Protection cover

Abstract

To provide a protection cover which can be fixed to a laying surface without lowering structural strength and crushing a hollow part.SOLUTION: A protection cover includes a fixed wall extending in the longitudinal direction so as to be fixed to the laying surface by a fixing member. The fixed wall includes an inner wall part, an outer wall part extending from the inner wall part to the outer face side at a space, a plurality of solid parts extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the inner wall part and the outer wall part in the inside-outside direction, and arranged while being spaced from each other in the width direction, and a hollow part defined between the adjacent solid parts and extending in the longitudinal direction. The fixed wall is configured to be fixed to the laying surface with a shaft part of the fixing member inserted into the laying surface while breaking through the inner wall part and the outer wall part via the hollow part and with the head part of the fixing member pressing the inner wall part from the inner face side. In at least part of the fixed wall, a fixed site is provided where a space between the adjacent solid parts in the width direction is smaller than the diameter of the head part pressing the inner wall part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cover that houses and protects wiring and piping materials. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various protective covers have been used to house and protect wiring and piping materials. Generally, a protective cover is composed of a base body that is laid along a wiring path and a cover body that covers the base body. The base body and the cover body are assembled together to form an internal wiring path for wiring and piping materials. The protective cover is also fixed to the installation surface along the predetermined wiring path. In particular, a fixing wall is provided on the base body, and the base body is fixed to the installation surface by driving fixing members such as screws through the fixing wall and into the installation surface. The protective cover is then installed on the installation surface by assembling the cover body to the base body.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pipe cover that is fixed to a laying surface. In the following paragraphs, the reference numerals of Patent Document 1 are shown in parentheses. The pipe cover comprises a pipe cover body (1) with an open top having a bottom plate (10) and left and right side walls (11, 11), and a lid (2) that closes the open top of the pipe cover body (1). The pipe cover body (1) is molded with a predetermined length in the axial direction and is attached to a wall (D) on which air conditioning pipes (B) are arranged with wooden screws (H). The outer pipe cover (1) includes a bottom plate (10) that contacts the wall (D), side walls (11, 11) provided on both the left and right ends of the bottom plate (10), hook-shaped engagement projections (12) extending upward and inward from near the tips of the side walls (11, 11) with their tips facing outward, and wood screw engagement portions (13) for engaging wood screws (H) to tightly attach the bottom plate (10) to the wall surface. The bottom plate (10) and side walls (11, 11) are formed into a two-layer structure with an upper layer and a lower layer, and multiple reinforcing ribs (14) are provided at predetermined intervals with multiple hollow portions (15) formed between them. According to Patent Document 1, the wood screw engagement portions (13) are provided as grooves that open on the upper surface of the bottom plate (10) and extend in the axial direction. The wood screw engagement portion (13) is sandwiched between a pair of left and right reinforcing ribs (14) in the width direction perpendicular to the axial direction. When the wiring cover main body (1) is fixed to the wall (D) with the wood screw (H), the shank of the wood screw (H) is inserted into the groove-shaped wood screw engagement portion (13), breaks through the lower layer of the bottom plate (10), and is driven into the wall (D). The wood screw (H) is screwed into the wall (D) so that the head of the wood screw (H) presses against the side edge of the groove, thereby fixing the wiring cover main body (1) to the wall (D). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-109291 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The pipe cover (protective cover) of Patent Document 1 features a hollow wall structure for the pipe cover body, thereby improving thermal insulation and reducing weight. However, the wooden screw engagement portion for fixing the bottom plate (fixing wall) of the pipe cover body to the installation surface using a wooden screw (fixing member) opens on the inner surface as a longitudinally extending groove, forming a thin, weak portion in part of the bottom plate. As described above, in conventional pipe covers, the groove portion of the bottom plate is weak, which causes the pipe cover body (base body) to bend inward around the groove portion as a fulcrum, resulting in a problem of reduced strength, such as unstable fit with the lid body (cover body). On the other hand, if a wooden screw is driven into the bottom plate without providing a groove portion, the hollow portion is crushed when the head of the wooden screw presses the bottom plate toward the installation surface, making it impossible to fix the bottom plate to the installation surface. In other words, a problem with conventional protective covers is that the fixed wall of the hollow base body cannot be fixed to the installation surface without avoiding a reduction in structural strength.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a protective cover that can be fixed to the installation surface without reducing structural strength and without crushing the hollow portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (Configuration 1) The protective cover of configuration 1 is a protective cover that accommodates and protects wiring and piping materials extending in the longitudinal direction, a longitudinally extending fixing wall fixed to the laying surface by one or more fixing members having a head and a stem; The fixed wall is an inner wall portion that forms the inner surface of the fixed wall; an outer wall portion that forms an outer surface of the fixed wall and extends outwardly from the inner wall portion at a distance; a plurality of solid portions extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion in the inward and outward directions and arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a hollow portion extending in the longitudinal direction, the hollow portion being defined between the solid portions adjacent in the width direction between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion; The fixing wall is configured so that the shaft portion of the fixing member penetrates the hollow portion, breaks through the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, and is inserted into the laying surface, and the head portion of the fixing member presses the inner wall portion from the inside, thereby fixing the fixing wall to the laying surface; At least a part of the fixed wall is provided with a fixed portion where the interval between adjacent solid portions in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head portion that presses against the inner wall portion.

[0008] (Configuration 2) The protective cover of configuration 2 is the protective cover of configuration 1, characterized in that the inner wall portion is provided with a mark portion that indicates the insertion position of the shaft portion, allowing the head portion to bridge between the adjacent solid portions when the fixing member is inserted.

[0009] (Configuration 3) The protective cover of configuration 3 is the protective cover of configuration 1 or 2, further comprising a non-fixed wall extending in the longitudinal direction and rising from the fixed wall; The non-fixed wall is a second inner wall portion that forms the inner surface of the non-fixed wall; a second outer wall portion that forms an outer surface of the non-fixed wall and extends outwardly from the second inner wall portion at a distance; a plurality of second solid portions extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the second inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion in the inward / outward direction and arranged spaced apart from each other in the rising direction; a second hollow portion extending in the longitudinal direction and defined between the second solid portions adjacent to each other in the rising direction between the second inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion, The interval between the second solid portions adjacent to each other in the rising direction is wider than the interval between the solid portions of the fixed walls adjacent to each other in the width direction.

[0010] (Configuration 4) The protective cover of configuration 4 is characterized in that, in the protective cover of configuration 3, the thickness of the solid portion of the fixed wall in the width direction is greater than the thickness of the second solid portion of the non-fixed wall in the rising direction.

[0011] (Configuration 5) The protective cover of configuration 5 is characterized in that, in the protective cover of any of configurations 1 to 4, a plurality of fixing points are formed in the width direction of the fixing wall, where the spacing between adjacent solid portions in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head portion that presses against the inner wall portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the protective cover of configuration 1, the fixing wall has a hollow structure with inner and outer wall portions, a solid portion, and a hollow portion. The shank of the fixing member is inserted into the installation surface, penetrating the hollow portion and breaking through the inner and outer wall portions, and the head of the fixing member presses against the inner wall portion from the inside, thereby fixing the fixing member to the installation surface. Furthermore, the spacing between adjacent solid portions in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head portion pressing against the inner wall portion. Therefore, when the shank of the fixing member penetrates the hollow portion of the fixing wall and is driven into the installation surface, a portion of the head of the fixing member abuts against the adjacent solid portion or the inner wall portion surrounding the solid portion. In other words, when the head of the fixing member presses the fixing wall toward the installation surface, the pressing force is prevented from being concentrated only on the hollow portion, and the solid portion supports the head of the fixing member from the installation surface. This makes it possible to fix the fixing wall to the installation surface with the fixing member while preventing the hollow portion from collapsing. Therefore, the protective cover of the present invention can be fixed to the installation surface via the fixing wall of the hollow structure without reducing the structural strength and without crushing the hollow portion.

[0013] According to the protective cover of configuration 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of configuration 1, the inner wall portion is provided with a marking portion that indicates the insertion position of the shaft portion. This allows the user to insert the fixing member into the fixing wall by following the marking portion, and when inserting the fixing member into the fixing wall, it becomes easy to reliably position the head of the fixing member in a position that bridges between adjacent solid portions.

[0014] According to the protective cover of configuration 3, in addition to the effects of the invention of configuration 1 or 2, the fixed wall and the non-fixed wall have a hollow structure, and the fixed wall has relatively higher strength than the non-fixed wall. Since the non-fixed wall, which is not fixed to the installation surface, does not require higher structural strength than the fixed wall, the amount of solid part in the hollow structure is reduced, and the protective cover is relatively lighter. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the weight of the protective cover.

[0015] According to the protective cover of configuration 4, in addition to the effect of the invention of configuration 3, the thickness of the solid portion of the fixed wall is greater than the thickness of the second solid portion of the non-fixed wall, so that the fixed wall can reliably support the pressing force applied by the fixing member when fixed. Meanwhile, the non-fixed wall is relatively light, so that it is possible to effectively reduce the weight of the protective cover while maintaining the strength required for fixing the protective cover.

[0016] According to the protective cover of configuration 5, in addition to the effects of any of the configurations 1 to 4, a plurality of fixing points are formed in the width direction of the fixed wall, where the spacing between adjacent solid portions in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head of the fixing member that presses against the inner wall portion. That is, by inserting a plurality of fixing members into the plurality of fixing points in the width direction, respectively, it becomes possible to more firmly fix the fixed wall to the installation surface. Alternatively, the user can select one of the plurality of fixing points based on the ease of driving the fixing member, thereby improving workability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the protective cover of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] (a) Front view, (b) top view, (c) bottom view, and (d) side view of the protective cover in Figure 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover shown in FIG. 3 along line AA. [Figure 5]4(a) is a partially enlarged view showing the fixing points of the bottom wall (fixed wall) in the protective cover of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4(b) is a partially enlarged view showing the hollow structure of the side wall (non-fixed wall). [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a structure in which a fixing member is inserted into the bottom wall (fixing wall) of the protective cover in FIG. 1 to fix the base body to the installation surface. [Figure 7] 4A and 4B show the connecting mechanism and the separating mechanism of the protective cover of FIG. 3, in which (a) is a partially enlarged view of the outer and inner connecting pieces of the base body, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of the insert piece of the cover body. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a process of assembling the base body and the cover body in the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the insertion piece is close to or separated from the insertion opening. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the process of assembling the base body and the cover body in the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing the state in which the insert piece is pressed against the inner surface of the outer wall. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the process of assembling the base body and the cover body in the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing the state in which the insert pieces are pressed against the inner surface of the outer wall and the outer surface of the inner wall. FIG. [Figure 11] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the process of assembling the base body and the cover body in the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the locking portion and the locked portion are in an engaged position. [Figure 12] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a process of separating the base body and the cover body of the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the outer wall is tilted. [Figure 13] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a process of separating the base body and the cover body in the protective cover of FIG. 1, showing the insertion piece coming out of the insertion opening while the outer wall tilts. [Figure 14] 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which the cover body is temporarily held by the base body in the protective cover of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the temporarily held state of FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the protective cover of the present invention. [Figure 17] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the protective cover of the present invention. [Figure 18] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the protective cover of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the shapes of the drawings referred to in the following description are conceptual or schematic diagrams for explaining preferred shapes and dimensions, and the dimensional ratios do not necessarily correspond to the actual dimensional ratios. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional ratios in the drawings.

[0019] A protective cover 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is primarily fixed to a surface along the wiring path of wiring and piping materials (not shown) to house and protect the wiring and piping materials inside. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the protective cover 100. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the protective cover 100. FIGS. 3(a) to 3(d) are a front view, a plan view, a bottom view, and a side view of the protective cover 100. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover 100. FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are partial enlarged views of a bottom wall 111 as a fixed wall of the protective cover 100 and a side wall 121 as a non-fixed wall.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the protective cover 100 is formed by combining a base body 110, which constitutes one of the divided bodies, and a cover body 150, which constitutes the other divided body, in a vertically detachable manner. The protective cover 100 has an elongated shape with a continuous, substantially identical cross-sectional shape. The protective cover 100 is also open at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The length of this protective cover 100 can be determined arbitrarily. By combining multiple protective covers 100 in the longitudinal direction, an installation structure having a wiring path for long wiring and piping materials is constructed. The configurations of the base body 110 and the cover body 150 are described in detail below.

[0021] The base body 110 includes a bottom wall 111 extending longitudinally with a predetermined width, and a pair of side walls 121 rising upward at a predetermined height from both sides of the bottom wall 111 in the width direction (perpendicular to the longitudinal direction). In this embodiment, the base body 110 is fixed to a surface along the wiring path of the wiring and piping material. The bottom wall 111 and the side walls 121 are both flat and capable of elastic or flexural deformation like a leaf spring. The pair of side walls 121 face each other and form an opening at the top. That is, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the base body 110 is formed in a U-shape facing upward. In this embodiment, the base body 110 is formed from a hard synthetic resin material, but it may be formed from other materials.

[0022] The cover body 150 is attached to the base body 110 and is configured as a covering material that covers its interior. The cover body 150 faces the bottom wall 111 of the base body 110 and includes a covering portion 151 that is bridged between a pair of side walls 121. The covering portion 151 extends in the shape of a flat plate with a predetermined width in the longitudinal direction. The covering portion 151 has a width sufficient to allow its inner surface to abut against the tip surfaces of the pair of side walls 121. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4 , a positioning groove 151a is formed in the center of the inner surface of the covering portion 151 in the width direction so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. This positioning groove 151a functions as a marker when connecting protective covers 100 to each other or when connecting the protective cover 100 to a connecting member. In this embodiment, the cover body 150 is formed from a synthetic resin material, but it may be formed from other materials.

[0023] The protective cover 100 of this embodiment is characterized in that the base body 110 includes a fixed wall with a hollow structure extending in the longitudinal direction, which is fixed to the installation surface by one or more fixing members 130 having a head portion 131 and a shaft portion 132. In the present invention, the fixing member 130 may be considered as one of the components of the protective cover 100. Alternatively, a configuration including the protective cover 100 and the fixing member 130 may be referred to as a protective cover device. Also, in the present invention, a structure in which the fixing wall (bottom wall 111) is fixed to the installation surface by the fixing member 130, as shown in FIG. 6, may be referred to as a fixed structure.

[0024] In this embodiment, the bottom wall 111 forms a fixed wall extending in the longitudinal direction and fixed to the installation surface by one or more fixing members 130 each having a head 131 and a shaft 132. The fixing members 130 are screws or wood screws each having a head 131 and a shaft 132, and are fixed to the installation surface by penetrating the hollow structure of the bottom wall 111 (see FIG. 6). On the other hand, the side walls 121 are peripheral walls that are not fixed to the installation surface (cannot become fixed walls), and form non-fixed walls. In the base body 110 of this embodiment, both the fixed and non-fixed walls have a hollow structure, so that the base body 110 has improved thermal insulation and is lighter in weight (compared to those without a hollow structure).

[0025] Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view showing in detail the hollow structure of the bottom wall 111 forming the fixed wall. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the bottom wall 111 includes an inner wall portion 112 forming the inner surface of the bottom wall 111, an outer wall portion 113 forming the outer surface of the bottom wall 111 and extending outward from the inner wall portion 112 at a distance, a plurality of solid portions 114 extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 in the inward and outward directions and arranged at a distance from each other in the width direction, and hollow portions 115 extending in the longitudinal direction between the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 and defined between adjacent solid portions 114 in the width direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, in a cross-sectional view, the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 extend parallel to each other, and multiple solid portions 114 are perpendicular to the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113. Each solid portion 114 extends continuously along the longitudinal direction. The multiple solid portions 114 are arranged at equal intervals in the width direction. A plurality of hollow portions 115 are provided in the width direction, corresponding to the number of pairs of adjacent solid portions 114. These hollow portions 115 form a rectangular space in a cross-sectional view. As shown in FIG. 5(a), adjacent solid portions 114 are spaced apart from each other in the width direction by a distance d1, and each solid portion 114 has a widthwise thickness t1. The distance d1 is the distance between the surfaces of adjacent solid portions 114 facing each other in the width direction on the inner surface of the inner wall portion 112, and is smaller than the diameter D of the head portion 131 of the fixing member 130, which will be described later. In other words, the distance d1 corresponds to the length of the first hollow portion 115 in the width direction.

[0027] In addition, end solid portions 117 are provided at both widthwise ends of the bottom wall 111 to separate it from the side walls 121. These end solid portions 117 at both ends are inclined inward in the widthwise direction relative to the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113. End hollow portions 118 are provided between the end solid portions 117 and the solid portions 114. The end solid portions 117 form a trapezoidal space in cross-sectional view. Note that, when the upper surface of the inner wall portion 112 is used as a reference, the distance between the end solid portion 117 and the adjacent solid portion 114 is also d1.

[0028] Furthermore, the inner wall 112 is provided with multiple markers 116 that indicate the insertion position of the shaft 132 of the fixing member 130. Each marker 116 is formed approximately at the center of the width of each hollow portion 115 and indicates the insertion position where the head 131 can bridge between adjacent solid portions 114 when the user inserts the fixing member 130. In this embodiment, the markers 116 are formed as linearly extending longitudinal grooves on the inner surface of the bottom wall 111. These grooves are slight depressions that do not affect the strength of the bottom wall 111. Note that the markers of the present invention may be formed in other shapes as long as they can be detected visually or tactilely by the user from the upper opening. For example, the markers may be dots, protrusions, ridges, letters, black lines, etc. Furthermore, the markers may be formed to have a width that indicates the widthwise range in which the fixing member can be inserted.

[0029] In the fixing wall of this embodiment, one fixing point is formed by a pair of adjacent solid portions 114, a portion of the inner wall portion 112 and a portion of the outer wall portion 113 located therebetween, and a hollow portion 115 formed therebetween. At this fixing point, the distance d1 between the pair of adjacent solid portions 114 is smaller than the diameter D of the head portion 131 of the fixing member 130. A plurality of fixing points are formed continuously in the width direction of the bottom wall 111. Each fixing point (fixing wall) is configured so that the shaft portion 132 of the fixing member 130 breaks through the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 located inside and outside the hollow portion 115 and is inserted into the installation surface, and the head portion 131 of the fixing member 130 presses the inner wall portion 112 from the inside, thereby fixing the fixing point to the installation surface. In addition, the area including the end hollow portion 118 between the end solid portion 117 and the adjacent solid portion 114 may also be interpreted as one of the fixing points (although the relative support strength is weaker due to the inclination of the end solid portion 117).

[0030] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a structure in which the bottom wall 111 (fixed wall) of the base body 110 is fixed to the installation surface using a fixing member 130. As shown in FIG. 6, the shaft 132 of the fixing member 130 is inserted into the bottom wall 111 so as to match the marker portion 116, thereby breaking through the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 from the inside surface to pass through the hollow portion 115, and its tip is embedded in the installation surface. At this time, the head portion 131 having a diameter D bridges between a pair of solid portions 114 spaced apart by a distance d1 smaller than the diameter D. The head portion 131 presses the inner surface of the bottom wall 111 with a strong force, but the pair of solid portions 114 are arranged vertically between the installation surface and the head portion 131. In other words, the pressing force from the head portion 131 is prevented from being concentrated only on the hollow portion 115, and the solid portions 114 support the head portion 131 from the installation surface side. As a result, the fixing members 130 fix the fixing points of the bottom wall 111 to the installation surface while preventing the hollow portion 115 from collapsing. Note that in FIG. 6, the fixing member 130 fixes the fixing point at the center in the width direction to the installation surface, but multiple fixing members 130 may be used to fix multiple fixing points to the installation surface. That is, by inserting multiple fixing members 130 into multiple fixing points in the width direction, respectively, the bottom wall 111 can be more firmly fixed to the installation surface. Alternatively, the user can select any one of the multiple fixing points based on the ease of driving the fixing member 130, thereby improving workability.

[0031] In the protective cover 100 of this embodiment, the side wall 121, which is a non-fixed wall, also has a hollow structure, similar to the bottom wall 111. The side wall 121 rises from the bottom wall 111 at a substantially right angle in a cross-sectional view, and extends in the height (rising) direction. As shown in Figure 5(b), the side wall 121 comprises a second inner wall portion 122 that forms the inner surface of the side wall 121, a second outer wall portion 123 that forms the outer surface of the side wall 121 and extends away from the second inner wall portion 122 toward the outer surface, a plurality of second solid portions 124 that extend in the longitudinal direction while connecting the second inner wall portion 122 and the second outer wall portion 123 in the inward and outward directions and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a second hollow portion 125 that extends in the longitudinal direction and is defined between adjacent second solid portions 124 in the vertical direction between the second inner wall portion 122 and the second outer wall portion 123.

[0032] In this embodiment, the second inner wall portion 122 and the second outer wall portion 123 extend parallel to each other, and multiple second solid portions 124 are perpendicular to the second inner wall portion 122 and the second outer wall portion 123. Each second solid portion 124 extends continuously along the longitudinal direction. The multiple second solid portions 124 are arranged at equal intervals in the height direction. Multiple second hollow portions 125 are provided in the height direction, corresponding to the number of pairs of adjacent second solid portions 124. These second hollow portions 125 form a rectangular space in cross section. As shown in FIG. 5(b), adjacent second solid portions 124 are spaced apart in the height direction by a distance d2, and each second solid portion 124 has a wall thickness t2 in the height direction. The distance d2 is the distance between the surfaces of adjacent second solid portions 124 facing each other in the height direction on the inner surface of the second inner wall portion 122. In other words, the distance d2 corresponds to the height of the second hollow portion 125. Here, the distance d2 between the second solid portions in the non-fixed wall is wider than the distance d1 between the adjacent solid portions 114 in the fixed wall. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the distance d2 between the second solid portions be larger than the diameter D of the head 131 of the fixing member 130. Furthermore, the thickness t1 of the solid portion 114 in the fixed wall is larger than the thickness t2 of the second solid portion 124 in the non-fixed wall. In other words, the hollow structure of the side wall 121 constituting the non-fixed wall is lighter but relatively weaker than the hollow structure of the bottom wall 111 constituting the fixed wall. In particular, since the side wall 121, which is not fixed to the installation surface, does not require as high structural strength as the bottom wall 111 as a fixed wall, it is preferable to reduce the amount of solid portions in the hollow structure and make it relatively lighter. This makes it possible to effectively reduce the weight of protective cover 100 while maintaining the strength required to fix protective cover 100.

[0033] The protective cover 100 of this embodiment also includes a coupling mechanism for coupling the base body 110 and the cover body 150. This coupling mechanism not only reliably couples the base body 110 and the cover body 150, but also facilitates separation of the base body 110 and the cover body 150 by a simple operation of tilting the pair of side walls 121 inward in the width direction, thereby enabling an easy separation operation. The coupling mechanism also allows the cover body 150 to be temporarily attached to the base body 110 while the opening of the base body 110 is open. By utilizing this temporary attachment, the work of storing wiring and piping materials can be improved. In other words, the protective cover 100 of this embodiment also solves the additional problem of improving the work of storing wiring and piping materials. The coupling mechanism will now be described.

[0034] 7(a), a pair of connecting pieces (an outer connecting piece 127 and an inner connecting piece 128) are provided at the tip of each of the pair of side walls 121. The outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128 are formed integrally with the side wall 121, and extend from the tip of the side wall 121, branching into two.

[0035] The outer connecting piece 127 extends substantially linearly in the height direction from the tip of the side wall 121 so as to be continuous with the side wall 121. A guide portion 127a is formed at the tip of the outer connecting piece 127. This guide portion 127a has its tip surface cut out obliquely so that the inner side in the width direction faces downward. That is, the guide portion 127a is an inclined surface facing diagonally upward in the width direction. Note that the guide portion 127a may be an arc-shaped curved surface facing diagonally upward in the width direction instead of an inclined surface. A temporary fixing portion 127b is provided below the guide portion 127a of the outer connecting piece 127. The temporary fixing portion 127b is formed in a claw shape by cutting out the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127 and has an engagement surface facing downward. Additionally, the outer connecting piece 127 is tapered below the engagement surface of the temporary fixing portion 127b, forming a space for arranging the locked portion 157 of the cover body 150. As will be described later, the temporary fixing portion 127b is configured to form a temporary fixing form (see FIGS. 14 and 15) by engaging with the locked portion 157 of the cover body 150.

[0036] The inner connecting piece 128 extends from the tip of the side wall 121 at an inclination inward in the width direction relative to the height direction. The inner connecting piece 128 extends in the longitudinal direction and is formed in a flat plate shape, and is therefore elastically deformable like a leaf spring. The inner connecting piece 128 extends opposite the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127 with a gap therebetween, and an insertion opening is formed between the tip of the inner connecting piece 128 and the tip of the outer connecting piece 127. As will be described later, the insertion opening allows the insertion piece 154 of the cover body 150 to be inserted between the inner connecting piece 128 and the side wall 121. Furthermore, because the inner connecting piece 128 is integrally connected to the side wall 121, it tilts with the same behavior or movement amount when the side wall 121 tilts.

[0037] The inner connecting piece 128 is integrally connected to the tip of the sidewall 121 and has an inclined portion 128a that extends diagonally upward toward the inside of the width direction, and a tip portion 128b that bends from the inclined portion 128a and extends approximately parallel to the inner surface of the sidewall 121. When a force is applied to the inner connecting piece 128, the inclined portion 128a elastically tilts preferentially within the inner connecting piece 128, allowing the tip portion 128b to displace or move inward or outward in the width direction. In particular, because the inclination angle of the inner connecting piece 128 with respect to a plane parallel to the inner surface of the sidewall 121 is acute, the inner connecting piece 128 is likely to elastically tilt toward or away from the outer connecting piece 127. Furthermore, the inner connecting piece 128 is thinner than the outer connecting piece 127, and therefore, when a force is applied to the inner connecting piece 128, the inclined portion 128a of the inner connecting piece 128 elastically tilts preferentially relative to the outer connecting piece 127. A locking portion 128c is provided on the outer surface (the surface on the outer side in the width direction) of the tip portion 128b of each inner connecting piece 128. The locking portion 128c protrudes outward in the width direction and forms an engagement surface facing downward. Furthermore, an inclined surface 128d facing diagonally upward outward in the width direction is formed adjacent to the locking portion 128c on its tip side.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7( b), guided portions 152 are formed near both widthwise ends of the cover body 150. These guided portions 152 are triangular convex strips in cross section and have inclined surfaces facing diagonally downward outward in the widthwise direction. The guided portions 152 are disposed at positions corresponding to the guiding portions 127 a in the widthwise direction. In other words, when the base body 110 and the cover body 150 are assembled, the guiding portions 127 a and the guided portions 152 are configured to abut against each other. As will be described later, the guiding portions 127 a and the guided portions 152 act to separate the base body 110 and the cover body 150 as the side walls 121 tilt inward in the widthwise direction. Note that the guided portions 152 may be arc-shaped curved surfaces facing diagonally downward outward in the widthwise direction instead of inclined surfaces.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7( b), the cover body 150 further includes a pair of insertion pieces 154 extending from the insertion opening so as to be inserted between the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128. Each insertion piece 154 is a protruding strip whose base end is integrally connected to the inner surface of the covering portion 151 and whose tip extends continuously in the longitudinal direction downward (toward the bottom wall 111). That is, each insertion piece 154 extends downward from the inner surface of the covering portion 151. Each of the pair of insertion pieces 154 is formed adjacent to the guided portion 152 on the inner side in the width direction and is positioned opposite the insertion opening on the base body 110 side in the up-down direction. That is, the outer connecting piece 127, the inner connecting piece 128, and the insertion piece 154 cooperate to firmly connect the base body 110 and the cover body 150 together in an easy and detachable manner.

[0040] The insertion piece 154 is an elastically deformable plate having a base end 155 extending downward integrally from the inner surface of the covering portion 151 and a tilting portion 156 provided at the tip side of the base end 155. The base end 155 extends substantially perpendicularly from the inner surface of the covering portion 151 so as to be substantially parallel to the inner surface of the side wall 121. The base end 155 is thinner than the covering portion 151 and therefore more susceptible to bending and deformation inward and outward in the width direction. The tilting portion 156 is integrally connected to the base end 155. In a cross-sectional view, the tilting portion 156 is formed so as to bend relative to the base end 155 and extend at an angle outward in the width direction toward the tip. In this embodiment, the tilting portion 156 extends substantially parallel to a portion (the inclined portion 128a) of the inner connecting piece 128. Furthermore, in accordance with the bending deformation of the base end portion 155 in the width direction, the tilting portion 156 can be displaced or tilted by a greater amount in the width direction inward and outward than the base end portion 155. Furthermore, when a force is applied to the tilting portion 156, the tilting portion 156 can be displaced so as to rotate or swing relative to the base end portion 155.

[0041] The insertion piece 154 also has a locking portion 157 near the boundary between the base end portion 155 and the tilting portion 156. In other words, the tilting portion 156 is formed closer to the tip than the locking portion 157. The locking portion 157 is formed on the inner surface (the surface on the inner side in the width direction) of the insertion piece 154. The locking portion 157 protrudes outward in the width direction and forms an engaged surface facing upward. The locking portion 157 is disposed opposite the locking portion 128c of the inner connecting piece 128. When the base body 110 and the cover body 150 are assembled, the locking portion 157 engages with the engaging surface of the locking portion 128c from below and is locked in the separating direction by the locking portion 128c. Note that the engagement position is defined as a position where the locking portion 128c and the locking portion 157 are aligned in the width direction and can engage with each other. On the other hand, the position where the locking portion 128c and the locked portion 157 are displaced in the width direction and do not engage with each other is defined as the non-engagement position.

[0042] Furthermore, the insertion piece 154 has an outer pressure contact portion 158 and an inner pressure contact portion 159 that are respectively in pressure contact with the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127 and the outer surface of the inner connecting piece 128 when disposed between the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128. The outer pressure contact portion 158 is formed on the outer surface of the tip of the tilting portion 156 and has a flat shape facing outward in the width direction. The outer pressure contact portion 158 has an abutment surface that extends approximately parallel to the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127 and is able to abut against the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127. On the other hand, the inner pressure contact portion 159 is located closer to the base end than the outer pressure contact portion 158 and is formed on the inner surface of the base end of the tilting portion 156 (or near the boundary between the base end portion 155 and the tilting portion 156). This inner pressure contact portion 159 is formed to protrude or bulge inward in the width direction from the base end portion 155. The inner pressure contact portion 159 is configured to be able to come into pressure contact with the outer surface of the tip portion 128 b of the inner connecting piece 128 .

[0043] Next, based on the explanation of the connecting mechanism, the protective cover 100 in an assembled state will be explained. As shown in Fig. 4, in the protective cover 100, the assembled state (full fixed form) of the base body 110 and the cover body 150 is maintained by the above-mentioned connecting mechanism. Specifically, the inner surfaces of the widthwise ends of the covering portion 151 of the cover body 150 abut against the tip surfaces of the pair of side walls 121 of the base body 110 along the longitudinal direction, and the base body 110 and the cover body 150 are fitted together with substantially no gap. In other words, the boundary between the base body 110 and the cover body 150 faces sideways, not upward.

[0044] When the protective cover 100 is in an assembled state, the guide portions 127a on the tip surfaces of the pair of side walls 121 (outer connecting pieces 127) and the guided portions 152 on both ends of the covering portion 151 abut against each other. That is, the base body 110 and the cover body 150 are connected via the inclined surfaces of the guide portions 127a and the guided portions 152. As will be described later, when the side walls 121 tilt inward in the width direction, these inclined surfaces act as sliding surfaces that guide the base body 110 in a direction away from the cover body 150.

[0045] On the widthwise inner side of these guiding portion 127a and guided portion 152, an insertion piece 154 is press-fitted into the space between the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128 as a connecting mechanism, and the lower surface of the locked portion 157 of the inner connecting piece 128 and the upper surface of the locked portion 157 of the insertion piece 154 face each other with a small gap between them. As a result, even if the cover body 150 moves in a direction away from the base body 110, the locked portion 157 is locked with the locking portion 128c, preventing the connection between the two from being released. In other words, the locking portion 128c of the base body 110 and the locked portion 157 of the cover body 150 are positioned at an engaging position where they can engage with each other in the vertical direction, thereby preventing separation of the base body 110 and the cover body 150.

[0046] The tip of the insertion piece 154 extends deep into the space, with the outer pressure contact portion 158 at the tip being in pressure contact with the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127, and the inner pressure contact portion 159 at its base end being in pressure contact with the outer surface of the inner connecting piece 128. That is, the outer pressure contact portion 158 and the inner pressure contact portion 159 are in pressure contact with the side wall 121 and the inner connecting piece 128, so that the insertion piece 154 is positioned in a tensioned state between the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128. This prevents the base body 110 and the cover body 150 from rattling each other and prevents a gap from opening between the base body 110 and the cover body 150. Furthermore, a pressure contact force is generated between the inner pressure contact portion 159 and the outer surface of the inner connecting piece 128 as a reaction force to the pressure contact force between the outer pressure contact portion 158 and the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127, causing the inner connecting piece 128 to be slightly deformed inward in the width direction. As a result, locking portion 128c and locked portion 157 are elastically biased toward an engaging position where they can engage with each other, preventing locked portion 157 and locking portion 128c from being disengaged. That is, in protective cover 100 of this embodiment, base body 110 and cover body 150 can be firmly connected together in the assembled state.

[0047] Next, the steps of assembling the base body 110 and the cover body 150 and the behavior of the connecting mechanism in each step will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0048] First, as shown in Fig. 8, in order to cover the opening of the base body 110 with the covering portion 151 of the cover body 150, the cover body 150 is brought close to the base body 110 so that both widthwise ends of the covering portion 151 are aligned with the tips of the pair of side walls 121. Then, the covering portion 151 is held approximately parallel to the bottom wall 111, and the tips of both insertion pieces 154 are inserted toward both insertion openings. At this time, even if the cover body 150 is shifted in the widthwise direction relative to the base body 110, the guide portions 127a at the tips of the side walls 121 and the inclined surfaces 128d at the tips of the inner connecting pieces 128 function to guide the insertion pieces 154 inwardly toward the insertion openings.

[0049] 9, the tip of the insertion piece 154 passes through the insertion opening, and the outer pressure contact portion 158 at the tip of the insertion piece 154 abuts against the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127, and the tilting portion 156 abuts against the inclined surface 128d of the inner connecting piece 128. Because the inclined surface 128d is approximately parallel to the inner surface of the tilting portion 156, the inclined surface 128d and the tilting portion 156 can move relative to each other so as to slide against each other. Then, because the opening width of the insertion opening is smaller than the width of the insertion piece 154 (the distance in the width direction between the outer pressure contact portion 158 and the inner pressure contact portion 159), the insertion piece 154 and the inner connecting piece 128 are both elastically deformed, and the insertion piece 154 is pushed deeper through the insertion opening.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 10 , when the insertion piece 154 is pushed further through the insertion opening, the inner connecting piece 128 elastically flexes inward in the width direction, and the insertion piece 154 flexes outward in the width direction. In particular, the inclined portion 128a of the inner connecting piece 128 flexes preferentially, causing the tip portion 128b and the locking portion 128c on the tip side thereof to tilt inward in the width direction more significantly. Furthermore, an elastic force is applied from the inner connecting piece 128 to the inner surface (inner pressure contact portion 159) of the tilting portion 156 of the insertion piece 154, causing the insertion piece 154 to flex outward in a similar manner. The base end portion 155 of the insertion piece 154 flexes preferentially, causing the tilting portion 156 on the tip side thereof to change its posture. In other words, the flexing of both the inner connecting piece 128 and the insertion piece 154 allows the insertion piece 154 to pass through the insertion opening relatively easily.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 11 , after the inner pressure contact portion 159 overcomes the inclined surface 128d, the inner connecting piece 128 and the insertion piece 154 partially elastically return to their original position. The locked portion 157 is then positioned adjacent to and directly below the locking portion 128c. In other words, as shown in FIG. 11 , the locking portion 128c and the locked portion 157 are positioned in an engagement position where they can engage with each other in the vertical direction. At this time, the inner connecting piece 128 and the insertion piece 154 are still flexibly deformed, so a pressure contact force is generated between the outer pressure contact portion 158 and the inner surface of the side wall 121, and a pressure contact force is also generated between the inner pressure contact portion 159 and the outer surface of the inner connecting piece 128. In other words, the pressure of the outer pressure contact portion 158 against the inner surface of the outer connecting piece 127 acts as a reaction force on the insertion piece 154, urging the locked portion 157 toward the engagement position directly below the locking portion 128c. 11, a gap facing to the side is formed between base body 110 and cover body 150. Then, by further pressing cover body 150 downward relative to base body 110 from the state shown in FIG. 11, locked portion 157 moves downward so as to be separated from locking portion 128c, and the inner surface of the outer edge of covering portion 151 (guided portion 152) comes into contact with the tip surface (guiding portion 127a) of side wall 121. As a result, the gap between base body 110 and cover body 150 is closed, and protective cover 100 in the assembled state shown in FIG. 4 is constructed.

[0052] Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the steps of separating the base body 110 and the cover body 150 and the behavior of the connecting mechanism in each step will be described.

[0053] First, to separate the cover body 150 from the base body 110, the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 121 of the base body 110 are pressed in opposite directions to bend and deform. As shown in FIG. 12 , when the pair of side walls 121 tilt inward in the width direction, the guided portions 152 on the inner surfaces of the covering portion 151 are guided by the guide portions 127a on the tip surfaces of the outer connecting pieces 127, and slide diagonally upward outward in the width direction relative to the outer connecting pieces 127. Furthermore, the tilting of the pair of side walls 121 presses the side edges of the covering portion 151 inward, causing the covering portion 151 to bend and deform as well. The covering portion 151 deforms into an arch shape such that the central portion in the width direction rises upward. Note that if the covering portion 151 is rigid, only the inserting pieces 154 may bend and deform without deforming the covering portion 151. Alternatively, both the covering portion 151 and the inserting pieces 154 may bend and deform. That is, as the side wall 121 is tilted, the guide portion 127a acts on the cover body 150 via the guided portion 152 to separate it from the base body 110. As the separation mechanism lifts the cover body 150 upward, the gap between the base body 110 and the cover body 150 widens, facilitating separation of the base body 110 and the cover body 150. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12 , the outer widthwise edge of the cover body 150 is exposed, forming a step for a finger to hook. Then, with the operator's finger hooked, the locking portion 128c and the locked portion 157 are in approximately the release position, allowing the cover body 150 to be easily separated from the base body 110. Alternatively, when a gap is created between the base body 110 and the cover body 150 by tilting the side wall 121 and then the force applied to the side wall 121 is released, the protective cover 100 elastically returns to the shape shown in FIG. 11 . At this time, the tension of the insertion piece 154 maintains a gap between the base body 110 and the cover body 150. That is, even in such a case, the separation operation can be easily performed by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver into the gap.

[0054] 12, as the pair of side walls 121 tilt inward in the width direction, the pair of inner connecting pieces 128 tilt inward in the width direction. Because the outer pressure contact portions 158 at the tips of the insertion pieces 154 are in pressure contact with the side walls 121, the side walls 121 press the tips of the insertion pieces 154 inward in the width direction. This pressing force causes the tilting portions 156 to change their posture so that the tips of the tilting portions 156 rotate inward relative to the base end portion 155. The change in posture of the tilting portions 156 reduces the amount of inward movement of the locked portions 157 and the inner pressure contact portions 159 at the base ends of the tilting portions 156. Furthermore, because the outer pressure contact portions 158 are located closer to the tips of the insertion pieces 154 than the inner pressure contact portions 159, the amount of inward movement of the inner pressure contact portions 159 (and the locked portions 157) in the width direction due to the tilting of the side walls 121 is smaller than the amount of movement of the outer pressure contact portions 158. The amount of inward movement in the width direction of the inner connecting piece 128 (and the locked portion 157) near the inner pressure contact portion 159 accompanying the tilting of the side wall 121 is greater than the amount of movement of the side wall 121 near the outer pressure contact portion 158 (corresponding to the amount of movement of the outer pressure contact portion 158). In other words, the amount of movement of the inner connecting piece 128 (and the locked portion 157) near the inner pressure contact portion 159 is greater than the amount of movement of the inner pressure contact portion 159 (and the locking portion 128c).

[0055] That is, as the side wall 121 tilts inward in the width direction, the cover body 150 is guided in the direction away from the base body 110, and the insertion piece 154 and the inner connecting piece 128 are displaced in directions away from each other. As a result, the pressure contact between the outer pressure contact portion 158 and the inner pressure contact portion 159 and the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128 is relaxed, and the locking portion 128c and the locked portion 157 are displaced in directions away from each other in the width direction (to the disengaged position). This releases or relaxes the engagement between the base body 110 and the cover body 150, making it easier to separate the base body 110 and the cover body 150 in the protective cover 100.

[0056] Then, by applying a force in the separating direction to cover body 150 when locking portion 128c and locked portion 157 are in the disengaged position, locked portion 157 moves upward past locking portion 128c, as shown in FIG. 13, and the engagement between locking portion 128c and locked portion 157 is completely released. Note that the force in the separating direction can be applied to cover body 150 by inserting a tool such as a screwdriver into the gap between base body 110 and cover body 150, or by gripping cover body 150 by hand. Furthermore, base body 110 and cover body 150 can be completely separated by lifting cover body 150 relative to base body 110 until insertion piece 154 is pulled upward through the insertion opening. Therefore, in the protective cover 100 of this embodiment, by a simple operation of pressing a pair of side walls 121 inward to cause them to bend and deform, the separation mechanism and the connecting mechanism work in cooperation, making it possible to easily separate the base body 110 and the cover body 150.

[0057] Furthermore, the connecting mechanism of the protective cover 100 of this embodiment makes it possible to temporarily fix the cover body 150 to the base body 110 by shifting the cover body 150 in the width direction and attaching it to the base body 110 with the opening of the base body 110 open upward. In other words, the cover body 150 can be assembled to the base body 110 by aligning one end of the base body 110 in the width direction with the other end of the cover body 150 in the width direction.

[0058] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a temporary fixing state in which the cover body 150 is temporarily fixed (temporarily held) to the base body 110. As shown in Fig. 14, in this temporary fixing state, the cover body 150 is assembled to the base body 110 fixed to the installation surface, and the opening of the base body 110 can be kept open upward.

[0059] 15 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the cover body 150 in the temporarily fixed state. As shown in FIG. 15, the inserting piece 154 of the cover body 150 is inserted between the outer connecting piece 127 and the inner connecting piece 128 so that the locked portion 157 of the inserting piece 154 faces the outer connecting piece 127. The locked portion 157 engages with the temporarily fixed portion 127b of the outer connecting piece 127. Specifically, the locked portion 157 is disposed opposite the temporarily locked portion 127c, and the upward-facing engaged surface of the locked portion 157 engages with the downward-facing engaging surface of the temporarily fixed portion 127b. This temporarily fixed state can be easily released by tilting the cover body 150 upward on the base body 110.

[0060] That is, by setting the protective cover 100 in the temporary fixing form, the user can perform the work of storing the wiring / piping material P in the base body 110 without having to grip the cover body 150 with his / her hand. Then, after storing the wiring / piping material P inside the base body 110, the user can remove the cover body 150 from the base body 110 and quickly move on to the permanent fixing work of closing the opening of the base body 110 with the cover body 150. Therefore, by using the temporary fixing form, the protective cover 100 of this embodiment can further improve the installation work of the wiring / piping material P.

[0061] The following describes the effects of the protective cover 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] According to the protective cover 100 of this embodiment, the bottom wall 111 forming the fixing wall has a hollow structure including an inner wall portion 112, an outer wall portion 113, a solid portion 114, and a hollow portion 115, and the shaft portion 132 of the fixing member 130 is inserted into the installation surface by breaking through the inner wall portion 112 and the outer wall portion 113 so as to penetrate the hollow portion 115, and the head portion 131 of the fixing member 130 is fixed to the installation surface by pressing the inner wall portion 112 from the inside. The distance d1 between adjacent solid portions 114 in the width direction is configured to be narrower than the diameter D of the head portion 131 pressing the inner wall portion 112. Therefore, when the shaft portion 132 of the fixing member 130 penetrates the hollow portion 115 of the bottom wall 111 and is driven into the installation surface, a part of the head portion 131 of the fixing member 130 abuts against the inner wall portion 112 above the adjacent solid portion 114. In other words, when the head 131 of the fixing member 130 presses the bottom wall 111 toward the installation surface, the force in the pressing direction is prevented from being concentrated only on the hollow portion 115, and the solid portion 114 supports the head 131 of the fixing member 130 from the installation surface side. This makes it possible to fix the bottom wall 111 to the installation surface with the fixing member 130 in a state where the hollow portion 115 is prevented from being crushed. Therefore, the protective cover 100 of this embodiment can be fixed to the installation surface via the hollow bottom wall 111 without crushing the hollow portion 115 and without reducing the structural strength.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various embodiments and modifications are possible. Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the other embodiments and modifications, components designated by three digits that share the same last two digits have the same or similar characteristics unless otherwise specified, and some of the description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] (1) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can take various forms. In the above embodiment, a hollow structure is provided only in the base body of the protective cover, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the cover body may also have a hollow structure. Furthermore, the cover body may have either or both of the fixed wall and non-fixed wall of the present invention. For example, if a hollow fixed wall is provided in the covering portion of the cover body, the cover body can be fixed to an installation surface such as a ceiling via the fixed wall of the covering portion, and then a base body that holds wiring and piping materials can be attached to the cover body.

[0065] (2) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. In the above embodiment, the fixing wall is provided only on the bottom wall of the base body, but the present invention is not limited to this, and fixing walls may be provided at multiple locations on the protective cover. For example, a first fixing wall may be formed on the bottom wall of the base body, and a second fixing wall may be formed on the covering portion of the cover body facing it. Forming fixing walls at opposing locations in this manner is convenient and preferable. Alternatively, fixing walls may be formed in an L-shape at two locations: the bottom wall (or covering portion) and the side wall.

[0066] (3) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may take various forms. In the above-described embodiment, the protective cover is configured such that the base body has a bottom wall (fixed wall) and side walls. However, the base body may have a structure in which the side walls are omitted. For example, the protective cover 200 shown in FIG. 16 is configured from a plate-shaped base body 210 and a U-shaped cover body 250 that opens downward. The base body 210 and the cover body 250 are assembled together by engaging connecting portions 219 provided at both widthwise ends of the base body 210 with connecting portions 216 provided at both widthwise ends of the cover body 250. The fixed wall 211 constituting the base body 210 includes an inner wall portion 212, an outer wall portion 213 extending outward from the inner wall portion 212 at a distance, a plurality of solid portions 214 extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the inner wall portion 212 and the outer wall portion 213 in the inward-outward direction and spaced apart from one another in the width direction, and a hollow portion 215 extending in the longitudinal direction and defined between adjacent solid portions 214 in the width direction. The fixed wall 211 is provided with fixing points where the spacing between adjacent solid portions 214 in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head of a fixing member that presses against the inner wall portion 212. That is, similar to the above embodiment, the protective cover 200 can be fixed to the installation surface via the hollow fixed wall 211 without reducing the structural strength and without crushing the hollow portion 215.

[0067] (4) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. In the above embodiment, multiple fixing points are provided continuously across the width of the fixed wall (bottom wall), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the protective cover 300 of FIG. 17 , the fixed wall 311 includes an inner wall portion 312, an outer wall portion 313, multiple solid portions 314, and multiple hollow portions 315. Only the central pair of adjacent solid portions 314 forms a fixing point where the spacing between adjacent solid portions 314 in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head of the fixing member pressing against the inner wall portion 312. On the other hand, in the protective cover 400 of FIG. 18 , the fixed wall 411 includes an inner wall portion 412, an outer wall portion 413, multiple solid portions 414, and multiple hollow portions 415. Of the multiple pairs of adjacent solid portions 414, only the pairs at both ends form fixed portions where the distance between adjacent solid portions 414 in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head of the fixing member that presses against the inner wall portion 412. In other words, it is sufficient for the fixed wall to have fixed portions in at least a portion thereof, and the configuration (e.g., position and number) thereof may be changed as desired.

[0068] (5) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. In the above embodiment, the fixed wall is provided on the bottom wall of the base body, but the present invention is not limited to this. The fixed wall may be provided on the side wall and the non-fixed wall may be provided on the bottom wall. Furthermore, the non-fixed wall does not have to have a hollow structure.

[0069] (6) The protective cover of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may take various forms. In the above-described embodiment, the protective cover is exemplified as a straight cover extending in the longitudinal direction, but the concept also includes covered joints such as elbows, tees, couplings, and flanges. In this case, the direction in which the wiring or piping material to be housed extends is the longitudinal direction, and the fixed wall may extend in a bent or crossed manner. Alternatively, the protective cover may be capable of housing at least the wiring or piping material, and may be partially open, or the base body and cover body may be integrally molded.

[0070] (7) The protective cover of the present invention is expressed as follows with respect to the connecting mechanism having the temporary fixing portion of the above embodiment: Note that the corresponding symbols are shown in parentheses. A protective cover (100) comprising a first divided body (110) and a second divided body (150) detachably assembled together in the vertical direction, The first divided body includes a bottom wall (111) and a pair of side walls (121) extending upward from both sides of the bottom wall in the width direction. the second divided body includes a covering portion (151) facing the bottom wall and extending between the pair of side walls, the first divided body and the second divided body are respectively provided with a pair of locking portions (128c) and a pair of locked portions (157) that restrict separation between the first divided body and the second divided body in a fully fixed assembled state in which the opening between the pair of side walls is closed by the covering portion, The first divided body is provided with a temporary fixing portion (127b) that faces the opposite side in the width direction from the locking portion and that can lock the locked portion, A protective cover characterized in that the temporary fixed state in which the first divided body and the second divided body are assembled so as to open the opening between the pair of side walls can be maintained by engaging the temporary fixed portion and the locked portion.

[0071] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be implemented in various forms within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 100 Protective Cover 110 Base body 111 Bottom wall (fixed wall) 112 Inner wall 113 Exterior wall 114 Solid part 115 Hollow part 116 Landmark 117 Solid end 118 Hollow end 121 Side wall (non-fixed wall) 122 Second inner wall 123 Second outer wall section 124 Second solid section 125 2nd hollow part 127 Outer connection piece 127a Information Department 127b Temporary fixing part 128 Inner connection piece 128a Slope area 128b Tip part 128c Locking part 128d sloped surface 130 Fixing member 131 Head 132 Shaft 150 Cover body 151 Covering part 151a Positioning groove 152 Guided part 154 Insert 155 Proximal end 156 Tilt part 157 Locked part 158 Outer pressure welding part 159 Inner pressure welding part

Claims

1. A protective cover that houses and protects wiring and piping materials extending in the longitudinal direction, a longitudinally extending fixing wall fixed to the laying surface by one or more fixing members having a head and a stem; The fixed wall is an inner wall portion that forms the inner surface of the fixed wall; an outer wall portion that forms an outer surface of the fixed wall and extends outwardly from the inner wall portion at a distance; a plurality of solid portions extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion in the inward and outward directions and arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a hollow portion extending in the longitudinal direction, the hollow portion being defined between the solid portions adjacent in the width direction between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion; The fixing wall is configured so that the shaft portion of the fixing member penetrates the hollow portion, breaks through the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, and is inserted into the laying surface, and the head portion of the fixing member presses the inner wall portion from the inside, thereby fixing the fixing wall to the laying surface; A protective cover characterized in that at least a portion of the fixed wall is provided with a fixing point where the spacing between adjacent solid portions in the width direction is narrower than the diameter of the head portion pressing against the inner wall portion.

2. 2. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall portion is provided with a marking portion that indicates the insertion position of the shaft portion, allowing the head portion to bridge between adjacent solid portions when the fixing member is inserted.

3. a non-fixed wall extending in the longitudinal direction and rising from the fixed wall; The non-fixed wall is a second inner wall portion that forms the inner surface of the non-fixed wall; a second outer wall portion that forms an outer surface of the non-fixed wall and extends outwardly from the second inner wall portion at a distance; a plurality of second solid portions extending in the longitudinal direction while connecting the second inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion in the inward / outward direction and arranged spaced apart from each other in the rising direction; a second hollow portion extending in a longitudinal direction and defined between the second solid portions adjacent to each other in a rising direction between the second inner wall portion and the second outer wall portion, 2. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein the interval between adjacent second solid portions in the rising direction is wider than the interval between adjacent solid portions of the fixed wall in the width direction.

4. 4. The protective cover according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the solid portion of the fixed wall in the width direction is greater than the thickness of the second solid portion of the non-fixed wall in the rising direction.

5. 5. The protective cover according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fixing points are formed in the width direction of the fixing wall, the spacing between adjacent solid portions in the width direction being narrower than the diameter of the head portion that presses against the inner wall portion.

Images