Hinge and work table

Abstract

To propose a hinge and a work table having the hinge, which are excellent in usability and can operate stably over a relatively long period.SOLUTION: A hinge 1 in which a first hinge section 2 having a bearing portion 13 penetrated by a rotation shaft portion 4 and a second hinge section 3 having left and right support-shaft portions 23, 23 that respectively support left and right end portions of the rotation shaft portion 4 are rotatably connected by the rotation shaft portion 4. Each support-shaft portion 23 is provided with a cap portion 31 nonrotatably, through which the left and right side portions of the rotation shaft portion are inserted and which is pressed against the first hinge section 2. By such a configuration, the first hinge section 2 and the second hinge section 3 can be rotated and can be held at a desired angular position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge that connects two members so that they can rotate relative to one another, and to a workbench having such a hinge. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a hinge has a pair of hinge parts pivotally connected by a rotation shaft part, and rotatably connects two members provided on each hinge part, and is applied to a variety of things. For example, the configurations of such hinges have been proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-36800 A [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3175316 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is still room for improvement in the conventional hinges described above. That is, there is a demand for a structure that is easier to use and can operate stably over a relatively long period of time.

[0005] The present invention proposes a hinge that is easy to use and can operate stably over a relatively long period of time, and a workbench having the hinge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a hinge comprising a rotating shaft portion and a pair of hinge portions connected by the rotating shaft portion so as to be rotatable relative to one another, wherein one of the hinge portions comprises a bearing portion through which the rotating shaft portion passes, and the other hinge portion comprises a pair of left and right support shaft portions arranged on both the left and right sides of the bearing portion and supporting both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft portion, and wherein the hinge further comprises a cap portion non-rotatably attached to the support shaft portion, through which both the left and right sides of the rotating shaft portion are inserted and which is pressed against one of the hinge portions, so that the pair of hinge portions can be rotated relative to one another around the rotating shaft portion and held at any angular position.

[0007] In this configuration, by pressing one hinge part against the cap part attached to the other hinge part, the pair of hinge parts can rotate relative to one another and can be held at a desired angular position. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft part that passes through the bearing part of one hinge part is supported by the support shaft part of the other hinge part via the cap part, so that the force acting when both hinge parts rotate and the force required to hold them at a desired angular position can be supported by the rotating shaft part, bearing part, support shaft part, and cap part, thereby preventing stress concentration from occurring in any of them and preventing damage caused by such stress concentration.

[0008] In the hinge of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which the cap portion has a protruding surface portion that is positioned to protrude toward the bearing portion more than the support shaft portion, and the bearing portion has an opposing surface portion that faces the support shaft portion, a sliding recess into which the protruding surface portion of the cap portion is fitted and slidably pressed against the surface, and the protruding surface portion of the cap portion and the sliding recess portion of the bearing portion are pressed against each other, making it possible to rotate the pair of hinge portions relatively around the rotation shaft portion and hold them at any angular position.

[0009] In this configuration, one of the hinge parts and the cap part are pressed together by the sliding recess provided in the bearing part of the one hinge part and the protruding surface part of the cap part, making it difficult for foreign matter to get between the sliding recess and the protruding surface part, and therefore the angle position adjustment function, which allows the pair of hinge parts to rotate relative to each other and to be held at a desired angular position, can be stably performed over a relatively long period of time.

[0010] In the hinge of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which the cap portion has a groove formed around the outer circumferential surface of the side end portion on the bearing portion side.

[0011] In this configuration, if water or foreign matter gets between the bearing portion of one hinge portion and the support shaft portion of the other hinge portion, the groove can prevent the water or foreign matter from moving along the cap portion toward the protruding surface portion, thereby preventing the water or foreign matter from getting between the cap portion and one of the hinge portions that are pressed together.

[0012] In the hinge of the present invention described above, the pair of hinge portions are arranged with a gap between the bearing portion of one hinge portion and the support shaft portion of the other hinge portion, and the cap portion has a side end portion that protrudes toward the bearing portion beyond the support shaft portion, and at least a portion of the groove portion provided in the side end portion is arranged in the gap.

[0013] In this configuration, water or foreign matter that has entered the gap between the bearing and the support shaft can be discharged downward through the groove in the cap, which prevents water or foreign matter from accumulating in the gap and prevents the accumulation of dirt.

[0014] In the hinge of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which the bearing portion has a notch formed along at least a part of the periphery of the sliding recess.

[0015] With this configuration, water and small foreign matter that enters the sliding recess of the bearing part can be easily expelled through the cutout, thereby preventing the water and foreign matter from accumulating in the sliding recess and preventing the accumulation of dirt.

[0016] In the hinge of the present invention described above, a configuration is proposed in which an insert sleeve having a through hole for passing the rotating shaft portion through the bearing portion is arranged in one of the hinge portions so as to be non-rotatable relative to the bearing portion, and the sliding recess is formed by the end of the insert sleeve.

[0017] In this configuration, an insert sleeve that is a separate member from the bearing portion of one of the hinge portions is arranged in the bearing portion of the hinge portion, so that the force acting on the one of the hinge portions can be distributed through the rotating shaft portion and the cap portion, thereby suppressing the occurrence of damage due to stress concentration.

[0018] In the hinge of the present invention, the insert sleeve may be made of a material having a smaller volumetric change rate due to temperature changes than the cap portion, where the volumetric change rate can be expressed as a linear expansion coefficient.

[0019] In this configuration, since the insert sleeve has high dimensional stability against temperature changes, even when used in environments where hot or cold water is used, high temperature environments, and low temperature environments, the pressure force acting on the cap portion and the insert sleeve (the force pressing the two together) can be prevented from changing, and the angle position adjustment function described above can be stably performed.

[0020] In the hinge of the present invention described above, the cap portion is formed in an approximately mortar shape with a polygonal outer peripheral surface when viewed from the side when disposed on the support shaft portion, and is non-rotatably fitted into a fitting hole portion provided in the support shaft portion.

[0021] In this configuration, the cap portion attached to the support shaft portion has a polygonal outer peripheral surface, so that the force acting on the cap portion and the support shaft portion via the rotating shaft portion can be dispersed by the outer peripheral surface, thereby suppressing the occurrence of breakage due to stress concentration.

[0022] In the hinge of the present invention described above, it is proposed that the polygonal outer peripheral surface of the cap portion is composed of a plurality of tapered surfaces inclined in the left-right direction, and the tapered surfaces of the cap portion are non-rotatably fitted into the fitting hole portion of the support shaft portion.

[0023] In this configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the cap is made up of multiple tapered surfaces, so the cap is positioned when fitted into the fitting hole of the support shaft, which allows the cap and one of the hinge parts to be stably maintained in a pressure-contact state, thereby stably achieving the angular position adjustment function described above.

[0024] The present invention also provides a workbench characterized by comprising the above-mentioned hinge, an approximately plate-shaped work plate portion attached to one of a pair of hinge portions that constitute the hinge and having an upper surface that serves as a work surface, and an approximately plate-shaped deployment plate portion attached to the other of the pair of hinge portions, rotatably connected to the work plate portion by the hinge, and deployed relative to the work plate portion.

[0025] In this configuration, the hinge allows the deployment panel to rotate relative to the work panel, and the deployment panel can be folded to a compact, storable state and rotated to an deployed state. The deployment panel can then be held at a desired angular position. In this way, the configuration of the present invention can be used as a workbench in which the deployment panel can be rotated to deploy and can be held at a desired angular position.

[0026] A configuration is proposed for the workbench of the present invention described above, in which 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]

[0027] In the hinge of the present invention, the pair of hinge parts can rotate relative to one another and can be held at a desired angular position. Furthermore, the forces acting when the hinge parts rotate and the forces required to hold the angular position are supported by the rotating shaft part, bearing part, support shaft part, and cap part, which prevents damage caused by stress concentration on any one part.

[0028] In the workbench of the present invention, the hinge allows the deployment plate portion to rotate relative to the work plate portion and to be held at a desired angular position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a front view and a rear view, respectively, of a hinge 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, of a hinge 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hinge 1. [Figure 4] 1A is a side view and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the hinge 1 in an unfolded state. [Figure 5] 1A is a perspective view of the second hinge portion 3 with the cap portion 31 attached, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the first hinge portion 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 1A is an enlarged perspective view of a bearing portion 13 of a first hinge portion 2, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the bearing portion 13 in longitudinal section. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the second hinge portion 3 with the cap portion 31 removed. [Figure 8] 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a front view, FIG. 4C is a right side view, and FIG. 4D is a left side view of the cap part 31 on the right side in FIG. [Figure 9]7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connection portion between the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3, seen from the rear, corresponding to FIG. 6(B). [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the X portion in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a workbench 51 in an embodiment according to the present invention, with a deployment panel section 60 in a folded state. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the workbench 51 in the folded state. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the workbench 51 with the deployment panel portion 60 in the deployed state. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the workbench 51 in the unfolded state. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a support leg 53 and a height adjustment device 54. [Figure 16] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a height adjustment device 54. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the height adjustment device 54. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the hinge and workbench of the present invention will now be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the hinge 1 of this embodiment includes a first hinge portion 2, a second hinge portion 3, and a rotation shaft portion 4 (see Figure 9), and the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 are connected by the rotation shaft portion 4 so as to be relatively rotatable. In this hinge 1, predetermined members are attached to the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3, respectively, thereby connecting these members so as to be relatively rotatable. In this embodiment, as will be described later, a work table 51 (see Figures 11 to 14) is shown in which a work plate portion 52 is attached to the first hinge portion 2 and a deployment plate portion 60 is attached to the second hinge portion 3, so that the deployment plate portion 60 can be deployed relative to the work plate portion 52.

[0031] Here, the hinge 1 of this embodiment will be described below with the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction defined as shown in Fig. 3. The workbench 51 described below will also be described using the directions defined for the hinge 1 (see Fig. 11).

[0032] As shown in Figure 9, the rotating shaft portion 4 is composed of a bolt portion 6 inserted into the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 and the support shaft portions 23, 23 of the second hinge portion 3, which will be described later, and a nut portion 7 screwed onto the tip of the bolt portion 6.

[0033] 1 to 4 and 5(B), the first hinge portion 2 includes a first fitting recess 11 that is substantially U-shaped in side view and to which a predetermined member (a working plate portion 52 described below) is attached, left and right inclined surface portions 12, 12 that slope downwardly rearward, and a bearing portion 13 through which the rotating shaft portion 4 passes. The bearing portion 13 is provided to protrude upward from the center of the rear of the first fitting recess 11, and the left and right inclined surface portions 12, 12 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the first fitting recess 11, respectively, and are located on the left and right sides of the bearing portion 13.

[0034] As shown in Figures 5(B) and 6, a substantially thick-walled cylindrical insert sleeve 15 having a through-hole 16 penetrating in the left-right direction is fixed non-rotatably to the bearing portion 13. The insert sleeve 15 has a circular outer surface with a flat surface provided on a portion thereof, and is fixed inside the bearing portion 13 by injection molding of the first hinge portion 2. The insert sleeve 15 is disposed along the left-right direction between opposing surface portions 13a, 13a of the bearing portion 13 that face support shaft portions 23, 23 described below. The left-right width of the insert sleeve 15 is shorter than the left-right width of the bearing portion 13, and the left and right end surfaces 15a, 15a of the insert sleeve 15 are disposed closer to the center in the left-right direction than the left and right opposing surface portions 13a, 13a of the bearing portion 13, respectively. Exposed openings 14, 14 that expose both end faces 15a, 15a of the insert sleeve 15 are formed on the opposing surface portions 13a, 13a of the bearing portion 13. The exposed openings 14, 14 of the bearing portion 13 and the end faces 15a, 15a of the insert sleeve 15 form sliding recesses 17, 17 on the opposing surface portions 13a, 13a of the bearing portion 13. In other words, the end faces 15a correspond to the end portions of the insert sleeve according to the present invention.

[0035] The sliding recess 17 has a notch 17a in the shape of a substantially semicircular arc, which is formed by cutting out substantially half of the lower edge of the exposed opening 14 in a chamfered shape.

[0036] 1 to 4 and 5(A), the second hinge portion 3 includes a second fitting recess 21 that is substantially U-shaped in side view and to which a predetermined member (a deployment plate portion 60 described below) is attached, left and right rear abutment surfaces 22, 22 that respectively abut against the left and right inclined surfaces 12, 12 of the first hinge portion 2, and left and right support shafts 23, 23 that are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2. The left and right support shafts 23, 23 are arranged side by side at a distance that allows the bearing portion 13 to be inserted, and are provided to protrude rearward from the rear of the second fitting recess 21. Here, as will be described later, when the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 is positioned between the left and right support shaft portions 23, 23, the spacing between the support shaft portions 23, 23 is set so that a predetermined gap t (see Figure 10) is created between each support shaft portion 23, 23 and the bearing portion 13 (left and right opposing surface portions 13a, 13a).

[0037] The second hinge portion 3 is provided with left and right protrusions 26, 26 that protrude upward from the left and right support shafts 23, 23 and the left and right side portions of the second fitting recess 21, and the abutment rear surface portion 22 is formed at the rear portion of each protrusion 26. The protrusions 26 are generally trapezoidal in side view, with the front portion of the bottom connected to the upper surface 21a of the second fitting recess 21 and the rear portion of the bottom connected to the upper surface of the support shaft 23. The protrusions 26 have a generally trapezoidal vertical surface portion 27 that is perpendicular to the left-right direction. The provision of these left and right protrusions 26, 26 allows the protrusions 26, 26 to support the weight of a member attached to the second fitting recess 21, and with the abutment rear surfaces 22, 22 abutting against the inclined surfaces 12, 12, the weight of the member can be supported evenly across the entire rear contact surfaces 22, 22. In addition, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of stress concentration due to the weight of the member at the rear end portion of the upper surface 21a of the second fitting recess 21. Furthermore, the vertical surface portion 27 has the effect of improving the torsional rigidity of the second hinge portion 3.

[0038] A generally conical cap portion 31 is non-rotatably attached to the support shaft portion 23. As shown in FIG. 8 , the cap portion 31 includes a generally circular end portion 32 having a predetermined thickness, an outer peripheral surface portion 33 extending outward in the left-right direction from the outer peripheral edge of the end portion 32, and an annular flange portion 34 extending from the outer peripheral edge of the end portion 32. The end portion 32 has a groove 35 formed in the circumferential direction on its outer peripheral surface and a left-right insertion hole 36 through which the bolt portion 6 of the rotating shaft portion 4 is inserted. The end portion 32 is adapted to be fitted into the sliding recess 17 of the bearing portion 13 and includes a protruding surface portion 32a that is pressed against the end surface 15a of the insert sleeve 15. The outer peripheral surface portion 33 has a plurality of tapered surfaces 33a that are inclined left-right and are arranged circumferentially, and these tapered surfaces 33a form a polygonal outer peripheral surface in a side view. The outer peripheral surface 33 is formed with a protruding portion 38 that protrudes forward from the front side. This protruding portion 38 allows the cap portion 31 to be non-rotatably attached while being fitted into a fitting hole 25 of the support shaft 23, which will be described later. The cap portion 31 has accommodation areas (not shown) that are open to the left and right on the inside of the outer peripheral surface 33 and that accommodate the head portion (not shown) and nut portion 7 of the bolt portion 6 that constitute the rotating shaft 4, and is also provided with a bearing surface 37 to which the head portion or the nut portion 7 is pressed (see FIGS. 9 and 10 ). When the bolt portion 6 and the nut portion 7 are tightened as will be described later, the tightening force acts on the cap portion 31 via the bearing surface 37, and the protruding surface 32 a of the cap portion 31 is pressed against the end surface 15 a of the insert sleeve 15.

[0039] 7, 9, and 10, each support shaft portion 23 is provided with a fitting hole 25 into which the cap portion 31 is attached. As shown in Fig. 7, the fitting hole 25 includes an inner opening 41 that opens on the inner surface of the support shaft portion 23 in the left-right direction and through which the side end portion 32 of the cap portion 31 is inserted, an outer opening 42 that opens on the outer surface of the support shaft portion 23 in the left-right direction and into which the flange portion 34 of the cap portion 31 is attached, a fitting peripheral portion 43 into which the outer peripheral surface portion 33 of the cap portion 31 is fitted, and a fitting recess 44 into which the protruding portion 38 of the cap portion 31 is fitted. The cap portion 31 is attached by being fitted into the fitting hole 25 of the support shaft portion 23 from the outside in the left-right direction. In this attached state, the protruding portions 38 of the cap portion 31 are fitted into the fitting recesses 44 of the fitting hole 25, and the polygonal outer peripheral surface portion 33 is fitted into the fitting circumferential portion 43, so that the cap portion 31 cannot rotate with respect to the support shaft portion 23. In addition, when the cap portion 31 is attached to the fitting hole 25, the side end portions 32 protrude inward from the inner surfaces of the support shaft portion 23 in the left-right direction.

[0040] 9 , the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 are connected to each other so as to be relatively rotatable about the rotating shaft portion 4 as a rotation center by inserting the rotating shaft portion 4 into the through hole 16 of the insert sleeve 15 provided in the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 and the insertion holes 36 of the cap portions 31 attached to the support shaft portions 23 of the second hinge portion 3. More specifically, with the left and right support shaft portions 23 of the second hinge portion 3 disposed on the left and right sides of the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2, respectively, the bolt portion 6 of the rotating shaft portion 4 is inserted from one of the left and right sides through the insertion hole 36 of one cap portion 31, the through hole 16 of the insert sleeve 15, and the insertion hole 36 of the other cap portion 31 in this order, and a nut portion 7 is tightened and screwed onto the tip portion of the bolt portion 6 with a predetermined tightening torque. In this way, the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 are connected by the rotation shaft portion 4 to form the hinge 1 of this embodiment. Note that the bolt portion 6 and the nut portion 7 may be configured to fasten the left and right cap portions 31, 31 via washers or spring washers (not shown).

[0041] 9 and 10 , in the hinge 1 of this embodiment, a predetermined gap t is provided between the opposing surfaces 13 a, 13 a of the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 and the inner left-right surfaces of the support shafts 23, 23 of the second hinge portion 3. The protruding surface 32 a of the side end portion 32 of the cap portion 31 attached to the support shaft 23 is fitted into the sliding recess 17 of the bearing portion 13 via the gap t. When the bolt portion 6 and the nut portion 7 are tightened with a predetermined tightening torque, the protruding surface portions 32 a, 32 a of the left and right cap portions 31, 31 are slidably pressed against the end surfaces 15 a, 15 a of the insert sleeve 15. In addition, in this hinge 1, a left-right portion of the groove 35 formed in the side end portion 32 of the cap portion 31 that is not fitted into the sliding recess 17 is located in the gap t.

[0042] As described above, in the hinge 1, the end faces 15a, 15a of the insert sleeve 15 provided in the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 and the protruding surface portions 32a, 32a of the cap portions 31, 31 attached to the support shaft portions 23, 23 of the second hinge portion 3 are slidably pressed against each other, so that the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 can be rotated relatively about the rotation shaft portion 4 and can be held at any angular position. The hinge 1 can rotate the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 between a state (FIGS. 1 to 3) in which the first fitting recess 11 and the second fitting recess 21 are substantially parallel to each other and a state (FIG. 4) in which the second hinge portion 3 is tilted rearward relative to the first hinge portion 2 from the parallel state and the inclined surface portions 12, 12 abut against the rear abutment surface portions 22, 22. Here, in this embodiment, since this is applied to a workbench 51 as described below, the maximum deployment angle at which the inclined surface portion 12 and the rear contact surface portion 22 abut is set to an obtuse angle (specifically, approximately 165 degrees) in accordance with the use of the workbench 51.

[0043] The first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 of this embodiment are molded from a resin material, such as polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), rubber-reinforced polystyrene resin (HIPS, ABS), polycarbonate (PC), or polyester resin (PET), which can be injection-molded. Resin compositions containing antibacterial or antifungal agents may also be used. In this embodiment, the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 are molded from polypropylene. This makes the hinge 1 of this embodiment lightweight and rust-resistant, allowing for stable use over a relatively long period of time.

[0044] The bolt portion 6 and nut portion 7 that make up the rotating shaft portion 4 are made of metal, and in this embodiment, they are made of stainless steel. The insert sleeve 15 is also made of metal, and in this embodiment, it is made of stainless steel. The cap portion 31 is molded from a resin material, and in this embodiment, it is molded from a polyacetal resin material. This configuration provides excellent dimensional stability against temperature changes and resistance to wear due to repeated use, allowing for stable use over a relatively long period of time.

[0045] In the hinge 1 of the present embodiment, the insert sleeve 15 of the first hinge portion 2 and the cap portions 31, 31 of the second hinge portion 3 are slidably pressed together by fastening the bolt portion 6 and the nut portion 7 of the rotating shaft portion 4, so that the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 can rotate relatively around the rotating shaft portion 4 and can be stopped and held at any angular position. In the configuration of this embodiment, the insert sleeve 15 is fixedly attached to the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 so as not to rotate, and the cap portion 31 is attached to the support shaft portion 23 of the second hinge portion 3 so as not to rotate. Therefore, the force acting when the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 rotate and the force required to hold them at an angular position can be distributed to the bearing portion 13, the insert sleeve 15, the support shaft portion 23, and the cap portion 31, which prevents stress from concentrating on any one of them and prevents damage, etc., caused by the stress concentration. As a result, even if the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 are made of a resin material as described above, they can be used stably for a relatively long period of time.

[0046] Furthermore, since the protruding surface portion 32a of the cap portion 31 is fitted into the sliding recess 17 of the bearing portion 13 and the protruding surface portion 32a is pressed against the end face 15a of the insert sleeve 15, foreign matter is prevented from entering between the end face 15a and the protruding surface portion 32a. In particular, in the configuration of this embodiment, the notch portion 17a is provided in approximately the lower half of the rim of the sliding recess 17. Therefore, even if foreign matter enters the sliding recess 17, it can be discharged from the notch portion 17a, thereby preventing the accumulation of dirt. Furthermore, since the groove portion 35 provided around the periphery of the side end portion 32 of the cap portion 31 is located in the gap t between the bearing portion 13 and the support shaft portion 23, water or foreign matter that has entered the gap t is prevented from entering the protruding surface portion 32a via the side end portion 32. In this way, it is possible to prevent water or foreign matter from entering between the protruding surface portion 32a of the cap portion 31 and the end surface 15a of the insert sleeve 15, so that the angle position adjustment function, which allows the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 to rotate and be held at any angle position, can be performed stably for a relatively long period of time. Furthermore, since the accumulation of dirt can be prevented as described above, it has excellent hygiene.

[0047] Furthermore, the cap portion 31 has a polygonal outer surface portion 33 with multiple tapered surfaces 33a and a protruding portion 38, and is attached by fitting the cap portion 31 into the fitting hole portion 25 of the support shaft portion 23.Therefore, the force acting through the rotating shaft portion 4 can be distributed between the support shaft portion 23 by the multiple tapered surfaces 33a and the protruding portion 38, thereby suppressing the occurrence of damage due to stress concentration.

[0048] Furthermore, the insert sleeve 15 is made of stainless steel, which has a smaller volume change rate with temperature than the resin cap portion 31 and provides high dimensional stability against temperature changes. This allows the angle position adjustment function to be stably performed in an environment using hot water, etc., as described below. Furthermore, since the protruding surface 32a is prone to wear due to sliding between the end surface 15a of the insert sleeve 15 and the protruding surface 32a of the cap portion 31, the desired angle position adjustment function can be maintained by simply replacing the cap portion 31 as needed during maintenance. This also has the excellent advantage of reducing maintenance costs.

[0049] Furthermore, since the hinge 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the bearing portion 13 and the support shaft portions 23, 23 can rotate without contact, the bearing portion 13 and the support shaft portions 23, 23 do not wear out due to the relative rotation between the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3. This gives the hinge 1 of this embodiment high durability.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first hinge portion 2 of the hinge 1 corresponds to one hinge portion according to the present invention, and the second hinge portion 3 corresponds to the other hinge portion according to the present invention.

[0051] Next, a workbench 51 equipped with the hinge 1 of this embodiment will be described. The work platform 51 of this embodiment is used to place a pet animal on and bathe, shower, groom, and trim the animal (hair care). When used for bathing or showering, the work platform 51 is placed on the floor of a bathtub (sink). As shown in Figures 11 to 14, the work platform 51 includes a work plate 52 on which the animal is placed, two support legs 53, 53 that support the work plate 52, height adjustment devices 54, 54 that can change the height position of the work plate 52, and a deployment plate 60 connected to the work plate 52 via the two hinges 1, 1. Here, the two support legs 53, 53 are arranged side by side and spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0052] The work plate 52 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 52 is provided with a plurality of slit-like through-holes 61 that penetrate the work plate 52 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The through-holes 61 are narrow in one direction (left-right direction), ensuring a large upper surface (work surface) area for placing animals, allowing for good drainage and stable placement of animals. The work plate 52 is also molded from a resin material into a hollow, one-piece structure. This allows the work plate 52 to be highly rigid and lightweight, while also reducing seams, making cleaning easier and more hygienic. In this embodiment, the through-holes 61 in the work plate 52 are formed by elongated holes (not shown) formed in the work plate 52 and slit holes (not shown) in a fitting member that fits into the elongated holes. The fitting member has a flat upper surface, and the slit hole is narrower than the elongated hole, ensuring that the working plate portion 52 has a large, flat upper surface.

[0053] The working plate 52 has the hinges 1, 1 attached to the rear edge thereof along the longitudinal direction, near both left and right ends, and the deploying plate 60 is connected to the working plate 52 via these two hinges 1, 1 so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction. The deploying plate 60 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 67, similar to the working plate 52. The hinges 1, 1 are attached to one long side edge of the deploying plate 60 along the longitudinal direction (left-right direction). The deploying plate 60 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape that is slightly shorter in the left-right direction than the working plate 52 and shorter in the front-rear direction than the working plate 52, and is molded as a hollow, one-piece unit from a resin material.

[0054] Here, the first fitting recess 11 of the first hinge portion 2 of each hinge 1 is fitted from behind into the rear edge of the working plate portion 52 and fixed thereto, and the second fitting recess 21 of the second hinge portion 3 is fitted into the long side edge of the deploying plate portion 60 and fixed thereto. The working plate portion 52 and the deploying plate portion 60, connected in this manner by the two hinges 1, 1, can be rotated from a folded state in which the deploying plate portion 60 is superimposed on the working plate portion 52 (a state in which the first fitting recess 11 and the second fitting recess 21 are approximately parallel) to the maximum deployment angle (approximately 165 degrees). These hinges 1, 1 can hold the deploying plate portion 60 in a stopped state at any angular position within the range from the folded state to the maximum deployment angle. In other words, the deploying plate portion 60 can be rotated by the operator by moving it, and the deploying plate portion 60 is held at the angular position where the operator's rotation is stopped. In this embodiment, the operator can rotate the deployment panel 60 and freely determine the angular position at which the deployment panel 60 is held within the maximum deployment angle. This prevents the angular position at which the deployment panel 60 is held from being changed unintentionally.

[0055] The resin materials that can be used to form the working plate portion 52 and the spreading plate portion 60 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.

[0056] The height adjustment devices 54, 54 are disposed on both left and right sides of the underside of the work plate 52, and the support legs 53, 53 are provided via the height adjustment devices 54, 54. The work plate 52 has portions on both left and right sides where the through-holes 61 are not formed, and height adjustment devices 54, 54 are attached to the underside of each portion. The left and right support legs 53, 53 and height adjustment devices 54, 54 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) will be described below, and a description of the other side (the left side) will be omitted.

[0057] 15 to 17, the height adjustment device 54, located on the right side in a front view, includes an adjustment mechanism case 71 having a case base 72 fixed to the underside of the work plate 52 and a case cover 73 attached to the case base 72. A rotating shaft 79 is rotatably supported at the left end of the case base 72, and the support leg 53 is connected to the case base 72 via the rotating shaft 79 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction. One end of the support leg 53 is connected to the case base 72 via the rotating shaft 79, and the other end is provided with a rod-shaped floor contact portion 75 extending along the front-rear direction. Buffer portions 76, 76 made of a buffer material such as rubber or elastomer are provided at both the front and rear ends of the floor contact portion 75, respectively. By tilting the support leg 53 about the rotation shaft 79 while the buffer portions 76, 76 of the floor contact portion 75 are placed on the floor, the height position of the working plate 52 can be changed in a well-balanced manner (see FIGS. 11 to 14). In this embodiment, the support leg 53 is made of a resin material.

[0058] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, a fixed position change piece 81 is attached to the case base 72 via the rotating shaft 79 so as to be tiltable up and down. One end of the fixed position change piece 81 is connected to the rotating shaft 79, and the other end is provided with a manual operation unit 82 that is operated by an operator. The manual operation unit 82 protrudes to the right from the adjustment mechanism case 71. A rack gear 85 having a predetermined length in the left-right direction is fixedly attached to the underside of the fixed position change piece 81. A coil spring 84 is attached to the rack gear 85 and passes through the fixed position change piece 81, protruding upward. The upper end of the coil spring 84 is arranged to contact the surface of the case base 72 that faces the upper surface of the fixed position change piece 81. The rack gear 85 has a plurality of teeth (not shown) arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction).

[0059] A fitting portion 91 connected to the support leg 53 by a link piece 99 is fitted onto the rack gear 85. One end of the link piece 99 is rotatably connected to the fitting portion 91, and the other end is rotatably connected to the support leg 53. The fitting portion 91 is supported by the case cover 73 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. Here, when the case cover 73 is attached to the case base 72, a cover bottom 93 supporting the fitting portion 91 is inclined at a predetermined angle to the left with respect to the horizontal direction. The cover bottom 93 is provided with a guide groove 94 extending in the left-right direction, and a guided portion 95 of the fitting portion 91 is fitted into the guide groove 94 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. Furthermore, an insertion opening 92 is formed in the cover bottom 93 parallel to the guide groove 94, and the link piece 99 connected to the fitting portion 91 is inserted into the insertion opening 92. In this way, the fitting portion 91 is supported by the case cover portion 73 so as to be movable in the left-right direction within the length range of the guide groove portions 94, 94, and the support leg portion 53 tilts up and down in conjunction with the left-right movement. That is, when the fitting portion 91 moves leftward, the support leg portion 53 tilts downward, and when the fitting portion 91 moves rightward, the support leg portion 53 tilts upward.

[0060] The fitting portion 91 has a plurality of teeth (not shown) aligned in the left-right direction, and when supported by the case cover portion 73, these teeth are arranged along the angle of the cover bottom 93 of the case cover portion 73. When the case cover portion 73 supporting the fitting portion 91 is attached to the case base portion 72 in this manner, the teeth of the fitting portion 91 and the teeth of the rack gear 85 are fitted together. In this fitted state, the rack gear 85 is arranged inclined at the angle, and the coil spring 84 is elastically compressed (resilient contracted) between the fixed position conversion piece 81 and the opposing surface of the case base portion 72. As a result, the rack gear 85 is kept biased downward (in the direction of fitting into the fitting portion 91) by the coil spring 84.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 16(A), when the fitting portion 91 and the rack gear 85 are fitted together, the fitting portion 91 cannot move left or right because the rack gear 85 prevents it, and the tilted position of the support leg 53 is fixed. This fixes the height of the work plate 52. This fitted state is the fixed position state. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16(B), when the manual operation portion 82 of the fixed position conversion piece 81 is pulled up, the rack gear 85 tilts upward and moves away from the fitting portion 91, and the engagement between the teeth of the rack gear 85 and the teeth of the fitting portion 91 is released. In this released state, the fitting portion 91 is movable left or right, so that the tilted position of the support leg 53 can be changed by moving the fitting portion 91, and the work plate 52 can be raised or lowered. This released state is the unlocked state.

[0062] In the unlocked state, if the operation of lifting the manual operation unit 82 is released, the rack gear 85 tilts downward due to the biasing force of the coil spring 84, and engages with the engaging portion 91. In this way, the manual operation unit 82 can be operated to switch between the position-fixed state and the unlocked state, so that the height of the work plate 52 can be changed in the unlocked state and then switched back to the position-fixed state, thereby fixing the work plate 52 at a desired height. Here, as described above, since the cover bottom 93 of the case cover 73 is inclined at the angle described above, in the unlocked state, lifting the work plate 52 causes the engaging portion 91 to slide down to the left along the cover bottom 93 due to its own weight (and the weight of the support legs). In this way, the support legs 53 can be smoothly tilted downward to raise the height of the work plate 52.

[0063] As described above, the configuration of this embodiment is provided with height adjustment devices 54, 54 and support legs 53, 53 on the left and right, respectively, and by setting the left and right support legs 53, 53 to different inclination angles, it is also possible to hold the working plate 52 (the working surface thereof) in a state inclined to one side or the other. By tilting the working plate 52 in this way, it becomes easier to carry, for example, old or sick dogs with weak hind legs.

[0064] In this embodiment, the rack gear 85 and the mating portion 91 constituting the height adjustment device 54 are molded from a corrosion-resistant metal 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, the rack gear 85 and the mating portion 91 are molded from polyacetal. These resin materials may also contain glass fiber, inorganic fillers, fluororesin, or rubber, which can improve rigidity, abrasion 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 85 and the mating portion 91, the adjustment mechanism case 71, the support leg 53, and the link piece 99 may also be molded from a resin material.

[0065] As described above, the workbench 51 of this embodiment is intended for use by placing a pet (animal) on the upper surface (work surface) of the work plate portion 52 to bathe, shower (wash), groom, and care for the pet's fur, and is placed in a bathtub (sink) for use. In such a usage environment, pet hair, shampoo, soap scum, and the like flow down the workbench 51 along with the warm water and easily get into the gap between the first hinge portion 2 and the second hinge portion 3 of the hinge 1. Here, as described above, in the hinge 1 of this embodiment, the groove portion 35 of the cap portion 31 is located in the gap t between the bearing portion 13 of the first hinge portion 2 and the support shaft portion 23 of the second hinge portion 3, and therefore the pet hair, shampoo, and the like that get into this gap t can be easily guided downward through the groove portion 35 and discharged. This prevents pet hair from becoming entangled in the side end 32 of the cap portion 31 and prevents pet hair, shampoo, etc. from flowing along the side end 32 toward the bearing portion 13 or the support shaft portion 23. Additionally, since the protruding surface 32a of the cap portion 31 is fitted into the sliding recess 17 of the bearing portion 13 and pressed against the end surface 15a of the insert sleeve 15, it is possible to prevent pet hair, shampoo, etc. from entering between the protruding surface 32a and the end surface 15a. This prevents problems such as difficulty in rotating the deployment plate portion 60 or maintaining it at a desired angular position due to the intrusion of water or pet hair. Therefore, the workbench 51 of this embodiment stably performs the angular position adjustment function of deploying the deployment plate portion 60 relative to the work plate portion 52 and maintaining it at a desired angular position over a relatively long period of time.

[0066] As described above, the workbench 51 of this embodiment can rotate the deployment panel 60 between the folded state and the maximum deployment angle, and can hold it at a desired angular position. This allows the deployment panel 60 to be deployed to fit the size of the bathtub, thereby closing the gap between the bathtub and the work panel 52. Furthermore, the angular position of the deployment panel 60 can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of bathtubs. Thus, by holding the deployment panel 60 at an angular position appropriate for various sizes of bathtubs while bathing a pet, it is possible to prevent the pet from slipping or falling through the gap between the work panel 52 and the bathtub, and it is also possible to prevent the deployment panel 60 from accidentally tipping over toward the work panel 52 during use.

[0067] Furthermore, the configuration of this embodiment allows the user to freely adjust the height position of the work plate 52 by changing the tilt angle of the support legs 53 with the height adjustment device 54. This allows the user to adjust the height of the work plate 52 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 platform 51 as a whole can be folded compactly by folding the support legs 53 (setting the work plate 52 to its lowest position) and setting the unfolding plate 60 to the folded state. This makes it easy to carry and saves storage space.

[0068] 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.

[0069] The hinge of the above-described embodiment is configured such that the maximum deployment angle between the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion is 165 degrees, but this is not limited to this 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, or even 180 degrees or more.

[0070] The hinge of the above-described embodiment has a configuration in which a substantially semicircular notch is formed in the sliding recess of the bearing part of the first hinge part, but this is not limiting, and the arc length of the notch can be changed as appropriate. For example, a configuration in which a notch formed with an arc length of approximately 1 / 4 or 1 / 3 of the circumferential length is formed in the lower part of the sliding recess may also be used.

[0071] The hinge in the above-described embodiment has a configuration in which the insert sleeve is fixed inside the bearing portion by injection molding of the first hinge portion, but this is not limited to this, and it may also have a configuration in which, for example, the insert sleeve is pressed or fitted into the bearing portion.

[0072] The hinge of the above-described embodiment has a cylindrical insert sleeve provided in the bearing portion of the first hinge part, but this is not limited thereto. The insert sleeve may have a polygonal (e.g., rectangular, hexagonal, etc.) outer circumferential surface. Alternatively, the insert sleeve may have a gear-shaped outer circumferential surface. Regardless of the insert sleeve, it is fixed to the bearing portion so as not to rotate, and by having a through hole and left and right end faces as in the embodiment, it can achieve the same effects as the embodiment.

[0073] The work table in the above-described embodiment has a configuration in which the work plate portion and the deployment plate portion are connected by two hinges, but this is not limiting, and the number of hinges provided can be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 hinge 2 First hinge part 3 Second hinge part 4 Rotating shaft 13 Bearing section 13a Opposite surface part 15 Insert sleeve 15a End face 16 through holes 17 Sliding recess 17a Notch 23 Support shaft 25 Fitting hole 31 Cap part 32 Side edge 32a protruding face 33 peripheral face 33a tapered surface 35 groove part 51 workbench 52 work plate part 60 deployment plate part t gap

Claims

1. a rotating shaft portion and a pair of hinge portions connected by the rotating shaft portion so as to be relatively rotatable; One of the hinge portions has a bearing portion through which the rotation shaft portion passes, In a hinge in which the other hinge portion is provided with a pair of left and right support shaft portions disposed on both left and right sides of the bearing portion and supporting both left and right sides of the rotation shaft portion, a cap portion that is non-rotatably attached to the support shaft portion, through which both left and right sides of the rotating shaft portion are inserted, and that is pressed against one of the hinge portions; A hinge characterized in that the pair of hinge portions can be rotated relatively around the rotation shaft portion and held at any angular position.

2. the cap portion includes a protruding surface portion that is disposed so as to protrude toward the bearing portion beyond the support shaft portion, the bearing portion has an opposing surface portion facing the support shaft portion, and a sliding recess portion into which the protruding surface portion of the cap portion is fitted and pressed so as to be slidable, 2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the protruding surface portion of the cap portion and the sliding recess portion of the bearing portion are pressed together, thereby allowing the pair of hinge portions to rotate relatively around the rotation axis portion and be held at any angular position.

3. The cap portion is 3. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein a groove is provided around the outer circumferential surface of the side end portion on the bearing portion side.

4. The pair of hinge portions are arranged such that the bearing portion of one hinge portion and the support shaft portion of the other hinge portion are spaced apart, The cap portion is The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the side end portion protrudes toward the bearing portion beyond the support shaft portion, and at least a portion of the groove portion provided in the side end portion is positioned in the gap.

5. 3. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein the bearing portion has a notch formed along at least a part of the periphery of the sliding recess.

6. an insert sleeve having a through hole through which the rotary shaft portion passes is disposed in the bearing portion of the one hinge portion so as to be non-rotatable relative to the bearing portion; 3. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein the sliding recess is formed by an end of the insert sleeve.

7. 7. The hinge according to claim 6, wherein the insert sleeve is made of a material that has a smaller rate of volume change due to temperature changes than the cap portion.

8. The cap portion is 3. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is formed in an approximately cone shape having a polygonal outer circumferential surface when viewed from the side when disposed on the support shaft portion, and is non-rotatably fitted into a fitting hole portion provided in the support shaft portion.

9. The polygonal outer peripheral surface of the cap portion is configured with a plurality of tapered surfaces inclined in the left-right direction, 9. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein the tapered surface of the cap portion is fitted non-rotatably into the fitting hole of the support shaft portion.

10. The hinge according to claim 1 or 2; a substantially plate-shaped work plate portion attached to one of the pair of hinge portions constituting the hinge and having an upper surface as a work surface; a substantially plate-shaped deployment plate portion attached to the other of the pair of hinge portions, rotatably connected to the work plate portion by the hinge, and deployed relative to the work plate portion; A workbench characterized by comprising:

11. The workbench described in claim 10, 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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