JP7748256B2 - Storage furniture - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to box-shaped storage furniture, such as a locker.

One example of storage furniture is a locker, which comes in a variety of forms and is used for a variety of purposes. For example, in terms of size, there are lockers, such as coin lockers, which have multiple unit storage units arranged vertically and horizontally, each with a height and width of several tens of centimeters, and lockers with multiple unit storage units connected horizontally and with a height of about 180 centimeters, which can also store coats.

Lock systems include those equipped with mechanical locks that are unlocked with a key, those equipped with combination locks that allow the user to set their own unlocking number, and those equipped with electronic locks that are unlocked by touching a card or pressing a numeric keypad. Combining mechanical and electronic locks is also common.

In recent years, working styles in offices have changed dramatically, with the free address system (non-territorial system) becoming widespread, where desks are provided but individual workers do not have their own seats. Work systems where employees only come into the office on specific days of the week or when necessary are also becoming widespread, but in these cases, the office is often basically a free address system.

Even in a free address working style, employees still need to store their personal belongings during working hours and keep any personally managed items they are given after they leave work, so almost without exception, offices with a free address working style have personal lockers.

Of course, lockers are used as office furniture and are a near-essential item even in offices that do not have a free address system, but the lockers used in free address offices are characterized by the fact that they are arranged in a multiple-unit system with unit storage compartments, each several tens of centimeters in height and width, lined up vertically and horizontally, and that they have enhanced security features in order to store highly confidential items such as laptops and documents.

Specific unit storage sections are assigned to specific individuals, so basically only specific individuals can open and close the doors. However, on non-work days, it is necessary to place mail addressed to individuals or place notices in each individual's unit storage section. There is also a desire to be able to store items such as envelopes and mail with the doors closed, even when the user is at work.

To address this issue, a mail slot is provided in the door so that envelopes and documents can be dropped inside while the door is locked. One example of this is disclosed in Patent Document 1, which discloses a mail slot that runs long on both sides at the top of the door. In Patent Document 1, a tray is placed on the back of the door to receive mail.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-081731

As in Patent Document 1, if a tray (mailed item storage section) for receiving mailed items is provided on the back of the door, the tray will fit into the storage section of the storage cabinet itself. Therefore, if items are placed in the storage section of the storage cabinet itself up to its front end, the tray may get stuck on the items, making it impossible to close the door, or the door may be forced to close, damaging the tray or the items.

In office lockers, the mail slot is sometimes located near the free end of the door in a vertically elongated position, with part of the storage area in the main body of the locker used as a mail storage area. In this case, no tray is provided on the back of the door to serve as a mail storage area, but trays for storing small items or bottles are provided on the back of the door, and these trays have been known to hit items.

The present invention was made against this backdrop, and aims to disclose technology that can prevent interference between protruding parts and items in storage furniture that has protruding parts such as trays on the backside of the doors.

The present invention includes various configurations, typical examples of which are specified in each claim. The invention of claim 1 is a generic concept,
"A storage body having a storage section that opens forward,
A pivotable door that opens and closes the storage section;
Equipped with
On the bottom surface of the storage section, near the front end, left and right longitudinal ribs protruding upward or downward are provided on the bottom plate constituting the bottom surface of the storage section as markers to alert the user to the placement position of the items so that the back surface of the door or the door back storage section provided on the back surface of the door does not interfere with the items placed in the storage section when the door is closed .
The structure is as follows.

Sometimes, a box section for arranging handles and the like is provided on the back of the door, making the door hollow. As mentioned above, a tray may be attached to the back of the door to form a back-of-door storage area. However, in this invention, the "back of the door" includes both parts that make up the door itself, such as the box section and lock unit, and trays that are provided for a function separate from the door's function.

The invention of claim 2 also constitutes a generic concept,
" A storage body having a storage section that opens forward,
A pivotable door that opens and closes the storage section;
Equipped with
An upward protrusion or downward groove or hole is formed in the bottom plate constituting the bottom surface of the storage section at a position near the front end of the bottom surface of the storage section as a mark to alert the user to the position of the item so that the back surface of the door or the door back storage section provided on the back surface of the door does not interfere with the item placed in the storage section when the door is closed.
In this case, the protrusions, grooves, and holes may be short and arranged side by side on the left and right. Also, the protrusions or grooves may be long and formed on the left and right.

The invention of claim 3 is the same as claim 1 or 2 ,
"A tray constituting the door back storage section is attached to the back of the door,
The interference suppression section is configured so that the article can be placed in a position that does not interfere with the tray.
The structure is as follows.

The invention of claim 4 is any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
"A single storage cabinet body has multiple storage compartments arranged in the vertical or horizontal direction, or in both the vertical and horizontal directions,
Each storage compartment is equipped with the aforementioned door.
The structure is as follows.

When people use storage furniture, they tend to believe (or assume) that even if there are protrusions on the back of the door, the storage area of the cabinet itself can still be fully used for arranging items, and so they may place deep items with their front ends near the front of the storage area, or line up a group of items close to the front of the storage area. As a result, the back of the door may get caught by the items, making it impossible to close, or they may force the door to close, damaging the door, the tray attached to the back of the door, or the items.

In contrast, in the present invention, the mark that functions as an interference suppression unit alerts the user and allows the user to identify an area where items can be safely stored, so that items are guided to be stored in a safe area without being placed in a state where they would collide with the back surface of the door or the behind-door storage unit provided on the back surface of the door.This prevents the door from becoming unable to close or from being forced to close, damaging the tray or items on the back surface, and allows the storage furniture to be used safely.

Adopting a mark that can be seen by humans as the interference suppression part as in claims 1 and 2 has the advantage of ensuring a warning function while simplifying the structure. In this case, adopting a protrusion, groove, or hole as the mark as in claim 2 has the advantage of being highly durable and not disappearing even when rubbed by an object. Adopting a protrusion as the mark can also function as a stopper for the object, further improving the interference suppression function.

Forming a rib as a marker as in claim 1 has the advantages of being easily formed by press working and reinforcing the shelf board. Also, as in claim 2 , it has the advantage of being highly durable and not disappearing even when rubbed. Also, as in claim 2 , if it is provided with an upward protrusion, it has the advantage of functioning as a stopper for items, further improving the interference suppression function.

If a tray for storing items is provided on the back of the door, the tray will enter the storage section when the door is closed, making it more likely that the tray will hit items placed in the storage section. However, as in claim 3 , if a mark is provided as an interference suppression section to determine the placement position so that the items do not interfere with the tray, interference between the tray and the items can be avoided, which is particularly preferable.

In the fourth aspect, the cabinet body is shared, which reduces overall costs. In addition, the layout within the room is flexible, making it suitable for offices with a free address system.

1A is an external perspective view of a locker according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a partial front view. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing all constituent members. 1A is a partially separated perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1A. This is a perspective view of the door as seen from the back side. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view with the door removed. 1A is a partial front view with some doors omitted, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a second side partition member. (A) is an exploded perspective view of the second storage section, (B) is a perspective view of the receiving member, (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in (A), and (D) is another example view of the same area as (C). (A) is a partial back view of the door, (B) is a cross-sectional view of (A) taken along the line B-B, (C) is a cross-sectional view of (A) taken along the line C-C, and (D) is a vertical side view of another example in which a mail slot is provided at the top of the door. 8A is a plan view of the left portion, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IXB-IXB in FIG. 8A.

Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a multiple locker will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, the terms "front-rear" and "left-right" will be used to specify directions, but the front-rear direction refers to the depth direction, and the left-right direction refers to the width direction.

(1) Basic Structure of the Locker First, the basic structure of the locker will be explained mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The locker of this embodiment is made of steel, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, has a storage body 1 that opens forward and ten doors 2 arranged in five rows and two columns and positioned in front of it. Therefore, the locker of this embodiment is made up of ten unit storage sections.

As shown in Figure 2, the exterior of the storage cabinet body 1 is made up of left and right side panels 3, a top panel 4, a bottom panel 5, and a back panel 6. The interior is divided into left and right sections by a center partition panel 7, and four shelves 8 are arranged in the space on both the left and right sides of the center partition panel 7. The bottom panel 5 can also be considered the lowest shelf. The side panels 3, center partition panel 7, and bottom panel 5 are connected to two base frames 9 on the left and right longitudinal sides.

As shown in Figure 2, downward-facing stepped portions 4a are formed on the left and right side edges and rear edge of the top plate 4, and upper pieces 3a, 6a formed on the upper ends of the side plates 3 and back plate 6 are spot-welded to these stepped portions 4a. In addition, inward-facing rear pieces 3b are formed on the rear ends of the left and right side plates 3, and these rear pieces 3b are spot-welded to the rear surface of the back plate 6. The rear end of the center partition plate 7 is fitted into a bracket portion 10 provided on the back plate 6.

The lower ends of the left and right side panels 3 have inward-facing lower pieces 3c that are spot-welded to the base frame 9. The bottom panel 5 is fitted to the lower pieces 3c of the side panels 3 and also to the base frame 9. The lower end of the center partition panel 7 is also fitted to the base frame 9. Although not shown, the upper end of the center partition panel 7 is fitted to a bracket piece welded to the underside of the top panel 4.

As shown in Figure 3, the shelf plate 8 (including the bottom plate 5; the same applies below) has a downward-facing front frame piece 8a, left and right downward-facing side pieces 8b, and a downward-facing rear piece (not shown), and the left and right side edges are supported by two front and rear support brackets 11 welded to the inner surface of the side plate 3 and the side surface of the center partition plate 7.

The bracket 11 is crank-shaped so that there is a small gap between its top and the side panel 3 or center partition panel 7. Its lower half is welded to the side panel 3 or center partition panel 7, while an inward support piece 11a is formed at its upper end. The side piece 8b of the shelf board 8 is inserted from above into the gap formed between the bracket 11 and the side panel 3 or center partition panel 7, and a dowel 8c bulging from the side piece 8b of the shelf board 8 engages with a rectangular engagement hole 12 formed in the bracket 11, thereby holding the shelf board 8 so that it cannot slip out upward or move forward or backward.

The door 2 rotates horizontally around its right edge. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, hinges 13 that hold the door 2 in a horizontally rotatable position are attached to the front frame 4c of the top panel 4 and the right end of the front frame piece 8a of each shelf panel 8.

A front frame portion 14 with a U-shaped cross section is bent and formed at the front end of the side panel 3, while a hollow, rectangular front frame portion 15 is also formed at the front end of the center partition plate 7. When the door 2 is closed, the free end overlaps the front frame portions 14, 15 from the front.

As shown in Figure 4, upper, side, and lower fold pieces 2a, 2b, and 2c are formed around the four edges of the door 2, and the right end of the upper fold piece 2a is connected to the hinge 13 with a pin (not shown). A lock unit 16 is fixed to a portion of the door 2 near the free end and midway between the top and bottom. The front of the lock unit 16 is exposed in front of the door 2, and is provided with a numeric keypad 17, keyhole 18, and knob 19 on the exposed front, as shown in Figure 1, for example.

Returning to Figure 4, the lock unit 16 incorporates an electronic lock that is unlocked by operating the numeric keypad 17, and a mechanical lock that is unlocked by operating a key. The deadbolt 20 of the electronic lock is positioned so that it can move horizontally, while the deadbolt 21 of the mechanical lock is positioned so that it can rotate. Therefore, the front frame portion 14 of the left side panel 3 and the front frame portion 15 of the center partition panel 7 are formed with a notch engagement portion 22 into which the deadbolt 20 of the electronic lock fits and a lock hole 23 into which the deadbolt 21 of the mechanical lock fits and disengages.

Furthermore, as shown in part in Figure 4, a horizontally rotating latch pawl 24 is attached to the lock unit 16, while as shown in Figure 7(B), a resin receiving member 25 is fixed to the front frame portion 14 and the front frame portion 15 of the center partition plate 7, and the receiving member 25 forms an engaging portion 25a with which the latch pawl 24 engages and disengages as it rotates. Note that the receiving member 25 is shown in simplified form in Figure 5, and is not shown in Figures 2 and 3.

On the back side of door 2, near the free end, there is a shallow, elongated first tray 26 for storing small items such as eyeglass cases, and a deep second tray 27 for storing water bottles and plastic bottles. These trays 26 and 27 may be kept on hand, or one or both may be available as optional accessories.

(2) Normal Storage Section: Items can be stored in each unit storage section of the storage cabinet main body 1. In this embodiment, a bookend-shaped first divider 29 is placed on the left side of each unit storage section, and the large space to the right of the first divider 29 forms the first storage section 30. The first divider 29 has a single first divider plate (standing plate) 29a that is longitudinal from front to back. The area between the divider plate 29a and the right/left side panel 3 or the center divider plate 7 forms the second storage section 32 that can store electronic devices such as a laptop computer 31 or a tablet device. The width of the second storage section 32 is several tens of millimeters (for example, approximately 40 to 60 mm).

As shown in Figure 7(A), the first divider 29 has a bottom plate 29b that overlaps the shelf 8 and two positioning protrusions 33, 34 protruding downward, one at the front and one at the back. The shelf 8 also has two pairs of positioning holes 35, 36 into which the positioning protrusions 33, 34 fit. Therefore, the first divider 29 can be attached to two positions, left and right, allowing the left-right width of the second storage section 32 to be adjusted in two stages.

In this case, the rear positioning protrusions 34 and positioning holes 36 have the same front-to-back length, but the left-side positioning protrusions 33 and positioning holes 35 at the front are shorter in front-to-back length than the rear positioning protrusions 34 and positioning holes 36, and the right-side positioning protrusions 33 and positioning holes 35 at the front are longer in front-to-back length than the rear positioning protrusions 34 and positioning holes 36. For this reason, the first divider 29 can only be attached to the shelf board 8 when there is a space between it and the side panel 3. This prevents incorrect installation of the first divider 29.

As shown in FIG. 5, a channel-shaped, vertical wiring duct 37 is attached to the front end of the side panel 3 and the center partition panel 7, and an outlet 38 is attached to the top of this wiring duct 37. This allows charging of electronic devices such as a laptop computer 31. In this embodiment, the outlet 38 is a two-port type, but it may also have one or three or more ports. In addition to the outlet 38, the wiring duct 37 can also be provided with a USB port for charging. The wiring duct 37 can be attached to brackets (not shown) fixed to the side panel 3 and the center partition panel 7 by welding in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 3(B).

As shown by the dashed line in Figure 5, the outlet 38 can be located in front of the shelf 8 and to the left, or on the upper inner surface of the unit storage section (it can also be provided on the back panel 6). It is also possible to provide a USB port for power supply on the outlet 37.

The first divider 29 in Figure 7(A) is assumed to be made of metal plate, and the positioning protrusions 33, 34 are formed by cutting and raising, but the first divider 29 can also be made of synthetic resin, in which case no holes will be formed by cutting and raising. The positioning protrusions 33, 34 can also be formed into a claw-like shape to prevent them from easily coming off. The front corners of the first divider 29 are cut, making it easy to insert and remove items such as the laptop computer 31.

(3) Mail Storage Section As shown in Figure 5, a tray- or bookend-shaped second divider 39 is attached to the right side of the unit storage section, and the space between the first divider 29 and the second divider 39 forms the first storage section 30. The first storage section 30 occupies an area of about 3/4 of the width of the unit storage section.

As shown in Figure 6 (B), the second partition device 39 has a second partition plate 39a separated from the right side panel 3 or the center partition plate 7, and a horizontally oriented bottom plate 39b integrally connected to the lower end of the second partition plate 39a, and is formed in an L-shape when viewed from the front, with the area between the second partition plate 39a and the center partition plate 7 or the right side panel 3 forming a mail storage section (third storage section) 40.

The left-to-right width of the mail storage section 40 is, for example, approximately 50 to 60 mm, which is the same as the maximum width of the second storage section 32. The second partition 39 is made of synthetic resin, but can also be made of metal plate.

In the second divider 39, a pair of positioning protrusions 42, one at the front and one at the back, protrude downward from the bottom plate 39b, while the shelf plate 8 is provided with positioning holes 43 into which the positioning protrusions 42 fit. Therefore, the second divider 39 is detachable like the first divider 29. In the second divider 39, the front end of the bottom plate 39b is located behind the front end of the divider plate 39a, but the front ends of the bottom plate 39b and the divider plate 39a may be aligned. This is also true for the first divider 29.

As shown in Figures 4 and 8(A), a vertically elongated frame 44 is attached to the back of the door 2 near the pivot point. The frame 44 is made of synthetic resin and has a vertically elongated mail slot 45 formed therein. An inward-opening, multi-tiered (four-tiered) cover 46 is attached to cover the mail slot 45. The mail slot 45 also opens into the door 2. The mail slot 45 is positioned to the left of the frame 44, so that the portion of the frame 44 to the right of the mail slot 45 is wider. The number of tiers of the cover 46 can be set as desired.

A peripheral rib 47 is formed on the frame 44, surrounding its outer periphery and the mail slot 45, and a horizontal rib 48 is formed on the right side of the mail slot 45, connecting the two peripheral ribs 47. Note that the ribs 47, 48 are for reinforcement and are not required. By abutting the right end of the frame 44 against the right fold piece 2b of the door 2, the mail slot 45 is positioned to the left side of the frame 44, but it is also possible to configure the frame 44 so that the mail slot 45 opens in the center of the left and right sides.

Methods for fixing the frame 44 include adhering it to the back surface of the door 2 with adhesive or double-sided adhesive tape, holding it down with a retaining piece fixed to the back surface of the door 2, or screwing it into a nut or plate fixed to the back surface of the door 2. As shown in Figure 8, an inverted L-shaped reinforcing member 49 is placed in the upper right corner of the back surface of the door 2. The top of the frame 44 is narrowed to avoid interference with this reinforcing member 49.

The left edge of each cover 46 has multiple upper and lower stages of shaft support protrusions 46a protruding leftward, while the frame 44 has bearing sections 50, 51, and 52 that sandwich the shaft support protrusions 46a from above and below, and a support shaft 53 is inserted through the bearing sections 50, 51, and 52 and the shaft support protrusions 46a.

The bearing sections 50, 51, and 52 are composed of an upwardly opening bearing section 50 with an end plate 54 at its lower end, an open bearing section 51 with no end plates on either the top or bottom, and a closed bearing section 52 with end plates 54 at both the top and bottom. A support shaft 53 passes through the end plates 54 of the upwardly opening bearing section 50 and the closed bearing section 52 (see Figure 8(C)), and a torsion coil spring 55 that biases the cover 46 in the closing direction is fitted into the open bearing section 51 (see Figure 8(B)). Therefore, each cover 46 can be opened and closed independently against the force of the spring 55.

As shown in Figure 9(B), there is a slot 56 with a gap of several millimeters between the tip (free end) of the cover 46 and the right inner surface of the mail slot 45. As shown in Figure 9(B), the second partition plate 39b of the second partition member 39 is positioned directly behind the tip of the cover 46, thereby positioning the mail storage section 40 behind the cover 46.

(4) Interference Suppression Section As described with reference to Figure 5, the area between the second storage section 32 and the mail storage section 40 is the first storage section 30, but if the trays 26, 27 are provided protruding backward from the back surface of the door 2, the trays 26, 27 will enter the first storage section 30 when the door 2 is closed. Therefore, if the front end of an item 58 placed in the first storage section 30 is located near the front end of the shelf 8, the trays 26, 27 will hit the item 58, making it impossible to close the door 2, and forcing the door 2 to close could damage the door 2.

7(A) and 7(C), left and right longitudinal ribs 59 are formed on the shelf board 8 to bulge upward as markers ( interference suppression portions , display means ) that indicate the deadline for placing items 58 without hitting the trays 26, 27. In other words, the ribs 59 are formed as a means for visually identifying the front end of the area where items 58 can be safely placed.

As shown in Figure 7 (D), it is possible to form the ribs 59 so that they bulge downward. However, if the ribs 59 protrude upward as shown in (C), the ribs 59 can function as a stopper, which has the advantage of reliably preventing the item 58 from protruding. Coloring the ribs 59 is even more effective.

As a means of indicating the area where item 58 can be safely placed, it is possible to color the placement area, as shown by the diagonal lines of dashed and dotted lines in Figure 5. Alternatively, it is possible to leave the placement area uncolored and color the interference area in front of it.

In this embodiment, the trays 26, 27 are positioned close to the free end of the door 2, so items 58 can be placed up to the front end of the shelf 8 to the right of the trays 26, 27. Therefore, by coloring only the areas that interfere with the trays 26, 27 or by surrounding only the areas that interfere with the trays 26, 27 with ribs 59, it is possible to effectively utilize the unit storage section while preventing damage to the door 2. As a display means, the ribs 59 and coloring may be used together.

In the modified example shown in Figure 8 (D), the mail slot 45 and mail slot 56 are formed in a left-right longitudinal orientation at the top end of the door 2. The mail slot 56 is located under the cover 46. Front and rear trays (wall materials) 63, 64 are arranged on the back surface of the door 2 to form a thick item storage section 65 and a thin item storage section 66.

In this embodiment, the trays 63, 64 enter the storage section when the door 2 is closed. Therefore, if an item 58 placed in the storage section is positioned so that its front end is near the front end of the shelf 8 and it cannot move backward, the tray 64 is likely to collide with the item 58. However, in this embodiment, the rib 59 is positioned behind the tray 64 in a plan view, preventing the tray 64 from colliding with the item 58.

The present invention can be embodied in various other ways . For example, it is possible to form horizontally elongated slits intermittently.

In addition, for example, while the embodiment is applied to a type with five rows and two columns, the arrangement of the unit storage units can be set arbitrarily, such as a multi-tier configuration with only one column, or a multi-tier configuration with three or more columns. It is also possible to arrange multiple types of unit storage units with different heights in one locker.

The present invention can be applied to storage furniture such as lockers. Therefore, it has industrial applicability.

1 Storage cabinet body 2 Door 8 Shelf board (bottom board of unit storage section)
26, 27 Tray constituting the door back storage section 29 First divider 30 First storage section 32 Second storage section 39 Second divider 40 Posted item storage section (third storage section)
45 Mail slot 56 Insertion slit 58 Regular items placed in regular storage section
59 Rib as a marker (interference suppression part)
60 Thick mail item 61 Thin mail item 64 Tray constituting mail item storage section of door

Claims (4)

a storage body having a storage section that opens forward;
A pivotable door that opens and closes the storage section;
Equipped with
On the bottom surface of the storage section, near the front end, left and right longitudinal ribs protruding upward or downward are provided on the bottom plate constituting the bottom surface of the storage section as markers to attract the user's attention to the placement position of the items so that the back surface of the door or the door back storage section provided on the back surface of the door does not interfere with the items placed in the storage section when the door is closed.
Storage furniture. a storage body having a storage section that opens forward;
A pivotable door that opens and closes the storage section;
Equipped with
An upward protrusion or a downward groove or hole is formed on a bottom plate constituting the bottom surface of the storage section at a portion of the bottom surface of the storage section near the front end as a mark to draw the user's attention to the placement position of the item so that the back surface of the door or a door back storage section provided on the back surface of the door does not interfere with the item placed in the storage section when the door is closed.
Storage furniture. A tray constituting the door back storage section is attached to the back surface of the door,
The mark is set so that the article can be placed at a position that does not interfere with the tray.
3. The storage furniture according to claim 1 or 2. A plurality of storage sections are provided in one storage cabinet body in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, or both the vertical and horizontal directions,
Each storage section is provided with the door.
4. The storage furniture according to claim 1.