JP7555855B2 - Plate joint structure, plate joint method, and cabinet - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a board joining structure, a board joining method, and a cabinet.

In conventional structures for attaching plate materials such as the top, bottom, and back panels to plate materials such as the side panels used in cabinets, it is common to attach dowels to the joints of the plates and apply adhesive. In this case, the strength that supports the cabinet varies depending on the amount of adhesive applied and the variations in the dimensions of the plate materials. Furthermore, there is a risk that the joints will become loose due to vibrations caused by opening and closing doors attached to furniture or cabinets, or due to heavy loads on the cabinet.

In order to prevent this joint from loosening, reinforcing members are sometimes attached between the boards, but these are exposed and conspicuous, which mars the appearance and may reduce the commercial value of the cabinet. Furthermore, the reinforcing members must be screwed to the boards that make up the back and side panels, and this screwing process adds time to assembly, which increases labor costs, making it impossible to assemble the cabinet at low cost.

In addition, when adhesives are used to assemble the cabinets, time is required for them to cure before the adhesive is completely bonded. This means that additional time is required to cure the adhesive, which is another reason why cabinets cannot be assembled at low cost.

In light of these issues, cabinets have been proposed that do not require adhesives when joining plate materials, and that aim to make the joints less noticeable and less likely to mar the appearance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 discloses a cabinet in which a first panel is provided with a first insertion hole that opens into the joint on the main plane, a corresponding second insertion hole that opens into the joint end face, the second panel is provided with a locking branch hole that opens into the main plane and communicates with the second insertion hole, a connecting member is inserted into the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole, a stopper protrusion is provided on the surface of the connecting member on the side inserted into the first insertion hole and an engaging portion is provided on the tip of the connecting member on the side inserted into the second insertion hole, and a locking member having a locking portion that engages with the engaging portion is inserted through the locking branch hole to fasten the connecting member.

JP 2002-106525 A

However, in the conventional cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to fasten the connecting member, it is necessary to provide not only the first and second connecting holes, but also a locking branch hole for inserting the locking member. Therefore, in the conventional cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the upper end surface of the locking member inserted into this locking branch hole is visible from the outside of the cabinet, it is conspicuous and may spoil the appearance. In addition, in the conventional cabinet disclosed in Patent Document 1, the joining structure is somewhat complicated, which leads to increased costs, and in addition, the use of tools and the need for a certain level of assembly technique are required, which places a heavy burden on the worker and makes the assembly workability poor (see Figures 1 to 4 of Patent Document 1, etc.).

In addition, in Patent Document 1, in order to fasten the connecting member 203, it is necessary to provide a locking member 204 in the locking branch hole 205. Therefore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires tools and techniques to provide the locking member 204, which increases the burden on the worker.

The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a plate joining structure, plate joining method, and cabinet that do not require adhesives, do not impair the appearance, are low-cost, and do not impose a burden on the worker.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the plate joining structure of the first invention is a plate joining structure for joining an end face of a second plate to a main plane of a first plate, the first plate having a joining hole extending in an in-plane direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the end face on the main plane and having an opening opened on the main plane, and inside the opening, a joining hole having a generally C-shaped cross section opening toward the main plane, both ends of which are elastically deformable outward and bent inwardly toward each other, and an engaging recess formed by a joined material fitted along the longitudinal direction, the second plate having a foot protruding from the end face and an engaging protrusion provided at the tip of the foot via a constricted portion in the thickness direction and capable of fitting into the engaging recess, and a stopper that fits into the joining hole and engages the foot or the engaging protrusion in the longitudinal direction .

The plate joining structure according to the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention , the joining hole is formed so as to be spaced apart from at least one side surface of the joined members.

The cabinet according to the third invention is characterized in that it includes a joining structure of plate materials of any of the first to second inventions, in which the foot and the engaging protrusion of the second plate material are inserted through the opening of the first plate material, and the engaging protrusion is fitted into the engaging recess.

A method for joining plate materials according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises a first plate material having a joining hole extending in an in-plane direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of an end face of the first plate material on its main plane, and having an opening opened on the main plane, and inside the opening, a generally C-shaped cross section opening toward the main plane, both ends of which are elastically deformable outwardly and bent inwardly toward each other, and an engaging recess formed by joined members fitted along the longitudinal direction, the second plate material having a foot protruding from the end face and an engaging protrusion provided at the tip of the foot via a constricted portion and expanded in the thickness direction from the constricted portion and capable of fitting into the engaging recess, and a stopper that fits into the joining hole and engages the foot or the engaging protrusion in the longitudinal direction, wherein the foot and the engaging protrusion of the second plate material are inserted through the opening of the first plate material, and the engaging protrusion is fitted into the engaging recess.

According to the first to fourth inventions, in the plate joining structure, plate joining method, cabinet, and cabinet assembly method of the present invention, the second plate has an engaging protrusion that is provided at the tip of the foot via a constricted portion and is widened in the thickness direction from the constricted portion, and can be fitted into the engaging recess. As a result, the member to be joined that is fitted into the joining hole of the first plate is clamped at both ends of the constricted portion with the foot and engaging protrusion protruding from the end face of the second plate inserted, so that the foot and engaging protrusion are engaged with the member to be joined, and the second plate can be joined to the first plate. As a result, the plate can be joined without the need for adhesive, without impairing the appearance, at low cost, and without imposing a burden on the worker. In particular, according to the first invention, the joining structure of the present invention further includes a stopper that is fitted into the joining hole and that engages the foot or engaging protrusion in the length direction. As a result, the end face of the engaging protrusion is engaged in the length direction by the stopper, and the second plate can be fixed in a predetermined position.

In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the joining structure of the present invention, the joining hole is formed so as to be spaced from at least one side surface of the joined members. This allows the side surface of the joined members to elastically deform without contacting or interfering with the joining hole. Therefore, when inserting the engaging protrusion into the joined members, the axes of the engaging protrusion and the joined members do not shift, making it easier to insert the engaging protrusion into the joined members and further reducing the burden on the worker.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cabinet. Fig. 2(a) is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint structure according to the embodiment before and after joining. Fig. 2(b) is a diagram illustrating an example of a joint structure according to the embodiment after joining. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the cross section A of the joint structure in FIG. 2( b ) according to the embodiment. Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of a joint structure provided with a fastener according to the embodiment before joining, and Fig. 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of a joint structure provided with a fastener according to the embodiment after joining. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first plate material in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second plate material in the embodiment. Fig. 7A is a perspective view showing an example of a foot portion and an engaging protrusion in the embodiment, and Fig. 7B is a view showing an example of an end surface of the foot portion and the engaging protrusion in the embodiment. Fig. 8(a) is a diagram showing an example of a joining hole in the embodiment, and Fig. 8(b) is a diagram showing a cross section B of Fig. 8(a) of the joining hole in the embodiment. 9A is a perspective view showing an example of a joined member in the embodiment, FIG 9B is a diagram showing an example of a side surface of the joined member in the embodiment, and FIG 9C is a diagram showing an example of a top surface of the joined member in the embodiment. Fig. 10(a) is a perspective view of the fastener, Fig. 10(b) is a view showing the top surface of the fastener, Fig. 10(c) is a view showing the side surface of the fastener, Fig. 10(d) is a view showing the front surface of the fastener, and Fig. 10(e) is a view showing the bottom surface of the fastener. Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing an example of fitting a stopper to an end portion, and Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing an example of locking the stopper with an engagement protrusion. Fig. 12(a) is a diagram showing an example of the inserting step, and Fig. 12(b) is a diagram showing an example of the pushing step. Fig. 13(a) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section before the engaging protrusion is inserted into the joined members, Fig. 13(b) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section during insertion of the engaging protrusion into the joined members, and Fig. 13(c) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section after the engaging protrusion is inserted into the joined members. Fig. 14(a) is a diagram showing an example of a back plate joining step, and Fig. 14(b) is a diagram showing an example of a bottom plate joining step. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing an example of a frontage material joining step, and Fig. 15(b) is a diagram showing an example of a side panel joining step. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cabinet according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
1, a cabinet 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is a shelf or the like including a plurality of plate materials joined by a joining structure 10. The cabinet 100 may be, for example, a sink cabinet that is attached under a kitchen sink. Furthermore, the cabinet 100 may be a hanging cupboard or the like that is attached to a wall surface, as will be described later in a second embodiment.

This cabinet 100 is constructed by joining together a first side panel 11, a back panel 12, a bottom panel 13, a front opening material 14, and a second side panel 15. In this cabinet 100, for example, the back panel 12 and the bottom panel 13 are joined together by a joining structure 10. Note that the other plate materials are joined together by other joining structures (not shown) that do not require adhesive, and therefore their explanation is omitted. In other words, the cabinet of the present invention only needs to include two plate materials joined together by the joining structure 10. The joining structure 10 will be explained in detail below.

(Joint structure 10)
2, a plate joining structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a plate joining structure for joining an end surface 2b of a second plate 2 to a main flat surface 1a of a first plate 1. Here, in the above-described cabinet 100, for example, the back plate 12 is the first plate 1 and the bottom plate 13 is the second plate 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, this joining structure 10 includes a first plate material 1 and a second plate material 2. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the joining structure 10 is a structure for joining plate materials in which a first plate material 1 has a joining hole 4 that is extended in an in-plane direction parallel to the length direction y of the end face 1b on the main plane 1a and has an opening 41 opened on the main plane 1a, and an engagement recess 42 formed by a joined member 6 that is bent inwardly and has a cross section of a substantially C-shape that opens toward the main plane 1a inside the opening 41 and is elastically deformable outward and is fitted along the length direction y, and a second plate material 2 has a foot 5 protruding from the end face 2b and an engagement protrusion 52 that is provided at the tip of the foot 5 via a constriction 51 and is expanded in the thickness direction x from the constriction 51 and can be fitted into the engagement recess 42, as shown in FIG. 2(b).

As shown in FIG. 3, the joining structure 10 is such that the foot 5 and the engaging protrusion 52 of the second plate material 2 are inserted through the opening 41 of the first plate material 1, and the engaging protrusion 52 fits into the engaging recess 42.

The joining structure 10 may further include a stopper 9 that fits into the end 40 of the joining hole 4 and engages the foot 5 and the engaging protrusion 52 in the longitudinal direction y, as shown in FIG. 4(a), and may be a plate joining structure in which the first plate material 1 and the second plate material 2 are joined as shown in FIG. 4(b).

The first plate material 1 may be wood, such as solid wood, plywood, laminated lumber, MDF (medium density fiberboard), or particle board. The first plate material 1 may also be metal, such as steel plate or stainless steel. The first plate material 1 may also be resin, such as acrylic, urethane, or FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics). As shown in FIG. 5, the first plate material 1 has connection holes 4 drilled in it, for example opening to the main plane 1a.

The second plate material 2 is a plate material for joining with the first plate material 1. As with the first plate material 1, the second plate material 2 may be wood such as solid wood, plywood, laminated wood, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), or particle board. The second plate material 2 may be metal such as steel plate or stainless steel. The second plate material 2 may be resin such as acrylic, urethane, or FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The second plate material 2 may be made of the same material, shape, or size as the first plate material 1, but is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 6, the second plate material 2 has a foot 5 protruding from the end surface 2b, for example. The second plate material 2 differs from the first plate material 1 in that the foot 5 protrudes instead of the joint hole 4, but the second plate material 2 may have a joint hole 4 drilled therein and the foot 5 protrudes from the first plate material 1. In addition, one or more joining holes 4 and one or more feet 5 may be provided in the first plate material 1 and the second plate material 2.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the foot 5 has a constricted portion 51 protruding from the end surface 2b and an engaging protrusion 52 that is wider than the constricted portion 51 in the thickness direction x of the second plate material 2. FIG. 7(b) is a view of the end surface 2b side of the second plate material 2.

The engaging protrusion 52 is inserted into the joined member 6 (not shown) and is provided at the tip of the foot 5 so that the foot 5 is engaged with the first plate material 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), it is preferable that the tip surface 52a has a rounded shape, but this is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that the tip surface 52a has a shape that is wider in the thickness direction x of the second plate material 2 than the narrowed portion 51. In addition, the boundary portion 52b between the narrowed portion 51 and the engaging protrusion 52 may be a flat surface parallel to the thickness direction x.

The joining hole 4 is drilled so as to open in the main plane 1a and extend in the longitudinal direction y, as shown in FIG. 8(a), for example. The joining hole 4 may penetrate only one end face, or may not penetrate both end faces. The joining hole 4 may be drilled, for example, extending to the end face 1b of the main plane 1a in the longitudinal direction y. Furthermore, when the joining hole 4 does not extend to the end face 1b as described above, an end 40 may be provided. Furthermore, the end 40 is provided simply for the function of the hole opening tool for opening the joining hole 4, and may not be required.

The joining hole 4 is formed so that the joined member 6 (not shown) is fitted along the length direction y. The joining hole 4 may also be capable of inserting the joined member 6 fitted along the length direction y in the length direction y. The joining hole 4 may have an opening 41 opened in the main plane 1a, and an engagement recess 42 inside the opening 41 that is wider than the opening 41 in the thickness direction x, as shown in FIG. 8(b), for example.

The opening 41 has a width in the thickness direction x that is, for example, larger than the foot 5 and smaller than the width of the joined member 6. The opening 41 is structured so that the foot 5 (not shown) can be inserted through the main flat surface 1a, but the joined member 6 (not shown) cannot be inserted through the main flat surface 1a.

8(b), the engaging recess 42 has a width in the thickness direction x that is greater than the widths of the foot 5 and the joined member 6 (not shown). The engaging recess 42 is structured so that it can be inserted in the length direction y of the joined member 6 when it is engaged. The engaging recess 42 may also be formed so that the side surface 62 of the joined member 6 and the side surface 42a of the engaging recess 42 are spaced apart when the joined member 6 is engaged.

The members 6 to be joined are, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), made of an elastic metal member, resin member, or other material that has a generally C-shaped cross section and is fitted into the joining hole 4. The members 6 to be joined are also provided with locking portions 61 in which both ends of the generally C-shaped cross section are bent inwardly toward each other as shown in FIG. 9(b). The side surfaces 62 of the generally C-shaped cross section of the members 6 to be joined are elastically deformable in the direction f toward the outside of the generally C-shaped cross section. The corners 61a and 62a of the generally C-shaped cross section of the members 6 to be joined may also be curved.

The locking portions 61 may be formed, for example, in a generally C-shaped cross section, such that the width d between them is smaller than that of the engaging protrusions 52 and larger than that of the constricted portion 51. The locking portions 61 are also formed such that the width d between them is larger than that of the engaging protrusions 52 as the side surfaces 62 elastically deform. The locking portions 61 may also be curved and formed such that the angle θ between them and the side surfaces 62 is smaller than 90 degrees when the cross section is generally C-shaped.

The stopper 9 is fitted into the end 40 of the joining hole 4. As shown in FIG. 10, the stopper 9 has an end fitting portion 91 and a bottom surface 92. Note that the stopper 9 is made of resin, but is not limited to this, and may be made of metal or other materials.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), the end fitting portion 91 is formed so as to be inserted into the end portion 40 of the joining hole 4 from the main plane 1a and joined to the end portion 40.

When the stopper 9 is fitted into the end 40 of the joining hole 4, the bottom surface 92 is formed so as to abut against the length direction y of the foot 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 11(b), and engage the foot 5 in the length direction y.

<Method of joining plates>
Next, a method for joining the plate members 6 will be described. As shown in Fig. 12(a), the joining method includes an inserting step S10 in which the members 6 to be joined are inserted into the joining holes 4, and a pushing step S11 in which the feet 5 are pushed into the joining holes 4 to insert the feet 5 into the members 6 to be joined that have been inserted in the inserting step S10.

First, in the insertion step S10, as shown in FIG. 12(a), the members to be joined 6 are inserted into the joining holes 4. At this time, for example, if the joining holes 4 are drilled to extend to the end faces 1b of the main plane 1a in the longitudinal direction y, the members to be joined 6 may be inserted from the end faces 1b. In such a case, the members to be joined 6 are inserted from the end faces 1b and pushed in the longitudinal direction y to be inserted into the joining holes 4. Also, when the joining holes 4 are drilled, the members to be joined 6 may be fitted into the joining holes 4 in advance.

Next, in a pushing step S11, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the foot 5 and the engaging protrusion 52 are pushed downward into the joining hole 4 in the direction perpendicular to the main plane 1a, thereby inserting the engaging protrusion 52 into the joined member 6 inserted in the insertion step S10.

Figure 13(a) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section before the foot 5 is inserted into the joined members 6. Figure 13(b) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section during insertion of the foot 5 into the joined members 6. Figure 13(c) is a diagram showing an example of a cross section after the foot 5 is inserted into the joined members 6.

In the pushing step S11, when the tip surface 52a of the engaging protrusion 52 has a rounded shape, a force acts on the engaging portion 61 in the direction f of the outer side of the approximately C-shaped cross section by pushing the foot 5 into the joining hole 4, as shown in FIG. 13(b). This makes it easier to insert the foot 5 into the joined member 6, and reduces the burden on the worker. In addition, in the pushing step S11, when the engaging portion 61 is curved and formed so that the angle with the side surface 62 is less than 90° in the approximately C-shaped cross section, as shown in FIG. 13(b), by pushing the foot 5 into the joining hole 4, a force acts on the engaging portion 61 in the direction f of the outer side of the approximately C-shaped cross section. This makes it easier to insert the foot 5 into the joined member 6, and reduces the burden on the worker. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13(c), the locking portion 61 clamps the constricted portion 51 and locks the engaging protrusion 52, thereby improving the strength of the joint structure between the first plate material 1 and the second plate material 2. That is, the engaging protrusion 52 easily fits into the engaging recess 42, and the locking portion 61 returns to its original position due to its restoring force, making it difficult to come off. In addition, when the boundary portion 52b between the constricted portion 51 and the engaging protrusion 52 is a flat surface parallel to the thickness direction x, the locking portion 61 locks the boundary portion 52b, making it difficult for the engaging protrusion 52 to be pulled out, thereby improving the strength of the joint structure between the first plate material 1 and the second plate material 2.

In addition, in the pushing step S11, if the side surface 62 of the workpiece 6 and the side surface 42a of the engagement recess 42 are formed to be spaced apart as shown in FIG. 13(b), when the side surface 62 elastically deforms outwardly into the generally C-shaped cross section, the side surface 62 and the side surface 42a do not come into contact and do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the axis 53 between the foot 5 and the workpiece 6 does not shift, making it easier to insert the foot 5 into the workpiece 6 and reducing the burden on the worker.

By carrying out each of the steps described above, the joining of the plate materials is completed. This allows the plate materials to be joined without the need for adhesives, without compromising the appearance, at low cost, and without placing a burden on the worker.

<How to assemble the cabinet>
A method of assembling the cabinet 100 having the above-mentioned structure will be described. In the assembly procedure described below, the back panel 12, the bottom panel 13, the front-side opening material 14, and the second side panel 15 are joined to the first side panel 11. Furthermore, the second side panel 15 is joined to the back panel 12, the bottom panel 13, and the front-side opening material 14. However, this assembly procedure is only an example, and the cabinet 100 may be assembled based on any other assembly procedure.

In this assembly procedure, the cabinet 100 is assembled in a back panel joining step S100 in which the foot 5 of the back panel 12 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the main plane 1a of the first side panel 11 by the joining method described above, as shown in FIG. 14(a), a bottom panel joining step S110 in which the foot 5 of the bottom panel 13 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side panel 11 by the joining method described above, as shown in FIG. 14(b), and a bottom panel joining step S110 in which the first side panel 1 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side panel 11 by the joining method described above, as shown in FIG. 15(a). The assembly is performed by performing a front panel joining step S120 in which the foot 5 of the front panel 14 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side panel 11, and a back panel joining step S100, a bottom panel joining step S110, and a side panel joining step S130 in which the joining holes 4 of the second side panel 15 are joined to the foot 5 of the back panel 12, bottom panel 13, and front panel 14 that were joined to the first side panel 11 in the front panel joining step S120, as shown in FIG. 15(b).

First, in the back panel joining step S100, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the foot 5 of the back panel 12 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side panel 11 by the joining method described above. At this time, a stopper 9 may be provided at the end 40 of the joining hole 4. This allows the back panel 12 to be engaged in the length direction of the joining hole 4, so that the plate material can be fixed in a predetermined position.

Next, in the bottom plate joining step S110, as shown in FIG. 14(b), the foot portion 5 of the bottom plate 13 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side plate 11 by the joining method described above.

Next, in the frontage material joining step S120, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the foot portion 5 of the frontage material 14 is joined to the joining hole 4 of the first side panel 11 by the joining method described above. Also, the back panel joining step S100, the bottom panel joining step S110, and the frontage material joining step S120 can be performed in any order.

Next, in the side panel joining step S130, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the joining holes 4 of the second side panel 15 are joined to the foot portions 5 of the back panel 12, bottom panel 13, and front panel 14 that were joined to the first side panel 11 in the back panel joining step S100, bottom panel joining step S110, and front panel joining step S120.

Assembly of the cabinet 100 is completed by carrying out each of the steps described above. In addition, other plate materials may be joined as necessary. This makes it possible to assemble the cabinet 100 without the need for adhesives, without compromising the appearance, at low cost, and without requiring special tools, making it easy to work with and without placing a burden on the worker.

Furthermore, by preparing the first side panel 11, back panel 12, bottom panel 13, front opening material 14, and second side panel 15 in advance, transporting them to the work site, and assembling them at the work site, it is possible to shorten the work time and reduce costs because they are easy to transport without being bulky. In addition, in such a case, the cabinet 100 can be assembled without using tools, reducing the burden on the worker.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a cabinet 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the cabinet 100 according to the second embodiment. The difference from the cabinet 100 according to the first embodiment described above is mainly that it is a hanging cupboard, and therefore this point will be mainly described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the cabinet 100 according to this second embodiment is a hanging cupboard that is hung on the surface of the wall 300 of a room 700, such as a kitchen, that has a wall 300, a floor 400, a ceiling 500, and a wall 600.

This cabinet 100 is constructed by joining a back panel 110, a first side panel 120, a top panel 130, a bottom panel 140, and a second side panel 150 together. In this cabinet 100, each plate may be joined by a joining structure 10, but this is not limited to this. In this cabinet 100, for example, the back panel 110, the first side panel 120, and the second side panel 150 are each joined to the bottom panel 140 by the joining structures 10, and the remaining joints are joined by other joining structures (not shown) that do not require adhesive.

According to the cabinet 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention, the back panel 110, the first side panel 120, and the second side panel 150 are joined to the bottom panel 140 by the above-mentioned joining structure 10, respectively, so that the cabinet 100, which is a hanging cupboard, can be provided with improved strength of the joining structure 10, particularly due to the vertical loads of the back panel 110, the first side panel 120, and the second side panel 150. In addition, according to the cabinet 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention, the back panel 110, the first side panel 120, the bottom panel 140, and the second side panel 150 are plate materials of similar shape and size, and there are few bulky accessories such as drawers. This allows for reduced transportation costs and is particularly suitable for assembly at the assembly site.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

1 First plate 1a Main plane 1b End surface 2 Second plate 2b End surface 4 Joint hole 40 End 41 Opening 42 Engagement recess 42a Side surface 42b Gap 5 Foot 51 Constriction 52 Engagement protrusion 52a Tip surface 52b Boundary 53 Shaft 6 Member to be joined 61 Locking portion 61a Corner portion 62 Side surface 62a Corner portion 9 Stopper 10 Joining structure 11 First side plate 12 Back plate 13 Bottom plate 14 Front side frontage material 15 Second side plate 91 End fitting portion 92 Bottom surface 100 Cabinet 110 Back plate 120 First side plate 130 Top plate 140 Bottom plate 150 Second side plate 200 First panel 201 Second joint hole 202 First joint hole 203 Joining member 204 Locking member 205 Branch hole for locking 206 Second panel 300 Wall 400 Floor 500 Ceiling 600 Wall 700 Room S10 Inserting step S11 Pushing step S100 Back panel joining step S110 Bottom panel joining step S120 Frontage material joining step S130 Side panel joining step

Claims (4)

A plate joining structure for joining an end surface of a second plate to a main flat surface of a first plate,
the first plate material having an opening portion that is opened on the main plane and extends in an in-plane direction parallel to the length direction of the end face of the first plate material, and a joining hole having an engaging recess formed inside the opening portion, the engaging recess having a substantially C-shaped cross section that opens toward the main plane, both ends of which are elastically deformable outwardly and bent toward each other inwardly, and formed by the joined members that are fitted together along the length direction;
the second plate member having a foot portion protruding from an end surface of the second plate member, and an engaging protrusion portion provided at a tip of the foot portion and expanded in a thickness direction from the constricted portion via the constricted portion, the engaging protrusion portion being capable of being fitted into the engaging recess portion;
a stopper that is fitted into the joining hole and engages the foot portion or the engaging protrusion in the longitudinal direction. The joining structure for plate materials according to claim 1 , wherein the joining hole is formed so as to be spaced apart from at least one side surface of the joined members. A cabinet comprising a joining structure for joining plate materials as described in any one of claims 1 to 2 , in which the foot portion and the engaging protrusion of the second plate material are inserted through the opening of the first plate material, and the engaging protrusion is fitted into the engaging recess. A method for joining plate materials for joining an end surface of a second plate material to a main flat surface of a first plate material, comprising:
the first plate material having an opening portion that is opened on the main plane and extends in an in-plane direction parallel to the length direction of the end face of the first plate material, and a joining hole having an engaging recess formed inside the opening portion, the engaging recess having a substantially C-shaped cross section that opens toward the main plane, both ends of which are elastically deformable outwardly and bent toward each other inwardly, and formed by the joined members that are fitted together along the length direction;
the second plate member having a foot portion protruding from an end surface of the second plate member, and an engaging protrusion portion provided at a tip of the foot portion and expanded in a thickness direction from the constricted portion via the constricted portion, the engaging protrusion portion being capable of fitting into the engaging recess portion;
a stopper that is fitted into the joining hole and locks the foot portion or the engaging protrusion in the length direction,
a step of inserting the foot and the engaging protrusion of the second plate material through the opening of the first plate material, and fitting the engaging protrusion into the engaging recess.

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