Equipment housing case

Abstract

In an equipment housing case with a hinged cover that opens and closes an opening, this invention simultaneously solves two conflicting problems: improving the aesthetic design of the case's exterior and allowing the opening to be wide when the cover is released. [Solution] The hinge 4 includes an elongated hinge hole 29 provided in the case body 1, and a hinge pin 30 that is rotatably and slidably supported in the hinge hole 29. The hinge hole 29 has a front end holding portion 45 and a rear end holding portion 47, and when held by these holding portions 45 and 47, the hinge pin 30 is unable to slide back and forth but is rotatable. By holding the hinge pin 30 in the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 can be closed. With the hinge pin 30 held in the front end holding portion 45 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 can be opened by swinging the cover 3 upward with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an equipment housing case that includes a case body having an opening on the front surface and a cover for opening and closing the opening, and houses electrical equipment and the like inside.

Background Art

[0002] This type of equipment housing case is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1 (Title of Invention: Interlock Device for Switchboard), the equipment housing case includes a switchboard (case body) having an opening on the front surface, a door (cover) that swings open and closes the opening, and a pair of upper and lower flat hinges (hinges) that support the door so as to be swingable. The flat hinges are provided on the outer surface side where the switchboard and the door are adjacent on the right side surface of the equipment housing case. According to the flat hinges provided outside the equipment housing case in this way, when opening the opening, the swing base end side does not interfere with the switchboard, and the door can be swung largely with respect to the switchboard, and the door can be moved away from the front of the opening, so that the operation and maintenance of the equipment housed without the door becoming an obstacle can be performed. However, since the flat hinges are exposed on the outer surface, it is inevitable that the appearance is impaired, which is disadvantageous when it is desired to improve the designability of the equipment housing case.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 2 (Title of Invention: Lid Opening and Closing Mechanism and Electronic Equipment), the housing (equipment housing case) is composed of a housing body (case body) having an opening (opening), a lid member (cover) for opening and closing the opening, and a hinge composed of a shaft body and a bearing hole. The hinge is provided on the inner side of the housing at a portion where the housing body and the lid member are adjacent. According to the hinge provided inside in this way, the designability of the housing body can be improved without the hinge being exposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0005] As described in Patent Document 2, while hinges provided inside the housing have an advantage over those described in Patent Document 1 in that they can improve the design of the housing, their structure means that the housing body and the lid member are always in close proximity. Therefore, when the lid member is swung to open the opening, the pivot end of the lid member interferes with the housing body, making it difficult to secure enough swing to fully open the opening. As a result, even when the lid member is swung, it remains within the forward projection area of ​​the opening, preventing the opening from being fully opened. This makes this type of equipment housing case inconvenient, as the lid member gets in the way and hinders the operation and maintenance of the housed equipment.

[0006] The present invention aims to simultaneously solve two conflicting problems in an equipment housing case in which a cover that opens and closes an opening is supported by a hinge: improving the design of the exterior of the case and widening the opening when the cover is released. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to an equipment housing case comprising a rectangular box-shaped case body 1 having an opening 2 on its front, a cover 3 for opening and closing the opening 2, and a pair of left and right hinges 4, 4 that support the cover 3, wherein the cover 3 is supported by the hinges 4, 4 so as to be able to change its orientation between a closed position that closes the opening 2 and an open position that opens the opening 2. Each hinge 4 is provided on the upper part of the inner surface of the case body 1 and includes a hinge hole 29 formed in the shape of an elongated hole in the front-rear direction, a hinge pin 30 extending in the left-right direction that is rotatably supported in the hinge hole 29 and slidable in the front-rear direction, and a pin bracket 31 provided on the rear surface of the cover 3 and equipped with the hinge pin 30. The hinge hole 29 includes a front end holding portion 45 formed on the front side and a rear end holding portion 47 formed on the rear side, and in the state held by these front and rear end holding portions 45, 47, the hinge pin 30 is not able to slide back and forth but is rotatable. Then, by holding the hinge pin 30 in the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is in a closed position, and by swinging the cover 3 upward with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point while the hinge pin 30 is held in the front end holding portion 45 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is configured to be in an open position. An overlapping piece 20 is provided at the lower end of the cover 3, which covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 of the case body 1. Between the lower wall 9 and the overlapping piece 20, there is a locking part 65 that engages when the cover 3 is in a closed position, restricting the forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking part 65 is composed of an engaging projection 66 provided on either the lower wall 9 or the overlapping piece 20 and projecting toward the other side, and an engaging recess 67 provided on the other side into which the engaging projection 66 engages. It is characterized by being present.

[0008] The pin bracket 31 consists of a long, vertical plate-like body, and a hinge pin 30 is provided near the rear end of the pin bracket 31, away from the cover 3. The movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 is configured to intersect with the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 when the cover 3 swings with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point. The upper wall 8 of the case body 1 is provided with a slit 56 that is cut out from the front end toward the rear in the part that interferes with the movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 when the cover 3 swings. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pin bracket 31 is inside the slit 56.

[0009] The hinge 4 includes a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall 8 of the case body 1, which defines the slit 56, when the cover 3 is in the open position, thereby holding the cover 3 in the open position. The locking body 32 consists of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31, and a locking claw 60 that protrudes in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm 59.

[0010] The hinge hole 29 has a semi-circular rear arc surface 37 which is the inner surface of the rear hole that constitutes the rear end holding portion 47, and a rear guide surface 41 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29 that slopes downward toward the front, continuous with the rear arc surface 37.

[0011] The hinge hole 29 has a semi-circular front arc surface 36 which is the inner surface of the front hole that constitutes the front end holding portion 45. The front and rear arc surfaces 36 and 37 are formed with the same arc radius, and their arc centers are formed at the same height position. A front guide surface 40 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, which is continuous with the front arc surface 36 and slopes downward toward the lower end of the rear guide surface 41. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the present invention, an equipment housing case comprises a case body 1 having an opening 2 and a cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2, wherein the cover 3 is supported by hinges 4-4 so as to be able to change its position between a closed position that closes the opening 2 and an open position that opens the opening 2. The hinge pin 30 constituting the hinge 4 is supported so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-rear direction in a hinge hole 29 provided on the upper part of the inner surface of the case body 1, while being held in a way that prevents front-rear sliding at the front end holding portion 45 and the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29. Furthermore, by holding the hinge pin 30 in the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is in the closed position, and by swinging the cover 3 upward with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point while the hinge pin 30 is held in the front end holding portion 45 of the hinge hole 29, the cover 3 is configured to be in the open position. With the equipment housing case configured as described above, the cover 3 can be changed from a closed position to an open position by pulling the cover 3 forward from the closed position to move the hinge pin 30 from the rear end holding part 47 to the front end holding part 45, and then swinging the cover 3 upward with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point. Conversely, by the reverse procedure, swinging the cover 3 downward while the hinge pin 30 is held by the front end holding part 45, and then pushing the cover 3 backward so that the hinge pin 30 moves from the front end holding part 45 to the rear end holding part 47, the cover 3 can be changed from an open position to a closed position.

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pair of hinges 4-4 are housed inside the space enclosed by the case body 1 and the cover 3, so that the appearance of the equipment housing case is not spoiled by the hinges 4 being exposed to the outside. Furthermore, when opening the opening 2, the cover 3 is displaced forward from the closed position, and the cover 3 is separated from the case body 1. Since the cover 3 swings in this separated state from the case body 1, interference between the cover 3 and the case body 1 during the swing of the cover 3 is suppressed, and the amount of swing of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1 can be increased. As described above, according to the present invention, in an equipment housing case in which a cover 3 that opens and closes an opening 2 is supported by hinges 4, it is possible to simultaneously solve two conflicting problems: improving the design of the exterior of the case and opening the opening 2 widely forward when the cover is opened.

[0014] An overlapping piece 20 is provided at the lower end of the cover 3, which covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 of the case body 1. A locking part 65 is provided between the lower wall 9 and the overlapping piece 20, which engages when the cover 3 is in a closed position and restricts the forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking part 65 can be configured as an engaging projection 66 provided on either the lower wall 9 or the overlapping piece 20 and projecting toward the other side, and an engaging recess 67 provided on the other side with which the engaging projection 66 engages. With this configuration, when the cover 3 is in a closed position, its upper side is held by the rear end holding part 47 and its lower side is held by the locking part 65 relative to the case body 1, so that the cover 3 does not inadvertently shift forward due to earthquake tremors or contact with other objects, and the opening 2 can always be properly closed with the cover 3.

[0015] The pin bracket 31 consists of a long, vertical plate-like body, and a hinge pin 30 is provided near the rear end of the pin bracket 31, away from the cover 3. The movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 is configured to intersect with the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 when the cover 3 swings with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point. The upper wall 8 of the case body 1 can be provided with a slit 56 cut out from the front end towards the rear in the part that interferes with the movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 when the cover 3 swings. This allows for a compact configuration of the pin bracket 31 while preventing interference between the pin bracket 31 and the upper wall 8 when the cover 3 swings, thus eliminating the need for the pin bracket 31 to occupy a large vertical space and contributing to a larger volume of storage space in the equipment housing case. The width dimension of the slit 56 is approximately the thickness of the pin bracket 31, so the design of the case is not significantly impaired by the slit 56. Furthermore, when the cover 3 is in a closed position, if the pin bracket 31 is inside the slit 56, it is possible to prevent the formation of a through-hole in the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 that communicates with the inside of the equipment housing case. This prevents dust and other debris from entering the inside of the equipment housing case, thereby preventing malfunctions caused by dust and other debris in the housed equipment.

[0016] If the hinge 4 is equipped with a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 defining the slit 56 when the cover 3 is changed to the open position, the cover 3 can be held in the open position, making it easy to operate and maintain the housed equipment. Furthermore, if the locking body 32 is composed of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31, and a locking claw 60 that protrudes in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm 59, then by using a part of the pin bracket 31 as the locking arm 59 and providing the locking claw 60 on the locking arm 59, the structure of the hinge 4 can be simplified without the need to provide a separate dedicated component.

[0017] The hinge hole 29 has a semi-circular rear arc surface 37 which is the inner surface of the rear hole that constitutes the rear end holding portion 47. If a rear guide surface 41 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, which is continuous with the rear arc surface 37 and slopes downward toward the front, then when the cover 3 is pulled forward and the holding of the hinge pin 30 by the rear end holding portion 47 is released, the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41, and the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front, so that the cover 3 can be pulled out with light force during this time. In the case of a locking portion 65 consisting of interlocking grooves, when the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front, the overlapping piece 20 that covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 separates from the lower wall 9, and the engaged state of the locking portion 65 is released. Therefore, when the upper position holding of the cover 3 in the closed position is released, the lower position holding is automatically released, so the trouble of individually releasing the upper and lower position holding is eliminated, and the operation of opening the cover 3 is simplified.

[0018] The hinge hole 29 has a semi-circular front arc surface 36 which is the inner surface of the front hole that constitutes the front end holding portion 45. The front and rear arc surfaces 36 and 37 are formed with the same arc radius, and their arc centers are formed at the same height position. If a front guide surface 40 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, which is continuous with the front arc surface 36 and slopes downward toward the lower end of the rear guide surface 41, then when the cover 3 is pushed backward and the holding of the hinge pin 30 by the front end holding portion 45 is released, the hinge pin 30 slides down the front guide surface 40, causing the cover 3 to move diagonally downward to the rear, so that the posture can be changed to the closed position with light operating force. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 5, showing the main part of the equipment housing case according to the present invention, with the cover in the open position. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the entire device housing case. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the equipment housing case. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 5 when the cover is in the closed position. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional plan view of the hinge structure when the cover is in the closed position. [Figure 6] It is a sectional view taken along line B - B in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory view showing the operation of pulling out the cover in the cover opening procedure. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory view showing the operation of swinging the cover in the cover opening procedure. [Figure 9] It is a front view showing the state where the cover is open.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 9 show an embodiment of an equipment storage case according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the front - rear, left - right, and up - down directions follow the cross - arrows shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 and the front - rear, left - right, and up - down indications marked near each arrow. In FIG. 2, the equipment storage case includes a box body having an accommodation space inside, a case body 1 in the shape of a horizontally long and flat rectangular box in the front - rear direction, and a cover 3 that opens and closes an opening 2 formed on the front surface of the case body 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 3 is supported by a pair of left - right hinges 4·4 arranged inside the equipment storage case so that its posture can be changed.

[0021] In FIG. 2, the case body 1 includes a horizontally long rectangular rear wall 7, an upper wall 8, a lower wall 9, a left side wall 10, and a right side wall 11 that extend forward from the four - peripheral edges of the rear wall 7. The upper wall 8 and the left - right side walls 10·11 are formed with substantially the same front - rear dimension, and the front - lower corners of the left - right side walls 10·11 are rounded. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower wall 9 is formed with a front - rear dimension that is approximately half of that of the upper wall 8. The opening 2 in this embodiment is formed over the entire front surface and the front - half portion of the lower surface of the case body 1. At the front - end portions of the left - right center of the lower wall 9, there are provided recesses 12 that are recessed upward to receive overlapping pieces 20 described later (see FIG. 9).

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the cover 3 is composed of a roughly L-shaped plate that, in a side view, matches the front edge to the front half of the lower edge of the case body 1, and comprises a front cover wall 14 that closes the opening 2 corresponding to the front of the case body 1, and a lower cover wall 15 that closes the opening 2 corresponding to the bottom surface of the case body 1. The boundary between the two cover walls 14 and 15 is rounded to match the front lower corners of the left and right side walls 10 and 11. The opening 2 is opened and closed by changing the position of the cover 3, which is supported by a pair of hinges 4 and 4, from a closed position that closes the opening 2 as shown in Figure 3, to an open position that is swung around a horizontal axis from the closed position as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the front lid wall 14 has a stepped surface 16 formed in a recess facing backward, with a width dimension of more than half the width dimension of the left and right sides of the wall 14. The stepped surface 16 is provided to enhance the design of the equipment housing case and to reinforce the cover 3. The stepped surface 16 has a horizontally elongated rectangular exposed through-hole 17 in its central portion, and below the exposed through-hole 17, there is a mounting through-hole 18 consisting of a round hole. The stepped surface 16 extends to the upper end of the front lid wall 14, and the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 is provided with a receiving recess 19 to receive the front lid wall 14 portion of the stepped surface 16. When the opening 2 is closed by the cover 3, the front edges of the upper wall 8, the lower wall 9, and the left and right side walls 10 and 11 are in contact with the rear surfaces of the four periphery edges of the cover 3. The rear edge of the lower lid wall 15 (the lower end of the cover 3) is provided with an overlapping piece 20 that covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 when the cover 3 is in the closed position. The overlapping piece 20 of the cover 3, which is in a closed position, is housed in the recess 12 and does not protrude to the outside of the lower wall 9, so that the lower surface of the case body 1 is formed to give a flat impression.

[0024] For example, when using the equipment housing case of this embodiment as a housing case for equipment that monitors and operates in-store equipment (freezers, refrigerators, display cases, etc.) in a supermarket, the housing space enclosed by the case body 1 and the cover 3 houses a communication device 22 that handles communication with communication equipment mounted on the in-store equipment, and a control device 23 having a touch panel display, as shown in Figure 3. The control device 23 is fixed to the back surface of the cover 3 with its display facing the exposed through-hole 17. Reference numeral 24 denotes an alarm lamp that is attached to the mounting through-hole 18 and emits light to indicate abnormalities, etc., that the control device 23 emits. These devices 22 to 24 are electrically connected by cables (not shown).

[0025] The pair of hinges 4-4 have different configurations for the left and right sides. Here, we will describe the right hinge 4 located between the right wall 11 and the cover 3, and will omit the description of the left hinge 4 located between the left wall 10 and the cover 3. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the hinge 4 is provided on the upper inner surface of the right wall 11 (upper inner surface of the case body 1) and includes a hinge hole 29 formed in the elongated shape in the front-to-back direction, a hinge pin 30 extending in the left-to-right direction and supported so as to be rotatable and slidable in the front-to-back direction in the hinge hole 29, a pin bracket 31 provided on the rear surface of the cover 3 with the hinge pin 30 located near the rear end away from the cover 3, and a locking body 32 that holds the open cover 3 in place. The hinge pin 30 is composed of a round shaft protruding to the right from the right side of the pin bracket 31.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, a hole block 35, which has an outer shape slightly larger than the hinge hole 29, is projected to the left from the inner surface of the right side wall 11, and the hinge hole 29 is recessed to the right from the left side of the hole block 35. In Figure 4, the hinge hole 29 is composed of a semi-circular front arc surface 36 that constitutes the inner surface of the front hole, a semi-circular rear arc surface 37 that constitutes the inner surface of the rear hole, an upper hole surface 38 that connects the front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 on the upper side, and a lower hole surface 39 that connects the front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 on the lower side. The front arc surface 36 and the rear arc surface 37 are formed as semi-circular surfaces with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the hinge pin 30.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the arc centers of the front and rear arc surfaces 36 and 37 are formed at the same height, and the upper surface of the hole 38 is formed as a horizontal surface. The lower surface of the hole 39 is composed of a front guide surface 40 that slopes downward toward the rear, continuous with the front arc surface 36, and a rear guide surface 41 that slopes downward toward the front, continuous with the rear arc surface 37, and the lower ends of the inclinations of the front and rear guide surfaces 40 and 41 are smoothly continuous. The boundary between the front guide surface 40 and the rear guide surface 41 is near the rear arc surface 37, and the vertical dimension of the hinge hole 29 is largest at the boundary between the front guide surface 40 and the rear guide surface 41. The front guide surface 40 is inclined at approximately 5 degrees relative to the horizontal, and the rear guide surface 41 is inclined at approximately 45 degrees relative to the horizontal.

[0028] A front restricting projection 44 is provided projecting upward at the boundary between the front arc surface 36 and the front guide surface 40. The vertical gap between the front restricting projection 44 and the upper surface 38 of the hole is smaller than the diameter of the hinge pin 30. The hinge pin 30 moves forward through the hinge hole 29, overcomes the front restricting projection 44, and is caught by the front arc surface 36. The rearward movement of the hinge pin 30 is then restricted by the front restricting projection 44, and the position is held by the front arc surface 36 and the front restricting projection 44 (see Figure 1). The front arc surface 36 and the front restricting projection 44 constitute a front end holding portion 45 that holds the hinge pin 30 in place at the front end of the hinge hole 29.

[0029] A rear restricting projection 46 is provided projecting upward from the boundary between the rear arc surface 37 and the rear guide surface 41. The vertical gap between the rear restricting projection 46 and the upper surface 38 of the hole is smaller than the diameter of the hinge pin 30. The hinge pin 30 moves backward through the hinge hole 29, overcomes the rear restricting projection 46, and is caught by the rear arc surface 37. Its forward movement is then restricted by the rear restricting projection 46, and its position is held by the rear arc surface 37 and the rear restricting projection 46 (see Figure 4). The rear arc surface 37 and the rear restricting projection 46 constitute a rear end holding portion 47 that holds the hinge pin 30 in place at the rear end of the hinge hole 29.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the pin bracket 31 consists of a vertical plate-like body that is long in the front-rear direction, and a hinge pin 30 is provided protruding to the right at the rear end of the pin bracket 31, that is, at a position away from the cover 3. The pin bracket 31 can be formed integrally with the cover 3, but in this embodiment, the pin bracket 31 is constructed separately from the cover 3. The pin bracket 31 has an integral fixing frame 51 for fixing to the cover 3, and the fixing frame 51 is equipped with a guide pin 52 for positioning the pin bracket 31 relative to the cover 3. The fixing frame 51 has a U-shaped cross-section and is provided on the left front end of the pin bracket 31, and the guide pin 52 is provided protruding forward from the inner surface of the fixing frame 51.

[0031] On the rear surface of the cover 3, a screw boss 53 for fixing the pin bracket 31 and a guide boss 54 into which the guide pin 52 is fitted are provided protruding backward. The pin bracket 31 is fixed to the cover 3 by fitting the guide pin 52 into the guide boss 54 and fastening it by screwing a fixing screw 55 into the screw boss 53 via the fixing frame 51. In this way, both the upper and lower edges of the fixing frame 51 are in close contact with the rear surface of the cover 3 (see Figure 3), and with the guide pin 52 positioned by the guide boss 54, the cover 3 and the pin bracket 31 are integrally fixed by the fixing screw 55.

[0032] The movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 during the swinging of the cover 3, which is supported by a pair of hinges 4, 4, is configured to intersect with the upper wall 8 of the case body 1, and a slit 56 is provided in the portion where the swinging trajectory of the pin bracket 31 interferes with the upper wall 8. The slit 56 is formed as a notch extending backward from the front edge of the upper wall 8, and the width dimension of the slit 56 is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness dimension of the pin bracket 31. When the cover 3 is in the closed position, the upper edge of the pin bracket 31 enters the slit 56 and closes the slit 56. Furthermore, the pin bracket 31 enters the slit 56 within the thickness dimension of the upper wall 8, and the pin bracket 31 does not protrude above the upper surface of the upper wall 8. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the upper wall 8 and the upper end surface of the pin bracket 31 are configured to be substantially flush, thereby avoiding the impression that the upper surface of the case body 1 is recessed in the slit 56 portion. Furthermore, a slit 56 is also formed in the left hinge 4, and a pair of left and right slits 56-56 are formed in the upper wall 8.

[0033] A locking body 32 is provided to maintain the posture of the cover 3 when its posture is changed to the open position. As shown in Figure 1, the locking body 32 consists of a locking arm 59 that is elastically deformable in the left-right direction and a locking claw 60 that protrudes to the right from the tip of the locking arm 59. The locking arm 59 is integrally formed with the pin bracket 31. Specifically, the pin bracket 31 is provided with a U-shaped through hole 61, and a part of the pin bracket 31 is defined by this through hole 61 as a cantilevered locking arm 59. As shown in Figure 6, the left side of the locking arm 59 is shaved down to make it thinner than the pin bracket 31, so that when the locking arm 59 is elastically deformed to the left (in the direction of retraction into the through hole 61), the locking arm 59 does not protrude from the left side of the pin bracket 31, and the protruding tip of the locking claw 60 can deform until it is flush with the right side of the pin bracket 31. When the cover 3 is changed to the open position, the locking claw 60 catches (engages) with the right inner surface of the upper wall 8 that defines the slit 56, thereby maintaining the position. The locking claw 60 is provided with a guide surface 62 that contacts the slit 56 when the cover 3 swings to the open position, causing the locking arm 59 to elastically deform in the retraction direction.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, a locking portion 65 is provided between the lower wall 9 of the case body 1 and the overlapping piece 20 of the cover 3, which engages when the cover 3 is in a closed position and restricts the forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. The locking portion 65 consists of an engaging projection 66 provided on the overlapping piece 20 and projecting toward the lower wall 9, and an engaging recess 67 provided on the lower wall 9 into which the engaging projection 66 engages. When the cover 3 is in a closed position, the hinge pin 30 is held by the rear end holding portion 47 of the hinge hole 29, and furthermore, the engaging projection 66 and the engaging recess 67 of the locking portion 65 are engaged in a concave-concave-concave configuration. As a result, the cover 3 is held in a closed position by the upper pair of hinges 4·4 and the lower locking portion 65. The locking portion 65 may also be configured such that the engaging projection 66 is provided on the lower wall 9 projecting toward the overlapping piece 20, and the engaging recess 67 is provided on the overlapping piece 20 into which the engaging projection 66 engages.

[0035] The procedure for opening the cover 3 will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. First, when you hook your fingertip onto the upper end of the cover 3 and pull it towards you, the upper part of the cover 3 will swing forward, pivoting on the point where the lower end of the cover 3 contacts the lower wall 9 (see Figure 7(a)). When the hinge pin 30 overcomes the rear restricting projection 46 due to the swing of the cover 3, the cover 3 moves downward towards you due to its own weight, as the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41. In conjunction with this movement, the engaging projection 66 moves downward against the engaging recess 67, releasing the engagement between the recess and the cover. With the position holding of the rear end holding part 47 and the engagement of the locking part 65 released, the cover 3 is temporarily held in place with the hinge pin 30 received at the boundary between the front and rear guide surfaces 40 and 41 (see Figure 7(b)).

[0036] Next, by holding the left and right sides of the front cover wall 14 with both hands and pulling the entire cover 3 towards you, the hinge pin 30 is guided by the hinge hole 29, and the cover 3 is pulled forward until finally the hinge pin 30 overcomes the front regulating projection 44 and is held in place by the front end holding part 45 (see Figure 7(c)). From this state, swinging the lower end of the cover 3 upward with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point (see Figure 8(a)), and swinging it further causes the lock arm 59 to elastically deform, and the lock claw 60 overcomes the upper wall 8 that defines the slit 56. At this time, the guide surface 62 formed on the lock claw 60 comes into contact with the upper wall 8, forcing the lock arm 59 to elastically deform, and when the lock claw 60 overcomes the upper wall 8, the elastic deformation of the lock arm 59 is released and it returns to its original position. Furthermore, even after the locking claw 60 has moved over the upper wall 8, the cover 3 can still be swung until the upper end of the cover 3 contacts the upper wall 8.

[0037] Next, when the swinging force of cover 3 is released, cover 3 attempts to swing in the opposite direction due to its own weight, but the swing is stopped when the locking claw 60 is received by the inner surface of the upper wall 8, and cover 3 is held in the open position (see Figure 8(b)). This opens the opening 2, and maintenance of each housed device 22-24 can be performed in this state. In this embodiment, cover 3 is configured to swing approximately 135 degrees clockwise from a state where it is pulled out towards the front and the hinge pin 30 is held by the front end holding part 45 when viewed from the right side. When cover 3 is in the open position, the entire opening 2 is exposed when viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, reference numeral 70 denotes a screw for attaching the rear wall 7 to the wall when fixing the device housing case to the wall. The screws 70 are provided at the four corners of the rear wall 7.

[0038] When maintenance is complete and the cover 3 is to be returned to the closed position, first, with the cover 3 in place, the locking arms 59-59 are elastically deformed with the fingertips so that both locking claws 60-60 can move over the upper wall 8, and retract into the through hole 61. This releases the locking claws 60 from the upper wall 8, allowing the cover 3 to swing towards the front, and the cover 3 is swung downward until the front lid wall 14 is vertical (see Figure 7(c)). After the locking claws 60 have passed through the slit 56, it is not a problem to release the elastic deformation of the locking arms 59. Next, the left and right sides of the front lid wall 14 are held with both hands, and the entire cover 3 is pushed backward to release the position holding of the hinge pin 30 by the front end holding part 45, and the cover 3 is moved backward (see Figure 7(b)). At this time, the hinge pin 30 is received by the front guide surface 40 which slopes downward toward the rear and slides backward, so the cover 3 can be slid with relatively little force.

[0039] After the hinge pin 30 slides to the boundary between the front and rear guide surfaces 40 and 41, the entire cover 3 is pushed further rearward. As the hinge pin 30 is guided by the rear guide surface 41, the cover 3 moves diagonally backward while rising. During this diagonal movement of the cover 3, the engaging projection 66 approaches the engaging recess 67, thus establishing the engagement state of both 66 and 67. After the locking portion 65 is engaged, pushing the upper end of the front cover wall 14 backward causes the hinge pin 30 to overcome the rear regulating projection 46 and be held in place by the rear end holding portion 47. In this state, the cover 3 is held in the closed position.

[0040] As described above, with the equipment housing case of this embodiment, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, the pair of hinges 4-4 are housed inside the space enclosed by the case body 1 and the cover 3, so that the appearance of the equipment housing case is not spoiled by the hinges 4 being exposed to the outside. Furthermore, when opening the opening 2, the cover 3 is displaced forward from the closed position and swings while separated from the case body 1, so that interference between the cover 3 and the case body 1 during the swing of the cover 3 can be avoided as much as possible, and a large amount of swing of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1 can be secured. Accordingly, with this embodiment, in an equipment housing case in which the cover 3 that opens and closes the opening 2 is supported by hinges 4, it is possible to simultaneously solve two conflicting problems: improving the design of the exterior of the case and opening the opening 2 widely forward when the cover is opened.

[0041] The pin bracket 31 is constructed as a long, vertical plate-like body, and a slit 56 is provided in the upper wall 8 portion that interferes with the movement trajectory of the pin bracket 31 when the cover 3 swings with the hinge pin 30 as the pivot point, with a notch formed extending from the front end towards the rear. This allows the pin bracket 31 to be constructed compactly while preventing interference between the pin bracket 31 and the upper wall 8 when the cover 3 swings. Consequently, the need for the pin bracket 31 to occupy a large vertical space is eliminated, contributing to a larger volume of storage space in the equipment housing case. The width of the slit 56 is approximately the thickness of the pin bracket 31, so the design of the case is not significantly impaired by the slit 56. Furthermore, when the cover 3 is in a closed position, the pin bracket 31 is configured to enter the slit 56, preventing the formation of a through-hole in the upper wall 8 of the case body 1 that communicates with the inside of the equipment housing case. This prevents dust and other debris from entering the inside of the equipment housing case, thus preventing malfunctions caused by dust and other debris in the housed equipment.

[0042] The hinge 4 is equipped with a locking body 32 that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall 8 of the case body 1, which defines the slit 56, when the cover 3 is changed to the open position, thereby holding the cover 3 in the open position. This allows the cover 3 to be held in the open position, making it easy to operate and maintain the housed equipment. Furthermore, the locking body 32 is composed of a cantilevered locking arm 59 defined by a U-shaped through hole 61 opened in the pin bracket 31, and a locking claw 60 that protrudes in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm 59. By using a part of the pin bracket 31 as the locking arm 59 and providing the locking claw 60 on the locking arm 59, there is no need to provide a separate dedicated component, and the structure of the hinge 4 can be simplified.

[0043] An overlapping piece 20 is provided that covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 of the case body 1. A locking part 65 is formed by an engaging projection 66 on the overlapping piece 20 and an engaging recess 67 on the lower wall 9, thereby restricting the forward movement of the cover 3 relative to the case body 1. As a result, when the cover 3 is in the closed position, its upper side is held by the rear end holding part 47 and its lower side is held by the locking part 65 relative to the case body 1. Therefore, the cover 3 is prevented from unintentionally shifting forward due to earthquake tremors or contact with other objects, and the opening 2 can always be properly closed with the cover 3.

[0044] Since a rear guide surface 41 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, which slopes downward toward the front and is continuous with the rear arc surface 37, when the cover 3 is pulled forward and the hinge pin 30 is released from being held by the rear end holding part 47, the hinge pin 30 slides down the rear guide surface 41, and the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front. As a result, the cover 3 can be pulled out with light force while the hinge pin 30 is sliding down the rear guide surface 41. Also, when the cover 3 moves diagonally downward toward the front, the overlapping piece 20 that covers the outer surface of the lower wall 9 separates from the lower wall 9, and the engagement state of the locking part 65, which consists of a grooved engagement, is released. Therefore, when the upper position holding of the cover 3 in the closed position is released, the lower position holding is automatically released, so the trouble of individually releasing the upper and lower position holding is eliminated, and the operation of opening the cover 3 is simplified.

[0045] The front and rear arc surfaces 36 and 37 are formed with the same arc radius, and their arc centers are formed at the same height position. A front guide surface 40 is formed on the lower surface 39 of the hinge hole 29, which is continuous with the front arc surface 36 and slopes downward toward the lower end of the rear guide surface 41. As a result, when the cover 3 is pushed backward and the hinge pin 30 is released from being held by the front end holding part 45, the hinge pin 30 slides down the front guide surface 40, causing the cover 3 to move diagonally downward to the rear, so that the posture can be changed to the closed position with light operating force.

[0046] The shapes of the case body 1 and cover 3 in this invention are not limited to those shown in the embodiments. The equipment housed inside is also not limited to those shown in the embodiments. If a touch panel type control device 23 and an alarm lamp 24 are not required, it is also possible to use a cover 3 in which the exposure hole 17 and mounting hole 18 are not opened. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1 Case body 2 aperture 3 Cover 4 hinges 8 Upper wall 9 Lower wall 20 overlapping pieces 29 hinge holes 30 hinge pins 31-pin bracket 32 Lock Body 36 Front arc surface 37 Rear circular arc surface 40 Front guide surface 41 Rear guide surface 45 Front end holding part 47 Rear end holding part 56 slits 59 Lock Arm 60 Locking claws 61 Through hole 65 Locking part 66 Engagement protrusion 67 Engagement recess

Claims

1. The case comprises a rectangular box-shaped case body (1) having an opening (2) on the front, a cover (3) for opening and closing the opening (2), and a pair of left and right hinges (4, 4) that support the cover (3). An equipment housing case in which the cover (3) is supported by hinges (4,4) so ​​as to be able to change its position between a closed position that closes the opening (2) and an open position that opens the opening (2), Each hinge (4) includes a hinge hole (29) provided on the upper part of the inner surface of the case body (1) and formed in the shape of an elongated hole in the front-to-back direction, a hinge pin (30) extending in the left-to-right direction that is rotatably supported in the hinge hole (29) and slidably in the front-to-back direction, and a pin bracket (31) provided on the rear surface of the cover (3) and equipped with the hinge pin (30). The hinge hole (29) comprises a front end retaining portion (45) formed on the front side and a rear end retaining portion (47) formed on the rear side. When held by these front and rear end retaining portions (45 and 47), the hinge pin (30) is unable to slide back and forth, but is rotatable. By holding the hinge pin (30) in the rear end retaining portion (47) of the hinge hole (29), the cover (3) is placed in a closed position. With the hinge pin (30) held in the front end holding portion (45) of the hinge hole (29), the cover (3) is swung upward with the hinge pin (30) as the pivot point, thereby causing the cover (3) to be in an open position. The lower end of the cover (3) is provided with an overlapping piece (20) that covers the outer surface of the lower wall (9) of the case body (1). A locking mechanism (65) is provided between the lower wall (9) and the overlapping piece (20) that engages when the cover (3) is in a closed position, thereby restricting the forward movement of the cover (3) relative to the case body (1). The equipment housing case is characterized in that the locking portion (65) is provided on either the lower wall (9) or the overlapping piece (20) and comprises an engaging projection (66) that protrudes toward the other side, and an engaging recess (67) provided on the other side into which the engaging projection (66) engages.

2. The pin bracket (31) consists of a long, vertical plate-like body, and a hinge pin (30) is provided near the rear end of the pin bracket (31), separated from the cover (3). The movement trajectory of the pin bracket (31) is configured to intersect with the upper wall (8) of the case body (1) when the cover (3) swings with the hinge pin (30) as the pivot point. The upper wall (8) of the case body (1) is provided with a slit (56) that is cut out from the front end towards the rear in a place that interferes with the movement trajectory of the pin bracket (31) when the cover (3) swings. When the cover (3) is in the closed position, the pin bracket (31) is inside the slit (56), The hinge (4) includes a locking body (32) that engages with the inner surface of the upper wall (8) of the case body (1) that defines the slit (56) when the cover (3) is in the open position, thereby holding the cover (3) in the open position. The equipment housing case according to claim 1, wherein the locking body (32) comprises a cantilevered locking arm (59) defined by a U-shaped through hole (61) opened in the pin bracket (31), and a locking claw (60) protruding in either the left or right direction near the tip of the locking arm (59).

3. The hinge hole (29) has a semicircular rear arc surface (37) which is the inner surface of the rear hole that constitutes the rear end holding portion (47), The equipment housing case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rear guide surface (41) is formed on the lower surface (39) of the hinge hole (29) and is continuous with the rear arc surface (37) and slopes downward toward the front.

4. The hinge hole (29) has a semi-circular front arc surface (36) which is the inner surface of the front hole that constitutes the front end holding portion (45), The front and rear arc surfaces (36 and 37) are formed with the same arc radius, and their arc centers are formed at the same height position. The equipment housing case according to claim 3, wherein a front guide surface (40) is formed on the lower surface (39) of the hinge hole (29), and is continuous with the front arc surface (36) and slopes downward toward the lower end of the inclined rear guide surface (41).

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