Fixture and Method for Fixing a Panel

Abstract

To provide a jig and a method for safely fixing a panel used as an external wall of a building to a furring strip fixed to a skeleton of the building at low cost or in a short construction period.SOLUTION: A jig has a fixing unit, an operation unit fitted to the fixing unit, a power unit fitted at least either one of the fixing unit and the operation unit, and a driver unit that is fitted to the operation unit and has a housing for storing the electric driver. The fixing unit has a fixing jaw and a slide jaw for fixing a jig to a furring strip in a state in which the jig is positioned on a panel. The operation unit has a slide mechanism to reversibly slide the driver unit in a first direction and an operation mechanism for operating a trigger of the electric driver. The power unit has an air cylinder for activating the slide mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a jig and method for fixing a panel used as an outer wall of a building to a body edge.

Background Art

[0002] Large-scale buildings such as logistics facilities such as warehouses, factories, and commercial buildings are often constructed by constructing a skeleton that forms the framework of the building and attaching outer walls, louvers, fixtures, windows, etc. to the skeleton. When a special exterior shape or design is not required for a large-scale building, the building can be constructed in a short construction period by using an outer wall panel (hereinafter simply referred to as a panel) in which a non-combustible heat insulating material such as rock wool is sandwiched between steel plates as the outer wall (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One embodiment of the present invention is to provide a jig and method for safely, at low cost, or in a short construction period, fixing a panel used as an outer wall of a building to a body edge fixed to the skeleton of the building. Alternatively, one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a jig and method for fixing a panel as an operation inside the building without assembling a scaffold around the building with respect to a body edge fixed to the skeleton of the building.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention is a jig for fixing a panel to a body edge. This jig includes a fixing unit, an operation unit attached to the fixing unit, a power unit attached to at least one of the fixing unit and the operation unit, and a driver unit attached to the operation unit and having a housing for accommodating an electric driver. The fixing unit has a fixed jaw and a slide jaw for fixing the jig to the body edge in a state where the jig is positioned on the panel. The operation unit includes a slide mechanism for reversibly sliding the driver unit in a first direction, and an operation mechanism for operating the trigger of the electric driver. The power unit includes an air cylinder for operating the slide mechanism.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention is a method for fixing a panel to a body edge attached to a building. This method includes attaching a jig to the body edge attached to the building and the panel to be fixed to the body edge, and operating the jig and the electric driver accommodated in the jig from the body edge side, and driving a screw through the panel into the body edge while moving the electric driver in a first direction from the panel toward the body edge to fix the panel to the body edge.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof, and is not construed as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below.

[0009] For the sake of clearer explanation, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part compared to the actual embodiment, but this is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements having the same functions as those described with respect to the previously shown figures may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions may be omitted. When denoting a part of an element with a reference numeral, a lowercase alphabet is appended to the reference numeral.

[0010] Hereinafter, a jig for fixing a panel to a body edge and a method for fixing the panel to the body edge using this jig according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. More specifically, a jig and a method for fixing a panel to a body edge fixed to a building by an operation inside the building will be described.

[0011] 1. Body Edge and Panel As shown in FIG. 1(A), the building 10 has a basic framework including a foundation beam 12 connected to a pile or foundation concrete (not shown), and bodies 14, 16 connected to the foundation beam 12. The external shape of the building 10 is mainly determined by the bodies 14, 16. A plurality of body edges 18 extending in the vertical direction are fixed to the bodies 14, 16. Each panel 20 is lifted by a hoisting machine such as a crane, transported to a predetermined position, and attached to the bodies 14, 16 using a fixing tool such as a screw or a nail (hereinafter, the fixing tool is generally referred to as a screw).

[0012] The body edge 18 has the function of supporting the panel 20 and is a linearly extending frame including metals such as aluminum and iron, alloys such as stainless steel, wood, or resin. The body edge 18 may be a plate extending in one direction, a hollow tube, or a rod without a cavity. For example, the body edge 18 may be a so-called grooved steel with a lip, or an angle steel pipe having a closed cross-sectional shape. The body edge 18 may also be a grooved steel without a lip (parallel flange grooved steel) or an H-beam. At least a part of the outer surface of the body edge 18 is flat over the entire direction in which the body edge 18 extends, and the panel 20 is disposed and fixed on this flat surface. The length, width, and thickness of the body edge 18 are arbitrary, and may be configured to satisfy, for example, Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) G 3350.

[0013] The panel 20 includes wood, cement, metals, mineral fibers such as rock wool, calcium silicate, gypsum, resin, etc., and is configured to have a single-layer structure or a laminated structure. For example, mineral fibers such as glass wool and rock wool, fibers derived from natural polymers such as cellulose fibers, heat insulating materials such as foamed plastics containing polyurethane, polystyrene or phenolic resin, calcium silicate, gypsum, etc. are processed into plates, and a structure in which these are sandwiched between a pair of metal plates, resin plates, wooden plates, etc. can be adopted. When using a metal plate, the metal plate can include metals such as aluminum and iron, or alloys such as stainless steel, and its surface may be covered with an alloy film containing aluminum and zinc. The length (length in the longitudinal direction) and width (length perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of each panel 20 can be arbitrarily determined. The length of the panel 20 is, for example, 1 m or more and 10 m or less, 2 m or more and 6 m or less, 3 m or more and 7 m or less, 5 m or more and 6 m or less, or 3 m or more and 5 m or less. The width of the panel 20 is, for example, 20 cm or more and 200 cm or less, 60 cm or more and 100 cm or less, 30 cm or more and 150 cm or less, or 30 cm or more and 100 cm or less.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1(B), usually, a pair of rails 20a and 20b extending along the opposite long sides are respectively provided on the panel 20. When fixing two panels 20 vertically to a single body edge 18, the rail 20a of the lower panel 20 is sandwiched by the rail 20b of the upper panel 20. Since the panel 20 is configured such that the main surface 20c of the lower panel 20 and one of the rails 20b of the upper panel 20 are substantially in the same plane, the thickness of the panel 20 is reduced at the end 20d on the long side where the rail 20a is provided. The screw 24 is driven through the end 20d of the lower panel 20 to reach the body edge 18, and the upper panel 20 is arranged such that the rail 20b of the upper panel 20 covers the screw 24.

[0015] As described below, the attachment of the panel 20 is carried out as an operation inside the building 10. That is, the screw 24 is driven into the panel 20 and the body edge 18 as an operation of an operator arranged on the side of the body edge 18 with respect to the panel 20, and the panel 20 is fixed to the body edge 18.

[0016] 2. Fixture 2-1. Overall Structure FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a jig 100 for fixing a panel 20 to a body edge 18, which is one of the embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the jig 100 mainly includes a fixing unit 110, an operating unit 200, a power unit 300, and a driver unit 400. The operating unit 200 is detachably attached to the fixing unit 110, and the power unit 300 is detachably attached to at least one of the fixing unit 110 and the operating unit 200. The driver unit 400 and the operating unit 200 are integrated, but they may be configured to be detachable from each other. In FIG. 2, these units are hatched differently from each other, but the hatching attached to each component in the figures other than FIG. 2 does not correspond to the hatching used in FIG. 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit will be described. In the following drawings, for convenience, the vertical direction is defined as the z - direction, and the direction in which the screw 24 is driven when fixing the panel 20 to the body edge 18 is defined as the y - direction. The y - direction is the thickness direction of the panel 20. The direction perpendicular to the z - direction and the y - direction is the x - direction, and the plane formed by the x - direction and the y - direction is the horizontal plane.

[0017] 2 - 2. Fixing Unit The fixing unit 110 is a part that fixes the jig 100 to the body edge 18 by sandwiching the body edge 18, brings the attached panel 20 into contact with the body edge 18, and functions as a pedestal for arranging the operating unit 200, the power unit 300, and the driver unit 400. Therefore, if these functions can be fulfilled, there are no restrictions on the shape and configuration of the fixing unit 110, and it is not limited to the configuration and shape shown in the attached drawings.

[0018] An example of the fixing unit 110 will be described with reference to the schematic right - side view, left - side view, and top - view shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(C) respectively. In these figures, the panel 20 is shown by a dashed - dotted line and a part of the configuration of the body edge 18 and other units is shown by a dotted line so that the arrangement of the units other than the fixing unit 110 can be understood (the same applies to FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C)).

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3(A) to 3(C), the fixing unit 110 includes a fixed jaw 118, a slide jaw 116, and an arm 114 that connects them. The fixed jaw 118 is fixed to the arm 114 and has a function of sandwiching the body edge 18 together with the slide jaw 116 while contacting the body edge 18. The fixed jaw 118 has a main surface 118a that contacts the body edge 18 on the xz plane and faces the slide jaw 116 in the y direction (see FIG. 3(B)). There is no limitation on the lengths of the main surface 118a in the x and z directions, and it may be the same as, shorter than, or longer than the length of the body edge 18 in the x direction.

[0020] The fixed jaw 118 can be configured to overlap the panel 20 in order to stabilize the position of the jig 100 when attached to the body edge 18. Therefore, a part of the arm 114 also extends to the side opposite to the slide jaw 116. Also, it is preferable that the lower side 114a of the arm 114 is parallel to the y direction between the main surface 118a of the fixed jaw 118 and the end 114b of the arm 114. The fixed jaw 118 may be further provided with a stopper 130 for fixing the relative position with the panel 20 and preventing the panel 20 from separating from the body edge 18. The stopper 130 is arranged so that a part of it protrudes below the lower side 114a of the arm 114, and its shape is adjusted so that the protruding part contacts the rail 20a of the panel 20 (see FIG. 1(B)).

[0021] The slide jaw 116 is attached to the arm 114 so as to be reversibly movable in the normal direction of the main surface 118a of the fixed jaw 118, that is, in the y direction, and faces the fixed jaw 118. Specifically, a bearing 124 is fixed to the arm 114, and a pair of shafts 126 and a spindle 122 that penetrate the bearing 124 in the y direction are provided. The pair of shafts 126 and the spindle 122 are reversibly movable in the y direction with respect to the bearing 124, and the slide jaw 116 is fixed to one end on the fixed jaw 118 side. The spindle 122 is provided with a thread on its surface that meshes with the bearing 124, and a knob 120 is fixed to the end on the side opposite to the slide jaw 116. Since the bearing 124 and the spindle 122 are configured such that the spindle 122 slides reversibly in the y direction by rotating the knob 120, the position of the slide jaw 116 in the y direction can be adjusted by rotating the knob 120. By this mechanism, the fixing unit 110 can be attached to and detached from the body edge 18. Although not shown, there is no restriction on the number of slide jaws 116, and it may be one or a plurality. When a plurality of slide jaws 116 are provided, it is preferable to provide the plurality of slide jaws 116 so as to overlap in the z direction.

[0022] As an optional configuration, the fixing unit 110 may include a handle 112 fixed to the arm 114. By providing the handle 112, the jig 100 can be easily carried and installed. There are no restrictions on the shape and size of the handle 112, and it may be appropriately designed in consideration of the weight of the jig 100 and the like.

[0023] Furthermore, as an optional configuration, the fixed unit 110 may include a spacer 128 that is detachable from the arm 114 (see FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C)). The spacer 128 is disposed between the fixed jaw 118 and the slide jaw 116 on the side where the fixed jaw 118 and the slide jaw 116 of the arm 114 are provided. The attachment and detachment of the spacer 128 may be performed using magnetic force or using a screw or the like. The length of the spacer 128 (length in the y direction) is equal to or less than the width of the body edge 18 (length in the y direction). Specifically, it may be selected from the range of 30 mm or more and 100 mm or less, 30 mm or more and 75 mm or less, or 30 mm or more and 60 mm or less. The thickness of the spacer 128 (length in the x direction) may be selected, for example, from the range of 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less, or 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. By providing the spacer 128, even when using a body edge 18 with a small width (length in the x direction), the jig 100 can be securely fixed to the body edge 18, and the position of the screw 24 with respect to the body edge 18 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0024] 2-3. Operating Unit The operating unit 200 has a function of reversibly sliding the driver unit 400 in the y direction while holding the driver unit 400 and operating an electric driver 22 (described later) provided in the driver unit 400. Therefore, any configuration can be adopted as long as these functions can be achieved. An example of the configuration of the operating unit 200 is shown in a schematic right side view, left side view, and top view (FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C)). In these figures, the panel 20 is shown by a dashed line and a part of the configuration of the body edge 18 and other units is shown by a dotted line so that the arrangement of the units other than the operating unit 200 can be understood. As shown in these figures, the driver unit 400 basically includes a first slide arm 202, a second slide arm 204, a connector 206, a collector 210, a pair of slide boxes 216, a grip 218, and a grip lever 220.

[0025] The first slide arm 202 is attached to the arm 114 of the fixed unit 110. At this time, the first slide arm 202 is attached to the fixed unit 110 so as to rotate about an axis A1 (see FIG. 5(C).) that penetrates the arm 114 in the x direction. As will be described later, the rotation of the first slide arm 202 about the axis A1 causes the driver unit 400 to slide reversibly in the y direction together with the connector 206 and the second slide arm 204. The slide mechanism including these first slide arm 202, second slide arm 204, and connector 206 enables the screw 24 to slide in the y direction.

[0026] The connector 206 is connected to the first slide arm 202. Further, the connector 206 is arranged so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the first slide arm 202 about an axis A2 (see FIG. 5(C).) that penetrates the connector 206 and the first slide arm 202 and is parallel to the axis A1. Similarly, the connector 206 is also connected to the second slide arm 204. Further, the connector 206 is arranged so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the second slide arm 204 about an axis A3 (see FIG. 5(C).) that penetrates the connector 206 and the second slide arm 204 and is parallel to the axes A1 and A2. The second slide arm 204 has a collector 210 connected to one end, and the opposite end is connected to the first slide arm 202 via the connector 206.

[0027] The pair of slide boxes 216 are configured such that a pair of slide shafts 408, 410 (described later) of the driver unit 400 inserted therein can slide in the y direction inside. The pair of slide boxes 216 may be directly attached to the fixed unit 110, or may be attached to the fixed unit 110 via the fixed plate 214. When using the fixed plate 214, the lower side 214a of the fixed plate 214 may be used to fix the jig 100 onto the panel 20. That is, when fixing the jig 100 to the body edge 18, the shape of the fixed plate 214 may be adjusted so that part or all of the lower side 214a of the fixed plate 214 is in contact with the panel 20. In this case, the lower side 114a of the arm 114 (see FIG. 3(B).) and the lower side 214a of the fixed plate 214 can be located on the same xy plane.

[0028] The collector 210 is fixed to the end of the second slide arm 204 and also to the ends of the pair of slide shafts 408, 410 of the driver unit 400. Therefore, as the second slide arm 204 moves in the y direction, the collector 210 also moves in the y direction, and further the slide shafts 408, 410 move in the y direction.

[0029] When operating the jig 100, the grip 218 moves in the y direction together with the operation unit 200. By using the grip 218, the operation of the operation unit 200 can be adjusted as appropriate. The grip 218 may be fixed to one of the slide boxes 216 as shown in FIG. 5(A), or may be provided on a fixing plate 214 (not shown). The grip lever 220 is provided near the grip 218 and is arranged so that it can be operated while holding the grip 218. A cable 222 is connected to the grip lever 220 (see FIG. 5(C)), and the cable 222 is connected to a trigger lever 442 (described later) of the driver unit 400. By operating the cable 222 via the grip lever 220, the trigger lever 442 rotates, and the trigger 22a of the electric driver 22 can be operated. Therefore, the grip lever 220 can be used to operate the electric driver 22. Accordingly, the grip lever 220 functions as an operation mechanism for operating the trigger 22a.

[0030] As an optional configuration, the operation unit 200 may further include a bracket 212 through which a pair of slide shafts 408 and 410 pass and which is fixed to the pair of slide boxes 216. The bracket 212 is provided to smooth the movement of the slide shafts 408 and 410 and to stably fix the pair of slide boxes 216. Further, as an optional configuration, as shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B), the operation unit 200 may include a handle 224 for easily placing the jig 100 on the panel 20. The handle 224 may be provided on one of the slide boxes 216, or may be provided on the fixing plate 214. The shape of the handle 224 may be appropriately designed in consideration of the overall shape, center of gravity, etc. of the jig 100.

[0031] Furthermore, as an optional configuration, the operation unit 200 may include an auxiliary lever 208 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first slide arm 202. The auxiliary lever 208 is arranged such that the arm 114 is positioned between the auxiliary lever 208 and the first slide arm 202. Also, the auxiliary lever 208 extends on the axis A1 and is attached to a rotating rod 209 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first slide arm 202. As will be described later, in the jig 100, the operation unit 200 can be operated using the power generated by the air cylinder 302 provided in the power unit 300, and the first slide arm 202 rotates by this power. At this time, by providing the auxiliary lever 208, the operation of the operation unit 200 can be finely adjusted. Also, when the power of the air cylinder 302 is insufficient, it is possible to supplement the power using the auxiliary lever 208 together with the grip 218. Furthermore, after the screwing operation of the screw 24, the operation unit 200 can be returned to its original state by rotating the auxiliary lever 208 in the reverse direction.

[0032] 2-4. Power Unit (1) Configuration The power unit 300 is a unit that has a function of generating power by receiving the supply of compressed air from a compressor (not shown) and operating the operation unit 200 using this power. By the operation of the operation unit 200, the driver unit 400 can slide reversibly in the y direction, and the power of the power unit 300 is used for driving the screw 24.

[0033] Schematic right side view, left side view, and top view of the power unit 300 are shown in FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) respectively. In these figures, the panel 20 is shown by a dashed-dotted line and the body edge 18 and part of the configuration of other units are shown by dotted lines so that the arrangement of other units except the power unit 300 can be understood (the same applies to FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)). The power unit 300 has, as a basic configuration, an air cylinder 302 and a switch 306. The power unit 300 is further provided with an air tube 308 for supplying air from an air compressor (not shown) together with the air compressor, and an air tube 310 for supplying air from the switch 306 to the air cylinder 302. One end of the air tube 308 may be directly connected to the air compressor, or may be connected to the air compressor via an air filter 312 as shown in FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B). The air cylinder 302 is provided with a piston 304 that slides inside the air cylinder 302. The compressed air supplied to the air cylinder 302 acts as a power source to apply torque to the piston 304, and the piston 304 moves in the y direction.

[0034] One end of the air cylinder 302 is fixed to the arm 114 or the fixed plate 214 of the fixed unit 110, and the other end, that is, one end of the piston 304 is fixed to the first slide arm 202. The air cylinder 302 is arranged such that the axis of the piston 304 extends in the y direction.

[0035] The switch 306 is a unit that controls the pressure of the air supplied to the air cylinder 302, and is configured to apply torque to the piston 304 at least when the piston 304 slides in the reverse direction (y direction) with respect to the driver unit 400. The switch 306 may further be configured to take a state (neutral state) in which the piston 304 can slide arbitrarily within the air cylinder 302 by an external force, or may be configured to apply torque to the piston 304 when the piston 304 slides from the air cylinder 302 toward the driver unit 400 (-y direction). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6(A), the switch 306 may be attached to the slide box 216, or may be provided on the arm 114 of the fixed unit 110 as shown in FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C). Although not shown, the switch 306 may be attached to the fixed plate 214, or may be attached to the auxiliary lever 208 or the grip 218. By providing the switch 306 on the arm 114, the switch 306 can be operated without releasing the hand from the auxiliary lever 208. Similarly, by providing the switch 306 on the auxiliary lever 208 or the grip 218, the switch 306 can be operated without releasing both hands from the auxiliary lever 208 and the grip 218.

[0036] (2) Operation of the operation unit using the power unit The operation of the operation unit 200 using the power unit 300 will be described with reference to the schematic right side views of FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B). In the initial state shown in FIG. 8(A) (the state where the driver unit 400 is at the position farthest from the operation unit 200), the slide shafts 408 and 410 are farthest from the fixed unit 110 and the operation unit 200. When the air cylinder 302 is operated in this state, the piston 304 extends in the y direction and pushes the first slide arm 202 in the y direction (see the arrow in FIG. 8(A)). As described above, the first slide arm 202 is configured to rotate about the axis A1 (see FIG. 5(C)). Therefore, when the piston 304 extends in the y direction, the first slide arm 202 rotates about the axis A1 (FIG. 8(B)). Then, following this rotation, the connector 206 is pulled in the y direction while rotating (see the solid curved arrow in FIG. 8(B)), and further, the second slide arm 204 connected to the connector 206 slides in the y direction. As a result, the pair of slide shafts 408 and 410 connected to the second slide arm 204 via the collector 210 slide in the y direction (see the solid straight arrow in FIG. 8(B)), and the driver unit 400 slides in the y direction.

[0037] When the auxiliary lever 208 is provided, as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 8(B), the auxiliary lever 208 also rotates as the first slide arm 202 rotates. To return the operation unit 200 to the initial state, the piston 304 may be moved in the reverse direction (-y direction) using the power of the air cylinder 302, or after the air cylinder 302 is transitioned to the neutral state, the auxiliary lever 208 may be rotated in the reverse direction. At this time, the restoring force of the spring 412b compressed when the driving of the screw 24 is completed may be utilized to return to the initial state.

[0038] When operating the air cylinder 302, a pedal-type switch may be used as the switch 306. For example, as shown in Fig. 8(C), a switch 306 having a casing 316 with an inlet 314 for introducing compressed air from an air compressor and a pedal 318 configured to be reversibly rotatable about an axis passing through the casing 316 can be used. By adopting the pedal-type switch 306, not only can the operation unit 200 be operated without using both hands from the auxiliary lever 208 and the grip 218, but also since it is not necessary to visually check the switch 306 from the start to the end of the operation of the jig 100, more reliable operation becomes possible.

[0039] Note that when operating the jig 100, it is not always necessary to use the power unit 300. The screw 24 may be driven by manually operating the auxiliary lever 208 or the grip 218 without using the power of the power unit 300.

[0040] 2-5. Driver Unit Schematic right and left side views of the driver unit 400 are shown in Figs. 9 and 10, respectively. As shown in these figures, the driver unit 400 basically includes a housing 402, a pair of slide shafts 408, 410, a damper 412, and a screw holder 420.

[0041] (1) Housing The housing 402 is a unit for supporting the electric driver 22. Therefore, there are no restrictions on its structure as long as it can support the electric driver 22 in terms of shape and size. For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the housing 402 may have a box-like form, or although not shown, it may simply be a plate-like pedestal for supporting the electric driver 22. Alternatively, the housing 402 may be a plate, rod, clamp, etc. for fixing the electric driver 22 to the slide shafts 408 and 410. Also, the electric driver 22 may be housed within the housing 402, or part or all of it may be exposed from the housing 402. The housing 402 is configured such that, in a state where the screw 24 is attached to the electric driver 22, the tip of the screw 24 faces the panel 20 or the body edge 18. For example, the housing 402 is configured such that the bit 26, which is a part for attaching the screw 24 to the electric driver 22, and the trigger 22a for driving the electric driver 22 face the panel 20 or the body edge 18 (in other words, the operation unit 200 side).

[0042] As shown in FIG. 10, the housing 402 includes a trigger lever 442 for operating the trigger 22a of the electric driver 22. The trigger lever 442 is configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the x direction so as to be in a state separated from the trigger 22a and a state where the trigger 22a is pushed in (refer to the arrow in FIG. 10). The movement of the trigger lever 442 is restricted by an elastic body such as a spring (not shown), and in a steady state, it is configured to be separated from the trigger 22a or to be in contact with the trigger 22a while maintaining a state where the electric driver 22 does not operate. The trigger lever 442 is directly or indirectly connected to the cable 222 and rotates by the action of the grip lever 220 described above. Therefore, by using the grip lever 220, the electric driver 22 can be remotely driven, and as a result, the rotation of the screw 24 attached to the electric driver 22 can also be remotely controlled.

[0043] As an arbitrary configuration, the housing 402 may further include a mirror 416. The mirror 416 can be attached to the housing 402 by a deformable connector 418. Therefore, the position and angle of the mirror 416 can be arbitrarily changed. The mirror 416 has the fixing unit 110 and the operation unit 200 on the reflecting surface side. Therefore, the state of the screw 24 can be visually observed through the mirror 416, and the screw 24 can be driven more accurately.

[0044] (2) Slide shaft The slide shafts 408 and 410 are directly or indirectly fixed to the housing 402 and extend in the direction toward the operation unit 200, that is, in the y direction. In this specification, an example in which a pair of slide shafts 408 and 410 are used will be mainly described, but the number of slide shafts is not limited and may be one or more. In the examples shown in FIGS. 2, 9, and 10, two slide shafts 408 and 410 are provided so as to overlap in the z direction, and both are fixed to the housing 402 by the bridges 404 and 406. The slide shafts 408 and 410 penetrate through the above-described slide box 216, and the ends are connected to the collector 210. By operating the operation unit 200 using the power generated by the power unit 300, the slide mechanism operates, and the slide shafts 408 and 410 can be slid in the y direction. As a result, the screw 24 attached to the electric driver 22 can be rotated about the y direction while being slid in the y direction, and the panel 20 can be attached as work for an operator arranged on the body edge 18 side with respect to the panel 20.

[0045] (3) Platform The platform 414 is a part that supports the screw holder 420 and has through holes through which the slide shafts 408 and 410 pass. Since the platform 414 is not fixed to the slide shafts 408 and 410, it can slide relative to the slide shafts 408 and 410 in the y direction.

[0046] (4) Damper The damper 412 is a part provided to facilitate the control of the relative movement of the housing 402 in the y direction with respect to the platform 414 and the screw holder 420. More specifically, the damper 412 has a function of moving the screw holder 420 together with the housing 402 in the y direction toward the operation unit 200 side, and further assisting in adjusting the pressure when pressing the screw 24 against the panel 20 via the electric driver 22. The shape and structure of the damper 412 are not restricted as long as they can exhibit this function. For example, the damper 412 includes a damper rod 412a, a spring 412b surrounding a part of the damper rod 412a, a guard 412c that defines and fixes the position of the spring 412b and functions as a base point for contracting the spring 412b, and an end stopper 412d for moving the damper rod 412a and the housing 402 in the y direction.

[0047] The damper rod 412a extends in the y direction, and the end on the operation unit 200 side is directly or indirectly fixed to the screw holder 420. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the damper rod 412a is fixed at its end to the platform 414 to which the screw holder 420 is fixed. Therefore, the relative positions of the damper rod 412a with respect to the platform 414 and the screw holder 420 do not change.

[0048] The other end of the damper rod 412a is connected to the housing 402 either directly or indirectly, and the other end of the damper rod 412a and the housing 402 are connected so that the housing 402 can move relative to the damper rod 412a and the screw holder 420 in the y direction. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the damper rod 412a is inserted into through holes formed in the bridges 404 and 406 and extending in the y direction. The damper rod 412a is configured to be reversibly movable in the y direction while being inserted into this through hole. However, an end stopper 412d larger than the above through hole is fixed to the other end of the damper rod 412a. For this reason, the bridge 404 is not separated from the damper rod 412a by the end stopper 412d, and the bridge 404 and the housing 402 connected thereto can move in the y direction as the damper rod 412a moves in the y direction. On the other hand, since the damper rod 412a and the spring 412b penetrate through the through hole of the bridge 406, the bridge 406 can also slide relative to the damper rod 412a in the y direction as the housing 402 and the bridge 404 move.

[0049] The guard 412c functions as a stopper that defines the position of the spring 412b. The guard 412c surrounds the damper rod 412a and is fixed to the damper rod 412a. The guard 412c and the damper rod 412a may be an integrated part, or may be fixed to each other by welding or the like as independent parts.

[0050] The spring 412b is a coil spring that surrounds the damper rod 412a. The size of the through-holes in the bridges 404 and 406 is adjusted so that the spring 412b passes through the through-hole in the bridge 406 but does not pass through the through-hole in the bridge 404. Accordingly, the spring 412b is disposed between the guard 412c and the bridge 404. In the initial state, the spring 412b may have its natural length and be arranged so as not to have a restoring force, or it may be arranged at a length shorter than its natural length. Note that the size of the spring 412b and the through-hole in the bridge 406 may be adjusted so that the spring 412b does not pass through the through-hole in the bridge 406. In this case, the spring 412b is disposed between the guard 412c and the bridge 406.

[0051] (5) Screw Holder The screw holder 420 is a part having a function of holding the screw 24 attached to the electric driver 22, and is directly or indirectly connected to the slide shafts 408 and 410 so as to slide in the y direction relative to the housing 402 and the slide shafts 408 and 410. In the example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the screw holder 420 is attached to the platform 414 having a through-hole, and the slide shafts 408 and 410 are inserted into the through-hole. For this reason, by moving the platform 414 on the slide shafts 408 and 410, the screw holder 420 can move in the y direction relative to the slide shafts 408 and 410.

[0052] A schematic left side view and a schematic right side view centered on the screw holder 420 are shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), respectively, and a schematic front view seen from the y direction is shown in FIG. 12(A). As shown in these figures, the screw holder 420 includes a pair of pedestals 422 that overlap each other in the z direction, a pair of claws 424 fixed to each of the pair of pedestals 422, and a pair of closers 426 that overlap the pair of pedestals 422 in the z direction. As described above, the z direction is the vertical direction, and when the jig 100 is fixed to the body edge 18, it is the direction in which the body edge 18 extends, that is, the vertical direction.

[0053] The pair of pedestals 422 are attached to the platform 414 either directly or indirectly. Each of the pedestals 422 is configured to rotate reversibly about an axis parallel to a direction that is perpendicular to the x-direction, i.e., the y-direction in which the slide shafts 408, 410 extend, and also perpendicular to the z-direction which is the vertical direction (see the arrow in Fig. 11(B)). For this reason, the pair of pedestals 422 can reversibly assume a closed state and an open state by rotation about the said axis. As shown in Fig. 12(C), in the open state, the pair of pedestals 422 are separated from each other. In the closed state, particularly when the screw 24 is not held by the claw 424, a part of the pair of pedestals 422 are in contact with each other.

[0054] The pair of claws 424 may be detachably attached to the pair of pedestals 422 respectively, or may be fixed by welding or the like. Alternatively, the claws 424 may be integrated with the pedestals 422 respectively. As shown in Fig. 12(B) which is an enlarged view of Fig. 12(A), each of the pair of claws 424 is provided with a groove 424a extending in the y-direction for accommodating a part of the screw 24. The groove 424a is provided such that the central axis of the bit 26 passes through the groove 424a. Accordingly, the groove 424a and the bit 26 overlap in the y-direction. It is preferable that the shape in the xz plane formed by the two grooves 424a has a diameter of an approximate circle that is smaller than the diameter of the screw 24. Here, the proximal circle may be the smallest circle surrounding the shape in the xz plane formed by the two grooves 424a when the pair of pedestals 422 are in the closed state, or the largest circle surrounded by the said shape.

[0055] As described above, since the claws 424 are attached to the pedestals 422, they rotate as the pedestals 422 rotate. When the pair of pedestals 422 are in the closed state, the pair of claws 424 are also in the closed state. When the pair of claws 424 are in the closed state, they may be in contact with each other or separated from each other. On the other hand, when the pair of pedestals 422 are in the open state, the pair of claws 424 are also in the open state, separated from each other, and the screw 24 is released. When the pair of claws 424 are in the closed state, as shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), the screw 24 is held in the groove 424a in the y-direction and is clamped and held from above and below by the pair of claws 424.

[0056] The pair of closers 426 are parts having a function of applying a force in the vertical direction to maintain the closed state while allowing the pair of pedestals 422 to be in the open state, and various configurations capable of exhibiting such a function can be adopted as the closer 426. For example, as shown in the end view of FIG. 12(D), each closer 426 can have a case 428, a spring 430 provided in the case 428, and a pin 432 provided on the pedestal 422 side with respect to the spring 430. The spring 430 can expand and contract in the case 428. When the pedestal 422 opens, the pin 432 is pushed into the case 428 side and the spring 430 contracts. As a result, a restoring force for the spring 430 to return to its original state is generated. This restoring force is also used for the claws 424 to hold the screw 24 in the groove 424a.

[0057] Here, the housing 402 is further provided with a needle 440 extending in the y direction (see FIGS. 9, 11(A), and 11(B)). The needle 440 is arranged such that the extending direction passes between a pair of pedestals 422. Therefore, when at least the pair of pedestals 422 are in a closed state, the needle 440 overlaps with the pair of pedestals 422 in the y direction. When the operation unit 200 is operated to slide the housing 402 toward the operation unit 200 side, the tip of the needle 440 contacts the pair of pedestals 422 (FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B)). When the housing 402 further moves toward the operation unit 200 side, since the needle 440 pushes the pair of pedestals 422 in the y direction, the pair of pedestals 422 start to rotate. At the same time, the needle 440 advances between the pair of pedestals 422, and the pair of pedestals 422 transition to an open state, and accordingly, the pair of claws 424 also open (FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B)). Preferably, the length of the needle 440 is set such that the bit 26 contacts the screw 24 before the needle 440 contacts the pair of pedestals 422. When such a setting is adopted, since the screw 24 can be rotated while being held between the pair of claws 424, a part of the screw 24 is driven into the panel 20, and after the direction is stabilized, the screw 24 can be released from the screw holder 420.

[0058] Thus, in the screw holder 420, the force for opening the claws 424 and moving the screw 24 in the y direction is mainly applied by the needle 440 rather than the electric driver 22, and the electric driver 22 is mainly responsible for rotating the screw 24. For this reason, when the screw 24 slides in the y direction, the electric driver 22 hardly receives the resistance from the claws 424 due to the restoring force of the spring 430. As a result, the driving accuracy of the screw 24 can be improved.

[0059] 3. Method for fixing to the body edge of the panel Hereinafter, a method for fixing the panel 20 to the body edge 18 installed in the building 10 using the jig 100 described above will be described.

[0060] 3-1. Attachment of the jig First, convey the panel 20 to a predetermined position (Fig. 1(A)). For the conveyance, a hoisting machine such as a crane may be used. When other panels 20 are already installed and a new panel 20 is to be placed on that panel 20, the new panel 20 may be installed such that the rail 20a of the lower panel 20 is clamped by the rail 20b of the new panel 20 (see Fig. 1(B)).

[0061] After that, attach the electric driver 22 to the housing 402 and connect the bit 26 to the sleeve of the electric driver 22. Further, fix the jig 100 to the body edge 18 using the fixing unit 110. The fixing of the jig 100 is performed by placing the fixing unit 110 on the panel 20 such that the lower side 114a of the arm 114 contacts the panel 20 and the main surface 118a of the fixing jaw 118 contacts one side of the body edge 18 (see Fig. 3(B)). Then, rotate the knob 120 to move the slide jaw 116 in the y direction toward the body edge 18 side, sandwich the body edge 18 between the main surface 118a of the fixing jaw 118 and the main surface 116a of the slide jaw 116, and fix the fixing unit 110 to the body edge 18 (see Figs. 2, 3(A) to 3(C)). The fixing of the jig 100 may be carried out as an operation within the building 10. In addition, when the length of the body edge 18 in the x direction is short, a spacer 128 may be arranged between the body edge 18 and the arm 114 (see Fig. 4(C)).

[0062] 3-2. Driving of screws Subsequently, operate the operation unit 200 from the building 10 side to drive the screw 24. Specifically, set the screw 24 in the groove 424a of the pair of claws 424 such that the head is located on the housing 402 side (Figs. 11(A), 11(B)). At this time, the screw 24 is stably clamped by the pair of claws 424 by the restoring force of the spring 430. In addition, a recess for facilitating the insertion of the screw 24 may be formed in advance in the panel 20 (for example, the rail 20a) at a position where the tip of the screw 24 contacts the panel 20.

[0063] After that, the air compressor is started, and the air cylinder 302 is operated by operating the switch 306. As described above, the operation of the air cylinder 302 causes the piston 304 to slide in the y direction, and the slide shafts 408 and 410 move in the y direction (see FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B)). Along with this, the bridges 404 and 406 fixed to the slide shafts 408 and 410, and the housing 402 fixed to the bridges 404 and 406 move in the y direction. Then, the bit 26 of the electric driver 22 abuts against the screw 24. However, since the screw holder 420 can move in the y direction on the slide shafts 408 and 410, the screw holder 420 also moves as the housing 402 moves.

[0064] After that, when the tip of the screw 24 abuts against the panel 20 (FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B)), the screw 24 receives resistance from the panel 20, and this resistance is alleviated by the spring 412b provided in the damper 412. Further, when the grip lever 220 is operated while sliding the piston 304 to rotate the trigger lever 442 (see FIGS. 5(C) and 10), the rotation of the screw 24 starts, and the screw 24 is driven into the panel 20. After the screw 24 enters the panel 20 and the slide shafts 408 and 410 are further moved in the y direction, the needle 440 abuts against the pair of pedestals 422 and further enters between the pair of pedestals 422. As a result, while the pair of pedestals 422 transition to an open state, the screw 24 is released from the claw 424 and is pushed out in the y direction as the housing 402 moves (FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B)). Therefore, as described above, by adjusting the length of the needle 440 so that the bit 26 abuts against the screw 24 and then the needle 440 abuts against the pair of pedestals 422, a part of the screw 24 can be driven into the panel 20 while the screw 24 is stably held by the screw holder 420. Thus, the screw 24 can be released from the claw 424 after the direction of the screw 24 stabilizes.

[0065] In the process of driving the screw 24, when the platform 414 abuts against the fixed unit 110 or the operating unit 200, the movement of the platform 414 and the screw holder 420 stops. However, since the slide shafts 408 and 410 can slide within the through holes provided in the platform 414, the housing 402 can slide further in the y direction by the action of the slide mechanism of the operating unit 200 together with the slide shafts 408 and 410. As a result, the screw 24 can be moved further in the y direction. When the screw 24 reaches the body edge 18 and the head of the screw 24 contacts the panel 20, the driving is completed (Fig. 15).

[0066] In this series of driving steps, the operator can perform the work while grasping the situation of the screw 24 and its surroundings by using the mirror 416, so that accurate driving work is possible.

[0067] When the driving is completed, the power of the air cylinder 302 is stopped using the switch 306. Then, for example, the air cylinder 302 can be put in a neutral state and the housing 402 can be moved in the reverse direction using the auxiliary lever 208. Alternatively, the switch 306 can be switched to supply torque to the piston 304 so that the piston 304 slides toward the inside of the air cylinder 302 to move the housing 402 in the reverse direction. Through the above process, the panel 20 can be fixed to the body edge 18.

[0068] As described above, by using the jig 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, all the work of fixing the panel 20 to the body edge 18 can be carried out on the side of the body edge 18, that is, as work inside the building 10. For this reason, conventionally, in order to fix the panel 20, it was necessary to fix a scaffold around the building 10 and arrange workers outside the building 10 to carry out the work. However, by applying the method using the jig 100, the assembly and removal of the scaffold are not required, and it is possible to significantly shorten the construction period and reduce the implementation cost. In addition, the influence of the weather can also be reduced. Furthermore, since the worker can carry out the work inside the building 10, the worker is liberated from the unstable work on the scaffold, and it is possible to work in a safer environment.

[0069] As described above, each of the embodiments described as embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in appropriate combination as long as they do not conflict with each other. Based on each embodiment, those in which those skilled in the art appropriately add, delete, or change the design of the components are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the gist of the present invention.

[0070] Even if there are other effects different from the effects brought about by the above-described embodiments, those that are obvious from the description of this specification or can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0071] 10: Building, 12: Foundation beam, 14: Body, 16: Body, 18: Barrel edge, 20: Panel, 20a: Rail, 20b: Rail, 20c: Main surface, 20d: End, 22: Electric driver, 22a: Trigger, 24: Screw, 26: Bit, 100: Fixture, 110: Fixing unit, 112: Handle, 114: Arm, 114a: Lower side, 116: Slide jaw, 116a: Main surface, 118: Fixed jaw, 118a: Main surface, 120: Knob, 122: Spindle, 126: Shaft, 128: Spacer, 130: Stopper, 200: Operating unit, 202: First slide arm, 204: Second slide arm, 206: Connector, 208: Auxiliary lever, 209: Rotating rod, 210: Collector, 212: Placket, 214: Fixed plate, 214a: Lower side, 216: Slide box, 218: Grip, 220: Grip lever, 222: Cable, 224: Handle, 300: Power unit, 302: Air cylinder, 304: Piston, 306: Switch, 308: Air tube, 310: Air tube, 312: Air filter, 314: Inlet, 316: Casing, 318: Pedal, 400: Driver unit, 402: Housing, 404: Bridge, 406: Bridge, 408: Slide shaft, 410: Slide shaft, 412: Damper, 412a: Damper rod, 412b: Spring, 412c: Guard, 412d: End stopper, 414: Platform, 424a: Groove, 416: Mirror, 418: Connector, 420: Screw holder, 422: Pedestal, 424: Claw, 426: Closer, 428: Case, 430: Spring, 432: Pin, 440: Needle, 442: Trigger lever

Claims

1. A jig for fixing a panel to a body edge, a fixing unit, an operation unit attached to the fixing unit, a power unit attached to at least one of the fixing unit and the operation unit, and a driver unit attached to the operation unit and having a housing for accommodating an electric driver, the fixing unit has a fixed jaw and a slide jaw for fixing the jig to the body edge in a state where the jig is located on the panel, the operation unit, a slide mechanism for reversibly sliding the driver unit in a first direction, and an operation mechanism for operating a trigger of the electric driver, the power unit is a jig including an air cylinder for operating the slide mechanism.

2. The jig according to claim 1, further including an air compressor for driving the air cylinder.

3. The driver unit includes a pair of slide shafts fixed to the housing and extending in the first direction, The slide mechanism reversibly slides the pair of slide shafts in the first direction, the jig according to claim 1.

4. The driver unit includes a screw holder for holding a screw for fixing the body edge and the panel, The screw holder is attached to the slide shaft so as to be relatively and reversibly movable with respect to the pair of slide shafts in the first direction, the jig according to claim 3.

5. The screw holder, a pair of pedestals overlapping in the vertical direction in a state where the jig is fixed to the body edge, and Fixed to the pair of pedestals respectively, having a pair of claws overlapping each other in the vertical direction, Each of the pair of claws includes a groove for accommodating a part of the screw in a state where the screw faces the first direction. The pair of pedestals are configured to take a closed state and an open state by reversibly rotating in opposite directions about a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction. The jig according to claim 4.

6. The housing has a needle that extends in the first direction and is arranged to be inserted between the pair of pedestals when the driver unit is slid in the first direction. The jig according to claim 5.

7. The pair of pedestals are configured to transition from a closed state to an open state when the needle moves between the pair of pedestals in the first direction. The jig according to claim 6.

8. The screw holder further has closers arranged above and below the pair of pedestals for the pair of pedestals to restore the closed state when in the open state. The jig according to claim 5.

9. The power unit further has a switch for adjusting the air pressure from the air compressor to operate the air cylinder. The jig according to claim 2.

10. The switch is a pedal. The jig according to claim 9.

11. The driver unit further includes a mirror for visually recognizing the screw holder. The jig according to claim 4.

12. The jig according to claim 1 further includes a spacer arranged between the fixed jaw and the slide jaw.

13. The spacer is fixed to the fixed unit by magnetism. The jig according to claim 12.

Images