Furniture lifting jack operation device

Abstract

To provide a furniture lifting jack operation device that can correctly press and fix furniture against a ceiling surface without excess and deficiency.SOLUTION: A furniture lifting jack operation device includes an upper operation shaft (30A) for inner rotor rotation and a lower operation shaft (30B) for outer rotor rotation which are located on the same vertical axis line (H-H). An inner rotor (33) attached to the upper operation shaft is fitted into an outer rotor (32) with a substantially U-shaped cross section attached to the lower operation shaft. Engagement balls (34) which are distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner rotor are engaged with a ball-receiving recessed groove formed correspondingly to the inner circumferential surface of the outer rotor in an elastically energized state in which both rotors may integrally rotate by a torque spring. During the rotation operation of the upper operation shaft by an operation handle, if an excessive load beyond the energizing force of the torque spring is applied to the inner rotor, only the inner rotor idles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a jack operating device for raising and lowering movable storage furniture and other furniture. [Background technology]

[0002] A furniture lifting jack operating device comprises a number of casters for moving the furniture, a number of screw-type jacks interposed between the top and bottom of the furniture and its base, a number of transmission shafts which link the multiple jacks together, and a rotating operating shaft which, by rotating the transmission shaft, operates to raise and lower all of the jacks in the same direction simultaneously; if the rotating operating shaft is rotated from above using an operating handle, for example in a leftward direction, the furniture will descend relative to the rise of the base, and the furniture can be moved by the casters which come into contact with the floor surface. On the other hand, if the rotating operating shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, rightward, the furniture will rise relative to the descent of the base, and the furniture will be positioned and fixed in a tensioned state between the top and bottom of the ceiling and floor of a residence. This type of furniture lifting jack operating device has been well known in the past, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6350994 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3337457 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the rotating operating shaft is being rotated by manually operating the operating handle, it is extremely difficult to accurately sense the position where the top of the furniture is pressed and fixed against the ceiling of the residence (in other words, the timing when the operation ends when it reaches the top dead center).Since the rotation is usually performed in a blind manner, there is a risk that the ceiling surface will be pushed up too hard, causing it to be distorted and deformed into an upward convex shape, or that it will come loose and be damaged.On the other hand, if the furniture is not pressed firmly against the ceiling surface or is not sufficiently fixed, the furniture itself will rattle or move unexpectedly, which is very dangerous.

[0005] In consideration of variations in ceiling height resulting from changes in a residence over the years, ceiling spacers made of cushioning material of a fixed thickness (for example, 20 mm) are attached to the top surface of the above furniture, but these too are crushed by the above-mentioned blind rotation operation, which currently impedes the convenience of this type of furniture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention aims to solve such problems, and in order to achieve the purpose, the present invention provides a method for installing a furniture member having a base and a plurality of screw jacks disposed between the furniture member and the base.

[0007] A plurality of transmission shafts that link and connect the plurality of jacks;

[0008] A furniture lifting jack operating device having a single vertical rotary operating shaft that rotates the transmission shaft to lift and lower multiple jacks simultaneously in the same direction at once,

[0009] The rotary operation shaft is divided into a pair of an upper operation shaft for rotating the inner rotor and a lower operation shaft for rotating the outer rotor, which are located on the same vertical axis line,

[0010] The outer rotor is attached to an upper end of a lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor, which is integrally connected to the transmission shaft via a bevel gear mechanism, so as to be rotatable together with the outer rotor.

[0011] An inner rotor that fits inside the outer rotor is attached to a lower end of an upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor so as to rotate integrally with the outer rotor.

[0012] A plurality of engaging balls distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner rotor are engaged with a plurality of ball receiving grooves formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer rotor in a resilient and biased state in which the two rotors can always rotate together,

[0013] The upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor is rotated from above by an operating handle, and if a load greater than the elastic pressure force of the engaging ball acts on the inner rotor while the inner rotor rotates integrally with the outer rotor, the engaging ball comes out of the ball receiving groove of the outer rotor, causing only the inner rotor to rotate freely, causing the rotation of the transmission shaft by the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor to stop automatically.

[0014] In claim 2, the inner rotor is disc-shaped in plan view and is fitted into the outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

[0015] A spring storage tunnel is formed through the inner rotor along a diameter line thereof,

[0016] A pair of opposing ball receiving grooves are provided on the diameter line of the inner circumferential surface of the outer rotor that closes both open ends of the spring storage tunnel,

[0017] A pair of steel balls that can freely enter and exit into the ball receiving grooves of the outer rotor and a compression coil spring that is interposed between the opposing steel balls are enclosed in a spring storage tunnel of the inner rotor.

[0018] In claim 3, the outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section and the disk-shaped inner rotor that fits inside the outer rotor are stored and installed inside a casing consisting of a U-shaped cross-sectional cover and its base plate that are attached and fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture, and

[0019] A plurality of small steel balls are interposed between the bottom surface of the inner rotor and the bottom surface of the outer rotor, the cross section of which is substantially U-shaped.

[0020] A plurality of small steel balls are interposed and distributed between the bottom surface of the outer rotor and the base plate of the casing.

[0021] In claim 4, the outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section and the disk-shaped inner rotor that fits inside the outer rotor are stored and installed inside a casing consisting of a U-shaped cover and its base plate that are attached and fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture, and

[0022] The present invention is characterized in that a radial pairing of the inner rotor is interposed between the peripheral edge of the cover of the casing and the peripheral edge of the inner rotor, which face each other vertically.

[0023] In claim 5, the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor and the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor are both hexagonal rods,

[0024] The hexagonal tube of the operating handle is inserted from above into the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor so that it can be freely inserted and removed to form an integrated unit.

[0025] The lower end of the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor is inserted into and fixed to a boss portion of a downward bevel gear in the bevel gear mechanism so as to rotate integrally therewith.

[0026] Furthermore, in claim 6, the hexagonal bar of the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor is insert-molded into the boss of the inner rotor,

[0027] This is characterized by the fact that the hexagonal bar of the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor is insert molded into the boss portion of the downward bevel gear in the bevel gear mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0028] According to the configuration of claim 1, particularly when furniture is raised and pressed against the ceiling of a residence, if the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor is rotated by the operating handle and a load (rotational torque) greater than the elastic compressive force of the ball engaged with the outer rotor is applied to the inner rotor while the inner rotor is rotating integrally with the outer rotor, the engaged ball will come out of the ball receiving groove of the outer rotor and the inner rotor will rotate alone, cutting off the transmission action from the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor through the bevel gear mechanism and the transmission shaft to the multiple screw-type jacks, and the furniture will no longer be raised by the jacks or screw shafts (lifting supports). As a result, there is no risk of the furniture being pressed too hard against the ceiling of a residence due to an incorrect end time for the rotation of the operating handle, or conversely, of the furniture not being properly positioned and fixed relative to the ceiling, and this has the effect of reliably solving the problems with the prior art mentioned at the beginning.

[0029] In that case, if the configuration of claim 2 is adopted, the torque limiter can be rationally configured using the minimum number of parts necessary, and can be stored and installed in a small, compact size in a limited space, which is extremely practical.

[0030] If the configurations of claims 3 and 4 are adopted, the inner rotor and outer rotor that function as torque limiters can be caused to rotate smoothly and stably inside the casing in which they are stored, which also helps to improve durability.

[0031] Furthermore, if the configuration of claim 5 is adopted, the pair of upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor and lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor are positioned on the same vertical axis, which also has the effect of enabling smooth and stable rotation of the inner rotor, outer rotor, and even the bevel gear mechanism by rotating the operating handle.

[0032] Furthermore, if the configuration of claim 6 is adopted, the pair of upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor and lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor can each be made of hexagonal rods and insert molded into a die-cast inner rotor or a downward bevel gear of the bevel gear mechanism, thereby enabling mass production effects to be expected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a sectional front view showing an entire furniture lifting jack operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the furniture is lowered. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the screw jack extracted from FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 2 is an enlarged view showing an operation unit extracted from FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 and illustrating a state in which an inner rotor in a torque limiter of an operation unit rotates freely. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a torque limiter of the operation unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the torque limiter. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an inner rotor of the torque limiter. [Figure 13] 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 9. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 in Figure 11. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 14 and showing the inner rotor of the torque limiter in an idling state. FIG. [Figure 16] 15 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 14 and showing a modified embodiment of the outer rotor in the torque limiter. FIG. [Figure 17] 17 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 15, illustrating a state in which the inner rotor of FIG. 16 rotates freely. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an operating handle. [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 19-19 in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a bevel gear mechanism of the operation unit. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bevel gear mechanism. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a plan view of FIG. 21. [Figure 23] FIG. 22 is a bottom view of FIG. 21. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a casing of the bevel gear mechanism. [Diagram 25] 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting positional relationship of the operation unit to an intermediate frame on a bottom plate side of the furniture. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the assembled state of FIG. 25. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a partially cutaway front view showing the intermediate frame of FIG. 26 attached to the bottom plate of the furniture. [Figure 28(a)] 1 is a front view showing a piece of furniture in a lowering operation state in which the casters are in contact with the floor surface. FIG. [Figure 28(b)] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the furniture in a raised state, pressed and fixed against a ceiling surface. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a sectional front view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing the entire jack operating device in a furniture lifting operation state. [Diagram 30] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 30-30 in Figure 29. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] A jack operating device for lifting and lowering movable partition storage furniture according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. In Figures 1 to 3, which show the entire furniture (P) in a state where it has been operated so that it can be moved, (10) is the rectangular bottom plate of the furniture (P), from whose periphery hangs an enclosing frame (outer base) (11). (12) is a base (inner base) surrounded from the outside by the enclosing frame (11), which can be lifted and lowered separately from the furniture (P), and on which multiple jack support frames (13) (a pair on the left and right in the illustrated example) are fixed and traversed in parallel.

[0035] On the other hand, on the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P), there are arranged substantially parallel to each other a plurality of jack mounting frames (14) (also a pair of left and right) facing the jack receiving frame (13) on the base wheel (12), one intermediate frame (15) interposed between the left and right sides of the two jack mounting frames (14), and a plurality of caster mounting frames (16) (also a pair of left and right) arranged in parallel on the outside of the two jack mounting frames (14). (17) and (18) are brackets and fixing screws for attaching the front and rear ends of each of the jack mounting frames (14) and the front and rear ends of the intermediate frame (15) to the four corners of the bottom plate (10) and the surrounding frame (11) of the furniture (P).

[0036] In this case, as is clear from Figure 1, the pair of left and right jack mounting frames (14) and the intermediate frame (15) each have an approximately U-shaped cross section, and the internal space of both jack mounting frames (14) is designed to allow the screw shaft (lifting pillar) of the screw-type jack (described later) to be inserted, while the internal space of the intermediate frame (15) is designed to accommodate a torque limiter of the operating unit (described later).

[0037] A plurality of screw jacks (J) (four in the illustrated example) are interposed between the jack mounting frame (14) on the furniture (P) side and the jack receiving frame (13) on the plinth (12) side. An operating unit (U) is attached to the intermediate frame (15) near the front or rear end.

[0038] In addition, a number of casters (swivel wheels) (19) (four in the illustrated example) are supported on the underside of the caster mounting frame (16), and the casters (19) or the screw-type jack (J) are used to provide stable support for the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P) as a whole.

[0039] As is clear from Figures 1 to 4, the screw jacks (J) are arranged in a symmetrical manner with respect to adjacent ones, left and right, and front and rear, but they all have the same configuration. (20) is a casing fixed and integrated to the underside of the jack mounting frame (14), has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has a single screw shaft (lifting support) (21) standing on its vertical centerline.

[0040] Moreover, the vertical screw shaft (21) penetrates the casing (20) and its lower end is fixed integrally to the jack support frame (13) on the base wheel (12) side by an anti-rotation seat plate (22) and a fastening screw (23), while its upper end can escape into the internal space of the jack mounting frame (14) through a screw shaft escape hole (24) opening in the underside of the jack mounting frame (14).

[0041] (25) is a female-threaded rotating cylinder screwed onto the screw shaft (21) and is constrained so that it can only rotate within the casing (20). A downward bevel gear (26) protruding continuously from its upper portion is in constant mesh with a horizontal bevel gear (27) that is rotatably supported on the body surface of the casing (20).

[0042] In other words, when the female screw rotating cylinder (25) is rotated clockwise (to the right) or counterclockwise (to the left) by the meshing bevel gears (26) and (27), the screw shaft (21) that is screwed with it moves up and down only along the vertical center line of the casing (20) as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and Figures 29 and 30, thereby lifting and lowering the base wheel (12). (28) indicates a thrust bearing fitted to the upper end of the female screw rotating cylinder (25), and (29) indicates a bearing collar for the horizontal bevel gear (27).

[0043] In addition, the operating unit (U) mentioned above is composed of a pair of vertical rotating operating shafts (30A) (30B) located on the same vertical axis (H-H), a torque limiter (T) and a bevel gear mechanism (G) which are attached to the intermediate frame (15) in a stacked relationship from above and below. As shown in Figure 1, by rotating the rotating operating shafts (30A) (30B) clockwise (to the right) or counterclockwise (to the left) using the operating handle (31) from above the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P) (inside the furniture itself), the above-mentioned multiple screw jacks (J) can be raised and lowered simultaneously in the same direction at the same speed.

[0044] That is, the specific configuration of the operation unit (U) will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 24. First, the torque limiter (T) comprises a disk-shaped outer rotor (32) having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and a disk-shaped inner rotor (33) fitted inside the U-shape. A plurality of steel balls (34) (in the illustrated example, a pair facing each other on a diameter line) distributed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner rotor (33) are engaged in a resiliently compressed state as shown in Figs. 11 and 14 with a plurality of ball receiving grooves (35) (in the illustrated example, a total of four balls distributed radially symmetrically) correspondingly formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer rotor (32), thereby allowing the two rotors (32) and (33) to rotate together.

[0045] A compression coil spring (torque spring) (36) for pushing and compressing the steel ball (34) so ​​as to constantly engage the inside of the ball receiving groove (35) is enclosed in a spring storage tunnel (37) formed along a diameter line of the inner rotor (33). (38) is a pair of spring retainers interposed between both ends of the compression coil spring (36) and both steel balls (34), and is made of hard synthetic resin (polyacetal).

[0046] In this case, the maximum load (N) of the compression coil spring (torque spring) (36) which applies a resilient biasing force to the steel ball (34) is set to approximately 9.0 kgf, as one suitable example. As soon as a load (rotational torque) greater than the preset load is applied during the integral rotation of the inner rotor (33) and the outer rotor (32), the engagement between the steel ball (34) and the ball receiving groove (35) is automatically released, as shown in FIG. 15, and only the inner rotor (33) rotates freely.

[0047] In the illustrated example, a pair of steel balls (34) are simultaneously pressed and urged into the ball receiving groove (35) by a common compression coil spring (36), but three or more steel balls (34) may be scattered and distributed in an overall radially symmetrical manner.

[0048] In the illustrated example, the constant-thickness circumferential surface of the zinc die-cast outer rotor 32 is partially curved to form an arc-shaped recessed ball receiving groove 35 on its inner circumferential surface, but it is sufficient if the steel balls 34 can be received therein to keep the rotors 32, 33 in an engaged state in which they can rotate together. As shown in the modified embodiment in Figures 16 and 17, the ball receiving grooves 35 may be limited to two, a pair facing each other, like the steel balls 34.

[0049] As shown in Figures 7 to 13, the torque limiter (T) is stored inside a casing (43) assembled from a cut-away upright U-shaped cover (39) and a base plate (40) forming the bottom surface of the cover (39) by a number of countersunk screws (41) and positioning (centering) protrusions (42). The protruding flange portion (39a) of the cover (39) and the base plate (40) are attached to an intermediate frame (15) attached to the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P) in a backing state by a number of fixing bolts (44).

[0050] (45) is a boss receiving hole for the operating handle (31), which opens into the circular center of the cover (39) of the casing (43), and (46) is a radial bearing interposed between the upper and lower opposing circular peripheral portions of the cover (39) and the inner rotor (33), which holds the inner rotor (33) so as to rotate smoothly and stably.

[0051] (47) denotes a plurality of small first steel balls interposed and distributed between the bottom surface of the inner rotor (33) and the inner bottom surface of the outer rotor (32) which has an approximately U-shaped cross section, and function as sliding members (bearings) for the rotation of both rotors (32) and (33).

[0052] Also, a plurality of second steel balls (48), preferably small and of the same size, which also function as sliders (bearings), are interposed and distributed in a scattered manner between the bottom surface of the outer rotor (32) and the base plate (40) of the casing (43) above and below, to support the outer rotor (32) so as to rotate smoothly and stably. (49) and (50) are first and second ball retainers which hold the first and second steel balls (47) and (48), respectively, and are formed in a ring shape from hard synthetic resin (polyacetal) as shown in Figure 7.

[0053] Furthermore, of the vertical rotating operating shafts (30A) (30B) aligned on the same vertical axis (HH), the upper rotating operating shaft serves as the upper operating shaft (30A) preferably made of a hexagonal bar for rotating the inner rotor in the torque limiter (T), and its lower end is insert-molded into the boss portion (33a) of the zinc die-cast inner rotor (33) as shown in Figures 11 to 13, thereby enabling the inner rotor (33) to rotate.

[0054] Moreover, the upper operating shaft (30A) projects upward and stands vertically through a boss receiving hole (45) of the operating handle (31) that opens into the cover (39) of the casing (43), and the boss portion (31a) of the operating handle (31) is removably inserted into the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor from above, as shown in Figures 1, 5, and 6. (31b) is the knob of the operating handle (31), and (51) is a hexagonal tube (nut) insert-molded into the boss portion (31a) of the operating handle (31), which fits into the upper end of the upper operating shaft (30A) made of the hexagonal bar.

[0055] On the other hand, the lower rotating operating shaft located on the vertical axis (HH) is also used as a lower operating shaft (30B) preferably made of a hexagonal bar for rotating the outer rotor in the torque limiter (T), and as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 20-22, its lower end is insert-molded into a boss portion of a downward bevel gear (described later) in the bevel gear mechanism (G), and the upper end portion of the remaining lower operating shaft (30B) is inserted and fitted into the bearing boss portion (32a) of the outer rotor (32) so as to rotate integrally therewith.

[0056] Next, the bevel gear mechanism (G), which forms the operating unit (U) together with the torque limiter (T), comprises a zinc die-cast vertical rotating cylinder (52) located on the vertical axis (HH) as shown in Figures 20 to 24, a downward bevel gear (53) extending continuously and integrally from the upper part of the cylinder, and a pair of opposing lateral bevel gears (54) which rotate in mesh with the downward bevel gear (53). Both lateral bevel gears (54) are interlocked with the corresponding lateral bevel gears (27) of the adjacent screw jack (J) via a transmission shaft (55), preferably made of a hexagonal bar of the required length.

[0057] Therefore, when the boss portion (31a) of the operating handle (31) is inserted from above into the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor located on the vertical axis (HH) and the inner rotor (33) of the torque limiter (T) is rotated in a clockwise (rightward) or counterclockwise (leftward) direction, the outer rotor (32) engaged with the inner rotor (33) via the steel balls (34) and the downward bevel gear (53) of the vertical rotating cylinder (52) forming the bevel gear mechanism (G) will rotate in a clockwise (rightward) or counterclockwise (leftward) direction as shown in Figs. 5, 11, and 14. , which rotate all at once around the lower operating shaft (30B) for rotating the outer rotor, which is located on the same vertical axis (H-H), and the two lateral bevel gears (54) meshing with the downward bevel gear (53) also rotate in series. This rotation is then transmitted to the female screw rotating cylinders (25) of the multiple screw jacks (J) via the two transmission shafts (55). Due to the raising and lowering movement of the screw shafts (21) screwed into these, the base (12) of the furniture (P) is raised and lowered all at once in the same direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and Figures 29 and 30.

[0058] However, if a load (rotational torque) greater than the elastic compressive force (maximum load) of the coil spring (torque spring) (36) pressing the steel balls (34) of the inner rotor (33) into the ball receiving grooves (35) of the outer rotor (32) is applied during the rotation of the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor by the operating handle (31), the steel balls (34) will come out of the ball receiving grooves (35) as shown in Figures 6 and 15, and only the inner rotor (33) will rotate freely. As a result, the transmission of power from the lower operating shaft (30B) for rotating the outer rotor, through the bevel gear mechanism (G) and the transmission shaft (55), to the multiple screw-type jacks (J) will automatically stop, and the base wheel (12) will not be raised or lowered by the screw shafts (lifting pillars) (21) of the jacks (J).

[0059] As shown in Figures 20 to 24, the bevel gear mechanism (G) of the operating unit (U) is housed inside a casing (60) assembled from a protruding flange (56a) of a cover (56) having an approximately U-shaped cross section and a top plate (57) covering its upper surface, using a number of countersunk screws (58) and positioning (centering) protrusions (59). The top plate (57) and the protruding flange portion (56a) of the cover (56) are attached to an intermediate frame (15) attached to the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P) by a number of fixing bolts (61).

[0060] In this case, although not shown in the figure, the casing (43) of the torque limiter (T) and the casing (60) of the bevel gear mechanism (G) constituting the operation unit (U) can be attached (commonly attached) and fixed together by clamping them from above and below to the intermediate frame (15) using a plurality of common fixing bolts and nuts.

[0061] As explained above, the lower operating shaft (30B) for rotating the outer rotor is insert-molded into the boss portion (53a) of the downward bevel gear (53). The boss portion (53a) is supported by the radial bearing (62) on the top plate (57) of the casing (59).

[0062] The lower end of the vertical rotating cylinder (52), which is formed by projecting the downward bevel gear (53), is also journaled via a radial bearing (63) to the circular center of the cover (56) of the casing (60). (64) and (65) are the cover plate of the radial bearing (63) and its fixing screw, and (66) is a collar that rotatably bears the horizontal bevel gear (54) on the body surface of the casing (60) in the bevel gear mechanism (G).

[0063] 5, 6 and 27 denotes a torque limiter escape port of the operation unit (U) that communicates with the internal space of the intermediate frame (15) having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is formed as a notch near the front or rear end of the intermediate frame (15) in the bottom plate (10) of the furniture (P), from which the boss portion (31a) of the operation handle (31) is inserted removably into the upper operation shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor. (68) denotes an operation handle storage box with an openable lid that is fitted into the torque limiter escape port (67), and stores the operation handle (31) when not in use so as not to lose it.

[0064] The jack operating device for lifting and lowering movable partition storage furniture (P) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and when the furniture (P) is operated to be in a movable state as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the boss portion (31a) of the operating handle (31) is inserted removably from above the bottom plate (10) into the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor of the torque limiter (T) in the operating unit (U), and is rotated preferably counterclockwise (leftward).

[0065] In this way, the outer rotor (32) engaged with the inner rotor (33) via the steel balls (34) and the downward bevel gear (53) of the vertical rotating cylinder (52) constituting the bevel gear mechanism (G) rotate in the same direction all at once around the lower operating shaft (30B) for rotating the outer rotor, which is located on the same vertical axis (HH) as the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor. At the same time, this rotation is transmitted from the horizontal bevel gear (54) of the bevel gear mechanism (G) through the transmission shaft (55) to the multiple screw jacks (J). The screw shaft (lifting column) (21) of the jack (J) raises the base (12) of the furniture (P), and in response, the furniture (P) itself is lowered, and the multiple casters (19) attached to it come into contact with the floor surface (F) as shown in Figure 28(a). In this case, since the upper surface of the furniture (P) is at a low height position that does not contact the ceiling surface (C) of the residence, the furniture (P) can be freely and conveniently moved to change the installation location.

[0066] On the other hand, when the furniture (P) is to be positioned and fixed at a desired installation location, the operating handle (31) is rotated clockwise (to the right) opposite to that shown in Figures 1 to 3. By doing so, only the direction of rotation is reversed, and the inner rotor (33) and the outer rotor (32) rotate together, and the bevel gear mechanism (G) also rotates in conjunction, and the rotation is transmitted simultaneously to the multiple screw jacks (J) via the transmission shaft (55), and the screw shaft (lifting column) (21) of the jack (J) lowers the base wheel (12) of the furniture (P) as shown in Figures 29 and 30, while lifting the furniture (P) itself, and the multiple casters (19) attached to it rise above the floor surface (F).

[0067] In this case, as shown in FIG. 28(b), the lowered base (12) touches the floor surface (F), while the upper surface of the furniture (P) touches the ceiling surface (C) of the residence in tandem with the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor (33) while continuing to rotate the upper operating shaft (30A) for rotating the inner rotor (30) by the operating handle (31). In this case, the coil spring (torque When a load (rotational torque) greater than the elastic compressive force (maximum load) of the spring (36) acts on the steel balls (34), the steel balls (34) naturally come out of the ball receiving grooves (35) as shown in Figures 5 and 14 to 6 and 15, and only the inner rotor (33) rotates freely, thereby stopping (disconnecting) the transmission from the lower operating shaft (30B) for rotating the outer rotor, through the bevel gear mechanism (G) and the transmission shaft (55), to the multiple screw jacks (J).

[0068] In other words, if the strong rotation of the operating handle (31) is continued until the cushioned ceiling spacer (69) attached to the top surface of the furniture (P) is completely crushed to a certain thickness (t) (the 20 mm example given above), and the timing to end the rotation is incorrect, there is a risk of the ceiling surface (C) of the residence being distorted or cracked. On the other hand, if the furniture (P) is not firmly pressed against the ceiling surface (C) in a sufficient manner, the furniture (P) may move unexpectedly. These situations are prevented by using the operating unit (U) including the torque limiter (T) configured as described above.

[0069] In this regard, in the illustrated example, the maximum load (N) (resilient compressive force) of the compression coil spring (torque spring) (36) is set to approximately 9.0 kgf, and the ceiling spacer (69) has a constant thickness (t) of 20 mm. When 5 mm (one-fourth) of the thickness is crushed (compressed), the compression coil spring (36) functions as a torque spring and causes the inner rotor (33) to rotate freely. However, there is no intention to limit the set values ​​to these values, and any values ​​can be determined as appropriate.

[0070] Furthermore, it goes without saying that from the state in which the furniture (P) in Figures 29 and 30 is positioned and fixed, the furniture (P) can be moved along the floor surface (F) by rotating the operating handle (31) again counterclockwise (to the left). [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] (10)...Bottom plate (11) Enclosure (outer base) (12) Base (13) Jack support frame (14) Jack mounting frame (15) Intermediate frame (16) Caster mounting frame (19) Caster (20) Casing (21) Screw shaft (lifting support) (25) Female thread rotating cylinder (26) Downward bevel gear (27) Horizontal bevel gear (30A)··Upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor (30B) Lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor (31) Operating handle (31a) Boss part of the operating handle (32) Outer rotor (32a) Outer rotor bearing boss (33) Inner rotor (33a) Boss part of inner rotor (34) Steel ball (engagement ball) (35) Ball receiving groove (36) Compression coil spring (torque spring) (37) Spring storage tunnel (38) Spring retainer (39) ···Cover (40) Base plate (43) Casing (46) Radial bearing (47)(48)···Steel ball (51) Hexagonal tube (nut) (52) Vertical rotating cylinder (53) Downward bevel gear (53a) Boss part of downward bevel gear (54) Horizontal bevel gear (55) Transmission shaft (56)···Cover (57) Top plate (60) Casing (69) Ceiling spacer (C)...Ceiling surface (F)...Floor surface (G) Bevel gear mechanism (HH)...Vertical axis (J) Screw type jack (P)...Furniture (T) Torque limiter (U) Operation unit

Claims

1. A plurality of screw jacks interposed between the upper and lower parts of the furniture and its base; A plurality of transmission shafts that link and connect the plurality of jacks; A furniture lifting jack operating device having a single vertical rotary operating shaft that rotates the transmission shaft to lift and lower multiple jacks simultaneously in the same direction at once, The rotary operation shaft is divided into a pair of an upper operation shaft for rotating the inner rotor and a lower operation shaft for rotating the outer rotor, which are located on the same vertical axis line, The outer rotor is attached to an upper end of a lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor, which is integrally connected to the transmission shaft via a bevel gear mechanism, so as to be rotatable together with the outer rotor. An inner rotor that fits inside the outer rotor is attached to a lower end of an upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor so as to rotate integrally with the outer rotor. A plurality of engaging balls distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner rotor are engaged with a plurality of ball receiving grooves formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer rotor in a resilient and biased state in which the two rotors can always rotate together, This furniture lifting jack operating device is characterized in that when the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor is rotated from above using an operating handle, and a load greater than the elastic compressive force of the engaging ball acts on the inner rotor while the inner rotor is rotating integrally with the outer rotor, the engaging ball disengages from the ball receiving groove of the outer rotor, causing only the inner rotor to rotate freely, thereby automatically stopping the rotation of the transmission shaft caused by the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor.

2. The inner rotor is disc-shaped in plan view and is fitted into the outer rotor, which has a substantially U-shaped cross section. A spring storage tunnel is formed through the inner rotor along a diameter line thereof, A pair of opposing ball receiving grooves are provided on the diameter line of the inner circumferential surface of the outer rotor that closes both open ends of the spring storage tunnel, 2. The furniture lifting jack operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that a pair of steel balls which can freely enter and exit the ball receiving grooves of the outer rotor and a compression coil spring which is interposed between the opposing steel balls are enclosed in a spring storage tunnel of the inner rotor.

3. The outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section and the disk-shaped inner rotor fitted therein are housed and installed inside a casing consisting of a cover having an inclined U-shaped cross section and a base plate thereof, the cover being attached and fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture. A plurality of small steel balls are interposed between the bottom surface of the inner rotor and the bottom surface of the outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section.

2. The furniture lifting jack operating device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of small steel balls interposed between the bottom surface of the outer rotor and the base plate of the casing.

4. The outer rotor having a substantially U-shaped cross section and the disk-shaped inner rotor fitted therein are housed and installed inside a casing consisting of a cover having an inclined U-shaped cross section and a base plate thereof, the cover being attached and fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture.

2. The furniture lifting jack operating device according to claim 1, wherein a radial pairing of the inner rotor is interposed between the peripheral edge of the cover of the casing and the peripheral edge of the inner rotor, which face each other vertically.

5. The upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor and the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor are both hexagonal rods. The hexagonal tube of the operating handle is inserted from above into the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor so that it can be freely inserted and removed to form an integrated unit.

2. The furniture lifting jack operating device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor is inserted into and fixed to a boss portion of a downward bevel gear in the bevel gear mechanism so as to rotate integrally therewith.

6. The hexagonal bar of the upper operating shaft for rotating the inner rotor is insert molded into the boss of the inner rotor, 6. The furniture lifting jack operating device according to claim 5, wherein the hexagonal bar of the lower operating shaft for rotating the outer rotor is insert-molded into the boss of the downward bevel gear of the bevel gear mechanism.

Images