Furniture System

Abstract

To solve the problems caused by a variety of a junction shape of a grounding body to a bottom surface of a furniture, and by a variety of other constitutions.SOLUTION: A furniture system S including a desk D which is a furniture, and multiple kinds of grounding devices A4, B4, C4 for a furniture mounted on multiple spots of the bottom surface of the desk D, further includes such a common housing 5 that the multiple kinds of grounding devices A4, B4, C4 for the furniture are attachable to / detachable from the desk D, and grounding bodies A62, B62, C62 having each different grounding shape on the floor surface. Any of the multiple kinds of grounding devices A4, B4, C4 for the furniture is selected, and can be mounted on the desk D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to furniture used in schools, offices, etc., a furniture system including such furniture and a furniture grounding device attached to the bottom surface of the furniture, and furniture used in such a furniture system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, various ground contact members such as rubber feet, adjusters, and casters are often attached to the bottom of furniture used in schools, offices, and the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, conventionally, the shapes and other configurations of the joints between the bottom of the furniture and these various grounding bodies vary. Therefore, the shape of the joints formed on the bottom of the furniture with the grounding body also needs to be changed for each type of grounding body. In other words, if an attempt is made to mount different types of grounding bodies on the bottom of a common piece of furniture as needed, multiple manufacturing lines must be prepared to accommodate the differences in the shapes of the joints with the grounding bodies. This creates a problem in that the standardization of parts and manufacturing lines expected from the standardization of furniture cannot be fully realized (Problem 1).

[0004] In addition, there are grounding bodies that need to be attached to furniture in a specific orientation. Conventionally, as a configuration to prevent the grounding body from being attached in the wrong orientation, it has been considered to provide marks such as arrows on the grounding body and on the furniture where the grounding body is attached. However, such marks are not always visible during the assembly process, and there is a possibility that the grounding body will be attached to furniture in the wrong orientation (Problem 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-206472 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Original Vow The object of the invention is to eliminate the problems caused by the various shapes and other configurations of the joint portion of the grounding body with the bottom surface of the furniture.

[0007] Claim 1 and 4 The object of the invention is to prevent the occurrence of problems caused by the grounding body being attached to furniture in an incorrect orientation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention of claim 1 is a furniture system comprising furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, wherein the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices have a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and a grounding body of a different type that is grounded to the floor surface, and a user can select one of the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices. The aforementioned Can be attached to furniture a plurality of recesses into which the housing can be fitted from below are provided on the bottom surface of the furniture, the shape of the bottom of each recess is such that the furniture grounding device can only be attached in a predetermined position, the shape of the top surface of the housing of the furniture grounding device corresponds to the bottom of each recess, the depth of each recess is made different at one end and the other end, the height dimension of the housing of the furniture grounding device is made different at one end and the other end in accordance with the depth of each recess, the housing of the furniture grounding device has bolt insertion holes that pass through vertically at both ends, and the furniture grounding device is fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture by bolts that pass through these bolt insertion holes, and the depth of each bolt insertion hole is made different at one end and the other end. is.

[0010] In the present invention, the term "common housing" is a concept that refers to all housings that have at least a common shape at the joint portion with the furniture, and the internal structure may or may not be common.

[0011] The invention described in claim 2 is A furniture system comprising furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, wherein the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices have a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and grounding bodies of different types that come into contact with the floor surface, and any one of the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices can be selected and attached to the furniture, and one type of furniture grounding device has a rotating member that is supported on the housing so as to be rotatable up and down and has the grounding body on its underside, and an elastic member that is disposed within the housing and has viscoelasticity and is compressed by the rotation of the rotating member. is.

[0012] The invention described in claim 3 is A furniture system comprising furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, wherein the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices have a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and grounding bodies of different types that come into contact with the floor surface, and any one of the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices can be selected and attached to the furniture, the grounding bodies of the furniture grounding devices are held within the housing by a lid attached to the underside of the housing, and the lid is provided with a window for allowing the grounding bodies to project to the outside, the housing and the lid are fastened together to the furniture by a common bolt, and a temporary fastening element is provided between the housing and the lid to prevent the lid from falling off before being fastened by the bolt. is.

[0013] The invention of claim 4 is a furniture system comprising furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, wherein the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices are integrally formed in a box shape and include a common housing that is detachable from the furniture, and different types of grounding bodies that are supported by the housing and ground to the floor surface, and any one of the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices can be selected and attached to the furniture, and the bottom surface of the furniture is provided with a plurality of recesses into which the housings can be fitted from below, and the shape of the top surface of the housing of each furniture grounding device corresponds to the bottom surface of each of the recesses, and the recesses than large listen It is a furniture system that is open.

[0014] The invention described in claim 5 is 5. The furniture system according to claim 4, wherein the depth of the recessed portion is made different at one end side and the other end side, and the height dimension of the housing of the furniture grounding device is made different at one end side and the other end side in accordance with the depth of the recessed portion. is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] Original Vow According to the present invention, since multiple types of furniture grounding devices each have a common housing that can be attached and detached to the furniture, the shape of the attachment portion of the furniture grounding device on the furniture can also be standardized, thereby eliminating the problems caused by the various shapes and other configurations of the attachment portion of various conventional grounding bodies to the bottom surface of the furniture.

[0019] Claim 1 and 4 According to the invention, the furniture grounding device can be attached to the furniture in a predetermined orientation, so that the occurrence of a problem in which the grounding body is attached to the furniture in an incorrect orientation can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a desk equipped with a first furniture grounding device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a left side view of a desk equipped with the first furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing how each furniture grounding device according to the embodiment is attached to a desk. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a leg base to which the first furniture grounding device according to the embodiment is attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side view of the first furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 6. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an installation mode of the first furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a side view of the second furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a view taken along the arrow β in FIG. 10 . [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view of the third furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a view taken along the arrow γ in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] 10 is an exploded perspective view showing how each furniture grounding device according to another embodiment of the present invention is attached to a desk. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view of the fourth furniture grounding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 16 is a view taken along the arrows ββ in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view of the fifth furniture grounding device according to the same embodiment. [Figure 18] 18 is a view taken along the arrows γγ in FIG. 17. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0022] This embodiment is a furniture system S including a school desk D and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices, namely first to third furniture grounding devices A4 to C4, that are attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the desk D. As shown in FIG. 3, these furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 include a common housing 5 that is detachable from the desk D and different types of grounding bodies A62 to C62 that are grounded to the floor F, and any one of these furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 can be selected and attached to the desk D.

[0023] <Desk D> First, let me talk about Desk D.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, desk D is for students to use and is placed on the classroom floor F. It has a top plate 2 supported by left and right legs 1, and a back panel 3 installed between the left and right legs 1 near their upper ends.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, each of the left and right leg bodies 1 has a leg base 11 and a leg support 12 standing upright from the inside of the rear end portion thereof.

[0026] One of the first to third furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 is selectively attached to multiple locations on the bottom surface of such a desk D, more specifically, recesses 11a provided near the front end and rear end of the leg base 11.

[0027] <First furniture grounding device A4> The first furniture grounding device A4 will be described below.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 5 to 9, the furniture grounding device A4 includes a housing 5 detachably mounted on the bottom of a desk D, a rotating member A6 supported by the housing 5 so as to be rotatable up and down and having a grounding body A62 on its underside that contacts the floor F, and a viscoelastic elastic member 7 disposed within the housing 5 and compressed by the upward rotation of the rotating member A6. The furniture grounding device A4 can only be attached to the desk D in a predetermined position. That is, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the bottom surface of the desk D, i.e., the bottom surface of the leg base 11, is provided with a plurality of recesses 11a into which the housing 5 can be fitted from below, and the shape of the bottom surfaces 11b of the recesses 11a is such that the furniture grounding device A4 can only be attached in a predetermined position.

[0029] 5, the housing 5 has a space 5s formed therein by curving the top surface 5a to correspond to the rotation locus A6k of the rotating member A6, and the elastic member 7 is accommodated in this space 5s in a curved position along the top surface 5a. One end 7a of the elastic member 7 abuts against the top surface A6a of the rotating member A6, and the other end 7b abuts against the upright surface 5b of the housing 5 that intersects with the end of the top surface 5a. The housing 5 is a box-shaped unit made of, for example, synthetic resin, and has bolt insertion holes 5c1 and 5c2 that pass through vertically at both ends, as well as the aforementioned space 5s in the middle region. The space 5s is open downward, and its ceiling surface 5a is formed outside the rotation locus A6k of the rotating member A6 and approximating the rotation locus A6k. Specifically, the ceiling surface 5a comprises an upright flat surface 5a1 at one end, a cylindrical surface 5a2 connected to the flat surface 5a1, and a horizontal flat surface 5a3 at the other end connected to the cylindrical surface 5a2. The end of the flat surface 5a3 is perpendicular to the vertical upright surface 5b. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, a protrusion 5d1 is formed on the lower surface, i.e., bottom surface 5d, of the housing 5 so as to surround the opening edge of the space 5s. An engaging projection 52 is provided on the outer periphery of the protrusion 5d1, which is resiliently engageable with an engaging recess 8d of the cover 8 (described later). 8, the shape of the top surface 5f of the housing 5 corresponds to the bottom surface 11b of the recessed portion 11a of the desk D so that the furniture grounding device A4 can only be attached in a predetermined position. That is, when the furniture grounding device A4 is attached in the predetermined position, one end 5f1 of the top surface 5f of the housing 5 can abut against one end 11b1 of the bottom surface 11b of the recessed portion 11a, and the other end 5f2 of the top surface 5f of the housing 5 can abut against the other end 11b2 of the bottom surface 11b of the recessed portion 11a. In other words, the height dimension h1 of one end of the housing 5 of the furniture grounding device A4 and the height dimension h2 of the other end are made different to correspond to the depths d11 and d12 of the one and other ends of the recessed portion 11a of the desk D. That is, the depths d21 and d22 of the bolt insertion hole 5c1 on one end and the bolt insertion hole 5c2 on the other end are different. The bottom of the housing 5 having such a configuration accommodates a rotating member A6 so as to be vertically rotatable.In addition, the rotating member A6 is held in the housing 5 by a cover 8 attached to the bottom surface 5d of the housing 5.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 9, the rotating member A6 has a support shaft A61a protruding from both sides of its base end, and the support shaft A61a is pivotally supported in a support groove 5x formed in each side wall 51 of the housing 5, and is disposed in the lower opening of the space 5s. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the rotating member A6 integrally comprises a member main body A61 having a support shaft A61a at its base end and a grounding member A62 protruding from the underside of the member main body A61, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin. Pivot grooves 5x are formed on both inner surfaces 5e of the housing 5 that form the space 5s. The pivot grooves 5x rotatably support the support shafts A61a of the rotating member A6. The lower ends of the pivot grooves 5x are open to the bottom surface 5d of the housing 5, and the rotating member A6 can be attached to the housing 5 by engaging the support shafts A61a with the pivot grooves 5x from below. The grounding member A62 hangs down from the main body A61, and its underside is formed with a grounding cam surface A62a, whose contact position with the floor F changes as the rotating member A6 rotates. In this embodiment, the grounding member A62 gradually narrows toward its bottom end. The rotating member A6 is held within the housing 5 by a cover 8 attached to the bottom surface 5d of the housing 5, and the cover 8 is provided with a window 8a through which the grounding member 62 of the rotating member A6 protrudes to the outside. As shown in FIG. 9 , the housing 5 and the cover 8 are plate-shaped and fastened together to the leg base 11 of the desk D with a common bolt 9. A temporary fastening element K is provided between the housing 5 and the cover 8 to prevent the cover 8 from falling off the housing 5 before fastening with the bolt 9. In this embodiment, the temporary fastening element K is formed by elastically engaging an engagement protrusion 52 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 5d1 of the housing 5 with an engagement recess 8d provided in the cover 8. As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the cover 8 is a rectangular flat plate having screw insertion holes 8c at both ends that match the bolt insertion holes 5c1, 5c2 of the housing 5, the window 8a described above in the middle region, and the engagement recess 8d as described above. In this embodiment, the engagement recess 8d is a through-hole that penetrates the cover 8 in the thickness direction. The height dimension of the cover 8 is uniform over the entire area. A6c is the rotation center of the rotating member A6.

[0031] The elastic member 7 is made of, for example, low-resilience urethane, and is accommodated in the space 5s of the housing 5 by deforming a rectangular block so that it curves along the ceiling surface 5a of the housing 5, as shown in Figures 5 and 9. The elastic member 7 may also be manufactured by punching out a thick plate material. In that case, the initial shape will be the curved shape shown in the example. More specifically, the elastic member 7 in the accommodated state is accommodated in the space 5s of the housing 5 with one end 7a abutting against the upper surface A6a of the rotating end side of the rotating member A6 and the other end 7b abutting against the upright surface 5b of the housing 5.

[0032] The furniture grounding devices A4 described above are attached to the rear and front ends of the left and right legs 1 of the desk D, respectively. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the leg base 11 of each leg 1 is formed with a recess 11a into which the housing 5 can be fitted from below. The housing 5 fitted into these recesses 11a is fastened together with the cover 8 to the leg base 11 with a common bolt 9. In this embodiment, the furniture grounding device A4 attached to the rear end of the leg base 11 is configured so that the rotating end of the rotating member A6 faces backward, while the furniture grounding device A4 attached to the front end of the leg base 11 is configured so that the rotating end of the rotating member A6 faces forward. This is because the installation point of the irregular cam-shaped grounding body A62 moves slightly during extension and retraction due to the rotational movement of the furniture grounding devices A4. Therefore, if all the grounding devices A4 were rotated in the same direction, the desk D would move as the furniture grounding devices A4 extended and retracted. In order to stop this movement, it is appropriate to rotate the ground contact device A4 in the opposite direction and install it so that the movements cancel each other out, and it is necessary to determine the installation direction of A4 in this way.In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the recessed portions 11a near the rear end and near the front end of the leg base 11 have a symmetrical shape from front to back, with the side of the recessed portion 11a closest to the corresponding end of the leg base 11 being one end and the opposite end being the other end.

[0033] When the rotating member A6 contacts the ground and rotates, one end 7a of the elastic member 7 is pressed against the upper surface A6a of the rotating end of the rotating member A6, and the other end 7b is compressed between the abutting upright surface 5b. At this time, the elastic member 7 partially expands due to elastic deformation, but since an expansion margin is provided in the area above the rotation center A6c in Fig. 5 and the distance between the both side walls 51 of the housing 5 is set larger than the thickness dimension of the elastic member 7 in the unloaded state, an expansion margin is also provided on both sides in the thickness direction of the elastic member 7, the rotating member A6 can rotate widely while receiving appropriate resistance from the elastic member 7.

[0034] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view from the lower rear of a desk D with the first furniture grounding device A4 attached. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the desk D. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing how the first to third furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 of the furniture system S of this embodiment are attached to the desk D. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the leg base 11 with the first furniture grounding device A4 attached. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of both ends with the longitudinal intermediate portion omitted. FIG. 6 is a side view of the first furniture grounding device A4. FIG. 7 is a view taken along arrow α in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how the first furniture grounding device A4 is attached to the desk D, showing an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the leg base 11 corresponding to FIG. 5, with the cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 of the furniture grounding device A4 separated from the leg base 11 shown in solid lines, and the furniture grounding device A4 attached to the leg base 11 shown in phantom lines. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the first furniture grounding device A4.

[0035] <Second furniture grounding device B4> Next, the second furniture grounding device B4 will be described.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3, 10 and 11, this furniture grounding device B4 comprises a housing 5 that is detachably attached to the bottom of a desk D, and an adjuster B6 that is supported by the housing 5 and has a grounding body B62 on its underside that grounds to the floor F, and can only be attached to the desk D, more specifically, to the recessed portion 11a of the leg base 11, in a specified position.

[0037] The housing 5 is the same as that in the first furniture grounding device A4 described above, and therefore the corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] The adjuster B6 comprises a grounding body B62 that is in contact with the floor surface F, a screw shaft B61 that extends upward from the upper surface of the grounding body B62, and an adjuster base B63 that has a nut B63b therein with an internal threaded hole that screws onto the screw shaft B61, the longitudinal center of which is stored in the space 5s of the housing 5, and which has a screw insertion hole B63a through which a bolt 9 can pass to fasten the adjuster base B63 to the leg base 11 of the desk D.

[0039] This furniture grounding device B4 has an adjuster B6 supported by the same housing 5 as that of the first furniture grounding device A4. As with the first furniture grounding device A4, the upper surface 5f of the housing 5 forms the upper surface of the furniture grounding device B4, and its shape corresponds to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 11a of the desk D.

[0040] 10 is a side view showing the second furniture grounding device B4, and FIG. 11 is a view taken along the arrow β in FIG.

[0041] <Third furniture grounding device C4> Next, the third furniture grounding device C4 will be described.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3, 12 and 13, this furniture grounding device C4 comprises a housing C5 that is detachably attached to the bottom of the desk D, and a caster C6 that is supported by the housing C5 and has a wheel C62 on the underside that serves as a grounding body that contacts the floor F, and can be attached to the desk D, more specifically, to the recessed portion 11a of the leg base 11, only in a specified position.

[0043] The housing C5 has the following configuration. Specifically, the housing C5 can accommodate a portion of the caster C6 therein. The housing C5 also has a bearing C5x with a roughly semi-cylindrical surface for supporting the shaft C61 of the caster C6 (described later). A lid C8 is attached to the bottom surface C5d of the housing C5. The lid C8 has a bearing C8x with a roughly semi-cylindrical surface at a location corresponding to the bearing C5x. These bearings C5x and C8x support the shaft C61 for supporting the wheel C62, and the wheel C62 is exposed through a window C8a in the lid C8. The housing C5 and the lid C8 are fastened together with a bolt 9. Similar to the housing 5 of the first furniture grounding device A4, the housing C5 has bolt insertion holes C5c1 and C5c2 inside, through which the bolts 9 are inserted. As with the first furniture grounding device A4, the upper surface C5f of the housing C5 forms the upper surface of the furniture grounding device C4, and its shape corresponds to the bottom surface of the recessed portion 11a of the desk D.

[0044] The caster C6 is provided with the wheel C62 and the shaft C61 for supporting the wheel C62, and the shaft C61 is supported by the bearings C5x and C8x as described above.

[0045] 12 is a side view showing the third furniture grounding device C4, and FIG. 13 is a view taken along the arrow γ in FIG.

[0046] <Effects of this embodiment> As described above, according to this embodiment, the first to third furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 have housings 5, C5 with the same shape at the joint portion with the furniture, i.e., the top surface 5f, C5f. These housings 5, C5 are detachably attached to the furniture, i.e., the desk D. This allows for easy provision of a group of products with different functions and performance without changing the shape of the recessed portion 11a on the desk D where the housings 5, C5 are attached. Specifically, by attaching any of the first to third furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 to the bottom surface of the desk D, more specifically, to the recessed portion 11a of the leg base 11, products with different functions and performance can be provided to accommodate various usage patterns. This eliminates the inconvenience of having to prepare various grounding bodies due to the various shapes and other configurations of the joint portion of the grounding body with the furniture, which has existed in the past.

[0047] In addition, the bottom surface of the desk D is provided with multiple recesses 11a into which the housings 5, C5 can be fitted from below, specifically one near the front end and one near the rear end, and the shape of the bottom surface of the recesses 11a is such that the furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 can only be attached in a predetermined position, and the shape of the upper surfaces 5f, C5f of the housings 5, C5 of the furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 corresponds to the bottom surface of the recesses 11a, thereby preventing the furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 having the grounding bodies A62, B62, C62 from being attached to the furniture (desk D) in an incorrect position.

[0048] In particular, the depth of recess 11a is made different at one end and the other end, the height dimensions of housings 5, C5 of furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 are made different at one end and the other end to correspond to the depth of recess 11a, and the depths of bolt insertion holes 5c1, 5c2, C5c1, C5c2 of housing 5 are made different at one end and the other end, so that the mounting posture of furniture grounding devices A4 to C4 can be limited to a specific posture with a simple configuration.

[0049] In addition, the first furniture grounding device A4 comprises a rotating member A6 supported on the housing 5 so as to be rotatable up and down and having a grounding body A62 on its underside, and an elastic member 7 with viscoelasticity arranged within the housing 5 and compressed by the rotation of the rotating member A6. The elastic repulsive force of the elastic member 7 with viscoelasticity causes the grounding body A62 to protrude and sink into the floor surface F, so there is no need to worry about oil leakage and higher durability can be ensured compared to hydraulic damper type grounding devices.

[0050] Moreover, since the elastic member 7 is compressed by the grounding member A62 that rotates instead of by a grounding member that moves vertically, it is possible to make the compression direction of the elastic member 7 nonlinear by corresponding to the rotation locus A6k of the rotating member A6. Therefore, even if the length dimension of the elastic member 7 in the effective compression direction is ensured to be large, an increase in the height dimension of the entire furniture grounding device can be suppressed, which is advantageous when the furniture grounding device is housed within the leg base 11, for example, as in this embodiment.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0052] For example, the furniture that constitutes the furniture system of the present invention is not limited to desks, but may include various other items such as tables, shelves, counters, screens, telephone stands, and the like.

[0053] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the most important effect of the present invention can be obtained if the multiple housings have a common shape at least at the joints with the furniture, and the internal structure of the multiple housings may or may not be common.

[0054] For example, instead of the second and third furniture grounding devices of the illustrated embodiment described above, a furniture system SS can be considered that utilizes fourth and fifth furniture grounding devices BB4 and CC4, respectively, as described below with reference to Figures 14 to 18.

[0055] The fourth furniture grounding device BB4 is as follows. That is, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the housing BB5 of this furniture grounding device BB4 has a shape similar to that of the housing 5 of the previously described illustrated embodiment, but it also has an integral portion corresponding to the adjuster base B63. In other words, the shape of the top surface BB5f of this housing BB5 is similar to that of the top surface 5f of the housing 5 of the previously described illustrated embodiment, and the housing BB5 has an internally threaded hole BB64 into which the screw shaft BB61 extending upward from the top surface of the grounding body BB62 of the adjuster BB6 can be threaded. The housing BB5 also has screw insertion holes BB5c1 and BB5c2 for screwing into the recessed portion 11a of the furniture (desk D), and the depths of these screw insertion holes BB5c1 and BB5c2 are different from each other. That is, the fourth furniture grounding device BB4 includes a housing BB5 and an adjuster BB6 that can be threadably advanced or retreated relative to the housing BB5. The adjuster BB6 includes the above-mentioned grounding body BB62 and the screw shaft BB61.

[0056] The fifth furniture grounding device CC4 has the following configuration. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 14, 17, and 18, the housing CC5 of this furniture grounding device CC4 includes a housing CC5 and a caster CC6 attached to the lower portion of the housing CC5. The housing CC5 has an upper surface CC5f shaped similarly to the upper surface 5f of the housing 5 of the first furniture grounding device A4 of the illustrated embodiment and has screw holes CC5c1 and CC5c2 inside. The caster CC6 includes a wheel CC62 serving as a grounding body and a bracket C61 attached to the lower surface of the housing CC5 while supporting the wheel CC62. The bracket CC61 has a channel shape that opens downward and includes a shaft CC61a that pivots on the wheel CC62 and a screw hole CC61b. The furniture grounding device CC4 is fastened to the leg base 11 of the desk D at one end by a bolt 9 that passes through the screw holes CC61b and CC5c1 in that order. Also, the other end portion is fastened together to the leg base 11 of the desk D by a bolt 9 that passes through the screw insertion holes CC61b and CC5c2 in this order.

[0057] Here, Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing how the first, fourth, and fifth furniture grounding devices A4, BB4, and CC4 of the furniture system SS are attached to the desk D. Fig. 15 is a side view showing the fourth furniture grounding device BB4. Fig. 16 is a view taken along the ββ arrows in Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a side view showing the fifth furniture grounding device CC4. Fig. 18 is a view taken along the γγ arrows in Fig. 17.

[0058] Even in the furniture system SS described above, the housings 5, BB5, and CC5 have the same shape, and such housings 5, BB5, and CC5 are designed to be attached and detached to the furniture, i.e., the desk D. Therefore, it is possible to easily provide a range of products with different functions and performance without changing the shape of the recessed portion 11a on the desk D side where the housings 5, BB5, and CC5 are attached.

[0059] On the other hand, in the first furniture grounding device of the illustrated embodiment described above, the housing has an internal space with a curved ceiling surface corresponding to the rotation trajectory of the rotating member, and the elastic member is housed in the space of the housing in a curved position along the ceiling surface, but the holding structure of the elastic member is not necessarily limited to this. However, with this configuration, the elastic member can be inserted and held in the housing in a position suitable for compression, which simplifies the structure and minimizes the assembly man-hours.

[0060] The elastic member is not limited to that in the illustrated embodiment, and may be made of, for example, urethane gel or elastomer.

[0061] In the illustrated embodiment, the rotating member has a support shaft protruding from both sides of its base end, and the support shafts are pivotally supported on both side walls of the housing so as to be disposed at the lower end opening of the space, but the pivotal support structure of the rotating member is not limited to this. However, if a configuration such as that of the illustrated embodiment is adopted, the rotating member can be easily attached to the housing, and the number of parts can be reduced compared to when separate support shafts are used.

[0062] The holding structure for the pivoting member is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but if it is as shown in the illustrated example, the installation of the pivoting member is completed at the same time as closing the underside of the housing, thereby simplifying the configuration. In particular, if the housing and the lid are fastened together to the furniture (i.e., the desk) with a common bolt, as in the illustrated embodiment, it is possible to prevent the structure from becoming complicated and reduce the number of parts. Moreover, if a temporary fastening element is provided between the housing and the lid to prevent the lid from falling off before being fastened with the bolt, as in the illustrated embodiment, it is easy to manage the parts before assembly and also simplifies the process of assembling the furniture grounding device to the desk.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the bottom surface of the furniture (desk) is provided with multiple recesses that allow the furniture grounding device to be attached only in a specific position. However, even if only grounding bodies that can be attached in any position are used, if multiple types of furniture grounding devices are prepared in which various grounding bodies are supported on a common housing, and a furniture system is created in which any one of the multiple types of furniture grounding devices can be selected and attached to the furniture, the most important effect of the present invention can be achieved, namely, the ability to eliminate problems caused by the various shapes and other configurations of the joint parts of the grounding body to the furniture.

[0064] The ground contact bodies of the furniture system of the present invention are not limited to the elastically movable ones, the adjustable ground contact bodies, or the caster wheels mentioned in the above-described embodiments, and various other types may be used.

[0065] In addition, various modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] S...Furniture system D...Furniture (desk) 11a...concavity A4...(First) Furniture Grounding Device B4...(Second) Furniture Grounding Device C4...(Third) Furniture Grounding Device 5. Housing 5c...Bolt insertion hole 5f...Top of housing 6... Rotating member A62…Grounding body B62…Grounding body C62...Grounding body (wheel) 7...Elastic member 8...Lid 8a…Window 9...Bolt K...Temporary fastening element h1: Height of one end of the housing h2: Height of the other end of the housing d11: Depth dimension of one end of the recess d12: Depth dimension of the other end of the recess d21: Depth of the bolt insertion hole on one end of the housing d22: Depth of the bolt insertion hole at the other end of the housing F…Floor surface

Claims

1. A furniture system including furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices each having a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and a grounding body that is grounded to a floor surface in a different manner; The furniture grounding device can be attached to the furniture by selecting one of a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices, a plurality of recesses into which the housing can be fitted from below are provided on the bottom surface of the furniture, the shape of the bottom surfaces of the recesses is such that the furniture grounding device can be attached only in a predetermined position, and the shape of the top surface of the housing of the furniture grounding device corresponds to the shape of the bottom surfaces of the recesses; the depth of the recessed portion is made different at one end side and the other end side, and the height dimension of the housing of the furniture grounding device is made different at one end side and the other end side in accordance with the depth of the recessed portion, The furniture system has a housing for the furniture grounding device that has bolt insertion holes that penetrate vertically at both ends, and the furniture grounding device is fixed to the bottom surface of the furniture by bolts that pass through the bolt insertion holes, and the depth of the bolt insertion holes is different on one end side and the other end side.

2. A furniture system including furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices each having a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and a grounding body that is grounded to a floor surface in a different manner; The furniture grounding device can be attached to the furniture by selecting one of a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices, One type of furniture grounding device is a furniture system that includes a rotating member that is supported on the housing so that it can rotate up and down and has the grounding body on its underside, and an elastic member with viscoelasticity that is arranged within the housing and is compressed by the rotation of the rotating member.

3. A furniture system including furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices each having a common housing that is detachable from the furniture and a grounding body that is grounded to a floor surface in a different manner; The furniture grounding device can be attached to the furniture by selecting one of a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices, The grounding body of the furniture grounding device is held within the housing by a lid attached to the underside of the housing, and the lid is provided with a window for allowing the grounding body to project outward, The housing and the lid are fastened together to the furniture with a common bolt, and a temporary fastening element is provided between the housing and the lid to prevent the lid from falling off before being fastened with the bolt.

4. A furniture system including furniture and a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices attached to a plurality of locations on the bottom surface of the furniture, the plurality of types of furniture grounding devices are each provided with a common housing that is an integrally formed box-shaped device and is detachable from the furniture, and a grounding body of each type that is supported by the housing and grounds to the floor surface, and The furniture grounding device can be attached to the furniture by selecting one of a plurality of types of furniture grounding devices, a plurality of recesses into which the housing can be fitted from below are provided on the bottom surface of the furniture, and the shape of the top surface of the housing of the furniture grounding device corresponds to the bottom surface of the recesses; A furniture system in which the recessed portion has an opening larger than the bottom surface of the recessed portion.

5. 5. The furniture system of claim 4, wherein the depth of the recess is different at one end and the other end, and the height dimension of the housing of the furniture grounding device is different at one end and the other end in accordance with the depth of the recess.

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