Function body

Abstract

To allow a main body and a lid to be attached and detached only at a specific opening angle of the lid relative to the main body, and allow the main body and the lid not to be attached and detached at other angles other than the specific angle to prevent separation of the two.SOLUTION: A pair of rotation fulcrum pins 21a, 21b provided on a lid wall (lid body) D1 are inserted into a pair of fulcrum pin holes 11a, 11b provided on a peripheral wall (main body) M1, the lid wall D1 is attached to the peripheral wall M1 so as to be opened and closed. Movement regulating portions provided on the peripheral wall M1 and the lid wall D1 can be displaced between a position where they can come into contact with each other and a non-contact position where they cannot come into contact with each other as the lid wall D1 opens and closes. The non-contact position is an intermediate position between the opening and closing movement of the lid wall D1, and at the intermediate position, each of the movement regulating portions cannot come into contact with each other, such that the peripheral wall M1 and the lid wall D1 can be separated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a box body used, for example, as a distribution box for housing electrical equipment such as communication devices and circuit breakers.

Background Art

[0002] A storage box for housing instruments such as a power meter includes a box body fixed to a fixed object and a lid body hingedly connected to the box body to close the opening of the box body. The lid body is hingedly connected so as to be rotatable with respect to the box body via a hinge pin 31.

[0003] When performing maintenance work with the lid body open, since the open lid body interfered with the work, the hinge pin 31 was pulled out and the lid body was removed. However, the work of pulling out the hinge pin 31 was difficult and troublesome.

[0004] Also, the above-described storage box is dedicated to right-opening. When it is desired to make it left-opening, if it is attached by turning it upside down, the lid body will fall off, so such attachment cannot be done.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable attachment and detachment between the main body and the lid body only at a specific angle of the opening angle of the lid body with respect to the main body, and to prevent detachment between the two at other angles except the specific angle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The invention of claim 1, which solves the above problem, A box comprising a main body and a lid that is assembled to the main body so as to be openable and closable and covers the front opening of the main body, forming a storage space for housing equipment inside the main body and the lid, One of the main body and the lid is provided with a pair of rod-shaped shafts arranged on the same axis, with their tips facing each other or pointing in opposite directions. The other of the main body and the lid is provided with a pair of shaft insertion parts into which each of the shaft portions is inserted. The cover, when assembled to the main body by inserting each of the shaft portions into the respective shaft insertion portions, is rotatable around each of the shaft portions as the pivot point between a closed position that covers the front opening of the main body and an open position that exposes the front opening. Furthermore, with one of the pair of shaft portions inserted into one of the shaft insertion portions, the other shaft portion can be withdrawn from and inserted into the other shaft insertion portion. The main body and the lid, when assembled together, allow for the removal of the shaft from the shaft insertion portion. To the possible location Movement restricting parts are provided to restrict movement and make it impossible to separate the main body and the lid. The movement restricting parts on the main body side and the lid side are displaceable to a position where they can come into contact with each other and a position where they cannot come into contact with each other as the lid opens and closes. The position where contact is not possible is midway between the closed position and the open position of the lid. By moving the lid relative to the main body at a position where each of the aforementioned movement restricting parts can no longer contact, each of the aforementioned shafts is withdrawn from each of the aforementioned shaft insertion parts, thereby enabling the separation of the main body and the lid. The movement restricting unit moves from the closed position to the Contact is not possible. The first half movement restricting section, which is in a position where it can be contacted during the process to reach the position, and the Contact is not possible. It consists of a rear movement restricting portion that can contact the position from the open position, and the lid is Contact is not possible. The configuration is characterized by the fact that, when positioned in locations other than the designated position, the dislodgement of each shaft from each shaft insertion portion is restricted.

[0008] The invention of claim 1 is such that the main body and the lid are each provided with either a pair of shafts or a pair of shaft insertion parts into which the shafts are inserted, and the lid is rotatably connected to the main body via the shafts and shaft insertion parts. The main body and the lid are also provided with movement restricting parts that prevent the main body and the lid from separating as they move in the axial direction of the shafts and the shafts come out of the shaft insertion parts. At a specific intermediate position during the opening and closing motion of the lid, there exists a position where the movement restricting parts of the main body and the lid cannot come into contact, allowing the shafts to come out of the shaft insertion parts and thus separating the main body and the lid. At all other positions except for the position where contact is not possible, the movement restricting parts of the main body and the lid come into contact with each other, restricting the shafts from coming out and making it impossible to separate the main body and the lid.

[0009] Therefore, according to the invention of claim 1, during use, separation of the main body and the lid is reliably prevented, and if it becomes necessary to separate the main body and the lid for any reason, the lid can be positioned in the non-contact position relative to the main body, thereby separating the main body and the lid. Thus, the conflicting states of preventing separation of the main body and the lid and allowing such separation can be reliably achieved.

[0010] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, of the pair of shafts, the shaft that is released and moved out of the shaft insertion portion first when the main body and the lid are separated has a shorter shaft length than the other shaft.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 2, of the pair of shafts, the shaft that is removed from the shaft insertion portion and moved when separating the main body and the lid has a shorter shaft length than the other shaft, making it easier to separate the lid from the main body by moving the lid relative to the shaft in the axial direction.

[0012] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, both the front-end movement restricting portion and the rear-end movement restricting portion are provided in close proximity to either of the pair of shaft portions.

[0013] According to the invention of claim 3, since both the front half movement restricting portion and the rear half movement restricting portion are provided in close proximity to either of the pair of shaft portions, each movement restricting portion located in an intermediate position during the opening and closing movement of the lid makes it easier to separate the main body and the lid at a position where contact is not possible, and since each movement restricting portion that restricts the separation of the main body and the lid is in close proximity to either of the pair of shaft portions, the effect of preventing the separation of the main body and the lid during use is enhanced.

[0014] The invention of claim 4 is, A box comprising a main body and a lid that is assembled to the main body so as to be openable and closable and covers the front opening of the main body, forming a storage space for housing equipment inside the main body and the lid, One of the main body and the lid is provided with a plurality of rod-shaped shaft portions that share the same axis, with their tips pointing in the same direction and spaced at predetermined intervals. The other of the main body and the lid is provided with a plurality of shaft insertion parts into which each of the shaft portions is inserted. The cover, when assembled to the main body by inserting each of the shaft portions into the respective shaft insertion portions, is rotatable around each of the shaft portions as its pivot axis, between a closed position that covers the front opening of the main body and an open position that exposes the front opening. The main body and the lid are each provided with a movement restricting portion that, when assembled together, restricts the movement of the shaft portion out of the shaft insertion portion, thereby making the main body and the lid inseparable. Of the movement restricting parts provided on the main body and the lid, one movement restricting part is composed of a sliding contact body, and this sliding contact body can be displaced by sliding to a position where it can contact the other movement restricting part and a position where it cannot contact it. The present invention is characterized in that, with the slide contact body positioned in a location where contact is not possible, the lid is rotated relative to the main body, thereby causing each shaft portion of the lid to be withdrawn from each shaft insertion portion of the main body at only one specific location along the direction of rotation, thereby enabling separation of the main body and the lid.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 4, by means of a simple operation of sliding the slide contact body, the shaft insertion portion on the main body side can be displaced to a position where it can contact the movement restricting portion and a position where it cannot contact. Therefore, with the slide contact body arranged at the non-contact position, the lid body can be arranged at a specific separable position along the rotation direction of the lid body with respect to the main body, and by pulling out and moving each shaft portion of the lid body from each shaft insertion portion of the main body, the main body and the lid body can be separated. Therefore, during use, by the abutment along the axial direction of the shaft portion against the movement restricting portions provided on the main body and the lid body respectively, while reliably preventing the separation of the main body and the lid body, the lid body can be attached to and detached from the main body at a specific separable position along its rotation direction.

[0016] The invention of claim 5 is based on the invention of claim 4, wherein the main body and the lid body are provided with an opening stopper portion that abuts against each other along the rotation direction of the lid body to define the maximum opening position of the lid body. The opening stopper portion is characterized in that at a specific position between the closed position and the open position of the lid body, there is a portion that allows movement in the direction of the shaft portion coming out, and at other positions, there are portions that abut against each other to restrict movement in the direction of the shaft portion coming out.

[0017] According to the invention of claim 5, it has two different functions: the function of defining the maximum opening position of the lid body and the function as a movement restricting portion different from the slide contact body that allows and restricts the movement of the shaft portion in the direction of the shaft portion coming out. Therefore, when the lid body is arranged with respect to the main body at the maximum opening position and satisfies two conditions of allowing movement in the direction of the shaft portion coming out by the opening stopper portion, the lid body can be moved in the axial direction of the shaft portion with respect to the main body and separated.

[0018] The invention of claim 6 is based on the invention of claim 4 or 5, wherein the movement restricting portion that the slide contact body contacts is formed in the shaft insertion portion and is formed on the end surface of the shaft insertion portion on the side opposite to the insertion side of the shaft portion.

[0019] According to the invention of claim 6, since the shaft insertion portion for inserting the shaft portion is used as a movement restricting portion that the slide contact body contacts to prevent the shaft portion from coming out and moving, there is no need to provide a dedicated movement restricting portion for the slide contact body, and the configuration of the main body or the lid body is simplified.

[0020] The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 4 or 5, the sliding direction of the slide contact body is a direction orthogonal to the axial center of the pair of shaft portions.

[0021] According to the invention of claim 7, the contactable position and the non-contactable position with respect to the movement restricting portion that is the contact target of the slide contact body can be intuitively discriminated, and each operation of assembling and separating the main body and the lid body can be performed without error.

[0022] The invention of claim 8 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 4 or 5, the slide contact body is disposed on the back surface of the lid body.

[0023] According to the invention of claim 8, since the front opening of the main body is not partially blocked by the slide contact body, it becomes easier to attach devices to the main body with the lid body open.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] In the invention of claim 4, on the condition that the slide contact body is slid with respect to the movement restricting portion to perform contact and release thereof, in any of the inventions of claim 1 and claim 4, only when the opening angle of the lid body with respect to the peripheral wall (main body) is a specific angle, the peripheral wall (main body) and the lid body move in the axial direction of the shaft portion, and each shaft portion comes out of the plurality of shaft insertion portions, so that the separation of the peripheral wall (main body) and the lid body becomes possible. When the opening angle of the lid body with respect to the peripheral wall (main body) is most of the remaining angles excluding the specific angle, the movement restricting portions provided on the peripheral wall (main body) and the lid body contact each other, making it impossible for the shaft portion to come out of the shaft insertion portion. During use, the lid body does not separate from the peripheral wall (main body), and stable use is possible.

[0025] In particular, in the invention of claim 4, whether or not the main body and the lid can be separated can be visually determined by the position of the slidable sliding contact body, so the state of whether or not the main body and the lid can be separated can be accurately determined. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0026] [Figure 1] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the open and closed states of the pair of lid walls D1 of the distribution box A1 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, respectively. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of the peripheral wall M1, bottom wall B, and pair of cover walls D1 that constitute the distribution box A1 of Example 1. [Figure 3] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the peripheral wall M1 from different directions. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view (plan section view) of the surrounding wall M1. [Figure 5] (a) is a side view of the peripheral wall M1, (b) is a partial perspective view showing the assembly of the peripheral wall M1 and the upper end of the left cover wall D1, and (c) is a partial perspective view showing the assembly of the peripheral wall M1 and the lower end of the left cover wall D1. [Figure 6] (a), (b), and (c) are cross-sectional views along the lines W1-W1 and W2-W2 in Figure 5(a), respectively, relating to the combination of the upper and lower hinge connections between the peripheral wall M1 and the lid wall D1 when the opening angles of the left lid wall D1 are 60°, 90°, and 135°. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lid wall assembly portion, where the opening angle of the left lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, and the lid wall D1 is lifted upward to attach and detach it from the peripheral wall M1. [Figure 8] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the lid wall assembly when the opening angle of the left lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 60°. [Figure 9] This is a front perspective view of bottom wall B. [Figure 10] This is also a front view. [Figure 11] (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views along the lines X1-X1 and X2-X2 in Figure 10, respectively. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B connected and fixed together by multiple connectors E via packing G. [Figure 13] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B connected and fixed together by multiple connectors E via packing G. [Figure 14] This is an enlarged view of section Q in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This is an exploded perspective view of the main body M2 and the cover D2 that constitute the distribution box A2 of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view showing the structure in which a separate hinge body H is attached to the lid body D2. [Figure 17] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the main body M2 and the lid D2 in different states during the pin connection process. [Figure 18] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the main body M2 and lid D2, respectively, before and after sliding the sliding contact body S to make the main body M2 and lid D2 inseparable, while the main body M2 and lid D2 are connected by pins. [Figure 19] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the hinge body H, which is attached to the hinge connection on the back surface of the lid body D2, viewed from different directions. [Figure 20] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the slide contact body S from different directions, respectively, and (c) and (d) are a front view and a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of the slide contact body S, respectively. [Figure 21] Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view along the YY line. [Figure 22] This is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the lid D2, specifically the hinge pin insertion support 72 of the lid D2 and the opening stopper 63 of the lid M2, when the lid D2 is opened relative to the main body M2, which is inseparable by the slide contact body S (see the cross-sectional view along line ZZ in Figure 18(b)). [Figure 23] This is a diagram showing the lid D2 closed over the main body M2. [Figure 24] This is a perspective view showing the intermediate stage of connecting the main body M3 and the cover D3 of the distribution box A3 with the hinge pin P'. [Figure 25](a) is an enlarged view of the hinge connection between the main body M3 and the lid D3 in Figure 24, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the slide contact body S' in Figure 24. [Figure 26] This is a perspective view showing the main body M3 and cover D3 of the distribution box A3 connected by a hinge pin P'. [Figure 27] (a) is an enlarged view of the hinge connection between the main body M3 and the lid D3 in Figure 26, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the slide contact body S' in Figure 26. [Figure 28] This is a perspective view showing the hinge body H' of the lid D3 and the portion of the main body M3 that is hinged to the hinge body H' separated. [Figure 29] This is an enlarged perspective view of the hinge connection between the main body M3 and the lid D3. [Figure 30] This is a perspective view showing the structure in which a separate hinge body H' is attached to the lid body D3. [Figure 31] (a) and (b) are perspective views of the slide contact body S' from different directions, and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the locking claw portion 112 of the slide contact body S'. [Figure 32] (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views showing the positions of the sliding contact body S' relative to the main body M3 of the distribution box A3 when the main body M3 and the cover D3 are inseparable and separable, respectively. [Modes for carrying out the invention] [Examples]

[0027] The following describes Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A typical use of the enclosure according to the present invention is a power distribution box for housing various equipment such as communication equipment and electrical equipment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the power distribution box A1 consists of a rectangular frame-shaped peripheral wall M1, a rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall B formed separately from the peripheral wall M1 and closing the rear opening of the peripheral wall M1, and a pair of lid walls D1 formed separately from the peripheral wall M1 and closing the front opening of the peripheral wall M1. The peripheral wall M1, bottom wall B, and lid walls D1 are all injection-molded resin products and each has an individual, integrated structure, and the power distribution box A1 is formed by assembling these. Since the inventive part (feature part) of the present invention lies in the "assembly structure" of the separate peripheral wall M1, bottom wall B, and lid wall D1, the part relating to this "assembly structure" will be described in detail. The general parts other than the assembly parts of the peripheral wall M1, bottom wall B, and lid wall D1 do not contain the features of the present invention, so the description of these parts will be omitted or only a general description will be given.

[0028] The peripheral wall M1 has an overall rectangular (square) frame shape and consists of an upper plate portion 1 and a lower plate portion 2 that are opposite each other in the vertical direction, and a pair of side plate portions 3 that are opposite each other in the left-right direction. Both the front and rear are open, forming a front opening 4 and a rear opening 5, and the dimensions decrease in the order of width, height, and depth. The left and right pair of side plate portions 3 are symmetrical, but the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2 are not identical in shape because the front end portions where the pair of lid walls D1 that are placed in the "covering position" are different. The rear opening 5 of the peripheral wall M1 is closed by the integral assembly of a square plate-shaped bottom wall B, so the rear end surfaces of the upper plate portion 1, the lower plate portion 2 and the pair of side plate portions 3 are arranged on the same plane. However, the front opening 4 of the peripheral wall M1 has a pair of lid walls D1 that are placed in that portion, so the front end positions along the front-rear direction of the peripheral wall M1 are different, forming a lid wall arrangement space 6 where the pair of lid walls D1 are placed.

[0029] The thickness of the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2, and pair of side plate portions 3 that constitute the peripheral wall M1 is constant along its entire length, and the predetermined length portions of the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2, and pair of side plate portions 3 facing the rear opening 5 constitute the insertion plate portions 1a, 2a, and 3a that are inserted into the rectangular frame-shaped insertion groove 36 of the bottom wall B, which will be described later. On the inner surfaces of the portions of the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2, and pair of side plate portions 3 that are inside the respective insertion plate portions 1a, 2a, and 3a, locking projections 7 are integrally formed for integrally assembling the bottom wall B that closes the rear opening 5 of the peripheral wall M1 via the connecting devices E described later. As shown in Figures 15 to 19, the locking projection 7 is formed integrally with the locking plate portion 7a perpendicular to the inner surfaces of the upper plate portion 1, the lower plate portion 2, and the pair of side plate portions 3, and the side of the locking plate portion 7a facing the rear opening 5 is supported by a plurality of right-angled triangular support plate portions 7b. The locking projection 7 is formed at a total of three locations on the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2: the center and both ends in the lateral direction, while it is formed at only one location on the pair of side plate portions 3, which are shorter in length than the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2: the center in the vertical direction.

[0030] A pair of lid walls D1 are arranged and connected in a "double-door structure" by a pin connection structure at the front opening 4 of the peripheral wall M1. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front ends of the pair of side plate portions 3 have a concave lid wall pivot point arrangement portion 8 where the pivot point portion of each lid wall D1 is located, extending almost the entire length in the vertical direction. The upper and lower ends of the peripheral wall M1 on the front opening 4 side (the tips of the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2) are formed as a triple plate structure with a space in the middle in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 13. Thus, the entire circumference of the front end side of the peripheral wall M1 where the pair of lid walls D1 are arranged is reinforced. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 13, the front ends of the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2 are bent inward by 90°, and their tips are bent inward by another 90° to connect to the vertical front plate portions 1b and 2b, forming first inner plate portions 1c and 2c parallel to the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2 via a space. The rear ends of the first inner plate portions 1c and 2c are bent inward by 90° to form rear plate portions 1d and 2d. The ends of the rear plate portions 1d and 2d are bent forward by 90° to form second inner plate portions 1e and 2e. The lid wall pivot point arrangement portions 8 are formed along the vertical direction at both the left and right ends of the first inner plate portions 1c and 2c and the second inner plate portions 1e and 2e in the peripheral wall M1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the upper and lower ends of the lid wall pivot point arrangement section 8 are provided with interference avoidance cutouts 9a and 9b to avoid interference with the pivot point pins 21a and 21b of the lid wall D1 and the pivot pin support plates 22a and 22b that support the pivot point pins 21a and 21b. At the upper and lower ends of the pivot point section of the lid wall D1, the pivot pin support plates 22a and 22b are provided integrally parallel to the upper plate portion 1 and lower plate portion 2 of the peripheral wall M1, respectively, with the lid wall D1 connected to the peripheral wall M1. The upper and lower pivot pin support plates 22a and 22b are provided with pivot point pins 21a and 21b facing upward and downward, respectively, and arranged on the same axis. The attachment and detachment of the pair of lid walls D1 to the peripheral wall M1 is possible only when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°. This allows the lid wall D1 to move slightly up and down relative to the peripheral wall M1, thereby enabling the attachment and detachment of the pivot pins 21a and 21b of the lid wall D1 to the pivot pin holes 11a and 11b formed in the vertical extensions of the lid wall pivot pivot arrangement portion 8 in the upper and lower plate portions 1 and 2 of the peripheral wall M1. On the other hand, in all remaining parts of the lid wall D1 except for the opening angle of 90°, the upward movement restricting block 12 provided on the peripheral wall M1 (described later), the movement restricting parts at the lower ends of the second and third plate portions 8c and 8d (described later) that constitute the lid wall rotation pivot point arrangement portion 8 of the peripheral wall M1 (described later), the upward movement restricting part 24a provided on the first inner plate portion 2c of the peripheral wall M1 and the upper part of the lid wall D1 (described later), and the upward movement restricting action of the upper and lower pivot pin support plates 22a and 22b that function as movement restricting parts of the lid wall D1, make it impossible to attach or detach the rotation pivot pins 21a and 21b of the lid wall D1 to the pivot pin holes 11a and 11b of the lid wall D1.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the lid wall pivot point arrangement portions 8, which are formed vertically at both left and right ends of the front part of the peripheral wall M1, correspond to the maximum opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 being 135°. In a cross-sectional view, a first plate portion 8b of a predetermined length is formed at one end of a quarter-circular arc plate portion 8a that opens laterally. The first plate portion 8b is positioned in front and extends tangentially to the quarter-circular arc plate portion 8a, with the tip of the first plate portion 8b bent at a right angle toward the side to form a second plate portion 8c. Furthermore, a short third plate portion 8d is bent at a right angle toward the front at the tip of the second plate portion 8c, and the upper and lower ends of the third plate portion 8d protrude slightly upward and downward relative to the second plate portion 8c.

[0033] The upper and lower pivot pin support plates 22a and 22b of the lid wall D1 are formed in an arc shape in the portion corresponding to the quarter-circular arc plate portion 8a of the lid wall pivot pivot arrangement portion 8 when the lid wall D1 is mounted on the peripheral wall M1. Furthermore, when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, orthogonal notches 23 are formed, which are cut out perpendicularly to avoid interference with the second and third plate portions 8c and 8d of the lid wall pivot pivot arrangement portion 8, so that the overall shape is roughly rectangular. On the outer peripheral edge of the lower pivot pin support plate 22b of the lid wall D1, an L-shaped rib-shaped gap-closing portion 24b is formed, projecting downward along the entire periphery to close the gap between the lower end of the lid wall D1 and the first inner plate portion 2c of the lower plate portion 2 of the peripheral wall M1 [see Figure 5(c)]. On the other hand, an upward movement restricting portion 24a is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the pivot pin support plate 22a above the lid wall D1. This restricts upward movement of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 only when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, and restricts upward movement of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 when the opening angle is between 90° and 135°. To satisfy the above conditions, as shown in Figure 6(b), when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, the rib-shaped upward movement restricting portion 24a is omitted from the portion of the pivot pin support plate 22a of the lid wall D1 that is embedded inside the peripheral wall M1, and the upward movement restricting portion 24a is formed only on the outer peripheral edge of the portion of the pivot pin support plate 22a that protrudes outside the peripheral wall M1. Furthermore, the upward movement restricting portion 24a also has the function of closing the space T (see Figure 8) formed between the pivot pin support plate 22a above the lid wall D1 and the first inner plate portion 1c of the upper plate portion 1 of the peripheral wall M1.

[0034] When the pair of lid walls D1 are assembled to the peripheral wall M1, as shown in Figure 8, the pivot pin 21a at the bottom of the lid wall D1 is inserted into the pivot pin hole 11a at the bottom of the peripheral wall M1, and the weight of the lid wall D1 is supported by the pivot pin 21a, and a predetermined space T is formed between the first inner plate portion 1c of the upper plate portion 1 of the peripheral wall M1 and the pivot pin support plate 22a above the lid wall D1. Furthermore, when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is in the range of 90° to 135°, the upward movement restricting portion 24a enters the space T and abuts against the back surface of the first inner plate portion 1c of the peripheral wall M1, thereby preventing the upward movement of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 (see Figure 6(c)). Also, when the opening angle is in the range of 0° to 90°, the upper pivot pin support plate 22a enters below the upward movement restricting block 12, which will be described later, thereby preventing the upward movement of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1. Only when the opening angle is 90°, as shown in Figure 6(b), the entire upward movement restricting portion 24a is positioned outside the space T, and the upper pivot pin support plate 22a and the upward movement restricting block 12 become non-interfering with each other, allowing the lid wall D1 to move upward relative to the peripheral wall M1.

[0035] Furthermore, a plate-shaped upward movement restricting block 12 is provided on the back surface of the first inner plate portion 1c of the upper plate portion 1 of the peripheral wall M1, in the portion corresponding to the lid wall pivot point arrangement portion 8, to prevent the lid wall D1 from moving upward when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 is between 0° and 90°. When the opening angle of the lid wall D1 is between 0° and 90°, the pivot pin support plate 22a above the lid wall D1 moves below the upward movement restricting block 12, thereby preventing the lid wall D1 from moving upward [Figure 6(a)]. At the same time, when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 reaches 90°, the pivot pin support plate 22a above the lid wall D1 escapes from the back surface of the upward movement restricting block 12, allowing the lid wall D1 to move upward [Figure 6(b)]. Thus, the upward movement restricting block 12 has a lid wall attachment / detachment guide surface 12a that is parallel to one side of the upper pivot pin support plate 22a when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, and a maximum opening angle restricting surface 12b that restricts the maximum opening angle of the lid wall D1 when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 135°, by contact with the upward movement restricting portion 24a provided on the upper pivot pin support plate 22a of the lid wall D1. Therefore, the upper pivot pin support plate 22a, the upward movement restricting block 12, and the upward movement restricting portion 24a constitute the "first half movement restricting portion" and the "second half movement restricting portion" as specified in claim 1. In Figures 5 and 6, 25 and 26 indicate the side plate portion and the inner plate portion of the lid wall D1.

[0036] Furthermore, as described above, the attachment and detachment of the pair of cover walls D1 to the peripheral wall M1 is only possible when the opening angle of the cover wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6(b) and 7, the cover wall D1 is positioned with respect to the peripheral wall M1 at an opening angle of 90°, and with the cover wall D1 slightly lifted and tilted relative to the peripheral wall M1, the cover wall D1 is moved toward the peripheral wall M1, as indicated by arrow N in Figure 6(b), and the pivot pin 21a on the upper part of the cover wall D1 is inserted into the pivot pin hole 11a on the upper part of the peripheral wall M1, so that the line segment connecting the upper and lower pivot pins 21a and 21b of the cover wall D1 is perpendicular, and in this state, the support of the cover wall D1 is released. As a result, the lid wall D1 moves slightly downward due to its own weight, and the lower pivot pin 21b is inserted into the lower pivot pin hole 11b of the peripheral wall M1. At the same time, the end face of the side of the upper pivot pin support plate 22a of the lid wall D1 opposite to the side with the orthogonal notch 23 is positioned parallel to the lid wall attachment / detachment guide surface 12a of the upward movement restricting block 12, so that one lid wall D1 is rotatably assembled to the peripheral wall M1. Furthermore, to remove the lid wall D1 from the peripheral wall M1 while it is assembled to the peripheral wall M1, the reverse operation is performed. By lifting the lid wall D1 upward and tilting it slightly, the lower pivot pin 21b can be dislodged from the lower pivot pin hole 11b of the peripheral wall M1, and the lid wall D1 can then be moved in the direction indicated by arrow N' in Figure 6(b). As shown in Figure 5(c), a pin sliding guide groove 13 is formed in the pivot pin hole 11b below the peripheral wall M1. This groove is positioned along the directions of arrows N and N', which indicate the direction in which the cover wall D1 is attached to and detached from the peripheral wall M1. When the cover wall D1 is attached to or detached, the lower end of the pivot pin 21b below the cover wall D1 fits into this groove, facilitating the attachment and detachment operation of the cover wall D1.

[0037] Here, as clearly illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, by providing a perpendicular notch 23 in the lower pivot pin support plate 22b of the lid wall D1, when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, the lid wall D1 can be moved slightly upward relative to the peripheral wall M1 without interfering with the second and third plate portions 8c and 8d that constitute the lid wall pivot point arrangement portion 8 of the peripheral wall M1. This allows the lower pivot pin 21b of the lid wall D1 to escape from the lower pivot pin hole 11b of the peripheral wall M1, making it possible to remove the lid wall D1 from the peripheral wall M1. Furthermore, at angles other than 90° when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°, as shown in the right half of Figure 6, the portions on both sides of the orthogonal notch 23 in the lower pivot pin support plate 22b of the lid wall D1 function as the front movement restricting portion 22b1 and the rear movement restricting portion 22b2, respectively. By interfering with the second and third plate portions 8c and 8d of the peripheral wall M1, the upward movement of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 becomes impossible, and the lid wall D1 cannot be removed from the peripheral wall M1. Therefore, the lower pivot pin support plate 22b functions to prevent the lid wall D1 from detaching from the peripheral wall M1 at angles other than 90° when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 relative to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°. As described above, the lid wall D1 can rotate without obstruction between a "closed position" with an opening angle of 0° that covers the entire front opening 4 of the peripheral wall M1 and an "open position" that is fully opened with an opening angle of 135° relative to the peripheral wall M1, and an intermediate position with an opening angle of 90° where the peripheral wall M1 and the lid wall D1 can be separated. The front half movement restricting portion 22b1 and the rear half movement restricting portion 22b2 of the lower pivot pin support plate 22b, and the upward movement restricting block 12 and upward movement restricting portion 24a on the side of the upper pivot pin support plate 22a, whichever side comes into contact first performs the "upward movement restricting" action, and in the above embodiment, the side of the upper pivot pin support plate 22a comes into contact first.

[0038] In addition, in FIG. 7, the length L1 between the tips of the upper and lower rotation fulcrum pins 21a and 21b of the lid wall D1, the vertical interval L2 between the upper and lower first inner plate portions 1c and 2c constituting the peripheral wall M1, the protruding length L3 of the rotation fulcrum pin 21a from the upper surface of the upper fulcrum pin support plate 22a, and the protruding length L4 (L4 < L1) of the lower rotation fulcrum pin 21b from the lower end surface of the gap closing portion 24b of the lid wall D1 are set to dimensions that allow the attachment and detachment of the lid wall D1 to and from the peripheral wall M1 as described above when the opening angle of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is 90°.

[0039] In the above state, when the lid wall D1 is rotated inward to make its opening angle 60°, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 8, a part of the upper fulcrum pin support plate 22a of the lid wall D1 enters below the upward movement restricting block 12, so that the vertical movement (fine movement) of the lid wall D1 with respect to the peripheral wall M1 is blocked. That is, while the upper and lower rotation fulcrum pins 21a and 21b of the lid wall D1 remain inserted without coming out of the respective fulcrum pin holes 11a and 11b of the lid wall D1, the lid wall D1 can be opened and closed with respect to the peripheral wall M1. For the sake of explanation, the attachment and detachment of the lid wall D1 to and from the peripheral wall M1 have been described. However, in actual construction, after the bottom wall B described later is integrally assembled to the rear end portion of the peripheral wall M1, a pair of lid walls D1 are assembled to the peripheral wall M1.

[0040] Next, with reference to Figures 9 to 11, the bottom wall B for closing the rear opening 5 of the rectangular frame-shaped peripheral wall M1 will be described. The bottom wall B is in the shape of a rectangular plate, and when integrally assembled with the peripheral wall M1, the inner surface is recessed in two steps. The central part, which occupies most of the space, has a rectangular first recess 31 formed for accommodating and arranging an equipment mounting plate F for attaching various devices. Between the outside of the first recess 31 and the outer overlapping plate portion 32 that constitutes the outermost part of the bottom wall B, a rectangular frame-shaped second recess 33, which is shallower than the first recess 31, is formed, so that the bottom plate portion 35 is formed over the entire surface of the central part, which occupies most of the space. In the opposing portions along approximately diagonal directions on the opposing short sides of the first recess 31, a detachable recess 34 for facilitating the attachment and detachment of the equipment mounting plate F to and from the first recess 31 is formed, which fits into the second recess 33. The outer overlapping plate portion 32 is shaped like a rectangular frame overall, and both ends of its short side have slightly outwardly bulging portions 32a formed to facilitate the insertion of the insertion plate portions 1a, 2a, and 3a on the rear side of the peripheral wall M1. Between the rectangular frame-shaped outer overlapping plate portion 32 and the second recess 33, a rectangular frame-shaped insertion groove 36 is formed around the entire circumference, which integrates the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B by inserting the insertion plate portions 1a, 2a, and 3a of the peripheral wall M1. The inner portion of the insertion groove 36 forms an inner overlapping portion 37 (see Figure 12) that opens to the outer overlapping plate 32.

[0041] Multiple first screw-insertion cylinder portions 38 are provided protruding from the inner portion of the insertion groove 36 on the bottom surface of the second recess 33, into which screws 91 for screw-fixing the connector E described later are screwed. The first screw-insertion cylinder portions 38 are formed at three locations on the long side of the rectangular bottom wall B, at both ends and in the center, corresponding to the positions of the locking projections 7 formed on the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2 and the pair of side plate portions 3 of the peripheral wall M1, and at only one location in the center on the short side. Four pairs of bolt insertion holes 39 are formed on the bottom surface of the second recess 33, corresponding to each corner of the first recess 31, into which bolts 92 for fixing the bottom wall B to the structure are inserted. On each short side of the second recess 33, a second screw-insertion cylinder portion 41 is formed on the portion facing the first recess 31, with its periphery concave, so that it is at approximately the same height as the bottom surface of the second recess 33. The second screw-in cylindrical portion 41 is the part into which screws 91 are screwed when fixing the periphery of the equipment mounting plate F housed in the first recess 31 with multiple connectors E. The bottom surface of the first recess 31 has multiple vertical and horizontal reinforcing ribs 42 formed thereon.

[0042] Next, with reference to Figures 12 to 14, the connector E used to integrally assemble the bottom wall B to the peripheral wall M1 will be described. The connector E has a cylindrical connector body 51 that is fitted onto the outside of the first and second screw-in cylindrical portions 38 and 41 of the bottom wall B. A rectangular locking plate portion 52 corresponding to the shape of the locking plate portion 7a of the locking projection 7 integrally provided on the peripheral wall M1 is integrally formed along the tangential direction of the connector body 51 at the front end of the cylindrical connector body 51. The cylindrical connector body 51 has two types of through holes with different inner diameters provided in a continuous manner in the axial direction. The smaller diameter through hole on the side of the locking plate portion 52 is the screw bottom wall hole 51a, while the larger diameter through hole on the side where the pair of rotation-preventing recesses 53 described later are formed is the screw-in cylindrical portion insertion hole 51b for inserting the first and second screw-in cylindrical portions 38 and 41 of the peripheral wall M1 into the inside of the connector body 51. The end face of the connector body 51 of connector E has a pair of triangular cross-section anti-rotation recesses 53 which fit into a pair of triangular cross-section anti-rotation projections 43 which are integrally formed on the opposing base ends of the first and second screw-insertion cylindrical portions 38 and 41 of the bottom wall B. On the back surface of the rectangular locking plate portion 52, a pair of biting claws 54 which can bite into the surface of the locking plate portion 7a of the locking projection 7 of the bottom wall B are formed along the short side at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. Connector E not only has the function of integrally connecting the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B, but also has the function of preventing the plates 1, 2, and 3 from bending inward when the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B are connected, by having the longitudinal end face of the locking plate portion 52 become a contact surface 52a and abut against the inner surfaces of the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2 and the pair of side plate portions 3 of the peripheral wall M1.

[0043] Then, to integrate the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B that closes the rear opening 5 of the peripheral wall M1 using multiple connectors E, the following procedure is followed. That is, as shown in Figure 13, a rectangular frame-shaped packing G is inserted into a rectangular frame-shaped insertion groove 36 formed in the bottom wall B and placed at its bottom. Then, the insertion plate portions 1a, 2a, and 3a of the upper plate portion 1, lower plate portion 2, and pair of side plate portions 3 of the peripheral wall M1 are inserted into the insertion groove 36 of the bottom wall B, causing the packing G placed at the bottom of the insertion groove 36 to be slightly compressed.

[0044] Subsequently, the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B are integrated using multiple connectors E. That is, as shown in Figure 14, the first screw-insertion cylinder portion 38 of the bottom wall B is fitted into the screw bottom wall hole 51a of the connector body 51 of the connector E, and when the connector E is positioned outside the first screw-insertion cylinder portion 38, the locking plate portion 52 of the connector E comes into contact with the upper surface of the locking plate portion 7a of the locking projection 7 formed on the inner surface of each plate portion 1, 2, 3 of the peripheral wall M1. Finally, when the screw 91 inserted through the screw bottom wall hole 51a of the connector E is screwed into the first screw-insertion cylinder portion 38, the peripheral wall M1 and the bottom wall B are integrated via multiple connectors E at a total of three locations: both ends and the center of the upper plate portion 1 and the lower plate portion 2, and at one location in the center of each of the pair of side plate portions 3.

[0045] Finally, the pair of cover walls D1 are assembled to the peripheral wall M1 as described in paragraph "0035". [Examples]

[0046] The distribution box A2 of Example 2 is a box for arranging and mounting equipment such as communication equipment and electrical equipment inside, and for storing necessary cables. It consists of a bottomed box-shaped main body M2 and a lid D2 that is hinged to the right vertical side of the main body M2, both of which are made of resin. The distinctive feature of the distribution box A2 of Example 2 is located at the hinged connection between the main body M2 and the lid D2, so only this part will be described in detail, and the description of other parts will be omitted.

[0047] The front of the main body M2 is open, and the hinge connection portion on the right vertical side is formed to protrude from the front opening. A pair of hinge connection blocks 61a and 61b of the same shape are integrally provided on the hinge connection portion, protruding forward by a predetermined length at a predetermined interval along the direction of the vertical side. Pin insertion holes 62a and 62b are formed at the right vertical side end of each hinge connection block 61a and 61b, opening in the same direction as the front opening of the main body M2, along the direction of the vertical side. Pin insertion support plates 62a1 and 62b1 are provided in the center of the insertion direction of the pin insertion holes 62a and 62b, through which the hinge pin P described later is inserted and supported so as to be immovable in all directions. Above the upper hinge connection block 61a, an opening stopper 63 is provided, which has a shorter protruding length than each hinge connection block 61a and 61b. This opening stopper 63 prevents the lid D2 from opening when it is in its maximum open position relative to the main body M2, and also serves as a movement restricting member that prevents separation of the main body M2 and the lid D2 by not contacting the hinge body H of the lid D2 in the assembly direction only at this opening stopper position, and preventing such separation at other rotational positions.

[0048] On the upper plate portion 64 and lower plate portion 65 of the main body M2, where the pair of hinge connecting block bodies 61a and 61b are located, arc recesses 64a and 65a are formed to allow rotation of the hinge-connected lid D2. On the upper plate portion 66 and lower plate portion 67 of the lid D2, arc plate portions 66a and 67a are provided protruding from the portions corresponding to the arc recesses 64a and 65a of the main body M2.

[0049] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, a separate hinge body H is fixedly positioned in the hinge connection recess 78 of the concave-shaped lid D2. The hinge body H has a pair of hinge pin insertion supports 72 and 73 positioned at predetermined intervals on the surface side of the elongated rectangular main body plate portion 71, directly above the pair of hinge connection block bodies 61a and 61b of the main body M2. The upper hinge pin insertion support 72 has a function of supporting the original hinge pin P, as well as working in cooperation with the opening stopper 63 of the main body M2 to determine the maximum opening position of the lid D2 and to restrict the separation of the main body M2 and the lid D2. Therefore, its overall shape differs from that of the other hinge pin insertion support 73. Each hinge pin insertion support 72, 73 is provided with a plurality or one intermediate plate portion 72a, 73a, and a hinge pin P is inserted through a pin insertion hole (not shown) provided in each intermediate plate portion 72a, 73a.

[0050] As shown in Figures 15 and 22, a rectangular contact portion 68 is provided protruding from the hinge connection side (the side of the hinge pin P of the lid D2 when the main body M2 and the lid D2 are assembled) at the end of the hinge connection portion 63 of the main body M2, and at the portion furthest from the opening of the main body M2. Note that in Figures 22 and 23, when viewed as a cross-sectional view along line ZZ of Figure 18(b), the upper hinge connection block 61a of the pair of identical hinge connection block bodies 61a and 61b is visible, but it is the lower hinge connection block body 61b that contacts (interferes with) the slide contact body S, so the lower hinge connection block body 61b is shown as a special drawing. As shown in Figures 19 and 22, the outer circumferential surface of the upper hinge pin insertion support 72 is formed in a semi-circular cross-section centered on the axis C of the hinge pin P. The portion of the hinge pin insertion support 72 facing the opening stopper 63 of the main body M2 has a contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 of the main body M2 inserted into it, and a rotation-restricting recess 74 with a roughly quarter-circular cross-section is formed so that the maximum opening angle of the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 is 90°. One inner end surface of the anti-rotation restricting recess 74, facing each other along the arc direction, is an anti-rotation restricting surface 74a of the lid D2 that determines the maximum opening position of the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 when the contact portion 68 of the main body M2 contacts it. The portion of the anti-rotation restricting recess 74 that connects to the anti-rotation restricting surface 74a penetrates the entire length of the hinge pin insertion support 72 and has a contact portion cutout hole 74b formed therein that allows the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 to pass through relatively in a non-contact (non-interfering) state. The bottom surface of the remaining portion of the anti-rotation restricting recess 74, excluding the contact portion cutout hole 74b, is a contact restricting surface 74c that restricts the separation of the main body M2 and the lid D2 when the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 contacts the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 in the range of the opening angle of the lid D2, excluding the maximum opening angle.

[0051] The lid D2 is a shallow box shape, and the cross-section of its hinge connection portion is curved (see Figure 22). Correspondingly, the cross-sections on the back side of each hinge pin insertion support 72, 73 of the hinge body H are curved to match the cross-section of the hinge connection portion of the lid D2. Below the lower hinge pin insertion support 73 in the main body plate portion 71, a rectangular fitting hole 75 is formed for fitting the slide contact body S so that it can slide laterally. The main body plate portion 71 is provided with screw insertion holes 76 through which each screw 93 is inserted to fix the entire hinge body H to a pair of screw insertion cylinder portions 69 provided on the inside of the bottom plate portion 60 of the lid D2 (see Figure 21). Below the lower screw-in cylindrical portion 69 of the hinge connection portion of the lid D2, two locking plates 70 are provided at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction to lock the locking projection 83 of the slide contact body S, which is fitted into the fitting hole 75 of the hinge body H, as described later.

[0052] As shown in Figure 20, the slide contact body S has a U-shaped contact body 81 in side view, with locking pieces 82 integrally formed at the tips of each leg 81a. The portion of each locking piece 82 protruding in the direction connecting the legs 81a becomes a locking portion 82a that engages with the back surface of the peripheral edge of the fitting hole 75 of the hinge body H. On the inner surface of the contact body 81, locking protrusions 83 are provided along the direction connecting the legs 81a, which engage with the locking plate portion 70 provided on the lid D2 when the slide contact body S is fitted into the fitting hole 75 of the hinge body H, preventing the fitted slide contact body S from shifting laterally. Each leg 81a is elastically deformed in the direction of approaching each other to fit into the fitting hole 75 of the hinge body H.

[0053] To hinge-connect the main body M2 and the lid D2 via a hinge body H fixed to the hinge connection recess 78 of the lid D2 via a pair of screws 93, the following procedure is followed. A hinge pin P is inserted and supported by each hinge pin insertion support 72, 73 of the lid D2, and a slide contact body S is fitted into the fitting hole 75 of the hinge body H, and is positioned at the right end of the fitting hole 75 to avoid interference with the lower hinge connection block bodies 61a, 61b during assembly. As shown in Figure 17(a), the opening angle of the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 is set to 90°, and with the axis C of each hinge pin P aligned with the axis of the pin insertion holes 62a, 62b of the hinge connecting block bodies 61a, 61b of the main body M2, the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper body 63 of the main body M2 is inserted into the contact portion removal hole 74b of the hinge pin insertion support 72 above the hinge body H of the lid D2, and in this state, the main body M2 Conversely, when the lid D2 is lowered, as shown in Figure 17(b), each hinge pin P of the lid D2 is inserted into the pin insertion holes 62a and 62b of the hinge connecting block bodies 61a and 61b of the main body M2. When the lower end surfaces of the hinge pin insertion supports 72 and 73 of the lid D2 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the hinge connecting block bodies 61a and 61b of the main body M2, the main body M2 and the lid D2 are assembled, as shown in Figure 18(a). Furthermore, regarding the lengths of the upper and lower hinge pins, the lower hinge pin P is longer, and since the position of the upper hinge pin P and the position of the contact portion 68 and the contact portion removal hole 74b can be aligned after the tip of the lower hinge pin P has been positioned, the workability is improved.

[0054] Subsequently, when the slide contact body S is slid to the left and positioned below the lower hinge connecting block body 61b as shown in Figures 18(b) and 22, the slide contact body S positioned to the left of the fitting hole 75 and the lower hinge connecting block body 61b directly above it come into contact (interfere) with each other. As a result, the hinge pin insertion support 73 below the lid D2 and the slide contact body S attached to the lid D2 sandwich the lower hinge connecting block body 61b of the main body M2 and the lid D2, preventing the lid D2 from moving upward relative to the main body M2. Therefore, the main body M2 and the lid D2 are assembled in a way that makes them inseparable. In this state, by rotating the lid D2 90° relative to the main body M2 using the pair of hinge pins P as pivot points, and closing the opening of the main body M2, as shown in Figure 23, the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 of the main body M2 comes into contact with the contact restricting surface 74c of the rotation-restricting recess 74 formed on the outer circumference of the hinge pin insertion support 72 above the lid D2. Therefore, in cooperation with the sliding contact body S that comes into contact with the hinge connecting block 61b of the main body M2 directly above it, the upward movement of the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 is restricted, preventing the separation of the main body M2 and the lid D2 during use. Due to these upward movement restrictions, the lid D2 can be used without coming off even when the lid is inverted, so it is possible to change between right-opening and left-opening.

[0055] Furthermore, to separate the main body M2 and the lid D2, the operations can be performed in the reverse order of those described above. That is, when the lid D2 is opened haphazardly relative to the main body M2, as shown in Figure 22, the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 of the main body M2 comes into contact with the rotation-restricting surface 74a on one end face in the circumferential direction of the rotation-restricting recess 74 of the hinge pin insertion support 72 of the hinge body H of the lid D2. As a result, the lid D2 stops when it has rotated 90° relative to the main body M2, and the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper 63 is positioned directly above the contact hole 74b of the rotation-restricting recess 74, so that the contact portion 68 and the hinge pin insertion support 72 are in a non-contact (non-interfering) state along the separation direction of the lid D2. Subsequently, when the sliding contact body S is slid to the right end of the fitting hole 75, the contact portion (interference portion) disappears along the separation direction of the lid D2 from the main body M2, and the two can be separated.

[0056] Since the sliding direction of the aforementioned slide contact body S is perpendicular to the axis C of the pair of hinge pins P that hinge-connect the main body M2 and the lid D2, it is possible to visually distinguish between positions where contact is possible and positions where contact is not possible with the lower hinge-connecting block body 61b, which also functions as a movement restricting part, thus enabling the assembly and separation of the main body M2 and the lid D2 to be performed without errors.

[0057] Furthermore, after the main body M2 and the lid D2 are assembled, even if the sliding contact body S is forgotten to be slid below the lower hinge connecting block body 61b, as long as the opening angle of the lid D2 relative to the main body M2 is an angle other than 90°, the contact portion 68 of the opening stopper body 63 of the main body M2 and the contact restricting surface 74c, which is the bottom surface of the rotation-restricting recess 74 of the lid D2, will come into contact, and there will be no risk of the main body M2 and the lid D2 separating.

[0058] Furthermore, as described above, the hinge pin insertion support 73 at the bottom of the lid D2 and the slide contact body S attached to the lid D2 sandwich the hinge connecting block body 61b at the bottom of the main body M2 and the lid D2, so that the main body M2 and the lid D2 are assembled inseparably. Therefore, even if the power distribution box A2 is inverted and the hinge connecting part is positioned on the left vertical side of the main body M2, the main body M2 and the lid D2 will not separate. Consequently, the same power distribution box A2 can be used by selecting either a right-opening or left-opening configuration. [Examples]

[0059] Next, with reference to Figures 24 to 32, the distribution box A3 of Example 3 will be described. The distribution box A3 of Example 3 is the same as the distribution box A2 of Example 2 in that the main body M3 and the lid D3 are connected in a hinged manner so that they can be opened and closed. However, the only difference is the configuration in which the sliding contact body S(S') that prevents the main body M3 and the lid D3 from separating when they are hinged together is located on the side of the lid D2 in the distribution box A2 of Example 2, whereas in the distribution box A3 of Example 3 it is located on the side of the main body M3. Note that the overall shape of the distribution box A2 is a rectangular box, while the overall shape of the distribution box A3 is a circular box, but this difference in overall shape does not affect the hinged connection structure [even though the overall shape is different, the hinged connection structure between the main body M3(M2) and the lid D3(D2) is the same]. Therefore, in describing the distribution box A3 of Example 3, the parts that are functionally identical to the distribution box A2 of Example 2 will be marked with an apostrophe ('') to avoid the use of duplicate symbols, and the description will focus on the slide contact body S' and its sliding structure, which are substantially different from those of Example 2.

[0060] As shown in Figures 24 and 28, the circular box-shaped body M3 of the distribution box A3 is separated by a partition wall 101 into a wiring accommodation space 102 that occupies most of the space and the remaining split-circular hinge-forming space 103. In the hinge-forming space 103, a pair of hinge connecting block bodies 61a' and 61b' are formed at a predetermined vertical distance from the opening surface of the body M3, and an opening stopper body 63' is formed above the upper hinge connecting block body 61a', also protruding from the opening surface. Pin insertion holes 62a' and 62b' are formed in each hinge connecting block body 61a' and 61b', respectively, and a contact portion 68' is provided at the protruding end of the opening stopper body 63' toward the periphery of the body M3, which is inserted into a contact portion removal hole 74b' of the open lid D3, as described later.

[0061] As shown in Figures 29, 31, and 32, the sliding contact body S' is a member that is slidably positioned between the upper and lower hinge connecting block bodies 61a' and 61b' of the main body M3 in a direction parallel to the opening surface of the main body M3, and prevents the hinge-connected main body M3 and lid D3 from separating. The contact body S' is a thick rectangular contact body 111, approximately in the middle of the short side direction, and a pair of locking claw pieces 112 are projected from both ends of the long side direction in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the contact body 111. An operating piece 113 is provided on the surface of the contact body 111 opposite to the surface on which the pair of locking claw pieces 112 are projected. On the surface of the contact body 111 from which the pair of locking claw pieces 112 are projecting, a single slide-preventing projection 114 is provided in the direction connecting the pair of locking claw pieces 112 to prevent the sliding contact body S' from shifting relative to the main body M3 due to external force, vibration, etc.

[0062] A connecting wall 115, positioned to connect the lower surface of the upper hinge connecting block 61a' with the base ends of the pair of hinge connecting block 61a' and 61b', has a contact body fitting opening 116 that opens towards the front and is cut out in a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the slide contact body S'. The connecting wall 115 and the base end wall 117, which is provided at a predetermined distance from the connecting wall 115, are connected by a fitted wall 118 into which the slide contact body S' is slidably fitted. On the front surface of the fitted wall 118, two slide prevention grooves 119a and 119b are provided at a predetermined distance along the sliding direction of the slide contact body S', into which the slide prevention protrusions 114 of the slide contact body S' are fitted. The slide contact body S' has a pair of locking claw pieces 112 that are slidably fitted to the fitted wall 118 in a direction approaching and separating from the periphery of the main body M3. The upper and lower inclined end faces 118a of the fitted wall 118 are formed as inclined surfaces that are inclined in opposite directions, with the spacing between them increasing towards the back in the thickness direction. When the slide contact body S' is pressed against the fitted wall 118 from the front, the pair of locking claw pieces 12 press against the pair of inclined end faces 118a, causing them to elastically deform outward and then return to their original shape, thereby fitting the slide contact body S' to the fitted wall 118.

[0063] On the other hand, the lid D3 is a shallow, circular box shape, and the hinge body H' is attached to the portion separated in a circular shape by the partition wall 104. As shown in Figure 30, the hinge body H' has a main plate portion 71' in which a rectangular projection 71a' protrudes in the short side direction (laterally) from the middle of the long side direction of a rectangle with a large aspect ratio. A pair of hinge pin insertion supports 72', 73' are provided at both ends of the projection 71a' in the long side direction, protruding toward the opening of the lid D3, and both ends of the main plate portion 71' along the long side direction are fixed to a pair of screw-insertion cylinders 69' provided on the lid D3 using a pair of screws 93'. A pair of hinge pin insertion supports 72' and 73' have pin insertion holes 72d' and 73d' formed in them, respectively. In the portion of the upper hinge pin insertion support 72' facing the opening stopper 63' of the main body M3, a rectangular contact hole 74b' is formed, opening towards the front and extending along its entire length, into which the contact portion 68' at the tip of the opening stopper 63' can be inserted. The upper half of the contact hole 74b' forms a rotation-restricting recess 74' into which the contact portion 68' at the tip of the opening fitter 63' of the main body M3 enters when the lid D3 rotates, thereby restricting the rotation of the lid D3 relative to the main body M3. One inner surface of the contact hole 74b' is a rotation-restricting surface 74a' that restricts the maximum opening angle of the lid D3 relative to the main body M3.

[0064] Then, the connection between the main body M3 and the lid D3 is performed in the same manner as the connection between the main body M2 and the lid D2 in Embodiment 2. As shown in Figure 32(b), the slide-preventing projection 114 of the slide contact body S' is fitted into the slide-preventing recess 119b of the fitted wall 118, thereby positioning the slide contact body S' at its retracted end. With the opening angle of the lid D3 relative to the main body M3 set to 90°, as shown in Figures 24 and 25, and with the axis of each hinge pin P aligned with the axis of the pin insertion holes 62a' and 62b' of the hinge connecting block bodies 61a' and 61b' of the main body M3, the hinge pin insertion support 7 above the hinge body H' of the lid D3 is positioned. When the contact portion 68' of the opening stopper 63' of the main body M3 is inserted into the contact portion cutout hole 74b' of 2', and the lid D3 is lowered relative to the main body M3 in this state, each hinge pin P' of the lid D3 is inserted into the pin insertion holes 62a', 62b' of each hinge connecting block 61a', 61b' of the main body M3, and the lower end surfaces of each hinge pin insertion support 72', 73' of the lid D3 come into contact with the upper surfaces of each hinge connecting block 61a', 61b' of the main body M3, the main body M3 and the lid D3 are assembled as shown in Figures 26 and 27.

[0065] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 32(a), the slide contact body S' is slid to its forward end, and its slide-preventing projection 114 is fitted into the slide-preventing recess 119a of the fitted wall 118. This positions the tip of the slide contact body S' directly above the upper surface of the hinge pin insertion support 73' below the lid D3, preventing the lid D3 from moving in the separation direction relative to the main body M3, thereby preventing the separation of M3 and D3. In Figure 24, 121 indicates a screw for fixing the main body M3 to a column or similar object.

[0066] In both Examples 2 and 3, the hinge pin P(P') is provided on the side of the lid D2(D3) and the pin insertion holes 62a, 62b(62a', 62b') are provided on the side of the main body M2(M3), but their arrangement may be reversed.

[0067] In Example 1, the lid D1 opens like double doors, but it may also be a single lid that opens and closes. In Example 2, the lid D2 may open from top to bottom. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] A1, A2, A3: Power distribution box (box) C: Axis of the hinge pin D1: Lid wall D2, D3: Lid H: Hinge body M1: Peripheral wall M2,M3: Main body P: Hinge pin (shaft part) S: Slide contact body 8: Lid wall pivot point arrangement section 8c: Second plate section (movement restricting section) of the pivot point arrangement section of the lid wall 8d: Third plate section (movement restricting section) of the pivot point arrangement section of the lid wall 11a, 11b: Pivot pin hole (shaft insertion part) 12: Upward movement restriction block (first half movement restriction section) 22a: Upper pivot pin support plate (movement restricting part) 22b: Lower pivot pin support plate (movement restricting part) 22b1: Front half movement restricting section of the lower pivot pin support plate 22b2: Rearward movement restriction section of the lower pivot pin support plate 24a: Upper movement restriction section (second half movement restriction section) 61a: Hinge connecting block body (shaft insertion part) 61b: Hinge connecting block (shaft insertion part, movement restricting part) 63: Opening stopper (opening stopper part) 74: Rotation-preventing recess (opening-preventing part) 74a: Anti-rotation restricting surface (opening stopper) 74b: Contact hole 74c: Contact restriction surface (movement restriction part)

Claims

1. A box comprising a main body and a lid that is assembled to the main body so as to be openable and closable and covers the front opening of the main body, forming a storage space for housing equipment inside the main body and the lid, One of the main body and the lid is provided with a pair of rod-shaped shafts arranged on the same axis, with their tips facing each other or pointing in opposite directions. The other of the main body and the lid is provided with a pair of shaft insertion parts into which each of the shaft portions is inserted. The cover, when assembled to the main body by inserting each of the shafts into the respective shaft insertion sections, is rotatable around each of the shafts as the pivot point between a closed position that covers the front opening of the main body and an open position that exposes the front opening, and when one of the pair of shafts is inserted into one of the shaft insertion sections, the other shaft can be withdrawn from and inserted into the other shaft insertion section. The main body and the lid are each provided with a movement restricting portion that, when assembled together, restricts movement to a position where the shaft can be removed from the shaft insertion portion, thereby making the main body and the lid inseparable. The movement restricting parts on the main body side and the lid side are displaceable to a position where they can come into contact with each other and a position where they cannot come into contact with each other as the lid opens and closes. The position where contact is not possible is midway between the closed position and the open position of the lid. By moving the lid relative to the main body at a position where each of the aforementioned movement restricting parts can no longer contact each other, each of the aforementioned shafts is withdrawn from each of the aforementioned shaft insertion parts, thereby enabling the separation of the main body and the lid. The aforementioned movement restricting portion comprises a front movement restricting portion that is in a position where contact is possible between the closed position and the position where contact is impossible, and a rear movement restricting portion that is in a position where contact is possible between the position where contact is impossible and the open position, and the box is configured such that when the lid is positioned in a position other than the position where contact is impossible, the dislodgement of each shaft from each shaft insertion portion is restricted.

2. The box body according to claim 1, characterized in that of the pair of shafts, the shaft that is released and moved out of the shaft insertion portion first when the main body and the lid are separated has a shorter shaft length than the other shaft.

3. The box body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that both the front half movement restricting section and the rear half movement restricting section are provided in close proximity to either of the pair of shaft sections.

4. A box comprising a main body and a lid that is assembled to the main body so as to be openable and closable and covers the front opening of the main body, forming a storage space for housing equipment inside the main body and the lid, One of the main body and the lid is provided with a plurality of rod-shaped shaft portions that share the same axis, with their tips pointing in the same direction and spaced at predetermined intervals. The other of the main body and the lid is provided with a plurality of shaft insertion parts into which each of the shaft portions is inserted. The cover, when assembled to the main body by inserting each of the shaft portions into the respective shaft insertion portions, is rotatable around each of the shaft portions as its pivot axis, between a closed position that covers the front opening of the main body and an open position that exposes the front opening. The main body and the lid are each provided with a movement restricting portion that, when assembled together, restricts the movement of the shaft portion out of the shaft insertion portion, thereby making the main body and the lid inseparable. Of the movement restricting parts provided on the main body and the lid, one movement restricting part is composed of a sliding contact body, and this sliding contact body can be displaced by sliding to a position where it can contact the other movement restricting part and a position where it cannot contact it. A box-shaped structure characterized in that, with the slide contact body positioned in a location where contact is not possible, the lid is rotated relative to the main body, thereby causing each shaft portion of the lid to be withdrawn and moved from each shaft insertion portion of the main body at only one specific location along the direction of rotation, thereby enabling separation of the main body and the lid.

5. The main body and the lid are provided with opening stoppers that abut against each other along the rotational direction of the lid to determine the maximum open position of the lid. The box according to claim 4, characterized in that the opening stopper portion is provided with a portion that allows movement of the shaft portion in the direction of withdrawal at a specific position between the closed position and the open position of the lid, and portions that abut each other at other positions to restrict movement in the direction of withdrawal.

6. The box according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the movement restricting portion with which the slide contact body abuts is formed in the shaft insertion portion and is formed on the end face of the shaft insertion portion opposite to the insertion side of the shaft portion.

7. The box according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the sliding direction of the slide contact body is perpendicular to the axis of the pair of shaft portions.

8. The box according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the slide contact body is arranged on the back surface of the lid.

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