JP7772606B2 - Inspection hatch - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an inspection hatch that is opened in an installation surface such as a wall or ceiling of a building.

Openable inspection hatches are sometimes installed in the walls or ceilings of buildings to inspect structural or functional parts of the building that are not normally visible to building users (for example, ventilation, air conditioning, or electrical equipment). Inspection hatches typically have a rectangular outer frame, a rotatable inner frame that is pivoted along one side of the outer frame, and a lid that covers the inside of the inner frame. Examples of such inspection hatches include the technology described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-37365 JP 2013-23869 A

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the inner frame is directly attached to the shaft near one side of the outer frame, and when the inner frame is opened, the rotational orbit of the end of the frame on that side of the shaft wraps around to the back side of the inspection hatch. As a result, there is concern that if there is equipment, wiring, piping, or other facilities on the back side of the inspection hatch, the end of the frame may interfere with this equipment.

In response to these concerns, the technology described in Patent Document 2 involves installing a connecting metal fitting between the outer and inner frames, allowing the inner frame to be moved to the front side before it can be opened. However, the structure of the connecting metal fitting is complex, and the opening method is also complicated.

An embodiment of the present disclosure aims to provide an inspection hatch that simplifies the structure of the components that connect the outer and inner frames, while preventing the end tracks from twisting around to the back side when the inner frame is opened.

The inspection hatch of this embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a rectangular outer frame fixed to an opening provided on the installation surface, an inner frame installed inside the outer frame, a pair of hinge members connecting the outer frame and the inner frame and rotatably supporting the inner frame, and a lid attached to the inside of the inner frame. The pair of hinge members are attached near both ends of one side of the outer frame, and each has an attachment portion fixed near the end of one side of the outer frame, a connecting portion where the outer edge of the attachment portion is bent inward, a support portion extending from the front end of the connecting portion toward the front side when the side opening to the inside is defined as the front side and the opposite side is defined as the back side relative to the installation surface, and a rotation axis connecting the support portion to the inner frame.

In this application, "installation surface" refers to, for example, a ceiling or wall surface. Ceilings can be indoors or outdoors, such as under the eaves. Walls can be indoors or outdoors.

When an inspection hatch is installed on a ceiling, the front side of the installation surface means the bottom side, and the back side of the installation surface means the top side. Also, when an inspection hatch is installed on a wall, the back side of the installation surface means the inside side of the wall, in other words, the side that cannot be seen when the inspection hatch is closed, and the front side of the installation surface means the opposite side.

In addition, with regard to inspection hatches in this application, "inside" a certain area refers to the side closer to the center of that area. In addition, "outside" a certain area refers to the side farther from the center of that area.

With the above configuration, the inner frame is not directly axially attached to the outer frame, but rotates around a rotation axis attached to a support portion located relatively low on the hinge member. Therefore, the portion of the inner frame located outside the rotation axis is short, preventing the inner frame from twisting around to the back of the installation surface. Furthermore, the position and shape of the hinge member itself do not change when the inner frame is opened, which simplifies the structure of the hinge member.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned inspection hatch, it is desirable that the inner surface of the support part and the outer surface of the inner frame are in direct contact with each other and are fastened to each other by a rivet that serves as the rotation axis.

With the above configuration, the rotation axis is stiff when the inner frame rotates relative to the hinge member, making it difficult for the inner frame to move when attaching it to the outer frame via the hinge member, making the installation process easier.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the inspection hatch be provided with a hook portion that folds outward and engages with the outer frame on the rear edge of the mounting portion. For example, the hook portion may be engaged with the rear edge of the outer frame, or with a receiving member provided on the inner surface of the outer frame.

With the above configuration, especially when the inspection hatch is installed in the ceiling, it is possible to secure the mounting part to the outer frame with screws or other fasteners while the hanging part is still engaged with the outer frame. This makes it easy for one person to install the inner frame.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the above-mentioned inspection hatch have a hinge recess that is recessed outward on a portion of the inside of the support part, and that the inner end of the rotating shaft is fitted into the hinge recess.

The above configuration prevents the inner end of the rotating shaft from interfering with the lid material, eliminating the need to cut or shave the edges of the lid material when attaching it to the inner frame.

The embodiments of the present disclosure are configured as described above, making it possible to provide an inspection hatch with a simpler structure for the components that connect the outer and inner frames, while preventing the end tracks from twisting around to the back side when the inner frame is opened.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an inspection hatch according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing the inspection hatch of the first embodiment in an open state with a portion of the outer frame broken away. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the closed state of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment with a portion of the outer frame broken away. 1 is a plan view from above the ceiling showing the inspection hatch of the first embodiment installed in an opening on the installation surface. A partial cross-sectional view showing the state before the inner frame of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment is attached to the outer frame. A partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the inner frame of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment has been temporarily fastened to the outer frame. A partial cross-sectional view showing the state in which the inner frame of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment is attached to the outer frame. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing the inner frame of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment from an open state to a closed state relative to the outer frame. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inspection hatch of the first embodiment in a closed state. FIG. The area enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 9A is shown enlarged. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the closed inspection hatch of the first embodiment as viewed from the indoor side. 10 is a perspective view of the appearance of the inspection hatch of the second embodiment as seen from inside the room. This is an oblique view of the second embodiment of the inspection hatch, with part of the outer frame broken away, taken from the back side of the wall, showing the state before the inner frame is attached to the outer frame. The state in which the inner frame of the inspection hatch of the second embodiment is attached to the outer frame is shown in an oblique view with part of the outer frame broken away as seen from the back side of the wall. This is an oblique view of a modified inspection hatch of the second embodiment, with part of the outer frame broken away, viewed from the back side of the wall before the inner frame is attached to the outer frame. This is an oblique view of a modified inspection hatch of the second embodiment, with the inner frame attached to the outer frame, viewed from the back side of the wall, with part of the outer frame broken away.

Embodiments of the inspection hatch disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that reference numerals commonly used in each drawing indicate the same parts or components even if they are not mentioned in the description of each drawing. Furthermore, the materials of each component mentioned below are examples and are not intended to be limiting.

(1) First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior of an inspection hatch 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The inspection hatch 10 has an inner frame 30 attached to the inside of an outer frame 20. Fig. 1 shows the outer frame 20 attached to a ceiling, which is an installation surface 90 (not shown), with the inner frame 30 open, as viewed from above the ceiling. In this embodiment, the direction behind the installation surface 90 is referred to as "upward," and the direction toward the front of the installation surface 90 is referred to as "downward."

The outer frame 20 is made of metal and is formed in an overall rectangular shape. When installed, it has an outer frame back portion 21 located at the top and an outer frame front portion 22 located at the bottom, with one side longer than the outer frame back portion 21. A stepped outer frame step portion 23 is formed between the outer frame back portion 21 and the outer frame front portion 22. The upper edge of the outer frame back portion 21 is the outer frame back edge 24, which is formed wide. One side of this outer frame back edge 24 has notches 21c cut out near both ends.

The inner frame 30 is also made of metal and is generally rectangular. When installed, it has an inner frame back portion 31 located at the top and an inner frame front portion 32 located at the bottom, with one side longer than the inner frame back portion 31. A stepped inner frame step portion 33 is formed between the inner frame back portion 31 and the inner frame front portion 32. A lock 36 is provided in the center of one side of the rotating end of the inner frame 30. Furthermore, the inner frame 30 is attached to the outer frame 20 via a pair of hinge members 50 that engage with the cutouts 21c.

Figure 2 shows the open state of the inspection hatch 10 of this embodiment in a perspective view with a portion of the outer frame 20 cut away. A metal hinge member 50 connects the rear portion 21 of the outer frame 20 to the front portion 32 of the inner frame 30.

The hinge member 50 is composed of a plate-shaped mounting portion 51, a connecting portion 52 formed by bending the outer edge (left edge in the figure) of the mounting portion 51 inward, a support portion 53 extending downward from the lower end of the connecting portion 52, and a rotation shaft 54 that pivotally fastens the inner frame 30 to the support portion 53. In this embodiment, the lower end of the connecting portion 52 forms a crank portion 52a that bends outward, and the support portion 53 extends from this crank portion 52a. The upper edge of the mounting portion 51 is folded outward to form a hook portion 51c, which hooks onto the upper edge of the outer frame 20 via a notch 21c in the outer frame 20. The mounting portion 51 is also fixed to the rear portion 21 of the outer frame 20 with two locking screws 51b. Meanwhile, the inner frame front portion 32 of the inner frame 30 is rotatably attached to the support portion 53 with a hollow rivet as a rotation axis 54 between the closed state shown in Figure 3 and the closed state shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 shows a plan view from above the ceiling of the inspection hatch 10 of the first embodiment installed in the opening 91 of the installation surface 90 (see Figure 5). Figure 5 also shows a partial cross-sectional view of the inspection hatch of the first embodiment before the inner frame is attached to the outer frame.

As shown in Figure 5, the installation surface 90 on which the inspection hatch 10 is installed has a finishing material 93 attached to the interior side of the underlayment material 92 on the ceiling side, and a rectangular opening 91 is provided there. Of the multiple sills 94 installed parallel to two parallel sides of the opening 91 (the two top and bottom sides in Figure 4), some sills 94 that abut two other parallel sides of the opening 91 (the two left and right sides in Figure 4) are discontinued at the opening 91. Furthermore, sill supports 95 installed perpendicular to the sills 94 are placed above the sills 94 and are supported from above by hangers 96 and hanging bolts 99. The outer frame 20 is attached to the inner periphery of the opening 91 via channel catches 98, which are installed perpendicular to the sill support 95. That is, as shown in Figure 5, the outer frame back 21 is fixed to the channel catches 98 with frame set screws 21b.

The cover material 40 attached to the inside of the inner frame 30 consists of a base material 41 on the ceiling side and a finishing material 42 on the interior side (see Figure 9A). The base material 41 is screwed to the inner frame 30 via finishing material clamps 34 (see Figure 9A). The space between one of the two opposing sets of finishing material clamps 34 is reinforced with a reinforcing material 35 that is delivered via a relay. The inner frame 30 is attached to the outer frame 20 via hinge members 50. A lock 36 is attached to the center of the rotating end of the inner frame 30, opposite the hinge members 50.

As shown in Figure 5, the rear portion 21 of the outer frame has two locking holes 21a for securing the hinge member 50. Furthermore, as described above, a notch 21c is formed near the end of the rear edge 24 of the outer frame. Furthermore, an outer frame recess 22a that is recessed outward is formed on the inner surface of the front portion 22 of the outer frame.

As shown in Figure 5, the mounting portion 51 of the hinge member 50 has a locking hole 51a that corresponds to the locking hole 21a in the outer frame back portion 21. A hook portion 51c is formed on the upper edge of the mounting portion 51. The lower end of the connecting portion 52 of the hinge member 50 forms a crank portion 52a that is bent outward, and its outer end forms a support portion 53 that is bent downward. The inner frame 30 is connected to the support portion 53 via a rotation shaft 54.

From the state shown in Figure 5, the inner frame 30 is temporarily secured to the outer frame 20 by hooking the hook portion 51c into the notch 21c in the rear edge 24 of the outer frame, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the locking hole 21a (see Figure 4) in the rear part 21 of the outer frame and the locking hole 51a in the mounting portion 51 are aligned. The locking hole 21a and the locking hole 51a are fastened together with the locking screw 51b as shown in Figure 7, thereby attaching the inner frame 30 to the outer frame 20.

As mentioned above, the rotation shaft 54 connecting the support part 53 and the inner frame 30 is formed from a hollow rivet, and the inner surface of the support part 53 is in direct contact with the outer surface of the inner frame 30, providing a moderate degree of resistance to rotation of the inner frame 30 relative to the support part 53. Therefore, even in the temporarily fastened state shown in Figure 6, the inner frame 30 does not swing uncontrollably relative to the outer frame 20, making it possible to perform the screw fastening work without holding the outer frame 20 by hand. This means that the process of attaching the inner frame 30 to the outer frame 20 during installation of the inspection hatch 10 of this embodiment can be safely performed by a single worker.

When attached to the outer frame 20, the inner frame 30 can rotate between an open state and a closed state via the rotation axis 54 relative to the support portion 53 of the hinge member 50, as shown in Figure 8. In other words, the inner frame 30 is not directly supported by the outer frame 20. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, when the inner frame 30 rotates, the end of the inner frame 30 closest to the rotation axis 54 does not move upward beyond the back edge 24 of the outer frame. This prevents the rotating end of the inner frame 30 from interfering with equipment on the back side of the inspection hatch 10.

Here, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 9A and the enlarged view of Figure 9B, the outer end of the rotating shaft 54 is aligned with the outer frame recess 22a formed on the inner surface of the outer frame front portion 22. In other words, the outer frame recess 22a prevents interference between the outer end of the rotating shaft 54 and the outer frame 20. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9B, an inner frame recess 32a recessed outward is formed on the inner surface of the inner frame front portion 32, and the inner end of the rotating shaft 54 fits within this recess. Therefore, when attaching the finishing material 42 of the lid member 40 to the inner frame 30, it is not necessary to cut the edges of the finishing material 42. Furthermore, because the hinge member 50 is bent at the crank portion 52a, the hinge member 50 fits neatly between the step in the outer frame 20 and the step in the inner frame 30.

As shown in Figure 10, when the inspection hatch 10 attached to the opening 91 in the installation surface 90 is closed, the outer frame 20 and inner frame 30 are in close contact, and the closed state is stably maintained by locking them with a lock 36 on one side.

(2) Second Embodiment Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the exterior of an inspection hatch 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The inspection hatch 10 has an inner frame 30 attached to an outer frame 20. Figure 11 shows the outer frame 20 attached to the wall surface, which is the installation surface 90, with the inner frame 30 open, as viewed from inside the room. In this embodiment, the hinge member 50 is attached to the left edge of the outer frame 20. Note that in this embodiment, the front side of the installation surface 90 refers to the finished surface side of the wall, and the back side of the installation surface refers to the back side of the wall.

The outer frame 20 is made of metal and is formed into a rectangular shape as shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 12, the outer frame 20 has an outer frame back portion 21 that is located on the back side of the installation surface 90 when installed, and an outer frame front portion 22 that is located on the front side of the installation surface 90 and has a side length longer than that of the outer frame back portion 21. A stepped outer frame step portion 23 is formed between the outer frame back portion 21 and the outer frame front portion 22. Furthermore, the rear edge of the outer frame back portion 21 is formed as a wide outer frame back edge 24. Two locking holes 21a are provided in the outer frame back portion 21 for securing the hinge member 50.

The inner frame 30 is also made of metal and is formed into a rectangular shape as shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 12, the inner frame 30 has an inner frame back portion 31 that is located on the back side of the installation surface 90 when installed, and an inner frame front portion 32 that is located on the front side of the installation surface 90 and has a side length longer than that of the inner frame back portion 31. A stepped inner frame step portion 33 is formed between the inner frame back portion 31 and the inner frame front portion 32. A lock 36 is provided in the center of one side of the rotating end of the inner frame 30 (see Figure 11). The inner frame 30 is attached to the outer frame 20 via a pair of hinge members 50.

The hinge member 50 is composed of a plate-shaped mounting portion 51, a connecting portion 52 formed by bending the outer edge of the mounting portion 51 inward, a support portion 53 formed by extending the front end of the connecting portion 52 forward (toward the front side of the installation surface 90), and a rotation shaft 54 that axially fastens the inner frame 30 to the support portion 53. The mounting portion 51 has two locking holes 51a that correspond to the locking holes 21a in the rear portion 21 of the outer frame.

When attaching the inner frame 30 to the outer frame 20, as shown in Figure 13, the locking holes 21a in the outer frame back portion 21 and the locking holes 51a in the mounting portion 51 are aligned with each other and then fastened with two locking screws 51b, thereby fixing the mounting portion 51 to the inner surface of the outer frame back portion 21 of the outer frame 20. Meanwhile, the inner frame front portion 32 of the inner frame 30 is attached to the support portion 53 with a hollow rivet as a rotation axis 54 so that it can rotate between an open state and a closed state relative to the outer frame 20.

As shown in the modified example in Figure 14, a receiving member 58 for receiving the hinge member 50 may be provided separately and screwed to the inner surface of the rear frame portion 21. In this modified example, the receiving member 58 is shaped like a handle overall, and has a latching piece 58b on the back side. This receiving member 58 has two locking holes 58a for securing the hinge member 50. Meanwhile, the mounting portion 51 of the hinge member 50 is formed with a latching portion 51c that latches onto the latching piece 58b of the receiving member 58.

When attaching the inner frame 30 to the outer frame 20, as shown in Figure 15, the hook portion 51c is engaged with the receiving member 58, the locking hole 21a in the outer frame back portion 21 is aligned with the locking hole 51a in the mounting portion 51, and the mounting portion 51 is fixed to the outer frame back portion 21 of the outer frame 20 by screwing in place with two locking screws 51b. Meanwhile, the inner frame front portion 32 of the inner frame 30 is attached to the support portion 53 with a hollow rivet as the rotation axis 54 so that it can rotate between an open state and a closed state relative to the outer frame 20.

In this embodiment, the hinge member 50 is attached to the left edge of the outer frame 20, but depending on the location where the inspection hatch 10 is installed, the hinge member 50 may be attached to any of the following edges: the left edge, the right edge, the top edge, or the bottom edge. In addition, in this embodiment, a hollow rivet is used as the rotation axis 54, but other rivets, such as blind rivets, can also be used.

The above describes one example of an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention.

10 Inspection hatch 20 Outer frame 21 Back of outer frame 21a Locking hole 21b Frame fixing screw 21c Cutout 22 Front of outer frame 22a Recessed portion of outer frame 23 Stepped portion of outer frame 24 Back edge of outer frame 30 Inner frame 31 Back of inner frame 32 Front of inner frame 32a Recessed portion of inner frame 33 Stepped portion of inner frame 34 Finishing material holder 35 Reinforcing material 36 Lock 40 Lid material 41 Base material 42 Finishing material 50 Hinge member 51 Mounting portion 51a Locking hole 51b Locking screw 51c Hook portion 52 Connecting portion 52a Crank portion 53 Support portion 54 Rotating shaft 57 Hinge recess 58 Receiving member 58a Locking hole 90 Installation surface 91 Opening 92 Base material 93 Finishing material 94 Rough siding 95 Rough siding support 96 Hanger 97 Channel 98 Channel catch 99 Hanging bolt FS Front side BS Back side

Claims (4)

a rectangular outer frame fixed to an opening provided on an installation surface;
an inner frame installed inside the outer frame;
a pair of hinge members that connect the outer frame and the inner frame and pivotally support the inner frame so as to be rotatable;
A lid material attached to the inside of the inner frame;
An inspection hatch comprising:
The pair of hinge members are attached to the outer frame near both ends of one side thereof, and each of the hinge members is
an attachment portion fixed to the vicinity of an end portion of one side of the outer frame;
a connecting portion in which an outer edge of the mounting portion is bent inward;
When the side where the inside is open relative to the installation surface is the front side and the opposite side is the back side, a support portion is provided extending from the front end of the connecting portion toward the front side;
a rotation shaft connecting the support portion and the inner frame;
An inspection hatch characterized by having: The inspection hatch described in claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the support part and the outer surface of the inner frame are in direct contact with each other and are fastened to each other by a rivet that serves as the rotation axis. An inspection hatch as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that a hook portion is provided on the rear edge of the mounting portion, which is folded outward and engages with the outer frame. an inner frame recess that is recessed outward on a part of the inner side of the inner frame;
4. The inspection hatch according to claim 1, wherein an inner end of the rotating shaft is housed in the inner frame recess.