Tabletop structure

Abstract

To hold a decorative plate so that the decorative plate is hardly detached from a top plate body with a simple method.SOLUTION: A decorative plate 1 is attached to a top plate body 2 of furniture with a top plate, the decorative plate 1 is hardly detached from the top plate body 2. The decorative plate 1 comprises: a top wall 11 for covering from upward, an upward surface of the top plate body 2; and a protrusion piece 13 which is below the top wall 11 and protrudes to an inner side, In the structure of the top plate, a retention component 6 which contacts or is extremely proximate to both of the upward surface of the protrusion piece 13 of the decorative plate 1 and a downward surface on the top plate body 2 facing the protrusion piece 13, is inserted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure in which a decorative panel is covered and attached to a top plate body of furniture with a top plate.

Background Art

[0002] The top plates of furniture with top plates such as tables and desks are often configured by covering a decorative panel on a top plate body which is the main body (or base). The decorative panel is formed by bending the side of a flat sheet metal material downward to form a top wall and side walls.

[0003] At the corner of the top plate, a corner member of a resin molded product is attached to the gap formed between one side wall of the decorative panel and the other side wall adjacent to it (for example, refer to the following prior art documents).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a large external force acts on the decorative panel itself that covers the top plate body from above, such as when a user transports furniture with a top plate, the decorative panel may be lifted and detached from the top plate body.

[0006] To prevent this, it is preferable to fix the decorative panel to the top plate body by some means. Typically, it is conceivable to weld the decorative panel and the top plate body, or screw the decorative panel to the top plate body using a plurality of screws or bolts. However, any of these methods is operationally troublesome.

[0007] The primary objective of this invention is to securely fix the decorative panel to the tabletop body in a way that makes it difficult to detach, using a simpler method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In the present invention, a decorative panel is attached to the top surface of a piece of furniture with a top surface, and the structure is such that the decorative panel is difficult to detach from the top surface. The decorative panel has a top wall that covers the upward surface of the top surface from above, and a projection that is below the top wall and protrudes inward. The structure of the top surface is such that a retaining component is inserted into contact with or very close to both the upward surface of the projection of the decorative panel and the downward surface of the top surface facing the projection.

[0009] In particular, it is preferable that the decorative panel has a side wall that hangs down from the edge of the top wall and covers the side surface of the top plate body from the outside, the projection protrudes inward from the lower edge of this side wall, and the retaining component is in contact with or very close to both the upward surface of the projection of the decorative panel and the downward surface of the outer edge of the top plate body facing the projection.

[0010] In furniture with a tabletop, the legs supporting the tabletop body include vertically extending leg supports and brackets fixed to the upper ends of the leg supports, extending along the downward-facing corners of the tabletop body and joining to those downward-facing surfaces. If the lower edge of the side wall is at a height approximately equal to or lower than the downward-facing surface of the bracket, the decorative panel can conceal the presence of the bracket on the leg side from the side, further enhancing the aesthetic appeal and elegance of the furniture.

[0011] If a portion of the protruding piece of the decorative panel is cut out, and the retaining component is inserted into the cutout, the process of securing the decorative panel to the top plate using the retaining component becomes even easier.

[0012] If an engagement hole is formed on the downward surface of the top plate body, and the retaining component has an engagement claw that engages with the engagement hole, the retaining component will be less likely to fall off the top plate body, and the structure for attaching the decorative panel to the top plate body will be more stable.

[0013] If the fixing part enters between the side wall of the decorative board and the side surface of the top plate body and has a standing part that abuts or is extremely close to the side surface of the top plate body, the fixing part is less likely to fall off from the decorative board and the top plate body, and the structure for attaching the decorative board to the top plate body becomes stable.

Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the decorative board can be easily fixed to be difficult to detach from the top plate body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing a furniture with a top plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Front view of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 3] Side view of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 4] Exploded perspective view of the main part of the same furniture with a top plate viewed from above. [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view of the main part of the same furniture with a top plate viewed from below. [Figure 6] Exploded perspective view of the top plate body which is an element of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 7] Side cross-sectional view of the main part of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 8] Side cross-sectional view of the main part of a modified example related to the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 9] Plan view of the unfolded decorative board which is an element of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 10] Perspective view of the decorative board viewed from below for explaining the forming method of the corner part of the decorative board which is an element of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 11] Bottom view of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 12] Perspective view of the main part of the same furniture with a top plate viewed from below. [Figure 13] Perspective view of the fixing part which is an element of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 14] Side cross-sectional view of the main part of the same furniture with a top plate. [Figure 15] Side cross-sectional view of the main part of a modified example related to the same furniture with a top plate.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 show an overall overview of the furniture with a top plate according to this embodiment. This furniture with a top plate includes top plates 1 and 2 and a plurality of legs 3 that support them. In the illustrated example, the top plates 1 and 2 are rectangular in plan view, and four legs 3 are fixedly attached to the corner portions of the top plates 1 and 2 for convenience.

[0017] Castors 33 are attached to the lower ends of two legs 3 located on one side of this furniture with a top plate. On the contrary, adjusters 34 instead of castors 33 are attached to the lower ends of the two legs 3 located on the other side. A user who wants to move this furniture with a top plate can lift the other side from the floor surface and transfer this furniture with a top plate using the castors 33 on one side.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14, the top plates 1 and 2 are formed by covering a top plate body 2 that serves as the main body (or base) with a decorative plate 1 from above. Although it will be described in detail later, the decorative plate 1 is manufactured by bending a single sheet metal material.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 6, the top plate body 2 constructs a square frame with a frame 23, arranges blocks 24 at its corner portions, welds or otherwise joins them to each other, and further joins an upper face plate 21 and a lower face plate 22 from above and below, respectively, also by welding or the like. Both the frame 23 and the blocks 24 are made of, for example, a sheet metal material. It is preferable to dispose a reinforcing material such as a paper honeycomb core in the hollow portion 25 between the frames 23.

[0020] At the four corners of the top plate body 2, through holes 211, 241, and 221 are drilled, which run vertically through the top plate 21, block 24, and bottom plate 22 that make up the top plate body 2. In addition, at locations other than the four corners of the top plate body 2, multiple nut holes 222 and 242 are drilled, which run from below through the bottom plate 22 and block 24. The inner circumference of the nut holes 242 in block 24 is threaded.

[0021] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, 8, and 12, the leg 3 is constructed by welding or otherwise fixing a plate-shaped bracket 32 ​​that expands horizontally to the upper end of a leg support 31 that extends vertically. The leg support 31 is cylindrical, particularly a relatively thin cylindrical shape. A through hole 321 is drilled in the bracket 32 ​​at a location directly above the leg support 31, passing through the bracket 32 ​​vertically. In plan view, the through hole 321 communicates with the interior of the leg support 31 and is located in a position that overlaps with the insertion holes 211, 241, and 221 mentioned above. In addition, multiple through holes 322 are drilled in the bracket 32 ​​at locations other than directly above the leg support 31, passing through the bracket 32 ​​vertically. In plan view, the through holes 322 are located in a position that overlaps with the nut holes 222 and 242 mentioned above.

[0022] As shown in Figure 7, a nut portion 35 is provided inside the upper end of the leg support 31. The nut portion 35 is fixed by inserting a nut member having a female screw hole into the cylindrical leg support 31 and welding it in place. However, as a modified example, as shown in Figure 8, the nut portion 35 having a female screw hole may be formed in the bracket 32 ​​at a location directly above the leg support 31. In this modified example, the nut portion 35 replaces the through hole 321.

[0023] When fixing the legs 3 to the tabletop body 2, as shown in Figure 7 or Figure 8, with the upward surface of the bracket 32 ​​in contact with the downward surface of the tabletop body 2 (lower plate 22) from below, screws or bolts 4 are inserted from above the tabletop body 2 through holes 211, 241, and 221, and the male threads of the shafts are screwed into the female threads of the nuts 35 on the leg 3 side and tightened. These screws or bolts 4 are located directly above the leg support 31 and screw the leg support 31 directly (not indirectly via the bracket 32) to the tabletop body 2.

[0024] Furthermore, around the same time, multiple screws or bolts (countersunk screws) 5 are inserted through the through holes 322 from below the bracket 32, and the male threads of the shafts are screwed into the female threads of the nut holes 242 on the top plate body 2 and tightened. The screws or bolts 5 securely fasten a wide area of ​​the bracket 32 ​​to the top plate body 2.

[0025] As already mentioned, the decorative panel 1 is made by bending a single sheet metal material. As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 to 12 and 14, the decorative panel 1 has a top wall 11 which is the upper surface of the top panels 1 and 2 of the furniture with a top panel, side walls 12 which bend downward and hang down from the four sides of the top wall 11, projections 13 which bend and protrude inward from the lower edge of the side wall 12 toward the furniture with a top panel, end pieces 15 which bend upward and stand upright from the inner edge of the projection 13, corner walls 16 which bend downward and hang down from the gaps between the side walls 12 at the four corners of the top wall 11, and projections 17 which bend and protrude inward from the lower edge of the corner wall 16 toward the furniture with a top panel. The projections 13 and 17 are located below the top wall 11 and are facing the top wall 11 substantially parallel to it.

[0026] Figure 9 shows an unfolded view of the sheet metal material that will be used for the decorative panel 1. When manufacturing the decorative panel 1, the sheet metal material will be bent along the bent edges shown by the dashed lines in Figure 9. In particular, the corners of the top plates 1 and 2 have a partially arc-shaped outer edge in plan view. In other words, the top plates 1 and 2 have rounded edges in plan view. In order to cover these rounded corners from the outside with the decorative panel 1, the corner walls 16 and projections 17 that cover the corners are formed by drawing or other processes, as shown in Figures 10(A) and (B).

[0027] Subsequently, in order to close the gap 18 between the corner wall 16 and the side wall 12 that is connected to or very close to it, the decorative panel 1, including the corner wall 16, the side wall 12, and the top wall 11, is painted 19 from the outside, as shown in Figure 10(C). Prior to painting 19, the gap 18 between the corner wall 16 and the side wall 12 (and furthermore, the gap between the projection 17 and the projection 13) may be joined by laser welding or the like. This painting 19 can suitably conceal the gap 18 between the corner wall 16 and the side wall 12.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8, the top wall 11 of the decorative panel 1 shields the insertion holes 211, 241, and 221 of the tabletop body 2, and the screws or bolts 4 and 5 that secure the legs 3 to the tabletop body 2 from above, covering and concealing them so that their presence cannot be seen from above. This enhances the aesthetic appeal and elegance of the furniture, and since the insertion holes 211, etc., are not visible on the tabletop surface, it also improves convenience for users of the furniture with the tabletop.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, 7, 8, 10, and 12, the lower edges of the side walls 12 and corner walls 16 of the decorative panel 1 extend to a height position approximately equal to or lower than the downward surface of the bracket 32 ​​of the leg 3 (which is joined to the downward surface of the tabletop body 2). In the illustrated example, the lower edges of the side walls 12 and corner walls 16 and the projections 13 and 17 are at a height position approximately equal to the downward surface of the bracket 32, that is, they are below the downward surface of the tabletop body 2 by the thickness of the bracket 32. As a result, not only the tabletop body 2 but also the bracket 32 ​​is suitably concealed from the side by the side walls 12 and corner walls 16 of the decorative panel 1, giving the furniture a dignified and aesthetically pleasing appearance as a piece of furniture with thin tabletops 1 and 2.

[0030] As shown in Figures 11 to 14, the decorative panel 1 covering the tabletop body 2 is secured using a plurality of retaining parts 6. Unlike screws or bolts 4 and 5, the retaining parts 6 can be assembled to the tabletop body 2 and the decorative panel 1, or removed from the tabletop body 2 and the decorative panel, by hand without the use of tools such as screwdrivers. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the retaining part 6 has an insertion part 61 that is inserted just above the projection 14 of the decorative panel 1, an upright part 64 that stands upright adjacent to the inside of the insertion part 61, a contact part 62 that extends inward from the lower end of the upright part 64, and an engaging claw 63 that protrudes upward from the contact part 62. The retaining part 6 is manufactured, for example, by integral molding from a hard resin. The insertion part 61 can be displaced to some extent by elastic deformation along the inward-outward direction (the direction connecting the inside and outside) of the furniture with the tabletop.

[0031] As shown in Figures 5, 9, 11, 12, and 14, the decorative panel 1 has several notches 15 formed in advance. The notches 15 cut out at least a portion of the protruding piece 13 from the inside to the outside of the furniture with the top panel, and also eliminate the upright piece 14. When the decorative panel 1 is attached to the top panel body 2, the protruding piece 13 extends toward the outer surface of the top panel body 2, and the upright piece 14 comes into contact with or very close to the outer surface of the top panel body 2. However, the notches 15 penetrate them, creating a gap downward between the side wall 12 of the decorative panel 1 and the outer surface of the top panel body 2.

[0032] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the position of the notch 15 in the decorative panel 1 is offset relative to the bracket 32 ​​of the base leg 3 along the front-to-back (depth) direction or the left-to-right (width) direction of the furniture with the top panel. Also, as shown in Figures 7, 8, 11, 12, and 14, the side wall 12 of the decorative panel 1 and the outer surface of the top panel 2 are spaced somewhat apart in the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction.

[0033] The insertion portion 61 and the upright portion 64 of the retaining part 6 are inserted through the notch 15 into the gap between the side wall 12 of the decorative panel 1 and the outer surface of the top plate body 2. As shown in Figure 14, the insertion portion 61 abuts against or is very close to the upward surface of the projection 13 of the decorative panel 1 from above. The upright portion 64 abuts against or is very close to the outer surface of the top plate body 2 from the outside. The contact portion 62 abuts against or is very close to the downward surface of the outer edge of the top plate body 2 facing the projection 13 from below. The downward surface of the contact portion 62 is at approximately the same level as or higher than the lower edges of the side wall 12 and corner wall 16 of the decorative panel 1. Therefore, like the brackets 32 of the top plate body 2 and legs 3, the retaining part 6 is also suitably concealed from the side by the side wall 12 and corner wall 16 of the decorative panel 1.

[0034] Furthermore, by inserting the engaging claws 63 of the retaining component 6 from below into the engaging holes 23 (which penetrate the bottom plate 22 vertically) pre-drilled in the downward surface of the top plate body 2 and engaging them, the retaining component 6 is securely connected to both the decorative panel 1 and the top plate body 2. This retaining component 6 prevents the decorative panel 1 from detaching upward from the top plate body 2.

[0035] The retaining parts 6 can be attached to and detached from the top panel 2 and the decorative panel 1 without the use of tools such as a screwdriver, resulting in high work efficiency. Replacing the decorative panel 1 is also efficient.

[0036] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments detailed above. In the above embodiments, the side wall 12 of the decorative panel 1 hangs down below the top plate body 2 and covers the side surface of the top plate body 2 from the outside. However, as illustrated in Figure 15, it is not prevented to adopt a structure in which the decorative panel 1 is placed on the top plate body 2, in other words, the side wall of the decorative panel 1 does not hang down below the top plate body 2. In this modified example, the retaining component 6 still contacts or is very close to both the upward surface of the projection 13 of the decorative panel 1 and the downward surface of the top plate body 2 facing the projection 13. Furthermore, in a plan view or bottom view, the retaining component 6 is located inward in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions from the outer circumference of the decorative panel 1, and does not protrude outward from the outer piece of the decorative panel 1, making it inconspicuous.

[0037] Furthermore, the specific configuration of each part can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1… Decorative panel 11…Summit Wall 12…Side wall 13...projection piece 15… trigger 16...Corner wall 19... Painting 2…Top panel 21…Top plate 22…Bottom plate 211, 241, 221... Through holes 222, 242… Nut holes 223…Engagement hole 3...legs 31…Leg support 32…Bracket 322... Through hole 35... Nut part 4... Screws or bolts 5... Screws or bolts 6…Retaining parts 61... Insertion part 62...Abutting part 63…Engaging claw 64...Standing part

Claims

1. A structure in which a decorative panel is attached to the top surface of furniture with a top surface, and the decorative panel is made difficult to remove from the top surface, The decorative panel has a top wall that covers the upward surface of the top plate body from above, and a projection located below the top wall that protrudes inward. A top plate structure in which a retaining component is inserted that contacts or is in close proximity to both the upward surface of the projection of the decorative panel and the downward surface of the top plate body facing the projection.

2. The decorative panel has a side wall that hangs down from the edge of the top wall and covers the side of the top plate body from the outside, and the projection protrudes inward from the lower edge of this side wall. The structure of the tabletop according to claim 1, wherein the retaining component is in contact with or very close to both the upward-facing surface of the projection of the decorative panel and the downward-facing surface of the outer edge of the tabletop body facing the projection.

3. The legs supporting the tabletop body include vertically extending leg supports and brackets fixed to the upper ends of the leg supports, extending along the downward-facing corners of the tabletop body and joining to those downward-facing surfaces. The structure of the tabletop according to claim 2, wherein the lower edge of the side wall is at a height position that is approximately equal to or lower than the downward-facing surface of the bracket.

4. The structure of the top plate according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the protruding piece of the decorative panel is cut out, and the retaining component is inserted into the cutout.

5. An engagement hole is formed on the downward surface of the top plate body. The structure of the top plate according to claim 1, wherein the retaining component has an engaging claw that engages with the engaging hole.

6. The structure of the tabletop according to claim 2, wherein the retaining component has an upright portion that fits between the side wall of the decorative panel and the side surface of the tabletop body and abuts against or is in close proximity to the side surface of the tabletop body.

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