JP7611673B2 - Brace member - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a brace member that can be adjustably attached to a frame body after width adjustment of the frame body of a prefabricated gate, fence, etc.

Conventionally, prefabricated gates and fences having a frame body, as shown in FIG. 7, are known. The prefabricated gate 100 is attached between posts 5 erected on a foundation 6 so as to be able to open and close freely, and is fitted with a frame body 2 consisting of a pair of vertical frames and a pair of horizontal frames made of angle iron 3, a panel body 4 consisting of wire mesh or the like assembled within the frame body 2, and a brace member 20 attached diagonally to reinforce the frame body 2. Prefabricated gates and fences like this are assembled in advance in a factory or the like and then brought to the construction site for construction. A known form of brace member is a pair of brace bodies connected by a turnbuckle.

However, when assembling gates or fences in advance at a factory, the spacing between the posts may change depending on the conditions at the construction site when prefabricated products are brought in and installed at the construction site, and adjustments such as narrowing the width may be necessary to accommodate this.

There are various methods for narrowing the width in this way. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a gate is known that can easily expand or contract the distance between a pair of locking sources attached to the pivoting gate to match the front-to-rear width of the fixed gatepost and gate when locking the gate.

With this type of gate, there is no need to create separate locking pieces to fit the fixed gate post and the front-to-rear width of the gate, and adjustments can be made according to the spacing between the posts, while also reducing the number of parts.

As described in Patent Document 2, a gate panel is known that includes a frame body formed of left and right vertical frames and top and bottom horizontal frames, and a panel body attached to the frame body, the frame body having grooves into which the width ends of the panel body are inserted along the longitudinal direction, the width dimension of the horizontal frames being longer than the width dimension of the panel body, and the difference between the width dimension of the panel body and the lateral movable width that can be obtained when both side ends of the panel body are inserted into the grooves is greater than the difference between the width dimension of the horizontal frames and the movable width.

With this type of gate panel, when shortening the width of the gate panel, even if one of the vertical frames is removed and the horizontal frame and the panel body are cut flush at a specified position, the vertical frame can be reattached and the gate panel can be assembled without any problems.

JP 2007-308927 A JP 2018-3302 A

However, with conventional width shortening methods, because prefabricated products are used, there is a problem that the adjustment range for width shortening is small, and the width cannot be flexibly adjusted according to the conditions at the construction site. In addition, when the width of the frame body is adjusted, the diagonal length of the frame body also changes, so to accommodate this change, the length of the brace members is adjusted by adjusting the tightness of the turnbuckles, but this adjustment method has the problem of a small adjustment range.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a brace member whose length can be adjusted to match the diagonal length of the frame after adjusting the width dimension of the frame, such as a gate or fence.

The brace member of the present invention is a brace member that connects opposing corners of a frame body having a pair of vertical frames and a pair of horizontal frames, and comprises a brace body having a shuttlecock portion attached to the corners and an extension portion extending from one end of the shuttlecock portion and having a threaded portion formed at its tip, and a turnbuckle screwed onto the threaded portion, wherein the shuttlecock portion has a plurality of mounting holes formed at predetermined intervals in the extension direction, and a plurality of cutting grooves extending in the width direction are formed between the mounting holes , and the plurality of cutting grooves constitute a length adjustment means .

In addition, in the brace member according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cutting groove is a tool guide groove that guides a tool that cuts the shuttlecock portion.

In addition, in the brace member according to the present invention, it is preferable that a pair of the brace bodies are provided corresponding to the corners and connected by the turnbuckles.

In addition, in the brace member according to the present invention, the frame body is a gate frame body, and it is preferable that the brace member be attached to a corner of the frame body.

The above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute an invention.

The brace member according to the present invention has a cutting groove in the shuttlecock portion, so the length of the brace member can be adjusted by cutting the shuttlecock portion along the cutting groove, and a large adjustment range can be ensured.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prefabricated gate whose width has been adjusted using a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a brace body of the brace member according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the frame body in a width-adjusted state. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view showing the state of the connecting portion after the width has been adjusted. 1A to 1C are process diagrams illustrating a width adjustment method using a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a conventional prefabricated gate.

Below, preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prefabricated gate whose width has been adjusted using a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a front view of the brace body of the brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the frame body after the width has been adjusted, Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the state of the connecting portion after the width has been adjusted, and Figure 6 is a process diagram for explaining the width adjustment method using the brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the prefabricated gate 1 according to this embodiment has posts 5 fixed to a foundation 6 cast into the ground and arranged at a predetermined interval, and a gate 40 is attached between the posts 5 so that it can be opened and closed freely.

The gate 40 is attached so as to be freely opened and closed via hinges 41 attached along the axial direction of the support posts 5. The gate 40 also has a frame 2 having a pair of vertical and horizontal frames made of angle iron 3, a gate body 4 attached within the frame 2, and a pair of brace members 20 arranged diagonally across the frame 2. The intersecting vertical and horizontal frames of the frame 2 are welded so as to be approximately perpendicular to each other.

The angle iron 3 is a steel material with an L-shaped cross section, and as shown in FIG. 4, has an upper side 3a and a lower side 3b that intersect approximately perpendicularly. In addition, the gate body 4 can be made of various materials such as wire netting, mesh material, and porous material, and can be appropriately selected taking into consideration wind resistance and durability.

As shown in FIG. 1, the gate 40 has a reinforcing plate 7 that is arranged approximately parallel to the ground so as to connect the vertical frames. The reinforcing plate 7 is also fitted with a handle 8 that serves as an operating part for opening and closing the gate 40, and a latch 9 that can move along the extension direction of the reinforcing plate 7 is attached. By moving the latch 9 towards the support post 5, the gate 40 and the support post 5 can be connected and locked.

The horizontal frame and reinforcing plate 7 of the frame body 2 are cut to match the spacing of the posts 5, and the cut parts are connected by connecting members 10, 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting member 10 that connects the cut horizontal frame, i.e., the angle iron 3, has a clamping portion 11 that clamps the horizontally extending upper side 3a of the angle iron 3 in the vertical direction, and a reinforcing portion 12 that extends from one end of the clamping portion 11 along the lower side 3b of the angle iron 3, and is connected by a connecting means 13 so as to penetrate the clamping portion 11. The connecting means 13 can have various configurations as long as it can attach the connecting member 10 to the frame body 2, but it is preferable to use bolts and nuts, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, the joint members 30 for the reinforcing plates 7 are plates that can connect the reinforcing plates 7 cut to fit the spacing between the posts 5, and are attached in pairs at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction to correspond to a pair of reinforcing plates 7. The joint members 30 are attached using any number of mounting bolts 31.

The joining members 30 are attached in pairs at a predetermined interval to correspond to the reinforcing plates 7 so as not to interfere with the movement of the hook 9, but if they are attached in a position that does not interfere with the movement of the hook 9, they may be constructed from a single plate that connects the pair of reinforcing plates 7 in a series. By constructing the joining member 30 from a single plate that connects the pair of reinforcing plates 7 in a series in this way, the rigidity of the joining member 30 can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 2, the brace member 20 in this embodiment is a rod-shaped member in which a pair of brace bodies 21, 21 are screwed together with a turnbuckle 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the brace body 21 has a flat shuttlecock portion 23 and an extension portion 24 that extends from one end of the shuttlecock portion 23 and has a screw portion 25 formed at its tip. The shuttlecock portion 23 has a plurality of mounting holes 26 formed at a predetermined interval along the extension direction. The intervals between the mounting holes 26 are preferably set to about 50 to 100 mm, for example, and preferably about 70 to 90 mm.

In addition, a cutting groove 27 extending in the width direction of the shuttlecock portion 23 is formed between adjacent mounting holes 26. The cutting groove 27 is used as a cutting guide when adjusting the length of the brace body 21 by cutting the shuttlecock portion 23. At this time, it is preferable that the cutting groove 27 functions as a tool guide groove that guides the blade of a cutting tool, and the groove depth of the cutting groove 27 is formed to an extent that can ensure the rigidity of the brace body 21. Specifically, it is preferable to form the groove depth of the cutting groove 27 to 1/3 or less of the plate thickness of the shuttlecock portion 23.

The turnbuckle 22 described above is screwed into the threaded portion 25 at the tip of the extension portion 24. The turnbuckle 22 has female threaded portions 22a at both ends in the longitudinal direction into which the threaded portions 25 can be screwed, and connects a pair of brace bodies 21.

Next, referring to Figure 6, we will explain how to adjust the width of the gate 40 using the brace member 20 according to this embodiment.

The method for adjusting the width of the gate 40 using the brace member 20 according to this embodiment includes a frame cutting process (S101), a gate main body cutting process (S102), a joining process (S105) consisting of a frame joining process (S103) and a reinforcing plate joining process (S104), a gate main body installation process (S106), and a brace member adjustment process (S107).

In the frame cutting process (S101), the horizontal frame of the frame body 2 is cut to match the spacing of the posts 5. At this time, if the length of the horizontal frame of the frame body 2 prepared in advance is longer than the spacing of the posts 5, the angle iron 3 after cutting is cut to match the length of the posts 5, but if it is shorter than the spacing of the posts 5, it is possible to shorten or extend the width of the frame body 2 by preparing an extension material of a specified length after cutting.

In the gate body cutting process (S102), the gate body 4 is cut to a width that matches the spacing between the posts 5. Next, in the joining process (S105), the frame body 2 and gate body 4 cut in the frame body cutting process (S101) and gate body cutting process (S102) are joined together.

In the frame joining process (S103), the angle irons 3 of the cut horizontal frame portions are butted against each other, the clamping portion 11 of the joining member 10 is assembled to the butted portion, and the joining means 13 is fastened to the through holes 14 to adjust the width of the frame body 2 to match the spacing of the posts 5. If the length of the angle iron 3 is shorter than the spacing of the posts 5, the angle iron 3 after cutting and the extension member may be joined by the joining member 10. The frame body 2 is joined using the joining members 10 on both the upper and lower horizontal frames, but the joining members 10 attached to the upper and lower sides can be shared by assembling them upside down.

In the reinforcing plate joining process (S104), the cut reinforcing plates 7 are butted together and joined together by the joining members 30. If the length of the reinforcing plate 7 is shorter than the spacing between the posts 5, the cut reinforcing plate 7 and the extension member may be joined by the joining members 30.

In the gate body assembly process (S106), the gate body 4 cut in the gate body cutting process (S102) is assembled to the frame body 2 that has been assembled to match the spacing of the posts 5. The gate body 4 can be attached to the frame body 2 using conventionally known mounting hardware, or the gate body 4 can be attached to the frame body 2 by welding, etc.

The brace member adjustment process (S107) adjusts the brace member so that it matches the length of the diagonal of the frame body 2 after the width adjustment. Specifically, the shuttlecock portion 23 is cut along the cutting groove 27 so that it matches the spacing between the opposing corners of the frame body 2.

Next, the brace members 20, whose length has been roughly adjusted by cutting the shuttlecock portion 23 along the cutting groove 27, are placed on the opposing corners of the frame body 2, and fine adjustment is performed by adjusting the screwing position of the screw portion 25 of the extension portion 24 and the turnbuckle 22 so that it matches the diagonal length of the frame body 2 after the width adjustment, and the brace members 20 are attached to the corners of the frame body 2 through any of the mounting holes 26 of the shuttlecock portion 23. At this time, the brace members 20 are attached to the frame body 2 by selecting any of the mounting holes 26 of the shuttlecock portion 23 and attaching it with a fastening means such as a bolt. Fastening holes for attaching the brace members 20 are formed in advance in the corners of the frame body 2.

In this way, according to the gate width adjustment method using the brace member 20 of this embodiment, the length of the brace member 20 can be roughly adjusted by cutting the shuttlecock portion 23 to match the diagonal length of the adjusted frame body 2, and then the length of the brace member 20 can be fine-tuned using the turnbuckle 22 and the screw portion 25. This allows for a large range of width adjustment, and allows for flexible width adjustment of the gate according to the construction site. In addition, since the gate 40 can be created to match the spacing of the posts 5 at the construction site, it is not necessary to adjust the width by processing a ready-made product, and therefore manufacturing costs can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the gate 40 is described as a single-leaf gate attached between the posts 5, but it may be configured as a double-leaf gate with a pair of gates 40 between the posts 5. Also, although the description has been given of a case in which there are three mounting holes 26 and two cutting grooves 27 formed in the shuttlecock portion 23, these numbers can be increased or decreased as desired. For example, there may be four or more mounting holes 26, and it is not necessary to form cutting grooves 27 between all of the mounting holes 26.

Furthermore, when attaching to the corner of the frame body 2, it is not necessary to select one mounting hole 26, and depending on the required fastening strength, multiple mounting holes 26 remaining after cutting the shuttlecock portion 23 may be used for attachment. It is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Assembled gate 2 Frame 3 Angle iron 4 Gate body 5 Support 6 Foundation 7 Reinforcement plate 8 Handle 9 Hook 10, 30 Joint member 11 Clamping portion 11c Continuous portion 12 Reinforcement portion 13 Joint means 14 Through hole 20 Brace member 21 Brace body 22 Turnbuckle 23 Shuttlecock portion 24 Extension portion 25 Threaded portion 26 Mounting hole 27 Cutting groove 31 Mounting bolt 40 Gate 41 Hinge

Claims (4)

A brace member that connects opposing corners of a frame body having a pair of vertical frames and a pair of horizontal frames,
A brace body having a shuttlecock portion attached to the corner portion, an extension portion extending from one end of the shuttlecock portion and having a threaded portion formed at a tip thereof, and a turnbuckle screwed to the threaded portion,
The shuttlecock portion has a plurality of mounting holes formed at predetermined intervals in an extending direction,
A plurality of cutting grooves extending in the width direction are formed between the mounting holes ,
A brace member, wherein the plurality of cut grooves constitute a length adjustment means . 2. The brace member according to claim 1,
A brace member characterized in that the cutting groove is a tool guide groove that guides a tool for cutting the shuttlecock portion. The brace member according to claim 1 or 2,
A brace member characterized in that a pair of the brace bodies are provided corresponding to the corner portions and are connected by the turnbuckle. The brace member according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The frame body is a frame body for a gate, and the brace member is characterized in that it is attached to a corner portion of the frame body.

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