Furniture leg covers and chairs

Abstract

To provide a leg cover having excellent aesthetic appearance and protective function.SOLUTION: A leg cover 18 is a tubular knitted product and is opened in a vertical direction. Accordingly, there is no bottom touching the floor. The height thereof is set to cover most of the upper / lower longitudinal parts of the rod-like leg 4. The leg cover 18 elastically holds the rod-like leg 4. The elasticity is provided by knitting stretchable yarns, or elasticity derived from a structure of a three-dimensional knitted fabric is utilized. Since it covers most of the rod-like leg 4, the leg cover has a high aesthetic decorative effect, and further since there is a large amount of friction between the leg cover 18 and the rod-like leg 4, the leg cover has high slipping-off prevention effect. The leg cover 18 has no bottom part, so that it be applicable to a rod-like leg with a caster, and there is no problem of deterioration in the aesthetic appearance due to fraying of the bottom part. When matching a pattern with that of the seat cover 16 and the back cover 17, the leg cover can further improve the aesthetic appearance of the chair as a whole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention is a cover for use on the rod-shaped legs of furniture such as chairs and tables. and chairs It is related to. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been proposed to attach fabric covers to the long, slender rod-like legs of chairs and tables, examples of which are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4. One of the purposes of these conventional covers is to prevent scratches on the floor, and they are configured in a sock-like shape with a bottom made of stockinette knit or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3090459 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3117809 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3145650 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-102885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, conventional leg covers are primarily intended to protect the floor, and as shown in the drawings of each patent document, they only cover the lower ends of the rod-shaped legs. This not only results in a lack of aesthetic appeal, but also in the problem of having almost no cushioning function when the user's feet hit the covers.

[0005] In addition, conventional leg covers require a bottom part, which can make chairs and tables slippery, and can also cause the bottom part to wear out over time, resulting in a poor appearance.Furthermore, they cannot be used on rod-shaped legs with casters, which reduces their versatility.

[0006] The present invention was made against this background and aims to provide leg covers that are aesthetically pleasing and versatile. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a flexible sheet cover that is attached to the rod-shaped legs of furniture. One This cover is intended for "For the rod-shaped legs of furniture Insert from the tip to be attached Cylindrical structure A cover, A seamless tube with openings at both ends is formed by knitting or weaving. Formed 、 The rod-shaped legs Embrace It has elasticity to hold By spreading the rod-shaped legs against the elasticity, It is designed to be inserted from the tip. " The structure is as follows.

[0008] mosquito As a way to give the bar elasticity is, It is also possible to use elastic yarn for all or part of the yarns in the direction, or to make the cover out of a knitted fabric such as stockinette knitting so that the fabric itself has elasticity.

[0009] The present invention can be developed and embodied in various ways. For example, claim 2 states: " The casters provided at the lower ends of the rod-like legs are configured to expand and deform to allow passage. " The cover is preferably set to a length that covers the entire visible portion of the rod-like leg.

[0010] The invention of claim 3 is a preferred embodiment of claim 1 or 2, " Zhou Direction of thread AllOr, by using rubber thread in some parts, it maintains elasticity in the circumferential direction. The structure is as follows.

[0011] The invention of claim 4 refers to a chair, i.e. "A chair that has rod-shaped legs and a seat supported by them as essential elements, and may or may not have a backrest, and the seat or backrest is fitted with a patterned cover, The rod-shaped legs are fitted with the leg covers according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the leg covers and The seat or back cover; to It has the same pattern on it.” The structure is as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the present invention, the cover is made of a knitted or woven fabric. Earth Because it is made of flexible plastic and has elasticity, it can be easily attached and detached to the rod-shaped legs, but because it is a cylindrical body with open ends, it does not touch the floor. This means that the cover will not slip off even when the furniture is moved, and it can stay attached securely. In other words, there is no problem with the cover sliding down when the furniture is moved (this is especially important for chairs that are highly mobile). Also, because there is no bottom that touches the floor, there is no problem with the aesthetics being ruined by wear on the bottom, and there is no problem with the furniture becoming slippery. As in claim 2 It can also be used on rod-shaped legs with casters, making it highly versatile.

[0013] The cover, If the length (height) is set to cover almost the entire visible area (most of the visible part) of the rod-shaped legs, the aesthetic appearance can be significantly improved. It also provides a cushioning function when the user's feet hit it, when the rod-shaped legs hit other furniture when the furniture is moved, or when other furniture hits the rod-shaped legs when moved. Therefore, the aesthetic and protective functions can be significantly improved.

[0014] The cover is made of flat material sewn or welded to form a cylindrical shape. However, the present invention By using a knitted or woven fabric to form a cylindrical body by knitting or weaving, the cutting and sewing processes are no longer necessary, which reduces costs and allows for beautiful, seamless patterns to be applied, thereby improving quality.

[0015] Adopting the configuration of claim 4 has the advantage that the pattern of the seat cover and / or backrest cover and the pattern of the leg covers are unified, thereby significantly improving the aesthetic appearance of the chair as a whole. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a chair to which the present invention is applied, in which (A) is a perspective view seen from above the front, and (B) is a perspective view seen from above the rear. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a chair to which the present invention is applied, in which (A) is an exploded perspective view seen from above the rear, and (B) is an oblique view seen from below the front (in (B) the seat cover is shown with dotted hatching). [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment as seen from above and front. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment as seen from above and behind. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the second embodiment as seen from above and front. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment as seen from above and behind. [Figure 7] 10A is a perspective view showing a third embodiment, FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing a chair of a fourth embodiment in a folded state, and FIG. 10C is a perspective view showing a chair of a fourth embodiment in an unfolded state. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the terms front, back, left and right are used to identify directions, but these directions are based on the state seen from a person normally seated in a chair. The front viewing direction is the direction facing the seated person.

[0018] (1) Chair Overview First, an outline of a chair to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chair has, as its basic elements, a leg device 1, a seat 2, and a backrest 3. The leg device 1 has four rod-shaped legs 4, each of which is inclined so as to widen outward as it goes downward. Resin ground contact members (or adjusters) 4a are provided at the lower ends of the rod-shaped legs 4.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2(B), a horizontal section 4b is bent and formed at the upper end of each rod-shaped leg 4, and the horizontal section 4b is fixed by welding to a support body 5 made of a metal plate and opening upward. A metal (or synthetic resin) base 6, which is roughly rectangular in plan view, is attached to the support body 5 so as to be able to rotate horizontally, and the seat 2 is attached to the base 6 so as to be able to slide back and forth.

[0020] The seat 2 has a seat support member (seat outer member) 7 attached to the base 6 so as to be able to move back and forth, a seat plate (seat inner member: not shown) fixed to the seat support member, and a seat cushion material 8 placed on the seat plate, and the seat cushion material 8 is covered from above with a covering material (upholstery) 9 such as cloth. The seat 2 moves forward against the spring.

[0021] The chair is equipped with an upper support frame (back support frame) 10 that is U-shaped in plan view and is positioned higher than the seat 2 so as to surround the seated person from behind. Therefore, the upper support frame 10 has a rear portion 10a that is located behind the backrest 3 and the seated person in a front view, and the backrest 3 is connected to the rear portion 10a via left and right support portions 11 so that it can tilt backward. The support portions 11 are positioned at a height near the lower end of the back surface of the backrest 3. Furthermore, the support portions 11 are positioned closer to the left and right middle position than the left and right side edges of the backrest 3.

[0022] 1(A) and 1(B), the backrest 3 has a synthetic resin back panel (back inner shell) 12, a back cushion material 13 placed on top of the front of the back panel, and a cover material 14 covering the back cushion material 13 from the front. The cover material 14 is formed in a bag shape and completely covers the back cushion material 13 and the back panel 12. The cover material 14 has a hole that exposes the support part 11.

[0023] The left and right ends of the upper support frame 10 that extend forward are connected to side supports 15 located on the left and right sides of the seat 2 so as to be able to tilt rearward. The side supports 15 are, for example, aluminum die-cast products, formed into a plate shape that is long in the vertical direction, and their lower ends are fixed to the base 6. A horizontal section 15a that is roughly circular and long in the front-to-back direction is provided at the upper end of the side support support 15, and the upper support frame 10 is connected to the rear part of the horizontal section 15a so as to be able to tilt rearward against the elasticity of the rocking elastic body.

[0024] (2) Cover In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 to 6, a seat cover 16 is attached to the seat 2, a back cover 17 is attached to the backrest 3, and leg covers 18 are attached to each rod-shaped leg 4. The leg covers 18 embrace most of the upper and lower longitudinal portions of the rod-shaped legs 4. When a person looks at the chair from up close, the upper portions (horizontal portions 4b) of the rod-shaped legs 4 are hidden by the seat 2 and cannot be seen, but in this embodiment, almost the entire rod-shaped legs 4 that are visible to the person are covered by the leg covers 18. Therefore, the cosmetic effect of the leg covers 18 is fully exhibited, resulting in an excellent appearance.

[0025] The height of the leg cover 18 is preferably 70% or more, and more preferably 80% or more, of the height (total height) of the upper and lower longitudinal parts of the rod-shaped leg 4. It is also possible to extend the leg cover 18 further to the horizontal part 4b of the rod-shaped leg 4.

[0026] The leg covers 18 are, for example, ribbed tubular knitted products, and by using elastic stretch yarn for all or part of the circumferentially long weft yarns, they are given elasticity in the circumferential direction and are attached to the rod-shaped legs 4 so as not to slip off. The knitted fabric has a basic structure of intertwined loops, but it is also possible to attach them to the rod-shaped legs 4 so as not to slip off, by utilizing the elasticity caused by deformation of the loops without using elastic yarn such as rubber thread.

[0027] When elastic threads such as rubber threads are used as a method of giving the leg cover 18 a rubber-like elastic force, it is possible to use the elastic threads as weft threads that have a loop structure, or it is also possible to arrange the elastic threads separately from the original weft threads in a long circumferential position without forming a loop structure.

[0028] 3 and 4 and the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the patterns on the seat cover 16, back cover 17, and leg cover 18 are consistent with each other, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing chair as a whole.

[0029] The seat cover 16 has a surface portion 16a that overlaps the upper surface of the seat 2, and a holding portion 16b that is continuous with the surface portion 16a and is wrapped around the lower surface (back side) of the seat 2, and the holding portion 16b has an opening 19 that avoids interference with the base 6 (see FIG. 2(B)). As shown in FIG. 2(B), the opening edge (inner peripheral edge) of the holding portion 16b of the seat cover 16 is located between the seat support member 7 and the base 6, but it is also possible to bring the opening edge close to the base 6 and have the holding portion 16b cover almost the entire exposed portion of the seat support member 7.

[0030] The back cover 17 also has a surface portion 17a that overlaps the front surface of the backrest 3, and a holding portion 17b that is continuous with the surface portion 17a and wrapped around the rear side (underside) of the backrest 3. The holding portion 17b has an opening 20 to avoid interference with the support portion 11. The area of ​​the opening 20 in the holding portion 17b is less than half (approximately 30%) of the area of ​​the back surface of the backrest 3. Therefore, when viewed from behind the chair, the entire holding portion 17b is visible to the eye.

[0031] The seat cover 16 and the back cover 17 are made of a hollow knitted fabric, and due to their continuous loop structure, they are stretchable overall. In addition, portions of the holding portions 16b, 17b are made elastic. Taking the back cover 17 as an example, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the inner peripheral edge portion 17c of the holding portion 17b of the back cover 17 is made of a structure in which warp threads (warp yarns) and weft threads (filler yarns) are finely crossed, and the upper and lower edges of the inner peripheral edge portion 17c are made of, for example, rubber threads for the weft yarns, giving them strong elasticity. This elasticity allows the back cover 17 to be kept in close contact with the backrest 3.

[0032] The seat cover 16 has an inner circumferential edge, at least the longest part of which is made of elastic thread such as rubber thread, so that the seat cover 16 can be tightly fitted to the seat 2. Therefore, neither the seat cover 16 nor the back cover 17 has any tightening strings, and the seat cover 16 fits snugly to the back of the seat 2 and backrest 3 without any wrinkles in the seat cover 16b, 17b.

[0033] In the example of Figures 3 and 4, the seat cover 16, back cover 17, and leg cover 18 are knitted with horizontal stripes, while in the example of Figures 5 and 6, rows of interlocking patterns are knitted. In the example of Figures 3 and 4, the pattern is formed by knitting together yarns of different colors, while in the example of Figures 5 and 6, the pattern is formed by intermittent ridges using yarns of the same color. Note that colorful patterns can be formed by using yarns of various colors.

[0034] In the seat cover 16 and the back cover 17, the holding portions 16b, 17b are three-dimensionally knitted in a bag shape, so that the pattern of the holding portions 16b, 17b appears in the same state as the surface portions 16a, 17a, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. Because the leg cover 18 is cylindrical, the same pattern appears continuously around the entire circumference. This results in an excellent aesthetic appearance. In addition, because the covers 16, 17, and 18 are knitted with a continuous loop structure, they have elasticity like rubber as a whole, and the seat cover 16 and the back cover 17 can be attached to the seat 2 or the backrest 3 by spreading the holding portions 16b, 17b against the elasticity.

[0035] Furthermore, since the seat cover 16 and the back cover 17 do not require tightening strings, as shown in Figures 4 and 6, the opening edge (inner peripheral edge portions 16b, 17b) of the holding portion 17b of the back cover 17 is also beautiful, and presents an excellent aesthetic appearance as if it were glued to the back of the backrest 3.

[0036] In this embodiment, the seat cover 16 and the back cover 17 have seam-like lines 21 at the boundaries between the surface portions 16a, 17a and the holding portions 16b, 17b. By providing the lines 21 in this manner, the covers 16, 17 can be set in the correct posture using the lines 21 as a guide, and the lines 21 can be aligned with the outer periphery (ridge lines) of the seat 2 and the backrest 3, further improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0037] (3) Other embodiments Other embodiments are shown in Figures 7 and 8. In the third embodiment shown in Figure 7(A), the leg device 1 has a leg support 23 made of a gas cylinder and a plurality of branch legs 24 extending radially from the lower end of the leg support 23, with a caster 25 attached to the tip of each branch leg 24. A leg cover 26 is fitted and attached to each branch leg 24, as schematically shown by dotted parallel diagonal lines. The leg cover 26 can be pushed open against its elasticity to pass through the caster 25 and embrace the branch leg 24.

[0038] As shown simply with dotted hatching, a seat cover 16 is attached to the seat 2, and a back cover 17 is attached to the backrest 3. In this embodiment, the seat cover 16, back cover 17, and leg cover 26 all have the same pattern. Of course, a pattern is not essential, and the three covers 16, 17, and 18 can also be plain and of the same color. As can be seen from this embodiment, the rod-like legs also include those in a horizontal position.

[0039] 7(B)(C) is applied to a foldable, nestable chair (pipe chair). In this embodiment, the chair has two front and two back rod-shaped legs 27, 28. A horizontal upper frame 29, elongated from front to back, is integrally provided at the upper end of the front rod-shaped leg 27 and connected to the rear rod-shaped leg 28 by welding. The left and right upper frames 29 are connected at their rear parts by left and right elongated stays 30.

[0040] The two rear rod-shaped legs 28 have back support columns 31 extending upward, to which the backrest 3 is fixed. The upper ends of the left and right back support columns 31 are connected together via joints on the left and right longitudinal sides. The seat 2 is connected to the stays 30 so that it can be lifted and rotated freely. Casters 25 are attached to the lower ends of each rod-shaped leg 27, 28.

[0041] As shown simply by the diagonal lines, leg covers 26 are attached to the rod-like legs 27, 28. In this case as well, the leg covers 26 are expanded against their elasticity to allow the casters 25 to pass through.

[0042] In this embodiment, the upper frame 29 is exposed in the unfolded state. Therefore, an upper cover 32 is attached to the upper frame 29. In this case, the upper cover 32 may be formed as an extension of the leg cover 26, or may be formed separately from the leg cover 26. The upper cover 32 can also be used as a cushioning material when the seat 2 is reclined and rotated.

[0043] The fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is applied to a table 33. The table 33 has a top plate 34 that is rectangular in plan view, four rod-shaped legs 35 that support the corners of the top plate 34, and a back panel 36 fixed to the back of the top plate 34, and leg covers 26 are attached to each of the rod-shaped legs 35. The leg covers 26 are also open downwards. Therefore, the lower ends of the leg covers 26 do not touch the floor. In this example, the leg covers 26 cover the entire height of the rod-shaped legs 35.

[0044] Table leg devices include inverted T and L types, which have a support pole standing up from a long horizontal rod in the front-to-back direction, but in the present invention, it is also possible to attach leg covers to the horizontal rod of T- or L-shaped legs. Therefore, the horizontal rod of T- or L-shaped legs also fall under the category of rod-shaped legs in the present invention.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be embodied in many other ways. For example, the cover can be made thicker by using terry knitting. Elastic yarn can be used throughout the cover to give the cover high elasticity. Various patterns can be applied to the cover. The present invention can also be applied to chairs, benches, and sofas without backrests. It can also be manufactured by tubular weaving using elastic yarn as the weft. Alternatively, a rectangular piece of fabric can be sewn together to form a cylindrical shape. [Industrial Applicability]

[0046] The present invention can be embodied in a cover for the rod-shaped legs of furniture, and is therefore industrially applicable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 leg device 2nd seat 3 Backrest 4,27,28,35 Rod-shaped legs 5 Support body 6. Base 16 Seat cover 17 Spine cover 18,26 Leg covers 33 Table as an example of furniture

Claims

1. A cover with a cylindrical structure that is fitted onto the rod-shaped legs of furniture from the tip, The fabric is formed into a seamless cylindrical body with openings at both ends by knitting or weaving, and has an elastic force for embracing the rod-like legs, By spreading it against elasticity, it is fitted into the rod-shaped leg from its tip. Furniture leg covers.

2. The casters provided at the lower ends of the rod-shaped legs are set to expand and deform so as to be able to pass through.

2. The furniture leg cover according to claim 1.

3. Elasticity in the circumferential direction is maintained by using rubber thread for all or part of the circumferential thread.

3. The furniture leg cover according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A chair having rod-like legs and a seat supported by the legs as essential elements, with or without a backrest, and with a patterned cover attached to the seat or backrest, The rod-shaped legs are fitted with the leg covers according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the leg covers and the seat or backrest cover have the same pattern. chair.

Images