Receiving frame, receiving frame fitting method, underfloor inspection hole, and height adjustment method for underfloor inspection hole cover

Abstract

To reduce a step between a floor surface and the back surface of a cover on the circumference of an opening formed in a floor.SOLUTION: A receiving frame 30 is arranged in an opening 120 formed in a floor 101. The receiving frame 30 comprises: a locking part 31 arranged in a lockable manner on an upper surface 111 of a supporting material 110 supporting the floor 101, the locking part 31 including a facing surface 32 facing a bottom surface of a circumference part of a cover 20 closing the opening 120; and a fitting part 35 that extends downwards from the locking part 31 and can be fitted to a side face 110A of the supporting material 110. The receiving frame further comprises an adjustment member 40 that adjusts a separation distance between the locking part 31 and the upper surface 111 of the supporting material 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a receiving frame to be placed in an opening formed in a floor, a method for installing the receiving frame, an underfloor inspection hatch to be placed in an opening formed in a floor, and a method for adjusting the height of an underfloor inspection hatch lid, and in particular to technology suitable for a lid that does not have an edge (lid frame) that covers the periphery. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, underfloor inspection hatches and underfloor storage sheds (hereinafter collectively referred to as "underfloor inspection hatches") installed in openings formed in the floors of buildings have been provided with a lid and a receiving frame that supports the lid. An example of a receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch is the floor opening frame described in Patent Document 1. The floor opening frame has a frame member that is placed in an opening formed in the floor. The frame member has an edge portion (locking portion) that covers the periphery of the opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5208433 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional floor inspection hatches that have an edge (frame member) around the periphery of the floor opening, the edge makes it difficult to feel the step between the floor surface and the top surface of the lid of the floor inspection hatch. However, in recent years, there have been requests from users not to have an edge that covers the floor surface and the periphery of the lid around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor. For this reason, if a step occurs between the floor surface and the top surface of the lid when a floor inspection hatch is installed at an opening in the floor without an edge, the step is easily felt because there is no edge.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a receiving frame that can reduce the difference in height between the floor surface around the edge of an opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of a lid, a method for installing the receiving frame, an underfloor inspection hatch to be placed in an opening formed in the floor, and a method for adjusting the height of the lid of the underfloor inspection hatch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The receiving frame of the present invention is a receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch that is placed in an opening formed in a floor, and is equipped with a locking portion that is arranged so as to be lockable to the upper surface of a support material that is attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and an attachment portion that extends downward from the locking portion and is attachable to the side of the support material on the opening side, and is equipped with a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the separation distance between the lower surface of the locking portion and the upper surface of the support material.

[0007] From another perspective, the receiving frame of the present invention is a receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch that is placed in an opening formed in a floor, and is provided with a locking portion that is arranged so as to be lockable to the upper surface of a support material that is attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and an attachment portion that extends downward from the locking portion and is attachable to the side of the support material on the opening side, and further includes a height adjustment member that adjusts the distance between the lower surface of the locking portion and the upper surface of the support material.

[0008] According to these, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by adjusting the separation distance between the locking part and the support material using a height adjustment mechanism or height adjustment member. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. In this case, the height adjustment mechanism may be partly or entirely attached to the locking part, or partly or entirely not attached to the locking part and provided as a separate body. In addition, the height adjustment member may be attached to the receiving frame, or may be provided as a separate body without being attached.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the height adjustment member is an elastic material or an airtight material. By interposing the elastic material or the airtight material between the locking part and the support member in this way, the elastic material or the airtight material can be deformed following the movement of the locking part when adjusting the height level of the upper surface of the receiving frame, and it is possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. In addition, when the airtight material is provided around the entire circumference of the receiving frame, it is possible to achieve airtightness between the room and under the floor.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the locking portion has a rib protruding downward and the rib abuts against the elastic material or the airtight material, thereby making it possible to reduce the compressive stress of the elastic material or the airtight material and to easily adjust the height level of the upper surface of the locking portion.

[0011] In the present invention, the locking portion preferably has a plurality of screw holes penetrating in the vertical direction, whereby by screwing a plurality of screws into the upper surface of the support material, the height level of the upper surface of the locking portion can be adjusted while compressively deforming, elastically deforming, or plastically deforming the elastic material or the airtight material.

[0012] The receiving frame installation method of the present invention is a method for installing a receiving frame for an under-floor inspection hatch, which has a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable onto the upper surface of a support material attached under a floor so as to surround an opening formed in the floor, and an attachment portion extending downward from the locking portion and attachable to the side of the support material on the opening side, and includes a receiving frame installation step of placing the receiving frame in the opening so that the locking portion is positioned on the upper surface of the support material, a height adjustment step of screwing a screw into the upper surface of the support material from above the locking portion of the receiving frame arranged in the opening to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the locking portion, and a fixing step of fixing the receiving frame to the support material by attaching the attachment portion to the side of the support material from inside the opening with the height level of the upper surface of the locking portion adjusted.

[0013] According to this, the height level of the upper surface of the locking portion can be adjusted by the height adjustment process, which makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid.

[0014] In the present invention, the height adjustment member is preferably an elastic material or an airtight material. By interposing the elastic material or the airtight material between the locking part and the support member in this way, the elastic material or the airtight material can be deformed to follow the movement of the locking part when adjusting the height level of the upper surface of the receiving frame. When the airtight material is provided around the entire circumference of the receiving frame, it is possible to achieve airtightness between the room and the underfloor.

[0015] From another perspective, the method of installing a receiving frame of the present invention is a method of installing a receiving frame for an under-floor inspection hatch, the method comprising: a receiving frame positioning step of positioning the receiving frame within the opening so that the receiving frame is positioned on the upper surface of the support material so as to be capable of being engaged with the upper surface of the support material attached under the floor so as to surround an opening formed in the floor; and an attachment part extending downward from the receiving frame positioning step of positioning the receiving frame within the opening so that the receiving frame positioning step is positioned on the upper surface of the support material; a lid temporary attachment step of attaching a lid having a plurality of notches on its periphery to the receiving frame positioned within the opening; a height adjustment step of screwing screws into the upper surface of the support material from above the receiving frame positioning step, through the notches, to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the lid; and a fixing step of removing the lid after the height adjustment step, and fixing the receiving frame to the support material by attaching the attachment part to the side surface of the support material from inside the opening.

[0016] According to this, the height adjustment process adjusts the height position of the top surface of the lid to the height position of the floor surface, and the height level of the top surface of the locking part is adjusted before fixing the receiving frame to the support material. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the edge of the opening formed in the floor and the top surface of the lid. Here, the lid is a concept that includes the lid body without the flooring material attached.

[0017] The floor inspection hatch of the present invention is an inspection hatch that is placed in an opening formed in a floor, and is equipped with a receiving frame that supports a lid that covers the opening, and the receiving frame includes a locking portion that is arranged so as to be lockable to the upper surface of a support material that is attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and an attachment portion that extends downward from the locking portion and is attachable to the side of the support material on the opening side, and further includes a height adjustment member that adjusts the separation distance between the locking portion and the upper surface of the support material.

[0018] According to this, by adjusting the distance between the locking part and the support with the height adjustment member, it is possible to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the locking part, which makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid.

[0019] In the present invention, the height adjustment member is preferably an elastic material or an airtight material. By interposing the elastic material or the airtight material between the locking part and the support member in this way, the elastic material or the airtight material can be deformed to follow the movement of the locking part when adjusting the height level of the upper surface of the receiving frame, and it is possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. Furthermore, when the airtight material is provided around the entire circumference of the receiving frame, it is possible to achieve airtightness between the room and under the floor.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that the lid (or the lid body) has a plurality of notches on its periphery, and the upper surface of the locking part is exposed from the notches. This makes it possible to screw a plurality of screws into the upper surface of the support material with the lid or the lid body attached, and to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the locking part.

[0021] The method for adjusting the height of a cover for an inspection hatch of the present invention is a method for adjusting the height of a cover for an inspection hatch that is placed in an opening formed in a floor and has a receiving frame that supports a lid that covers the opening, in which the receiving frame is screwed from above to the upper surface of a support material attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, with a height adjustment member interposed between the receiving frame and the upper surface of the support material.

[0022] With this, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by screwing the receiving frame to the upper surface of the support material, which makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the receiving frame of the present invention, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the locking part and the support member with the height adjustment member, which makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. According to the mounting method of the receiving frame of the present invention, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by the height adjustment process, which makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. According to another aspect of the mounting method of the receiving frame of the present invention, the height adjustment step adjusts the height position of the upper surface of the lid to the height position of the floor surface, and the height level of the upper surface of the locking part is adjusted before fixing the receiving frame to the support material. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. According to the underfloor inspection hatch of the present invention, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the locking part and the support with the height adjustment member. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the lid. According to the method for adjusting the height of the cover of an underfloor inspection hatch of the present invention, the height level of the upper surface of the locking part can be adjusted by screwing the receiving frame to the upper surface of the support material. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface around the periphery of the opening formed in the floor and the upper surface of the cover. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is an oblique view of a main portion showing the installation structure of an underfloor inspection hatch in which a lid mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention is adopted; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the installation structure for the underfloor inspection hatch shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the underfloor inspection hatch (cover mechanism) shown in FIG. 1 with the flooring material omitted. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the receiving frame shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the receiving frame shown in FIG. 3 when viewed from below. [Figure 8] 11 is a perspective view showing a state before the lid body is attached to a receiving frame arranged in a lower opening. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a state when the lid body is attached to a receiving frame arranged in a lower opening. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing a state when the height level of the opposing surface of the engagement portion is adjusted by the height adjustment member. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion showing the state when the mounting portion of the receiving frame is fixed to the support material. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] An installation structure 100 for an underfloor inspection hatch (hereinafter also referred to as a "lid mechanism") 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. Note that although the lid mechanism 10 in this embodiment is employed as an underfloor inspection hatch 1, its use is not particularly limited, and it can also be employed as an underfloor storage unit, for example. That is, in this specification, an underfloor inspection hatch includes an underfloor storage unit. Also, in this specification, a screw includes a screw.

[0026] 1 and 2, the installation structure 100 for the underfloor inspection hatch 1 in this embodiment includes a floor 101, support materials 110 such as reinforcing materials, joists, auxiliary joists, and receiving materials attached to the underside 101B of the floor 101 so as to surround an opening 120 formed in the floor 101, and a lid mechanism 10 serving as the underfloor inspection hatch 1 arranged at the opening 120. The opening 120 in this embodiment has a rectangular planar shape, but may have any planar shape, such as a polygon surrounded by three or five or more line segments, a circle, an ellipse, or the like.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the support 110 in this embodiment is, for example, a wooden square timber such as a joist, auxiliary joist, or reinforcing material, but may also be a metal or resin square pipe or square timber. The support 110 supports the entire periphery of the opening 120 of the floor 101 from below. That is, the support 110 is arranged so as to surround the opening 120. The support 110 may be attached to the lower surface 101B of the floor 101 so as to surround the opening 120 without supporting the periphery of the opening 120 from below. The upper surface 111 of the support 110 has an outer region 111A that abuts against the lower surface 101B of the floor 101, and an inner region 111B that is closer to the opening 120 than the outer region 111A and is exposed to the opening 120.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the floor 101 has a plurality of flooring materials 102 and a floor base plywood 103. Each flooring material 102 is a long plate-like member along one direction, and is attached onto the floor base plywood 103. In this embodiment, the flooring material 102 is a single-layer flooring, that is, a flooring material made of solid wood boards, but a multi-layer flooring (flooring in which sawn boards, veneer, sheets, etc. are laminated on plywood) may also be used. An upper opening 121 that constitutes the upper part of the opening 120 is formed in the flooring material 102. A lower opening 122 that constitutes the lower part of the opening 120 is formed in the floor base plywood 103. The upper opening 121 and the lower opening 122 constitute the opening 120.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the lid mechanism 10 includes a lid 20 that closes the opening 120, and a receiving frame 30 that is disposed at the opening 120 and supports the lid 20. The lid 20 includes a lid base plate 21 and a lid front plate 25. The lid base plate 21 is a plate-shaped member having a rectangular planar shape that is slightly smaller than the opening 120. In addition, the lid base plate 21 in this embodiment is made of synthetic resin and is a rectangular plate-shaped member (lid strength member) having a plurality of ribs (not shown) arranged in a lattice pattern. The lid base plate 21 has cavities between the plurality of ribs. This allows the lid base plate 21 to be lightweight. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the lid base plate 21 is formed so that the central portion 21A is thicker than the peripheral portion 21B. In addition, a shallow groove is continuously provided on the lower surface of the peripheral portion 21B of the lid base plate 21 so as to surround the central portion 21A, and a thin airtight material (not shown) is fitted or attached to the groove so as to protrude from the lower surface of the peripheral portion 21B. When the lid 20 is placed on the receiving frame 30, the inner peripheral edge of the upper surface 36 of the mounting portion 35 overlaps with the groove on the lower surface of the peripheral portion 21B, thereby pressing the airtight material and achieving airtightness.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cover surface plate 25 has a plurality of flooring materials 26 and a cover base plywood (cover base board) 27. Each flooring material 26 is a long plate-like member along one direction, and is attached onto the cover base plywood 27. The length of each flooring material 26 is slightly shorter than the length of the opening 120 along one direction. The material of the flooring material 26 in this embodiment is the same as that of the above-mentioned flooring material 102. The cover base plywood 27 is a plate-like member having a rectangular planar shape slightly smaller than the opening 120. The cover base plywood 27 is fixed to the cover substrate 21 by a plurality of screws (not shown) screwed into the cover substrate 21 from below while being disposed on the cover substrate 21.

[0031] Such a lid surface plate 25 is formed to have a planar size slightly larger than that of the lid base plate 21, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The lid surface plate 25 is fixed onto the lid base plate 21 such that the peripheral portion (flange portion) 25A is disposed protruding outward from the peripheral portion of the lid base plate 21, as shown in Fig. 2. The lid base plywood 27 may be made of synthetic resin, and the lid base plate 21 and the lid base plywood 27 may be integrally formed. In this case, a plurality of flooring materials 26 are attached onto the lid base plywood 27.

[0032] 4, the lid base plywood 27 of the lid 20 has a notch 29 at each corner. The notch 29 is formed at a position that faces up and down to a through hole (screw hole) 34 (described later) of the receiving frame 30 when the lid 20 is supported by the receiving frame 30. This makes it possible to expose the through hole 34 when the receiving frame 30 supports the lid 20 (lid main body 28 described later) before the flooring material 26 is attached, and a screw 51 (described later) can be inserted into the through hole 34 as described later.

[0033] As shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the receiving frame 30 is formed in a rectangular tube shape, and has a locking portion 31, an attachment portion 35, a height adjustment member (airtight material) 40, and a height adjustment member 50 (screw 51) (see Fig. 6). In this embodiment, the locking portion 31 and the attachment portion 35 are integrally formed from PP (polypropylene) resin, but may be made of other synthetic resins. As shown in Fig. 2, the locking portion 31 is arranged so as to be able to be locked on the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, and has an opposing surface (upper surface) 32 that faces the lower surface of the peripheral portion 25A of the lid 20 and becomes the uppermost surface of the receiving frame 30. As shown in Fig. 6, the locking portion 31 is formed in a rectangular ring shape. As shown in Fig. 7, the locking portion 31 has a plurality of ribs 31A arranged at a distance from each other along the circumferential direction of the locking portion 31, and a rib 31B that extends along the circumferential direction and connects these ribs 31A. The lower surface 33 of the locking portion 31 is composed of the lower surfaces of a plurality of ribs 31A and ribs 31B. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, the locking portion 31 has through holes 34 formed at each corner. Each through hole 34 passes through the locking portion 31 in the up-down direction. Note that it is preferable to provide a small gap of, for example, about 1 mm between the lower surface of the peripheral portion 25A of the lid 20 and the opposing surface 32 of the receiving frame 30 so that they are not in contact with each other, but of course they may be in contact (abut). The reason for providing a small gap between the underside of the peripheral portion 25A of the lid 20 and the facing surface 32 of the receiving frame 30 is to prevent the underside of the peripheral portion 25A of the lid 20 from contacting the facing surface 32 of the receiving frame 30 even if there is dimensional variation, in order to reduce the risk of cracks or the like occurring due to the load being applied only to the peripheral portion (peripheral portion 25A of the lid front plate 25) of the wooden flooring material 26 and the lid base plywood 27 when the load is received by the back surface (underside of the peripheral portion 21B) of the lid base plate 21. Therefore, regardless of whether the underside of the peripheral portion 25A of the lid 20 and the facing surface 32 of the receiving frame 30 are in contact or not, it is preferable to have at least the underside of the peripheral portion 21B of the lid base plate 21 in contact with the upper surface 36 of the mounting portion 35.

[0034] 5, the attachment portion 35 extends downward from the inner (opening side) lower end of the locking portion 31. In other words, the attachment portion 35 is formed in a rectangular tube shape, and the outer end of the upper surface 36 is connected to the inner lower end of the locking portion 31. In addition, the upper surface 36 of the attachment portion 35 also serves as a support surface that supports the peripheral portion 21B of the lid substrate 21 from below, as shown in FIG.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting portion 35 has a plurality of through holes 37 arranged at a distance from each other along the circumferential direction. The through hole 37 in this embodiment has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side (the direction facing the inner side surface 35B). Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the through hole 37 penetrates the mounting portion 35 so as to connect the outer side surface 35A and the inner side surface 35B. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer side surface 35A is a mounting side surface that faces the side surface 110A of the support material 110 when the mounting portion 35 is attached to the support material 110. The mounting portion 35 is attached to the support material 110 by fitting a fitting member 38 into the through hole 37 and fixing the fitting member 38 to the support material 110 with a screw 39. The fitting member 38 may be fixed to the support material 110 with a nail. The fitting member 38 has a rectangular shape that conforms to the shape of the through hole 37 and is configured to be able to fit into the through hole 37. Furthermore, the fitting member 38 is configured so as to be able to be penetrated by a screw 39. The through hole 37 may have any shape, and the fitting member 38 may have any shape as long as it can be fitted into the through hole 37.

[0036] The airtight material 40 as a height adjustment member is a known annular airtight packing having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 5. The airtight material 40 has a triangular cross-sectional shape, so that the airtightness can be ensured while reducing the compressive stress. The cross-sectional shape of the airtight material 40 may be any shape, such as a polygon surrounded by four or more line segments, a circle, or an ellipse. The airtight material 40 is also an elastic material having elasticity. The airtight material 40 in this embodiment is made of a TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) foam, but may be made of any material (for example, rubbers such as EPDM (ethylene propylene rubber) and butyl rubber, and foamed resins such as urethane foam and polystyrene foam) as long as it can achieve airtightness. The airtight material 40 can adjust its thickness by elastic deformation or plastic deformation, and functions as a height adjustment member that adjusts the separation distance between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110.

[0037] As a modified example, an elastic material made of, for example, the above-mentioned rubbers, foamed resins, or springs (e.g., leaf springs, coil springs, etc.) may be provided instead of the airtight material 40. This elastic material does not have to be formed in a ring shape along the receiving frame 30. In this case, it is desirable to arrange a plurality of elastic materials at a distance from each other along the circumferential direction. Even in this case, the elasticity of the elastic material in the vertical direction becomes the adjustable amount when adjusting the height of the receiving frame 30. Note that a plurality of block-shaped airtight materials may be arranged at a distance from each other along the circumferential direction in the same manner as the elastic material.

[0038] 5 and 7, the airtight material 40 is disposed below the locking portion 31 while abutting against the lower surface 33 of the locking portion 31. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the airtight material 40 is disposed on the inner region 111B of the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 when the receiving frame 30 is disposed in the opening 120. That is, the airtight material 40 is interposed between the receiving frame 30 (locking portion 31) and the support material 110. In this embodiment, the airtight material 40 is merely disposed so as to be interposed between the receiving frame 30 and the support material 110, but it may be attached to the lower surface 33 with double-sided tape or adhesive, or may be held in advance in the receiving frame 30 by pressing a part of it into the ribs 31A and 31B of the locking portion 31.

[0039] The height adjustment member 50 adjusts the separation distance between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110. As shown in FIG. 6, the height adjustment member 50 in this embodiment is composed of four screws (bolts) 51 (only the enlarged portion is shown in FIG. 6) inserted and arranged in each through hole 34, but may be composed of nails or the like as long as the height level of the facing surface (top surface) 32 of the locking portion 31 can be adjusted. The screws 51 constituting the height adjustment member 50 can be inserted into the through holes 34 from above and screwed into the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 to compress the airtight material 40 and move the locking portion 31 supported by the support material 110 closer to the support material 110. In this way, by adjusting the amount of screwing of each screw 51 into the support material 110, the separation distance between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 can be adjusted, and the height level of the facing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 can be adjusted. In this embodiment, the height adjustment members 40 and 50 form a height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110.

[0040] Next, a method for installing underfloor inspection hatch 1 will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0041] First, the frame 30 is inserted from above into the lower opening 122 of the floor underlayment plywood 103 (flooring material 102 is attached on the floor underlayment plywood 103, not shown), and the frame 30 is arranged in the lower opening 122 with a height adjustment member (airtight material 40) interposed between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 as shown in Fig. 8 (frame arrangement process). In this frame arrangement process, the frame 30 is arranged in the lower opening 122 with the locking portion 31 positioned on the upper surface 111 (inner area 111B) of the support material 110 as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, the airtight material 40 is interposed between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, but it is preferable for the work that the airtight material 40 is held or attached to the lower side of the locking portion 31 in advance. In addition, since the airtight material 40 is provided around the entire circumference of the receiving frame 30 below the engagement portion 31, it is possible to achieve airtightness between the receiving frame 30 and the support material 110, and ultimately to achieve airtightness between the interior of the room (the space above the floor) and the space under the floor.

[0042] Next, as shown in Fig. 9, the lid body 28 is attached to the receiving frame 30 arranged in the lower opening 122 (temporary lid attachment process). This lid body 28 is obtained by fixing the lid base plywood 27 onto the lid substrate 21, and is before the flooring material 26 is attached onto the lid base plywood 27. In the state in which the lid body 28 is attached to the receiving frame 30, a plurality of notches 29 are formed on the periphery of the lid base plywood 27, so that the through holes 34 of the locking portions 31 are exposed as shown in Fig. 4. In addition, as shown in Fig. 9, the thickness of the airtight material 40 is set so that the upper surface 28A of the lid body 28 is located at a height level equal to or higher than the upper surface 103A of the floor base plywood 103 before the height adjustment process described later.

[0043] Next, the vertical height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 is adjusted (height adjustment process). In this height adjustment process, first, as shown in FIG. 9, screws 51 are passed from above through the notches 29 into the through holes 34 of the locking portion 31, and the screws 51 are screwed into the upper surface 111 of the support material 110. At this time, since the airtight material 40 is in contact with the lower surface 33 formed by the multiple ribs 31A and 31B, it is possible to reduce the compressive stress of the airtight material 40, and it becomes easy to adjust the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 by the screws 51. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the amount of screwing of the four screws 51 into the support material 110 is adjusted so that the upper surface 28A of the lid main body 28 is flush with the upper surface 103A of the floor base plywood 103. That is, the four screws 51 are screwed into the support 110 to adjust the distance between the locking portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support 110 while thinning the thickness of the airtight material 40 (height adjustment member), thereby adjusting the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31. The height of the upper surface 28A of the lid body 28 is adjusted to be the same as the height of the upper surface 103A of the floor base plywood 103, so that the thickness tolerance in processing between the thickness of the lid base plywood 27 and the thickness of the floor base plywood 103 can be absorbed. By such a height adjustment process, the receiving frame 30 is placed in a state where the entirety of the receiving frame 30 is located within the opening 120 so that the opposing surface 32 is located lower than the floor surface 101A of the floor 101 by the thickness of the lid front plate 25, as shown in FIG. 2. In this way, the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 is adjusted. Here, in the height adjustment process, the screw 51 is passed through the through hole 34 from above, but this is not limited to this and the screw 51 may be passed through the through hole 34 at any time, for example, before attaching the lid body 28 (lid 20) to the receiving frame 30, i.e., during the receiving frame placement process.

[0044] Next, in a state where the height level of the opposing surface 32 has been adjusted, the lid body 28 is removed and then the receiving frame 30 is fixed to the support material 110 (fixing process). In this fixing process, first, as shown in FIG. 11, the lid body 28 is removed from the receiving frame 30. Then, the fitting member 38 is fitted into the through hole 37 of the mounting portion 35. After that, the screw 39 is passed through the fitting member 38 from the inside of the lower opening 122 and screwed into the side surface 110A of the support material 110 to fix the fitting member 38 to the support material 110. As a result, the mounting portion 35 is fixed to the support material 110 from the inside of the opening 120 (lower opening 122) via the fitting member 38. The fitting member 38 may be fitted into the through hole 37 of the mounting portion 35 in advance before the receiving frame arrangement process.

[0045] In this embodiment, the fitting members 38 are fitted into all of the through holes 37 of the receiving frame 30 and fixed to the support material 110, but it is only necessary to fit the fitting members 38 into one or more through holes 37 on each side of the receiving frame 30 and fix it to the support material 110. As a modified example, for example, the fitting members 38 may be integrally formed with the mounting portion 35 (receiving frame 30), and the mounting portion 35 may be fixed directly to the side surface 110A of the support material 110 with a fixing material such as a screw or a nail.

[0046] Next, as shown in Fig. 3, multiple pieces of flooring material 26 are attached onto the lid base plywood 27 of the lid main body 28 (flooring material attachment process). The lid 20, which is made up of multiple pieces of flooring material 26 attached onto the lid base plywood 27, is attached to the receiving frame 30 so as to close the opening 120, completing the installation of the underfloor inspection hatch 1, as shown in Fig. 1. By using the same flooring material 26 attached to the lid base plywood 27 as the flooring material 102 used on the floor surface, it is possible to prevent a step from occurring between the floor surface 101A (surface of the flooring material 102) and the surface 20A (surface of the flooring material 26), which is the upper surface of the lid 20 supported by the receiving frame 30.

[0047] Furthermore, with the underfloor inspection hatch 1 (or receiving frame 30) of this embodiment, it is possible to adjust the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the engaging portion 31 by adjusting the separation distance between the engaging portion 31 and the support material 110 using a height adjustment member (airtight material 40 or elastic material). This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface 101A around the periphery of the opening 120 formed in the floor 101 and the surface 20A of the lid 20. In other words, the airtight material 40 can be deformed in response to the movement of the engaging portion 31 while the screw 51 is being screwed in when adjusting the height level of the opposing surface 32.

[0048] Furthermore, by disposing the airtight material 40 between the engaging portion 31 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, floor creaking (squeak) can be reduced.

[0049] Four through holes (screw holes) 34 are formed in the locking portion 31, and four notches 29 are formed in the lid base plywood 27 constituting the lid 20 to expose the through holes 34. This makes it possible to adjust the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 by screwing a plurality of screws 51, which are inserted into the respective through holes 34 via the notches 29, into the upper surface 111 of the support material 110.

[0050] According to the mounting method of the underfloor inspection hatch 1 (or receiving frame 30), the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 can be adjusted by the height adjustment process described above. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface 101A around the periphery of the opening 120 formed in the floor 101 and the surface 20A of the lid 20.

[0051] In this embodiment, the method for adjusting the lid height of the underfloor inspection hatch 1 is performed by carrying out the above-mentioned height adjustment process. That is, with the airtight material 40 interposed between the frame 30 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, the frame 30 is screwed from above to the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 with the screws 51 so as to adjust the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the frame 30. This makes it possible to adjust the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31. This makes it possible to reduce the step between the floor surface 101A around the periphery of the opening 120 formed in the floor 101 and the surface 20A of the lid 20.

[0052] In the above embodiment, after the lid temporary attachment step, i.e., in a state where the lid main body 28 is placed on the receiving frame 30, the screw 51 is screwed into the support material 110 through the notch 29 of the lid base plywood 27 and the through hole 34 of the locking portion 31 to perform the height adjustment step, but the lid temporary attachment step may be omitted and the height adjustment step may be performed. In addition, in the above embodiment, the flooring material 102 is attached to the floor base plywood 103 in the receiving frame arrangement step, but the flooring material 102 may be attached to the floor base plywood 103 after the height adjustment step. Furthermore, when the receiving frame arrangement step is performed, the flooring materials 26, 102 may be attached to the lid base plywood 27 and the floor base plywood 103. In this case, the lid 20 may be attached to the receiving frame 30 in the lid temporary attachment step. Then, after measuring the height difference between the surface 20A of the lid 20 and the floor surface 101A, the lid 20 is removed and then the height adjustment step is performed. In this height adjustment process, the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 is moved downward by the height difference by the height adjustment member 50. In this way, a step is unlikely to occur between the surface 20A of the lid 20 attached to the receiving frame 30 after the height adjustment process and the floor surface 101A.

[0053] In addition, as another modification, after the lid temporary attachment step according to the above modification, the height level of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 may be adjusted by inserting the screws 51 into the through holes 34 through the gap between the lid 20 and the opening 120 and screwing the screws 51 into the upper surface 111 of the support material 110. In this case, four screws 51 may be screwed into the support material 110 so that the surface 20A of the lid 20 and the floor surface 101A are flush with each other. In this way, a step is unlikely to occur between the surface 20A of the lid 20 attached to the receiving frame 30 and the floor surface 101A. It is preferable that a notch similar to the notch 29 is provided on the periphery of the lid 20, that is, the corner of the flooring material 26 that is the corner of the surface 20A of the lid 20. Alternatively, it is preferable that the through holes 34 are present at a position facing the gap between the lid 20 and the opening 120. In this way, it is not necessary to provide the notch 29 in the flooring material 26 and the lid base plywood 27.

[0054] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, the above-mentioned receiving frame 30 has an airtight material 40, but it is not necessary to have the airtight material 40. In this case, a height adjustment member (e.g., a screw or a nail) is fixed to the receiving frame 30, and the separation distance between the receiving frame 30 and the upper surface 111 of the support material 110 can be adjusted by adjusting the screwing amount or driving amount of the height adjustment member into the support material 110. In this case, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the notches 29 are formed at each corner of the lid base plywood 27, i.e., at the four corners. However, instead of each corner, they may be formed at at least one location on each side constituting the outer shape of the lid base plywood 27. Also, at least one notch may be formed on each corner and each side of the lid base plywood 27. In these cases, it is preferable that the through holes 34 of the locking parts 31 are disposed at positions facing the notches. Also, the flooring material 26 of the lid 20 is generally attached to the lid base plate 21 or the lid base plywood 27 at the construction site (in this case, the lid main body 28 becomes the lid of the underfloor inspection hatch 1), but the lid 20 may have the flooring material 26 in advance.

[0056] The locking portion 31 does not have to have the plurality of ribs 31A and ribs 31B. In other words, the lower surface 33 of the locking portion 31 may be a surface extending in the circumferential direction like the opposing surface 32, and in this case, it is preferable that the surface and the airtight material 40 are in contact with each other by adhesion.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the airtight material (elastic material) 40 and the screw 51 are used as the height adjustment members. However, instead of this, the height may be adjusted by interposing one or more thin plates between the lower surface of the locking portion 31 and the inner region 111B of the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, or by interposing plates of different thicknesses. In this case, the locking portion 31 and the support material 110 may or may not be fixed by the screw 51. Also, the height of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 may be adjusted by using only the airtight material (elastic material) 40 of a predetermined thickness (a thickness that does not cause a step between the floor surface 101A and the surface 20A of the lid 20) without using the screw 51 as the height adjustment member.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism is used in which an airtight material (elastic material) 40 is disposed between the lower surface of the locking portion 31 and the inner region 111B of the upper surface 111 of the support material 110, a screw 51 is screwed from the upper surface (opposing surface 32) side of the locking portion 31 toward the support material 110, and the degree of screwing is adjusted to adjust the height of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31. However, instead of this, for example, a height adjustment mechanism may be used in which a nut is embedded in the upper surface of the support material 110 (a wooden frame around the floor opening (underfloor inspection hatch 1)), a screw is screwed into the nut of the support material 110 from above the locking portion 31, and the height adjustment mechanism adjusts the height of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 while turning the screw. Also, a thin plate (thin plate frame) may be disposed opposite the lower surface of the locking portion 31 via an airtight material (elastic material), a screw is screwed into the lower surface of the locking portion 31 from the lower surface side of the thin plate, and the height adjustment mechanism adjusts the height of the opposing surface 32 of the locking portion 31 by adjusting the degree of screwing.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the facing surface 32 is the top surface of the receiving frame 30, but for example, a thin vertical wall (vertical frame) 201 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) extending upward from a part or all of the outer periphery of the facing surface 32 along the inner periphery of the upper opening 121 and the lower opening 122 may be formed. The vertical wall 201 is preferably provided at a height that does not protrude above the floor surface 101A, but if protruding from the floor surface 101A is not very unnatural or not noticeable, the vertical wall 201 may protrude slightly from the floor surface 101A. In this modified example, the upper end of the vertical wall 201 is at the same height level as the floor surface 101A. If the protruding amount of the vertical wall 201 is, for example, about 0.5 mm, there is no sense of incongruity even if the vertical wall 201 protrudes from the floor surface 101A. In this modified example, the vertical wall 201 slightly protruding from the floor surface 101A is equivalent to the vertical wall 201 not substantially protruding from the floor surface 101A. When the lid 20 is attached to the receiving frame 30, the vertical wall 201 fits between the outer surface of the lid front plate 25 and the inner surface of the opening of the floor 101. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Underfloor inspection hatch 10 Lid mechanism (underfloor inspection hatch) 20 Lid 28 Lid body (lid) 29 Notch 30 slots 31 Locking part 31A, 31B Rib 32 Opposing surface (upper surface) 33 Bottom surface 34 Through hole 35 Mounting part 40 Height adjustment material (airtight material) 50 Height adjustment member 51 Screw 100 Installation structure 101 Beds 110 Support material 110A side 111 Top surface 120 aperture

Claims

1. A receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch to be placed in an opening formed in a floor, a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable to an upper surface of a support material attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and a mounting portion extending downward from the locking portion and mountable to a side surface of the support material on the opening side, A receiving frame further comprising a height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the lower surface of the engaging portion and the upper surface of the support material.

2. A receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch to be placed in an opening formed in a floor, a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable to an upper surface of a support material attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and a mounting portion extending downward from the locking portion and mountable to a side surface of the support material on the opening side, A receiving frame further comprising a height adjustment member for adjusting the distance between the lower surface of the engaging portion and the upper surface of the support material.

3. The receiving frame according to claim 2, characterized in that the height adjustment member is made of an elastic material or an airtight material.

4. The locking portion has a rib protruding downward, The receiving frame according to claim 3, wherein the rib is in contact with the elastic material or the airtight material.

5. 4. The receiving frame according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the locking portion has a plurality of screw holes extending therethrough in the vertical direction.

6. A method for mounting a receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch, comprising: a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable to an upper surface of a support material attached under a floor so as to surround an opening formed in the floor; and a mounting portion extending downward from the locking portion and attachable to a side surface of the support material on the opening side, comprising: a frame arranging step of arranging the frame in the opening so that the engaging portion is positioned on the upper surface of the support material; a height adjustment step of screwing a screw into the upper surface of the support member from above the engaging portion of the receiving frame disposed in the opening to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the engaging portion; A method for installing a receiving frame, comprising a fixing process for fixing the receiving frame to the support material by attaching the mounting portion to the side of the support material from inside the opening while the height level of the upper surface of the engaging portion is adjusted.

7. A method for mounting a receiving frame for an underfloor inspection hatch, comprising: a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable to an upper surface of a support material attached under a floor so as to surround an opening formed in the floor; and a mounting portion extending downward from the locking portion and attachable to a side surface of the support material on the opening side, comprising: a frame arranging step of arranging the frame in the opening so that the engaging portion is positioned on the upper surface of the support material; a lid temporary attachment step of attaching a lid having a plurality of notches on a periphery to the receiving frame disposed in the opening; a height adjustment step of screwing a screw through the notch from above the engagement portion into the upper surface of the support member to adjust the height level of the upper surface of the lid; A method for installing a receiving frame, comprising a fixing process for fixing the receiving frame to the support material by removing the lid after the height adjustment process and attaching the mounting portion to the side of the support material from inside the opening.

8. An underfloor inspection hatch that is disposed in an opening formed in a floor, the underfloor inspection hatch having a receiving frame for supporting a lid that covers the opening, The receiving frame includes a locking portion arranged so as to be lockable to an upper surface of a support material attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, and a mounting portion extending downward from the locking portion and mountable to a side surface of the support material on the opening side, An underfloor inspection hatch further comprising a height adjustment member for adjusting the distance between the engaging portion and the upper surface of the support material.

9. 9. The underfloor inspection hatch according to claim 8, wherein the height adjustment member is made of an elastic material or an airtight material.

10. The lid has a plurality of notches on a periphery thereof; 10. The underfloor inspection hatch according to claim 8 or 9, wherein an upper surface of the engaging portion is exposed through the notch.

11. A method for adjusting the height of a cover of an underfloor inspection hatch that is disposed in an opening formed in a floor and has a receiving frame that supports a cover that covers the opening, comprising: A method for adjusting the height of an underfloor inspection hatch cover, characterized in that the receiving frame is screwed from above to the upper surface of a support material attached under the floor so as to surround the opening, with a height adjustment member interposed between the receiving frame and the upper surface of the support material.

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