Fixing clamp

Abstract

To provide a fixing clamp for an apparatus to be attached, characterized in that the fixing clamp does not damage a fitting, offers good attachment workability, can cope with attachment destination fittings of various sizes, and hardly impairs appearance.SOLUTION: A fixing clamp includes: a pair of clamping pieces that clamp a fitting; a pair of bolts that move the respective clamping pieces in approaching directions or parting directions; a pair of arms having bolt storage parts, into which the respective bolts are screwed, at distal ends; rail parts that are formed at proximal ends of the respective arms and extend in a direction intersecting the arms; an engagement part that supports the pair of opposed rail parts so as to be slidable; and an attachment surface which is formed on a surface opposite to a surface of the engagement part which supports the pair of rails, and to which an apparatus to be attached is attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing clamp for fixing a fire detector, an electric device, or the like to a fixture.

Background Art

[0002] Buildings are required to install fire detectors for detecting fires. In addition, electrical devices such as monitoring devices, emergency lights, speakers, and security sensors for the purpose of crime prevention or disaster prevention are often installed in buildings. When installing such a fire detector or electrical device in a building, it is common to screw the fire detector or electrical device. However, when the fire detector is screwed and fixed to the ceiling or wall, the construction surface such as the ceiling or wall is damaged. In particular, in important cultural properties or historical buildings, there is a demand to avoid such damage.

[0003] As a fire alarm that can be attached and detached without damaging the construction surface, a fire alarm including a pair of clamping pieces for clamping a fixture, a support portion for movably supporting the clamping pieces, and a fixing portion for restricting the movement of the clamping pieces has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, an engaging portion protruding in a T-shape is provided on one of the clamping pieces, and this engaging portion is movably engaged with a groove portion formed in the support portion. Then, by bringing the clamping piece provided with the engaging portion closer to the fixed clamping piece, the fixture is clamped between the clamping pieces. Further, a fixing piece is brought into contact with the outside of the clamping piece provided with the engaging portion, and this fixing piece is screwed with a screw portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The fire alarm described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which one clamping piece is moved along a support part with respect to a fixed clamping piece to sandwich a fitting. For this reason, it was difficult to balance the force applied by the clamping piece to the fitting when the fitting was sandwiched and the force applied by the clamping piece to the fitting. Therefore, there was a possibility of problems such as damaging the fitting by clamping it with excessive force, dropping the fire alarm due to insufficient force to clamp the fitting, the fire alarm tilting due to poor force balance, and the like. In order to attach the fire alarm so as not to cause such problems, skill in the work or fine adjustment of the work was required, and improvement in workability was desired.

[0006] In addition, the dimensions of fittings such as the ceiling or wall of the mounting destination are not uniform. In particular, in important cultural properties or historical buildings, etc., the dimensions of the fittings are not standardized and vary in size. When attempting to attach a device to be attached, such as a fire detector or an electrical device, using the fixing means described in Patent Document 1 to fittings of various dimensions, it is necessary to manufacture fixing means with the length of the support part set according to the fittings of the maximum dimension. However, if the length of the support part is adjusted to the fittings of the maximum dimension, when attaching to fittings of small dimensions, the long support part protruding outside the clamping piece is exposed, damaging the appearance.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a fixing clamp for a device to be attached that has good attachment workability, can cope with fittings of various sizes at the attachment destination, and is less likely to damage the appearance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The fixed clamp according to the present invention includes a pair of clamping pieces for clamping a fitting, a pair of bolts for moving each of the pair of clamping pieces in directions approaching and separating from each other, a pair of arms having bolt receiving portions at their tip ends into which the pair of bolts are respectively screwed, a rail portion provided on the base end side of each of the pair of arms and extending in a direction intersecting the arms, an engaging portion for slidably supporting the pair of oppositely arranged rail portions, and a mounting surface provided on a surface of the engaging portion opposite to the surface supporting the pair of rail portions, to which a device to be mounted is mounted.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the fixed clamp of the present invention, the workability when attaching a device to be mounted to a fitting at the mounting destination can be improved. Further, the fixed clamp of the present invention can be compatible with fittings at mounting destinations of various sizes and is less likely to impair the aesthetic appearance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the fixed clamp according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, terms indicating directions (for example, "up", "down", "right", "left", "front", "rear", etc.) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present invention. Also, in each figure, those with the same reference numerals are the same or corresponding ones, which is common throughout the entire specification. Note that in each drawing, the relative dimensional relationships or shapes of the respective components may be different from the actual ones.

[0012] Embodiment. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fixed clamp 100 according to an embodiment. FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the fixed clamp 100 according to the embodiment. In FIGS. 1 to 3 and the figures described later, arrows indicating the X, Y, and Z directions orthogonal to each other are shown to indicate the correspondence of the directions of each figure. The fixed clamp 100 is a tool used when attaching equipment to be attached, such as a fire detector, a surveillance camera, an emergency light, a speaker, a security sensor, a switch, and electrical wiring, to a building.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the fixed clamp 100 includes one base portion 101 and a pair of slide portions 102 that are movable relative to the base portion 101. The two slide portions 102 have the same structure as each other and are arranged in symmetric directions with respect to the X direction.

[0014] (Base portion) The base portion 101 supports the two slide portions 102 and also supports the equipment to be attached. The base portion 101 has an engaging portion 10, a pedestal 11, a groove portion 12, a fixing hole 13, a center mark 14, and an attachment surface 15.

[0015] The engaging portion 10 is an elongated member with which the rail portion 6 of the sliding portion 102 is engaged. On a plane parallel to the X-Z plane of the engaging portion 10, a pedestal 11 protruding outward in the short side direction of the engaging portion 10 is provided. The pedestal 11 constitutes a part of the mounting surface 15 to which the device to be mounted is attached, and restricts the sliding movement of the sliding portion 102 toward the center in the X direction of the base portion 101. The pedestal 11 may be provided with an opening through which the electrical wiring extending from the device to be mounted passes, and this facilitates the routing of the electrical wiring.

[0016] The groove portion 12 is a groove for defining the sliding movement amount of the sliding portion 102. The groove portion 12 is composed of a plurality of grooves. The plurality of grooves are arranged along the sliding direction of the sliding portion 102, that is, the X direction. Each of the grooves constituting the groove portion 12 extends in the Z direction, that is, in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the sliding portion 102. In FIG. 1, only the groove portion 12 provided on the left side of the drawing of the engaging portion 10 is shown, but the groove portion 12 is also provided on the back right surface of the drawing of the engaging portion 10.

[0017] The fixing hole 13 is a hole into which a screw 20 for fixing the base portion 101 and the sliding portion 102 is inserted. The fixing hole 13 penetrates the engaging portion 10 in the Z direction.

[0018] The center mark 14 indicates the center in the X direction of the base portion 101. In the present embodiment, the center mark 14 is a protrusion provided on the side surface of the pedestal 11, but it may be a groove, or a printed or engraved line. The center mark 14 is used for aligning the fixing clamp 100 and the fitting.

[0019] The mounting surface 15 is a plane to which the device to be mounted is attached. The mounting surface 15 is a continuous surface formed by the engaging portion 10 and the pedestal 11. The mounting surface 15 is a surface on the opposite side (the lower side of the drawing in FIG. 1) to the surface (the upper side of the drawing in FIG. 1) where the engaging portion 10 supports the rail portion 6.

[0020] (Sliding portion) The pair of slide parts 102 are members for clamping the fitting. Each slide part 102 includes a clamping piece 1, a bolt 2, an arm 3, a bolt accommodation part 4 provided on the arm 3, a base part 5, a rail part 6, and a cover 7.

[0021] The clamping piece 1 is a member for clamping a fitting such as a pillar or a rod edge. The clamping piece 1 in the present embodiment is cylindrical or disc-shaped and has no corners on the outer periphery, so that when the fitting is clamped, it is difficult for the trace of the edge of the clamping piece 1 to be left on the fitting. Note that the shape of the clamping piece 1 is not limited to cylindrical or disc-shaped, and may be polygonal. The clamping piece 1 is preferably made of a material having cushioning properties or elasticity such as silicon. Thereby, when the fitting is clamped by the pair of clamping pieces 1, it is difficult to damage the fitting.

[0022] The cover 7 at least covers the surfaces of the pair of clamping pieces 1 facing each other. The cover 7 is made of a material having cushioning properties or elasticity such as silicon. By attaching the cover 7 made of such an elastic body to the clamping piece 1, when the fitting is clamped by the pair of clamping pieces 1, it is difficult to damage the fitting. In addition, since the cover 7 that is detachable from the clamping piece 1 can be replaced when it deteriorates, the performance of the fixed clamp 100 can be maintained over a long period. The thickness of the cover 7 can be about 0.5 mm to 3 mm, for example, about 2 mm, but is not limited to this specific numerical value. Note that the cover 7 may not be provided. Also, although the cover 7 is shown in FIG. 1, the illustration of the cover 7 is omitted in the figures other than FIG. 1.

[0023] The surfaces of the pair of clamping pieces 1 and the pair of covers 7 facing each other may be flat or may have irregularities. By providing such irregularities, the frictional force between the fitting and the pair of clamping pieces 1 or the pair of covers 7 can be improved, and the positional deviation of the pair of clamping pieces 1 or the pair of covers 7 with respect to the fitting can be suppressed.

[0024] The bolt 2 is inserted into a bolt receiving portion 4 formed in the arm 3, and moves the clamping piece 1 in a direction approaching and separating from the other clamping piece 1. The tip of the bolt 2 and the clamping piece 1 may be connected by welding or the like, or may be integrally formed. Further, a configuration in which the bolt 2 is screwed into a screw hole 1a provided in the clamping piece 1 to connect the clamping piece 1 and the bolt 2 may also be adopted.

[0025] The operator moves the bolt 2 by gripping the head of the bolt 2 and rotating it clockwise or counterclockwise. The head of the bolt 2 may be removable with respect to the shaft portion of the bolt 2.

[0026] The arm 3 is a member having a bolt receiving portion 4 into which the bolt 2 is screwed. The arm 3 extends along the Z direction. A bolt receiving portion 4 is formed at the tip of the arm 3, and a base portion 5 is provided at the base end of the arm 3.

[0027] The bolt receiving portion 4 is a hole into which the bolt 2 is inserted. A screw groove into which the bolt 2 is screwed is provided on the inner surface of the bolt receiving portion 4. The inner diameter of the bolt receiving portion 4 may be uniform along the X direction, but the inner diameter of the portion far from the base portion 101 in the X direction may be larger than the inner diameter of the portion close thereto. By doing so, the head of the bolt 2 can be accommodated in the portion with the larger inner diameter.

[0028] The base portion 5 supports the base end of the arm 3 and also supports the rail portion 6. The base portion 5 extends from the base end of the arm 3 along the sliding direction (X direction) of the slide portion 102.

[0029] The rail portion 6 is slidably engaged with the engaging portion 10 of the base portion 101. The rail portion 6 is a member having a U-shaped cross section that opens downward in the plane of FIG. 1 and extends along the X direction. The engaging portion 10 is disposed in the U-shaped recess of the rail portion 6, and the rail portion 6 moves along the engaging portion 10.

[0030] On the inner surface of the rail portion 6 facing the engaging portion 10, a protrusion 6a is provided. The protrusion 6a fits into any one of a plurality of grooves constituting the groove portion 12 in a state where the rail portion 6 is engaged with the engaging portion 10. When the slide portion 102 is pressed or pulled with respect to the base portion 101, the protrusion 6a climbs over the ridges between the grooves of the groove portion 12 one by one, and the slide portion 102 moves. By moving each of the pair of slide portions 102 by the same number as the number of grooves in the groove portion 12 with respect to the base portion 101, the operator can arrange the pair of slide portions 102 at equal distances from the center of the base portion 101 in the X direction.

[0031] The rail portion 6 is provided with a long hole 6b penetrating the rail portion 6 in the Z direction. The long hole 6b is formed such that the slide direction of the rail portion 6, that is, the X direction, coincides with the major axis. In a state where the rail portion 6 is engaged with the engaging portion 10, a part of the long hole 6b is disposed at a position overlapping the fixing hole 13. In this state, the screw 20 is inserted into the fixing hole 13, and the tip of the screw 20 is locked to the edge of the long hole 6b. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which two long holes 6b are arranged along the X direction in the rail portion 6, but the number of long holes 6b may be one or three or more.

[0032] The arm 3, the base 5, the rail portion 6, and the base portion 101 are preferably made of synthetic resin or aluminum, more preferably a flame-retardant synthetic resin. Since synthetic resin and aluminum are lighter than iron, the load on the fitting can be reduced when the fixing clamp 100 is attached to the fitting. Therefore, damage to the fitting can be suppressed. Further, the arm 3, the base 5, the rail portion 6, and the base portion 101 may be provided with cutouts. By providing such cutouts, the fixing clamp 100 can be lightened, so that the effect of suppressing damage to the fitting can be enhanced. Further, by lightening the fixing clamp 100, the fall of the device to be attached to the fixing clamp 100 can be suppressed. More preferably, the arm 3, the base 5, the rail portion 6, and the base portion 101 are made of a material that satisfies the requirements of the UL94 standard regarding flame retardancy. Further, a metal reinforcing plate such as aluminum may be inserted into the arm 3, the base 5, the rail portion 6, and the base portion 101 made of synthetic resin.

[0033] (Fixing of the base portion and the rail portion) In the fixing clamp 100 of the present embodiment, the distance between the pair of clamping pieces 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the positions of the pair of slide portions 102 with respect to the base portion 101. Thereby, fittings of various dimensions can be clamped between the pair of clamping pieces 1. Hereinafter, the fixing operation of the base portion 101 and the slide portion 102 by the operator will be described.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the operator covers the tip of the rail portion 6 over the tip of the engaging portion 10 in a state where the base portion 101 and the slide portion 102 are separated, and presses and moves the pair of slide portions 102 in a direction approaching each other. When the distance between the pair of clamping pieces 1 becomes a distance suitable for the dimension of the fitting to be clamped, the movement is stopped. At this time, a part of the long hole 6b is arranged at a position overlapping the fixing hole 13. Subsequently, the operator inserts the screw 20 into the fixing hole 13 from the mounting surface 15 side, and screws the screw at the tip of the screw 20 into the long hole 6b. Then, the pair of slide portions 102 are fixed to the base portion 101 by the screw 20.

[0035] In this embodiment, as the slide part 102 moves, the fitting of the protrusion 6a into the plurality of grooves constituting the groove part 12 and the overcoming of the ridges between the grooves by the protrusion 6a are repeated. The operator can grasp the vibration at this time from the base part 101 and the slide part 102. Therefore, by making the movement amount of one slide part 102, that is, the number of grooves moved, coincide with the movement amount of the other slide part 102, the workability when arranging the pair of slide parts 102 at equal positions with respect to the central part of the base part 101 in the X direction can be improved.

[0036] (Mounting mode of the device to be mounted using a fixed clamp) FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the mounting mode of the device to be mounted by the fixed clamp 100 in the minimum width state according to the embodiment. Also shown together are a spot-type fire detector 30 and a fitting 31 which are examples of the device to be mounted. As shown in FIG. 4, the fire detector 30 is mounted under the mounting surface 15 of the fixed clamp 100. In FIG. 4, the state where the fire detector 30 is mounted on the fixed clamp 100 is shown, but the fire detector 30 may be mounted on the fixed clamp 100 after the fixed clamp 100 is fixed to the fitting 31.

[0037] The operator adjusts the sliding movement amount of the rail part 6 as described above according to the length of the fitting 31 in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the position of the slide part 102 is determined so that there is a distance between the fitting 31 and the clamping piece 1. However, this distance shall be less than the movement distance of the clamping piece 1 by the bolt 2. FIG. 4 shows the fixed clamp 100 in the minimum width state where the pair of rail parts 6 are closest to each other. The alignment of the centers of the fitting 31 and the fixed clamp 100 in the X direction can be performed using the center mark 14.

[0038] The operator rotates the heads of the pair of bolts 2. As a result, the pair of clamping pieces 1 approach each other as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. When the heads of the bolts 2 are rotated, the heads of the bolts 2 gradually enter the bolt receiving portions 4 (see Fig. 1) formed in the arm 3. And in the final stage of tightening, the bolts 2 may be tightened using a wrench (not shown). Further, the bolts 2 may be provided with holes extending from the heads of the bolts 2 to the middle of the shaft portions, and rigid core materials such as nails may be inserted into these holes, and by doing so, the strength of the bolts 2 can be increased.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the mounting mode of the device to be mounted by the fixed clamp 100 in the maximum width state according to the embodiment. Fig. 5 shows the fixed clamp 100 in the maximum width state where the pair of rail portions 6 are farthest apart. By using the fixed clamp 100 in the maximum width state, the fire detector 30 can be mounted on a fitting 31 having a width larger than that of the fitting 31 shown in Fig. 4. Even when the fixed clamp 100 in the maximum width state is used, the operation of clamping the fitting 31 with the pair of clamping pieces 1 by tightening the bolts 2 is the same as the operation described with reference to Fig. 4.

[0040] As described above, since the fixed clamp 100 of the present embodiment sandwiches the fitting 31 with the pair of clamping pieces 1, the fitting 31 is not damaged. Also, since both of the pair of clamping pieces 1 are moved to clamp the fitting 31, it is easy to balance the force applied to the fitting 31 from one clamping piece 1 and the force applied to the fitting 31 from the other clamping piece 1. Therefore, it is easy to avoid problems related to mounting, such as damaging the fitting 31 by clamping with excessive force, dropping the device to be mounted due to insufficient force to clamp the fitting 31, or tilting the device to be mounted due to poor force balance. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the workability when mounting the device to be mounted on the fitting 31 without damaging the fitting 31 can be improved.

[0041] Further, the fixed clamp 100 of the present embodiment moves a pair of slide portions 102 with respect to the base portion 101. For this reason, when the fixed clamp 100 is in the minimum width state and the maximum width state, members do not protrude only to one side in the width direction (X direction in the embodiment). Therefore, an event such as a long member protruding as may occur in Patent Document 1 does not occur, and the appearance is less likely to be impaired.

[0042] Further, according to the present embodiment, the mounting surface 15 and the engaging portion 10 are provided with fixing holes 13 that penetrate in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the pair of rail portions 6 and into which screws 20 are inserted. The tip of the screw 20 inserted into the fixing hole 13 is locked to the pair of rail portions 6. For this reason, the rail portion 6 and the engaging portion 10 can be fixed more firmly.

[0043] Also, in the present embodiment, the rail portion 6 is provided with a long hole 6b formed so that the sliding direction of the rail portion 6 coincides with the major axis, and the tip of the screw 20 inserted into the fixing hole 13 is locked to the edge of the long hole 6b. By setting the locking point of the screw 20 to the edge of the long hole 6b provided in the rail portion 6, the degree of freedom in the position of the screw 20 with respect to the long hole 6b is increased, and the ease of work when tightening the screw 20 is improved. Although the rail portion 6 and the engaging portion 10 can be fixed more firmly by the screw 20, the screw 20 may not be provided.

[0044] Also, in the present embodiment, the engaging portion 10 is provided with a groove portion 12 formed by a plurality of grooves arranged along the sliding direction of the rail portion 6, and the rail portion 6 is provided with a protrusion 6a that engages with the grooves of the groove portion 12. Then, when the protrusion 6a fits into the groove, the rail portion 6 and the engaging portion 10 are positioned. For this reason, workability when arranging the pair of slide portions 102 at equal positions with respect to the central portion in the width direction (X direction in the embodiment) of the base portion 101 is improved. Note that a plurality of grooves may be provided in the rail portion 6, and protrusions that fit into the grooves may be provided in the engaging portion 10.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0045] 1 Holding piece, 1a Screw hole, 2 Bolt, 3 Arm, 4 Bolt accommodating part, 5 Base, 6 Rail part, 6a Protrusion, 6b Long hole, 7 Cover, 10 Engaging part, 11 Pedestal, 12 Groove part, 13 Fixed hole, 14 Center mark, 15 Mounting surface, 20 Screw, 30 Fire detector, 31 Fixture, 100 Fixed clamp, 101 Base part, 102 Slide part.

Claims

1. A pair of clamping pieces for clamping a building tool, A pair of bolts for moving each of the pair of clamping pieces in directions approaching and separating from each other, A pair of arms having bolt receiving portions at their tip ends into which the pair of bolts are respectively screwed, Rail portions provided at the base end sides of the pair of arms respectively and extending in a direction intersecting the arms, An engaging portion for slidably supporting a pair of the rail portions arranged opposite to each other, A mounting surface provided on a surface of the engaging portion opposite to the surface supporting the pair of rail portions, to which a device to be mounted is mounted, A fixed clamp.

2. The mounting surface and the engaging portion are provided with fixing holes penetrating in a direction intersecting the sliding direction of the pair of rail portions and into which screws are inserted, The tip ends of the screws inserted into the fixing holes are locked to the pair of rail portions The fixed clamp according to Claim 1.

3. The rail portion is provided with an elongated hole formed such that the sliding direction of the rail portion coincides with the major axis, The tip ends of the screws inserted into the fixing holes are locked to the edges of the elongated hole The fixed clamp according to Claim 2.

4. A plurality of grooves are provided along the sliding direction of the rail portion on one of the rail portion and the engaging portion, and protrusions fitting into the grooves are provided on the other. By the protrusions fitting into the grooves, the rail portion and the engaging portion are positioned The fixed clamp according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

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