JP7756552B2 - Building materials - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to building materials.

Conventionally, there is known a fitting in which the upper and lower parts of a shoji screen are stored and supported in a Kendon-style manner in rail grooves in the upper and lower frames, and the screen is not supported by the left and right vertical frames (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this fitting, a stopper member that protrudes into the rail groove of the lower frame is attached to the fixed part of the handle on the lower rail of the shoji screen to prevent the screen from coming off the lower frame when it is lifted upward due to vertical shaking caused by an earthquake.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-184709

The inventor further investigated other reasons why a shoji screen may become detached from its frame, other than when it becomes detached from its lower frame due to vertical shaking caused by an earthquake. As a result, he discovered that if the lower frame is bent due to poor construction of the frame, the shoji screen may move downward, releasing the engagement between the shoji screen and the upper frame, causing the shoji screen to become detached from the frame.

Furthermore, direct sunlight shining on fittings from outside the room generally penetrates primarily around the lower parts of the fittings, which can cause thermal deformation and shrinkage of the lower rails of shoji screens. Furthermore, when the heat of direct sunlight softens the lower rails, the weight of the glass and other surface materials contained within the shoji screen can cause the lower rails to bend, deforming the screen and reducing its vertical dimension. When the vertical dimension of the shoji screen decreases, the position of the upper rail of the shoji screen drops, changing the engagement between the screen and the frame, which can cause the screen to wobble or come off the frame.

The inventor therefore discovered the problem of how to prevent the shoji screen from coming off the frame by maintaining the engagement between the shoji screen and the upper frame even if the screen screen moves downward or the upper sash of the screen screen drops.

The fittings disclosed herein comprise a frame body having an upper frame, a lower frame, and left and right vertical frames, with grooves in each of the upper and lower frames; a shoji screen having a surface material on the inside of a frame body having upper sashes, lower sashes, and left and right vertical stiles, and held in the upper and lower frames by having its upper and lower ends inserted into the grooves, respectively; and an upper anti-detachment member that protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the shoji screen and prevents the shoji screen from coming off the upper frame. The upper anti-detachment member extends along the length of the upper sash and has a rib that protrudes upward so as to fit into the space between the upper end surface of the shoji screen and the inner bottom surface of the groove when the upper end of the shoji screen is inserted diagonally upward into the groove in the upper frame.

This is a front view of the building fixture from the inside of the room. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. This is an enlarged perspective view showing the lower part of the interior side of the building material. This is an oblique view showing an upper anti-slip member at the upper end of the shoji screen in an expanded state. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing how the shoji screen is attached to the frame. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the upper frame of the fixture shown in FIG. 6 . An enlarged view of the upper frame of a fixture having an upper anti-slip member relating to another embodiment. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing how the shoji screen shown in FIG. 8 is attached to a frame body. An oblique view showing an enlarged view of the upper end of a shoji screen having an upper anti-detachment member according to another embodiment.

Each embodiment of the fixture of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The fixture in the embodiments is a fixed window 1. The fixed window 1 is a so-called fixed window, and is attached to the inside of a frame 101 that is provided along the inner periphery of a rectangular opening 100 in the building frame. The fixed window 1 does not open or close the opening 100 except when the shoji screen 3 is removed for cleaning, etc.

Figure 1 is a front view of the fixed window 1 as seen from the indoor side. In the figures shown below, the X1 direction indicates the outdoor side of the fixed window 1, and the X2 direction indicates the indoor side of the fixed window 1. Another window (not shown), such as a fixed window or sliding window, may be attached inside the frame 101 on the outdoor side of the fixed window 1. This creates a double-glazed window inside the frame 101, further improving thermal insulation and soundproofing. The fixed window 1 of this embodiment can be retrofitted to the indoor side of an existing window (not shown).

The fixed window 1 comprises a frame 2 mounted inside the frame 101, a shoji screen 3 housed inside the frame 2, a lower retaining member 4, and an upper retaining member 5. The frame 2 is formed by framing an upper frame 21, a lower frame 22, and left and right vertical frames 23, 23 in a rectangular shape. The shoji screen 3 is removably fitted inside the frame 2. The lower retaining member 4 and upper retaining member 5 are both members that prevent the shoji screen 3 from coming off the frame 2.

The upper frame 21 of the frame body 2 is integrally extruded from a resin material. The upper frame 21 has a first hollow section 211 with a rectangular cross-section and a hollow structure located on the outdoor side, a second hollow section 212 with a rectangular cross-section and a hollow structure located on the indoor side, and a flat base section 213 that connects the upper ends of the first hollow section 211 and the second hollow section 212. The first hollow section 211, the second hollow section 212, and the base section 213 extend over the entire length of the upper frame 21 in the extension direction. The first hollow section 211 and the second hollow section 212 protrude downward from the base section 213 at the same height.

The first hollow portion 211 and the second hollow portion 212 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart in the indoor/outdoor direction. As a result, a groove portion 214 is formed between the first hollow portion 211, the second hollow portion 212, and the base portion 213, spanning the entire length of the upper frame 21 in the extension direction. The groove portion 214 is open downward and accommodates the upper end of the shoji screen 3. The base portion 213 forms the inner bottom surface of the groove portion 214.

The lower end of the first hollow portion 211 is provided with a sealing portion 215 that protrudes toward the inside of the room and elastically contacts the outside surface of the shoji screen 3. The lower end of the second hollow portion 212 is provided with a fin portion 216 that protrudes toward the outside of the room and elastically contacts the inside surface of the shoji screen 3. The upper frame 21 is fixed to the upper inner surface of the frame 101 with screws (not shown) that pass through the base portion 213.

The lower frame 22 of the frame body 2 is integrally extruded from a resin material. The lower frame 22 has a first hollow portion 221 with a rectangular cross-section and a hollow structure located on the outdoor side, a second hollow portion 222 with a rectangular cross-section and a hollow structure located on the indoor side, and a flat base portion 223 that connects the lower ends of the first hollow portion 221 and the second hollow portion 222. The first hollow portion 221, the second hollow portion 222, and the base portion 223 extend over the entire length of the extension direction of the lower frame 22. In this embodiment, the first hollow portion 221 and the second hollow portion 222 protrude upward from the base portion 223 at the same height, but they do not necessarily have to protrude at the same height.

The first hollow portion 221 and the second hollow portion 222 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart in the indoor/outdoor direction. As a result, a groove 224 is formed between the first hollow portion 221, the second hollow portion 222, and the base portion 223, spanning the entire length of the lower frame 22 in the extension direction, similar to the upper frame 21. The groove 224 opens upward and accommodates the lower end of the shoji screen 3. The base portion 223 forms the inner bottom surface of the groove 224.

A sealing portion 225 is integrally formed at the upper end of the first hollow portion 221, protruding toward the inside of the room and elastically contacting the outside surface of the shoji screen 3. A fin portion 226 is integrally formed at the upper end of the second hollow portion 222, protruding toward the outside of the room and elastically contacting the inside surface of the shoji screen 3. The lower frame 22 is fixed to the lower inner surface of the frame 101 with screws (not shown) that pass through the base portion 223.

As shown in Figure 2, multiple resin liners 227 that support the lower end of the shoji screen 3 are provided at predetermined intervals inside the groove 224 of the lower frame 22. The liners 227 are formed in a block shape and have a height slightly lower than the height of the first hollow portion 221 and the second hollow portion 222 of the lower frame 22. Therefore, the lower end surface of the shoji screen 3 housed in the groove 224 of the lower frame 22 is placed on the upper surface of the liners 227, and is positioned slightly lower than the upper end surfaces of the first hollow portion 221 and the second hollow portion 222 of the lower frame 22.

The vertical frames 23, 23 of the frame body 2 are each extruded integrally from resin material in a generally L-shape. The vertical frames 23, 23 extend vertically between the upper frame 21 and the lower frame 22. The vertical frames 23, 23 have base portions 231, 231 extending a predetermined width along the vertical direction of the frame 101, exterior wall portions 232, 232 extending at a generally right angle from the exterior ends of the base portions 231, 231 toward the inside of the frame 101, and abutment pieces 233, 233 extending at a generally right angle from the inner ends of the exterior wall portions 232, 232 toward the interior side of the frame.

The abutment pieces 233, 233 are narrower than the base pieces 231, 241 so that they come into contact with the exterior surface of the shoji screen 3. Sealing parts 234, 234 that resiliently come into contact with the exterior surface of the shoji screen 3 are integrally formed at the tips of the abutment pieces 233, 233. The vertical frames 23, 23 are fixed to the inner surfaces of the left and right sides of the frame 101 with screws (not shown) that pass through the base pieces 231, 231.

The shoji screen 3 is constructed by fitting a surface material 34 such as glass through a glazing channel 341 inside a rectangular frame body 30 made up of an upper frame 31, a lower frame 32, and left and right vertical frames 33, 33. The surface material may be double-glazed glass made up of two panes of glass. In the case of double-glazed glass, it is held in place by a retaining member made of soft PVC attached to the frame body.

As shown in Figure 2, the upper and lower crosspieces 31 and 32 are each composed of a metal core 311, 321, resin cover materials 312, 322 that cover the exterior and interior sides of the core, and resin upper and lower cover materials 313 and 323 that are attached to the upper and lower end surfaces of the resin cover materials 312, 322. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the vertical stiles 33, 33 are each composed of a metal core 331, 331, resin cover materials 332, 332 that cover the exterior, and end cover materials 333, 333 (see Figure 5) that cover the upper and lower end surfaces of the vertical stiles 33, 33, respectively.

As shown in Figure 1, the shoji screen 3 has a vertically-hung structure in which an upper sash 31 and a lower sash 32 are arranged between left and right vertical frames 33. Specifically, the left and right vertical frames 33 extend the entire length of the shoji screen 3 in the vertical direction. The upper sash 31 and the lower sash 32 are arranged between the left and right vertical frames 33, 33, connecting the upper ends and lower ends of the vertical frames 33, 33, respectively. End cover materials 333 on the upper and lower end faces of the vertical frames 33, 33 are arranged flush with the upper end cover material 313 of the upper sash 31 and the lower end cover material 323 of the lower sash 32, respectively. A roughly U-shaped handle 35 is attached to the center of the interior-facing surface of the lower sash 32.

The lower retaining member 4 is the same as the conventional member, and as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, is positioned between one of the pair of bases 351, 351 of the handle 35 and the interior-facing surface 32a of the lower rail 32 of the shoji screen 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lower retaining member 4 has a retaining portion 41, which is a vertically elongated rectangular metal or resin case; a locking tongue 42 made of a metal plate housed inside the retaining portion 41; and a vertically elongated hole 43 that penetrates from the retaining portion 41 to the locking tongue 42. The locking tongue 42 is formed as an elongated plate that is vertically longer than the retaining portion 41. Approximately the upper half of the locking tongue 42 is inserted into the retaining portion 41. Approximately the lower half of the locking tongue 42 protrudes from the retaining portion 41 into the groove 224 of the lower frame 22. Because the upper end surface 41a of the retaining portion 41 is closed, the locking tongue 42 within the retaining portion 41 cannot move upward. The corners of the locking tongue 42 protruding from the retaining portion 41 are rounded.

The lower anti-detachment member 4 is attached to the interior-facing surface 32a of the lower rail 32 with a fixing screw 44. Specifically, the lower anti-detachment member 4 is positioned between the interior-facing surface 32a of the lower rail 32 of the shoji screen 3 before it is attached to the frame 2 and the base 351 of the handle 35. The lower anti-detachment member 4 is temporarily fixed by loosely fitting the fixing screw 44 that attaches the base 351 into the screw insertion hole of the base 351. At this time, the lower anti-detachment member 4 has moved upward so that the shank 431 of the fixing screw 44 is positioned at the lower end of the elongated hole 43 so as not to interfere with the insertion of the lower end of the shoji screen 3 into the groove 224 of the lower frame 22. Therefore, the lower anti-detachment member 4 is temporarily fixed in a position higher than its final installation position.

As described below, after the shoji screen 3 is fitted into the frame 2 using the Kendon method, the lower anti-detachment member 4 is slid downward along the elongated hole 43. As a result, the locking tongue 42 is inserted into the groove 224 of the lower frame 22 through the gap between the second hollow portion 222 of the lower frame 22 and the lower rail 32 of the shoji screen 3, as shown in Figure 2. The locking tongue 42 in the groove 224 protrudes downward beyond the lower end cover material 323 of the lower rail 32 of the shoji screen 3, and is positioned between the liner 227 and the second hollow portion 222 of the lower frame 22. The lower end 42a of the locking tongue 42 is close to the base portion 223 of the lower frame 22. The fixing screw 44 is then tightened, and the lower anti-detachment member 4 is sandwiched between the lower rail 32 and the base 351 of the handle 35, and fixed to the lower rail 32. Because the shaft 431 of the fixing screw 44 is positioned at the upper end of the elongated hole 43, the locking tongue 42 inside the retaining portion 41 does not move downward.

By attaching the lower retaining member 4 to the lower rail 32 of the shoji screen 3, the locking tongue 42 remains engaged with the groove 224 of the lower frame 22, even if the shoji screen 3 moves upward due to vertical shaking caused by an earthquake. This prevents the lower end of the shoji screen 3 from coming off the lower frame 22.

Next, the upper anti-slip member 5 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 5. The upper anti-slip member 5 is positioned on the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3 and protrudes upward. In this embodiment, the upper anti-slip member 5 is composed of end cover materials 333 made of resin that are attached to the upper end surfaces of the vertical stiles 33, 33. The end cover materials 333 are members that connect the vertical stiles 33 and the upper rail 31. The upper anti-slip member 5, composed of the end cover materials 333, is attached to the upper end surfaces of the vertical stiles 33 by means of mounting legs 333b.

The upper anti-detachment member 5 has ribs 51a and 51b made of hard resin that are integrally formed on the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333. The ribs 51a and 51b extend parallel to the length of the upper rail 31 of the shoji screen 3 on the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333, and protrude to a predetermined protrusion height H1. The upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333 is the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3. The rib 51a is positioned adjacent to the outside edge 333c of the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333, and the rib 51b is positioned adjacent to the inside edge 333d of the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333. The two ribs 51a and 51b protrude to the same height. This upper anti-slip member 5 is formed integrally with the end cover material 333 of the vertical frame 33, making it low cost and allowing the upper anti-slip member 5 to be easily attached to the shoji screen 3 simply by attaching the end cover material 333 to the vertical frame 33.

Next, we will explain how to insert the shoji screen 3 into the frame body 2 using the Kendon method. As shown in Figure 6, the shoji screen 3 is inserted into the groove 214 of the upper frame 21 and the groove 224 of the lower frame 22 using the Kendon method from the inside of the room. That is, first, with the upper end of the shoji screen 3 tilted toward the outside of the room, the upper end of the shoji screen 3 is inserted diagonally upwards as far as it can go into the groove 214 of the upper frame 21.

When the shoji screen 3 is inserted deep into the groove 214, as shown in Figure 7, a triangular space S is formed between the top end surface of the shoji screen 3 and the base plate 213, which is the inner bottom surface of the groove 214. The ribs 5a1 and 51b of the upper anti-detachment member 5 protrude from the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333 so as to fit within this space S. More specifically, the rib 51b, which is located on the indoor side where the height of the space S is lower, protrudes from the upper surface 333a of the end cover material 333 so as to fit within the space S.

Fitted within the space S means that the ribs 51a and 51b protrude to an extent that they do not interfere with the base plate 213 and hinder the insertion of the shoji screen 3 when the upper end of the shoji screen 3 is inserted into the groove 214. The tips of the ribs 51a and 51b may come into contact with the base plate 213, provided that this does not hinder the insertion of the shoji screen 3.

After inserting the upper end of the shoji screen 3 into the groove 214, the lower end of the shoji screen 3 is moved toward the outside of the room and aligned with the groove 224 of the lower frame 22. The shoji screen 3 is then lowered, and the lower end of the shoji screen 3 is inserted into the groove 224 of the lower frame 22. As a result, the upper and lower ends of the shoji screen 3 are accommodated in the grooves 214 and 224, respectively, and the shoji screen 3 is fitted and held in place between the upper and lower frames 21 and 22. The vertical frames 23 abut the sealing portions 234 against the vertical stiles 33 of the shoji screen 3 from the outside of the room, restricting the position of the shoji screen 3 on the outside. The vertical frames 23 only abut the sealing portions 234 against the outside surface of the shoji screen 3, and do not hold the shoji screen 3 in place. The sealing portion 215 and fin portion 216 of the upper frame 21 abut against the upper end of the shoji screen 3 from the outside and inside of the room, respectively, ensuring airtightness, preventing the upper end of the shoji screen 3 from rattling, and blocking the intrusion of debris and other foreign matter from outside. The sealing portion 225 and fin portion 226 of the lower frame 22 abut against the lower end of the shoji screen 3 from the outside and inside of the room, respectively, ensuring airtightness, preventing the lower end of the shoji screen 3 from rattling, and blocking the intrusion of debris and other foreign matter from outside.

When the shoji screen 3 is attached to the frame 2, as shown in Figure 2, the upper end of the shoji screen 3 engages the upper frame 21 with an increased engagement amount by the protruding height H1 of the ribs 51a, 51b of the upper anti-detachment member 5. Therefore, even if the shoji screen 3 moves downward or the position of the upper rail 31 of the shoji screen 3 drops, the engagement between the groove 214 and the shoji screen 3 is maintained by the protruding height H1 of the ribs 51a, 51b, preventing the shoji screen 3 from coming off the frame 2. The ribs 51a, 51b have a height that fits into the space S between the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3, which is inserted deep into the groove 214, and the base portion 213 within the groove 214, so the ribs 51a, 51b do not interfere with the insertion of the shoji screen 3 into the upper frame 21.

The protruding heights of the two ribs 51a, 51b of the upper anti-detachment member 5 may be different, as shown in Figure 8. In the upper anti-detachment member 5 shown in Figure 8, the protruding height H2 of the exterior-side rib 51a is higher than the protruding height H1 of the interior-side rib 51b. This is because, as shown in Figure 9, when the upper end of the shoji screen 3 is inserted diagonally upward into the groove 214 of the upper frame 21, the exterior-side rib 51a is positioned on the higher side of the space S. Because the exterior-side rib 51a can have a greater protruding height H2 than the interior-side rib 51b, the upper end of the shoji screen 3 can be more securely attached to the upper frame 21. This improves the effectiveness of preventing the shoji screen 3 from coming off the frame 2.

As shown in Figure 10, the upper anti-detachment member 5 can also be attached to the upper rail 31 of the shoji screen 3. The upper anti-detachment member 5 shown in Figure 10 has a base plate 52 that is fixed by screws 53 to the upper surface 313a of the upper end cover material 313 of the upper rail 31. The upper surface 313a of the upper end cover material 313 is the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3. The ribs 51a and 51b are integrally formed on the upper surface of the base plate 52. The exterior-side rib 51a is positioned close to the exterior-side edge 313b of the upper surface 313a of the upper end cover material 313.

The upper anti-slip members 5 shown in Figure 10 can be provided in multiple locations on the upper surface 313a of the upper end cover material 313, spaced apart along the length of the upper crosspiece 31. The ribs 51a, 51b and base plate 52 may be formed over the entire length of the upper crosspiece 31. The ribs 51a, 51b may be formed integrally with the upper surface 313a of the upper end cover material 313, similar to when they are provided on the end cover material 333 of the vertical stile 33.

The number of ribs on the upper anti-detachment member 5 is not limited to two, one on the outside and one on the inside of the room. It is sufficient for there to be at least one rib located near the outside edge 313b, 333c of the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3.

In summary, the fixed window 1, which is a fixture of this embodiment, has the following effects: The fixed window 1 comprises a frame body 2 having an upper frame 21, a lower frame 22, and left and right vertical frames 23, 23, with grooves 214, 224 in the upper frame 21 and lower frame 22, respectively; a shoji screen 3 having an upper sash 31, a lower sash 32, and left and right vertical stiles 33, 33, with a face plate 34 on the inside of the frame body 30, and whose upper and lower ends are inserted into the grooves 214, 224, respectively, to be held in place by the upper frame 21 and lower frame 22; and an upper stopper member 5 that protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3 and prevents the shoji screen 3 from coming off the upper frame 21. The upper anti-detachment member 5 extends along the length of the upper crosspiece 31 and has ribs 51a, 51b that protrude upward so as to fit into the space S between the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3 and the base plate 213, which is the inner bottom surface of the groove 214, when the upper end of the shoji screen 3 is inserted obliquely upward into the groove 214 of the upper frame 21. As a result, the engagement with the upper frame 21 is increased by the protruding height of the ribs 51a, 51b of the upper anti-detachment member 5, so that even if the shoji screen 3 moves downward or the position of the upper crosspiece 31 of the shoji screen 3 drops, the engagement between the groove 214 and the shoji screen 3 is maintained by the protruding height of the ribs 51a, 51b, and the shoji screen 3 is prevented from coming off the frame 2. The ribs 51a and 51b have a height that allows them to fit into the space S between the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3 inserted deep into the groove 214 and the base plate 213 inside the groove 214, so the ribs 51a and 51b do not interfere with the insertion of the shoji screen 3 into the upper frame 21.

When the ribs are positioned close to at least the outer edges 313b, 333c of the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3, the protruding height of the ribs can be increased, further increasing the engagement of the upper end of the shoji screen 3 with the upper frame 21. As a result, the shoji screen 3 can be more effectively prevented from coming off the frame 2.

If the ribs are provided on the upper end cover material 313 and end cover material 333 that form the upper end surface of the shoji screen 3, the upper anti-detachment member 5 can be easily attached to the shoji screen 3 simply by attaching the upper end cover material 313 and end cover material 333.

1. Fixed window (door and window fixture), 2. Frame, 21. Upper frame, 213. Base plate (inner bottom surface of groove), 22. Lower frame, 23. Vertical frame, 3. Shoji screen, 30. Frame, 31. Upper sash, 313. Upper end cover material, 313a. Upper surface (upper end surface of shoji screen), 313b. Outside edge, 32. Lower sash, 33. Vertical frame, 333. End cover material, 333a. Upper surface (upper end surface of shoji screen), 333c. Outside edge, 34. Face material, 5. Upper retaining member, 51a, 51b. Ribs, S. Space

Claims (4)

a frame body having an upper frame, a lower frame, and left and right vertical frames, with grooves in the upper frame and the lower frame;
A shoji screen has a surface material on the inside of a frame body having an upper crosspiece, a lower crosspiece, and left and right vertical crosspieces, and is held in the upper frame and the lower frame by inserting the upper end and the lower end into the grooves, respectively;
An upper stopper member is provided on the upper end surface of the shoji screen so as to protrude upward, and prevents the shoji screen from coming off the upper frame,
The upper stopper member extends along the length of the upper rail and has a rib that protrudes upward so as to fit into the space between the upper end surface of the shoji screen and the inner bottom surface of the groove when the upper end of the shoji screen is inserted obliquely upward into the groove of the upper frame,
The rib is positioned close to at least the edge opposite the side where the shoji screen is inserted into the groove, out of the outside edge and the inside edge of the upper end surface of the shoji screen, and protrudes at a fixed height from the upper end surface of the shoji screen . The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the rib is provided on a cover material that forms the upper end surface of the shoji screen. The fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ribs are positioned adjacent to the outside edge and the inside edge of the upper end surface of the shoji screen. The fitting according to claim 3, wherein the protruding height of the rib arranged close to the edge on the opposite side of the shoji screen, between the edge on the outside of the room and the edge on the inside of the room, where the shoji screen is inserted into the groove, is greater than the protruding height of the rib arranged close to the edge on the opposite side.