chair

Abstract

To provide a chair that prevents the user's fingers from getting caught between the underside of the seat and the pipe legs. [Solution] The present invention provides a chair having legs mainly consisting of leg pipes and a seat fixed to the upper end of the legs, and further comprising gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b that are fitted into the gap formed between the lower surface of the seat and the leg pipes. The gap-suppressing members are configured to be detachably attached to the leg pipes during the assembly of the legs and the seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chair having a seat supported by pipe legs.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a chair including a seat portion on which a user sits and pipe legs disposed on a lower surface of the seat portion has been known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the chair disclosed in Patent Document 1, a gap is formed between the lower surface of the seat portion and the pipe legs. When a user sits on the chair, the seat portion bends, which reduces the size of said gap. Therefore, if the user sits down while their fingers are inserted in said gap, the user's fingers may be pinched between the lower surface of the seat portion and the pipe legs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chair that can prevent a user's fingers from being pinched between the lower surface of the seat and the pipe legs.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following measures.

[0007] That is, the chair of the present invention is a chair including legs mainly composed of leg pipes and a seat fixed to upper ends of the legs, and is characterized by comprising a gap suppressing member assembled in a gap formed between a lower surface of the seat and the leg pipes.

[0008] In this way, by assembling the gap-reducing member into the gap formed between the underside of the seat and the leg pipe, the size of the gap is reduced, thereby preventing users from getting their fingers caught in the gap.

[0009] In the chair of the present invention, it is preferable that the gap-suppressing member be configured to be detachable from the leg pipe during the assembly of the legs and the seat.

[0010] This allows the gap-reducing member to be installed during the assembly stage of the legs and seat.

[0011] In the chair of the present invention, the gap-suppressing member is preferably assembled into the gap formed between the lower surface on the back side of the seat and the leg pipe.

[0012] This method reduces the size of the gap that forms between the underside of the back of the seat and the leg pipes, which tends to become smaller when a user is seated.

[0013] In the chair of the present invention, it is preferable that the gap suppressing member is assembled so as to fit onto the leg pipe.

[0014] In this way, the gap-reducing member can be assembled by fitting it onto the leg pipe.

[0015] In the chair of the present invention, the gap suppressing member is preferably assembled to fit into the boundary portion between the straight portion and the curved portion of the leg pipe.

[0016] This prevents the gap-retaining member from moving along the leg pipe or from rotating while fitted onto the leg pipe.

[0017] In the chair of the present invention, the gap-suppressing member is made of a flexible material and has a first cylindrical portion that fits into the straight portion and has a first opening formed therein, and a second cylindrical portion that fits into the curved portion and has a second opening that communicates with the first opening, and it is preferable that at least one of the opening width of the first opening and the opening width of the second opening is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe.

[0018] In this way, the gap-suppressing member can be easily assembled to the leg pipe by fitting it onto the leg pipe while deforming it so that the opening width of the first and / or second openings of the gap-suppressing member is widened.

[0019] In the chair of the present invention, it is preferable that the opening width of the first opening is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe, and the opening width of the second opening is larger than the outer diameter of the leg pipe.

[0020] In this way, the gap-suppressing member can be assembled to the leg pipe by positioning the curved portion of the leg pipe inside the second cylindrical portion of the gap-suppressing member and fitting the first cylindrical portion of the gap-suppressing member into the straight portion of the leg pipe.

[0021] In the chair of the present invention, it is preferable that the gap suppressing member has an arc-shaped rotation stopper that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the leg pipe at a predetermined position on the leg pipe.

[0022] This method ensures that the gap-retaining member does not rotate while it is fitted onto the leg pipe.

[0023] In the chair of the present invention, it is preferable that a mounting member for attaching the leg pipes to the underside of the seat is provided, the mounting member is attached near the center of the underside of the seat, and the gap suppressing member is assembled in close proximity to the mounting member.

[0024] This makes the gap-retaining component less visible from the outside of the chair, improving the chair's aesthetic appeal.

[0025] In the chair according to the present invention, it is preferable that a notch is formed in an outer peripheral portion of said mounting member, said gap suppressing member has a protruding piece disposed inside said notch in an assembled state, and said notch is disposed at an assembling position of said gap suppressing member on the outer peripheral portion of said mounting member.

[0026] With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the gap suppressing member from being assembled at a position other than the proper assembling position.

[0027] In the chair according to the present invention, it is preferable that a cover member attached to cover said mounting member from below is provided, and said cover member is attached so as to overlap with at least a part of said protruding piece.

[0028] With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent the gap suppressing member from coming off. Effects of the Invention

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a user from pinching fingers in a gap formed between the lower surface of a seat and a leg pipe. Brief Description of Drawings

[0030] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a rear view of the chair 1 in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the chair 1 in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a bottom view of the chair 1 in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a diagram illustrating a method of attaching legs 3 to a seat 5. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a state where legs 3 are attached to a seat 5. [Figure 7] It is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of gap suppressing member 80a. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the gap-suppressing member 80a. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the gap-suppressing member 80a. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the state with the cover member 34A attached. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates how to attach the gap-reducing member 80a to the leg 3. [Figure 13] This figure shows the notch 40 formed at the rear end of the mounting member 34. [Figure 14] This diagram illustrates how to attach the gap-reducing member 80a to the leg 3. [Figure 15] This diagram compares the state with the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b assembled with the state with the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b removed. [Figure 16] This diagram illustrates what happens when the gap-suppressing member 80a is installed in a location other than the appropriate installation location. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chair 1 of this embodiment has legs 3 mainly consisting of leg pipes 31, a seat 5 fixed to the upper end of the legs 3, and gap suppression members 80a and 80b that are assembled in the gap T formed between the lower surface of the seat 5 and the leg pipes 31.

[0032] In the following explanation, as shown in Figure 1, the left side of chair 1 when viewed from the front will be referred to as the "left side (leftward direction)," and the right side of chair 1 will be referred to as the "right side (rightward direction)." Furthermore, the side of chair 1 on which the user sits on the seat 5 will be referred to as the "front side," and the side of the seat 5 with the backrest 52 will be referred to as the "back side."

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the leg 3 has leg pipes 31 positioned on the left and right sides of the seat 5, and mounting members 34 that attach the leg pipes 31 to the underside of the seat 5. The leg pipes 31 are formed from round metal pipes that are shaped into an arch when viewed from the side. In this embodiment, when the chair 1 is viewed from the front, the leg pipe 31 positioned on the left side of the seat 5 is referred to as the left leg pipe 32, and the leg pipe 31 positioned on the right side of the seat 5 is referred to as the right leg pipe 33.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the left leg pipe 32 has a front leg 32a positioned on the front side of the chair 1, a rear leg 32c positioned on the back side of the chair 1, and a base 32b connecting the front leg 32a and the rear leg 32c. The base 32b extends approximately horizontally and is the part that is fixed to the mounting member 34. The front leg 32a extends slightly upward diagonally forward from the front end of the base 32b, then bends approximately vertically downward and extends downward. The rear leg 32c extends slightly upward diagonally backward from the rear end of the base 32b, then bends approximately vertically downward and extends downward.

[0035] Similarly, the right leg pipe 33 has a front leg 33a positioned on the front side of the chair 1, a rear leg 33c positioned on the back side of the chair 1, and a base 33b connecting the front leg 33a and the rear leg 33c. The base 33b extends substantially horizontally and is the part that is fixed to the mounting member 34. The front leg 33a extends slightly upward diagonally forward from the front end of the base 33b, then bends substantially vertically downward and extends downward. The rear leg 33c extends slightly upward diagonally backward from the rear end of the base 33b, then bends substantially vertically downward and extends downward.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the mounting member 34 is formed in a concave shape where a plate-like member is bent and opens upward. Therefore, a front wall 34a is formed at the front end of the mounting member 34, which is bent upward, and a rear wall 34b is formed at the rear end of the mounting member 34, which is bent upward.

[0037] A projection 35a is formed at the left end of the mounting member 34, and the projection 35a is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the base 32b of the left leg pipe 32, which is placed on the upper surface of the mounting member 34. The projection 35a positions the base 32b of the left leg pipe 32 so that it does not move toward the right end of the mounting member 34. Similarly, a projection 35b is formed at the right end of the mounting member 34, and the projection 35b is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the base 33b of the right leg pipe 33, which is placed on the upper surface of the mounting member 34. The projection 35b positions the base 33b of the right leg pipe 33 so that it does not move toward the left end of the mounting member 34.

[0038] A locking hole 36a is formed on the back side of the projection 35a of the mounting member 34, and a locking hole 36b is formed on the back side of the projection 35b. As will be explained later, when the leg 3 is attached to the leg mounting portion 53 formed on the underside of the seat 5, the left mounting projection 55a and the right mounting projection 55b formed on the underside of the seat 5 are positioned inward through the locking holes 36a and 36b.

[0039] Two notches 37 are formed near both ends of the rear wall 34b of the mounting member 34. As will be explained later, when the leg 3 is attached to the leg mounting portion 53 formed on the lower surface of the seat 5, the protrusions 56 formed on the rear side of the two rear mounting protrusions 54b are positioned inward in the two notches 37.

[0040] The leg 3 has a cover member 34a that covers the mounting member 34 from below when the mounting member 34 is attached to the underside of the seat 5. The cover member 34a is made of a flexible material (for example, resin). When the cover member 34a is attached so as to cover the mounting member 34 from below, it has four locking grooves 34N into which both ends of the base 32b of the left leg pipe 32 and both ends of the base 33b of the right leg pipe 33 are positioned. The opening at the upper end of the locking groove 34N is narrower in width than the lower part, making it difficult to detach from the left leg pipe 32 and the right leg pipe 33.

[0041] The seat 5 has a seat plate 50 that is roughly rectangular in plan view, and the upper surface of the seat plate 50 becomes a seat surface 51 that supports the sitter. The seat plate 50 is made of a flexible material (for example, resin). As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the seat plate 50 has a backrest 52 integrally molded on its rear side and a leg mounting portion 53 formed on the lower surface of the seat plate 50. The backrest 52 is erected from the rear end of the seat plate 50 and is formed to extend upward while curving toward the seat 5. The leg mounting portion 53 has two front mounting protrusions 54a located on the front side, two rear mounting protrusions 54b located on the rear side, a left mounting protrusion 55a located on the left side, and a right mounting protrusion 55b located on the right side, near the center of the lower surface of the seat plate 50. On the rear side of the two rear mounting protrusions 54b, a protrusion 56 projecting toward the rear is formed.

[0042] When the legs 3 are attached to the leg mounting portion 53 formed on the underside of the seat 5, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the mounting member 34 is attached so as to cover the two front mounting protrusions 54a, the two rear mounting protrusions 54b, the left mounting protrusion 55a, and the right mounting protrusion 55b formed on the underside of the seat 5. Therefore, the two front mounting protrusions 54a, the two rear mounting protrusions 54b, the left mounting protrusion 55a, and the right mounting protrusion 55b are positioned between the front wall 34a and the rear wall 34b of the mounting member 34.

[0043] At that time, the left mounting projection 55a and the right mounting projection 55b are positioned inside the locking holes 36a and 36b. The outer surface (left side) of the left mounting projection 55a is positioned substantially flush with the outer surface of the projection 35a of the mounting member 34, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, the outer surface of the left mounting projection 55a contacts the outer circumferential surface of the base 32b of the left leg pipe 32. The outer surface (right side) of the right mounting projection 55b is positioned substantially flush with the outer circumferential surface of the projection 35b of the mounting member 34. Therefore, the outer surface of the right mounting projection 55b contacts the outer circumferential surface of the base 33b of the right leg pipe 33. In addition, the protrusions 56 formed on the rear side of the two rear mounting projections 54b are positioned inside the notches 37 formed in the rear wall 34b of the mounting member 34.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the chair 1 of this embodiment has gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b, which are separate parts from the legs 3 and seat 5. The gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are assembled into the gap T formed between the lower surface of the seat 5 and the leg pipe 31. The gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are made of a flexible material (for example, resin). The gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are configured to be detachable from the leg pipe 31 of the leg 3 during the assembly of the leg 3 and seat 5. Figure 3 shows the state in which the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are assembled to the leg pipe 31 of the leg 3, and Figure 4 shows the state in which the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are removed from the leg pipe 31 of the leg 3.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the gap-suppressing member 80a is attached to the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32. The gap-suppressing member 80b is attached to the base of the rear leg 33c of the right leg pipe 33. The gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b are assembled in positions that are symmetrical when the chair 1 is viewed from the front.

[0046] Since the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b have symmetrical shapes, in this embodiment, the configuration of the gap suppressing member 80a and the method of assembling it to the leg 3 will be described in detail, while a detailed description of the configuration of the gap suppressing member 80b and the method of assembling it to the leg 3 will be omitted.

[0047] The gap-suppressing member 80a is assembled to fit onto the leg pipe 31. Specifically, the gap-suppressing member 80a is assembled to fit onto the boundary between the straight section 61 and the curved section 62 at the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32. One end of the curved section 62 is continuous with the straight section 61, and the other end of the curved section 62 is continuous with the base 32b of the left leg pipe 32.

[0048] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the gap-suppressing member 80a has a first cylindrical portion 81 and a second cylindrical portion 82 extending from one end of the first cylindrical portion 81. The first cylindrical portion 81 is a cylindrical part that fits into the straight portion 61 of the left leg pipe 32 and has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the straight portion 61 of the left leg pipe 32. The second cylindrical portion 82 is a cylindrical part that fits into the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32 and has an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32.

[0049] The first cylindrical portion 81 has a section of its cylindrical shape interrupted, and a first opening 81a is formed in the interrupted section. Similarly, the second cylindrical portion 82 has a section of its cylindrical shape interrupted, and a second opening 82a is formed in the interrupted section. The first opening 81a and the second opening 82a are in communication along the longitudinal direction of the gap-suppressing member 80a. Therefore, the first cylindrical portion 81 can be fitted into the straight section 61, and the second cylindrical portion 82 can be fitted into the curved section 62.

[0050] In this embodiment, the opening width N1 of the first opening 81a is smaller than the opening width N2 of the second opening 82a, as shown in Figure 9. Specifically, the opening width N1 is smaller than the outer diameter N0 of the left leg pipe 32 (leg pipe 31), and the opening width N2 is larger than the outer diameter N0 of the left leg pipe 32 (leg pipe 31), or is approximately the same as the outer diameter N0 of the left leg pipe 32 (leg pipe 31).

[0051] Therefore, although the gap suppressing member 80a is made of resin, for example, when the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 82 from the second opening 82a, the curved portion 62 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 82 from the second opening 82a without the second cylindrical portion 82 being deformed in such a way that the opening width N2 of the second opening 82a widens. In contrast, when the straight portion 61 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 81 from the first opening 81a, the straight portion 61 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 81 from the first opening 81a while deformed in such a way that the opening width N1 of the first opening 81a widens.

[0052] The gap suppressing member 80a has an arc-shaped rotation-preventing portion 83 that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the leg pipe 31 at a predetermined position on the leg pipe 31. Specifically, the rotation-preventing portion 83 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32 at the boundary between the curved portion 62 and the base portion 32b of the left leg pipe 32.

[0053] The gap-suppressing member 80a has a protruding piece 85 extending from the end of the second cylindrical portion 82 (the end opposite to the first cylindrical portion 81). The protruding piece 85 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member.

[0054] As described above, the chair 1 of this embodiment has a mounting member 34 for attaching the leg pipes 31 to the underside of the seat 5, and the mounting member 34 is attached near the center of the underside of the seat 5. The gap suppressing member 80a is assembled in close proximity to the outer periphery of the mounting member 34. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, a notch 40 is formed on the outer periphery on the back side of the mounting member 34. In the assembled state, the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a is positioned within the notch 40.

[0055] When the cover member 34A is attached to the lower surface of the seat 5 so as to cover the mounting member 34 from below, the cover member 34A is positioned to overlap with a portion of the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a, as shown in Figure 11. Therefore, the gap suppressing member 80a cannot be removed until the cover member 34A has been removed.

[0056] The method for attaching the gap-suppressing member 80a to the leg 3 in the chair 1 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 12. Figure 12 shows the operation of attaching the gap-suppressing member 80a to the leg 3 as viewed from the upper rear side of the leg 3.

[0057] First, as shown in Figure 12(a), the gap-suppressing member 80a is brought close to the boundary between the straight section 61 and the curved section 62 at the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32. Next, as shown in Figure 12(b), the second cylindrical section 82 of the gap-suppressing member 80a is brought close to the curved section 62 of the left leg pipe 32, and the curved section 62 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the second cylindrical section 82 through the second opening 82a of the second cylindrical section 82. After that, the gap-suppressing member 80a is rotated so that the first cylindrical section 81 of the gap-suppressing member 80a is brought close to the straight section 61 of the left leg pipe 32, as shown in Figure 12(c), and the straight section 61 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the first cylindrical section 81 through the first opening 81a. This completes the assembly of the gap-suppressing member 80a to the leg 3.

[0058] As described above, a notch 40 is formed on the outer circumference of the back side of the mounting member 34, as shown in Figure 13. When the gap suppressing member 80a is assembled, the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a is positioned within the notch 40. Figure 14 shows the operation of assembling the gap suppressing member 80a to the leg 3, viewed from below the back side of the leg 3.

[0059] As shown in Figure 14(a), the gap suppressing member 80a is brought close to the boundary between the straight portion 61 and the curved portion 62 at the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32. Then, as described above, the second cylindrical portion 82 of the gap suppressing member 80a is brought close to the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32, and the curved portion 62 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 82 through the second opening 82a of the second cylindrical portion 82. As a result, as shown in Figure 14(b), the tip of the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a moves toward the notch 40. Subsequently, the gap suppressing member 80a is rotated to bring the first cylindrical portion 81 of the gap suppressing member 80a closer to the straight portion 61 of the left leg pipe 32, and the straight portion 61 of the left leg pipe 32 is inserted into the first cylindrical portion 81 through the first opening 81a. As shown in Figure 14(c), the tip of the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a faces the inner portion 40a of the notch 40 in a manner approximately parallel to it, and the assembly of the gap suppressing member 80a to the leg 3 is completed.

[0060] In this way, when the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are incorporated into the gap T formed between the lower surface of the back of the seat 5 and the leg pipe 31 in the chair 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 15(a), the gap T formed between the lower surface of the back of the seat 5 and the leg pipe 31 becomes smaller compared to the state in Figure 15(b) where the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are removed.

[0061] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppressing member 80a is assembled to fit onto the base portion of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32, and the gap suppressing member 80b is assembled to fit onto the base portion of the rear leg 33c of the right leg pipe 33. Since the bending direction of the pipes is opposite at the base portion of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32 and the base portion of the rear leg 33c of the right leg pipe 33, it is impossible to assemble the gap suppressing member 80a onto the base portion of the rear leg 33c of the right leg pipe 33, and it is impossible to assemble the gap suppressing member 80b onto the base portion of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32.

[0062] Furthermore, since the bending direction of the pipes is the same at the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32 and at the base of the front leg 33a of the right leg pipe 33, there is a possibility that the gap suppression member 80a may be mistakenly assembled to the base of the front leg 33a of the right leg pipe 33.

[0063] In this case, the gap suppressing member 80a is brought closer to the boundary between the straight portion 61 and the curved portion 62 at the base of the front leg 33a of the right leg pipe 33, as shown in Figure 16(a). Then, the second cylindrical portion 82 of the gap suppressing member 80a is brought closer to the curved portion 62 of the right leg pipe 33, and the curved portion 62 of the right leg pipe 33 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 82 through the second opening 82a of the second cylindrical portion 82. As a result, as shown in Figure 16(b), the tip of the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a moves toward the rear end of the mounting member 34. Subsequently, even if the gap suppressing member 80a is rotated to bring the first cylindrical portion 81 of the gap suppressing member 80a closer to the straight portion 61 of the right leg pipe 33, and an attempt is made to insert the straight portion 61 of the right leg pipe 33 into the first cylindrical portion 81 through the first opening 81a, as shown in Figure 16(c), the tip of the protruding piece 85 of the gap suppressing member 80a comes into contact with the rear end of the mounting member 34, making it impossible to assemble the gap suppressing member 80a to the base portion of the front leg 33a of the right leg pipe 33.

[0064] Thus, the gap suppressing member 80a can be assembled to the appropriate mounting location where a notch 40 is formed at the rear end of the mounting member 34, that is, to the base of the rear leg 32c of the left leg pipe 32, but it cannot be assembled to any location other than the appropriate mounting location. Similarly, the gap suppressing member 80b can be assembled to the appropriate mounting location where a notch 40 is formed at the rear end of the mounting member 34, that is, to the base of the rear leg 33c of the right leg pipe 33, but it cannot be assembled to any location other than the appropriate mounting location.

[0065] Furthermore, it is conceivable to design multiple types of legs 3 and multiple types of seats 5 separately, allowing for any combination of these legs 3 and seats 5 to create a wide variety of options.

[0066] For example, the various types of legs 3 include stackable legs and four legs that widen as they extend downwards. The various types of seats 5 include an L-shaped shell in side view and a cup-shaped shell that surrounds the sitter.

[0067] Here, if the combination of legs 3 and seat 5 is different, the size of the gap formed between the underside of the seat plate and the leg pipe may change. In such cases, by manufacturing a gap-reducing member of a size corresponding to the combination of legs 3 and seat 5, and incorporating this gap-reducing member into the chair to which legs 3 and seat 5 are combined, the gap formed between the underside of the seat plate and the leg pipe can be reduced.

[0068] Thus, in this invention, when any combination of multiple types of legs 3 and multiple types of seats 5 is possible, and many variations are available, the gap formed between the underside of the seat and the leg pipe can be reduced in all combinations of chairs.

[0069] As described above, the chair 1 of this embodiment is a chair having legs 3 mainly consisting of leg pipes 31 and a seat 5 fixed to the upper end of the legs 3, and includes gap suppression members 80a and 80b that are assembled in the gap formed between the lower surface of the seat 5 and the leg pipes 31.

[0070] In this way, by assembling the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b into the gap formed between the lower surface of the seat 5 and the leg pipe 31, the size of the gap is reduced, thereby preventing the user from getting their fingers caught in the gap.

[0071] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are configured to be detachable from the leg pipe 31 during the assembly of the leg 3 and the seat 5.

[0072] In this way, the gap-reducing members 80a and 80b can be assembled at the stage when the legs 3 and seat 5 are assembled.

[0073] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are assembled into the gap formed between the lower surface on the back side of the seat 5 and the leg pipe 31.

[0074] This method reduces the size of the gap that forms between the underside of the back of the seat and the leg pipes, which tends to become smaller when a user is seated.

[0075] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are assembled to fit onto the leg pipe 31.

[0076] In this way, the gap-reducing members 80a and 80b can be assembled by fitting them onto the leg pipe 31.

[0077] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are assembled to fit into the boundary portion between the straight portion 61 and the curved portion 62 of the leg pipe 31.

[0078] This prevents the gap-retaining members 80a and 80b from moving along the leg pipe 31, and from rotating while fitted onto the leg pipe 31.

[0079] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are made of a flexible material and have a first cylindrical portion 81 that fits into the straight portion 61 and has a first opening 81a, and a second cylindrical portion 82 that fits into the curved portion 62 and has a second opening 82a that communicates with the first opening 81a, and at least one of the opening width N1 of the first opening 81a and the opening width N2 of the second opening 82a is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe 31.

[0080] In this way, the gap-suppressing member can be easily assembled to the leg pipe by fitting it onto the leg pipe while deforming it so that the opening width of the first and / or second openings of the gap-suppressing member is widened.

[0081] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the opening width N1 of the first opening 81a is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe 31, while the opening width N2 of the second opening 82a is larger than the outer diameter of the leg pipe 31.

[0082] In this way, with the curved portion 62 of the leg pipe 31 positioned inside the second cylindrical portion 82 of the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b, the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b can be fitted to the straight portion of the leg pipe 31 by fitting the first cylindrical portion 81 of the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b into the straight portion of the leg pipe 31.

[0083] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, the gap suppression members 80a and 80b have an arc-shaped rotation stopper portion 83 that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the leg pipe 31 at a predetermined position on the leg pipe 31.

[0084] This ensures that the gap-retaining members 80a and 80b do not rotate while they are fitted onto the leg pipe 31.

[0085] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, a mounting member 34 is provided for attaching the leg pipes 31 to the underside of the seat 5. The mounting member 34 is attached near the center of the underside of the seat 5, and the gap suppression members 80a and 80b are assembled in close proximity to the mounting member 34.

[0086] This makes it difficult to see the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b from the outside of chair 1, improving the aesthetic appearance of chair 1.

[0087] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, a notch 40 is formed on the outer circumference of the mounting member 34, and the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b have protruding pieces 85 that are positioned within the notch 40 when assembled. The notch 40 is positioned on the outer circumference of the mounting member 34 at the assembly position of the gap suppressing members 80a and 80b.

[0088] This prevents the gap-suppressing members 80a and 80b from being assembled in locations other than their proper assembly positions.

[0089] In the chair 1 of this embodiment, a cover member 34A is provided that is attached to cover the mounting member 34 from below, and the cover member 34A is attached so as to overlap at least a portion of the protruding piece 85.

[0090] This prevents the gap-retaining members 80a and 80b from coming off.

[0091] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of each part is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0092] For example, while an example of the gap-suppressing member of the present invention has been described in the embodiment, it is not limited thereto. The shape, size, and method of attaching the gap-suppressing member to the chair 1 may be changed.

[0093] Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 1 chair 3 legs 5 seats 31 Leg pipes 34 Mounting components 34A Cover component 40 Notch 61 Straight section of the leg pipe 62 Curved section of the leg pipe 80a Gap suppression member 80b Gap suppression member 81 First cylindrical part 81a First opening 82 Second cylindrical part 82a 2nd opening 83 Rotation stopper 85 Projecting piece T gap

Claims

1. A chair having legs mainly consisting of leg pipes and a seat fixed to the upper end of the legs, A chair characterized by comprising a gap-reducing member that is fitted into the gap formed between the lower surface of the seat and the leg pipe.

2. The chair according to claim 1, characterized in that the gap-suppressing member is configured to be detachably attached to the leg pipe during the assembly of the leg and the seat.

3. The chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gap-suppressing member is assembled into the gap formed between the lower surface on the back side of the seat and the leg pipe.

4. The chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gap-suppressing member is assembled to fit with the leg pipe.

5. The chair according to claim 4, characterized in that the gap-suppressing member is assembled to fit into the boundary portion between the straight portion and the curved portion of the leg pipe.

6. The gap-suppressing member is made of a flexible material, A first cylindrical portion is fitted into the aforementioned straight portion and has a first opening formed therein, It has a second cylindrical portion which fits into the curved portion and has a second opening that communicates with the first opening, The chair according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the opening width of the first opening and the opening width of the second opening is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe.

7. The opening width of the first opening is smaller than the outer diameter of the leg pipe, The chair according to claim 6, characterized in that the opening width of the second opening is greater than the outer diameter of the leg pipe.

8. The chair according to claim 4, characterized in that the gap suppressing member has an arc-shaped rotation stopper that contacts the outer surface of the leg pipe at a predetermined position on the leg pipe.

9. The seat is provided with a mounting member for attaching the leg pipe to the lower surface of the seat, The mounting member is attached near the center of the lower surface of the seat. The chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gap-suppressing member is assembled in close proximity to the mounting member.

10. A notch is formed on the outer circumference of the mounting member. The gap suppressing member has a protruding piece that is positioned within the notch when assembled, The chair according to claim 9, characterized in that the notch is positioned at the assembly position of the gap suppressing member on the outer circumference of the mounting member.

11. The mounting member is fitted with a cover member that covers it from below, The chair according to claim 10, characterized in that the cover member is attached so as to overlap at least a portion of the protruding piece.

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