Folding structure

Abstract

To provide a folding structure capable of easily opening and closing with a smaller resistance.SOLUTION: A folding structure 1 has a center part 10 having a regular polygonal shape, a plurality of first bent parts 21, a plurality of second bent parts 22, a plurality of third bent parts 23, and a plurality of bent piece parts, and can be opened and closed between a folded state in which the plurality of bent piece parts are folded to overlap each other and a deployed state, further having a plurality of fourth bent parts 31 extending from an intersection 26 between the first bent part 21 and the second bent part 22 to the third bent part 23, and a plurality of fifth bent parts 32 extending from an intersection between the third bent part 23 and the fourth bent part 31 to the second bent part 22 in a direction symmetrical to the fourth bent part 31 with the third bent part 23 as an axis of symmetry, and is configured so that the fourth bent part 31 and the fifth bent part 32 are folded in a direction opposite to the first bent part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding structure that can be opened and closed between a folded state and an unfolded state. [Background technology]

[0002] A folding structure is known in which a flat (sheet-like or plate-like) object is folded compactly into an accordion-like shape by mountain and valley folding, and can be opened and closed between the folded and unfolded states (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] By applying such folding structures to, for example, umbrellas, roofs, solar panels, parabolic antennas, tables, picnic sheets, giant disk-shaped structures, giant spherical structures, etc., it is possible to dramatically increase the storage efficiency in the transportation space when transporting these structures, and to reduce the construction time and costs required to install them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-158794 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The folding structure as described above includes a central portion that is a regular polygon, a plurality of first folding portions that each form a side of the central portion and extend from the side on one side in the circumferential direction around the center of gravity of the central portion, a plurality of second folding portions that are provided between a pair of adjacent first folding portions in the circumferential direction and extend from the intersection of one first folding portion and the other first folding portion so as to equally divide the angle between one first folding portion and the other first folding portion, and a plurality of second folding portions that are provided between the first folding portion and the second folding portion and are each parallel to the first folding portion. and a plurality of folding pieces partitioned by the first, second, and third folding pieces and provided around a central portion, the first, second, and third folding pieces being alternately mountain-folded and valley-folded between the central portion and the folding pieces and between adjacent folding pieces, respectively, to thereby enable opening and closing between a folded state in which the plurality of folding pieces overlap each other around the central portion, and an unfolded state in which the plurality of folding pieces unfold around the central portion. In such a folding structure, a plurality of rotationally symmetrical portions provided around the central portion, centered on the center of gravity of the central portion, are folded around the central portion while being wrapped around the outer periphery of the central portion in the circumferential direction centered on the center of gravity.

[0006] However, with this structure, there was a problem in that the part near the center that would become a corner after folding would become curled up before the part was folded, which created a stress concentration area in the folding piece and increased resistance when folding.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a folding structure that can be easily opened and closed with less resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The folding structure of the present invention comprises a central portion that is a regular polygon; a plurality of first folded portions that each constitute a side of the central portion and extend from the side on one side in a circumferential direction around the center of gravity of the central portion; a plurality of second folded portions that are provided between a pair of the first folded portions adjacent in the circumferential direction and extend from an intersection between one of the first folded portions and the other of the first folded portions so as to equally divide the angle between one of the first folded portions and the other of the first folded portions; and only one second folded portion is provided between a pair of the first folded portions adjacent in the circumferential direction. When a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, the plurality of third bent portions are provided between the first bent portion and the second bent portion and extend parallel to the first bent portion, and when a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, the plurality of third bent portions are provided between the first bent portion and the second bent portion and extend parallel to the first bent portion, and are provided between a pair of adjacent second bent portions and extend parallel to one of the second bent portions; and when a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of adjacent second bent portions, the plurality of third bent portions are provided between the first bent portion, the second bent portion, and the third bent portion, and the central portion is partitioned by the first bent portion, the second bent portion, and the third bent portion. and a plurality of folding pieces provided around the central portion, wherein the first folding piece, the second folding piece, and the third folding piece are alternately mountain-folded and valley-folded between the central portion and the folding piece and between adjacent folding pieces, respectively, so that the plurality of folding pieces overlap each other around the central portion, and an unfolded state in which the plurality of folding pieces are unfolded around the central portion, and when only one second folding piece is provided between a pair of the first folding pieces adjacent in the circumferential direction, and when a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, the second bent portions extend from the intersection of the first bent portion and the second bent portion to the third bent portion so as to equally divide the angle between the first bent portion and the second bent portion, and when a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, the second bent portions extend from the intersection of the first bent portion and the second bent portion to the third bent portion so as to equally divide the angle between the first bent portion and the second bent portion,Between adjacent pairs of the second bent portions, a plurality of fourth bent portions extend from an intersection of the adjacent pair of second bent portions to the third bent portion so as to equally divide the angle between the adjacent pair of second bent portions; and when only one second bent portion is provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, a plurality of second bent portions are provided between each of the first bent portion and the second bent portion, extending from an intersection of the third bent portion and the fourth bent portion to the second bent portion in a direction symmetrical to the fourth bent portion with the third bent portion as an axis of symmetry, and between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction. When provided, the device further has a plurality of fifth folding portions that extend from the intersection of the third folding portion and the fourth folding portion to the second folding portion in a direction symmetrical to the fourth folding portion with the third folding portion as an axis of symmetry between the first folding portion and the second folding portion, and between adjacent pairs of the second folding portions, from the intersection of the third folding portion and the fourth folding portion to the second folding portion in a direction symmetrical to the fourth folding portion with the third folding portion as an axis of symmetry, and are configured so that the fourth folding portion and the fifth folding portion are folded in the opposite direction to the first folding portion when in the folded state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a folding structure that can be easily opened and closed with less resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of a folding structure according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a development view of the folding structure shown in FIG. [Figure 3] (a) is a diagram showing only the first folding portion in the unfolded view shown in Figure 1, (b) is a diagram showing only the first folding portion and the second folding portion in the unfolded view shown in Figure 1, and (c) is a diagram showing only the first folding portion, the second folding portion, and the third folding portion in the unfolded view shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing the folding structure shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it begins to unfold from a folded state. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing the folding structure shown in FIG. 1 in a further opened state from the state shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the folding structure shown in FIG. 1 in an unfolded state. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the development view shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a development view of a folding structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an automatic roof opening / closing system using the folding structure shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of a second conversion mechanism. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the automatic roof opening / closing system shown in FIG. 9 in a state where the roof has started to be opened. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing the automatic roof opening / closing system shown in FIG. 9 in a state where the roof is in an unfolded state. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] The foldable structure 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1 has a central portion 10 that is a regular polygon in plan view as shown in Figure 1(a) and a plurality of folding portions 20 that are provided corresponding to each of the sides 10a of the central portion 10. In this embodiment, the central portion 10 is a regular quadrangle in plan view and has four folding portions 20 that correspond to the four sides 10a. The four folding portions 20 are rotationally symmetrical with respect to one another about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10 and have the same configuration.

[0013] The foldable structure 1 is constructed by folding a flat sheet 2, which is a regular polygon (rectangle) in plan view similar to the central portion 10 and larger than the central portion 10, according to a predetermined pattern by making mountain folds along the lines shown by dashed lines in the unfolded view of Figure 2 and valley folds along the lines shown by solid lines.

[0014] More specifically, the sheet 2 has four first folded portions 21. The central portion 10 is defined at the center of the sheet 2 by parts of these four first folded portions 21. That is, as shown in FIG. 3( a), the four first folded portions 21 are arranged to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to one another about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10, and each constitutes a corresponding side 10a of the central portion 10, and extends from the side 10a corresponding to one side in the circumferential direction about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10 to the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2.

[0015] The four regions of the sheet 2 defined by adjacent first folding portions 21 are rotationally symmetrical with respect to each other about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10, and correspond to the four folding portions 20, respectively.

[0016] The sheet 2 has four second folded portions 22. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the four second folded portions 22 are also arranged to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to one another about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10. More specifically, the four second folded portions 22 are each provided between a pair of first folded portions 21 that are adjacent in the circumferential direction about the center of gravity G, and each extend from the intersection of one first folded portion 21 and the other first folded portion 21 so as to bisect the angle between the one first folded portion 21 and the other first folded portion 21. In other words, between a pair of adjacent first folded portions 21, the angle formed between the second folded portion 22 and one first folded portion 21 is the same as the angle formed between the second folded portion 22 and the other first folded portion 21. The four second folded portions 22 may each extend to the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2 as shown in FIG. 3(b), but in this embodiment, they are stopped just before the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0017] The sheet 2 has a plurality of third bent portions 23. As shown in FIG. 3(c), the plurality of third bent portions 23 are provided between the corresponding first bent portion 21 and second bent portion 22, and each extends parallel to the corresponding first bent portion 21. In this embodiment, six third bent portions 23 are provided between each of the first bent portion 21 and second bent portion 22, for a total of 48 third bent portions 23 on the sheet 2. Each third bent portion 23 extends from the second bent portion 22 to the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2, and the spacing between adjacent third bent portions 23 is the same. Note that in FIG. 3(c), for convenience, only one third bent portion 23 between each of the first bent portion 21 and second bent portion 22 is labeled with a reference numeral.

[0018] The sheet 2 has a plurality of folded pieces 30 defined by a first folded portion 21, a second folded portion 22, and a third folded portion 23. As shown in FIG. 3(c), the plurality of folded pieces 30 are trapezoidal and extend parallel to the first folded portion 21 between the corresponding first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22 from the second folded portion 22 to the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2, and are provided around the central portion 10. For convenience, in FIGS. 2 and 3(c), only one folded piece 30 between each of the first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22 is labeled with a reference numeral.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet 2 can also be configured to have an auxiliary folding portion 24 that is directly connected to the third folding portion 23 in one of the four regions defined by adjacent first folding portions 21 and the third folding portion 23 in the other adjacent region.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet 2 may also be configured to have an auxiliary folding portion 25 extending from the end of each second folding portion 22 closest to the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2 toward the intersection with the third folding portion 23 and the outer peripheral edge of the sheet 2.

[0021] The folded structure 1 is formed by folding a planar sheet 2 such that the first folding portions 21, second folding portions 22, and third folding portions 23 shown in the developed view of Fig. 2 are alternately mountain-folded and valley-folded between the central portion 10 and folding pieces 30 and between adjacent folding pieces 30, respectively, so that the folding pieces 30 overlap each other in an accordion-like manner around the central portion 10, thereby achieving the folded state shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the first folding portions 21, second folding portions 22, and third folding portions 23 shown in the developed view of Fig. 2 are mountain-folded at the portions indicated by dashed lines in the figure, and valley-folded at the portions indicated by solid lines in the figure, so that the folding pieces 30 between a pair of circumferentially adjacent first folding portions 21 are folded in an accordion-like manner and wrapped around the outside of the central portion 10 around the center of gravity G. In the folded structure 1, the four corners 2a of the sheet 2 are located at the outermost tips of the parts of the corresponding folding sections 20 that protrude along the extensions of the sides 10a of the central section 10.

[0022] When the four corners 2a of the sheet 2 are pulled radially outward from the center of gravity G in the folded state shown in Figure 1(a), the central portion 10 rotates around the center of gravity G, and the overlapping folding pieces 30 in each folding portion 20 begin to open apart, as shown in Figure 4. When the four corners 2a of the sheet 2 are further pulled radially outward from the center of gravity G, the central portion 10 further rotates around the center of gravity G, and the overlapping folding pieces 30 in each folding portion 20 open apart, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, until the folding structure 1 reaches an unfolded state in which the multiple folding pieces 30 are spread out around the central portion 10, as shown in Figure 2.

[0023] Conversely, when the four corners 2a of the sheet 2 are pushed radially inward around the center of gravity G from the unfolded state shown in Figure 2, the folding structure 1 will rotate in the opposite direction to the unfolded state, in the order shown in Figures 6, 5, and 4, with the central portion 10 rotating around the center of gravity G in the opposite direction to when unfolded, and the folding pieces 30 in each folding portion 20 will be folded so that they overlap each other in an accordion-like manner, finally reaching the folded state shown in Figure 1(a).

[0024] In this way, the folding structure 1 can be opened / closed (transformed) from an unfolded state to a folded state and from a folded state to an unfolded state by manipulating the four corners 2a of the seat 2 radially inward or outward around the center of gravity G.

[0025] When the folding structure 1 is configured to have auxiliary folding sections 24, in the folded state, the multiple folding sections 20 are folded along the corners of the central section 10 at the auxiliary folding sections 24, thereby reducing the amount of protrusion of the multiple folding sections 20 from the central section 10 and allowing the folding structure 1 to be folded even more compactly.

[0026] Furthermore, if the foldable structure 1 is configured to have auxiliary folding portions 25, the outer periphery of the sheet 2 can be easily folded when folding it into the folded state.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 2, the foldable structure 1 has four center-folded portions 40 around the central portion 10. The four center-folded portions 40 are rotationally symmetrical with respect to one another about the center of gravity G of the central portion 10 and have the same configuration, so below, one center-folded portion 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 7.

[0028] 7, each of the center folded portions 40 is provided between the corresponding first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22, and has two fourth folded portions 31 extending from an intersection 26 between the first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22 to the corresponding third folded portion 23 so as to bisect the angle between the first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22. That is, each of the center folded portions 40 has two fourth folded portions 31 that are symmetrical with respect to the second folded portion 22 as the axis of symmetry. Each of the center folded portions 40 also has two fifth folded portions 32 that are provided between the corresponding first folded portion 21 and second folded portion 22, and extend from the intersection between the third folded portion 23 and fourth folded portion 31 to the second folded portion 22 in a direction symmetrical to the fourth folded portion 31 with respect to the third folded portion 23 as the axis of symmetry. The angle formed between the fourth bent portion 31 and the third bent portion 23 is the same as the angle formed between the fifth bent portion 32 and the third bent portion 23. That is, the center folded portion 40 has two fifth bent portions 32 that are symmetrical with respect to the second bent portion 22 as the axis of symmetry.

[0029] The fourth folding portion 31 and the fifth folding portion 32 constituting the center folded portion 40 are configured so that when the foldable structure 1 is in the folded state, they are each folded in the opposite direction to the first folding portion 21. That is, in this embodiment, when the foldable structure 1 is in the folded state, the first folding portion 21 is folded in a mountain direction, whereas the fourth folding portion 31 and the fifth folding portion 32 are each folded in a valley direction and are sandwiched between the opposing folding pieces 30.

[0030] When the foldable structure 1 having the above configuration is in the folded state, the four sections sandwiched between adjacent first folding sections 21 around the central section 10 and rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity G of the central section 10 are folded around the central section 10 while rotating in the circumferential direction around the center of gravity G. Therefore, in the areas near the central section 10, which will become corners after folding, rolling-in occurs before folding.

[0031] In contrast, the folding structure 1 according to this embodiment has the above-mentioned center split folding portion 40, i.e., the plurality of fourth folding portions 31 and the plurality of fifth folding portions 32, so that the portion where rolling-in occurs when the folding pieces 30 around the central portion 10 are folded is folded into an even finer accordion-like shape by the plurality of fourth folding portions 31 and fifth folding portions 32. This prevents stress concentration areas from occurring in the folding pieces 30 due to rolling-in during folding, and reduces resistance during folding.

[0032] As described above, the folding structure 1 according to this embodiment is configured to have the above-mentioned center split folding portion 40, i.e., the multiple fourth and fifth folding portions 31 and 32, and therefore can be easily opened and closed between the folded state and the unfolded state with less resistance by manipulating the four corners 2a of the sheet 2 radially inward or outward from the center of gravity G. Furthermore, when opening and closing the folding structure 1 between the folded state and the unfolded state, adjacent folding pieces 30, i.e., the first folding portion 21, the second folding portion 22, and the third folding portion 23 around the central portion 10, are prevented from becoming entangled with each other, allowing the folding structure 1 to be opened and closed more stably.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the folding structure 1 of this embodiment, the area of ​​the sheet 2 relative to the central portion 10 can be increased to increase the surface area ratio before and after opening and closing, and even if the surface area ratio before and after opening and closing is increased, the structure can be configured to be easily opened and closed.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the center-folded portion 40 of the folded structure 1 according to this embodiment has an auxiliary folding portion 24, the folded structure 1 may also have a sixth folding portion 33 extending from the intersection of the fourth folding portion 31 and the auxiliary folding portion 24 toward the third folding portion 23 in a direction symmetrical to the auxiliary folding portion 24 with respect to the fourth folding portion 31, and a seventh folding portion 34 extending from the intersection of the fifth folding portion 32 and the auxiliary folding portion 24 toward the third folding portion 23 in a direction symmetrical to the auxiliary folding portion 24 with respect to the fifth folding portion 32. The sixth folding portion 33 and the seventh folding portion 34 are symmetrical to each other with respect to the third folding portion 23 as the axis of symmetry. Note that the sixth folding portion 33 and the seventh folding portion 34 are mountain-folded at the portions indicated by dashed lines in FIGS. 2 and 7 , and valley-folded at the portions indicated by solid lines.

[0035] With this configuration, when the multiple folding sections 20 are folded along the corners of the central section 10 at the auxiliary folding sections 24 in the folded state, the middle folding section 40 is folded together with the auxiliary folding sections 24 at the sixth folding section 33 and the seventh folding section 34, making it possible to open and close the bag even more easily.

[0036] Figure 8 is a development view of a folding structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 8, members and parts corresponding to those described above are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0037] In the folding structure 1 shown in Figures 1 to 7, one second folding portion 22 is provided between each pair of circumferentially adjacent first folding portions 21, but it may also be configured so that multiple second folding portions 22 are provided between each pair of circumferentially adjacent first folding portions 21.

[0038] For example, as shown in another embodiment in Figure 8, the folded structure 1 can be configured so that three second bent portions 22 are provided between each pair of circumferentially adjacent first bent portions 21. In this case, the three second bent portions 22 are arranged between each pair of adjacent first bent portions 21 so as to divide the angle between the adjacent pair of first bent portions 21 into four equal parts. Furthermore, a plurality of third bent portions 23 are provided between the first bent portions 21 and the second bent portions 22, each extending parallel to the first bent portions 21, and a plurality of third bent portions 23 are provided between each pair of adjacent second bent portions 22, each extending parallel to the second bent portions 22 and dividing the angle between the adjacent pair of first bent portions 21 in half.

[0039] In the folded structure 1 according to another embodiment, eight center folded portions 40 are provided corresponding to the eight second folded portions 22 adjacent to the first folded portion 21. More specifically, each center folded portion 40 includes a fourth folded portion 31 extending from the intersection of the first folded portion 21 and the second folded portion 22 to the third folded portion 23 between the first folded portion 21 and the second folded portion 22 so as to equally divide the angle between the first folded portion 21 and the second folded portion 22, and a fourth folded portion 31 extending from the intersection of an adjacent pair of second folded portions 22 to the third folded portion 23 between adjacent pairs of second folded portions 22 so as to equally divide the angle between the adjacent pair of second folded portions 22. a fifth bent portion 32 extending from the intersection of the third bent portion 23 and the fourth bent portion 31 to the second bent portion 22 between the first bent portion 21 and the second bent portion 22 in a direction that is line-symmetrical with the fourth bent portion 31, with the third bent portion 23 as the reference point, and a fifth bent portion 32 extending from the intersection of the third bent portion 23 and the fourth bent portion 31 to the second bent portion 22 between an adjacent pair of second bent portions 22 in a direction that is line-symmetrical with the fourth bent portion 31, with the third bent portion 23 as the reference point, and between an adjacent pair of second bent portions 22. Note that in Figure 8, for convenience, only the fourth bent portion 31 and the fifth bent portion 32 corresponding to one third bent portion 23 and one center-folded portion 40 between each first bent portion 21 and second bent portion 22 or between each adjacent pair of second bent portions 22 are labeled with reference numerals.

[0040] The folding structure 1 according to this other embodiment shown in FIG. 8 can also provide the same effects as the folding structure 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 described above.

[0041] The folding structure 1 according to this embodiment can be applied to a variety of things, such as umbrellas, roofs, solar panels, parabolic antennas, tables, picnic sheets, giant disk-shaped structures, giant spherical structures, etc. This dramatically increases the storage efficiency in the transportation space when transporting these items, and also reduces the construction time and costs required for installing them.

[0042] Next, a case where the folding structure 1 according to this embodiment is used as a roof of an automatic roof opening / closing system 100 will be described.

[0043] 9 and 10, the automatic roof opening / closing system 100 has a plurality of support pillars 101. The number of support pillars 101 provided corresponds to the number of corners 2a of the folding structure 1 used as the roof. In this embodiment, the automatic roof opening / closing system 100 has four support pillars 101 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis O, corresponding to the folding structure 1 having four corners 2a.

[0044] As shown in Figure 9, each of the four support pillars 101 is made up of four rods 101a connected in the vertical direction by hinges 101b, and the lowest rod 101a is placed on the ground 102. The upper three rods 101a, excluding the lowest rod 101a, have diagonal notches 101c at the lower end portions of the surfaces facing outward with respect to the axis O. Each support pillar 101 can bend outward in stages so that it moves further away from the axis O as it approaches the upper end, by the upper rod 101a rotating around the hinges 101b relative to the lower rod 101a in a direction away from the axis O.

[0045] The number of rods 101a constituting the support 101 is not limited to four, as long as there are more than one.

[0046] The folding structure 1 used as a roof is suspended across the upper ends of four pillars 101. More specifically, the folding structure 1 is suspended across the upper ends of the four pillars 101 by connecting each of the four corners 2a to the upper ends of the corresponding pillars 101.

[0047] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, a water tank 110 is provided below the ground 102 on which four support pillars 101 are installed. More specifically, an internal space 104 is provided by digging into the ground 103 below the ground 102, and the water tank 110 is placed in the internal space 104. The water tank 110 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a plurality of elastic bodies 111 that are arranged between the water tank 110 and the bottom surface of the internal space 104. The water tank 110 can store rainwater inside, and as the amount of rainwater stored increases, the elastic bodies 111 undergo greater elastic deformation, causing the water tank 110 to move downward.

[0048] The water tank 110 may be configured with a drain hole 112 for draining rainwater stored therein. The drain hole 112 is provided as a through-hole with a predetermined inner diameter so that, when it is raining hard enough to require a roof, the amount of rainwater discharged from the drain hole 112 is less than the amount of rainwater flowing into the water tank 110 from the water channel 120. In other words, when it is raining hard enough to require a roof, the water tank 110 is configured so that the amount of rainwater stored therein increases as rainwater flows in from the water channel 120, and after the rain stops, the rainwater is gradually discharged from the drain hole 112, reducing the amount of rainwater stored therein. The drain hole 112 may also be configured with a valve that closes when the rain stops.

[0049] A water channel 120 is provided on the ground 102 on which the four support posts 101 are installed. The water channel 120 branches into multiple routes and is laid out in a mesh-like pattern over a predetermined area of ​​the ground 102, and these routes are interconnected. A plurality of tile blocks 105 are placed on the ground 102, and the water channel 120 is partially covered by the tile blocks 105 and communicates with the outside through joints 106 provided between adjacent tile blocks 105. Rainwater that falls on the tile blocks 105 during rainfall is taken into the water channel 120 through the joints 106.

[0050] As shown in Figure 11, the water channel 120 is provided with an outflow hole 121 that communicates with the water tank 110. In this embodiment, the outflow hole 121 is provided at the bottom of the part of the water channel 120 that is located above the water tank 110. Rainwater taken into the water channel 120 flows into the water tank 110 through the outflow hole 121.

[0051] In this embodiment, the outflow hole 121 is provided with a water stop valve 122. The water stop valve 122 is configured to close the outflow hole 121 under normal conditions when it is not raining, and to open the outflow hole 121 when rainfall is detected. Although not shown in detail, the water stop valve 122 can be configured to open, for example, due to the weight of rainwater accumulated in the water channel 120 when the water level of the rainwater reaches a predetermined level or higher.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, a drive rod 130 is attached to each of the four support columns 101. These four drive rods 130 extend in the vertical direction along the corresponding support column 101 and are deformable together with the corresponding support column 101. That is, the drive rod 130 is configured, for example, by dividing the drive rod 130 into upper and lower sections corresponding to the multiple rods 101a, which are rotatably supported by the corresponding rods 101a and connected to each other by universal joints, or by forming the drive rod 130 as a whole from a flexibly bendable material and rotatably supported by the respective rods 101a, so that when the corresponding support column 101 bends outward in stages away from the axis O toward its upper end, the drive rod 130 can bend outward in stages away from the axis O toward its upper end in response.

[0053] 11, a first conversion mechanism 140 is provided between the water tank 110 and the four drive rods 130. The first conversion mechanism 140 is configured to convert the vertical movement of the water tank 110 into the rotation of the four drive rods 130.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first conversion mechanism 140 has a rack gear 141 fixed to the outer wall of the water tank 110, and an input pinion gear 142 rotatably supported on the ground 103 by a bearing or the like (not shown) and meshed with the rack gear 141. The rack gear 141 is provided to extend in the vertical direction, and when the water tank 110 moves in the vertical direction, the input pinion gear 142 rotates.

[0055] 12 , the first conversion mechanism 140 has an input shaft 143, a bevel gear 144, a bevel gear 145, an output shaft 146, and a bevel gear 147. The input pinion gear 142 is fixed to one end of the input shaft 143, and the bevel gear 144, which is fixed to the other end of the input shaft 143, is meshed with the bevel gear 145. The bevel gear 145 is fixed to the lower end of an output shaft 146 that is arranged coaxially with the axis O, and the bevel gear 147 is fixed to the upper end of the output shaft 146. The bevel gear 147 is meshed with the bevel gears 131 that are fixed to the lower ends of the respective drive rods 130.

[0056] Therefore, when the water tank 110 moves downward and the input pinion gear 142 rotates in one direction, the rotation is transmitted to the four drive rods 130 via the input shaft 143, bevel gear 144, bevel gear 145, output shaft 146, bevel gear 147, and bevel gear 131, causing the four drive rods 130 to rotate in the forward direction. Conversely, when the water tank 110 moves upward and the input pinion gear 142 rotates in the other direction, the rotation is transmitted to the four drive rods 130 via the input shaft 143, bevel gear 144, bevel gear 145, output shaft 146, bevel gear 147, and bevel gear 131, causing the four drive rods 130 to rotate in the reverse direction.

[0057] 12 and 13, second conversion mechanisms 150 are provided between the four support columns 101 and the corresponding four drive rods 130. Although not shown in detail, the second conversion mechanisms 150 are provided at each portion of the support columns 101 where the rod members 101a are connected by the hinges 101b. In other words, three second conversion mechanisms 150 are provided between each support column 101 and the corresponding drive rod 130.

[0058] The second conversion mechanism 150 includes a worm gear 151 provided on the drive rod 130 and a spur gear 152 provided on the hinge 101b. The worm gear 151 is provided coaxially with the drive rod 130 and is adapted to rotate together with the drive rod 130. The spur gear 152 is arranged coaxially with the axis of the hinge 101b and is fixed to the upper bar material 101a of the pair of upper and lower bar materials 101a connected by the hinge 101b so as to rotate together with the upper bar material 101a about the axis of the hinge 101b.

[0059] Therefore, when the worm gear 151 rotates in one direction together with the drive rod 130, the spur gear 152 rotates in one direction together with the rod 101a around the axis of the hinge 101b, and the support columns 101 deform so as to bend outward away from the axis O toward their upper ends. In other words, when the worm gear 151 rotates in one direction together with the drive rod 130, the four support columns 101 deform so that their upper ends move away from each other. Conversely, when the worm gear 151 rotates in the other direction together with the drive rod 130, the spur gear 152 rotates in the other direction together with the rod 101a around the axis of the hinge 101b, and the support columns 101 deform from a state in which they are bent outward away from the axis O toward their upper ends to a straight shape parallel to the axis O. That is, when the worm gear 151 rotates in the other direction together with the drive rod 130, the four support columns 101 are deformed so that the upper ends thereof approach each other.

[0060] In the automatic roof opening / closing system 100 configured as described above, in the initial state when it is not raining, as shown in Figure 9, each of the four pillars 101 extends straight and parallel to the axis O, and the folding structure 1 serving as a roof spanning the upper ends of these pillars 101 is in a closed state.

[0061] On the other hand, when it rains in the area where the automatic roof opening / closing system 100 is installed, the water stop valve 122 installed in the outflow hole 121 opens, and the rainwater that falls on the tile block 105 flows through the water channel 120 and into the water tank 110 from the outflow hole 121.

[0062] When rainwater flows into the water tank 110, as shown in Fig. 14, the weight of the rainwater 160 causes the water tank 110 to contract the elastic body 111, moving downward from the position shown in Fig. 9. As the water tank 110 moves downward, the movement is converted by the first conversion mechanism 140 to rotate the drive rod 130, and the rotation of the drive rod 130 is converted by the second conversion mechanism 150 to deform the four pillars 101 so that their upper ends move away from each other. As a result, the foldable structure 1 serving as a roof suspended over the upper ends of the four pillars 101 begins to open from its folded state. Then, as shown in Fig. 15, when a predetermined amount or more of rainwater accumulates in the water tank 110 and the water tank 110 moves to its lowermost position, the four pillars 101 deform so that their upper ends move away from each other to the maximum extent possible, and the foldable structure 1 serving as a roof suspended over the upper ends of the four pillars 101 reaches its fully opened, deployed state. When the folding structure 1 serving as a roof is in the unfolded state, the area below the folding structure 1 is protected from rain.

[0063] In this way, the folding structure 1 according to this embodiment can be automatically and easily opened by the automatic roof opening and closing system 100 when it rains.

[0064] In particular, if the outflow hole 121 of the water channel 120 is provided with a stop valve 122 that closes the outflow hole 121 and opens the outflow hole 121 when rainfall is detected, the stop valve 122 closes after rainfall, allowing rainwater remaining in the water channel 120 without flowing into the water tank 110 to be stored in the water channel 120. Therefore, the next time it rains and the stop valve 122 opens, all of the rainwater that has accumulated in the water channel 120 will flow into the water tank 110 at once, allowing the water tank 110 to quickly fill with rainwater and allowing the folding structure 1 serving as a roof to quickly open to the unfolded state.

[0065] After the rain stops, rainwater is discharged from the water tank 110 through the discharge hole 112, causing the water tank 110 to move upward due to the spring force of the elastic body 111. When the water tank 110 moves upward, this movement is converted by the first conversion mechanism 140, causing the drive rod 130 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the rotation of the drive rod 130 is converted by the second conversion mechanism 150, causing the four pillars 101 to deform so that their upper ends approach each other and return to their original straight shape. As a result, the folding structure 1 serving as a roof spanning the upper ends of the four pillars 101 is in the folded state.

[0066] Furthermore, the second conversion mechanism 150 is configured to include a worm gear 151 provided on the drive rod 130 and a spur gear 152 provided on the hinge 101b, so that the support 101 can be driven and deformed by the rotation of the drive rod 130, while preventing the drive rod 130 from rotating due to input from the support 101. This prevents the support 101 from unexpectedly deforming, causing unnecessary opening and closing of the folding structure 1 serving as a roof.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0068] For example, in the above embodiment, the folding structure 1 is configured such that the seat 2 and the central portion 10 are regular quadrilaterals, but this is not limited thereto, and it is acceptable as long as the seat 2 and the central portion 10 are regular polygons with the same number of sides, such as a regular pentagon.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the folding structure 1 has the first folding section 21, the second folding section 22, the third folding section 23, the auxiliary folding section 24, the fourth folding section 31, the fifth folding section 32, the sixth folding section 33, and the seventh folding section 34 each formed integrally with the folding piece 30 as a folded portion formed by bending the sheet 2. However, this is not limited to this, and other configurations are also possible, for example, the first folding section 21, the second folding section 22, the third folding section 23, the auxiliary folding section 24, the fourth folding section 31, the fifth folding section 32, the sixth folding section 33, and the seventh folding section 34 may be formed as hinges between adjacent folding pieces 30 to rotatably connect the adjacent folding pieces 30, and the multiple folding pieces 30 may each be formed from a plate material having a predetermined rigidity, such as metal or synthetic resin. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Folding structure 2 seats 2a Corner 10 Central part Area 10a 20 Folding section 21 First bending part 22 Second bending section 23 Third bending part 24 Auxiliary bending section 25 Auxiliary bending section 26 intersection 30 Bending piece 31 Fourth bending part 32 Fifth bending part 33 6th bending part 34 7th bending part 40 Center fold 100 Automatic roof opening and closing system 101 Post 101a Bar material 101b Hinge 101c Notch 102 Ground 103 Ground 104 Interior Space 105 tile blocks 106 Joint 110 Water Tank 111 Elastic body 112 Discharge hole 120 Waterway 121 Outflow hole 122 Water stop valve 130 Drive rod 131 Bevel gear 140 First conversion mechanism 141 Rack gear 142 Input pinion gear 143 Input shaft 144 bevel gear 145 bevel gear 146 Output shaft 147 Bevel Gear 150 Second conversion mechanism 151 Worm gear 152 Spur gear 160 Rainwater G center of gravity O axis

Claims

[Claim 1] The center is a regular polygon, a plurality of first bent portions each constituting a side of the central portion and extending from the side to one side in a circumferential direction around a center of gravity of the central portion; a plurality of second bent portions provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, each extending from an intersection between one of the first bent portions and the other of the first bent portions so as to equally divide the angle between the one of the first bent portions and the other of the first bent portions; When only one second bent portion is provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, each of the second bent portions is provided between the first bent portion and the second bent portion and extends parallel to the first bent portion; when a plurality of the second bent portions are provided between a pair of the first bent portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, each of the third bent portions is provided between the first bent portion and the second bent portion and extends parallel to the first bent portion, and is provided between a pair of adjacent second bent portions and extends parallel to one of the second bent portions; a plurality of bent pieces provided around the central portion and partitioned by the first bent portion, the second bent portion, and the third bent portion; a folded state in which the first folding portion, the second folding portion, and the third folding portion are alternately mountain-folded and valley-folded between the central portion and the folding piece portion and between adjacent folding piece portions, so that the plurality of folding piece portions overlap each other around the central portion; and an unfolded state in which the plurality of folding piece portions are spread out around the central portion, When only one second bend portion is provided between a pair of the first bend portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, a plurality of fourth bend portions are provided between each of the first bend portion and the second bend portion, and extend from an intersection of the first bend portion and the second bend portion to the third bend portion so as to equally divide the angle between the first bend portion and the second bend portion; when a plurality of the second bend portions are provided between a pair of the first bend portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, a plurality of fourth bend portions extend from an intersection of the first bend portion and the second bend portion to the third bend portion so as to equally divide the angle between the first bend portion and the second bend portion between each of the first bend portion and the second bend portion; and between adjacent pairs of the second bend portions, a plurality of fourth bend portions extend from an intersection of an adjacent pair of the second bend portions to the third bend portion so as to equally divide the angle between the adjacent pair of the second bend portions. When only one second bend portion is provided between a pair of first bend portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, a plurality of fifth bend portions are provided between each of the first bend portions and the second bend portion, and extend from an intersection of the third bend portion and the fourth bend portion to the second bend portion in a direction symmetrical to the fourth bend portion, with the third bend portion as an axis of symmetry; when a plurality of second bend portions are provided between a pair of first bend portions adjacent in the circumferential direction, a plurality of fifth bend portions are provided between the first bend portion and the second bend portion, and extend from an intersection of the third bend portion and the fourth bend portion to the second bend portion in a direction symmetrical to the fourth bend portion, with the third bend portion as an axis of symmetry; and between a pair of adjacent second bend portions, a plurality of fifth bend portions are provided. A folding structure, characterized in that, in the folded state, the fourth bending portion and the fifth bending portion are configured to be bent in a direction opposite to that of the first bending portion.

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