U.S. patent application number 10/469988 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-30 for furniture with screen.
Invention is credited to Toshiyuki Kita.
Application Number | 20060066186 10/469988 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18931990 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060066186 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kita; Toshiyuki |
March 30, 2006 |
Furniture with screen
Abstract
In order to achieve a reduction in weight and convenience in
terms of handling, a piece of furniture with a screen according to
the present invention comprises a main body and a drawer provided
therein. A screen is rolled up and stored in the interior of the
drawer. Corner supporting members constituted with a smaller
front-back dimension than the front-back dimension of the main body
are connected respectively to the left and right end portions on
the rear side of the main body in order to support the main body,
and base portions which contact the ground frontward of the screen
are provided on the left/right pair of supporting members.
Inventors: |
Kita; Toshiyuki; (Osaka-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, KRATZ, QUINTOS, HANSON & BROOKS, LLP
1725 K STREET, NW
SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Family ID: |
18931990 |
Appl. No.: |
10/469988 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2002 |
PCT Filed: |
March 5, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP02/01995 |
371 Date: |
March 3, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/10.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 81/06 20130101;
A47B 37/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/010.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 81/00 20060101
A47B081/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 15, 2001 |
JP |
2001-074792 |
Claims
1. A piece of furniture with a screen comprising: a main body is
provided with a drawer which is freely movable between a pulled-out
position in which said drawer is pulled-out frontward and a storage
position in which said drawer is stored inside said main body; a
screen is rolled up and stored in the interior of said drawer;
wherein: the piece of furniture is constituted to be freely
modifiable in attitude between a usage attitude in which said
screen stored in side said drawer is raised upward when said drawer
is pulled out and a storage attitude in which said screen is rolled
up and stored inside said drawer; corner supporting members having
a smaller front-back dimension than the front-back dimension of
said main body are connected to the respective left and right end
portions on the rear side of said main body to support said main
body; and support legs comprising a base portion which contacts the
ground frontward of at least said screen in the storage attitude
are provided on the left/right pair of supporting members.
2. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein said supporting member is constituted by a plate-form
member formed in a substantially L-shaped form when seen from above
which is connected to said main body so as to contact the rear face
of said main body on the left and right corner portions thereof and
the adjacent side face thereto on either the left or right
side.
3. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein said main body is constituted in a box shape with an open
front face comprising a single space in which the drawer storing
said screen can be stored, and the height of the upper end of said
supporting member is set to be substantially equal to the height of
the upper end of said main body.
4. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein: said main body is constituted in a box shape with an open
front face comprising a single space in which the drawer storing
said screen can be stored; the upper end of said supporting member
is set higher than the upper end of said main body so as to be
positioned thereabove; and a fitting portion for fitting a back
board is provided on the end portion of the respective rear plate
portions of said two corner supporting members.
5. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein a protruding portion which protrudes outward or inward is
formed in said supporting member to form an interior space over the
entirety of the vertical direction thereof.
6. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein an attachment portion to which a speaker can be attached is
provided on the front end portion of said supporting member.
7. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein a space into which a movable tray for carrying audio
equipment can be inserted and stored is formed in the lower portion
of said main body.
8. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 1,
wherein tray spaces into which two movable trays for carrying audio
equipment can be inserted and stored and a speaker space in which a
center speaker can be disposed between the two trays are formed in
the lower portion of said main body.
9. The piece of furniture with a screen according to claim 7 or
claim 8, wherein said tray is constituted by a carrying portion for
carrying audio equipment and a left/right pair of vertical wall
portions which rise upward from the left and right end portions of
said carrying portion, and is provided with a concave portion
formed on the rear face of said carrying portion into which a power
outlet for the audio equipment carried on said carrying portion is
embedded.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to furniture with a screen in
which various objects can be placed on the upper face of a main
body, and in which a screen, when not in use, can be completely
stored inside the main body.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In recent years projection screens for projecting images, or
simply screens, have come to be used in homes so that larger images
may be enjoyed.
[0003] Accordingly, a large variety of cabinets, pieces of
furniture, and the like provided with such a screen have been
proposed.
[0004] Typical of these cabinets and pieces of furniture provided
with a screen are large, heavy pieces such as those having upper
and lower storage portions with doors, those having storage
portions with doors on the left and right sides, and so on, and
hence a great deal of labor is required during transportation and
movement thereof.
[0005] Further, in furniture comprising storage portions with
doors, a casing or the like in which the screen is rolled and
stored is typically provided on the upper end, and since the screen
is provided on the upper end, the lower space must be preserved
when the screen is in use. Hence the overall size and height of the
piece of furniture increases, causing a further increase in
weight.
[0006] Moreover, the part in which the screen is housed must be
caused to protrude forward from the constitutional members of the
cabinet (or furniture) so that these constitutional members do not
contact the screen when in use. As a result, care must be taken
during transportation and installation that the storage part does
not contact other objects, which is extremely troublesome in terms
of handling.
[0007] The present invention has been designed in consideration of
the situation described above, and it is an object thereof to
provide a piece of furniture with a screen in which a reduction in
weight can be achieved and which is favorable in terms of
handling.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In the present invention, when a main body and a drawer
provided therein which is freely movable between a pulled-out
position in which the drawer is pulled-out frontward and a storage
position in which the drawer is stored inside the main body are
comprised, a screen is rolled up and stored in the interior of the
drawer, the screen is constituted to be freely modifiable in
attitude between a usage attitude in which the screen stored inside
the drawer is raised upward when the drawer is pulled out and a
storage attitude in which the screen is rolled up and stored inside
the drawer, corner supporting members having a smaller front-back
dimension than the front-back dimension of the main body are
connected to the respective left and right end portions on the rear
side of the main body to support the main body, and support legs
comprising a base portion which contacts the ground frontward of
the screen in at least the usage attitude thereof are provided on
the left/right pair of supporting members, the screen can be set in
its usage attitude by pulling the drawer forward using the electric
power of an electric motor or the like or using manual power and
then raising (pulling) the screen which is rolled up and stored in
the drawer upward using the electric power of an electric motor or
the like or using manual power. By rolling up the unfurled screen,
the screen can be rolled up and stored inside the drawer. Once the
screen has been stored, the drawer is pushed into the main body
using the electric power of an electric motor or the like or using
manual power. By constituting the screen so as to be raised
(pulled) upward, a tall main body such as that of a conventional
piece of furniture need not be provided, and thus a reduction in
weight can be achieved. Further, the main body is supported by
corner supporting members with a smaller front-back dimension than
that of the main body, and thus a reduction in the weight of the
supporting members themselves can be achieved. Although supporting
members with a small front-back dimension are used such that when
the drawer is pulled forward to place the screen in its usage
attitude, the screen is positioned far toward the front side, the
main body can be securely prevented from falling forward by the
base portions which contact the ground frontward of the screen.
[0009] In the present invention, when the supporting member is
constituted by a plate-form member formed in a substantially
L-shaped form when seen from above which is connected to the main
body so as to contact the rear face of the main body on the left
and right corner portions and the adjacent side face thereto on
either the left or right side, the supporting member can be made
thinner and lighter than a member in planar form, and the
supporting member can be connected to the main body without the
need for gutters.
[0010] In the present invention, when the main body is constituted
in a box shape with an open front face comprising a single space in
which the drawer storing the screen can be stored, and when the
height of the upper end of the supporting member is set to be
substantially equal to the height of the upper end of the main
body, further reductions in the size and weight of the main body
can be achieved.
[0011] In the present invention, when the main body is constituted
in a box shape with an open front face comprising a single space in
which the drawer storing the screen can be stored, the upper end of
the supporting member is set higher than the upper end of the main
body so as to be positioned thereabove, and a fitting portion is
provided on the end portion of the respective rear plate portions
of the two corner supporting members, a back board can be attached
by simply fitting the back board into the fitting portion. The back
board may also be used as a board member for attaching a plasma
display, liquid crystal display, or similar to the back board.
Moreover, since the back board is positioned rearward, the center
of gravity of the entire piece of furniture with a screen does not
move greatly forward even when a heavy weight such as the plasma
display or liquid crystal display described above is attached to
the back board.
[0012] In the present invention, by forming a protruding portion
which protrudes outward or inward to form an interior space over
the entirety of the vertical direction of the supporting member, an
increase in strength is achieved and the interior space formed in
the protruding portion can be used as a space for providing a
wiring duct to supply power to audio equipment placed on the main
body, or as a space for storing a cord for the audio equipment and
so on placed on the main body.
[0013] In the present invention, by providing an attachment portion
to which a speaker can be attached on the front end portion of the
supporting member, a speaker can be attached easily and
quickly.
[0014] In the present invention, by forming a space into which a
movable tray for carrying audio equipment can be inserted and
stored in the lower portion of the main body, wiring and
maintenance work can be performed easily and quickly on the audio
equipment placed on the tray in an open area by pulling the tray
out of the main body. Once the wiring or maintenance work is
complete, the tray can be pushed quickly back into the space in the
lower portion of the main body.
[0015] In the present invention, by forming tray spaces into which
two movable trays for carrying audio equipment can be inserted and
stored and a speaker space in which a center speaker can be
disposed between the two trays in the lower portion of the main
body, audio equipment can be placed on each of the two trays in an
open area by pulling the trays out of the lower portion of the main
body, and wiring and maintenance work can be performed thereon
easily and quickly. Once the wiring or maintenance work is
complete, the trays can be pushed quickly back into the space in
the lower portion of the main body. Further, by disposing a center
speaker between the trays, no special installation space need be
provided, and sound or the like can be output from an optimum
position in relation to the screen.
[0016] In the present invention, when the tray is constituted by a
carrying portion for carrying audio equipment and a left/right pair
of vertical wall portions which rise upward from the left and right
end portions of the carrying portion, and the tray is provided with
a concave portion formed on the rear face of the carrying portion
into which a power outlet for the audio equipment carried on the
carrying portion is embedded, the front face and rear face of the
tray are both open, and thus operations (including remote control
operations) from the front face of the tray, maintenance work, or
wiring and maintenance work from the rear face of the tray can be
performed easily. Further, by inserting a power plug of the audio
equipment carried on the tray into the power outlet, trouble which
occurs when a power plug attached to the distal end of a power cord
of the audio equipment is inserted directly into an outlet attached
to a wall, such as the power cord catching on a part of tray and
becoming damaged, can be avoided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a piece of furniture with a screen in a
storage attitude, (a) being a front view thereof, and (b) being a
rear view thereof;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a side view of the piece of furniture with the
screen in the storage attitude;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the piece of furniture with the
screen in the storage attitude;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a front view of the piece of furniture with the
screen in a usage attitude;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a side view of the piece of furniture with the
screen in the usage attitude;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the piece of furniture with the
screen in the usage attitude;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the shape of a main
body and a carrying member;
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates a tray, (a) being a perspective view
thereof and (b) being a rear view thereof;
[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates the tray, (a) being a bottom view thereof
and (b) being a longitudinal sectional side view thereof;
[0026] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a corner supporting
member;
[0027] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the main parts of the corner
supporting member when provided with a speaker;
[0028] FIG. 12 is a front view showing another piece of furniture
comprising a back board;
[0029] FIG. 13 is a rear view showing the other piece of furniture
comprising the back board;
[0030] FIG. 14 is a side view showing the other piece of furniture
comprising the back board;
[0031] FIG. 15 is a front view showing a screen provided on the
piece of furniture shown in FIG. 12 in a usage attitude;
[0032] FIG. 16 is a plan view showing an attachment portion of the
back board and the supporting member; and
[0033] FIG. 17 is a front view showing a plasma display attached to
the back board of the piece of furniture shown in FIG. 13.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0034] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below
with reference to the drawings.
[0035] FIGS. 1(a), (b), 2, and 3 illustrate a piece of furniture
with a screen (to be referred to as "piece of furniture" or
"furniture" below) in which a screen (the size (magnitude) of which
may differ from that shown in the drawing) 1 shown in FIG. 4 is
stored. This piece of furniture comprises a wooden (metallic,
synthetic resin, or other constitutions are also possible) main
body 2 which is substantially rectangular when seen from above, and
a drawer 3 provided therein which is movable between a pulled-out
position in which the drawer 3 is pulled-out frontward and a
storage position in which the drawer 3 is stored inside the main
body 2. The screen 1 is rolled up and stored inside the drawer 3.
As shown in FIGS. 1(a), (b), 2, and 10, corner supporting members 6
formed in a substantially L-shaped form when seen from above and
constituted by a rear plate portion 4 and a side plate portion 5
which contact each other along the rear face of the supporting
member main body 2 and the adjacent side face thereto on either the
left or right side are connected to the respective rear side corner
portions on both sides of the main body 2 in the left/right
direction by screws B2, and support legs 10 constituted by a front
side base portion 7 which contacts the floor surface in a position
frontward (any position is possible provided it is in front of the
screen 1 as shown in FIG. 2) of the front end face of the closed
drawer 3, a rear side base portion 8 which contacts the ground
slightly rearward of the central position of the side plate portion
5 in a front-back direction, and a plate-form support portion 9
which is attached to the base portions 7, 8 and fixed to the
supporting member 6 by screws B4, are provided on the left/right
pair of supporting members 6, 6. By setting the upper end of the
supporting members 6, 6 at a substantially equal height to the
upper end of the main body 2, reductions in the overall size and
weight of the furniture can be achieved. Further, by forming the
supporting members 6, 6 in an L-shape, strength is improved in
comparison with a planar member, although the supporting member may
be constituted by a slightly thickened planar member. Forming the
main body 2 in a rectangular, square, or similar shape is
advantageous from the point of view of manufacture of the
supporting members 6 and handling, such as transportation and the
like, of the furniture. However, the main body 2 may be constituted
in any form, including an elliptical form or polygonal forms such
as a triangle.
[0036] The front side base portion 7 and rear side base portion 8
are respectively attached to the support portion 9 by screwing
using screws, and by rotating the base portions 7, 8, they can be
moved up and down in respect of the support portion 9. This is
advantageous in that the height at which the furniture contacts the
ground can be adjusted in accordance with irregularities,
protrusions, and so on in the ground surface, for example. However,
support legs in which ground contact height adjustment is not
possible may be provided. If support legs 10 which cannot alter the
ground contact height are used, the base portions 7, 8 and the
support portion 9 may be constituted integrally. The ground contact
positions of the base portions 7, 8 are advantageous in that by
disposing the base portions 7, 8 further to the front or rear in
the front-back direction, the furniture is less likely to fall
over. However, in order to reduce the size of the furniture, the
base portions 7, 8 may be set so as not to protrude greatly from
the front end and rear end portions of the furniture.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 7, the main body 2 is formed in
a box form with an open front face having a single space 2K into
which the drawer 3 can be inserted and stored, this space 2K being
formed by a top plate portion 2A serving as an upper face on which
objects can be placed, left and right side plate portions 2B, 2C
(in the drawing, only the right side is shown), a back (rear) plate
portion 2D, and a bottom plate portion 2E. However, the main body 2
may have a constitution other than that shown in the drawings. As
shown in FIG. 5, the drawer 3, which can be freely pulled out from
and inserted into the main body 2, is constituted by a front plate
portion 3A, left and right side plate portions 3B, 3C (in the
drawing, only the left side is shown), a bottom plate portion 3D on
which the screen 1 is placed, and so on. However, the drawer 3 may
have a constitution other than that shown in the drawings. Notch
portions 2H into which the rear plate portion 4 of the supporting
members 6 are inserted are formed on both the left and right sides
on the rear side of the main body 2 to move the center of gravity
of the main body 2 slightly rearward in respect of the supporting
member 6 such that the furniture is reliably prevented from falling
forward. However, the main body 2 may be provided without the notch
portions 2H. The drawer 3 is constituted to be slidable in the
front-back direction by the electric power of an electric motor
(not shown) or the like, but may be caused to slide by manual
force.
[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1(a), 2, and 7, a metallic carrying member
11 formed with a smaller front-back dimension than the front-back
dimension of the main body 2 in order to carry and support the main
body 2 and increase the overall strength of the furniture is
connected between the left/right pair of supporting members 6, 6
using screws B3. The carrying member 11 and the main body 2 are
connected in a vertical direction by screws B1.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, the carrying member 11 is constituted by
a frame body with a hollow interior comprising an angled tube form
rear side portion 12, right and left L-shaped side portions 13, 14
fixed to the two ends of the rear side portion 12 by welding or the
like and bent forward therefrom at a 90.degree. angle, and a
tubular front side portion 15 which connects the front end portions
of the left and right side portions 13, 14. Hence a reduction in
weight is achieved and the main body 2 can be securely carried and
supported. The material and form of the carrying member 11 are
freely modifiable. Further, if the strength of the main body 2
itself is increased, then the carrying portion 11 may be omitted.
When fixing the carrying member 11 and supporting member 6
together, screws B2 are screwed into screw holes 11b (see FIG. 7)
formed in the carrying member 11 through through holes 6K formed in
the corresponding supporting member 6, as will be described below
and as is shown in FIG. 10.
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the side plate portion 5 of the
supporting member 6 is formed with a protruding portion 17 which
protrudes outward in the front-back direction from a substantially
central portion of the side plate portion 5 to form an interior
space 16 which extends over the entirety of the vertical direction.
This enables strength to be enhanced and also, as shown in the
drawings, allows a cord 18 to be inserted into the interior space
16 and guided downward. Since the cord 18 inserted into the
interior space 16 (although not shown in the drawings, the cord is
a cord for other electrical equipment placed on the upper face of
the main body 2, for example a cord for a plasma display, and may
also be a power cord for the electric motor which drives the screen
1 or the electric motor which slide operates the drawer 3) can be
seen from the lower interior of the furniture, a cover may be
attached to the interior space 16 from the inside so that the
interior space 16 cannot be seen from the lower interior of the
furniture. Alternatively, the protruding portion 17 may be caused
to protrude inward. In this case, the interior space can be seen
from the exterior of the furniture, and hence a cover which seals
the interior space from the outside may be attached. By inserting
[into the interior space 16] a wiring duct (also known as a power
source duct) or the like for supplying a power source, which is
formed as a channel and buried in the floor, for example, the power
source of the plasma display or other electrical equipment placed
on the main body 2 may be easily ensured from the wiring duct
through an attachment power source plug outlet instead of using the
cord 18. A plug outlet may be used in place of the wiring duct. In
FIGS. 10 and 11, the protruding portion 17 is formed in a
substantially trapezoid form when seen from above, but may take any
form such as an arc form, a rectangular form, or an angled form. In
FIGS. 10 and 11, the reference numeral 19 indicates vertical
positioning grooves (which are formed over the entirety of the
vertical direction but may be formed partially) which are used when
screws are inserted to securely position the distal end (blade tip)
of an electric drill or the like used to form the screw through
holes 6K by locking the distal end of the drill so that the distal
end does not deviate from its position. The vertical grooves 19 are
advantageous in that the through holes 6K may be formed securely
and swiftly in the positions at which the screws B2 used to fix
together the carrying member 11 and supporting member 6 are
inserted. However, the vertical grooves 19 may be omitted. A
vertical groove 19 is also formed in the protruding portion 17 to
aid in the formation of screw holes for fixing a wiring duct (plug
outlet or similar) inserted into the interior space 16, but this
vertical groove 19 may also be omitted.
[0041] The reference symbol K in FIG. 3 indicates cover members
which, by latching onto the upper end of the supporting member 6,
cover the interior space 16 from above, and which are also used to
provide a cosmetically pleasing upper end to the supporting member
6.
[0042] A curved portion 5A curved outward into arc form is provided
on the end portion of the side plate portion 5, and as shown in
FIG. 11, this curved portion 5A may be used as an attachment
portion 5A for attaching a small speaker 20. More specifically, the
distal end of a rod-form arm 21 which protrudes from the small
speaker 20 is provided with a fitting portion 22 which is inserted
into the attachment portion 5A, a screw portion 22A is formed in
the fitting portion 22 so that a hexagon socket set screw 23 can be
screwed therein, and by screwing the hexagon socket set screw 23
into the screw portion 22A such that the distal end thereof is
forced to contact the inner face of the attachment portion 5A, the
speaker 20 can be fixed into position. However, the speaker 20 may
be fixed according to another configuration. Also, an object other
than the speaker 20 may be attached via the attachment portion
5A.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 16, the end portion of the rear
plate portion 4 is provided with a fitting portion 4A substantially
in the form of a reverse C when seen from above into which a back
board 24 may be fitted. This is advantageous in that the back board
24 can be attached easily and swiftly, but may be omitted. If the
back board 24 is provided, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the upper
ends of the supporting members 6, 6 are constituted to be higher
than the upper end of the main body 2 so as to be positioned
thereabove, and the back board 24 is fitted into the fitting
portions 4A, 4A from the upper face of the main body 2 to the upper
ends of the supporting members 6, 6. Note that in FIG. 15, a state
is shown in which the screen 1 is raised into its usage attitude
and two trays 31, 31 and a center speaker 33 to be described below
are provided in the lower portion of the main body 2. As shown in
FIG. 17, a plasma display (a liquid crystal display or the like is
also possible) 25 may be attached to the front face of the back
board 24 which is attached in the manner described above. By
providing a constitution as that described above, in which the back
board 24 can be attached, increases in size and weight may occur in
comparison with the furniture shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, but since
[the backboard 24 forms] the rear end, the center of gravity of the
furniture can be moved rearward, which is advantageous in that the
furniture becomes unlikely to fall forward. Further, by attaching
the plasma display to the back board 24 attached in this manner,
the plasma display can be attached with stability and without
moving the center of gravity of the entire piece of furniture
greatly forward. The other constitutions shown in FIGS. 12 through
17 are identical to those described above, and hence identical
reference symbols have been allocated thereto and description
thereof has been omitted.
[0044] As shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, the upper end of the screen 1
is supported by a supporting member 26 in angled tubular form
positioned at one end (the upper end) of a pantographic link
mechanism 27, and the lower end of the screen 1 is attached to a
screen winding spindle (a pipe may be used) J provided inside the
drawer 3. The pantographic link mechanism 27 comprises a pair of
upper links 29, 29, one end (the upper end) of which is pivotably
connected to a bracket 28 attached to the rear face of the
supporting member 26 in a substantially central position in the
left/right direction, and lower links 30, 30, one end (the upper
end) of which is pivotably connected to the lower ends of the upper
links 29, 29 and the other end (the lower end) of which is
pivotable connected to an attachment member (not shown) fixed to
the bottom plate portion of the drawer 3. Accordingly, when the
screen 1 is modified in attitude to the usage attitude, the drawer
3 is caused to slide forward in respect of the main body 2 using
the electric power of an electric motor or the like, as described
above, and then the screen winding spindle J around which the
screen 1 is wound is rotated by the electric power of an electric
motor or the like not shown in the drawing such that the screen 1
is unfurled, the link mechanism 27 is raised, and the screen 1 can
be modified in to its usage attitude (see FIGS. 5 and 6). When the
screen 1 in its usage attitude is to be stored, the screen winding
spindle J is rotated in the opposite direction using the electric
power of the electric motor, whereby the screen 1 is wound around
the screen winding spindle J and stored. Thus the screen 1 can be
modified in attitude to the storage attitude. The drawer 3 is then
caused to slide backward using the electric power of the electric
motor or the like, whereby the drawer 3 can be stored inside the
main body 2 (see FIG. 2). The drawer 3 and screen 1 may be operated
by manual power rather than electric power.
[0045] As shown in FIGS. 4 through 6, tray spaces 32, 32 in which
two trays 31, 31 constituted so as to move freely when audio
equipment is placed thereon may be stored and a speaker space 34
into which a center speaker 33 can be inserted and stored between
the trays 31, 31 are formed in the lower portion of the main body
2, or more specifically between the carrying member 11 and the
floor surface. However, a space in which only one tray 31 can be
stored or spaces in which three or more trays 31 can be stored may
be formed. In FIGS. 4 and 6, the three spaces 32, 32, 34 are
constituted by a single space, but may be constituted by three
spaces using partition plates or the like. By providing the center
speaker 33 in the manner described above, sound may be output in a
real fashion from a substantially central position in the
left/right direction of the screen 1.
[0046] The two trays 31, 31 have an identical constitution, and
hence one of the trays 31 will be described. As shown in FIGS.
8(a), (b) and 9(a), (b), the tray 31 comprises a plate-form
carrying portion 35 made of wood on which audio equipment is
placed, and a left/right pair of metallic plate-form vertical wall
portions 36 which rise upward from the left and right end portions
of the carrying portion 35. The vertical wall portions 36 each have
a horizontal portion which is formed by folding the lower ends
thereof in a horizontal direction and screwed to the lower face of
the carrying portion 35. The reference symbol 36A in the drawings
indicates three holes formed in the vertical wall portions 36, but
these holes 36A may be omitted.
[0047] A concave portion 37 recessed toward the front side is
formed on the rear face of the carrying portion 35, and an audio
equipment power outlet (in the drawing, two plug holes are provided
for the two pieces of audio equipment that can be carried on the
trays, but one, three, or more plug holes may be provided) 38 is
embedded in the concave portion 37 so that the power cords of the
audio equipment are not positioned on the exterior of the trays 31.
Substantially rectangular concave portions 39 recessed upward are
formed in two locations, on the left and right side, of the front
side and rear side respectively on the lower face of the carrying
portion 35, and non-direction changing casters 40 (constituted with
rollers that are attached so as to be rotatable only along a
left/right horizontal axis) are attached to each of the four
concave portions 39, thereby making the gap between the floor
surface and the carrying portion 35 as small as possible and
allowing easy handling of the trays 31 which can only move forward
and backward, in contrast to a case in which direction-changing
casters are attached such that the trays 31 move unexpectedly.
However, direction-changing casters may be attached to the tray 31.
A concave portion 41 into which a hand can be inserted is also
formed on the lower face of the carrying portion 35 in a
substantially central position between the left and right ends of
the front side, thereby enabling the tray 31 to be easily moved and
manipulated by a hand inserted into the concave portion 41.
Alternatively, a handle or the like which protrudes slightly
frontward may be attached to the front face of the carrying portion
35.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0048] According to the present invention, the screen is
constituted so as to be raised (pulled) upward, and thus a tall
main body such as that of a conventional piece of furniture need
not be provided, leading to a reduction in weight and convenience
from the point of view of handling. Further, the main body is
supported by corner supporting members with a smaller front-back
dimension than that of the main body, and thus a reduction in the
weight of the supporting members themselves can be achieved,
thereby further enhancing the weight reduction effect described
above. Although supporting members with a small front-back
dimension are used such that when the drawer is pulled forward to
place the screen in its usage attitude, the screen is positioned
far toward the front side, the main body can be securely prevented
from falling forward by the base portions which contact the ground
frontward of the screen. Hence a piece of furniture with both
reduced weight and superior product reliability can be
provided.
[0049] In the present invention, the supporting member is
constituted by a plate-form member in a substantially L-shaped form
when seen from above which is connected to the main body so as to
contact the rear face of the main body on the left and right corner
portions thereof and the adjacent side face thereto on either the
left or right side, and thus the supporting member can be made
thinner and lighter than a member in planar form. Also, the
supporting member can be connected to the main body without the
need for gutters, which is advantageous from the point of view of
handling and product finishing.
[0050] In the present invention, the main body is constituted in a
box shape with an open front face comprising a single space in
which the drawer storing the screen can be stored. By setting the
height of the upper end of the supporting member to be
substantially equal to the height of the upper end of the main
body, the weight and size of the main body can be reduced even
further, which is even more advantageous from the point of view of
handling.
[0051] In the present invention, the main body is constituted in a
box shape with an open front face comprising a single space in
which the drawer storing the screen can be stored, the upper end of
the supporting member is set higher than the upper end of the main
body so as to be positioned thereabove, and a fitting portion is
provided on the end portion of the respective rear plate portions
of the two corner supporting members. Hence a back board can be
attached by simply fitting the back board into the fitting portion,
which is advantageous in terms of assembly, and particularly
advantageous in that the center of gravity of the entire piece of
furniture can be prevented from moving forward when the drawer is
pulled forward and the screen is raised. The back board attached in
the manner described above may also be used as an attachment member
for attaching a plasma display or liquid crystal display, for
example, thereto.
[0052] In the present invention, the supporting members are formed
with a protruding portion which protrudes outward or inward to form
an interior space over the entirety of the vertical direction. Thus
an increase in strength is achieved and the interior space formed
in the protruding portion can be used conveniently as a space for
providing a wiring duct to supply power to the audio equipment
placed on the main body, or as a space for storing a cord for the
audio equipment and so on placed on the shelf boards.
[0053] In the present invention, an attachment portion to which a
speaker can be attached is provided on the end portion of each side
plate portion of the supporting members. Thus a speaker can be
attached easily and swiftly such that the system can be set up
simply.
[0054] In the present invention, a space into which a movable tray
for carrying audio equipment can be inserted and stored is formed
in the lower portion of the main body. This is convenient and
useful in that wiring and maintenance work can be performed easily
and quickly on the audio equipment placed on the trays in an open
area by pulling the trays out of the main body.
[0055] In the present invention, tray spaces into which two movable
trays for carrying audio equipment can be inserted and stored and a
speaker space in which a center speaker can be disposed between the
two trays are formed in the lower portion of the main body. This is
convenient and useful in that audio equipment can be placed on the
two trays in an open area by pulling the trays out of the lower
portion of the main body, and wiring and maintenance work can be
performed thereon easily and quickly. Further, by disposing a
center speaker between the trays, no special installation space
need be provided, and sound can be output from an optimum position
in relation to the screen. As a result, the value of the furniture
with a screen can be increased.
[0056] In the present invention, the tray is constituted by a
carrying portion on which audio equipment is carried and a
left/right pair of vertical wall portions which rise upward from
the left and right end portions of the carrying portion, and a
concave portion for inserting a power outlet for the audio
equipment placed on the carrying portion is formed on the rear face
of the carrying portion. Thus operations (including remote control
operations) from the front face of the tray, maintenance work, or
wiring and maintenance work from the rear face of the tray can be
performed easily, which is advantageous in terms of usability.
Further, by inserting a power plug of the audio equipment carried
on the tray into the power outlet, trouble which occurs when a
power plug attached to the distal end of a power cord of the audio
equipment is inserted directly into an outlet attached to a wall,
such as the power cord catching on a part of tray and becoming
damaged, can be avoided, and thus usage is favorable.
* * * * *