Work table

Abstract

To provide a work table that can be used inside a bathtub of various sizes and that can prevent an object from falling into a gap between a work panel part and the bathtub.SOLUTION: A work table includes: a work panel part 2 having a work surface on which an object such as a pet is placed; and an expandable panel part 10 rotationally connected to the work panel part 2 via a hinge 16. The expandable panel part 10 can be expanded with respect to the work panel part 2. This arrangement can be disposed inside a bathtub 100a-100c, and expanding of the expandable panel part 10 can fill a gap between the bathtub 100a-100c and a side wall part 101. This can prevent a pet missing their step or falling into the gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a workbench having a work plate portion on which an object such as a pet is placed. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, when bathing a pet, grooming the pet, etc., a work table for the pet to sit on is used. Such a work table is sometimes placed inside a bathtub (sink), and for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration for placing and using the work table inside a bathtub. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-158299 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When using the aforementioned work bench inside a bathtub, since bathtubs come in a variety of sizes, a work bench of a size that fits inside the bathtub is used. With work benches of this size, a gap may form between the side wall of the bathtub and the work plate of the work bench. When this gap occurs, there is a risk that an animal, such as a pet, riding on the work plate may get stuck in the gap or fall through the gap. Furthermore, even when a work bench is placed inside an enclosure such as a sink and an object is placed on the work plate of the work bench to perform a specific task, there is a risk that the object may fall through the gap between the work plate and the enclosure.

[0005] The present invention proposes a workbench that can prevent objects from falling through the gap between the work plate and the sink, etc., even when used inside bathtubs, sinks, etc. of various sizes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a workbench characterized by comprising an approximately plate-shaped work plate portion whose upper surface serves as a work surface, and an approximately plate-shaped deployment plate portion that is rotatably connected to the work plate portion via a hinge and that deploys relative to the work plate portion.

[0007] Here, the working plate and the unfolding plate may be the same shape or different shapes, and it is preferable that the unfolding plate has the same dimensions as the working plate or a smaller dimension than the working plate.

[0008] In the workbench of the present invention described above, the unfolding plate portion is configured so that it can be converted by the hinge between a folded state in which it is superimposed on the work surface of the work plate portion and an unfolded state in which it is rotated from the folded state, and the hinge is equipped with an unfolded position holding means that can hold the unfolding plate portion at a desired angular position relative to the work plate portion in the unfolded state.

[0009] Here, the deployment position holding means may be configured to allow the angular position at which the deployment plate section is held to be freely determined, or may be configured to hold the deployment plate section by appropriately selecting a predetermined angular position.

[0010] In the work table of the present invention described above, it is proposed that the maximum angle at which the deployable plate section can be deployed relative to the work plate section by the hinge is an obtuse angle. Here, the maximum deployment angle is preferably 135 degrees or more, and more preferably 160 degrees or more.

[0011] In the workbench of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which the workbench is provided with support legs that are connected to the work plate portion and placed on the floor surface to support the work plate portion. Here, it is preferable that the support legs are provided so that the height position of the work plate can be adjusted.

[0012] In the workbench of the present invention described above, it is proposed that the work plate portion has an approximately rectangular shape when viewed in a plane, and the unfolding plate portion is connected via the hinge provided on the long side portion along the longitudinal direction or the short side portion along the short direction.

[0013] Here, the deploying plate section is preferably configured to have a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and is preferably smaller in size than the working plate section. In a configuration with a substantially rectangular deploying plate section, it is preferable that the long sides of the working plate section and the deploying plate section are connected by a hinge, or that the short sides of the working plate section and the deploying plate section are connected by a hinge.

[0014] In the workbench of the present invention described above, it is proposed that a plurality of the support legs are provided in the longitudinal direction of the work plate portion.

[0015] In the workbench of the present invention described above, it is proposed that the work plate portion is provided with a plurality of through holes extending in the vertical direction.

[0016] In the work table of the present invention described above, it is proposed that the work plate portion is capable of supporting an animal on the work surface, and is used for at least one of bathing, washing, grooming, and caring for the animal placed on the work plate portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] When the workbench of the present invention is placed inside a bathtub, sink, etc., the deployable plate section can be deployed to close (or narrow) any gap that occurs between the work plate section and the side wall of the bathtub, etc., preventing objects placed on the work surface of the work plate section from falling through the gap. By changing the angle at which the deployable plate section is deployed, the gap can be closed to accommodate bathtubs, sinks, etc. of various sizes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a workbench 1 in an embodiment according to the present invention, with a deployment panel section 10 in a folded state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the workbench 1 in the folded state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the workbench 1 in the folded state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the workbench 1 in the folded state. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the workbench 1 with the deployment panel section 10 in the deployed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the workbench 1 in the unfolded state. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the workbench 1 in the unfolded state. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the workbench 1 in the unfolded state. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the workbench 1 with the work plate portion 2 at the upper limit height position. [Figure 10] 1 is an explanatory diagram 1 showing a height adjustment device 4. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is an explanatory diagram 2 showing the height adjustment device 4. FIG. [Figure 12] 1A is a partial cross-sectional view of the workbench 1 in a folded state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a hinge 16 in a folded state. [Figure 13] 1A is a side view showing the hinge 16 in the deployed state at the maximum deployed angle, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the hinge 16 in the deployed state. [Figure 14] 1A is a perspective view of a second hinge portion 52, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a first hinge portion 51. FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection portion between a first hinge portion 51 and a second hinge portion 52. FIG. [Figure 16] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the deployed state of the deployment panel section 10 on the workbench 1 placed in bathtubs 100a to 100c of different sizes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] An embodiment of the workbench according to the present invention will now be described. The workbench 1 of this embodiment is used to place a pet animal on and bathe, shower, groom, and trim the animal. When used for bathing or showering, it is placed on the floor of a bathtub (sink). As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 , the workbench 1 includes a work platform 2 on which the animal is placed, two support legs 3, 3 that support the work platform 2, a height adjustment device 4, 4 that can change the height position of the work platform 2, and a deployment platform 10 connected to the work platform 2 via two hinges 16, 16. The two support legs 3, 3 are arranged side by side with a gap in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the direction in which the support legs 3, 3 are lined up in FIG. 3 (the left-right horizontal direction in the plane of FIGS. 2 and 3) is defined as the left-right direction, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction (the up-down vertical direction in the plane of FIG. 2) is defined as the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and perpendicular to the front-rear direction (the vertical direction on the paper surface of FIG. 3) is defined as the up-down direction. The following description will be made in accordance with the left-right direction, front-rear direction, and up-down direction defined in this way.

[0020] The work plate 2 is a generally rectangular plate with a predetermined thickness and a longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction. It has a continuous, one-piece upper surface (work surface) in plan view. The work plate 2 is provided with multiple slit-shaped through-holes 11 that penetrate the plate in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The through-holes 11 are narrow in one direction (left-right direction), allowing the work plate 2 to have a large upper surface (work surface) on which animals can be placed, providing good drainage and ensuring stable placement of animals. The work plate 2 is also molded from a resin material into a hollow, one-piece structure. This allows the work plate 2 to be highly rigid and lightweight, while also reducing seams, making cleaning easier and more hygienic. In this embodiment, the through-holes 11 in the work plate 2 are formed by elongated holes (not shown) formed in the work plate 2 and slit holes (not shown) in a fitting member fitted into the elongated holes. The fitting member has a flat upper surface, and the slit hole is narrower than the elongated hole, so that the working plate 2 has a large flat upper surface.

[0021] The height adjustment devices 4, 4 are disposed on both left and right sides of the underside of the work plate 2, and the support legs 3, 3 are provided via the height adjustment devices 4, 4. The left and right sides of the work plate 2 each have a portion where the through-hole 11 is not formed, and a height adjustment device 4, 4 is attached to the underside of each portion. The left and right support legs 3, 3 and height adjustment devices 4, 4 have the same configuration and are disposed symmetrically. For this reason, only one of the left and right sides (for example, the right side when viewed from the front in Figure 3) will be described below, and a description of the other side (the left side) will be omitted.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the height adjustment device 4, located on the right side in a front view, includes an adjustment mechanism case 21 having a case base 22 fixed to the underside of the work plate 2 and a case cover 23 attached to the case base 22. A rotating shaft 29 is rotatably supported at the left end of the case base 22, and the support leg 3 is connected to the rotating shaft 29 so as to be tiltable up and down. One end of the support leg 3 is connected to the case base 22 via the rotating shaft 29, and the other end is provided with a rod-shaped floor contact portion 25 extending along the front-rear direction. Buffer portions 26, 26 made of a buffer material such as rubber or elastomer are provided at both front and rear ends of the floor contact portion 25. In this embodiment, the floor contact portion 25 protrudes from the other end of the support leg 3 by different lengths in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8 . Specifically, the length of the floor contact portion 25 that protrudes rearward from the other end of the support leg 3 is longer than the length that protrudes forward from the other end of the support leg 3. This allows the support leg 3 to stably support the work plate 2 and the deploying plate 10 even when the deploying plate 10 is tilted rearward to deploy as described below (see FIG. 16). By tilting the support leg 3 about the rotation shaft 29 with the buffer portions 26, 26 of the floor contact portion 25 placed on the floor, the height position of the work plate 2 can be changed in a well-balanced manner (see FIG. 10). In this embodiment, the support leg 3 is made of a resin material.

[0023] A fixed position change piece 31 is attached to the case base 22 via the rotating shaft 29 so as to be tiltable up and down. One end of the fixed position change piece 31 is connected to the rotating shaft 29, and the other end is provided with a manual operation piece 32 that is operated by an operator. The manual operation piece 32 protrudes to the right from the adjustment mechanism case 21 (see FIGS. 3, 4, 7-9). In this embodiment, the manual operation piece 32 is formed facing downward to the right. A rack gear 35 having a predetermined length in the left-right direction is fixedly attached to the underside of the fixed position change piece 31. A coil spring 34 is attached to the rack gear 35 and passes through the fixed position change piece 31, protruding upward. The coil spring 34 is arranged so that its upper end contacts the surface of the case base 22 that faces the upper surface of the fixed position change piece 31. The rack gear 35 has a plurality of teeth (not shown) arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction).

[0024] A fitting portion 41 connected to the support leg 3 by a link piece 49 is fitted into the rack gear 35 (see FIGS. 10 and 11). One end of this link piece 49 is rotatably connected to the fitting portion 41, and the other end is rotatably connected to the support leg 3. The fitting portion 41 is supported by the case cover 23 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. Here, when the case cover 23 is attached to the case base 22, a cover bottom 43 supporting the fitting portion 41 is inclined at a predetermined angle to the left with respect to the horizontal direction. A guide groove 44 is formed in the cover bottom 43 along the left-right direction, and a guided portion 45 of the fitting portion 41 is fitted into the guide groove 44 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. Furthermore, an insertion opening 42 is formed in the cover bottom 43 parallel to the guide groove 44, and a link piece 49 connected to the fitting portion 41 is inserted into the insertion opening 42. In this way, the fitting portion 41 is supported by the case cover portion 23 so as to be movable left and right within the length range of the guide grooves 44, 44, and the support leg 3 tilts up and down in conjunction with the left and right movement. That is, when the fitting portion 41 moves leftward, the support leg 3 tilts downward, and when the fitting portion 41 moves rightward, the support leg 3 tilts upward.

[0025] The fitting portion 41 has a plurality of teeth (not shown) aligned in the left-right direction, and when supported by the case cover portion 23, these teeth are arranged along the angle of the cover bottom portion 43 of the case cover portion 23. When the case cover portion 23 supporting the fitting portion 41 is attached to the case base portion 22, the teeth of the fitting portion 41 and the teeth of the rack gear 35 are fitted together. In this fitted state, the rack gear 35 is positioned inclined at the angle, and the coil spring 34 is elastically compressed (resilient contracted) between the fixed position conversion piece 31 and the opposing surface of the case base portion 22 (see FIG. 11 ). As a result, the rack gear 35 is kept biased downward (in the direction of fitting into the fitting portion 41) by the coil spring 34.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 10(A), when the fitting portion 41 and the rack gear 35 are fitted together, the fitting portion 41 is prevented from moving left and right by the rack gear 35, and the tilted position of the support leg 3 is fixed. This fixes the height of the work plate 2. This fitted state is the fixed position state. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(B), when the manual operation portion 32 of the fixed position conversion piece 31 is pulled up, the rack gear 35 tilts upward and moves away from the fitting portion 41, and the engagement between the teeth of the rack gear 35 and the teeth of the fitting portion 41 is released. In this released state, the fitting portion 41 is movable left and right, so that the tilted position of the support leg 3 can be changed by moving the fitting portion 41, and the work plate 2 can be raised and lowered. This released state is the non-fixed state.

[0027] In the unlocked state, if the operation of lifting the manual operation unit 32 is released, the rack gear 35 tilts downward due to the biasing force of the coil spring 34 and engages with the engaging portion 41. Since the manual operation unit 32 can be operated to switch between the position-fixed state and the unlocked state, the height of the work plate 2 can be changed in the unlocked state and then switched back to the position-fixed state, thereby fixing the work plate 2 at a desired height. As described above, since the cover bottom 43 of the case cover 23 is inclined at an angle, in the unlocked state, lifting the work plate 2 causes the engaging portion 41 to slide down to the left along the cover bottom 43 due to its own weight (and the weight of the support legs). In this way, the support legs 3 can be smoothly tilted downward to raise the height of the work plate 2.

[0028] As described above, the configuration of this embodiment is provided with height adjustment devices 4, 4 and support legs 3, 3 on the left and right, respectively, and by setting the left and right support legs 3, 3 at different inclination angles, it is possible to hold the working plate 2 (the working surface thereof) in a state inclined to one side or the other. By tilting the working plate 2 in this way, it becomes easier to carry, for example, old or sick dogs with weak hind legs.

[0029] In this embodiment, the rack gear 35 and the mating portion 41 constituting the height adjustment device 4 are molded from a corrosion-resistant metal material or resin material. Suitable resin materials include polyacetal (POM), polyamide-imide (PAI), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyamide (PA), and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). In this embodiment, they are molded from polyacetal. These resin materials may also contain glass fiber, inorganic fillers, fluororesin, or rubber, which can improve rigidity, wear resistance, and impact resistance. Any molding method can be used to mold these resin materials, with injection molding being preferred due to its excellent productivity and shape accuracy. Similarly to the rack gear 35 and the mating portion 41, the adjustment mechanism case 21, the support leg 3, and the link piece 49 may also be molded from a resin material.

[0030] 4 to 6 and 8, hinges 16, 16 are attached to the work plate 2 at positions near the left and right ends of the rear edge 2a along the longitudinal direction, and the deploying plate 10 is connected via these two hinges 16, 16 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction. The deploying plate 10 is a substantially rectangular plate with a predetermined thickness and a longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction, and is provided with a plurality of slit-shaped through-holes 17, similar to the work plate 2. The hinges 16, 16 are attached to one long side edge 10a along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the deploying plate 10. Here, the deploying plate 10 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape that is slightly shorter in the left-right direction than the work plate 2 and shorter in the front-rear direction than the work plate 2, and is molded as a hollow, one-piece unit from a resin material. Here, the deployment plate portion 10 does not need to have the through holes 17 because the maximum deployment angle is an obtuse angle and the deployment plate portion 10 is configured to be able to be held at a desired angular position as will be described later.

[0031] Here, resin materials that can be used to form the working plate 2 and the spreading plate 10 include polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), rubber-reinforced polystyrene resins (HIPS, ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyester resins (PET), etc. It is also possible to use resin compositions in which antibacterial agents and antifungal agents are blended with these resin materials.

[0032] 12 and 13, the hinge 16 includes a first hinge portion 51 attached to the working plate portion 2 and a second hinge portion 52 attached to the deploying plate portion 10, and the first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 are connected by a rotation shaft portion 53 so that they can rotate relative to each other and be held at a desired angular position. Here, the rotation shaft portion 53 is composed of a bolt (not shown) inserted through a first pivot support portion 57 of the first hinge portion 51 and second pivot support portions 62, 62 of the second hinge portion 52, as will be described later, and a nut (not shown) screwed onto the bolt.

[0033] The first hinge portion 51 includes a first fitting recess 55 that is generally U-shaped in side view and fits into the rear edge 2a of the work plate 2 from behind, an inclined surface 56 that slopes downward toward the rear, and a first pivot support portion 57 through which the rotating shaft 53 is inserted. A generally cylindrical insert sleeve 58 is fixedly attached to the first pivot support portion 57 so as not to rotate, and the rotating shaft 53 is inserted into the insert sleeve 58 (FIGS. 14(B) and 15). The first hinge portion 51 is fixed by fitting the first fitting recess 55 into fitting portions (not shown) provided near both left and right ends of the rear edge 2a (FIG. 5) of the work plate 2.

[0034] The second hinge portion 52 includes a second fitting recess 60 having a substantially U-shape in side view that fits into the long side edge portion 10a (FIG. 5) of the deployment plate portion 10, rear contact surfaces 61 that come into contact with the inclined surface portion 56 of the first hinge portion 51, and second pivotal support portions 62 that are respectively arranged on both the left and right sides of the first pivotal support portion 57 of the first hinge portion 51. Here, a substantially bowl-shaped cap portion 64 having an outer circumferential surface with a substantially tapered cross section is fitted into a fitting hole (not shown) formed in the second pivotal support portion 62 from the outside in the left and right directions so as not to rotate, and in this fitted state, an inner end portion 64a of the cap portion 64 protrudes inward from the second pivotal support portion 62 in the left and right directions (FIGS. 14(A) and 15). The second hinge portion 52 is fixed by fitting a second fitting recess 60 into fitting portions (not shown) provided near both left and right ends of the long side edge portion 10a of the development plate portion 10.

[0035] The first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable about the rotation shaft portion 53 as a rotation center, with the second pivot portions 62, 62 of the second hinge portion 52 being disposed on both the left and right sides of the first pivot portion 57 of the first hinge portion 51, and the rotation shaft portion 53 being inserted through the cap portions 64, 64 disposed on each second pivot portion 62, 62 and the insert sleeve 58 of the first pivot portion 57 (see FIG. 15 ). This forms the hinge 16. Here, the rotation shaft portion 53 is formed by a bolt (not shown) inserted through the cap portions 64, 64 and the insert sleeve 58, and a nut (not shown) threaded onto the tip of the bolt, and the nut is threaded onto the tip of the bolt inserted through the insert sleeve 58 of the first pivot portion 57 and the cap portions 64, 64 of the left and right second pivot portions 62. Then, the bolts and nuts of the rotating shaft portion 53 are tightened, and the inner end portions 64a, 64a of the cap portions 64, 64 protruding inwardly to the left and right from the left and right second support portions 62, 62 are in surface contact with and slidably pressed against both left and right ends of the insert sleeve 58 of the first support portion 57. The tightening torque (pressure force) applied to tighten the rotating shaft portion 53 allows the left and right cap portions 64, 64 and the insert sleeve 58 to slide, rotating the first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52, and holding the first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 at a desired angular position. With this configuration, the hinge 16 is formed so that the first support portion 57 and the second support portion 62 can rotate without contacting each other, and therefore the relative rotation between the first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 does not cause wear on the first support portion 57 and the second support portion 62, and the hinge 16 of this embodiment has high durability.

[0036] The first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 can be tilted between a state in which the first fitting recess 55 and the second fitting recess 60 are substantially parallel ( FIG. 12 ) and a state in which the second hinge portion 52 is tilted rearward from the parallel state and the inclined surface portion 56 and the abutting rear surface portion 61 abut ( FIG. 13 ). The inclined surface portion 56 and the abutting rear surface portion 61 are formed so that this abutting state forms a predetermined angle (maximum deployment angle) greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to the substantially parallel state. In this embodiment, this maximum deployment angle is approximately 165 degrees.

[0037] The first hinge portion 51 of the hinge 16 is attached to the rear edge portion 2a of the work plate portion 2, and the second hinge portion 52 is attached to the long side edge portion 10a of the deploying plate portion 10, so that the work plate portion 2 and the deploying plate portion 10 are connected to each other so that they can rotate in the front-rear direction and be held at a desired angular position. In this embodiment, the deploying plate portion 10 can be rotated from a state in which it is superimposed on the work plate portion 2 (a state in which the first fitting recess 55 and the second fitting recess 60 are approximately parallel) to the maximum deployment angle and can be held at a desired angular position within this rotatable range. In other words, the deploying plate portion 10 can be rotated by an operator moving it, and the deploying plate portion 10 is held at the angular position where the operator stops rotating it. In this embodiment, the operator can rotate the deploying plate portion 10 and freely determine the angular position at which the deploying plate portion 10 is held within the maximum deployment angle. This prevents the angular position at which the deploying plate portion 10 is held from being unintentionally changed. The state in which the deployment plate section 10 is superimposed on the work plate section 2 is the folded state according to the present invention, and the state in which it is rotated backward from the folded state is the deployed state according to the present invention.

[0038] The hinge 16 described above can be made of a metal or resin material. In this embodiment, the first hinge portion 51 and the second hinge portion 52 are made of a resin material (e.g., polypropylene), the insert sleeve 58 is made of a metal material (e.g., stainless steel), and the cap portion 64 is made of a resin material (e.g., polyacetal). This configuration makes the hinge 16 lightweight and rust-resistant. Because the metal insert sleeve 58 and the resin cap portion 64 are pressed against each other and rotate and slide, wear occurs primarily on the inner end 64a of the cap portion 64 as the deploying plate portion 10 is rotated. While this wear is expected to reduce the tightening torque (pressure), if the deploying plate portion 10 can no longer be held at the desired angular position, the tightening torque (pressure) can be easily restored by simply replacing the cap portion 64. Thus, the hinge 16 of this embodiment is easy to maintain and economical.

[0039] As described above, the workbench 1 of this embodiment is designed for a pet (animal) to rest on the upper surface (work surface) of the work plate 2 for bathing, showering (washing), grooming, and grooming. It is placed in a bathtub (sink), for example. As shown in FIG. 16 , when used in bathtubs 100a-100c that are larger than the work plate 2, the deploying plate 10 can be deployed rearward to close any gaps that may occur between the work plate 2 and the sidewalls 101 of the bathtubs 100a-100c. The configuration of this embodiment allows the deploying plate 10 to be deployed up to approximately 165 degrees (maximum deployment angle), making it possible to accommodate bathtubs 100a-100c of various sizes and to close any gaps. This configuration of this embodiment prevents a pet resting on the work surface of the work plate 2 from slipping or falling through the gaps, facilitating grooming and grooming.

[0040] Furthermore, the configuration of this embodiment allows the unfolding panel 10 to be rotated between the folded state and the unfolded state at the maximum unfolded angle, and can be held at a desired angular position (unfolded state). Since the angular position at which the unfolding panel 10 is held can be freely determined, the unfolding panel 10 can be held at an angular position suitable for the various sizes of bathtubs 100a to 100c. By bathing a pet with the unfolding panel 10 in the unfolded state, the unfolding panel 10 can be prevented from accidentally tipping over toward the work panel 2 during use, and the pet can be prevented from getting caught between the work panel 2 and the unfolding panel 10.

[0041] Furthermore, the configuration of this embodiment allows the user to freely adjust the height position of the work table 2 by changing the tilt angle of the support legs 3 with the height adjustment device 4. This allows the user to adjust the height of the work table 2 according to the pet's physique, the size of the bathtub, etc., making it easier to perform tasks such as bathing and grooming. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the work table 1 as a whole can be folded compactly by folding the support legs 3 (setting the work table 2 to its lowest position) and setting the unfolding panel 10 to the folded state. This makes it easy to carry and saves storage space.

[0042] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the working plate 2 and the deploying plate 10 are formed from a hollow resin material, making the working plate 2 and the deploying plate 10 relatively lightweight. This makes it easy to manually rotate the deploying plate 10 and raise and lower the working plate 2. In particular, in this embodiment, the working plate 2, support legs 3, and height adjustment device 4 are formed from a resin material, making it easy to change the height position of the working plate 2 and to transport it.

[0043] In the present embodiment described above, the insert sleeve 58 of the first hinge 51, the caps 64, 64 of the second hinge 52, and the rotating shaft 53 correspond to the deployed position retaining means of the present invention. Also, the rear edge 2a of the working plate 2 corresponds to the long side portion of the present invention.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the dimensions and shapes of the components in the above-described embodiments can be modified as needed.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, the deploying plate is connected to the rear edge of the working plate along the longitudinal direction via a hinge, but this is not limiting, and the deploying plate may be connected to one of the left and right side edges (corresponding to the short side of the present invention) along the short direction of the working plate via a hinge. In this configuration, it is preferable that the hinge is attached to the side edge (short side) along the short direction of the deploying plate.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the maximum deployment angle of the deployment plate section is set to 165 degrees, but this is not limiting and the maximum deployment angle can be changed as appropriate. For example, the maximum deployment angle may be set to 150 degrees, 170 degrees, or the like.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the deploying plate can be rotated and held at a desired angular position by fastening the insert sleeve of the first hinge and the cap of the second hinge with the rotating shaft. However, this is not limiting, and the means for rotatably holding the deploying plate can be modified as appropriate. For example, the deploying plate may be configured to be switchable between a rotatable state and a non-rotatable state by operating a locking piece or a bolt. Alternatively, one of the first hinge and the second hinge may be provided with a plurality of holes spaced at predetermined intervals in the rotational direction, and the deploying plate may be held by inserting a pin into one of these holes and a hole in the other hinge. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft may be provided with a plurality of teeth (gears) along the circumferential direction, and the teeth of the second hinge may be switchable between a state in which they are engaged with the teeth of the rotating shaft and a state in which they are disengaged.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the working plate and the deploying plate are connected by two hinges, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of hinges can be changed as appropriate.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the rotation shaft of the hinge is disposed above the working plate, but the configuration of the hinge is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate as long as the deployable plate of the present invention is included. For example, the hinge may be configured so that the rotation shaft is disposed behind or below the working plate.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the working plate and the unfolding plate are hollow and integral, and have a generally rectangular shape, but the shape of the working plate and the unfolding plate can be changed as appropriate as long as the working plate can accommodate a pet and is connected to the unfolding plate by a hinge. For example, the working plate and the unfolding plate can be made in a so-called slatted shape, made up of multiple long plates arranged side by side.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the height adjustment device and the support leg are provided in one set on each side, but the number of sets can be changed as appropriate. For example, the height adjustment device and the support leg may be provided in one set on each side, or in one set on each of the front, rear, left and right sides.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the upper surface (working surface) of the working plate is a flat surface, but this is not limited to this, and the upper surface may be configured to have unevenness, grooves, or wrinkles for anti-slip or decorative purposes. Also, the upper surface may be configured to be provided with a different material such as flexible rubber or elastomer material.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the working plate and the deploying plate are provided with slit-shaped through-holes that penetrate in the thickness direction of each plate, but the shape of the through-holes can be changed as appropriate as long as the configuration improves drainage between the working plate and the deploying plate. For example, the through-holes may be circular, or may be partially circular. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 workbench 2 Working plate 2a Rear edge (long side) 3 Support legs 10 Deployment plate part 11 Through hole 16 Hinge 17 Through hole 53 Rotating shaft portion (deployed position holding means) 58 Insert sleeve (deployed position holding means) 64 Cap portion (deployed position holding means)

Claims

1. a substantially plate-shaped work plate portion having an upper surface as a work surface; a substantially plate-shaped deployable plate portion rotatably connected to the work plate portion via a hinge and deployed relative to the work plate portion; A workbench characterized by comprising:

2. The deployment plate portion is The hinge is provided so as to be convertible between a folded state in which the work plate portion is superimposed on the work surface and an unfolded state in which the work plate portion is rotated from the folded state, The hinge is 2. The workbench according to claim 1, further comprising an extended position holding means for holding the extension plate at a desired angular position relative to the work plate in the extended state.

3. 2. The workbench according to claim 1, wherein the maximum angle at which the deployable plate section can be deployed relative to the work plate section by the hinge is an obtuse angle.

4. 3. The workbench according to claim 1, further comprising support legs connected to the work plate portion and placed on a floor surface to support the work plate portion.

5. The working plate portion is 3. A workbench as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it has an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above, and the unfolding plate portion is connected via the hinge provided on the long side along the longitudinal direction or the short side along the short direction.

6. The workbench according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the support legs are provided in the longitudinal direction of the work plate portion.

7. 3. The workbench according to claim 1, wherein the work plate portion is provided with a plurality of through holes extending in the vertical direction.

8. A workbench as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the work plate portion allows an animal to rest on the work surface, and is used for at least one of bathing, washing, grooming, and caring for the animal resting on the work plate portion.

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