Fixing bracket
The fixing bracket addresses poor workability in securing channel members to bolt members by using a rotation guide mechanism to automatically align the inner contact portion with the channel's direction, improving insertion and temporary fixation processes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INABA ELECTRIC SANGYO
- Filing Date
- 2023-02-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing fixing fittings for securing channel members to bolt members require manual adjustment of inner contact portions at multiple points, leading to poor workability due to the need for orientation changes during insertion and temporary fixation.
A fixing bracket with a second holding portion featuring an inner contact portion designed to automatically align with the channel's extending direction upon insertion, and a rotation guide mechanism that ensures the inner contact portion aligns with the channel's width direction for temporary fixation, eliminating the need for manual orientation adjustments.
The fixing bracket significantly improves workability by allowing seamless insertion and temporary fixation of channel materials to bolt materials without manual orientation adjustments, enhancing operational efficiency.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing fitting.
Background Art
[0002] For example, in order to fix a channel member having a pair of lip portions to a bolt member, a fixing fitting is used. An example of such a fixing fitting is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-59386 (Patent Document 1). The fixing fitting of Patent Document 1 includes a first holding portion (pressing piece 10 + support 1) that holds a bolt member (hanging bolt Q), and a second holding portion (clamping piece 6 + middle nut 14) that is connected to the first holding portion and holds a channel member (hanger P). The second holding portion has an outer contact portion (clamping piece 6) that is arranged to contact from the outside with respect to a pair of lip portions (lip portion P1) of the channel member, and an inner contact portion (middle nut 14) that is arranged to contact from the inside with respect to the pair of lip portions.
[0003] In the fixing fitting of Patent Document 1, since the inner contact portion is larger than the interval between the pair of lip portions in any direction, it is necessary to slide the inner contact portion to a required position in the channel member, resulting in poor workability. On the other hand, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-126005 (Patent Document 2) discloses a configuration in which the inner contact portion (engagement nut member 6) is formed such that the length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the interval between the pair of lip portions (side edge portions 2A), and the length along the short direction is shorter than the interval between the pair of lip portions. In such a configuration, the inner contact portion can be inserted into the channel member from above with its longitudinal direction along the extending direction of the channel member, and then rotated 90° therein to arrange the inner contact portion at a required position. Therefore, the workability is somewhat improved because it is not necessary to slide the inner contact portion in the channel member.
[0004] However, even then, the orientation of the inner contact points must still be manually adjusted at least twice—once when inserting them into the channel material and again afterward. Moreover, this process needs to be done at multiple points along the extension direction of the channel material, so further improvements in terms of workability were needed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-59386 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-126005 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0006] There is a need for a fastening bracket that offers excellent workability when fixing channel material to bolt material. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The fixing bracket according to the present invention is A fixing bracket for securing a channel material having a pair of lip portions to a bolt material, The first retaining part for holding the bolt material, It comprises a second holding portion connected to the first holding portion and holding the channel material, The second retaining portion includes an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole with its tip screwed into the screw hole. The inner contact portion is formed such that its length along the first direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions. The system includes a first rotation guide that rotates the inner contact portion so that, when the inner contact portion is located outside the channel material, the first direction aligns with the extending direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves toward the channel material.
[0008] With this configuration, the first rotation guide unit causes the inner contact portion to move relative to the channel material outside the channel material, and as a result, the inner contact portion rotates automatically so that its first direction aligns with the extending direction of the channel material. With the first direction of the inner contact portion aligned with the extending direction of the channel material, the second direction of the inner contact portion aligns with the width direction of the channel material, and in this state, the entire inner contact portion fits between the pair of lip portions, allowing the inner contact portion to be inserted into the channel material. As a result, at least when inserting the inner contact portion into the channel material, there is no need to manually change the orientation of the inner contact portion to the correct orientation, thus improving the workability when fixing the channel material to the bolt material.
[0009] Another fixing bracket according to the present invention is, A fixing bracket for securing a channel material having a pair of lip portions to a bolt material, The first retaining part for holding the bolt material, It comprises a second holding portion connected to the first holding portion and holding the channel material, The second retaining portion includes an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole with its tip screwed into the screw hole. The inner contact portion is formed such that its length along the first direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions. The system includes a second rotation guide that rotates the inner contact portion so that, with the inner contact portion located inside the channel material, the first direction becomes aligned with the width direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves further inside the channel material.
[0010] With this configuration, as the inner contact portion moves further into the channel material due to the second rotation guide, the inner contact portion rotates automatically so that its first direction aligns with the width direction of the channel material. With the first direction of the inner contact portion aligned with the width direction of the channel material, the inner contact portion becomes capable of engaging with the pair of lip portions from below, allowing the channel material to be temporarily fixed. As a result, there is no need to manually change the orientation of the inner contact portion to the correct direction when temporarily fixing the channel material after inserting the inner contact portion into the channel material, thus improving the workability when fixing the channel material to the bolt material.
[0011] The fixing bracket may also include both the first rotation guide section and the second rotation guide section described above. In this case, the fixing bracket is: A fixing bracket for securing a channel material having a pair of lip portions to a bolt material, The first retaining part for holding the bolt material, It comprises a second holding portion connected to the first holding portion and holding the channel material, The second retaining portion includes an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole with its tip screwed into the screw hole. The inner contact portion is formed such that its length along the first direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions. A first rotation guide unit rotates the inner contact portion so that, with the inner contact portion located outside the channel material, the first direction becomes aligned with the extending direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves toward the channel material, The system includes a second rotation guide unit that rotates the inner contact portion so that, with the inner contact portion located inside the channel material, the first direction becomes aligned with the width direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves further inside the channel material.
[0012] With this configuration, it is not necessary to manually adjust the orientation of the inner contact portion when inserting it into the channel material, nor when temporarily fastening the channel material afterward. Therefore, the ease of installation when fixing the channel material to the bolt material can be greatly improved.
[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the examples of preferred embodiments described below.
[0014] As one aspect, The first rotation guide portion has a pair of guide wall portions formed symmetrically twice around the position of the screw hole, located below the inner contact portion. Preferably, the pair of guide walls have inclined walls that gradually slope upward as they move away from the screw hole side.
[0015] With this configuration, when the inclined walls of the pair of guide walls contact the lip portion of the channel material from above, the inner contact portion can be rotated automatically so that the first direction is aligned with the extending direction of the channel material. Therefore, the first rotation guide portion can be properly configured.
[0016] As one aspect, The second rotational guiding portion has a pair of guiding vanes formed above the inner contact portion, with the position of the screw hole as the axis, and arranged symmetrically twice. It is preferable that the pair of the guiding wing parts have inclined surfaces that incline upward gradually toward the tip side.
[0017] According to this configuration, when the inclined surfaces of the pair of guiding wing parts abut on the lip parts of the channel member from above, the inner abutting part can be rotated automatically so that the first direction is along the width direction of the channel member. Therefore, the second rotation guiding part can be configured appropriately.
[0018] As one aspect, the channel member has a pair of side wall parts continuous from the pair of the lip parts, it is preferable that the inner abutting part has a rotation restricting part that abuts on the pair of the side wall parts in a state of being located inside the channel member to restrict the rotation of the inner abutting part.
[0019] According to this configuration, by the rotation restricting part abutting on the pair of side wall parts, the rotation of the inner abutting part can be stopped regardless of whether it is manual or automatic. Therefore, a state in which the inner abutting part can abut on the lip part of the channel member from below can be easily realized. Further, by tightening the tightening bolt in a state where the inner abutting part does not rotate, the pair of lip parts can be sandwiched between the outer abutting part and the inner abutting part to hold the channel member appropriately.
[0020] As one aspect, it is preferable that the inner abutting part further has a reverse rotation restricting part that restricts rotation in a direction opposite to the rotation direction restricted by the rotation restricting part in a state where the pair of the lip parts are sandwiched between the inner abutting part and the outer abutting part.
[0021] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the inner abutting part rotates reversely due to some reason from a state where the pair of lip parts are sandwiched between the outer abutting part and the inner abutting part, and the sandwiching becomes loose.
[0022] As one aspect, The first retaining portion comprises a base portion along the bolt material, a clamping portion that sandwiches the bolt material between itself and the base portion, a fastening bolt that fastens the base portion and the clamping portion, and an elastic member attached to the fastening bolt so as to bias the clamping portion toward the base portion. It is preferable that the base portion is provided with a recessed portion that is recessed toward the opposite side from the clamping portion.
[0023] With this configuration, by housing a portion of the clamping portion in the recessed portion, the base portion and the clamping portion can be expanded while resisting the biasing force of the elastic member. Then, by moving the expanded base portion and clamping portion toward the bolt material from the side, the first retaining portion can be temporarily fixed to the bolt material. After that, since the elastic member continues to bias the clamping portion toward the base portion, the state in which the first retaining portion is temporarily fixed to the bolt material can be maintained. Therefore, the operation of holding the bolt material with the first retaining portion can be easily performed.
[0024] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer through the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0025] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the state of use of the fixing bracket of the embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the fixing bracket in use. [Figure 3] Partially exploded perspective view of the mounting bracket [Figure 4] Exploded perspective view of the mounting bracket [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view of the inner contact portion and rotation guide member. [Figure 6] Perspective view showing the movement of the inner contact area during the installation of the channel material. [Figure 7] Plan view and cross-sectional view showing the state in the upper part of Figure 6. [Figure 8] Plan view and cross-sectional view showing the state in the middle section of Figure 6. [Figure 9] Plan view and cross-sectional view showing the lower part of Figure 6 [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0026] An embodiment of the fixing bracket will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the fixing bracket 1 of this embodiment is a fitting for fixing a channel material 9 having a pair of lip portions 93 to a bolt material 8. The bolt material 8 is preferably a suspension bolt suspended from the structure, but is not limited to such a configuration and may be another long bolt connected to the suspension bolt. That is, the bolt material 8 is suspended from the structure directly or indirectly via the suspension bolt.
[0027] As the channel material 9, for example, a lip channel steel with a C-shaped cross-section is used. The channel material 9 has a bottom plate portion 91, a pair of side wall portions 92 erected from the bottom plate portion 91, and a pair of lip portions 93 that extend inward continuously from the upper ends of each of the pair of side wall portions 92. Hereinafter, the direction in which the channel material 9 extends will be referred to as the "extension direction L," and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction L along the bottom plate portion 91 will be referred to as the "width direction W." The pair of lip portions 93 are provided so as to face each other in the width direction W with their respective tip ends slightly inclined downwards.
[0028] The channel member 9 is fixed to the bolt member 8 by fixing brackets 1 at multiple points along the extension direction L, and is suspended and supported from the structure. The channel member 9 then supports suspended equipment such as cable racks and ducts from below.
[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the fixing bracket 1 comprises a first holding portion 2 and a second holding portion 4 connected to the first holding portion 2, and further comprises a rotation guide member 5 as a configuration unique to this embodiment. The first holding portion 2 and the second holding portion 4 are connected to each other by the fact that the base portion 20 constituting the first holding portion 2 and the outer contact portion 40 constituting the second holding portion 4 are integrally formed in an L-shape.
[0030] The first holding part 2 holds the bolt material 8. The first holding part 2 holds the bolt material 8 by clamping it along its axial direction. As shown in Figure 4, the first holding part 2 of this embodiment mainly comprises a base part 20, a clamping part 25, a fastening bolt 30, and an elastic member 35.
[0031] The base portion 20 is formed in a plate shape along the bolt material 8. The base portion 20 is mainly composed of a rectangular plate-shaped base body 21. The base body 21 has a screw hole 21a with a female threaded portion on its inner surface. The tip of the fastening bolt 30 is screwed into this screw hole 21a. The base body 21 is integrally connected to the outer contact portion 40 that constitutes the second holding portion 4. The base portion 20 has an engaging piece 22 that engages with the bolt material 8 from the opposite side from the base body 21. The engaging piece 22 is provided on the opposite side of the rectangular base body 21 that is connected to the outer contact portion 40 that constitutes the second holding portion 4. The engaging piece 22 is formed by bending the upper end of the base body 21 at a right angle, and a part of it is cut out in a concave shape to form an engaging recess 22a. When the bolt material 8 is accommodated in this engaging recess 22a, the engaging piece 22 can engage with the bolt material 8.
[0032] The base portion 20 has guide pieces 23 and recessed portions 24 on the remaining two sides of the rectangular base body 21. The guide piece 23 is formed by bending one end of the base body 21 toward the opposite side from the clamping portion 25. The recessed portion 24 is formed at the other end of the base body 21 as a stepped portion that is recessed toward the opposite side from the clamping portion 25. By having such a recessed portion 24, the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 can be expanded so that one end of the clamping portion 25 is received by the recessed portion 24. Then, while applying the guide piece 23 to the outer surface of the bolt material 8, the expanded base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 can be attached to the bolt material 8 from the side.
[0033] The clamping portion 25 clamps the bolt material 8 between itself and the base portion 20. The clamping portion 25 has a clamping body 26 and a holding portion 27. The clamping body 26 is formed in a plate shape and is superimposed on the base body 21 of the base portion 20. A through hole 26a is formed in the clamping body 26. The shaft portion of the fastening bolt 30 is inserted through this through hole 26a. The holding portion 27 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape that is continuous from one end of the clamping body 26. When the holding portion 27 is fixed to the base portion 20 by the fastening bolt 30, it holds the outer surface of the bolt material 8 by embracing it. The inner surface of the holding portion 27 is provided with an inward-facing locking projection 28 that engages with the threads on the outer surface of the bolt material 8.
[0034] The fastening bolt 30 fastens the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25. The fastening bolt 30 fastens the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 via a washer 31. The shaft of the fastening bolt 30 is inserted through the through hole 26a of the clamping body 26 that constitutes the clamping portion 25, and is screwed into the threaded hole 21a of the base body 21 that constitutes the base portion 20. When the fastening bolt 30 is loosened, the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 can be expanded as described above. When the fastening bolt 30 is tightened, the bolt material 8 is sandwiched and held between the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 (specifically, between the base body 21 and the holding portion 27).
[0035] The elastic member 35 is attached to the fastening bolt 30. In this embodiment, the elastic member 35 is attached to the fastening bolt 30 so as to be positioned between the washer 31 and the base body 21 that constitutes the base portion 20. Furthermore, the elastic member 35 is attached to the fastening bolt 30 in a compressed state compared to the steady state (a state in which no external force is acting). As a result, the elastic member 35 biases the clamping portion 25 toward the base portion 20. Therefore, even when the fastening bolt 30 is loosened, the bolt material 8 can be temporarily held between the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25 by the biasing force of the elastic member 35. In this embodiment, a conical coil spring is used as the elastic member 35.
[0036] The second retaining part 4 is connected to the first retaining part 2 and holds the channel material 9. As shown in Figure 4, the second retaining part 4 mainly consists of an outer contact part 40, an inner contact part 45, and a tightening bolt 48. The second retaining part 4 holds the channel material 9 by tightening the tightening bolt 48, which sandwiches the pair of lip parts 93 between the outer contact part 40 and the inner contact part 45.
[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer contact portion 40 is positioned to contact the pair of lip portions 93 from the outside. As shown in Figure 4, the outer contact portion 40 is mainly composed of an outer body 41 formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. A through hole 41a is formed in the outer body 41. The shaft portion of the tightening bolt 48 is inserted through this through hole 41a. The outer body 41 is integrally connected to the base portion 20 that constitutes the first holding portion 2. The outer contact portion 40 has a bent piece 42 that is bent downward from the outer body 41. In this embodiment, the bent piece 42 is provided on the remaining three sides of the rectangular outer body 41, excluding the side that is connected to the base portion 20 that constitutes the first holding portion 2. The width of the bent piece 42 is set to be slightly narrower than the distance D between the pair of lip portions 93 (see Figure 1). When the outer contact portion 40 comes into contact with the pair of lip portions 93, some of the bent pieces 42 engage between the pair of lip portions 93 and some of the bent pieces 42 engage with the outer surface of the side wall portion 92, thereby stabilizing the position of the channel material 9.
[0038] The outer contact portion 40 has an engaging projection 43 that protrudes outward along the outer body 41 on one side of the rectangular outer body 41 (specifically, the side on the base body 21 where the guide piece 23 is provided). When the first holding portion 2 holds the bolt material 8, the engaging projection 43 engages with the bolt material 8 from the side of the first holding portion 2 opposite to the base body 21. By engaging the bolt material 8 at two different axial locations with the engaging projection 43 and the engaging piece 22 of the second holding portion 4 from the side of the base body 21, the holding of the bolt material 8 by the first holding portion 2 can be stabilized.
[0039] The inner contact portion 45 is positioned to contact the pair of lip portions 93 from the inside. The inner contact portion 45 is formed in a parallelogram shape. The inner contact portion 45 has a screw hole 46 with a female thread on its inner surface. The tip of the tightening bolt 48 is screwed into this screw hole 46. The length of the inner contact portion 45 along the first direction X is longer than the distance D between the pair of lip portions 93, and the length along the second direction Y is shorter than the distance D between the pair of lip portions 93. Here, the first direction X and the second direction Y are mutually orthogonal directions. As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to a pair of opposite sides of the parallelogram-shaped inner contact portion 45 is the second direction Y, and the direction perpendicular to that is the first direction X. In this case, the length of the inner contact portion 45 along the second direction Y is the distance between a pair of opposite sides, and the length of the inner contact portion 45 along the first direction X is the distance between two imaginary lines that pass through opposing vertices that are further apart and are perpendicular to each pair of opposite sides.
[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the fastening bolt 48 is inserted through the through hole 41a of the outer body 41 that constitutes the outer contact portion 40, and its tip is screwed into the threaded hole 46 of the inner contact portion 45. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the through hole 41a is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion of the fastening bolt 48. Therefore, the inner contact portion 45, which is connected to the fastening bolt 48 by being screwed into the threaded hole 46, is rotatable together with the fastening bolt 48.
[0041] The first holding portion 2 (base portion 20 and clamping portion 25) and the second holding portion 4 (outer contact portion 40 and inner contact portion 45) that constitute the fixing bracket 1 are made of a metal material. These are formed using, for example, hot-rolled steel sheet (SPH), and more specifically, hot-rolled mild steel sheet (SPHC).
[0042] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rotation guide member 5 is configured separately from the inner contact portion 45 and is configured to be detachably attached to the inner contact portion 45. The rotation guide member 5 of this embodiment includes a mounting plate portion 50, a first rotation guide portion 56, and a second rotation guide portion 58. The rotation guide member 5 also further includes a rotation restricting portion 61 and a reverse rotation restricting portion 62. The rotation guide member 5 is made of a non-metallic material. The rotation guide member 5 can be made of resin materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyacetal, and polystyrene. When the rotation guide member 5 is made of resin, it can be integrally formed, for example, by injection molding.
[0043] The mounting plate portion 50 is the part that is attached to the inner contact portion 45. The mounting plate portion 50 is formed in a shape corresponding to the inner contact portion 45 (parallelogram shape in this example). The mounting plate portion 50 has a notched hole 51 that penetrates the mounting plate portion 50 in the thickness direction and is partially cut out to the side. The notched hole 51 is formed in a position that overlaps with the screw hole 46 when the mounting plate portion 50 and the inner contact portion 45 are attached together.
[0044] On three of the four sides of the parallelogram-shaped mounting plate portion 50, stopper walls 52 are formed that protrude upward from the mounting surface of the inner contact portion 45 on the mounting plate portion 50. The stopper walls 52 abut against the inner contact portion 45 from the side, positioning the inner contact portion 45. In addition, on two of the stopper walls 52 on opposite sides of the four sides of the parallelogram-shaped mounting plate portion 50, retaining pieces 53 are formed that protrude inward (towards the area overlapping with the inner contact portion 45) from their upper ends. The retaining pieces 53 can be locked onto the upper surface of the inner contact portion 45 when the inner contact portion 45 is attached to the mounting plate portion 50, preventing the inner contact portion 45 from coming out upward (in other words, preventing the rotation guide member 5 from coming out downward from the inner contact portion 45).
[0045] The first rotation guide unit 56 rotates the inner contact portion 45 as it moves closer to the channel material 9 while the inner contact portion 45 is located outside the channel material 9. Regardless of the initial orientation of the inner contact portion 45, the first rotation guide unit 56 rotates the inner contact portion 45 so that the first direction X is aligned with the extending direction L of the channel material 9. In this embodiment, the first rotation guide unit 56 has a pair of guide wall portions 57 formed symmetrically twice around the positions of the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46, below the mounting plate portion 50 and the inner contact portion 45 attached thereto.
[0046] Each pair of guide wall sections 57 is positioned such that one end is located closer to the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46, and the other end is located further away from the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46. Furthermore, the lower surfaces of each pair of guide wall sections 57 are inclined so that they gradually slope upward from the end closer to the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46 to the other end. In other words, the lower surfaces of each pair of guide wall sections 57 are inclined walls 57a that gradually slope upward as they move away from the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46.
[0047] With the inclined wall 57a of the pair of guide wall sections 57 in contact with the upper surface of the pair of lip sections 93 of the channel material 9 from above (see upper part of Figure 6 and Figure 7), the inner contact section 45 and the rotation guide member 5 rotate so that the contact point between the inclined wall 57a and the lip section 93 gradually moves to the upper side of the inclined wall 57a. As a result, the side of the inclined wall 57a that is away from the notch hole 51 and screw hole 46, which is the upper end side, contacts the lip section 93 with a delay, and as shown in middle part of Figure 6 and Figure 8, the first direction X of the inner contact section 45 becomes aligned with the extending direction L of the channel material 9. In other words, the inner contact section 45 becomes aligned with the width direction W of the channel material 9 in the second direction Y.
[0048] As described above, the length of the inner contact portion 45 along the second direction Y is shorter than the distance D between the pair of lip portions 93, so the inner contact portion 45 can be inserted into the interior of the channel material 9 in that state. Thus, in this embodiment, since the fixing bracket 1 is equipped with a first rotation guide portion 56, there is no need for the worker to manually adjust the orientation of the inner contact portion 45 when inserting the inner contact portion 45 into the interior of the channel material 9. Therefore, the workability when fixing the channel material 9 to the bolt material 8 can be improved.
[0049] The second rotation guide unit 58 rotates the inner contact portion 45 as it moves further inside the channel material 9 while the inner contact portion 45 is located inside the channel material 9. The second rotation guide unit 58 rotates the inner contact portion 45 so that the first direction X changes from being aligned with the extending direction L of the channel material 9 to being aligned with the width direction W. In this embodiment, the second rotation guide unit 58 has a pair of guide vane portions 59 formed twice symmetrically with respect to the positions of the notch hole 51 and the screw hole 46, above the mounting plate portion 50 and the inner contact portion 45 attached thereto.
[0050] Each pair of guide vane portions 59 is positioned outside the mounting plate portion 50 and the inner contact portion 45, and is provided so as to be substantially parallel to one pair of opposite sides of the parallelogram-shaped mounting plate portion 50 and the inner contact portion 45. Each pair of guide vane portions 59 is formed in a thin plate shape and is inclined so as to gradually go upward from the base end to the tip end. The lower surface of each pair of guide vane portions 59 is an inclined surface 59a that is inclined so as to gradually go upward towards the tip end.
[0051] With the inclined surface 59a of the pair of guide vane portions 59 contacting the upper surface of the pair of lip portions 93 of the channel material 9 from above (see the middle section of Figure 6 and Figure 8), the inner contact portion 45 and the rotation guide member 5 rotate so that the contact point with the lip portion 93 on the inclined surface 59a gradually moves to the upper side of the inclined surface 59a. As a result, the tip side of the guide vane portion 59, which is the upper end side of the inclined surface 59a, contacts the lip portion 93 with a delay, and the first direction X of the inner contact portion 45 becomes aligned with the width direction W of the channel material 9, as shown in the lower section of Figure 6 and Figure 9.
[0052] As described above, the length of the inner contact portion 45 along the first direction X is longer than the distance D between the pair of lip portions 93. In this state, the inner contact portion 45 can contact the pair of lip portions 93 of the channel material 9 from below. This allows the channel material 9 to be temporarily fixed. Thus, in this embodiment, since the fixing bracket 1 is equipped with a second rotation guide portion 58, when the inner contact portion 45 is rotated inside the channel material 9 to temporarily fix it, the worker does not need to manually adjust the orientation of the inner contact portion 45. Therefore, the channel material 9 can be fixed by simply tightening the tightening bolt 48 afterwards, improving the workability when fixing the channel material 9 to the bolt material 8.
[0053] In this embodiment, since the fixing bracket 1 is equipped with both a first rotation guide portion 56 and a second rotation guide portion 58, a series of operations from inserting the inner contact portion 45 into the inside of the channel material 9 to temporarily fixing the channel material 9 can be performed semi-automatically simply by bringing the channel material 9 close. Therefore, the workability when fixing the channel material 9 to the bolt material 8 can be greatly improved.
[0054] The rotation restricting section 61 contacts a pair of side walls 92 when the inner contact section 45 is located inside the channel material 9, thereby restricting the rotation of the inner contact section 45. The rotation restricting section 61 is composed of a surface facing outward in the first direction X of the inner contact section 45 when the rotation guide member 5 is attached to the inner contact section 45. By contacting the pair of side walls 92, the rotation of the inner contact section 45, which has been rotating automatically by the action of the first rotation guide section 56 and the second rotation guide section 58, can be stopped so that the first direction X of the inner contact section 45 is aligned with the width direction W of the channel material 9. Therefore, the inner contact section 45 can contact the lip section 93 of the channel material 9 from below, making it easy to temporarily fix the channel material 9.
[0055] The reverse rotation restricting part 62 restricts rotation in the opposite direction to the rotation direction restricted by the rotation restricting part 61, with the inner contact part 45 sandwiching a pair of lip parts 93 between itself and the outer contact part 40. The reverse rotation restricting part 62 is composed of rib-like projections that protrude slightly upward from the upper surface of the inner contact part 45 that contacts the pair of lip parts 93. When the inner contact part 45 starts to rotate in the reverse direction for some reason, while the channel material 9 is being held by the outer contact part 40 and the inner contact part 45 sandwiching the pair of lip parts 93, the reverse rotation restricting part 62 contacts the lip parts 93 from below and provides resistance to that reverse rotation. This prevents further reverse rotation as much as possible and avoids a situation where the holding of the channel material 9 becomes loose.
[0056] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the fixing bracket 1 is equipped with both a first rotation guide portion 56 and a second rotation guide portion 58 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the fixing bracket 1 may be equipped with only the first rotation guide portion 56 of the two rotation guide portions 58. Even in this case, at least the workability when inserting the inner contact portion 45 into the inside of the channel material 9 can be improved. Alternatively, the fixing bracket 1 may be equipped with only the second rotation guide portion 58 of the two rotation guide portions 58. Even in this case, at least the workability when rotating the inner contact portion 45 inside the inside of the channel material 9 to temporarily fix it can be improved.
[0057] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the first rotation guide unit 56 is configured to include a pair of guide wall units 57 having inclined walls 57a. However, the specific structure of the first rotation guide unit 56 is arbitrary, as long as it rotates the inner contact unit 45 so that the first direction X is aligned with the extending direction L of the channel material 9 as it moves to approach the channel material 9.
[0058] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the second rotation guide unit 58 is configured to include a pair of guide vane units 59 having an inclined surface 59a. However, the specific structure of the second rotation guide unit 58 is arbitrary, as long as it rotates the inner contact unit 45 so that the first direction X is aligned with the width direction W of the channel material 9 as it moves further inside the channel material 9.
[0059] (4) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the rotation guide member 5 is formed of a resin material was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the rotation guide member 5 may be formed of a metal material, for example, as long as it can be formed integrally. In this case, the inner contact portion 45 and the rotation guide member 5 may be formed integrally (i.e., the inner contact portion 45 may have a configuration corresponding to the first rotation guide portion 56 and a configuration corresponding to the second rotation guide portion 58 formed integrally).
[0060] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the inner contact portion 45 is formed of a metal material was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the inner contact portion 45 may be formed of a resin material, for example. In this case, the inner contact portion 45 and the rotation guide member 5 may be formed of the same resin material and configured integrally.
[0061] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the rotation guide member 5 has a rotation restricting portion 61 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the rotation guide member 5 does not necessarily have to be provided with a rotation restricting portion 61. Alternatively, a configuration equivalent to the rotation restricting portion 61 may be provided on the inner contact portion 45 instead of the rotation guide member 5.
[0062] (7) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the rotation guide member 5 has a reverse rotation restricting portion 62 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the rotation guide member 5 does not necessarily have to be provided with a reverse rotation restricting portion 62. Alternatively, a configuration equivalent to the reverse rotation restricting portion 62 may be provided on the inner contact portion 45 instead of the rotation guide member 5.
[0063] (8) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the mounting plate portion 50 constituting the rotation guide member 5 has a retaining piece 53 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the retaining piece 53 is not necessarily provided on the mounting plate portion 50.
[0064] (9) In the above embodiments, the first holding portion 2 (mainly the base portion 20 and the clamping portion 25) and the second holding portion 4 (mainly the outer contact portion 40 and the inner contact portion 45) have been described with specific structural examples. However, the specific structures are not limited to such configurations and are arbitrary as long as they can achieve their respective functions of holding the bolt material 8 or the channel material 9. For example, with respect to the first holding portion 2, the clamping portion 25 may be attached to the base portion 20 on the opposite side from the second holding portion 4. Also, for example, the clamping portion 25 may be a box-shaped retaining bracket having a pair of opposing walls, each having a notched recess in which the bolt material 8 is accommodated.
[0065] (10) The configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments (including the above-described embodiments and other embodiments; the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, insofar as they do not cause a conflict. With respect to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0066] 1. Fixing bracket 2 First holding part 4 Second holding part 5. Rotating guide member 8 bolt material 9-channel material 20 Base section 24 Recessed section 25 Clamping part 30 fastening bolts 35 Elastic members 40 Outer contact part 41a Through hole 45 Inner contact part 46 Screw hole 48 Tightening bolts 56 First Rotating Guidance Unit 57 Guide wall section 57a Slanted wall 58 Second Rotating Guidance Unit 59 Guide vane section 59a Slope 61 Rotation regulating section 62 Reverse rotation restricting section 92 Side wall section 93 Lip section X first direction Y Second direction L-channel material extension direction W channel material width direction D Distance between the pair of lip sections
Claims
1. A fixing bracket for fixing a channel material having a pair of lip portions, The system includes a holding portion for holding the channel material, The retaining portion includes an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole with its tip screwed into the screw hole. The inner contact portion is formed such that its length along the first direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions. A fixing bracket comprising a rotation guide unit that rotates the inner contact portion so that, when the inner contact portion is located outside the channel material, the first direction becomes aligned with the extending direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves toward the channel material.
2. The rotation guide portion has a pair of guide wall portions formed symmetrically twice around the position of the screw hole, located below the inner contact portion. The fixing bracket according to claim 1, wherein the pair of guide wall portions have inclined walls that gradually inclin upward as they move away from the screw hole side.
3. A fixing bracket for fixing a channel material having a pair of lip portions, The system includes a holding portion for holding the channel material, The retaining portion includes an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the outside, an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole with its tip screwed into the screw hole. A first rotation guide unit rotates the inner contact portion so that, with the inner contact portion located outside the channel material, the inner contact portion becomes capable of passing between the pair of lip portions as it moves toward the channel material, A fixing bracket comprising: a second rotation guide unit that rotates the inner contact portion so that, with the inner contact portion located inside the channel material, the inner contact portion becomes capable of contacting the pair of lip portions from the inside as the channel material moves further inside the channel material.
4. The fixing bracket according to claim 3, wherein the first rotation guide portion and the second rotation guide portion are composed of different parts from each other.
5. A holding part is provided that is capable of holding the channel material, comprising: an outer contact part having a through hole and positioned to abut against a pair of lip portions of the channel material from the outside; an inner contact part having a screw hole and positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside; and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole, with its tip screwed into the screw hole. A rotation guide unit that rotates the inner contact portion such that the first direction becomes aligned with the extending direction of the channel material as the inner contact portion moves toward the channel material, with the inner contact portion being located outside the channel material and having a length along the first direction longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and a length along the second direction perpendicular to the first direction shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions.