Nut box

Abstract

To provide a nut box structure that improves insertion property of a nut into a nut box formed in a structure and prevents a pedestal from being damaged due to interference between the pedestal and a nut when the nut is inserted.SOLUTION: A nut box includes: a box-like nut box body 16 including an opening 2 having an outer periphery into which a nut 1 is inserted; a pedestal 3 which is formed inside the box body 16 and on which the nut 1 is placed; and a guide slope 4 for guiding the nut 1 toward the pedestal 3 from the opening 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a nut box formed on a part of a structural component for fastening the components together with nuts and bolts, and in particular to improving the ease of inserting nuts into the nut box and the ease of installing nuts on bases inside the nut box. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 8(A) is an exploded perspective view of an example of a heat exchanger using a conventional nut box, and FIG. 8(B) is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the same nut box. As shown in FIG. 8(A), a pair of header tanks 27 (the lower side is omitted) are arranged above and below the heat exchanger having a core 30 in which flat tubes 29 and corrugated fins 28 are arranged alternately in parallel, and a cover plate 32 is arranged on the outermost side in the parallel direction of the flat tubes 29 of the core 30 of the heat exchanger, and in order to fasten these together via bolts 26 and nuts 21, a nut box body 36 is formed at the longitudinal end of the header tank 27 of the heat exchanger. That is, in this example, as shown in Figure 8(A), the nut box body 36 is formed integrally with both longitudinal ends of the header tank 27 of the heat exchanger. This header tank 27 is made of a resin molded body, and the nut box body 36 is formed integrally with the header tank 27. An opening 22 for inserting a nut 21 is formed on one end of the outer periphery of the nut box body 36, and a pedestal 23 is provided on the inner wall surface facing the opening 22, protruding horizontally toward the opening 22, as shown in Figure 8(B). The pedestal 23 is formed at a position higher than the bottom surface of the nut box body 36, as shown in Figure 8(B). The nut 21 is placed on the pedestal 23. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, when inserting the nut 21 into the nut box body 36, in order to avoid interference with the pedestal 23, the nut 21 must be inserted while being tilted. Therefore, the insertion trajectory of the nut 21 is complicated, and the workability of inserting the nut 21 is poor. Also, if forced insertion is performed, such as horizontally inserting the nut 21 into the nut box body 36, as shown in Fig. 8(B), the nut 21 and the pedestal 23 may interfere with each other, and there is a risk of problems such as damage to the pedestal 23. Therefore, it is necessary for a person to carefully perform the insertion work while visually confirming the trajectory of the nut 21, and it has been difficult to automate using equipment.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure that improves the workability of inserting a nut into a nut box and prevents damage to the pedestal due to interference between the nut and the pedestal when inserting the nut, in order to solve the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present invention according to claim 1 includes a box-shaped nut box body 16 having an opening 2 for inserting a nut 1 on the outer periphery, a pedestal 3 for placing the nut 1 formed inside the nut box body 16, and a guide slope 4 for guiding the nut 1 from the opening 2 toward the pedestal 3, and is a nut box having the same.

[0006] The present invention according to claim 2 is the nut box according to claim 1, wherein the guide slope 4 is formed on both side surfaces 16a in the width direction of the nut box body 16.

[0007] The present invention according to claim 3 is the nut box according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the pedestal 3 and the guide slope 4 are not integrated.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] The invention according to claim 1 includes a box-shaped nut box body 16 having an opening 2 for inserting a nut 1 on its outer periphery, a pedestal 3 for placing the nut 1 formed inside the nut box body 16, and a guide slope 4 for guiding the nut 1 from the opening 2 toward the pedestal 3. Due to the presence of this guide slope 4, the nut 1 can be smoothly guided from the opening 2 to the pedestal 3. As a result, interference between the nut 1 and the pedestal 3 during nut insertion is prevented, the workability of inserting the nut 1 is improved, and damage to the pedestal 3 is prevented.

[0009] When the guide slope 4 is formed on both side surfaces 16a in the width direction of the nut box body 16 as in the invention according to claim 2, the inclined surface 1a of the chamfered portion at the corner of the nut 1 is in sliding contact with the guiding portion 4a of the guide slope 4. Therefore, the nut 1 can be inserted into the pedestal 3 more smoothly without being caught by the guide slope 4.

[0010] When the pedestal 3 and the guide slope 4 are not integrated as in the invention according to claim 3, it becomes possible to independently and optimally design the shapes, rigidities, elasticities, etc. of the pedestal 3 and the guide slope 4, respectively, and the workability of inserting the nut 1 is improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 6 show embodiments of the nut box body 16 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a heat exchanger using the nut box body 16 of the present invention. FIG. 2(A) is an assembled perspective view of the main part of the heat exchanger using the nut box body 16. FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 2(A). FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the nut box body 16 and the nut 1 to be inserted into the nut box body 16. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where the nut 1 is placed on the pedestal 3 of the nut box body 16. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4 with the description of the nut 1 omitted. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

[0013] The nut box body 16 of the present invention is formed, for example, in the header tank 7 of a heat exchanger such as a radiator as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The header tank 7 has a bottom surface and side surfaces, and is formed in an elongated box shape with an opening on the side opposite to the bottom surface. The heat exchanger has a core 10 in which flat tubes 9 and corrugated fins 8 are alternately arranged in parallel. Both longitudinal ends of each flat tube 9 are inserted through a header plate 15, and the header plate 15 is fitted to the open end of the header tank 7 via a sealing ring (not shown), and the claw portions on the outer periphery of the header plate 15 are caulked and fixed to the small flange portion of the header tank 7. And a side member 11 is arranged on the outermost side in the parallel direction of the flat tubes 9 of the core 10. Furthermore, a cover plate 12 is arranged outside the side member 11. A pair of header tanks 7 and a pair of cover plates 12 are fastened via bolts 6 and nuts 1.

[0014] The present invention relates to this nut box body 16, which is integrally formed in a pair at both longitudinal ends of the header tank 7 of the heat exchanger. An opening 2 for inserting the nut 1 is formed on the outer periphery of each nut box body 16. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the opening 2 is formed on the side surface as viewed from the left side surface side of the header tank 7. A pedestal 3 is integrally projected horizontally toward the opening 2 on the inner wall surface 16c facing the opening 2. Further, the pedestal 3 is formed at a position higher than the bottom surface 16b of the nut box body 16. As shown in FIG. 5, the pedestal 3 is composed of a pair of opposing protrusions, and the upper surfaces of those protrusions are flush. The pedestal 3 is spaced inward from the left and right side surfaces 16a of the nut box body 16. The nut 1 is inserted into this nut box body 16 and placed on the pedestal 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, above the bolt hole 5 formed in the ceiling surface 16d facing the pedestal 3, a rubber grommet 13 for housing the collar 14 is installed, and the cover plate 12 is attached from above them. Then, the bolt 6 is inserted through the bolt hole 12a of the cover plate 12, and the bolt 6 is screwed onto the nut 1 via the washer 17, the collar 14, and the grommet 13.

[0015] In the present invention, as a structure for improving the insertion workability when placing the nut 1 on the aforementioned pedestal 3 and preventing damage to the pedestal 3 due to interference between the nut 1 and the pedestal 3 during nut insertion, a pair of guide slopes 4 are formed below the pedestal 3. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, each guide slope 4 is located below the pedestal 3 and integrally projects from the inner wall side of the opening 2 rather than the pedestal 3. The tip of each guide slope 4 has a downwardly inclined guide portion 4a, which is located on the opening 2 side from the pedestal 3. Each guide slope 4 is composed of a pair of ribs integrally formed on the left and right side surfaces 16a of the nut box body 16, and is formed from the opening 2 of the nut box body 16 toward the pedestal 3. The inclination angle of the guide portion 4a of the guide slope 4 is preferably in the range of 60° to 15°. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inclined guide portion 4a of the guide slope 4 protrudes from the tip of the pedestal 3 toward the opening 2 side, and is inclined so that when the nut 1 rides from the guide slope 4 onto the pedestal 3, the nut 1 does not interfere with the tip of the pedestal 3. In this example, the members of the pedestal 3 and the pair of guide slopes 4 are not integral, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The tip of the pedestal 3 is preferably a notch 3a that is also downwardly inclined and cut out, like the guide slope 4. Next, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4, the nut 1 is a plane square and is slightly smaller than the width between the left and right side surfaces 16a of the nut box body 16. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the four corners of the nut 1 have chamfers on both the upper and lower surfaces, and have eight inclined surfaces 1a at the chamfered corners.

[0016] FIGS. 7(A) to 7(D) sequentially explain the movement trajectory of the nut 1 when the nut 1 is inserted into the nut box body 16. First, as shown in FIG. 7(A), when the nut 1 is inserted into the nut box body 16, the nut 1 moves horizontally along the bottom surface 16b from the opening 2 of the nut box body 16. Next, as shown in FIG. 7(B), when the moved nut 1 reaches the guide portion 4a of the pair of guide slopes 4, the pair of inclined surfaces 1a on the lower surface side of the nut 1 come into contact with each guide portion 4a of the pair of guide slopes 4, and when both sides of the lower surface of the nut 1 slide on the guide slopes 4, the nut 1 inclines along the inclination of the guide portion 4a of the guide slopes 4. In the state where the nut 1 is inclined, the lower surface side of the nut 1 rides on the guide slopes 4. Furthermore, when the nut 1 slides, as shown in Fig. 7(C), the lower surface of the nut 1 disengages from the guide slope 4, and the lower surface of the nut 1 rides over the notch 3a at the tip of the pedestal 3. And finally, as shown in Fig. 7(D), the nut 1 is horizontally placed on the upper part of the pedestal 3.

[0017] By providing the pair of guide slopes 4 in the nut box body 16 in this way, interference between the nut 1 and the pedestal 3 during nut insertion is prevented, and damage to the pedestal 3 is prevented. Also, by providing the pair of guide slopes 4, a series of movements during nut insertion are continuously performed, and the insertion workability of the nut 1 is improved. In this case, the nut 1 can be smoothly moved to the upper part of the pedestal 3 without visually checking the trajectory of the nut 1, and automatic insertion by equipment or the like becomes possible. Also, when inserting the nut 1, the inclined surface 1a at the corner of the nut 1 contacts the guide slope 4 and the nut 1 slides, so the nut 1 is not caught by the guide slope 4. Furthermore, when the pedestal 3 and the guide slope 4 are not integrated as in this example, it is possible to optimally design their respective shapes, rigidity, elasticity, etc.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 6, a bolt insertion hole 5 is formed in the ceiling surface 16d facing the pedestal 3. It is preferable to form a retaining projection 18 facing the bottom surface 16b on the opening 2 side of the hole edge of the bolt insertion hole 5 as shown in Figs. 2(B) and 6. The retaining projection 18 should be formed so that it does not get in the way when the nut 1 is inserted obliquely and can prevent the nut 1 from coming off when the nut 1 is placed on the pedestal 3. Also, it is preferable that the width of the guide slope 4 is 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. Not limited to this, the width of the guide slope 4 can be appropriately changed. Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the guide slope 4 can form a guide part 4a with a multi-step edge where the nut 1 slides. By inclining the tip of each step of the guide part 4a, the movement of the nut 1 can be made smoother.

[0019] In the above embodiment, a pair of guide slopes 4 are formed on the left and right side surfaces 16a of the nut box body 16. However, the guide slopes 4 may be formed below the pedestal 3. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pedestal 3 and the guide slopes 4 are not integral, but the pedestal 3 and the guide slopes 4 can also be integrally formed. In these cases, the formation position of the inclined surface of the nut 1 is changed according to the formation position of the guide slopes 4. In the example shown in this figure, two nut box bodies 16 are arranged adjacent to each other at the left end of the header tank 7 (the right end and the lower header tank are omitted). However, the number of nut box bodies 16 may be one, or two or more. Also, in the above embodiment, the openings 2 for inserting the nuts 1 of the nut box body 16 are formed on both side surfaces when viewed from the left side surface side of the header tank 7. However, the position where the openings 2 are formed is not limited to the illustrated portion.

Industrial Applicability

[0020] The present invention can be used as a nut box body formed in a header tank or the like of a heat exchanger. The present invention can also be applied to structures other than the tanks of the heat exchanger.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0021] 1 Nut 1a Inclined surface 2 Opening 3 Pedestal 3a Notch 4 Guide slope 4a Guide portion 5 Bolt insertion hole 6 Bolt 7 Header tank 8 Corrugated fin 9 Flat tube 10 Core L Side member 12 Cover plate 12a Bolt hole 13 Grommet 14 colors 15 header plate 16 nut box body 16a side surface 16b bottom surface 16c inner wall surface 16d ceiling surface 17 washer 18 retaining projection

[0022] 21 nut 22 opening 23 pedestal 23a notch 25 bolt insertion hole 26 bolt 27 header tank 28 corrugated fin 29 flat tube 30 core 31 side member 32 cover plate 32a bolt hole 33 grommet 34 colors 35 header plate 36 nut box body 37 washer

Claims

1. A box-shaped nut box body (16) having an opening (2) for inserting a nut (1) on the outer periphery, A pedestal (3) for placing the nut (1) formed inside the nut box body (16), A guide slope (4) for guiding the nut (1) from the opening (2) towards the pedestal (3), wherein the inclined surface (1a) of the chamfered portion at the corner of the nut (1) is in sliding contact with the guiding portion (4a) of the guide slope (4). A nut box having the guide slope (4).

2. In the nut box according to Claim 1, The guide slope (4) is formed on both side surfaces (16a) in the width direction of the nut box body (16).

3. In the nut box according to any one of Claim 1 or Claim 2, A nut box in which the pedestal (3) and the guide slope (4) are not integral.

Images