Legs of the fixture

Abstract

To allow a user to easily recognize that he / she forgot to tighten a male screw member.SOLUTION: A fixing member for fixing an outer cylinder 41 and an inner cylinder 42 by using a tightening force between a female screw 442 and a head of a male screw member 441, comprises: the female screw 442; the male screw member 441 to be screwed into the female screw 442; a knob 443 provided at the head of the male screw member 441 and receiving an operation force for screwing the male screw member 441 into the female screw 442 or releasing the screwing; and a tightening omission prevention tool 45 which is partially or entirely visible from the outside when the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened into the female screw 442 and which is concealed by the knob 443 when the male screw member 441 is completely tightened into the female screw 442.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing member used for furniture suitably used in schools, offices, homes, etc. and used for fixing between members.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in furniture such as desks and chairs used in schools, etc., various leg bodies with variable longitudinal dimensions have been considered in order to make it possible to change the height positions of table tops, seat surfaces, etc.

[0003] As an example of the leg body of such furniture, there is one including an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder that is relatively movably fitted into the outer cylinder, a positioning mechanism for positioning the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, and a fixing mechanism for fixing the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Here, the fixing mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a male screw member is screwed onto a female screw, but it is difficult to visually confirm the screwing state of the male screw member onto the female screw. Therefore, there may occur a problem that forgetting to tighten the male screw member onto the female screw is left unattended.

[0005] The problem of leaving the forgetting to tighten as described above is not limited to the leg body of furniture, but can occur in general fixing mechanisms or fixing members having a configuration in which a male screw member is screwed onto a female screw and used to fix two members so that they cannot move relative to each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the points described above, and aims to make it easy for the user to recognize if the male screw member has been left untightened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 is, A leg of a fixture comprising an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder fitted into the outer cylinder so as to be movably relative to it, and a fixing member for fixing the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, wherein the fixing member is provided on the inner cylinder side A female thread, and a male threaded member that can be screwed into this female thread, this A male screw member is provided on the head of the male screw member for screwing the male screw member into or unscrewing the female screw. rotate A knob that accepts operating force, and a tightening prevention device that is partially or entirely visible from the outside when the male screw member is not fully tightened into the female screw, and is concealed by the knob when the male screw member is fully tightened into the female screw, The leg of the furniture is equipped with a locking prevention device, which is provided on the outside of the outer cylinder and is a ring-shaped or partially missing ring-shaped member through which the male screw member is inserted, and a gap is provided inside the rotatable knob for the locking prevention device to fit into when the male screw member is fastened to the female screw. .

[0010] Claim 2 The invention described is characterized in that the outer surface of the fastening prevention device is colored a different color from the knob. 1 The description Legs of the fixture That is the case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily make the user aware if the male screw member has not been tightened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A front view showing a desk, which is a piece of furniture related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A magnified view of the area around section B in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Enlarged view of the area around section C in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view along line XX in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view along the YY line in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Exploded perspective view showing the leg post and the fixing member according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Operation explanatory view of the leg post and the fixing member according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Operation explanatory view of the leg post and the fixing member according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Operation explanatory view of the leg post according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Operation explanatory view of the leg post according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Operation explanatory view of the leg post according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Operation explanatory view of the leg post according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] Schematic view showing the fixing member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] Schematic view showing the fixing member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the desk D, which is a furniture including the fixing member 44 according to the present embodiment, includes a top plate 1 and legs 2 that support the top plate 1, and has a bilaterally symmetric shape.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the legs 2 include a leg base 3, a pair of left and right leg posts 4 that stand up from the leg base 3, and a top plate receiver 5 that is provided above these leg posts 4 and supports the top plate 1 from below.

[0018] The leg base 3 is made of a member such as a metal pipe, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, integrally includes a rear frame 31 that extends left and right, and side frames 32 that extend forward from both ends of the rear frame 31.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the leg column 4 rises from the middle of the side frame 32 of the leg base 3, and its upper end is connected to the top plate support 5. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, the leg column 4 comprises an outer cylinder 41, an inner cylinder 42 that is fitted into the outer cylinder 41 so as to be relatively movable, a positioning member 43 disposed inside the inner cylinder 42 to precisely position the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42, and a fixing member 44 of the present invention that restricts or releases the movement of the positioning member 43 to maintain or release the positioning state.

[0020] More specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the outer cylinder 41 has its lower end fixed to the side frame 32 of the leg base 3 and is formed using a metal pipe member that has an oval cross-section. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, this outer cylinder 41 has a front wall 411, an inner wall 412, an outer wall 413, and a back wall 414, with the front wall 411 and back wall 414 being semi-cylindrical. The inner wall 412 of this outer cylinder 41 has two elongated rectangular fixing holes 41a that extend in the depth direction and are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and a circular fixing member insertion hole 41b for inserting a fixing member 44 is provided between these fixing holes 41a. As mentioned above, the inner cylinder 42 is fitted into this outer cylinder 41 so as to be able to move relative to it.

[0021] The inner cylinder 42 is formed using a metal pipe member that has an oval cross-section, and as shown in Figures 5 to 7, it has a front wall 421, an inner wall 422, an outer wall 423, and a back wall 424, with the front wall 421 and back wall 424 being semi-cylindrical. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the inner wall 422 of the inner cylinder 42 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes 42a to 42h, numbered 1 to 8 from bottom to top in this embodiment, at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a slit 42s is provided that extends in the longitudinal direction while connecting these insertion holes 42a to 42h, and the fixing member 44 is inserted through this slit 42s. Here, the first to eighth insertion holes 42a to 42h are each provided with rectangular positioning portions 42a1 to 42h1 that can engage with the protruding portion 436 of the positioning member 43 (described later), and circular fixing portions 42a2 to 42h2 for inserting the fixing member 44. As shown in Figures 4 to 11, the positioning member 43 is arranged inside the inner cylinder 42, and when any of the insertion holes 42a to 42h are aligned with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41, the relative position with the outer cylinder 41 is determined precisely by the positioning member 43. In other words, in this embodiment, the height position of the top plate 1 can be adjusted in six stages, from a state where the first and third insertion holes 42a and 42c are aligned with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41 to a state where the sixth and eighth insertion holes 42f and 42h are aligned with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41.

[0022] As shown in Figures 5 to 11, the positioning member 43 has a projection 436 that is biased by an elastic compression coil spring 433 and engages with the insertion holes 42a to 42h and the fixing hole 41a. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 to 11, the positioning member 43 comprises a U-shaped latch plate 431 in plan view having a projection 436, a U-shaped back plate 432 in plan view opening toward the latch plate 431, and a compression coil spring 433 disposed between the latch plate 431 and the back plate 432. The latch plate 431 comprises a face plate portion 434 that can be attached to the inner wall 422 of the inner cylinder 42, and side plate portions 435 that extend laterally from both the front and rear ends of the face plate portion 434. Furthermore, rectangular projections 436 are formed at both the upper and lower ends of the faceplate portion 434, projecting toward the outer cylinder 41 and inner cylinder 42, for example by sheet metal processing. These projections 436 are designed to engage with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder and the positioning portions 42a1 to 42h1 of the insertion holes 42a to 42i of the inner cylinder 42. A retainer 439 for holding the free end of the compression coil spring 43 is provided on the side of the faceplate portion 434 opposite to the side with the projections 436. A guide recess 43a is provided in the center of the side plate portion 435 in the height direction to guide the direction of relative movement with respect to the back plate 432. The back plate 432 comprises a faceplate portion 437 that is attached to the outer wall 423 of the inner cylinder 42, and side plate portions 438 that extend laterally from both the front and rear ends of the faceplate portion 437. A retainer 430 for holding the fixed end of the compression coil spring 43 is provided on the surface of the faceplate portion 437 facing the latch plate 431. A guide projection 43b is provided at the center of the height direction of the side plate portion 438, which engages with the guide recess 43a of the latch plate 431 so as to be movable in the left-right direction and guides the direction of relative movement with respect to the latch plate 431. In this embodiment, this guide projection 43b is plate-shaped and protrudes on both sides (front and rear) in the depth direction. Furthermore, this positioning member 43 is equipped with a temporary release function that allows the engaged state to be forcibly temporarily released.Specifically, the latch plate 431 receives an operating force acting from the fixing member 44 toward the back plate 432, and moves toward the back plate 432 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 43, causing the protrusion 436 to disengage from the insertion holes 42a-42i and the fixing hole 41a, thereby allowing relative movement between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42. The fixing member 44 is formed using the female thread 442 formed between the two protrusions 436 on the latch plate 431 of the positioning member 43.

[0023] However, as shown in Figures 4 to 11, the fixing member 44 of this embodiment fixes the members, namely the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42, by utilizing a tightening force between the female screw 442 and the head of the male screw member 441. The fixing member 44 comprises a female screw 442 provided on the latch plate 431 and a male screw member 441 that screws into the female screw 442 and passes through the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41. The female screw 442 of the fixing member 44 is provided at the center of a frustoconical projection 440. The shape of the projection on which the female screw 442 of the fixing member 44 is provided can be arbitrarily set as long as it can engage with the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41. Furthermore, the head of the male screw member 441 is a knob 443 that receives an operating force to screw the male screw member 441 into the female screw 442 or to release the screwed state. Furthermore, the fixing member 44, more specifically the knob 443 of the fixing member 44, receives a pressing force to forcibly temporarily release the engagement between the protruding portion 436 and the insertion holes 42a to 42i and the fixing hole 41a.

[0024] However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 to 13, a tightening prevention device 45 is provided that allows part or all of the male screw member 441 to be visible from the outside when it is not completely tightened into the female screw 442. In this embodiment, this tightening prevention device 45 is provided near the fixing member insertion hole 41b of the outer cylinder 41, that is, near the female screw 442. Furthermore, this tightening prevention device 45 is a ring-shaped member that surrounds the fixing member insertion hole 41b and the female screw 442, and comprises a ring-shaped prevention device body 451 and a locking projection 452 that protrudes from the prevention device body 451 toward the outer cylinder 41, and is attached to the outer cylinder 41 by engaging the locking projection 452 with a prevention device locking hole 41h provided in the outer cylinder. Then, the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 is in the state when the male screw member 441 is screwed into the female screw 442. Closing It has a gap 44s into which the anti-forgetting device 45 fits. The outer surface 451a of the anti-forgetting device body 451 is colored a different color from the knob 443 of the fixing member 44. In Figures 7 to 9, a pattern is added to the outer surface 451a of the anti-forgetting device body 451 to make it easier to see that it is colored.

[0025] The top plate support 5 is connected to the upper end of this leg column 4.

[0026] The tabletop support 5 is attached to the underside of the tabletop 1 and supports the tabletop 1 from below. More specifically, the tabletop support 5 is made of a metal pipe member and integrally has a rear tabletop support portion 51 that supports the area near the non-working end of the tabletop 1 from below and extends to the left and right, and side tabletop support portions 52 that extend forward from both the left and right ends of the rear tabletop support portion 51 and support the ends of the tabletop 1 on both sides from below. The middle portion of the side tabletop support portions 52 is connected to the upper end of the leg column 4.

[0027] Next, we will describe the operation of each part when extending or retracting the leg column 4 in order to change the height of the tabletop 1 of this desk D.

[0028] In the state shown in Figure 6, the first and third insertion holes 42a and 42c align with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41, the protrusion 436 engages with these insertion holes 42a and 42c and the fixing hole 41a, and the male screw member 441 of the fixing member 44 is fastened to the female screw 442, thus preventing relative movement between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42. From this state, the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 is rotated to release the fastening state and move the knob 443 away from the outer cylinder 41, as shown in Figure 10. Next, as shown in Figure 11, the knob 443 is pressed toward the outer cylinder 41 against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 433. At this time, the latch plate 431 with the protrusion 436 of the positioning member 43 is pushed toward the back plate 432, and the protrusion 436 is disengaged from the insertion holes 42a and 42c and the fixing hole 41a. Then, the top plate 1 is raised or lowered to the desired height by moving the inner cylinder 42 relative to the outer cylinder 41. Figure 12 shows the state of the top plate 1 during its movement. When the top plate 1 reaches the next height position, as shown in Figure 13, that is, when the second and fourth insertion holes 42a and 42c align with the fixing hole 41a of the outer cylinder 41, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 433 causes the protruding part 436 to pass through the insertion holes 42b and 42d and the fixing hole 41a and engage with them, and the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42 are positioned relative to each other. By repeating this, the height position of the top plate 1 can be set to the desired height position. When the height position of the top plate 1 is the desired height position, the male screw 441 of the fixing member 44 is tightened into the female screw 442, so that the knob 443 is in close contact with the outer cylinder 41, and relative movement between the inner cylinder 42 and the outer cylinder 41 is prohibited again. Note that the actual operation of extending or retracting the leg column 4 is often performed with the desk D upside down, but in Figures 10 to 13, the leg column 4 is shown in its normal orientation to make the correspondence with the state in Figure 6 easier to understand.

[0029] In this embodiment, when fastening the male screw member 441 of the fixing member 44 to the female screw 442, the male screw member 441 is partially screwed into the female screw 442 from the state shown in Figure 8 to the state shown in Figure 9, and then the male screw member 441 is further tightened to the state shown in Figure 3. Here, when the male screw member 441 is not completely fastened to the female screw 442, part or all of the outer circumferential surface 451a of the prevention device body 451 is visible from the outside. This, along with the fact that the outer circumferential surface 451a of the prevention device body 451 is colored differently from the knob 443, makes it easy for the user to recognize when the male screw member 441 is not completely fastened to the female screw 442.

[0030] Furthermore, when changing the relative position between the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 42, the male screw member 441 is loosened from the state shown in Figure 3 to the state shown in Figure 9, the operations described above are performed, and then the male screw member 441 is tightened again to the state shown in Figure 3. In this case as well, when the male screw member 441 is not fully tightened into the female screw 442, part or all of the outer peripheral surface 451a of the prevention device body 451 is visible from the outside, so that the user can easily recognize this.

[0031] Here, Figure 1 is a front view showing the desk D according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of part B in Figure 1, i.e., the vicinity of the fixing member 44. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of part C in Figure 2, i.e., the vicinity of the fixing member 44. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line XX in Figure 3. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line YY in Figure 4. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the leg column 4 of the desk D. Figure 8 shows the state in which the male screw member 441 (and knob 443) of the fixing member 44 has been completely removed, and Figure 9 shows the state in which the male screw member 441 (and knob 443) of the fixing member 44 has been partially screwed into the female screw 442. Note that in Figure 6 only the first to sixth insertion holes 42a to 42f are shown, and in Figure 7 only the first to third insertion holes 42a to 42c are shown, but in reality the inner cylinder 42 is provided with first to eighth insertion holes 42a to 42h. Figures 10 to 13 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the positioning member 43 and the fixing member 44 according to this embodiment. In particular, Figure 10 shows the state in which the knob 443 of the fixing member 44 is loosened, Figure 11 shows the state in which the fixing member 44 and the latch plate 431 are pressed, Figure 12 shows the state in which the inner cylinder 42 has been moved relative to the outer cylinder 41 from the state shown in Figure 11, and Figure 13 shows the state in which the inner cylinder 42 has been moved further relative to the outer cylinder 41 from the state shown in Figure 12, and the protruding portion 436 has been engaged with the insertion holes 42b, 42d and the fixing hole 41a. In addition, in Figures 6 and 10 to 13, a pattern is applied to the portion of the slit 42s of the inner cylinder 42 that does not overlap with the insertion holes 42a to 42h.

[0032] As described above, according to this embodiment, the fixing member 44 includes a female screw 442, a male screw member 441 that screws into the female screw 442, a knob 443 provided on the head of the male screw member 441 that receives an operating force for screwing the male screw member 441 into or releasing the female screw 442, and a tightening forgetting prevention device 45 in which part or all of the male screw member 441, more specifically part or all of the outer peripheral surface 451a of the prevention device body 451 is visible from the outside when the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened into the female screw 442. Therefore, because part or all of the outer peripheral surface 451a of the prevention device body 451 of the tightening forgetting prevention device 45 is visible from the outside, it is easy for the user or others to recognize that the male screw member 441 is not completely tightened into the female screw 442. Accordingly, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the user can easily recognize that the male screw member has been left untightened.

[0033] Furthermore, the fastening prevention device 45 is provided near the female screw 442, and the knob 443 has a gap 44s into which the fastening prevention device 45 can fit when the male screw member 441 is screwed into the female screw 442. Therefore, when the male screw member 441 is fully fastened into the female screw 442, the fastening prevention device 45 fits into the gap 44s and is hidden from view, thus improving the appearance when the male screw member 441 is fully fastened into the female screw 442.

[0034] Furthermore, since the outer surface 451a of the tightening reminder 45 is colored differently from the knob 443, the tightening reminder 45 is conspicuously visible from the outside when the male screw member 441 is not fully tightened into the female screw 442, thus making it easier and more effective for the user to recognize that the male screw member has not been fully tightened.

[0035] Furthermore, since the tightening prevention device 45 is a ring-shaped member that surrounds the female screw 442, when fastening the male screw member 441 to the female screw 442, the tightening prevention device 45 can be stored in the gap 44s provided in the grip 443.

[0036] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0037] For example, in the embodiment described above, the present invention is applied to the legs of a desk, but the present invention may also be applied to the legs of chairs or other furniture besides desks.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the tightening prevention device is provided near the female screw, and a knob is provided on the head of the male screw member to allow the tightening prevention device to fit into the gap when the male screw member is screwed into the female screw, Reference example For example, one possible configuration is to provide a tightening prevention device integrally with the male screw member at a location adjacent to the knob on the male screw member. As a specific example, one possible configuration is to provide a tightening prevention device A45, which is smaller in diameter than the knob A443 and larger in diameter than the male screw member A441, at a location adjacent to the knob A443, as shown in the fixing member A444 in Figure 14, and to house the male screw member A441 in the counterbore A44x while it is screwed into the female screw A442, as shown in the fixing member B444 in Figure 15, by coloring the portion of the male screw member B441 adjacent to the knob B443, and to house the tightening prevention device B45 inside the female screw B442 while the male screw member B441 is screwed into the female screw B442. Figure 14(a) is a schematic exploded perspective view of the fixing member A44, and Figure 14(b) is a center cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male screw member A441 is being screwed into the female screw A442. Figure 15(a) is a schematic exploded perspective view of the fixing member B44, and Figure 15(b) is a center cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male screw member B441 is being screwed into the female screw B442.

[0039] On the other hand, even if a gap is provided in the head of the male screw member for a tightening prevention device to fit into, the tightening prevention device does not need to be a ring-shaped member surrounding the female screw; it may be a member with a ring-shaped component missing a portion of it.

[0040] Furthermore, the outer surface of the tightening reminder can be any color. However, if the outer surface of the tightening reminder is a different color from the knob, as mentioned above, the presence of the tightening reminder will be more noticeable when the male screw member is not fully tightened into the female screw, thus making it easier and more effective for the user to recognize that the male screw member has not been fully tightened.

[0041] Furthermore, various modifications are permitted as long as they do not impair the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 44, A44, B44... Fixing members 441, A441, B441… Male screw component 442, A442, B442…Female thread 443, A443, B443...snacks 45, A45, B45... Tightening reminder device 451a... Outer surface of the device to prevent forgetting to tighten.

Claims

1. A leg for a fixture comprising an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder fitted into the outer cylinder so as to be movably relative to it, and a fixing member for fixing the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, The fixing member comprises a female screw provided on the inner cylinder side, a male screw member that can be screwed into the female screw, a knob provided on the head of the male screw member that receives rotational force for screwing the male screw member into or unscrewing the female screw, and a tightening prevention device that is partially or entirely visible from the outside when the male screw member is not fully tightened into the female screw, and is concealed by the knob when the male screw member is fully tightened into the female screw. The aforementioned fastening prevention device is provided on the outside of the outer cylinder and is a ring-shaped or partially missing ring-shaped member through which the male screw member is inserted. The leg of the fixture has a gap inside the rotatable knob into which the tightening prevention device can be inserted while the male screw member is fastened to the female screw.

2. The leg of the fixture according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the fastening prevention device is colored a different color from the knob.

Images