Duct systems and fixtures

Abstract

This invention provides a duct system and fixtures that allow wiring ducts to be attached to tabletops of various sizes. [Solution] The duct system 1 comprises a long wiring duct 10, a first fixing part 111, a second fixing part 112, and a third fixing part 113. The first fixing part 111 is to which the first end 10A in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 is attached. The second fixing part 112 fixes the first fixing part 111 to the top plate 101. The third fixing part 113 is into which the second end 10B in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 is inserted and fixes the second end 10B to the top plate 101. When the wiring duct 10 is attached to the first fixing part 111, and the mounting surface 111a is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 overlaps with the mounting surface 111a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a duct system and furniture. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a duct system for attaching a wiring duct to a ceiling panel, and furniture including the ceiling panel and the duct system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a duct system including a wiring duct, a first fixing portion to which the wiring duct is attached, and two second fixing portions provided at both longitudinal ends of the first fixing portion, respectively.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the duct system described in Patent Document 1, the attachment target of the wiring duct is limited to a ceiling panel of a predetermined size.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a duct system capable of attaching a wiring duct to ceiling panels of various sizes, and furniture including such a ceiling panel and the duct system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A duct system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a long wiring duct, a first fixing part, a second fixing part, and a third fixing part. The first fixing part is to which the first end of the wiring duct in the longitudinal direction is attached. The second fixing part fixes the first fixing part to a top plate. The third fixing part is to which the second end of the wiring duct in the longitudinal direction is inserted and fixes the second end to the top plate. The second fixing part has a support part that extends along the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct. The third fixing part has a support column that extends intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct. When the wiring duct is attached to the first fixing part, and the mounting surface to which the wiring duct is attached is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end of the wiring duct overlaps with the mounting surface.

[0007] A fixture according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises the duct system and the top plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a duct system and fixtures that can be fitted with wiring ducts to tabletops of various sizes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fixture comprising a duct system and a tabletop according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first main part of the duct system shown above. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the first main part of the duct system shown above. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second main part of the duct system shown above. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the duct fixing section of the duct system shown above. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the third fixing part of the duct system shown above. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A2 in Figure 3. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the duct system described above with the adapter attached. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the third fixing part according to the modified example shown above. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a fixture comprising a duct system and a tabletop according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the first main part of the duct system shown above. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the duct fixing section of the duct system shown above. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the third fixing part of the duct system shown above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The duct system and fixtures according to the embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the figures described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the dimensional ratios of the size of each component do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) (1) Overview As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1 comprises a long wiring duct 10, a first fixing part 111, a second fixing part 112, and a third fixing part 113.

[0012] The first fixing part 111 is to which the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in the figure) is attached (see Figures 2, 3, etc.). The first fixing part 111 has a mounting surface 111a to which the wiring duct 10 is attached (see Figure 5, etc.).

[0013] The second fixing part 112 fixes the first fixing part 111 to the top plate 101 (see FIGS. 2, FIGS. 3, etc.). The second fixing part 112 has a support part 112a extending along the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 (the left - right direction in the figure).

[0014] The third fixing part 113 has the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted therein in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 (the left - right direction in the figure) (see FIGS. 4, etc.). The third fixing part 113 fixes the second end 10B to the top plate 101. The third fixing part 113 has a support column 113a extending intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 (see FIG. 4). In Embodiment 1, extending intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 typically means that the support column 113a extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 (the up - down direction and the front - back direction in the figure). However, it also includes extending in a direction deviated within a range not exceeding a predetermined angle (for example, plus or minus 10 degrees) from the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10. The third fixing part 113 will be described in more detail in "(2.1.3) The third fixing part".

[0015] When looking along the normal direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3) at the mounting surface 111a in the state where the wiring duct 10 is attached to the first fixing part 111, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 overlaps the mounting surface 111a (see FIG. 3). Here, when looking along the normal direction at the mounting surface 111a, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 overlapping the mounting surface 111a means that in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10, the tip of the first end 10A does not protrude from the end of the mounting surface 111a to the side opposite to the second end 10B. In Embodiment 1, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 means the tip of the feed - in cap 6 attached to the wiring duct 10. The feed - in cap 6 will be described in more detail in "(2.1.1) The wiring duct".

[0016] Furthermore, the wiring duct 10 has a long duct rail 13. Conductive bars 44A and 44B for power supply are housed inside the duct rail 13. An opening 14 is provided in the duct rail 13. A USB outlet plug 9, as shown in Figure 8, can be connected to the wiring duct 10. When the USB outlet plug 9 is connected to the wiring duct 10, a portion of the USB outlet plug 9 is inserted into the opening 14, and the USB outlet plug 9 is electrically connected to the conductive bars 44A and 44B. As a result, power is supplied from the conductive bars 44A and 44B to the USB outlet plug 9, making it possible to power electrical devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet computers, or laptop computers) connected to the USB outlet plug 9.

[0017] In conventional duct systems, the wiring duct 10 can only be installed on tabletops of a predetermined size. The longitudinal length of tabletops suitable for conventional duct systems is 1200 mm or 2400 mm. Therefore, when installing the wiring duct 10 on a tabletop 101 of a size other than the predetermined size, it was necessary to modify the length of the duct rail 13.

[0018] Therefore, in the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1, the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is inserted into the support column 113a fixed to the top plate 101 (top surface 101A in Figure 4, etc.). Then, the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101 via the first fixing part 111 and the second fixing part 112. This makes it possible to attach the wiring duct 10 to the top plate 101 even if the longitudinal length of the wiring duct 10 and the longitudinal length of the top plate 101 are different. Accordingly, the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1 makes it possible to provide a duct system 1 that can attach the wiring duct 10 to top plates 101 of various sizes without processing the wiring duct 10.

[0019] Furthermore, the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1 is used, for example, when installed on the tabletop 101 of a piece of furniture 100 (see Figure 1). The piece of furniture 100 is, for example, a table in which the tabletop 101 is supported by a plurality of legs 102. The piece of furniture 100 is placed, for example, in an office, a public facility (e.g., a school, a library, etc.), a restaurant, or a commercial facility. The piece of furniture 100 is, for example, a desk for one person, or a long table for multiple people to work facing each other.

[0020] The fixture 100 of Embodiment 1 comprises the duct system 1 described above and a tabletop 101. Therefore, Embodiment 1 makes it possible to provide a fixture 100 to which the duct system 1 can be attached to tabletops 101 of various sizes without processing the wiring duct 10.

[0021] (2)Details The duct system 1 of Embodiment 1 and the fixture 100 equipped with the duct system 1 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In the following description, directions will follow the definitions of the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down arrows shown in the drawings. The front-to-back direction may sometimes be referred to as the depth direction. However, these directions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the direction in which the duct system 1 and fixture 100 can be used. Furthermore, the arrows indicating each direction in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent actual objects.

[0022] (2.1) Duct systems The duct system 1 comprises a long wiring duct 10, a first fixing part 111, a second fixing part 112, and a third fixing part 113 (see Figures 1 to 4, etc.). In Embodiment 1, the first fixing part 111 and the second fixing part 112 constitute the duct fixing part 11. The duct fixing part 11 fixes the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 to the main surface (upper surface 101A in Figure 1) of the top plate 101. The configuration of the duct fixing part 11 will be described in more detail in "(2.1.2) Duct Fixing Part".

[0023] The third fixing part 113 secures the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 to the main surface (top surface 101A in Figure 1) of the top plate 101. The configuration of the third fixing part 113 will be explained in more detail in "(2.1.3) Third Fixing Part".

[0024] (2.1.1) Wiring ducts The wiring duct 10 supplies power to electrical equipment used by users who perform tasks such as studying or office work on the tabletop 101. Here, the electrical equipment is an information terminal with a USB port, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or notebook computer.

[0025] The wiring duct 10 is a so-called DC duct. DC power is supplied to the wiring duct 10 via cable 12 from an AC adapter connected to an AC power source such as a commercial AC power supply. For example, a USB outlet plug 9 is attached to the wiring duct 10. When an electrical device is connected to the USB outlet plug 9 attached to the wiring duct 10 via a USB cable, DC power is supplied from the wiring duct 10 to the electrical device via the USB outlet plug 9.

[0026] The wiring duct 10 comprises a duct rail 13 formed from a metal material in the shape of a long rectangular tube, and a feed-in cap 6 and an end cap CP1 attached to the first and second ends of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction, respectively.

[0027] The duct rail 13 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape using a metal material such as aluminum, with the left-right direction being the longer side. A groove-shaped opening 14 extending along the longitudinal direction is provided on the front surface of the duct rail 13. The opening 14 is provided on the front surface of the duct rail 13, extending over the entire length.

[0028] A conductive bar 44A is positioned on the upper inner wall of the duct rail 13 via an insulating rail 43A made of synthetic resin (see Figure 7). A conductive bar 44B is positioned on the lower inner wall of the duct rail 13 via an insulating rail 43B made of insulating synthetic resin. The conductive bars 44A and 44B are provided along the longitudinal direction of the duct rail 13, extending from the first end to the second end of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction, covering the entire length of the duct rail 13.

[0029] Furthermore, two fitting grooves 45 are provided on the upper and lower inner walls of the duct rail 13, between the mounting positions of the conductive bars 44A and 44B and the front surface of the duct rail 13 (see Figure 7). The two fitting grooves 45 are provided along the entire length of the duct rail 13 in the direction of its long side. The two fitting grooves 45 can be fitted with the fitting claws of the USB outlet plug 9 which is attached to the wiring duct 10. The USB outlet plug 9 is attached to the wiring duct 10 by fitting the fitting claws of the USB outlet plug 9 into the two fitting grooves 45. When the USB outlet plug 9 is attached to the wiring duct 10, the two contacts provided on the USB outlet plug 9 contact the conductive bars 44A and 44B, respectively, and a DC voltage is supplied from the conductive bars 44A and 44B to the USB outlet plug 9.

[0030] Each of the two conductive bars 44A and 44B is electrically connected to the cable 12 via a feed-in cap 6 (see Figure 7). The cable 12 is a sheathed cable with two core wires covered in insulating sheath. Of the two core wires of the cable 12, the positive wire is electrically connected to conductive bar 44A, and the negative wire is electrically connected to conductive bar 44B, supplying a DC voltage to conductive bars 44A and 44B. Therefore, when the USB outlet plug 9 is attached to the wiring duct 10, a DC voltage is supplied to the USB outlet plug 9 from conductive bars 44A and 44B.

[0031] The feed-in cap 6 is connected to either the first or second end of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the feed-in cap 6 is connected to the first end (for example, the left end) of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction. The feed-in cap 6 is used to connect the two-core wires of the cable 12 to the two conductive bars 44A and 44B, respectively.

[0032] The feed-in cap 6 is equipped with two terminal devices to which the two-core wires of the cable 12 are each connected. The two terminal devices are, for example, screw terminals, and the two-core wires of the cable 12 are each connected to the two terminal devices.

[0033] The feed-in cap 6 is equipped with a plug-in connector 61 that is inserted into the first or second end of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction. The plug-in connector 61 is provided with two connection terminals that are connected to two conductive bars 44A and 44B, respectively, which are held by the duct rail 13. The two connection terminals are electrically connected to two terminal devices to which the two-core wires of the cable 12 are respectively connected. Therefore, when the plug-in connector 61 of the feed-in cap 6 is connected to the first or second end of the wiring duct 10 in the longitudinal direction, the two conductive bars 44A and 44B are electrically connected to the cable 12 via the feed-in cap 6.

[0034] The end cap CP1 is attached to the end of the duct rail 13 in the longitudinal direction, specifically the end where the feed-in cap 6 is not attached (for example, the second end in Embodiment 1).

[0035] The end cap CP1 is formed from, for example, synthetic resin. The end cap CP1 is used to close the first and second ends of the duct rail 13, specifically the ends of the duct rail 13 that do not have the feed-in cap 6 attached.

[0036] In this embodiment, a USB outlet plug 9, such as the one shown in Figure 8, can be connected to the wiring duct 10.

[0037] The USB power outlet plug 9 has a rectangular prism-shaped housing 91. The front of the housing 91 is provided with a first socket 911 and a second socket 912. The first socket 911 is, for example, a USB Type-A plug socket. The second socket 912 is, for example, a USB Type-C plug socket. In other words, the USB power outlet plug 9 is provided with two first sockets 911 and second sockets 912 that are of different standards.

[0038] A plug is provided on the rear surface of the housing 91, which is inserted into the duct rail 13 through an opening 14 in the duct rail 13. When the housing 91 is rotated, thereby rotating the plug, the mating claws on the plug engage with the mating groove 45 (see Figure 7) of the duct rail 13. At this time, two contacts on the plug make contact with two conductive bars 44A and 44B, respectively, and power is supplied from the two conductive bars 44A and 44B to the USB outlet plug 9. When an electrical device is connected to the first outlet 911 or the second outlet 912 of the USB outlet plug 9 via a USB cable, DC power is supplied to the electrical device from the wiring duct 10 through the USB outlet plug 9.

[0039] (2.1.2) Duct fixing part In Embodiment 1, the duct fixing part 11 fixes the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 (see Figures 1 to 3, etc.). The duct fixing part 11 further comprises a first fixing part 111 and a second fixing part 112. The first fixing part 111 is to which the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is attached. The second fixing part 112 fixes the first fixing part 111 to the top plate 101 at the longitudinal end of the top plate 101. In Embodiment 1, the duct fixing part 11 is composed of a first fixing part 111 and a second fixing part 112 formed integrally with the first fixing part 111.

[0040] (2.1.2.1) First fixed part The first fixing portion 111 has a flat plate shape extending in one direction (left-right in the figure) (see Figure 5, etc.). The first fixing portion 111 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the direction normal to the plane of the flat plate (forward in the figure). The width of the first fixing portion 111 in the longitudinal direction, in the short direction (up-down in the figure) on the base side is wider than the width of the tip side in the short direction (up-down in the figure) on the tip side. The base side of the first fixing portion 111 in the longitudinal direction is on the side of the second fixing portion 112, and the tip side of the first fixing portion 111 in the longitudinal direction is on the opposite side from the second fixing portion 112. For example, the first fixing portion 111 is formed by machining sheet metal.

[0041] The first fixing portion 111 has a mounting surface 111a, a reinforcing portion 111b, and a mounting hole 111c.

[0042] The mounting surface 111a is the surface to which the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is attached. The mounting surface 111a corresponds to one side (the front side in the figure) of the flat plate-shaped first fixing part 111. More specifically, the rear surface of the duct rail 13 is attached to the mounting surface 111a.

[0043] The reinforcing portion 111b is formed at the end of the flat plate-shaped first fixing portion 111 opposite to the second fixing portion 112 in the short direction (upper side in the figure). Alternatively, the reinforcing portion 111b may be formed at the end of the flat plate-shaped first fixing portion 111 on the side of the second fixing portion 112 in the short direction. The reinforcing portion 111b extends along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in the figure) of the rectangular first fixing portion 111. Furthermore, the reinforcing portion 111b extends in a direction intersecting the mounting surface 111a (forward in the figure). This makes it possible to reinforce the bending strength of the mounting surface 111a. In Embodiment 1, the reinforcing portion 111b extends in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 111a (forward in the figure).

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the mounting hole 111c is provided on the tip side (right side in the figure) in the longitudinal direction of the first fixing part 111. The mounting hole 111c is a screw hole that penetrates the flat plate-shaped first fixing part 111. By fastening with a mounting screw SC1, the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 can be attached to the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing part 111 with the rear surface of the duct rail 13 in contact with the mounting surface 111a (see Figure 3).

[0045] The reinforcing portion 111b is in contact with the wiring duct 10 when the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is attached to the first fixing portion 111 (see Figures 2 and 3). More specifically, the reinforcing portion 111b is in contact with the upper surface of the duct rail 13 when the rear surface of the duct rail 13 is attached to the mounting surface 111a. In Embodiment 1, the reinforcing portion 111b extends in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 111a (forward in the figure), so it easily comes into contact with the upper surface of the duct rail 13. The wiring duct 10 is fixed to the first fixing portion 111 by screws, but if vibration is applied to the screw fastening portion, the mounting screws SC1 may loosen. Since the reinforcing portion 111b is in contact with the wiring duct 10, vibration makes it difficult for the wiring duct 10 fixed to the first fixing portion 111 to move at the screw fastening portion, making it difficult for the screws to loosen. The first fixing part makes it possible to stably fix the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10.

[0046] (2.1.2.2) Second fixed part The second fixing part 112 is formed integrally with the first fixing part 111 to constitute the duct fixing part 11. The second fixing part 112 can be attached to any position in the front-to-back direction at the end of the top plate 101 (the left end in the figure).

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the second fixing part 112 fixes the first fixing part 111, to which the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is attached, to the top plate 101 at the longitudinal end of the top plate 101 (the left end in the figure).

[0048] More specifically, the second fixing part 112 has a support part 112a and a fastening part 112d facing the support part 112a (see Figure 5, etc.). With the top plate 101 sandwiched between the support part 112a and the fastening part 112d, the support part 112a and the first fixing part 111 are fixed to the top plate 101 by tightening the fastening part 112d (see Figure 3).

[0049] The support portion 112a supports the first fixing portion 111 (more specifically, the mounting surface 111a) to which the first end portion 10A of the wiring duct 10 is attached.

[0050] The clamping portion 112d is a clamp screw. A contact portion 112dE is provided at the tip (upper end in the figure) of the clamp screw. The contact portion 112dE is formed of, for example, an elastic material. A knob 112dF is provided at the base end (lower end in the figure) of the clamp screw.

[0051] In this state, with the top plate 101 sandwiched between the support portion 112a and the contact portion 112dE provided at the tip of the clamp screw, when the installer turns the knob 112dF to rotate the clamp screw, the support portion 112a and the first fixing portion 111 are fixed to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 with the top plate 101 sandwiched between the contact portion 112dE and the support portion 112a.

[0052] With the support portion 112a and the first fixing portion 111 fixed to the top plate 101, the fastening portion 112d is located below the top plate 101. Because the fastening portion 112d is located below the top plate 101, the design of the duct system 1 is improved compared to the case where the fastening portion 112d is located above the top plate 101, and the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 can be used effectively.

[0053] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, with the second fixing part 112 fixed to the top plate 101, the support part 112a is located below the wiring duct 10. Since the support part 112a is located below the wiring duct 10, the duct system 1 can be made smaller compared to when the support part 112a is located outside (to the left in the figure) the area below the wiring duct 10. In addition, since the support part 112a is located below the wiring duct 10, when the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101, the support part 112a is less visible from above, which has the advantage of improving the design of the duct system 1.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the second fixing portion 112 is formed in a U shape, with a first piece which is a support portion 112a and a second piece 112b opposite to the first piece connected via a third piece 112c. A threaded portion 112bH is provided on the second piece 112b, and a clamping portion 112d (clamp screw) is screwed into the threaded portion 112bH. As a result, the top plate 101 is fixed between the tip of the clamping portion 112d (more specifically, the contact portion 112dE of the clamp screw) and the support portion 112a (first piece). In this embodiment, the second fixing portion 112 is formed in a U shape in side view from a metal material such as aluminum.

[0055] The duct fixing portion 11 is formed by integrally forming the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing portion 111 and the support portion (first piece) 112a of the second fixing portion 112. The duct fixing portion 11 fixes the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 to the top plate 101 in an upward position.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is fixed upward to the top plate 101 by the duct fixing part 11, the first fixing part 111 is located inside the end face of the top plate 101 (left end face 101c in the figure). In this state, when the wiring duct 10 is attached to the first fixing part 111, and the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing part 111 is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 overlaps with the mounting surface 111a. In other words, in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in the figure) of the wiring duct 10, the tip of the first end 10A (left end in the figure) does not protrude from the end of the mounting surface 111a to the opposite side of the second end 10B (left side in the figure). As a result, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 does not protrude from the end face (left end face 101c in the diagram) of the top plate 101, and therefore does not obstruct the passage of users walking alongside the top plate 101. This makes it possible to improve user convenience.

[0057] (2.1.3) Third fixed part The third fixing part 113 fixes the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 (see Figure 4, etc.). More specifically, the third fixing part 113 includes a support column 113a, a duct insertion opening 113b, a first joining member 114, and a second joining member 115 (see Figure 6).

[0058] The support column 113a extends in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 4) of the wiring duct 10 (up-down direction and front-back direction in Figure 4). In Embodiment 1, the support column 113a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is made of synthetic resin. The height of the support column 113a (length in the vertical direction in the figure) is greater than the height of the duct rail 13. The depth of the support column 113a (length in the front-back direction in the figure) is greater than the width of the duct rail 13.

[0059] The duct inlet 113b is provided in the support column 113a. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the duct inlet 113b is a groove provided along one direction (left-right direction in the figure) on the upper surface of the rectangular parallelepiped support column 113a. The groove provided on the upper surface of the support column 113a is open at the top. The second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is inserted into the groove which is the duct inlet 113b. As a result, the third fixing part 113 can support the wiring duct 10 with the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the duct inlet 113b.

[0060] Furthermore, the duct inlet 113b provided on the support column 113a is open at the top. This makes it easy to insert the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 into the duct inlet 113b.

[0061] In Embodiment 1, the depth of the groove in the duct inlet 113b (length in the vertical direction in the figure) is slightly greater than the height of the duct rail 13. The width of the groove in the duct inlet 113b (length in the front-rear direction in the figure) is slightly greater than the width of the duct rail 13. This allows the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the duct inlet 113b to be supported in both the front-rear and vertical directions.

[0062] The first joining member 114 is, for example, an adhesive material formed in the shape of a sheet. The first joining member 114 is positioned between the lower surface of the support column 113a and the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 (see Figure 4, etc.). When the support column 113a is placed on the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101, the first joining member 114 attached to the lower surface of the support column 113a is adhesively fixed to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101. The first joining member 114 allows the support column 113a to be fixed to the top plate 101 with the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the duct inlet 113b. Since the support column 113a is adhesively joined to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 via the first joining member 114, the possibility of the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101 being damaged is reduced even when the support column 113a is joined to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101.

[0063] The second joining member 115 is, for example, an adhesive material formed in the shape of a sheet. The second joining member 115 is positioned at the bottom of the groove of the duct insertion opening 113b provided on the upper surface of the support column 113a. The second joining member 115 corresponds to the "fourth fixing part" as referred to in this disclosure. When the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is inserted into the duct insertion opening 113b, the second joining member 115 positioned at the bottom of the groove is adhesively fixed to the lower surface of the duct rail 13. The wiring duct 10 can be fixed to the support column 113a with the second end 10B inserted into the duct insertion opening 113b by the second joining member 115.

[0064] According to the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 1, the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is inserted into the support column 113a fixed to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101. Then, the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101 via the duct fixing part 11. This makes it possible to attach the wiring duct 10 to the top plate 101 even if the longitudinal length of the wiring duct 10 and the longitudinal length of the top plate 101 are different. Therefore, it is possible to provide a duct system 1 that can attach the wiring duct 10 to top plates of various sizes without processing the wiring duct 10.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 3, when the wiring duct 10 is attached to the first fixing part 111, and the mounting surface 111a is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 overlaps with the mounting surface 111a. As a result, the tip of the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 does not protrude from the top plate 101, and therefore does not obstruct the passage of users passing by the top plate 101. This improves user convenience.

[0066] (2.2) Fixtures The fixture 100 comprises a tabletop 101 and four legs 102 that support the tabletop 101 (see Figure 1). The tabletop 101 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the upper surface 101A of the tabletop 101 via a duct fixing part 11 (more specifically, a first fixing part 111 and a second fixing part 112 in this embodiment). The second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the upper surface 101A of the tabletop 101 via a third fixing part 113.

[0067] Since the fixture 100 of Embodiment 1 includes the duct system 1 and the tabletop 101, the wiring duct 10 can be attached to tabletops 101 of various sizes without having to modify the wiring duct 10.

[0068] (3) Modified form of Embodiment 1 Embodiment 1 described above is merely one of many embodiments of this disclosure. Embodiment 1 can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as it achieves the objectives of this disclosure.

[0069] The following modified examples may be implemented by combining them as appropriate. Components similar to those in Embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0070] In the above embodiment 1, the duct inlet 113b provided on the support column 113a in the third fixing part 113 is open at the top (see Figure 4, etc.). The duct inlet 113b does not have to be open at the top.

[0071] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the third fixing part 113 according to a modified example of Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 9, the duct insertion opening 113bA according to the modified example is a through hole provided in the support column 113a. The duct insertion opening 113bA penetrates both sides of the support column 113a in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction in Figure 9) of the wiring duct 10. The through hole of the duct insertion opening 113bA is shaped to conform to the outer shape of the duct rail 13. As a result, the third fixing part 113 can support the wiring duct 10 with the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the duct insertion opening 113bA, which is a through hole.

[0072] Furthermore, since the duct inlet 113bA is a through-hole that is not open at the top, the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the through-hole is less likely to come out above the duct inlet 113bA.

[0073] In this modified example, the duct inlet 113b is a through-hole, but the duct inlet 113b may also be a recess formed by the side of the support column 113a (left side in the diagram) being recessed in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct 10 (to the right in the diagram).

[0074] Furthermore, in the duct fixing portion 11 of the above embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 5, the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing portion 111 and the first piece 112a of the second fixing portion 112 are formed integrally. The mounting surface 111a of the first fixing portion 111 and the first piece 112a of the second fixing portion 112 may be formed from separate materials. In other words, the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing portion 111 and the first piece 112a of the second fixing portion 112 may be formed integrally by fixing them with fastening members such as screws, thereby forming the duct fixing portion 11.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the first joining member 114 adhesively joins the support column 113a to the top plate 101 (see Figures 4 and 6, etc.). The first joining member 114 may be an adhesive or the like, and the support column 113a may be joined to the top plate 101 by adhesive. Alternatively, the first joining member 114 may be a suction cup or the like that can adhere to the upper surface 101A of the top plate 101, and the first joining member 114 may join the support column 113a to the top plate 101 by suction.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above embodiment 1, the second joining member 115 adhesively joins the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 to the support column 113a (duct insertion opening 113b) (see Figures 4 and 6, etc.). The second joining member 115 may be an adhesive or the like, and the wiring duct 10 may be joined to the support column 113a by adhesive. Alternatively, the second joining member 115 may be a suction cup or the like, and the wiring duct 10 may be joined to the support column 113a by suction.

[0077] In the above embodiment 1, the duct inlet 113b provided on the support column 113a in the third fixing part 113 is open at the top (see Figure 4, etc.). The duct inlet 113b does not have to be open at the top.

[0078] (Embodiment 2) Next, the duct system 1 and fixture 100 of Embodiment 2 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13. Components similar to those in Embodiment 1 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0079] In the duct system 1 of Embodiment 1 described above, the wiring duct 10 is mounted above the top plate 101 (see Figure 1, etc.). In contrast, the duct system 1 of Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the wiring duct 10 is mounted below the top plate 101, as shown in Figure 10.

[0080] In the duct system 1 of Embodiment 2, the wiring duct 10 is positioned below the top plate 101. Therefore, when the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101, the wiring duct 10 is less visible from above, improving the aesthetic design of the duct system 1.

[0081] More specifically, in the duct system 1 of Embodiment 2, the duct fixing portion 11A is formed by integrally forming the mounting surface 111a of the first fixing portion 111 and the second piece 112b of the second fixing portion 112 (see Figure 12). The duct fixing portion 11A fixes the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 to the top plate 101 downward (see Figure 10).

[0082] Furthermore, in the duct system 1 of Embodiment 2, with the second fixing part 112 fixed to the top plate 101, the support part 112a is located above the wiring duct 10 (see Figures 10 and 12). Note that "the support part 112a is located above the wiring duct 10" includes both the state in which the support part 112a is directly above the wiring duct 10 and the state in which it is not directly above the wiring duct 10.

[0083] Furthermore, in the duct system 1 of Embodiment 2, since the wiring duct 10 is attached below the top plate 101, the third fixing part 113 is installed on the lower surface 101B of the top plate 101 (see Figure 13).

[0084] Furthermore, in the third fixing part 113 of the second embodiment described above, the first joining member 114A is a flange with a screw hole provided on the support column 113a, as shown in Figure 13. By tightening a screw inserted into the hole of the flange with a screw hole to the lower surface 101B of the top plate 101, the third fixing part 113 is fixed to the lower surface 101B of the top plate 101. The screw fastening makes it difficult for the third fixing part 113 to fall off the lower surface 101B of the top plate 101.

[0085] Furthermore, the duct inlet 113bA in Embodiment 2 is a through-hole provided in the support column 113aA, similar to the modified example in Embodiment 1 (see Figure 13). Since the duct inlet 113bA is a through-hole that is not open at the top, the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 inserted into the through-hole is less likely to fall out of the duct inlet 113bA.

[0086] In Embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101 by the duct fixing part 11, and the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 is fixed to the top plate 101 by the third fixing part 113 (see Figure 1). Alternatively, the second end 10B of the wiring duct 10 may be fixed to the top plate 101 by the duct fixing part 11, and the first end 10A of the wiring duct 10 may be fixed to the top plate 101 by the third fixing part 113.

[0087] (summary) From the embodiments described above, the following embodiments are disclosed. The duct system (1) of the first embodiment comprises a long wiring duct (10), a first fixing part (111), a second fixing part (112), and a third fixing part (113). The first fixing part (111) is to which the first end (10A) in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct (10) is attached. The second fixing part (112) fixes the first fixing part (111) to the top plate (101). The third fixing part (113) is to which the second end (10B) in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct (10) is inserted and to which the second end (10B) is fixed to the top plate (101). The second fixing part (112) has a support part (112a) that extends along the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct (10). The third fixing part (113) has a support column (113a) that extends intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct (10). When the wiring duct (10) is attached to the first fixing part (111), and the mounting surface (111a) to which the wiring duct (10) is attached is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end (10A) of the wiring duct (10) overlaps with the mounting surface (111a).

[0088] According to this embodiment, the second end (10B) of the wiring duct (10) can be inserted into the support column (113a) fixed to the top plate (101), while the first end (10A) of the wiring duct (10) can be fixed to the top plate (101) via the first fixing part (111) and the second fixing part (112). This makes it possible to attach the wiring duct (10) to the top plate (101) even if the longitudinal length of the wiring duct (10) and the longitudinal length of the top plate (101) are different. Therefore, it is possible to provide a duct system (1) that can attach the wiring duct (10) to top plates of various sizes.

[0089] In the second embodiment of the duct system (1), the second fixing part (112) further has a fastening part (112d) facing the support part (112a). The fastening part (112d) is tightened with the top plate (101) sandwiched between the support part (112a) and the fastening part (112d). As a result, the support part (112a) and the first fixing part (111) are fixed to the top plate (101).

[0090] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily attach the wiring duct (10) to the top plate (101).

[0091] In the third embodiment of the duct system (1), the support portion (112a) and the first fixing portion (111) are fixed to the top plate (101), and the fastening portion (112d) is located below the top plate (101).

[0092] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily attach the wiring duct (10) to the top plate (101) without impairing the workability above the top plate (101).

[0093] The duct system (1) of the fourth embodiment is such that, in any one of the first to third embodiments, the second fixing part (112) is fixed to the top plate (101), and the support part (112a) is located below the wiring duct (10).

[0094] According to this embodiment, the wiring duct (10) can be fixed above the top plate (101).

[0095] The duct system (1) of the fifth embodiment is such that, in any one of the first to third embodiments, the second fixing part (112) is fixed to the top plate (101) and the support part (112a) is above the wiring duct (10).

[0096] According to this embodiment, the wiring duct (10) can be fixed to the underside of the top plate (101).

[0097] In the sixth embodiment of the duct system (1), in any one of the second to fifth embodiments, the second fixing part (112) is formed in a U shape, with a first piece which is a support part (112a) and a second piece (112b) opposite to the first piece connected via a third piece (112c). The clamping part (112d) has a clamp screw. The clamp screw (112d) is screwed into a threaded portion (112bH) provided on the second piece (112b). The top plate (101) is fixed between the tip (112dE) of the clamp screw (112d) and the support part (112a) by screwing the clamp screw (112d) into the threaded portion (112bH) of the second piece (112b).

[0098] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to fix the top plate (101) between the tip (112dE) of the clamp screw (112d) and the support part (112a).

[0099] In the seventh embodiment, the duct system (1) integrally forms the first fixing portion (111) and the first piece (112a) as in the sixth embodiment. This forms a duct fixing portion (11) that fixes the first end portion (10A) of the wiring duct (10) upward to the top plate (101).

[0100] According to this embodiment, the wiring duct (10) can be fixed above the top plate (101).

[0101] In the eighth embodiment, the duct system (1) has a first fixing portion (111) and a second piece (112b) integrally formed, as in the sixth embodiment. This forms a duct fixing portion (11A) that fixes the first end (10A) of the wiring duct (10) downward to the top plate (101).

[0102] According to this embodiment, the wiring duct (10) can be fixed to the underside of the top plate (101).

[0103] The duct system (1) of the ninth embodiment, in any one of the first to eighth embodiments, has a first fixing portion (111) having a reinforcing portion (111b) extending in a direction intersecting the mounting surface (111a).

[0104] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to reinforce the bending strength of the mounting surface (111a).

[0105] In the 10th embodiment of the duct system (1), in the 9th embodiment, the reinforcing portion (111b) is in contact with the wiring duct (10) when the wiring duct (10) is attached to the first fixing portion (111).

[0106] In this embodiment, the wiring duct (10) becomes less likely to move when attached to the first fixing part (111). The first fixing part (111) makes it possible to stably fix the wiring duct (10).

[0107] The duct system (1) of the eleventh embodiment, in any one of the first to tenth embodiments, has a support column (113a) having a duct inlet (113b) into which the second end (10B) of the wiring duct (10) is inserted. The third fixing part (113) further has a fourth fixing part (114) that fixes the support column (113a) to the top plate (101) with the second end (10B) inserted into the duct inlet (113b).

[0108] According to this embodiment, the second end (10B) of the wiring duct (10) is inserted into the duct insertion port (113b) of the support column (113a), and the support column (113a) is fixed to the surface (upper surface 101A or lower surface 101B) of the top plate (101) by the fourth fixing part (114), making it easier to fix the second end (10B) of the wiring duct (10) to the top plate (101).

[0109] The furniture (100) of the twelfth embodiment comprises a duct system (1) of any one of the first to eleventh embodiments and a top plate (101).

[0110] According to this embodiment, since the duct system (1) and the top plate (101) are provided, it becomes possible to provide a fixture (100) to which wiring ducts (10) can be attached to top plates of various sizes.

[0111] The configurations relating to the second to eleventh aspects are not essential to the duct system (1) and can be omitted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Duct System 10 Wiring duct 10A Wiring duct, first end 10B Wiring duct, second end 11, 11A Duct fixing part 100 fixtures 101 Top plate 111 1st fixed part 111a Mounting surface 111b Reinforcement part 111c mounting holes 112 Second fixed part 112a 1st piece (support part) 112b 2nd piece 112c 3rd piece 112d Clamping part (clamp screw) 113 Third fixed part 113a Post 113b Duct inlet 114 First connecting member (fourth fixing part) 115 Second Joining Member

Claims

1. A long wiring duct, A first fixing part to which the first end of the wiring duct in the longitudinal direction is attached, A second fixing part that fixes the first fixing part to the top plate, The wiring duct comprises a third fixing portion into which the second end in the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct is inserted and which fixes the second end to the top plate, The second fixing portion has a support portion that extends along the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct, The third fixing portion has a support column that extends intersecting the longitudinal direction of the wiring duct, With the wiring duct attached to the first fixing part, when the mounting surface to which the wiring duct is attached is viewed along the normal direction, the tip of the first end of the wiring duct overlaps with the mounting surface. Duct system.

2. The second fixing portion further has a fastening portion facing the support portion, With the top plate sandwiched between the support portion and the fastening portion, the fastening portion is tightened, thereby fixing the support portion and the first fixing portion to the top plate. The duct system according to claim 1.

3. With the support portion and the first fixing portion fixed to the top plate, the fastening portion is located below the top plate. The duct system according to claim 2.

4. With the second fixing part fixed to the top plate, the support part is located below the wiring duct. The duct system according to claim 1.

5. With the second fixing part fixed to the top plate, the support part is located above the wiring duct. The duct system according to claim 1.

6. The second fixing part is, The first piece, which is the support portion, and the second piece, which is opposite to the first piece, are connected via a third piece, forming a U-shape. The clamping portion has a clamp screw that is screwed into a threaded portion provided on the second piece. The clamp screw is screwed into the threaded portion of the second piece, thereby fixing the top plate between the tip of the clamp screw and the support portion. The duct system according to claim 2.

7. By integrally forming the first fixing portion and the first piece, a duct fixing portion is formed that fixes the first end of the wiring duct upward to the top plate. The duct system according to claim 6.

8. By integrally forming the first fixing portion and the second piece, a duct fixing portion is formed that fixes the first end of the wiring duct downward to the top plate. The duct system according to claim 6.

9. The first fixing portion has a reinforcing portion that extends in a direction intersecting the mounting surface. The duct system according to claim 1.

10. The reinforcing portion is in contact with the wiring duct when the wiring duct is attached to the first fixing portion. The duct system according to claim 9.

11. The support column has a duct insertion opening into which the second end of the wiring duct is inserted. The third fixing part further has a fourth fixing part that fixes the support column to the top plate with the second end inserted into the duct insertion opening. The duct system according to claim 1.

12. A duct system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The above-mentioned top plate and, furniture.

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