JP7721113B2 - chair - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a chair with a seat that can be raised and lowered.

Traditionally, chairs for playing musical instruments, for example, have a function to adjust the height of the seat on which the user sits to suit the user's physique.

For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a chair for playing musical instruments in which X-shaped link mechanisms supported by a lower fixed base and an upper movable base are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction, and these two link mechanisms are connected by a turnbuckle-type bolt consisting of a right-handed thread and a left-handed thread, and by turning a knob located at the tip of the bolt, a seat plate, which serves as a seating portion located on the movable base, can be raised and lowered.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-14477

However, when the seat plate is raised or lowered by rotating a turnbuckle-shaped bolt with a knob, the weight of the seat plate, etc., creates friction at the point where the link mechanism and the bolt thread together, resulting in the problem that a relatively large force is required to rotate the knob.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a chair whose seat can be raised and lowered with a relatively small amount of force.

(1) a seating portion on which a user sits;
a support portion that supports the seat portion from below;
a lifting unit fixed to the support unit and configured to lift and lower the seating unit,
The lifting unit is
a first member formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seat portion and the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion;
a second member formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seat portion and the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion;
an expandable member having one end connected to a first connection part connected to the first member and the other end connected to a second connection part to which the second member is connected, and whose total length changes depending on internal pressure based on an operation by a user;
When the entire length of the extensible member is extended, the first connection portion and the second connection portion are separated from each other, and the seating portion is raised.
A chair characterized in that, when the entire length of the expandable member is shortened, the first connection portion and the second connection portion come closer to each other, and the seat portion descends.

In the invention of (1), the chair comprises a seating portion, a support portion, and a lifting portion.
The seating section is where the user sits.
The support portion supports the seat portion from below.
The lifting unit is fixed to the support unit, has a first member, a second member, and an expandable member, and lifts and lowers the seating unit.
The first member is formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seat portion, and the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion.
The second member is formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seat portion, and the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion.
The expandable member has one end connected to a first connection part connected to a first member, and the other end connected to a second connection part connected to a second member, and its overall length changes depending on the internal pressure based on the user's operation.
As the entire length of the telescopic member expands, the first connection part and the second connection part move apart, causing the seating part to rise, and as the entire length of the telescopic member contracts, the first connection part and the second connection part move closer together, causing the seating part to descend.

According to the invention (1), based on the user's operation, the expandable member, whose total length changes depending on the internal pressure, expands, causing the first connection part and the second connection part to separate and the seating part to rise, and the total length of the expandable member contracts, causing the first connection part and the second connection part to approach each other and the seating part to fall.
This makes it possible to move the first and second connecting parts closer or farther apart and raise and lower the seat without using a member that would create friction due to the weight of the seat, such as a bolt or other threaded member. Also, by using internal pressure to expand and contract the entire length of the expandable member, the seat can be raised and lowered smoothly.
Therefore, a chair can be provided in which the seat can be raised and lowered with a relatively small force.

(2) The lifting unit is
a first lifting unit including the first member and another first member formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seating portion, the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion, and the center of which is rotatably connected to the first member;
a second lifting unit including the second member and another second member formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seating portion, the other end of which is slidably connected to the support portion, and the center of which is rotatably connected to the second member;
The first connection portion is provided on the seating portion side,
the second connection portion is provided on the support portion side,
When the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member become closer to each other, the seating portion rises,
The chair described in (1) is characterized in that the seating portion descends when the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member increase.

In the invention of (2), the lifting section includes a first lifting section and a second lifting section.
The first lifting section comprises a first member and another first member formed in an axial shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seating section, the other end of which is slidably connected to the support section, and which is rotatably connected to the first member at the center.
The second lifting section comprises a second member and another second member formed in an axial shape, one end of which is slidably connected to the seating section, the other end of which is slidably connected to the support section, and which is rotatably connected to the second member at the center.
The first connection portion is provided on the seating portion side.
The second connection portion is provided on the support portion side.
The seat portion of the chair rises as the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member become closer to each other.
In addition, the seating portion of the chair descends as the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member increase.

According to the invention of (2), one end (first connection part) of the telescopic member is connected to the seat part side of the first lifting/lowering part including the first member, and the other end (second connection part) is connected to the support part side of the second lifting/lowering part including the second member. In other words, the telescopic member is disposed obliquely with respect to the first lifting/lowering part and the second lifting/lowering part.
This allows the seat to be raised and lowered with less force than when the first and second lifting sections are arranged horizontally, for example.

(3) The lifting unit is
a first auxiliary member formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is pivotally supported on the seat portion and the other end of which is pivotally supported on an intermediate portion of the first member;
A chair as described in (1) or (2), characterized in that it comprises a second auxiliary member formed in an axial shape, one end of which is rotatably supported on the seat portion, and the other end of which is rotatably supported on the intermediate portion of the second member.

In the invention of (3), the lifting section includes a first auxiliary member and a second auxiliary member.
The first auxiliary member is formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is rotatably supported by the seat portion, and the other end of which is rotatably supported by the middle portion of the first member.
The second auxiliary member is formed in a shaft shape, one end of which is rotatably supported by the seat portion, and the other end of which is rotatably supported by the middle portion of the second member.

According to the invention (3), a first auxiliary member rotatably supported on the seating portion is rotatably supported at the middle part of the first member, and a second auxiliary member rotatably supported on the seating portion is rotatably supported at the middle part of the second member.
Here, when the seat is lowered to the lowest position and the first and second members are horizontal or nearly horizontal, even if an attempt is made to extend the entire length of the telescopic member to separate the first and second connection parts, the ends of the first and second members will support the ends of the parts connected to the seat in the sliding direction, making it impossible to separate the first and second connection parts (making it impossible to raise the seat).
According to the invention (3), by providing the first auxiliary member and the second auxiliary member, it is possible to prevent the first member and the second member from being in a horizontal or nearly horizontal state, thereby preventing a state in which the seating portion cannot be raised.

The present invention provides a chair whose seat can be raised and lowered with a relatively small amount of force.

1 is a perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lifting unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lifting unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. 1 is a perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention;

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical or similar components will be designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted or simplified.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, chair 1 is a musical instrument chair on which a user sits to play a musical instrument such as a piano, but chair 1 is not limited to this and can be used as a chair for a variety of purposes.

Chair 1 comprises a seating section 10 on which the user sits, a support section 20 that supports seating section 10 from below, a lifting section 30 that is fixed to support section 20 and raises and lowers seating section 10, and an auxiliary section 40 that is attached to support section 20 and on which the user can place their feet.

The seating section 10 has a cushion on the upper surface on which the user sits, and its lower surface is connected to the lifting section 30, which is fixed to the support section 20. In the example shown in Figure 1, the seating section 10 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, but this is not limited to this and it may also be formed in a circular shape or other polygonal shapes.

The support section 20 comprises multiple legs 21 (four in the example shown in Figure 1) extending downward from the lower side near the outer periphery of the seat section 10 (four corners in the example shown in Figure 1), and a frame section 22 connecting the upper ends of adjacent legs 21 to each other.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The lifting unit 30 comprises a lower member 310 fixed to the support unit 20, an upper member 320 fixed to the seating unit 10, and a lifting member 330 connected to the lower member 310 and the upper member 320 and moving the lower member 310 and the upper member 320 away from or closer to each other, and raises and lowers the seating unit 10.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views of the lifting unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from diagonally below. Figure 3 shows the lower member 310 and the upper member 320 in close proximity to each other. Figure 4 shows the lower member 310 and the upper member 320 in a spaced-apart position.

The lower member 310 is attached to the inner side surfaces of a pair of opposing frame portions 22 (see Figure 1) of the support portion 20 and is formed as a plate-like body extending along the frame portions 22.

The pair of lower members 310 each have a hole extending in the direction in which the frame portion 22 (see Figure 1) extends (left-right direction in the example shown in Figure 3), and a first guide 311 is formed in which the lower end of the first member 341 (described below) slidably engages.

The pair of lower members 310 each have a hole that extends in the direction in which the frame portion 22 (see Figure 1) extends (left-right direction in the example shown in Figure 3), and the lower end of the second member 351 (described below) slidably engages with the hole to form a second guide 312 that is the same length as the first guide 311.

The upper member 320 is attached to the underside of the seating portion 10 and is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from above.

The upper member 320 has holes in opposing frames (frames arranged above and parallel to the pair of lower members 310) that extend in the direction of extension of the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1) (left-right direction in the example shown in Figure 3), and first guides 321 are formed in each of these frames that extend in the direction of extension of the frames, and with which the upper end of the first member 341 (described below) slidably engages.

The upper member 320 also has holes in the frame that extend in the same direction as the frame, are longer than the first guides 321, and are formed with separate first guides 322 that slidably engage with the upper ends of the separate first members 342 (described below).

The upper member 320 also has a second guide 323 formed in the frame, which extends in the same direction as the frame and is the same length as the first guide 321. The upper end of the second member 351 (described below) is slidably engaged with this hole.

The upper member 320 also has holes in the frame that extend in the same direction as the frame, have the same length as the separate first guides 322, and are formed with separate second guides 324 that slidably engage with the upper end of the separate second member 352 (described below).

A wall member (e.g., bellows) that can expand and contract in the direction of movement of the upper member 320 may be placed between the lower member 310 and the upper member 320. This makes it possible to prevent the user's fingers from getting pinched when the lower member 310 and the upper member 320 move closer to each other after being separated from each other.

The lifting member 330 comprises a pair of first lifting sections 340 arranged opposite each other (front to back in the example shown in Figures 3 and 4), a pair of second lifting sections 350 arranged opposite each other (front to back in the example shown in Figures 3 and 4) and parallel to the first lifting sections 340 along the extension direction of the seating section 10 (see Figure 2), and an expandable member 370 that operates the first lifting sections 340 and the second lifting sections 350 in conjunction with each other.

When viewed from the front, the first lifting section 340 is formed in a generally X-shape and includes a first member 341 that is tilted in a predetermined direction, and a separate first member 342 that is rotatably connected to the first member 341 at the center and tilted in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction. The first lifting section 340 increases in height (the upper and lower ends are separated) by changing from a state in which the upper and lower ends of the first member 341 and the separate first member 342 are separated (the state shown in Figure 3) to a state in which the upper and lower ends of the first member 341 and the separate first member 342 are close to each other (the state shown in Figure 4).

The first member 341 is formed in an axial shape, and its upper end is slidably connected to the first guide 321 of the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the lower end of the first member 341 is slidably connected to the first guide 311 of the lower member 310 attached to the frame portion 22 of the support portion 20 (see Figure 1).

The separate first member 342 is formed in an axial shape, and its upper end is slidably connected to the separate first guide 322 of the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1). The lower end of the separate first member 342 is rotatably supported by the lower member 310 attached to the frame portion 22 of the support portion 20 (see Figure 1).

When viewed from the front, the second lifting section 350 is formed in a generally X-shape and includes a second member 351 that is tilted in the opposite direction to a predetermined direction, and a separate second member 352 that is rotatably connected to the second member 351 at the center and tilted in the predetermined direction. The second lifting section 350 increases in height (the upper and lower ends are separated) by changing from a state in which the upper and lower ends of the second member 351 and the separate second member 352 are separated (the state shown in FIG. 3) to a state in which the upper and lower ends of the second member 351 and the separate second member 352 are close to each other (the state shown in FIG. 4).

The second member 351 is formed in an axial shape, and its upper end is slidably connected to the second guide 323 of the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1). Furthermore, the lower end of the second member 351 is slidably connected to the second guide 312 of the lower member 310 attached to the frame portion 22 of the support portion 20 (see Figure 1).

The separate second member 352 is formed in an axial shape, and its upper end is slidably connected to the separate second guide 324 of the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1). The lower end of the separate second member 352 is rotatably supported by the lower member 310 attached to the frame portion 22 of the support portion 20 (see Figure 1).

The pair of first members 341, the pair of separate first members 342, the pair of second members 351, and the pair of separate second members 352 are each connected at their upper ends by a first connection portion 361.

Furthermore, the pair of first members 341, the pair of separate first members 342, the pair of second members 351, and the pair of separate second members 352 are each connected at their lower ends by a second connection portion 362.

The first connecting portion 361 and the second connecting portion 362 are axial bodies extending in the arrangement direction of the pair of first members 341, the pair of separate first members 342, the pair of second members 351, and the pair of separate second members 352 (the front-to-rear direction in the example shown in Figures 3 and 4). The first connecting portion 361 and the second connecting portion 362 may be cylindrical or angular.

Furthermore, a first auxiliary member 363 is connected to each of the pair of first members 341 .
The first auxiliary member 363 is formed in an axial shape, with one end rotatably supported on the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1), and the other end rotatably supported on the middle portion of the first member 341.

Further, second auxiliary members 364 are connected to the pair of second members 351, respectively.
The second auxiliary member 364 is formed in an axial shape and is rotatably supported on the upper member 320 attached to the seating portion 10 (see Figure 1), and the other end is rotatably supported on the middle portion of the second auxiliary member 364.

The expandable member 370 is composed of a cylinder such as a gas spring, metal spring, resin spring, or fluid spring, with one end connected to a first connector 361 that is connected to the upper end of the first member 341, and the other end connected to a second connector 362 that is connected to the lower end of the second member 351. For example, the overall length changes depending on the internal pressure of a gas (gas-inert) spring within the cylinder, and the member is locked or unlocked based on user operation. The expandable member 370 also has a hydraulic or mechanical locking mechanism.

For example, the telescopic member 370 can transition from a locked state, in which its overall length does not change, to a released state, in which its overall length is variable, by the user operating the operating unit 371. When the operating unit 371 is operated to transition the telescopic member 370 to the released state in its shortest state (the state shown in Figure 3), the telescopic member 370 will extend to its overall length, assuming the state shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, when the operating unit 371 is operated to transition the telescopic member 370 to the released state in the extended overall length state (the state shown in Figure 4), if a user sits on the seat 10 (see Figure 1) and their weight applies pressure in a direction that shortens the overall length, the telescopic member 370 will shorten, and when the operation of the operating unit 371 is stopped, the telescopic member 370 will be locked at that overall length.

As such, the chair 1 of this embodiment can be raised and lowered easily and quickly using a single diagonally positioned telescopic member 370, resulting in superior space efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to other types of lifting mechanisms. Furthermore, the chair 1 makes extensive use of links that pivotally support each component throughout the chair, allowing for a wide range of motion. While a single telescopic member 370 is preferred, multiple members may also be provided.

Next, the operation of the chair 1 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1 , when the user operates the operating unit 371 to unlock the expandable member 370, the entire length of the expandable member 370 is extended. Then, the first connecting portion 361 connected to the upper end of the first member 341 of the first lifting portion 340 and the second connecting portion 362 connected to the lower end of the second member 351 move away from each other.
As a result, the upper and lower ends of the first member 341 and the separate first member 342 of the first lifting section 340 and the second member 351 and the separate second member 352 of the second lifting section 350 are brought into close proximity (the state shown in Figure 4), and the seating section 10 shown in Figure 1 moves to a position away from the support section 20, resulting in the state shown in Figure 5.

5 , when the user operates the operating unit 371 to unlock the expandable member 370 and, for example, sits on the seat 10 and presses it downward, the entire length of the expandable member 370 is shortened. Then, the first connecting portion 361 connected to the upper end of the first member 341 of the first lifting/lowering portion 340 and the second connecting portion 362 connected to the lower end of the second member 351 approach each other.
As a result, the upper and lower ends of the first member 341 and the separate first member 342 of the first lifting section 340 and the second member 351 and the separate second member 352 of the second lifting section 350 are separated from each other (the state shown in Figure 3), and the seating section 10 shown in Figure 5 moves to a position close to the support section 20, resulting in the state shown in Figure 1.

When the user raises or lowers the seat 10 in this manner, by stopping the operation of the operating part 371 when the seat 10 reaches the desired height, the telescopic member 370 is locked, the entire length no longer extends or contracts, and the seat 10 can be fixed at the desired height.

Returning to Figure 1, the auxiliary part 40 is, for example, a plate-shaped member that is placed across the middle of two adjacent legs 21. When the height of the seat 10 is adjusted to a position appropriate for playing a musical instrument (e.g., piano), the auxiliary part 40 is the member on which the user places their feet when, for example, the user is relatively small, such as a child, and their feet do not touch the floor. The auxiliary part 40 is configured to be adjustable in height at the middle of two adjacent legs 21.

With such a chair 1, the expandable member 370, whose overall length changes depending on the internal pressure, expands based on the user's operation, causing the first connection portion 361 and the second connection portion 362 to move apart and the seating portion 10 to rise, and the overall length of the expandable member 370 contracts, bringing the first connection portion 361 and the second connection portion 362 closer to each other and causing the seating portion 10 to descend.
This makes it possible to move the first connecting portion 361 and the second connecting portion 362 closer or farther apart, thereby raising and lowering the seating portion 10, without using a member that would create friction due to the weight of the seating portion 10, such as a bolt or other threaded member. Also, by using a gas spring, metal spring, or the like to expand and contract the entire length of the expandable member 370, the seating portion 10 can be raised and lowered smoothly.
Therefore, a chair can be provided in which the seating portion 10 can be raised and lowered with a relatively small force.

Furthermore, according to chair 1, one end (first connection portion 361) of expandable member 370 is connected to the seating portion 10 side of first lifting/lowering portion 340 including first member 341, and the other end (second connection portion 362) is connected to the support portion 20 side of second lifting/lowering portion 350 including second member 351. In other words, expandable member 370 is disposed obliquely with respect to first lifting/lowering portion 340 and second lifting/lowering portion 350.
This allows the seat 10 to be raised and lowered with less force than when the first lifting section 340 and the second lifting section 350 are arranged horizontally, for example.

In addition, with chair 1, the provision of first auxiliary member 363 and second auxiliary member 364 prevents the first member 341 and second member 351 from becoming horizontal or nearly horizontal, thereby preventing a situation in which the seating portion 10 cannot be raised.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

1 Chair 10 Seating portion 20 Support portion 21 Leg portion 22 Frame portion 30 Lifting portion 40 Auxiliary portion 310 Lower member 311 First guide 312 Second guide 320 Upper member 321 First guide 322 Separate first guide 323 Second guide 324 Separate second guide 330 Lifting member 340 First lifting portion 341 First member 342 Separate first member 350 Second lifting portion 351 Second member 352 Separate second member 361 First connecting portion 362 Second connecting portion 363 First auxiliary member 364 Second auxiliary member 370 Expandable member 371 Operation portion

Claims (3)

a seating portion on which a user sits;
a support portion that supports the seat portion from below;
a lifting unit fixed to the support unit and configured to lift and lower the seating unit,
The lifting unit is
a pair of first members each formed in a shaft shape, with an upper end slidably connected to the seating portion and a lower end slidably connected to the support portion , the first members being disposed in positions facing each other ;
a pair of second members each formed in a shaft shape, with an upper end slidably connected to the seating portion and a lower end slidably connected to the support portion , the second members being disposed in positions facing each other;
a first connection portion that connects the pair of first members at upper ends;
a second connection portion that connects the pair of second members at lower ends;
an expandable member having one end connected to the first connection part and the other end connected to the second connection part, and the total length of which changes depending on the internal pressure based on the operation of the user;
When the entire length of the extensible member is extended, the first connection portion and the second connection portion are separated from each other, and the seating portion is raised.
A chair characterized in that when the seating portion is pressed downward, the overall length of the expandable member contracts, the first connection portion and the second connection portion come closer to each other, and the seating portion descends. The lifting unit is
a first lifting unit including the first member and another first member formed in a shaft shape, the upper end of which is slidably connected to the seating portion, the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the support portion, and the center of which is rotatably connected to the first member;
a second lifting unit including the second member and another second member formed in a shaft shape, the upper end of which is slidably connected to the seating portion, the lower end of which is rotatably connected to the support portion, and the center of which is rotatably connected to the second member;
The first connection portion is provided on the seating portion side,
the second connection portion is provided on the support portion side,
When the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member become closer to each other, the seating portion rises,
The chair according to claim 1, characterized in that the seating portion descends when the distance between both ends of the first member and the other first member and the distance between both ends of the second member and the other second member increase, respectively. The lifting unit is
a first auxiliary member formed in a shaft shape, with an upper end portion pivotally supported on the seat portion and a lower end portion pivotally supported on an intermediate portion of the first member;
The chair described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a second auxiliary member formed in an axial shape, with its upper end rotatably supported on the seat portion and its lower end rotatably supported on the intermediate portion of the second member.