Side plate connection structure

Abstract

To provide a side plate connection structure for connecting a metallic side plate to a horizontal plate in a storage tool, and facilitating connection, and enlarging a storage space without exposure to an outer side.SOLUTION: A side plate connection structure is configured to fix metallic side plates 3, 3 to be used as a storage tool to horizontal plates 2, 2 by connection via connectors 4. Each one of the side plates 3, 3 includes: a hollow part 31 having a hollow inside to which each one of the connectors 4, 4 is inserted; and a side plate fixing hole 34 communicating inward from the hollow part 31. The connector 4 includes: horizontal plate connection holes 43 for fixing with the horizontal plate 2; and a side plate connection hole 44 for fixing by communication with the side plate fixing hole 34 of each one of the side plates 3, 3. The communication direction of the horizontal plate connection holes 43 is the direction orthogonal to the communication method of the side plate connection hole 44, and fixtures 5, 5 are respectively inserted to the connection holes so as to perform fixing by connection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a side panel, and more particularly to a connecting structure for a side panel used in a shelf or rack.

[0002] There have been connection structures in the past that connect metal side panels and wooden panels. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is a shelf that uses a wooden panel placed on the top or bottom, a horizontal metal panel with holes formed therein, and an L-shaped connector with holes formed therein for fixing the wooden panel and the metal panel. When connecting a wooden panel and a non-wooden panel, an L-shaped metal fitting may be used that is hung across both panels at the connection point and fixed with a screw or the like, but in this case, the L-shaped metal fitting is exposed on the shelf, which creates a step in the storage space, reducing the storage space, and ultimately the appearance is not good.

[0003] In recent years, users have begun to assemble shelves and storage racks themselves, connecting multiple shelves together to form a group of shelves suited to the shelf space. In addition to the above-mentioned L-shaped metal fittings, some use nails or dowels to secure the shelves. In these cases, hammering in the nails during assembly is not easy for the average user, and inserting the dowels requires assembling the entire disassembled shelf, and gluing the dowels makes it difficult to reassemble the shelves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3233408 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a connecting structure for connecting a metal side panel to a horizontal board such as a wooden board in storage equipment such as a shelf or rack, which not only simplifies the connection but also increases the storage space because the connecting members are not exposed to the outside and there are no steps, and which also has a good appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The side panel connecting structure of the present invention connects and fixes a metal side panel used as a storage device to a horizontal plate via a connecting device, wherein the side panel has a hollow portion which is hollow inside and into which the connecting device can be inserted, and a fixing hole which communicates inward from the hollow portion, and the connecting device has a horizontal plate connecting hole which fixes the side panel to the horizontal plate, and a side plate connecting hole which communicates with the fixing hole of the side panel for fixing the side panel, the connecting direction of the horizontal plate connecting holes is perpendicular to the connecting direction of the side plate connecting holes, and the side panel is connected and fixed by inserting a fixing device into each connecting hole.

[0007] In addition, it is preferable that the connector has a protrusion that protrudes upward and a seat portion that extends from both sides of the protrusion and is attached to a horizontal plate, and has horizontal plate connecting holes opened in the vertical direction in the seat portions on both sides, and side plate connecting holes opened in the left-right direction at the protruding position of the protrusion.

[0008] It is also preferable that the side plate has an inner width of the cavity that corresponds to the width of the connector, and that a rib is formed to partition the inside of the cavity.

[0009] It is also preferable that one side surface of the side plate is a concave surface that is bent toward the center in the width direction and recessed, and the other side surface is a convex surface that is bent toward the center in the width direction and protrudes. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the invention described in claim 1, the horizontal plate and the side plate can be connected with a simple structure and method by attaching the connector to the horizontal plate with a fastener such as a screw in the fixing hole of the horizontal plate, and then inserting the connector into the hollow part of the side plate to erect the side plate and fixing it with a fastener such as a screw in the fixing hole of the side plate. In addition, since the connector is stored in the hollow part and is not exposed to the outside, it is possible to provide a shelf with a large storage space and good appearance.

[0011] According to the invention described in claim 2, the connecting device is formed with a seat portion and a protrusion portion, and the heights at which the fastening devices are inserted are different, so that the fastening devices can be inserted and fixed particularly into the horizontal plate connecting hole and the side plate fixing hole formed in the protrusion portion, making it easier for the user to insert the fastening devices and enabling the horizontal plate and side plate to be connected and fixed in a simple manner.

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 3, by making the width of the cavity approximately the same as the width of the connector, when the side panel is erected, the connector attached to the horizontal panel is inserted into the cavity, allowing positioning in the width direction. In addition, by forming a rib in the cavity of the side panel, the side panel is not only reinforced, but also allows a certain positioning in the depth direction.

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 4, by joining the convex and concave shapes on the side, gaps that arise when shelves are lined up in the depth direction to form a shelf group can be eliminated and rattling in the width direction can be suppressed, making it possible to form a shelf group in the depth direction without gaps with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a shelf using a side panel connecting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shelf using a side panel connecting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a cavity portion of a side plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are views showing a side surface of a side plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged plan view and (b) is an enlarged perspective view showing the joined state. [Figure 6] 1 is an overall perspective view of a shelf group in which shelves using the side panel connecting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention are arranged in the depth direction. [Figure 7] In this embodiment, unit shelves using the side panel connecting structure of the present invention are arranged vertically, horizontally, and vertically to form a shelf group. [Figure 8] This is another embodiment of the use in which unit shelves using the side panel connecting structure of the present invention are arranged as a shelf group in a different arrangement from that of the embodiment in FIG. [Figure 9] This is another embodiment of the use of unit shelves using the side panel connecting structure of the present invention, which are arranged as a shelf group in a different arrangement from the embodiment of Figs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] An embodiment of a shelf of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1 will be the width direction, the direction of the arrow B will be the depth direction, and the direction of the arrow C will be the height direction. Note that the following description is of one embodiment, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the shelf 1 of this embodiment is formed by connecting and fixing two upper and lower horizontal plates 2, 2, which serve as the top and bottom plates and have the horizontal direction (width direction) as the longitudinal direction, and two left and right side plates 3, 3, which are made of vertical members, and is a simple one without a back plate. The side plates 3 and horizontal plates 2 may be stacked further above the upper horizontal plate 2, which serves as the top plate, to form a group of shelves that are continuous vertically, or a group of shelves with a long depth by providing a shelf at the back side (see Fig. 6), and the user may combine them according to the shelf placement location.

[0017] 1 and 2, the shelf 1 of this embodiment is made by connecting wooden horizontal boards 2, 2 that serve as the bottom board and the top board, and metal side boards 3, 3. The side boards 3, 3 are made of metal, for example, hard aluminum, but may be made of other materials.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, metal side plates 3, 3 are connected upright to both widthwise edges 21, 21 of the upper flat surface of a wooden horizontal plate 2, which serves as the bottom plate. The upright metal side plates 3, 3 are further connected to both widthwise edges 21, 21 of the bottom surface of the wooden horizontal plate 2, which serves as the top plate. In this state, both side surfaces of the wooden horizontal plates 2, 2 and the outer surfaces of the metal side plates 3, 3 are made flush with each other.

[0019] The wooden horizontal boards 2, 2 are designed to allow the attachment and fixing of the connecting device 4 described later, and have horizontal board fixing holes 22, 22 that are opened in the vertical direction and allow screws or the like to be inserted at the positions at which the connecting device 4 is to be attached on both widthwise edges 21, 21.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3 in addition to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the metal side plate 3 has a hollow cavity 31 formed therein, into which a connector 4 can be inserted. The hollow portion 31 is hollowed out, and a gap is formed between the inner wall 32 and the outer wall 33. The hollow portion 31 in this embodiment is divided into three parts in the depth direction by the rib 35, and has side surfaces 36, 36 described below, so that the hollow portion 31 is a part that is divided in the width direction by the inner wall 32 and the outer wall 33, and in the depth direction by the side surfaces 36 and the rib 35. Only the inner wall 32 has a side plate fixing hole 34 that communicates with the hollow portion 31. The side plate fixing hole 34 is countersunk so that the head of a screw or other fixing tool does not protrude from the wall surface when the screw is inserted.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the side surfaces 36, 36 on both sides in the depth direction of the metal side panels 3, 3 (the surfaces on the front side and the back side in FIG. 2) are concave-shaped surfaces 36a. On the other hand, when the side panels 3, 3 are connected in the longitudinal direction in a plan view (when connected in the depth direction) as shown in FIG. 5, one side surface 36 is a convex-shaped surface 36b. The concave-shaped surface 36a and the convex-shaped surface 36b have the same unevenness formed continuously from the upper end to the lower end on both sides. Specifically, the concave-shaped surface 36a is a concave surface that is recessed linearly in a V-shape from both sides in a plan view toward the center, and the convex-shaped surface 36b is a convex surface that protrudes linearly in a V-shape from both sides in a plan view toward the center. When the side panels are arranged in the depth direction and used, the unevenness engages with each other to prevent wobbling in the left-right direction and allows easy positioning.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 4 is installed on a wooden horizontal board 2 to connect the metal side panel 3, and is inserted into the hollow portion 31 of the metal side panel 3 in the connected state so that it is not exposed to the outside.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the connector 4 has a curved protruding portion 41 protruding upward and a seat portion 42 extending from both sides of the protruding portion 41, and has an inverted T-shape in a side view. The seat portion 42 is a flat plate-like member, and has a horizontal plate connecting hole 43 through which a fixing device 5 such as a screw can be inserted in the vertical direction. The protruding portion 41 is a member that protrudes from near the center of the seat portion 42 in a curved manner as a whole and rises up, and a side plate connecting hole 44 is opened near the protruding apex in the left-right direction (width direction) through which a fixing device 5 such as a screw can be inserted. The vertical horizontal plate connecting hole 43 formed in the seat portion 42 communicates with the horizontal plate fixing holes 22, 22 formed in both widthwise edges 21, 21 of the horizontal plate 2. The connector 4 can be fixed to the horizontal plate 2 by screwing in a fixing device 5 such as a screw here.

[0024] The horizontal plate connecting holes 43 communicate with each other in the vertical direction, while the side plate connecting holes 44 communicate with each other in the width direction, and these directions are perpendicular to each other. This perpendicular direction makes it possible to easily fix the horizontal plate 2 and the side plate 3 in the perpendicular direction. Furthermore, since the side plate connecting holes 44 are located at an upper position protruding further than the horizontal plate connecting holes 43, they are easy for the user to see, screws can be easily fastened, and the slide adjustment described below is also possible.

[0025] Furthermore, when the side plate 3 is erected so that the connector 4 is inserted into the hollow portion 31 of the side plate 3 with the connector 4 fixed to the horizontal plate 2, the side plate connecting holes 44 in the left-right direction of the connector 4 communicate with the side plate fixing holes 34 of the side plate 3. The connector 4 and the side plate 3 can be fixed by screwing in a fixing device 5 such as a screw here. In this way, the wooden horizontal plate 2 and the metal side plate 3 can be connected by the connector 4, and the connected state can be kept secret from the outside.

[0026] The width of the seat 42 is narrower than the gap between the inner wall 32 and the outer wall 33 that form the hollow portion 31, and the height of the protruding portion 41 is set to be within the hollow portion 31. Therefore, when the side plate 3 is attached with the connector 4 attached to the horizontal plate 2, the connector 4 is inserted completely within the hollow portion 31 of the side plate 3 and is not exposed to the outside.

[0027] In addition, it is easy for the user to insert and fix the fixing device 5 in the vertical direction in the seat 42 of the connecting device 4, but when inserting and fixing the fixing device 5 in the orthogonal horizontal direction, it is difficult to do so at the bottom surface position in order to turn a screw or bolt. As in this embodiment, a protruding portion 41 is provided that protrudes from the seat 42, and a connecting hole in the horizontal direction is provided near the tip where the protruding portion 41 protrudes, making it easy for the user to insert and fix the fixing device 5.

[0028] When the connector 4 of this embodiment is used, the positioning of the side plates 3, 3 becomes extremely easy. That is, the width of the connector 4 is along the inner surface width of the hollow portion 31 of the side plates 3, 3 (the length between the inner surface of the inner wall 32 and the inner surface of the outer wall 33), and is slightly shorter. Therefore, when the connector 4 is erected so as to be inserted into the hollow portion 31 of the side plates 3, 3, the positioning of the side plates 3, 3 in the width direction becomes extremely easy.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the three cavities 31, 31 of the side panel 3 are partitioned in the depth direction by the side surfaces 36, 36 and the two ribs 35, 35 as described above. In this embodiment, the connectors 4 are arranged in two places, the front side and the back side, of the three cavities 31, 31, but the depth length of the connectors 4 is shorter than the depth length of the cavity 31. When the side panel 3 is erected, the connectors 4 are inserted into the cavities 31, 31 so as not to interfere with the side surfaces 36, 36 or the ribs 35, 35, and when the connectors 4 are inserted, they are slid and adjusted so that the side panel connection holes 44 and the side panel fixing holes 34 communicate in the depth direction, making it extremely easy to position the side panel. In this way, the positioning of the side panel 3 is extremely easy, and the user can easily install the shelf 1.

[0030] This positioning in the depth direction is made easier by the presence of the protruding portion 41 of the connector 4 that protrudes upward while curving, and the seat portions 42 located on both sides of the protruding portion 41 in the depth direction. Even if the side plates 3, 3 are positioned in the width direction, when positioning in the depth direction, if the ribs 35, 35 or the side surfaces 36, 36 of the side plates 3, 3 interfere with the protruding portion 41 of the connector 4, the curved surface allows for gentle guide in the depth direction, and if the seat portion 42 interferes, the side plates 3, 3 are shifted in the height direction, so that the user can easily position the connector 4. Once the connector 4 is smoothly inserted into the hollow portions 31, 31 of the side plates 3, 3, all that remains is to slide it until the side plate connecting hole 44 and the side plate fixing hole 34 are aligned.

[0031] Another use form will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The form shown in Fig. 6 is a form in which two side panels 3, 3 are arranged consecutively in the depth direction. In this case, the joined side surfaces of the side panels 3, 3 that are consecutive in the depth direction can be easily positioned so as not to be misaligned in the front-rear direction by the concave shaped surface 36a and the convex shaped surface 36b as shown in Fig. 5 above. In addition, with regard to the positional relationship of the side panels 3, 3 with the horizontal panels 2, 2, as described above, the side panels 3, 3 do not necessarily need to be arranged at the widthwise ends of the horizontal panels 2, 2, and may be positioned slightly toward the center from the widthwise ends.

[0032] As described above, the upper and lower horizontal plates 2, 2 and the left and right side plates 3, 3 can be connected with the connectors 4 and fasteners 5 to form the shelf 1, and a number of such shelves 1 can be connected as unit shelves to form a shelf group depending on the place of use. As shown in Fig. 7, it is also possible to line up a number of unit shelves 1 vertically and horizontally, and by using metal side plates 3, 3, the shelves can be lined up stably. In this way, it is possible to arrange the shelves 1 in a way that is easy to use depending on the intended use of the shelf 1 and the shape of the storage place. Also, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the unit shelves 1 can be arranged in a different way other than the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 by rearranging them in a different way. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1...Shelf, 2...Horizontal board, 3...Side plate, 4...Connector, 5...Fixing tool, 21...Side edge, 22...Horizontal plate fixing hole, 31: hollow portion; 32: inner wall; 33: outer wall; 34: side plate fixing hole; 35: rib; 36...side surface, 36a...concave surface, 36b...convex surface, 41...Protrusion part, 42...Seat part, 43...Horizontal plate connection hole, 44...Side plate connection hole.

Claims

1. A side panel connection structure for connecting and fixing a metal side panel used as a storage device to a horizontal plate via a connector, comprising: The side plate has a hollow portion into which the connector can be inserted, and a fixing hole communicating inward from the hollow portion, The connector has a horizontal plate connecting hole for fixing the horizontal plate and a side plate connecting hole for communicating with the fixing hole of the side plate to fix the horizontal plate, A side panel connecting structure characterized in that the communication direction of the horizontal panel connecting holes is perpendicular to the communication direction of the side panel connecting holes, and the side panels are connected and fixed by inserting fasteners into each connecting hole.

2. The connector has a protruding portion protruding upward and a seat portion extending from both sides of the protruding portion and attached to the horizontal plate, 2. The side panel connecting structure according to claim 1, further comprising horizontal plate connecting holes opened in the vertical direction on both sides of the seat portion, and side plate connecting holes opened in the left-right direction at the protruding position of the protruding portion.

3. 3. The side panel connecting structure according to claim 2, wherein the side panel has a cavity with an inner width that corresponds to a width of the connector, and a rib is formed to partition the cavity.

4. 4. The side panel connecting structure according to claim 3, wherein one side of the side panel is a concave surface that is bent toward the center in the width direction and recessed, and the other side of the side panel is a convex surface that is bent toward the center in the width direction and protrudes.

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