Body support of chair

By using needle-like protrusions to secure the cushion material in chairs, the issues of displacement and floating are addressed, ensuring accurate positioning and maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the chair.

JP2025087337APending Publication Date: 2025-06-10ITOKI CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023201918
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-11-29
Publication Date
2025-06-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Cushion materials made of three-dimensional network bodies in chairs are prone to displacement and floating due to their lower friction coefficient compared to foamed urethane resins, which can affect their positioning and aesthetic appearance.

Method used

Incorporating needle-like protrusions on the receiving member that pierce the cushion material, ensuring it is securely attached and preventing displacement and floating.

Benefits of technology

The protrusions effectively prevent the cushion material from shifting or floating, allowing for accurate positioning and maintaining a visually appealing appearance, even when the seat is adjusted.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a seat and backrest, in which a cushion material made of a three-dimensional mesh body is held in place without shifting.SOLUTION: A seat inner shell 15 includes a deformation-permitting part 15c in which horizontally long slits 29 and horizontally long bars 30 are alternately arranged, formed in a front part thereof. When a front rigid part 15b at a front end of the seat inner shell 15 is pulled backward, the deformation-permitting part 15c and a front part of a cushion material 16 are rolled downward, so that the depth of a seat 2 can be adjusted. The cushion material 16 is made of a three-dimensional mesh body formed by intertwining and bonding countless resin fibers and has high rigidity, however, since protrusions 46 pierce the cushion material 16, the cushion material 16 is held in close contact with the deformation-permitting part 15c of the seat inner shell 15. Accordingly, the cushion material 16 does not float when the seat 2 is rolled up.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a body support having a cushioning material in a chair. Here, the chair is not limited to a single-seat type such as a swivel chair, but also includes a bench type or a sofa type that can be used by multiple people. Alternatively, it also includes seats for vehicles such as automobiles and airplanes. Examples of the body support include a seat, a backrest, a headrest, a shoulder rest, and an armrest.

Background Art

[0002] In chairs, cushioning materials are used for seats, backrests, headrests, etc. Currently, most of the cushioning materials used in chairs are foamed urethane resins. However, foamed urethane resins have problems such as being prone to stuffiness due to lack of air permeability, being non-recyclable, not necessarily having a high resilience (elastic force) and being prone to excessive sinking of the body, or being prone to a sagging phenomenon where the elastic recovery force decreases during use.

[0003] On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cushioning material in the form of a three-dimensional network formed by entangling a large number of fibers made of a thermoplastic resin formed into a contorted shape has been developed. The three-dimensional network disclosed in Patent Document 1 has excellent air permeability and high resilience, and is also excellent in durability and recyclability. By adjusting the thickness and density of the fibers, a considerably soft touch can also be realized. In recent years, it seems to be popular as a mattress for beds.

[0004] Regarding the seat of a chair, it has been made possible to adjust the depth according to the physique of the user. As an example, the applicant of the present application disclosed in Patent Document 2 a technique in which the front end position of the seat can be adjusted by configuring a deformation tolerance part that can roll the front part of the seat downward.

[0005] As a means for adjusting the depth of the seat, there is a method of moving the entire seat back and forth. However, in this method, the user cannot adjust it unless they sit halfway, so there are problems such as a large burden on the user, and there is a concern that the rear end of the seat will be greatly exposed to the rear, which may damage the aesthetic appearance. On the other hand, in the winding method of Patent Document 2, since the user can adjust the depth while sitting, there is an advantage of reducing the burden, and since the position of the rear end of the seat is constant, there is also an advantage of not damaging the aesthetic appearance.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] Now, in a chair, the cushion material is generally overlapped on a shell member such as a seat plate or a backrest and covered with a fabric. By fixing the fabric to the back side of the shell member, the cushion material is attached to the shell member. In this case, from the viewpoint of appearance, it is necessary to accurately position and attach the cushion material to the shell member, but there is a possibility that the cushion material may be attached in a state where it is displaced from the predetermined position.

[0008] In particular, since the three-dimensional network body has a smaller friction coefficient than the urethane resin and is likely to slip with respect to the shell member, when the cushion material of the seat or the backrest is made of a three-dimensional network body, there is a concern that the displacement phenomenon is likely to occur.

[0009] In addition, when an entrainment method at the front part of the seat is adopted as the seat depth adjustment means as in Patent Document 2, there is a concern that the cushion material may float away from the shell member. In particular, when a three-dimensional net-like body is adopted as the cushion material, since the three-dimensional net-like body has higher rigidity than the foamed urethane resin, it is concerned that the cushion material is likely to float away from the shell member without bending firmly following the bending of the shell member.

[0010] The present invention has been made against such a background, and aims to disclose a technique capable of preventing displacement and floating of a cushion material made of a three-dimensional net-like body in a chair.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] The present invention targets the body support of a chair and includes the configurations specified in each claim. Among these, the invention of claim 1 forms a higher concept, "comprising a cushion material formed by three-dimensionally entangling and bonding a plurality of synthetic resin fibers, and a receiving member on which the cushion material is stacked, wherein the receiving member is provided with (needle-like) protrusions that pierce the cushion material" and has such a configuration.

[0012] The invention of claim 2 is a development example of the invention of claim 1, "comprising a covering fabric that covers the cushion material, wherein the protrusions are arranged so as to pierce the outer peripheral surface of the cushion material" and has such a configuration.

[0013] The invention of claim 3 is a development example of the invention of claim 2, "wherein the receiving member constitutes a seat or a backrest, and the protrusions are arranged horizontally so as to pierce the cushion material from both left and right sides" and has such a configuration.

[0014] The invention of claim 4 is an example in which claim 3 is developed for an entrainment type seat as in Patent Document 2, The receiving member is a shell member made of synthetic resin that forms a seat, and a front portion of the shell member and the cushioning material is a deformation allowance portion that can be wound downward, and the protrusions are disposed on both left and right sides of the deformation allowance portion in the shell member. It has such a configuration.

[0015] The invention according to claim 5 is a development example of the invention according to claim 4. The deformation allowance portion of the shell member has a plurality of horizontally long slits arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction, a horizontally long bar portion located between adjacent slits, and a bridge portion arranged so as to cross the slits and connected to the horizontally long bar portion. The protrusions are provided at left and right end portions of the horizontally long bar portion. It has such a configuration.

[0016] The invention according to claim 6 is a development example of the invention according to claim 2 or 3. An upright portion that overlaps the outer peripheral surface of the cushioning material is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the receiving member, and the protrusions project from the upright portion toward the inside of the cushioning material, and the upright portion is covered with the webbing. It has such a configuration.

[0017] The invention according to claim 7 is a development example of the invention according to claim 1. The protrusions are arranged on the receiving member so as to project toward the polymerization surface of the cushioning material. It has such a configuration.

[0018] In the invention of the present application, the configuration according to claim 2 and the configuration according to claim 7 do not mutually exclude each other, and it is possible to have both. Further, the protrusions include both a single one and a plurality. Furthermore, the protrusions include both being integrally formed on a receiving member such as a shell member and being manufactured separately from the receiving member and attached to the receiving member. That is, it also includes attaching the protrusions to the receiving member later.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] Although the cushioning material of the present invention is a three-dimensional reticulated body, since the three-dimensional reticulated body is a breathable material having continuous pores like a non-woven fabric, it is easy to pierce projections such as needles. Utilizing this property, displacement and floating of the cushioning material can be prevented, and positioning can also be achieved. Therefore, the cushioning material can be beautifully arranged with respect to the receiving member.

[0020] In claim 2, since the projection pierces the cushioning material from the outer periphery, floating of the cushioning material can be prevented. In this case, as in claim 3, when applied to a seat or a backrest and the projection pierces the cushioning material from both left and right sides, in the case of a seat, while preventing the cushioning material from moving back and forth, floating can be prevented, and in the case of a backrest, floating can be prevented while keeping the cushioning material immovable up and down. Therefore, it is reasonable.

[0021] The invention of claim 4 is applied to a wrapping type seat such as that in Patent Document 2. However, even for a seat cushioning material made of a three-dimensional reticulated body with high rigidity (large resistance to bending), since the shell member can be bent and deformed in a close contact state, a phenomenon where the front part of the seat bulges upward during wrapping does not occur and it looks good.

[0022] There can be various means for forming a deformation allowance part that easily bends and deforms the front part of the shell member. However, as in claim 5, when adopting a form in which slits and horizontally long bar parts are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction, the bridge part becomes a hinge and easily deforms, so that the wrapping of the seat can be facilitated and it is suitable. And since the projection is provided on the horizontally long bar part, the projection does not inhibit the deformation of the bridge, and therefore, there is an advantage of not impairing the ease of wrapping.

[0023] The method of piercing the projection into the outer peripheral surface of the cushioning material can prevent floating of the cushioning material. However, when adopting the configuration of claim 6, since the cushioning material is held immovably by the standing part, the positioning function of the cushioning material is also excellent. Further, since the standing part is covered with a ground fabric, deterioration of aesthetic appearance does not occur.

[0024] In the invention of claim 7, since the protrusions are inserted into the overlapping surface of the cushioning material with the receiving member, it is possible to prevent the cushioning material from shifting along the surface of the receiving member. Therefore, even if the overlapping surface of the cushioning material and the receiving member is flat, the cushioning material can be accurately positioned. Note that the invention of claim 7 is not contrary to claim 2. It is possible to use the configuration of claim 2 and the configuration of claim 7 in combination.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is applied to a chair including a bench. In this application, terms such as "front and rear" and "left and right" are used to specify directions, which are based on the orientation of a person sitting in a normal posture. The depth direction is the front-rear direction. The front view is the direction facing the person sitting.

[0027] (1). Basic Structure of the First Embodiment First, the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described. The first embodiment is applied to a swivel chair frequently used in offices. First, the basic structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The chair includes a leg device 1, a seat 2, and a backrest 3 as basic elements. The leg device 1 has a structure in which a leg column 4 made of a gas cylinder is erected at the center of an upright portion having five caster-equipped leg blades.

[0028] A base 5 is fixed to the upper end of the leg column 4, and the lower ends of the left and right first tilting frames 6 are connected to the base 5. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the first tilting frame 6 extends rearward from the base 5 and rises while spreading outward to the left and right. The upper part of the first tilting frame 6 constitutes the side members of the lower back frame 7. The lower end of the lower back frame 7 is composed of left and right longitudinal lower members 7a. That is, the lower back frame 7 is formed in an upward-opening U shape by connecting the lower members 7a to the lower ends of the side members.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1(B), the lower end of the upper backrest frame 8 having a loop structure that opens front and back is connected to the upper end of the lower backrest frame 7. The lower end of the upper backrest frame 8 is composed of an intermediate frame portion 8a that projects rearward, and a second tilting frame (center frame) 9 is connected to the left and right intermediate portions of the intermediate frame portion 8a and the rear end portion of the base 5 so as to be relatively rotatable. Although details are omitted, during reclining, the upper backrest frame 8 rotates forward relative to the lower backrest frame 7.

[0030] The backrest 3 includes a back plate 10 made of a flexible resin material such as an elastomer, and a stretch fabric 11 stretched on the front surface of the back plate 10, and is attached to the upper member and side members of the upper backrest frame 8, and the side members and lower member 7a of the lower backrest frame 7. A toprest device 12 for supporting the head and neck of the seated person is attached to the upper member of the upper backrest frame 8. A lumbar support device 13 for supporting the back plate 10 from behind at the height position of the waist and pelvis of the seated person is attached to the lower part of the second tilting frame 9.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat 2 includes a resin seat inner shell (seat plate) 15, a cushion material 16 stacked thereon, and a stretch fabric (skin material) 17 covering the cushion material 16 from above. The seat inner shell 15 is supported from below by a resin outer shell (intermediate member) 18. The seat inner shell 15 is an example of the receiving member described in the claims, and the cushion material 16 is composed of a three-dimensional reticular body.

[0032] The seat inner shell 15 is composed of a substrate portion 15a fixed to the outer shell 18 and occupying 70% to 80% of the front-rear width, a left-right horizontally long front rigid body portion 15b constituting the front end portion, and a deformation allowance portion 15c located between the two. When the deformation allowance portion 15c bends downward, as shown in FIG. 1(C), the front portion of the seat 2 can be wrapped downward. Since the cushion material 16 made of a three-dimensional reticular body has a high elastic force and a large resistance to being wrapped, the movable support 19 is pulled backward by a spring (not shown).

[0033] And, as shown in FIG. 2, a movable support 19 having a portion protruding forward is mounted on the outer shell 18 so as to be movable back and forth and non-removable upward, and left and right front engaging portions 20 provided at the front end of the movable support 19 are engaged with left and right hook-shaped brackets 21 protruding downward from the front rigid portion 15b of the seat inner shell 15. Therefore, by moving the movable support 19 back and forth, the depth dimension (position of the front end) of the seat 2 can be adjusted according to the physique and preference of the user. As shown in each subfigure of FIG. 1, a depth adjustment handle 22 for moving the movable support 19 back and forth is rotatably mounted on the left side edge of the outer shell 18.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, a support arm 23 that protrudes outward in the left and right directions and has a front end protruding upward is formed on the first tilting frame 6, and a rear bearing portion 24 provided at the rear of the outer shell 18 is connected to the support arm 23 by a left and right longitudinal pin 25. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right front mounts 26 are arranged at the frontward portion of the base 5, and the front portion of the outer shell 18 is connected to the front mounts 26 via a joint member 27 so as to be movable back and forth and non-removable upward. Therefore, when the backrest 3 tilts backward, the seat 2 moves backward while tilting backward.

[0035] (2). Basic structure of the seat inner shell Next, the details of the seat 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 as well. As can be understood from FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat inner shell 15 has a form that is concave upward in a front view and has a deeper rear portion in a side view, and the cushion material 16 and the upholstery 17 also follow this form.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5(A), the deformation allowance portion 15c of the seat inner shell 15 is composed of a plurality (five) of horizontally long slits 29, horizontally long bar portions 30 located between adjacent horizontally long slits 29, and five pairs of left and right bridges 31 disposed across the horizontally long slits 29. The adjacent horizontally long bar portions 30, the horizontally long bar portion 30 located at the rear end and the front end of the substrate portion 15a, and the horizontally long bar portion 30 located at the front end and the front rigid body portion 15b are connected by the left and right bridges 31. The horizontally long bar portion 30 forms a U-shaped form that opens downward in a side view, and the bridge 31 forms an upward-opening U-shaped form in a side view. For this reason, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4, the deformation allowance portion 15c can be easily bent and deformed so as to bend downward in a side view.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5(A), a large number of circular small holes are arranged in rows vertically and horizontally in the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15. As shown in FIG. 3, a downward engaging frame portion 32 with a left and right longitudinal direction is projectingly provided downward at the front portion of the substrate portion 15a in the seat inner shell 15. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right upward engaging bosses 33 are projectingly provided upward at the front-leaning portion of the outer shell 18. Ant groove portions 34 that open rearward are provided at both left and right ends of the downward engaging frame portion 32 of the seat inner shell 15, while a flange 35 into which the ant groove portion 34 is fitted from the front is provided on the upward engaging boss 33 of the outer shell 18.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of left and right female screw boss portions 36 are projectingly provided downward at a portion slightly closer to the rear in the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15, and screws (not shown) inserted into the outer shell 18 from below are screwed into the female screw boss portions 36. The attachment of the seat inner shell 15 to the outer shell 18 is performed in the following procedure: First, the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15 is placed on the outer shell 18 and slid backward to fit the downward engaging frame portion 32 and the upward engaging boss 33 together, and then two screws passed through the outer shell 18 from below are screwed into the female screw boss portions 36.

[0039] The upward engaging boss 33 provided on the outer shell 18 penetrates the movable support 19 from below, and its upper end is exposed and fitted with the downward engaging frame portion 32. Further, the upward engaging boss 33 also has a function of holding the movable support 19 in an upwardly non-separable and slidable-back-and-forth manner.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of left and right downward guide ribs 37 that are long in the front-rear direction are protruding downward at substantially the front-rear middle of the substrate portion 15a in the seat inner shell 15. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer shell 18 is provided with left and right upward guide ribs 38 that are long in the front-rear direction, and the left and right upward guide ribs 38 sandwich the left and right downward guide ribs 37 from both left and right sides. For this reason, the posture of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15 is accurately maintained.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, on the lower surface of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15, as means for fixing the fabric 17, a group of outer peripheral side hooks 39 that are scattered along the edges of the side portion and the rear portion of the substrate portion 15a, and a group of intermediate side hooks 40 that are scattered left and right along the front edge of the substrate portion 15a are formed. These hooks 39, 40 are in an inwardly hooked shape. Further, on the front rigid body portion 15b of the seat inner shell 15, as shown in FIG. 4, a group of mushroom-shaped front engaging bosses 41 are formed.

[0042] And, as shown only partially in FIG. 4, the front edge of the fabric 17 is wound into the front portion of the substrate portion 15a beyond the deformation allowance portion 15c, and an intermediate tape-shaped member 42 is fixed to the front edge (rear edge) 17a thereof by sewing or the like, and the intermediate tape-shaped member 42 is fitted into the intermediate side hooks 40. Therefore, a square engaging hole that engages with the intermediate side hooks 40 is formed in the intermediate tape-shaped member 42.

[0043] Further, in the overlapping portion 17b of the tension member 17 that overlaps with the front rigid body portion 15b of the seat inner shell 15, a front tape-shaped member 43 that fits against the front engaging boss 41 against elasticity is fixed by sewing or the like. Accordingly, a group of engaging holes that fit against the front engaging boss 41 against elasticity is also formed in the front tape-shaped member 43. In the present embodiment, since the tension member 17 is drawn backward beyond the deformation allowance portion 15c of the seat inner shell 15, the tension member 17 includes a lower cover portion 17c that covers the deformation allowance portion 15c from below.

[0044] Furthermore, as partially shown in FIG. 4, in the tension member 17, an outer peripheral side tape-shaped member 44 that engages with a group of outer peripheral side hooks 39 is fixed by sewing or the like to an edge portion 17d that wraps around the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15 from the left and right side portions and the rear portion. A group of engaging holes that are forcibly fitted to the outer peripheral side hooks 39 is formed in the outer peripheral side tape-shaped member 44.

[0045] The cushion material 16 is a three-dimensional network body formed by entangling and binding a large number of thermoplastic synthetic resin fibers that are bent and twisted. The cushion material 16 is made of a commercially available plate-shaped three-dimensional network body and is made of a block cut into a square shape, and by sandwiching this with a pair of pressing dies, the entire surface is formed into a three-dimensional curved surface shape.

[0046] (3). Cushion material displacement prevention structure As shown in FIG. 5, three protrusions 46 are integrally provided on each of the front rigid body portion 15b and the rear end edge of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15. Each protrusion 46 pierces the cushion material 16 from a direction substantially orthogonal thereto. The seat inner shell 15 is manufactured by an injection molding method using molds (so-called cavity and core) that relatively move in the vertical direction. While the rear protrusions 46 protrude in the direction of relative movement of the molds, the protrusions 46 of the front rigid body portion 15b are tilted forward, so that a relief hole 47 for allowing mold release is provided in the front rigid body portion 15b.

[0047] Thus, since the groups of protrusions 46 are arranged at both the front and rear ends of the cushion material 16, the cushion material 16 is accurately positioned with respect to the seat inner shell 15, so that displacement of the cushion material 16 does not occur and deterioration of aesthetic appearance can be prevented.

[0048] Also, while the three-dimensional reticulated body has high rigidity, since the ground fabric 17 has some elongation, even if the deformation allowance portion 15c of the seat inner shell 15 is wound downward, the front portion of the cushion material 16 does not exactly follow the deformation allowance portion 15c, and there is a possibility that a gap may occur between the front portion of the cushion material 16 and the front portion of the seat inner shell 15. However, if groups of protrusions 46 are provided at the front and rear of the cushion material 16 as in the embodiment, the entire cushion material 16 is held in a state of being in close contact with the seat inner shell 15. Therefore, the front portion of the cushion material 16 does not float from the seat inner shell 15 during winding, and deterioration of aesthetic appearance can be prevented.

[0049] In the seated state, since the cushion material 16 is pressed against the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15 by the buttocks and thighs, it is sufficient to form the protrusions 46 only on the front rigid body portion 15b. However, if the protrusions 46 are also provided at the rear portion of the seat inner shell 15 as in the embodiment, displacement of the cushion material 16 in the non-seated state can be prevented, and good adhesion with the seat inner shell 15 during winding can be ensured, which is preferable.

[0050] It is also possible to provide the protrusions 46 on both the left and right side portions of the substrate portion 15a. Needless to say, the protrusions 46 are set to a height at which the cushion material 16 shrinks and deforms and does not hit a person's body. (Although the cushion material 16 made of a three-dimensional reticulated body has high elasticity, it does not sink deeply like urethane resin, so even if the protrusions 46 are made quite high, they will not hit the body of the seated person.)

[0051] (4). Second to Fifth Embodiments (Figs. 6 to 8) In FIGS. 6 to 7(D), the second embodiment is shown. The second embodiment is a specific example of claim 2 and is applied to the seat inner shell 15 having the same structure as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the basic structure of the seat inner shell 15 is the same as that of the first embodiment. It should be noted that it is also possible to use the second embodiment (and the third and fourth embodiments) in combination with the first embodiment.

[0052] In this embodiment, substantially upward plate-shaped upright portions 48 are integrally formed at both left and right ends of each horizontally long bar portion 30 constituting the deformation allowance portion 15c, and laterally extending protrusions 46 that pierce the cushion material 16 from its side surface are integrally formed at the upper ends of the upright portions 48. As described above, the seat inner shell 15 is manufactured using molds that relatively move in the vertical direction. In order to allow for die cutting, relief holes 49 are formed at the left and right end portions of the horizontally long bar portion 30. The upright portion 48 is covered with the gusset 17 from the outside.

[0053] In this embodiment, plate-shaped upright portions 50 are also integrally provided on both left and right side portions of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15, and a plurality of protrusions 46 arranged in the front-rear direction are integrally formed laterally at the upper ends of the upright portions 50. Also in this case, relief holes 51 for allowing die cutting are formed in the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15.

[0054] In this embodiment, the cushion material 16 can be held in a state where the protrusions 46 are pierced from the side by bending it upward and then overlaying it on the seat inner shell 15. Since the protrusions 46 are pierced into the deformation allowance portion of the cushion material 16 from both left and right sides, when the front part of the seat 2 is caught, the cushion material 16 bends and deforms in a state of closely adhering to the deformation allowance portion 15c of the seat inner shell 15. Therefore, it is possible to surely prevent the deterioration of the appearance.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, since the upright portion 48 and the protrusion 46 are integrally formed with the horizontally long bar portion 30 at the position of the deformation tolerance portion 15c, the movement of the horizontally long bar portion 30 is not hindered, and the bending deformation of the deformation tolerance portion 15c is not hindered. Further, if the protrusion 46 is also provided on the side portion of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15 as in the embodiment, the displacement of the cushion material 16 can be reliably prevented and the quality can be improved.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the upright portion 48 and the protrusion 46 are integrally formed with the horizontally long bar portion 30 in the deformation tolerance portion 15c. However, as shown in FIGS. 7(E) and 7(F), it is also possible to use clips 53 and 54 separate from the seat inner shell 15 to prevent the cushion material 16 from floating.

[0057] Among these, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7(E), the clip 53 includes a clamp portion 55 that sandwiches and holds the end portions of each horizontally long bar portion 30 from above and below. The upright portion 48 is provided on the clamp portion 55, and a laterally oriented protrusion 46 is provided at the upper end thereof. Since the horizontally long bar portion 30 is U-shaped, the clamp portion 55 can be attached to the horizontally long bar portion 30 without displacement.

[0058] In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 7(F), the clip 54 is configured such that the left and right longitudinal lower support portion 56 overlaps the lower surface portion of the horizontally long bar portion 30. The upright portion 48 is integrally formed with the lower support portion 56, and the protrusion 46 is provided at the upper end of the upright portion 48. A return portion 46a for preventing detachment is formed on the protrusion 46. In this embodiment, since the cushion material 16 and the horizontally long bar portion 30 are sandwiched from above and below by the protrusion 46 and the lower support portion 56, the floating of the cushion material 16 can be prevented and the movement of the horizontally long bar portion 30 is not hindered, similar to the second and third embodiments.

[0059] The fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is a modified example of an embodiment, in which a large number of protrusions 46 are integrally formed in a state like a pincushion with the front end and the rear end of the substrate portion 15a in the seat inner shell 15 arranged in the front - rear and left - right directions. In this embodiment, since the cushion material 16 is held in a non - displaceable manner with respect to the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15, it is possible to firmly prevent the displacement of the cushion material 16 when the deformation allowance portion 15c is involved.

[0060] The seat inner shell 15 is curved so as to be recessed downward in a longitudinal side view and a longitudinal front view, and the degree of depth is the deepest at the position in the left - right middle part and toward the rear (around the position where the coccyx of the seated person is located). The lower surface and the upper surface of the cushion material 16 are also concave curved surfaces following the shape of the upper surface of the seat inner shell 15, and the most concave portion is fixed to the thin plate portion 57 formed in the cushion material 16 by sewing or welding. The thin plate portion 57 is formed by partially sandwiching the cushion material 16 with a hot punch, and for this reason, an escape hole 57a opening downward is formed below the thin plate portion 57.

[0061] In addition to this embodiment, it is also possible to form a group of protrusions 46 on the front rigid body portion 15b as in the first embodiment, or to provide protrusions 46 inserted from the side as in the second to fourth embodiments. In the embodiment, the group of pincushion - shaped protrusions 46 is provided at the left - right middle part of the substrate portion 15a of the seat inner shell 15, but the arrangement position of the group of protrusions 46 can be set arbitrarily.

[0062] (5) Application example to the headrest device Next, with reference to Fig. 9, a sixth embodiment which is an application example to the headrest device 12 will be described. The headrest device 12 includes a mount member 58 fixed to the upper member 8b of the upper back frame 8 shown in Fig. 1(B), a fixed support column 59 provided on the mount member 58, a movable support column 60 movably attached to the fixed support column 59, an outer shell 61 attached to the upper end of the movable support column 60 so as to be swingable up and down, and a pad body 62 attached to the outer shell 61.

[0063] The pad body 62 includes an inner shell 63 attached to the outer shell 61, a cushioning material 64 overlapping the inner shell 63 from the front, and a fabric (not shown) covering the cushioning material 64 from the front. The upper end of the outer shell 61 is warped backward, and correspondingly, the upper ends of the inner shell 63 and the cushioning material 64 are also warped backward. The cushioning material 64 is made of a three-dimensional net-like body.

[0064] The attachment of the inner shell 63 to the outer shell 61 combines fitting and screwing. Therefore, as fitting means, a large number of square hooks 65 are formed on the inner shell 63, and the outer shell 61 is provided with locking claws 66 into which the square hooks 65 are fitted from above. Also, for screwing, a pair of nut bosses 67 with tapped holes formed in the upper part of the inner shell 63 are provided, and the outer shell 61 is provided with screw insertion holes 68.

[0065] On the back surface of the peripheral edge of the inner shell 63, a large number of boss bodies 69 and engaging hooks 70 for fixing the fabric are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, although not shown in the figure, a tape-like member with engaging holes for fitting into the boss bodies 69 and engaging hooks 70 is adhered to the peripheral edge of the fabric (not shown). This point is the same as the attachment structure of the fabric 17 in the seat 2.

[0066] In this sixth embodiment, a plurality of (three) protrusions 46 are formed vertically side by side at both the left and right ends of the inner shell 63, and these are pierced into the cushioning material 64. Therefore, the cushioning material 64 is held in a non-displaceable state.

[0067] (6) Application example to a bench Figure 10 shows a seventh embodiment applied to a bench-type chair. The chair of this embodiment includes a seat plate 71 made of wood or the like, a cushion material 72 made of a three-dimensional net-like body overlapping thereon, and a covering fabric 73 covering this from above. The seat plate 71 is an example of the receiving member described in the claims and is supported by rod-shaped legs 74. The outer peripheral edge of the covering fabric 73 is fixed to the lower surface of the seat plate 71 with a tucker or the like, but it is also possible to expose the cushion material 72 without using the covering fabric 73.

[0068] And at a plurality of locations (two locations on the left and right) of the seat plate 71, a sword-shaped positioning member 76 having a large number of protrusions 46 erected on a substrate 75 is arranged, and the group of protrusions 46 is pierced into the cushion material 72. The substrate 75 of the positioning member 76 is fitted into a recess 77 formed in the seat plate 71. The substrate 75 is fixed by being nailed or adhered with an adhesive in the recess 77. In (A), the positioning member 76 is shown in a simplified manner, but is clearly shown in (B). Also in this case, the number and arrangement pattern of the protrusions 46 can be arbitrarily set according to the size of the cushion material 72 and the like.

[0069] In this embodiment, although the cushion material 72 has a large area, since it is held by the left and right positioning members 76 so as not to be displaced, even if the cushion material 72 is simply placed on the seat plate 71, it will not shift horizontally when a person uses it. As described above, it is also possible not to use the covering fabric 73. In this case, for example, even if the cushion material 72 is simply fixed to the seat plate 71 with double-sided adhesive tape, it can be held so as not to shift horizontally.

[0070] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention can be embodied in various other ways. For example, it can be applied to a backrest or an armrest. When applied to a backrest, the receiving member becomes a back plate. The shape of the cushion material can be arbitrarily set. There is a round chair with a donut-shaped seat, and the present invention can also be applied to such a ring-shaped cushion material.

[0071] When forming a deformation tolerance part in the seat inner shell as in the embodiment, the deformation tolerance part can adopt various structures, such as making a large number of small holes to reduce the strength, or forming a large number of horizontally long hole-shaped slits to reduce the strength. It is also possible to integrally form only the standing part with the shell member by molding, and insert the protrusion into the standing part laterally from the side.

[0072] Furthermore, it is also possible to mold with a hinge in a state where the standing part having a protrusion is laid on the edge of the shell member, stack the cushion material, then fold the standing part by 90 degrees and pierce the protrusion into the cushion material laterally from the side. The number and arrangement position of the protrusions can be set as appropriate. Therefore, it is also possible to arrange a group of protrusions on the entire circumference of the shell member. As a post-attaching method for the protrusions, it is also possible to penetrate them through the entire left-right length of the cushion material. In this case, it is possible to firmly prevent the center part of the cushion material from floating.

Industrial Applicability

[0073] The invention of the present application can be embodied in a chair. Therefore, it can be used industrially.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0074] 2 Seat as an example of the body support 12 Toprest device 15 Seat inner shell as an example of the receiving member 15a Substrate part of the seat inner shell 15b Front rigid part of the seat inner shell 15c Deformation tolerance part of the seat inner shell 16, 64, 72 Cushion material 17, 73 Tension fabric 18 Outer shell of the seat 19 Movable support 20 Front engaging part 29 Horizontally long slit 30 Horizontally long bar part 31 Bridge 46 Protrusion 48, 50 Standing part 53, 54 Clip provided with a protrusion 76 Positioning member

Claims

1. A cushioning material formed by three-dimensionally entangling and bonding a plurality of synthetic resin fibers, and a receiving member on which the cushioning materials are stacked, wherein the receiving member is provided with (needle-shaped) protrusions that pierce the cushioning material, a body support of a chair.

2. A covering fabric covering the cushioning material is provided, wherein the protrusions are arranged so as to pierce the outer peripheral surface of the cushioning material, The body support of the chair according to Claim 1.

3. The receiving member constitutes a seat or a backrest, and the protrusions are arranged horizontally so as to pierce the cushioning material from both left and right sides, The body support of the chair according to Claim 2.

4. The receiving member is a synthetic resin shell member constituting a seat, and a deformation allowance portion that can be wound downward is formed at the front portion of the shell member and the cushioning material, and the protrusions are arranged on both left and right sides of the deformation allowance portion in the shell member, The body support of the chair according to Claim 3.

5. The deformation allowance portion of the shell member has a plurality of horizontally long slits arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction, a horizontally long bar portion located between adjacent slits, and a bridge portion arranged so as to cross the slits and connected to the horizontally long bar portion, The protrusions are provided at the left and right end portions of the horizontally long bar portion, The body support of the chair according to Claim 4.

6. An upright portion that overlaps the outer peripheral surface of the cushioning material is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the receiving member, and the protrusions project from the upright portion toward the inside of the cushioning material, and the upright portion is covered with the covering fabric, The body support of the chair according to Claim 2 or 3.

7. The protrusions are arranged on the receiving member so as to project toward the overlapping surface of the cushioning materials, The body support of the chair according to Claim 1.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Cushion body and manufacture therefor

    JP1996061414A

  • Chair and seat part thereof

    JP2015171652A