JP7575821B1 - Folding leg structure - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] The present invention aims to provide a folding leg structure that can be folded inward at the bottom of the main body, while still ensuring a longer leg length than conventional structures and allowing for compact storage. [Solution] The present invention is a three-legged folding leg structure provided at the bottom of a container body, the folding leg structure consisting of a leg body, a pivot, and a connecting metal fitting, the folding leg structure is arranged so that when the leg body is folded, three lines extending from the base end of each leg body to the tip end thereof or their extension line E intersect to form an equilateral triangle, the container body and the leg body are attached to the bottom of the container body via the connecting metal fitting and the pivot, and the length of the leg body is longer than the length from the base end to the center of the bottom of the container body. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a three-legged folding structure, and more specifically to a folding leg structure technology that ensures that the legs are longer from the base end to the center than in conventional structures, while allowing the legs to be folded inward without overlapping.

Attaching legs to the base of a plate or other object is a well-known technique for raising the base while keeping it parallel. However, legs come in a variety of shapes, such as square, A-line, I-line, X-line, and rectangular columns. Stability also varies depending on the number of legs, so an appropriate number should be selected depending on the application. In particular, for tables, chairs, fire pits, barbecue grills, and other outdoor items, it is desirable for the legs to be collapsible or collapsible so that they can be easily loaded into a car.

In particular, for outdoor equipment such as fire pits and barbecue grills, depending on the campsite, there are regulations regarding the height of the bottom of the container, and some require it to be "approximately 20 cm or more from the ground." If it is less than 20 cm, additional materials such as fireproof materials are required to raise the bottom. It is easy to ensure that the legs are 20 cm or more long for large, collapsible barbecue grills, but this is not possible for those that are brought to barbecues or bonfires with a small number of people. In addition, compared to four-legged grills, three-legged grills have the advantage of being stable and simple in structure because all the legs are in contact even if the ground is not flat, but if the bottom is foldable, the length is from the base to the center of the bottom, so there is a disadvantage that the height of the bottom cannot be raised much if the structure is left as it is.

Also, when considering the hassle involved in outdoor use, a structure with foldable legs is more effective than a complex assembly-type structure. However, many small barbecue grills, in particular, are circular, and in these cases, with the existing structure where the legs fold inward, a diameter of the main body of at least 40 cm is required to ensure a leg length of more than 20 cm. Therefore, there is a need for a new leg structure that can be folded inward without increasing the diameter of the main body, and that can ensure a height of at least 20 cm from the ground when standing.

In light of this situation, various technical proposals have been made in the past. The title of the invention is "Ironing Board" and the problem to be solved is "to be able to easily and reliably fold and stand a pair of support legs with one touch, and to reliably fix the open support legs when standing, so that ironing can be done with peace of mind." The specific solution is "A pair of support legs are attached to the back of the ironing board body via a locking member so that they can be folded and stood. Each support leg is always biased toward the tip of the ironing board body by a spring. Each support leg has a locking pin standing upright. When each support leg is folded or stood up, the locking pin engages with a locking hole formed in the locking member. When each support leg is folded or stood up, the locking pin can be released from the locking hole by pulling each support leg toward the rear of the ironing board body against the bias of the spring." However, in this technology, the legs are arranged overlapping each other when the legs are folded. In contrast, with the present invention, the legs do not overlap when folded. Therefore, there is a large difference in thickness when folded.

The title of the invention is "Tripod Installation Aid," the purpose to be solved is "a tripod installation aid that allows the tripod base to be stably installed in a horizontal state regardless of the inclination direction or unevenness of the installation surface," and the specific solution is "a tripod installation aid used when installing a tripod with a base and three legs on an installation surface, the tripod has a mounting section for mounting the tripod and three support legs that support the mounting section from below, the mounting section has three holding sections on its upper surface that respectively hold the lower ends of the tripod legs, and each support leg has a height adjustment structure that adjusts the vertical height from the installation surface to the mounting section." This technology is considered to achieve overall parallelism by adjusting the height of each of the three legs that expand and contract in the longitudinal direction of the legs, and the technical means for solving the problem differs from the present invention, in which the three legs are the same length and the height direction is adjusted by that angle.

The name of the invention is "Table" and the objective to be achieved is "To provide a technology for stabilizing a table having a disk-shaped top and three legs when the folding area of the top is set wide." The specific solution is as follows: "The table is configured with three legs standing on the underside of the top. The top is configured in a disk shape with a first top component and a second top component connected by hinges on the underside of the top, and has a fold line at a position off-center of a circle that forms an arc around the periphery of the top. In other words, the top is configured so that the second top component can be folded downward. Meanwhile, the legs are standing on the underside of the first top component on a concentric circle that is coaxial with the circle that forms an arc around the periphery of the top, and are arranged so that the triangle formed by connecting the connection points between the underside of the top and the legs is a non-equilateral isosceles triangle." The technology in question shares some of the configuration with the present invention in that it is three-legged. However, because it is not foldable, it differs from the technical means for solving the problem of the present invention.

JP 11-114300 A JP 2021-169984 A JP 2011-115539 A

The present invention aims to provide a folding leg structure technology that allows the legs to be folded compactly inward without overlapping, while ensuring that the legs are longer from the base end to the center compared to conventional folding leg structures.

The present invention provides a three-foldable leg structure provided at the bottom of a container body, the folding leg structure being composed of a leg body, a pivot, and a connecting metal fitting, the folding leg structure being arranged so that when the leg body is folded, three lines extending from the base end of each leg body to the tip end thereof, or an extension line E of the three lines, intersect to form an equilateral triangle, the container body and the leg body are attached to the bottom of the container body via the connecting metal fitting and the pivot, and the length of the leg body is longer than the length from the base end to the center of the bottom of the container body.

The present invention also provides an elastic member for maintaining the angle when the leg body rotates relative to the connecting metal fitting, and the elastic member is sandwiched between the leg body and the connecting metal fitting across the pivot axis, and the elastic member can be configured to have a roughly U-shape in plan view and be curved in side view.

The present invention can also employ a configuration in which the leg body is provided with a stopper section for when the leg is standing and a stopper section for when the leg is stored, which contact the bottom of the container body to restrict the movement at the base end of the leg body when the leg is standing and when the leg is stored.

The present invention can also be configured to have a bonfire stand with the folding leg structure.

When using a stove outdoors, some campsites have regulations regarding the height from the ground to the bottom of the stove. Therefore, the legs need to be long enough to ensure this height. The folding leg structure of the present invention has the excellent effect of allowing the legs to be longer than those of a conventional three-legged structure.

In addition, the folding leg structure of the present invention has the excellent effect that the three legs do not interfere with each other or overlap when folded, making it possible to store it compactly and to easily load it into a car, etc.

The folding leg structure of the present invention also has the excellent effect of allowing the legs to be longer than the length from the base end to the center of the container body, yet still be folded and stored without overlapping, and allowing the container body to be raised to a higher position than with a conventional three-legged folding structure.

The folding leg structure of the present invention also provides an elastic member 60 that holds the leg body at any angle within a range where the rotation exceeds 90 degrees when the leg body is unfolded and the movement is restricted by the standing leg stopper, allowing the rotation position to be freely adjusted within the adjustment range, providing the excellent effect of allowing the container to be level on uneven ground.

1 is a basic configuration explanatory diagram illustrating a basic configuration of a folding leg structure according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of the leg body in the folding leg structure according to the present invention. 1 is a view illustrating a state in which the folding leg structure according to the present invention is used; FIG. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the configuration of elastic members in the folding leg structure according to the present invention;

The present invention is a three-foldable leg structure provided at the bottom of a container body, the folding leg structure consisting of a leg body, a pivot, and a connecting metal fitting, the folding leg structure is arranged so that when the leg body is folded, three lines extending from the base end of each leg body to the tip end thereof or their extension line E intersect to form an equilateral triangle, the container body and the leg body are attached to the bottom of the container body via the connecting metal fitting and the pivot, and the length of the leg body is longer than the length from the base end to the center of the bottom of the container body. The following description is based on the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the shapes and configurations shown in the drawings, and may be modified within the scope of the effect of the creation of the technical idea of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a diagram explaining the basic configuration of the folding leg structure according to the present invention. Figure 1(a) shows a bottom view of an existing folding structure at the top and a front view at the bottom, while Figure 1(b) shows a bottom view of the folding leg structure according to the present invention at the top and a front view at the bottom. Side views, rear views, and plan views are omitted.

The folding leg structure 1 is a three-leg folding structure 1 provided on the bottom 20 of the container body 10, and is composed of a leg body 30, a pivot 40, and a connecting metal fitting 50. The folding leg structure 1 is arranged so that when the leg body 30 is folded, three lines L connecting the base end 31 to the tip end 32 of each leg body 30 or their extension lines E intersect to form an equilateral triangle, the container body 10 and the leg body 30 are attached to the bottom 20 of the container body 10 via the connecting metal fitting 50 and the pivot 40, and the length H of the leg body 30 is longer than the length T from the base end 31 to the center of the bottom 20 of the container body 10. Each component will be described below.

The container body 10 is a container for storing liquids or solids. Specifically, for example, if it is liquid, it can be used as a tank for sports drinks. If it is used as a campfire pit, it becomes a combustion chamber for putting in solid combustible materials such as firewood and burning them. The bottom of the container body 10 is provided with legs, and by standing on the legs, it can be lifted horizontally above the ground. Although the drawings show a cylindrical shape, this shape is not limited, and the shape can be changed within the scope of the same effect as the creation of the technical idea of the invention.

The bottom 20 refers to the outside of a plate-like member that is provided to close the bottom end of the cylindrical container body 10.

The leg body 30 is provided to raise the container body 10 in the folding leg structure 1 according to the present invention to a predetermined height from the ground.

The base end 31 is one end of the leg body 30, and is the end that is attached to the container body by the connecting fitting 50.

The tip end 32 is one end of the leg body 30, the end opposite the connecting fitting 50, and is the end that comes into contact with the ground.

The pivot shaft 40 is an axis for attaching the leg body 30 to the container body 10 so that it can rotate freely.

The connecting metal fitting 50 is a metal fitting for rotatably attaching the leg body 30 to the container body 10 via the pivot shaft 40, and is attached to the bottom 20 of the container body 10 by welding or the like.

Angle K is the angle at which the leg body 30 is maintained by the elastic member 60 when it rotates relative to the connecting fitting 50, and is the angle that is 90 degrees or more from the folded state in which the leg body 30 abuts against the bottom 20 of the container body 10 by the storage stopper portion SS to the open position in which the leg body 30 abuts against the bottom 20 of the container body 10 by the standing stopper portion RS.

Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the leg body 30 in the folding leg structure 1 according to the present invention, comparing the length of the leg body 30 with the length from the base end 31 to the center of the container body 10. Figure 2(a) shows the length of the legs in an existing three-legged structure, Figure 2(b) shows that the length from the base end to the tip end is longer than the length from the base end to the center compared to the leg arrangement in an existing three-legged structure, and Figure 2(c) shows that the length from the base end to the tip end can be even longer than the length from the base end to the center of the container body.

The three lines L are lines that connect the base end 31 to the tip end 32 of each of the three leg bodies 30 when the three leg bodies 30 are folded. These three lines L are the base axes for arranging the legs to form an equilateral triangle.

The extension line E is a line that is represented by extending the line connecting the base end 31 and tip end 32 of the leg body 30. The folding leg structure 1 according to the present invention has a technical feature in that the leg body 30 is positioned so that the three lines L including the extension line E form an equilateral triangle.

Length H refers to the length from the base end 31 to the tip end 32.

Standing state R refers to the time when the folding legs are unfolded and the legs are raised.

When stored, S refers to the state in which the foldable base end is folded up.

Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the use state of the folding leg structure according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the container body 10 is placed on the legs, and firewood or other combustible materials are burned inside the container body 10. At this time, the deployed legs exceed 90 degrees, and their rotation is restricted at a certain angle K, and all the toes are placed on the ground, which is a characteristic of the three-legged structure. Therefore, it is difficult to set up a fire pit horizontally, especially in outdoor places with unevenness that have not been leveled, or in campsites that have been leveled but are divided into compartments with gravel or grass. The example shown in Figure 3 shows that by adjusting the spread of the legs according to the unevenness of the ground, it is possible to unfold them at the same height and place the fire pit F horizontally.

The bonfire stand F is a bonfire stand that can be positioned at a high position by using the folding leg structure 1 according to the present invention, so that when used as a bonfire stand at a campsite or the like, a specified distance can be secured from the ground.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the elastic member configuration in the folding leg structure according to the present invention, in which Figure 4(a) shows the state in which the leg body 30 is attached to the bottom 20 of the container body 10 by the connecting metal fitting 50 and the pivot shaft 40, and Figure 4(b) shows the shape and configuration of the elastic member. The leg body 30 shown by the wavy line in Figure 4(a) is provided with a standing stopper part RS that regulates the unfolding operation and a storage stopper part SS that regulates the storage operation, which regulates the opening operation of the leg body 30 by contacting the bottom 20 of the container body 10 when unfolded, and also regulates the closing operation by contacting the bottom 20 of the container body 10. The upper part of Figure 4(b) shows a plan view of the elastic member, the middle part shows a front view, and the lower part shows a bottom view. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the elastic member 60 is sandwiched between the leg main body 30 and the connecting metal fitting 50 across the pivot shaft 40, and the shape of the elastic member 60 is roughly U-shaped in plan view, and the elastic member 60 is curved in side view. The presence of the elastic member 60 serves to maintain the leg extension beyond 90 degrees and within a range up to a specified angle K.

The standing stopper portion RS abuts against the bottom portion 20 of the container body 10 to restrict the opening action.

The storage stopper portion SS abuts against the bottom portion 20 of the container body 10 to regulate the closing operation.

The elastic member 60 is a member provided to hold the leg body 30 at any angle when it is rotated, within a range in which the rotation exceeds 90 degrees and the movement is restricted by a stopper, and is provided by being clamped in the gap between the connecting fitting 50 and the leg body 30. By being able to freely position the rotation position within the adjustment range, the container body 10 can be made level even on places where the ground is not flat.

The folding leg structure of the present invention allows folding tables, chairs, equipment, etc. to be folded compactly while maintaining the desired leg length, making them convenient to put in a car or carry around, and is therefore believed to have high industrial applicability.

1 Folding leg structure 10 Container body 20 Bottom 30 Leg body 31 Base end 32 Tip end 40 Rotating shaft 50 Connecting metal fitting 60 Elastic member E Extension line L Three lines F Fire pit H Length K Angle R Standing S Storage RS Stopper section for standing SS Stopper section for storage

Claims (3)

A three-foldable leg structure (1) provided on the bottom (20) of a container body (10),
The folding leg structure (1) comprises:
A script (30);
A pivot shaft (40),
and a coupling fitting (50),
The folding leg structure (1) is arranged such that, when the leg body (30) is folded, three lines (L) connecting the base end (31) to the tip end (32) of each leg body (30) or their extensions (E) intersect to form an equilateral triangle;
The leg body (30) is attached to the bottom (20) of the container body (10) via the connecting fitting (50) and the pivot shaft (40),
The length (H) of the leg body (30) is longer than the length (T) from the base end (31) to the center of the bottom (20) of the container body (10),
When the leg body (30) rotates relative to the connecting fitting (50), the rotational movement of the leg body (30) exceeds 90 degrees when the leg body (30) is unfolded. An elastic member (60) is provided to hold the leg body (30) at a free angle (K) within the range until the movement is restricted by the standing stopper portion (RS). This allows the rotational position to be freely positioned within the adjustment range, and the container body (10) can be made horizontal even in places where the ground is not flat.
The folding leg structure (1) is characterized in that the elastic member (60) is sandwiched in the gap between the leg main body (30) and the connecting fitting (50) across the pivot shaft (40), and the shape of the elastic member (60) is approximately U-shaped in a plan view and curved in a front view. The folding leg structure (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the leg body (30) is provided with a stopper portion (RS) for when the leg is standing (R) and a stopper portion (SS) for when the leg is stored (S), which abuts against the bottom (20) of the container body (10) at the base end (31) of the leg body (30) when the leg is standing (R) and when the leg is stored (S), respectively. A fire pit (F) comprising the folding leg structure (1) according to claim 1 or 2 .