BOX, connection parts, mounting nuts, and connection method

Abstract

To provide a BOX, a connection member, a mounting nut, and a connection method with improved assembly efficiency and reduced space for wiring.SOLUTION: A BOX includes an enclosure 11, which has an opening 152, and a first mating portion 151 around the opening 152, and a connection member 40, which has a second connection portion 401, which mates with the first mating portion, and an insertion portion 402, which is inserted into the opening, and is used to connect the enclosure 11 to another enclosure 11. The insertion portion 402 of the connection member 40 is in the form of a bolt and is fixed to the enclosure inside the enclosure 11 by attaching and rotating a mounting nut 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a BOX that houses electric components and the like, a connection member for connecting such BOXes, a mounting nut, and a connection method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a configuration in which electrical components are housed in a waterproof box, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1. When a plurality of electrical components are housed in a plurality of boxes, and the boxes are connected, in the configuration of Non-Patent Document 1, wiring is performed using a conduit or the like. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Plastic boxes, waterproof and dustproof, resin boxes, outdoor enclosures, [online], [searched on July 15, 2020], Internet〈URL:https: / / www.takachi-el.co.jp / main_cat / waterproof_plastic_boxes〉 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Non-Patent Document 1, multiple boxes are connected by wiring through conduits, which results in poor assembly efficiency and requires wiring space outside the boxes.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a BOX, a connection member, a mounting nut, and a connection method that improves assembly efficiency and reduces the wiring space outside the BOX. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The BOX of the present invention comprises a housing having an opening and a first fitting portion around the opening, a second fitting portion that fits into the first fitting portion, and a connecting member having an insertion portion that is inserted into the opening, for connecting the housing to another housing, and the insertion portion of the connecting member is fixed to the housing inside the housing.

[0007] In this way, in the BOX of the present invention, the second fitting portion (e.g., convex portion) of the connection member fits into the first fitting portion (e.g., concave portion) of the housing. This makes it possible to easily position the connection member, improving assembly efficiency. Also, the insertion portion of the connection member is inserted into an opening of the housing and fixed inside the housing. Therefore, the BOX of the present invention can connect multiple BOXes without using wiring through a conduit, eliminating the need for wiring space outside the BOX.

[0008] The BOX may include a waterproof packing disposed between the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion, thereby making the BOX waterproof.

[0009] The insertion portion may be fixed by being hooked onto a groove or the like in the housing. Alternatively, the BOX may include a mounting member for fixing the insertion portion inside the housing.

[0010] The mounting member may be wedge-shaped, but may also be a mounting nut that is attached to and detached from the insertion portion by rotation.

[0011] When a mounting nut is used, it is preferable that at least one surface of the housing is a removable lid, and the mounting nut has an abutment portion that abuts against the lid when the mounting nut is fixed to the insertion portion, thereby preventing the mounting nut from loosening when the lid is closed.

[0012] The connection member may also be integrated with another housing. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve assembly efficiency when connecting a plurality of BOXes and reduce the wiring space outside the BOXes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of two boxes arranged side by side. [Diagram 2] 2A is a front view of the connection portion 15, and FIG. 2B is a front view of the connection member 40. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are perspective views showing a connection method for attaching a new BOX 1 to a BOX 1 to which a connection member 40 has already been attached. [Figure 4] 4(A) and 4(B) are perspective views showing a connection method for attaching a new BOX 1 to a BOX 1 to which a connection member 40 has already been attached. [Diagram 5] 5(A) is a front view of the mounting nut 20, and FIG. 5(B) is a front view of the connecting member 40. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6(A) is a perspective view of the mounting nut 20, FIG. 6(B) is a perspective view of the connecting member 40, and FIG. 6(C) is a partially enlarged view of the connecting member 40 and the mounting nut 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view of BOX 1 with a lid 13 attached. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a case where a BOX 1A equipped with an emergency stop button 50 and a BOX 1B equipped with a conduit 70 are connected to each other. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a case where a safety switch 80 is further attached to BOX 1A and BOX 1B. [Figure 10] FIG. 10(A) is an oblique view showing an example in which a communication unit 7 and an operation panel 8 are attached to a BOX 1A to which an emergency stop button 50 is attached, and FIG. 10(B) is an oblique view showing an example in which a safety switch 80 and a slide handle-type actuator 95 are further attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of two BOXes 1. Note that in Fig. 1, the two BOXes 1 are shown upside down.

[0016] The BOX 1 includes a housing 11, a waterproof lid packing 12, and a lid 13. A plurality of the BOXes 1 are connected via mounting nuts 20, waterproof mounting packings 30, and connecting members .

[0017] The housing 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a rectangular face and a square face. In this example, one of the rectangular faces is open. The opening is closed by screwing a flat lid 13 via a waterproof packing 12 for the lid. However, the shape of the housing 11 is not limited to this example. The housing 11 may be, for example, cubic.

[0018] Housing 11 has a cavity inside and houses electric components etc. Connection parts 15 are formed on each surface of housing 11. Two connection parts 15 are formed on each of the three rectangular surfaces, and one connection part 15 is formed on each of the two square surfaces.

[0019] FIG. 2(A) is a front view of the connection portion 15. The connection portion 15 has a recess 151 and an opening 152. The recess 151 corresponds to the first fitting portion of the present invention. The recess 151 is a portion recessed from the side surface of the housing 11 toward the inside of the housing 11. The opening 152 is a circular opening in this example. The recess 151 is provided around the opening 152. The recess 151 is a circular recess when viewed from the front, similar to the opening 152. Some of the circular recesses (four in this example) have corners that extend along the radial direction. In this example, the four corners are arranged at equal intervals of 90°.

[0020] In this example, opening 152 is provided at only one location of connection portion 15, and the openings of the other connection portions 15 are blocked. However, the thickness of the housing at the location of the opening of connection portion 15 is very thin. Therefore, when pressure is applied to connection portion 15, the housing at the location of the opening is punched out to form opening 152. This allows the user to form opening 152 only at the location where connection to another BOX 1 is desired.

[0021] FIG. 2(B) is a front view of the connection member 40. The connection member 40 has a convex portion 401 having the same shape as the concave portion 151 when viewed from the front. The convex portion 401 corresponds to the second fitting portion of the present invention. The connection member 40 has a circular portion when viewed from the front and a corner portion extending along the radial direction. The connection member 40 also has four corner portions arranged at equal intervals of 90°. The connection member 40 can be easily positioned by fitting the convex portion 401 into the concave portion 151. In addition, since the corner portions are arranged at equal intervals of 90°, the connection member 40 can be fitted into the concave portion 151 by rotating it at any angle of 90°.

[0022] In this example, a recess 151 is provided in the housing 11, and a protrusion 401 is provided in the connection member 40. However, a protrusion may be provided in the housing 11, and a recess may be provided in the connection member 40. However, by providing the recess 151 in the housing 11, there will be no protrusion on the housing 11, which is preferable from the standpoint of safety.

[0023] The connecting member 40 has a cylindrical insertion portion 402. The insertion portion 402 is inserted into the opening 152. The insertion portion 402 is bolt-shaped, and can be fixed by attaching the mounting nut 20 and rotating it.

[0024] FIG. 2(C) is a partial cross-sectional view of two BOXes 1. As shown in FIG. 2(C), the convex portion 401 of the connection member 40 is fitted into the concave portion 151, and the insertion portion 402 is inserted into the opening 152. The waterproof mounting packing 30 is attached to the insertion portion 402. The waterproof mounting packing 30 is sandwiched between the connection member 40 and the housing 11. By sandwiching the waterproof mounting packing 30 between the connection member 40 and the housing 11, multiple BOXes can be connected while ensuring waterproofness. The tip of the insertion portion 402 reaches the inside of the housing 11. The tip of the insertion portion 402 is bolt-shaped and is fixed to the mounting nut 20 inside the housing 11.

[0025] A method for connecting two BOXes 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3(A), 3(B), 4(A), and 4(B). Figures 3(A), 3(B), 4(A), and 4(B) are perspective views showing a connection method for attaching another BOX 1 to a BOX 1 to which a connection member 40 has already been attached.

[0026] First, as shown in Figs. 3(A) and 3(B), the mounting nut 20 is attached to the inner wall, in which the opening 152 is provided, within the housing 11 of the other BOX 1 to which the mounting nut 20 is to be attached.

[0027] Fig. 5(A) is a front view of the mounting nut 20, and Fig. 5(B) is a front view of the connecting member 40. Fig. 6(A) is a perspective view of the mounting nut 20, and Fig. 6(B) is a perspective view of the connecting member 40. Fig. 6(C) is a partially enlarged view of the connecting member 40 and the mounting nut 20.

[0028] The mounting nut 20 has a circular ring shape, and four projections 204 that function as a nut are formed on the inner peripheral side surface of the ring. The mounting nut 20 also has flat portions 201 and 202 formed on parts of the outer periphery. The flat portion 201 is fixed to the mounting nut 20, but the flat portion 202 is not fixed and is movable. A claw 203 that projects toward the center of the ring is formed at a position opposite the flat portion 202.

[0029] Four protrusions 404 are formed on the side of the insertion portion 402 of the connecting member 40. In addition, claws 403 for engaging with the claws 203 of the mounting nut 20 are formed on the side of the insertion portion 402. The outer diameter of the cylindrical insertion portion 402 including the protrusions 404 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the ring of the mounting nut 20. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 402 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the protrusions 204 of the mounting nut 20.

[0030] After inserting the insertion part 402 into the inside of the housing 11, the mounting nut 20 can be tilted diagonally (for example, 30°) to fit the circular ring of the mounting nut 20 into the insertion part 402. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the mounting nut 20 can be attached to the inner wall of the housing 11 with an oblique angle of 30°, and then the insertion part 402 can be fitted into the circular ring of the mounting nut 20 as shown in Fig. 4(A).

[0031] Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the mounting nut 20 is rotated, the protrusions 204 and 404 function as wedges, and the connecting member 40 can be fixed to the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 6C, the protrusions 204 and 404 each have an inclined surface in a plan view. When the protrusion 204 is fitted into the annular ring of the insertion portion 402 and then rotated, these inclined surfaces function as wedges. Therefore, the connecting member 40 and the housing 11 can be firmly fixed. At this time, the claws 203 of the mounting nut 20 are pushed up in the outer diameter direction of the annular ring and then engage with the claws 403 of the connecting member 40, thereby preventing the mounting nut 20 from loosening.

[0032] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the BOX 1 when the lid 13 is attached. When the lid 13 is attached, it comes into contact with the flat portions 201 and 202 of the mounting nut 20. That is, the flat portions 201 and 202 correspond to the abutment portions of the present invention. This makes it possible to prevent the mounting nut 20 from loosening.

[0033] 7, the cross section of the flat portion 202 is L-shaped. When the lid 13 is removed and the flat portion 202 is pulled in the outer diameter direction of the mounting nut 20, the claw 203 also moves in the outer diameter direction. This disengages the claw 203 from the claw 403, and the mounting nut 20 can be rotated and removed from the connecting member 40.

[0034] With the above configuration, the BOX 1 can be connected to another BOX 1 without using wiring through a conduit. Furthermore, by sandwiching the mounting waterproof packing 30 between the connection member 40 and the housing 11, multiple BOXes can be connected while ensuring waterproofness. Wiring (not shown) connecting multiple BOXes passes through the opening of the connection portion 15, the connection member 40, and the mounting nut 20. This allows multiple BOXes to be connected without using wiring through a conduit, eliminating the need for wiring space outside the BOX. Note that the wiring connecting multiple BOXes may be wired after multiple BOXes are connected as described above, or may be assembled after the wiring has been passed through the opening, the connection member, or the mounting nut in advance.

[0035] 8 is a perspective view of a case where a BOX 1A equipped with an emergency stop button 50 is connected to a BOX 1B equipped with a conduit 70. The emergency stop button 50 is attached to the bottom surface (the surface opposite the opening) of the BOX 1A. The emergency stop button 50 is conventionally attached to a panel or the like of a device such as a machine tool, and wiring (not shown) related to the emergency stop button 50 is laid inside the housing 11 of the BOX 1A.

[0036] The connecting member 40 and the mounting nut 20 are annular. Therefore, the wiring to the emergency stop button 50 can be laid from the housing 11 of BOX 1A to the inside of the housing 11 of BOX 1B through the connecting member 40 and the mounting nut 20, and the wiring is drawn out to the outside through the conduit 70. The opening 152 is circular in plan view, and a general conduit 70 can also be attached thereto.

[0037] In the example of FIG. 8, BOX1A and BOX1B are connected by being rotated 180°. Therefore, the position of the lid 13 is on the opposite side by 180°. As described above, the connection member 40 can be rotated at any angle by 90° to fit into the recess 151. Therefore, multiple BOXes can be connected by being rotated at any angle by 90°. This allows the BOX to change the direction of attachment of electrical components to a panel or the like, improving the freedom of wiring. For example, in the example of FIG. 8, the emergency stop button 50 of BOX1A can be attached to the panel, and the lid 13 of BOX1B can be directed to the opposite side of the panel. Therefore, a user can easily access the internal wiring by removing the lid 13 of BOX1B.

[0038] Although the shape of the housing 11 is arbitrary, the housing 11 shown in this embodiment is a rectangular parallelepiped, with multiple connection parts 15 arranged at equal intervals on the side. Therefore, the user can connect multiple BOXes 1 at any position and angle, and even when multiple BOXes 1 are connected, a sense of unity in design can be obtained.

[0039] 9 is a schematic diagram of a case where a safety switch 80 is further attached to BOX 1A and BOX 1B. The safety switch 80 has a rectangular parallelepiped housing. A connecting member 45 having the same shape as the connecting member 40 is formed on one of the side surfaces of the safety switch 80. The connecting member 45 is formed integrally with the housing of the safety switch 80. Of course, the connecting member 45 may also be a separate component, like the connecting member 40. The connecting member 45 is connected to the connecting portion 15 of BOX 1B. Wiring (not shown) of the safety switch 80 is led out to the outside through the inside of the housing of BOX 1B and the conduit 70.

[0040] The safety switch 80 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is the same size as the shape of BOX1A and BOX1B connected vertically. In other words, the vertical length of each of BOX1A and BOX1B is half the vertical length of the safety switch 80. As a result, when the safety switch 80, BOX1A, and BOX1B are connected, it is possible to obtain a unified appearance like a single rectangular parallelepiped part.

[0041] FIG. 10(A) is a perspective view showing an example in which a communication unit 7 and an operation panel 8 are attached to a BOX 1A to which an emergency stop button 50 is attached. The communication unit 7 has a housing the same size as two BOXes 1A joined sideways. A plurality of connection parts 15 are also provided on the side of the communication unit 7. The side of the BOX 1A is connected to the side of the communication unit 7 via a connection member 40. Two conduits 70 are attached to the lower side of the communication unit 7.

[0042] The operation panel 8 has a housing the same size as three BOX 1A connected horizontally. A plurality of connection parts 15 are also provided on the side of the operation panel 8. The lower side of the operation panel 8 is connected to the upper side of the communication unit 7 via a connection member 40. The wiring of the emergency stop button 50 and the wiring of the operation panel 8 (both not shown) are each drawn to the outside via two conduits 70 of the communication unit 7.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 10(A), by attaching a communication unit 7 to the lateral side of BOX 1A and further attaching an operation panel 8 to the upper side of the communication unit 7, it is possible to obtain a unified appearance like a single rectangular parallelepiped part.

[0044] 10(B) is a perspective view showing an example in which a safety switch 80 and a slide handle type actuator 95 are further attached. The safety switch 80 is attached to a lateral side of the communication unit 7. The safety switch 80 is attached to a base such as a panel. The slide handle type actuator 95 is attached to a door panel or the like.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 10(B), by further attaching a safety switch 80 to the side of the communication unit 7, the multiple electrical components consisting of the emergency stop button 50, the operation panel 8, and the safety switch 80 can have a unified appearance as if they were a single rectangular component.

[0046] The above-mentioned description of the embodiment should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above-mentioned embodiment. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0047] For example, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the mounting nut is rotated to fix the connection member. However, the mounting member is not limited to a rotating mounting nut. For example, the mounting member may be wedge-shaped. In this case, a hole is provided on the side surface of the insertion portion 402, and the wedge-shaped mounting member is inserted into the hole inside the housing 11.

[0048] Furthermore, the insertion portion 402 may have an elastic member, and the elastic member may be fixed by being hooked into a groove or the like in the housing 11. In this case, no attachment member is required.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the BOX is provided with waterproofing by the lid waterproof packing 12 and the mounting waterproof packing 30, but if waterproofing is not required, these waterproof packings are not necessary.

[0050] The above-mentioned connection member 40 is an independent component, but may be formed integrally with the housing 11. Also, the connection member 40 has a hollow insertion portion 402 having a circular ring shape with an opening in the center, but if there is no need to run wiring across multiple BOXes 1, the insertion portion 402 does not need to be hollow.

[0051] In the above example, the multiple BOXes are connected via the connecting members, but they may be connected at other locations. For example, the housing 11 may be provided with projections and recesses, and the projections and recesses may be fitted together to reduce the load on the connecting members when an external force is applied. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1, 1A, 1B…BOX 7…Communication unit 8. Operation panel 11…Housing 12...Waterproof gasket for lid 13…Lid 15…Connection 20...Mounting nut 30...Waterproof gasket for mounting 40, 45…Connection parts 50…Emergency stop button 70…Conduit 80…Safety switch 95...Slide handle type actuator 151...recess (first fitting portion) 152...Aperture 201,202...Flat part (contact part) 203...Claws 204...Protrusion 401...Convex portion (second fitting portion) 402…insertion part 403...Claws 404…Protrusion

Claims

1. a housing having an opening and a first fitting portion which is a recess provided around the opening; a connecting member for connecting the housing to another housing, the connecting member having a second fitting portion which is a convex portion that fits into the first fitting portion and an insertion portion that is inserted into the opening; Equipped with The insertion portion of the connection member is fixed to the housing inside the housing. A BOX, The insertion portion includes a first insertion portion to be inserted into the opening of the housing, and a second insertion portion to be inserted into the opening of the other housing. BOX.

2. A waterproof packing is provided between the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion. The box according to claim 1.

3. A mounting member for fixing the insertion portion inside the housing is provided. The box according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The mounting member is a mounting nut that is attached to and detached from the insertion portion by rotating. The box according to claim 3.

5. At least one surface of the housing is a removable cover, The mounting nut has an abutment portion that abuts against the lid when the mounting nut is fixed to the insertion portion. The box according to claim 4.

6. A connection member for connecting a plurality of housings, a first insertion portion to be inserted into an opening provided in a first housing among the plurality of housings; a second insertion portion to be inserted into an opening provided in a second housing among the plurality of housings; a second fitting portion which is a protrusion and which fits into a first fitting portion which is a recess provided around the opening; Equipped with the first insertion portion is fixed to the first housing inside the housing, The second insertion portion is fixed to the second housing inside the second housing. Connection parts.

7. A method for connecting a plurality of housings, comprising the steps of: inserting a first insertion portion of a connection member into a first opening provided in a first housing among the plurality of housings; a step of fitting a first fitting portion, which is a recess provided around the first opening, to a second fitting portion, which is a protrusion provided on the connection member; Fixing the first insertion portion inside the first housing; inserting a second insertion portion of the connection member into a second opening provided in a second housing among the plurality of housings; a step of fitting a first fitting portion, which is a recess provided around the second opening, to a second fitting portion, which is a protrusion provided on the connection member; Fixing the second insertion portion inside the second housing; A connection method comprising:

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