Fitting

Abstract

To provide a fitting capable of suppressing the displacement and deformation of a sash.SOLUTION: A fitting comprises: a frame body having a horizontal frame and a vertical frame; a sash having intermediate rails and stiles; a hinge provided between the horizontal frame and the intermediate rail for supporting the sash rotatably relative to the frame body; and a damper suspended between the vertical frame and the stile. The fitting comprises a connecting metal fitting having: a vertical plate connected to the stile; and a horizontal plate bent from the vertical plate and abutting against a depth surface of the intermediate rail to which the hinge is attached. The vertical plate is fastened together with the stile by using a screw that connects the stile to the intermediate rail.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fitting including a frame body and a shoji screen.

Background Art

[0002] As a window for a building or a house, there is a casement window having a structure in which a shoji screen is rotatably supported by a frame body. Examples of this type of casement window include a projecting window with a hinge attached to the upper frame of the shoji screen and an outward-opening window with a hinge attached to the lower frame of the shoji screen. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a projecting window that opens a shoji screen by the biasing force (reaction force) of a damper connected to a vertical frame.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a fitting as described above, the vertical frame of the shoji screen in the closed position is always under the biasing force of the damper. For example, the shoji screen of a projecting window continuously receives a biasing force in a direction away from the upper frame connected by a hinge downward. Therefore, there is a concern that the vertical frame of the shoji screen is displaced downward from the upper frame connected by a hinge to the upper frame, or a phenomenon in which the connecting portion between the upper frame and the vertical frame is deformed, that is, so-called sagging of the shoji screen occurs. In addition, the shoji screen of an outward-opening window is always under a biasing force in a direction away from the lower frame from the damper upward, and in this case as well, there is a concern about displacement of the vertical frame and deformation of the connecting portion.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a fitting capable of suppressing displacement and deformation of a shoji screen.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The fitting according to one aspect of the present invention includes a frame body having a horizontal frame and a vertical frame, a shoji having a horizontal stile and a vertical stile, a hinge provided between the horizontal frame and the horizontal stile for rotatably supporting the shoji with respect to the frame body, and a damper spanned between the vertical frame and the vertical stile. The fitting further includes a connecting fitting having a vertical plate connected to the vertical stile and a horizontal plate bent from the vertical plate and abutting against an expected surface of the horizontal stile to which the hinge is attached. The vertical plate is fastened together with the vertical stile using a screw for connecting the vertical stile to the horizontal stile.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the above aspect of the present invention, displacement and deformation of the shoji can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the fitting according to the present invention will be given and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a fitting 10 according to an embodiment includes a frame body 12 fixed to an opening of a building body, and a shoji 14 rotatably supported inside the frame body 12. In this embodiment, the fitting 10 of a protruding window in which the shoji 14 rotates with the upper edge as a rotation fulcrum and the lower edge protruding toward the outdoor side is exemplified. The fitting 10 is, for example, a smoke exhaust window installed in a building or a house. The fitting according to the present application may be other than a protruding window, for example, an outward-opening window, etc., and may be used for purposes other than a smoke exhaust window.

[0011] The frame body 12 forms a rectangular opening 16 inside by forming a four-sided frame with an upper frame 12a and a lower frame 12b which are horizontal frames, and left and right vertical frames 12c, 12d.

[0012] In the present application, the prospective direction refers to the indoor-outdoor direction of the fitting 10, that is, the direction from the indoor side to the outdoor side or the reverse direction (the direction indicated by the arrow Z in the figure), and the prospective plane refers to a plane extending along the prospective direction. The finding direction is a direction orthogonal to the prospective direction. In the case of a vertically long vertical frame 12c or the like, it refers to the left-right direction (the direction indicated by the arrow X in the figure) orthogonal to its longitudinal direction. In the case of a horizontally long upper frame 12a or the like, it refers to the up-down direction (the direction indicated by the arrow Y in the figure) orthogonal to its longitudinal direction. The finding plane refers to a plane along the finding direction. The inside of the frame refers to the inner part of a frame-shaped member such as the frame body 12. The outside of the frame refers to the outer part of a frame-shaped member such as the frame body 12. The frame inner direction refers to the direction from the outside of the frame of the frame-shaped member toward the inside of the frame. The frame outer direction refers to the direction from the inside of the frame of the frame-shaped member toward the outside of the frame.

[0013] The frame body 12 is a window frame having a composite structure in which a metal frame material 18 disposed on the outdoor side and a resin frame material 19 disposed on the indoor side are combined. The metal frame material 18 is an extruded shape of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. The resin frame material 19 is an extruded shape of a resin material such as a vinyl chloride resin (PVC). The metal frame material 18 includes a metal upper frame 18a, a metal lower frame 18b, and left and right metal vertical frames 18c, 18d. The resin frame material 19 includes a resin upper frame 19a, a resin lower frame 19b, and left and right resin vertical frames 19c, 19d.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, the upper frame 12a is configured by connecting a resin upper frame 19a to the indoor side of a metal upper frame 18a. The resin upper frame 19a covers the indoor side surface of the metal upper frame 18a. A predetermined anchor part is connected to an anchor attachment part 20 formed on the prospective surface outside the frame of the metal upper frame 18a, and is fixed to the building body through this anchor part. The resin upper frame 19a is connected to the metal upper frame 18a by, for example, a pair of engaging parts 22a and 22b, and the indoor side end is fixed to the building body with screws 23.

[0015] A door stop piece 26 is provided at the indoor side end of the prospective surface 24 inside the frame of the metal upper frame 18a, and a water drainage member 27 is attached to the outdoor side end of the prospective surface 24. The door stop piece 26 is a plate piece protruding from the prospective surface 24 to the inside (downward) of the frame. The door stop piece 26 is a part that receives the shoji 14 in the fully closed position shown in Fig. 2. A pocket part opening toward the outdoor side is provided at the tip of the door stop piece 26, and a tight material 28 is attached to this pocket part. The tight material 28 is in close contact with the indoor side surface of the shoji 14, and is an airtight and watertight material for ensuring the airtightness and watertightness in the indoor-outdoor direction of the opening 16. The water drainage member 27 is attached to a pocket part opening downward formed in the prospective surface 24 and can contact the upper end of the shoji 14.

[0016] The resin upper frame 19a covers the surface of the door stop piece 26 of the metal upper frame 18a and the surface of the part on the indoor side thereof.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the lower frame 12b is configured by connecting a resin lower frame 19b to the indoor side of a metal lower frame 18b. The resin lower frame 19b covers the indoor side surface of the metal lower frame 18b. A predetermined anchor part is connected to an anchor attachment part 30 formed on the prospective surface outside the frame of the metal lower frame 18b, and is fixed to the building body through this anchor part. The resin lower frame 19b is connected to the metal lower frame 18b by, for example, a pair of engaging parts 32a and 32b, and the indoor side end is fixed to the building body with screws 23.

[0018] The metal lower frame 18b is provided with a door stop piece 36 at the indoor side end of the prospective surface 34 inside the frame. The door stop piece 36 is a plate piece protruding from the prospective surface 34 inside the frame (upward). The door stop piece 36 is a part for receiving the shoji 14 in the fully closed position shown in FIG. 2. A pocket portion opening toward the outdoor side is provided at the tip of the door stop piece 36, and the tight material 28 is attached to this pocket portion.

[0019] The resin lower frame 19b covers the upper end surface of the door stop piece 36 of the metal lower frame 18b and the portion on the indoor side thereof.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, one vertical frame 12c has a configuration in which a resin vertical frame 19c is connected to the indoor side of the metal vertical frame 18c. The resin vertical frame 19c covers the indoor side surface of the metal vertical frame 18c. The metal vertical frame 18c has a predetermined anchor part connected to an anchor attachment part 38 formed on the prospective surface outside the frame, and is fixed to the building body through this anchor part. The resin vertical frame 19c is connected to the metal vertical frame 18c by, for example, a pair of engaging parts 40a, 40b, and the indoor side end is fixed to the building body with screws 23.

[0021] The metal vertical frame 18c is provided with a door stop piece 44 at the indoor side end of the prospective surface 42 inside the frame. The door stop piece 44 is a plate piece protruding from the prospective surface 42 inside the frame. The door stop piece 44 is a part for receiving the shoji 14 in the fully closed position shown in FIG. 3. A pocket portion opening toward the outdoor side is provided at the tip of the door stop piece 44, and the tight material 28 is attached to this pocket portion.

[0022] The resin vertical frame 19c covers the surface of the door stop piece 44 of the metal vertical frame 18c and the surface of the portion on the indoor side thereof.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the other vertical frame 12d can have a symmetrical structure with respect to one vertical frame 12c. Therefore, each component of the vertical frame 12d is denoted by the same reference numeral as that of the corresponding component of the vertical frame 12c, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. That is, also in the vertical frame 12d, a resin vertical frame 19d is connected to a metal vertical frame 18d by engaging portions 40a and 40b. Further, the vertical frame 12d also has a door stop piece 44 with a weather strip 28 attached to the indoor side end of the projected surface 42.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoji 14 includes a face material 46, a frame body 47 surrounding the four peripheries of the face material 46, and a pressing edge 48.

[0025] The face material 46 is, for example, a two-layer laminated glass in which a pair of plate glasses 46a and 46b face each other with a spacer interposed therebetween. The face material 46 may be a single layer or may have a structure of three or more layers.

[0026] The frame body 47 supports the face material 46 inside by forming a four-sided frame assembly with an upper frame 47a and a lower frame 47b which are horizontal frames, and left and right vertical frames 47c and 47d. The frames 47a to 47d are extruded members made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. In the present embodiment, the upper frame 47a and the lower frame 47b have a vertically symmetrical structure, and the vertical frames 47c and 47d have a horizontally symmetrical structure. The frames 47a to 47d may each have a different cross-sectional shape, or all of the frames 47a to 47d may have the same cross-sectional shape.

[0027] The frames 47a to 47d are provided with finding pieces 51 at the outdoor side ends of the projected surface 50 inside the frame. The finding piece 51 is a plate piece protruding from the projected surface 50 toward the inside of the frame. The finding piece 51 is a portion that supports the outdoor side surface of the face material 46. The vertical frames 47c and 47d have finding pieces protruding outward from the outdoor side ends of the projected surface 52 outside the frame, and a drain material 53 is attached to a pocket portion formed in the finding piece. The tip of the drain material 53 can contact the projected surface 42 inside the frames of the vertical frames 12c and 12d.

[0028] The upper frame 47a and the lower frame 47b have a hollow portion 56 between the prospective surface 50 inside the frame and the prospective surface 54 outside the frame. Screw holes 57 are formed at the corners of the inner wall surface of the hollow portion 56 (see also Fig. 6(A)). The frame 47 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the small end faces of the horizontal frames (the upper frame 47a and the lower frame 47b) are abutted and fastened to the prospective surface 50 inside the frame of the vertical frames 47c and 47d, that is, a so-called vertical-win structure. Screws 58 for fastening the vertical frames 47c and 47d to the upper frame 47a and the lower frame 47b which are horizontal frames are tightened into the screw holes 57 (see Fig. 6). The vertical frames 47c and 47d also have a hollow portion 60 between the prospective surface 50 inside the frame and the prospective surface 52 outside the frame. The hollow portion 60 is a space narrower in the finding direction than the hollow portion 56, and no screw holes are formed therein.

[0029] The pressing edge 48 is respectively mounted on the indoor side of the prospective surfaces 50 of each of the frames 47a to 47d. The pressing edge 48 is a member that supports the indoor side surface of the facing material 46. That is, the fitting 10 of the present embodiment has an inner pressing edge structure in which the pressing edge 48 is mounted on the frame 47 from the indoor side to support the indoor side surface of the facing material 46. The facing material 46 is held, for example, using a backup material and a sealing material with its peripheral edge portion inserted into the opening groove formed by the finding piece 51, the pressing edge 48, and the prospective surface 50.

[0030] The pressing edge 48 includes a metal pressing edge 48a and a resin pressing edge 48b. The metal pressing edge 48a is an extruded shape made of a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. The resin pressing edge 48b is an extruded shape made of a resin material such as vinyl chloride resin (PVC). The metal pressing edge 48a is connected to the prospective surfaces 50 of the frames 47a to 47d using the engaging portion 62. The resin pressing edge 48b is connected to the metal pressing edge 48a and the prospective surface 50 by a pair of engaging portions 63a and 63b. The pressing edge 48 is configured to simultaneously hold the indoor side surface of the facing material 46 with the metal pressing edge 48a and the resin pressing edge 48b arranged in the frame inside-outside direction.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoji screen 14 is rotatably connected to the frame body 12 via a hinge 64. The hinge 64 has a frame-side mounting plate 64a, a shoji-screen-side mounting plate 64b, and a rotating shaft portion 64c. The frame-side mounting plate 64a is screwed to the prospective surface 24 inside the frame of the upper frame 12a. The shoji-screen-side mounting plate 64b is screwed to the prospective surface 54 outside the frame of the upper frame 47a. The rotating shaft portion 64c is a portion that serves as the rotation axis of the shoji screen 14, and connects the mounting plates 64a and 64b so as to be relatively rotatable.

[0032] Reference numeral 66 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a wire-type shoji-screen opening / closing device provided between the frame body 12 and the shoji screen 14, and the shoji screen 14 can be opened and closed by operating an operation box 67 having an operation button 67a and an operation handle 67b. The shoji-screen opening / closing device 66 has, for example, a cable 66a, a cable guide 66b, a turning pulley 66c, a pulley 66d, and a wire 66e. The cable 66a connects, for example, the operation box 67 and the wire 66e. The turning pulley 66c is a pulley that changes the direction of the wire 66e. The pulley 66d is supported by the frame body 12 and the shoji screen 14, respectively, and the wire 66e of the shoji screen 14 is strung between them. The wire 66e is passed through the gap between the frame body 12 and the upper frame 47, and moves forward and backward when the shoji screen 14 is opened and closed in response to the operation of the operation box 67.

[0033] Reference numeral 68 in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a damper (stay damper) that biases the shoji screen 14 in the opening direction with respect to the frame body 12. The damper 68 has an upper end supported by the prospective surface 42 inside the frame of the vertical frames 12c and 12d, and a lower end supported by the prospective surface 52 outside the frame of the vertical upper frames 47c and 47d. Thereby, the damper 68 is strung between the vertical frames 12c and 12d and the vertical upper frames 47c and 47d, and constantly biases the shoji screen 14 downward.

[0034] In this way, with the upper frame 47a of the shoji 14 supported by the hinge 64 on the upper frame 12a, the vertical frames 47c and 47d continue to receive the biasing force (reaction force) downward from the damper 68. For this reason, the shoji 14 tends to be displaced in a direction in which the vertical frames 47c and 47d move away downward from the upper frame 47a. At this time, there is also a concern that the screw holes 57 and the screws 58, which are the connecting parts between the upper frame 47a and the vertical frames 47c and 47d, and the peripheral parts thereof will be deformed by the biasing force of the damper 68. Therefore, the fitting 10 of the present embodiment includes a connecting fitting 70 for suppressing the occurrence of such sagging of the shoji (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0035] Next, the configuration of the connecting fitting 70 and its peripheral parts will be described.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting fitting 70 is installed so as to wrap around the outer surface of the corner portion C, which is the connecting portion between the upper frame 47a and the vertical frames 47c and 47d. The connecting fitting 70 is a sheet metal member bent so as to wrap from the prospective surface 54 on the outer side of the frame of the upper frame 47a to the prospective surface 52 on the outer side of the frame of the vertical frames 47c and 47d. In FIG. 4, one of the vertical frames 47c and the connecting fitting 70 attached thereto are typically illustrated, but the other vertical frame 47d and the connecting fitting 70 attached thereto may have a left-right symmetric structure with respect to that shown in FIG. 4 (see FIG. 3). In FIGS. 2 and 3, the connecting fitting 70 is illustrated by a broken line. In FIG. 4, only the shoji-side attachment plate 64b of the hinge 64 is illustrated, and the illustration of the frame-side attachment plate 64a and the rotating shaft portion 64c is omitted.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the connecting fitting 70 has a vertical plate 70a and a horizontal plate 70b. The connecting fitting 70 is a sheet metal member bent in an L shape. The connecting fitting 70 is preferably formed of a highly rigid metal plate such as stainless steel or steel. The vertical plate 70a is arranged along the YZ direction and is a plate portion connected to the vertical frames 47c and 47d. A fastening hole 70c is formed through the vertical plate 70a. The horizontal plate 70b is arranged along the XZ direction and is a plate portion connected to the upper frame 47a. A fastening hole 70d is formed through the horizontal plate 70b.

[0038] The connecting fitting 70 has a wider width in the Z direction for the vertical plate 70a than the horizontal plate 70b. In this embodiment, the upper frame 47a to which the horizontal plate 70b is to be fastened has a step at the outdoor-side end of the expected surface 54 (see FIG. 2). The horizontal plate 70b is formed with a narrow width to avoid this step. The vertical plate 70a and the horizontal plate 70b may have the same width, or the horizontal plate 70b may be wider than the vertical plate 70a.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, a back plate 72 is disposed on the back side of the expected surface 54 for the upper frame 47a to which the horizontal plate 70b is fixed. The back plate 72 is used to fix the shoji-side attachment plate 64b of the hinge 64 to the back side of the expected surface 54. The back plate 72 is disposed in the hollow portion 56 and fastened to the wall plate 54a forming the expected surface 54 with screws 74. The screws 74 are screws for temporarily fixing the back plate to fix the back plate 72 to the top surface (wall plate 54a) of the hollow portion 56. The shoji-side attachment plate 64b is fastened to the expected surface 54 (wall plate 54a) using the screws 75 and the back plate 72. The screws 74 and 75 are displaced from each other in the X direction.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a hollow portion 60 is formed inside the frame of the expected surface 52 for the vertical frame 47c (47d) to which the vertical plate 70a is fixed. For this reason, the head of the screw 58 for fastening the vertical frame 47c (47d) and the upper frame 47a is disposed inside the hollow portion 60, penetrates the wall plate 60a inside the frame of the hollow portion 60, and is tightened to the screw hole 57 of the upper frame 47a. The reference numeral 60b in FIG. 4 is a hole formed in the expected surface 52 and is used when passing the screw 58 for fastening to the screw hole 57 into the hollow portion 60. The hole 60b can be closed with a predetermined cap member after fastening the screw 58. The vertical frame 47c (47d) may be configured not to have the hollow portion 60. In this case, since the expected surface 52 becomes the surface of the wall plate 60a, the screw 58 may be directly fastened to this expected surface 52. The reference numeral 78 in FIGS. 6 and 7 is a screw for fastening the vertical frame 47c (47d) and the upper frame 47a on the indoor side of the screw 58.

[0041] Next, the attachment structure and the operation and effect of the connecting fitting 70 will be described.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, when attaching the connecting fitting 70 to the housing 47, first, insert the vertical plate 70a from the edge of the vertical frames 47c and 47d into the hollow portion 60 and bring it into contact with the wall plate 60a, and bring the horizontal plate 70b into contact with the expected surface 54. As a result, the connecting fitting 70 is arranged so as to wrap around the outer surface of the corner portion C.

[0043] Subsequently, tighten the screw 58 into the screw hole 57 to fasten the vertical frame 47c (47d) and the upper frame 47a. At this time, the vertical plate 70a of the connecting fitting 70 is fastened to the upper frame 47a simultaneously with the vertical frame 47c (47d) using this screw 58. Specifically, the screw 58 is first passed through the fastening hole 70c of the vertical plate 70a in the hollow portion 69, and then tightened into the screw hole 57 of the upper frame 47a through the through hole formed in the wall plate 60a.

[0044] Before and after the fastening operation of the screw 58, tighten the screw 74 to the back plate 72 to fix the back plate 72 to the expected surface 54 of the upper frame 47a. At this time, the horizontal plate 70b of the connecting fitting 70 is fastened to the upper frame 47a simultaneously with the back plate 72 using this screw 74. Specifically, the screw 74 is first passed through the fastening hole 70d of the horizontal plate 70b, and then tightened to the back plate 72 through the through hole 54b (see FIG. 7(A)) formed through the wall plate 54a.

[0045] Thus, the connecting fitting 70 is attached to the corner portion C of the upper frame 47a and the left and right vertical frames 47c and 47d. In this case, the connecting fitting 70 has a vertical plate 70a connected to the vertical frames 47c and 47d, and a horizontal plate 70b that is bent from the vertical plate 70a and contacts the expected surface 54 of the upper frame 47a, which is a horizontal frame to which the hinge 64 is attached. At that time, the vertical plate 70a is fastened to the upper frame 47a simultaneously with the vertical frames 47c and 47d using the screw 58 that connects the vertical frames 47c and 47d.

[0046] Therefore, the connecting fitting 70 has a vertical plate 70a connected to the vertical frames 47c and 47d that receive the biasing force of the damper 68 downward away from the upper frame 47a, and a horizontal plate 70b is abutted against and locked to the prospective surface 54 of the upper frame 47a. For this reason, the fitting 10 can suppress displacement of the vertical frames 47c and 47d from the upper frame 47a by the connecting fitting 70. Further, the fitting 10 can also suppress deformation of the connecting portion between the upper frame 47a and the vertical frames 47c and 47d due to the reinforcing action of the connecting fitting 70. Specifically, it is possible to suppress deformation of the screw holes 57 and their peripheral portions due to an overload from the screws 58 accompanying displacement of the vertical frames 47c and 47d. As a result, the fitting 10 can suppress the occurrence of the vertical blind 14 hanging down from the frame body 12.

[0047] Moreover, the vertical plate 70a of the connecting fitting 70 is fastened to the vertical frames 47c and 47d in a manner that also serves as the screw 58 for connecting the upper frame 47a and the vertical frames 47c and 47d. Thereby, the connecting fitting 70 does not need to separately secure a screw for fixing the vertical plate 70a and its fastening space. That is, the connecting fitting 70 can be attached without adding additional parts or processing between the horizontal frame and the vertical frame of a general connecting structure, has high versatility, and also has a low installation cost.

[0048] In this way, if the horizontal plate 70b of the connecting fitting 70 is in contact with the prospective surface 54 of the upper frame 47a, displacement of the vertical frames 47c and 47d can be suppressed. For this reason, the horizontal plate 70b does not necessarily have to be fastened to the prospective surface 54 with the screw 74.

[0049] However, it is preferable to screw the horizontal plate 70b to the prospective surface 54. That is, due to the structure of attaching the damper 68, the vertical frames 47c and 47d may receive a biasing force not completely downward from the damper 68 but somewhat escaping left and right from the upper frame 47a. Even in this case, by screwing the horizontal plate 70b to the prospective surface 54, it is possible to prevent the horizontal plate 70b from slipping off the prospective surface 54 and falling off.

[0050] In particular, the horizontal plate 70b of the present embodiment is fastened together with the back plate 72 that fastens the shoji-side mounting plate 64b of the hinge 64 to the upper frame 47a. Specifically, the horizontal plate 70b is fastened together with the back plate 72 to the wall plate 54a using screws 74 that fix the back plate 72 to the upper frame 47a. As a result, the connecting fitting 70 does not need to separately secure screws for fixing the horizontal plate 70b and their fastening spaces, further improving versatility and further reducing installation costs. Moreover, when the connecting fitting 70 is connected to the hinge 64 via the back plate 72, the vertical frames 47c and 47d can be supported by the hinge 64, further improving the position shift prevention effect.

[0051] In the fitting 10, the vertical plate 70a of the connecting fitting 70 is inserted into the hollow portions 60 provided in the vertical frames 47c and 47d. As a result, when the shoji 14 is opened via the hinge 64, the fitting 10 can hide the vertical plate 70a from the expected surfaces 52 of the vertical frames 47c and 47d that are exposed on the appearance. For this reason, the fitting 10 can suppress a decrease in appearance quality while including the connecting fitting 70.

[0052] In the above, the fitting 10 of the protruding window in which the upper frame 47a is connected to the upper sash 12a by the hinge 64 was exemplified. The connecting fitting 70 can also be used for fittings of outward-opening windows or inward-opening windows in which, for example, the lower frame 47b is connected to the lower sash 12b by a hinge. In these window types, the vertical frames 47c and 47d receive a biasing force from the damper upward and tend to shift in a direction away from the lower frame 47b. Therefore, in the case of these window types, the connecting fitting 70 may connect the vertical plate 70a to the vertical frames 47c and 47d and arrange the horizontal plate 70b to abut against the expected surface 54 outside the frame of the lower frame 47b. However, a window in which the hinge 64 is connected to the upper frame 47a like the fitting 10 described above has a problem that the shoji 14 is likely to sag due to the weight of the frame body 47 and the facing material 46. Therefore, the connecting fitting 70 is particularly highly effective when used for a window in which the hinge 64 is connected to the upper frame 47a.

[0053] As described above, the fitting according to one aspect of the present invention includes a frame body having a horizontal frame and a vertical frame, a shoji having a horizontal stile and a vertical stile, a hinge provided between the horizontal frame and the horizontal stile for rotatably supporting the shoji with respect to the frame body, and a damper spanned between the vertical frame and the vertical stile. The fitting further includes a connecting fitting having a vertical plate connected to the vertical stile and a horizontal plate bent from the vertical plate and abutting against an expected surface of the horizontal stile to which the hinge is attached. The vertical plate is fastened together with the vertical stile using a screw for connecting the vertical stile to the horizontal stile. According to such a configuration, displacement of the vertical stile from the horizontal stile due to the biasing force of the damper and deformation of the connecting portion between the stiles can be suppressed by the connecting fitting. Moreover, since the vertical plate of the connecting fitting is fastened together with the vertical stile by also using the screw for connecting the horizontal stile and the vertical stile, a dedicated screw or the like for fixing the vertical plate is not required, and the installation cost can be reduced.

[0054] A back plate for screwing the hinge to the expected surface of the horizontal stile may be provided on the back side of the expected surface of the horizontal stile, and the horizontal plate may be fastened together with the back plate using a screw for fixing the back plate to the horizontal stile. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the horizontal plate from falling off the horizontal stile. Moreover, by screwing the horizontal plate of the connecting fitting to the horizontal stile using the back plate for fixing the hinge, a dedicated screw or the like for fixing the horizontal plate is not required, and the installation cost can be further reduced.

[0055] A hollow portion may be provided on the expected surface of the vertical stile, and the vertical plate may be inserted into the hollow portion from the mouth of the vertical stile and fastened together with the vertical stile within the hollow portion. By doing so, the vertical plate can be hidden from the appearance of the fitting, and the design property of the fitting is improved.

[0056] It has an upper frame and a lower frame as the horizontal frames, and has an upper sash and a lower sash as the horizontal sashes. The shoji screen is configured such that when the upper sash is connected to the upper frame using the hinge, the lower sash rotates so as to move outward from the frame body toward the outdoor side. In a state where the shoji screen is in the closed position, the damper may be configured to bias the vertical sash downward. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the vertical sash, which is likely to sag due to its own weight in addition to the biasing force of the damper.

[0057] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that it can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0058] 10 Fittings, 12 Frame body, 12a Upper frame, 12b Lower frame, 12c, 12d Vertical frames, 14 Shoji screen, 47 Sash body, 47a Upper sash, 47b Lower sash, 47c, 47d Vertical sashes, 56, 60 Hollow portions, 57 Screw holes, 64 Hinge, 68 Damper, 70 Connecting fitting, 70a Vertical plate, 70b Horizontal plate, 72 Back plate

Claims

1. A fitting including a frame body having a horizontal frame and a vertical frame, a shoji having a horizontal frame and a vertical frame, a hinge provided between the horizontal frame and the horizontal frame of the shoji, for rotatably supporting the shoji with respect to the frame body, a damper spanned between the vertical frame and the vertical frame of the shoji, wherein the fitting further includes a connecting fitting having a vertical plate connected to the vertical frame of the shoji, and a horizontal plate bent from the vertical plate and abutting against a prospective surface of the horizontal frame of the shoji to which the hinge is attached, the vertical plate being clamped together with the vertical frame of the shoji using a screw for connecting the vertical frame to the horizontal frame of the shoji. The fitting is characterized by the above.

2. The fitting according to Claim 1, wherein a back plate is provided on the back side of the prospective surface of the horizontal frame of the shoji for screwing the hinge to the prospective surface of the horizontal frame of the shoji, the horizontal plate being clamped together with the back plate using a screw for fixing the back plate to the horizontal frame of the shoji. The fitting is characterized by the above.

3. The fitting according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein a hollow portion is provided on the prospective surface of the vertical frame of the shoji, the vertical plate being inserted into the hollow portion from the mouth of the vertical frame of the shoji and clamped together with the vertical frame of the shoji within the hollow portion. The fitting is characterized by the above.

4. The fitting according to Claim 1, wherein the horizontal frame of the fitting has an upper frame and a lower frame, the horizontal frame of the shoji has an upper frame and a lower frame, the shoji is configured to rotate such that when the upper frame of the shoji is connected to the upper frame of the fitting using the hinge, the lower frame of the shoji moves outward from the fitting toward the outdoor side, and the damper biases the vertical frame of the shoji downward when the shoji is in the closed position. The fitting is characterized by the above. ​

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