Reception counter

Abstract

To provide a reception counter that is enabled to extend a top board surface readily and rapidly.SOLUTION: A reception counter where a customer and a receptionist face each other while interposing a top board 4 therebetween includes an auxiliary top board device 7 provided beneath the top board 4 and deployable and retractable on a customer side with an operation from a receptionist side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a customer service counter where a customer and a customer service staff face each other with a top plate in between.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a measure against infectious diseases such as the coronavirus, at customer service counters such as checkout counters and service counters in stores, a transparent panel or sheet for preventing droplets that separates the customer side and the customer service staff side is installed on the top plate. When such a panel or sheet is installed on the top plate, it becomes an obstacle when a customer tries to write something on the top plate. To solve this problem, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to temporarily form an auxiliary top plate (extension table) in a usable state as needed to expand the top plate surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the auxiliary top plate described in Patent Document 1 is a foldable type that rotates in the vertical direction around a hinge, when this is provided on the customer side, each time, the customer service staff has to enter the customer side and rotate the auxiliary top plate between the used state and the unused state. Therefore, it is not preferable to apply such a foldable auxiliary top plate to the customer side of the customer service counter.

[0005] The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a customer service counter that can easily and quickly expand the top plate surface.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the customer service counter of the present invention is In a customer service counter where a customer and a customer service staff face each other with a top plate in between, an auxiliary top plate device is provided directly below the top plate and can protrude and retract to the customer side by an operation from the customer service staff side. , a curtain board is provided on the customer side of the reception counter, and the auxiliary top plate device protrudes and retracts through a slit-shaped opening formed in the curtain board. In the storage position, the auxiliary top plate device closes the opening. It is characterized by this. According to this feature, the auxiliary top plate device can be protruded to the customer side by an operation from the customer service staff side as needed to be in a use state, or stored directly below the top plate when not in use. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary for the customer service staff to go around to the customer side and operate the auxiliary top plate device each time, and the protruding and retracting operation of the auxiliary top plate device can be performed easily and quickly.

[0007] The customer side has a curtain plate, and the auxiliary top plate device protrudes and retracts through a slit-shaped opening formed in the curtain plate. The auxiliary top plate device is characterized in that it closes the opening in the storage position. According to this feature, there is no risk of fingers or the like entering the opening whether the auxiliary top plate device is in the protruding position or the storage position, and it is safe.

[0008] It is characterized by having a regulating means for regulating the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device. According to this feature, the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device to the customer side is always constant.

[0009] It is characterized by having a holding means for holding the auxiliary top plate device in the storage position. According to this feature, it is safe because the auxiliary top plate device is prevented from protruding forward unexpectedly.

[0010] The front-rear dimension of the auxiliary top plate device is substantially the same as that of the top plate. According to this feature, the protruding and retracting operation is easy, and the auxiliary top plate device is less conspicuous when stored.

[0011] The auxiliary top plate device is provided with an operation handle at the end on the customer side, and a movable space for the hand to hold the operation handle is formed below the operation handle. According to this feature, the customer can hold the operation handle and easily project the auxiliary top plate device to the customer side or store it directly below the top plate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] The mode for carrying out the customer counter according to the present invention will be described below based on the embodiments.

Embodiment

[0014] The customer service counter according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. In the following, the front-back and left-right directions of the customer service counter are the directions of the arrows shown in FIG. 1, and the front is the customer side and the back is the customer service staff side for explanation.

[0015] The customer service counter 1 according to the embodiment is used with the customer and the customer service staff facing each other, and includes a pair of left and right side plates 2, 2 that also serve as foot plates, a curtain plate 3 attached to the front end surfaces of both side plates 2, 2, and a rectangular top plate 4 in plan view placed and fixed on the upper ends of the side plates 2, 2 and the curtain plate 3.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of upper and lower shelves 5 are attached to the opposing surfaces of the left and right side plates 2, 2. A drawer 6 is accommodated between the uppermost shelf 5 and the second shelf 5, and an auxiliary top plate device 7 is stored between the top plate 4 and the uppermost shelf 5. The auxiliary top plate 7 is substantially square and slightly smaller than the size of the top plate 4. The auxiliary top plate device 7 including the operation handle 11 is slightly larger than the size of the top plate 4. Note that the front-back dimension of the auxiliary top plate device 7 may be substantially the same as that of the top plate 4. Thereby, the operation of the auxiliary top plate device 7 to protrude and retract is facilitated, and the auxiliary top plate device 7 is less conspicuous when stored.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, a long slit-shaped opening 8 in the left-right direction for protruding and retracting the auxiliary top plate device 7 on the customer side is formed at the upper end portion of the curtain plate 3. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of the opening 8 are slightly larger than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the auxiliary top plate device 7. Note that the opening 8 is closed by the front end portion of the auxiliary top plate device 7 when the auxiliary top plate device 7 is in the storage position.

[0018] The auxiliary top plate device 7 is composed of an auxiliary top plate 17 and an operation handle 11 fixed to the rear end of the auxiliary top plate 17. Specifically, on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the auxiliary top plate 17, the horizontal piece 9a in the lateral direction of the handle attachment member 9 having a forward-facing L-shaped cross section in side view is fixed by two small screws 10, 10 with the upward piece 9b abutted against the rear end of the auxiliary top plate device 7. On the rear surface of the upward piece 9b, an operation handle 11 having a forward-facing U-shaped cross section in plan view and long in the left-right direction is attached so as to slightly protrude rearward of the top plate 4. When the handle attachment member 9 and the operation handle 11 are formed of metal, the operation handle 11 is fixed by welding. When the handle attachment member 9 and the operation handle 11 are formed of synthetic resin, they can be integrally molded. Below the operation handle 11, that is, between the auxiliary top plate device 7 and the uppermost shelf plate 5, a movable space 12 for the hand to grip the operation handle 11 is formed (see FIGS. 3 and 6).

[0019] On the opposing surfaces at the upper end portions of the left and right side plates 2, 2, a pair of left and right guide rails 13, 13 extending in the front-rear direction are oppositely attached. The guide rails 13, 13 have a U-shaped cross section, and the front-rear dimension is set to a length reaching from near the rear end of the side plate 2 to the rear surface of the curtain plate 3. The guide rails 13, 13 are formed of, for example, synthetic resin, and stopper means, rear limit stoppers 13a, 13a, are integrally formed inwardly at the rear ends (see FIGS. 3 and 7). When the auxiliary top plate device 7 is moved rearward, the left and right rear ends thereof abut against the rear limit stoppers 13a, 13a, whereby the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be stored in a fixed position directly below the top plate 4.

[0020] Since the left and right side ends of the auxiliary top plate device 7 are inserted into the guide rails 13, 13, the auxiliary top plate device 7 is guided by the guide rails 13, 13 directly below the top plate and can move in the front-rear direction. The protruding position described later is set such that the center of gravity of the auxiliary top plate device 7 with the maximum amount pulled out is located inside the longitudinal direction of the guide rails 13, 13. As shown in FIG. 8, in the state where the auxiliary top plate device 7 is pulled out to the maximum amount, the lower surfaces 17a of the left and right side ends of the auxiliary top plate 17 are in surface contact with the inner bottom surfaces 13b of the guide rails 13, 13, and are held by the guide rails 13, 13 with appropriate frictional force. That is, the guide rails 13, 13 and the lower surface of the auxiliary top plate device 7 constitute a holding means, preventing the protruding auxiliary top plate device 7 from easily moving backward and facilitating note-taking work on the auxiliary top plate 17. Further, since frictional and sliding resistances are applied to the auxiliary top plate device 7, the auxiliary top plate device 7 is held not only at the protruding position but also at the storage position.

[0021] A front limit stopper 14, which is a regulating means for regulating the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device 7, is attached to the lower surface of the central part slightly forward of the central part in the front-rear direction of the auxiliary top plate device 7. The front limit stopper 14 includes a horizontal piece 14a fixed to the lower surface of the auxiliary top plate device 7 by small screws 10, 10 and a downward piece 14b hanging down from the front end thereof. When the auxiliary top plate device 7 is protruded forward, the front surface of the downward piece 14b abuts against the rear surface of the curtain plate 3, so that the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be stopped at the protruding position.

[0022] Next, an example of using the auxiliary top plate device 7 will be described. When a customer is writing or the like in front of the customer service counter 1, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the customer service staff holds the operation handle 11 behind the customer service counter 1 and pushes the auxiliary top plate device 7 forward to project it forward from the opening 8 of the curtain plate 3. At this time, the downward piece 14b of the front limit stopper 14 abuts against the rear surface of the curtain plate 3, so that the amount of protrusion of the auxiliary top plate device 7 toward the customer side is always constant. By projecting the auxiliary top plate device 7 in this way, for example, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, even if a transparent panel P for preventing droplets that separates the customer side and the customer service staff side is installed on the upper surface of the front end of the top plate 4, the customer can use the projected auxiliary top plate device 7 to write or the like.

[0023] When the customer has finished writing or the like, the customer service staff can insert a hand into the movable space 12, hold the operation handle 11, and pull the auxiliary top plate device 7 backward. At this time, the left and right rear ends of the auxiliary top plate device 7 abut against the rear limit stoppers 13a, 13a of the guide rails 13, 13, so that the projected auxiliary top plate device 7 can be stored at a fixed position below the top plate 4. As a result, the auxiliary top plate device 7 is less conspicuous when stored.

[0024] As described above, in the customer service counter 1 according to the embodiment, the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be projected to the customer side by an operation from the customer service staff side as needed to be in a use state, or stored directly below the top plate 4 when not in use. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary for the customer service staff to go around to the customer side and operate the auxiliary top plate device each time. The auxiliary top plate device 7 can be easily and quickly projected and retracted, and the top plate surface can be appropriately expanded.

[0025] In addition, the auxiliary top plate device 7 projects in and out from the slit-shaped opening 8 formed in the curtain plate 3, and the opening 8 is closed by the auxiliary top plate device 7 at the storage position. Therefore, in either the projected position or the storage position, there is no risk of a finger or the like entering the opening 8, and it is safe.

[0026] Furthermore, since the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device 7 is restricted by the front limit stopper 14, the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device 7 toward the customer side is always constant, and the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be stored at a fixed position directly below the top plate 4 by the rear limit stopper 13a. Also, at the storage position, even if the auxiliary top plate device 7 is pushed from the customer side, the retreat of the auxiliary top plate device 7 is restricted by the rear limit stopper 13a, so there is no risk of fingers or the like entering the opening 8 and it is safe.

[0027] Furthermore, an operation handle 11 is attached to the rear end of the auxiliary top plate device 7, and a movable space 12 for the hand that holds the operation handle 11 is formed below the operation handle 11. Therefore, the customer service staff can hold the operation handle 11 and easily protrude the auxiliary top plate device 7 toward the customer side or store it directly below the top plate 4.

[0028] Furthermore, the auxiliary top plate device 7 is guided by guide rails 13, 13 with a U-shaped cross section provided on the side plates 2, 2 and moves in the front-rear direction, so the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be moved stably.

[0029] Also, since the auxiliary top plate device 7 is held in the storage position by the frictional force between the guide rail 13 and the auxiliary top plate device 7, this prevents the auxiliary top plate device 7 from unexpectedly protruding forward and is safe.

[0030] Also, since the auxiliary top plate 17 is loosely fitted in the guide rail 13, when a load is applied to the auxiliary top plate 17 from above due to a customer writing or placing luggage, etc., the front of the auxiliary top plate 17 moves downward and the rear is relatively bounced upward. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 which is a cross-sectional view of the left end side of the customer service counter 1, the lower surface 17a of the auxiliary top plate 17 is pressed against the front end of the inner bottom surface 13b of the guide rail 13, and the rear end of the upper surface 17b of the auxiliary top plate 17 is pressed against the inner top surface 13c of the guide rail 13, effectively restricting the movement in the front-rear direction. Although not shown, when a load is applied to the auxiliary top plate 17 from above, the same form applies to the right end side of the customer service counter 1.

[0031] In addition, since the auxiliary top plate device 7 is provided directly below the top plate 4, in the protruding state, the step difference between the upper surface of the top plate 4 and the upper surface of the auxiliary top plate 7 is small. Therefore, writing utensils and the like can be placed on the upper surface of the top plate 4 and the upper surface of the auxiliary top plate 7, facilitating smooth writing work. The step difference is preferably within twice the thickness of the top plate 4, and more preferably within once the thickness of the top plate 4.

[0032] Also, in the state where the auxiliary top plate device 7 is maximally protruded, the length by which the auxiliary top plate 7 is loosely fitted in the guide rails 13, 13 is longer than the length by which the auxiliary top plate 7 protrudes from the opening 8 to the outside. Therefore, even if a customer inadvertently applies a downward force to the auxiliary top plate 7, it is less likely to be damaged. Furthermore, since the auxiliary top plate 7 is provided directly below the top plate 4, in other words, it is provided at a relatively high position from the floor surface, it is less likely for a customer to apply a downward force to the auxiliary top plate 7 in the first place.

[0033] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are additions or changes within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention.

[0034] For example, in the above embodiment, the operation handle 11 is attached to the rear end of the auxiliary top plate 17. However, the operation handle 11 can be omitted, and the rear end portion of the auxiliary top plate 17 can be directly gripped and moved in the front-rear direction.

[0035] Also, in the above embodiment, the front limit stopper 14 that regulates the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device 7 and the rear limit stopper 13a that stops at the storage position are provided. However, if the auxiliary top plate device 7 is held by the guide rail 13 with an appropriate frictional force and frictional and sliding resistance is imparted to the auxiliary top plate device 7, at least one of the front limit stopper 14 and the rear limit stopper 13a can be omitted.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the auxiliary top plate device 7 is held in the storage position by the frictional force between the guide rail 13 and the auxiliary top plate device 7. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a downward locking piece 15 as a holding means may be rotatably attached up and down to the rear end of the top plate 4. When the locking piece 15 is positioned between the operation handle 11 and the rear end of the auxiliary top plate 17 (handle attachment member 9) during storage of the auxiliary top plate device 7 to restrict the forward movement of the auxiliary top plate device 7, the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be held in the storage position and can be reliably prevented from unexpectedly protruding forward.

[0037] In addition, when such a locking piece 15 is provided, it is possible to visually confirm from the customer side that the auxiliary top plate device 7 is in the stored state, so there is no need to go around to the customer side to confirm whether the auxiliary top plate device 7 protrudes to the customer side.

[0038] Also, for example, by making the color of the rear end portion of the auxiliary top plate device 7 complementary to that of the top plate 4 so that the customer can easily visually recognize the end portion, it may be configured to be able to confirm whether the auxiliary top plate device 7 is in the stored state.

[0039] Also, the guide rail 13 in the above-described embodiment has a so-called threshold slip configuration, but is not limited thereto. For example, by adopting a configuration of a slide rail provided with a plurality of rotating bodies that rotate in the vertical direction, the frictional force during the sliding movement of the auxiliary top plate device 7 can be minimized so that the protruding and retracting operations can be performed smoothly. In this case, it is preferable to separately provide mechanisms for holding these positions at the protruding position and the storage position of the auxiliary top plate device 7, respectively. Furthermore, after configuring to minimize the frictional force during the sliding movement of the auxiliary top plate device 7 in this way, by providing the slide rail inclined downward toward the rear, the auxiliary top plate device 7 when not in use can be configured to automatically return to the storage position. In this case, the inclination of this slide rail and the own weight of the auxiliary top plate device 7 serve as the holding means at the storage position.

Explanation of Signs

[0040] 1 Customer service counter 2 Side plate 3 shutter 4 ceiling board 5 shelf board 6 drawer 7 auxiliary ceiling board device 8 opening 11 operation handle 12 movable space 13 guide rail (holding means) 13b bottom surface 13c top surface 14 front limit stopper 15 locking piece 17 auxiliary ceiling board (holding means) 17a lower surface 17b upper surface

Claims

1. In a customer service counter where a customer and a customer service staff face each other with a top plate in between, it is provided with an auxiliary top plate device that is provided directly below the top plate and can protrude and retract to the customer side by an operation from the customer service staff side, the customer service counter is provided with a curtain plate on the customer side, and the auxiliary top plate device protrudes and retracts through a slit-shaped opening formed in the curtain plate. In the storage position, the auxiliary top plate device closes the opening. A customer service counter characterized by this.

2. The customer service counter according to claim 1, further comprising regulating means for regulating the protruding amount of the auxiliary top plate device.

3. The customer service counter according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising holding means for holding the auxiliary top plate device in the storage position.

4. The customer service counter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front-rear dimension of the auxiliary top plate device is substantially the same as that of the top plate.

5. The auxiliary top plate device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided with an operation handle at the end on the customer service staff side, and a movable space for a hand to grip the operation handle is formed below the operation handle. Customer service counter.

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