JP7828748B2 - Front panel box and its installation method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosed technology relates to a front panel box and a method for installing the same.

Patent Document 1 discloses a fixing structure for a bathroom vanity to the floor. This fixing structure uses an L-shaped fixing bracket and a height-adjusting bolt. The height-adjusting bolt is positioned between the bottom surface of the side panel of the bathroom vanity and the floor. The L-shaped fixing bracket is positioned such that one side is fixed to the floor surface facing the bottom surface of the side panel, and the other side is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-209774

The conventional techniques described above lacked sufficient rigidity for mounting to the floor. Therefore, in practice, fixing to the floor alone, as described in the literature, was insufficient; fixing to the wall was also necessary. Attempting to fix to existing walls was sometimes difficult due to the unknown strength of the walls.

The objective of this disclosed technology is to provide a front panel box, along with its installation method, that can be installed regardless of the wall reinforcement status.

A front panel box in one aspect of the disclosed technology comprises a left panel, a right panel, a back panel connecting the rear ends of the left and right panels, and an inner panel connecting the upper front ends of the left and right panels. It is designed for floor mounting, with pre-drilled holes for attaching fixing brackets formed in the lower parts of the left and right panels.

This is a perspective view of the front panel box according to an embodiment. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the front panel box in a cut-out state. This is a perspective view showing the fixing bracket in the embodiment. This is a perspective view showing the front panel box in its cut state before the mounting brackets were attached. This is a side view cross-sectional view showing the front panel box temporarily placed in its installation position. This is a perspective view showing the mounting brackets temporarily placed in their installation positions, with a portion of the bracket cut away. This is an enlarged perspective view showing the area around the fixing bracket after installation, with a portion of it cut away.

An embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The front panel box 1 of this embodiment, shown in Figure 1, has a left panel 2, a right panel 3, a back panel 4, and an inner panel 5. The back panel 4 connects the rear ends of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. The inner panel 5 connects the front upper ends of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. The front panel box 1 further has a kick plate 6. The kick plate 6 connects the front lower ends of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. In the front panel box 1, the left panel 2, right panel 3, back panel 4, and inner panel 5 are joined by dowel joints. The front panel box 1 as a whole is a rectangular parallelepiped with openings at the front, top, and bottom.

Front panel box 1 is intended for indoor installation. In practice, front panel box 1 is used by the user with a door or other front panel attached to the front and an upper component such as a washbasin attached to the top. When the upper component is a washbasin, front panel box 1 functions as a washbasin.

In Figure 2, the left side of the figure is the rear of the front panel box 1, and the right side is the front. The back panel 4 is located on the rear of the front panel box 1. On the front of the front panel box 1, there is an opening between the upper inner panel 5 and the lower kick plate 6. As mentioned above, when the user actually uses the front panel box 1, this opening is closed by the front panel. Figure 2 also shows the inner surface of the right panel 3. Two fixing brackets 7 are attached to the lower end of the inner surface of the right panel 3. As shown in Figure 1, two fixing brackets 7 are also attached to the lower end of the inner surface of the left panel 2.

The back panel 4 covers almost the entire rear surface of the front panel box 1. It is desirable that the back panel 4 occupies 80% or more of the rear surface area, calculated by the total height and width of the front panel box 1. However, if the upper components are plumbing fixtures such as the aforementioned washbasin, the installer may need to drill holes in the back panel 4 during construction. This is for the installation of water supply and drainage pipes. The back panel 4 is preferably a single sheet. For example, particleboard with a decorative surface, sometimes called a solid core, can be used as the back panel 4. A large back panel 4 contributes to the overall rigidity of the front panel box 1. A single sheet back panel 4 provides even greater rigidity.

As shown in Figure 2, the inner panel 5 has an L-shaped cross-section with a horizontal section 51 and a wall section 52. The inner panel 5 may be made by assembling two flat plates in an L-shape, or it may be a single piece. This shape of the inner panel 5 also contributes to improving the overall rigidity of the front panel box 1.

In the inner panel 5, the wall portion 52 is located on the front end side of the horizontal portion 51. This position of the wall portion 52 is also on the front end side relative to the right side panel 3 and the left side panel 2. In other words, the wall portion 52 is located at the front end of the entire front panel box 1. The height position of the wall portion 52 in the front panel box 1 is such that its upper end coincides with the upper ends of the right side panel 3 and the left side panel 2. The horizontal portion 51 is located at the lower end relative to the height width of the wall portion 52. This height position of the horizontal portion 51 is lower relative to the upper end of the front panel box 1 by the height width of the wall portion 52. This arrangement of the wall portion 52 and the horizontal portion 51 is one that offers fewer constraints on the installation of the aforementioned upper components. It is also an advantageous arrangement for improving the overall rigidity of the front panel box 1.

The fixing bracket 7 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the fixing bracket 7 has a vertical section 71 and a horizontal section 72. The vertical section 71 and the horizontal section 72 are connected by an angle section 73. The fixing bracket 7 is an L-shaped bracket in which the vertical section 71 and the horizontal section 72 are connected in an L-shape. The vertical section 71 is the part that is attached to the inner surface of the left panel 2 or the right panel 3 in the front panel box 1. The horizontal section 72 is the part that is fixed to the floor surface during the construction of the front panel box 1.

The fixing bracket 7 has several holes for fixing. Holes 74 and 75 are located in the vertical section 71. Holes 76 and 77 are located in the horizontal section 72. Holes 75 and 77 are standard round holes for fastening components such as wood screws. Holes 74 and 76 are elongated, unlike holes 75 and 77.

Hole 74 is a vertically oriented elongated hole formed in the vertical piece 71. Hereinafter referred to as elongated hole 74. The longitudinal direction of elongated hole 74 is perpendicular to the angle piece 73. The role of elongated hole 74 is to adjust the mounting height of the fixing bracket 7 to the left panel 2 or to the right panel 3, in order to install the front panel box 1 horizontally. Hole 76 is a horizontally oriented elongated hole formed in the horizontal piece 72. Hereinafter referred to as elongated hole 76. The longitudinal direction of elongated hole 76 is parallel to the angle piece 73. The role of elongated hole 76 is to adjust the mounting position of the fixing bracket 7 to the floor surface, in order to adjust the installation position of the front panel box 1.

The installation of the front panel box 1 will now be explained. First, the front panel box 1 before installation will be described. Before installation, the fixing brackets 7 are not attached to the front panel box 1. As shown in Figure 4, pilot holes 21 are formed at two locations where the fixing brackets 7 are planned to be attached to the front panel box 1 before installation. The pilot holes 21 are formed near the lower edge on the inner surface of the right-side panel 3. The pilot holes 21 are closed holes that do not reach the outer surface of the right-side panel 3.

The pilot holes 21 are for attaching the fixing bracket 7. More specifically, the pilot holes 21 are for screwing the elongated holes 74 in the vertical piece 71. The position of the pilot holes 21 is determined in a standard position without considering the individual floor conditions at the installation location of the front panel box 1. The pilot holes 21 are already formed when the front panel box 1 is shipped from the factory. Although not shown in Figure 4, two similar pilot holes 21 are also formed near the lower end of the inner surface of the left side panel 2. Before installation, the front panel box 1 does not have pilot holes for screwing the holes 75 in the vertical piece 71.

The front panel box 1, before installation, is shipped from the factory to the installation site with the fixing brackets 7 not yet attached and the pilot holes 21 formed, as described above. The fixing brackets 7 may be delivered to the installation site together with the front panel box 1 before installation, or they may be delivered separately from the front panel box 1 to the installation site from their supplier.

This section describes the installation procedure for the front panel box 1. Installation of the front panel box 1 involves setting it up in its intended location indoors. This includes leveling the floor surface to accommodate any unevenness. The upper components are also attached, and the front panel box 1 is fabricated for this purpose.

The general procedure for construction is as follows. It will be explained in order below.
1. Temporary placement 2. Installation of fixing bracket 7 3. Installation of accessories

This section will discuss "1. Temporary Placement." The installer first places the front panel box 1 at the installation location as shown in Figure 5. This is called temporary placement. The temporarily placed front panel box 1 is positioned on the floor 8 with the back panel 4 facing the building wall 9. If the back panel 4 needs to be modified during installation, the installer will do so while the box is temporarily placed. For example, if the upper component is a washbasin and water supply and drainage are to be performed to the wall 9, the installer needs to drill holes in the back panel 4 for the water supply and drainage pipes. If the upper component includes electrical equipment and receives power from the wall 9, the installer needs to drill holes in the back panel 4 for the power cords. Similarly, holes for gas pipes if the upper component includes gas equipment are also necessary.

With the front panel box 1 temporarily placed at the installation location, the installer can determine the location where the holes for the above purpose need to be drilled. The installer can perform the drilling using a known tool such as a hole saw. Alternatively, the installer may remove the front panel box 1 from its temporary position before drilling. In this case, after determining the drilling location, the installer will temporarily remove the front panel box 1 from its temporary position, perform the drilling, and then return the front panel box 1 to its temporary position. If drilling is not necessary, the installer will not process the back panel 4.

Next, we will discuss "2. Installation of Fixing Brackets 7". The temporarily placed front panel box 1 is fixed to the floor surface 8 by the fixing brackets 7. During the installation of the fixing brackets 7, leveling is also performed. Leveling means installing the front panel box 1 horizontally regardless of the unevenness of the floor surface 8. The installation of the fixing brackets 7, including leveling, is carried out in the following procedure.
2-1. Temporarily place the fixing bracket 7. 2-2. Drill pilot holes for the elongated holes 76. 2-3. Temporarily fix the elongated holes 74 and 76. 2-4. Adjust for unevenness. 2-5. Final fixing.

In "2-1. Temporary Placement of Fixing Brackets 7," the installer places the four fixing brackets 7 at their respective mounting positions. The installer places the horizontal piece 72 on the floor surface 8 and brings the upright vertical piece 71 into contact with the inner surface of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. With the fixing brackets 7 in place, the horizontal piece 72 is positioned on the floor surface 8. The installer then adjusts the position of the fixing brackets 7 so that the pilot holes 21 are visible through the elongated holes 74. In this state, the elongated holes 74 are positioned above the pilot holes 21. In other words, the pilot holes 21 are exposed through the elongated holes 74. Figure 6 shows this state.

In "2-2. Drilling Pilot Holes for the Slotted Holes 76," the installer drills pilot holes 81 in the visible area within the slotted holes 76 on the floor surface 8. The pilot holes 81 should preferably be drilled near the center of the longitudinal range of the slotted holes 76. The installer performs this pilot hole drilling process for each of the four fixing brackets 7 at the location of the slotted holes 76.

If the floor surface 8 is a dry floor, the installer drills a pilot hole 81 through the elongated hole 76 at the relevant location on the floor surface 8. If the floor surface 8 is a wet floor, the installer marks the relevant location on the floor surface 8 through the elongated hole 76. Then, the installer temporarily removes the fixing bracket 7 and drills a pilot hole 81 at the marked location on the floor surface 8. The installer inserts a known PC plug into the drilled pilot hole 81, and then returns the fixing bracket 7 to its original position.

In "2-3. Temporary Fixing of Slotted Holes 74 and 76," the installer inserts screws 10 (see Figure 4) into slotted holes 74 and 76, respectively, for temporary fixing. The screws 10 are inserted through slotted hole 74 into pilot hole 21, and through slotted hole 76 into pilot hole 81. This is not the final fixing stage. Therefore, the installer tightens the screws 10 with a first tightening torque, which is weaker than the second tightening torque described later. This loosely fixes the vertical piece 71 to the left plate 2 and right plate 3, so that it cannot move on its own but can slide vertically when force is applied. The horizontal piece 72 is loosely fixed to the floor surface 8, so that it cannot move on its own but can slide horizontally when force is applied.

In "2-4. Leveling," the installer performs leveling using known tools such as adjuster bolts. This leveling ensures the front panel box 1 is level. During leveling, the fixing brackets 7 may slide slightly vertically. Afterward, the installer checks the contact between the horizontal piece 72 and the floor surface 8 for each fixing bracket 7. If any fixing bracket 7 has a horizontal piece 72 that is not touching the floor surface 8, the installer pushes that fixing bracket 7 downwards to bring the horizontal piece 72 into contact with the floor surface 8. At this time, the vertical piece 71 will slide against the left panel 2 and right panel 3, and the horizontal piece 72 may also slide slightly against the floor surface 8. This leveling process adjusts the position of the fixing brackets 7 relative to the front panel box 1 to a height individually tailored to the installation location. It is possible that the heights of the four fixing brackets 7 on a single front panel box 1 may differ slightly from each other.

In "2-5. Final Fixing," the installer will permanently fix holes 75, 77, elongated hole 74, and elongated hole 76. The specific procedure differs slightly depending on whether the floor surface 8 is a dry floor or a wet floor.

If it is a dry floor, the installer will drill pilot holes at the positions of holes 75 and 77. The installer will then drill pilot holes through holes 75 and 77 into the inner surfaces of the left panel 2, the inner surface of the right panel 3, and the corresponding locations on the floor surface 8. Afterward, screws 10 will be inserted into holes 75 and 77 respectively and secured. At this stage, the screws should not be loosely fastened, but rather firmly secured so that the front panel box 1 does not easily move even under force. The installer will also tighten the screws 10 in the temporarily fixed elongated holes 74 and 76 with a second tightening torque stronger than the first tightening torque mentioned above to permanently secure them.

The procedure for wet floors is slightly more complex than described above. First, the installer marks the location of hole 77 on the floor surface 8. The installer then temporarily releases the elongated hole 76 from the floor surface 8 and removes the front panel box 1 from its installation position. The installer drills a pilot hole at the marked location on the floor surface 8 and inserts a known PC plug into the pilot hole. The installer then returns the front panel box 1 to its original position, ensuring that both the elongated hole 76 and hole 77 are positioned above the pilot hole in the floor surface 8. Finally, the installer temporarily fastens the elongated hole 76 again.

At this point, the installer performs another leveling adjustment. This adjustment only requires minor adjustments. Afterward, the installer drills pilot holes at the positions of holes 75 in the left panel 2 and right panel 3. The installer inserts screws 10 into each hole 75, permanently fixing them to the left panel 2 and right panel 3. The installer also inserts screws 10 into each hole 77, permanently fixing them to the floor surface 8. The installer then inserts screws 10 again into each pilot hole 81 through each elongated hole 76, permanently fixing them to the floor surface 8. Finally, the installer tightens the screws 10 in the temporarily fixed elongated holes 74 to permanently secure them. The above is the procedure for permanent fixing in the case of a wet floor.

Section 3, "Installation of Accessories," will now be described. The installer will install the accessories onto the front panel box 1, which has been permanently fixed in place. These accessories include the aforementioned upper components, the door and other front panels attached to the front, and the decorative panels for the kick plate 6. The installer will also connect the water supply and drainage pipes, power cords, and related equipment for the upper components at this time.

The above describes the installation procedure for the front panel box 1. After this procedure is completed, the lower parts of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3 are fixed to the floor surface 8 by L-shaped fixing brackets 7, with the surface leveled to correct any unevenness. More specifically, the inner surfaces of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3 are in contact with the vertical piece 71, and the horizontal piece 72 is fixed to the floor surface 8. As shown in Figure 7, screws 10 are inserted through the elongated holes 74 and 75 of the vertical piece 71 into the inner surfaces of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. Screws 10 are inserted through the elongated holes 76 and 77 of the horizontal piece 72 into the floor surface 8.

The installed front panel box 1 is essentially fixed to the floor surface 8. The front panel box 1 is fixed to the floor surface 8 only within the height range of the fixing brackets 7 that are positioned in contact with the floor surface 8. Although the building's wall surface 9 faces the back panel 4 of the front panel box 1, no measures are taken to fix the wall surface 9 and the back panel 4 to each other. Therefore, the installer does not need to consider the strength of the wall surface 9 when installing the front panel box 1.

As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the back panel 4 and the inner panel 5 give the front panel box 1 high rigidity. The fixing bracket 7 is L-shaped, and at least its vertical piece 71 has a vertically elongated hole 74. This allows for individual and appropriate adjustment of the height position of the fixing bracket 7 relative to the front panel box 1 after leveling. This enables the front panel box 1 to be properly fixed to the floor surface 8 in a leveled state, without relying on the strength of the wall surface 9. In this way, a front panel box 1 that can be installed independently of the reinforcement status of the wall surface 9, along with its installation method, is realized.

This embodiment is merely illustrative and does not limit the disclosed technology in any way. Therefore, the disclosed technology can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from its essence. For example, it is not essential that the back panel 4 be a single panel. As mentioned above, a single panel is advantageous from the viewpoint of rigidity of the front panel box 1. However, the disclosed technology can still be valid even if the back panel 4 is made up of a combination of multiple panels. It is not essential that the inner panel 5 has an L-shaped cross-section. An L-shaped cross-section is advantageous from the viewpoint of rigidity. However, the disclosed technology can still be valid even if the inner panel 5 is a simple plate. A configuration without a kick plate 6 is also possible. However, having a kick plate 6 is advantageous from the viewpoint of rigidity.

Regarding the fixing bracket 7, the minimum requirements are three: it must be an L-shaped bracket, the vertical piece 71 must have an elongated hole 74, and the horizontal piece 72 must have at least one of an elongated hole 76 and a hole 77. However, for practical purposes, it is more preferable for the hole in the horizontal piece 72 to be an elongated hole 76, and even more preferable if both an elongated hole 76 and a hole 77 are provided. It is also more preferable for the vertical piece 71 to have a hole 75 in addition to the elongated hole 74. For holes 75 and 77 that do not undergo a temporary fixing state during construction, another fastening member, such as a nail, may be used instead of the screw 10.

The fixing position of the front panel box 1 to the floor surface 8, i.e., the mounting position of the fixing bracket 7, is not limited to the inner surfaces of the left panel 2 and right panel 3. If aesthetics are not a concern, it may be fixed to the outer surfaces. Not only the left panel 2 and right panel 3, but also the back panel 4 and kick plate 6 may be used for fixing. This configuration of the front panel box 1 can also be installed in an island-like configuration at a location away from the building wall 9.

1...Front panel box, 2...Left side panel, 3...Right side panel, 4...Back panel, 5...Inner panel, 6...Kick plate, 7...Fixing bracket, 8...Floor surface, 10...Screw, 21...Pilot hole, 51...Horizontal section, 52...Wall section, 71...Vertical section, 72...Horizontal section, 73...Angle section
74... elongated hole, 75... hole, 76... elongated hole, 77... hole

Claims (8)

Left side panel and
Right side panel and
A back panel connecting the rear ends of the left and right panels,
It has an inner panel connecting the front upper parts of the left side panel and the right side panel,
Pre-drilled holes for attaching fixing brackets are formed in the lower parts of the left and right plates.
The aforementioned interior panel is a floor-mounted front panel box having an L-shaped cross-section with a horizontal section and a wall section. The front panel box according to claim 1, wherein the fixing bracket is:
A front panel box having an L-shaped bracket in which a vertical piece and a horizontal piece are connected by an angled portion, a vertically elongated hole is formed in the vertical piece that intersects with the angled portion, and a hole is formed in the horizontal piece. The front panel box according to claim 2,
The aforementioned L-shaped bracket has a round hole formed in the vertical piece,
The front panel box has pre-drilled holes in the lower parts of the left and right panels for screwing in the elongated holes, but no pre-drilled holes for screwing in the round holes. Left side panel and
Right side panel and
A back panel connecting the rear ends of the left and right panels,
An inner panel connecting the front upper parts of the left and right panels,
The L-shaped bracket has a vertical piece and a horizontal piece connected by an angled portion, with a vertically elongated hole formed in the vertical piece that intersects with the angled portion, and a hole formed in the horizontal piece.
The left and right panels are in contact with the vertical pieces.
The aforementioned horizontal piece is fixed to the floor surface,
Screws are inserted into the left and right plates through the aforementioned elongated holes.
The aforementioned interior panel is a front panel box having an L-shaped cross-section with a horizontal section and a wall section. A front panel box according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the L-shaped bracket is
A front panel box in which a horizontal elongated hole parallel to the angle portion is formed in the horizontal piece. A front panel box according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The aforementioned wall portion is
The position of the front end on the left side plate and the right side plate, and
A front panel box whose upper end is positioned to coincide with the upper ends of the left and right panels. A front panel box according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The aforementioned front panel box has a single-piece back panel. This is a method for installing the front panel box.
The aforementioned front panel box is
Left side panel and
Right side panel and
A back panel connecting the rear ends of the left and right panels,
It has an inner panel that connects the front upper parts of the left side panel and the right side panel,
The lower parts of the left and right plates have pre-drilled holes for attaching fixing brackets.
An L-shaped bracket is used, in which a vertical piece and a horizontal piece are connected by an angled section, and a vertically elongated hole is formed in the vertical piece that intersects with the angled section.
The front panel box is placed in the installation position on the floor surface.
The L-shaped bracket is temporarily fixed to the lower part of the left and right plates such that the vertical piece contacts the left or right plate, the horizontal piece is on the floor surface, and the elongated hole is above the pilot hole.
The unevenness of the front panel box is adjusted,
After adjusting for unevenness, the height position of the L-shaped bracket is adjusted using the elongated hole.
After adjusting the height position of the L-shaped bracket, the L-shaped bracket is permanently fixed to the left and right plates.
During the temporary fixing process, insert the screw through the elongated hole into the pilot hole and secure it with the first tightening torque.
A method for installing a front panel box, wherein, during the initial fixing process, the screws are tightened with a second tightening torque that is stronger than the first tightening torque.