Front panel box and its installation method

Abstract

To provide a front panel box that can be installed regardless of a reinforced condition of a wall, and an installation method therefor.SOLUTION: A front panel box 1 comprises a left side board 2, a right side board 3, a back board 4 connecting rear parts of the left side board 2 and the right side board 3, and an inside frieze board 5 connecting front side upper parts of the left side board 2 and the right side board 3, and is intended to be fixed to a floor. Prepared holes for attaching fixing brackets 7 are formed in lower parts of the left side board 2 and the right side board 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a front panel box and a method for installing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for fixing a bathroom vanity to a floor. The fixing structure in this document uses an L-shaped fixing bracket and a height-adjustment bolt. The height-adjustment bolt is placed between the bottom surface of the side panel of the bathroom vanity and the floor. One side of the L-shaped fixing bracket is fixed to the floor surface facing the bottom surface of the side panel, and the other side is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-209774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, the mounting rigidity to the floor surface was insufficient. Therefore, in practice, fixing to the floor surface as described in the literature was not sufficient, and fixing to the wall was also required. When attempting to fix to an existing wall, construction was sometimes difficult because the strength of the wall was unknown.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a front panel box that can be installed regardless of the reinforcement status of the wall, as well as a method for installing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect of the disclosed technology, the front panel box has a left side panel, a right side panel, a back panel connecting the rear portions of the left and right side panels, and an inner panel connecting the upper front portions of the left and right side panels, and is for fixing to the floor with pilot holes formed in the lower portions of the left and right side panels for attaching fixing brackets. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front panel box according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the front panel box of FIG. 1 in a cutaway state. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing bracket according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front panel box in a cutaway state before the fixing brackets are attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the front panel box temporarily placed in the installation position. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view, partially cut away, showing the fixing bracket temporarily placed at the mounting position. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the area around the fastening fitting after installation, with a portion cut away. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment embodying the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The front panel box 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a left side panel 2, a right side panel 3, a back panel 4, and an inner panel 5. The back panel 4 connects the rear portions of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3. The inner panel 5 connects the upper front portions of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3. The front panel box 1 also has a riser 6. The riser 6 connects the lower front portions of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3. In the front panel box 1, the left side panel 2, right side panel 3, back panel 4, and inner panel 5 are joined together by dowel joints. The front panel box 1 is generally rectangular and open at the front, top, and bottom.

[0009] The front panel box 1 is intended to be installed and used indoors. In practice, the front panel box 1 is used by a user with a door or other front panel attached to the front and an upper component such as a washbasin attached to the top. When the upper component is a washbasin, the front panel box 1 is a washstand.

[0010] In Figure 2, the left side of the figure is the rear side of the front panel box 1, and the right side of the figure is the front side. The back panel 4 is located on the rear side of the front panel box 1. On the front side of the front panel box 1, there is an opening between the upper inner panel 5 and the lower riser 6. When a user actually uses the front panel box 1, as mentioned above, this opening is closed by the front panel. Figure 2 also shows the inner surface of the right side panel 3. Two fixing brackets 7 are attached to the lower end of the inner surface of the right side panel 3. As shown in Figure 1, two fixing brackets 7 are also attached to the lower end of the inner surface of the left side panel 2.

[0011] The back panel 4 covers almost the entire rear surface of the front panel box 1. It is desirable that the back panel 4 occupy 80% or more of the area of ​​the rear surface, calculated by the overall height and width of the front panel box 1. However, if the upper component is a wet item such as the aforementioned washbasin, the installer may need to drill holes in the back panel 4 during construction. This is for the installation of water supply and drainage pipes. The back panel 4 is preferably a single board. For example, a particle board with a decorative surface known as a solid core can be used as the back panel 4. Because the back panel 4 has a large area, the rigidity of the front panel box 1 as a whole is high. If the back panel 4 is a single board, the rigidity is even higher.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the inner panel 5 has an L-shaped cross section with a horizontal portion 51 and a wall portion 52. The inner panel 5 may be made of two flat plates assembled in an L shape, or may be a single piece. This shape of the inner panel 5 also contributes to improving the overall rigidity of the front panel box 1.

[0013] In the inner panel 5, the wall portion 52 is located at the front end of the horizontal portion 51. This position of the wall portion 52 is also at the front end with respect to the right side panel 3 and the left side panel 2. In other words, the wall portion 52 is located at the front end with respect to the entire front panel box 1. The height direction position of the wall portion 52 in the front panel box 1 is a position where the upper end of the wall portion 52 coincides with the upper ends of the right side panel 3 and the left side panel 2. The horizontal portion 51 is located at the lower end with respect to the width of the wall portion 52 in the height direction. This height direction position of the horizontal portion 51 is a position lower than the upper end of the front panel box 1 by the width of the wall portion 52 in the height direction. This arrangement of the wall portion 52 and the horizontal portion 51 places fewer restrictions on the installation of the upper components described above. This arrangement is also advantageous for improving the overall rigidity of the front panel box 1.

[0014] The fixing bracket 7 will now be described. As shown in Figure 3, the fixing bracket 7 has a vertical piece 71 and a horizontal piece 72. The vertical piece 71 and the horizontal piece 72 are connected by an angle portion 73. The fixing bracket 7 is an L-shaped bracket in which the vertical piece 71 and the horizontal piece 72 are connected in an L shape. The vertical piece 71 is the part that is attached to the inner surface of the left side panel 2 or the inner surface of the right side panel 3 of the front panel box 1. The horizontal piece 72 is the part that is fixed to the floor surface when the front panel box 1 is installed.

[0015] The fixing bracket 7 has several holes for fastening. Holes 74 and 75 are drilled in the vertical piece 71. Holes 76 and 77 are drilled in the horizontal piece 72. Of these, holes 75 and 77 are normal round holes for passing through fastening members such as wood screws. Unlike holes 75 and 77, holes 74 and 76 are elongated holes.

[0016] Hole 74 is a vertically elongated hole formed in vertical piece 71. Hereinafter, it will be referred to as elongated hole 74. The longitudinal direction of elongated hole 74 is perpendicular to angle portion 73. The function of elongated hole 74 is to adjust the mounting height of fixing bracket 7 relative to left side panel 2 or right side panel 3 in order to install front panel box 1 horizontally. Hole 76 is a horizontally elongated hole formed in horizontal piece 72. Hereinafter, it will be referred to as elongated hole 76. The longitudinal direction of elongated hole 76 is parallel to angle portion 73. The function of elongated hole 76 is to adjust the mounting position of fixing bracket 7 relative to the floor surface in order to adjust the installation position of front panel box 1.

[0017] The installation of the front panel box 1 will be described. First, the front panel box 1 before installation will be described. The fixing brackets 7 are not attached to the front panel box 1 before installation. Pre-installed pilot holes 21 are formed in the two positions on the front panel box 1 where the fixing brackets 7 are to be attached, as shown in FIG. 4. The pilot holes 21 are formed near the lower end of the inner surface of the right side plate 3. The pilot holes 21 are bottomed holes that do not reach the outer surface of the right side plate 3.

[0018] The pilot holes 21 are holes for attaching the fixing brackets 7. More specifically, the pilot holes 21 are holes for screwing the elongated holes 74 in the vertical piece 71. The positions of the pilot holes 21 are determined to be standard positions without taking into consideration the individual conditions of the floor surface where the front panel box 1 is installed. The pilot holes 21 are already formed when the front panel box 1 is shipped from the factory. Although not shown in Figure 4, two similar pilot holes 21 are also formed near the lower end of the inner surface of the left side panel 2. Before installation, the front panel box 1 does not have any pilot holes formed for screwing the holes 75 in the vertical piece 71.

[0019] The pre-installed front panel box 1 is shipped from the factory to the installation site without the fixing brackets 7 attached and with the pilot holes 21 formed as described above. The fixing brackets 7 may be delivered to the installation site together with the pre-installed front panel box 1, or may be delivered to the installation site separately from the pre-installed front panel box 1 from the shipper of the fixing brackets 7.

[0020] The construction procedure for the front panel box 1 will be explained below. Construction of the front panel box 1 involves installing the front panel box 1 in the indoor location where it is planned to be used. At this time, leveling is also carried out to deal with unevenness in the floor surface of the planned location. The upper components are also installed, and the front panel box 1 is processed for this purpose.

[0021] The construction procedure is outlined below, and will be explained in order. 1. Temporary placement 2. Installing the fixing bracket 7 3. Installation of accessories

[0022] Let us now consider "1. Temporary Placement." The installer first places the front panel box 1 at the installation location as shown in Figure 5. This is called temporary placement. The temporarily placed front panel box 1 is on the floor 8, with the back panel 4 facing the wall 9 of the building. If the back panel 4 needs to be processed during installation, the installer will do so while it is temporarily placed. For example, if the upper structure is a washbasin and water supply and drainage are to be routed through the wall 9, the installer will need to drill holes in the back panel 4 for the water supply and drainage pipes. If the upper structure includes electrical equipment and receives power from the wall 9, the installer will need to drill holes in the back panel 4 for the power cord to pass through. The same applies to holes for the gas pipes if the upper structure includes gas-using equipment.

[0023] With the front panel box 1 temporarily placed at the installation location, the installer can determine the positions where the holes will be drilled. The installer can perform the hole drilling work using known tools such as a hole saw. The installer may also perform the hole drilling work by removing the front panel box 1 from the temporary placement position. In that case, after determining the hole drilling positions, the installer temporarily removes the front panel box 1 from the temporary placement position, performs the hole drilling work, and then returns the front panel box 1 to the temporary placement position. If no holes are required, the installer does not process the back panel 4.

[0024] Next, we will discuss "2. Installing the Fixing Brackets 7." The temporarily placed front panel box 1 is fixed to the floor surface 8 by the fixing brackets 7. During the installation work of the fixing brackets 7, unevenness adjustment is also performed. Unevenness adjustment means setting the front panel box 1 level regardless of the unevenness of the floor surface 8. Installation of the fixing brackets 7, including unevenness adjustment, is performed in the following procedure. 2-1. Temporarily placing the fixing bracket 7 2-2. Drilling the pilot hole for slot 76 2-3. Temporarily fix the slotted holes 74 and 76 2-4.Unevenness adjustment 2-5. Fixed

[0025] In "2-1. Temporarily placing the fixing brackets 7," the installer places the four fixing brackets 7 in their respective installation positions. The installer places the horizontal pieces 72 on the floor surface 8 and brings the upright vertical pieces 71 into contact with the inner surfaces of the left panel 2 and the right panel 3. With the fixing brackets 7 placed, the horizontal pieces 72 are positioned on the floor surface 8. The installer then adjusts the position of the fixing brackets 7 so that the pilot holes 21 are visible through the elongated holes 74. In this state, the elongated holes 74 are positioned above the pilot holes 21. In other words, the pilot holes 21 are exposed through the elongated holes 74. Figure 6 shows this state.

[0026] In "2-2. Drilling pilot holes for oblong holes 76," the installer drills pilot holes 81 in the floor surface 8 at locations within the area visible within the oblong holes 76. The pilot holes 81 are preferably drilled near the center of the longitudinal range of the oblong holes 76. The installer performs the work of drilling pilot holes 81 for the positions of the oblong holes 76 of all four fixing brackets 7.

[0027] If the floor surface 8 is a dry floor, the installer uses the elongated hole 76 to drill a pilot hole 81 at the relevant location on the floor surface 8. If the floor surface 8 is a wet floor, the installer uses the elongated hole 76 to write a mark at the relevant location on the floor surface 8. The installer then temporarily removes the fixing bracket 7 and uses the drill to drill the marked location on the floor surface 8. The installer inserts a known PC plug into the drilled pilot hole 81 and then returns the fixing bracket 7 to its original position.

[0028] In "2-3. Temporarily fixing oblong holes 74 and 76," the installer inserts screws 10 (see Figure 4) into oblong holes 74 and 76, respectively, to temporarily fix them. Screws 10 are inserted through oblong holes 74 and 76 into pilot holes 21, and through oblong holes 76 into pilot holes 81. Final fixing is not performed at this stage. Therefore, the installer tightens screws 10 with a first tightening torque that is weaker than the second tightening torque described below. As a result, vertical piece 71 is loosely fixed to left side panel 2 and right side panel 3 so that it will not move on its own, but can slide vertically when force is applied. Horizontal piece 72 is loosely fixed to floor surface 8 so that it will not move on its own, but can slide horizontally when force is applied.

[0029] In "2-4. Leveling Adjustment," the installer performs leveling using known tools such as adjuster bolts. The leveling adjustment brings the front panel box 1 to a horizontal position. The leveling adjustment may cause the fixing brackets 7 to slide slightly up and down. The installer then checks the contact status between the horizontal piece 72 and the floor surface 8 for each fixing bracket 7. If the horizontal piece 72 of any fixing bracket 7 is not aligned with the floor surface 8, the installer presses that fixing bracket 7 downward to bring the horizontal piece 72 into contact with the floor surface 8. At this time, not only will the vertical piece 71 slide against the left and right panels 2 and 3, but the horizontal piece 72 may also slide slightly against the floor surface 8. This leveling adjustment process adjusts the position of the fixing brackets 7 relative to the front panel box 1 to a height that is individually tailored to the installation location. The heights of the four fixing brackets 7 on a single front panel box 1 may differ slightly from each other.

[0030] In "2-5. Permanent Fixing," the installer permanently fixes all of holes 75, holes 77, oblong holes 74, and oblong holes 76. The specific procedure differs slightly depending on whether floor surface 8 is a dry floor or a wet floor.

[0031] If the floor is dry, the installer drills pilot holes at the locations of holes 75 and 77. The installer drills pilot holes through holes 75 and 77 at the corresponding locations on the inner surface of left panel 2, the inner surface of right panel 3, and floor surface 8. Then, screws 10 are inserted into holes 75 and 77, respectively, to secure them in place. This time, the screws are not fastened loosely, but are fastened firmly so that the front panel box 1 does not move easily even when force is applied. The installer also tightens the screws 10 in oblong holes 74 and 76, which have already been temporarily fastened, with a second tightening torque that is stronger than the first tightening torque described above, to permanently secure them.

[0032] The procedure for wet floors is slightly more complicated than the above. The installer first marks the position of the hole 77 on the floor surface 8. The installer then temporarily releases the temporary fixation between the oblong hole 76 and the floor surface 8 and removes the front panel box 1 from its installation position. The installer then drills a pilot hole at the location of the mark on the floor surface 8 and inserts a known PC plug into the drilled pilot hole. The installer then returns the front panel box 1 to its original position, making sure that both the oblong hole 76 and the hole 77 are positioned above the pilot hole in the floor surface 8. The installer then temporarily fixes the oblong hole 76 again.

[0033] Here, the contractor again adjusts the unevenness. This time, the unevenness adjustment only requires fine adjustment. After that, the contractor uses a drill to drill pilot holes at each position of the holes 75 on the left side board 2 and the right side board 3. The contractor inserts a screw 10 into each hole 75, and permanently fixes the left side board 2 and the right side board 3. The contractor also inserts a screw 10 into each hole 77, and permanently fixes the board to the floor surface 8. The contractor again inserts a screw 10 into each pilot hole 81 through each oblong hole 76, and permanently fixes the board to the floor surface 8. The contractor also tightens the screws 10 in the oblong holes 74 that have been temporarily fixed, and permanently fixes the board. This completes the permanent fixation procedure for a wet floor.

[0034] Now, let us move on to "3. Installation of accessories." The installer will install accessories to the front panel box 1 after the final fixing has been completed. The accessories to be installed here include the upper structure mentioned above, as well as the doors and other front panels attached to the front, and the decorative panels of the riser 6. At this time, the installer will also connect the water supply and drainage pipes and power cords for the upper structure, as well as the equipment for them.

[0035] The above is the installation procedure for the front panel box 1. After this installation procedure has been performed, the lower parts of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3 of the front panel box 1 are fixed to the floor 8 with L-shaped fixing brackets 7 after adjusting for unevenness. More specifically, the inner surfaces of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3 are in contact with the vertical piece 71, and the horizontal piece 72 is fixed to the floor 8. As shown in FIG. 7 , screws 10 are inserted into the inner surface of the left side panel 2 and the right side panel 3 through the elongated holes 74 and 75 in the vertical piece 71. Screws 10 are inserted into the floor 8 through the elongated holes 76 and 77 in the horizontal piece 72.

[0036] After construction, the front panel box 1 is basically fixed to the floor surface 8. The front panel box 1 is fixed to the floor surface 8 only within the height range of the fixing brackets 7 that are arranged in contact with the floor surface 8. Although the wall surface 9 of the building faces the back panel 4 of the front panel box 1, no measures have been taken to secure the wall surface 9 and the back panel 4 to each other. For this reason, the installer does not need to consider the strength of the wall surface 9 when constructing the front panel box 1.

[0037] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the back panel 4 and the inner panel 5 provide the front panel box 1 with high rigidity. The fixing brackets 7 are L-shaped, and have vertical elongated holes 74 formed in at least the vertical pieces 71. This allows the height position of the fixing brackets 7 to be individually and appropriately adjusted for the front panel box 1 after it has been adjusted for levelness. This allows the front panel box 1 to be appropriately fixed to the floor 8 in an adjusted state without relying on the strength of the wall 9. In this way, a front panel box 1 that can be installed regardless of the reinforcement status of the wall 9 has been realized, along with its installation method.

[0038] This embodiment is merely an example and does not limit the disclosed technology in any way. Therefore, the disclosed technology can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is not necessary for the back panel 4 to be a single panel. As mentioned above, a single panel is advantageous from the perspective of rigidity of the front panel box 1. However, the disclosed technology can also be implemented if the back panel 4 is made up of a combination of multiple panels. It is also not necessary for the inner panel 5 to have an L-shaped cross section. From the perspective of rigidity, an L-shaped cross section is advantageous. However, the disclosed technology can also be implemented if the inner panel 5 is a simple plate-shaped panel. A configuration without a riser 6 is also possible. However, having a riser 6 is advantageous from the perspective of rigidity.

[0039] The minimum requirements for the fixing bracket 7 are that it be an L-shaped bracket, that the vertical piece 71 have an elongated hole 74, and that the horizontal piece 72 have at least one of an elongated hole 76 and a hole 77. However, from an installation standpoint, it is more preferable that the hole provided in the horizontal piece 72 be an elongated hole 76, and it is even more preferable that both the elongated hole 76 and the hole 77 are provided. It is also more preferable that the vertical piece 71 have not only the elongated hole 74 but also a hole 75. For the holes 75 and 77 that do not enter a temporary fixing state during installation, another fastening member, such as a nail, may be used instead of the screw 10.

[0040] The fixing position of the front panel box 1 to the floor surface 8, i.e., the attachment position of the fixing brackets 7, is not limited to the inside of the left and right panels 2 and 3. If appearance is not a concern, fixing may be done on the outside. In addition to the left and right panels 2 and 3, the back panel 4 and riser 6 may also be used for fixing. The front panel box 1 of this embodiment can also be installed in an island-like position away from the wall surface 9 of the building. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...Front panel box, 2...Left side panel, 3...Right side panel, 4...Back panel, 5...Inner curtain board, 6...Rising board, 7...Fixing bracket, 8...Floor, 10...Screw, 21...Pre-drilled hole, 51...Horizontal part, 52...Wall part, 71...Vertical piece, 72...Horizontal piece, 73...Angle part, 74... slot, 75... hole, 76... slot, 77... hole

Claims

1. The left side board and The right side panel and a back plate connecting rear portions of the left side plate and the right side plate; An inner panel connecting the front upper portions of the left side panel and the right side panel, pilot holes for attaching fixing brackets are formed in the lower portions of the left and right plates, The inner panel is a front panel box for fixing to the floor, having an L-shaped cross section with a horizontal portion and a wall portion.

2. 2. The front panel box according to claim 1, wherein the fixing metal fittings are: The front panel box has an L-shaped metal fitting in which a vertical piece and a horizontal piece are connected by an angle part, a vertical long hole intersecting the angle part is formed in the vertical piece, and a hole is formed in the horizontal piece.

3. 3. The front panel box according to claim 2, The L-shaped metal fitting has a round hole formed in the vertical piece, A front panel box in which pilot holes for screwing the oblong holes are formed in the lower parts of the left and right panels, but pilot holes for screwing the round holes are not formed.

4. The left side board and The right side panel and a back plate connecting rear portions of the left side plate and the right side plate; An inner panel connecting the front upper portions of the left and right panels; a vertical piece and a horizontal piece connected by an angle portion, a vertical elongated hole formed in the vertical piece that intersects with the angle portion, and an L-shaped metal fitting having a hole formed in the horizontal piece; the left and right plates are in contact with the vertical piece portions; The horizontal piece is fixed to a floor surface, screws are inserted into the left and right plates through the elongated holes; The front panel box has an L-shaped cross section with a horizontal portion and a wall portion.

5. 5. The front panel box according to claim 2, wherein the L-shaped metal fittings are: A front panel box in which a horizontal slot parallel to the angle portion is formed in the horizontal piece portion.

6. A front panel box according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The wall portion is Positions on the front ends of the left and right side plates, and a front panel box whose upper end is positioned to coincide with the upper ends of the left and right panels;

7. A front panel box according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The front panel box has a back panel made of a single plate.

8. A method for installing a front panel box, comprising: The front panel box includes: The left side board and The right side panel and a back plate connecting rear portions of the left side plate and the right side plate; An inner panel connecting the front upper portions of the left side panel and the right side panel, pilot holes for attaching fixing brackets are formed in the lower portions of the left and right plates, An L-shaped metal fitting is used, in which a vertical piece and a horizontal piece are connected by an angle part, and a vertical elongated hole that intersects with the angle part is formed in the vertical piece, Place the front panel box at an installation position on the floor, The L-shaped metal fitting is temporarily fixed to the lower part of the left side plate and the right side plate so that the vertical piece portion contacts the left side plate or the right side plate, the horizontal piece portion is positioned on the floor surface, and the long hole is positioned above the pilot hole, Adjust the unevenness of the front panel box, After adjusting the unevenness, adjust the height position of the L-shaped metal fittings using the elongated holes. After adjusting the height direction position of the L-shaped metal fitting, the L-shaped metal fitting is finally fixed to the left side plate and the right side plate, At the time of the temporary fixing, a screw is inserted into the prepared hole through the elongated hole and fixed with a first tightening torque; The method for installing a front panel box includes tightening the screws with a second tightening torque stronger than the first tightening torque during the final fastening.

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