JP7601346B2 - Footrest unit and height adjustable desk - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a footrest unit and a height-adjustable desk.

Conventionally, various types of up-down lifting desks have been provided, in which the tabletop is supported by legs with built-in lifting mechanisms on both the left and right sides, the legs being made up of base legs that contact the floor surface and extendable legs that stand upright on the base legs, and the height of the tabletop attached to the top end of the legs is adjustable. Here, up-down lifting desks include a single type (see Patent Document 1) in which one lifting tabletop is attached to the base leg, and a twin type (see Patent Document 2) in which independent legs are set up on the front and rear of a common base leg, and two tabletops are supported front and rear by each leg.

Such height-adjustable desks are used by adjusting the top plate to a suitable height for low sitting, high sitting, or standing. In the low sitting position, the top plate is at a standard height, and the user's feet are on the floor when seated on the chair, so the position of the feet can be freely changed just like with a normal desk. In recent years, it has been said that raising the line of sight increases concentration and improves productivity from a human science perspective, and people often work in high sitting or standing positions. In the high sitting position, the height of the top plate is higher than the standard, and the user sits on a chair with a high seat. In this case, the user's feet do not reach the floor, so the user usually places his or her feet on a step provided on the chair. However, maintaining this position for a long time is not comfortable. In the standing position, it is also not comfortable to maintain a position with both feet on the floor for a long time, and sometimes one feels the need to lift one foot.

JP 2017-079889 A JP 2018-068943 A

However, conventional height-adjustable desks do not give special consideration to the comfort of the user when sitting high or standing. On the other hand, when sitting low, the space under the desk must be clear enough for the feet to pass through.

Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.

The present invention comprises a footrest unit and a height-adjustable desk as shown below.

(1)
A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
The top plate supports a vertically extending fascia in a manner that the fascia rises and falls with the rise and fall of the top plate,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher, or lower than the first state,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism of which moves the support surface in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the tabletop using a linkage means including a gear that drives in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the valance supported on the tabletop, thereby switching the state of the footrest member.

(2)
A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher , or lower than the first state ,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism including a linkage means including a panel member that rises and falls in conjunction with the rise and fall of the tabletop, thereby moving the support surface in conjunction with the rise and fall of the tabletop to switch the state of the footrest member .

(3)
A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
The top plate supports a vertically extending fascia in a manner that the fascia rises and falls with the rise and fall of the top plate,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher, or lower than the first state,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism of which moves the support surface in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the tabletop using a linkage means including a pulley that drives in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the valance supported on the tabletop, thereby switching the state of the footrest member.

(4)
The footrest unit according to any one of (1) to (3) , wherein the switching mechanism is disposed on a base member located between a leg supporting the tabletop and a placement surface.

(5)
The top plate and
The lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the top plate;
The footrest unit according to any one of (1) to (4) ,
Equipped with a height adjustable desk.

1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the principle of an embodiment in which the switching mechanism is of a flip-up type, in which (a) shows a low sitting position, (b) shows a high sitting position, and (c) shows a standing position. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the principle of an embodiment in which the switching mechanism is of a folding type, in which (a) shows a low sitting position, (b) shows a high sitting position, and (c) shows a standing position. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the principle of an embodiment in which the switching mechanism is of the reverse flip-up type, in which (a) shows the low sitting position, (b) shows the high sitting position, and (c) shows the standing position. 1A to 1C are diagrams showing the principle of an embodiment in which the switching mechanism is a reverse flip-up and sliding type, in which (a) shows the low sitting position, (b) shows the high sitting position, and (c) shows the standing position. This is a perspective view of a low-sitting mode illustrating an embodiment in which a footrest unit with a flip-up type switching mechanism is incorporated into a single-type up-down adjustable desk. FIG. This is a perspective view of a high-seating mode showing an embodiment in which a footrest unit with a flip-up type switching mechanism is incorporated into a single-type up-and-down adjustable desk. FIG. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view showing a modified example of the height adjustable desk of the present invention. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a height-adjustable desk showing variant 1, in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the raising and lowering of the tabletop, in which the footrest member is in the second state in a low sitting position. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a first variant of the type in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the raising and lowering of the tabletop, showing the desk in a high seating position with the footrest member in the first state. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a height-adjustable desk showing variant 2, in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the raising and lowering of the tabletop, in which the footrest member is in the second state in a low sitting position. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a height-adjustable desk showing variant 2, in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the raising and lowering of the tabletop, in a high seating position with the footrest member in the first state. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a height-adjustable desk showing variant 3, in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the raising and lowering of the tabletop, in which the footrest member is in the second state in a low sitting position. This is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a third variant of the type in which the switching mechanism is of a reverse flip-up type and the movement of the footrest member is linked to the rising and lowering of the tabletop, showing the desk in a high seating position with the footrest member in the first state. This is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a footrest unit with a flip-up type switching mechanism is incorporated into a twin-type up-down lifting desk. FIG. 1 is a front view of an example of a single-type height-adjustable desk having a footrest unit of the present invention. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG.

Next, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiment shown in the attached drawings. Figures 1 to 4 show the basic operation of a height-adjustable desk incorporating a footrest unit according to the present invention, in which reference numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 indicate legs, top plate, back plate, footrest member, and switching mechanism, respectively. In each of Figures 1 to 4, (a) shows a low sitting position, (b) shows a high sitting position, and (c) shows a standing position. In this specification, "front,""rear,""left,""right," and "rear" are based on the position of the user.

The up-down lift desk of the present invention is arranged on both the left and right sides, and has legs 1, 1 with built-in lift mechanisms that support a top plate 2. A back panel 3 is fixed to the rear end of the top plate 2, and the height of the top plate 2 can be adjusted by the lift mechanism to a height suitable for low sitting, high sitting, or standing. Note that the back panel 3 is not essential to the present invention, and the structure of the lift mechanism is also optional. There are also two types of up-down lift desks: a single type with one top plate 2, and a twin type with two top plates 2, 2 arranged at the front and rear, each with an independent lift mechanism that allows the height to be adjusted. This embodiment will mainly explain the single type up-down lift desk.

Here, the low sitting position is a state in which the height of the top plate 2 is the standard height H, as shown in FIG. 1(a), and the seat surface 7 is suitable for use while sitting on a chair 6 with a standard height. Here, the standard height H is not particularly limited and is a value that is appropriately selected depending on the situation, but is set to, for example, 72 cm. In this state, the lower end of the skirting board 3 is located close to the floor surface F, so that the space under the top plate 2 cannot be seen from the opposite direction. The high sitting position is a state in which the height of the top plate 2 is intermediate between the low sitting position and the standing position, as shown in FIG. 1(b), and when using the chair 6 with a high seat surface 7, the height of the user's line of sight is close to the standing position. It is said that raising the line of sight increases the degree of concentration and improves productivity. In this high sitting position, the feet were conventionally placed on the step 8 provided on the chair 6. The standing position is a state in which the height of the top plate 2 is higher than the high sitting position, as shown in FIG. 1(c), and is suitable for use by the user standing without using the chair 6.

The footrest unit of the present invention has a footrest member 4 arranged in the space under the top plate 2 and a switching mechanism 5 for switching the state of the footrest member 4 from one of a first state S1 and a second state S2 to the other. The first state S1 is a state in which the footrest member 4 has a support surface 9 that functions as a footrest to support the user's feet at a position where it overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the top plate 2 in the depth direction in a plan view (see Figs. 1(b) and (c)), and the second state S2 is a state in which at least a part of the support surface 9 is located further back, above, or below the first state S1 (see Fig. 1(a)). Conventional up-down lift desks did not particularly consider the comfort of the user in a high sitting or standing position, but when the top plate 2 is in a high sitting or standing position, by setting the footrest member 4 to the first state S1, the user can place his or her feet on the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4, allowing the user to work comfortably.

On the other hand, in the low sitting position, the space under the tabletop must be secured for the feet to pass through. Also, when an unused chair is pushed under the tabletop for storage, there must be no obstacles in the space under the tabletop that may interfere with the chair. In the footrest unit of the present invention, in the second state S2, the footrest member 4 is in a retracted position, so that the user's feet can pass through and it is also possible to push an unused chair under the tabletop 2 for storage. That is, when the tabletop 2 is in the low sitting position, the footrest member 4 is moved to the second state S2, so that the footrest member 4 is retracted, securing the feet to pass through in the low sitting position and preventing the footrest member from getting in the way when the chair is pushed under the tabletop for storage when not in use.

In this embodiment, the first state S1 is a usage state in which the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 is oriented approximately horizontally, and the second state S2 is a storage state in which the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 is oriented approximately vertically, but is not limited to what is shown in the figure. Note that "approximately horizontal" here refers to a state in which the support surface 9 is at an angle of 30 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal line, including a state in which the support surface 9 is completely horizontal. Also, "approximately vertical" here refers to a state in which the support surface 9 is at an angle of 30 degrees or less with respect to the vertical line, including a state in which the support surface 9 is completely parallel to the vertical direction.

In the low-sitting mode shown in FIG. 1(a), the footrest member 4 is in the second state S2, the height of the top board 2 is the standard height H, and the feet of the user sitting on the chair 6 are on the floor surface F. In the high-sitting mode shown in FIG. 1(b), the footrest member 4 is in the first state S1, and the height from the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 to the upper surface of the top board 2 is set to H. In this mode, the feet of a user sitting on the chair 6 with the seat surface 7 raised can be placed on the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 in the same way as they are placed on the floor surface F in the low-sitting mode. In the standing mode shown in FIG. 1(c), the footrest member 4 is in the first state S1, and one foot of a user standing can be placed on the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4. The basic configuration has been explained based on FIG. 1, but the above is also common to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The basic structure of the height-adjustable desk according to this embodiment is described below. The leg 1 is composed of an extendable leg column 11 erected on a base member 10 that is in contact with the floor surface F. The leg column 11 has a telescopic rod structure in which a fixed leg 12 fixed to the base member 10 and a movable leg 13 connected to the fixed leg 12 so that the movable leg 13 can move up and down. The top plate 2 is supported on the upper end of the movable leg 13 of the leg column 11. The leg column 11 has a built-in lifting mechanism and is unitized. For example, the lifting mechanism is composed of a feed screw mechanism arranged inside the leg column 11, a drive motor such as a servo motor or stepping motor that can control the rotation speed that drives the feed screw mechanism, and a separately provided control device.

More specifically, the switching mechanism 5 can be exemplified as follows:
(A) a switching mechanism including a shaft that rotates the support surface 9 and a bearing that rotatably receives the shaft;
(B) a switching mechanism including a guide portion that guides the movement of the shaft in the vertical direction and/or the horizontal direction;
(C) a switching mechanism including a slide mechanism that slides the support surface 9;
(D) a switching mechanism including a folding mechanism that folds the support surface 9;
(E) A switching mechanism including an interlocking mechanism that moves the support surface 9 in conjunction with the elevation of the tabletop 2 to switch the state of the footrest member 4. (F) A switching mechanism disposed on a base member 10 located between a leg column 11 that supports the tabletop 2 and a placement surface (floor surface F).
And so on.

Next, several embodiments in which the switching mechanism 5 of the footrest member 4 is different will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in which the footrest member 4 is a flip-up type, and the switching mechanism 5 is the above-mentioned (A) mechanism. In this embodiment, the rear end of the footrest member 4 in the first state S1 of Fig. 1(b) is supported by a shaft (not shown) and a bearing that rotatably receives the shaft so that it can rotate up and down (shaft support portion 14). In order to maintain the first state S1, for example, the lower sides of the footrest member 4 are placed on a support portion (not shown in Fig. 1, see, for example, "support portion 20" in Fig. 5 described later) provided on the fixed leg 12 of the base member 10 or the leg column 11. Here, the support portion may be provided integrally with the base member 10 or the fixed leg 12 of the leg column 11, or may be provided by attaching a separate member. The shaft and bearing support portion 14 is also provided on the fixed leg 12 of the base member 10 or the leg column 11. In addition, it is preferable to provide a means for attaching the footrest member 4 in the second state S2 in FIG. 1(a) to a fixed part so that it can be detachably supported by a magnetic catch or the like, and to maintain that state, but it is also possible to rotate the footrest member 4 beyond the vertical line, i.e., to hold it at a rotation angle of more than 90 degrees so that it does not fall forward under its own weight.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which the footrest member 4 is a folding type, and the switching mechanism 5 is the above-mentioned (D) mechanism, but the (A) mechanism and the (B) mechanism are also used in combination. The footrest member 4 has a structure in which two plate members 4A and 4B are arranged in front and behind and pivotally attached. In the first state S1 of Figure 2 (b), the rear end of the rear plate member 4A is supported by the pivot support 14 on the fixed part of the base member 10 or the fixed leg 12 of the leg column 11 in the same manner as above, and the sliders 15 provided on both sides of the front end of the front plate member 4B guide the horizontal movement along the guide parts (not shown in Figure 2, see, for example, "guide part 24" in Figure 10, which will be described later) provided on the fixed part. The sliders 15 can also be replaced with rollers, etc. Here, in order to maintain the first state S1, it is preferable to place the lower surfaces on both sides of the footrest member 4 on support parts (not shown in Figure 2, see, for example, "support part 20" in Figure 5, which will be described later). It is also preferable to provide an attachment means for maintaining the footrest member 4 in the folded state in the second state S2 in FIG. 2(a).

Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which the footrest member 4 is a reverse flip-up type, and the switching mechanism 5 is the above-mentioned (B) mechanism. In this embodiment, the rear end of the footrest member 4 in the first state S1 of Figure 3(b) is guided upward by a vertical guide portion (not shown in Figure 3, see, for example, "guide portion 25" in Figure 10 described later), and the front end of the footrest member 4 is guided backward by a horizontal guide portion (not shown in Figure 3, see, for example, "guide portion 24" in Figure 10 described later), resulting in the second state S2 of Figure 3(a). Here, the above-mentioned vertical guide portion and horizontal guide portion are provided on the fixed portion of the fixed leg 12 of the base member 10 or the leg column 11, but they may be provided integrally with the fixed portion, or a separate member may be attached to the fixed portion. In the first state S1, rear sliders 16 guided by vertical guides are provided on both sides of the rear end of the footrest member 4, and front sliders 17 guided by horizontal guides are provided on both sides of the front end, and the first state S1 is maintained by both sliders 16, 17, but a support part may also be provided separately on the fixed part. The configuration for maintaining the second state S2 is the same as above.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the reverse flip-up and sliding methods, in which the switching mechanism combines the above-mentioned mechanisms (B) and (C). In this embodiment, the footrest member 4 in the first state S1 in Figure 4(b) can be slid forward while maintaining the state, and as shown in Figure 4(c), the configuration makes it easier for the user in a standing position to place their feet on it. In this case, the guide stroke of the horizontal guide portion (not shown in Figure 4, see, for example, "guide portion 24" in Figure 10 described later) is longer, and the footrest member 4 can be slid forward more than in the embodiment shown in Figure 3. In this case, the vertical guide portion (not shown in Figure 4, see, for example, "guide portion 25" in Figure 10 described later) and the horizontal guide portion are continuous, and the rear slider 16 of the footrest member 4 moves from the vertical guide portion to the horizontal guide portion. Since the other configurations are the same as those in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the same components are given the same symbols and their description is omitted. As a modification of this embodiment, the footrest member 4 may simply slide forward and backward. In other words, the footrest member 4 may be located in front of the horizontal guide in the first state S1, and may be located behind the horizontal guide in the second state S2.

Next, the embodiment of the flip-up method shown in FIG. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 to FIG. 8. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the second state S2, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show the first state S1. The base member 10 of the leg 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which a rising portion 19 extending vertically upward is provided at the rear end of a main body portion 18 that is shaped like a square when viewed from the side. Here, the main body portion 18 and the rising portion 19 may be integral or separate. In this embodiment, a support portion 14 for the footrest member 4 is provided at the rear upper portion of the main body portion 18, and the footrest member 4 is supported so that it can rotate up and down around a horizontal axis. Furthermore, a support portion 20 that supports the lower surfaces of both ends of the footrest member 4 in the first state S1 is protruding from the inner upper portion of the main body portion 18, and abutment portions 21 that abut and stop the back surfaces (support surfaces 9) of both ends of the footrest member 4 in the second state S2 are protruding from the inner rear portion of the rising portion 19. Instead of providing the stopper 21, it is also preferable to provide an attachment means such as a ball catch between the inner surface of the rising portion 19 and the outer surface of the footrest member 4. Of course, the stopper 21 and an attachment means such as a magnetic catch or ball catch may be used in combination.

The leg pillar 1 is erected in the front-rear center of the main body 18 of the base member 10, but due to the dimensional relationship of the unitized leg pillar 1, as shown in FIG. 9, the fixed leg 12 of the leg pillar 1 may be arranged to penetrate the main body 18 of the base member 10 and erected. In other words, the fixed leg 12 of the leg pillar 1 may be structured to penetrate the upper rod 22 of the main body 18 and fixed to the upper surface of the lower rod 23 of the main body 18. In addition, a cylindrical part may be provided that penetrates the upper rod 22 of the main body 18 and is fixed to the upper surface of the lower rod 23, and the fixed leg 12 of the leg pillar 1 is fitted into the cylindrical part, and the lower end of the fixed leg 12 is screwed to the lower rod 23 from below. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical part may be circular or rectangular depending on the cross-sectional shape of the leg pillar 1 to be used. The support portion 20 is formed to extend horizontally along the inner surface of the upper rod 22, and the abutment portion 21 is also formed to extend vertically along the inner surface of the rising portion 19.

It is also preferable that the switching mechanism 5 switches the footrest member 4 between the first state S1 and the second state S2 in conjunction with the raising and lowering movement of the tabletop 2. Figures 10 to 15 show an embodiment that employs a reverse flip-up type interlocking type switching mechanism 5. Examples of interlocking type switching mechanisms 5 include the gear interlocking mechanism shown in Figures 10 and 11, the intermediate panel interlocking mechanism shown in Figures 12 and 13, and the pulley interlocking mechanism shown in Figures 14 and 15.

First, the common configuration of each interlocking mechanism will be described. A groove-shaped horizontal guide portion 24 is provided along the upper edge of the support portion 20 on the inner surface side of the main body portion 18 of the base member 10, and a groove-shaped vertical guide portion 25 is provided along the inner surface of the rise portion 19. Here, when a stop portion 21 is provided on the rise portion 19, the guide portion 25 is provided along the front edge of the stop portion 21. The guide portions 24 and 25 are continuous at a corner portion 26.

First, the gear interlocking mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The footrest member 4 has a shutter structure in which multiple narrow plate members 4C, ... are rotatably connected, and both ends are engaged with the guide parts 24, 25 so that it can move along the guide parts 24, 25. A gear 27 that can rotate on a horizontal axis is attached to the lower inner surface of the rising part 19 of the base member 10, a rack 28 that meshes with the gear 27 is provided on the lower part of the front surface of the apron 3, and a rack 29 that meshes with the gear 27 is provided on the back surface of the footrest member 4 of the shutter structure.

When the top plate 2 and the back plate 3 are displaced upward, the gear 27 meshed with the rack 28 rotates counterclockwise, pushing down the rack 29 meshed with the gear 27, and the footrest member 4 moves from the vertical guide portion 25 to the horizontal guide portion 24 by the driving force, and switches from the second state S2 shown in FIG. 10 to the first state S1 shown in FIG. 11. Conversely, when the top plate 2 and the back plate 3 are displaced downward, the gear 27 meshed with the rack 28 rotates clockwise, pushing up the rack 29 meshed with the gear 27, and the footrest member 4 moves from the horizontal guide portion 24 to the vertical guide portion 25 by the driving force, and switches from the first state S1 shown in FIG. 11 to the second state S2 shown in FIG. 10. During this series of operations, the gear 27 is always meshed with the rack 29.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the footrest member 4 is composed of a single plate member, the rear slider 16 is guided by the vertical guide portion 25 and the front slider 17 is guided by the horizontal guide portion 24. In this case, the footrest member 4 separates from the gear 27 provided near the corner portion 26 in a state between the first state S1 and the second state S2. Therefore, the footrest member 4 may be engaged with a rack 29 provided on the back surface of the footrest member 4 via a plurality of other position-changeable gears engaged with the gear 27. The number of plate members 4C constituting the footrest member 4 can be changed as appropriate, and may be a single plate member if smooth rotation is possible depending on the number of gears and the structure of the guide portions 24/25.

Next, the intermediate panel interlocking mechanism will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. The intermediate panel 30 arranged on the front side of the fascia 3 is interlocked to perform the reverse movement of the up and down movement of the fascia 3. The footrest member 4 is composed of a single plate member, and the rear slider 16 is guided by a vertical guide portion 25, and the front slider 17 is guided by a horizontal guide portion 24, as in Fig. 3. The rear end of the footrest member 4 is pivotally attached to an arm 31 provided on the front side of the intermediate panel 30 by a horizontal shaft at the position of the rear slider 16 to interlock. In the second state S2 shown in Fig. 12, the upper end of the intermediate panel 30 is raised close to the top plate 2, and in the first state S1 shown in Fig. 13, the lower end of the intermediate panel 30 is lowered close to the floor surface F.

By the upward displacement of the top plate 2 and the fascia 3, the intermediate panel 30 descends and pushes down the footrest member 4 pivotally attached to the arm 31, and the driving force of the rear slider 16 moves downward along the vertical guide portion 25 and the front slider 17 moves forward along the horizontal guide portion 24, switching from the second state S2 shown in Fig. 12 to the first state S1 shown in Fig. 13. Conversely, by the downward displacement of the top plate 2 and the fascia 3, the intermediate panel 30 rises and pulls up the footrest member 4 pivotally attached to the arm 31, and the driving force of the rear slider 16 moves upward along the vertical guide portion 25 and the front slider 17 moves backward along the horizontal guide portion 24, switching from the first state S1 shown in Fig. 13 to the second state S2 shown in Fig. 12. In order to allow for smooth rotation depending on the structure of the guides 24/25, the footrest member 4 may be made up of multiple plate members and may be configured to allow for some deformation. Also, instead of the arm 31, a link mechanism may be appropriately arranged.

Finally, the pulley interlocking mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. This modification also has the footrest member 4 and guide parts 24, 25 similar to those of the modification shown in Figures 12 and 13. At the upper rear end of the main body part 18 of the base member 10, a pulley 32 is attached to the outer position of the corner part 26, a pulley 33 is attached to the inner side of the upper rod 22 of the main body part 18 at a position slightly forward of the guide part 24, and a pulley 34 is attached to the inner side of the rising part 19 slightly above the guide part 25. Then, in the first state S1 of Figure 15, a wire 35 having one end fixed to the rear end of the footrest member 4 is wound around the pulley 34 above, and the other end is fixed to the lower part of the skirting board 3, and a wire 36 having one end fixed to the front end of the footrest member 4 is wound around the pulley 33 in the front, and the other end is fixed to the lower part of the skirting board 3. The other ends of the wires 35 and 36 can be fixed to the panel 3 at the same position or at different positions above and below.

When the top plate 2 and the back plate 3 are displaced upward, the wire 35 is pulled, the front slider 17 of the footrest member 4 moves forward along the horizontal guide portion 24, the wire 35 is loosened, and the rear slider 16 moves downward along the vertical guide portion 25, switching from the second state S2 shown in FIG. 14 to the first state S1 shown in FIG. 15. Conversely, when the top plate 2 and the back plate 3 are displaced downward, the wire 36 is pulled, the rear slider 16 of the footrest member 4 moves upward along the vertical guide portion 25, the wire 36 is loosened, and the front slider 17 moves backward along the horizontal guide portion 24, switching from the first state S1 shown in FIG. 15 to the second state S2 shown in FIG. 14.

As shown in FIG. 16, the twin-type height-adjustable desk has a structure in which two tabletops 2, 2 arranged at the front and rear are supported by a pair of legs 1, 1 arranged on the left and right sides, and the height of each of the two tabletops 2, 2 arranged at the front and rear can be adjusted independently. The legs 1 are a base member 10 arranged on the floor surface, and the lower part of the fixed legs 12 of the legs 1, 1 is fixed in an upright state to the front and rear ends of the base member 10, and the tabletop 2 is supported on the upper end of the movable leg 13. The base member 10 is a member that is shaped like a square when viewed from the side and extends in the front-rear direction. A beam 37 is installed between the center parts of the two base members 10, 10, and a panel plate 38 is supported in an upright state on the upper surface of the beam 37. The tabletop 2 moves up and down without being interfered with by the panel plate 38, and the height can be adjusted.

The footrest member 4 is attached to the space below each tabletop 2 by a flip-up mechanism (see (A) above). Specifically, the footrest member 4 is structured such that a shaft 40 protruding from both sides of the end of the footrest member 4 (the rear end in the first state S1) is rotatably supported by a bearing 39 provided on the base member 10 at a position close to the panel board 38. In the first state S1, the lower surfaces of both sides of the footrest member 4 abut against the upper surface of the base member 10 as shown in the figure, or against support members protruding from the inside of the footrest member 4, and the state is maintained. In the second state S2 shown by imaginary lines, the footrest member 4 is raised along the panel board and engaged with the panel board 38 by an appropriate means. The other configurations are the same as those in Figures 5 to 8, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

In the present invention, the footrest unit includes the footrest member 4 and its support structure, and can be retrofitted to the fixed leg 12 of the leg body 1 or the base member 10 of an existing height-adjustable desk. The minimum structural unit of the footrest unit is the footrest member 4 and the pivot member (pivot support portion 14) and the support member (support portion 20), or the footrest member 4 and the guide member (guide portions 24, 25), but the unit may include the base member 10 with the pivot support portion 14 and the support portion 20, or the base member 10 with the guide portions 24, 25. The footrest unit may also include the back panel 3.

The following modifications can be applied to each of the above-described embodiments. Note that each modification may be applied in appropriate combination to the extent that no contradictions arise.

The depth dimension of the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the support surface 9 may be long enough to overlap the front end of the tabletop 2 in a plan view in the first state S1.

Furthermore, the footrest member 4 does not necessarily have to be plate-shaped. For example, the footrest member 4 may be configured as a rod-shaped or cylindrical plate or bar extending in the left-right direction, as long as it has a support surface 9.

The switching mechanism 5 may be configured to lower the support surface 9 of the footrest member 4 in the second state S2 below the first state S1. For example, by arranging a link, arm, or the like as the switching mechanism 5 on the base member 10, in the second state S2, the support surface 9 may be lowered to such an extent that the bottom surface of the footrest member 4 abuts against the installation surface.

Also, for example, the footrest member 4 may be configured by connecting multiple members so that the support surface 9 can be divided into front and rear and/or left and right in the second state S2.

For example, in the second state S2, the support surface 9 may be configured to be located on either or both of the left and right sides, rather than on the far side. That is, in the second state S2, the support surface 9 may be located on either or both of the right and left ends of the up-down adjustable desk in a substantially vertical position.

The main body 18 of the base member 10 does not necessarily have to be configured to have a square or O shape in side view. For example, the main body 18 may be configured to have a panel shape that is not open in the left and right directions in side view. The main body 18 may also be configured to have a trapezoid or hexagonal shape, an H shape, or a half-inverted U or E shape in side view.

The footrest unit may be applied to an existing up-down adjustable desk that has already been installed. For example, the footrest unit may be applied to an existing up-down adjustable desk by attaching the base member 10 to the leg 1 of the existing up-down adjustable desk and fixing the back panel 3 to the top panel 2.

The footrest member 4 may further include a support pillar that supports the support surface 9. In such a case, the support pillar may be configured to be deployable so that its lower end is in contact with the ground in the first state S1.

The tabletop 2 may be raised and lowered by means other than legs (extendable legs). For example, a lifting mechanism may be built into the screen panels surrounding the left and right sides or rear end of the height-adjustable desk, and the tabletop 2 may be raised and lowered using the lifting mechanism. The movable range of the height of the tabletop 2 may be changed as appropriate.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Leg body 2 Top plate 3 Skirt plate 4 Footrest member 4A, 4B, 4C Plate member 5 Switching mechanism 6 Chair 7 Seat surface 8 Step 9 Support surface 10 Base member 11 Pillar 12 Fixed leg 13 Movable leg 14 Axle support portion 15 Slider 16 Rear slider 17 Front slider 18 Main body portion 19 Rising portion 20 Support portion 21 Stop portion 22 Upper rod 23 Lower rod 24 Guide portion 25 Guide portion 26 Corner portion 27 Gear 28 Rack 29 Rack 30 Intermediate panel 31 Arm 32 Pulley 33 Pulley 34 Pulley 35 Wire 36 Wire 37 Beam 38 Panel plate 39 Bearing 40 Axis F Floor surface S1 First state S2 Second state

Claims (5)

A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
The top plate supports a vertically extending fascia in a manner that the fascia rises and falls with the rise and fall of the top plate,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher, or lower than the first state,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism of which moves the support surface in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the tabletop using a linkage means including a gear that drives in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the valance supported on the tabletop, thereby switching the state of the footrest member. A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher, or lower than the first state,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism including a linkage means including a panel member that rises and falls in conjunction with the rise and fall of the tabletop, thereby moving the support surface in conjunction with the rise and fall of the tabletop to switch the state of the footrest member. A footrest unit to be attached to a height-adjustable desk having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the tabletop,
The top plate supports a vertically extending fascia in a manner that the fascia rises and falls with the rise and fall of the top plate,
A footrest member is placed in the space under the top board,
a switching mechanism for switching the state of the footrest member from one of a first state and a second state to the other,
The first state is a state in which the footrest member has a support surface that functions as a footrest that supports the feet of a user at a position where the footrest member overlaps any part between the center and the front end of the tabletop in a depth direction in a plan view,
The second state is a state in which at least a part of the support surface is located further back, higher, or lower than the first state,
The footrest unit includes a linkage mechanism, the switching mechanism of which moves the support surface in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the tabletop using a linkage means including a pulley that drives in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the valance supported on the tabletop, thereby switching the state of the footrest member. The footrest unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the switching mechanism is disposed on a base member located between a leg supporting the tabletop and the installation surface. The top plate and
The lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the top plate;
The footrest unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Equipped with a height adjustable desk.

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