edges of the cover member 9 come into contact with the opposing inner edges of the left and right locking blocks 20 that are inclined in a roughly V-shape, and the locking blocks 20 are rotated around the screw 19 in the direction of retracting from the opening 2a (FIG. 17(b)).

If the top end of the lid member 9 is pushed further into the storage space S, the lid member 9 passes the rotating left and right locking blocks 20, and the top surface 9a comes into almost intimate contact with the front surface of the back panel 10 (Fig. 17(c) → Fig. 17(d)). Meanwhile, the left and right locking blocks 20 that the lid member 9 has passed rotate back to their original positions under their own weight and are positioned in front of the lid member 9. If the hand pushing the lid member 9 is then released, the locking blocks 20 that have returned to their original positions will support the lid member 9, which would otherwise fall forward, and lock the lid member 9 (Fig. 17(d)).

As a result, the cover member 9 shown in Figures 16 and 17(d) is stored in the storage space S while being held in an upright position inclined relative to the vertical.

The lid member 9 stored in the storage space S in the above manner will not fall over unless the left and right locking blocks 20 are intentionally and simultaneously rotated to move it away from the opening 2a, and therefore will be stably stored in the storage space S.

When the use of the sink 4 is finished, the cover member 9 is tilted backward from the state shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17(d) so that it is in almost intimate contact with the back panel 10, and the left and right locking blocks 20 are rotated (uprighted) to the side that retracts it from the opening 2a as shown in FIG. 17(c), thereby releasing the lock of the cover member 9 by the locking blocks 20. The unlocked cover member 9 will fall forward under its own weight, so it can be caught by hand, and the cover member 9 can be removed from the storage space S in the reverse order of storage, and this cover member 9 can be placed over the sink 4 from above to cover the top opening of the sink 4 with the cover member 9.

As described above, in this fourth embodiment, when the sink 4 is used, the lid member 9 removed from the sink 4 is stored in the storage space S through the opening 2a of the core part 2, and the lid member 9 is also tilted in the storage space S along the back plate 10 arranged at an angle into the storage space S, and the top of the lid member 9 is locked by the left and right locking blocks 20, so that the lid member 9 can be stored stably in an upright state in the storage space S. In this case, the lid member 9 hardly protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the core part 2, so that the lid member 9 does not get in the way of the experimenter, and there are no hygiene or safety problems caused by the dirty lid member 9 being exposed to the outside.

In addition, the same effects as those obtained in the first to third embodiments can be obtained in the fourth embodiment as well.

In the above-mentioned first to fourth embodiments, all the back panels 10 are installed in the storage space S in a forward-inclined position (angle α). Although not shown in the drawings, the present invention may be configured such that the back panel 10 is installed in a backward-inclined position or in a substantially upright position. In a storage space S in which the back panel 10 is installed in a backward-inclined position, the cover member 9 can be supported by leaning against the backward-inclined back panel 10, so no locking means need be provided. In addition, when the back panel 10 is substantially upright, the cover member 9 also stands substantially upright or at a small angle, so the same locking means as in the above-mentioned second to fourth embodiments, including the guide wire 12, are provided.
In the present invention, there is a configuration in which the lid member 9 to be stored can be supported in an upright state inside the storage space S without providing the back panel 10, as described below. Note that the back panel 10 also serves as a decorative panel that covers the inside of the storage space S when the lid member 9 is not stored.

As a holding means for holding the lid member 9 removed from the sink 4 in an upright position within the storage space S, instead of or in combination with the holding means using the back panel 10 and the guide wire 12 described above, a linear, rod-shaped, or band-shaped body may be placed in the storage space S so as to face the front or rear, or both the front and rear sides, of the upper half of the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S.

In the above-mentioned first to fourth embodiments, the locking means for supporting the lid member 9 stored in the storage space S in a freely engageable and detachable manner is as simple in structure as possible from the standpoint of safety and cost. However, in the present invention, the locking means has a locking structure that appropriately utilizes a latch mechanism or spring, so that when the lid member 9 to be stored is pushed in, the locking means can automatically lock the lid member 9 and support the lid member 9 in an upright position.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Experimental bench 2 Core portion 2A Top surface of core portion 2B Outer peripheral surface of core portion 2C Side wall of core portion 2D Bottom plate of core portion 2a Opening of core portion 4 Sink 9 Lid member 9a Decorative surface of lid member 10 Back plate 12 Guide wire (retaining means)
12a: Guide wire holding portion 14: Positioning block 15: Concave holding portion (locking means)
18 Stopper plate (locking means)
20 Locking block (locking means)
S: Storage space ε: Displacement of the locking block 20 α: Inclination angle of the back panel 10

Claims (6)

A laboratory bench having a core with a sink at the top and a top plate on the core,
A cover member that removably covers an upper opening of the sink;
An opening having at least the width of the lid member formed on the outer peripheral surface of the core portion below the sink;
a storage space formed inside the core for storing the lid member removed from the sink through the opening;
a holding means for supporting the lid member in an upright position when the lid member is removed from the sink stored in the storage space;
Equipped with
The holding means is either or both of a back plate arranged inside the storage space so that at least a part of the lid member stored in the storage space abuts against the back plate, or a locking means arranged inside the storage space so as to detachably lock an upper part of the lid member stored in the storage space.
A laboratory bench characterized by: A laboratory bench having a core with a sink at the top and a top plate on the core,
A cover member that removably covers an upper opening of the sink;
An opening having at least the width of the lid member formed on the outer peripheral surface of the core portion below the sink;
a storage space formed inside the core for storing the lid member removed from the sink through the opening;
Equipped with
Furthermore, a positioning block is provided at the bottom of the storage space, with which a lower end of the lid member that is removed from the sink and stored in the storage space is engaged,
The cover member stored in the storage space is supported in an inclined position by the positioning block.
A laboratory bench characterized by: The laboratory bench described in claim 1, wherein the locking means is composed of a guide wire whose left and right ends are rotatably supported on both side walls of the storage space near the opening and has a retaining portion that protrudes and bends a predetermined length from both left and right ends, and the upper front surface of the cover member is locked over approximately the entire width by the retaining portion of the guide wire. The laboratory bench described in claim 1, wherein the locking means is composed of a retaining portion that is generally concave when viewed from the front and whose left and right ends are rotatably supported on the back plate and that protrudes and bends a predetermined length from both the left and right ends, and a portion of the upper front edge of the stored lid member is locked by the retaining portion . 2. The laboratory bench of claim 1, wherein the locking means is composed of a stopper plate supported on the upper inner surface of the opening so as to be rotatable about its upper end in the longitudinal direction, and a portion of the upper front edge of the stored lid member is locked by the stopper plate . The laboratory bench described in claim 1, wherein the locking means is composed of a pair of locking blocks supported on both sides of the width direction of the periphery of the opening, the upper sides of which are supported so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction, the center of rotation of which is located on the lower end side of the locking blocks and is offset from the center of the left-right width, and the upper parts of both width direction edges of the front surface of the stored lid member are locked by the locking blocks .