Pulling device

Abstract

To provide a pulling device that, with a simple configuration, allows a user to experience the bodily sensation of the performance of sealant.SOLUTION: A pulling device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first fixation body 14A, in an object article T in which sealant 4 is arranged between two outer wall material pieces 2, to which one outer wall material piece 2A is fixed; a second fixation body 14B to which the other outer wall material piece 2 is fixed; a support base 12 that supports the first fixation body 14A and the second fixation body 14B in a state where the first fixation body 14A and the second fixation body 14B are movable in directions away from each other in a predetermined direction; a first grip part 16A that is attached to the first fixation body 14A and is gripped by a user when pulling the first fixation body 14A in the predetermined direction; and a second grip part 16B that is attached to the second fixation body 14B and is gripped by the user when pulling the second fixation body 14B in a direction opposite to a side where the first fixation body 14A is located in the predetermined direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tensioning device, and more particularly to a tensioning device for tensioning a sealant provided in a joint of an exterior wall of a building. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, sealants have been used in gaps (joints) between pieces of exterior wall materials such as multiple panels, boards, tiles, etc. Sealant for joints is required to have sufficiently excellent adhesion to the pieces of exterior wall material and strength (specifically, elasticity, durability, etc.). Therefore, several devices and methods for evaluating the strength of sealants have been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 58-037542 [Patent Document 2] JP 2010-256236 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-178135 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, opportunities to experience the performance of building materials and other materials used in houses have been provided in showrooms and other locations where housing manufacturers exhibit their products. However, regarding the performance of sealants, the explanations are limited to the composition and physical properties measured using the devices and methods described in the above patent documents, and it has been difficult to actually allow visitors to confirm the characteristic performance of the target sealant.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tensioning device that has a simple configuration and allows one to experience the performance of a sealing material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above problem is solved by the tensioning device of the present invention, which comprises a first fixed body to which one of the target articles having two pieces of exterior wall material between which a sealant is arranged, a second fixed body to which the other of the target articles located on the opposite side of the one piece of exterior wall material as viewed from the sealant is fixed, a support base that supports the first fixed body and the second fixed body while allowing the first fixed body and the second fixed body to move in a direction away from each other in a predetermined direction, a first gripping portion attached to the first fixed body and held when the first fixed body is pulled in the predetermined direction, and a second gripping portion attached to the second fixed body and held when the second fixed body is pulled in the direction opposite to the side on which the first fixed body is located in the predetermined direction.

[0007] In the tensioning device of the present invention configured as described above, a user can experience the tensile strength of the sealing material by performing the simple operation of pulling the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion respectively while a piece of exterior wall material is fixed to each of the first fixed body and the second fixed body.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above tensioning device, it is preferable to have a first stopper that engages the first fixed body when the first fixed body moves to a first engagement position when the first fixed body and the second fixed body move in a direction away from each other, and a second stopper that engages the second fixed body when the second fixed body moves to a second engagement position when the first fixed body and the second fixed body move in a direction away from each other. According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from breaking even if the first fixed body and the second fixed body are pulled excessively.

[0009] Furthermore, in the above tensioning device, it is preferable that, in a predetermined direction, the first fixed body is movable within a range from the first reference position to the first locking position, and the second fixed body is movable within a range from the second reference position to the second locking position, and when the first fixed body is located at the first reference position and the second fixed body is located at the second reference position, the first fixed body and the second fixed body are closest to each other, and the distance between the first locking position and the second locking position is not less than twice and not more than three times the distance between the first reference position and the second reference position. According to the above configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent the sealing material from breaking when the first fixed body and the second fixed body are pulled excessively.

[0010] In addition, in the above-mentioned tensioning device, the first fixed body and the second fixed body each have side walls at both ends in a cross direction that crosses the specified direction, the exterior wall material piece is arranged between the side walls to fix the exterior wall material piece, and a through hole is provided in one side wall, and it is preferable that in each of the first fixed body and the second fixed body, a rod body inserted into the through hole presses the end face of the exterior wall material piece in the cross direction. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the exterior wall material piece can be easily fixed without damaging the appearance of the exterior wall material piece, and therefore the sealant can be pulled without impairing the design of the exterior wall material piece.

[0011] In the above tensioning device, it is preferable that the first grip portion and the second grip portion have a spherical main body portion. According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent excessive force from being applied to the sealing material when the first grip portion and the second grip portion are pulled.

[0012] In the tensioning device, it is preferable that the first grip portion and the second grip portion are aligned in a predetermined direction and disposed at the same position in a cross direction that crosses the predetermined direction and the vertical direction. According to the above configuration, it is possible to more effectively prevent excessive force from being applied to the sealing material when the first grip portion and the second grip portion are pulled.

[0013] In the tensioning device described above, it is preferable that when the tensioning device is in use, the predetermined direction is aligned with the left-right direction as seen by a user of the tensioning device. According to the above configuration, it is possible to more effectively prevent excessive force from being applied to the sealing material when the first grip portion and the second grip portion are pulled.

[0014] In addition, in the above-mentioned tensioning device, it is preferable that a guide rail extending in a predetermined direction is installed on the upper surface of the support base, and the first fixed body and the second fixed body are each configured to be slidable along the guide rail. According to the above configuration, when the first grip portion and the second grip portion are pulled, the first fixed body and the second fixed body can be moved smoothly along the guide rail. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the tensioning device of the present invention, the tensile strength of the sealing material can be experienced with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention in a pre-use state. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention in an in-use state; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] <<Regarding a tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention>> DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tensioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, this embodiment) will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, each component is shown somewhat simplified and schematic to make the explanation easier to understand, and the size (dimension) of each component and the interval between components shown in the drawings are different from the actual ones.

[0018] In addition, in this specification, when describing the position, orientation, posture, etc. of each part of the device, unless otherwise specified, we will describe the position, orientation, posture, etc. when the device is in its normal state (or, for ease of understanding, just before it is used by a user). In addition, in this specification, "horizontal," "vertical," "orthogonal," and "parallel" include the range of error generally accepted in the technical field of the present invention, and also include states where the directions are shifted by less than a few degrees (e.g., 2 to 3°) from the strictly horizontal, vertical, orthogonal, and parallel directions.

[0019] In the following description, the three mutually orthogonal directions are referred to as the XYZ directions. The Z direction is the up-down direction of the tensioning device, and corresponds to the vertical direction when the tensioning device is in use. The X direction is the direction in which the sealing material is pulled (corresponding to the specified direction), and the Y direction is the direction orthogonal to the X and Z directions (corresponding to the intersecting direction).

[0020] [Configuration example of the tension device according to this embodiment] The tensioning device of this embodiment is used, for example, for promoting houses, and specifically, is used in a housing manufacturer's model room for the purpose of allowing visiting customers (hereinafter, users) to experience the tensile strength of the sealant installed in the joints of the exterior walls of the houses being sold.

[0021] The tensioning device according to this embodiment (hereinafter, tensioning device 10) uses a test piece T, which is a pair of exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B cut out from the exterior wall of a house and has a sealant 4 placed between them, as shown in Fig. 1, and is operated by a user to pull the sealant 4 of the test piece T. Note that each of the exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B used is cut into a rectangular shape of approximately 50 x 100 mm.

[0022] In the tensioning device 10, as shown in Fig. 1, a first fixing body 14A and a second fixing body 14B are placed on a support base 12, and one of a pair of exterior building material pieces 2A, 2B is fixed to each fixing body. Then, a user holds the gripping parts (specifically, the first gripping part 16A and the second gripping part 16B) attached to each fixing body and pulls each fixing body in the X direction in a direction in which the fixing bodies move away from each other. This stretches the sealing material 4 provided between the pair of exterior building material pieces 2A, 2B, and the user can experience the strength (elasticity) of the sealing material 4, and specifically, can check the degree of stretching of the sealing material 4 with the actual product.

[0023] 1 to 3, in the tensioning device 10, the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B are placed on the support base 12. A first gripping portion 16A is attached to the first fixed body 14A, and a second gripping portion 16B is attached to the second fixed body 14B. When the first gripping portion 16A and the second gripping portion 16B are simultaneously pulled in opposite directions in the X direction, the first fixed body 14A moves to one side in the X direction, and the second fixed body 14B moves to the other side in the X direction. FIG. 2 shows the tensioning device 10 in a state in which the exterior building material piece is not fixed to a fixing body.

[0024] In addition, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the tensioning device 10 is provided with a first stopper 18A and a second stopper 18B that define the end positions of the movement range of the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B in the X direction and restrict outward movement from these end positions.

[0025] Each component of tensioning device 10 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the support base 12 supports the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B in a state in which the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B are movable in directions away from each other in the X direction. The support base 12 is made of steel and is configured so that the exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B are fixed in a horizontal state to each of a first fixed body 14A and a second fixed body 14B placed on the support base 12. There are no particular limitations on the size and shape of the support base 12 as long as they are within a range applicable to the tensioning device 10, but it is preferable that the size and shape are suitable for experiencing the strength (tensile strength) of the sealing material 4. The support base 12 is placed on the top surface (horizontal surface) of a desk or table (not shown) and fixed with screws or the like.

[0026] 2, 3, 6, and 7, a guide rail (linear guide) 20 extending linearly in the X direction is installed on the upper surface of the support base 12. The guide rail 20 is made of a convex portion protruding upward from the upper surface of the support base 12, and engages with concave portions 23A, 23B provided in the bottom portions of the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B. In this embodiment, the guide rail 20 is a rail formed of a single rectangular pillar, and is provided so as to be parallel to the X direction and perpendicular to the Y direction. The length of the guide rail 20 is not particularly limited as long as the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B can slide on the support base 12. The material of the guide rail 20 is also not particularly limited as long as the material has the strength to allow the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B to slide, and may be made of the same steel material as the support base 12, for example.

[0027] Of the target items having the sealant 4 placed between two exterior wall material pieces 2A and 2B, one of the exterior wall material pieces 2A (the exterior wall material piece 2A on the left side as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is in use) is fixed to the first fixing body 14A. On the other hand, of the target items, the other exterior wall material piece 2B located on the opposite side to the one exterior wall material piece 2A as seen by the sealant 4 (i.e., the exterior wall material piece 2B on the right side as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is in use) is fixed to the second fixing body 14B.

[0028] First fixed body 14A and second fixed body 14B are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center position in the X direction of support base 12, and the configurations of both are substantially the same except that they are mirror images. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the configuration of first fixed body 14A, and the configuration of second fixed body 14B that differs from first fixed body 14A will be described separately.

[0029] 2 and 5, the first fixed body 14A has a bottom wall 22A and side walls 24A provided at both ends of the first fixed body 14A in the Y direction and rising from the bottom wall 22A, and the exterior wall material pieces 2A are arranged between the side walls 24A to fix the exterior wall material pieces 2A. The bottom wall 22A has, for example, a flat plate shape and has a shape and size that allows the exterior wall material pieces 2A to be fixed in a horizontal state. 5 is a cross section II of the tensioning device 10 in FIG 1, viewed from the left side of FIG 1. In addition, in FIGS 1 to 3, the bottom wall of the second fixed body 14B is represented by reference symbol 22B, and the side wall of the second fixed body 14B is represented by reference symbol 24B.

[0030] 1 to 4, the first fixed body 14A has a connecting side wall 25A extending upward and adjacent to the outer end of the bottom wall 22A in the X direction. A handle 34A (described later) is attached to the connecting side wall 25A to connect the first grip 16A and the first fixed body 14A. In addition, in Figs. 1 to 3, the connecting side wall of second fixed body 14B is indicated by reference numeral 25B, and the handle connecting second grip portion 16B and second fixed body 14B is indicated by reference numeral 34B.

[0031] Moreover, the first fixed body 14A is configured to be slidable along the guide rail 20. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the first fixed body 14A has a recess 23A on its bottom surface that engages with the guide rail 20. The recess 23A engages with the guide rail 20 in a state in which the recess 23A is slidable along the guide rail 20. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the recess 23A is provided in the center of the support base 12 in the X direction, and is configured by a columnar member having a recess in the lower part that is attached to the lower surface of the bottom wall 22A of the first fixed body 14A. In FIG. 3, the recess provided on the bottom surface of the second fixed body 14B is indicated by the reference symbol 23B.

[0032] The side walls 24A are not particularly limited in size and shape as long as the exterior building material pieces 2A can be sandwiched and fixed between the side walls 24A in the Y direction. One of the side walls 24A is provided with a plurality of through holes 26 (three in the illustrated example). The positions, shapes, and number of the through holes 26 are not particularly limited as long as the exterior building material pieces 2A can be stably fixed.

[0033] A rod body 28 consisting of a set screw (so-called grub screw) is inserted into each through hole 26, and this rod body 28 presses the end face 2f of the exterior wall material piece 2 in the Y direction (more specifically, the small end face on the front side as seen from the user when using the tensioning device 10). As a result, the exterior wall material piece 2A is fixed between the pair of side walls 24A by the rod body 28. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a pressing plate 30A is disposed between the pair of side walls 24A so as to be adjacent to the side wall 24A in which the through hole 26 is provided. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, a cushioning material 31A such as a rubber plate is provided between the pressing plate 30A and the end face 2f of the exterior wall material piece 2A, and between the rear side wall 24A and the end face 2b of the exterior wall material piece 2A. Here, the rear side wall 24A is the side wall 24A opposite to the side wall 24A in which the through hole 26 is provided. Further, the end face 2b of the exterior building material piece 2A is the end face opposite to the end face 2f in the Y direction, that is, the small end face on the far side as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is in use.

[0034] The rods 28 inserted into the multiple through holes 26 press the entire end face 2f of the exterior wall material piece 2A via the pressing plate 30A and the buffer material 31A. This causes the end face 2b of the exterior wall material piece 2A to be pressed against the rear side wall 24A, and as a result, the exterior wall material piece 2A is fixed between the pair of side walls 24A. In FIG. 1, the pressing plate and the cushioning material used in the exterior building material piece 2B in the second fixed body 14B are indicated by the reference numerals 30B and 31B, respectively.

[0035] 2, 3 and 6, a third stopper 36 is provided on an end face of the first fixed body 14A located on the second fixed body 14B side in the X direction to prevent collision between the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B. In this embodiment, the third stopper 36 is provided only on the first fixed body 14A and not on the second fixed body 14B. However, this is not limited to this, and the third stopper 36 may be provided on both the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B.

[0036] The first grip portion 16A is attached to the connecting side wall 25A of the first fixed body 14A, and is a handle to be held when pulling the first fixed body 14A in the X direction in the opposite direction to the side where the second fixed body 14B is located (to the left side as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is used). The second grip portion 16B is attached to the side wall 25B of the second fixed body 14B, and is a handle to be held when pulling the second fixed body 14B in the X direction in the opposite direction to the side where the first fixed body 14A is located (to the right side as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is used). First grip portion 16A and second grip portion 16B are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center position in the X direction of support base 12, and the configurations of both are substantially the same except that they are mirror images of each other. Therefore, the following description will focus on the configuration of first grip portion 16A.

[0037] The first grip portion 16A is composed of a spherical main body 32A and a handle 34A that extends from the main body 32A and connects the main body 32A to the connecting side wall 25A of the first fixed body 14A. The main body 32A is sized to be held with one hand. The main body 32A has a shape that makes it difficult to apply excessive force, specifically, it is spherical. The handle 34A is a round bar-shaped part, and is configured so that when its central axis is virtually extended, it passes through the center position of the spherical main body 32A. The part of the main body 32A to which the handle 34A is connected is cut in the YZ plane to form a flat surface.

[0038] The first grip portion 16A and the second grip portion 16B are aligned in a straight line in the X direction, and are disposed at the same position in the Y direction and are also disposed at the same position in the Z direction. Therefore, when using the tensioning device 10, the user operates (pulls) both the first grip portion 16A and the second grip portion 16B symmetrically. 4, when the tensioning device 10 is placed on a desk or table for use, the first grip portion 16A and the second grip portion 16B are located several centimeters above the surface on which the tensioning device 10 is placed. Therefore, when using the tensioning device 10, the user can smoothly grip the first grip portion 16A and the second grip portion 16B.

[0039] 6 and 7, when the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B move in a direction away from each other in the X direction, the first stopper 18A locks the first fixed body 14A when the first fixed body 14A moves to a first locking position. When the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B move in a direction away from each other in the X direction, the second stopper 18B locks the second fixed body 14B when the second fixed body 14B moves to a second locking position. In other words, the first locking position is the end position (left end) of the range in which the first fixed body 14A moves when the first fixed body 14A is pulled, and the second locking position is the end position (right end) of the range in which the second fixed body 14B moves when the second fixed body 14B is pulled. The first stopper 18A and the second stopper 18B are disposed symmetrically with respect to the center position in the X direction of the support base 12, and the configurations of the two are substantially the same except that they are mirror images of each other. Therefore, the following description will be centered on the configuration of the first stopper 18A.

[0040] The first stopper 18A is made of a rectangular parallelepiped block body and is attached to the upper surface of the support base 12. The first stopper 18A is disposed inside the left end of the upper surface of the support base 12 in the X direction, and is disposed at a position slightly shifted toward the end side (the far side as seen from the user when using the tensioning device 10) from the center of the upper surface of the support base 12 in the Y direction. The size of the first stopper 18A is not particularly limited, but it may be of a size that does not interfere with the first fixed body 14A until the first fixed body 14A reaches the first locking position, and that locks with the first fixed body 14A when the first fixed body 14A reaches the first locking position.

[0041] When the first fixed body 14A is pulled outward (leftward) in the X direction and reaches the first locking position, the first stopper 18A comes into contact with an end face (the left end face as seen by the user when the tensioning device 10 is in use) of the recess 23A that moves in conjunction with the first fixed body 14A. As a result, the first stopper 18A locks the first fixed body 14A and restricts further movement of the first fixed body 14A outward in the X direction. Similarly, when the second fixed body 14B is pulled outward (to the right) in the X direction and reaches the second locking position, the second stopper 18B comes into contact with an end face (the end face on the right side as seen by the user when using the tensioning device 10) of the recess 23B attached to the second fixed body 14B. As a result, the second stopper 18B locks the second fixed body 14B and restricts further movement of the second fixed body 14B outward in the X direction.

[0042] [Method of using the tensioning device according to this embodiment] Next, a method of using the tensioning device 10 will be described. First, the exterior wall material piece 2A constituting the target product is placed on the placement surface of the bottom wall 22A of the first fixed body 14A, and the cushioning material 31A and the pressing plate 30A are arranged on the placement surface in a position aligned with the Y-direction end of the exterior wall material piece 2A. After that, the rod body 28 is inserted into the through hole 26 formed in the side wall 24A of the first fixed body 14A to press the pressing plate 30A. As a result, the exterior wall material piece 2A is sandwiched and fixed between the pair of side walls 24A in the first fixed body 14A. In a similar manner, the exterior wall material piece 2B is fixed to the second fixed body 14B.

[0043] The user then stands in front of the tensioning device 10, grasps the first grip portion 16A and the second grip portion 16B, and simultaneously pulls the two grip portions in opposite directions in the X direction. This causes the first fixed body 14A to move to one side in the X direction (left side) and the second fixed body 14B to move to the other side in the X direction (right side), resulting in the sealing material 4 between the exterior wall material pieces 2A being stretched.

[0044] Here, in the X direction, the first fixed body 14A can move within a range from the first reference position to the first locking position, and the second fixed body 14B can move within a range from the second reference position to the second locking position. The first reference position is the position of the first fixed body 14A when the first grip portion 16A is not pulled, that is, the position when the first fixed body 14A is located at the rightmost position, specifically, the position of the first fixed body 14A when the tip of the third stopper 36 is in contact with the second fixed body 14B. The second reference position is the position of the second fixed body 14B when the second grip portion 16B is not pulled, that is, the position when the second fixed body 14B is located at the leftmost position, specifically, the position of the side wall 24B of the second fixed body 14B in contact with the tip of the third stopper 36.

[0045] Here, when the first fixed body 14A is in the first reference position and the second fixed body 14B is in the second reference position, that is, when the sealing material 4 is in the initial state before being pulled, the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B are closest to each other. On the other hand, when the first fixed body 14A is in the first locking position and the second fixed body 14B is in the second locking position, the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B are farthest from each other. At this time, the sealing material 4 is pulled (stretched) by the maximum extension amount that can be pulled by the tensioning device 10.

[0046] 6 and 7, in this embodiment, the distance between the first and second locking positions (hereinafter, distance t1) is set to be two or more and three or less times the distance between the first and second reference positions (hereinafter, distance t2). Therefore, the tensioning device 10 can stretch the sealing material 4 to two to three times its initial state (state before being pulled). The ratio (t2 / t1) of the distance t1 to the distance t2 may be set to an appropriate value depending on the strength (tensile strength) of the sealing material 4.

[0047] As described above, by using the tensioning device 10 of the present embodiment, the tensioning performance of the sealing material 4 can be experienced with a simple configuration. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 4 from breaking due to excessive pulling of the first fixing body 14A and the second fixing body 14B. More specifically, if the tensioning device is configured to pull either one of the first fixing body and the second fixing body to one side (outside) in the X direction, the user tends to pull by applying weight in that direction. In that case, excessive force is applied to the sealing material 4, which may cause the sealing material 4 to break. In contrast, the tensioning device 10 of this embodiment pulls both the first fixing body 14A and the second fixing body 14B simultaneously and in opposite directions in the X direction, so that the sealing material 4 is not pulled by applying weight only to one side in the X direction as described above. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 4 from breaking due to excessive force being applied to the sealing material 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first gripping portion 16A and the second gripping portion 16B, which are gripped when pulling the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B, are both spherical and therefore more difficult to grip than rod-shaped ones. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the application of excessive force to the sealing material 4. Furthermore, in the tensioning device 10 of this embodiment, the exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B can be easily fixed to the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B, respectively, without damaging the appearance of the exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B, so that the sealing material 4 can be pulled without compromising the design of the exterior wall material pieces.

[0048] Although one embodiment of the tensioning device of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the present invention naturally includes its equivalents.

[0049] Furthermore, the configuration for fixing the exterior wall material pieces 2A, 2B in the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B is not limited to the above, and other configurations may be used as long as they can exert the same function as the above. Similarly, the configuration for the first stopper 18A (second stopper 18B) to lock the first fixed body 14A (second fixed body 14B) and the configuration for setting the distance between the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B to an initial value by the third stopper 36 are also not particularly limited, and other configurations may be used as long as they can exert the same function.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the tensioning device 10 is configured to be used with the support base 12 placed and fixed on the top surface of a desk, table, or the like, i.e., on a horizontal surface. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a tensioning device configured to be used with the support base 12 fixed on a vertical surface such as a wall surface may also be considered. Such a tensioning device may be configured to pull the first fixed body 14A and the second fixed body 14B in the horizontal direction (left and right direction as seen by the user when using the tensioning device) when experiencing the strength of the sealing material 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 2A, 2B Exterior wall material pieces 2f Front end 2b Rear end face 4. Sealant 10 Tensioning device 12 Support stand 14A First fixed body 14B Second fixed body 16A First Grip 16B Second grip 18A First stopper 18B Second stopper 20 Guide rail 22 Bottom wall 23A, 23B Recess 24A, 24B side wall 25A, 25B connection side wall 26 Through hole 28 Rod 30A, 30B Pressing plate 31A, 31B Cushioning material 32A, 32B Main body 34A, 34B pattern 36 Third stopper

Claims

1. A first fixing body to which one of the two exterior wall material pieces is fixed, the first fixing body being a target product having a sealant disposed between the two exterior wall material pieces; a second fixing body to which the other exterior wall material piece, which is located on the opposite side of the one exterior wall material piece as viewed from the sealant, is fixed; a support base that supports the first fixed body and the second fixed body in a state in which the first fixed body and the second fixed body are movable in a direction away from each other in a predetermined direction; a first grip portion attached to the first fixed body and gripped when pulling the first fixed body in the predetermined direction; A tensioning device comprising: a second grip portion attached to the second fixed body and gripped when pulling the second fixed body in the direction opposite to the side on which the first fixed body is located in the specified direction.

2. a first stopper that engages the first fixed body when the first fixed body moves to a first engaging position in a case where the first fixed body and the second fixed body move in directions away from each other; 2. The tensioning device of claim 1, further comprising: a second stopper that engages the second fixed body when the second fixed body moves to a second engaging position when the first fixed body and the second fixed body move in a direction away from each other.

3. In the predetermined direction, the first fixed body is movable within a range from a first reference position to the first locking position, and the second fixed body is movable within a range from a second reference position to the second locking position, When the first fixed body is located at the first reference position and the second fixed body is located at the second reference position, the first fixed body and the second fixed body are closest to each other, 3. The tensioning device of claim 2, wherein a distance between the first and second locking positions is greater than or equal to two times and less than or equal to three times a distance between the first and second reference positions.

4. The first fixing body and the second fixing body each have side walls at both ends in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and the exterior wall material piece is disposed between the side walls to fix the exterior wall material piece; A through hole is provided in one of the side walls, The tensioning device according to claim 1 , wherein in each of the first fixed body and the second fixed body, a rod body inserted into the through hole presses an end surface of the exterior wall material piece in the intersecting direction.

5. The tensioning device of claim 1 , wherein the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion have spherical body portions.

6. The tensioning device according to claim 1 , wherein the first grip portion and the second grip portion are aligned in the predetermined direction and disposed at the same position in a cross direction that crosses the predetermined direction and a vertical direction.

7. The tensioning device of claim 6 , wherein when the tensioning device is in use, the predetermined direction is aligned with a left-right direction as seen by a user of the tensioning device.

8. A guide rail extending in the predetermined direction is provided on the upper surface of the support base, The tensioning device according to claim 1 , wherein the first fixed body and the second fixed body are each configured to be slidable along the guide rail.

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