Connecting fitting

Abstract

To provide a connecting fitting excellent in workability when a channel material and a fixed body are connected.SOLUTION: A connecting fitting includes a first holding part for holding a fixed body, and a second holding part (4) for holding a channel material (9). The second holding part (4) has an outer contact portion (40) arranged abutting on a pair of lip parts (93) from the outside, and an inner contact portion (45) arranged abutting from the inside. The inner contact portion (45) is formed so that a length along a longitudinal direction (X) is longer than an interval between the pair of lip parts (93), and a length along a short direction (Y) is shorter than an interval between the pair of lip parts (93). When a predefined release operation is performed, rotational restriction by a reaction-force supporting part (RS) is released, and the direction of the inner contact portion (45) is changed with the reaction force of a rotation energization member (55).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting fitting. [Background technology]

[0002] A connecting fitting is used to connect a channel member having a pair of lip portions to a fixed body. One example of such a connecting fitting, which connects two channel members, i.e., a channel member and another channel member (an example of a fixed body), in a crosswise configuration, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 4-126005 (Patent Document 1). The connecting fitting of Patent Document 1 includes a first holding portion (clamping member 8 + nut 13) that holds the fixed body (another elongated body 12), and a second holding portion (clamping member 8 + engaging nut member 6) that is partially shared with the first holding portion and holds the channel member (elongated body 2). The second holding portion has an outer abutment portion (clamping member 8) that is arranged to abut against the pair of lip portions (side edge portions 2A) of the channel member from the outside, and an inner abutment portion (engaging nut member 6) that is arranged to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside.

[0003] In the connecting fitting of Patent Document 1, the length of the inner abutment portion along the longitudinal direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and the length along the lateral direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions, so that it can be attached to any position on the channel material without sliding. However, since the orientation of the inner abutment portion must be manually adjusted to the appropriate orientation at least twice: when inserting the inner abutment portion into the channel material and then when making it possible for it to abut against the pair of lip portions inside the channel material, there is room for improvement in terms of workability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-126005 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is desirable to realize a connecting fitting that is easy to install when connecting a channel material to a fixed object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connecting fitting according to the present invention comprises: A connecting fitting for connecting a channel member having a pair of lip portions to a fixed body, a first holding portion that holds the fixed body; a second holding portion connected to the first holding portion and holding the channel member; the second retaining portion includes an outer abutment portion having a through hole and arranged to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner abutment portion having a screw hole and arranged to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a fastening bolt having a tip side that is inserted through the through hole and screwed into the screw hole, the inner abutment portion is formed so that a length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the interval between the pair of lip portions and a length along the lateral direction is shorter than the interval between the pair of lip portions, the second holding portion further includes a rotation biasing member disposed across the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion, and a reaction force support portion that restricts rotation of the inner contact portion in a state of supporting a reaction force of the rotation biasing member, When a predetermined release operation is performed, the rotation restriction by the reaction force support portion is released, and the orientation of the inner contact portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member.

[0007] With this configuration, the orientation of the inner abutment portion is maintained constant until a release operation is performed. Therefore, the inner abutment portion can be easily aligned along the extension direction of the channel member, allowing the inner abutment portion to be inserted into the channel member without any orientation adjustment. By performing a release operation after the inner abutment portion is inserted, the rotation restriction of the inner abutment portion by the reaction support portion is released, and the orientation of the inner abutment portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, allowing the inner abutment portion to be aligned along the width direction of the channel member. Therefore, by simply performing a predetermined simple release operation, the inner abutment portion can be made to abut against the pair of lip portions inside the channel member. Then, by tightening the tightening bolts, the pair of lip portions are sandwiched between the outer abutment portion and the inner abutment portion, allowing the channel member to be easily held by the second retaining portion. This improves the ease of installation when connecting the channel member to the fixed body.

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described below.

[0009] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the second holding portion further includes an elastic member that biases the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion so as to approach each other.

[0010] With this configuration, the pair of lips are sandwiched between the outer and inner contact portions by the biasing force of the elastic member, so that the channel can be temporarily held in place even before the tightening bolts are tightened. Also, when a reaction support portion is provided on the outer contact portion, the biasing force of the elastic member can urge the inner contact portion toward the reaction support portion, thereby appropriately maintaining the inner contact portion in a position along the extension direction of the channel.

[0011] In one embodiment, The inner contact portion has a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion, It is preferable that the reaction force support portion is configured by a bent piece that is bent from the outer abutment portion toward the inner abutment portion so as to abut against at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

[0012] With this configuration, by simply forming the inner abutment portion into a U-shaped cross section and bending a portion of the outer abutment portion toward the inner abutment portion, it is possible to realize a reaction force support portion and an inner abutment portion that is thereby appropriately restricted and released from rotation with a simple structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the bent piece is provided with a locked portion, and one end of the rotation biasing member is locked to the locked portion.

[0014] With this configuration, the reaction force of the rotation biasing member can be appropriately received by the outer abutment portion. By appropriately engaging the other end of the rotation biasing member with the inner abutment portion, when the rotation restriction of the inner abutment portion by the reaction force support portion is released, the reaction force of the rotation biasing member can appropriately change the position of the inner abutment portion to a position that is aligned with the width direction of the channel material.

[0015] In one embodiment, The inner contact portion has a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion, It is preferable that the reaction force support portion is configured by a support piece provided on an intermediate member attached to the outer abutment portion so as to abut against at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

[0016] According to this configuration, by providing an intermediate member separate from the outer abutment portion, it is possible to provide the reaction support portion without significantly modifying the structure of the outer abutment portion. In this case, by simply forming the inner abutment portion with a U-shaped cross section and providing a support piece on the intermediate member, it is possible to realize, with a simple structure, the reaction support portion and the inner abutment portion whose rotation is appropriately restricted and released thereby.

[0017] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which is given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the connecting fitting of the first embodiment is used; [Figure 2] Perspective view of the connecting fitting [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of the connecting fitting [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of the operation involved in attaching the second holding portion to the second channel member [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connecting fitting according to a second embodiment; [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram of the operation involved in attaching the second holding portion to the second channel member DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [First embodiment] A first embodiment of a connecting fitting will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment is a fitting (cross connecting fitting) for cross-connecting an elongated second channel member 9 having a pair of lip portions 93 and an elongated first channel member 8 having a pair of lip portions 83. The connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment connects two channel members 8, 9 that are perpendicular to each other on a horizontal plane at their intersection. In this embodiment, the first channel member 8 corresponds to the "object to be fixed." Furthermore, the second channel member 9 corresponds to the "channel member," and the lip portion 93 of this second channel member 9 corresponds to the "lip portion."

[0020] The first channel member 8 and the second channel member 9 may be, for example, lip channel steel with a C-shaped cross section. The first channel member 8 has a bottom plate 81, a pair of side walls 82 erected from the bottom plate 81, and a pair of lip portions 83 extending continuously inward from the upper ends of the pair of side walls 82. Hereinafter, the direction in which the first channel member 8 extends will be referred to as the "extension direction L1," and the direction along the bottom plate 81 perpendicular to the extension direction L1 will be referred to as the "width direction W1." The pair of lip portions 83 are arranged to face each other in the width direction W1, with their respective tip ends slightly inclined downward.

[0021] Similarly, the second channel member 9 has a bottom plate 91, a pair of side walls 92 erected from the bottom plate 91, and a pair of lip portions 93 extending continuously inward from the upper ends of the pair of side walls 92. Hereinafter, the direction in which the second channel member 9 extends will be referred to as the "extension direction L2," and the direction along the bottom plate 91 perpendicular to the extension direction L2 will be referred to as the "width direction W2." The pair of lip portions 93 are provided to face each other in the width direction W2, with their respective tip ends slightly inclined downward.

[0022] The first channel member 8 is fixed to suspension bolts hanging from the structure at multiple locations in the extension direction L1, and is suspended from the structure. The second channel member 9 is fixed to suspension bolts hanging from the structure at multiple locations in the extension direction L2, and is suspended from the structure. The first channel member 8 and the second channel member 9 support suspended equipment, such as cable racks and ducts, extending vertically and horizontally, from below.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connecting fitting 1 includes a first retaining portion 2 and a second retaining portion 4 connected to the first retaining portion 2. The first retaining portion 2 and the second retaining portion 4 are connected to each other by forming a first outer abutment portion 20 constituting the first retaining portion 2 and a second outer abutment portion 40 constituting the second retaining portion 4 integrally in a Z-shape via a connecting portion 35.

[0024] The first retaining portion 2 retains the first channel member 8. The first retaining portion 2 mainly comprises a first outer abutment portion 20, a first inner abutment portion 25, and a first tightening bolt 28. By tightening the first tightening bolt 28, the first retaining portion 2 holds the first channel member 8 by sandwiching the pair of lip portions 83 between the first outer abutment portion 20 and the first inner abutment portion 25.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , the first outer abutment portion 20 is disposed to abut against the pair of lip portions 83 from the outside. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first outer abutment portion 20 is mainly formed of an outer main body 21 formed in a rectangular plate shape. A through hole 21a is formed in the outer main body 21. The shank of a first tightening bolt 28 is inserted into this through hole 21a. The outer main body 21 is integrally connected to the second outer abutment portion 40 constituting the second retaining portion 4 via a rectangular plate-shaped connecting portion 35 extending vertically along the side wall 82. The first outer abutment portion 20 has a locking piece 22 formed by bending downward from the outer main body 21. In this embodiment, the locking piece 22 is provided on a side of the rectangular outer main body 41 opposite to the side connected to the second outer abutment portion 40 (the connecting portion 35 side). When the first outer contact portion 20 contacts the pair of lip portions 83, the locking piece 22 engages with the outer surface of the side wall 82, thereby stabilizing the position of the first channel member 8.

[0026] The first inner abutment portion 25 is disposed to abut against the pair of lip portions 83 from the inside. As shown in FIG. 3, the first inner abutment portion 25 is constituted by an inner main body 26 formed in a parallelogram shape. The inner main body 26 is formed with a threaded hole 26a having a female thread on the inner surface. The tip of a first tightening bolt 28 is threaded into this threaded hole 26a. The inner main body 26 constituting the first inner abutment portion 25 is formed so that its length along the first direction A is longer than the distance D1 (see FIG. 1) between the pair of lip portions 83 and its length along a second direction B perpendicular to the first direction A is shorter than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83. In this embodiment, the direction parallel to a pair of opposite sides of the parallelogram-shaped inner main body 26 is the first direction A, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction A is the second direction B. In this case, the length of the first inner abutment portion 25 along the second direction B is the distance between a pair of opposite sides, and the length of the first inner abutment portion 25 along the first direction A is the distance between two imaginary lines that pass through the opposing vertices that are positioned farther apart and are perpendicular to each pair of opposite sides.

[0027] The first tightening bolt 28 is inserted through the through hole 21a of the outer main body 21 that constitutes the first outer abutment portion 20, and its tip side is threaded into the threaded hole 26a of the inner main body 26 that constitutes the first inner abutment portion 25. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the through hole 21a is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft of the first tightening bolt 28. Therefore, the first inner abutment portion 25, which is connected to the first tightening bolt 28 by being threaded into the threaded hole 26a, is itself rotatable together with the first tightening bolt 28.

[0028] In this embodiment, a rotation guide member 30 is attached to the first inner abutment portion 25. The rotation guide member 30 is configured as a separate body from the first inner abutment portion 25 and is configured to be detachable from the first inner abutment portion 25. The rotation guide member 30 can be formed from a resin material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyacetal, or polystyrene. The rotation guide member 30 of this embodiment includes a first rotation guide portion 31 and a second rotation guide portion 32.

[0029] The first rotation guide 31 rotates the first inner abutment portion 25 in association with the relative movement toward the first channel 8, with the first inner contact portion 25 positioned outside the first channel 8. The first rotation guide 31 rotates the first inner abutment portion 25 so that the first direction A is aligned with the extending direction L1 of the first channel 8 (i.e., the second direction B is aligned with the width direction W2 of the first channel 8), regardless of the initial position of the first inner abutment portion 25. Because the length of the first inner abutment portion 25 in the second direction B is shorter than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83, the first inner abutment portion 25 can be inserted into the first channel 8 in this state.

[0030] With the first inner contact portion 25 positioned inside the first channel 8, the second rotation guide portion 32 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 as the first channel 8 further advances inside the first channel 8. The second rotation guide portion 32 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 so that the first direction A changes from a state in which it is aligned with the extension direction L1 of the first channel 8 to a state in which it is aligned with the width direction W1. Because the length of the first inner contact portion 25 along the first direction A is longer than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83, in this state the first inner contact portion 25 can abut against the pair of lip portions 83 of the first channel 8 from below. This allows the first channel 8 to be temporarily fixed.

[0031] The second retaining portion 4 is connected to the first retaining portion 2 and retains the second channel member 9. The second retaining portion 4 mainly comprises a second outer abutment portion 40, a second inner abutment portion 45, and a second tightening bolt 48. The second retaining portion 4 further comprises an elastic member 50, a rotational biasing member 55, and a reaction support portion RS as components unique to this embodiment. By tightening the second tightening bolt 48, the second retaining portion 4 holds the second channel member 9 by sandwiching the pair of lip portions 93 between the second outer abutment portion 40 and the second inner abutment portion 45. In this embodiment, the second outer abutment portion 40 corresponds to the "outer abutment portion," the second inner abutment portion 45 corresponds to the "inner abutment portion," and the second tightening bolt 48 corresponds to the "tightening bolt."

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1 , the second outer abutment portion 40 is disposed to abut against the pair of lip portions 93 from the outside. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the second outer abutment portion 40 is mainly formed of an outer main body 41 formed in a rectangular plate shape. A through hole 41a is formed in the outer main body 41. The shank of a second tightening bolt 48 is inserted into this through hole 41a. The outer main body 41 is integrally connected to the first outer abutment portion 20 constituting the first retaining portion 2 via a connecting portion 35. The second outer abutment portion 40 has engagement pieces 42 bent downward from the outer main body 41. In this embodiment, the engagement pieces 42 are provided on a pair of sides of the rectangular outer main body 41 adjacent to the side connected to the first outer abutment portion 20 constituting the first retaining portion 2. When the second outer abutment portion 40 abuts against the pair of lip portions 93, the engagement pieces 42 engage with the outer surfaces of the side walls 92 to stabilize the posture of the second channel member 9.

[0033] In this embodiment, the second outer abutment portion 40 further has a bent piece 43 bent downward from the outer main body 41. The bent piece 43 is provided on a side of the rectangular outer main body 41 opposite to the side connected to the first outer abutment portion 20 constituting the first holding portion 2. The width of the bent piece 43 is set to be slightly narrower than the distance between the pair of side wall portions 47 constituting the second inner abutment portion 45. The length of the bent piece 43 is set to be shorter than the height of the pair of side wall portions 47 constituting the second inner abutment portion 45. Therefore, the bent piece 43 is sized to fit within the space defined by the bottom plate portion 46 and the pair of side wall portions 47 constituting the second inner abutment portion 45.

[0034] A small hole 43a is formed in the bent piece 43. The small hole 43a is formed in the center of the base of the bent piece 43. One end of a rotational biasing member 55 is engaged with the small hole 43a (see FIG. 2). One end of the rotational biasing member 55 passes through the small hole 43a formed in the bent piece 43 and is engaged near the small hole 43a on the outer surface side of the bent piece 43.

[0035] The second inner abutment portion 45 is disposed to abut against the pair of lip portions 93 from the inside. The second inner abutment portion 45 has a bottom plate portion 46 and a pair of side wall portions 47 erected from the bottom plate portion 46, and is formed to have an upwardly U-shaped cross section. The bottom plate portion 46 is formed in a rectangular shape, and more specifically, in a rectangular shape. The length of the bottom plate portion 46 along the longitudinal direction X is longer than the distance D2 (see FIG. 1 ) between the pair of lip portions 93, and the length of the bottom plate portion 46 along the lateral direction Y is shorter than the distance D2 between the pair of lip portions 93.

[0036] The bottom plate portion 46 has a threaded hole 46a with a female thread formed on its inner surface. The tip of a second tightening bolt 48 is threaded into this threaded hole 46a. Of the four corners of the rectangular bottom plate portion 46, a pair of diagonally positioned corners are formed as notched corners 46c, which are obliquely cut out. The presence of these notched corners 46c allows the second inner abutment portion 45 to rotate inside the second channel member 9 without interfering with the side wall 92. The remaining pair of diagonally positioned corners of the rectangular bottom plate portion 46 are normal corners 46b without the above-described notches. When the second inner abutment portion 45 rotates inside the second channel member 9, the normal corners 46b abut against the side wall 92 and function as a stopper (rotation restricting portion).

[0037] The side wall portions 47 are erected from a pair of long side portions of the bottom plate portion 46. The pair of side wall portions 47 are arranged parallel to each other and are each formed into a flat plate shape extending in the longitudinal direction X and the up-down direction. The second inner abutment portions 45 are capable of abutting against the pair of lip portions 93 from the inside at the upper end portions of the side wall portions 47.

[0038] The second tightening bolt 48 is inserted through the washer 49 and the through hole 41a of the outer body 41 that constitutes the second outer abutment portion 40, and its tip side is threaded into the threaded hole 46a of the bottom plate portion 46 that constitutes the second inner abutment portion 45. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the through hole 41a is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion of the second tightening bolt 48. Therefore, the second inner abutment portion 45, which is connected to the second tightening bolt 48 by being threaded into the threaded hole 46a, is itself rotatable together with the second tightening bolt 48.

[0039] The elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48. In this embodiment, the elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 so as to be positioned between the washer 49 and the outer main body 41 that constitutes the second outer abutment portion 40. The elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 in a compressed state compared to its steady state (a state in which no external force is applied). As a result, the elastic member 50 biases the second tightening bolt 48 so as to move its head away from the second outer abutment portion 40, thereby bringing the second outer abutment portion 40 and the second inner abutment portion 45 closer to each other on the underside of the second outer abutment portion 40. In this embodiment, a conical coil spring is used as the elastic member 50.

[0040] The rotational biasing member 55 is disposed across the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 and rotationally biases the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 so as to rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, a torsion coil spring is used as the rotational biasing member 55. The rotational biasing member 55 (in this example, a torsion coil spring; the same applies below) is attached to the second tightening bolt 48. In this embodiment, the rotational biasing member 55 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 so as to be located between the outer main body 41 constituting the second outer contact portion 40 and the bottom plate portion 46 constituting the second inner contact portion 45. The rotational biasing member 55 is disposed in a space defined by the bottom plate portion 46 and a pair of side wall portions 47 constituting the second inner contact portion 45. One end of the rotational biasing member 55 is engaged in a small hole 43a formed in the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40. In this embodiment, the small hole 43a corresponds to the “engaged portion.” The other end of the rotation biasing member 55 is engaged along the corner (recessed corner) between the bottom plate portion 46 and the side wall portion 47.

[0041] The first retaining portion 2 (mainly the first outer contact portion 20 and the first inner contact portion 25) and the second retaining portion 4 (mainly the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45) that constitute the connecting fitting 1 are made of a metal material, for example, hot-rolled steel plate (SPH), more specifically, hot-rolled mild steel plate (SPHC).

[0042] In this embodiment, before attachment to the second channel 9, the second inner contact portion 45 is biased toward the second outer contact portion 40 by the elastic member 50 via the second tightening bolt 48, and is set in a state in which the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40 is housed within the second inner contact portion 45. The second inner contact portion 45 is set in a state in which a reaction force is generated by the rotation biasing member 55 to rotate the second inner contact portion 45 around the second tightening bolt 48 as an axis, with the notched corner portion 46c side leading the way. This state of the second inner contact portion 45 can be achieved by pushing the second tightening bolt 48 against the biasing force of the elastic member 50, rotating the second tightening bolt 48 around the axis, with the normal corner portion 46b side leading the way, with the pair of side wall portions 47 positioned below the bent piece 43, and then releasing the second tightening bolt 48 when the bent piece 43 is positioned between the pair of side wall portions 47.

[0043] In this state, the bent piece 43, which is bent from the second outer contact portion 40 toward the second inner contact portion 45, abuts against one of the pair of side wall portions 47, restricting the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45. The bent piece 43 restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55, thereby maintaining the attitude of the second inner contact portion 45. In this embodiment, the bent piece 43 forms a reaction force support portion RS that restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55.

[0044] When attaching the connecting fitting 1 to the second channel member 9, first, the second retaining part 4 is placed from above the second channel member 9 so that the pair of engagement pieces 42 of the second outer abutment part 40 and the pair of side walls 92 of the second channel member 9 are parallel to each other (see the upper left frame), as shown in Fig. 4. At this time, the longitudinal direction X of the second inner abutment part 45 is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel member 9 (in other words, the lateral direction Y is aligned with the width direction W2 of the second channel member 9), so that the second inner abutment part 45 can be inserted into the second channel member 9 as is.

[0045] The head of the second tightening bolt 48 protrudes above the second outer abutment portion 40 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 50. In this embodiment, the protruding second tightening bolt 48 functions as a kind of "start switch." When the second tightening bolt 48, serving as the "start switch," is pushed in against the biasing force of the elastic member 50 (see the upper right frame), the second inner abutment portion 45 attached to the tip of the second tightening bolt 48 penetrates further into the second channel member 9. At this time, one side wall portion 47 remains in contact with the bent piece 43 of the second outer abutment portion 40, and the longitudinal direction X of the second inner abutment portion 45 remains aligned with the extension direction L2 of the second channel member 9. The lower end of the bent piece 43 is located further below the lower ends of the pair of lip portions 93.

[0046] As the second tightening bolt 48 is further pushed in, the second inner contact portion 45 eventually descends below the lower end of the bent piece 43, and the rotation restriction by the bent piece 43 serving as the reaction force support portion RS is released (see the bottom left frame). The second inner contact portion 45 then rotates due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55. The second inner contact portion 45 rotates around the second tightening bolt 48, with the notched corner portion 46c as the leading edge. The second inner contact portion 45 continues to rotate until the normal corner portion 46b abuts against the side wall 92 of the second channel member 9, restricting its rotation. This causes the longitudinal direction X of the second inner contact portion 45 to change from a position aligned with the extension direction L2 of the second channel member 9 to a position aligned with the width direction W2. In this embodiment, the operation of pushing the second tightening bolt 48 serving as the "start switch" against the biasing force of the elastic member 50 corresponds to the "release operation."

[0047] After the second inner contact portion 45 changes to a position along the width direction W2, when the pushing operation of the second tightening bolt 48 is stopped, the head of the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed up and away from the second outer contact portion 40 by the biasing force of the elastic member 50. Accordingly, the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the end of the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed up while maintaining its position along the width direction W2, and the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 (see the bottom right frame). As a result, when the second tightening bolt 48 is in a loosely tightened state, the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 by the biasing force of the elastic member 50, thereby temporarily holding the second channel member 9.

[0048] As described above, with the connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment, the orientation of the second inner abutment portion 45 is maintained constant until a release operation is performed, so the second inner abutment portion 45 can be easily aligned with the extension direction L2 of the second channel member 9. Therefore, the second inner abutment portion 45 can be easily inserted into the second channel member 9 without adjusting its orientation. By performing a release operation after inserting the second inner abutment portion 45, the rotation restriction on the second inner abutment portion 45 by the reaction force support portion RS is released, and the second inner abutment portion 45 rotates due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55, and assumes an orientation along the width direction W2 of the second channel member 9. Furthermore, the biasing force of the elastic member 50 can sandwich the pair of lip portions 93 between the second outer abutment portion 40 and the second inner abutment portion 45. Therefore, by simply placing the connecting fitting 1 on the second channel member 9 in a predetermined orientation and then performing a simple, predetermined release operation, the second channel member 9 can be temporarily held semi-automatically. Thereafter, by tightening the second tightening bolt 48 with a tool, the second channel 9 can be easily held by the second holding portion 4. Therefore, the workability when connecting the two channels 8, 9 can be significantly improved.

[0049] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the connecting fitting will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the specific configurations of the first retaining portion 2 and the reaction force support portion RS differ from those of the first embodiment. Below, the connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the differences from the first embodiment. Note that points that are not specifically mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be used, and detailed description will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 5 , the first retaining portion 2 of this embodiment includes a first inner abutment portion 25 having a configuration similar to the second inner abutment portion 45 constituting the second retaining portion 4 of the first embodiment. That is, the first inner abutment portion 25 of this embodiment is formed with a U-shaped cross section, including a bottom plate portion and a pair of side walls extending upright from the bottom plate portion. In this embodiment, no rotation guide member 30 is attached to the first inner abutment portion 25. With this configuration, the first inner abutment portion 25 must be manually rotated when inserting the first inner abutment portion 25 into the first channel member 8 and then fixing it in place.

[0051] Similar to the first embodiment, the second retaining portion 4 includes a second outer contact portion 40, a second inner contact portion 45, a second tightening bolt 48, and a rotation biasing member 55. On the other hand, the second retaining portion 4 of this embodiment does not include the elastic member 50 or the reaction force support portion RS, and includes an intermediate member 6 to replace these functions. The intermediate member 6 is made of a metal material. The intermediate member 6 is made of, for example, a hot-rolled steel plate (SPH), more specifically, a hot-rolled mild steel plate (SPHC).

[0052] The intermediate member 6 is configured as a separate body from the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 that configure the second holding portion 4, and is attached to the second outer contact portion 40. The intermediate member 6 has a locking portion 61, a leaf spring portion 62, a connecting portion 63, and a support piece 64. These are integrally formed.

[0053] The locking portion 61 is a portion that is locked to the second outer abutment portion 40. The locking portion 61 is formed in a hook shape and is locked to a side portion of the rectangular outer main body 41 that constitutes the second outer abutment portion 40, opposite the connecting portion 35. A pair of leaf spring portions 62 are provided, each extending from both ends of the locking portion 61 toward the connecting portion 35. The leaf spring portions 62 are inclined so as to move away from the outer main body 41 as they move from the locking portion 61 toward the connecting portion 35. The pair of leaf spring portions 62 extend from the locking portion 61 over the second tightening bolt 48 to the opposite side (the connecting portion 35 side) and are connected to each other on the opposite side by a connecting portion 63. The connecting portion 63 is arranged parallel to the outer main body 41. The support piece 64 is formed to protrude downward from the center of the connecting portion 63. The support piece 64 is sized to fit within the space defined by the bottom plate portion 46 and the pair of side wall portions 47 that constitute the second inner contact portion 45 .

[0054] The support piece 64 is disposed between the pair of side wall portions 47 when the leaf spring portion 62 is in a steady state (when no external force is acting on it). When a reaction force is generated in the rotation biasing member 55, the support piece 64 supports the reaction force and restricts the rotation of the second inner abutment portion 45, thereby maintaining the posture of the second inner abutment portion 45. In this embodiment, the support piece 64 of the intermediate member 6 forms a reaction force support portion RS that restricts the rotation of the second inner abutment portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55.

[0055] When attaching the connecting fitting 1 to the second channel member 9, first, as shown in Fig. 6, the second retaining part 4 is placed from above the second channel member 9 with the pair of engagement pieces 42 of the second outer abutment part 40 and the pair of side walls 92 of the second channel member 9 oriented parallel to each other (see the upper part). At this time, the longitudinal direction X of the second inner abutment part 45 is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel member 9 (in other words, the lateral direction Y is aligned with the width direction W2 of the second channel member 9), and therefore the second inner abutment part 45 can be inserted into the second channel member 9 as is.

[0056] The second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 are positioned entirely above the second channel member 9 due to the biasing force of the intermediate member 6 (specifically, the leaf spring portion 62 serving as a "biasing portion"). In this embodiment, the entire upper-positioned second outer contact portion 40 and second tightening bolt 48 function as a kind of "start switch." When the second outer contact portion 40 and second tightening bolt 48 serving as this "start switch" are pressed in against the biasing force of the leaf spring portion 62, the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the tip of the second tightening bolt 48 penetrates further inside the second channel member 9, while the position of the support piece 64 of the intermediate member 6 remains unchanged.

[0057] When the second inner contact portion 45 eventually descends further below the lower end of the support piece 64, the rotation restriction by the support piece 64 serving as the reaction force support portion RS is released (see the middle part). Then, the second inner contact portion 45 rotates due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55, and the second inner contact portion 45 changes its orientation from one in which the longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extension direction L2 of the second channel member 9 to one in which the longitudinal direction X is aligned with the width direction W2. In this embodiment, the operation of pushing the entire second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 serving as the "start switch" against the biasing force of the leaf spring portion 62 of the intermediate member 6 corresponds to the "release operation."

[0058] After the second inner contact portion 45 changes to a position along the width direction W2, when the pushing operation of the second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 is stopped, the second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 are pushed up again by the reaction force of the leaf spring portion 62. Accordingly, the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the end of the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed up while maintaining its position along the width direction W2, and the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the connecting portion 63 of the intermediate member 6 and the second inner contact portion 45 (see the lower part). As a result, with the second tightening bolt 48 in a loosely tightened state, the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the connecting portion 63 and the second inner contact portion 45 by the reaction force of the leaf spring portion 62, thereby temporarily holding the second channel member 9.

[0059] Thereafter, by using a tool to tighten the second tightening bolt 48, the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the second outer abutment portion 40 and the second inner abutment portion 45 via the intermediate member 6, and the second channel member 9 can be easily held by the second retaining portion 4. The connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment also significantly improves the ease of installation when connecting two channel members 8, 9.

[0060] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiments, examples have been described in which the reaction force support portion RS is configured as a part of the second outer abutment portion 40 (bent piece 43) or a part of the intermediate member 6 (support piece 64). However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the reaction force support portion RS may be configured as a separate body from the second outer abutment portion 40 or the intermediate member 6 and fixed to the second outer abutment portion 40 or the intermediate member 6.

[0061] (2) In the first embodiment described above, an example was given of a configuration in which the elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the connecting fitting 1 does not necessarily have to be provided with the elastic member 50.

[0062] (3) In the first embodiment described above, a configuration has been described in which a small hole 43a is formed in the bent piece 43 of the second outer abutment portion 40, and one end of the rotational biasing member 55 is locked in the small hole 43a. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and one end of the rotational biasing member 55 may simply be locked in, for example, a corner (recessed corner) between the outer main body 41 and the bent piece 43. In such a configuration, the recessed corner corresponds to the "locked portion." Alternatively, one end of the rotational biasing member 55 may be fixed to any part of the second outer abutment portion 40 by bonding or the like.

[0063] (4) In the above embodiments, a torsion coil spring is used as the rotational biasing member 55. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and other means may be used as the rotational biasing member 55 as long as the spring is disposed across the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 and can rotationally bias them so as to rotate relative to each other. Other examples of the rotational biasing member 55 include a tension coil spring, a compression coil spring, a leaf spring, a rod-shaped rubber, and an elastic rubber. These springs are provided so as to generate a reaction force that rotates the second inner contact portion 45, supported by the reaction force support portion RS, around the second tightening bolt 48 as an axis, with the notched corner portion 46c as the leading edge.

[0064] (5) In the above embodiments, the connecting fitting 1 is described as an example that connects two channel members 8, 9 that are perpendicular to each other on a horizontal plane at their intersection. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the technology of the present disclosure can be similarly applied to a case where the second channel member 9 in the above embodiments is connected to another channel member arranged in the vertical direction in a crosswise manner. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to connecting two channel members, but can also be similarly applied to a case where the second channel member 9 in the above embodiments is connected to a bolt member (e.g., a suspension bolt suspended from a structure) in a crosswise manner. In this case, the bolt member corresponds to the "fixed object." Furthermore, the present disclosure can be similarly applied to a case where the second channel member 9 is connected to another elongated "fixed object" in a parallel manner rather than crossing them. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be similarly applied to a case where a hook-shaped support member that supports another member, such as a cable, is fixed to the second channel member 9 in the above embodiments. In this case, the hook-shaped support member, which is a non-elongated member, corresponds to the "fixed object." The specific configuration of the first retaining part 2 can be determined depending on the shape of the "fixed object."

[0065] (6) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including the above-described embodiments and other embodiments; the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative in all respects and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Connecting fittings 2 First holding part 4 Second holding part 6 Intermediate parts 8 First channel material (fixed body) 9 Second channel material (channel material) 20 First outer contact part 21a Through hole 25 First inner contact part 26a Screw hole 28 First tightening bolt 40 Second outer contact part (outer contact part) 41a Through hole 43 Bent piece 43a Small hole (locked part) 45 Second inner contact part (inner contact part) 46a Screw hole 47 Side wall 48 Second tightening bolt (tightening bolt) 50 Elastic member 55 Rotational biasing member 62 Leaf spring part 64 Support piece 93 Lip (lip) X Longitudinal direction Y Short side direction L2 Extension direction of second channel W2 Width direction of second channel D2: Distance between the pair of lips of the second channel RS reaction support part

Claims

1. A holding member for holding a channel member having a pair of lip portions and a pair of side walls each having the lip portion formed at its upper end, an outer contact portion having a through hole and being arranged to contact the pair of lip portions from the outside; an inner contact portion having a length along the longitudinal direction longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions and a length along the short direction shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and having a screwing hole and being arranged to contact the pair of lip portions from the inside; a tightening bolt whose tip end is screwed into the screwing hole while being inserted through the through hole; a rotational biasing member arranged across the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion; and a reaction force support portion that restricts the rotation of the inner contact portion while supporting the reaction force of the rotational biasing member. When a predetermined release operation is performed, the rotation restriction by the reaction force support portion is released, the direction of the inner contact portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotational biasing member, and both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the inner contact portion contact the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls.

2. The holding member according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that biases the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion closer to each other.

3. The holding member according to claim 1, wherein the inner contact portion is formed in an upward U-shape in cross section having a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion.

4. The holding member according to claim 3, wherein the reaction force support portion is constituted by a bent piece bent from the outer contact portion toward the inner contact portion side so as to contact at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

5. The holding member according to claim 3, wherein the bottom plate portion is formed in a rectangular shape and has cutout-shaped corners that are obliquely cut out at a pair of corners located diagonally among the four corners.

6. An outer contact portion having a through hole and being disposed in contact with a pair of lip portions of a channel member from the outside, and a length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the interval between the pair of lip portions, and a length along the short direction is formed shorter than the interval between the pair of lip portions, and an inner contact portion having a screw hole and being disposed in contact with the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt having a tip end screwed into the screw hole in a state of being inserted through the through hole. A channel member holding method for holding the channel member using a holding member, The inner contact portion is rotationally biased so as to rotate about the tightening bolt with respect to the outer contact portion, and the rotation of the inner contact portion is restricted while supporting the reaction force of the rotational biasing, and further, the inner contact portion and the outer contact portion are vertically biased along the tightening bolt so as to approach each other, The rotation restriction of the inner contact portion is released by pushing in the tightening bolt protruding upward from the outer contact portion against the vertical biasing, Inside the channel member, the inner contact portion is rotated by the rotational biasing until both end portions in the longitudinal direction thereof come into contact with the inner surfaces of a pair of side walls of the channel member, and the channel member is held by sandwiching the pair of lip portions between the inner contact portion and the outer contact portion by the vertical biasing. A channel member holding method.

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