booth

Abstract

To provide a booth that balances privacy with convenience.SOLUTION: A booth 1 according to the present invention includes a private room 2 including four side walls 21, 22, 23, 24 located on the four sides of the periphery and a ceiling wall 25 located above, and having a door 26 for entry and exit on at least one side wall 21 of the four side walls, a desk 3 that has a chamber 30 having an air intake port and an air outlet port and installed in the private room, and an intake fan 4 installed at the air intake port of the desk. A through hole exposing the intake fan is provided on the side wall of the private room, and an exhaust port 28 is provided in the upper part of the private room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention particularly relates to a private booth equipped with a desk.

Background Art

[0002] In an office, there are private booths for holding web conferences or for concentrated work. The booths are highly airtight from the perspective of privacy and often lack sufficient ventilation.

[0003] Here, as a booth equipped with a ventilation function, there is Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-130786 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 has a double-wall structure and discloses providing a ventilation device inside the wall.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The booth of Patent Document 1 has a large number of intake holes for taking in outdoor air and ejection ports for ejecting air into the booth. Here, with a large number of intake holes, the sound inside the booth leaks out and privacy cannot be ensured. Also, the ejection ports of Patent Document 1 are provided over a wide range in front of and above the seated person inside the booth, and the seated person may feel discomfort when exposed to the wind.

[0006] This invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its object is to provide a booth that combines privacy protection and convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The booth according to this embodiment comprises four side walls located on all four sides and a top wall located above, and includes a private room with an entrance door on at least one of the four side walls, and a chamber having an air intake and an air outlet, a desk installed inside the private room, and an intake fan installed at the air intake of the desk. The side walls of the private room are provided with through holes that expose the intake fan, and an exhaust port is provided in the upper part of the private room.

[0008] Preferably, the desk includes a tabletop located above the chamber. The air outlets include tabletop outlets provided on the tabletop.

[0009] Preferably, the top plate is supported by the side wall of the private room.

[0010] Preferably, the desk includes an inner plate that forms the side of the chamber. The air outlet includes an inner plate outlet provided in the inner plate.

[0011] In another configuration, the desk comprises a tabletop, a pair of legs positioned on either side from the perspective of the seated person, and a back panel positioned at the rear from the perspective of the seated person. The back panel includes an outer back panel and an inner back panel, spaced apart to form a chamber. An air intake is provided in the outer back panel, and an air outlet is provided in the inner back panel, including an inner back panel outlet.

[0012] Preferably, the outer back panel and the inner back panel include portions that protrude above the top panel. The inner back panel air outlet is provided on the upper protruding portion of the inner back panel.

[0013] In yet another form, the desk comprises a tabletop, a pair of legs located on either side as viewed from the seated person, and a back panel located at the rear as viewed from the seated person. At least one of the pair of legs includes an outer panel and an inner panel spaced apart to form a chamber. The back panel includes an outer back panel and an inner back panel spaced apart to form a chamber. The outer and inner back panels include portions that protrude above the tabletop. An air intake is provided on the outer panel. Air outlets include a tabletop outlet provided on the tabletop, an inner panel outlet provided on the inner panel, and an inner back panel outlet provided on the upper projection of the inner back panel.

[0014] Preferably, the air outlet includes a ventilator for adjusting the size of the outlet opening.

[0015] Preferably, the exhaust vent is located in the ceiling wall of the private room, and the exhaust vent is covered with a cover containing sound-absorbing material.

[0016] Preferably, sound-absorbing material is attached to the inner wall surface of the chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the booth of this invention, it is possible to combine privacy and convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a front perspective view of a booth according to this embodiment, where (a) shows the external configuration and (b) shows a configuration in which some of the side walls are omitted from the illustration. [Figure 2] This diagram shows a desk according to this embodiment, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the airflow in a desk according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] These are schematic diagrams of the booth according to the present invention, where (a) shows Embodiment 1, (b) shows Embodiment 2, and (c) shows Embodiment 3. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a cover that covers an exhaust port according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic view of the booth according to Embodiment 4 as seen from the front.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0020] (Regarding the schematic configuration) [[ID=]18]Referring to FIG. 1, the booth 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing the booth 1 according to this embodiment, (a) shows the external configuration, and (b) shows the configuration in which the illustration of some side walls 21 and 22 is omitted. The booth 1 includes a private room 2, a desk 3 installed in the private room 2, and an intake fan 4 installed on the desk 3.

[0021] [[ID=]the private room 2 according to this embodiment is, for example, a narrow space with a floor area of about 3 m The private room 2 is typically installed in an office space and is used for holding web conferences or concentrating on work. In the following description, the booth 1 according to this embodiment will be described as being installed in an office space.

[0022] The private room 2 includes four side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24 located on the four surrounding sides and a ceiling wall 25 located above. The four side walls 21 to 24 are referred to as side walls 21 to 24 located front, rear, left, and right for the sake of convenience around the inside of the private room 2, and include not only the plate-shaped side walls 21 to 24 as shown in FIG. 1 but also curved side walls. Further, from the viewpoint of privacy, the side walls 21 to 24 can include general sound-absorbing materials such as glass wool and rock wool, or can be provided with irregularities for sound absorption. <(

[0023] At least one of the four side walls 21, 22, 23, and 24, side wall 21, has an entrance / exit door 26. From the viewpoint of eliminating a feeling of confinement and from the viewpoint of fire safety regulations, the door 26 preferably contains a light-transmitting material such as glass. The type of door 26 is not limited, and various types of doors such as hinged doors and sliding doors can be used.

[0024] The ceiling wall 25 is a wall corresponding to the ceiling of the private room 2, and includes not only a plate-shaped ceiling wall 25 as shown in the ceiling wall 25 of this embodiment, but also a dome-shaped ceiling wall. From the viewpoint of ensuring privacy, the ceiling wall 25 may include the aforementioned sound-absorbing material or sound-absorbing structure. The ceiling wall 25 may have, for example, lighting (not shown).

[0025] In this embodiment, the floor of private room 2 utilizes the floor of the office space where booth 1 is installed, but private room 2 itself may have its own floor walls.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4(a), the private room 2 has a through-hole 27 in the side wall 23 that exposes the intake fan 4, and an exhaust port 28 is provided at the top. Here, "exposed" means that only a part of the intake fan 4 is visible from outside the private room 2, and it is not necessary for the entire intake fan 4 to be visible. It is preferable that the through-hole 27 is formed to be approximately the same size as or smaller than the intake fan 4. The shape of the through-hole 27 is not limited as long as ventilation is ensured, and the through-hole 27 may be covered by a partition member having an opening, such as a perforated plate or louver.

[0027] The intake fan 4 is, for example, a fan or a ventilation fan. Since Booth 1 is a small space, it is difficult to install air conditioners in each individual room 2 from a cost perspective. Also, the office space in which Booth 1 according to this embodiment is installed is usually equipped with air conditioning. In other words, the intake fan 4 is for drawing conditioned air from the office space into the individual room 2. As a result, Booth 1 can maintain a comfortable air conditioning environment for working in the individual room 2 while maintaining the amount of ventilation in the individual room 2, even without installing air conditioning equipment.

[0028] The exhaust port 28 is provided in either the upper region of the side walls 21-24 or the top wall 25. In this embodiment, the exhaust port 28 is provided in the top wall 25 of the private room 2 to reduce sound leakage, and the air inside the private room is sent outside the private room by natural exhaust.

[0029] The exhaust port 28 is covered by a cover 5 containing sound-absorbing material. The cover 5 is intended to prevent sound leakage from the exhaust port 28 by covering it. Referring to Figure 5, the cover 5 in this embodiment is formed in a substantially rectangular shape from a plurality of plate-like members 51. Note that the shape of the cover 5 is merely illustrative, and its shape is not particularly limited as long as it can prevent sound leakage from the exhaust port 28.

[0030] Of the multiple plate-shaped members 51, at least one surface has a cover ventilation section 52 for releasing air from the exhaust port 28 to the outside. The cover ventilation section 52 is formed of a breathable material, such as a mesh, net, or perforated material. Preferably, the cover ventilation section 52 is provided on the side surface of the cover 5. This allows for efficient sound absorption on the inner surface of the cover 5 while ventilation is performed.

[0031] Furthermore, sound-absorbing material (not shown) is attached to the inner surfaces of the multiple plate-shaped members 51. The sound-absorbing material can be a known material such as urethane sponge. This prevents sound from leaking out of the booth through the exhaust port 28. From the viewpoint of further improving sound insulation, it is preferable that the surface of the plate-shaped member 51 of the cover 5 facing the exhaust port 28 is not breathable and that the plate-shaped member 51 with sound-absorbing material attached is placed there.

[0032] Furthermore, a fire extinguishing device (not shown) may be installed inside cover 5. This makes the fire extinguishing device less visible from inside the individual room 2, resulting in a cleaner appearance.

[0033] (Regarding the desk) Next, the desk 3 installed in the private room 2 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the desk 3 according to this embodiment, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a right side view. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the airflow in the desk 3 according to this embodiment. Note that in Figure 3, the front wall portion of the chamber 30 (the wall portion on the near side as seen from the seated person) is partially omitted from the illustration.

[0034] Referring particularly to Figure 2(a), the desk 3 comprises a tabletop 31, a pair of legs 32 supporting the tabletop 31 from below and located on both sides as viewed from the seated person, and a backrest 33 located on the rear side as viewed from the seated person. At least one of the pair of legs 32 includes an outer plate 34 and an inner plate 35 spaced apart to form a chamber 30. Referring further to Figure 2(b), the backrest 33 includes an outer back plate 36 and an inner back plate 37 spaced apart to form a chamber 30. The outer back plate 36 and the inner back plate 37 also include portions 38 that protrude above the tabletop 31 (hereinafter referred to as "upward protrusions").

[0035] Referring to Figures 2(a) to 2(c), the chamber 30 in this embodiment has an air intake 41 and an air outlet 42 in which the intake fan 4 is installed, and is a space enclosed by the outer plate 34 and inner plate 35 of the leg portion 32 and the outer back plate 36 and inner back plate 37 of the rear portion 33.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, sound-absorbing material 6 is attached to the inner wall surface of the chamber 30. The sound-absorbing material 6 can be a known material, similar to the sound-absorbing material provided on the cover 5 described above. Preferably, the sound-absorbing material 6 is provided on the entire inner wall surface of the chamber 30, and is attached to at least the surface opposite the surface on which the intake fan 4 is installed. This reduces the leakage of the operating sound of the intake fan 4 from the chamber 30, and prevents occupants from feeling discomfort due to the operating sound of the intake fan 4.

[0037] In this embodiment, the air intake 41 is provided on the outer plate 34 of the leg portion 32. The air outlet 42 includes a top plate outlet 43 provided on the top plate portion 31, an inner plate outlet 44 provided on the inner plate 35, and an inner back plate outlet 45 provided on the upward projection 38 of the inner back plate 37.

[0038] The air intake 41 is for drawing conditioned air from outside the booth 1 into the chamber 30. From the viewpoint of easily drawing in cool air from outside the booth 1, it is preferable that the air intake 41 be provided in the area below the desk 3. This makes it possible to efficiently draw in cool air even inside the booth 1 where the indoor temperature tends to rise, thereby suppressing the temperature rise. In this embodiment, only one air intake 41 is provided, but multiple intakes may be provided. In this case, for example, a chamber 30 may be further formed in the other leg portion 32 and an air intake 41 may be provided therein. Also, if multiple intakes are provided, it is not necessary to attach an intake fan 4 to all of them.

[0039] The air outlet 42 is for blowing the air taken into the chamber 30 into the private room 2. The air outlet 42 in this embodiment includes a ventilator 39 for adjusting the size of the outlet opening. From the viewpoint of ensuring quietness in the private room 2, the air outlet 42 discharges air by natural exhaust.

[0040] The ventilators 39 of each air outlet 42 can be opened or closed according to the preference of the person sitting at the desk 3. For example, in the summer, opening the inner back panel outlet 45 allows the person to receive cool air from the front, and in the winter, opening the inner panel outlet 44 allows the person to receive warm air at their feet. Also, if the person dislikes the feeling of airflow, opening the top panel outlet 43 allows the entire room 2 to be air-conditioned without blowing air directly on the person sitting. In this way, the person sitting can choose the airflow according to their preference, which is expected to improve work efficiency.

[0041] Furthermore, desk 3 may be equipped with power outlets, shelves, etc., as needed. This invention was made in view of the fact that desk 3 is an essential component of booth 1 in an office space, and desk 3 can also be viewed as a multi-functional desk equipped with a ventilation function.

[0042] (Regarding ventilation routes) The ventilation path of booth 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 1(b) and 3.

[0043] Referring to Figure 3, air from outside booth 1 is drawn in by the intake fan 4. In Figure 3, the path of air outside chamber 30 is shown by a solid arrow, and the path of the drawn-in air is shown by a dotted arrow. The drawn-in air fills the chamber 30, which is formed in a roughly L-shape, and the chamber 30 becomes positive pressure. The drawn-in air flows into the individual room 2 by natural exhaust from each air outlet 42, namely the top plate outlet 43, the inner plate outlet 44, and the inner back plate outlet 45, according to the differential pressure. Because the inside of individual room 2 becomes positive pressure due to the incoming air, the air inside individual room 2 is naturally exhausted to the outside of booth 1 through the exhaust port 28 located at the top of individual room 2.

[0044] This invention utilizes the differential pressure created by drawing in air from the intake fan 4 to ventilate the booth 1. Furthermore, sound-absorbing material 6 is installed inside the chamber 30 where the intake fan 4 is located. As a result, the booth 1 in this embodiment can provide sufficient ventilation while maintaining quiet operation.

[0045] (Regarding other embodiments) Next, with reference to Figure 4, booths 1, 1A, and 1B according to these three embodiments will be described. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the booth according to the present invention, where (a) shows Embodiment 1, (b) shows Embodiment 2, and (c) shows Embodiment 3.

[0046] <Embodiment 1> As shown in Figure 4(a), the booth 1 according to Embodiment 1 has a chamber 30 provided on one of the pair of legs 32 and on the rear part 33. That is, the chamber 30 in this embodiment is provided in a substantially L-shape in plan view. The top plate outlet 43, the inner plate outlet 44, and the inner back plate outlet 45 are shown by dotted lines, and details are omitted.

[0047] <Embodiment 2> Referring to Figure 4(b), Booth 1A according to this second embodiment will be described. Booth 1A basically has the same configuration as Booth 1 according to this first embodiment, but differs mainly in the configuration of Desk 3A.

[0048] The booth 1A according to Embodiment 2 includes an outer plate 34A and an inner plate 35A positioned at intervals to form a chamber 30A on at least one of a pair of legs 32A. An air intake 41A is provided on the outer plate 34A. The air outlets 42A shown by the dotted lines include a top plate outlet 43A provided on the top plate and / or an inner plate outlet 44 provided on the inner plate 35A. In other words, the booth 1A according to Embodiment 2 is configured such that the chamber 30A is provided on one of the legs 32A and one or two air outlets 42A are provided.

[0049] According to this embodiment, by opening the top panel air outlet 43A, ventilation of the entire private room 2A is promoted, and if, for example, one wants to warm the feet in winter, the inner panel air outlet 44A can be opened further to efficiently warm the seated person from below.

[0050] <Embodiment 3> Next, with reference to Figure 4(c), Booth 1B according to this third embodiment will be described. Booth 1B basically has the same configuration as Booth 1 according to this first embodiment, but differs mainly in the configuration of Desk 3B.

[0051] The back portion 33B of the desk 3B according to Embodiment 3 includes an outer back plate 36B and an inner back plate 37B, which are spaced apart to form a chamber 30. An air intake 41B is provided on the outer back plate 36B, and an air outlet 42B includes an inner back plate outlet 45B provided on the inner back plate 37B, as shown by the dotted line. The inner back plate outlet 45B in this embodiment may be provided near the feet of the seated person, or it may be provided to blow air upward from substantially the same plane as the top plate of the desk 3B.

[0052] The outer back panel 36B and inner back panel 37B in this embodiment may include an upward projection 38B that protrudes above the top panel 31B. In this case, the inner back panel air outlet 45B can be provided on the upward projection 38B of the inner back panel 37B, allowing the seated person to receive airflow directly from the front.

[0053] <Embodiment 4> Next, with reference to Figure 6, Booth 1C according to this embodiment 4 will be described. Booth 1C differs mainly in that it does not have a separate desk.

[0054] In this embodiment, the chamber 30C has sides formed by the side wall 23C of the private room 2C and the inner plate 35C of the desk 3C. The chamber 30C can have an intake fan 4 installed in an air intake 41 provided in the side wall 23C. The inner plate 35C of the desk 3C can include an inner plate outlet 44C, as in other embodiments. That is, the through-hole of the private room 2C in this embodiment is configured to point to an air intake 41C to which the intake fan 4 is attached.

[0055] The desk 3C of this embodiment includes a tabletop portion 31C located above the chamber 30C. The tabletop portion 31C is supported by opposing side walls 21C and 23C of the private room 2C. The tabletop portion 31C may include a tabletop air outlet 43C, as in other embodiments.

[0056] In this embodiment, the top plate portion 31C is supported by a pair of side walls 21C and 23C and a chamber 30C. That is, these components can be considered to function as legs for the top plate portion 31C.

[0057] The chamber 30C may have sides formed by a side wall located towards the rear from the perspective of the seated person and the inner back panel of the desk 3C. The inner back panel may include an upward projection that protrudes above the top panel 31C, in which case the upward projection may include an inner back panel air outlet.

[0058] Although embodiments of this invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, this invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as this invention, or within the equivalent scope. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1,1A,1B,1C Booth, 2 Private room, 3,3A,3B,3C Desk, 4 Intake fan, 5 Cover, 6 Sound-absorbing material, 21,22,23,24 Side wall, 25 Top wall, 26 Door, 27 Through hole, 28 Exhaust port, 30 Chamber, 31 Top plate, 32 Legs, 33 Rear part, 34 Outer panel, 35 Inner panel, 36 Outer back panel, 37 Inner back panel, 38 Upward projection, 39 Ventilator, 41 Air intake, 42 Air outlet, 43 Top panel outlet, 44 Inner panel outlet, 45 Inner back panel outlet, 51 Plate-shaped member, 52 Cover ventilation section.

Claims

1. A private room having four side walls on all four sides and a ceiling wall above, with at least one of the four side walls having a door for entry and exit, A desk is installed in the private room, and the chamber has an air intake and an air outlet. The desk is equipped with an intake fan that is installed at the air intake of the desk and draws air from outside the private room into the chamber, The side wall of the aforementioned private room is provided with a through-hole that exposes the intake fan. An exhaust vent is provided in the upper part of the aforementioned private room. The air outlet is configured such that the air drawn into the chamber by the intake fan is naturally exhausted into the individual room according to the differential pressure. The exhaust port is configured such that the air flowing into the individual room from the air outlet is naturally exhausted outside the individual room according to the differential pressure.

2. The desk comprises a tabletop located above the chamber, The booth according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet includes a top panel outlet provided on the top panel.

3. The booth according to claim 2, wherein the top plate is supported by the side wall of the private room.

4. The desk comprises an inner plate that forms the side surface of the chamber, The booth according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air outlet includes an inner plate outlet provided in the inner plate.

5. The aforementioned desk comprises a tabletop, a pair of legs located on both sides as viewed from the seated person, and a backrest located at the rear as viewed from the seated person. The rear portion includes an outer back plate and an inner back plate, which are spaced apart to form the chamber. The air intake is provided on the outer back plate, The booth according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet includes an inner back panel outlet provided in the inner back panel.

6. The outer back panel and the inner back panel include portions that protrude above the top panel. The booth according to claim 5, wherein the inner back panel outlet is provided on the upper protruding portion of the inner back panel.

7. The aforementioned desk comprises a tabletop, a pair of legs located on both sides as viewed from the seated person, and a backrest located at the rear as viewed from the seated person. Of the pair of legs, at least one includes an outer plate and an inner plate, which are spaced apart to form the chamber. The rear portion includes an outer back plate and an inner back plate, which are spaced apart to form the chamber. The outer back panel and the inner back panel include portions that protrude above the top panel. The air intake is provided on the outer plate, The booth according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet includes a top panel outlet provided on the top panel, an inner panel outlet provided on the inner panel, and an inner back panel outlet provided on the upper projection of the inner back panel.

8. The booth according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the air outlet includes a ventilator for adjusting the size of the outlet opening.

9. The exhaust vent is provided in the ceiling wall of the private room. The exhaust port is covered from the outside of the private room with a cover containing sound-absorbing material. The booth according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cover has the sound-absorbing material on the surface facing the exhaust port and has a cover ventilation portion on at least one side surface.

10. The booth according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein sound-absorbing material is attached to the inner wall surface of the chamber facing the intake fan.

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