JP7794033B2 - Frame joint structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a frame joint structure.

In the joining structure of the panel box described in Patent Document 1, a convex portion formed on one frame is fitted into a concave portion formed on the other frame, and the convex portion and the concave portion are joined with adhesive and rivets.
In the frame structure of the housing described in Patent Document 2, embossed portions for positioning are formed on the frames used as pillars and the frames used as corner members, and the embossed portions are fitted together and fastened with rivets.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-101567 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-66208

Rivets, bolts, and nuts have many advantages over welding, such as being easier to work with and not damaging the base material, but because the head and opposite end protrude from the frame, there was room for improvement in terms of making them smaller and more space-saving.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the size and space required in a frame joint structure by suppressing the protrusion of a fastener from a frame.

A frame joining structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a pair of frames and a fastener. The pair of frames are plate-shaped and have through holes formed therein. The fastener is fitted into both of the through holes that are aligned axially when the pair of frames are stacked together. Each through hole has an engagement claw that protrudes radially inward. The outer peripheral surface of the fastener has an engagement groove that extends circumferentially and fits into the engagement claw. When the fastener is fitted into both through holes and rotated, the engagement claws fit into the engagement grooves, joining the pair of frames together with the fastener.

According to the present invention, when the fastener fitted into the through hole is rotated, the engaging claws fit into the engaging grooves, generating a fastening force and joining the frames together. Therefore, since this structure does not clamp the frames together from both sides like rivets or bolts and nuts, the fastener does not protrude from the frame, allowing for miniaturization and space savings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a frame joint structure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing each decomposed frame. The images show the frames superimposed on each other. FIG. 10 shows a pair of overlapping frames. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual product. Furthermore, the following embodiments exemplify devices and methods that embody the technical concepts of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the configuration to those described below. In other words, the technical concepts of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope set forth in the claims.

<<Embodiment>>
"composition"
In the following description, the three mutually orthogonal directions are referred to as a width direction, a depth direction, and a length direction. The width direction and the depth direction are the two horizontal directions, and the length direction is the vertical direction.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a frame joint structure 11. As shown in FIG.
Here, the frame joint structure 11 is shown as viewed from the inside in the width direction, the inside in the depth direction, and the inside in the vertical direction. The frame joint structure 11 is used, for example, as a housing frame for an electrical equipment storage facility that stores various electrical equipment inside. The frame joint structure 11 includes a width frame 12, a depth frame 13, a vertical frame 14, a corner frame 15, and a fastener 16. The width frame 12, the depth frame 13, the vertical frame 14, and the corner frame 15 are formed by bending steel plates with a uniform thickness, which is approximately 6 mm in this example. The fastener 16 is formed from carbon steel or alloy steel for mechanical structures.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing each decomposed frame.
Here, each frame is shown as viewed from the inside in the width direction, the inside in the depth direction, and the inside in the vertical direction.
The width frame 12 extends in the width direction and includes a width plate portion 21 and a width plate portion 22. The width plate portion 21 extends in the width direction and is made of a flat plate that is aligned in the width and depth directions, and the outer end portion in the width direction is cut at a 45-degree angle so that the outer end portion in the width direction is inclined toward the outer side in the depth direction. The width plate portion 22 extends in the width direction and is made of a flat plate that is aligned in the width and length directions, and is formed by bending the outer end portion in the depth direction of the width plate portion 21 toward the inner side in the length direction.

The depth frame 13 extends in the depth direction and includes a depth plate portion 23 and a depth plate portion 24. The depth plate portion 23 extends in the depth direction and is made of a flat plate that is aligned in the depth direction and width direction, and the outer end in the depth direction is cut at a 45-degree angle so that the outer end in the width direction extends toward the outer side in the depth direction. The depth plate portion 24 extends in the depth direction and is made of a flat plate that is aligned in the depth direction and vertical direction, and is formed by bending the outer end in the width direction of the depth plate portion 23 toward the inner side in the vertical direction.
The vertical frame 14 extends in the vertical direction and includes a vertical plate portion 25 and a vertical plate portion 26. The vertical plate portion 25 extends in the vertical direction and is composed of a flat plate along the vertical and width directions. The vertical plate portion 26 extends in the vertical direction and is composed of a flat plate along the vertical and depth directions, and is formed by bending the vertical plate portion 25 from the outer end in the width direction toward the inside in the depth direction.
The corner frame 15 is an isosceles right triangle with the length of the side along the width direction and the length of the side along the depth direction being equal when viewed from the vertical direction.

A through hole 31 is formed in each of the width plate portions 21 and 22, penetrating in the thickness direction. A through hole 31 is formed in each of the depth plate portions 23 and 24, penetrating in the thickness direction. A through hole 31 is formed in each of the vertical plate portions 25 and 26, penetrating in the thickness direction. Two through holes 31 are formed in the corner frame 15, penetrating in the thickness direction. Each through hole 31 has two engaging claws 32 that protrude radially inward, and the two engaging claws 32 are formed 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction and face each other.

The through holes 31 all have the same shape and dimensions, except for the orientation of the engaging claws 32. That is, in the through holes 31 in the width plate portion 21, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the depth direction, and in the through holes 31 in the width plate portion 22, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the vertical direction. In the through holes 31 in the depth plate portion 23, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the width direction, and in the through holes 31 in the depth plate portion 24, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the vertical direction. In the through holes 31 in the vertical plate portion 25, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the vertical direction, and in the through holes 31 in the vertical plate portion 26, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the vertical direction. In the through holes 31 in the corner frame 15 close to the sides along the width direction, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the depth direction, and in the through holes 31 close to the sides along the depth direction, the engaging claws 32 protrude along the width direction.

When assembling each frame, first, the outer end of the width frame 12 in the width direction is butted against the outer end of the depth frame 13 in the depth direction. Then, the corner frame 15 is overlapped from the outside in the vertical direction onto the width board portion 21 and the depth board portion 23, the vertical board portion 25 is overlapped from the outside in the depth direction onto the width board portion 22, and the vertical board portion 26 is overlapped from the outside in the width direction onto the depth board portion 24.
FIG. 3 shows the state in which the frames are superimposed.
Here, the state of each frame as viewed from the inside in the width direction, the inside in the depth direction, and the inside in the vertical direction is shown. When the corner frame 15 is overlapped on the width frame 12 and the depth frame 13, the through holes 31 of the corner frame 15 are aligned axially with the through holes 31 of the width plate portion 21 and the through holes 31 of the depth plate portion 23, and the engaging claws 32 are also aligned when viewed from the axial direction. Furthermore, when the vertical frame 14 is overlapped on the width frame 12 and the depth frame 13, the through holes 31 of the vertical plate portion 25 and the through holes 31 of the vertical plate portion 26 are aligned axially with the through holes 31 of the width plate portion 22 and the through holes 31 of the depth plate portion 24, and the engaging claws 32 are also aligned when viewed from the axial direction.

Next, the two through holes 31 arranged in the axial direction will be described.
In the following explanation, we will discuss the through hole 31 in the depth plate portion 24 and the through hole 31 in the vertical plate portion 26, but since the other two through holes 31 aligned in the axial direction are similar, detailed explanations will be omitted.
FIG. 4 shows a pair of overlapping frames.
1A shows the overlapping depth plate portion 24 and vertical plate portion 26 as viewed from the outside in the width direction. The through hole 31 has an inner peripheral surface 34 that conforms to a reference circle 33, and two engagement claws 32 protrude radially inward from the reference circle 33 along the vertical direction. The diameter of the reference circle 33 is approximately 20 mm, for example. The engagement claws 32 become thinner as they move radially inward as viewed in the axial direction. The through hole 31 is point-symmetrical as viewed in the axial direction, and has the same shape when rotated 180 degrees around the axis.

(b) in the figure shows a cross section A-A passing through the center of the through-hole 31 and extending in the width and vertical directions, as viewed from the outside in the depth direction. The engaging claws 32 of the depth plate portion 24 are parallel to the depth plate portion 24 and have a uniform thickness less than the thickness of the depth plate portion 24. Here, as an example, the engaging claws 32 are approximately 1/3 (= 2 mm) of the thickness of the depth plate portion 24. When the depth plate portion 24 and the vertical plate portion 26 are overlapped, the opposing sides are referred to as the opposing inner sides, and the opposing opposite sides are referred to as the opposing outer sides. The engaging claws 32 of the depth plate portion 24 are formed so that the end surface 35 facing outward is located more inward than the outer surface 36 of the depth plate portion 24 facing outward. In other words, when viewed from the outside, the engaging claws 32 of the depth plate portion 24 are recessed from the outer surface 36 of the depth plate portion 24 facing outward. The engaging claws 32 of the depth plate portion 24 are formed so that their end faces 37 facing inward are flush with the inner faces 38 of the depth plate portion 24 facing inward. Therefore, the end faces 37 of the engaging claws 32 of the depth plate portion 24 and the engaging claws 32 of the vertical plate portion 26 are in surface contact with each other. The engaging claws 32 are formed by, for example, cutting.
The through-hole 31 of the vertical plate portion 26 has a shape that is the inverse of the through-hole 31 of the depth plate portion 24 in the width direction when viewed from the depth direction, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In other words, the through-hole 31 of the depth plate portion 24 and the through-hole 31 of the vertical plate portion 26, which are aligned in the axial direction, are line-symmetrical to each other when viewed from the surface direction of the depth plate portion 24 and the vertical plate portion 26.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the fastener 16. As shown in FIG.
Here, the three mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the axial direction, the x direction, and the y direction. (a) in the figure is a perspective view of the fastener 16 as seen from one side in the axial direction, one side in the x direction, and one side in the y direction. (b) in the figure is a perspective view of the fastener 16 as seen from one side in the axial direction, the other side in the x direction, and one side in the y direction. (c) in the figure is a front view of the fastener 16 as seen from the axial direction. (d) in the figure is a side view of the fastener 16 as seen from one side in the x direction. (e) in the figure is a side view of the fastener 16 as seen from the other side in the x direction.

The fastener 16 is a generally cylindrical member having an axial direction, and fits into both of the through holes 31 lined up in the axial direction. That is, the fastener 16 has an outer peripheral surface 41 that fits into the inner peripheral surfaces 34 of the two through holes 31, and has recesses 42 that are recessed radially inward along the engagement claws 32 when viewed from the axial direction. One recess 42 is formed on each side in the y direction. The axial dimension L of the fastener 16 is the same as the thickness of the overlapping depth plate portion 24 and vertical plate portion 26. Therefore, since the thickness of each of the depth plate portion 24 and vertical plate portion 26 is t = 6 mm, the axial dimension of the fastener 16 is L = 12 mm.

Engagement grooves 43 extending circumferentially and engaging with the respective engagement claws 32 are formed on the outer peripheral surface 41 of the fastener 16. The engagement grooves 43 are parallel to the engagement claws 32 and have a constant groove width. Their depth from the outer peripheral surface 41 is greater than the radial dimension of the engagement claws 32. The direction in which the fastener 16 is rotated after being fitted into the through-hole 31 is the fastening direction, which is set to be clockwise. One engagement groove 43 is formed on each side in the x direction. Each starts from the side of the recess 42 and extends circumferentially in the opposite direction to the fastening direction, i.e., counterclockwise. Therefore, on one side in the y direction, one engagement groove 43 extends from one side in the x direction to the other side in the y direction, and on the other side in the y direction, one engagement groove 43 extends from the other side in the x direction to one side in the y direction. The groove width of each engagement groove 43 is set to be less than the thickness of the engagement claws 32 so that the engagement claws 32 are tightly fitted. Each engagement groove 43 is located in the axial center, and at the starting position from the side of the recess 42, an introduction portion 43a is formed, the groove width of which increases as it progresses circumferentially in the fastening direction.

The fastener 16 has insertion portions 44 formed on both axial end surfaces for inserting a tool. The insertion portions 44 are grooves with a bottom and are shaped like a straight minus sign that is long in the x-direction when viewed axially. When a tool is inserted into the insertion portion 44 and a rotational torque is applied in the fastening direction, the fastener 16 rotates clockwise while fitted into the through-hole 31. As a tool for rotating the fastener 16, for example, a torque wrench, T-type wrench, rotary power tool, or the like equipped with a tip tool such as a flat-head bit that fits into the insertion portion 44 is used.
The fastener 16, like the through hole 31, is point-symmetric when viewed from the axial direction, and has the same shape when rotated 180 degrees around the axis. Furthermore, it is line-symmetric when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the axis, and has the same shape when flipped about the center line in the direction perpendicular to the axis.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the joining operation.
(a) in the figure shows the state before joining. The fastener 16 is fitted into the through-hole 31 of the depth plate portion 24 and the through-hole 31 of the vertical plate portion 26. From this state, when a tool is inserted into the insertion portion 44 and a rotational torque is applied in the clockwise direction, which is the fastening direction, the pair of adjacent engagement claws 32 enters the engagement groove 43. Because the groove width of the engagement groove 43 is set to be less than the thickness of the pair of engagement claws 32, the pair of engagement claws 32 bite into the engagement groove 43 as the fastener 16 is rotated, resulting in a press-fit state. In this way, a fastening force is generated, and the depth plate portion 24 and the vertical plate portion 26 are joined. (b) in the figure shows the state after joining. Here, the fastener 16 is rotated approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction, and the engagement claws 32 are hidden by entering the engagement groove 43.
The joints between the width plate portion 21 and the corner frame 15, the joint between the depth plate portion 23 and the corner frame 15, and the joint between the width plate portion 22 and the vertical plate portion 25 are similar, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the housing frame 51. As shown in FIG.
The housing frame 51 includes width frames 12, depth frames 13, vertical frames 14, and corner frames 15, which are combined to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. Specifically, the housing frame 51 includes four width frames 12 extending along the width direction, four depth frames 13 extending along the depth direction, four vertical frames 14 extending along the length direction, and eight corner frames 15 provided at the four corners on the bottom side and the four corners on the ceiling side. While the width frames 12, depth frames 13, and vertical frames 14 are shown here as being approximately equal in length, in reality, they may differ in length. The frames are all joined together by fasteners 16.

<<Action and Effect>>
Next, the main effects of the embodiment will be described.
The frame joining structure 11 includes a pair of frames, such as a depth plate portion 24 and a vertical plate portion 26, and a fastener 16. The pair of frames are plate-shaped and have through holes 31 formed therein. The fastener 16 is fitted into both of the through holes 31, which are aligned axially when the pair of frames are stacked together. Each through hole 31 has an engagement claw 32 protruding radially inward. An outer peripheral surface 41 of the fastener 16 has an engagement groove 43 extending circumferentially and engaging with each engagement claw 32. When the fastener 16 is fitted into both through holes 31 and rotated, the engagement claws 32 engage with the engagement grooves 43, joining the pair of frames together with the fastener 16. This generates a fastening force, joining the frames together. Therefore, because the structure does not clamp the frames together from both sides like rivets or bolts and nuts, the fastener 16 does not protrude from the frames, thereby achieving compactness and space savings.

The axial dimension of the fastener 16 is equal to or less than the thickness of the pair of overlapping frames, which eliminates the protrusion of the fastener 16 from the frames, thereby enabling miniaturization and space saving.
A plurality of engaging claws 32 are formed along the circumferential direction, thereby ensuring a sufficient fastening force.
The engaging claws 32 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, thereby allowing the fastening force to be applied evenly along the circumferential direction.

When a pair of frames are overlapped, the opposing sides are referred to as the opposing inner sides, and the opposing opposite sides are referred to as the opposing outer sides. The engaging claws 32 are formed so that their thickness is less than the thickness of the frames, and their end faces 35 facing outward are positioned more inward than the outer faces 36 of the frames facing outward. This allows the engaging claws 32 to fit into the engaging grooves 43 while preventing the fasteners 16 from protruding from the frames.
The engaging claws 32 are formed so that the end faces 37 facing inward are flush with the inner faces 38 of the frame facing inward. This allows the pair of engaging claws 32, with their end faces 37 in surface contact with each other, to be fitted together into the engaging grooves 43.
The engagement groove 43 is set so that the groove width is less than the thickness of the engagement claw 32. As a result, when the engagement claw 32 bites into the engagement groove 43, a fastening force is generated that presses the engagement claw 32 against the opposing inner side, and the pair of frames can be joined together.

The engagement groove 43 is formed with an introduction portion 43a whose width increases as it advances circumferentially in the direction in which the fastener 16 is rotated. This allows the introduction portion 43a to guide the engagement pawl 32 into the engagement groove 43. Therefore, even if there is some deviation in the axial position when the fastener 16 is fitted into the through hole 31, as long as the engagement pawl 32 is within the range of the introduction portion 43a, the axial position is adjusted as the fastener 16 rotates, and the engagement pawl 32 can fit into the engagement groove 43.
The through hole 31 has an inner peripheral surface 34 that follows the reference circle 33, and the fastener 16 has an outer peripheral surface 41 that fits into the inner peripheral surface 34. This guides the rotation of the fastener 16 along the reference circle 33.
The engaging claws 32 protrude radially inward from the reference circle 33, and the fastener 16 has recesses 42 formed therein that are recessed radially inward along the engaging claws 32 when viewed axially. This allows the fastener 16 to be fitted axially into the through hole 31.

The fastener 16 is formed with an insertion portion 44 into which a tool for rotating the fastener 16 can be inserted. This allows the fastener 16 to be rotated using a tool to perform fastening. By making the insertion portion 44 bottomed rather than penetrating in the axial direction, unnecessary thinning is suppressed, and the strength of the fastener 16 can be ensured.
The through holes 31 aligned in the axial direction are formed so as to be line-symmetrical when viewed from the plane direction of the pair of frames, thereby making it possible to fit the fasteners 16 into either of the two through holes 31.

The through hole 31 is formed to be point symmetrical when viewed from the axial direction, which allows the fastener 16 to be fitted into the through hole 31 without regard to the up-down or left-right orientation.
The frame joint structure 11 is employed in a housing frame 51 that houses electrical equipment. The housing frame 51 that houses the electrical equipment is required to pack the electrical equipment at a high density and ensure an insulation distance, so it is particularly beneficial to reduce the protrusion of the fastener 16 from the frame to achieve size reduction and space saving.

Next, a comparative example will be described.
As a comparative example, a pair of frames are generally joined together using rivets or bolts and nuts. Rivets and bolts and nuts have many advantages, such as being less difficult to work with than welding and not damaging the base material. However, because the head and opposite end protrude from the frame, there is room for improvement in terms of miniaturization and space saving. In particular, housing frames that house electrical equipment require high density of the electrical equipment and ensuring insulation distances, so joining using rivets or bolts and nuts has been an obstacle to miniaturization and space saving.

<<Variation>>
In the embodiment, a configuration in which two engaging claws 32 are formed in one through hole 31 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, three or four engaging claws 32 may be formed in one through hole 31.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example.
Figure (a) shows a configuration in which three engaging claws 32 are formed, and figure (b) shows a configuration in which four engaging claws 32 are formed. In either case, the engaging claws 32 are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. In this way, by increasing the number of engaging claws 32, sufficient fastening force can be ensured. Furthermore, by forming multiple engaging claws 32 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, the fastening force can be applied evenly along the circumferential direction.

In the embodiment, the insertion portion 44 is shaped like a minus sign, but is not limited to this. That is, the shape of the insertion portion 44 can be any shape, such as a plus sign, a square hole, a hexagonal hole, or a hexalobular six-pointed star.
In the embodiment, the configuration in which the depth plate portion 24 and the vertical plate portion 26 are joined by one fastener 16 has been described, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be joined by two or more fasteners 16. The same applies to other joining portions.
In the embodiment, the configuration in which the frames are joined without using any rivets or bolts and nuts has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, fastening using fasteners 16 may be performed in locations where protrusion from the frame is not permitted, and fastening using rivets or bolts and nuts may be performed in locations where protrusion from the frame is permitted.

The above description has been given with reference to a limited number of embodiments, but the scope of the invention is not limited to these, and modifications of the embodiments based on the above disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

11...frame joining structure, 12...width frame, 13...depth frame, 14...vertical frame, 15...corner frame, 16...fastening body, 21...width plate portion, 22...width plate portion, 23...depth plate portion, 24...depth plate portion, 25...vertical plate portion, 26...vertical plate portion, 31...through hole, 32...engaging claw, 33...reference circle, 34...inner peripheral surface, 35...end surface, 36...outer surface, 37...end surface, 38...inner surface, 41...outer peripheral surface, 42...recess, 43...engaging groove, 43a...introduction portion, 44...insertion portion, 51...housing frame

Claims (14)

a pair of plate-shaped frames each having a through hole formed therein;
and a fastener that is fitted into both of the through holes that are aligned in the axial direction by overlapping the pair of frames,
Each of the through holes is formed with an engaging claw that protrudes radially inward,
An engagement groove extending in the circumferential direction and engaging with the engagement claw is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the fastening body,
A frame joining structure characterized in that when the fasteners are inserted into both of the through holes and rotated, the engaging claws fit into the engaging grooves, thereby joining the pair of frames together with the fasteners. The frame joint structure described in claim 1, characterized in that the axial dimension of the fastener is less than or equal to the thickness of the pair of overlapping frames. A frame joining structure as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that multiple engaging claws are formed along the circumferential direction. A frame joining structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that the engaging claws are formed at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. When the pair of frames are overlapped, the sides facing each other are referred to as facing inner sides, and the opposite sides facing each other are referred to as facing outer sides,
A frame joining structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the engaging claw has a thickness less than the thickness of the frame, and the end face facing outward is formed so as to be positioned more inward than the outer surface of the frame facing outward. A frame joining structure as described in claim 5, characterized in that the engaging claws are formed so that their end faces facing inward are flush with the inner faces of the frame facing inward. A frame joining structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the engagement groove is set so that the groove width is less than the thickness of the engagement claw. The frame joining structure described in claim 7, characterized in that the engagement groove has an introduction portion formed such that the groove width increases as it progresses in the circumferential direction in the direction in which the fastener is rotated. The through hole has an inner circumferential surface that follows a reference circle,
The frame joint structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fastener has an outer peripheral surface that fits into the inner peripheral surface. The engaging claws protrude radially inward from the reference circle,
The frame joining structure according to claim 9, characterized in that the fastening body is formed with a recess that is recessed radially inward along the engaging claw when viewed from the axial direction. A frame joint structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the fastener is formed with an insertion portion into which a tool for rotating the fastener can be inserted. A frame joint structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that both of the through holes aligned in the axial direction are formed so as to be line-symmetrical when viewed from the surface direction of the pair of frames. A frame joint structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the through holes are formed so as to be point-symmetric when viewed from the axial direction. The frame joint structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it is used in a housing frame in which an electric device is housed.