Sheet fastener

Abstract

To provide a sheet fastener that, even when having high fitting strength, can easily and firmly clamp a sheet-like object and be fixed to a pipe member.SOLUTION: A sheet fastener 1 comprises: a main body portion 2 that forms a first opening portion in which a part of a cylindrical peripheral wall is opened along an axial direction; a temporary fixing portion 3 that has a second opening portion in which a part of a cylindrical peripheral wall is opened along the axial direction and that has an axial length shorter than that of the main body portion; and an introduction portion 4 that is disposed between the main body portion 2 and the temporary fixing portion 3, has a third opening portion 41 in which a part of a cylindrical peripheral wall is opened along the axial direction, and has an opening width wider than that of the first opening portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener for fixing a sheet-like material to a pipe member, and more particularly to a sheet fastener for fixing a sheet-like material to a pipe member that forms the framework of a facility such as a greenhouse. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A so-called vinyl greenhouse used for agricultural and horticultural purposes is a simple greenhouse made by connecting pipe members to form an assembly and covering this with a sheet-like cover made of synthetic resin.

[0003] Since the sheet-like covering is likely to be blown away by wind if it is simply placed over the assembly, it is necessary to secure it to the assembly by some means. For this reason, various sheet fasteners have been devised.

[0004] The film mounting fixture shown in Patent Document 1 below is one example, and this invention provides a sheet fastener that has a shape in which a part of the peripheral wall of a cylinder is cut out in the axial direction to form an opening, and a sheet-like material and a pipe member are introduced through the opening, and the inner surface of the main body sandwiches the sheet-like material and fits into the pipe member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5567993 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with this conventional sheet fastener, the sheet fastener is pressed against the pipe member covering the sheet-like material along the opening, and then fitted in. Therefore, the force required to fit the sheet fastener increases in proportion to the fitting strength of the sheet fastener. To prevent the sheet-like material from shifting or the sheet fastener from falling off due to external forces such as wind, a sheet fastener with high fitting strength is required, but a considerable force is required to fit it in, which reduces workability.

[0007] It has also been proposed to provide an introduction section near the longitudinal end of the sheet fastener, gradually widening the distance between the opening ends to make it easier to fit the end, but this does not improve workability because the contact area at the end is limited and unstable, and the force required for fitting remains proportional to the fitting strength.

[0008] The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a sheet fastener that can be easily and firmly attached to a pipe member while clamping a sheet-like material, even if the sheet fastener has high fitting strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the sheet fastener of the present invention is a sheet fastener for fixing a sheet-like material to a pipe member by sandwiching the sheet-like material and fitting it into the pipe member, and is characterized in that it comprises: a main body portion having a first opening formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction; a temporary fastening portion having a second opening by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a shorter axial length than the main body portion; and an introduction portion arranged between the main body portion and the temporary fastening portion, having a third opening by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a wider opening width than the first opening, and the first opening, second opening and third opening are continuous in the axial direction.

[0010] In addition, the method of fixing a sheet-like material to a pipe member according to the present invention comprises a first step of arranging the sheet-like material along the axial direction of the pipe member, a second step of sandwiching the sheet-like material between the pipe member and attaching only the temporary fastening portion to the pipe member through the second opening, and a third step of inserting and fitting the pipe member, with the sheet-like material sandwiched between the pipe member and the introduction portion through the third opening and the main body portion through the first opening.

[0011] The sheet-like material is placed along the axial direction of the pipe member, and only the temporary fastening portion is fitted to the pipe member with the sheet-like material sandwiched therebetween to create a temporary fixed state. After the temporary fastening, the main body portion is fitted to the pipe member through the introduction portion, and the pipe member is inserted into the sheet fastener with the sheet-like material sandwiched therebetween, thereby fixing the sheet-like material to the pipe member.

[0012] By temporarily fixing only the temporary fastening portion to the pipe, the temporary fastening portion acts as a fulcrum when fitting the main body portion into the pipe member, and therefore, using the principle of leverage, a large force can be applied to the main body portion with a small force, making it possible to easily fit the main body portion into the pipe.

[0013] The lead-in portion is configured so that the distance between the opposing open ends increases as the lead-in portion moves from the main body portion toward the temporary fastening portion, facilitating the fitting of the main body portion to the pipe member. Therefore, even if the fitting strength of the main body portion is high, the sheet fastener of the present invention can be easily fitted into the pipe member from the lead-in portion.

[0014] Furthermore, because the main body and temporary fixing parts have independent structures due to the introduction part, the fitting strength of the temporary fixing parts can be made different from the fitting strength of the main body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a sheet fastener according to the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a front view of the sheet fastener shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view of the temporary fastening portion side of the sheet fastener shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of the temporary fastening portion side in a fixed state. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing one embodiment of a side view of the temporary fastening portion side in a temporarily fixed state. [Figure 6] 2 is a side view of the main body side of the sheet fastener shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views at positions AA and BB corresponding to the end of the introduction portion shown in Fig. 2. (a) is a cross-sectional view at position AA showing the end on the temporary fixing portion side. (b) is a cross-sectional view at position BB showing the end on the main body portion side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sheet fastener shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views taken at positions CC and DD in FIG. 2. (a) is a cross-sectional view of the main body at position CC. (b) is a cross-sectional view of the main body at position DD. [Figure 10] 3 is an explanatory view showing how a ring member is attached to the sheet fastener shown in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the position DD when the ring member is attached. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the sheet fastener shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 8. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a temporarily fixed state of the sheet fastener according to the present invention. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a fixed state of a main body of the sheet fastener according to the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a side view of the main body side in a fixed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a sheet fastener 1 according to the present invention. The sheet fastener 1 in this embodiment comprises a main body 2 having a first opening 21 formed by opening a portion of a cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction, a temporary fastening portion 3 having a second opening 31 formed by opening a portion of a cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a shorter axial length than the main body 2, and an introduction portion 4 disposed between the main body 2 and the temporary fastening portion 3 and having a third opening 41 formed by opening a portion of a cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a wider opening width than the first opening 21, and the first opening 21, second opening 31, and third opening 41 are continuous in the axial direction.

[0018] 2 is a front view of the sheet fastener 1 according to the present invention. In the sheet fastener 1 of this embodiment, the main body 2, temporary fastening portion 3, and introduction portion 4 are integrally formed.

[0019] 3 is a side view of the temporary fastening part 3 side of the sheet fastener 1. The inner diameter of the cylindrical space 32 of the temporary fastening part 3 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe member 7 covering the sheet-like material 6. This makes it possible to reliably sandwich the sheet-like material 6 and fit it into the pipe member 7.

[0020] Furthermore, the width of the second opening 31, i.e., the distance between both opening ends of the second opening 31, is smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe member 7 to which the sheet fastener 1 is to be attached. As a result, by pressing the temporary fastening part 3 against the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 so that part of the second opening 31 abuts against the pipe member 7, the temporary fastening part 3 elastically deforms so that the gap between the opening ends increases, and the pipe member 7 and the sheet-like material 6 are guided into the hollow part 32 within the temporary fastening part 3, and the elastic force of the opening ends trying to return to their original state fixes the sheet fastener 1 to the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6, as shown in FIG.

[0021] In this embodiment, the opening end of the second opening 31 of the temporary fastening portion 3 is provided with a fitting assisting portion 33 for facilitating the fitting operation to the pipe member 7. The fitting assisting portion 33 has an inclined surface 331 formed by inclining the inner wall surface at the opening end of the temporary fastening portion 3 so that the inner wall surface (i.e., the inner surface of the fitting assisting portion 33) in that direction forms an arc. This allows the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 to be easily fitted into the temporary fastening portion 3, and in the third step in which the main body 2 of the sheet fastener 1 is fitted into the pipe member 7 with the sheet-like material 6 sandwiched between them, as shown in Fig. 5, at least a part of the inclined surface 331 comes into contact with the pipe member 7 with the sheet-like material 6 sandwiched between them, so that it can serve as a fulcrum and a role in suppressing misalignment between the sheet-like material 6 and the pipe member 7 when the main body 2 is fitted.

[0022] 6 is a side view of the main body 2 side of the sheet fastener 1. The inner diameter of the cylindrical space 22 of the main body 2 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe member 7 covering the sheet-like material 6. This makes it possible to reliably sandwich the sheet-like material 6 and fit the pipe member 7 in place.

[0023] Furthermore, the width of the first opening 21, i.e., the distance between both opening ends of the first opening 21, is narrower than the distance between both opening ends of the second opening 31 of the temporary fastening part 3. This provides a higher holding force for the fitting strength after fitting the pipe than the temporary fastening part 3, and even when a force greater than the fitting strength of the temporary fastening part 3 is applied, as long as the force does not exceed the holding force of the main body part 2, the sheet fastener 1 can be prevented from falling off.

[0024] In this embodiment, a fitting assisting portion 25 is formed at the open end of the first opening 21 of the main body 2 to facilitate the fitting operation of the pipe member 7. The fitting assisting portion 25 has an inner wall surface at the open end of the main body 2, which is an inclined surface 251 inclined so that the opposing inner wall surface (i.e., the inner surface of the fitting assisting portion 25) forms an arc. This allows the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 to be easily fitted into the main body 2.

[0025] 7A and 7B are views showing the end of the introduction portion 4 of the sheet fastener 1, and are cross-sectional views taken at positions AA and BB shown in Fig. 2. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken at position AA showing the end on the temporary fastening portion 3 side, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken at position BB showing the end on the main body portion 2 side. The inner diameter of the cylindrical space 42 of the introduction part 4 is set to be approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe member 7 covering the sheet-like material 6. This makes it possible to reliably sandwich the sheet-like material 6 and fit it into the pipe member 7.

[0026] Furthermore, the width of the third opening 41, i.e., the distance between both opening ends of the third opening 41, is wider than the distance between both opening ends of the first opening 21 and the second opening 31. This makes it possible to individually set the fitting strength between the main body 2 and the temporary fastening portion 3. In the embodiment, the shape of the third opening 41 is structured so that the distance between both opening ends becomes wider as it approaches the temporary fastening portion 3, but any shape may be used as long as it is a structure that allows the fitting strength between the main body 2 and the temporary fastening portion 3 to be individually set.

[0027] Figure 8 is a plan view of the sheet fastener 1. On the side of the main body 2 opposite the first opening 21, i.e., on the upper side in Figure 2, a thick portion 24 is formed in the longitudinal direction of the main body 2, which prevents both longitudinal ends of the main body 2 from warping away from the pipe member 7 that holds them.

[0028] Furthermore, on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 2, grooves 27 extending in the circumferential direction are formed at a plurality of locations (two locations in this embodiment).

[0029] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines CC and DD in Figure 2. (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in the main body 2 at the position where the thick-walled portion 24 is formed, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD at the position where the groove 27 is formed.

[0030] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how a ring member is attached to the groove 27. A ring member 5 having a shape that can be fitted into the groove 27 is fitted into the groove 27. In this embodiment, the ring member 5 is made of stainless steel and is formed by cutting a portion of the ring-shaped peripheral wall. The inner diameter of the ring member 5 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the groove 27. As a result, the main body 2 of the sheet fastener 1 is first fitted into the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6, and then the ring member 5 is fitted into the groove 27 of the main body 2. As a result, the inner peripheral wall surface of the ring member 5 presses the outer surface of the groove 27 radially inward of the main body 2, allowing the sheet fastener 1 to more firmly grip the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6. Although the ring member 5 is fitted to the sheet fastener 1 after it has been fitted to the pipe member 7, the ring member 5 may be fitted to the sheet fastener 1 before the sheet fastener 1 is fitted to the pipe member 7. Also, the ring member 5 may be integrally formed with the sheet fastener 1.

[0031] 11 is a diagram showing a cross section at position DD when the ring member 5 is attached to the sheet fastener 1. In this embodiment, the ring member 5 is attached with a thickness equal to the depth of the groove 27, but the ring member 5 may have any thickness as long as it can be pressed radially inward of the cylindrical body 2.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, the shape of the ring member 5 is an arc shape so as to fit along the outer periphery of the sheet fastener 1, but it may be a shape other than an arc as long as it can be pressed radially inward of the cylindrical main body portion 2.

[0033] Figure 12 is a bottom view of the sheet fastener 1. A plurality of protruding ribs 23 extending in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer surface (outer peripheral surface) of the sheet fastener 1. This improves the strength of the sheet fastener 1 and increases the biasing force that presses against the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6, making it possible to more reliably sandwich the sheet-like material 6 and grip the pipe member 7, preventing the sheet-like material 6 from slipping. The shape, width, number, etc. of the protruding ribs 23 can be changed as appropriate depending on the required performance.

[0034] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view at position EE shown in Figure 8. At the longitudinal ends of the main body 2 and the temporary fastening portion 3, small spaces 26, 34 are formed between the sheet fastener 1 and the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6. By forming these spaces 26, 34, when removing the sheet fastener 1 fitted to the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6, a tool such as a screwdriver can be inserted into these spaces 26, 34 and forced open, making the sheet fastener 1 removal operation easy.

[0035] FIG. 14 shows an example of a temporary fixing state of the sheet fastener 1 according to the present invention. In the first step, a sheet-like material 6 is placed along the axial direction of a pipe member 7. In the second step, with the sheet-like material 6 placed on the pipe member 7, the temporary fixing portion 3 is pressed against the pipe member 7 from the sheet-like material 6 side while tilted, so that the pipe member 7 is inserted into a part of the temporary fixing portion 3, resulting in a temporary fixing state with an inclination. In this embodiment, the temporary fixing is performed with an inclination, but the temporary fixing may be performed in any state as long as only the temporary fixing portion 3 can be fitted into the pipe member 7.

[0036] FIG. 15 shows an example of a fixed state of the sheet fastener 1 according to the present invention. From the temporarily fixed state, the main body 2 is pressed toward the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6. The fitting assisting portion 25 elastically deforms the main body 2 to widen the gap between the open ends, and the pipe member 7 and the sheet-like material 6 are guided into the hollow portion 22 within the main body 2. The elastically deformed main body 2 returns to its original shape as the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 fits into the hollow portion 22. This allows the sheet fastener 1 to be fitted into the pipe member 7 with the sheet-like material 6 sandwiched between them and firmly fixed. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, the main body 2 elastically presses the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 radially inward, thereby firmly fixing the sheet-like material 6 between the outer surface of the pipe member 7 and the cylindrical inner circumferential surface of the main body 2 of the fastener 1.

[0037] In addition, as for the temporary fastening portion 3, when the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 is fitted into the hollow portion 22 and at the same time the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 is fitted into the hollow portion 32, the elastically deformed temporary fastening portion 3 returns to its original shape, and the temporary fastening portion 3 is fitted and fixed to the pipe member 7 with the sheet-like material 6 sandwiched between them. In other words, the temporary fastening portion 3 elastically presses the pipe member 7 covered with the sheet-like material 6 radially inward of the pipe member 7, and as shown in Fig. 4, the sheet-like material 6 is fixed between the outer surface of the pipe member 7 and the cylindrical inner circumferential surface of the temporary fastening portion 3 of the fastener 1.

[0038] The sheet fastener 1 is made of polypropylene. However, the material for forming the sheet fastener 1 is not limited to this. As long as it is elastically deformable enough to allow the pipe member 7 to be pushed through each opening, it may be made of polyethylene, ABS resin, AAS resin, ASA resin, polyacetal resin, polyester resin, elastomer, rubber, or an appropriate combination thereof. Alternatively, other synthetic resin materials, metals, or any other materials may be used as long as they are elastically deformable. Furthermore, in the sheet fastener 1, the main body 2, temporary fixing portion 3, and insertion portion 4 are integrally formed, but the sheet fastener 1 may also be formed by forming each portion from different materials and connecting them together.

[0039] The above describes the sheet fastener 1 according to the present invention by illustrating several embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes can be made to the shape and other aspects without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Seat fastener 2 Main body 21 First opening 22 Cavity 3 Temporary fastening part 31 Second Opening 32 Cavity 4 Introduction 41 Third Opening 5 Ring member 6 Sheet-like objects 7 Pipe members

Claims

1. A sheet fastener for fixing a sheet-like material to a pipe member by sandwiching the sheet-like material and fitting it into the pipe member, comprising: a main body portion having a first opening formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction; a temporary fastening portion having a second opening formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a shorter axial length than the main body portion; and an introduction portion arranged between the main body portion and the temporary fastening portion, having a third opening formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and having a wider opening width than the first opening, wherein the first opening, second opening and third opening are continuous in the axial direction.

2. 2. The sheet fastener according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the opposing open ends of the introduction portion increases as the introduction portion moves from the main body portion toward the temporary fastening portion.

3. 3. The sheet fastener according to claim 1, wherein a pressing member for pressing inward is attached to the peripheral wall of the main body.

4. A method for fixing a sheet-like material comprising a pipe member, a sheet-like material, and a sheet fastener, wherein the sheet fastener has a main body portion having a first opening (21) formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction, and a temporary fastening portion having a second opening (31) formed by opening a portion of the cylindrical peripheral wall along the axial direction and positioned axially away from the main body portion, the method comprising: a first step of placing the sheet-like material along the axial direction of the pipe member; a second step of attaching only the temporary fastening portion to the pipe member with the sheet-like material sandwiched between them; and a third step of fitting the main body portion of the sheet fastener, which was fitted into the pipe member in the second step, into the pipe member with the sheet-like material sandwiched between them, wherein in the second step, the sheet fastener is attached with its axial direction inclined relative to the axial direction of the pipe member.

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