Chair support device and chair

Abstract

For example, the invention provides a chair support device that enables stable transfers when wheelchair users or others move onto a chair. [Solution] A chair support device (3) that supports a chair body (2) which is equipped with at least one of a moving mechanism (22A) for moving the chair body (2) horizontally with respect to the floor surface and a rotating mechanism (25) for rotating the seat (21) with respect to the floor surface, comprising a stopper unit which includes a stopper (33) that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface, a stopper holding member (37) that allows the stopper to move up and down and holds the stopper, and a pressing member (39) that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface, and a support member (32) which is connected to the chair body and supports the stopper holding member in the stopper unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chair support device and a chair.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a chair having a lock mechanism for fixing a chair body to a floor surface is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a chair having a fixing mechanism including a stopper that presses against the floor surface, pressing means that projects the stopper toward the floor surface, and operating means that operates the pressing means, provided on a leg of a chair body with casters. In the chair described in Patent Document 1, by operating the operating means, the stopper operates to press against the floor surface, whereby the chair body with casters is fixed to the floor surface. In the chair described in Patent Document 1, a seating person can perform a leg fixing operation while remaining seated.

[0003] In addition, the chair for musical instruments described in Patent Document 2 includes a seat portion, a plurality of legs extending downward from the seat portion, and a plurality of caster accommodating portions provided at lower end portions of the plurality of legs, each having an open lower surface. Further, the chair for musical instruments includes a plurality of casters provided at lower end portions of the plurality of legs, each being capable of moving in and out between a storage position accommodated in the caster accommodating portion and a protruding position protruding below the lower surface of the caster accommodating portion with respect to the corresponding leg.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, with the chair described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for the seated person to fix their legs while standing, and they become unstable when sitting down from a non-seated position. Furthermore, the operating mechanism must be operated separately from the act of sitting down, which is not intuitive. On the other hand, the instrument chair described in Patent Document 2, unlike Patent Document 1, stops the movement of the casters by applying a downward load to the chair body, making the operation intuitive. However, because there are no armrests, users of canes, etc., become unstable when sitting down on the instrument chair. Also, the chair and the entire stopper are integrated, so if the load is applied to only one side, the force is dispersed and the fixing force decreases. Furthermore, the seat tilts and moves, making it unstable. Therefore, wheelchair users become unstable when applying the load to only one side and transferring to the chair.

[0006] In one aspect, this invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a chair support device and chair that enable stable transfers when wheelchair users or others transfer to a chair. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0008] In other words, a chair support device according to one aspect of the present invention is a chair support device that supports a chair body having at least one of a moving mechanism for moving the chair body horizontally with respect to the floor surface and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat portion with respect to the floor surface, and comprises a stopper unit having a stopper that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface, a stopper holding member that allows the up and down movement of the stopper and holds the stopper, and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface, and a support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit.

[0009] With the above configuration, by attaching the chair support device to the chair body, the force applied to the pressing member is concentrated on the stopper. Therefore, the pressing force is not dispersed, and the stopper can be fixed to the floor more efficiently. In addition, since the stopper holding member in the stopper unit is supported by the support member, even if the stopper is pressed to contact the floor, the seat will not tilt and will remain stable. As a result, for example, when a wheelchair user transfers to the chair, they can press the pressing member of the stopper unit to bring the stopper into contact with the floor and fix it in place, enabling a stable transfer.

[0010] In the chair support device relating to one aspect described above, the chair body has legs and a shaft connecting the legs and the seat, and the support member has a rotating holding member rotatably attached to the shaft and is connected to the chair body via the rotating holding member. According to the above configuration, the stopper unit is rotatably attached to the shaft of the chair body via the rotating holding member of the support member. This makes it possible for wheelchair users and others to move the stopper unit to a position around the seat that makes it easier to transfer to the chair.

[0011] In the chair support device relating to the above-described aspect, the stopper may be positioned closer to the shaft than to the outer end of the leg. With this configuration, since the stopper is positioned closer to the shaft than to the outer end of the leg, the stopper unit can be brought closer to the seat, enabling a more stable transfer when a wheelchair user or the like gets onto the chair.

[0012] In the chair support device relating to one aspect described above, the pressing member may further include a force receiving member that receives force from the user, and the force receiving member may be provided above the stopper on an axis perpendicular to the stopper. With this configuration, since the force receiving member is provided above the stopper on an axis perpendicular to the stopper, the force applied to the force receiving member can be concentrated and applied to the stopper provided perpendicularly below it, and the stopper can be securely fixed to the floor surface.

[0013] In the chair support device relating to the above aspect, the pressing member may have a pressing shaft member in which the force receiving member is provided above on the vertical axis and the stopper is provided below. With this configuration, when a wheelchair user or the like transfers to the chair, the vertical force applied to the force receiving member can be directly transmitted to the stopper directly below via the pressing shaft member, and the stopper can be fixed to the floor surface more efficiently.

[0014] In the chair support device relating to one aspect described above, the pressing shaft member may move vertically when the force receiving member receives force from the user, thereby pressing the stopper and bringing it into contact with the floor surface. With this configuration, since the pressing shaft member moves vertically when the force receiving member receives force from the user, the force received by the force receiving member can be reliably transmitted vertically downward, and the stopper can be fixed to the floor surface more efficiently.

[0015] In the chair support device relating to the above-described aspect, the force receiving member may function as an armrest of the chair body. With this configuration, the user can lock the chair's movement and rotation through natural actions such as leaning on the armrest when standing up.

[0016] In the chair support device relating to the above-described aspect, the force receiving member may have a length adjustment mechanism that extends a predetermined length in the front-rear direction of the chair body. With this configuration, since the force receiving member extends a predetermined length in the front-rear direction of the chair body, it becomes possible to make it versatile for a wide range of people.

[0017] In the chair support device relating to the above-described aspect, the stopper holding member may have an elastic member that biases the stopper in a direction away from the floor surface. With the above configuration, if no pressing force is applied to the pressing member, the stopper can be reliably separated from the floor surface.

[0018] In the chair support device relating to the above-described aspect, the stopper holding member may further include a positioning member that positions the height at which the stopper is separated upward from the floor surface. With this configuration, the height at which the stopper is raised or lowered can be adjusted by the positioning member, making it possible for wheelchair users and others to transfer to the chair more stable.

[0019] In the chair support device relating to one of the above aspects, a plurality of the stopper units may be provided.

[0020] With the above configuration, by attaching the chair support device to the chair body, multiple stopper units can operate independently, so that the force applied to one pressing member is concentrated on one stopper. Therefore, the pressing force is not dispersed, and the stopper can be fixed to the floor more efficiently. In addition, since the stopper holding members in the multiple stopper units are supported by the support members, even if one stopper is pressed to contact the floor, the seat will not tilt and will remain stable. As a result, for example, when a wheelchair user transfers to the chair, they can press the pressing member of one stopper unit to bring the stopper into contact with the floor and fix it, enabling a stable transfer.

[0021] In the chair support device according to the above aspect, the plurality of stopper units may include a first stopper unit. When the pressing member of the first stopper unit presses the stopper of the first stopper unit, the stopper of the first stopper unit may be brought into contact with the floor surface, and the stoppers of the other stopper units may not be brought into contact with the floor surface. According to the above configuration, by pressing the pressing member of the first stopper unit, only the stopper of the first stopper unit can be brought into contact with the floor surface, and the pressing force can be concentrated and applied, and the stopper can be surely fixed to the floor surface.

[0022] A chair according to an aspect of the present invention includes a chair body having at least one of a moving mechanism for horizontally moving the chair body with respect to the floor surface and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat portion with respect to the floor surface, a stopper that can move up and down relative to the floor surface, a stopper holding member that allows the lifting and lowering movement of the stopper and holds the stopper, and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface, a stopper unit including the pressing member, and a support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit.

[0023] According to the above configuration, the force on the pressing member is concentrated and applied to the stopper. Therefore, the pressing force can be fixed to the floor surface more efficiently without being dispersed. Further, since the stopper holding member in the stopper unit is supported by the support member, even if the stopper is pressed so as to contact the floor surface, the seat portion can maintain a stable state without tilting. As a result, for example, when a wheelchair user transfers to the chair, the stopper can be brought into contact with the floor surface and fixed by pressing the pressing member of the stopper unit, so that a stable transfer is possible.

[0024] In the chair according to the above aspect, the moving mechanism may have casters. According to the above configuration, the chair can be easily moved on the floor surface.

[0025] In the chair according to the above aspect, the support member may be connected to the seat portion. According to the above configuration, when a wheelchair user or the like transfers to the chair, it becomes possible to move the seat portion to a position where it is easy to transfer and then transfer.

Effects of the Invention

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a chair support device and a chair that enable stable transfer when a wheelchair user or the like transfers to the chair.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] It is an external perspective view showing an example of the chair according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the chair shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the stopper mechanism shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the stopper mechanism shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the stopper unit shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is an exploded perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the shaft support portion shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is an exploded perspective view showing the shaft support portion shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a side view for explaining the support operation of the chair body by the stopper mechanism shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] It is a view for explaining an example of the force receiving member of the stopper unit according to Modification 1.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings also show a three-dimensional coordinate system of XYZ, where the XY plane defines the horizontal plane and the Z axis defines the vertical direction (the negative Z direction is the direction of gravity).

[0029] In the following explanation, the direction in front of the chair body 2 (positive Y-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "front direction," and the direction behind it (negative Y-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "rear direction." The direction to the right of the chair body 2 (negative X-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "right direction," and the direction to the left of the chair body (positive X-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "left direction." The direction vertically upward (positive Z-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "up direction," and the direction vertically downward (negative Z-axis direction in Figure 1) will be referred to as the "down direction." When the left and right directions are referred to without distinguishing between orientations, they will be referred to as the "left-right direction," and when the up and down directions are referred to without distinguishing between orientations, they will be referred to as the "up-down direction." Furthermore, when the front and rear directions are referred to without distinguishing between orientations, they will be referred to as the "front-back direction."

[0030] [Embodiment] §1 Examples of Application First, an example of a chair 1 to which the present invention is applied will be described using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a chair 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the chair 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chair 1 comprises a chair body 2 and a stopper mechanism 3. The stopper mechanism 3 functions as an example of a chair support device.

[0031] [Chair body components] The chair body 2 comprises at least a seat 21 and legs 22, and is equipped with a rotation mechanism 25 that rotates the seat 21 relative to the legs 22. The legs 22 are also equipped with castered legs 22A, which have casters at their ends. As a result, the chair body 2 can be easily moved on the floor surface (XY plane) by the castered legs 22A. The seat 21 can also rotate relative to the floor surface by the rotation of the castered legs 22A. The castered legs 22A function as an example of a movement mechanism.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the shaft portion 23 connecting the seat portion 21 and the leg portion 22 consists of a seat-side shaft portion 23A fixed to the seat portion 21 and a leg-side shaft portion 23B fixed to the leg portion 22. Due to the rotation mechanism 25, the seat portion 21 and the leg portion 22 rotate independently of each other via the seat-side shaft portion 23A and the leg-side shaft portion 23B. Therefore, the seat portion 21 and the leg portion 22 rotate independently of each other around the shaft portion 23.

[0033] The configuration of the chair body 2 is not limited to the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2, and may be a general chair in which the seat 21 and the leg portion 22 are connected by a single shaft portion 23 and which does not have armrests.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the stopper mechanism 3 consists of a pair of stopper units 31 and a support member 32. Each stopper unit 31 has a stopper 33 at its lower end that can move up and down relative to the floor surface. Each stopper unit 31 has a stopper holding member 37 that allows the stopper 33 to move up and down and holds the stopper 33. Note that "up and down" refers to movement that includes a vector in the vertical direction, and is not limited to vertical movement, but also includes, for example, diagonal movement.

[0035] Furthermore, the support member 32 is connected to the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2 at its left-right central portion. The support member 32 has stopper holding members 37 of each stopper unit 31 attached to both ends in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), and supports the stopper holding members 37 at a predetermined height relative to the floor surface. As a result, the stopper 33 is normally spaced at a predetermined height above the floor surface, for example, about 1 cm to 3 cm above, and is pressed from above to make contact with the floor surface.

[0036] As a result, the stopper mechanism 3 allows each of the pair of stopper units 31 to operate independently. Therefore, the force applied to either one of the pair of stopper units 31 is concentrated on one stopper 33, more efficiently bringing the stopper 33 into contact with the floor surface, supporting the chair body 2, and stopping and fixing its movement. Consequently, for example, when a wheelchair user transfers to the chair 1, a stable transfer becomes possible by pressing one of the stoppers 33 of the pair of stopper units 31 from above and bringing it into contact with the floor surface. Such effects contribute, for example, to achieving Goal 3 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all."

[0037] §2 Example Configuration [Outline configuration of the stopper mechanism] Next, the schematic configuration of the stopper mechanism 3 will be described based on Figures 2 to 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the stopper mechanism 3. Figure 4 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the stopper mechanism 3. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the stopper mechanism 3 consists of a pair of stopper units 31 and a support member 32. The support member 32 has four support beams 32A and a rotation holding member 35. As shown in Figure 2, a pair of stopper units 31 are provided on both the left and right sides of the seat portion 21 of the chair body 2, but only one unit may be provided on either the left or right side.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotation holding member 35 is composed of a pair of semi-cylindrical main body portions 35A. Each semi-cylindrical main body portion 35A has a pair of rib portions 35B extending radially outward (outward in the left-right direction) from both side edges along the axial direction. The pair of main body portions 35A sandwich the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2 from the front-rear direction (both sides in the Y-axis direction), with the inner surfaces of each rib portion 35B in contact with it. Each rib portion 35B is then fastened by bolts or the like, and is rotatably attached to the leg-side shaft portion 23B.

[0039] Furthermore, on the outer circumferential surface of each semi-cylindrical main body portion 35A, two rectangular grooves 35C are formed, parallel to each rib portion 35B, along the left-right direction (X-axis direction), at the top and bottom. The central portion of each support beam 32A, which is formed in the shape of a rectangular rod, is fitted into these grooves 35C and fixed by screws or the like. The support beams 32A are preferably made of metal such as aluminum.

[0040] The ends of each rod-shaped support beam 32A, fixed to the rotation-holding member 35, are inserted into each of the four rectangular through-holes 37A formed in the roughly rectangular stopper-holding member 37 of the pair of stopper units 31, and are fixed by bolting. Each through-hole 37A of the stopper-holding member 37 penetrates along the left-right direction (X-axis direction). In addition, through-holes (not shown) for inserting bolts are formed at both ends of each support beam 32A along the front-back direction (Y-axis direction). As a result, as shown in Figure 2, the support member 32 is attached to the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2. Furthermore, each stopper-holding member 37 of the pair of stopper units 31 is attached to both ends of each support beam 32A, and is supported at a predetermined height relative to the floor surface.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, when the support member 32 is rotatably attached to the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2, the stoppers 33 of each stopper unit 31 are positioned closer to the shaft portion 23 than the outer end of the caster-equipped leg 22A of the leg portion 22. In addition, each stopper 33 is spaced a predetermined height above the floor, for example, about 1 cm to 3 cm above. As a result, each stopper unit 31 can be brought closer to the seat portion 21.

[0042] [Outline configuration of the stopper unit] Next, the general configuration of the stopper unit 31 will be described based on Figures 3 to 7. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the general configuration of the stopper unit 31. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the general configuration of the stopper holding member 37. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the stopper holding member 37.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the stopper unit 31 consists of a pressing member 39, a stopper holding member 37, a stopper 33, a compression coil spring 41, and a positioning member 42. The pressing member 39 consists of a force receiving member 39A that receives force from the user, and a pressing shaft 39B that moves vertically in conjunction with the force receiving member 39A.

[0044] The force receiving member 39A has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped elbow rest portion 45 that is long in the front-rear direction, a pipe-shaped mounting portion 46 that extends vertically downward from the rear end of the bottom surface of the elbow rest portion 45, and a long plate-shaped reinforcing portion 47 that connects the front end of the bottom surface of the elbow rest portion 45 to the lower end of the mounting portion 46. The mounting portion 46 has a hole with a roughly square cross-section formed on the inside along the axial direction. The upper end of the pressing shaft 39B, which is formed from a pipe with a roughly square cross-section, is inserted into the mounting portion 46 from vertically downward and fixed by press-fitting, adhesive, or by a screw.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, the pressing shaft 39B is formed from a metal pipe such as aluminum with a roughly square cross-section, and on each side surface in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and left-to-right direction (X-axis direction), a narrow groove 51 with a roughly rectangular cross-section is formed in the center of each side in the width direction, extending along its entire length.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the stopper holding member 37 is composed of a pair of main body parts 53 that clamp the pressing shaft 39B from the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) and hold it so that it can move in the vertical direction. The pair of main body parts 53 are formed in the same shape and each consists of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shaft support part 53A and a substantially semi-cylindrical coil support part 53B. The shaft support part 53A is provided with four bolt insertion holes 55 that penetrate along the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) so as to be perpendicular to each through hole 37A through which the support beam 32A is inserted.

[0047] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a groove 56 with a roughly rectangular cross-section is formed along the entire height in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) at the center of the left-right direction (X-axis direction) on the inner surface of the shaft support portion 53A, into which the front-to-back half of the pressing shaft 39B is inserted. A guide rib 56A protrudes from the center of the bottom surface of the groove 56 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) along the entire height in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and is inserted into the groove 51 of the pressing shaft 39B.

[0048] Furthermore, a roughly semi-cylindrical coil support portion 53B protrudes upward from the periphery of the upper end of the groove portion 56, surrounding the outside of the compression coil spring 41 through which the pressing shaft 39B is inserted. The height of the coil support portion 53B is set to a predetermined height, for example, about 1 cm to 3 cm lower than the height of the compression coil spring 41.

[0049] Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, after inserting the compression coil spring 41 onto the pressing shaft 39B, the pressing shaft 39B is sandwiched between the shaft support portions 53A of the pair of main body portions 53, and the compression coil spring 41 is sandwiched between the coil support portions 53B. In this case, the compression coil spring 41 is held by the pair of main body portions 53 with its upper end protruding a predetermined height upward from the coil support portion 53B.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the pressing shaft 39B has a positioning member 42 that abuts against the upper end of the compression coil spring 41. The positioning member 42 is composed of two members, the tips of which are inserted into grooves 51 on the left and right sides of the pressing shaft 39B, and is configured to be fixed by bolting or the like while sandwiching any position on the pressing shaft 39B. In addition, the positioning member 42 is set to protrude outward from the upper end of the compression coil spring 41, for example, to the rear.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the stopper 33 is formed in a roughly trapezoidal shape when viewed from the side and a rectangular shape when viewed from above, elongated in the front-to-back direction. The lower end of the pressing shaft 39B is inserted into a bottomed recess 33A with a roughly square cross-section formed in the center of the upper end of the stopper 33 and fixed by a screw threaded through a screw hole 33B formed on the side surface of the stopper 33. In addition, guide ribs (not shown) protrude inward along the entire height in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) from the inner circumferential surface of the bottomed recess 33A, and are inserted into grooves 51 formed on each side surface of the pressing shaft 39B in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and left-to-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0052] Accordingly, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the ends of each support beam 32A of the support member 32 are inserted through the through holes 37A of the pair of main body parts 53 that constitute the stopper holding member 37, and then bolts are inserted through the bolt insertion holes 55 to fasten them. As a result, the stopper unit 31 is attached to the support member 32, and the stopper holding member 37 is supported at a predetermined height relative to the floor surface. In addition, the compression coil spring 41 held by the pair of main body parts 53 that constitute the stopper holding member 37 biases the pressing shaft 39B upward (positive Z-axis direction) away from the floor surface via the positioning member 42. The compression coil spring 41 functions as an example of an elastic member.

[0053] As a result, the pressing member 39 and the stopper 33 are biased upward (positive Z-axis direction) away from the floor surface via the positioning member 42 by the compression coil spring 41. Furthermore, by changing the mounting position of the positioning member 42 on the pressing shaft 39B in the vertical direction, the height at which the stopper 33 is separated upward from the floor surface can be adjusted, thereby enabling proper positioning.

[0054] §3 Example of Operation Next, an example of the support operation of the chair body 2 by the stopper mechanism 3 of the chair 1 configured as described above will be explained based on Figure 8. Figure 8 is a side view illustrating the support operation of the chair body 2 by the stopper mechanism 3.

[0055] As shown on the left side of Figure 8, under normal conditions, the positioning member 42 is lifted upward by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 41 held by the stopper holding member 37 in the stopper unit 31 of the stopper mechanism 3. As a result, the pressing shaft 39B to which the positioning member 42 is attached is lifted upward by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 41, and the stopper 33 attached to the lower end of the pressing shaft 39B is moved upward by a predetermined height H1 from the floor surface 58. Note that the height H2 from the lower end of the positioning member 42 to the upper end of the stopper holding member 37 is set to be greater than the height H1 from the floor surface 58 to the lower end surface of the stopper 33.

[0056] Next, as shown on the right side of Figure 8, the user of chair 1 can fix the stopper 33 directly below the force receiving member 39A to the floor surface 58 by holding the force receiving member 39A of the pressing member 39 and pushing it downward against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 41. The positioning member 42 is also located close to the upper end of the stopper holding member 37.

[0057] As described in detail above, in the chair 1 according to this embodiment, since the pair of stopper units 31 can operate independently, the force applied to one pressing member 39 is concentrated and applied to one stopper 33. Therefore, the pressing force is not dispersed, and the stopper 33 can be more efficiently brought into contact with the floor surface and fixed in place.

[0058] Furthermore, since the stopper holding members 37 in the pair of stopper units 31 are supported by the support member 32 at a predetermined height relative to the floor surface, even if one stopper 33 is pressed to contact the floor surface, the seat 21 will not tilt and will remain stable. As a result, for example, when a wheelchair user transfers to the chair 1, they can press the pressing member 39 of one of the stopper units 31 to bring the stopper 33 into contact with the floor surface and fix it in place, enabling a stable transfer.

[0059] Furthermore, the stopper unit 31 is rotatably attached to the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2 via the rotation-holding member 35 of the support member 32. This allows wheelchair users and others to move the stopper unit 31 to a position around the seat portion 21 that facilitates transfer when getting onto the chair 1.

[0060] Furthermore, since the stopper 33 is positioned closer to the shaft portion 23 than the outer end of the caster leg 22A, the stopper unit 31 can be brought closer to the seat portion 21, enabling a more stable transfer when a wheelchair user or others transfer onto the chair 1.

[0061] Furthermore, when a wheelchair user or others transfers to chair 1, the vertical force applied to the force receiving member 39A can be directly transmitted to the stopper 33 directly below via the pressing shaft 39B, allowing the stopper 33 to be fixed to the floor surface more efficiently.

[0062] Furthermore, the lifting height of the stopper 33 can be adjusted by the positioning member 42, allowing for a more stable transfer when wheelchair users or others move onto the chair 1.

[0063] §4 Variant Modified examples of the above embodiments will now be described. For the sake of convenience, in the following description, components having the same function as those described in the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0064] [Example 1] Next, the force receiving member 39A of the stopper unit 31 according to Modification 1 will be described based on Figure 9. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the force receiving member 39A of the stopper unit 31 according to Modification 1.

[0065] As shown in Figure 9, the force receiving member 39A of the stopper unit 31, which functions as an armrest, may have a length adjustment mechanism 63 that extends a predetermined length, for example, about 3 cm to 5 cm, in the front-to-back direction (positive Y-axis direction) of the chair body 2.

[0066] For example, the force receiving member 39A consists of a main body 61 whose lower surface is fixed to the upper ends of the mounting portion 46 and the reinforcing portion 47, a cover portion 62 that covers the front, top, and both left and right sides of the main body 61, and a length adjustment mechanism 63. The length adjustment mechanism 63 is configured to allow the cover portion 62 to slide relative to the main body 61 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction). As a result, the cover portion 62 is provided so that it can slide and extend from a state where it overlaps the top of the main body 61 to a predetermined length, for example, about 3 cm to 5 cm in the forward direction (positive Y-axis direction).

[0067] Furthermore, for example, the length adjustment mechanism 63 may be configured so that the cover portion 62 can be stored inside the main body portion 61 in a folded state. In this way, the length adjustment mechanism 63 may be configured to extend to a predetermined length, for example, about 3 cm to 5 cm in the forward direction (positive Y-axis direction), by pulling out and unfolding the cover portion 62 relative to the main body portion 61 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction).

[0068] As a result, the force receiving member 39A extends to a predetermined length by sliding the cover portion 62 in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction), making it possible to make it versatile for a wide range of users.

[0069] [Differentiation 2] Furthermore, for example, the legs 22 of the chair body 2 do not have a movement mechanism, that is, they do not have casters. Alternatively, the chair body 2 does not have a rotation mechanism 25 that rotates the seat 21 relative to the floor. This makes it possible, for example, for wheelchair users to transfer to the chair 1 with less movement of the seat 21.

[0070] [Difference 3] The stopper 33 may be positioned outside the outer end of the caster leg 22A. Alternatively, the stopper 33 may be formed in an arc shape centered on the leg-side shaft portion 23B. This ensures that when the stopper unit 31 is rotated around the rotation-holding member 35 of the support member 32, contact between the stopper 33 and the outer end of the caster leg 22A is reliably avoided. Furthermore, the contact area of ​​the stopper 33 with the floor surface can be increased, enabling more stable transfers when wheelchair users or others transfer to the chair 1.

[0071] [Differentiation Example 4] Furthermore, the stopper unit 31 is not limited to a pair of left and right units. For example, if the chair 1 does not have a backrest, four support beams 32A may be provided in the rearward direction (negative Y-axis direction) from the rotation holding member 35, and the stopper holding member 37 of the stopper unit 31 may be attached to the rear end of each support beam 32A. This makes it possible to arrange three stopper units 31 around the chair body 2, enabling a more stable transfer when a wheelchair user or others transfer to the chair 1. Moreover, four or more stopper units 31 may be arranged around the chair body 2.

[0072] [Difference 5] Furthermore, for example, a damper portion that reduces the upward speed of the pressing member 39 may be provided between the positioning member 42 and the stopper holding member 37. This allows the pressing member 39 to rise slowly, preventing it from jumping unexpectedly.

[0073] [Modification 6] Alternatively, for example, both ends of each support beam 32A of the support member 32 may extend beyond the outer ends of the caster legs 22A. Alternatively, multiple holes or grooves for the ball or pin at the tip of the plunger may be formed at predetermined intervals in each support beam 32A of the support member 32. Then, both ends of each support beam 32A may be inserted into the through holes 37A of the stopper holding member 37, and the tips of the plungers provided on the stopper holding member 37 may be fitted into the holes or grooves of each support beam 32A to position and attach them. This makes it possible to change the distance between the pair of stopper units 31 in the left-right direction, enabling a more stable transfer when a wheelchair user or the like transfers to the chair 1.

[0074] [Difference 7] Furthermore, for example, the stopper 33 may be formed in a cross shape in plan view, with a horizontally elongated, roughly trapezoidal shape in side view and extending in the front-to-back direction (Y-axis direction) and left-to-right direction (X-axis direction) with approximately the same width as the rectangular shape in plan view. This increases the contact area of ​​the stopper 33 with the floor surface, enabling a more stable transfer when a wheelchair user or the like moves onto the chair 1.

[0075] [Differentiation 8] Alternatively, the support member 32 may be connected to the underside of the seat 21. For example, the rotation-holding member 35 of the support member 32 may be fitted onto the outer circumference of the rotation mechanism 25, and the upper end of the rotation-holding member 35 may be attached to the underside of the seat 21 by screwing it in or the like. This makes it possible for wheelchair users or others to move the seat 21 to a position that makes it easier to transfer to the chair 1.

[0076] [Modification 9] Furthermore, for example, the stopper mechanism 3, which functions as an example of a chair support device, may be retrofitted to the chair body 2. Specifically, the rotation holding member 35 of the support member 32 is attached to the leg-side shaft portion 23B of the chair body 2 by bolting, and then each support beam 32A is fixed to the outer surface of the rotation holding member 35 by screws, etc. After that, the approximately rectangular parallelepiped-shaped stopper holding members 37 of the pair of stopper units 31 may be fixed to both ends of each support beam 32A by bolting, etc. This allows the stopper mechanism 3 to be retrofitted to the chair body 2.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0078] [Additional Notes] The chair support device of the first embodiment is a chair support device that supports a chair body having at least one of a moving mechanism for moving the chair body horizontally with respect to the floor surface and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat portion with respect to the floor surface, and comprises a stopper unit having a stopper that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface, a stopper holding member that allows the up and down movement of the stopper and holds the stopper, and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface, and a support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit.

[0079] A second embodiment is a chair support device according to the first embodiment, wherein the chair body has legs and a shaft connecting the legs and the seat, and the support member has a rotating holding member rotatably attached to the shaft and is connected to the chair body via the rotating holding member.

[0080] A third embodiment is a chair support device according to the second embodiment, wherein the stopper is positioned on the shaft side of the outer end of the leg.

[0081] The fourth embodiment is a chair support device according to any one embodiment of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the pressing member further comprises a force receiving member that receives force from the user, and the force receiving member is provided above the stopper on an axis perpendicular to the stopper.

[0082] The fifth embodiment is a chair support device according to the fourth embodiment, wherein the pressing member has a pressing shaft member on which the force receiving member is provided above on the vertical axis and the stopper is provided below.

[0083] The sixth embodiment is a chair support device according to the fifth embodiment, wherein the pressing shaft member moves vertically when the force receiving member receives force from the user, thereby pressing the stopper and bringing it into contact with the floor surface.

[0084] The seventh embodiment is a chair support device according to any one embodiment of the fourth to sixth embodiments, wherein the force receiving member functions as an armrest of the chair body.

[0085] The eighth aspect is a chair support device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the force receiving member has a length adjustment mechanism that extends a predetermined length in the front-rear direction of the chair body.

[0086] The ninth aspect is a chair support device according to any one aspect of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the stopper holding member has an elastic member that biases the stopper in a direction away from the floor surface.

[0087] The tenth embodiment is a chair support device according to the ninth embodiment, wherein the stopper holding member further includes a positioning member for positioning the height at which the stopper is separated upward from the floor surface.

[0088] The eleventh embodiment is a chair support device according to any one embodiment of the first to tenth embodiments, comprising a plurality of the stopper units.

[0089] The twelfth embodiment is a chair support device according to the eleventh embodiment, wherein the plurality of stopper units include a first stopper unit, and when the pressing member of the first stopper unit presses the stopper of the first stopper unit, the stopper of the first stopper unit is brought into contact with the floor surface, while the stoppers of the other stopper units are not brought into contact with the floor surface.

[0090] The chair of the 13th embodiment comprises a chair body having at least one of a moving mechanism for moving the chair body horizontally with respect to the floor surface and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat with respect to the floor surface; a stopper unit having a stopper that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface; a stopper holding member that allows the up and down movement of the stopper and holds the stopper; and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface; and a support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit.

[0091] The 14th embodiment is a chair according to the 13th embodiment, wherein the moving mechanism has casters.

[0092] The 15th embodiment is a chair according to the 13th or 14th embodiment, wherein the support member is connected to the seat portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 1: Chair, 2: Chair body, 3: Stopper mechanism, 21: Seat, 22: Legs, 22A: Caster legs, 23: Shaft, 25: Rotation mechanism, 31: Stopper unit, 32: Support member, 33: Stopper, 35: Rotation holding member, 37: Stopper holding member, 39: Pressing member, 39A: Force receiving member, 39B: Pressing shaft, 41: Compression coil spring, 42: Positioning member, 45: Armrest, 63: Sliding mechanism

Claims

1. A chair support device for supporting a chair body, comprising at least one of a moving mechanism for moving the chair body horizontally relative to the floor surface, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat relative to the floor surface, A stopper unit comprising: a stopper that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface; a stopper holding member that allows the up and down movement of the stopper and holds the stopper; and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface. A support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit, A chair support device equipped with the following features.

2. The chair body has legs and a shaft connecting the legs and the seat. The support member has a rotating holding member rotatably attached to the shaft portion and is connected to the chair body via the rotating holding member. The chair support device according to claim 1.

3. The chair support device according to claim 2, wherein the stopper is positioned on the shaft side of the outer end of the leg.

4. The pressing member further comprises a force receiving member that receives force from the user, The chair support device according to claim 1, wherein the force receiving member is provided above the stopper on an axis perpendicular to the stopper.

5. The chair support device according to claim 4, wherein the pressing member has a pressing shaft member on which the force receiving member is provided above on the vertical axis and the stopper is provided below.

6. The chair support device according to claim 5, wherein the pressing shaft member moves vertically when the force receiving member receives force from the user, thereby pressing the stopper and bringing it into contact with the floor surface.

7. The chair support device according to claim 4, wherein the force receiving member functions as an armrest of the chair body.

8. The chair support device according to claim 7, wherein the force receiving member has a length adjustment mechanism that extends a predetermined length in the front-rear direction of the chair body.

9. The chair support device according to claim 1, wherein the stopper holding member has an elastic member that biases the stopper in a direction away from the floor surface.

10. The chair support device according to claim 9, wherein the stopper holding member further comprises a positioning member for positioning the height at which the stopper is separated upward from the floor surface.

11. The chair support device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the stopper units.

12. The plurality of stopper units include a first stopper unit, When the pressing member of the first stopper unit presses the stopper of the first stopper unit, the stopper of the first stopper unit is brought into contact with the floor surface, while the stoppers of other stopper units are prevented from coming into contact with the floor surface. The chair support device according to claim 11.

13. A chair body comprising at least one of a moving mechanism for moving the chair body horizontally relative to the floor surface, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the seat relative to the floor surface, A stopper unit comprising: a stopper that moves up and down so as to be able to move toward and away from the floor surface; a stopper holding member that allows the up and down movement of the stopper and holds the stopper; and a pressing member that presses the stopper and brings it into contact with the floor surface. A support member connected to the chair body and supporting the stopper holding member in the stopper unit, A chair equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

14. The chair according to claim 13, wherein the moving mechanism has casters.

15. The chair according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the support member is connected to the seat.

Images