Locking Structure of the Seat Fabric of a Chair

Abstract

To provide a latching structure which is free from breaking, which facilitates covering, and which makes strong latching possible, in covering a chair structure with a piece of entire covering upholstery.SOLUTION: In the end of an opening side of a piece of bag-like upholstery 41 for covering a chair structure, there is formed a housing part 42 which can house a latching member 60. When the structure is covered with the piece of bag-like upholstery 41, a latched part 52 is provided in a place where the housing part 42 is situated in the structure. By making the latching member 60 housed in the housing part 42 from a state with the piece of bag-like upholstery 41 is covered on the structure, the latched part 52 is engaged with the latching member 60 housed in the housing part 42, so that the piece of bag-like upholstery 41 is latched to the structure as the composition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for locking chair upholstery. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Various structures have been known for attaching upholstery to the backrest of a chair or the like. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a resin edge member (tape) such as polypropylene is fixed to the outer periphery of a mesh-type skin material by sewing or gluing, and the edge member is fitted into bosses provided on the upper member and side member of the back panel to attach the mesh-type skin material to the back panel.

[0003] Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which a seat clip mounting piece is sewn to the end of a seat upholstery material, the mounting piece is wrapped in the seat upholstery material, and the seat upholstery material is attached by engaging the mounting piece in an engaging groove provided in the seat frame. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-92544 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-82968 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the chair upholstery fastening structures disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, resin edge members or attachment pieces are sewn to the edges of the upholstery, and the edge members or attachment pieces are fastened to the back panel or the like. However, when resin components are sewn onto the upholstery, the stretchability of the upholstery is hindered, making it difficult to stretch the upholstery evenly.

[0006] There is also a structure in which a fully wrapped upholstery is fixed, which is made by sewing the front and back upholstery together in a bag shape. In particular, in this case, when trying to cover the chair structure with the resin components sewn onto the all-walnut upholstery, it becomes particularly difficult to pull the upholstery evenly, making the work difficult, and there is a problem that if the upholstery is pulled too hard, it may be damaged, such as tearing at the sewn parts.

[0007] Furthermore, while modern office chairs tend to have a living room-style feel, the upholstery used in these chairs is thick and does not stretch easily, making it difficult to manufacture if the chair is fully wrapped. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a locking structure that allows for easy covering and strong locking when covering a chair structure with full-walnut upholstery without the risk of damage.

[0009] According to the locking structure for chair upholstery of the present invention, a storage section capable of storing a locking member is formed at the open end of the bag-shaped upholstery that is placed over the chair structure, When the bag-shaped upholstery is placed over the structure, an engaging portion is provided at the location on the structure where the storage portion is located, and by storing the locking member in the storage portion while the bag-shaped upholstery is placed over the structure, the engaging portion and the locking member stored in the storage portion engage with each other, thereby locking the bag-shaped upholstery to the structure. By adopting this configuration, the stretchability of the upholstery is not hindered and the upholstery can be pulled evenly, making work easier and allowing the bag-shaped upholstery to be attached to the structure without causing damage.

[0010] The storage section may also be characterized in that it is formed to a predetermined length along the opening periphery at the opening side end of the bag-shaped upholstery, is tubular with both ends open, and the resin locking member formed to a length approximately the same as the predetermined length of the storage section is inserted and stored from either of the open ends. With this configuration, the fastening member can be easily accommodated in the accommodation portion of the upholstery, rather than being sewn.

[0011] The locking member may be a member having an L-shaped cross section.

[0012] Furthermore, the engaging portion may have a first side that protrudes from the surface of the structure and is positioned approximately parallel to the surface of the structure, leaving a first gap between the first side and the surface of the structure, and a second side that protrudes from the tip of the first side toward the surface of the structure, leaving a second gap between the tip and the surface of the structure, and the engaging member having an L-shaped cross section is arranged to enter through the second gap and engage with the engaging portion, and the length of the side of the engaging member that enters the second gap and engages with the second side may be longer than the second gap. According to this configuration, the locking member that has entered the second gap is less likely to come off, and strong engagement can be achieved.

[0013] The locked portion may be provided in a recess formed in the lower surface of the structure so as to be recessed upward. With this configuration, the seat occupant cannot touch the area where the upholstery is fastened, so the upholstery can be safely fastened without coming loose.

[0014] The structure may be a backrest of a chair, and the backrest may have a curved shape that is convex backward. With this configuration, wrinkles are likely to form when the bag-shaped upholstery is placed over a curved structure, but the bag-shaped upholstery can be placed over the structure to prevent wrinkles from forming, and then the engaged portion and the engaging member can be engaged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, when covering a chair structure with a full-walnut upholstery, the covering can be easily done without the risk of damage, and the upholstery can be firmly fastened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the chair seen from diagonally above. [Figure 2] There is a left side view of the chair. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the integrated backrest from below. [Figure 7] This is an oblique view of the full walnut from below. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a locked portion. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of a locking member. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic explanatory view showing an engagement state between a locking member and a locked portion. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory view showing another embodiment of the storage section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Directions are defined as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back" from the perspective of a person sitting on a chair.

[0018] Figures 1 to 3 show the external shape of a chair to which this embodiment is applied. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair seen from diagonally above, Figure 2 is a left side view of the chair, and Figure 3 is a bottom view of the chair. The chair 10 of this embodiment comprises a leg body 11, a seat 12 attached to the upper part of the leg body 11, and an integrated backrest 16 which is formed by integrating left and right armrests 13a, 13b and a backrest 14 into a single structure and has a gently curved surface.

[0019] (legs) The leg body 11 has a leg-wing type leg base 28 and a leg pillar 22. The leg base 28 has a base 24 into which the leg pillar 22 that supports the seat is fitted, and a plurality of leg wings 21 with casters 26 at their tips. The leg base 28 of this embodiment is made of resin, for example, glass fiber reinforced nylon, glass fiber reinforced polyamide, or the like, but is not limited to these materials.

[0020] The base 24 is formed with a circular through-hole (not shown) extending in the vertical direction, and the pedestal 22 is fitted into this through-hole and fixed. The pedestal 22 is provided with an attachment member 27 at its upper end, and the attachment member 27 is attached to the base 12 with a screw 37, thereby fixing the pedestal 22 and the base 12 together.

[0021] The leg pillar 22 incorporates a locking gas spring (not shown), which allows the seat 12 to move up and down relative to the leg base 28. The locking gas spring is designed to extend by gas pressure while the operating lever 29 is pressed, and when the operating lever 29 is released, the length at any position is fixed.

[0022] (seat) FIG. 4 shows a seat shell that constitutes the seat, and FIG. 5 shows a seat cushion 32 that is provided on the upper surface of the seat shell. The seat 12 has a seat shell 30 and a seat cushion 32 disposed on the upper surface of the seat shell 30 . The seat shell 30 of this embodiment is a flat plate having the same overall thickness, and is roughly oval in shape when viewed from above, with only the areas where the left and right armrests 13a, 13b are located being formed in a straight line. In this embodiment, the seat shell 30 is made of plywood, but the material is not limited to plywood and may be made of resin, for example. In the case of resin, glass fiber reinforced nylon, glass fiber reinforced polyamide, etc. may be used.

[0023] Around the center of the seat shell 30, a plurality of screw holes 31 are formed, into which screws 37 for fixing the mounting members 27 of the leg posts 22 are inserted. In addition, a plurality of screw holes 33 are formed on the rear side of the seat shell 30, and are configured to be used to fix the back portion of the back inner shell described later with screws 38. Furthermore, a plurality of screw holes 34 are formed on the left and right sides of the seat shell 30 at the locations where the left and right armrest portions 13a, 13b are to be placed, and are configured to be used to fix the armrest portions of the back inner shell described later with screws 38.

[0024] The seat cushion 32 is configured by providing a cushioning material (not shown) such as urethane foam inside, and covering the outer surface of the cushioning material with upholstery 36. The shape of the cushioning material is such that the upper part of the side is chamfered when viewed from the thickness direction, and the side other than the chamfered part is straight in the vertical direction, and the upper and lower surfaces are almost flat. When viewed from above, the cushioning material has almost the same shape as the seat shell 30, and is roughly oval. The upholstery 36 covering the cushioning material can be made of, for example, woven fabric, but is not limited to woven fabric, and is preferably made of the same material as the upholstery used for the integrated backrest 16.

[0025] (backrest) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the integrated backrest as seen from diagonally below. The integrated backrest 16 is configured by integrating the left and right armrests 13a, 13b and the backrest 14. The left and right armrests 13a, 13b are formed in a substantially straight line along the front-to-rear direction, while the backrest 14 is formed with a gentle curve that convex toward the rear, and the left and right armrests 13a, 13b and the backrest 14 are connected by a curve. Note that the integrated backrest 16 does not particularly configure the left and right armrests 13a, 13b and the backrest 14 as separate parts, but rather configures them as a continuous, integrated unit.

[0026] As described above, the integrated backrest 16 of this embodiment is formed by integrating the left and right armrests 13a, 13b with the backrest 14, and is formed in a roughly C-shape with an opening on the front side in plan view.

[0027] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the integrated backrest fully wrapped from diagonally below. A bag-shaped full casing 40 is attached to the integrated backrest 16. The full casing 40 is formed by joining the front and rear upholstery fabrics together on the top and sides. In this embodiment, the full casing 40 has a cushioning material such as urethane foam arranged inside the fabric upholstery 41 (particularly the inside of the fabric 41 located on the front side). However, the material of the upholstery 41 of the full casing 40 is not limited to fabric, and it is preferably the same material as the upholstery 36 used for the seat 12.

[0028] A cylindrical storage section 42 is formed at the lower end, which is the opening side, of the full case 40 shown in Figure 7. The storage section 42 is formed by rolling a separate cloth member onto the lower end of the upholstery 41 of the full case 40 and sewing it at a sewing section 43. A bias tape material or the like can be used as the separate cloth member. Furthermore, the storage section 42 is not limited to being formed using a separate cloth member, but may also be formed by folding back the lower end of the upholstery 41 of the full covering 40 and sewing it at the sewing section 43. The position of this stitching portion 43 is lower than the height position of the seat cushion 32. Therefore, by disposing the seat cushion 32 in the seat shell 30, this stitching portion 43 is hidden by the seat cushion 32 and cannot be seen.

[0029] Furthermore, the cushioning material is not provided in the position corresponding to the storage section 42 below the stitching 43 in the full covering 40. This is because the position corresponding to the storage section 42 is located below the seat cushion 32 and therefore no cushioning material is necessary, and also because cushioning would interfere with the engagement between the locking member 60 stored in the storage section 42 and the locked sections 50, 52 formed on the shell 46.

[0030] In FIGS. 6 and 7, the locking member 60 housed in the housing portion 42 is shown as a linear member, but as will be described later, it may also be a member with an L-shaped cross section. 6 and 7 show an embodiment in which an opening 47 is formed by cutting out a portion of the accommodating portion 42 at a predetermined location of the accommodating portion 42. The location where this opening 47 is formed is where the locking member 60 housed in the accommodating portion 42 engages with the locked portions 50, 52 formed on the shell 46, but in reality, the opening 47 does not have to be formed.

[0031] Next, FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the shell of the integrated backrest as seen obliquely from the front. The shell 46 of the one-piece backrest 16 is made of resin, for example, and is integrally molded from glass fiber reinforced nylon, glass fiber reinforced polyamide, etc., but is not limited to these materials. The portion of the shell 46 to which the full casing 40 is attached is a main body portion 48 that stands upright in the vertical direction, and a seat receiving portion 49 is formed to protrude horizontally from the lower end of the main body portion 48.

[0032] The seat receiving portion 49 protrudes horizontally so that the seat shell 30 can be placed thereon, and is configured so that the placed seat shell 30 can be fixed. The seat receiving portion 49 is formed with a screw hole 51 corresponding to the screw hole 33 formed in the seat shell 30, and a screw hole 53 corresponding to the screw hole 34 formed in the seat shell 30.

[0033] After the seat shell 30 is placed on the seat receiving part 49, a screw 38 is inserted into the screw hole 33 of the seat shell 30 through the screw hole 51 from below the seat receiving part 49 to fix it, and also a screw 38 is inserted into the screw hole 34 of the seat shell 30 through the screw hole 53 from below the seat receiving part 49 to fix it.

[0034] A plurality of engagement portions 50 for engaging the front side of the full casing 40 are formed on the lower front surface of the main body portion 48 of the shell 46 . As shown in Figure 9, when viewed from the side, the engaging portion 50 is L-shaped and consists of a horizontal portion 50a extending forward and a vertical portion 50b extending downward from the tip of the horizontal portion 50a. However, the vertical portion 50a may protrude further from the tip toward the front surface 46a of the shell 46, and a gap even narrower than the gap 56 described below may be formed between the part protruding toward the front surface 46a and the front surface 46a. A gap 56 is formed between the vertical portion 50a of the locked portion 50 and the front surface 46a of the shell 46. The locking member 60 of the full casing 40 enters this gap 56 and engages with the locked portion 50.

[0035] Figure 10 shows an enlarged view of the lower part of the shell. The lower portion of the main body 48 of the shell 46 is formed with a plurality of engagement portions 52 for engaging the rear side of the casing 40 . The multiple engaging portions 52 are formed in an upwardly recessed recess 54 formed between the lower front side wall surface 46b of the shell 46 and a seat receiving portion 49 protruding forward from the lower portion of the shell 46. Each of the engaging portions 52 protrudes downward within the recess 54 and is L-shaped bent toward the lower front side wall surface 46b of the shell 46, and is shaped to engage with the engaging member 60 of the full casing 40 described later.

[0036] (Engagement between the whole walnut and the shell) As described above, a cylindrical housing portion 42 is formed at the lower end portion, which is the opening side, of the full casing 40. Housing portion 42 houses a locking member 60 for engaging with a locking portion 50 on the front side of the shell 46 or a locking portion 52 on the rear side.

[0037] FIG. 11 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the locking member. The locking member 60 is a resin member formed to have approximately the same length as the accommodating portion 42 . 11 has an L-shaped cross section. An L-shaped cross section of the locking member 60 is preferable for secure engagement, but the locking member 60 may have a linear shape (approximately a circular cross section) or a plate shape instead of the L-shaped cross section of the locking member 60 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the locking member 60 that engages with the locked portion 50 on the front side of the shell 46 is a linear member as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and employs, for example, a metal wire. 11 is used as the locking member 60 that engages with the locked portion 52 on the rear side of the shell 46. The material for the L-shaped cross-section locking member 60 can be a resin material such as polypropylene, but is not limited to polypropylene. However, the locking member 60 must have a suitable degree of flexibility so that it can bend along the curve of the shell 46.

[0038] Figure 12 shows the schematic structure of the storage section for the fully wrapped upholstered fabric. The lower end of the upholstery 41 of the full covering 40 is formed by rolling up a separate fabric member and sewing it at the sewing portion 43, or by folding it back and sewing it at the sewing portion 43, forming a cylindrical storage portion 42. Both left and right ends of the cylindrical storage portion 42 are openings 44. The locking member 60 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 42 by first covering the shell 46 with the walnut 40, and then inserting the locking member 60 through the openings 44 formed at both ends of the cylindrical accommodation portion 42.

[0039] FIG. 13 shows one embodiment of the engagement state between the locking member and the locked portion. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the rear side of the full casing 40 is engaged with the shell 46. The locked portion 52 is composed of a vertical portion 52a extending downward and a horizontal portion 52b extending horizontally from the lower end of the vertical portion 52a toward the lower front side wall surface 46b of the shell 46.

[0040] A gap 63 is provided between the tip of the horizontal portion 52b of the locked portion 52 and the lower front side wall surface 46b. One end 60a of the L-shape of the locking member 60 enters through this gap 63, and the horizontal portion 52b of the locked portion 52 and one end 60a of the locking member 60 engage with each other.

[0041] In this case, if the distance of the gap 63 is G1 and the length of one end 60a of the locking member 60 is L1, then L1>G1. In this way, by making the length of one end 60a of the locking member 60 that enters through the gap 63 longer than the distance of the gap 63 between the locked portion 52 and the lower front side wall surface 46b, the locking member 60 is less likely to come off the locked portion 52, and a strong engagement can be achieved. Furthermore, when inserting the locking member 60 into the gap 63 between the locked portion 52 and the lower front side wall surface 46b, one end 60a of the locking member 60 can be inserted into the gap 63 by spreading one end 60a and the other end 60b of the locking member 60 apart.

[0042] FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the upholstery receiving section. 14 has an opening 47 formed by cutting out a part of the upholstery 41 at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction. By forming the opening 47, a part of the locking member 60 housed in the housing 42 is exposed through the opening 47. In addition, when the locking member 60 is linear as shown in Figures 6 and 7, by forming an opening 47 in the storage section 42 at a position corresponding to the locked portion 50 or the locked portion 52, the locking member 60 can be securely engaged with the locked portions 50, 52 by directly contacting them without using the upholstery 41. However, when the locking member 60 is L-shaped as shown in Figure 11, there is no need to provide an opening 47 as secure engagement can be achieved.

[0043] As described above, when the full case 40 is placed over the shell 46 of the one-piece backrest 16, the cylindrical storage section 42 for storing the locking member 60 is provided at the lower end of the upholstery 41 of the full case 40, so that the stretchability is not hindered and the upholstery 41 can be pulled evenly. This makes it easy to place the full case 40 over the shell 46, and the full case 40 can be placed over the shell 46 without being damaged.

[0044] In addition, in the upholstery locking structure of the present invention, the structure to be fully covered is not limited to an integrated backrest in which both left and right armrests and the backrest are integrated as in this embodiment, but may also be a structure in which the fully covered structure is applied to a backrest that is separate from the armrests. Furthermore, the seat may be made entirely of wood. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 chairs 11 Legs 12 seats 13a, 13b Armrests 14 Backrest 16 Integrated backrest 21 Leg feathers 22 Pillar 24 base 26 Caster 27 Mounting material 28 Leg base 29 Operating lever 30 Seat Shell 31 screw holes 32 Seat cushion 33 screw holes 34 screw holes 36 Upholstery 37 screws 38 screws 41 Upholstery 42 Storage section 43 Sewing section 44 Opening 46 Shell 46a front 46b Lower front side wall 47 Opening 48 Main body 49 Seat 50 Locked part 50a horizontal section 50a vertical section 51 screw holes 52 Locked part 52a Vertical section 52b Horizontal part 53 screw holes 54 Recess 56 Gap 60 Locking member 60a One end 60b Other end 63 Gap

Claims

1. A storage portion capable of storing a locking member is formed at an open end of a bag-shaped upholstery that is placed over the chair structure, a latching portion is provided at a location on the structure where the storage portion is located when the bag-shaped upholstery is placed on the structure; A locking structure for chair upholstery, characterized in that when the bag-shaped upholstery is placed over the structure and the locking member is stored in the storage section, the locked portion engages with the locking member stored in the storage section, thereby locking the bag-shaped upholstery to the structure.

2. The storage section is The bag-shaped upholstery is formed to a predetermined length along the opening periphery at the opening side end, and is cylindrical with both ends open, The locking structure for chair upholstery as described in claim 1, characterized in that the locking member made of resin and formed to a length approximately the same as the predetermined length of the storage section is inserted and stored from either of the open ends.

3. The locking member is 3. The structure for fastening chair upholstery according to claim 1, wherein the member has an L-shaped cross section.

4. The locked portion is a first side that protrudes from a surface of the structure and is disposed substantially parallel to the surface of the structure with a first gap between the first side and the surface of the structure; and a second side that protrudes from a tip of the first side toward the surface of the structure with a second gap between the tip and the surface of the structure, The L-shaped cross section locking member is The locking portion is provided so as to enter through the second gap and engage with the locking portion, 4. The locking structure for chair upholstery according to claim 3, wherein the length of the side of the locking member that enters the second gap and engages with the second side is longer than the length of the second gap.

5. The locked portion is A locking structure for chair upholstery according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is provided in a recess formed in the underside of the structure so as to be recessed upward.

6. The locking structure for chair upholstery according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the structure is the backrest of a chair, and the backrest has a curved shape that is convex toward the rear.

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