JP7675571B2 - Top plate structure - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a tabletop structure.

Conventionally, plate-shaped tops installed on kitchen counters, sinks, etc. have been reinforced by placing a backing material on the underside of the top (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Although the top and the backing material are made of different materials, both are visible from the side, so a decorative sheet or the like has been attached to hide the boundary between the top and the backing material.

JP 2016-104082 A

Because the tabletop and backing material are separate components, it was difficult to align the sides of the ends. Processing the sides was time-consuming, as it required attaching a separate piece of material to align the height of the two components, or making the backing material protrude beyond the tabletop and then shaving it off.

The present disclosure relates to a tabletop structure having a plate-shaped tabletop, a backing material that is disposed on the underside of the tabletop and reinforces the tabletop, a frame that is disposed below the end of the tabletop along the direction in which the edge of the tabletop extends and has a hollow structure, a side cap that is slidably inserted into the end of the frame, and a side bar that is disposed closer to the outer edge of the tabletop than the backing material, extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the frame, and is movable in conjunction with the side cap.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the kitchen unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial plan cross-sectional view of the top plate structure of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the kitchen unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the top plate structure of the present embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the process of attaching the side cap of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the state in which the side cap of the present embodiment is attached.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The tabletop structure 1 of the embodiment is used in a kitchen unit 10. The kitchen unit 10 has a kitchen counter 11 and a cabinet 12. The kitchen unit 10 is installed on the kitchen floor, and is configured with the kitchen counter 11 supported on the cabinet 12.

The kitchen counter 11 is a work surface where dishes and ingredients are washed and where ingredients are cooked when cooking. The kitchen counter 11 is provided with a top plate structure 1 (described later), on which a sink 111 and a cooking device 112 are arranged.

The sink 111 has a recess with an open top, and is a piece of equipment that can drain hot and cold water discharged from the faucet 111a. The cooking device 112 has a stove for heating a pot for cooking.

The cabinet 12 is disposed under the kitchen counter 11 and supports the kitchen counter 11. The cabinet 12 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a storage space capable of accommodating items is formed inside. The cabinet 12 has a first surface 121, a second surface 122, a third surface 123, a fourth surface 124, and a bottom surface 125. The first surface 121 is a surface that extends in the vertical direction on the side that the user faces when using the sink 111 or the cooking device 112. For example, a door or a front panel of a drawer that accesses the storage space is disposed on the first surface 121. The second surface 122 may be a front panel of a door or a drawer disposed on the second surface 122, and the second surface 122 may face a wall of the kitchen. The third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 are side surfaces that connect the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. The third surface 123 and the fourth surface 124 are formed by side panels that extend from the kitchen counter 11 to the floor. The bottom surface 125 is a surface that extends in a substantially horizontal direction facing the kitchen floor. The top of the cabinet 12 is closed by the kitchen counter 11.

The tabletop structure 1 is composed of a tabletop 2 and an arrangement of members around the tabletop 2 for stably holding the tabletop 2. The tabletop structure 1 has a tabletop 2, a frame 3, a backing material 4, a side cap 5, and a side bar 6. In this specification, the outside means the outer edge side of the tabletop 2 and the side away from the outer edge of the tabletop 2. The inside means the center side of the tabletop 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the top plate 2 is generally rectangular in plan view and has the shape of a thin, generally rectangular parallelepiped plate. The top plate 2 has an upper surface 21, a lower surface 22, long edges 23, and short edges 24. The upper surface 21 is located on the upper side when placed in the kitchen unit 10 and is a surface that extends in a generally horizontal direction. The lower surface 22 is a surface that faces the upper surface 21 and extends downward. The long edges 23 are outer edges that are arranged in a pair along the longitudinal direction of the top plate 2. The short edges 24 are outer edges that are arranged in a pair along the lateral direction of the top plate 2. The top plate 2 is made of, for example, ceramic.

The backing material 4 is disposed on the underside 22 of the top plate 2, and is a plate material that reinforces the top plate 2. The backing material 4 is adhered to the underside 22 of the top plate 2. The backing material 4 has an area smaller than the top plate 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer edge of the backing material 4 is disposed so as to be located inside the outer edge of the top plate 2. The backing material 4 is made of, for example, wood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), etc.

The frame 3 is a long member that is arranged below the end of the tabletop 2 and along the long edge 23 of the tabletop 2. The frame 3 has a frame body 30, a notch 36 (see FIG. 4), and a long hole 37 (see FIG. 4). The frame 3 has a hollow structure with a hollow interior and has a rectangular cylindrical shape. The frame 3 is made of aluminum.

As shown in FIG. 3, the frame body 30 has an upper surface 31, a lower surface 32, an outer surface 33, an inner surface 34, and a hollow portion 35. The upper surface 31 is bonded to the lower surface of the top plate 2. The lower surface 32 is a flat surface disposed opposite the upper surface. The lower surface 32 is formed with a water return groove 321 to prevent water dripping from the top plate 2 from flowing inward. The outer surface 33 is a surface located on the outer edge side of the top plate 2 when attached to the top plate 2, and hangs down from the upper surface 31. The inner surface 34 is disposed opposite the outer surface 33. The outer surface 33 and the inner surface 34 connect the upper surface 31 and the lower surface 32, respectively. The inner space surrounded by the upper surface 31, the lower surface 32, the outer surface 33, and the inner surface 34 is the hollow portion 35.

As shown in FIG. 4, the notch 36 is formed on the inner surface 34 at the end of the frame body 30. The notch 36 is formed in a roughly U-shape that opens outward from the end of the frame body 30. The notch 36 is formed so as not to interfere with the insertion portion 57 of the side cap 5 and the side bar 6, which will be described later.

Two long holes 37 are formed at positions adjacent to the notches 36 on the inner surface 34 as a side surface. The long holes 37 are long in the direction along which the frame body 30 extends. The long holes 37 make it possible to shift the position of the side cap 5 (described later) within the long holes 37 and fix it with screws.

The side cap 5 is a member that is slidably inserted into the hollow portion 35 at the end of the frame 3 to cover the end of the frame 3. The side cap 5 has a side cap body 50, a cover portion 56, and an insertion portion 57. The side cap body 50 has a rectangular cross section smaller than the rectangular cross section formed by the upper surface 31, lower surface 32, outer surface 33, and inner surface 34 of the frame body 30 so that it can be inserted into the frame body 30, and is configured with dimensions that allow it to slide. The side cap body 50 has an upper surface 51, a lower surface 52, an outer surface 53, and an inner surface 54 that are arranged opposite the upper surface 31, lower surface 32, outer surface 33, and inner surface 34 of the frame body 30, respectively, and a hollow portion 55 surrounded by these. A fixing hole 54a for fixing a screw is formed in the inner surface 54 of the side cap body 50 at a position corresponding to the long hole 37 of the frame body 30.

The lid portion 56 is disposed at the end of the side cap body 50 so as to close the hollow portion 55 of the side cap body 50. The lid portion 56 has a rectangular shape with a larger area than the rectangular cross section of the frame body 30. The lid portion 56 covers the ends of the frame body 30 and the side cap body 50 so that they cannot be seen from the outside.

The insertion portion 57 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped protrusion that extends from the inner surface 54 of the side cap body 50 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the side cap body 50. The insertion portion 57 extends in a direction along the short edge 24 of the top plate 2, whereas the frame 3 extends along the long edge 23 of the top plate 2. The insertion portion 57 has an outer shape that allows it to be inserted inside the side bar 6, which will be described later. The insertion portion 57 is formed with a fixing hole 57a for fixing it after positioning.

The side bar 6 has a hollow structure with a hollow interior and has a rectangular cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the side bar 6 is arranged closer to the outer edge of the tabletop 2 than the backing material 4, and extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the frame 3. Specifically, the side bar 6 is arranged along the short edge 24 of the tabletop 2. The side bar 6 has an upper surface 61, a lower surface 62, an outer surface 63, an inner surface 64, and a hollow portion 65. The upper surface 61 is bonded to the lower surface of the tabletop 2. The lower surface 62 is a flat surface arranged opposite the upper surface. The outer surface 63 is a surface located on the outer edge side of the tabletop 2 when attached to the tabletop 2, and hangs down from the upper surface 61. The inner surface 64 is arranged opposite the outer surface 63. The inner surface 64 has a fixing hole 64a for inserting a screw at a position corresponding to the fixing hole 57a when the insertion portion 57 of the side cap 5 is inserted. The outer surface 63 and the inner surface 64 connect the upper surface 61 and the lower surface 62, respectively. The inner space surrounded by the upper surface 61, the lower surface 62, the outer surface 63, and the inner surface 64 forms a hollow portion 65.

The side bar 6 is formed with dimensions that allow the insertion portion 57 of the side cap body 50 to be inserted into the hollow portion 65. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side bar 6 hides the backing material 4 when viewed from the outside of the kitchen unit 10. The outer surface 63 of the side bar 6 and the lid portion 56 of the side cap 5 are color-matched to have a continuous appearance.

The method of attaching the side cap 5 and side bar 6 will be described with reference to Figures 5A and 5B. For ease of explanation, the backing material 4 is omitted in Figures 5A and 5B. First, the insertion portion 57 of the side cap 5 is inserted into the hollow portion 65 of the side bar 6, and a screw is inserted through the fixing hole 57a of the insertion portion 57 and the fixing hole 64a on the inner surface 64 of the side bar 6 to connect them. In this state, the side cap main body 50 is inserted into the hollow portion 35 of the frame 3.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the position of the frame 3 and the position of the side cap 5 may shift inward from the side surface 241 of the top plate 2 when the side cap 5 is fitted snugly into the frame 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the lid portion 56 is shifted and slid so that the surface of the lid portion 56 is flush with the side surface 241 of the top plate 2. The position of the side cap 5 is adjusted by sliding inside the frame 3. When the side cap 5 is slid, the fixing hole 54a formed on the inner surface 54 of the side cap main body 50 moves within the long hole 37 formed on the inner surface 34 of the frame main body 30. Once the position of the lid portion 56 is determined, the side cap 5 is fixed to the frame 3 with a screw through the long hole 37 and the fixing hole 54a. If a gap is created between the lid portion 56 and the end of the frame 3, it is filled with silicone or the like to deal with the gap.

The side bar 6 is connected to the side cap 5, and therefore moves in conjunction with the side cap 5. Therefore, the outer surface 63 of the side bar 6 is also flush with the side surface 241 of the top plate 2. For example, a side panel constituting the third surface 123 or the fourth surface 124 of the cabinet 12 may be disposed below the side bar 6.

According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The tabletop structure 1 includes a plate-shaped tabletop 2, a backing material 4 arranged on the underside 22 of the tabletop 2 and reinforcing the tabletop 2, a frame 3 arranged below the end of the tabletop 2 along the direction in which the long edge 23 of the tabletop 2 extends and having a hollow structure, a side cap 5 slidably inserted into the end of the frame 3, and a side bar 6 arranged on the outer edge side of the tabletop 2 from the backing material 4, extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the frame 3, and movable in conjunction with the side cap 5. By slidably inserting the side cap 5 into the end of the frame 3, it is possible to align the end face of the side cap 5 with the side of the tabletop 2. The side bar 6, which is located on the outer edge side of the tabletop 2 from the backing material 4, moves in conjunction with the side cap 5, so that the side bar 6 can be positioned on a surface that matches the side of the tabletop 2. This eliminates the need for complicated processing such as attaching a decorative sheet to hide the backing material 4 at the end of the tabletop 2, or processing to align the surfaces of the end of the tabletop 2 and the backing material 4 in order to attach the decorative sheet. Processing of the end of the tabletop 2 is possible and easy just by sliding and fixing the side cap 5 to which the side bar 6 is connected. This makes it possible to reduce the number of processing steps for the tabletop structure 1 and reduce manufacturing costs.

According to this embodiment, the side bar 6 is configured to include a hollow structure, and the side cap 5 is configured to include an insertion portion 57 that can be inserted into the inside of the side bar 6. By simply inserting the insertion portion 57 of the side cap 5 into the inside of the side bar 6, the position of the side bar 6 can be adjusted in conjunction with the movement of the side cap 5. This makes it easier to process the end of the table top 2 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the frame 3.

According to this embodiment, the frame 3 is configured to include a long hole 37 formed on the inner surface 34, and the side cap 5 is adjusted in position by sliding inside the frame 3, and fixed via the long hole 37. The long hole 37 can be used to fix the side cap 5 and the frame 3 with a screw. This makes it possible to more reliably join the side cap 5 and the frame 3.

This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and any modifications, improvements, etc. that can achieve the object of this disclosure are included in this disclosure. In the above embodiment, the frame 3 and the side cap 5, and the side cap 5 and the side bar 6 are fixed with screws. However, the frame 3 and the side cap 5, and the side cap 5 and the side bar 6 may be fixed with an adhesive.

In the above embodiment, the lid portion 56 of the side cap 5 and the outer surface 63 of the side bar 6 are color-matched to have a continuous appearance, and no decorative sheet is attached. However, a decorative sheet may be attached without coloring the lid portion 56 and the outer surface 63 of the side bar 6.

1 tabletop structure, 2 tabletop, 3 frame, 4 backing material, 5 side cap, 6 side bar, 37 long hole, 57 insertion portion

Claims (2)

A flat top plate and
A backing material is arranged on the back surface of the top plate and reinforces the top plate;
A frame having a hollow structure disposed below the end of the tabletop along the direction in which the edge of the tabletop extends,
a side cap slidably inserted into the end of the stile;
A side bar is disposed on the outer edge side of the tabletop relative to the backing material, extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the frame, and is movable in conjunction with the side cap;
The frame has a long hole formed on a side surface,
A top plate structure in which the position of the side cap is adjusted by sliding inside the frame and fixed via the long hole . The side bar has a hollow structure,
The tabletop structure according to claim 1 , wherein the side cap has an insertion portion that can be inserted into the inside of the side bar.

Images