JP7805845B2 - Equipment storage case - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. 1. November 19, 2021 - March 30, 2022: Deliveries to stores, etc. listed in the attached table. 2. Publication on the company's website from December 13, 2021. 3. Publication in an article on PRTIMES Co., Ltd.'s website on December 13, 2021. 4. February 15-18, 2022: Exhibited and publicly displayed at the 50th International Hotel & Restaurant Show. 5. February 16-18, 2022: Exhibited and publicly displayed at the Supermarket Trade Show 2022.

The present invention relates to an equipment housing case that includes a case body with an opening on the front and a cover that opens and closes the opening, and that houses electrical equipment and the like inside.

This type of equipment housing case is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1 (Title of Invention: Interlock Device for Switchboard), the equipment housing case includes a switchboard (case body) with an opening on the front, a door (cover) that swings open and closes the opening, and a pair of upper and lower flat hinges that swingably support the door. The flat hinges are located on the exterior right side of the equipment housing case, where the switchboard and door are adjacent. With flat hinges located on the exterior of the equipment housing case in this way, when opening the opening, the swing base side does not interfere with the switchboard, and the door can be swung widely relative to the switchboard, moving the door away from the front of the opening. This allows the housed equipment to be operated and maintained without the door interfering. However, because the flat hinges are exposed on the exterior, this inevitably detracts from the appearance, which is disadvantageous when enhancing the design of the equipment housing case.

For example, in Patent Document 2 (Title of Invention: Lid Opening/Closing Mechanism and Electronic Device), the housing (device housing case) is composed of a housing body (case body) with an opening (aperture), a lid member (cover) that opens and closes the opening, and a hinge consisting of a shaft and a bearing hole. The hinge is located on the inside of the housing where the housing body and lid member are adjacent. With a hinge located inside in this way, the design of the housing body can be improved without the hinge being exposed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-32619 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-239156

While hinges installed inside the housing, as in Patent Document 2, offer the advantage of improving the design of the housing compared to Patent Document 1, the structure means that the housing body and the lid member are always in close proximity. Therefore, when the lid member is swung to open the opening, the swing base end of the lid member interferes with the housing body, making it difficult to ensure a sufficient swing amount to open the opening wide. Therefore, even when the lid member is swung, it remains within the forward projection area of the opening, preventing the opening from opening wide. This type of equipment housing case lacks convenience in that the lid member gets in the way and hinders operation and maintenance of the housed equipment.

The present invention aims to simultaneously solve two conflicting problems for equipment housing cases in which the cover that opens and closes the opening is supported by a hinge: improving the design of the case's exterior and allowing the opening to be opened widely when the cover is released.

The present invention relates to an equipment housing case comprising a rectangular box-shaped case body 1 having an opening 2 on its front, a cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2, and a pair of left and right hinges 4 that support the cover 3, with the cover 3 supported by the hinges 4 so that it can be positioned between a closed position that closes the opening 2 and an open position that opens the opening 2. Each hinge 4 includes a hinge hole 29 formed in the upper part of the inside surface of the case body 1 and elongated in the front-to-rear direction, a hinge pin 30 extending left and right that is supported in the hinge hole 29 so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and a pin bracket 31 provided on the rear surface of the cover 3 and equipped with the hinge pin 30. The hinge hole 29 has a front end retaining portion 45 formed on the front side and a rear end retaining portion 47 formed on the rear side. When held by these front and rear end retaining portions 45, 47, the hinge pin 30 cannot slide forward or backward but can rotate. The cover 3 is configured so that, by holding the hinge pin 30 in the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, it assumes a closed position, and by swinging the cover 3 upward around the hinge pin 30 as the swing center while the hinge pin 30 is held in the front end holding portion 45 of the hinge hole 29, it assumes an open position.

The pin bracket 31 is a vertical plate that is long from front to back, and the hinge pin 30 is provided near the rear end of the pin bracket 31, spaced apart from the cover 3. The movement path of the pin bracket 31 is configured to intersect with the top wall 8 of the case body 1 when the cover 3 swings around the hinge pin 30. The top wall 8 of the case body 1 has a slit 56 cut from the front end to the rear in a section that interferes with the movement path of the pin bracket 31 when the cover 3 swings. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pin bracket 31 is inserted inside the slit 56.

The hinge 4 includes a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall 8 of the case body 1, which defines the slit 56, when the cover 3 is in the open position, thereby holding the cover 3 in the open position. The locking body 32 is composed of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through-hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31, and a locking claw 60 that protrudes to the left or right near the tip of the locking arm 59.

A folding piece 20 is provided at the bottom end of the cover 3, covering the outer surface of the bottom wall 9 of the case body 1. A locking portion 65 is provided between the bottom wall 9 and the folding piece 20, which engages when the cover 3 is in the closed position and restricts forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking portion 65 is provided on either the bottom wall 9 or the folding piece 20 and consists of an engaging protrusion 66 that protrudes toward the other side, and an engaging recess 67 that is provided on the other side and engages with the engaging protrusion 66.

The hinge hole 29 has a semicircular rear arc surface 37, which is the rear inner surface of the hole and forms the rear end holding portion 47. A rear guide surface 41 is formed on the hole bottom surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, continuing from the rear arc surface 37 and sloping downward toward the front.

The hinge hole 29 has a semicircular front arc surface 36, which is the front inner surface of the hole that constitutes the front end holding portion 45. The front and rear arc surfaces 36, 37 are formed with the same arc radius, and their arc centers are formed at the same height. A front guide surface 40 is formed on the bottom surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, continuing from the front arc surface 36 and sloping downward toward the lower end of the inclined rear guide surface 41.

In this invention, an equipment housing case includes a case body 1 having an opening 2 and a cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2. The cover 3 is supported by hinges 4, 4 so that its position can be changed between a closed position that closes the opening 2 and an open position that opens the opening 2. The hinge pin 30 that constitutes the hinge 4 is supported in a hinge hole 29 located at the top of the inside surface of the case body 1 so that it can rotate freely and slide in the front-to-rear direction, while being held in the front-end holding portion 45 and rear-end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29 so that it cannot slide forward or backward. By holding the hinge pin 30 in the rear-end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is in the closed position. With the hinge pin 30 held in the front-end holding portion 45 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is configured to be in the open position by swinging the cover 3 upward around the hinge pin 30 as the swing center. With an equipment housing case configured as described above, the cover 3, which is in the closed position, can be changed to the open position by pulling the cover 3 forward from the closed position to move the hinge pin 30 from the rear end holding portion 47 to the front end holding portion 45, and then swinging the cover 3 upward around the hinge pin 30 as the swing center. Alternatively, the cover 3 can be changed from the open position to the closed position by swinging the cover 3 downward with the hinge pin 30 held by the front end holding portion 45, and then pushing the cover 3 rearward so that the hinge pin 30 moves from the front end holding portion 45 to the rear end holding portion 47.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pair of hinges 4, 4 are housed within the space surrounded by the case body 1 and cover 3, preventing the hinges 4 from being exposed to the outside and detracting from the appearance of the equipment housing case. Furthermore, when the opening 2 is opened, the cover 3 is displaced forward from the closed position, separating the cover 3 from the case body 1. The cover 3 swings while separated from the case body 1, thereby preventing the cover 3 from interfering with the case body 1 when swinging, and increasing the amount of swing of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. As described above, according to the present invention, in an equipment housing case in which the cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2 is supported by the hinge 4, it is possible to simultaneously solve two conflicting goals: improving the design of the exterior of the case, and widening the opening 2 forward when the cover is released.

The pin bracket 31 is a vertical plate-like body elongated from front to back. The hinge pin 30 is located near the rear end of the pin bracket 31, spaced apart from the cover 3. The pin bracket 31's path of movement is configured to intersect with the top wall 8 of the case body 1 when the cover 3 pivots around the hinge pin 30. The top wall 8 of the case body 1 may be provided with a slit 56 cut from the front end toward the rear at a portion that interferes with the path of movement of the pin bracket 31 as the cover 3 pivots. This configuration allows the pin bracket 31 to be compact while preventing interference between the pin bracket 31 and the top wall 8 when the cover 3 pivots. This eliminates the need for a large vertical space occupied by the pin bracket 31 and contributes to a larger storage space in the equipment housing case. Because the width of the slit 56 is approximately the same as the thickness of the pin bracket 31, the slit 56 does not significantly detract from the design of the case. Furthermore, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, if the pin bracket 31 is inserted into the slit 56, it is possible to prevent the formation of a through hole in the top wall 8 of the case body 1 that communicates with the interior of the equipment housing case. This prevents dust and other particles from entering the interior of the equipment housing case, preventing problems caused by dust and other particles from occurring in the housed equipment.

If the hinge 4 is equipped with a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the top wall 8 of the case body 1, which defines the slit 56, to hold the cover 3 in the open position when the cover 3 is changed to the open position, the cover 3 can be maintained in the open position, simplifying the operation and maintenance of the housed equipment. Furthermore, if the locking body 32 is composed of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31 and a locking claw 60 protruding in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm 59, using part of the pin bracket 31 as the locking arm 59 and providing the locking claw 60 on the locking arm 59 eliminates the need for a separate dedicated component and simplifies the structure of the hinge 4.

A folding piece 20 is provided at the bottom end of the cover 3, covering the outer surface of the bottom wall 9 of the case body 1. A locking portion 65 is provided between the bottom wall 9 and the folding piece 20, which engages when the cover 3 is in the closed position to restrict forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking portion 65 can be configured to be composed of an engaging protrusion 66 provided on either the bottom wall 9 or the folding piece 20 and protruding toward the other side, and an engaging recess 67 provided on the other side with which the engaging protrusion 66 engages. In this way, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, its upper side is held by the rear end holding portion 47 and its lower side is held by the locking portion 65 relative to the case body 1. This prevents the cover 3 from accidentally shifting forward due to earthquake shaking or contact with other objects, ensuring that the opening 2 is always properly closed by the cover 3.

The hinge hole 29 has a semicircular rear arc surface 37, which is the rear inner surface of the hole and forms the rear end holding portion 47. The lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29 is formed with a rear guide surface 41 that slopes downward toward the front and is continuous with the rear arc surface 37. When the cover 3 is pulled forward and the rear end holding portion 47 releases the hinge pin 30, the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41, causing the cover 3 to move diagonally downward toward the front. During this time, the cover 3 can be pulled out with little force. Furthermore, in the case of a locking portion 65 that is a concave-convex engagement, when the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front, the overlapping piece 20 covering the outer surface of the bottom wall 9 separates from the bottom wall 9, disengaging the locking portion 65. Therefore, when the upper side of the cover 3 in the closed position is released, the lower side is automatically released. This simplifies the operation of opening the cover 3 by eliminating the need to individually release the upper and lower positioning holds.

The hinge hole 29 has a semicircular front arc surface 36, which is the front inner surface of the hole that constitutes the front end holding portion 45. The front and rear arc surfaces 36, 37 are formed with the same arc radius, with their arc centers at the same height. The underside 39 of the hinge hole 29 is formed with a front guide surface 40 that is continuous with the front arc surface 36 and slopes downward toward the lower end of the slope of the rear guide surface 41. When the cover 3 is pushed rearward and the hold of the hinge pin 30 by the front end holding portion 45 is released, the hinge pin 30 slides down the front guide surface 40, and the cover 3 attempts to move diagonally downward toward the rear, allowing the cover 3 to be repositioned to the closed position with little operating force.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the device housing case according to the present invention, taken along line A-A in FIG. 5, when the cover is in an open position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire device housing case. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5 when the cover is in a closed position. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view of the hinge structure when the cover is in the closed position. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing an operation of pulling out the cover in the procedure for opening the cover. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing an operation of swinging the cover in the procedure for opening the cover. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the state in which the cover is open.

(Embodiment) Figures 1 to 9 show an embodiment of an equipment housing case according to the present invention. In this embodiment, front, back, left, right, and top and bottom refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5 and the indications of front, back, left, right, and top and bottom written near each arrow. In Figure 2, the equipment housing case is a box-like body with an internal storage space, and is equipped with a rectangular box-shaped case body 1 that is long and flat from front to back, and a cover 3 that opens and closes an opening 2 formed on the front of the case body 1. As shown in Figure 3, the cover 3 is supported by a pair of left and right hinges 4, 4 arranged inside the equipment housing case so that its position can be changed.

In Figure 2, the case body 1 comprises a horizontally elongated rectangular rear wall 7 and an upper wall 8, a lower wall 9, a left side wall 10, and a right side wall 11 extending forward from the four peripheral edges of the rear wall 7. The upper wall 8 and the left and right side walls 10 and 11 are formed to have approximately the same front-to-back dimensions, and the lower front corners of the left and right side walls 10 and 11 are rounded. As shown in Figure 3, the lower wall 9 is formed to have approximately half the front-to-back dimensions of the upper wall 8, and the opening 2 in this embodiment is formed across the entire front surface and the front half of the bottom surface of the case body 1. The lower wall 9 has an upwardly recessed recess 12 at the front end, centered on the left and right sides, to receive the overlapping piece 20, described below (see Figure 9).

As shown in Figure 3, the cover 3 is composed of a roughly L-shaped plate that matches the front edge to the front half of the lower edge of the case body 1 in a side view, and includes a front cover wall 14 that closes the opening 2 corresponding to the front surface of the case body 1, and a lower cover wall 15 that closes the opening 2 corresponding to the underside of the case body 1. The boundary between the cover walls 14, 15 is rounded to match the lower front corners of the left and right side walls 10, 11. The opening 2 is opened and closed by changing the position of the cover 3, supported by a pair of hinges 4, 4, between a closed position in which the opening 2 is closed as shown in Figure 3, and an open position in which the cover 3 is swung around a horizontal axis from the closed position as shown in Figure 8(b).

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front cover wall 14 has a stepped surface 16 recessed toward the rear, with a width that is more than half the width of the wall 14. The stepped surface 16 is provided to enhance the design of the equipment housing case and to reinforce the cover 3. The stepped surface 16 has a horizontally elongated rectangular exposure hole 17 formed in its center, and a circular mounting hole 18 formed below the exposure hole 17. The stepped surface 16 extends to the upper end of the front cover wall 14, and the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 has a receiving recess 19 that receives the front cover wall 14 at the stepped surface 16. When the opening 2 is closed by the cover 3, the front edges of the upper wall 8, lower wall 9, and left and right side walls 10 and 11 contact the rear surfaces of the four peripheral edges of the cover 3. The rear edge of the lower cover wall 15 (the lower end of the cover 3) has an overlapping piece 20 that covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 when the cover 3 is in the closed position. When in the closed position, the overlapping piece 20 of the cover 3 is housed in the recess 12 and does not protrude outside the bottom wall 9, giving the underside of the case body 1 a flat appearance.

For example, if the equipment storage case of this embodiment is used as a storage case for devices that monitor and operate in-store devices (freezers, refrigerators, showcases, etc.) in a supermarket, the storage space enclosed by the case body 1 and cover 3 will house a communication device 22 that communicates with the communication devices installed in the in-store devices, and a control device 23 with a touch panel display, as shown in FIG. 3. The control device 23 is fixed to the back surface of the cover 3 with the display facing the exposure through-hole 17. Reference numeral 24 denotes an alarm lamp that is attached to the mounting through-hole 18 and emits light to indicate abnormalities or other issues that the control device 23 issues. These devices 22-24 are electrically connected by cables (not shown).

The pair of hinges 4, 4 are configured so that the left and right sides are opposite each other. Here, we will explain the right hinge 4 located between the right side wall 11 and the cover 3, and will omit the left hinge 4 located between the left side wall 10 and the cover 3. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the hinge 4 is located on the upper inner surface of the right side wall 11 (the upper inner surface of the case body 1) and includes a hinge hole 29 formed as an elongated hole extending in the front-to-rear direction; a hinge pin 30 extending in the left-to-right direction that is supported in the hinge hole 29 so that it can rotate freely and slide in the front-to-rear direction; a pin bracket 31 located on the rear surface of the cover 3 and that supports the hinge pin 30 near the rear end separated from the cover 3; and a locking body 32 that holds the open cover 3 in place. The hinge pin 30 is composed of a round shaft that protrudes rightward from the right side surface of the pin bracket 31.

As shown in Figure 5, a hole block 35 with an outer shape slightly larger than the hinge hole 29 protrudes leftward from the inner surface of the right side wall 11, and the hinge hole 29 is recessed rightward from the left side of the hole block 35. In Figure 4, the hinge hole 29 is composed of a semicircular front arc surface 36 that forms the front inner surface of the hole, a semicircular rear arc surface 37 that forms the rear inner surface of the hole, an upper hole surface 38 that connects the front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 on the upper side, and a lower hole surface 39 that connects the front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 on the lower side. The front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 are formed by semicircular surfaces with diameters slightly larger than the diameter of the hinge pin 30.

As shown in Figure 4, the centers of the front and rear arcuate surfaces 36 and 37 are located at the same height, and the upper hole surface 38 is horizontal. The lower hole surface 39 is composed of a front guide surface 40 that slopes downward toward the rear and is continuous with the front arcuate surface 36, and a rear guide surface 41 that slopes downward toward the front and is continuous with the rear arcuate surface 37. The lower ends of the slopes of the front and rear guide surfaces 40 and 41 are smoothly continuous. The boundary between the front guide surface 40 and the rear guide surface 41 is located near the rear arcuate surface 37, and the vertical dimension of the hinge hole 29 is greatest at the boundary between the front guide surface 40 and the rear guide surface 41. The front guide surface 40 is inclined at approximately 5 degrees relative to the horizontal, and the rear guide surface 41 is inclined at approximately 45 degrees relative to the horizontal.

A front restricting protrusion 44 protrudes upward from the boundary between the front arcuate surface 36 and the front guide surface 40. The vertical gap between the front restricting protrusion 44 and the hole top surface 38 is smaller than the diameter of the hinge pin 30. When the hinge pin 30 moves forward through the hinge hole 29, passes over the front restricting protrusion 44, and is received by the front arcuate surface 36, its rearward movement is restricted by the front restricting protrusion 44, and it is held in position by the front arcuate surface 36 and the front restricting protrusion 44 (see Figure 1). The front arcuate surface 36 and the front restricting protrusion 44 form a front end retaining portion 45 that holds the hinge pin 30 in position at the front end of the hinge hole 29.

A rear restricting protrusion 46 protrudes upward from the boundary between the rear arcuate surface 37 and the rear guide surface 41. The vertical gap between the rear restricting protrusion 46 and the hole top surface 38 is smaller than the diameter of the hinge pin 30. When the hinge pin 30 moves rearward through the hinge hole 29, passes over the rear restricting protrusion 46, and is received by the rear arcuate surface 37, its forward movement is restricted by the rear restricting protrusion 46, and it is held in position by the rear arcuate surface 37 and the rear restricting protrusion 46 (see Figure 4). The rear arcuate surface 37 and the rear restricting protrusion 46 together form a rear end retaining portion 47 that holds the hinge pin 30 in position at the rear end of the hinge hole 29.

As shown in Figure 5, the pin bracket 31 is a vertical plate-like body that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and a hinge pin 30 protrudes to the right from the rear end of the pin bracket 31, i.e., at a position separated from the cover 3. The pin bracket 31 can be formed integrally with the cover 3, but in this embodiment, the pin bracket 31 is configured as a separate body from the cover 3. The pin bracket 31 has an integral fixing frame 51 for fixing to the cover 3, and the fixing frame 51 is equipped with a guide pin 52 for positioning the pin bracket 31 relative to the cover 3. The fixing frame 51 has a U-shaped cross section and is located on the left side of the front end of the pin bracket 31, and the guide pin 52 protrudes forward from the inner surface of the fixing frame 51.

The rear surface of the cover 3 has a screw boss 53 for fixing the pin bracket 31 and a guide boss 54 into which the guide pin 52 fits, protruding rearward. The pin bracket 31 is fixed to the cover 3 by fitting the guide pin 52 into the guide boss 54 and then fastening the fixing screw 55 into the screw boss 53 via the fixing frame 51. This brings the upper and lower end edges of the fixing frame 51 into tight contact with the rear surface of the cover 3 (see Figure 3), and with the guide pin 52 positioned by the guide boss 54, the cover 3 and pin bracket 31 are fixed together by the fixing screw 55.

When the cover 3, supported by a pair of hinges 4, swings, the movement path of the pin bracket 31 intersects with the top wall 8 of the case body 1. A slit 56 is provided where the swing path of the pin bracket 31 interferes with the top wall 8. The slit 56 is cut rearward from the front edge of the top wall 8, and its left-to-right width is slightly larger than the thickness of the pin bracket 31. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the upper edge of the pin bracket 31 enters and blocks the slit 56. Furthermore, the pin bracket 31 enters the slit 56 within the thickness of the top wall 8, so that the pin bracket 31 does not protrude above the top surface of the top wall 8. In this embodiment, the top surface of the top wall 8 and the upper end surface of the pin bracket 31 are configured to be substantially flush with each other, avoiding the appearance that the top surface of the case body 1 is recessed at the slit 56. A slit 56 is also formed in the left hinge 4, and a pair of left and right slits 56, 56 are formed in the top wall 8.

A locking body 32 is provided to maintain the position of the cover 3 after it has been changed to the open position. As shown in FIG. 1, the locking body 32 is composed of a locking arm 59 that is elastically deformable in the left-right direction and a locking claw 60 that protrudes rightward from the tip of the locking arm 59. The locking arm 59 is formed integrally with the pin bracket 31. Specifically, a U-shaped through-hole 61 is provided in the pin bracket 31, and this through-hole 61 defines a portion of the pin bracket 31 as the cantilevered locking arm 59. As shown in FIG. 6, the left side of the locking arm 59 is milled away to be thinner than the pin bracket 31. This allows the locking arm 59 to deform leftward (into the direction of retraction into the through-hole 61) until the protruding tip of the locking claw 60 is flush with the right side of the pin bracket 31 without the locking arm 59 protruding from the left side of the pin bracket 31. When the cover 3 is changed to the open position, the position is maintained by a locking claw 60 hooking (engaging) with the inner right side surface of the upper wall 8 that defines the slit 56. The locking claw 60 is provided with a guide surface 62 that abuts against the slit 56 and elastically deforms the locking arm 59 in the retracting direction when the cover 3 is pivoted to the open position.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a locking portion 65 is provided between the bottom wall 9 of the case body 1 and the overlapping piece 20 of the cover 3. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the locking portion 65 engages with the overlapping piece 20 and restricts forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking portion 65 is composed of an engaging protrusion 66 provided on the overlapping piece 20 and protruding toward the bottom wall 9, and an engaging recess 67 provided on the bottom wall 9 with which the engaging protrusion 66 engages. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the hinge pin 30 is held by the rear end retaining portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, and further, the engaging protrusion 66 of the locking portion 65 engages with the engaging recess 67. This allows the cover 3 to be held in the closed position by the pair of upper hinges 4 and the lower locking portion 65. The locking portion 65 may have an engaging protrusion 66 provided on the bottom wall 9 that protrudes toward the overlapping piece 20, and an engaging recess 67 on the overlapping piece 20 with which the engaging protrusion 66 engages.

The procedure for opening the cover 3 will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. First, hook your fingertip on the top edge of the cover 3 and pull it toward you. The upper side of the cover 3 swings forward, with the contact point between the bottom edge of the cover 3 and the bottom wall 9 as a fulcrum (see Figure 7(a)). When the hinge pin 30 overcomes the rear restriction protrusion 46 as the cover 3 swings, the cover 3 moves downward and toward you as the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41 due to its own weight. In conjunction with this movement, the engagement protrusion 66 moves downward relative to the engagement recess 67, releasing the engagement between the recesses. With the positioning of the rear end holding portion 47 and the engagement of the locking portion 65 released, the cover 3 is temporarily held in place with the hinge pin 30 received at the boundary between the front and rear guide surfaces 40 and 41 (see Figure 7(b)).

Next, hold the left and right sides of the front lid wall 14 with both hands and pull the entire cover 3 toward you. The hinge pin 30 is guided by the hinge hole 29, pulling the cover 3 forward. Eventually, the hinge pin 30 passes over the front restriction protrusion 44 and is held in position by the front end retaining portion 45 (see Figure 7(c)). From this state, swing the lower end of the cover 3 upward around the hinge pin 30 (see Figure 8(a)). Further swinging causes the locking arm 59 to elastically deform, causing the locking claw 60 to climb over the upper wall 8 that defines the slit 56. At this time, the guide surface 62 formed on the locking claw 60 comes into contact with the upper wall 8, forcing the locking arm 59 to elastically deform. Once the locking claw 60 climbs over the upper wall 8, the locking arm 59 releases its elastic deformation and returns to its original position. Furthermore, even after the locking claw 60 has climbed over the upper wall 8, the cover 3 can still be swung until the upper end of the cover 3 abuts against the upper wall 8.

Next, when the swinging force of the cover 3 is released, the cover 3 attempts to swing in the opposite direction due to its own weight, but the swing is stopped when the locking claw 60 is received by the inner surface of the upper wall 8, and the cover 3 is held in the open position (see Figure 8(b)). This opens the opening 2, allowing maintenance and other operations to be performed on the housed devices 22-24. In this embodiment, the cover 3 is configured to swing approximately 135 degrees clockwise from the position in which it is pulled out and the hinge pin 30 is held by the front end holding portion 45, as viewed from the right side. When the cover 3 is in the open position, the entire opening 2 is exposed when viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, reference numeral 70 denotes screws used to attach the rear wall 7 to the wall when fixing the device housing case to the wall. The screws 70 are provided at the four corners of the rear wall 7.

When maintenance or other procedures are completed and the cover 3 is returned to the closed position, first, while supporting the cover 3, elastically deform the locking arms 59 with your fingertips and retract them into the through-holes 61 so that the locking claws 60 can clear the upper wall 8. This disengages the locking claws 60 from the upper wall 8, allowing the cover 3 to swing forward. Continue swinging the cover 3 downward until the front cover wall 14 is vertical (see Figure 7(c)). After the locking claws 60 pass through the slits 56, the elastic deformation of the locking arms 59 can be released without any problems. Next, hold the left and right sides of the front cover wall 14 with both hands and push the entire cover 3 rearward to release the hinge pin 30 from its position held by the front end holder 45, and move the cover 3 rearward (see Figure 7(b)). The hinge pin 30 is received by the front guide surface 40, which slopes downward toward the rear, and slides rearward, allowing the cover 3 to slide with relatively little force.

After the hinge pin 30 slides to the boundary between the front and rear guide surfaces 40, 41, the entire cover 3 is pushed further rearward. As the hinge pin 30 is guided by the rear guide surface 41, the cover 3 moves diagonally rearward while rising. As the cover 3 moves diagonally, the engagement protrusion 66 approaches the engagement recess 67, first establishing an engagement between the two. After the locking portion 65 engages, the upper end of the front cover wall 14 is pushed rearward, causing the hinge pin 30 to move over the rear restriction protrusion 46 and be held in position by the rear end retaining portion 47. This holds the cover 3 in the closed position.

As described above, with the device housing case of this embodiment, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pair of hinges 4, 4 are housed within the space surrounded by the case body 1 and cover 3. This prevents the hinges 4 from being exposed to the outside, thereby preventing the device housing case from detracting from its appearance. Furthermore, when opening the opening 2, the cover 3 is temporarily displaced forward from the closed position and swung away from the case body 1. This minimizes interference between the cover 3 and the case body 1 when the cover 3 swung, ensuring a large amount of swinging of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. Therefore, with this embodiment, in a device housing case in which the cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2 is supported by the hinge 4, it is possible to simultaneously solve two seemingly contradictory issues: improving the design of the case's exterior and widening the opening 2 forward when the cover is released.

The pin bracket 31 is constructed as a vertical plate-like member that extends from front to rear. A slit 56 is cut from the front end toward the rear in the portion of the top wall 8 that interferes with the path of the pin bracket 31 when the cover 3 pivots about the hinge pin 30. This prevents interference between the pin bracket 31 and the top wall 8 when the cover 3 pivots, while maintaining a compact design. This eliminates the need for the pin bracket 31 to occupy a large vertical space, contributing to a larger storage space in the equipment housing case. Because the width of the slit 56 is approximately the same as the thickness of the pin bracket 31, the slit 56 does not significantly detract from the design of the case. Furthermore, because the pin bracket 31 is configured to extend into the slit 56 when the cover 3 is in the closed position, it prevents the formation of a through-hole in the top wall 8 of the case body 1 that connects to the interior of the equipment housing case. This prevents dust and other foreign matter from entering the equipment housing case and causing problems with the housed equipment.

The hinge 4 is equipped with a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the top wall 8 of the case body 1, which defines the slit 56, to hold the cover 3 in the open position when the cover 3 is changed to the open position. This allows the cover 3 to be maintained in the open position, simplifying operation and maintenance of the housed equipment. Furthermore, the locking body 32 is composed of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31, and a locking claw 60 that protrudes in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm 59. Therefore, by using part of the pin bracket 31 as the locking arm 59 and providing the locking claw 60 on the locking arm 59, a separate dedicated component is not required, simplifying the structure of the hinge 4.

An overlapping piece 20 is provided that covers the outer surface of the bottom wall 9 of the case body 1, and a locking section 65 consisting of an engaging protrusion 66 on the overlapping piece 20 and an engaging recess 67 on the bottom wall 9 restricts the forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1.When the cover 3 is in the closed position, its upper side is held by the rear end holding section 47 and its lower side is held by the locking section 65 relative to the case body 1.This prevents the cover 3 from accidentally shifting forward due to earthquake shaking or contact with other objects, and ensures that the opening 2 is always properly closed by the cover 3.

The lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29 is formed with a rear guide surface 41 that slopes downward toward the front and is continuous with the rear arc surface 37. Therefore, when the cover 3 is pulled forward and the rear end retainer 47 releases the hinge pin 30, the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41, causing the cover 3 to move diagonally downward toward the front. This allows the cover 3 to be pulled out with little force while the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41. Furthermore, as the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front, the overlapping piece 20 covering the outer surface of the bottom wall 9 separates from the bottom wall 9, disengaging the locking portion 65, which is configured as a concave-convex engagement. Therefore, when the upper side of the cover 3 in the closed position is released, the lower side is automatically released. This simplifies the operation of opening the cover 3 by eliminating the need to individually release the upper and lower retainers.

The front and rear arcuate surfaces 36, 37 are formed with the same arc radius, with their arc centers at the same height. The underside 39 of the hinge hole 29 is formed with a front guide surface 40 that is continuous with the front arcuate surface 36 and slopes downward toward the lower end of the slope of the rear guide surface 41. As a result, when the cover 3 is pushed rearward and the hinge pin 30 is released from its hold by the front end holding portion 45, the hinge pin 30 slides down the front guide surface 40, causing the cover 3 to move diagonally downward toward the rear, allowing the cover 3 to be repositioned to the closed position with little operating force.

The shapes of the case body 1 and cover 3 in this invention are not limited to those shown in the embodiments. The devices housed inside are also not limited to those shown in the embodiments. If the touch panel control device 23 or notification lamp 24 is not required, it is possible to use a cover 3 in which the exposure through-hole 17 and mounting through-hole 18 are not opened.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Case body 2 Opening 3 Cover 4 Hinge 8 Upper wall 9 Lower wall 20 Overlapping piece 29 Hinge hole 30 Hinge pin 31 Pin bracket 32 Lock body 36 Front arcuate surface 37 Rear arcuate surface 40 Front guide surface 41 Rear guide surface 45 Front end holding portion 47 Rear end holding portion 56 Slit 59 Lock arm 60 Lock claw 61 Through hole 65 Lock portion 66 Engagement protrusion 67 Engagement recess

Claims (5)

The case comprises a square box-shaped case body (1) having an opening (2) on the front, a cover (3) for opening and closing the opening (2), and a pair of left and right hinges (4, 4) for supporting the cover (3),
An equipment housing case in which a cover (3) is supported by hinges (4, 4) so as to be capable of changing its position between a closed position in which the opening (2) is closed and an open position in which the opening (2) is opened,
Each hinge (4) includes a hinge hole (29) formed in the upper part of the inner surface of the case body (1) and elongated in the front-rear direction, a hinge pin (30) extending in the left-right direction and supported in the hinge hole (29) so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-rear direction, and a pin bracket (31) provided on the rear surface of the cover (3) and equipped with the hinge pin (30).
The hinge hole (29) has a front end holding portion (45) formed on the front side and a rear end holding portion (47) formed on the rear side, and when held by these front and rear end holding portions (45, 47), the hinge pin (30) cannot slide forward and backward but can rotate.
By holding the hinge pin (30) in the rear end holding portion (47) of the hinge hole (29), the cover (3) is in a closed position,
With the hinge pin (30) held in the front end holding portion (45) of the hinge hole (29), the cover (3) is configured to be in an open position by swinging the cover (3) upward around the hinge pin (30) as the swing center.
The pin bracket (31) is a vertical plate-like body that is long in the front-rear direction, and a hinge pin (30) is provided near the rear end of the pin bracket (31) that is spaced apart from the cover (3).
The movement path of the pin bracket (31) is configured to intersect with the upper wall (8) of the case body (1) when the cover (3) swings around the hinge pin (30) as the swing center.
The upper wall (8) of the case body (1) is provided with a slit (56) cut from the front end toward the rear at a portion that interferes with the movement locus of the pin bracket (31) when the cover (3) swings,
The device housing case is characterized in that when the cover (3) is in a closed position, the pin bracket (31) is inserted into the slit (56) . The hinge (4) includes a locking body (32) that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall (8) of the case body (1) that defines the slit (56) when the cover (3) is in the open position, thereby holding the cover (3) in the open position;
2. The device housing case according to claim 1, wherein the locking body (32) is composed of a cantilevered locking arm (59) defined by a U-shaped through hole (61) opened in the pin bracket (31), and a locking claw (60) protruding in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm (59) . The cover (3) has a lower end provided with an overlapping piece (20) that covers the outer surface of the lower wall (9) of the case body (1),
A locking portion (65) is provided between the lower wall (9) and the overlapping piece (20) to engage with the cover (3) when the cover (3) is in the closed position and to restrict forward movement of the cover (3) relative to the case body (1),
2. The equipment housing case according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion (65) is provided on either the bottom wall (9) or the overlapping piece (20) and is composed of an engaging protrusion (66) protruding toward the other side, and an engaging recess (67) provided on the other side with which the engaging protrusion (66) engages . The hinge hole (29) has a semicircular rear arc surface (37) which is the rear hole inner surface constituting the rear end holding portion (47),
4. An equipment housing case according to claim 1, wherein a rear guide surface (41) is formed on the lower surface (39) of the hinge hole (29), the rear arc surface (37) being continuous with the rear guide surface (41) and sloping downward toward the front . The hinge hole (29) has a semicircular front arc surface (36) which is the inner surface of the front hole constituting the front end holding portion (45),
The front and rear arc surfaces (36, 37) are formed with the same arc radius, and the arc centers are formed at the same height position.
5. The equipment housing case according to claim 4, wherein a front guide surface (40) is formed on the lower surface (39) of the hinge hole (29), the front guide surface (40) being continuous with the front arc surface (36) and sloping downward toward the lower end of the inclined rear guide surface ( 41 ) .