Connector

Abstract

To provide an unprecedented connecting device which can smoothly screw a male screw section and a female screw cylinder.SOLUTION: In a connecting device, respective one ends 1a and 2a of opposed first U-shaped rod 1 and second U-shaped rod 2 are rotatably connected through a connection member 3, and respective male screw sections 4 provided in each of the other ends 1b and 2b of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the second U-shaped rod 2 can be connected through a female screw cylinder 5. A projection 6 is provided on either one of opposite end faces of the one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 and a recess 7 which is irregularity-engaged with the projection 6 is provided on the other. The one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 are configured to relatively rotate with the projection 6 as an axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] As a connector used for connecting a wire rope or the like, as shown in FIG. 6, one ends 51a and 52a of opposing first U-shaped rods 51 and second U-shaped rods 52 are rotatably connected via a connecting member 53, and male screw portions 54 provided at the other ends 51b and 52b of the first U-shaped rod 51 and the second U-shaped rod 52 are configured to be connectable via a female screw cylinder 55 (see Patent Document 1 etc.). Note that one end 52a of the second U-shaped rod 52 is fixed to the connecting member 53, and one end 51a of the first U-shaped rod 51 is rotatably held by the connecting member 53. Further, the female screw cylinder 55 is held on the side of the first U-shaped rod 51. In the figure, reference numeral 58 is a spring washer.

[0003] Such a connector can be easily introduced with a thick wire rope or the like from the gap portion between the other ends 51b and 52b by releasing the connection by rotating the female screw cylinder 55 to screw out from the male screw portion 54 of the second U-shaped rod 52 from the state where one ends 51a and 52a and the other ends 51b and 52b of the opposing U-shaped rods 51 and 52 are connected, and rotating the first U-shaped rod 51 (or the second U-shaped rod 52) about the one end 51a and 52a side so that the other ends 51b and 52b are separated.

[0004] By the way, in the conventional connector, when the other end 51b of the separated first U-shaped rod 51 is turned back to the side of the female screw cylinder 55 so that the male screw portions 54 face each other and the female screw cylinder 55 is rotated to be screwed and connected again, the male screw portion 54 of the other end 52b of the second U-shaped rod 52 and the female screw cylinder 55 may not be coaxial and it may be difficult to screw them together.

[0005] This phenomenon occurs because the first U-shaped rod 51 tilts or shifts due to a gap for rotation that exists between the connecting member 53 and one end 51a of the first U-shaped rod 51, specifically between the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member 53 and the outer circumferential surface of one end 51a of the first U-shaped rod 51. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Publication number 1-40364 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a novel connector that allows for smooth threading between the male threaded portion and the female threaded cylinder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gist of the present invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

[0009] A connecting device in which one end 1a and 2a of opposing first U-shaped rods 1 and second U-shaped rods 2 are rotatably connected via a connecting member 3, and male threaded portions 4 provided on the other ends 1b and 2b of the first U-shaped rod 1 and second U-shaped rod 2 are connected via a female threaded cylinder 5, The present invention relates to a connector characterized in that a protrusion 6 is provided on one of the opposing end faces of the first U-shaped rod 1 (end 1a) and the second U-shaped rod 2 (end 2a), and a recess 7 is provided on the other end face that engages with the protrusion 6 in a concave-concave manner, and the connector is configured such that the first U-shaped rod 1 (end 1a) and the second U-shaped rod 2 (end 2a) rotate relative to each other with respect to the protrusion 6 as an axis.

[0010] Furthermore, the connector according to claim 1 is characterized in that the gap A between the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 6 and the inner circumferential surface of the recess 7 facing the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 6 is smaller than the gap B between the outer circumferential surface of the first U-shaped rod 1 or the second U-shaped rod 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member 3 facing the outer circumferential surface of the first U-shaped rod 1 or the second U-shaped rod 2.

[0011] Furthermore, the connector described in claim 2 is characterized in that one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 is fixed to the connecting member 3, and one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 is rotatably held by the connecting member 3.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a connector according to claim 3, characterized in that a spacer member 8 is provided between one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2.

[0013] Furthermore, the connector according to claim 1 is characterized in that the protrusion 6 is a cylindrical body 9 that protrudes from the opposing end face of one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 or one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2, and the recess 7 is a round hole into which the cylindrical body 9 fits.

[0014] Furthermore, the connector according to claim 1 is characterized in that the protrusion 6 is provided in the center of the opposing end faces so as to protrude in the opposing direction between the opposing end faces.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first U-shaped rod 1, the second U-shaped rod 2, the connecting member 3, and the female screw cylinder 5 are made of stainless steel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the present invention provides a unique connector that allows for smooth threading between the male threaded portion and the female threaded cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic perspective view of this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic perspective view for explaining the turning state of this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a schematic perspective view with a part of this embodiment cut away. [Figure 5] It is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention that are considered suitable will be briefly described based on the drawings while showing the operation of the present invention.

[0019] From the state where one ends 1a and 2a of the opposing first U-shaped rod 1 and second U-shaped rod 2 are connected to each other and the other ends 1b and 2b are connected to each other, the female screw cylinder 5 is rotated, and the male screw portion 4 at the other end of either the first U-shaped rod 1 or the second U-shaped rod 2 is screwed off to release the connection. Then, with the one end side as the axis, it is turned so that the other ends 1b and 2b are separated from each other, and a wire rope 10 or the like is introduced into the connector through the gap between the other ends 1b and 2b.

[0020] Then, the separated other end is turned back to the female screw cylinder 5 side so that the male screw portions 4 face each other, and the female screw cylinder 5 is rotated to perform screw connection.

[0021] At this time, one ends 1a and 2a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the second U-shaped rod 2 are engaged with each other by a concave portion 7 and a convex portion 6, and since the convex portion 6 can be rotated as the axis, the inclination and deviation of the U-shaped rod caused by the gap B between the connecting member 3 and the first U-shaped rod 1 or the second U-shaped rod 2 are suppressed, and the male screw portion 4 becomes coaxial with the female screw cylinder 5, and the screw connection by the female screw cylinder 5 can be performed smoothly.

Example

[0022] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.

[0023] This embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, is a connector used to connect wire ropes 10 and the like, in which one end 1a and 2a of opposing first U-shaped rods 1 and second U-shaped rods 2 are rotatably connected via a connecting member 3 (ring), and the male threaded portions 4 provided on the other ends 1b and 2b of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the second U-shaped rod 2 are connected via a female threaded cylinder 5 (hexagonal ring).

[0024] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, a protrusion 6 is provided on either one of the opposing end faces of the first U-shaped rod 1 (end 1a) and the second U-shaped rod 2 (end 2a), and a recess 7 is provided on the other end face that engages with the protrusion 6. The configuration allows the first U-shaped rod 1 (end 1a) and the second U-shaped rod 2 (end 2a) to rotate relative to each other around the protrusion 6 as an axis, enabling the second U-shaped rod 2 to rotate 360° around the end 1a side as an axis.

[0025] Let's explain each part in detail.

[0026] In this embodiment, one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 is fixed to the connecting member 3, and one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 is rotatably held by the connecting member 3. Specifically, one end of the connecting member 3 (the end on the first U-shaped rod 1 side) is provided with a female screw portion 12 into which a male screw portion 11 provided on one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 is screwed, and the other end (the end on the second U-shaped rod 2 side) is provided with a locking step portion 14 into which a large-diameter locking portion 13 provided on one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 is locked. Furthermore, the female screw cylinder 5 is configured to be held on the first U-shaped rod 1 side (it is configured not to be screwed out of the first U-shaped rod 1).

[0027] Furthermore, an annular spacer member 8 (an elastic member such as a spring or rubber that biases the locking portion 13 toward the locking step portion 14) is provided between one end 1a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2. The first U-shaped rod 1, the second U-shaped rod 2, the connecting member 3, and the female screw cylinder 5 are made of stainless steel.

[0028] The protrusion 6 is a cylindrical body 9 that protrudes from the opposing end face of one end of the first U-shaped rod 1 or the second U-shaped rod 2, and the recess 7 is a round hole into which the cylindrical body 9 fits. Furthermore, the protrusion 6 is provided in the center of the opposing end faces so as to protrude in the direction opposite to the opposing end faces.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first U-shaped rod 1 and the second U-shaped rod 2 each have circular holes (recesses 7) of approximately the same diameter and depth at the center of the opposing end faces 1a and 2a of one end of each rod. A part of a stainless steel cylindrical body 9 (the lower end) is press-fitted into the recess 7 of the second U-shaped rod 2 and fixed (or fixed by adhesive). The remaining part of the cylindrical body 9 protruding from the recess 7 of the second U-shaped rod 2 becomes a convex portion 6, and its tip is rotatably engaged with the recess 7 of the first U-shaped rod 1 (through a small gap A that allows for rotation) (see Figure 5). Note that the cylindrical body 9 does not necessarily have to be fixed to the recess 7 of the second U-shaped rod 2. For example, it may be configured to engage with the recess 7 of the second U-shaped rod 2 through a gap A, similar to the recess 7 of the first U-shaped rod 1.

[0030] Specifically, the gap A between the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 6 and the inner circumferential surface of the recess 7 facing the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 6 is configured to be smaller than the gap B between the outer circumferential surface of the second U-shaped rod 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member 3 facing the outer circumferential surface of the second U-shaped rod 2. It is desirable that this gap A be as small as possible without hindering rotation, and in this embodiment, it is set to 1 mm or less, preferably 0.5 mm or less.

[0031] Furthermore, the second U-shaped rod 2 of this embodiment is formed as follows. That is, a connecting member 3 is inserted from the side of the female screw portion 12 onto a straight rod member which has the locking portion 13 at one end and the male screw portion 4 formed at the other end, and after moving the connecting member 3 toward the one end until the locking step portion 14 of the connecting member 3 catches on the locking portion 13, the rod member is bent into a U shape to form the U-shape.

[0032] Then, the upper part (protrusion 6) of the cylindrical body 9 provided at one end 2a of the second U-shaped rod 2 is inserted into the recess 7 of the first U-shaped rod 1, and the female threaded portion 12 of the connecting member 3 and the male threaded portion 11 of the first U-shaped rod 1 are screwed together and bonded with adhesive, so that the ends 1a and 2a of each U-shaped rod 1 and 2 are rotatably connected by the connecting member 3.

[0033] Here, the connecting member 3 is sometimes manufactured with some dimensional leeway to allow for smooth insertion and movement, given that it is inserted and moved from one end to the other of the straight rod member. In such cases, or any other case where the connecting member 3 is manufactured somewhat roughly, conventionally, the screw connection by the female screw cylinder 5 could not be performed smoothly due to tilting, misalignment, looseness, etc., caused by the gap B between the inner surface of the connecting member 3 and the outer surface of the second U-shaped rod 2.

[0034] In this respect, according to this embodiment, the second U-shaped rod 2 can be stably rotated around the projection 6 that rotatably engages with the recess 7 (within a small gap A smaller than the gap B between the connecting member 3 and the second U-shaped rod 2), and when the other end 2b of the second U-shaped rod 2 is rotated and moved to a position opposite the other end 1b of the first U-shaped rod 1, it can always be kept in a substantially constant position, and the female screw cylinder 5 and the male screw portion 4 of the other end 2b of the second U-shaped rod 2 can be coaxially positioned, making it possible to smoothly screw-connect by the female screw cylinder 5.

[0035] In this embodiment, the female screw cylinder 5 is configured to be held on the first U-shaped rod 1 side, but it may also be configured to be held on the second U-shaped rod 2 side (the male screw portion 4 of the first U-shaped rod 1 being unscrewed). Also, in this embodiment, the cylindrical body 9 constituting the protrusion 6 is fixed to the second U-shaped rod 2 side, but it may also be fixed to the first U-shaped rod 1 side.

[0036] As this embodiment is configured as described above, from a state in which the opposing first U-shaped rod 1 and second U-shaped rod 2 are connected at one end 1a and 2a and the other end 1b and 2b, the female screw cylinder 5 is rotated to unscrew the male screw portion 4 of the other end 2b of the second U-shaped rod 2, thereby releasing the connection. The second U-shaped rod 2 is then rotated around the one end 2a side as an axis so that the other end 1b and 2b are separated, and a wire rope 10 or the like can be introduced into the connector through the gap between the other end 1b and 2b.

[0037] Then, the separated other end 2b is rotated back towards the female screw cylinder 5 to bring the male screw portions 4 facing each other, and the female screw cylinder 5 is rotated to screw them together, thereby connecting the two wire ropes 10, etc.

[0038] In this configuration, the ends 1a and 2a of the first U-shaped rod 1 and the second U-shaped rod 2 are engaged in a concave-concave-convex

[0039] Therefore, this embodiment provides a novel connector that allows for smooth threading between the male threaded portion and the female threaded cylinder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 First U-shaped rod 1a One end 1b Other end 2 Second U-shaped rod 2a One end 2b Other end 3 Connecting members 4 Male screw section 5 Female screw tube 6. Convex part 7 recesses 8 Spacer member 9. Cylindrical body A gap B Gap

Claims

1. A connector comprising a first U-shaped rod and a second U-shaped rod, each having one end rotatably connected to the other via a connecting member, and male threaded portions provided at the other ends of the first U-shaped rod and the second U-shaped rod, respectively, being connectable via a female threaded cylinder, A connector characterized in that a protrusion is provided on either one of the opposing end faces of one end of the first U-shaped rod and one end of the second U-shaped rod, and a recess is provided on the other end that engages with the protrusion in an interlocking manner, and the connector is configured to allow one end of the first U-shaped rod and one end of the second U-shaped rod to rotate relative to each other with the protrusion as an axis.

2. A connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion and the inner circumferential surface of the recess facing the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion is smaller than the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the first U-shaped rod or the second U-shaped rod and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting member facing the outer circumferential surface of the first U-shaped rod or the second U-shaped rod.

3. A connector according to claim 2, characterized in that one end of the first U-shaped rod is fixed to the connecting member, and one end of the second U-shaped rod is rotatably held by the connecting member.

4. A connector according to claim 3, characterized in that a spacer member is provided between one end of the first U-shaped rod and one end of the second U-shaped rod.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a cylindrical body that protrudes from the opposite end face of one end of the first U-shaped rod or one end of the second U-shaped rod, and the recess is a round hole into which the cylindrical body fits.

6. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the protrusion is provided in the center of the opposing end faces so as to protrude in the direction opposite to the opposing end faces.

7. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first U-shaped rod, the second U-shaped rod, the connecting member, and the female screw cylinder are made of stainless steel.

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