Furniture with tabletops
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-01-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-04
AI Technical Summary
The cover member in existing furniture with a tabletop, typically made of metal or resin, stands out against the tabletop body, spoiling the appearance due to material mismatch.
A cover member made of wood, cut from the tabletop body, is designed to rotate between positions, aligning its wood grain pattern with the tabletop's wood grain, ensuring visual continuity and hiding the gap between them.
Maintains a unified appearance by visually integrating the cover member's wood grain with the tabletop's, eliminating the visual discrepancy and enhancing aesthetic appeal.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to furniture with a top, such as a table or a desk. [Background technology]
[0002] A known example of this type of furniture with a tabletop is one in which an opening is provided in the center of the tabletop body, connecting the front side and the back side, and a cover member is arranged in the opening so that it can be opened and closed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003] Such an opening serves, for example, to lead wiring from the back side of the tabletop body to the front side, but the cover member placed in this opening is made of a material such as metal or resin from the standpoint of processability and cost, and is different from the material that makes up the surface of the tabletop body.
[0004] Therefore, the cover member may stand out against the tabletop body, which may spoil the appearance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-94236 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the problems described above, and aims to eliminate the problem that the cover member stands out against the tabletop body, spoiling the appearance. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The invention described in claim 1 comprises a top plate body having a communication area that connects the front side and the back side, and a cover member disposed in the communication area of the top plate body, and the top plate body and the cover member are provided withExtends in a roughly straight line Woodgrain stripes A pattern is arranged on the cover member, By rotating the a first position in which the surface is substantially flush with the surface of the tabletop body, and a second position in which the surface is inclined with respect to the surface of the tabletop body; The orientation of the tabletop can be changed between the above positions, and the extension direction of the wood grain stripes on the tabletop body and the cover member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cover member. The top plate body stripes The pattern and the cover member stripes The pattern is formed so as to be visually continuous in the first position and the second position. Furniture with tabletops is.
[0008] In addition, the "communicating area" in this invention is a concept that includes not only the opening for inserting wiring that is drilled in the top plate body, but also the area within the notch formed on the edge of the top plate body, and the adjacent area set along the edge of the top plate body.
[0009] The furniture with a tabletop according to the invention described in claim 2 is the furniture described in claim 1, wherein the tabletop body has an opening that forms the communication area inside the use end, and the cover member is arranged in the opening.
[0010] In the invention described in claim 3, the table top body is made of wood, and the cover member is made of wood cut out from the table top body to form the opening. The furniture with a tabletop according to claim 2 is.
[0013] Claim 4 In the invention described in the above, the cover member can selectively take a first position in which the opening is closed while leaving an annular gap around the periphery, and a second position in which the cover member stands upright to open the opening. The furniture with a tabletop according to claim 2 . [Effects of the Invention]
[0014] The present invention aims to solve the problem that the cover member stands out against the top plate body, spoiling the appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a piece of furniture with a tabletop according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the furniture with a tabletop according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0017] In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a table T, which is one type of furniture with a tabletop.
[0018] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 7 and 8, this table T has a tabletop 1 supported horizontally by legs 2. Since the legs 2 are ordinary, detailed explanations will be omitted. Note that the legs 2 are omitted in Figures 4 and 10.
[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 3 to 7, and 9 to 12, the tabletop 1 comprises a tabletop body 3 made of wood having an opening 3a in the center, and a cover member 4 arranged in an openable and closable manner over the opening 3a of the tabletop body 3.
[0020] 1, 3 to 7, and 9 to 12, an opening 3a is provided between the use ends 3b to form a communication region R for connecting the front surface 3c side and the back surface 3d side of the top plate body 3. That is, in this embodiment, the opening 3a that forms the communication region R is provided inside the use ends 3b of the top plate body 3, and a cover member 4 is disposed in the opening 3a.
[0021] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 7 and 9, wood grain patterns 3w and 4w are exposed on surfaces 3c and 4a of the tabletop main body 3 and the cover member 4, respectively, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cover member 4 is configured to be able to take a first position (P) in which its surface 4a is substantially flush with surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3, and second positions (Q1) and (Q2) in which its surface 4a is inclined relative to surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3. The wood grain 3w of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 are formed so as to be visually continuous in the first position (P) and the second positions (Q1) and (Q2), respectively, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 7. That is, the cover member 4 can selectively take a first position (P) in which the opening 3a is closed while leaving an annular gap 3s around the periphery, and second positions (Q1) and (Q2) in which the cover member 4 stands up and opens the opening 3a, so that the wood grain 3w of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 are physically separated in any of the positions (P), (Q1), and (Q2). However, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 7 to 9, the shapes of the wood grains 3w, 4w are adjusted so that the wood grain 3w of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 appear to be continuous visually, regardless of the presence or absence of the gap 3s. In this embodiment, the tabletop body 3 is made of wood with wood grain 3w visible on the surface, and the cover member 4 is made using wood cut from the tabletop body 3 to form the opening 3a in the tabletop body 3, so simply by placing the cover member 4 in the same position as when it was cut, the wood grain 3w of the tabletop body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 will appear to be continuous.
[0022] In this embodiment, the cover member 4 can be rotated to change its position between a first position (P) and second positions (Q1) and (Q2), and is attached to the tabletop body 3 via a cover support mechanism 5. The direction d2 of the wood grain 4w (the direction of the wood grain pattern) is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axes C1 and C2 of the cover member 4.
[0023] As shown in Figures 4 to 6 and 10 to 12, the cover support mechanism 5 comprises a base 51 attached to the back surface 3d of the top plate main body 3 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the opening 3a, a forward-facing hinge 52 provided on the base 51 for rotating the cover member 4 from a horizontal first position (P) to a forward-facing second position (Q1), and a backward-facing hinge 53 provided on the base 51 for rotating the cover member 4 from the horizontal first position (P) to the backward-facing second position (Q2), and is configured to be able to take two types of second positions (Q1) and (Q2) by selectively using the forward-facing hinge 52 and the backward-facing hinge 53. Thus, in this cover support mechanism 5, when the forward-facing hinge 52 is used, the cover member 4 can be rotated about the front rotation axis C1 set near the front edge of the opening 3a, and when the rear-facing hinge 53 is used, the cover member 4 can be rotated about the rear rotation axis C2 set near the rear edge of the opening 3a. The front rotation axis C1 and the rear rotation axis C2 extend in the left-right direction in parallel positions.
[0024] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and 10 to 12, the base 51 is a rod-shaped body having a rectangular pillar shape extending in the front-to-rear direction, and its front and rear ends are fastened to the rear surface 3d of the tabletop main body 3 by screws or the like. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 11, and 12, a receiving surface 51a is formed on the upper surface of the base 51 to receive the cover member 4 via both hinges 52, 53. The base 51 is also provided with a partially arc-shaped guide rail portion 511 that holds and guides the forward-facing hinge 52, and a partially arc-shaped guide rail portion 512 that holds and guides the rear-facing hinge 53. The guide rail portion 511 for the forward-facing hinge 52 has a center of curvature that coincides with the rear-side rotation axis C2, and the guide rail 512 for the rear-facing hinge 53 has a center of curvature that coincides with the front-side rotation axis C1. In this embodiment, the base 51 is black.
[0025] As shown in Figures 5, 6, 11 and 12, the forward-facing hinge 52 comprises a hinge arm 521 that is held by a guide rail portion 511 for the forward-facing hinge 52 and is detachably provided on the receiving surface 51a, and an arm block 522 that has one end pivotally attached to the front end of the hinge arm 521 via a connecting shaft 523 and is fastened to the back surface 4b side of the cover member 4 via a bracket 54.
[0026] As shown in Figures 5, 6, 11 and 12, the rear-facing hinge 53 comprises a hinge arm 531 that is held by a guide rail portion 512 for the rear-facing hinge 53 and is detachably provided on the receiving surface 51a, and an arm block 532 that has one end pivotally attached to the rear end of the hinge arm 531 via a connecting shaft 533 and is fastened to the back surface 4b side of the cover member 4 via a bracket 54.
[0027] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, when the cover member 4 is held in the horizontal first position (P), the surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 and the surface 4a of the cover member 4 are held substantially flush with each other, and the wood grain 3w exposed on the surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w exposed on the surface 4a of the cover member 4 are visually continuous. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, although an annular gap 3s exists between the tabletop main body 3 and the cover member 4, the wood grain 3w of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 can be visually recognized as being continuous regardless of the presence or absence of the gap 3s. In the first position (P), as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hinge arms 521 and 531 of both hinges 52 and 53 are in contact with the receiving surface 51a of the base 51 and are stably held there.
[0028] When the rear edge of the cover member 4 is lifted from this state, the cover member 4 rotates around the pivot axis C1 (front rotation axis) of the forward-facing hinge 52 and reaches the second forward position (Q1), as shown in Figures 11 and 12. At this time, the rear-facing hinge 53 does not function as a hinge and stands up together with the cover member 4 while remaining folded. That is, as shown in Figure 12, the hinge arm 531 of the rear-facing hinge 53 is guided by the guide rail portion 512 for the rear-facing hinge 53 provided on the base 51 while remaining folded in the arm block 532, and rotates around the front rotation axis C1 to stand up.
[0029] When the cover member 4 is held in the second position (Q1) in which it stands forward, as shown in Figures 7, 9, and 10, the surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 and the surface 4a of the cover member 4 intersect at right angles, but as shown in Figure 7, the wood grain 3w exposed on the surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 and the wood grain 4w exposed on the surface 4a of the cover member 4 are visually continuous. In other words, because the directions d1 and d2 of the wood grains 3w and 4w are approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis C1 of the cover member 4, the visual continuity of the wood grains 3w and 4w is not impaired even when the cover member 4 rotates around the rotation axis C1.
[0030] The same situation occurs when the cover member 4 is rotated from the horizontal first position (P) to the rear-facing second position (Q2) shown by the imaginary lines in Figures 5 and 6 to stand up, and the visual continuity between the wood grain 3w of the table top body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 is ensured when observing the table T from behind. The operation of the cover support mechanism 5 at this time is similar to the movement described above, and the cover member 4 rotates around the rear rotation axis C2 by the rear-facing hinge 53 while the forward-facing hinge 52 remains folded up, and stands up.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tabletop-equipped furniture T with the cover member 4 in the first position (P). FIG. 2 is a front view, FIG. 3 is a plan view, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, showing the forward-facing hinge 52. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4, showing the rear-facing hinge 53. Note that in FIGS. 5 and 6, for ease of understanding, the surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 is positioned upward, and the upper portions of the cover member 4 in the forward-facing and rear-facing second positions (Q1) and (Q2) are shown with imaginary lines. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tabletop-equipped furniture T with the cover member 4 in the forward-facing second position (Q1). FIG. 8 is a front view, FIG. 9 is a plan view, and FIG. 10 is a bottom view. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 10, showing the forward-facing hinge 52. Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 11, showing the rear-facing hinge 53. For ease of understanding, the front surface 3c of the tabletop main body 3 is shown facing up in Figs. 11 and 12. Furthermore, the wood grain pattern on the back surface 3d and outer peripheral surface 3e of the tabletop main body 3 is omitted in Figs. 1 to 4 and 7 to 10.
[0032] With this configuration, in any of the first position (P) and the second positions (Q1), (Q2), the wood grain 3w of the table top body 3 and the wood grain 4w of the cover member 4 are visually continuous, so the cover member 4 does not stand out against the table top body 3, and a table T with a strong sense of unity can be provided. In other words, with this configuration, it is possible to effectively solve the problem that the appearance is marred by the presence of the cover member 4.
[0033] In particular, in this embodiment, the tabletop body 3 is made of wood, and the cover member 4 is made from wood cut out from the tabletop body 3 to form the opening 3a, which not only allows for effective use of materials but also makes it easy to make the wood grain 3w formed on the surface 3c of the tabletop body 3 and the wood grain 4w formed on the surface 4a of the cover member 4 visually continuous.
[0034] Moreover, the directions d1 and d2 of the wood grains 3w and 4w formed on the surfaces 3c and 4a of the tabletop body 3 and the cover member 4 are set to be approximately perpendicular to the rotation axes C1 and C2 of the cover member 4, so the visual continuity of the wood grains 3w and 4w is unlikely to be impaired even when the cover member 4 is rotated. Therefore, the visual continuity of the wood grains 3w and 4w can be ensured in both the first position (P) and the second positions (Q1) and (Q2), and an excellent appearance can be maintained.
[0035] In this embodiment, since the base 51 is black, the base 51 is less noticeable from the annular gap 3s when the cover member 4 is in the second position (Q1) or (Q2), and the wood grain 3w, 4w can be made to stand out more.
[0036] The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0037] For example, in the above embodiment, the communication area is formed by an opening formed between the use ends of the top plate, but the communication area of the present invention also includes an area within a notch formed on the edge of the top plate body, an adjacent area set along the edge of the top plate body, etc.
[0038] Furthermore, the top plate body is not limited to being rectangular in plan view, but may be square, circular, elliptical, or the like.
[0039] The wood grain pattern is not limited to the pure wood grain formed by natural wood as in the above-described embodiment, but may be an artificial pattern similar to wood grain. The artificial pattern is not limited to an analog, painting-like pattern, but may be a digital pattern that expresses a continuous flow direction using a dot pattern. Furthermore, the tabletop body is not limited to being made of wood, but may be formed, for example, from a metal plate. In this case, the wood grain pattern may be formed by a hairline finish or the like.
[0040] Furthermore, "visually continuous" as used herein is not limited to being physically continuous, but also includes wood grain patterns that are separated by gaps or the like and that can be perceived as continuous due to the brain's complementary function of filling in missing parts. In other words, the present invention also includes a form in which the wood grain pattern of the tabletop body and the wood grain pattern of the cover member appear to be continuous even though they are not physically continuous.
[0041] In the above embodiment, the cover member is described as being capable of rotating forward or backward by selectively using two different rotation axes, but it goes without saying that this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cover member may be configured to rotate around one rotation axis. However, if the cover member is configured as being capable of rotating forward or backward by selectively using two different rotation axes, as in the above embodiment, users seated at the front and rear can conveniently use the cover member.
[0042] The usability of the opening can be improved by selectively adopting a cover member that can be positioned between a first position, in which the opening is closed while leaving a circular gap around the periphery, and a second position, in which the cover member is raised to open the opening. That is, when the cover member is held in the first position, the surface of the cover member and the surface of the tabletop body are flush with each other, creating a visual continuity between the wood grain (wood-grain pattern) exposed on the surfaces of the cover member and the tabletop body. This makes the cover member less noticeable, allowing for more usable tabletop surface. In this case, thin cords can be routed from the back side of the tabletop to the front side through the circular gap formed between the cover member, the tabletop, and the main body. On the other hand, when the cover member is raised to the second position, the opening is wide open, allowing for easy insertion and removal of power outlets and numerous cords through the opening, improving usability.
[0043] Furthermore, the relative angle between the first position and the second position is not necessarily limited to a right angle, and various modifications are possible depending on the function and use of the cover member.
[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the cover member functions as a lid that opens and closes an opening for inserting wiring that is drilled in the center of the tabletop body, but the cover member may also serve as a tabletop auxiliary member that, for example, expands the tabletop surface and enables the angle of the tabletop surface in the expanded area to be changed relative to the tabletop body.
[0045] Therefore, the communicating area is not limited to an area formed inside a closed opening, but may be, for example, a partially open area formed inside a notch formed in the edge of the top plate body, or an adjacent area set along one end of the top plate body (for example, the end opposite to the use end).
[0046] 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]
[0047] T…Furniture with top plate 1...Tabletop 3...Top board body 3a…Aperture 3b…Used end 3c...(top surface) 3w...wood grain pattern (wood grain) 4...Cover member 4a...(Cover member) surface 4w...wood grain pattern (wood grain) C1, C2…Rotation axis center d1, d2...direction of wood grain pattern (direction of wood grain) R…Communication area (P)…First posture (Q1), (Q2)…Second posture
Claims
1. The device comprises a top plate body having a communication area that connects the front side and the back side, and a cover member disposed in the communication area of the top plate body, The surface of the top plate body and the cover member are each provided with a wood grain striped pattern extending in a substantially linear manner, The cover member can be rotated to change its position between a first position in which its surface is substantially flush with the surface of the tabletop body and a second position in which its surface is inclined with respect to the surface of the tabletop body, The extension direction of the wood grain stripes on the top plate body and the cover member is approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cover member, The striped pattern of the tabletop body and the striped pattern of the cover member are formed so as to be visually continuous in the first position and the second position, respectively.
2. The top plate body has an opening that forms the communication region on the inside of a use end, 2. The furniture with a tabletop according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is disposed over the opening.
3. The top plate body is made of wood, 3. The furniture with a tabletop according to claim 2, wherein the cover member is made of wood cut out from the tabletop body to form the opening.
4. 3. The furniture with a tabletop according to claim 2, wherein the cover member can selectively take a first position in which the opening is closed while leaving an annular gap around the periphery, and a second position in which the cover member stands upright to open the opening.
Citation Information
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