furniture

Abstract

To provide a fixture that offers excellent ease of installation and features a component mounting structure that allows for secure and firm fixation. [Solution] The fixture 1 according to the present invention comprises a mounting member 30 and a member to be mounted 28 to which the mounting member 30 is fixed. The mounting member 30 has a locking projection 32 erected at a predetermined position, and the member to be mounted 28 has a locking hole 28a into which the locking projection 32 enters. The mounting member 30 and the member to be mounted 28 are fixed to each other by inserting a pin member 34 into the locking projection 32 with the locking projection 32 entered into the locking hole 28a, thereby pushing the locking projection 32 radially open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to furniture.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a chair suitably used in an office, a meeting space, etc., a chair that can be stacked (stacked) in the vertical direction with respect to other chairs having the same structure is known. In such a chair, a resin spacer may be provided to prevent the chairs from contacting and being damaged during stacking (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-180480).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the chair exemplified in Patent Document 1, the spacer is attached to the frame formed of a pipe material using screws.

[0005] However, in this configuration, when the frame is formed of a thin-walled pipe material, the screwing between the screw and the frame becomes insufficient, and the spacer cannot be firmly fixed. On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention also considered fixing using a resin rivet (also called a "push rivet", "screw rivet", "rivet clip", etc.), but since the resin rivet is composed of two parts, a rivet body (leg portion) and a pin that fits into the rivet body, the problem of being weak against an external force could not be solved.

[0006] Furthermore, when installing the spacers, it was necessary to visually align the screw holes on the frame with the screw holes on the spacers, and because the frame surface was curved, it was not possible to temporarily place the spacers, resulting in poor installation.

[0007] Furthermore, because the frame is bent with pre-drilled screw holes, there was a risk that the screw holes would become distorted, making it difficult to install the spacers.

[0008] These challenges are not limited to the chair example mentioned above. In furniture (for example, desks and shelves), there is a desire to attach components with some function to the frame or panels, and similar challenges can arise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a fixture that has a component mounting structure that is easy to install and can be firmly fixed.

[0010] The present invention solves the above problem by a solution described below as one embodiment.

[0011] The fixture according to this embodiment comprises a mounting member and a member to which the mounting member is fixed, wherein the mounting member has a locking projection erected at a predetermined position, the member to which the locking projection enters a locking hole, and the mounting member and the member to which

[0012] Furthermore, the pin member is preferably a tapping screw.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the member to be attached is formed using pipe material.

[0014] Further, it is preferable that the attached member has a configuration in which bending is performed in a state where the locking hole is formed.

[0015] In addition, when the mounting member is stacked vertically with respect to other furniture having the same shape, it is preferable that the mounting member is a spacer that abuts against the other furniture.

[0016] Further, the locking protrusion is divided into a plurality of leg portions by forming a slit, and the slit is formed so that the plurality of leg portions are arranged on an axis of the spacer and an axis orthogonal to the axis.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide furniture having a member mounting structure that is excellent in attachment property and enables strong fixing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an example of furniture according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a state in which the furniture shown in FIG. 1 is stacked. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the seat. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of the spacer. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of the spacer shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from another direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the locking protrusion, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing the locking protrusion in a state where the pin member is inserted. [Figure 7] It is an exploded perspective view for explaining the attachment of the spacer. 。[[ID=?]] [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 2.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above the upper right front showing an example of the furniture 1 according to the present embodiment. For convenience of explanation, in the drawings, the directions of up and down, left and right, and front and back may be indicated by arrows.

[0020] The furniture 1 is a chair that is preferably used in an office, a meeting space, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, it is configured such that other furniture 1 having the same shape can be stacked in the vertical direction (it is also possible to stack three or more legs). Hereinafter, the furniture 1 on the lower stage side and the reference numerals of its constituent members may be distinguished by adding the letter "D" at the end, and the furniture 1 on the upper stage side and the reference numerals of its constituent members may be distinguished by adding the letter "U" at the end.

[0021] The furniture 1 includes a seat 2 and a support frame 3 that supports the seat 2.

[0022] Here, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the seat 2 (partially including the support frame 3). As shown in FIG. 3, the seat 2 includes a seat plate 10 and a cushion material 12 stretched so as to cover the upper part and the peripheral part of the seat plate 10. Note that it is also possible to use the seat plate as the seat 2 without the cushion material.

[0023] The support frame 3 is mainly composed of a cylindrical pipe material formed using a metal material (such as steel or stainless steel), and a plurality of members are integrally formed by welding or the like.

[0024] First, the support frame 3 comprises a pair of left and right leg frames (pipes) 20, 20 formed by bending a single pipe to create the front leg 20A and the rear leg 20B. The leg frames 20 are shaped such that the front leg 20A and the rear leg 20B are spaced further apart in the front-rear direction as they extend downwards, and the upper and lower ends are curved laterally in a "V" shape. The front leg 20A and the rear leg 20B can also be formed from different pipe materials (i.e., the leg frame 20 can be formed by combining multiple pipe materials), but by bending a single pipe material as in this embodiment, the bent portion can be used as a gripping portion 20C. Height adjusters 22 are attached to the lower ends of the front leg 20A and the rear leg 20B, respectively.

[0025] The support frame 3 also includes a pair of front and rear connecting frames (pipes) 24, 24 that horizontally connect the leg frames 20, 20 near their upper ends, and a pair of left and right seat mounting plates 26, 26 that are installed between the connecting frames 24, 24. The seat mounting plates 26 have multiple mounting holes 26a, and the seat 2 is attached to the support frame 3 with the seat placed on the connecting frames 24 by inserting fixing members (not shown, for example, bolts) through the mounting holes 26a and mounting holes 10a drilled in the seat plate 10.

[0026] Furthermore, the support frame 3 includes an arc-shaped stack frame (pipe) 28 installed between the front legs 20A and the rear legs 20B. The stack frame 28 is a component that prevents damage or deformation of the seat 2 (especially the cushioning material 12) when multiple furniture units 1 are stacked vertically. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the leg frames 20D and connecting frames 24D of the lower furniture unit 1D come into contact with the stack frame 28U of the upper furniture unit 1U, thereby creating a certain space between the seat 2D of furniture unit 1D and the connecting frame 24U of furniture unit 1U. Here, spacers 30 are attached to the underside of the stack frame 28, which prevents contact between the support frames 3D and 3U (especially collisions during stacking) (details will be described later).

[0027] Next, the spacer 30 will be described in detail. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the spacer 30 from above, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spacer 30 from below. The spacer 30 is a cylindrical body with a roughly U-shaped cross-section that opens upward, and is made of resin material. A pin hole 31 into which a pin member 34, which will be described later, can enter is drilled on the bottom surface of the spacer 30, and a cylindrical locking projection 32 is erected from the periphery of the pin hole 31 upward. In this embodiment, one pin hole 31 and one locking projection 32 are formed at each end of the spacer 30, but the number and position of formation are not limited thereto. The locking projection 32 is divided into multiple (four in this embodiment) leg portions 32A by forming a slit 36 ​​from the tip to the base. When the pin member 34 is inserted through the pin hole 31, the locking projection 32 elastically deforms so that the leg portions 32A are pushed out radially (radially). Here, Figure 6A is a perspective view of the locking projection 32, and Figure 6B is a perspective view showing the state in which the pin member 34 is fitted into the locking projection 32 and the leg portion 32A is spread open.

[0028] To attach the spacer 30 to the stack frame 28, insert the locking projection 32 into the locking hole 28a drilled in the lower surface of the stack frame 28, and then insert the pin member 34 into the locking projection 32 through the pin hole 31 (see Figure 7). This operation causes the legs 32A of the locking projection 32 to spread radially within the stack frame 28, fixing the stack frame 28 and the spacer 30 to each other.

[0029] According to the above mounting structure, the spacer 30 itself elastically deforms and is fixed to the stack frame 28, so the spacer 30 can be firmly fixed regardless of the thickness of the stack frame 28. In addition, by configuring the locking projection 32 to be inserted into the locking hole 28a, the positioning of the spacer 30 becomes easy, and the spacer 30 can be temporarily placed even on the curved surface of the stack frame 28, thus providing excellent mounting performance. Furthermore, by adjusting the amount of insertion of the pin member 34, the amount of deformation (leg opening) of the leg portion 32A, i.e., the fastening force, can be adjusted. Although removal of the spacer 30 during use is not anticipated, the spacer 30 can be removed by detaching the pin member 34, which is advantageous, for example, when disposing of the product.

[0030] In this embodiment, a tapping screw is used as the pin member 34. This allows for stronger fastening because the tapping screw is screwed into the inner wall of the locking projection 32 (leg portion 32A) while threading it. However, the pin member 34 only needs to be configured to fit into the locking projection 32, and other types of screws or pins without threads may also be used. Furthermore, it may be a commercially available product or one that is specially manufactured.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the stack frame 28 is bent with the locking holes 28a already drilled, distortion may occur in the locking holes 28a (they may no longer be perfectly round). In contrast, the spacer 30 has locking projections 32 (legs 32A) that are elastically deformable, so it is not affected by a certain degree of distortion in the locking holes 28a, and the locking projections 32 can be easily inserted. Moreover, since the legs 32A spread out according to the shape of the locking holes 28a, the spacer 30 can be securely fixed.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slit 36 ​​of the locking projection 32 is formed in a cross shape, with the legs 32A positioned on the axis of the spacer 30 and on an axis passing through the center of the locking projection 32 and perpendicular to that axis. This configuration allows for strong fastening force against external forces in the axial direction (substantially front-back direction) and perpendicular to that direction (substantially left-right direction) of the spacer 30. However, the shape of the slit 36 ​​is not limited to this, and the number and arrangement of the legs 32A can be changed as appropriate. In particular, the ability to freely set the arrangement of the legs 32A allows for adaptation to external forces in various directions. In addition, by forming the slit 36 ​​so that the inside of the legs 32A is tapered, the amount of deformation (leg opening) of the legs 32A can be adjusted.

[0033] Incidentally, conventionally, stackable fixtures have had the problem of wobbling due to play between the upper and lower fixtures. In particular, when stacking frames or spacers are provided to create a certain amount of space between fixtures, as in this embodiment, the stacking height increases, resulting in an unstable overall state.

[0034] To address this issue, in this embodiment, the spacer 30 has a side groove 38 formed on its side surface and a bottom groove 40 formed on its bottom surface. Here, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 2 (an enlarged view of a part thereof), and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Figure 2 (an enlarged view of a part thereof).

[0035] When another fixture 1U is stacked on top of fixture 1D, the side groove 38U of the spacer 30U of fixture 1U abuts against the side of the leg frame 20D of fixture 1D (see Figure 8), and the bottom groove 40U of the spacer 30U of fixture 1U abuts against the top surface of the connecting frame 24D of fixture 1D (see Figure 9). This allows the relative position (up / down, left / right, and front / back) of fixture 1U with respect to fixture 1D to be positioned such that the support frames 3D (leg frame 20D and connecting frame 24D) and 3U (leg frame 20U and connecting frame 24U) do not come into contact with each other. Furthermore, the leg frame 20D is locked into the side groove 38U, restricting the lateral movement of the support frame 3U (leg frame 20U), and the connecting frame 24D is locked into the bottom groove 40U, restricting the forward and backward movement of the support frame 3U (connecting frame 24U). Therefore, horizontal wobbling between the fixture 1D and fixture 1U can be suppressed, and stable stacking can be achieved.

[0036] In other words, the fixture 1 according to this embodiment is stackable vertically with other fixtures having the same shape and comprises a frame that forms part or all of the framework, and a spacer that is fixed at a predetermined position on the frame and guides and positions the other fixtures to a stacking position in which at least the frames do not come into contact with each other when the other fixtures are stacked.

[0037] Furthermore, the spacer is configured to restrict the horizontal movement of the frame of the other fixture.

[0038] Furthermore, the spacer is equipped with side grooves and bottom grooves for engaging the frame of the other fixture.

[0039] As an example of fixture 1, a chair that can be stacked vertically was used in the explanation, but the invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, although a spacer 30 was used as an example of a mounting member and a stack frame 28 as a member to be mounted, the present invention can also be applied to mounting members other than the spacer 30 and members to be mounted other than the stack frame 28. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1. Fixtures 2nd seat 3. Support frame 20 Leg Frames 24 connecting frames 28 stack frames 30 Spacers 32 Locking protrusion 34 Pin component

Claims

1. It comprises a mounting member and a member to be mounted to which the mounting member is fixed, The mounting member has a locking projection erected at a predetermined position, The member to be attached has a locking hole into which the locking projection enters, The mounting member and the member to be mounted are fixed to each other by inserting the locking projection into the locking hole, inserting a pin member into the locking projection, and then pushing the locking projection radially open. A fixture characterized by the following features.

2. The pin member is a tapping screw. The fixture according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The member to be attached is formed using pipe material. The fixture according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

4. The mounting member is configured to be bent in a state in which the locking hole is formed. A fixture according to claim 1 or claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The aforementioned mounting member is a spacer that comes into contact with other fixtures of the same shape when stacked vertically with other fixtures of the same shape. The fixture according to claim 4, characterized by the following:

6. The aforementioned locking projection is divided into multiple leg portions by the formation of slits. The slit is formed such that the plurality of legs are positioned on the axis of the spacer and on an axis perpendicular to the axis. The fixture according to claim 5, characterized by the following:

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