chair

Abstract

This invention discloses a structure for a chair with a flip-up seat that allows the flipped-up seat to be easily held in a stable position. [Solution] The seat 2 is connected to the left and right arm members 17 so that it can flip up and rotate using its rear end as a pivot point. The backrest 3 is also fixed to the arm members 17, and the arm members 17 are of a reclining type that tilts backward against elasticity. A magnet 32 ​​is placed on the lower rear surface of the seat 2, and a magnetic plate 31 is placed on the rear surface of the base 6. The seat 2 is in a forward-tilting position when flipped up, but the position is maintained by the magnet 32.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chair whose seat can be flipped up and rotated.

Background Art

[0002] Chairs with a flippable seat are widely known. Chairs with a flippable seat include movable types and fixed types. For movable chairs, in most cases the seat is configured to be flippable to allow a large number of chairs to be fitted together front to back (nestable) when not in use. On the other hand, for fixed chairs that are widely used in theaters and the like, a large number of chairs are arranged side by side, and the seat is configured to be flippable so as not to obstruct people's walking or the like when not in use.

[0003] In any case, the seat needs to be held in the flipped-up state. Therefore, in the case of a fixed chair, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a spring is used to bias the seat to the flipped-up posture. On the other hand, as an example of a movable chair configured with a flippable seat to allow nesting, Patent Document 2 describes that forward tilting is prevented by setting the seat in a rearward tilted posture when the seat is flipped up.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] While using a spring to lift the seat and bias it into a specific posture, as described in Patent Document 1, is rational for fixed chairs such as theater seats, applying it to portable chairs used in offices and shops presents several problems. Not only does it complicate the structure and increase costs, but it also requires force to tilt the seat against the spring, and the seat returns to its original position when the user lifts their hips, making it inconvenient to use.

[0006] On the other hand, if the seat is held in a flipped-up position tilted backward relative to the vertical line, as in Patent Document 2, the seat is held in the flipped-up position by its own weight, which is better in terms of cost and ease of use. However, there is a problem that the seat may tip over due to the impact of colliding with the preceding seat when moving for nesting, and there is a problem that the seat cannot be held in a forward-tilted position, resulting in low design flexibility.

[0007] Another possibility is to use the spring's pivot point to hold the device in both the flipped-up and tilted positions with the spring. However, in this case, both the flipped-up and tilted rotations require force to be applied against the spring, which would place a burden on the user.

[0008] The present invention was made to improve this current situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention comprises many components, the typical of which is specified in each claim. The invention of claim 1 constitutes a broader concept, "A chair having a support mechanism with non-foldable legs, and a seat that is rotatably connected to the support mechanism so as to be able to be flipped up." In this basic configuration, "The seat is connected to the support mechanism so as to pivot around its rear end, and the rear end of the seat and the support mechanism are provided with overlapping portions that face each other when the seat is fully flipped up." The overlapping portion is provided with a catch member that functions when the seat is flipped up and rotated to its full extent, holding the seat in the flipped-up and rotated position, and is released when the seat is tilted and rotated. It possesses the following characteristics.

[0010] The invention of claim 2 is an extension of claim 1, "The support mechanism comprises a base fixed to the upper end of the leg and an intermediate member provided on the base so as to extend to a position higher than the upper surface of the base." The seat is rotatably connected to the intermediate member at a position higher than the upper surface of the base, so that when the seat is flipped up, an overlapping surface is formed between the rear end of the seat and the rear surface of the base. The catch member is provided on the aforementioned overlapping surface." This is the structure.

[0011] The invention of claim 3 is an extension of claim 2, "The intermediate members are arranged in pairs on the left and right outer sides of the seat, and the backrest is attached to the upper end of the intermediate members." This is the configuration. The intermediate member can be fixed, or it can be tilted backward against the spring as in the embodiment. In other words, by making the intermediate member tiltable backward, it is possible to give the backrest a reclining function.

[0012] The invention of claim 4 is an extension of any of claims 1 to 3, "It has a backrest attached to the support mechanism, The aforementioned seat, when fully raised, is in a forward-leaning position relative to the vertical line, and there is a space between the upper end of the seat and the front of the backrest in the raised position, through which a person can insert their fingertips." This is the structure.

[0013] The invention of claim 5 is also an extension of any of claims 1 to 3. "The catch member of the seat and the catch member of the support mechanism are either both magnets, or one is a magnet and the other is a magnetic material." This is the structure.

[0014] The invention of claim 6 is also a development example of any one of claims 1 to 3, "The catch member has a hook structure or a clip structure that engages and disengages by elastic deformation, or is a surface fastener composed of a pair of mutually engageable sheets" It is configured as described above.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] In the present invention, the seat is held in the flipped-up posture by the catch member, so even when configured to be nestable, there is no problem that the seat falls over due to impact, and it is also possible to hold the seat in a forward-tilted posture in the flipped-up state as in claim 4, which provides excellent design flexibility.

[0016] In addition, the catch member functions when the seat is fully flipped up and is released from function immediately when the seat is rotated to fall down, so there is no resistance during the rotation, and the posture of the seat can be changed with a light force. That is, the problems of annoyance and poor usability as in the case of biasing with a spring do not occur. Furthermore, since a simple structure such as a magnet can be adopted as the catch member, costs can be reduced. Furthermore, since the catch member itself can also serve as a restricting means for the flipped-up posture, it can further contribute to structural simplification.

[0017] Furthermore, since the upper end of the seat is far from the rotation fulcrum, a large moment can be applied to the falling rotation, so the seat can be rotated to fall down with a light force even if the coupling strength of the catch member is high. In addition, since the catch member is hidden by the seat and cannot be seen in both the flipped-up state and the fallen state of the seat, the aesthetic appearance is not deteriorated. Although the seat needs to be pivotally supported on the support mechanism portion, it is not necessary to incorporate a spring in the connecting portion of the seat, so the connecting structure of the seat can be simplified to contribute to higher strength.

[0018] Now, Patent Document 2 targets pipe chairs, and since the rear part of the seat is connected to the upper part of the front leg, some kind of engaging member is provided at the connecting portion (pivot support portion) of the seat in order to hold the seat in the flipped-up posture, but providing the engaging member at the connecting portion is troublesome in terms of space.

[0019] In contrast, according to claim 2, by using the intermediate member provided on the base to position the rotation fulcrum of the seat higher than the upper surface of the base, the rear surface of the base can be effectively utilized as an overlapping surface on which the catch member is arranged. Accordingly, the labor for design modification can be reduced, and excellent versatility is achieved.

[0020] Further, in the configuration of claim 3, since the backrest is also attached to the intermediate member, the attachment member for the backrest and the seat can be shared, so that the structure of the entire chair can be simplified. In addition, since the intermediate member can be connected to the base so as to be capable of tilting backward, it is easy to provide the backrest with a reclining function to improve comfort.

[0021] When the seat is in the forward-tilted posture with the seat fully flipped up as in claim 4, the flipped-up seat can be fallen down by merely pushing the front end (upper end) of the seat obliquely downward, which simplifies the hand movement and provides good operability. The same applies when flipping up the seat, and the seat can be held in the flipped-up posture by a single action of merely rotating the seat upward. That is, since the operation of pushing and pulling the seat in the horizontal direction is unnecessary, the movement of the wrist is simplified, and the operability is good.

[0022] When a magnet is used as the catch member as in claim 5, the structure is extremely simplified, there is no space limitation, and the arrangement of other members is not affected, resulting in high design flexibility. In addition, when the seat is fully flipped and rotated, the seat is automatically magnetically attached without a user applying force, so that the problem of poor coupling does not occur. On the other hand, when the seat is to be fallen, the connection is immediately released once the magnet is separated, so that the seat can be fallen without any resistance on the way.

[0023] In claim 6, a hook structure, a clip structure, or a hook-and-loop fastener is adopted as the catch member. Since the hook structure or the clip structure can be formed integrally with the shell member constituting the seat, it can contribute to reducing the number of components. On the other hand, when a hook-and-loop fastener is adopted, a commercially available product can be used as it is, which is suitable for small-lot production. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] The diagram shows an embodiment where (A) is a perspective view from the front and above, (B) is a side view, (C) is a perspective view from below, and (D) is a side view in the flipped-up position. [Figure 2] (A) is an overall separated perspective view, and (B) is a partially separated perspective view showing the support mechanism. [Figure 3] (A) is a separate perspective view of the support mechanism, (B) is a perspective view of the support mechanism, (C) is a partial separate perspective view of the support mechanism, and (D) is a perspective view of the magnet mounting member. [Figure 4] (A) is a perspective view of the seat seen from the rear and below, (B) is a separate perspective view showing the structure of attaching the magnet to the seat support frame member, seen from the rear, and (C) is a separate perspective view showing the structure of attaching the magnet to the seat support frame member, seen from the rear. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following, terms such as front, back, left, and right will be used to specify directions, but these directions are defined as the directions as seen from the perspective of a person sitting normally in a chair. A front view is the direction opposite the seated person.

[0026] (1) Basic structure of a chair The chair in this embodiment is a swivel chair with a relatively simple structure. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chair has a leg assembly 1, a seat 2, and a backrest 3 as its main components. The leg assembly 1 has a configuration in which a gas cylinder 5 is placed as a leg column inside a leg cylinder 4 supported by four branch rods equipped with casters, and as shown in Figures 3(A) to (C), a base 6 is placed at the upper end of the gas cylinder 5.

[0027] The base 6, integrated with the leg device 1, constitutes the support mechanism and includes a sheet metal lower plate 8 and enclosure frame 9 to which a bush 7 into which the upper end of the gas cylinder 5 is fitted is fixed, a synthetic resin receiving member 10 sandwiched and held between the lower plate 8 and the enclosure frame 9, and a synthetic resin cover 11 covering these from above. Long support cylinders 12 are inserted through the enclosure frame 9 and fixed by welding.

[0028] The support cylinder 12 has a semi-circular cross-section with the lower end of the cylinder flattened, and is held non-rotatably between the receiving member 10 and the enclosure frame 9. The enclosure frame 9 is a shell structure with a downward opening, and an operating lever 14 for pressing the push valve 13 of the gas cylinder 5 is rotatably mounted on its upper surface via a bearing member 15. One end of the operating lever 14 is located above the push valve 13, and the other end of the operating lever 14 extends outward to the left and right below the seat 2. Although not shown in the illustration, a knob such as a ball or round bar is attached to the other end of the operating lever 14.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2(B), a torsion bar 16 is positioned inside the support cylinder 12, and the lower ends of a reclined arm member 17 are fixed to both the left and right ends of the torsion bar 16. The arm member 17 is an example of an intermediate member as described in the claims, and a backrest 3 is fixed to its rear end, with the seat 2 pivotably connected to it at an intermediate height. Both the left and right ends of the torsion bar 16 are fixed to the support cylinder 12 in a non-rotatable manner, and the left and right sides of the arm member 17 twist against elasticity and deform, causing the backrest 3 to recline. In addition, the seat 2 tilts backward and descends in conjunction with the reclining of the backrest 3.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the seat 2 has a synthetic resin inner shell (seat plate) 19, a seat cushion material 20 placed on top of it, and an outer shell to which the inner shell 19 is fixed. The seat cushion material 20 is covered with upholstery (cloth). The inner shell 19 has a bending structure with numerous slits, and its surrounding parts are fixed to the outer shell by catch means or screws.

[0031] The outer shell has a frame structure that opens vertically and vertically, as well as an upward-opening channel structure, with numerous reinforcing ribs inside the grooves. A pair of left and right bearing portions 22 that open horizontally are formed near the rear end of the outer shell, and the bearing portions 22 are rotatably connected to a support shaft 23 provided on the arm member 17. Furthermore, the support shaft 23 protrudes inward to the left and right, and the bearing portions 22 of the outer shell are connected to the support shaft 23 via bushings 24 and bolts 25.

[0032] As a means of holding the seat 2 in a reclined position, the support cylinder 12 is provided with a pair of upward-facing support parts 26a on the left and right sides, while the outer shell 21 has an inward-facing projection 26b integrally formed thereon that contacts the upward-facing support parts 26a from above. Although not shown in the figures, a cushioning material made of an elastic material such as rubber is attached to the upward-facing support parts 26a (or inward-facing projection 26b).

[0033] As can be seen from Figure 1, the backrest 3 has a structure in which a back cushion material is stretched over a back panel 27 made of synthetic resin, and the back cushion material is covered with upholstery. The back panel 27 has many small holes. Forward-facing boss parts 28 are integrally formed on the lower part and left and right sides of the back panel 27, and the boss parts 28 are fixed to the rear end of the arm member 17, and the armrest 29 is attached to the boss parts 28 by fitting it in from above. As shown in Figure 2(B), the rear end of the arm member 17 is provided with a projection 30 that fits into the boss parts 28 of the back panel 27, and a bolt (not shown) is screwed into the boss parts 28, which is inserted from below into the rear end of the arm member 17.

[0034] (2) Seat flip-up posture retention structure The seat 2 can be flipped up and rotated using the pivot shaft 23 of the arm member 17 as a fulcrum, but as shown in Figure 1(D), when flipped up to its maximum position, it is tilted forward relative to the vertical line. Therefore, a means is needed to maintain the fully flipped-up position.

[0035] In this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 3(C), a magnetic plate 31 made of steel is fixed to the rear surface of the enclosure frame 9 that constitutes the base 6 by welding, while as clearly shown in Figure 4, a magnet 32 ​​is placed on the rear lower surface of the outer shell 21 that constitutes the seat 2 as an example of a catch member, which overlaps with the magnetic plate 31 when the seat 2 is flipped up. Two magnets 32 are placed on the left and right sides, and each is fixed to the outer shell 21 with screws via a holder 33 made of synthetic resin.

[0036] In other words, the magnet 32 ​​is ring-shaped with a central hole 34, and is fitted into the holder 33 from below. The magnet 32 ​​and the holder 33 are fastened together to the outer shell 21 with screws (not shown). Therefore, the central hole 34 of the magnet 32 ​​is countersunk so that the screw heads are hidden. In addition, an upward-facing projection 33a is provided on the upper part of the holder 33, while a recess 35 is formed in the outer shell 21 into which the upward-facing projection 33a fits (or, the part of the outer shell 21 that overlaps with the part of the holder 33 excluding the upward-facing projection 33a has a land shape that protrudes downward). Therefore, the holder 33 is prevented from rotating when fastening with screws.

[0037] With the seat 2 flipped up, the outer shell 21 is tilted forward, while the rear surface of the enclosure frame 9 that makes up the base 6 is in a vertical position, so the magnetic plate 31 is triangular in side view.

[0038] The embodiment of this invention has the above configuration, and the seat 2 is flipped up and held in a forward-leaning position. With the seat 2 flipped up, multiple chairs can be nested in the front-to-back direction. By using a magnet 32 ​​as a catch member as in the embodiment, and by placing the magnet 32 ​​on the outer shell 21 of the seat 2, the magnetic plate 31 can be firmly fixed by welding or crimping using the steel plate enclosure frame 9, thereby simplifying the structure.

[0039] Furthermore, by attaching the magnet 32 ​​via the holder 33, the magnet 32 ​​can protrude from the lower surface of the outer shell 21, thus minimizing the need for additional processing of the outer shell 21 and reducing costs.

[0040] As in the embodiment, by attaching the backrest 3 and seat 2 to the left and right outer shells 21, the rear of the seat 2 can be tucked under the backrest 3 whether the seat 2 is reclined or flipped up, thus enabling a space-efficient and effortless folding structure. Furthermore, when the seat 2 is flipped up and its lower part is positioned below the backrest 3, the seat 2 will be in a forward-leaning position, but since the flipped-up position is held in place by the magnet 32, even if an impact occurs during nesting or other activities, the seat 2 will not fall over in an unexpected situation.

[0041] Furthermore, when the seat 2 is folded up, there is a large gap between the top of the seat 2 and the backrest 3, making it easy to place your hand on the top of the seat 2 and tilt and rotate it. Also, since the seat 2 does not come into contact with the backrest 3, there are no problems such as wear and tear on the upholstery of the seat 2 or the backrest 3 even after repeated folding.

[0042] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be implemented in various other ways. For example, it can be applied to various chairs such as pipe chairs, fixed chairs, and bench-type multi-section chairs. Furthermore, the backrest and seat can be individually attached to a support mechanism such as a base. In the claims, in addition to magnets, clip-type and hook-and-loop fastener-type methods are specified as catch members, but other methods such as adhesives and vacuum-type suction cups can also be used.

[0043] In the case of fixed chairs, such as those used in theaters, the seat is often pivotally supported by the left and right legs. In this case, when the seat 2 is flipped up, an overlapping section is provided protruding from the leg that opens up to the lower end of the seat 2, and a catch component such as a magnet or clip is attached to the overlapping section. When applied to pipe chairs, long stays are mounted on the left and right legs, and the overlapping section is provided on these stays.

[0044] If the base 6 is equipped with a synthetic resin cover 11 as in the embodiment, it is possible to form catch members such as engagement holes or engagement claws on the cover 11, or to form engagement claws or engagement holes on the outer shell. When hook-and-loop fasteners are used as catch members, the seat material can be fixed to the seat or support mechanism with adhesive or fastened with screws via a retaining member. [Industrial applicability]

[0045] The present invention can be implemented in a chair with a flip-up seat. Therefore, it is industrially applicable. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1. Leg device constituting part of the support mechanism 2nd seat 3 Backrest 5-legged column (gas cylinder) 6. Base constituting the support mechanism 9. Enclosure frame that makes up the base 12 Support cylinder constituting the support mechanism 16 Torsion Bar 17 Arm material constituting the intermediate member of the support mechanism 19 Seat Inner Shell 21-seat outer shell 23 Spindle 27 Backboard 31 Magnetic plate forming part of the catch component 32. Magnets that form part of the catch component. 33 Holder

Claims

1. A chair having a support mechanism with non-folding legs and a seat that is flipped up and rotatably connected to the support mechanism, The seat is connected to the support mechanism so as to pivot around its rear end, and the rear end of the seat and the support mechanism are provided with overlapping portions that face each other when the seat is fully flipped up. The overlapping portion is provided with a catch member that functions when the seat is flipped up and rotated to its full extent, holding the seat in the flipped-up and rotated position, and is released when the seat is tilted and rotated. chair.

2. The support mechanism comprises a base fixed to the upper end of the leg and an intermediate member provided on the base so as to extend to a position higher than the upper surface of the base. The seat is rotatably connected to the intermediate member at a position higher than the upper surface of the base, so that when the seat is flipped up, an overlapping surface is formed between the rear end of the seat and the rear surface of the base. The catch member is provided on the aforementioned overlapping surface. The chair described in claim 1.

3. The aforementioned intermediate members are arranged in pairs on the left and right outer sides of the seat, and the backrest is attached to the upper end of the intermediate members. The chair described in claim 2.

4. It has a backrest attached to the aforementioned support mechanism, The aforementioned seat, when fully raised, is in a forward-leaning position relative to the vertical line, and there is a space between the upper end of the raised seat and the front of the backrest in which a person can insert their fingertips. A chair as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The catch member of the seat and the catch member of the support mechanism are either both magnets, or one is a magnet and the other is a magnetic material. A chair as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The catch member is either a hook structure or a clip structure that engages and disengages by elastic deformation, or a hook-and-loop fastener consisting of a pair of detachable sheets. A chair as described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

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