JP7709736B2 - Spring Holder - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a spring holder.

A typical vinyl greenhouse is equipped with arch pipes arranged in a line in the depth direction, a framework made up of multiple frame materials that are spanned in parallel between the arch pipes at a predetermined interval along the depth direction and have grooves whose opening width is narrower than the width of the bottom, and a sheet that is fixed to the frame materials and covers the framework. To fix the sheet to the frame materials, a wave spring is inserted from above the sheet while the sheet is inserted into the grooves of each frame material, and the sheet is fixed to each frame material by pressing it with the elastic force of the wave spring (for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, two wave springs may be inserted into the frame material to hold two sheets in place so that the sheets can be separated between the roof and gable or side surfaces of the greenhouse, or wave springs may be inserted to hold insect netting in place.

Therefore, a large number of wave springs are used in assembling vinyl greenhouses.

JP 2014-217295 A

The wave spring is a corrugated wire with alternating peaks and valleys, and is a long part with a length of about 2 m. It is difficult for workers assembling greenhouses to carry around a large number of such long wave springs while performing the assembly work.

As a result, when workers needed to use wave springs to assemble a greenhouse, they had to select only the number of springs they needed on the spot from a pile of wave springs that had been placed on the ground or on a cart beforehand.

And as mentioned above, a large number of wave springs are required to assemble a vinyl greenhouse, so workers have to repeatedly go and retrieve the wave springs, which reduces work efficiency.

In addition, because wave springs are long, corrugated wires, they are prone to becoming tangled when many of them are placed together on the ground or on a cart. Once the springs become tangled, workers must untangle the springs when removing them one by one from the ground or cart, which takes extra time and effort.

The present invention aims to provide a spring holder that allows the user to carry multiple wave springs while working, and that allows the user to easily remove the wave springs one by one.

In order to achieve the above object, the spring holder of the present invention is a spring holder capable of holding a plurality of wavy springs, and is characterized by comprising a base and at least two hooks whose base ends are connected to the base and which can be hooked from below onto different peaks of the wavy spring. With this configuration, different peaks of the wavy spring can be supported at two points by at least two hooks, so the spring holder can support peaks on either side of the center of gravity of the wavy spring. Therefore, the spring holder can stably support the wavy spring while suppressing the inclination of the wavy spring, so that the wavy spring is less likely to fall off the spring holder. Furthermore, even if the wavy spring tries to move laterally, the side of the valley of the wavy spring abuts the side of the hook, restricting the lateral movement of the wavy spring, so that the wavy springs are less likely to become entangled with each other.

The spring holder of the present invention may also include a hanging member consisting of a retaining hook or a retaining ring that suspends the base from clothing so that it can swing horizontally. With this configuration, even if the wavy spring held by the spring holder comes into contact with the sheet of the vinyl greenhouse during the work of assembling the greenhouse, the base can swing horizontally, so the wavy spring can be prevented from hitting the sheet hard, and the sheet can be prevented from being damaged by the wavy spring.

In addition, in the spring holder of the present invention, the base may have an upward projection in the center on which the hanging member is hooked. With this configuration, when the hanging member suspends and supports the base, the base does not shift relative to the hanging member, preventing the spring holder from wobbling and interfering with work.

In addition, in the spring holder of the present invention, the hook may be U-shaped, and a protrusion may be provided at the tip of the hook to narrow the opening width between the base and the tip. With this configuration, when removing the wave springs supported by the hook, multiple wave springs are less likely to come off at the same time, making it easier for the worker to remove the wave springs one by one from the spring holder and preventing the wave springs from falling off.

In addition, in the spring holder of the present invention, two hooks are provided on the base, extending from both ends of the base, and the base and the hooks may be made of a single wire that has been bent. With this configuration, the base and the hooks can be manufactured by bending a single wire, eliminating the need for welding or using connecting metal fittings to connect the base and the hooks, reducing the labor required for welding and the number of parts, and reducing manufacturing costs.

In addition, in the spring holder of the present invention, the tip of the protrusion may be bent in a direction away from the base end of the hook. With this configuration, the tip of the protrusion does not face the base end, so that it is possible to prevent the tip of the protrusion from damaging the wave spring when removing the wave spring supported by the hook, even without R machining the tip of the protrusion.

The spring holder of the present invention allows the worker to carry multiple wave springs while working, and easily remove the wave springs one by one, improving work efficiency.

1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holder body of a spring holder according to the present embodiment is attached to clothing of a worker via a retaining hook. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a part of a vinyl greenhouse, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the vinyl greenhouse. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holder body in the spring holder of the present embodiment. 1 is a front view of a holder body of the spring holder holding a wave spring. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of a holder body in the spring holder of the present embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holder body of a spring holder according to the present embodiment is attached to clothing of a worker via a retaining ring; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a holder body of the spring holder of the present embodiment is directly attached to clothing of a worker.

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to indicate the same parts.

As shown in FIG. 1, the spring holder 1 of this embodiment includes a holder body 10 having a base 2 and at least two hooks 3 whose base ends are connected to the base 2, and can hold multiple wave springs 11 by hooking each hook 3 onto different peaks 11a of the wave spring 11 from below.

The spring holder 1 of this embodiment further includes a holding hook 30 that can be attached to the clothing 20 of the worker and that serves as a hanging member capable of supporting the holder body 10 by suspending it. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, by hanging the holder body 10 holding multiple wave springs 11 from the holding hook 30 attached to the clothing 20, the worker can carry multiple wave springs 11 while keeping both hands free to carry out work.

To explain in more detail below, the wave spring 11 of this embodiment is a wave-shaped wire with alternating isosceles trapezoidal peaks 11a and valleys 11b as shown in FIG. 1. The wave spring 11 is usually cut to a length of about 2 m before use, but the length of the wave spring 11 is not particularly limited. The shapes of the peaks 11a and valleys 11b of the wave spring 11 are not limited to an isosceles trapezoidal shape, and for example, the peaks 11a and valleys 11b may each be arc-shaped.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wave spring 11 of this embodiment is used as a fixing member for stretching the sheet S on the frame FR of the vinyl greenhouse H. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the vinyl greenhouse H includes a frame FR consisting of arch pipes P arranged in a line in the depth direction, a plurality of frame members F that are spanned at a predetermined interval between the arch pipes P, P and have grooves whose opening width is narrower than the width of the bottom, and a sheet S that is fixed to the frame members F and covers the frame FR. Then, as shown in FIG. 2(B), when the wave spring 11 is inserted from above the sheet S with the sheet S inserted into the grooves of each frame member F, the elastic force of the wave spring 11 presses the sheet S against the inside of the frame members F and fixes it to each frame member F. As a result, the sheet S is stretched on the frame FR, and the vinyl greenhouse H is assembled.

In this way, the wave spring 11 of this embodiment is used to assemble the vinyl greenhouse H. However, the above-mentioned use of the wave spring 11 is only one example, and the wave spring 11 may be used for something other than the sheet S, for example, as a fixing member for fixing an insect net to the frame material F.

Next, each part of the spring holder 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the holder body 10 of this embodiment is formed by bending a single metal wire, and includes a base 2 and two hooks 3 whose base ends are connected to the base 2.

The number of hooks 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. Even if the number of hooks 3 is three or more, the holder body 10 can be obtained by bending and forming a single wire. The holder body 10 may be formed by forming the base 2 and each hook 3 as separate parts and connecting these parts by welding or connecting metal fittings. However, if the holder body 10 is formed by bending a single wire as in this embodiment, the labor required for welding and the increase in the number of parts due to the use of connecting metal fittings can be suppressed, and the cost of manufacturing the holder body 10 can be reduced. Furthermore, the holder body 10 is not limited to being made of metal as long as the required strength can be ensured, and may be made of, for example, synthetic resin.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base 2 in this embodiment extends horizontally and has a U-shaped protrusion 2a that protrudes upward from the center in the longitudinal direction. As a result, as will be described in detail later, when the protrusion 2a is hooked onto a retaining hook 30 attached to the garment 20 as shown in Figure 1, the base 2 is suspended and supported without shifting horizontally relative to the garment 20.

In this embodiment, the protrusion 2a is formed by bending it into a U-shape, but the shape of the protrusion 2a is not limited to a U-shape and may be a triangle or a square. The protrusion 2a may also be formed by welding a U-shaped piece, a hook piece, or a plate with a hole to the center of the length of a straight piece extending horizontally.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the hook 3 in this embodiment is U-shaped, having straight portions 3a extending downward from each end of the base 2, and opposing portions 3b that are slightly shorter than the straight portions 3a and are formed by folding back from the tip of the straight portions 3a to the left in Fig. 5. However, the shape of the hook 3 is not limited to a U-shape, and may be, for example, a V-shape or a C-shape. The length of the hook 3 may be appropriately determined depending on the number of wave springs 11 to be held by the holder body 10.

In the illustration, the facing portion 3b is inclined so as to fall outward while moving away from the straight portion 3a, but the facing portion 3b does not have to be inclined.

In addition, in this embodiment, each hook 3 is positioned with an interval of one valley 11b of the wave spring 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, each hook 3 can be hooked from below onto a different peak 11a of the wave spring 11. Then, even if the wave spring 11 hooked onto the hook 3 attempts to move laterally, the side of the valley 11b of the wave spring 11 abuts against the side of the hook 3, restricting the lateral movement of the wave spring 11.

When the wave springs 11 are held in the holder body 10 in this manner, even when multiple wave springs 11 are hooked on the hooks 3, the wave springs 11 cannot move significantly in the horizontal direction, and the wave springs 11 are unlikely to become entangled with each other. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical movement of the wave springs 11 is not restricted, so the worker can easily remove the wave springs 11 one by one from the hooks 3.

The center of gravity of the wave spring 11 is located in the center of the wave spring 11 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, when the two hooks 3 are arranged at an interval that allows them to be hooked onto different peaks 11a of the wave spring 11, as in this embodiment, the two hooks 3 can support the portions of the peaks 11a that are located on either side of the valley 11b that is located in the axial center where the center of gravity of the wave spring 11 is located. In this way, the holder body 10 can support the vicinity of the center of gravity of the wave spring 11, and can stably support the wave spring 11 while suppressing tilt of the wave spring 11 about the hook 3 as an axis.

In particular, when the total number of peaks 11a and valleys 11b of the wave spring 11 is an odd number, the center of the valley 11b located in the longitudinal center of the wave spring 11 becomes the center of gravity of the wave spring 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the portions of the two peaks 11a that are equidistant on either side of the valley 11b located in the longitudinal center of the wave spring 11 are supported by two hooks 3, the wave spring 11 is supported at two points equidistant from the center of gravity, so that the tilt of the wave spring 11 about the hook 3 as an axis can be further suppressed. However, the distance between each point supported by the two hooks 3 of the wave spring 11 and the center of gravity may be different.

In this embodiment, the two hooks 3 support the portions of the peaks 11a that are positioned on either side of the center of gravity of the wave spring 11, but they may also support portions of the peaks 11a that are not positioned on either side of the center of gravity of the wave spring 11. Even in this case, the holder body 10 can support the portions of the peaks 11a of the wave spring 11 at two points, so that the wave spring 11 can be stably supported while suppressing the inclination of the wave spring 11.

In addition, in this embodiment, the distance between the two hooks 3 is set so that they hook onto adjacent peaks 11a, but for example, the distance between the two hooks 3 may be made wider so that they hook onto a peak 11a that sandwiches two valleys 11b and one peak 11a. This widens the distance between the two points that support the wave spring 11, making it possible to further suppress the inclination of the wave spring 11 around the hook 3 as an axis.

Going back to Figures 3 and 5, the tip of the hook 3 is provided with a protrusion 4 that protrudes in a direction narrowing the opening width between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3. Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the protrusion 4 is formed into a U-shape by bending each end of the wire that forms the holder body 10 from the tip of the hook 3 toward the base 2 side, while folding the tip back to the left in Figure 5, which is the direction away from the base end of the hook 3.

In this way, in the holder body 10 of this embodiment, when the opening width between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3 is narrowed by the protrusion 4, multiple wave springs 11 are less likely to come off at the same time when removing the wave springs 11 supported by the hook 3, making it easier for the worker to remove the wave springs 11 one by one from the holder body 10.

In addition, the width of the opening between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3 is narrowed by the protrusion 4, so that if the holder body 10 is accidentally turned upside down, all of the wave springs 11 can be prevented from coming off at once.

In this embodiment, the width between the protrusion 4 and the base 2 is larger than the diameter of the wire of the wave spring 11, but if the hook 3 is elastic, the width between the protrusion 4 and the base 2 may be narrower than the diameter of the wire of the wave spring 11. If the width between the protrusion 4 and the base 2 is narrower than the diameter of the wire of the wave spring 11, the wave spring 11 hooked on the hook 3 can be prevented from falling off.

The protrusions 4 may also be formed by simply bending the end of the wire that forms the holder body 10 toward the base 2, in which case the tip of the protrusions 4 faces the base 2. The tip of the protrusions 4 is sharp because the end of the wire is cut, and there is a risk that the wave spring 11 will be damaged if the tip of the protrusions 4 comes into contact with the wave spring 11 when the wave spring 11 is inserted or removed from the holder body 10. In particular, if the wave spring 11 is coated with an anti-rust coating such as plating or resin, damaging the wave spring 11 with the protrusions 4 will cause the coating to peel off.

In contrast, when the tip of the protrusion 4 is bent in a direction away from the base end of the hook 3 as in this embodiment, the curved portion of the protrusion 4 faces the straight portion 3a, and when the wavy spring 11 is inserted or removed from the holder body 10, the wavy spring 11 does not come into contact with the tip of the protrusion 4, preventing the wavy spring 11 from being damaged.

The shape of the protrusion 4 is not limited to a U-shape, and may be a V-shape or a C-shape, as long as it narrows the opening width between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3. However, if the protrusion 4 is U-shaped as in this embodiment, there are no corners, which further reduces the possibility that the protrusion 4 will damage the wave spring 11.

Although not shown, the tip of the protrusion 4 that is bent away from the base end of the hook 3 may be curled further toward the top of the protrusion 4. This prevents the sheet S of the vinyl greenhouse H from being damaged by the tip of the protrusion 4 when the holder body 10 is attached to the worker's clothing 20.

Next, the retaining hook 30 as a hanging member that can be attached to the worker's clothing 20 will be described in detail. The retaining hook 30 in this embodiment is a so-called carabiner, and as shown in FIG. 1, it comprises a C-shaped hook body 30a and an opening/closing part 30b that is hinged to one end of the hook body 30a and can open and close the opening of the hook body 30a. The retaining hook 30 is attached to the worker's clothing 20 by hanging the hook body 30a through a belt loop hole 20a provided on the worker's clothing 20.

The hook body 30a does not have to be hooked to the belt loop hole 20a. For example, the hook body 30a may be hooked to a tool holder attached to the worker's belt or a ring-shaped part on the garment 20 other than the belt loop hole 20a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 2a on the base 2 of the holder body 10 is hooked onto the hook body 30a of the holding hook 30 attached to the worker's clothing 20, so that the base 2 of the holder body 10 is suspended and supported by the holding hook 30 so as to be swingable horizontally relative to the clothing 20.

In this way, when the base 2 of the holder body 10 is suspended and supported by the holding hooks 30 so that it can swing horizontally relative to the clothing 20, even if the wave spring 11 held by the holder body 10 comes into contact with the sheet S of the vinyl greenhouse H during the assembly work of the vinyl greenhouse H, the holder body 10 swings horizontally, so the wave spring 11 can be prevented from hitting the sheet S hard. Therefore, the sheet S can be prevented from being damaged by the wave spring 11 held by the holder body 10.

The holding hook 30 does not have to have the opening and closing part 30b. However, if the holding hook 30 has the opening and closing part 30b, the opening of the hook body 30a can be closed by the opening and closing part 30b after the base 2 of the holder body 10 is hung from the hook body 30a, so that it is possible to prevent both the holding hook 30 from falling off the garment 20 and the holder body 10 from falling off the holding hook 30.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, instead of the retaining hook 30, a retaining ring 40 formed by bending a metal wire into a ring shape, such as a round ring or double ring, may be attached to the worker's clothing 20, and the protrusion 2a of the base 2 may be hooked onto this retaining ring 40. Even in this case, the base 2 of the holder body 10 can be suspended and supported by the retaining ring 40 so that it can swing horizontally relative to the clothing 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, the holder body 10 is attached to the clothing 20 of the worker via a hanging member consisting of a retaining hook 30 or a retaining ring 40, but the holder body 10 may be attached directly to the clothing 20 without using a hanging member, for example, by hooking the protrusion 2a into the belt loop hole 20a as shown in FIG. 7.

In this case, the horizontal swinging of the holder body 10 is suppressed compared to when it is attached to the worker's clothing 20 via a hanging member, so when removing the wave spring 11 from the holder body 10, the holder body 10 does not swing and the wave spring 11 can be easily removed.

The above-mentioned method of attaching the holder body 10 to the worker's clothing 20 is one example, and is not particularly limited as long as the holder body 10 does not come off the worker's clothing 20 during the work of assembling the vinyl greenhouse H. Therefore, the holder body 10 or the hanging member may be hung from a part of the clothing 20 other than the belt loop hole 20a where it can be hung.

As described above, the spring holder 1 of this embodiment is capable of holding multiple wave springs 11 and includes a base 2 and at least two hooks 3 whose base ends are connected to the base 2 and which can be hooked from below onto different peaks 11a of the wave springs 11.

With this configuration, at least two hooks 3 are hooked onto different peaks 11a of the wave spring 11, so the hooks 3 can support the portions of the peaks 11a that sandwich the center of gravity of the wave spring 11. As a result, the spring holder 1 can support the vicinity of the center of gravity of the wave spring 11, and can stably support the wave spring 11 while suppressing tilt of the wave spring 11 about its axis, the hooks 3. Therefore, because tilt of the wave spring 11 about its axis, the hooks 3, can be suppressed, the wave spring 11 is less likely to fall off the spring holder 1.

Furthermore, with the above configuration, each hook 3 is hooked onto a different peak 11a of the wave spring 11, so even if the wave spring 11 tries to move laterally, the side of the valley 11b of the wave spring 11 abuts against the side of the hook 3, restricting the lateral movement of the wave spring 11. Thus, with the above configuration, even when multiple wave springs 11 are hooked onto the hooks 3, the wave springs 11 cannot move laterally, so the wave springs 11 are unlikely to become entangled with each other. Furthermore, because the vertical movement of the wave springs 11 is not restricted, the worker can easily remove the wave springs 11 one by one from the hooks 3.

As described above, according to the above configuration, the wavy springs 11 held by the spring holder 1 are unlikely to fall off, so the worker can work as usual even with the spring holder 1 holding multiple long wavy springs 11 attached to the clothing 20. Furthermore, since the multiple wavy springs 11 held by the spring holder 1 are unlikely to become entangled, the wavy springs 11 can be easily removed one by one. Therefore, according to the spring holder 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to work while carrying multiple wavy springs 11, while easily removing the wavy springs 11 one by one, improving work efficiency.

The spring holder 1 of this embodiment also includes a hanging member consisting of a holding hook 30 or a holding ring 40 that suspends the base 2 from the garment 20 so that it can swing horizontally.

With this configuration, even if the corrugated spring 11 held by the spring holder 1 comes into contact with the sheet S of the vinyl greenhouse H during the assembly work of the vinyl greenhouse H, the base 2 of the holder body 10 can swing horizontally, so the corrugated spring 11 can be prevented from hitting the sheet S hard. This prevents the sheet S from being damaged by the corrugated spring 11 held by the holder body 10. However, the base 2 may be attached directly to the clothing 20 without using a hanging member. Also, the base 2 may be fixedly attached to the clothing 20, and the method of attaching the base 2 to the clothing 20 is not particularly limited.

In addition, in the spring holder 1 of this embodiment, the base 2 has an upward protrusion 2a in the center on which the retaining hook 30 or retaining ring 40 is hooked. With this configuration, the base 2 does not shift relative to the hanging member, so the spring holder 1 is prevented from wobbling and interfering with work. The "center" here does not have to be the exact center and includes manufacturing errors. Note that the base 2 does not have to have the protrusion 2a, and the base 2 may be attached to the clothing 20.

In addition, in the spring holder 1 of this embodiment, the hook 3 is U-shaped, and a protrusion 4 is provided at the tip of the hook 3 to narrow the opening width between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3.

This configuration makes it difficult for multiple wave springs 11 to come off at the same time when removing the wave springs 11 supported by the hooks 3, making it easier for the worker to remove the wave springs 11 one by one from the spring holder 1.

In addition, the width of the opening between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3 is narrowed by the protrusion 4, so that if the holder body 10 is accidentally turned upside down, all of the wave springs 11 can be prevented from coming off at once.

The protrusion 4 may be omitted. Alternatively, instead of the protrusion 4, the opposing portion 3b of the hook 3 may be inclined toward the straight portion 3a to narrow the opening width between the base 2 and the tip of the hook 3.

In addition, in the spring holder 1 of this embodiment, two hooks 3 are provided on the base 2, extending from both ends of the base 2, and the base 2 and hooks 3 are made of a single wire that has been bent and formed.

With this configuration, the base 2 and hook 3 can be manufactured by bending a single wire, eliminating the need for welding or using metal fittings to connect the base 2 and hook 3, reducing the labor required for welding and the number of parts required, and reducing manufacturing costs. However, the base 2 and hook 3 may also be connected by welding or using metal fittings.

In addition, in the spring holder 1 of this embodiment, the tip of the protrusion 4 is bent in a direction away from the base end of the hook 3. With this configuration, the tip of the protrusion 4 does not face the base 2, so that it is possible to prevent the tip of the protrusion 4 from damaging the wave spring 11 when removing the wave spring 11 supported by the hook 3, even without performing R processing on the tip of the protrusion 4. However, the protrusion 4 may be formed simply by bending the end of the wire that forms the holder body 10 toward the base 2.

The above describes in detail the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but it is understood that modifications, variations and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

1: spring holder, 2: base, 2a: convex portion, 3: hook, 4: protrusion, 11: wave spring, 11a: mountain, 20: clothing, 30: holding hook (hanging member), 40: holding ring (hanging member)

Claims (6)

A spring holder capable of holding a plurality of wave springs,
A base and
a base end connected to the base portion and at least two hooks capable of being hooked onto different peaks of the wave spring from below. The base is hung on clothing so as to be swingable in a horizontal direction by a hanging member formed of a holding hook or a holding ring.
2. The spring holder according to claim 1 . The spring holder according to claim 2 , wherein the base portion has an upward protrusion in the center for hooking the hanging member. The hook is U-shaped,
The spring holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a protrusion is provided at a tip of the hook for narrowing an opening width between the base and the tip. The hooks are provided in two pieces on the base and extend from both ends of the base.
The spring holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base and the hook are made of a single wire material that has been bent and formed. The spring holder according to claim 5 depending on claim 4, wherein a tip end of the protrusion is bent in a direction away from a base end of the hook.