Table and chair set

Abstract

We offer a table and chair set that enhances the earthquake resistance of a table without requiring the installation of special parts or components that would be time-consuming to install. [Solution] The table and chair set comprises a table 2 having a tabletop 4 and legs 5 attached to the underside of the tabletop, a chair 3 having a seat 7, legs 6 attached to the underside of the seat, and a backrest 10 attached upwards to one side of the seat, and a connecting means for connecting the chair to the tabletop. The chair has a support part 13 that, when the chair is moved toward the table, can have its upper surface come into contact with the underside of the tabletop to support the tabletop from below. By moving the chair toward the table and bringing the upper surface of the support part into contact with the underside of the tabletop, the chair can be connected to the tabletop using the connecting means, making it possible to integrate the table and chair.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a table and chair set composed of a table and chairs, and more particularly to a table and chair set that enables obtaining a table with enhanced earthquake resistance when combined with chairs.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when a large earthquake occurs indoors such as in a home, it is considered preferable to take shelter under a table. That is, when a large earthquake occurs, since there is a high risk of objects falling from above, it is considered good to take shelter under a table in order to protect the head and the like from those falling objects.

[0003] However, generally, a table is composed only of a tabletop and four legs that support this tabletop. Therefore, when a heavy object falls, there is a sufficient possibility that the table will break because it cannot support the weight of the falling object.

[0004] In addition, since the table is supported entirely only by four legs connected downward at the four corners of the tabletop, it is particularly vulnerable to lateral pressure. When there is a large lateral sway, there is a risk of moving laterally, and when the sway is large, there is also a sufficient possibility that the table itself will fall over or the tabletop will come off the legs and fall.

[0005] In this regard, conventionally, as a method for increasing the strength of a table, a method of attaching a crossbar between the legs or a method of diagonally inserting a brace between the legs has been used. In addition, in the past, various tables equipped with special parts for earthquake resistance and disaster prevention have also been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, these methods involve using parts other than the tabletop and legs, which increases the number of parts and requires assembly work, potentially raising costs.

[0008] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a table and chair set that can improve the seismic resistance of the table without requiring the installation of special parts or other components that would be time-consuming to install. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The table and chair set of the present invention A table comprising a tabletop and a plurality of legs attached to the underside of the tabletop, A chair comprising a seat, a plurality of legs provided on the underside of the seat, and a backrest attached upwards to one side of the seat, A table and chair set having connecting means for connecting the chair to the table top, The chair has a support portion that, when the chair is moved toward the table, can have its upper surface come into contact with the lower surface of the tabletop, thereby supporting the tabletop from below. The chair is positioned towards the table, with its support portion in contact with the underside of the tabletop. The chair is then connected to the tabletop using the connecting means, thereby enabling the table and chair to be integrated into a single unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In this invention, a table and chair set is provided, in which the chair is equipped with a support part that, when the chair is moved toward the table, contacts the underside of the tabletop and supports the tabletop from below. By simply connecting the chair to the tabletop using a connecting means while the chair is moved toward the table and the support part is in contact with the underside of the tabletop, the table and chair can be integrated and their strength increased.

[0011] Therefore, without the need to attach any special parts that would require extra work, the table and chairs can be integrated simply by moving the chair towards the table and connecting it to the tabletop using a connecting mechanism. This makes it possible to obtain an earthquake-resistant table without increasing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention and shows a plan view. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention, showing a side view. [Figure 3] This figure shows a chair used in an embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates another embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a chair used in another embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates another embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates another embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates an example of a connecting means used in the table and chair set of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The table chair set of the present invention is configured to include a table, chairs, and connecting means for connecting the chairs to the table.

[0014] The table includes a table top board and four legs attached to the four corner portions of the lower surface of the table top board. The chair includes a seat portion, four legs provided at the four corners of the lower surface of the seat portion, and a plate portion continuously provided upward on one side of the seat portion.

[0015] Furthermore, the chair in the table chair set of the present invention has a support portion that can support the table top board from below by advancing the chair toward the table side so that the upper surface abuts against the lower surface of the table top board.

[0016] And by connecting the chair to the table top board by the connecting means in a state where the chair is advanced toward the table side and the upper surface of the support portion abuts against the lower surface of the table top board, it is possible to integrate the table and the chair.

[0017] Here, the support portion is preferably the back portion of the chair. By advancing the chair toward the table side with the back portion facing the table side, the upper surface of the support portion is made to abut against the lower surface of the table top board, and the table top board is supported from below by the support portion.

[0018] Also, when the back portion is the support portion, the back portion is composed of a back frame provided above one side of the seat portion and a back plate attached to the seat portion side of the back frame. The back frame may be the support portion. By advancing the chair toward the table side with the back portion facing the table side, the upper surface of the back frame as the support portion is made to abut against the lower surface of the table top board, and thereby the table top board may be supported from below by the back frame as the support portion.

[0019] Furthermore, the back of the chair may be equipped with an armrest on the seat side, which can be used as a support. Alternatively, by moving the chair towards the table with the seat facing the table, the upper surface of the armrest, which acts as a support, can be brought into contact with the underside of the tabletop, thereby supporting the tabletop from below with the armrest.

[0020] Furthermore, when the back of a chair is used as a support, a skirt board may be provided between the legs of the table, and a plate-shaped locking plate may be provided on the outside of the skirt board on the underside of the table top, spaced apart from the skirt board, thereby forming a locking space between the skirt board and the locking plate, and this locking space may be used as a connecting means. In this case, by inserting the upper part of the chair back into the locking space with the back board facing the table, the upper surface of the back will come into contact with the underside of the table top as a support, and the back will support the table top from below as a support.

[0021] Furthermore, when the backrest, back frame, or armrests are used as support parts, the means of connecting the chair to the table top may be a locking member attached to the table top and a locking groove formed in the support part so that the tip of the locking member can be inserted. In this case, the locking member may have a locking claw at its tip and its base end may be rotatably attached to the table top. The locking groove may have a portion into which the locking claw of the locking member is locked, and it may be formed on the table-side surface of the support part in such a way that the tip of the locking member can enter when the chair is advanced toward the table and the upper surface of the support part is in contact with the lower surface of the table top. In this way, by advancing the chair toward the table and bringing the upper surface of the support part into contact with the lower surface of the table top, the locking claw can be locked into the locking groove, thereby connecting the chair and the table top. [Examples]

[0022] An embodiment of the table and chair set of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. Figure 1 is a top view of the table and chair set of this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a side view of the table and chair set of this embodiment, where 1 is the table and chair set of this embodiment.

[0023] The table and chair set 1 in this embodiment consists of a table and a chair. In the figure, 2 is the table and 3 is the chair. The table 2 consists of a rectangular tabletop 4 and legs 5 attached downwards to the four corners of the underside of the tabletop 2. Figure 2 is a view of the table 2 from the short side.

[0024] Next, in Figures 1 and 2, chair 5 is positioned with its back facing table 2, and its back is recessed under the tabletop 4.

[0025] Now, let's describe chair 3. Figure 3 shows chair 3 used in the table and chair set 1 of this embodiment. Chair 3 used in this embodiment has a seat 7 with a rectangular shape in its planar view, similar to chairs that are generally known, and legs 9 are provided at the four corners of the underside of the seat 7. That is, the four legs 6 are erected at intervals, and a frame material is connected between the upper parts of these legs 6. As a result, a rectangular seat frame 8 is formed on the upper side of the legs 6 by the upper end surfaces of all the legs 6 and the sides of all the frame material.

[0026] Furthermore, the leg section 6 has two front legs 6a and two rear legs 6b, with the rear legs 6b being longer than the front legs 6a. The seat plate 9 is attached to the top of the seat frame 8, and the seat frame 8 and the seat plate 9 together constitute the seat section 7.

[0027] Furthermore, the rear legs 6b are made to be long enough so that their upper ends are above the seat portion 7, and the portion above the seat portion forms the back frame 11. In addition, boards are placed between the upper portions of the back frame 11, that is, the upper portions of the back frame 11 are connected by the boards, and these boards connecting the upper portions of the back frame 11 form the back panel 12, and the portion composed of the back frame 11 and the back panel 12 forms the back portion 10.

[0028] In this embodiment, the length from the lower surface of the rear leg 6b to the upper surface of the backrest 10 is set to the same length as the length from the lower surface of the leg 5 on the table 2 to the lower surface of the tabletop 4. As a result, when the chair 3 is moved towards the table 2 with the backrest 10 facing the table 2, the backrest 10 goes under the tabletop 4, and the upper surface 14 of the backrest 10 supports the tabletop 4 from below. In other words, in this embodiment, the backrest 10 is a support portion 13 that can support the tabletop 4 from below by moving the chair 3 towards the table 2 with the backrest 10 facing the table 2.

[0029] Here, Figure 8 shows the vicinity of the upper part of the support part 13 when the chair 3 is moved toward the table 2 so that the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 is in contact with the underside of the table top 4, and in the figure, 21 is a connecting means for connecting the chair 3 and the table top 4. That is, in this embodiment, the table 2 and chair 3 are made into one unit by connecting the chair 3 to the table top 4 using the connecting means 21 when the chair 3 is moved toward the table 2 so that the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 is in contact with the underside of the table top 4. In this embodiment, the connecting means 21 consists of a locking member attached to the underside of the table top 4 and a locking groove formed in the support part 13, and the support part 13 is connected to the table top 4 by locking the locking member into the locking groove.

[0030] To explain the locking member and locking groove, in Figure 8, 22 is the locking member. In this embodiment, the locking member 22 has a body portion 24 with a locking claw 23 formed at its tip. The base end of the body portion 24 is rotatably connected to a mounting bracket 26 attached to the table top 4, thereby attaching the locking member 22 to the table top 4. As shown in Figure 8c, the locking member 22 is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket 26 by a pin 25 and is biased by a spring (not shown) to maintain a horizontal orientation. As a result, it rotates downward when pressure is applied from above, but returns to a horizontal position when the pressure is removed.

[0031] On the other hand, a locking groove 27 is formed in the upper part of the support part 13, specifically, in the area facing the locking member 22 when the chair 3 is moved toward the table 2 and the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 is in contact with the lower surface of the table top 4 (see Figure 3). The locking groove 27 has a wall portion 28 into which the locking claw 23 of the locking member 22 is locked. The upper part of the entrance to the locking groove 27 in the support part 13 is tapered, forming a tapered portion 29.

[0032] In this configuration, the chair 3 is advanced toward the table 2 with the support 13 facing the table 2, and the upper surface 14 of the support 13 comes into contact with the lower surface of the table top 4. At this point, the locking member 22 comes into contact with the tapered portion 29 of the support 13. As the chair 3 is advanced further in this state, the locking claw 23 of the locking member 22 is pushed by the tapered portion 29, causing its tip to rotate downward against the biasing force of the spring. After the locking claw 23 has passed the tapered portion 29 and is fully inserted into the locking groove 27, the locking member 22 returns to a horizontal position due to the biasing force of the spring, and the locking claw 23 is locked to the wall portion 28, thereby connecting the support 13 to the lower surface of the table top 4.

[0033] As a result, the tabletop 2 is supported from below by the support part 12, which significantly increases its strength. Even in the event of a major earthquake, it will not collapse under the weight of falling objects, nor will it tip over due to large lateral shaking, and the tabletop will not detach. In this embodiment, the table and chair set is simply configured such that the length from the bottom surface of the leg part 6 to the top surface 14 of the back frame 11 is the same as the length from the bottom surface of the rear leg 6b of the table 4 to the bottom surface of the tabletop 2. Therefore, it is possible to improve the earthquake resistance of the table without installing any special parts that would require extra work. The means for connecting the chair 3 to the tabletop 4 does not necessarily have to consist of the aforementioned locking member 22 and locking groove 27. Any method that allows the chair 3 to be connected to the tabletop 4 may be used, and a latch lock may also be used. Figure 8a shows the state in which the locking member 22 is locked in the locking hole 27 of the support part 13, and figure 8b shows the state in which a part of the support part 13 is inserted under the table top 14, and when the chair 3 is moved towards the table 2 in this state, it will be in the state shown in figure 8a. Figure 8c shows the relationship between the locking member 22 and the mounting bracket 26, and the mounting bracket 26 has a pair of clamping pieces, and the locking member 22 is pivotally supported between these clamping pieces by a pin 25. For example, although not shown in the figure, a torsion spring can be attached around the pin 25, one end of the torsion spring can be attached to the mounting bracket 26 and the other end can be attached to the locking member 22, thereby maintaining the body 24 of the locking member 22 horizontally.

[0034] Next, Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the table and chair set 1 of the present invention, showing the table 2 viewed from the side, i.e., from the short side. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the chair used in the table and chair set shown in Figure 4.

[0035] Furthermore, the chair 3 used in the table and chair set 1 shown in Figure 4 also has a seat 7 with a rectangular shape in its planar view, and front legs 6a and rear legs 6b are provided at the four corners of the underside of the seat 7. The rear legs 6b are long enough so that their upper ends are above the seat 7, and the part above the seat becomes a back frame 11, to which a back panel 12 is attached, so that the back frame 11 and back panel 12 constitute the back 10.

[0036] On the other hand, in the table and chair set 1 shown in Figure 4, the backrest 12 of the chair 3 is attached to the seat 7 side of the back frame 11, and the upper end of the backrest 12 is positioned above the upper end of the back frame 11. The length from the lower surface of the rear leg 6b to the upper surface of the back frame 11 is set to be the same length as the length from the lower surface of the leg 3 of the table 2 to the lower surface of the table top 4, and the back frame 11 serves as the support part 13.

[0037] With this configuration, when the chair 3 is moved towards the table 2 with the backrest 10 facing the table 2, the back frame 11 goes under the tabletop 4, and the upper surface of the back frame 11 comes into contact with the underside of the tabletop 4, thereby allowing the back frame 11 to support the tabletop 4 from below. In other words, in this embodiment as well, by moving the chair 3 towards the table 2 with the backrest 10 facing the table 2, the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 comes into contact with the underside of the tabletop 4, and the support part 13 can support the tabletop 4 from below.

[0038] In Figure 5, 27 is a locking groove. That is, in this embodiment as well as in the table and chair set shown in Figure 1, the chair 3 is advanced toward the table 2 and the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the table top 4, and the connecting means 21 is used to connect the chair 3 to the table top 4. The connecting means 21 is the same as the connecting means 21 used in the above embodiment shown in Figure 8, and consists of a locking member 22 that is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the table top 4 and a locking groove 27 formed in the support part 13, and the support part 13 is connected to the table top 4 by locking the locking member 22 into the locking groove 27. However, the connecting means 21 used in the table and chair set shown in Figure 4 is the same as the connecting means 21 shown in Figure 8, so a redundant explanation is omitted.

[0039] Next, Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the table and chair set 1 of the present invention, and shows the table 2 viewed from the side, i.e., from the short side.

[0040] The chair 3 used in the table and chair set 1 shown in Figure 6 also has a seat 7 with a rectangular shape in its planar view, composed of a seat frame 8 and a seat plate 9 provided on the upper part of the seat frame 8. Two front legs 6a and two rear legs 6b are provided at the four corners of the underside of the seat 7. The rear legs 6b are long enough so that their upper ends are above the seat 7, and the part above the seat 7 is made into a back frame 11, to which a back plate 12 is attached, so that the back frame 11 and back plate 12 constitute the back 10.

[0041] On the other hand, the chair 3 shown in Figure 6 is equipped with an armrest 15 on the upper side of the seat 7. That is, in the chair 3 shown in Figure 6, the upper end of the front leg 6a is extended upward by a predetermined length, and a frame member is connected between the upper end of this extended front leg and the backrest 10, and this frame member serves as the armrest 15.

[0042] In the chair 3 shown in Figure 6, the length from the bottom surface of the front leg 6a to the top surface of the armrest 15 is set to the same length as the length from the bottom surface of the leg portion 3 of the table 2 to the bottom surface of the table top 4, and the armrest 15 serves as the support portion 13.

[0043] With this configuration, when the chair 3 is moved towards the table 2 with the seat 7 facing the table 2, the armrest 15 goes under the tabletop 4, and the upper surface of the armrest 15 comes into contact with the underside of the tabletop 4, thereby allowing the armrest 15 to support the tabletop 4 from below. In other words, in this embodiment, by moving the chair 3 towards the table 2 with the seat 7 facing the table 2, the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 comes into contact with the underside of the tabletop 4, and the support part 13 can support the tabletop 4 from below.

[0044] Furthermore, in the table and chair set 1 shown in Figure 6, a connecting means is used to connect the chair 3 to the table top 4 when the chair 3 is advanced toward the table 2 and the upper surface 14 of the support part 13 is in contact with the lower surface of the table top 4. This connecting means, as in the case of the table and chair set described above, consists of a locking member 22 that is rotatably attached to the lower surface of the table top 4 and a locking groove 27 formed in the support part 13. The locking groove 27 is formed on the front surface of the support part 13 (armrest 15), and the support part 13 is connected to the table top 4 by locking the locking member 22 into the locking groove 27. However, the connecting means 21 used in the table and chair set shown in Figure 6 is the same as the connecting means 21 shown in Figure 8, so a redundant explanation will be omitted.

[0045] Next, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another configuration of the table and chair set 1 of the present invention. In the table and chair set shown in Figure 7, as in the case of the table and chair set shown in Figure 1, the length from the lower surface of the rear leg 6b to the upper surface of the backrest 10 is set to the same length as the length from the lower surface of the leg 5 on the table 2 to the lower surface of the table top 4, and the backrest 10 serves as the support portion 13.

[0046] Next, in the figure, 16 is an apron provided between the legs 5 of the table 2. That is, in the table and chair set 1 shown in Figure 7, an apron 16 is provided between each of the four legs 3 of the table 2, and a locking plate 17 is provided on the outside of the apron 16 such that a locking space 18 with a thickness equal to or greater than the thickness of the backrest 10 is formed between the apron 16 and the locking plate 17.

[0047] With this configuration, the back plate 11 can be slid laterally on the underside of the table top 2 and its upper portion inserted into the locking space 18, thereby allowing the chair 3 to be connected to the table top 4 with the upper surface 14 of the support portion 13 (which is the back plate 11) in contact with the underside of the table top 2. This makes it possible to support the table top 2 from below with the support portion 13, similar to the table and chair set in the previously described embodiment.

[0048] Thus, in this embodiment, in a table and chair set consisting of a table and chairs, the chair is equipped with a support part that supports the table top from below by contacting the underside of the table top when the chair is moved toward the table, and it is possible to connect the chair to the table top while the support part is in contact with the underside of the table top. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an earthquake-resistant table without installing any special parts that would be time-consuming to install, and without increasing costs.

[0049] In this invention, the means for connecting the chair to the table are not particularly limited. Any method may be used as long as it is possible to connect the chair and the table by bringing the support portion of the chair into contact with the underside of the table top and supporting the table top from below with the support portion, thereby integrating the chair and the table.

[0050] Additionally, the tabletop may have a storage space on its underside, allowing for the storage of essential items needed in the event of a disaster, such as a flashlight, candles, and slippers. [Industrial applicability]

[0051] This invention allows for the creation of an earthquake-resistant table by integrating the table and chairs, and is therefore applicable to all table and chair sets. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Table and Chair Set 2 tables 3 chairs 4 Tabletop 5 Table legs 6. Chair legs 6a front leg 6b Hind legs 7 Seat area 8 seat frames 9 Seat board 10 back 11 Back frame 12 Back plate 13 Support part 14 Upper surface of the support part 15 Armrest 16. Skirt board 17 Locking plate 18 Locking space 21 Connection means 22 Locking member 23 Locking claws 24 Torso 25 pins 26 Mounting brackets 27 Locking groove 28 Wall 29 Tapered section

Claims

1. A table (2) comprising a tabletop (4) and a plurality of legs (5) attached to the underside of the tabletop (4), A chair (3) comprising a seat (7), legs (6) provided on the underside of the seat (7), and a backrest (10) attached upward to one side of the seat (7), A table and chair set having a connecting means (21) for connecting a chair (3) to a table top (4), The chair (3) has a support portion (13) that, when the chair (3) is moved toward the table (2), will have its upper surface come into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4) and support the table top (4) from below. A table and chair set characterized in that the chair (2) is advanced toward the table (2) and the upper surface (14) of the support part (13) is brought into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), and the chair (3) is connected to the table top (4) by the connecting means (21), thereby enabling the table (2) and chair (3) to be integrated.

2. The table and chair set according to claim 1, wherein the backrest (10) of the chair (3) is a support portion (13), and by moving the chair (3) toward the table (2) with the backrest (10) facing the table (2), the upper surface (14) of the support portion (13) comes into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), thereby allowing the table top (4) to be supported from below by the support portion (13).

3. The table and chair set according to claim 1, wherein the back (10) of the chair (3) is composed of a back frame (11) provided above one side of the seat (7) and a back plate (12) attached to the seat (7) side of the back frame (11), and the back frame (11) is a support part (13), and by moving the chair (3) toward the table (2) with the back (10) facing the table (2), the upper surface (14) of the support part (13) comes into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), and the table top (4) is supported from below by the support part (13).

4. The table and chair set according to claim 1, wherein an armrest (15) is connected to the seat (7) side of the backrest (10) of the chair (3), and the armrest (15) is a support part (13), and by moving the chair (3) toward the table (2) with the seat (7) toward the table (2), the upper surface (14) of the support part (13) comes into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), and the table top (4) is supported from below by the support part (13).

5. The connecting means (21) is characterized by comprising a locking member (22) whose base end is rotatably attached to the table top (4), and a locking groove (27) formed on the table-side surface of the support part (13) when the chair (3) is advanced toward the table (4) and the upper surface (14) of the support part (13) is in contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), into which the locking member (22) is inserted and locked, as described in any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The backrest (10) of the chair (3) is the support part (13), A skirt (16) is provided between the legs (5) of the table (3), and a plate-shaped locking plate (17) is provided on the outside of the skirt (16) on the underside (14) of the table top (4), thereby forming a locking space (18) between the skirt (16) and the locking plate (17), and the locking space (18) is used as a connecting means (21). The table and chair set according to claim 1, wherein by inserting the upper portion of the back (10) of the chair (3) into the locking space (18), the upper surface (14) of the support part (13) comes into contact with the lower surface of the table top (4), and the table top (4) is supported from below by the support part (13).

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