Upholstery attachment structure and chair

Abstract

This provides a fabric mounting structure that offers excellent ease of installation while ensuring reliable retention. [Solution] This upholstery mounting structure attaches the upholstery 40 to the frame 20 by inserting the upholstery 40, which has a strip-shaped member 50 fixed to its periphery, into a locking groove 20m formed in the frame 20. The locking groove 20m has a locking claw 20t erected inside, and the strip-shaped member 50 has a shank portion 52 that is fixed to the upholstery 40 and a bent portion 54 that is folded back from the tip of the shank portion 52. The bent portion 54 enters the locking groove 20m while being crushed by the locking claw 20t, and after passing the locking claw 20t it returns to its original shape and is locked to the locking claw 20t.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tension fabric mounting structure and a chair provided with the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a mounting structure for a tension fabric that covers the backrest of a chair, a belt-like member is fixed to the periphery of the tension fabric, and the belt-like member is pushed into a groove formed in the back frame and locked.

[0003] For example, in the chair exemplified in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-050315), engaging protrusions are erected inside a groove formed in the backrest main body, and a through-hole formed in a belt-like member is engaged with the engaging protrusions to prevent the tension fabric from coming off.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in this configuration, there is a problem that the alignment between the engaging protrusion and the through-hole is strict and the attachment property is poor.

[0006] In addition, it is easily affected by the thickness of the belt-like member. When the belt-like member is thick, engaging the through-hole with the engaging protrusion becomes a laborious task (for example, a task using a hammer). When the belt-like member is thin, the engagement between the engaging protrusion and the through-hole becomes insufficient and the tension fabric easily comes off.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an upholstery attachment structure that offers excellent ease of installation and reliable retention of the fabric, as well as a chair equipped with said upholstery attachment structure.

[0008] The present invention solves the above problem by a solution described below as one embodiment.

[0009] The upholstery mounting structure according to this embodiment is an upholstery mounting structure for attaching upholstery, which has a strip-shaped member fixed to its periphery, to a frame by inserting the upholstery into a locking groove formed in the frame, wherein the locking groove has a locking claw erected inside, and the strip-shaped member has a shank portion that is fixed to the upholstery and a bent portion that is folded back from the tip of the shank portion, wherein the bent portion enters the locking groove while being crushed by the locking claw, and after passing through the locking claw, it returns to its original shape and is locked to the locking claw.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the bent portion has a hinge portion formed with a thin wall.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the hinge portion is formed near the base end of the bend portion.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the shank portion has a thin-walled section formed at the tip end.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the locking claws are erected so as to protrude forward from the rear surface of the locking groove, and that the upholstery is inserted into the locking groove in a state where it is folded in the opposite direction to the folding direction of the bend portion.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the strip-shaped member is fastened to the upholstery in such a manner that it is wrapped around the upholstery between the shank portion and the bend portion.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferable that the strip-shaped member is formed using a resin material.

[0016] Furthermore, it is preferable that the chair according to the present embodiment includes a backrest, a seat, or a headrest to which the ground attachment structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is applied.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a ground attachment structure excellent in attachment property and capable of ensuring reliable anti-loosening, and a chair including the ground attachment structure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a front perspective view showing an example of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a rear perspective view showing an example of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a state where the backrest is disassembled. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of a back frame. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of a back frame. [Figure 6] It is a rear view showing a state where a first strip member and a second strip member are sewn to a ground fabric. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of a first strip member. [Figure 8] It is a side view showing a state where a first strip member is sewn to a ground fabric. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view looking at a locking groove and a locking claw from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view for explaining a ground attachment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view following FIG. 11A. FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view following FIG. 11B. FIG. 11D is a cross-sectional view following FIG. 11C. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing another state where a first strip member is sewn to a ground fabric.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view from the upper left front of a chair 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a perspective view from the lower left rear. For convenience of explanation, arrows may be used in the figures to indicate the up / down, left / right, and front / back directions (directions from the perspective of the seated person). In addition, in all figures used to explain the embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for members having the same function, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0020] First, the overall configuration of the chair 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The chair 1 comprises legs 2, a main frame 3 attached to and supported at the upper end of the legs 2, a seat 4 attached to and supported at the main frame 3, a backrest 5 rotatably attached to the main frame 3, armrests 6, 6 arranged on the left and right sides of the seat 4, and a headrest 7 attached to the upper end of the backrest 5.

[0021] The chair 1 described above has a seat 4 supported by a main frame 3 that can be raised and lowered by the extension and retraction of the leg columns of the legs 2. Furthermore, the backrest 5, attached to a synchronous frame (not shown) that rotates relative to the main frame 3 to function as a back support, is configured to tilt while receiving a repulsive force from a reaction force application device (not shown). The configurations of the legs 2, main frame 3, seat 4, armrests 6, and headrest 7 are already publicly known and therefore will not be explained further.

[0022] Next, the backrest 5 will be described. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the backrest 5 in a disassembled state. As shown in Figure 3, the backrest 5 comprises a back frame 10, a back frame 20 disposed in front of the back frame 10, a link mechanism 30 that connects the back frame 20 to the back frame 10 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and upholstery 40 stretched over the back frame 20 to form the backrest surface 5A. Here, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the back frame 10, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the back frame 20.

[0023] The back frame 10 comprises left and right side frame sections 12, 12 that are bent in a roughly "V" shape when viewed from the front and side, an upper frame section 14 installed between the upper ends of the side frame sections 12, 12, lower frame sections 16, 16 that extend forward from the lower ends of the side frame sections 12, 12, and a lower connecting section 18 that connects the lower frame sections 16, 16 to each other and is attached to the synchronous frame. These frame sections 12, 12, 14, 16, 16 and the lower connecting section 18 are formed from resin material and assembled as a single unit.

[0024] The back frame 20 is a frame consisting of left and right side edges 22, 22 that are bent in a roughly "V" shape when viewed from the side, an upper edge 24 installed between the upper ends of the side edges 22, 22, and a lower edge 26 installed between the lower ends of the side edges 22, 22. The back frame 20 is made of resin material and is flexible. A lumbar support (not shown) that contacts and supports the lower back of the seated person can also be attached to the back frame 20.

[0025] Here, the rear surface of the upper edge 24 of the back frame 20 has a plurality of recesses 24a that open to the rear and a plurality of protrusions 24b that project to the rear. In contrast, the front surface of the upper frame portion 14 of the back frame 10 has a protrusion 14a that corresponds to the recesses 24a (projecting forward) and a recess 14b that corresponds to the protrusions 24b (opening forward). The upper frame portion 14 and the upper edge 24 are fixed together by screwing them from below so as to penetrate the protrusions 24b and recesses 14b, with the protrusions 24a and recesses 14b respectively fitted into the recesses 24a. A bracket 26a is erected on the lower edge 26 of the back frame 20. In contrast, a bracket 16a is erected on the lower frame portion 16 of the back frame 10. The brackets 16a and 26a are connected to each other via a link mechanism 30 (the configuration of the link mechanism 30 is already known and therefore will not be explained), so that the lower edge 26 is connected to the lower frame portion 16 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. With the above configuration, the seated person can adjust the inclination of the backrest surface 5A, starting from the upper end of the backrest 5, by rotating the link mechanism 30 (specifically, the lever 32).

[0026] The upholstery 40 is a mesh fabric cut to a shape corresponding to the back frame 20. However, the upholstery 40 is not limited to any particular fabric, as long as it can exert appropriate elasticity and tension when stretched over the back frame 20 to form the backrest surface 5A.

[0027] Next, we will explain the specific mounting structure for attaching the upholstery 40 to the back frame 20.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the first strip-shaped member 50, which serves as a core material, is sewn to the side and bottom edges of the upholstery 40 (it may also be fastened with adhesive or staples). Here, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first strip-shaped member 50, and Figure 8 is a side view showing the state in which the first strip-shaped member 50 is sewn to the upholstery 40.

[0029] The first strip-shaped member 50 is a long, thin sheet material bent into a J-shape in side view, and comprises a shank portion 52 to which the upholstery 40 is attached, and a bend portion 54 that extends from the tip of the shank portion 52 so as to be folded back. The first strip-shaped member 50 is preferably formed using a resin material, and for example, a polypropylene cord (generally called "PP cord") can be suitably used. However, the first strip-shaped member 50 is not limited to a specific material as long as it is flexible and can be attached to the upholstery 40.

[0030] A locking groove 20m is formed on the outer surface of the side edge 22 and the lower surface of the bottom edge 26 of the back frame 20 to allow the first strip-shaped member 50, which is sewn to the upholstery 40, to enter. Multiple locking claws 20t are erected inside the locking groove 20m. Here, Figure 9 is a perspective view of the locking groove 20m and locking claws 20t of the side edge 22 as seen from the direction of arrow A in Figure 5, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of line XX in Figure 9.

[0031] The locking claw 20t is positioned approximately midway through the depth of the locking groove 20m, protruding forward from the rear surface (the surface on the back side of the chair 1) 20mc of the locking groove 20m. The surface of the locking claw 20t that faces the opening of the locking groove 20m (referred to as the "front surface") 20ta is tapered, gradually increasing in size in the depth direction. The partition space 20ma formed at the back of the locking groove 20m by the locking claw 20t (the space extending from the rear surface 20tb of the locking claw 20t to the bottom surface 20mb of the locking groove 20m) is set to a length that can accommodate the bend portion 54 of the first strip-shaped member 50.

[0032] In other words, the upholstery 40 is attached to the back frame 20 by inserting the first strip-shaped member 50, which is sewn to the upholstery 40, into the locking groove 20m of the back frame 20, and locking the bent portion 54 of the first strip-shaped member 50 into the locking claw 20t within the locking groove 20m. Specifically, first, with the back frame 20 wrapped in the upholstery 40 from the front side of the chair 1, the first strip-shaped member 50, which is sewn to the upholstery 40, is inserted into the locking grooves 20m of the side edges 22, 22 and the bottom edge 26 of the back frame 20 (see Figure 11A). As the insertion of the first strip-shaped member 50 continues, the bent portion 54 comes into contact with the front surface 20ta of the locking claw 20t (see Figure 11B), and the bent portion 54 deforms so as to be crushed along the front surface 20ta (see Figure 11C). As the insertion of the first strip-shaped member 50 continues, the bent portion 54 passes over (over) the locking claw 20t and is housed within the partition space 20ma. The bent portion 54, which was crushed by the locking claw 20t, returns to its original shape (opens) due to elastic deformation, and the bent portion 54 becomes locked to the locking claw 20t (see Figure 11D).

[0033] With the upholstery mounting structure described above, the upholstery 40 can be mounted simply by inserting the first strip-shaped member 50 into the back of the locking groove 20m (partition space 20ma). Therefore, the fine positioning required in the conventional upholstery mounting structure described above is unnecessary, and the ease of mounting can be greatly improved. In addition, since the tip 54a of the bend portion 54 contacts (catches) the back surface 20tb of the locking claw 20t, reliable prevention of detachment can be achieved. Furthermore, since it is not affected by the thickness of the first strip-shaped member 50, there is the advantage that the thickness accuracy of the first strip-shaped member 50 is not required.

[0034] In this embodiment, the bent portion 54 has a thin-walled hinge portion 54b. This allows the bent portion 54 to be deformed starting from the hinge portion 54b, so that the first strip-shaped member 50 can be locked to the locking claw 20t without requiring a great deal of force.

[0035] Furthermore, the hinge portion 54b is formed closer to the base end of the bend portion 54. This ensures sufficient thickness around the tip portion 54a of the bend portion 54, which is prone to damage from contact with the locking claw 20t, thereby improving durability.

[0036] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the locking claw 20t is provided to protrude forward from the rear surface 20mc of the locking groove 20m. In addition, the upholstery 40 is inserted into the locking groove 20m in a state where it is folded in the opposite direction to the folding direction of the bend portion 54. Referring to Figure 11D, the bend portion 54 is folded back (towards the back) from the tip of the shank portion 52, while the upholstery 40 is sewn to the shank portion 52 and folded back (towards the front). With this configuration, when a leaning load is applied to the backrest surface 5A, an action is generated that tries to open the bend portion 54 which is locked to the locking claw 20t, thereby achieving more reliable prevention of detachment.

[0037] Here, for example, if the cutting accuracy of the upholstery fabric 40 is low and there are inconsistencies around the edges of the upholstery fabric 40, the first strip-shaped member 50 may be sewn to the upholstery fabric 40 in an arrangement where the upholstery fabric 40 is wrapped between the shank portion 52 and the bend portion 54. However, if the first strip-shaped member 50 in this state is to be inserted into the locking groove 20m, the amount of compression of the bend portion 54 may be insufficient due to the thickness of the upholstery fabric 40, and there is a risk that the bend portion 54 will not be able to overcome the locking claw 20t. In contrast, in this embodiment, the shank portion 52 has a thin-walled portion 52a formed thinly on its tip side (specifically, the portion facing the bend portion 54 when it is housed in the partition space 20ma). With this, even when the upholstery fabric 40 is wrapped between the shank portion 52 and the bend portion 54, the amount of compression of the bend portion 54 can be secured, and the bend portion 54 can be locked to the locking claw 20t.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, by positioning the upholstery 40 so as to abut against the bend portion 54 and wrapping the upholstery 40 between the shank portion 52 and the bend portion 54, the elasticity of the upholstery 40, which is compressed together with the bend portion 54, can also promote the restoration (opening) of the bend portion 54.

[0039] In this embodiment, a second strip-shaped member 60 is sewn to the upper edge of the upholstery fabric 40. The second strip-shaped member 60 is a long, thin sheet material having a width dimension approximately the same as the upper edge 24 of the back frame 20, and is formed using a resin material. The second strip-shaped member 60 is sandwiched between the upper frame portion 14 of the back frame 10 and the upper edge 24 of the back frame 20, thereby attaching the upper edge of the upholstery fabric 40 to the back frame 20.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the present invention. For example, it can be applied to any upholstered part, such as the seat 4 and the headrest 7. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1 chair 5 Backrest 20 Back frame 20m locking groove 20t locking claw 40 Upholstery 50 First strip-shaped member 52 Shank section 54 Bend section

Claims

1. A fabric attachment structure for attaching fabric to a frame by inserting the fabric, which has a strip-shaped member fastened to its periphery, into a locking groove formed in the frame, The locking groove has locking claws erected inside, The aforementioned strip-shaped member has a shank portion that is fastened to the upholstery and a bent portion that is folded back from the tip of the shank portion. The bent portion enters the locking groove while being crushed by the locking claw, and after passing through the locking claw, it returns to its original shape and is locked into the locking claw. A fabric attachment structure characterized by the following.

2. The bend portion has a hinge portion formed with a thin wall. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The hinge portion is formed near the base end of the bend portion. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The shank portion has a thin-walled portion formed at the tip end. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The locking claw is erected so as to protrude forward from the rear surface of the locking groove. The upholstery is inserted into the locking groove in a state where it is folded in the opposite direction to the folding direction of the bend portion. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 4, characterized by the above.

6. The strip-shaped member is fixed to the upholstery in such a way that it wraps around the upholstery between the shank portion and the bend portion. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

7. The aforementioned strip-shaped member is formed using a resin material. The upholstery attachment structure according to claim 6, characterized by the above.

8. The product comprises a backrest, seat, or headrest to which the upholstery attachment structure described in any one of claims 1 to 7 is applied. A chair characterized by [this feature].

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