JP2013248318A - Folding leg and folding table - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve structure capable of easily performing folding and unfolding, and capable of sufficiently securing a height size in an unfolded state.SOLUTION: An upper leg body 18 is rotatably supported on an upper plate part using a first pivot as the center, and a lower leg body 19 is rotatably supported near a lower end of the upper leg body 18 using a second pivot 24 as the center. A stopper 20 to which upward elastic force is applied by a spring 11b is arranged in an upper end of the lower leg body 19. Thereby, when a folding leg 1b is unfolded, the upper leg body 18 and the lower leg body 19 can be engaged without operating the stopper 20. On the other hand, when the folding leg 1b is folded, the upper leg body 18 and the lower leg body 19 can be easily disengaged by operating the stopper 20.

Description

  The present invention relates to a folding leg and a folding table incorporating the folding leg.

  Folding tables (side tables) are widely used that can be placed beside a bed or sofa and on which small items can be placed and can be folded and stored when not in use. Conventionally, various structures have been proposed as folding legs to be incorporated into such a folding table. 5-6 has shown the 1st example of the folding leg of the conventional structure. The folding leg 1 includes a U-shaped top plate bracket 3, a leg 5, and a U-shaped leg bracket 6, and the top plate 2 is attached to the top plate 2 via its connecting plate portion 4. The leg metal fittings 6 are respectively supported and fixed via the connecting plate portions 7, and the leg metal fittings 6 are connected to the inside of the top plate metal fitting 3 so as to be rotatable around the pivot 8. . Such a folding leg 1 is provided with a lock mechanism for holding the leg 5 in an unfolded state. This locking mechanism is configured so that, with the folding leg 1 unfolded, the springs 11 have outward elasticity due to the through holes 9 and 10 formed in the top plate fitting 3 and the leg fitting 6 that are aligned with each other. In the applied state, the shaft hole 12 is inserted through the through holes 9 and 10, and the leg body 5 is held in an unfolded state by the engagement between the through holes 9 and 10 and the shaft rod 12. Is done.

  When the leg 5 is folded, as shown in FIG. 6, the shaft rod 12 is engaged against the elasticity of the spring 11, and the shaft rod 12 and the through hole 9 provided in the outer top plate 3 are engaged. Push in until it comes off. In this state, the leg 5 is rotated about the pivot 8 in the clockwise direction of FIG. 5A, and the leg 5 is folded. At this time, it is necessary to rotate the leg body 5 with the tip portion pushed against the elasticity of the spring 11 until the tip portion of the shaft rod 12 comes into contact with the inner surface of the top plate 3. The shape of the distal end portion of the shaft rod 12 is such that when the leg 5 is deployed, the distal end portion of the shaft rod 12 is inserted through the through hole 9 in a state where the distal end portion of the shaft rod 12 and the through hole 9 are aligned. It has a hemispherical shape so as to be elastically pushed outward. For this reason, a large force is applied to the fingertip that presses the tip of the shaft rod 12. Further, since the leg 5 is rotated while the tip of the shaft rod 12 is pushed in with the fingertip, there is a possibility that the fingertip may be sandwiched between the top plate 3 and the leg 6.

  7 to 8 show a second example of a folding leg having a conventional structure described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3046509. The folding leg 1a has notches 14a and 14b at the lower edge and the side edge of one side plate 13a (the right side in FIG. 8) of the pair of side plates 13a and 13b of the top plate 3a, respectively. Forming. Also, one of the pair of side plate portions 15a and 15b constituting the leg metal fitting 6a (the right side in FIG. 8) is provided with a vertical slot 16 and a pin 17 is provided in the vertical slot 16. It is inserted. The base end portion of the pin 17 is supported by the other side plate portion 15b (the left side in FIG. 8) of the side plate portions 15a and 15b so as to be able to swing in the vertical direction. A spring 11 a provided between the connecting plate portion 4 of 3 a and the pin 17 gives an upward elasticity. In the state where the leg 5a is deployed, the notch 14a formed at the lower end edge of the side plate portion 13a and the pin 17 are engaged with each other, so that the deployed state of the leg 5a is maintained. On the other hand, when the leg 5a is folded, the pin 17 is oscillated and displaced downward against the elasticity of the spring 11a, and the engagement between the notch 14a and the pin 17 is released. Then, by turning the leg 5a around the pivot 8 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7A, the leg 5a is folded and a notch 14b and a pin 17 formed on the side edge of the side plate portion 13a Are engaged, and the folded state of the leg 5a is maintained. In the second example of the conventional structure, the pin 17 is oscillated downward to disengage the notch 14a from the pin 17, so that a large force is applied to the fingertip or the top plate metal 3a and the leg metal 6a. It is possible to prevent the fingertip from being sandwiched between the two.

  However, in the case of the second example of the conventional structure, the following problem may occur. For example, when the folding leg 1a is attached to the top plate to constitute a folding table, the folding leg 1a is placed in a direction toward the center of the top plate 2 in a state where the leg 5a is folded. Attach to. Therefore, the length of the legs 5a is regulated by the dimensions of the top board 2, and these leg bodies are provided so that the legs 5a attached to the top board 2 do not interfere with each other in the folded state. It is necessary to suppress the length dimension of 5a to less than half the length dimension of the top plate 2 in the diagonal direction or the radial direction. In particular, when the folding leg 1a is incorporated into a table having a small top plate such as a side table, the length of the leg 5a cannot be sufficiently secured, and the height of the table may not be sufficiently high. .

Utility Model Registration No. 3046509

  In view of the circumstances as described above, the present invention is a folding leg that can be easily expanded and folded and that can sufficiently secure a height dimension in the expanded state, and a folding that incorporates the folding leg. The purpose is to provide a table.

  The folding leg of the present invention includes an upper leg, a lower leg, and a stopper. Of these, the upper leg has an upper end connected to the first pivot and a lower end portion connected to the second pivot, and is pivoted about the first pivot and centered on the second pivot. It is supported by the first pivot so that it can be turned. The lower leg has an upper end connected to the second pivot, and is supported by the upper leg via the second pivot so as to be rotatable about the second pivot. The stopper further includes an upper end connected to the second pivot so as to be displaceable along the lower leg in a state in which elasticity toward the upper side of the lower leg is applied by the elastic member, A latching claw portion connected to the upper end portion and engageable with the lower end edge of the upper leg is provided, and is disposed on the upper end portion of the lower leg.

  When the folding leg of the present invention is unfolded, the upper leg and the lower leg are relatively rotated around the second pivot, and the lower edge of the upper leg is used as the locking claw. By engaging, the unfolded state of the upper leg and the lower leg is maintained, and when folded, the stopper is displaced downward, and the engagement between the locking claw and the lower edge of the upper leg is engaged. It is possible to fold the upper leg and the lower leg relative to each other in the direction opposite to the unfolded position around the second pivot.

  As a more specific configuration, the stopper extends to the inside of the lower leg and connects a pair of side plate portions having the upper end portion and one side edge of the upper end portion of the side plate portion, and A vertical direction extending in a wedge shape on the outside of the lower leg and having a lower end connected to the engaging claw and a second pivot inserted in the upper end of the pair of side plates A long hole is provided, and the elastic member can be constituted by a coil spring provided between the second pivot and at least one lower end portion of the side plate portion.

  In the folding leg of the present invention, it is preferable that the lower leg can be accommodated in an inner portion of the upper leg when the upper leg has a U-shaped cross section.

  In the folding leg of the present invention, the lower leg of the lower leg can be a free end, and the lower end can be placed on the floor surface directly or via a structure such as a protective cap, The lower leg is provided with a lower end connected to a third pivot so that the lower leg can be rotated around the third pivot and supported by the third pivot. It is also possible to connect the lower leg to a structure or support structure.

  The folding leg of the present invention is mainly applied to a folding table such as a side table, but is also widely applicable to other furniture and outdoor equipment to which a folding chair and a folding leg structure can be applied. In particular, the folding leg of the present invention is suitably employed as a structure of these folding legs in a folding table having a structure in which a top plate and one bottom plate are connected by a plurality of folding legs.

  According to the folding leg and the folding table of the present invention, the unfolding and folding can be easily performed, and the height dimension in the unfolded state can be sufficiently secured. That is, it is possible to configure a leg structure having a length of 1.5 times or more from the folded state of the length of the upper leg when deployed. In addition, the upper leg can be engaged with the lower leg without operating the stopper by simply rotating the upper leg and the lower leg relatively, and the leg structure is expanded. It is possible to hold the state. Further, the engagement state can be held with high rigidity, and the engagement state between the upper leg and the lower leg can be easily released by operating the stopper. Furthermore, the upper leg and the lower leg are not only extended in the same direction in the unfolded state, that is, the leg structure is extended in a direction perpendicular to the top plate, but the upper leg and the lower leg are Since the leg structure can be formed by bending at a predetermined angle, the degree of freedom in design including the design of the leg structure can be greatly improved.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a folding leg according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a partially cut front view showing a part of the folding leg shown in FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. FIG. 3 is a developed view of a stopper used in the folding leg shown in FIG. FIG. 4 (A) is a perspective view (A) showing the unfolded state of the folding table to which the folding leg according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 (B) shows the state during folding of this folding table. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a folded state of the folding table. FIG. 5A is a side view showing a first example of a folding leg having a conventional structure, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to the enlarged view of part c of FIG. 5A, showing the first example of the conventional structure in a state where the shaft rod is pushed in. FIG. 7A is a side view showing a second example of a folding leg having a conventional structure, and FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line dd in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state seen from the left side of FIG.

[Example of embodiment of folding leg]
1-3 has shown an example of embodiment of the folding leg of this invention. The folding leg 1b of this example includes an upper leg 18, a lower leg 19, and a stopper 20. All of these members are made of a light metal material such as an aluminum alloy.

  The upper leg 18 is made of a member having a U-shaped cross section composed of a main plate portion and side plate portions on both sides, and the upper end portion of the upper leg 18 is an upper plate made of a table top plate, a chair seat surface, or the like. The U-shaped upper metal fitting 22 supported and fixed to the portion 21 is fitted and supported so as to be rotatable about the first pivot 23. Specifically, a through hole is provided in the upper end portion of the side plate portion of the upper leg 18, and a through hole that is aligned with the through hole of the upper leg 18 is provided in the upper metal member 22, and these through holes are inserted. Secure with both rivets fitted together. Further, a through hole is also provided in a portion near the lower end of the side plate portion of the upper leg 18. The upper leg 18 does not need to be U-shaped over its entire length. If the lower leg 19 can be stored when folded, the upper leg 18 is provided at the upper end and the lower end where the through-hole is provided, and the lower leg is partially provided in the longitudinal direction. It is also possible to make only the length necessary for preventing 19 from shifting in the left-right direction into a U-shape, and to make the remaining portion a flat plate made of only the main plate portion. Further, it is possible to reduce the weight by giving the side plate portion a design as illustrated or any other shape.

  The lower leg 19 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape as a whole, and has a dimension that can be accommodated by being fitted into the upper leg 18 when folded through the opening surface of the upper leg 18. It consists of a shaped member. The upper end portion of the lower leg 19 is supported by the portion near the lower end of the upper leg 18 so as to be rotatable about the second pivot 24. For this reason, the upper end portion of the lower leg 19 is notched except for the side surfaces facing the side plate portions on both sides of the upper leg 18, and both side surfaces of the upper end portion of the lower leg 19 are It is shaped in a circle centered on two pivots 24. Moreover, through holes are provided at positions matching the through holes in the lower end portion of the upper leg in the side surface of the upper end of the lower leg 19, and both are fitted by rivets inserted through these through holes. It is fixed in the state. Note that the lower leg 19 can also be configured by a member having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape.

  On the other hand, the lower end of the lower leg 19 can be covered with a synthetic resin or rubber cap as a foot structure that can be placed directly on the floor surface. The lower plate portion 25 is provided with a lower end of the lower leg 19 supported and fixed to the lower plate portion 25 with a U-shaped lower metal fitting 26 using a rivet and centering on the third pivot 27. It is fitted and supported in a pivotable manner.

  The stopper 20 includes a pair of side plate portions 29, a wedge-shaped connection portion 30 that connects the side plate portions 29, and a wedge-shaped member 32 that is supported and fixed inside the connection portion 30 and includes a locking claw portion 31. The In this example, more specifically, the pair of side plate portions 29 extends in the longitudinal direction along the side surfaces on both sides of the lower leg 19, and the upper ends of the pair of side plate portions 29 are the upper legs. A circular shape is formed so as to follow the shape of the upper end portion of 19. In the upper end portions of the pair of side plate portions 29, a vertically long hole 35 is formed in which the second pivot shaft 24 is fitted and slidable in the vertical direction. The wedge-shaped connecting portion 30 is formed integrally with one side plate portion 29, and the upper end portion of the connecting portion 30 connects the upper end portions of the pair of side plate portions 29 in the width direction. The connection part 30 is comprised by the main surface and the side surface of both sides, and the side surface of both sides is triangular shape by the side view, and is formed in a wedge shape as a whole. The wedge-shaped member 32 is formed of a solid material, and is fitted inside the connecting portion 30 and partially protrudes downward. The locking claw portion 31 is a portion protruding from the connecting portion 30 of the wedge-shaped member 32. A portion of the wedge-shaped member 32 that is configured to extend outward and have its tip folded back upward, and a portion that fits in the connecting portion 30 of the locking claw portion 31 and above the locking claw portion 31. A concave groove is formed between the tip portion folded back to the top.

  When the stopper 20 is manufactured, the connecting portion 30 is formed by bending an intermediate material 33 shown in FIG. 3 formed by stamping a metal plate with a press at a portion indicated by a chain line α in FIG. 3. A wedge-shaped member 32 is supported and fixed inside the connecting portion 30 by a rivet 34. For this reason, a through-hole is provided on the side surface of the connecting portion 30, and the wedge-shaped member 32 is also provided with a through-hole at a position aligned with the through-hole of the connecting portion 30. In such a stopper 20, the side plate portion 29 is inserted inside the lower leg 19, and the second pivot 24 is inserted into the vertically elongated hole 35 formed in the side plate portion 29 aligned with each other. doing. As a result, the side plate portion 29 is displaced in the vertical direction with respect to the lower leg 19 within a range in which the stopper 20 can be moved to the upper end of the lower leg 19 and the second pivot 24 can move in the vertical slot 35. Can be arranged. Further, a locking claw is provided on the inner surface of the lower end portion of one side plate portion 29 of the side plate portions 29, and between the locking claw at the lower end portion of the side plate portion 9 and the second pivot 24. A spring 11b is provided to give the stopper 20 elasticity upward.

  When the folding leg 1b having such a structure is deployed, the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 are rotated around the first pivot 23, the second pivot 24, and the third pivot 27. The lower end edge of the upper leg 18 comes into contact with the distal end portion of the locking claw portion 31 of the stopper 20. In the case of this example, by making the cross-sectional shape of the distal end portion of the locking claw portion 31 into an R shape, the distal end portion of the locking claw portion 31 is rotated around the second pivot 24 of the upper leg 18. It is inclined with respect to the direction (the clockwise direction in FIG. 2B). Therefore, when the upper leg 18 is further rotated around the second pivot 24 in a state where the lower end edge of the upper leg 18 and the tip of the locking claw 31 are in contact, the lower end of the upper leg 18 is moved. The edge pushes the stopper 20 downward against the elasticity of the spring 11b. When the lower end edge of the upper leg 18 gets over the tip of the locking claw portion 31 and enters the concave groove inside the locking claw portion 31, the stopper 20 is displaced upward by the elasticity of the spring 11b. The lower end edge of the upper leg 18 and the engaging claw portion 31 engage with each other with a slight interference amount (about 0.5 mm to 1 mm). In this state, the wedge-shaped member 32 is sandwiched between the inner surface of the lower end portion of the upper leg 18 and the outer surface of the upper end portion of the lower leg 19, and the upper leg 18 is moved to the lower leg 19. In other words, it is held in a state inclined with respect to the shape, that is, in a state along the shape of the inclined surface of the wedge member 32.

  On the other hand, when the folding leg 1b is folded, the upper leg 18 is rotated around the second pivot 24 in a state where the stopper 20 is pulled down against the elasticity of the spring 11b, so that the upper leg The engagement between the lower end edge of the body 18 and the locking claw portion 31 is released. Then, the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 are rotated around the first pivot 23, the second pivot 24, and the third pivot 27, and the lower leg 19 is moved inside the upper leg 18. The folding of the folding leg 1b is completed.

  In the folding leg 1b of this example, the leg structure constituted by the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 is bent and extended by the wedge angle of the wedge-shaped connecting portion 30 and the wedge-shaped member 32. The degree of bending can be arbitrarily determined from the balance between the design of the leg structure and the rigidity, while taking into account the influence of the rigidity of the members constituting the leg structure itself. Therefore, the degree of bending can be changed by changing the angle of the wedges of the connecting portion 30 and the wedge-shaped member 32, and the degree of freedom in designing the leg structure is high. However, by configuring the connecting portion 30 and the wedge-shaped member 32 from flat plate-like members, the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 are substantially parallel to each other, that is, the leg structure as a whole is linear when deployed. It is also possible to deploy and hold in this way.

  According to the folding leg 1b of this example, the unfolding and folding can be performed easily. That is, when unfolding the folding leg 1b, the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 are merely pivoted about the first pivot 23, the second pivot 24, and the third pivot 27, and the upper leg When the lower end edge of the body 18 and the tip end portion of the locking claw portion 31 come into contact with each other, the lower end edge of the upper leg 18 pushes down the stopper 20 and climbs over the tip end portion of the locking claw portion 31, It enters the concave groove inside the pawl portion 31 and engages with the locking pawl portion 31. On the other hand, when the folding leg 1b is folded, it is necessary to displace the latching claw portion 31 downward. However, it is necessary to lightly push the latching claw portion 31 downward with a finger to engage with the lower end edge of the upper leg 18. It is possible to release the engagement of the pawl portion 31. Therefore, in the conventional structure, when the folding leg is folded, as shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the hemispherical shaft 12 is pressed with a fingertip, or as shown in FIG. In order to completely pull out the pin 17 that is entirely in the radial direction from the notch 14a, it is necessary to press the pin 17 downward with a strong force. Since the lower end edge of the upper leg 18 and the engaging claw portion 31 are engaged with each other by a large amount, a large force is applied to the fingertip, a large force is required to release the engagement that holds the response when folded, A fingertip is not sandwiched between the metal plate and the leg metal. On the other hand, the stopper 20 connects the side plate portion 29 which is a plate-like member extending in the longitudinal direction of the lower leg 19 and the side plate portion 29 in the width direction, extends in the vertical direction, and has a wedge-shaped side surface. The latching claw having a width in the range of ¼ to ½ of the width of the upper leg 18 that is a solid material while being constituted by a connecting portion 30 provided and a wedge-shaped member 32 that is a solid material. Since the portion 31 receives a load to rotate the upper leg 18, the leg structure can be used even if the amount of interference between the lower edge of the upper leg 18 and the engaging claw 31 is slight. As the rigidity can be increased.

  Further, the folding leg 1 b of this example is configured by supporting the upper end portion of the lower leg 19 on the portion near the lower end of the upper leg 18 so as to be rotatable by the second pivot 24. Therefore, the height dimension of the folding leg 1b can be sufficiently secured in the unfolded state. On the other hand, the folding leg 1b can store the lower leg 19 inside the upper leg 18 in the folded state. Therefore, the length dimension of the folding leg 1b in the folded state is the same as the length dimension of the upper leg 18, and the length dimension of the folding leg 1b in the folded state can be sufficiently suppressed.

  Further, in the deployed state, the positional relationship in which the upper leg 18 and the lower leg 19 have a predetermined angle is maintained. Therefore, since the leg structure can be held not only in a mode in which the leg structure extends vertically from the top plate but also in a bent state, the degree of freedom in design is greatly improved.

[Example of embodiment of folding table]
FIG. 4 shows an example of the embodiment of the folding table of the present invention using the example of the embodiment of the folding leg of the present invention. The folding table 36 of this example is configured by connecting a disk-shaped top plate 2a and an annular bottom plate 37 by a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) folding legs 1b. The folding table 36 of this example can be easily developed by displacing the bottom plate 37 upward with respect to the top plate 2b so that the top plate 2b and the bottom plate 37 are separated from each other.

  When the folding leg of the present invention is incorporated in a folding table, other folding furniture, outdoor equipment, etc., the bottom plate is not necessarily provided and the lower end portion of the folding leg is provided as in the example of the embodiment of the present invention. There is no need to pivotally support the bottom plate. That is, the bottom plate can be omitted, the lower end of the folding leg can be a free end, and the folding leg can be unfolded and folded independently.

  The folding legs of the present invention are not limited to folding tables, and can be widely applied to folding chairs, other foldable furniture to which the structure of the folding legs of the present invention can be applied, outdoor equipment, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a, 1b Folding leg 2, 2a, 2b Top plate 3, 3a Top plate metal fitting 4 Connection board part 5, 5a Leg body 6, 6a Leg metal fitting 7 Connection plate part 8 Axis 9 Through hole 10 Through hole 11, 11a 11b Spring 12 Shaft 13 Side plate 14a, 14b Notch 15a, 15b Side plate 16 Vertical slot 17 Pin 18 Upper leg 19 Lower leg 20 Stopper 21 Upper plate 22 Upper bracket 23 First pivot 24 Second pivot 25 Lower plate portion 26 Lower metal fitting 27 Third pivot 28 Intermediate material 29 Side plate portion 30 Connecting portion 31 Locking claw portion 32 Wedge-shaped member 33 Intermediate material 34 Rivet 35 Vertical slot 36 Folding table 37 Bottom plate

Claims (5)

It has an upper end connected to the first pivot and a lower end portion connected to the second pivot, enabling rotation around the first pivot and rotation around the second pivot. An upper leg supported by the first pivot;
A lower leg supported on the upper leg via a second pivot, comprising an upper end connected to the second pivot, allowing rotation about the second pivot;
An upper end connected to the second pivot so as to be displaceable along the lower leg in a state in which elasticity toward the upper side of the lower leg is applied by the elastic member, and connected to the upper end A stopper claw that is engageable with a lower edge of the upper leg, and is disposed at the upper end of the lower leg.
With
At the time of deployment, the upper leg and the lower leg are relatively rotated around the second pivot, and the lower end edge of the upper leg is engaged with the locking claw, The unfolded state of the upper leg and the lower leg is maintained, and when folded, the stopper is displaced downward, the engagement between the locking claw and the lower edge of the upper leg is disengaged, The upper leg and the lower leg can be rotated relative to each other in the direction opposite to the unfolded position around the pivot, and can be folded.
Folding legs.   The stopper extends to the inside of the lower leg, and connects the pair of side plates having the upper end with one side edge of the upper end of the side plate, and on the outside of the lower leg. And a connecting portion that extends in a wedge shape and has a lower end portion connected to the locking claw portion, and is provided with a vertically elongated hole that passes through the second pivot at the upper end portion of the pair of side plate portions, and The folding leg according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member includes a coil spring provided between a second pivot and a lower end portion of at least one of the side plate portions.   The folding leg according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper leg has a U-shaped cross section, and the lower leg is housed in an inner portion of the upper leg in a folded state.   The lower leg includes a lower end connected to a third pivot, and is also supported by the third pivot so as to be rotatable about the third pivot. The folding leg described in any one of the above.   The folding table which is comprised by connecting one top plate and one bottom plate with the some folding leg, and these folding legs are the folding legs described in Claim 4.

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