JP7520705B2 - Fixture and method for fixing panels - Google Patents

Description

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a jig and method for fixing panels used as exterior walls of buildings to furring strips.

Large-scale buildings such as warehouses and other logistics facilities, factories, and commercial buildings are often constructed by constructing a framework that serves as the skeleton of the building, and then attaching exterior walls, louvers, fixtures, windows, etc. to the framework. When a special exterior shape or design is not required for a large-scale building, the building can be constructed in a short construction period by constructing it with exterior wall panels (hereinafter simply referred to as panels) made of non-combustible insulating material such as rock wool sandwiched between steel plates (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-116823 A

One of the embodiments of the present invention aims to provide a tool and method for safely, at low cost, or in a short construction period, fixing a panel used as an exterior wall of a building to a furring strip fixed to the building's framework. Alternatively, one of the embodiments of the present invention aims to provide a tool and method for fixing a panel inside a building to a furring strip fixed to the building's framework, without assembling scaffolding around the building.

One embodiment of the present invention is a jig for fixing a panel to a furring strip. The jig includes a vice, an operation unit mounted on the vice, and a driver unit configured to support an electric screwdriver. The operation unit includes a slide mechanism that reversibly slides the driver unit in a first direction, and an operation mechanism for operating the trigger of the electric screwdriver.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for fixing a panel to a furring strip attached to a building. This method includes attaching a jig to the furring strip attached to the building and to a panel to be fixed to the furring strip, and operating the jig and an electric screwdriver supported by the jig from the furring strip side, and driving screws into the furring strip through the panel while moving the electric screwdriver in a first direction from the panel toward the furring strip, thereby fixing the panel to the furring strip.

1 is a front view illustrating a method of fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a cross-sectional view of a panel and a furring strip. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a jig for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a jig for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A to 1C are a side view, a top view, and a front view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a side view and a top view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2A and 2B are side views of a panel and a jig for fixing the panel, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and a top view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a side view and a front view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a jig for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a side view and a rear view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a jig for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a side view and a top view of a jig for fixing a panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a method for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a method for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a method for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a method for fixing a panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, and should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below.

In the drawings, the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part may be shown diagrammatically compared to the actual embodiment in order to make the explanation clearer, but this is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements having the same function as those explained in the previous figures may be given the same reference numerals and duplicate explanations may be omitted. When describing part of a reference numeral, a lowercase alphabet is added to the reference numeral.

The following describes a jig for fixing a panel to a furring strip, and a method for fixing a panel to a furring strip using this jig, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the following describes a jig and method for fixing a panel to a furring strip that is fixed to a building by manipulation within the building.

1. Furring strips and panels As shown in Fig. 1 (A), a building 10 has a foundation beam 12 connected to piles or foundation concrete (not shown), and frameworks 14, 16 connected to the foundation beams 12 as a basic skeleton, and the external shape of the building 10 is mainly determined by the frameworks 14, 16. A plurality of furring strips 18 extending vertically are fixed to the frameworks 14, 16. Each panel 20 is lifted by a lifting machine such as a crane, transported to a predetermined position, and attached to the frameworks 14, 16 using fasteners such as screws or nails (hereinafter, fasteners will be collectively referred to as screws 24).

The furring strips 18 have the function of supporting the panels 20 and are linearly extending frames made of metals such as aluminum or iron, or alloys such as stainless steel, wood, or resin. The furring strips 18 may be plates extending in one direction, hollow tubes, or rods without cavities. For example, the furring strips 18 may be so-called lipped channel steel, or square steel tubes with a closed cross section. The furring strips 18 may be lipless channel steel (parallel flange channel steel) or H-beams. At least a portion of the outer surface of the furring strips 18 is flat over the entire direction in which the furring strips 18 extend, and the panels 20 are placed and fixed on this flat surface. The length, width, and thickness of the furring strips 18 are arbitrary, and may be configured to meet, for example, Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) G 3350.

The panel 20 is configured to have a single-layer structure or a laminated structure, including wood, cement, metal, mineral fibers such as rock wool, calcium silicate, gypsum, resin, etc. For example, a structure can be adopted in which mineral fibers such as glass wool or rock wool, fibers derived from natural polymers such as cellulose fiber, insulation materials such as foamed plastics including polyurethane and polystyrene, calcium silicate, gypsum, etc. are processed into plates and sandwiched between a pair of metal plates, resin plates, wooden plates, etc. When a metal plate is used, the metal plate can include metals such as aluminum or iron, or alloys such as stainless steel, and the surface may be covered with an alloy film including aluminum or zinc. The length (length in the longitudinal direction) and width (length perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of each panel 20 can be determined arbitrarily. The length of the panel 20 is, for example, 1 m or more and 10 m or less, 2 m or more and 6 m or less, 3 m or more and 7 m or less, 5 m or more and 6 m or less, or 3 m or more and 5 m or less. The width of the panel 20 is, for example, 20 cm to 200 cm, 60 cm to 100 cm, 30 cm to 150 cm, or 30 cm to 100 cm. Hereinafter, the length direction, width direction, and thickness direction of the panel 20 are referred to as the x direction, z direction, and y direction, respectively. The x direction, z direction, and y direction are mutually perpendicular, and the plane that constitutes the main surface of the panel 20 is the xz plane. The direction in which the furring strips 18 extend is the z direction, and the z direction may be vertical.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a panel 20 is usually provided with a pair of rails 20a, 20b extending in the x direction on opposing long sides. When two panels 20 are fixed vertically to one furring strip 18, the rail 20a of one panel 20 is sandwiched between the rail 20b of the other panel 20. The panels 20 are configured so that the main surface 20c of one panel 20 and one of the rails 20b of the other panel 20 are approximately flush with each other, so the thickness of the panel 20 is smaller at the end 20d of the long side where the rail 20a is provided. The screw 24 is driven in so as to penetrate the end 20d of one panel 20 and the rail 20b of the other panel 20 and reach the furring strip 18.

As described below, the installation of the panels 20 is performed inside the building 10. That is, the installation of the panels 20 is performed by workers positioned on the furring strip 18 side of the panels 20.

2. Jig 2-1. Overall structure As shown in Fig. 2, a jig 100 for fixing a panel 20 to a furring strip 18, which is one embodiment of the present invention, mainly comprises a vice (clamp) 110, an operation unit 150 that is detachably attached to the vice 110, and a driver unit 200 that is connected to the operation unit 150. Each of the components will be described below.

2-2. Vice The vice 110 is a part that is fixed to the furring strip 18 by clamping the furring strip 18, brings the panel 20 to be attached into contact with the furring strip 18, and functions as a base for placing the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200. Therefore, as long as these functions can be performed, there are no restrictions on the shape and configuration of the vice 110, and it is not limited to the configuration and shape shown in the attached drawings. In the following explanation, the vice 110 shown in FIG. 2 will be explained as an example.

(1) Basic Configuration Figures 3(A) and 3(B) are perspective views of the vice 110 as viewed from the furring strip 18 side and the panel 20 side, respectively, and Figures 4(A) to 5(C) are plan views, top views, and rear views of the vice 110. In these figures, the furring strip 18 and the panel 20 are indicated by dotted lines and dashed-dotted lines, respectively. The vice 110 includes a fixed jaw 112, a sliding jaw 114, and an arm 116 connecting them.

The fixed jaw 112 is fixed to the arm 116 and has the function of clamping the furring strip 18 together with the sliding jaw 114 while abutting against the furring strip 18. The fixed jaw 112 has a main surface 112a that abuts against the furring strip 18 on the xz plane and faces the sliding jaw 114 in the x direction (see FIG. 3(A)). There is no limitation on the length of the main surface 112a in the x direction, and it may be the same as the length of the furring strip 18 in the x direction, or it may be shorter or longer than this length.

The fixed jaw 112 can be configured to overlap the panel 20 to stabilize its position when attached to the furring strip 18. Therefore, the fixed jaw 112 may be configured so that its length in the direction in which the arm 116 extends, i.e., in the y direction, is approximately the same as the thickness of the panel 20 (e.g., 50 mm to 70 mm). For example, the length of the fixed jaw 112 in the y direction can be 30 mm or more and 100 mm or less, or 40 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

The sliding jaw 114 is attached to the arm 116 so as to be reversibly movable in the normal direction of the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112, i.e., in the y direction, and faces the fixed jaw 112. The tip of the sliding jaw 114 is provided with a main surface 114a for abutting against the furring strip 18 (FIG. 3(B)), and the furring strip 18 is sandwiched between the main surface of the fixed jaw 112 and this main surface 114a, and the vice 110 is fixed to the furring strip 18. The number of sliding jaws 114 can be determined arbitrarily, and may be one or more. In order to achieve reliable fixation, it is preferable to provide multiple sliding jaws 114 so that they overlap in the z direction. The mechanism for moving the sliding jaw 114 can be selected arbitrarily, and may be a spindle 114b provided with a screw thread (not shown) and a knob 114c for rotating the spindle 114b. In this case, the arm 116 has a through hole that fits with the threads of the spindle 114b, and the sliding jaw 114 moves in the y direction as the knob 114c rotates.

Alternatively, as shown in Figures 5(A) to 5(C), the sliding jaw 114 may be a magnet 130 configured to be reversibly movable in the y direction. In this case, the sliding jaw 114 may be configured to be reversibly movable in the y direction by a lever (not shown), or the magnet 130 may be provided at the tip of the spindle 114b connected to the knob 114c shown in Figure 3(A). For the magnet 130, it is preferable to use a magnetic chuck that can switch the magnetic force on and off. By using a magnetic chuck, the magnetic force can be released or significantly reduced when moving the sliding jaw 114, making it easier to fix it to the furring strip 18.

The arm 116 connects the fixed jaw 112 and the sliding jaw 114, and can also function as a base for placing the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200. The shape and structure of the arm 116 can be determined arbitrarily as long as it fulfills these functions. When functioning as a base, the arm 116 is configured to have a main surface parallel to the xy plane, and the operation unit 150 can be placed on this main surface.

(2) Other Configurations The vice 110 may be optionally configured with a guide plate 118 for easily determining the position and direction relative to the furring strip 18. The guide plate 118 is connected to the arm 116 and/or the fixed jaw 112. The guide plate 118 may be provided as a plate having a surface parallel to the yz plane, and the normal line of the guide plate 118 may be perpendicular to the y direction and perpendicular to the normal line of the main surface of the arm 116. By abutting the guide plate 118 against the furring strip 18, the vice 110 can be fixed to the furring strip 18 in the appropriate direction and position.

The guide plate 118 may function as a base for mounting the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200. In this case, although not shown, a notch or slot may be provided in the guide plate 118, a hook may be provided on the operation unit 150 (e.g., a slide box 154 described later), and the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200 may be fixed to the vice 110 by hanging the hook on the guide plate 118.

The vice 110 may further have a panel stopper 120 to prevent the panel 20 being fixed from falling over. The panel stopper 120 is a part having a surface parallel to the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112, and is provided below the fixed jaw 112. The panel stopper 120 may be connected to the guide plate 118, or may be connected to the arm 116 or the fixed jaw 112. When the jig 100 is placed on the panel 20, the panel 20 is placed so that it is sandwiched between the furring strip 18 and the panel stopper 120 (see FIG. 5(A)). This makes it possible to prevent the panel 20 from falling over.

As shown in FIG. 6, the panel stopper 120 may be arranged so as to overlap the end 20d (see FIG. 1B) of the panel 20 in the y direction. Alternatively, the panel stopper 120 may be arranged so as not to overlap the end 20d but to overlap the main surface 20c (not shown). When the jig 100 is arranged on the panel 20, the panel stopper 120 may or may not contact the main surface 20c or the end 20d. In the former case, the distance D from the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112 to the surface of the panel stopper 120 on the fixed jaw 112 side in the y direction is the same as the thickness of the end 20d of the panel 20 or the thickness of the part excluding the end 20d (the part constituting the main surface 20c). In the latter case, the distance D is greater than the thickness of the end 20d or the thickness of the part excluding the end 20d. Therefore, when the panel stopper 120 overlaps the end 20d, the panel stopper 120 is configured so that the distance D is smaller than the thickness of the portion that constitutes the main surface 20c (i.e., the maximum thickness T _max of the panel 20).

The vice 110 may further include an alignment mechanism for stably positioning the operation unit 150 on the vice 110. The alignment mechanism may include, for example, a protrusion 126 provided on the main surface of the arm 116 (see FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C). The protrusion 126 is a part that protrudes in the z direction from the main surface of the arm 116, and the shape in the xy plane can be determined arbitrarily. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 4C, it may be configured to extend in the x direction perpendicular to the y direction, or, although not shown, it may be configured to extend in a direction inclined from the y direction and the x direction in the xy plane. As will be described later, the protrusion 126 fits into a trench 172 provided on the platform 152 of the operation unit 150, thereby making it possible to easily position and fix the operation unit 150 on the vice 110.

Alternatively, as shown in Figures 3(A) to 4(A), a slot 122 may be provided between the arm 116 and the guide plate 118 as an alignment mechanism. The slot 122 can be provided by forming a notch extending in the y direction in the guide plate 118. Although not shown, the slot 122 may be formed as a notch provided in the arm 116. As described below, when the slot 122 is provided, a protrusion 174 that fits into the slot 122 is provided on the platform 152 of the operation unit 150, and the operation unit 150 can be easily positioned and fixed on the vice 110 by inserting the protrusion 174 into the slot 122.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4B, an opening 116a extending in the z-direction may be formed in the arm 116 as an alignment mechanism. As shown in the cross-sectional views (FIGS. 7A to 7C) taken along the dashed line A-A' in FIG. 4B, the opening 116a may be a bottomed hole having a bottom surface (FIG. 7A), or a bottomed hole having a step (FIG. 7B). Alternatively, the opening 116a may be a through hole (FIG. 7C). When the opening 116a is provided, a protrusion extending downward from the platform 152 of the operation unit 150 is provided at a corresponding position on the platform 152, thereby making it possible to easily position and fix the operation unit 150 on the vice 110.

Alternatively, the opening 116a may be a clamp hole (FIG. 7(D)). In this case, a circular bottomed hole is provided on the bottom side of the arm 116 (the side where the fixed jaw 112 and the sliding jaw 114 are provided), and a rectangular opening reaching the bottomed hole is provided on the top side (the side opposite the fixed jaw 112 and the sliding jaw 114). As will be described in detail later, a T-shaped clamp 170 is provided on the platform 152 of the operation unit 150, and the clamp 170 is inserted into the opening 116a from the top side of the arm 116, and then the clamp 170 is rotated around the z direction as the axis of rotation, whereby the platform 152 is stably fixed on the arm 116.

The fixed jaw 112, arm 116, guide plate 118, panel stopper 120, and protrusion 126 are parts defined by their functions, and these elements may be independent parts connected by bolts, adhesives, or welding, or may be one integrated part. For example, the fixed jaw 112 and arm 116 may be one integrated part, a part of which functions as the fixed jaw 112 and a part of which functions as the arm 116. Similarly, the arm 116, guide plate 118, and protrusion 126 may be one integrated part, a part of which functions as the arm 116, guide plate 118, and protrusion 126, respectively, and these may be formed as independent parts and fixed to each other by welding or the like. Alternatively, the guide plate 118 and panel stopper 120 may be one integrated part, a part of which functions as the guide plate 118 and a part of which functions as the panel stopper 120, or these may be formed as independent parts and fixed to each other by welding or the like.

Optionally, the vise 110 may further include a spacer 128 (FIGS. 8A and 8B). The spacer 128 is a part that can be placed between the furring strip 18 and the arm 116, or between the furring strip 18 and the guide plate 118, and is preferably a magnetic part that can be attached to or detached from the arm 116 or the guide plate 118 by magnetic force. When using a furring strip 18 that has a small length in the x direction, if the vise 110 is placed so that the arm 116 or the guide plate 118 is in contact with the furring strip 18, the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112 and/or the main surface 114a of the sliding jaw 114 may not be able to abut against the furring strip 18, and the vise 110 may not be able to be fixed to the furring strip 18. In this case, the main surface 112a and the main surface 114a can be shifted in the x direction by placing the spacer 128 between the vise 110 and the furring strip 18, and as a result, the vise 110 can be fixed to the furring strip 18.

2-3. Driver Unit Fig. 2 and Fig. 9 show perspective views of the driver unit 200 as viewed from the panel 20 side and the furring strip 18 side, respectively. In Fig. 9, a part of the operation unit 150 is drawn with a dotted line. Fig. 10(A) and Fig. 10(B) show side views of the driver unit 200. As shown in these figures, the driver unit 200 basically comprises a housing 202, at least one slide shaft 210, a damper 208, and a screw holder 220.

(1) Housing The housing 202 is a part for supporting the electric screwdriver 22 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, there is no restriction on the structure as long as the shape and size are such that the electric screwdriver 22 can be supported. For example, the housing 202 may have a box-like shape, or may simply be a plate-like base for supporting the electric screwdriver 22. Alternatively, the housing 202 may be a plate, rod, clamp, or the like for fixing the electric screwdriver 22 to the slide shaft 210. The electric screwdriver 22 may be housed in the housing 202, or may be partially or entirely exposed from the housing 202. The housing 202 is configured so that the tip of the screw 24 for fixing the panel 20 and the furring strip 18 faces the panel 20 and the furring strip 18 when the screw 24 is attached to the electric screwdriver 22 (see FIG. 2, FIG. 10(A), FIG. 10(B)). For example, the housing 202 is configured so that parts (sleeve and bit) for attaching the screw 24 to the electric screwdriver 22 and a trigger for driving the electric screwdriver 22 face the panel 20 and the furring strip 18 .

As shown in FIG. 10A, the housing 202 includes a trigger lever 216 for operating the trigger of the electric screwdriver 22. The trigger lever 216 is configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the x direction, so that it can be in a state where it is separated from the trigger and a state where it is pressed in (see the curved arrow in FIG. 10A). The movement of the trigger lever 216 is restricted by an elastic body (not shown) such as a spring, and is configured to maintain a state where it is separated from the trigger in a steady state, or in contact with the trigger but does not operate the electric screwdriver 22. The trigger lever 216 is directly or indirectly connected to the cable 214, and rotates due to the action of the operation lever 160 described later. Therefore, by using the operation lever 160, the electric screwdriver 22 can be driven remotely, and as a result, the rotation of the screw 24 attached to the electric screwdriver 22 can also be controlled remotely.

(2) Slide Shaft The slide shaft 210 is fixed directly or indirectly to the housing 202 and extends in a direction toward the operation unit 150, i.e., in the y direction. There is no restriction on the number of slide shafts 210, and it may be one or more. In the example shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 10(B), two slide shafts 210 are provided so as to overlap in the z direction, and each is fixed to the housing 202 via a side bracket 204. The end of the slide shaft 210 on the operation unit 150 side is directly or indirectly connected to the operation unit 150. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, a connector 212 having a through hole 212a can be connected to the end of the slide shaft 210, and the slide shaft 210 can be connected to the operation unit 150 via the through hole 212a. The slide shaft 210 reversibly moves in the y direction by a slide mechanism (described later) provided in the operation unit 150, and thereby the housing 202 and the electric screwdriver 22 supported by the housing 202 can reversibly move in the y direction together with the slide shaft 210.

(3) Damper The damper 208 is a part provided to facilitate control of the relative movement of the housing 202 with respect to the screw holder 220 in the y direction. In other words, the damper 208 has the function of moving the screw holder 220 toward the operation unit 150 in the y direction, and further assisting in adjusting the pressure when pressing the screws 24 against the panel 20 via the electric screwdriver 22. There are no restrictions on the shape or structure of the damper 208 as long as it is configured to realize this function, and for example, the damper 208 has a damper rod 208a, a spring 208b that surrounds a part of the damper rod 208a, a guard 208c that fixes the position of the spring 208b, defines the position of the spring 208b, and functions as a base point for compressing the spring 208b, and an end stopper 208d that moves the damper rod 208a and the housing 202 in the y direction.

The damper rod 208a extends in the y direction, and the end on the operation unit 150 side is fixed directly or indirectly to the screw holder 220. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the damper rod 208a has its end fixed to the front bracket 206 to which the screw holder 220 is fixed. Therefore, the relative positions of the damper rod 208a and the screw holder 220 do not change.

The other end of the damper rod 208a is directly or indirectly connected to the housing 202, and the other end of the damper rod 208a is connected to the housing 202 so that the housing 202 can move in the y direction relative to the damper rod 208a and the screw holder 220. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 9, a support 209 is provided on the side bracket 204, and the damper rod 208a is inserted into a through hole formed in the support 209 and extending in the y direction. The damper rod 208a is configured to be able to move reversibly in the y direction while inserted into this through hole. However, an end stopper 208d is fixed to the other end of the damper rod 208a, and the support 209 is sandwiched between the damper rod 208a and the end stopper 208d. Therefore, the end stopper 208d prevents the support 209 from separating from the damper rod 208a, and the support 209 and the housing 202 connected to it can move in the y direction as the damper rod 208a moves in the y direction.

The guard 208c functions as a stopper that determines the position of the spring 208b. The guard 208c surrounds the damper rod 208a and is fixed to the damper rod 208a. The guard 208c and the damper rod 208a may be an integrated part, or may be independent parts that are fixed to each other by welding or the like.

The spring 208b is a coil spring that surrounds the damper rod 208a and is disposed between the guard 208c and the end stopper 208d. In a steady state (for example, when the housing 202 is at a position farthest from the operation unit 150), the spring 208b may be disposed so as to have a natural length and not to have a restoring force, or may be disposed so as to have a length shorter than the natural length.

When the slide shaft 210 is moved in the y direction, the damper 208, the housing 202, and the screw holder 220 move in the y direction. As described below, the screw holder 220 holds the screw 24 set in the electric screwdriver 22, so that by moving the slide shaft 210, the screw 24 can be brought into contact with the panel 20 and pushed in while set in the electric screwdriver 22. At this time, the screw 24 experiences resistance in the direction opposite to the y direction, but this resistance can be alleviated by providing a spring 208b.

If the slide shaft 210 is further moved in the y direction after the screw 24 has entered the panel 20, the front bracket 206 or the screw holder 220 comes into contact with the vice 110 or the operation unit 150, and the movement of these stops. If the slide shaft 210 is further moved in the y direction in this state, the damper 208 and the housing 202 move in the y direction while the front bracket 206 or the screw holder 220 remains stationary. Although the damper rod 208a is fixed to the screw holder 220 or the front bracket 206, the housing 202 can move in the y direction relative to the damper 208, so that the electric screwdriver 22 and the screw 24 set therein can be further pushed into the panel 20. During this time, the slide shaft 210 fixed to the housing 202 moves in the y direction, so that the spring 208b is gradually compressed and shortened. The restoring force generated at this time relieves the resistance received by the screw 24 and can be used by the worker to grasp the condition of the screw 24.

(4) Screw Holder The screw holder 220 is a part having the function of holding the screw 24 attached to the electric screwdriver 22, and is directly or indirectly connected to the slide shaft 210 so as to move in the y direction relative to the housing 202 and the slide shaft 210. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the screw holder 220 is connected to a front bracket 206 having a through hole, and the slide shaft 210 is inserted into the through hole. Therefore, the movement of the front bracket 206 on the slide shaft 210 allows the screw holder 220 to move in the y direction relative to the slide shaft 210.

Fig. 11(A) shows an enlarged side view of the screw holder 220, and Fig. 11(B) shows a rear view from the y direction. As shown in these figures, the screw holder 220 comprises a base 222 with a through hole 222a through which the screw 24 and the bit 26 for attaching the screw 24 to the electric screwdriver 22 can pass, a pair of claws 224 attached to the base 222, and a pair of elastic members 226 for restricting the movement of the pair of claws 224.

The base 222 is a part that is directly or indirectly connected to the slide shaft 210 and supports a pair of claws 224 and an elastic member 226. In the example shown in Figures 9 to 11 (A), the base 222 is attached to the slide shaft 210 via the front bracket 206. The base 222 and the through hole 222a provided therein are positioned and formed so that the rotation axis of the sleeve of the electric screwdriver 22 passes through the through hole 222a.

The pair of claws 224 are attached to the operation unit 150 side of the base 222 and are configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the x direction. The pair of claws 224 are cantilever levers, and are attached to the base 222 so that they can be opened and closed toward the operation unit 150 side in a so-called double door manner by the above rotation. The pair of elastic members 226 are parts that reversibly expand and contract in the y direction, and are arranged between the pair of claws 224 and the base 222 so as to contact the pair of claws 224. The elastic member 226 may be, for example, a rod that abuts against the claws 224 and a coil spring that surrounds it. The pair of elastic members 226 are arranged on the base 222 so as to give the pair of claws 224 a restoring force for closing the pair of claws 224 in a steady state. For example, as shown in FIG. 11(A), a recess may be formed in the base 222, and the elastic member 226 may be arranged in this recess. Each of the pair of claws 224 has a cutout 224a that faces each other (FIG. 11(B)). The notch 224a is formed with a size and shape that allows it to hold the screw 24 when the pair of claws 224 are closed by the restoring force of the elastic member 226. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11(A), when the screw 24 is set in the electric screwdriver 22, the screw 24 is sandwiched between the pair of claws 224, and the screw 24 is stably set in the electric screwdriver 22.

(5) Other Configurations As an optional configuration, the driver unit 200 may have a front stopper 218. The front stopper 218 is disposed on the vice 110 or operation unit 150 side with respect to the damper 208. The front stopper 218 is fixed directly or indirectly to the screw holder 220. For example, in the examples shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11(A), the front stopper 218 is fixed to the screw holder 220 via the front bracket 206. The front stopper 218 is a part that has a function of restricting the movement of the screw holder 220 in the y direction, and the relative positions of the screw holder 220 and the front stopper 218 do not change. As described above, when the slide shaft 210 is moved in the y direction, the screw holder 220 also moves in the y direction at the same time, but when the screw holder 220 or the front bracket 206 abuts against the vice 110 or the operation unit 150, the movement in the y direction stops. By providing the front stopper 218 so that the screw holder 220 or the front bracket 206 does not come into contact with the vice 110 or the operation unit 150, damage to the screw holder 220 or the front bracket 206 is prevented and the distance from the vice 110 or the operation unit 150 to the screw holder 220 can be adjusted. Preferably, the length of the front stopper 218 in the y direction is selected so that when the front stopper 218 comes into contact with the vice 110 or the operation unit 150, the tip of the screw reaches the inside of the panel 20 but does not reach the furring strip 18.

2-4. Operation unit A perspective view of the operation unit 150 is shown in Fig. 12, and a side view and a top view are shown in Fig. 13(A) and Fig. 13(B), respectively. The operation unit 150 is disposed on the arm 116 of the vice 110, and is a part having a slide mechanism that performs the function of reversibly moving the slide shaft 210 of the driver unit 200 in the y direction, and an operation mechanism that performs the function of operating the trigger lever 216 of the housing 202. Therefore, as long as it is configured to be detachable from the vice 110 and has the above two mechanisms, it can have any shape, structure, and size.

For example, as shown in Figures 12 to 13(B), the operation unit 150 can have a platform 152 that contacts the vice 110, a handle 156 that is attached to the platform 152 and acts as a slide mechanism, and an operation lever 160 that can be attached to the handle 156. The following explanation will focus on these slide mechanisms and operation mechanisms.

(1) Handle The handle 156 is connected to the platform 152 so as to rotate around a rotation axis Ar extending in the z-axis direction. The handle 156 is provided with a through hole 156a extending in the z-direction at a position intersecting the direction in which the slide shaft 210 extends, and is directly or indirectly connected to the slide shaft 210 via the through hole 156a. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(A) and FIG. 13(B), the connector 212 and the handle 156 may be connected using a connector 162 in which a bolt 166 that passes through a through hole provided in the connector 212 and the through hole 156a of the handle 156 and is slidable within the through hole 156a is sandwiched between a pair of plates 164. The rotation axis Ar of the handle 156 does not have to be in the z-direction, and may be in the x-direction. Alternatively, the rotation axis Ar may be inclined from one or both of the z-direction and the x-direction.

By rotating the handle 156 around the rotation axis Ar (see the solid arrow in FIG. 13(B)), the connectors 162, 212 move reversibly in the y direction (see the dashed arrow), and accordingly the slide shaft 210 moves reversibly in the y direction while passing through the slide box 154. As a result, the driver unit 200, which includes the housing 202 that supports the electric screwdriver 22, can be moved reversibly in the y direction.

The slide mechanism is not limited to the handle 156 as described above. For example, a screw-type slide mechanism may be used. Specifically, a through hole with a screw thread may be provided in the connector 212 so as to extend in the y direction, a spindle with a screw thread that fits with the screw thread of the through hole may be provided in the through hole, and the slide mechanism may be constituted by the spindle and a rotating knob that rotates the spindle. Alternatively, a rack-and-pinion type may be adopted as the slide mechanism. Specifically, a rod-shaped gear may be used for the slide shaft 210 or the connector 212, and the rod-shaped gear and a gear that fits with it may be used as the slide mechanism.

(2) Operation Lever The operation mechanism of the operation unit 150 exemplified in FIG. 12 to FIG. 13(B) is an operation lever 160 that can be attached to the handle 156. The operation lever 160 is a lever that rotates in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the handle 156 extends, or around a rotation axis that is inclined from the direction in which the handle 156 extends. By arranging the operation lever 160 near the end (grip 156b) on the opposite side of the rotation axis Ar of the handle 156, the operation lever 160 can be operated while operating the handle 156. A cable 214 is connected to the operation lever 160, and the cable 214 is directly or indirectly connected to a trigger lever 216 of the driver unit 200. Therefore, by operating (e.g., gripping) the operation lever 160, the trigger lever 216 can be rotated, and as a result, the trigger of the electric screwdriver 22 can be controlled.

The operation mechanism is not limited to the above-mentioned operation lever 160, but may be, for example, a grip 156b having a rotation axis in the direction in which the handle 156 extends. In this case, the operation unit 150 may be configured so that a cable 214 is connected to the grip 156b and the cable 214 slides as the grip 156b rotates. Alternatively, although not shown, the operation mechanism may be a slide switch or button attached to the grip 156b.

(3) Other Configurations A slide box 154 may be provided as an optional configuration on the platform 152. The slide box 154 is a housing having a space (e.g., a through hole) for the slide shaft 210 to slide, and can function as a stopper for preventing the slide shaft 210 from bending and for restricting the movement of the connector 212 toward the driver unit 200 side.

As an optional configuration, the operation unit 150 may have a grip handle 168. The grip handle 168 is a handle for facilitating transportation of the operation unit 150, placement on the vice 110, or operation of the operation unit 150, and may be fixed to the slide box 154, for example. Although not shown, multiple grip handles 168 may be provided. For example, one grip handle 168 may be provided on each of the top and side surfaces of the slide box 154.

In order to stably position and fix the operation unit 150 on the vice 110, a protrusion 174 or a trench 172 may be provided on the platform 152. For example, the protrusion 174 is a protrusion that extends in the x-direction within the xy plane, and may be formed in a shape that fits into the slot 122 of the vice 110. The trench 172 may be formed on the bottom surface of the platform 152 so as to fit into the protrusion 126 of the vice 110.

Similarly, a protrusion that fits into the opening 116a of the vice 110 (see Figures 7(A) to 7(C)) may be provided on the bottom of the platform 152. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 13(B), an opening 116a may be formed as a clamp hole in the arm 116 of the vice 110, and a clamp 170 that can be inserted into the opening 116a and rotates within the opening 116a to fit into the opening 116a may be provided on the platform 152.

3. Method of Fixing Panel to Furring Strip Hereinafter, a method of fixing the panel 20 to the furring strip 18 fixed to the building 10 using the above-mentioned jig 100 will be described.

3-1. Installation of the jig First, the panel 20 is transported to a predetermined position (FIG. 1(A)). A lifting machine such as a crane may be used for the transport. If another panel 20 has already been installed and a new panel 20 is to be placed on top of that panel 20, the new panel 20 may be installed so that the rails 20a of the lower panel 20 are sandwiched between the rails 20b of the new panel 20 (see FIG. 1(B)).

Then, the vice 110 is fixed to the furring strip 18. The vice 110 is fixed on the panel 20 so that the bottom surfaces of the fixed jaw 112 and the arm 116 are in contact with the panel 20 and the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112 is in contact with one side of the furring strip 18. If the vice 110 has a guide plate 118, the vice 110 is placed so that the guide plate 118 is in contact with the furring strip 18. Then, the knob 114c of the sliding jaw 114 is rotated to move the sliding jaw 114 toward the furring strip 18 in the y direction, and the furring strip 18 is sandwiched between the main surface 112a of the fixed jaw 112 and the main surface 114a of the sliding jaw 114, and the vice 110 is fixed to the furring strip 18 (see Figures 2, 3(A), and 3(B)). The vice 110 can be fixed as a task inside the building 10. If the length of the furring strip 18 in the x direction is short, the spacer 128 can be placed between the furring strip 18 and the arm 116, or between the furring strip 18 and the guide plate 118.

The electric screwdriver 22 is attached to the housing 202, and the screw 24 is set in the sleeve of the electric screwdriver 22 via the bit 26, which is a part of the electric screwdriver 22 (Figure 14). At this time, the screw 24 is set so that it is sandwiched between a pair of claws 224 by the restoring force of the elastic member 226. After that, the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200 are placed on the vice 110. For example, the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200 can be placed in the appropriate position by fitting the protrusion 174 into the slot 122 of the vice 110, or fitting the trench 172 formed in the platform 152 of the operation unit 150 into the protrusion 126 of the vice 110. If a clamp 170 is provided, the clamp 170 can be operated to more firmly fix the operation unit 150 and the driver unit 200 to the vice 110. As a result, the electric screwdriver 22 is placed with the tip of the screw 24 facing the panel 20 or the furring strip 18 side. Setting the screws 24 and arranging the operation unit 150 and driver unit 200 can also be performed as work inside the building 10. The screws 24 and bits 26 may be set after the driver unit 200 and operation unit 150 are placed on the vice 110. Through the above process, the jig 100 can be attached to the furring strips 18 fixed to the building 10 and to the panels 20 attached to the furring strips 18.

3-2. Driving the screws Next, the operation unit 150 is operated from the building 10 side to drive the screws 24. Specifically, the handle 156 is rotated around the rotation axis Ar (FIG. 13B) to move the slide shaft 210 in the y direction. This causes the housing 202 to move in the y direction at the same time. In addition, the damper 208 and the housing 202 move in the y direction due to the action of the end stopper 208d, and the screw holder 220 also moves in the y direction, so that the tip of the screw 24 can be abutted against the panel 20 (FIG. 15A). Note that, before the tip of the screw 24 is abutted against the panel 20, a recess may be formed in the panel 20 (e.g., the rail 20a) at the position where the screw 24 abuts in order to facilitate the insertion of the screw 24.

Then, the operating lever 160 is operated to rotate the trigger lever 216 and operate the trigger 22a (Fig. 15(B)). As a result, the screw 24 starts to rotate. In this state, the handle 156 is further rotated to move the housing 202 in the y direction, thereby pushing the rotating screw 24 into the panel 20. As a result, the screw 24 is inserted into the panel 20 (Fig. 16(A)).

After the screw 24 is inserted into the panel 20, the front stopper 218 comes into contact with the vice 110 or the operation unit 150. In the example shown in FIG. 16(A), the front stopper 218 comes into contact with the slide box 154 of the operation unit 150. Because the front stopper 218 is connected to the screw holder 220, the movement of the screw holder 220 in the y direction stops at this stage.

After that, when the handle 156 is further rotated to move the slide shaft 210 in the y direction, the end stopper 208d moves the housing 202 in the y direction via the support 209. Therefore, the housing 202 and the electric screwdriver 22 move in the y direction while the position of the screw holder 220 remains fixed. As a result, the screw 24 moves further in the y direction while opening the pair of claws 224 with its head, and enters the furring strip 18 (Figure 16 (B)). At this time, the spring 208b provided in the damper 208 contracts, generating a restoring force. This restoring force reduces the resistance that the screw 24 receives. In addition, the worker can adjust the force used to rotate the handle 156 while feeling the magnitude of this restoring force, so that he or she can grasp the condition of the screw 24.

When the handle 156 is further rotated to move the slide shaft 210 in the y direction, the screw 24 passes completely between the pair of claws 224, and the pair of claws 224 is closed by the action of the elastic member 226. However, the electric screwdriver 22 can move in the y direction with the bit 26 sandwiched between the pair of claws 224, so the screw 24 can be driven in until the head comes into contact with the panel 20 (Figure 17). After this, the operating lever 160 is released to stop the electric screwdriver 22, and the handle 156 is rotated in the opposite direction to return the driver unit 200 to its original position. Through the above process, the panel 20 can be fixed to the furring strip 18.

As described above, by using the jig 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, all of the work of fixing the panel 20 to the furring strip 18 can be done on the furring strip 18 side, i.e., inside the building 10. For this reason, in the past, in order to fix the panel 20, it was necessary to fix scaffolding around the building 10 and place workers outside the building 10 to perform the work, but by applying the method using the jig 100, it is no longer necessary to assemble and remove the scaffolding, making it possible to significantly shorten the construction period and reduce construction costs. In addition, the effects of weather can also be reduced. Furthermore, since the workers can work inside the building 10, they are freed from unstable work on the scaffolding and can work in a safer environment.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention may be combined as appropriate to the extent that they are not mutually inconsistent. Any embodiment in which a person skilled in the art has appropriately added or deleted components or modified the design based on each embodiment is also included within the scope of the present invention as long as it contains the gist of the present invention.

Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those provided by the above-mentioned embodiments, those that are clear from the description in this specification or that can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be provided by the present invention.

10: Building, 12: Foundation beam, 14: Body, 16: Body, 18: Furring strip, 20: Panel, 20a: Rail, 20b: Rail, 20c: Main surface, 20d: End, 22: Electric screwdriver, 22a: Trigger, 24: Screw, 26: Bit, 100: Jig, 110: Vice, 112: Fixed jaw, 112a: Main surface, 114: Slide jaw, 114a: Main surface, 114b: Spindle, 114c: Knob, 116: Arm, 116a: Opening, 118: Guide plate, 120: Panel stopper, 122: Slot, 126: Protrusion, 128: Spacer, 130: Magnet, 150: Operation unit, 152: Platform, 154: Slide box, 156: Handle, 156a: Through hole, 156b: G Lip, 160: Operating lever, 162: Connector, 164: Plate, 166: Bolt, 168: Grip handle, 170: Clamp, 172: Trench, 174: Protrusion, 200: Driver unit, 202: Housing, 204: Side bracket, 206: Front bracket, 208: Damper, 208a: Damper rod, 208b: Spring, 208c: Guard, 208d: End stopper, 209: Support, 210: Slide shaft, 212: Connector, 212a: Through hole, 214: Cable, 216: Trigger lever, 218: Front stopper, 220: Screw holder, 222: Base, 222a: Through hole, 224: Claw, 224a: Notch, 226: Elastic member

Claims (21)

vise,
an operation unit attached to the vice; and a driver unit configured to support an electric driver;
The operation unit includes:
A jig for fixing a panel to a furring strip, the jig comprising: a slide mechanism for reversibly sliding the driver unit in a first direction; and an operation mechanism for operating a trigger of the electric driver. The operation unit is attached on the vice so as to be detachable from the vice,
The driver unit is connected to the operation unit and includes a housing that supports the electric driver and a slide shaft that is fixed to the housing and extends in the first direction,
The jig according to claim 1 , wherein the slide mechanism reversibly slides the slide shaft in the first direction. The vise is
Fixed jaw,
The jig of claim 1 , comprising: a sliding jaw that faces the fixed jaw in a first direction and is configured to reversibly slide in the first direction; and an arm that connects the fixed jaw and the sliding jaw. The jig according to claim 2, wherein the driver unit includes a screw holder for holding a screw, which is attached to the slide shaft so as to be reversibly movable relative to the slide shaft in the first direction. The jig according to claim 2, wherein the slide mechanism is a handle that rotates about a rotation axis that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and is connected to the slide shaft. the operation mechanism is a control lever connected to the slide mechanism,
The driver unit includes a lever for operating a trigger of the electric driver,
The jig of claim 1 , wherein the trigger and the lever are connected to each other via a cable. The vise further includes a panel stopper connected to the arm or the fixed jaw and positioned on the opposite side of the fixed jaw with respect to the sliding jaw in the first direction;
the panel stopper has a first surface facing the slide jaw;
The jig according to claim 3 , wherein a distance from a main surface of the fixed jaw on the sliding jaw side to the first surface is smaller than a maximum thickness of the panel. the vise further comprises a guide plate coupled to the arm;
The jig according to claim 3 , wherein a normal to a principal surface of the guide plate is perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to a normal to a principal surface of the arm facing the operation unit. the vice has a slot between the guide plate and the arm;
The jig according to claim 8 , wherein the operation unit has a protrusion that fits into the slot. the vice has a protrusion on the arm;
The jig according to claim 3 , wherein the operation unit has a recess that fits with the protrusion. the screw holder has a pair of claws that open and close in a double door manner in the first direction, and a pair of elastic bodies that regulate the movement of each of the pair of claws,
The pair of elastic bodies are configured to close the pair of claws in a steady state,
The jig according to claim 4 , wherein each of the pair of claws has a notch that faces each other when in a closed state. The fixture of claim 3, wherein the sliding jaw is a magnetic chuck configured to move reversibly in the first direction. The jig according to claim 3, further comprising a spacer disposed on the fixed jaw side or the sliding jaw side of the arm. Attaching a jig to a furring strip attached to a building and to a panel fixed to the furring strip; and
The method includes operating the jig and the electric screwdriver supported by the jig from the furring strip side, and driving a screw into the furring strip through the panel while moving the electric screwdriver in a first direction from the panel toward the furring strip, thereby fixing the panel to the furring strip;
The jig includes a vice;
A method of fixing a panel to a furring strip, the jig being attached by clamping the furring strip on the panel with the vice . The jig is
an operation unit that is detachably attached to the vice; and a driver unit that is configured to support the electric driver,
The method according to claim 14 , wherein the movement of the power screwdriver is performed using a slide mechanism provided in the operation unit. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the driver unit includes a housing that supports the power driver, and a slide shaft that is fixed to the housing and is coupled to the operation unit. the slide mechanism is a handle that rotates about a rotation axis that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
The method of claim 15 , wherein the movement of the powered screwdriver is accomplished by rotating the handle. The operation unit includes an operation mechanism for operating a trigger of the electric screwdriver,
The method according to claim 15 , wherein the driving of the screw is performed while rotating the screw by operating the trigger using the operating mechanism. the driver unit includes a screw holder for holding the screw, the screw holder being attached to the slide shaft so as to be reversibly movable relative to the housing in the first direction;
The method according to claim 16 , wherein the screw is attached to the power screwdriver while being held in the screw holder. the screw holder has a pair of claws that open and close in a double door manner in the first direction, and a pair of elastic bodies that regulate the movement of each of the pair of claws,
The pair of elastic bodies are configured to close the pair of claws in a steady state,
Each of the pair of claws has a notch that faces each other in a closed state,
The method according to claim 19 , wherein the screw is held by clamping the screw between the pair of claws so that the screw is housed in the notch. The screw is driven in by
moving the housing relative to the screw holder in the first direction to move the screw relative to the screw holder in the first direction;
The head of the screw is brought into contact with the pair of claws to open the pair of claws,
The screw is passed between the pair of claws,
The method according to claim 20 , further comprising the step of pinching a portion of the power screwdriver with the pair of closed jaws after the screw has passed between the pair of jaws.

Images