Panel assembly

Abstract

To provide a panel assembly capable of connecting a plurality of panel bodies with a compact structure that does not deteriorate appearance.SOLUTION: The panel assembly includes a plurality of panel bodies 6, an intermediary member 16, and a connecting member 7. The panel body 6 has a concave portion 14 recessed in a direction intersecting a thickness direction at a corner portion 12C formed by one edge side and an adjacent edge side that intersects with the edge side. The intermediary member 16 has a locked portion and is mounted in the concave portion 14 of each panel body 6. The connecting member 7 has a locking portion 15 that is locked to the locked portion of the intermediary member 16 within a range of a panel thickness width of the panel body 6. The connecting member 7 connects the plurality of panel bodies 6 via the intermediary member 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a panel assembly including a panel body and a connecting member for connecting the panel bodies to each other.

Background Art

[0002] In workspaces such as offices and public facilities, the interior of the workspace may be partitioned into a plurality of spaces by panel bodies to improve work efficiency. In this case, a plurality of panel bodies may be appropriately connected by a connecting member and used as a panel assembly (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the panel assembly described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of concave shapes capable of sandwiching the edges of a plurality of panel bodies are formed in the connecting member (gripping clip). This panel assembly can connect the panel bodies to each other via the connecting member by sandwiching the edges of the panel bodies corresponding to the concave shape portions of the connecting member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, since the panel assembly described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which the edges of the panel bodies are sandwiched from the outside by the concave shape portions of the connecting member, the concave shape portions of the connecting member bulge outward in the thickness direction of the panel bodies, and it is difficult to sufficiently bring the panel bodies close to each other for connection, and a gap is likely to be formed between the panel bodies to be connected. For this reason, when the panel assembly described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, the appearance of the connecting portion of the panel bodies is likely to deteriorate, and the connecting portion of the panel bodies becomes large and compresses the arrangement space of the surrounding members.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a panel assembly capable of connecting a plurality of panel bodies with a compact structure that does not cause a decrease in appearance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the panel assembly according to the present invention adopts the following configuration. That is, the panel assembly according to the present invention includes a plurality of panel bodies having recesses that are recessed in a direction intersecting the thickness direction at corners formed by one end side and an adjacent end side intersecting the end side, an intermediate member having a locked portion and attached to the recesses of each of the panel bodies, and a locking portion that is locked within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body to the locked portion of the intermediate member, and connecting a plurality of the panel bodies through the intermediate member. It is characterized by comprising a connecting member.

[0008] With the above configuration, the intermediate member is attached to the recesses at the corners of each panel body, and the locking portion of the connecting member is locked to the locked portion of the intermediate member attached to each panel body. As a result, a plurality of panel bodies are connected through the connecting member. In this panel assembly, since the locking portion of the connecting member is locked to the locked portion of the corresponding intermediate member within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body, the connecting member can be made thinner than the plate thickness width of the panel body. Further, since the connecting member does not have a structure that sandwiches the edge of the panel body from the outside, the panel bodies to be connected can be brought sufficiently close to each other. Furthermore, since the connecting member is locked to the intermediate member attached to the recess of the panel body, a stable connection state can be maintained with the panel body side regardless of the material of the panel body.

[0009] At least a part of the locked portion may be opened upward.

[0010] In this case, when assembling the connecting member to the intermediate member, the locking portion of the connecting member can be locked so as to be dropped into the locked portion of the intermediate member from above. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the connecting member can be easily assembled to the intermediate member.

[0011] The locked portion may be formed inside a groove portion formed in the intermediate member so as to receive the locking portion.

[0012] In this case, the portion where the locking portion of the connecting member engages with the locked portion of the intermediate member becomes invisible from the outside, and the appearance from the outside becomes good.

[0013] The locking portion may have a hook piece, and the locked portion may have a recessed portion that is recessed downward from the bottom of the groove portion and receives the hook piece.

[0014] In this case, it is possible to ensure a sufficiently long contact length in the vertical direction between the locking portion and the locked portion. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the engagement strength between the connecting member and the intermediate member can be increased.

[0015] The locking portion may have a hook piece, and the locked portion may have a retaining projection provided inside the groove portion to restrict displacement of the hook piece in the removal direction.

[0016] In this case, the hook piece of the locking portion engages with the retaining projection in the groove portion, so that the removal of the connecting member from the intermediate member is reliably restricted. As a result, it becomes possible to firmly connect a plurality of panel bodies to each other.

[0017] The panel body includes a plate-shaped core material with the concave portion formed at the corner portion, and a skin material covering the outside of the core material. On one end side of the core material where the concave portion is formed at the corner portion, a skin material locking groove continuous with the concave portion is formed. One terminal and the other terminal of the skin material covering the core material are inserted into and locked by the skin material locking groove, and are arranged to be spaced apart on both sides in the plate thickness direction within the concave portion. The intermediate member may be provided with a terminal covering portion that covers each terminal of the skin material arranged within the concave portion.

[0018] In this case, one terminal and the other terminal of the skin material covering the core material are arranged across the skin material locking groove and the inner region of the concave portion at one end side of the core material. Each terminal of the skin material arranged in the inner region of the concave portion is spaced apart on both sides in the plate thickness direction so as to avoid the connecting member, and is covered by the terminal covering portion in that state. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the terminals of the skin material become invisible from the outside, and the appearance from the outside becomes good.

[0019] The intermediate member includes an intermediate member main body having the locked portion and a separate component from the intermediate member main body, and has the intermediate member main body or a shielding member attached to the core material. The intermediate member main body is provided with a terminal accommodating groove for accommodating each terminal of the skin material while being spaced apart on both sides in the plate thickness direction. The shielding member may be configured to cover each terminal of the skin material accommodated in the terminal accommodating groove.

[0020] In this case, each terminal of the skin material is accommodated in the terminal accommodating groove of the intermediate member main body at the corner portion of the panel body, and is covered by a separate shielding member in that state. For this reason, the terminals of the skin material do not come into direct contact with the edge portion of the concave portion of the core material by being arranged in the terminal accommodating groove of the intermediate member main body, and even when the core material is formed of wood or the like, rubbing and damage of the terminals of the skin material are prevented.

Effects of the Invention

[0021] The panel assembly according to the present invention has an intermediate member attached in a recess provided at a corner of each panel body, and a locking portion of a connecting member is locked to a locked portion of the intermediate member within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body. Therefore, the connecting member does not bulge in the width direction of the panel body, and no large gap is created between a plurality of panel bodies. Accordingly, when the panel assembly according to the present invention is adopted, a plurality of panel bodies can be connected with a compact structure that does not cause a decrease in appearance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the furniture 1 with panels of the present embodiment, seen from the upper front. The furniture 1 with panels according to this embodiment has two sets of chair units 5, each having a chair 3 and a table 4 installed on a plate-shaped base member 2, connected in the width direction, and a plurality of panel bodies 6 for shielding are attached to the rear and side of each chair unit 5. Each panel body 6 is attached to the chair unit 5 in an upright state. The upper end portions of adjacent panel bodies 6 are interconnected by connecting members 7, 7A. A plurality of leg posts 8 project from the lower surface of the base member 2, and the lower ends of the leg posts 8 are placed on the floor surface F. The lower end of each panel body 6 is fixed to the base member 2 by appropriate means.

[0025] In the furniture 1 with panels shown in FIG. 1, six panel bodies 6 are appropriately connected by connecting members 7, 7A to form a panel assembly. FIG. 1 shows an example of using the panel assembly in the furniture 1 with panels. Hereinafter, the details of the panel assembly according to this embodiment will be described. The panel assembly can be composed of at least two panel bodies 6 and one connecting member 7. Hereinafter, the panel assembly composed of two panel bodies 6 and one connecting member 7 will be described.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the panel assembly 10. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the panel assembly 10 with one panel body 6 removed, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the panel assembly 10 with one panel body 6 removed. The panel assembly 10 includes two panel bodies 6 and a connecting member 7 that connects the panel bodies 6 in a state where the end sides of the two panel bodies 6 are butted at substantially right angles.

[0027] The panel body 6 includes a core material 12 having a predetermined thickness and substantially rectangular in a front view, and a skin material 13 (see FIG. 3) that covers the outside of the core material 12. The core material 12 is formed of, for example, wood. The skin material 13 is composed of, for example, woven fabric, non-woven fabric, leather, etc. Note that the skin material 13 is shown only in FIG. 3 and is omitted in other drawings.

[0028] The connecting member 7 is made of a metal material, a hard resin, etc. with a substantially constant thickness, and is formed in a substantially L-shape in plan view. The portion forming one side of the substantially L-shape of the connecting member 7 constitutes a locking portion 15 that is locked to one panel body 6 side, and the portion forming the other side of the substantially L-shape of the connecting member 7 constitutes a locking portion 15 that is locked to the other panel body 6 side. The plate thickness of each locking portion 15 is set to be sufficiently thinner than the plate thickness of the core material 12 (panel body). In addition, in the present embodiment, the connecting member 7 is formed in a substantially L-shaped plan view shape in order to abut and connect two panel bodies 6 at a substantially right angle. However, depending on the connection form of the panel body 6, the plan view shape of the connecting member 7 may be other shapes such as linear (a shape in which two locking portions 15 are arranged linearly) or bifurcated.

[0029] On one corner 12C on the upper end side of the core material 12 of the panel body 6, a recess 14 that is recessed in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the panel body 6 is formed. The corner 12C of the core material 12 is formed with a roundness of a predetermined arc. In this specification, the "corner" shall include those having a slight roundness. The recess 14 is formed within the range of the plate thickness of the core material 12, and side edges forming the contour of the corner 12C exist on both sides in the plate thickness direction of the recess 14. The recess 14 is formed across the upper end surface 12u (one end side) of the core material 12 and the side end surface 12s (adjacent end side) adjacent to the upper end surface 12u. A mediating member 16 to which the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 is fitted and locked is attached to the recess 14. The mediating member 16 includes a mediating member main body 16A having a locked portion to which the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 is locked, and a shielding member 16B attached to the mediating member main body 16A. Both the mediating member main body 16A and the shielding member 16B are formed of a hard resin or the like.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the mediating member main body 16A, the shielding member 16B, and the connecting member 7 disassembled. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the shielding member 16B and the connecting member 7 removed from the panel body 6 and the connecting member 7 shown by a virtual line, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 3. The intermediate member body 16A has a main body base portion 17 that is substantially L-shaped in side view and is fitted into the recess 14 of the panel body 6, and an engagement block portion 18 that is continuously provided inside the main body base portion 17 (the side facing the bottom side of the recess 14). The main body base portion 17 is formed in a substantially L-shaped strip shape so as to follow the side view shape of the corner portion 12C of the core material 12. The maximum width of the main body base portion 17 is substantially the same as the width of the recess 14 (the width in the plate thickness direction of the core material 12).

[0031] In the central region in the width direction of the main body base portion 17, a guide groove 19 (groove portion) having a predetermined width is formed so as to follow a substantially L-shaped strip shape. The guide groove 19 opens toward the outside of the main body base portion 17 (the side away from the center of the surface orthogonal to the plate thickness direction of the core material 12), and extends so as to communicate one end side and the other end side in the extending direction of the substantially L-shaped strip shape. One end side of the substantially L-shaped strip shape of the main body base portion 17 extends forward along the upper end surface 12u of the core material 12. For this reason, at least a part of the strip shape of the guide groove 19 opens upward in the vertical direction. In the guide groove 19, taper portions 19t are provided in the vicinity of one end side and the other end side in the extending direction of the main body base portion 17, and the width gradually increases toward the central region in the extending direction from the terminals. In the following, regarding the main body base portion 17, the central region of the substantially L-shaped strip shape is referred to as the central corner portion 17c. Also, the portion extending forward along the upper end surface 12u of the core material 12 from the central corner portion 17c is referred to as the upper side portion 17u, and the portion extending downward along the side end surface 12s of the core material 12 from the central corner portion 17c is referred to as the side side portion 17s.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 7, the engaging block portion 18 is formed with a recessed portion 20 that is recessed downward from the root portion of the upper side portion 17u of the main body base portion 17 in a concave shape. The recessed portion 20 is recessed downward by a predetermined depth from the bottom of the guide groove 19 of the main body base portion 17 and opens upward through a part of the guide groove 19 formed in the upper side portion 17u of the main body base portion 17. The hook piece 21 of the connecting member 7 described later is received in the recessed portion 20. The wall on the central corner portion 17c side of the guide groove 19 in the engaging block portion 18 is a retaining projection 22 with which the hook piece 21 of the connecting member 7 is engaged. Further, the engaging block portion 18 is provided with a claw locking portion 24 with which the locking claw 23 of the shielding member 16B described later is locked. In this embodiment, the recessed portion 20 including the retaining projection 22 constitutes the locked portion of the intermediate member main body 16A.

[0033] The connecting member 7 includes a pair of plate-shaped locking portions 15 and a connecting portion 25 that connects the locking portions 15 to each other with an opening angle of 90°. Each locking portion 15 is formed in a substantially U-shaped front view shape with the top and bottom reversed. One end portion of each of the two locking portions 15 is connected by the connecting portion 25 at the lower end side portion. The other end portion side of each locking portion 15 constitutes a hook piece 21 that protrudes downward. The tip of each hook piece 21 is received in the recessed portion 20 of the intermediate member main body 16A described above and abuts against the retaining projection 22, thereby restricting the removal of the locking portion 15 (connecting member 7) from the intermediate member 16.

[0034] In this embodiment, the recessed portion 20 for receiving the hook piece 21 of the connecting member 7 is formed at the bottom of the guide groove 19 (groove portion). However, for example, when the tip of the hook piece is bent laterally (in the direction facing the plate thickness direction of the core material 12), the recessed portion may be formed so as to be recessed outward in the groove width direction from the side wall of the guide groove 19. In any case, the recessed portion, which is the locked portion, is formed inside the guide groove 19 (groove portion).

[0035] The shielding member 16B has a strip-shaped base block 26 whose outer width is narrower than the groove width of the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A. The base block 26 is formed in a substantially L shape in side view and is arranged in the guide groove 19 along the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A. Hereinafter, regarding the base block 26, a substantially L-shaped strip-shaped central region is referred to as a central corner portion 26c. Further, a portion extending forward along the upper end surface 12u of the core material 12 from the central corner portion 26c is referred to as an upper side portion 26u, and a portion extending downward along the side end surface 12s of the core material 12 from the central corner portion 26c is referred to as a side portion 26s.

[0036] In a region of the base block 26 of the shielding member 16B that straddles from the root portion of the upper side portion 26u to the root portion of the side portion 26s, a long hole-shaped guide hole 27 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed. The groove width of the guide hole 27 is substantially the same as the width of the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7. The locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 can be inserted into the guide hole 27. Further, a pair of locking claws 23 protruding toward the center side of the surface orthogonal to the plate thickness direction of the core material 12 are provided on the upper side portion 26u and the side portion 26s of the base block 26. The pair of locking claws 23 extend toward the center side of the surface orthogonal to the plate thickness direction of the core material 12 so as to be parallel to each other. Each locking claw 23 is locked to the claw locking portion 24 through the bottom wall of the guide groove 19 when the base block 26 is accommodated and arranged in the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A. The shielding member 16B is thereby fixed to the intermediate member main body 16A in a positioned state.

[0037] In addition, tapered portions 26t with a gradually decreasing outer width toward the tip are provided at the tip sides of the upper side portion 26u and the side portion 26s of the base block 26. When the base block 26 is accommodated and disposed in the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member body 16A, each tapered portion 26t of the base block 26 forms a gap that is Y-shaped in plan view with the tapered portion 19t on the guide groove 19 side. Therefore, when the base block 26 is accommodated and disposed in the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member body 16A, a gap is formed that bifurcates once in a Y-shape in the plate thickness direction and then merges again from the end on the upper side portion 26u side of the base block 26 toward the end on the side portion 26s side. As will be described in detail later, two terminals 13e (see FIG. 3) of the skin material 13 are accommodated in this gap. In addition, in the present embodiment, the guide groove 19 formed in the base block 26 constitutes a terminal accommodation groove that accommodates the two terminals 13e of the skin material 13 while being separated in the plate thickness direction of the core material 12.

[0038] Skin material locking grooves 28 extending along the extending direction of each end face are formed on the upper end face 12u and the side end face 12s of the core material 12 of the panel body 6. Each skin material locking groove 28 is continuous with the recess 14 at the corner 12C of the core material 12. The terminals 13e of the skin material 13 covering one side surface of the panel body 6 and the terminals 13e of the skin material 13 covering the other side surface of the panel body 6 are inserted and locked in these skin material locking grooves 28 in a state where they overlap each other.

[0039] Each terminal 13e of the skin material 13 is accommodated in the guide groove 19 (terminal accommodation groove) of the intermediate member body 16A attached to the recess 14 of the core material 12 at the corner 12C of the panel body 6. At this time, each terminal 13e is accommodated in the guide groove 19 along the inner side wall of the guide groove 19 (so as to be separated in the plate thickness direction within the guide groove 19). After that, by accommodating and disposing the shielding member 16B in the guide groove 19, the two terminals of the skin material 13 are sandwiched between the inner side surface of the guide groove 19 and the outer side surface of the shielding member 16B, and are covered and hidden from the outside by the shielding member 16B. In the present embodiment, both side surfaces in the thickness direction of the shielding member 16B constitute terminal covering portions that cover the terminals 13e of the skin material 13. Note that, as described above, the two terminals 13e of the skin material 13 accommodated in the skin material locking groove 28 and the guide groove 19 (terminal accommodation groove) are fixed to the core material 12 and the intermediate member 16 by an adhesive.

[0040] Next, the assembly of the panel assembly 10 will be described. In advance, recesses 14 are formed at the corners 12C of the core material 12 of each panel body 6, and the intermediate member main body 16A is attached to the recesses 14. At this time, after the intermediate member main body 16A is fitted into the recess 14, it is fixed to the core material 12 by screwing or the like.

[0041] Thereafter, the outside of the core material 12 is covered with a pair of skin materials 13, and the terminals 13e of the skin materials 13 are overlapped and locked to the skin material locking grooves 28 of the core material 12. At this time, the two terminals 13e of the skin material 13 are arranged to be separated in the plate thickness direction in the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A, and in that state, the shielding member 16B is accommodated and arranged in the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A. The shielding member 16B is fixed to the intermediate member main body 16A by locking the locking claws 23 to the claw locking portions 24 of the intermediate member main body 16A. The terminals of the skin material 13 are fixed to the core material 12 and the intermediate member 16 by an adhesive.

[0042] Next, each locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 is inserted into the guide hole 27 of the shielding member 16B, and the tip of the hook piece 21 of the locking portion 15 is inserted into the recess 20 (locked portion) of the intermediate member main body 16A. At this time, the hook piece 21 engages with the retaining projection 22 in the recess 20, and the detachment from the intermediate member 16 in the direction of the other adjacent panel body 6 is restricted. In this way, by fixing each locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 to the corresponding panel body 6, the panel bodies 6 are interconnected in a predetermined posture.

[0043] Note that FIG. 8 is a plan view of a panel assembly 10 in which three panel bodies 6 are connected using a connecting member 7A in which the locking portions 15 branch and extend in a fork shape. The connecting member 7A used in this panel assembly 10 has the same configuration as that described above, except that the number of the locking portions 15 is different.

[0044] As described above, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, the intermediate member 16 is attached in the recess 14 provided at the corner portion 12C of each panel body 6, and the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 is locked within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body 6 in the recessed portion 20 (locked portion) of the intermediate member 16. For this reason, the connecting member 7 does not bulge in the width direction of the panel body 6, and no large gap is created between the plurality of panel bodies 6. Therefore, when the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment is adopted, a plurality of panel bodies 6 can be connected with a compact structure that does not cause a decrease in appearance.

[0045] Further, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, since the connecting member 7 is locked to the intermediate member 16 attached to the recess 14 of the panel body 6, the connecting member 7 can be stably connected to the panel body 6 regardless of the material of the panel body 6. That is, even when the core material 12 of the panel body 6 is formed of wood or the like and it is difficult to obtain high processing accuracy, by accurately forming the engaged portion (recessed portion 20) in a separate intermediate member 16, the connection state between the connecting member 7 and the panel body 6 can be stabilized.

[0046] Further, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, since the recessed portion 20, which is the locked portion, is interposed upward through the guide groove 19, when assembling the connecting member 7 to the intermediate member 16, the hook piece 21 of the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 can be locked so as to be dropped into the recessed portion 20 of the intermediate member 16 from the upper side. For this reason, when this configuration is adopted, the connecting member 7 can be easily assembled to the intermediate member 16, and the assembling workability is improved.

[0047] Further, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, the recessed portion 20, which is the locked portion, is formed inside (bottom side) of the guide groove 19 of the intermediate member main body 16A. For this reason, the portion where the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 engages with the recessed portion 20 on the intermediate member 16 side is not visible from the outside, and the appearance from the outside is improved. In particular, when the structure is such that portions other than the outer end surface of the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 are submerged inside the intermediate member 16 as in the present embodiment, the appearance can be further improved.

[0048] In addition, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, a hook piece 21 is provided on the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7, and a recessed portion 20 for receiving the hook piece 21 is provided so as to be recessed downward from the bottom of the guide groove 19. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the contact length in the vertical direction between the locking portion 15 on the connecting member 7 side and the locked portion on the intermediate member 16 side can be made sufficiently long, and the engagement strength between the connecting member 7 and the intermediate member 16 can be increased.

[0049] Furthermore, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, a hook piece 21 is provided on the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7, and a retaining projection 22 for restricting the displacement of the hook piece 21 in the removal direction is provided on the intermediate member 16 when the hook piece 21 is received in the recessed portion 20. Therefore, the hook piece 21 of the locking portion 15 engages with the retaining projection 22, so that the removal of the connecting member 7 from the intermediate member 16 is reliably restricted. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to firmly connect a plurality of panel bodies 6 to each other.

[0050] Also, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, two terminals 13e of the skin material 13 covering the core material 12 of the panel body 6 are inserted into and locked to the skin material locking grooves 28 of the core material 12, and are spaced apart from each other on both sides in the plate thickness direction so as to avoid the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 in the recess 14. And each terminal 13e spaced apart from each other on both sides in the plate thickness direction is covered and hidden by a shielding member 16B which is a terminal covering portion. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the terminal 13e of the skin material 13 cannot be seen from the outside even at the corner portion 12C, and the appearance from the outside becomes good.

[0051] In particular, in the panel assembly 10 of the present embodiment, the intermediate member 16 is composed of an intermediate member main body 16A and a shielding member 16B. The intermediate member main body 16A is provided with guide grooves 19 (terminal accommodation grooves) for accommodating each terminal 13e of the skin material 13 on both sides in the plate thickness direction at intervals. And a separate shielding member 16B fixed to the intermediate member main body 16A is configured to cover each terminal 13e of the skin material 13 accommodated in the guide groove 19 (terminal accommodation groove). Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the terminal 13e of the skin material 13 is arranged in the guide groove 19 (terminal accommodation groove) of the intermediate member main body 16A, so that it does not directly contact the edge portion of the concave portion 14 of the core material 12. Even when the core material 12 is formed of wood or the like, rubbing and damage of the terminal 13e of the skin material 13 can be prevented.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a part of a panel assembly 110 according to another embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a state in which one panel member 6 is removed. In the following description of other embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the common parts as those in the above embodiment, and some overlapping descriptions are omitted. The panel assembly 110 of the present embodiment is different from that of the above embodiment in the structure of the intermediate member 116 and the way of processing the terminal 13e of the skin material. Other configurations are the same as those in the above embodiment.

[0053] The intermediate member 116 does not include a separate shielding member and is composed of a single block. Also, the intermediate member 116 does not have a guide groove (terminal accommodation groove) for receiving the terminal 13e of the skin material. The terminal 13e of the skin material is accommodated in a gap formed between the left and right inner surfaces of the concave portion 14 at the corner 12C of the core material 12 and the outer surface of the intermediate member 116. And a guide hole 27 into which the locking portion 15 of the connecting member 7 is inserted is formed in the intermediate member 116. The locking portion 15 is locked to a locked portion (a recessed portion or a retaining protrusion) provided in the intermediate member 116 inside the guide hole 27. In the example of the present embodiment, the locking portion 15 is submerged inside the guide hole 27 except for the outer end surface. However, portions of the locking portion 15 other than the portion directly involved in the locking may be exposed to the outside. The terminal 13e of the skin material inserted into the recess 14 of the core material 12 is covered by the intermediate member 116. In the present embodiment, both side surfaces in the thickness direction of the intermediate member 116 constitute the terminal covering portions.

[0054] Since the basic configuration of the panel assembly 110 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, the same basic effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. However, since the panel assembly 110 of the present embodiment can cover the terminal 13e of the skin material without using a separate shielding member, there is an additional advantage that the number of parts can be reduced and the intermediate member 116 can be made more compact.

[0055] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design changes are possible without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the above-described basic embodiment, the shielding member 16B is fixed to the intermediate member main body 16A, but the shielding member 16B may be fixed to the core material 12 of the panel body 6. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the panel assembly is connected to the chair unit, but the panel assembly may be connected to furniture other than the chair unit (for example, furniture with a panel). Furthermore, the panel assembly is not limited to being connected to furniture, and it may be able to stand independently on the floor surface alone.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 6... Panel body 7, 7A... Connecting member 10, 110... Panel assembly 12... Core material 12C... Corner 13... Skin material 13e... Terminal 14... Recess 15... Locking portion 16... Intermediate member 16A... Intermediate member main body 16B... Shielding member 19... Guide groove 19 (groove portion) 20... Depression (locked portion) 21... Hook piece 22... Anti - removal protrusion 28... Skin material locking groove

Claims

1. A plurality of panel bodies having concave portions that are recessed in a direction intersecting the thickness direction at corners formed by one side edge and an adjacent side edge intersecting the side edge, An intermediate member having a locked portion and attached within the concave portion of each of the panel bodies, A connecting member having a locking portion that is locked within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body to the locked portion of the intermediate member and connecting a plurality of the panel bodies to each other via the intermediate member, The locked portion is formed inside a groove portion formed in the intermediate member so as to receive the locking portion, The locking portion has a hook piece, The panel assembly, wherein the locked portion has a recessed portion that is recessed downward from the bottom of the groove portion and receives the hook piece.

2. The panel assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the locked portion is open upward.

3. The panel assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the locked portion has a retaining projection provided inside the groove portion to restrict displacement of the hook piece in the removal direction.

4. The panel body includes, A plate-shaped core material having the concave portion formed at the corner, A skin material covering the outside of the core material, On one side edge of the core material where the concave portion is formed at the corner, a skin material locking groove continuous with the concave portion is formed, One terminal and the other terminal of the skin material covering the core material are inserted into and locked in the skin material locking groove and are arranged to be separated from each other on both sides in the plate thickness direction within the concave portion, The panel assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the intermediate member is provided with a terminal covering portion that covers each terminal of the skin material disposed within the concave portion.

5. The intermediate member includes, An intermediate member main body having the locked portion, It consists of a separate component from the intermediate member main body and has the intermediate member main body or a shielding member attached to the core material, The intermediate member main body is provided with a terminal accommodation groove that accommodates each terminal of the skin material so as to be separated from each other on both sides in the plate thickness direction, The panel assembly according to claim 4, wherein the shielding member covers each terminal of the skin material accommodated in the terminal accommodation groove.

6. A plurality of panel bodies having concave portions that are recessed in a direction intersecting the thickness direction at corners formed by one side edge and an adjacent side edge intersecting the side edge, An intermediate member having a locked portion and attached within the concave portion of each of the panel bodies, A connecting member having a locking portion that is locked within the range of the plate thickness width of the panel body to the locked portion of the intermediate member, and connecting a plurality of the panel bodies via the intermediate member. The panel assembly is characterized in that the connecting member is formed such that the locking portion has a thickness direction in the same direction as the thickness direction of the panel body, and the whole including the locking portion has a substantially constant thickness and is in a plate shape.

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