TPU grommets

Abstract

This invention provides a means to prevent the generation of wear particles simply by attaching it to a tray or the like. [Solution] The present invention provides a TPU grommet 7 for mounting by fitting and engaging into a slit that penetrates a plate-shaped mounting object, comprising a protective portion 71, a base portion 72, a retaining portion 74, and a twisting portion 73. The protective portion 71 is plate-shaped and has a protective surface from contact with objects other than the mounting object. The base portion 72 is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit and is provided on the back surface 719, which is the surface opposite the protective surface. The retaining portion 74 is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit and, when the back surface 719 is viewed in a perpendicular direction, overlaps with the base portion 72 to form a cross shape, and when the TPU grommet 7 is attached to the mounting object, it locks to the mounting object on the opposite side of the slit. The twisting portion 73 extends upright from the base portion 72 along the direction of insertion into the slit and connects to the retaining portion 74, and is twistable by elastic deformation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a TPU grommet.

[0002] Conventionally, trays having a restricting portion for restricting the horizontal movement of luggage are known. Also, vibration damping pallets capable of absorbing vibrations and impacts during transportation are known.

[0003] For example, the prior art of Patent Document 1 is a tray including a first restricting protrusion for restricting the displacement of luggage in a first horizontal direction and a second restricting protrusion for restricting the displacement of luggage in a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction.

[0004] For example, the prior art of Patent Document 2 is a vibration damping pallet including a top plate which is an article loading surface and a bottom plate, and a torsion portion made of a vibration damping functional material provided between the top plate and the bottom plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] For example, since an inverter for automotive parts is a heavy object weighing several tens of kilograms or more, vibrations occur when it is transported on a tray. As a result, the inverter and the tray rub against each other, the surface of the tray wears, and wear powder (shavings) is generated. This is a common problem not only for the inverter of automotive parts but also when transporting heavy objects.

[0007] Because this wear debris directly leads to a decline in product quality and a risk of foreign matter contamination in production sites, there is a need for technology that can prevent the generation of wear debris in trays used for transportation within production lines and factories.

[0008] While technologies like those in Patent Document 1 can restrict the horizontal movement of cargo, they cannot prevent the generation of wear particles because vibration suppression is difficult. Technologies like those in Patent Document 2 have high vibration damping capabilities, but the trays or pallets tend to be large and are cumbersome to handle.

[0009] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a means that can prevent the generation of wear particles simply by attaching it to a tray or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The TPU grommet (7) of the present invention is a TPU grommet for mounting by fitting into and engaging with a slit (11) that penetrates a plate-shaped object to be mounted (1), and comprises a protective portion (71), a base portion (72), a retaining portion (74), and a twisted portion (73).

[0011] The protective portion is plate-shaped and has a protective surface (710) that protects it from contact with objects other than the object to be attached. The base is rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and can be fitted into the slit, and is provided on the back surface (719), which is the surface opposite the protective surface.

[0012] The retaining portion is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit. When viewed from the right direction on its back side, it overlaps with the base to form a cross shape, and when the TPU grommet is attached to the object, it locks into the object on the opposite side of the slit.

[0013] The torsion portion extends vertically from the base along the direction of insertion into the slit and connects to the retaining portion, and is capable of torsion due to elastic deformation.

[0014] Preferably, the height is defined as the length in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, the surface facing the back surface at the retaining portion is defined as the opposing surface (740), and two of the four surfaces parallel to the insertion direction are defined as the longitudinal sides (744, 745). Then, the opposing surface has an opposing plane (741) parallel to the back surface, an opposing slope (742) that is inclined away from the back surface, and a boundary line (743) between the opposing plane and the opposing slope.

[0015] The height of one longitudinal side (744) is smaller than the height of the other longitudinal side (745), which is the height of the opposite plane, and the height decreases from the boundary line toward the longitudinal side (744).

[0016] Preferably, the tray (5) of the present invention has a plurality of slits and is a tray for placing objects to be transported (2), and TPU grommets are attached to the slits.

[0017] Preferably, the tray has a receiving portion (51) that receives the object to be transported in the direction of gravity, and the slit is provided in the receiving portion.

[0018] With the above configuration, the TPU grommet of the present invention can prevent the generation of wear particles simply by attaching it to a tray or the like. Furthermore, it prevents it from easily detaching from the object it is attached to due to vibration or shock. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] (a) A perspective view of a TPU grommet in one embodiment, showing the angle of depression and (b) the angle of elevation. [Figure 2A] This is a perspective view showing an example of an object to be mounted on. [Figure 2B] This is a perspective view showing a tray in one embodiment. [Figure 3A] This is a cross-sectional view showing the wear surface of the tray and the object being transported in the comparative example. [Figure 3B] This is a cross-sectional view showing a tray and a protective surface for the object being transported according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] This is a side view showing a TPU grommet of one embodiment. [Figure 4B] It is a view seen in the IVB direction of FIG. 4A. [Figure 4C] It is a view seen in the IVC direction of FIG. 4B. [Figure 4D] It is a view seen in the IVD direction of FIG. 4C. [Figure 4E] It is a view seen in the IVE direction of FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] It is Cross-sectional view 1 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 5B] It is Cross-sectional view 3 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 5C] It is Cross-sectional view 3 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 5D] It is Cross-sectional view 4 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 5E] It is Cross-sectional view 5 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 5F] It is Cross-sectional view 6 showing a method for attaching a TPU grommet according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] It is a bottom elevation perspective view of FIGS. 5B to 5C. [Figure 6B] It is a bottom elevation perspective view of FIG. 5D. [Figure 6C] It is a bottom elevation perspective view of FIG. 5E. [Figure 6D] It is a bottom elevation perspective view of FIG. 5F.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0020] (One embodiment) A TPU grommet 7 according to an embodiment will be described based on the drawings. The TPU grommet 7 is a small attachment member that can be pinched between the thumb and index finger (FIG. 1). It is an integrally molded product made entirely of TPU material.

[0021] This embodiment is assumed to be used in a scenario where it is attached to trays for transporting products or semi-finished products of inverters, which are heavy automobile parts, on production lines or in factories.

[0022] Furthermore, "TPU" is a thermoplastic polyurethane with excellent abrasion resistance, and it does not easily generate wear particles even when rubbed.

[0023] (TPU grommets) Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of one embodiment of the TPU grommet 7 will be described. The TPU grommet 7 is for mounting by fitting and engaging it into a slit 11 that penetrates a plate-shaped mounting object 1, and comprises a protective portion 71, a base portion 72, a retaining portion 74, and a twisted portion 73.

[0024] (Object to be attached) As shown in Figure 2A, the TPU grommet 7 has a plate-shaped body with slits 11, and as long as there is enough space for the TPU grommet 7 to exist in the openings of the slits 11 on both sides of the body, it can be attached to any shape of mounting object 1. Therefore, the mounting object 1 in Figure 2A is just an example and is not limited to this shape.

[0025] (tray) In this embodiment, the object to be attached 1 is a tray 5 used for transport operations. As shown in Figure 2B, the tray 5 has a plurality of slits 11 opening on its surface. The tray 5 has a receiving portion 51 that receives the object to be transported 2 in the direction of gravity dG, and the slits 11 are provided in the receiving portion 51. In addition, slits 11 are also provided on the bottom surface (not shown) of the tray 5 that is in contact with the ground or floor.

[0026] (Effect of TPU grommets) For the sake of explanation, the effect of the TPU grommet will be described here. When the tray 5 is used with TPU grommets 7 attached to each slit 11, the TPU grommets 7 support the weight of the transported object 2 at the receiving portion 51 while protecting its surface, and at the bottom portion protect the ground or floor surface.

[0027] Figure 3A shows a comparative example tray h5. Tray h5 is a conventional type that does not use a TPU grommet 7, and the object to be transported 2 is placed directly on the bottom surface of the receiving portion h51 of tray h5. In this case, the wear surface h510, which is the contact interface between the receiving portion h51 and the object to be transported 2, cannot stabilize the position of the heavy object to be transported 2 due to vibrations that occur during transport, so there is a high possibility that numerous scratches will occur on the surface of the object to be transported 2.

[0028] In contrast, as shown in Figure 3B, in the tray 5 of this embodiment in which the TPU grommet 7 is attached to the slit 11, the object to be transported 2 is flexibly received by the elastic force of the TPU material of the TPU grommet 7 at the protective surface 710 which is the contact interface between the receiving portion 51 and the object to be transported 2, and is in a semi-fixed state.

[0029] Therefore, vibrations generated during transport are absorbed by the protective portion 71 of the TPU grommet 7, and wear between the grommet and the transported object 2 is significantly reduced. Thus, the protective effect on the transported object 2 and the wear suppression effect prevent the generation of wear particles.

[0030] Furthermore, once the TPU grommet 7 is attached, the base 72 is fixed to the slit 11, and the retaining part 74 provides a retaining effect, enabling stable positioning without rattling in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions.

[0031] Furthermore, since the TPU grommet 7 uses only a single component to form the locking mechanism, it can be installed with simple operation without the need for other parts, resulting in a simplified structure and ease of installation.

[0032] The configuration of the TPU grommet 7 will be explained in detail below using Figures 4A to 4E. As shown in Figure 4A, the TPU grommet 7 is composed of the protective part 71, the base part 72, the twisted part 73, and the retaining part 74, starting from the top side tG. For the sake of explanation, the following will be explained in the order in which the parts are fitted into the slit 11, that is, starting from the bottom side jG, rather than starting from the top side tG.

[0033] (Removal part) The retaining portion 74 is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit 11, and when the back surface 719 of the protective portion 71 is viewed in a perpendicular direction (hereinafter, perpendicular view), it overlaps with the base portion 72 to form a cross shape (Figure 3E). This cross shape is an apparent shape, and in this embodiment, it forms a true cross shape.

[0034] The retaining portion 74 and the base portion 72, described later, both share the same rectangular parallelepiped shape and are capable of being fitted into the slit 11. The retaining portion 74 and the base portion 72 intersect at their respective center points when viewed perpendicularly to the back surface 719. These center points lie on a straight line connecting the center points of the protective surface 710 of the disc-shaped protective portion 71 and the back surface 719.

[0035] The retaining portion 74 is locked to the tray 5 on the opposite side of the slit 11 when the TPU grommet 7 is attached to the tray 5, which is the object to be attached 1.

[0036] Here, the length along the direction opposite to the insertion direction dK is defined as the "height". Also, the surface of the retaining portion 74 that faces the back surface 719 is defined as the opposing surface 740. Furthermore, of the four surfaces parallel to the insertion direction dK, the two surfaces in the longitudinal direction are defined as the longitudinal sides 744 and 745 (Figure 1).

[0037] In this case, the opposing surface 740 has an opposing plane 741 parallel to the back surface 719 and an opposing slope 742 that is inclined away from the back surface 719, and has a boundary line 743 between the opposing plane 741 and the opposing slope 742. In other words, the opposing surface 740 is divided into the opposing plane 741 and the opposing slope 742, with the boundary line 743 in between.

[0038] The height of one longitudinal side 744 is less than the height of the other longitudinal side 745, which is the height of the opposing plane 741, and the height decreases from the boundary line 743 toward the longitudinal side 744 (Figures 1A, 3A, and 3C).

[0039] As described later, the opposing slope 742 grips the protective part 71 of the TPU grommet 7 with the fingers, inserts the retaining part 74 into the slit 11 and twists it up, and pushes in the base 72, preventing the upper corner of the retaining part 74 from catching on the back side of the slit 11, and guiding the retaining part 74 to lock smoothly on the back side of the slit 11.

[0040] (Twisted section) The twisted portion 73 connects the base portion 72 and the retaining portion 74, and due to the elasticity of the TPU, the TPU grommet 7 easily returns to its original shape even when subjected to torsional force between the protective portion 71 and the retaining portion 74. In this embodiment, the twisted portion 73 is cylindrical, which is considered to be the most torsion-resistant among columnar shapes.

[0041] (Effect of the twisted part) Generally, twisting resin materials tends to lead to material failure, often resulting in whitening, cracking, or breakage, and the material may not return to its original shape after twisting. While rubber and silicone materials have the elasticity to return to their original shape after twisting, they have poor abrasion resistance and tensile strength, and easily tear from even tiny cuts, making them unsuitable for applications like those in this embodiment.

[0042] This embodiment maximizes the elastic properties unique to TPU resin to realize a "torsion lock structure" that locks in place through twisting and is resistant to damage and functional degradation even with repeated use. This structure is only possible because it is made of TPU resin.

[0043] (base) The base portion 72 is a rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit 11 and is provided on the back surface 719 (Figure 1B), which is the surface opposite to the protective surface 710. Its role is to be fitted into the slit 11 and to support the protective portion 71.

[0044] (Protection Department) The protective part 71 is a plate-shaped member having a protective surface 710 (Figure 1(a)) that protects it from contact objects 200 other than the object to be attached 1. The protective part 71 is disc-shaped overall, with its upper surface being the protective surface 710. In this embodiment, the object to be attached 1 is a tray 5, and the contact object 200 is the object to be transported 2.

[0045] Furthermore, when attaching the TPU grommet 7 to the object 1, it is necessary to grasp the disc-shaped side of the protective part 71, which has thickness in order to twist the torsion part 73, with your fingers. Therefore, the protective part 71 also serves as a gripping part.

[0046] (slit) As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the slit 11 has an opening with a width (short side) and length (long side) sufficient to accommodate the entire rectangular parallelepiped shape of the base 72 and retaining portion 74 of the TPU grommet 7. In other words, the dimensions of the opening are larger than the dimensions of the base 72 and retaining portion 74.

[0047] Furthermore, the length of the plate-like thickness direction (depth direction of the slit 11) of the tray 5 (object to be mounted 1) provided with the slit 11 is longer than the length of the rectangular parallelepiped shape of the base 72 and retaining portion 74 of the TPU grommet 7 along the insertion direction dK.

[0048] (Installation method) The following describes how to attach the TPU grommet 7 to the mounting object 1 (tray 5), referring to Figures 5A to 5E and 6A to 6D.

[0049] (1) First, grasp the side of the protective portion 71 of the TPU grommet 7 with your fingers and align the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion 74 with the longitudinal direction of the slit 11. (Figure 5A)

[0050] (2) Insert the retaining portion 74 from the inlet side opening of the slit 11 toward the outlet side opening. At this time, keep the retaining portion 74 positioned in the inner space of the slit 11. (Figures 5B and 6A)

[0051] Even if the TPU grommet 7 is pushed further into the slit 11 in this state, it can enter up to the twisted portion 73, but the base portion 72, which forms a cross shape with the retaining portion 74, engages and gets caught perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slit 11, preventing it from passing through.

[0052] (3) Next, position the retaining portion 74 in the inner space of the slit 11, and with it hooked inside the slit 11, grasp the side of the protective portion 71 and twist the twisting portion 73 upward, rotating it 1 / 4 turn (90 degrees) until the longitudinal direction of the base portion 72 aligns with the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion 74. (Figures 5C and 6A)

[0053] (4) Stop twisting when the longitudinal direction of the base portion 72 and the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion 74 become parallel, and push further along the insertion direction dK while keeping the retaining portion 74 hooked inside the slit 11, so that the twisted portion 73 and then the base portion 72 pass through the TPU grommet 7. (Figure 5D)

[0054] (5) When the end of the retaining portion 74 opposite to the insertion direction dK passes through the exit-side opening of the slit 11, and the retaining portion 74, which was caught in the inner space of the slit 11, becomes free to rotate, the torsion portion 73, which had been withstanding the torsional force with elastic force, also becomes free to rotate, is released from the torsion state, and returns to its original shape without twisting. (Figures 5D-5F, 6B-6D)

[0055] In other words, when viewed perpendicular to the back surface 719, the cross shape formed by the longitudinal direction of the base 72 and the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion 74 is restored (Figure 6D). At this time, the opposing bevel 742 of the retaining portion 74 contacts the end of the exit-side opening of the slit 11 and guides it, so this state is achieved smoothly.

[0056] (6) When this cross shape is restored, the retaining portion 74 is locked at the exit side opening of the slit 11, so that the TPU grommet 7 is attached to the slit 11 and can stably perform its role as a grommet on the inlet side opening of the slit 11. Therefore, it is prevented from easily coming off the object to which it is attached due to vibration or shock. (Figures 5F and 6D)

[0057] As described above, the TPU grommet 7 of one embodiment can suppress wear caused by vibration of heavy objects and prevent the generation of wear particles simply by attaching it to a tray or the like.

[0058] Furthermore, due to the properties of TPU, in addition to the purpose of suppressing wear caused by vibration, if a slit 11 for attaching the TPU grommet 7 is provided on the bottom or side of the object to be attached 1, it can also be used to prevent scratches from occurring on the bottom or side of the object to be attached 1 (for example, a tray 5) due to friction with the ground, floor, or side of the object to be attached 1.

[0059] Thus, by attaching the TPU grommet 7 to a tray or the like, it functions as a cushioning member that has the effect of suppressing vibration, reducing wear particles, and preventing scratches at the contact surface between the tray or the object to be attached and external objects, and in turn contributes to the surface protection of the tray and / or external objects.

[0060] (Other embodiments) (a) In the above embodiment, the object to be transported 2 is assumed to be an inverter for automobile parts, but the object to be transported 2 is not limited to this example and can be applied to any heavy object. Furthermore, it does not necessarily have to be a heavy object.

[0061] (b) In the above embodiment, the material of the plate-shaped mounting object 1 to which the TPU grommet 7 is attached is not specified. In other words, the material of the mounting object 1, such as the tray 5, is not limited to a plastic material. Therefore, the mounting object 1 may be made of a metal material, for example.

[0062] (c) The TPU material of the TPU grommet 7 may be any TPU-based material mixed with additives, regardless of the material manufacturer or grade. The main component is not limited to TPU resin alone, but may be a polymer alloy (plastic alloy) consisting of TPU and other materials. Any material that has excellent abrasion resistance and tensile strength, does not generate wear particles when rubbed, and is strong against twisting is acceptable, so even a novel material not currently known may be used.

[0063] (d) The protective portion 71 does not have to be a perfect disc shape. It may have notches (recessed shapes) on both radial sides to facilitate gripping with fingers.

[0064] (e) The slit 11 for attaching the TPU grommet 7 may be provided on the surface of another adjacent mounting object 1, or on the bottom or side surface of the mounting object 1 that is in contact with the floor or inner wall surface of a container or the like in which the mounting object 1 is housed. This prevents scratches from occurring on the bottom or side surface of the mounting object 1 itself, or on the floor or inner wall surface, due to the mounting object 1 (e.g., tray 5) rubbing against the ground, floor, or inner wall surface.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1. Object to be mounted, 11. Slit, 2. Object to be transported, 5. Tray, 51. Receiving part 7 TPU grommet, 71 protective part, 710 protective surface, 719 back surface 72 Base, 73 Twisted section, 74 Retaining section 740 Opposing surfaces, 741 Opposing planes, 742 Opposing slopes, 744, 745 Longitudinal sides

Claims

1. A TPU grommet for mounting a plate-shaped object (1) by fitting into and engaging with a slit (11) that penetrates it, A plate-shaped protective part (71) having a protective surface (710) that comes into contact with objects other than the object to be attached, A rectangular parallelepiped that can be fitted into the slit, and a base portion (72) provided on the back surface (719) which is the surface opposite to the protective surface, The TPU grommet has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that can be fitted into the slit, and when viewed from the right direction on its back surface, it overlaps with the base to form a cross shape, and when the TPU grommet is attached to the object to be attached, it has a retaining portion (74) that locks into the object to be attached on the opposite side of the slit, A torsion portion (73) is provided, which extends upright from the base portion along the direction of insertion into the slit and connects to the retaining portion, and is capable of twisting by elastic deformation, A TPU grommet (7) is provided.

2. If the length along the direction opposite to the insertion direction is defined as the height, the surface facing the back surface in the retaining portion is defined as the opposing surface (740), and two of the four surfaces parallel to the insertion direction are defined as the longitudinal sides (744, 745), The opposing surface has an opposing plane (741) parallel to the back surface, an opposing slope (742) inclined away from the back surface, and a boundary line (743) between the opposing plane and the opposing slope. The TPU grommet according to claim 1, wherein the height of one of the longitudinal sides (744) is less than the height of the other side (745), which is the height of the opposing plane, and the height decreases from the boundary line toward the one longitudinal side.

3. A tray having a plurality of slits for placing an object to be transported (2), A tray (5) in which the TPU grommet described in claim 1 or 2 is attached to the slit.

4. The tray according to claim 3, having a receiving portion (51) that receives the object to be transported in the direction of gravity, and the slit is provided in the receiving portion.

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