Outdoor structure

Abstract

To improve an appearance quality without increasing manufacturing cost or the number of components.SOLUTION: In an outdoor structure, a plurality of side frames 23 and rafters 25 are arranged in parallel on an upper surface of a beam 12 supported by a post 11 in a direction intersecting the beam 12, and a panel 26 is supported between the side frames 23 and rafters 25. A part of the panel 26 located between the side frames 23 and rafters 25 is supported by the beam 12 via a cushioning material 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to outdoor structures such as carports, in which second horizontal members such as side frames or rafters are arranged in parallel on the upper surface of a first horizontal member such as a beam supported by posts, and roofing materials such as panels are supported between the second horizontal members. [Background technology]

[0002] In outdoor structures in which panels are supported between rafters arranged in parallel on the upper surface of beams, a structure has been provided in which a central crosspiece is provided between the rafters, and cushioning material is placed on the upper surface of the central crosspiece, and the cushioning material is abutted against the underside of the panel to support the panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-242437 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the outdoor structure described above, when looking up, battens made of a different material from the panels are visible between the rafters. Therefore, if battens are installed so that they overlap the upper part of the beam, the number of visible battens is reduced, which is advantageous in terms of appearance quality. However, brackets and screws are installed at the connection points between the beams and the rafters to connect them. Therefore, if battens are installed between the rafters above the beams, they must be located at a position away from the top surface of the beams.

[0005] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a step is provided at the upper part of the rafter, and a center batten is placed on this step to separate it from the upper surface of the beam. This makes it possible to improve the appearance quality by providing a center batten above the beam. However, this makes the cross-sectional shape of the rafter complex, which is disadvantageous in terms of manufacturing costs. Another possible method is to use a connector to connect the center batten and the rafter. However, when using a connector, there is a concern that new problems may arise due to the increased number of parts to be handled.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an outdoor structure that can improve the appearance quality without increasing the manufacturing cost or the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the outdoor structure of the present invention is an outdoor structure in which a plurality of second cross members are arranged in parallel on the upper surface of a first cross member supported by a support pole in a direction intersecting the first cross member, and a roof material is supported between the second cross members, and the portion of the roof material located between the second cross members is supported by the first cross members via a buffer material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the roof material is supported by the first horizontal member via the cushioning material, so that the amount of foreign material exposed when viewed from below can be reduced without using a second horizontal member with a complex cross-sectional shape. This makes it possible to improve the appearance quality without increasing the manufacturing cost or the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of an outdoor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional side view of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional rear view of a main part of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. [Figure 8] This shows a cap to be applied to the outdoor structure shown in Figure 1, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is an inner side view, (c) is a rear view, (d) is an outer side view, and (e) is a vertical cross-sectional view. [Figure 9] 2A and 2B show the main parts of the outdoor structure shown in FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view before caps are attached to the upper ends of the supports, and FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view before frame materials are attached above the supports. [Figure 10] This shows the main parts of the outdoor structure shown in Figure 1, where (a) is an exploded perspective view before the lower spacing member is attached to the beam, (b) is a perspective view from the front of the beam with the lower spacing member placed thereon, and (c) is a perspective view from the rear of the beam with the lower spacing member placed thereon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an outdoor structure according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 7 show an outdoor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The outdoor structure illustrated here is a carport with a rectangular outer shape intended to accommodate a flat parking space, and is configured with a rear frame 10A, a front frame 10B, and a roof body 20. The two frames 10A, 10B are configured by erecting beams (first horizontal members) 12 between the upper ends of left and right support columns 11, and are provided at positions that will become the rear and front edges of the parking space.

[0011] The support pillars 11 are extruded members made of metal such as aluminum alloy, and are configured to have a rectangular tubular cross section. Each support pillar 11 stands vertically from the parking space, with its upper end nearly horizontal. In each of the frames 10A and 10B, the protruding dimension of the support pillars 11 is the same on the left and right, and the beams 12 extend nearly horizontally. The protruding dimension of the support pillars 11 in the rear frame 10A is set larger than that of the front frame 10B.

[0012] A cap 13 is attached to the upper end of the support 11. The cap 13 is molded, for example, from resin, and is attached to the support 11 while covering the upper end opening of the support 11, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. The cap 13 is provided with a mounting hole 13a, a contact protrusion 13b, and an inner peripheral protrusion 13c. The mounting hole 13a is a rectangular through-hole located approximately in the center of the top surface 13g. The contact protrusion 13b is located closer to the outer periphery of the roof body 20 than the mounting hole 13a when the cap 13 is attached to the upper end of the support 11, and is spaced apart from the mounting hole 13a, and protrudes upward. In this embodiment, the contact protrusion 13b has a certain width and is provided so as to extend forward and backward. As is clear from the figure, the abutment protrusion 13b has a ridge 13d at a point that divides the front-to-rear dimension of the cap 13 into approximately two equal parts, with the abutment surface 13e on the front side of the ridge 13d and the abutment surface 13f on the rear side each inclining downward. The inclination angle of the abutment surfaces 13e, 13f from the horizontal plane is approximately the same on the rear side and the front side (the inclination direction is opposite). The inner peripheral protrusion 13c is provided on an edge that is closer to the inner periphery of the roof body 20 than the mounting hole 13a when the cap 13 is attached to the upper end of the support 11, and protrudes upward. The upper surface of the inner peripheral protrusion 13c is flat and located above the abutment protrusion 13b. Note that the support 11 does not necessarily have to be rectangular; for example, a cylindrical pillar may be used.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the beam 12 is an extruded member formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy and has a rectangular cylindrical cross section. As is apparent from FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the beam 12 includes left and right side walls 12a, 12b extending substantially parallel to each other, a bottom wall 12c connecting the lower edges of the side walls 12a, 12b, and an upper wall 12d connecting the upper edges of the side walls 12a, 12b. The bottom wall 12c is substantially perpendicular to the side walls 12a, 12b, while the upper wall 12d is gradually inclined downward from the rear side wall 12a to the front side wall 12b. The beams 12 are installed between the upper ends of the columns 11 with the bottom walls 12c extending substantially horizontally and the upper surfaces of the upper walls 12d positioned on the same inclined plane.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 5, at the connecting portion between the support 11 and the beam 12, a reinforcing member 14 is provided inside each tube. The reinforcing member 14 has a vertical portion 14a connected to the support 11 and a horizontal portion 14b connected to the beam 12, and is integrally formed from, for example, steel. On the upper surface of the vertical portion 14a, a mounting seat 14c is provided in a portion that corresponds to the mounting hole 13a of the cap 13. The upper surface of the mounting seat 14c is provided so as to be at approximately the same height as the upper surface 13g of the cap 13 attached to the support 11.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 , the roof structure 20 is constructed by fitting a plurality of rafters (second horizontal members) 25 and a plurality of panels (roofing materials) 26 inside a rectangular frame 24 formed by assembling a rear frame 21, a front frame 22, and left and right side frames (second horizontal members) 23 around all four sides. The rafters 25 are installed between the rear frame 21 and the front frame 22 along the side frames 23, and the panels 26 extend from the rear frame 21 to the front frame 22 between the side frames 23 and the rafters 25 and between the rafters 25. The roof structure 20 of this embodiment is supported by the supports 11 of the frames 10A and 10B via the side frames 23 with the front frame 22 tilted downward relative to the rear frame 21. The abutment surfaces 13e and 13f of the abutment projections 13b and the upper surfaces of the beams 12 are configured so that their respective inclination angles are approximately the same as the inclination angle of the roof structure 20.

[0016] The rear frame 21, front frame 22, and side frame 23 are each extruded members formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy. More specifically, the rear frame 21, front frame 22, and side frame 23 each have an irregular cross-sectional shape with flat bottom wall portions 21a, 22a, and 23a, respectively, and connecting fin portions 21b, 22b, and 23b at the lower edges of their inner peripheral portions. The connecting fin portions 21b, 22b, and 23b are thin plates that protrude inward along the bottom wall portions 21a, 22a, and 23a. The rear frame 21 has a weatherstripping material 27 attached to the inner peripheral edge of its upper surface, and a rear edge insertion portion 21c provided on the outer peripheral side of the weatherstripping material 27. The front frame 22 has a front edge insertion portion 22c provided above its inner peripheral portion, and a gutter portion 22d provided on its outer peripheral portion so as to open upward. A rain gutter 28 is connected to the gutter portion 22d at an appropriate position. A weatherstripping material 27 similar to that of the rear frame 21 is attached to the upper surface of the side frame 23, and a screw threading groove 23c is provided on the outer circumferential side of the weatherstripping material 27.

[0017] The side frame 23 is also provided with an upper step 23d and an inward peripheral wall 23e. The upper step 23d is provided on an edge that is more outer than the bottom wall 23a, and is configured so that its lower surface is higher than the lower surface of the bottom wall 23a. The inward peripheral wall 23e is provided on a lower portion of the outer surface of the side frame 23, and is gradually inclined downward toward the inner periphery. The lower edge of the inward peripheral wall 23e protrudes below the lower surface of the upper step 23d, thereby functioning as a drain. In other words, water, such as rainwater, that runs down the outer periphery of the side frame 23 drips downward from the lower edge of the inward peripheral wall 23e and does not run down the bottom wall 23a and infiltrate the inner periphery.

[0018] The frame body 24, which is composed of the rear frame 21, front frame 22, and side frames 23, is supported on the support columns 11 via the reinforcing members 14 by interposing a bracket 30 between the mounting seat 14c of the reinforcing member 14 and the connecting fin portions 23b of the side frames 23. The bracket 30 has a frame material mounting portion 30b and a support mounting portion 30c that extend in different directions from both edges of a flat connecting portion 30a. The frame material mounting portion 30b and the support mounting portion 30c are each flat. Although not shown in the figure, the connecting portion 30a is trapezoidal in shape, with the portion located on the rear frame 21 side being higher than the portion located on the front frame 22 side, and the frame material mounting portion 30b is inclined so that the front frame 22 side is lower than the support mounting portion 30c.

[0019] 9, the bracket 30 described above is attached to the support column 11 via the reinforcing member 14 by overlapping the support member attachment portion 30c with the attachment seat 14c of the reinforcing member 14 through the attachment hole 13a of the cap 13 and screwing the screw member S1 into the attachment seat 14c via the support member attachment portion 30c. The frame body 24 is supported by the support column 11 via the bracket 30 and the reinforcing member 14 with the side frame 23 overlapping above the support column 11 by overlapping the connecting fin portion 23b of the side frame 23 with the frame member attachment portion 30b of the bracket 30 attached to the support column 11 and screwing the screw member S2 into the frame member attachment portion 30b via the connecting fin portion 23b.

[0020] As described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 30 has a connecting portion 30a between the frame material mounting portion 30b, which is attached to the side frame 23 via the connecting fin portion 23b, and the support mounting portion 30c, which is attached to the mounting seat 14c. The upper surface of the mounting seat 14c is approximately flush with the upper surface 13g of the cap 13 attached to the support 11. Therefore, the frame body 24 is supported on the support 11 with a gap d secured between the frame body 24 and the upper surface 13g of the cap 13. This makes it possible to align the screw 30d (see FIG. 9) of the bracket 30 with the screw insertion hole (not shown) of the side frame 23 by appropriately adjusting the amount of the gap d, for example, by changing the posture of the side frame 23, even if there is a processing error or assembly error. This facilitates the operation of threading the screw member S2 into the screw 30d of the bracket 30 through the screw insertion hole of the side frame 23. Moreover, after the screw member S2 is screwed in, the abutment surface 13e of the abutment protrusion 13b provided on the cap 13 abuts against the bottom wall portion 23a at a portion that is closer to the outer periphery than the connecting fin portion 23b of the side frame 23. Therefore, there is no risk of the side frame 23 being displaced so as to tilt outward with the connecting fin portion 23b, which is the connecting point with the bracket 30, as the fulcrum, and the side frame 23 can be supported stably relative to the support column 11.

[0021] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 1 to 7, the rafters 25 provided on the frame 24 are extruded members made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, and are configured to have a rectangular tubular cross section. The longitudinal dimension of the rafters 25 is formed to a length that allows one end to be placed on the connecting fin portion 21b of the rear frame 21 while the other end can be placed on the connecting fin portion 22b of the front frame 22. Each rafter 25 has a tensioning material 27 attached to both side edges of its upper surface and a screw groove 25a formed in its center. Mounting fins 25b are provided on both lower edges of the rafters 25. The mounting fins 25b are thin plates that protrude outward along the underside of the rafters 25. The above-mentioned rafter 25 is installed between the rear frame 21 and the front frame 22 in a state parallel to the side frame 23 by abutting the mounting fin portion 25b against the upper surface of the beam 12 and screwing the screw member S3 into the beam 12 via the mounting fin portion 25b. The height of the tension material 27 of the rafter 25 attached to the upper surface of the beam 12 is approximately the same as the tension material 27 of the side frame 23.

[0022] The panels 26 are formed from resin into thin plates, and have a width extending between the side frames 23 and the rafters 25 or between the rafters 25, and a length extending from the rear frame 21 to the front frame 22. One end of each panel 26 is inserted into the rear edge insertion portion 21c of the rear frame 21, and the other end is inserted into the front edge insertion portion 22c of the front frame 22, with both side edges positioned on the upper surfaces of the side frames 23 and the rafters 25. A single panel retainer 31 is attached to the upper surface of the side frame 23, and a double panel retainer 32 is attached to the upper surface of each rafter 25. The single panel retainer 31 and the double panel retainer 32 are extruded shapes formed from metal such as aluminum alloy. The single panel retainer 31 extends the entire length of the side frame 23 and is provided with a tension material 31a on the underside of one side edge. This one panel holder 31 clamps the edge of the panel 26 between itself and the tension material 27 by screwing a screw member S4 into the threaded groove 23c of the side frame 23 via the other edge. Both panel holders 32 have a length that runs the entire length of the rafter 25, and are each equipped with tension material 32a on the underside of the edge on both sides. Both panel holders 32 clamp the edge of the panel 26 between itself and the tension material 27 of the rafter 25 by screwing a screw member S5 into the threaded groove 25a of the rafter 25 via the center.

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, a spacer 40 and a buffer material 50 are disposed between the panel 26 and the beam 12. The spacer 40 includes an upper spacer member 41 and a lower spacer member 42. The upper spacer member 41 is an extruded member formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy, and has a length extending between the side frame 23 and the rafters 25 and between the rafters 25. In this embodiment, the upper spacer member 41 includes a spacer main body 41a and overlapping fin portions 41b. The spacer main body 41a has a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross section. The upper surface of the spacer main body 41a has protrusions 41c on both edge portions. The overlapping fin portions 41b protrude rearward from the lower corners on the rear side of the spacer main body 41a along the underside. The lower spacer member 42 includes side plate portions 42b extending perpendicularly from both edge portions of a rectangular base portion 42a. The base plate 42a has screw insertion holes 42c at both corners of one edge. The side plate portions 42b extend in the same direction from the base plate 42a. One of the side plate portions 42b has positioning protrusions 42d at both ends of the extended edge. The positioning protrusions 42d are inserted into positioning holes 12e on the top surface of the beam 12 to determine the installation position of the lower spacer member 42 along the longitudinal direction of the beam 12. The height dimension of the lower spacer member 42 is set so that when the positioning protrusions 42d are inserted into the positioning holes 12e and the other side plate portion 42b is abutted against the top surface of the beam 12, the top surface of the base plate 42a is positioned above the heads of the screw members S2 threaded into the connecting fin portions 23b of the side frame 23 and the screw members S3 threaded into the mounting fin portions 25b of the rafters 25.

[0024] The upper spacer member 41 and the lower spacer member 42 are arranged between the side frame 23 and the rafters 25 and between the rafters 25 by inserting the positioning protrusions 42d of the lower spacer member 42 into the positioning holes 12e of the beam 12 and screwing the screw members S6 into the beam 12 via the overlapping fin portions 41b and the screw insertion holes 42c. The height of the upper spacer member 41 is set so that it does not come into contact with the underside of the panel 26. The buffer material 50 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed on the top surface of the upper spacer member 41 in the middle along the longitudinal direction. The thickness of the buffer material 50 is set so that it can abut against both the top surface of the upper spacer member 41 and the panel 26 when placed between them. As a result, the panel 26 is supported on the beam 12 via the spacer 40 and the cushioning material 50, and is arranged between the side frame 23 and the rafter 25 and between the rafters 25 in a curved state so that the middle part in the width direction is convex upward.

[0025] In a carport constructed as described above, each panel 26 is supported by the beams 12 at two points along its length via the spacers 40 and the buffer materials 50, and the central portion is curved so that it is convex. This provides strength advantages, eliminating the risk of problems such as the panel 26 bending downward under its own weight or falling off the frame 24. Furthermore, because the spacers 40 and the buffer materials 50 are disposed on the upper surfaces of the beams 12, they are difficult to see when viewed from below. In other words, when viewed from below, only the beams 12 are visible below the panel 26, which is preferable in terms of appearance quality.

[0026] However, in the above-described carport, it is possible to add an appropriate number (one or more) of middle cross members (third horizontal members) 60 between the side frames 23 and the rafters 25 and between the rafters 25. That is, as shown in FIG. 4 , by using a middle cross member 60 having a rectangular cross section formed from a metal such as an aluminum alloy and threading mounting screws S7 into the bottom wall of the middle cross member 60 through the connecting fins 23b of the side frames 23 and the mounting fins 25b of the rafters 25, appropriate locations between the side frames 23 and the rafters 25 and between the rafters 25 are connected via the middle cross member 60, thereby improving the support strength of the panels 26. In this case, by using a middle cross member 60 having a cross section similar to that of the spacer body 41a of the upper spacer member 41 and arranging multiple middle cross members 60, including the spacers 40, at equal intervals, the spacers 40 and the middle cross members 60 are considered to be the same, which is advantageous in terms of appearance quality. In addition, if a buffer material 50 is provided between the upper surface of the middle rail 60 and the panel 26, the support strength of the panel 26 can be further increased.

[0027] Furthermore, with regard to the spacer 40, neither the upper spacer member 41 nor the lower spacer member 42 is configured to be connected to the side frames 23 and the rafters 25, so there is no need to use side frames 23 or rafters 25 with special cross-sectional shapes to connect them to the spacer 40, and there is no need for connectors to attach the spacer 40. This eliminates concerns about increased manufacturing costs and an increased number of parts.

[0028] Although the above-described embodiment illustrates a carport, it is possible to apply the present invention to other outdoor structures. In this case, it is not necessary to provide two frames 10A and 10B.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, buffer material 50 is provided between beam 12, which is the first horizontal member, and panel 26, which is the roof member, via spacer 40, but spacer 40 does not necessarily have to be used. Note that, when spacer 40 is used, in the above-described embodiment, spacer 40 including upper spacer member 41 and lower spacer member 42 is used, but spacer 40 does not necessarily have to be made up of two parts. Furthermore, while upper spacer member 41 is used, one having a length spanning the distance between side frames 23 and rafters 25, which are the second horizontal members, the length of spacer 40 may be shorter than the distance between these second horizontal members.

[0030] As described above, the outdoor structure of the present invention is an outdoor structure in which a plurality of second cross members are arranged in parallel on the upper surface of a first cross member supported by a support pole in a direction intersecting the first cross member, and a roof material is supported between the second cross members, and the portion of the roof material located between the second cross members is supported by the first cross members via a buffer material. According to this invention, the roof material is supported by the first horizontal member via the cushioning material, so it is possible to reduce the amount of foreign material exposed when viewed from below without using a second horizontal member with a complex cross-sectional shape, thereby improving the appearance quality without increasing manufacturing costs or the number of parts.

[0031] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that in the outdoor structure described above, a spacer is interposed between the buffer material and the first horizontal member. According to this invention, the buffer material only needs to be provided between the spacer and the first horizontal member, so that a buffer material with a small outer shape can be used.

[0032] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned outdoor structure, the spacer is composed of an upper spacer member having a length spanning the second cross member, and a lower spacer member arranged between the upper spacer member and the first cross member. According to this invention, there is no risk that the spacer will have a complicated shape compared to when it is integrally molded.

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that in the outdoor structure described above, a third horizontal member is provided between the second horizontal members so as to connect them to each other. According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength of outdoor structures.

[0034] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned outdoor structure, a positioning mechanism is provided between the upper surface of the first cross member and the lower spacer member, which determines the mounting position of the lower spacer member relative to the first cross member. According to this invention, the work of attaching the lower spacer members can be simplified. In particular, in the case of outdoor structures, where work is often performed at high altitudes, the advantage of being able to accurately determine the position of the lower spacer members without visually checking them is significant. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 11 support, 12 beam, 23 side frame, 23a bottom wall portion, 23b connecting fin portion, 23c screw thread groove, 23d upper portion, 23e inward peripheral wall, 25 rafter, 25a screw thread groove, 25b mounting fin portion, 26 panel, 40 spacer, 41 upper spacer member, 41a spacer body, 41b overlapping fin portion, 41c protrusion, 42 lower spacer member, 42a base portion, 42b side plate portion, 42c screw insertion hole, 42d positioning protrusion, 50 cushioning material, 60 center crosspiece

Claims

1. An outdoor structure in which a plurality of second horizontal members are arranged in parallel on an upper surface of a first horizontal member supported by a support pole along a direction intersecting the first horizontal member, and a roof material is supported between the second horizontal members, An outdoor structure characterized in that the portion of the roof material located between the second horizontal members is supported by the first horizontal members via a buffer material.

2. 2. The outdoor structure according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is interposed between the buffer material and the first horizontal member.

3. 3. The outdoor structure according to claim 2, wherein the spacer is configured to include an upper spacer member having a length spanning the second cross member, and a lower spacer member disposed between the upper spacer member and the first cross member.

4. 4. The outdoor structure according to claim 3, wherein a third horizontal member is provided between the second horizontal members so as to connect them together.

5. 4. The outdoor structure according to claim 3, wherein a positioning mechanism is provided between the upper surface of the first cross member and the lower spacer member to determine the mounting position of the lower spacer member relative to the first cross member.

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