JP7779668B2 - Structure fall prevention device - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act On March 13, 2021, Interoffice Co., Ltd. delivered a booth with casters and a load distribution plate invented by Shohei Akiyama to Mighty Mighty Co., Ltd.

The present invention relates to a device that prevents a structure, the bottom of which is supported by multiple supports and which is placed on a floor surface, from tipping over. A typical example of a structure is a portable booth with multiple casters (an example of a support), but it also broadly includes any other item that is placed on a floor surface and has multiple supports attached to the bottom of the main body and is at risk of tipping over in an earthquake, such as furniture such as cabinets or shelves (racks) with multiple casters or adjusters, electrical (electronic) products such as multifunction printers and refrigerators, display devices for merchandise, exhibit devices for artwork, PC servers, and distribution boards.

In recent years, one- or two-person booths with high soundproofing capabilities have been installed in offices, showrooms, exhibition halls, etc. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). To enhance quietness, these booths are box-shaped, with the ceiling and floor enclosed on all four sides (front, back, left, right, and back), and for reasons of fire prevention, they are required to be portable on casters or the like. These portable box-shaped booths often have adjusters at the bottom of the booth body that allow them to be moved by rolling casters (mobile mode) or placed in an immobile mode (installed mode).

Patent No. 6764107

In portable box-type booths, the booth body is supported by multiple casters or adjusters (called casters, etc.), which means the weight of the booth body is concentrated on the casters, etc., and so when the floor shakes due to an earthquake or other event, the casters, etc. may get caught on the floor and the booth may tip over. This type of problem can occur not only with box-type booths, but also with any structure whose bottom is supported by multiple supports such as casters or adjusters and is therefore raised above the floor.

The present invention was developed in response to this current situation, and its purpose is to prevent structures whose bottoms are supported by multiple supports and which are placed on a floor surface from tipping over.

The device for preventing a structure from tipping over of the present invention is a device for preventing tipping over of a structure whose bottom is supported by a plurality of supports and which is placed on a floor surface, and comprises a flat plate member which is placed on the floor surface below the structure and on which the supports are placed, and a connecting member which connects the bottom of the structure's main body to the flat plate member at a point different from the supports , and which is placed on the floor surface without being fixed to the floor surface .

With the anti-tip device of the present invention, the load applied from the structure body to the support is dispersed by the flat plate members and transmitted to the floor surface, preventing the load from concentrating. As a result, when the floor shakes due to an earthquake or other event, the flat plate members are not fixed to the floor surface and can slide along the floor without getting caught, thereby suppressing the structure's tilt and ultimately preventing it from tipping over. Furthermore, by not fastening the structure's support to the flat plate members but instead connecting the bottom of the structure's main body to the flat plate members at a location different from the support members using connecting members, the connecting members can absorb the shaking transmitted from the floor to the structure body when the floor shakes due to an earthquake or other event, reliably suppressing the structure's tilt and preventing it from tipping over.

In the anti-tip device of the present invention, the support is, for example, a caster.

In this configuration, when connecting the bottom of the structure's main body to the flat plate member with the connecting member, the rolling of the casters makes it easy to move and align the structure on the flat plate member, improving workability.

Furthermore, the anti-tip device of the present invention may be provided with a plurality of connecting members that connect spaced apart portions of the flat plate member to the bottom of the main body of the structure.

This configuration allows the structural body and the flat plate member to be securely connected, and restricts movement of the structural body relative to the flat plate member, preventing the structural support from falling off the flat plate member. Note that this embodiment does not exclude configurations that include a single connecting member that connects, for example, the center of the bottom of the structural body in a plan view to the flat plate member.

In addition, in the tip-over prevention device of the present invention, the connecting member includes a nut member fixed to the flat plate member, and a bolt member threaded into the nut member and extending in the vertical direction .

This configuration allows the connecting member to be constructed at low cost, and the structural body can be connected to the flat plate member by the simple task of tightening bolt members, improving workability.

Furthermore, the bolt member may include a double-threaded bolt having threaded portions on both ends, and a nut that is threaded onto the end of the bolt opposite the end that is threaded into the nut member.

In this configuration, one end of each of the threaded bolts is fully screwed into the nut member fixed to the flat plate member, and the nuts are fully screwed onto the other ends of the threaded bolts. The distance between the nut member and the nut can then be adjusted, allowing the bottom of the structural body and the flat plate member to be securely connected in accordance with the width or narrowness of the gap between them.

Furthermore, in the fall prevention device of the present invention, the connecting member may be configured to be operable from inside the structure.

In this manner, when connecting or disconnecting the bottom of the main body of the structure and the flat plate member using the connecting member, the worker can operate the connecting member from inside the structure without having to lie face down on the floor, improving the workability and speed of the connection or disconnection work using the connecting member.

The structure tip-over prevention device of the present invention can prevent tip-over of a structure whose bottom is supported by multiple supports and which are placed on a floor surface.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the same embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 4. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing the main parts of the second embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the lower part of the booth, and (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in (A). FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a main part of a third embodiment.

(1) Overview of the First Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 will be described. This embodiment is applied to preventing a box-shaped booth that is large enough for one person to fit inside and has excellent sound insulation from tipping over. Such a box-shaped booth is an example of a structure in which the bottom of the main body is supported by multiple supports that are placed on the floor surface, and can be installed in a large space in a building and used for various purposes such as web conferences, regular office work, and naps. It is also suitable as a small office.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the box-type booth 100 is made of materials such as wood, metal, and resin, and has a roughly rectangular box shape with a space 100a inside that a person can enter. The box-type booth 100 has four booth side sections 101 that surround the space 100a, a booth ceiling section 102 that closes the upper openings of the booth side sections 101, and a booth bottom section 103 that closes the lower openings of the booth side sections 101. One of the booth side sections 101 has an entrance/exit 104, and a horizontally pivoting door 105 is located at the entrance/exit 104.

The booth side portion 101 having the door 105 and the opposing booth side portion 101 have the shape of a vertically elongated rectangle with rounded corners. The booth ceiling portion 102 is equipped with a ventilation device 106 for ventilating the space 100a within the box-shaped booth 100, and a fire extinguishing device 107 that operates in the event of a fire breaking out within the space 100a.

The booth side walls 101, booth ceiling 102, booth bottom 103, and door 105 can also be called the main structure. Glass windows can also be provided in some or all of the booth side walls 101 and door 105.

As shown in Figure 5, casters 108 are provided at the four corners and two central locations of the flat bottom portion 103a of the booth bottom 103. The box-type booth 100 has the booth bottom 103 supported by six casters 108, which are positioned on the floor surface F. Each caster 108 is, for example, capable of rotating horizontally. The installer of the box-type booth 100 can use the casters 108 to move the box-type booth 100 to the desired installation location.

In this embodiment, the booth bottom 103 of the box-type booth 100 is made of wood. In Figure 5, the booth bottom 103 is illustrated as a simplified one-piece structure, but the booth bottom 103 is not limited to being a one-piece structure and may be constructed, for example, by combining multiple frame materials or plate materials.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the area of the box-type booth 100 installed on the floor surface F (the area of the caster placement area 109) is small compared to its height. Furthermore, because the box-type booth 100 is configured so that its main body is supported by multiple casters 108, the weight of the box-type booth 100 is concentrated on the casters 108. As a result, when the floor surface F shakes due to an earthquake or the like, the casters 108 may get caught on the floor surface, causing the box-type booth 100 to tip over. For this reason, the anti-tip device 1 is used.

In Figure 4, the caster placement area 109 is shown as a rectangle that surrounds the placement area of all casters 108 in a plan view, but it can also be defined as the area surrounded by straight lines that connect the centers of all casters 108.

(2) Configuration of the anti-tip device The anti-tip device 1 is installed between the floor F and the box-type booth 100 to prevent the box-type booth 100 from tipping over. The anti-tip device 1 includes a flat plate member 2 that is placed on the floor F below the box-type booth 100 and on which casters 108 are placed, and a connecting member 3 that connects the booth bottom 103 of the box-type booth 100 to the flat plate member 2 at a location different from the casters 108.

The flat plate member 2 is made of metal and, as shown in Figure 4, is larger than the caster placement area 109 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the flat plate member 2 is approximately square in plan view, with its edges slightly extending outward from the box-type booth 100 body. The casters 108 of the box-type booth 100 are placed on the flat plate member 2 so that the booth side surface 101 and the sides of the flat plate member 2 are approximately parallel in a plan view.

The connecting members 3 are provided at positions corresponding to the four corners of the flat bottom portion 103a of the booth bottom 103. That is, in this embodiment, four connecting members 3 are provided. Each connecting member 3 includes a nut member 4 fixed, for example by welding, to one surface of the flat plate member 2 (the surface facing the box-type booth 100), and a bolt member 5 that is screwed into the nut member 4 from above and extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting members 3 are arranged outside the caster arrangement area 109 in a plan view.

Insertion holes 103b for inserting bolt members 5 are provided vertically through the booth bottom 103 of the box-type booth 100 at positions corresponding to the connecting members 3. The insertion holes 103b have an inner diameter slightly larger than the axial diameter of the double-threaded bolts 51 of the bolt members 5. The upper part of the insertion hole 103b opens into a recess 103c provided in the upper surface of the booth bottom 103.

The bolt member 5 includes a double-threaded bolt 51 with threads at both ends, and a nut 52 that is threadedly connected to the double-threaded bolt 51. The double-threaded bolt 51 has, for example, a hexagonal socket, and is inserted into the insertion hole 103b from the space 100a side inside the box-type booth 100, with one end threaded into the nut member 4. One end of the double-threaded bolt 51 is fully threaded into the nut member 4, for example, until one end of the double-threaded bolt 51 abuts against the surface of the flat plate member 2.

Both threaded bolts 51 are long enough so that, with one end threaded into the nut member 4, the other end is exposed in the recess 103c on the surface of the booth bottom 103 of the box-type booth 100. A flat washer 6 and a spring washer 7 are inserted into the other ends of both threaded bolts 51 from the space 100a side within the box-type booth 100, and then a nut 52 is screwed in, pressing the flat washer 6 toward the bottom of the recess 103c and connecting the flat plate member 2 to the booth bottom 103.

By sufficiently tightening the nut 52, a force is applied that narrows the gap between the flat plate member 2 and the booth bottom 103, and the connecting member 3 firmly connects the flat plate member 2 and the booth bottom 103. This limits the relative movement between the box-type booth 100 and the flat plate member 2. This makes it possible to immobilize the portable box-type booth 100 without using an adjuster.

In addition, the connecting member 3 can adjust the distance between the nut member 4 and the nut 52 by fully screwing one end of each of the two threaded bolts 51 into the nut member 4 fixed to the flat plate member 2, while fully screwing the nut 52 into the other end of each of the two threaded bolts 51. Therefore, the booth bottom 103 and the flat plate member 2 can be reliably connected in accordance with the width or narrowness of the distance between them.

In this embodiment, by providing multiple connecting members 3, the box-type booth 100 body and the flat plate member 2 can be securely connected, and movement of the box-type booth 100 relative to the flat plate member 2 can be restricted, preventing the casters 108 from falling off to the outside of the flat plate member 2.

The connecting member 3 may be configured without using the spring washer 7, or without using the flat washer 6 so that the spring washer 7 contacts the bottom of the recess 103c, or without using the flat washer 6 or spring washer 7 so that the nut 52 contacts the bottom of the recess 103c.

As shown in Figure 5, the other ends of both threaded bolts 51 and nuts 52 are housed in recesses 103c and are concealed by a flooring material 110, such as carpet, placed on the surface of the booth bottom 103. To release the connection between the flat plate member 2 and the booth bottom 103, remove the flooring material 110 and rotate both threaded bolts 51 in the loosening direction to remove them from the nut member 4.

In this way, when connecting or disconnecting the booth bottom 103 of the box-type booth 100 and the flat plate member 2 using the connecting member 3, the worker can operate the connecting member 3 from inside the box-type booth 100 without having to lie face down on the floor F. Therefore, the tip-over prevention device 1 of this embodiment is excellent in terms of workability and speed when connecting or disconnecting using the connecting member 3.

(3) Summary of the First Embodiment By disposing the anti-tip device 1 below the box-type booth 100, the load applied to the multiple casters 108 from the box-type booth 100 is dispersed by the flat plate members 2 and transmitted to the floor surface F, preventing the load from concentrating. Furthermore, because the flat plate members 2 are not fixed to the floor surface F, they can slide across the floor surface F without getting caught when the floor surface F shakes due to an earthquake or the like. This prevents the box-type booth 100 from tilting, and ultimately prevents the box-type booth 100 from tipping over.

Furthermore, the casters 108 that support the box-type booth 100 body are not fixed to the flat plate members 2, but rather the booth bottom 103 and flat plate members 2 are connected by the connecting members 3 at a location different from the casters 108. Therefore, when the floor surface F shakes due to an earthquake or the like, the connecting members 3 absorb some of the shaking transmitted from the floor surface F to the box-type booth 100 body, reliably suppressing tilting of the box-type booth 100 and preventing the structure from tipping over. In this way, the tip-over prevention device 1 of this embodiment can provide a structure tip-over prevention technology that is simple in structure, easy to install, and highly practical and versatile.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 3 is provided in a location different from the casters 108, so the weight of the box-type booth 100 is not applied to the connecting member 3. Horizontal vibrations transmitted from the floor surface F to the box-type booth 100 are transmitted from the flat plate member 2 to the connecting member 3, and then to the box-type booth 100. For example, by deforming (elastically or plastically) the double-threaded bolt 51 or the joint between the flat plate member 2 and the nut member 4 to an extent that does not cause fracture, the connecting member 3 can absorb part of the horizontal vibrations transmitted from the floor surface F to the box-type booth 100.

In this embodiment, as is clear from Figure 5, the connecting members 3 restrict movement of the booth bottom 103 away from the flat plate members 2 (upward movement of the booth bottom 103), but do not restrict movement of the booth bottom 103 toward the flat plate members 2 (downward movement of the booth bottom 103). In other words, the flat plate members 2 and the booth bottom 103 are allowed to move closer to each other, so that when the floor F shakes due to an earthquake or the like, part of the shaking transmitted to the box-type booth 100 can be absorbed by the flat plate members 2 undergoing elastic or plastic deformation, or by the booth bottom 103 bending.

In this embodiment, the casters 108 and connecting members 3 are provided on the flat bottom portion 103a, which is closer to the center than the periphery of the box-type booth 100 in a plan view. This configuration makes the casters 108 and connecting members 3 less visible to users when the box-type booth 100 is placed on the anti-tip device 1, resulting in a good appearance. However, in the present invention, the arrangement of the casters 108 and connecting members 3 is not limited to the arrangement in this embodiment. For example, the casters 108 and connecting members 3 may be arranged near the periphery of the booth bottom 103, so that part of them are within the user's field of vision.

(4) Second and Third Embodiments In the second embodiment shown in Figure 6, the edge of the flat plate member 2 of the tip-over prevention device 1 is located inside the outer wall surface of the booth side portion 101 of the box-type booth 100 in a plan view, and the flat plate member 2 is unlikely to be in the user's field of vision, resulting in a good appearance. The flat plate size of the flat plate member 2 may be any size as long as all of the casters 108 can be placed on it; for example, the flat plate size of the flat plate member 2 may be the same as the planar size of the box-type booth 100.

In the third embodiment shown in Figure 7, the bolt member 5 of the connecting member 3 of the anti-tip device 1 is composed of a headed bolt 53. The bolt 53 has, for example, a hexagonal socket, and can be inserted downward from within the space 100a of the box-type booth 100 into the insertion hole 103b and screwed into the nut member 4 to connect the flat plate member 2 and the box-type booth 100.

(5) Other Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be embodied in various forms. The configuration of each part is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. For example, the configurations described in the above-described embodiments and modified examples (notes, etc.) may be combined, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations are possible.

For example, adjusters supporting the booth bottom 103 may be attached to locations on the booth bottom 103 other than where the casters 108 are attached and where the insertion holes 103b are formed. In this case, after the box-type booth 100 is positioned in a predetermined position on the flat plate member 2 by rolling the casters 108, the adjusters are brought into contact with the upper surface of the flat plate member 2 to immobilize the box-type booth 100, and the booth bottom 103 and flat plate member 2 are then connected by the connecting members 3. Because the adjusters (and casters 108) are not fixed to the flat plate member 2, when the floor surface F shakes due to an earthquake or the like, the connecting members 3 absorb some of the shaking, preventing the box-type booth 100 from tipping over.

The connecting member 3 may also be positioned within the caster arrangement area 109 in a plan view. Furthermore, if an adjuster is attached to the booth bottom 103, the connecting member 3 may be positioned closer to the center of the box-type booth 100 in a plan view relative to the adjuster, or closer to the outside.

Furthermore, the support for the structure does not necessarily have to be a caster or adjuster; it could, for example, be a downward protrusion that does not have height adjustment functionality.

Furthermore, the structure to which the anti-tip device of the present invention is applied is not limited to the box-shaped booth 100; it can also be applied to structures in which the bottom of the main body is supported by multiple supports that are placed on the floor. For example, it can be applied to structures in which the bottom of the main body is supported by multiple supports such as casters and adjusters and is therefore floating above the floor, such as carts with casters or cabinets with adjusters. As mentioned in the technical field section, the device can also be applied to electrical and electronic devices, vending machines, refrigerators, and product display shelves.

In addition, regarding a modified example of the anti-tip device of the present invention, a sliding member may be provided on the underside of at least the end of the flat plate member. In this manner, seismic isolation is achieved by reducing friction between the flat plate member and the floor surface, and tilting of the structure is suppressed, preventing the structure from tipping over. Even if the structure sways and tilts during an earthquake, the sliding member provided on the underside of the end of the flat plate member slides on the floor surface in the direction of the structure's tilt, suppressing the swaying of the structure and preventing the end of the flat plate member from catching on the floor surface, preventing the structure from tipping over.

Furthermore, in the anti-tip device of the present invention, the ends of the flat plate members may be inclined upward so that they are further away from the floor surface as they approach the tip. This configuration reliably prevents the ends of the flat plate members from getting caught on the floor surface when the structure moves due to earthquake shaking or the like, thereby suppressing the swaying (tilting) of the structure.

It is also possible to combine a configuration in which a sliding member is provided on the underside of the end of the flat plate member with a configuration in which the end of the flat plate member is inclined upward. In this manner, when the structure is inclined, the area of the sliding member provided on the end of the upwardly inclined flat plate member that comes into contact with the floor surface can be increased, more reliably preventing the structure from tipping over.

Furthermore, if the end of the flat plate member has a generally horizontal shape, the lower corner of the end of the flat plate member may be covered with a sliding material, and the end of the sliding material may be located above the underside of the end of the flat plate member. This prevents the end of the sliding material from coming into contact with and getting caught on the floor surface, and prevents the end of the flat plate member from getting caught on the floor surface and causing the structure to tip over.

The sliding member may also be provided on the underside of the middle portion of the flat plate member. Here, "middle portion of the flat plate member" refers to the area between one end and the other end of the flat plate member. In this configuration, the area of the sliding member is increased, improving the seismic isolation function and improving the structure's ability to suppress sway and prevent overturning. Note that the area on the underside of the flat plate member where the sliding member is provided may be a portion of the underside of the flat plate member, or the entire surface.

Note that the present invention does not exclude the possibility that a structure may have other functions, such as shock absorbers, in addition to the anti-tip device. Having a device that assists the anti-tip device is also preferable as an earthquake countermeasure for the structure.

1 Anti-tip device 2 Flat plate member 3 Connecting member 4 Nut member 5 Bolt member 51 Double-threaded bolt 52 Nut 53 Bolt 100 Box-shaped booth (an example of a structure)
100a Space 103 Booth bottom (an example of the main body bottom)
108 Caster (an example of a support)
F Floor surface

Claims (5)

A device for preventing a structure from tipping over, the structure having a main body bottom supported by a plurality of supports and the supports placed on a floor surface, comprising:
a flat plate member disposed on the floor surface below the structure and on which the support is placed;
a connecting member that connects the main body bottom of the structure and the flat plate member at a location different from the support member,
the flat plate member is disposed on the floor surface without being fixed to the floor surface ,
The connecting member includes a nut member fixed to the flat plate member and a bolt member threaded into the nut member and extending in the vertical direction .
A device to prevent structures from tipping over. The support is a caster.
The anti-tip device according to claim 1 . a plurality of connecting members that connect mutually spaced portions of the flat plate member to the bottom of the main body of the structure;
The fall prevention device according to claim 1 or 2. The bolt member is inserted through an insertion hole that penetrates the bottom of the main body in the vertical direction .
The fall prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The bolt member includes a double-threaded bolt having threaded portions on both ends, and a nut screwed onto the end of the bolt opposite to the end screwed onto the nut member.
The fixture tip-over prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.