Connecting hardware

Abstract

To provide a connecting fitting excellent in workability when a channel material and a fixed body are connected.SOLUTION: A connecting fitting includes a first holding part for holding a fixed body, and a second holding part (4) for holding a channel material (9). The second holding part (4) has an outer contact portion (40) arranged abutting on a pair of lip parts (93) from the outside, and an inner contact portion (45) arranged abutting from the inside. The inner contact portion (45) is formed so that a length along a longitudinal direction (X) is longer than an interval between the pair of lip parts (93), and a length along a short direction (Y) is shorter than an interval between the pair of lip parts (93). When a predefined release operation is performed, rotational restriction by a reaction-force supporting part (RS) is released, and the direction of the inner contact portion (45) is changed with the reaction force of a rotation energization member (55).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting fitting.

Background Art

[0002] In order to connect a channel member having a pair of lip portions and a fixed body, a connecting fitting is used. As an example of such a connecting fitting, a connecting fitting that connects two channel members, that is, a channel member and another channel member (an example of a fixed body) in a crossed manner is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-126005 (Patent Document 1). The connecting fitting of Patent Document 1 includes a first holding portion (clamping member 8 + nut 13) that holds a fixed body (another long body 12), and a second holding portion (clamping member 8 + engaging nut member 6) that is partially shared with the first holding portion and holds a channel member (long body 2). The second holding portion has an outer contact portion (clamping member 8) that is arranged to contact the pair of lip portions (side edge portions 2A) of the channel member from the outside, and an inner contact portion (engaging nut member 6) that is arranged to contact the pair of lip portions from the inside.

[0003] In the connecting fitting of Patent Document 1, the inner contact portion is formed such that the length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the interval between the pair of lip portions, and the length along the short direction is shorter than the interval between the pair of lip portions, so that it can be attached without sliding to any position of the channel member. However, when inserting the inner contact portion into the channel member and when making it possible to contact the pair of lip portions inside the channel member thereafter, the orientation of the inner contact portion must be manually changed to an appropriate orientation at least twice, so there is room for improvement in terms of workability.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] There is a need for a connecting fitting that offers excellent workability when connecting channel materials to a fixed object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connecting fitting according to the present invention is A connecting fitting for connecting a channel material having a pair of lip portions to an object to be fixed, A first holding part for holding the object to be fixed, 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 longitudinal direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the short direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions. The second holding portion further comprises a rotation biasing member arranged across the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion, and a reaction force support portion that restricts the rotation of the inner contact portion while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, When a predetermined release operation is performed, the rotation restriction by the reaction force support is released, and the orientation of the inner contact portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member.

[0007] With this configuration, the orientation of the inner contact portion is maintained constant until the release operation is performed, allowing it to be easily positioned along the extending direction of the channel material, and enabling insertion of the inner contact portion into the channel material without orientation adjustment. After insertion of the inner contact portion, performing the release operation releases the rotation restriction of the inner contact portion by the reaction force support portion, and the orientation of the inner contact portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, allowing it to be positioned along the width direction of the channel material. Therefore, by simply performing a predetermined, simple release operation, the inner contact portion can be made to contact a pair of lip portions inside the channel material. Subsequently, by tightening the fastening bolt, the pair of lip portions can be sandwiched between the outer and inner contact portions, and the channel material can be easily held by the second holding portion. Thus, the workability when connecting the channel material and the object to be fixed can be improved.

[0008] 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.

[0009] As one aspect, Preferably, the second retaining portion further comprises an elastic member that biases the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion to move closer together.

[0010] With this configuration, the biasing force of the elastic member sandwiches a pair of lip portions between the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion, allowing the channel material to be temporarily held even before the tightening bolts are tightened. Furthermore, when the reaction force support portion is provided on the outer contact portion, the biasing force of the elastic member biases the inner contact portion toward the reaction force support portion, allowing the inner contact portion to be properly maintained in a position along the extending direction of the channel material.

[0011] As one aspect, The inner contact portion comprises a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion. It is preferable that the reaction force support portion is composed of a bent piece formed by bending from the outer contact portion toward the inner contact portion so as to abut against at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

[0012] With this configuration, by forming the inner contact portion in a U-shape in cross-section and bending a part of the outer contact portion toward the inner contact portion, a reaction force support portion and an inner contact portion that appropriately restricts and releases rotation by the reaction force support portion can be realized with a simple structure.

[0013] As one aspect, Preferably, the bent piece is provided with a locking portion, and one end of the rotation biasing member is locked to the locking portion.

[0014] With this configuration, the reaction force of the rotation biasing member can be appropriately received at the outer contact portion. By appropriately locking the other end of the rotation biasing member to the inner contact portion, when the rotation restriction of the inner contact portion by the reaction force support portion is released, the reaction force of the rotation biasing member can appropriately change the orientation of the inner contact portion to a position along the width direction of the channel material.

[0015] As one aspect, The inner contact portion comprises a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion. Preferably, the reaction force support portion is composed of a support piece provided on an intermediate member attached to the outer contact portion so as to contact at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

[0016] With this configuration, by providing an intermediate member separate from the outer contact portion, a reaction force support portion can be provided without significantly altering the structure of the outer contact portion. In this case, by forming the inner contact portion in a U-shape in cross-section and providing a support piece on the intermediate member, a reaction force support portion and an inner contact portion that appropriately restricts and releases rotation by the reaction force support portion can be realized with a simple structure.

[0017] 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]

[0018] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the usage state of the connecting fitting of the first embodiment [Figure 2] Perspective view of the connecting fitting [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view of the connecting fitting [Figure 4] Operation explanatory view accompanying the attachment of the second holding part to the second channel member [Figure 5] Perspective view of the connecting fitting of the second embodiment [Figure 6] Operation explanatory view accompanying the attachment of the second holding part to the second channel member

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] 〔First Embodiment〕 The first embodiment of the connecting fitting will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting fitting 1 of the present embodiment is a fitting (cross-connecting fitting) for connecting a long second channel member 9 having a pair of lip portions 93 and a long first channel member 8 having a pair of lip portions 83 in a cross shape. The connecting fitting 1 of the present embodiment connects two channel members 8 and 9 that are orthogonal to each other on a horizontal plane at their intersection points. In the present embodiment, the first channel member 8 corresponds to the "fixed body". Further, the second channel member 9 corresponds to the "channel member", and the lip portion 93 of the second channel member 9 corresponds to the "lip portion".

[0020] As the first channel member 8 and the second channel member 9, for example, lip groove-shaped steel with a C-shaped cross section is used. The first channel member 8 has a bottom plate 81, a pair of side walls 82 erected from the bottom plate 81, and a pair of lip portions 83 that continuously extend inward from the upper ends of the pair of side walls 82. Hereinafter, the direction in which the first channel member 8 extends will be referred to as the "extending direction L1", and the direction orthogonal to the extending direction L1 along the bottom plate 81 will be referred to as the "width direction W1". The pair of lip portions 83 are provided so as to face each other in the width direction W1 with their tip ends slightly inclined downward.

[0021] Similarly, the second channel member 9 has a base plate 91, a pair of side walls 92 erected from the base plate 91, and a pair of lip portions 93 that extend inward continuously from the upper ends of each of the side walls 92. Hereinafter, the direction in which the second channel member 9 extends will be referred to as the "extension direction L2," and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction L2 along the base plate 91 will be referred to as the "width direction W2." The pair of lip portions 93 are provided so as to face each other in the width direction W2 with their respective tip ends slightly inclined downwards.

[0022] The first channel member 8 is fixed to suspension bolts suspended from the structure at multiple points along the extension direction L1, and is suspended from the structure. The second channel member 9 is fixed to suspension bolts suspended from the structure at multiple points along the extension direction L2, and is suspended from the structure. The first channel member 8 and the second channel member 9 then support suspended equipment such as cable racks and ducts that extend vertically and horizontally from below.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connecting fitting 1 comprises a first holding portion 2 and a second holding portion 4 connected to the first holding portion 2. The first holding portion 2 and the second holding portion 4 are connected to each other by the fact that the first outer contact portion 20 constituting the first holding portion 2 and the second outer contact portion 40 constituting the second holding portion 4 are integrally formed in a Z-shape via a connecting portion 35.

[0024] The first retaining part 2 holds the first channel material 8. The first retaining part 2 mainly comprises a first outer contact part 20, a first inner contact part 25, and a first tightening bolt 28. The first retaining part 2 holds the first channel material 8 by tightening the first tightening bolt 28, which sandwiches the pair of lip parts 83 between the first outer contact part 20 and the first inner contact part 25.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the first outer contact portion 20 is positioned to contact a pair of lip portions 83 from the outside. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first outer contact portion 20 is mainly composed of an outer body 21 formed in the shape of a rectangular plate. A through hole 21a is formed in the outer body 21. The shaft portion of the first tightening bolt 28 is inserted through this through hole 21a. The outer body 21 is integrally connected to the second outer contact portion 40, which constitutes the second holding portion 4, via a rectangular plate-shaped connecting portion 35 that extends vertically along the side wall 82. The first outer contact portion 20 has a locking piece 22 that is bent downward from the outer body 21. In this embodiment, the locking piece 22 is provided on the side of the rectangular outer body 41 opposite to the side connected to the second outer contact portion 40 (the side with the connecting portion 35). When the first outer contact portion 20 of the locking piece 22 comes into contact with the pair of lip portions 83, it engages with the outer surface of the side wall 82 to stabilize the position of the first channel member 8.

[0026] The first inner contact portion 25 is positioned to contact the pair of lip portions 83 from the inside. As shown in Figure 3, the first inner contact portion 25 is composed of an inner body 26 formed in the shape of a parallelogram. The inner body 26 has a screw hole 26a with a female thread on its inner surface. The tip of the first tightening bolt 28 is screwed into this screw hole 26a. The inner body 26 constituting the first inner contact portion 25 is formed such that the length along the first direction A is longer than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83 (see Figure 1), and the length along the second direction B, which is perpendicular to the first direction A, is shorter than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83. In this embodiment, the direction parallel to a pair of opposite sides of the parallelogram-shaped inner body 26 is the first direction A, and the direction perpendicular to it is the second direction B. In this case, the length of the first inner contact portion 25 along the second direction B is the distance between a pair of opposite sides, and the length of the first inner contact portion 25 along the first direction A 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.

[0027] The first tightening bolt 28 is inserted through the through hole 21a of the outer body 21 that constitutes the first outer contact portion 20, and its tip is screwed into the threaded hole 26a of the inner body 26 that constitutes the first inner contact portion 25. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the through hole 21a is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion of the first tightening bolt 28. Therefore, the first inner contact portion 25, which is connected to the first tightening bolt 28 by being screwed into the threaded hole 26a, is rotatable together with the first tightening bolt 28.

[0028] In this embodiment, a rotation guide member 30 is attached to the first inner contact portion 25. The rotation guide member 30 is configured separately from the first inner contact portion 25 and is configured to be detachably attached to the first inner contact portion 25. The rotation guide member 30 can be made of a resin material such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyacetal, and polystyrene. The rotation guide member 30 in this embodiment includes a first rotation guide portion 31 and a second rotation guide portion 32.

[0029] The first rotation guide unit 31 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 as it moves closer to the first channel material 8, with the first inner contact portion 25 positioned outside the first channel material 8. Regardless of the initial orientation of the first inner contact portion 25, the first rotation guide unit 31 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 so that the first direction A aligns with the extending direction L1 of the first channel material 8 (i.e., the second direction B aligns with the width direction W2 of the first channel material 8). Since the length of the first inner contact portion 25 along the second direction B is shorter than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83, the first inner contact portion 25 can be inserted into the interior of the first channel material 8 in this state.

[0030] The second rotation guide unit 32 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 as it moves further inside the first channel material 8 while the first inner contact portion 25 is positioned inside the first channel material 8. The second rotation guide unit 32 rotates the first inner contact portion 25 so that the first direction A changes from being aligned with the extension direction L1 of the first channel material 8 to being aligned with the width direction W1. Since the length of the first inner contact portion 25 along the first direction A is longer than the distance D1 between the pair of lip portions 83, in this state the first inner contact portion 25 can contact the pair of lip portions 83 of the first channel material 8 from below. This allows the first channel material 8 to be temporarily fixed in place.

[0031] The second holding part 4 is connected to the first holding part 2 and holds the second channel material 9. The second holding part 4 mainly comprises a second outer contact part 40, a second inner contact part 45, and a second tightening bolt 48, and further comprises an elastic member 50, a rotational biasing member 55, and a reaction force support part RS as a configuration unique to this embodiment. The second holding part 4 holds the second channel material 9 by tightening the second tightening bolt 48, which sandwiches the pair of lip parts 93 between the second outer contact part 40 and the second inner contact part 45. In this embodiment, the second outer contact part 40 corresponds to the "outer contact part", the second inner contact part 45 corresponds to the "inner contact part", and the second tightening bolt 48 corresponds to the "tightening bolt".

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the second outer contact portion 40 is positioned to contact the pair of lip portions 93 from the outside. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the second 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 second tightening bolt 48 is inserted through this through hole 41a. The outer body 41 is integrally connected to the first outer contact portion 20 which constitutes the first holding portion 2 via a connecting portion 35. The second outer contact portion 40 has an engaging piece 42 which is bent downward from the outer body 41. In this embodiment, the engaging piece 42 is provided on a pair of sides of the rectangular outer body 41 adjacent to the side that is connected to the first outer contact portion 20 which constitutes the first holding portion 2. When the second outer contact portion 40 contacts the pair of lip portions 93, the engaging piece 42 engages with the outer surface of the side wall 92 to stabilize the posture of the second channel material 9.

[0033] In this embodiment, the second outer contact portion 40 further has a bent piece 43 that is bent downward from the outer body 41. The bent piece 43 is provided on the side of the rectangular outer body 41 opposite to the side that is connected to the first outer contact portion 20 which constitutes the first holding portion 2. The width of the bent piece 43 is set to be slightly narrower than the distance between the pair of side wall portions 47 that constitute the second inner contact portion 45. Also, the length of the bent piece 43 is set to be shorter than the height of the pair of side wall portions 47 that constitute the second inner contact portion 45. Therefore, the bent piece 43 is sized to fit within the space partitioned by the bottom plate portion 46 and the pair of side wall portions 47 that constitute the second inner contact portion 45.

[0034] A small hole 43a is formed in the bent piece 43. The small hole 43a is formed in the central part of the base portion of the bent piece 43. One end of the rotation biasing member 55 is engaged with this small hole 43a (see Figure 2). One end of the rotation biasing member 55 penetrates the small hole 43a formed in the bent piece 43 and is engaged near the small hole 43a on the outer surface side of the bent piece 43.

[0035] The second inner contact portion 45 is positioned to contact the pair of lip portions 93 from the inside. The second inner contact portion 45 is formed in an upward-facing U-shape in cross-section, having a bottom plate portion 46 and a pair of side wall portions 47 erected from the bottom plate portion 46. The bottom plate portion 46 is formed in a rectangular shape, specifically a rectangular shape. The length of the bottom plate portion 46 along the longitudinal direction X is longer than the distance D2 between the pair of lip portions 93 (see Figure 1), and the length along the short direction Y is shorter than the distance D2 between the pair of lip portions 93.

[0036] The bottom plate portion 46 has a screw hole 46a with a female threaded portion on its inner surface. The tip of the second tightening bolt 48 is screwed into this screw hole 46a. In addition, of the four corners of the rectangular bottom plate portion 46, a pair of diagonally opposite corners are notched corner portions 46c. The presence of these notched corner portions 46c allows the second inner contact portion 45 to rotate inside the second channel material 9 while avoiding interference with the side wall 92. Of the four corners of the rectangular bottom plate portion 46, the remaining pair of diagonally opposite corners are normal corner portions 46b without the above-mentioned notches. The normal corner portions 46b come into contact with the side wall 92 when the second inner contact portion 45 rotates inside the second channel material 9 and function as stoppers (rotation restrictors).

[0037] The side wall portion 47 is erected from a pair of long side portions of the bottom plate portion 46. The pair of side wall portions 47 are arranged parallel to each other and are formed as flat plates extending in the longitudinal direction X and the vertical direction. The second inner contact portion 45 can contact the pair of lip portions 93 from the inside at the upper end of the side wall portion 47.

[0038] The second tightening bolt 48 is inserted through the washer 49 and the through hole 41a of the outer body 41 that constitutes the second outer contact portion 40, and its tip is screwed into the threaded hole 46a of the bottom plate portion 46 that constitutes the second 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 second tightening bolt 48. Therefore, the second inner contact portion 45, which is connected to the second tightening bolt 48 by being screwed into the threaded hole 46a, is itself rotatable together with the second tightening bolt 48.

[0039] The elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48. In this embodiment, the elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 so as to be located between the washer 49 and the outer body 41 that constitutes the second outer contact portion 40. Furthermore, the elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 in a compressed state compared to the steady state (a state in which no external force is acting). As a result, the elastic member 50 biases the second tightening bolt 48 so as to move its head away from the second outer contact portion 40, and consequently brings the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 closer to each other on the lower surface side of the second outer contact portion 40. In this embodiment, a conical coil spring is used as the elastic member 50.

[0040] The rotation biasing member 55 is positioned across the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45, and rotationally biases the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 to rotate relative to each other. In this embodiment, a torsion coil spring is used as the rotation biasing member 55. The rotation biasing member 55 (a torsion coil spring in this example; the same applies hereinafter) is attached to the second tightening bolt 48. In this embodiment, the rotation biasing member 55 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 so as to be positioned between the outer body 41 constituting the second outer contact portion 40 and the bottom plate portion 46 constituting the second inner contact portion 45. The rotation biasing member 55 is positioned in the space partitioned by the bottom plate portion 46 and a pair of side wall portions 47 constituting the second inner contact portion 45. One end of the rotation biasing member 55 is locked into a small hole 43a formed in the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40. In this embodiment, the small hole 43a corresponds to the "locked portion". The other end of the rotation biasing member 55 is locked along the corner (inner corner) between the bottom plate portion 46 and the side wall portion 47.

[0041] The first retaining portion 2 (mainly the first outer contact portion 20 and the first inner contact portion 25) and the second retaining portion 4 (mainly the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45) that constitute the connecting fitting 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] In this embodiment, before attachment to the second channel material 9, the second inner contact portion 45 is biased toward the second outer contact portion 40 via the second tightening bolt 48 by the elastic member 50, and is set in a state where the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40 is housed inside it. Furthermore, the second inner contact portion 45 is set in a state where a reaction force is generated in the rotation biasing member 55 that causes it to rotate with the notched corner portion 46c side as the leading edge, with the second tightening bolt 48 as the axis. This state of the second inner contact portion 45 can be achieved by pushing in the second tightening bolt 48 against the biasing force of the elastic member 50, rotating it with the normal corner portion 46b side as the leading edge, with the pair of side wall portions 47 positioned below the bent piece 43, and then releasing the push in the second tightening bolt 48 with the bent piece 43 positioned between the pair of side wall portions 47.

[0043] In this state, the bent piece 43, which is formed by bending from the second outer contact portion 40 toward the second inner contact portion 45, abuts against one of the pair of side wall portions 47, thereby restricting the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45. The bent piece 43 then restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55, thereby maintaining the posture of the second inner contact portion 45. In this embodiment, the bent piece 43 constitutes a reaction force support portion RS that restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55.

[0044] When attaching the connecting fitting 1 to the second channel member 9, as shown in Figure 4, first, the second retaining part 4 is placed from above the second channel member 9 in an orientation where the pair of engaging pieces 42 of the second outer contact part 40 and the pair of side walls 92 of the second channel member 9 are parallel (see upper left frame). At this time, the second inner contact part 45 is in a state where its longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel member 9 (in other words, its short direction Y is aligned with the width direction W2 of the second channel member 9), so it can be inserted directly into the interior of the second channel member 9.

[0045] The head of the second tightening bolt 48 protrudes above the second outer contact portion 40 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 50. The second tightening bolt 48, which protrudes upward, functions as a kind of "activation switch" in this embodiment. When this second tightening bolt 48, acting as an "activation switch," is pushed in against the biasing force of the elastic member 50 (see upper right frame), the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the tip of the second tightening bolt 48 penetrates further into the interior of the second channel material 9. At this time, one side wall portion 47 remains in contact with the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40, and the second inner contact portion 45 remains in a state where its longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel material 9. The lower end of the bent piece 43 is located even lower than the lower end of the pair of lip portions 93.

[0046] When the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed in further, the second inner contact portion 45 eventually descends even further below the lower end of the bent piece 43, and the rotation restriction by the bent piece 43 as the reaction force support portion RS is released (see the lower left frame). Then, the second inner contact portion 45 rotates due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55. The second inner contact portion 45 rotates with the second tightening bolt 48 as the axis, with the notched corner portion 46c side as the leading edge. The second inner contact portion 45 also rotates until the normal corner portion 46b contacts the side wall 92 of the second channel material 9 and its rotation is restricted. As a result, the second inner contact portion 45 changes from an orientation where the longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extension direction L2 of the second channel material 9 to an orientation aligned with the width direction W2. In this embodiment, the operation of pushing in the second tightening bolt 48, which acts as an "activation switch," against the biasing force of the elastic member 50 corresponds to the "release operation".

[0047] After the second inner contact portion 45 changes to a position aligned with the width direction W2, when the pushing operation of the second tightening bolt 48 is stopped, the biasing force of the elastic member 50 pushes up the head of the second tightening bolt 48 so that it separates from the second outer contact portion 40. Consequently, the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the end of the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed up while maintaining its position aligned with the width direction W2, and a pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 (see the lower right frame). As a result, even in the loosened state of the second tightening bolt 48, the biasing force of the elastic member 50 allows the pair of lip portions 93 to be sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45, temporarily holding the second channel material 9.

[0048] As described above, with the connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment, the posture of the second inner contact portion 45 is maintained constant until the release operation is performed, so the second inner contact portion 45 can be easily aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel material 9. Therefore, the second inner contact portion 45 can be easily inserted into the second channel material 9 without any orientation adjustment. After insertion of the second inner contact portion 45, by performing the release operation, the rotation restriction of the second inner contact portion 45 by the reaction force support portion RS is released, and the second inner contact portion 45 rotates due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55, taking a position aligned with the width direction W2 of the second channel material 9. Furthermore, the biasing force of the elastic member 50 allows the pair of lip portions 93 to be sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45. Therefore, the second channel material 9 can be temporarily held semi-automatically by simply performing a predetermined simple release operation after placing the connecting fitting 1 on the second channel material 9 in a predetermined orientation. Subsequently, by tightening the second tightening bolt 48 using a tool, the second holding part 4 can easily hold the second channel material 9. Therefore, the ease of construction when connecting the two channel materials 8 and 9 can be greatly improved.

[0049] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the connecting fitting will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the specific configuration of the first holding part 2 and the reaction force support part RS differs from that of the first embodiment. Below, the differences between the connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment and the first embodiment will be mainly described. Unless otherwise specified, the parts are the same as in the first embodiment and are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the first retaining portion 2 of this embodiment includes a first inner contact portion 25 with the same configuration as the second inner contact portion 45 that constitutes the second retaining portion 4 in the first embodiment. That is, the first inner contact portion 25 of this embodiment is formed in a U-shape in cross-section, having a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion. In this embodiment, the rotation guide member 30 is not attached to the first inner contact portion 25. With this configuration, when inserting the first inner contact portion 25 into the first channel material 8 and fixing it thereafter, the first inner contact portion 25 is rotated manually.

[0051] The second holding portion 4, like the first embodiment described above, includes a second outer contact portion 40, a second inner contact portion 45, a second tightening bolt 48, and a rotational biasing member 55. On the other hand, the second holding portion 4 of this embodiment does not include an elastic member 50 and a reaction force support portion RS, and instead includes an intermediate member 6 to replace these functions. The intermediate member 6 is made of a metallic material. The intermediate member 6 is made using, for example, hot-rolled steel sheet (SPH), and more specifically, hot-rolled mild steel sheet (SPHC).

[0052] The intermediate member 6 is constructed separately from the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 that constitute the second holding portion 4, and is attached to the second outer contact portion 40. The intermediate member 6 has a locking portion 61, a leaf spring portion 62, a connecting portion 63, and a support piece 64. These are integrally formed.

[0053] The locking portion 61 is the part that locks onto the second outer contact portion 40. The locking portion 61 is formed in a hook shape and locks onto the side of the rectangular outer body 41 that constitutes the second outer contact portion 40 that is opposite to the connecting portion 35. A pair of leaf spring portions 62 are provided so as to extend from both ends of the locking portion 61 toward the connecting portion 35. The leaf spring portions 62 are inclined so as they move away from the outer body 41 toward the connecting portion 35 from the locking portion 61. The pair of leaf spring portions 62 extend from the locking portion 61 beyond the second tightening bolt 48 to the opposite side (connecting portion 35 side), where they are connected by a connecting portion 63. The connecting portion 63 is arranged parallel to the outer body 41. The support piece 64 is formed to protrude downward from the central part of the connecting portion 63. The support piece 64 is sized to fit within the space defined by the bottom plate portion 46 and the pair of side wall portions 47 that constitute the second inner contact portion 45.

[0054] The support piece 64 is positioned between the pair of side wall portions 47 in the steady state of the leaf spring portion 62 (when no external force is acting on it). When a reaction force is generated in the rotation biasing member 55, the support piece 64 supports that reaction force and restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45, thereby maintaining the posture of the second inner contact portion 45. In this embodiment, the support piece 64 of the intermediate member 6 constitutes a reaction force support portion RS that restricts the rotation of the second inner contact portion 45 while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55.

[0055] When attaching the connecting fitting 1 to the second channel member 9, as shown in Figure 6, first, the second retaining part 4 is placed from above the second channel member 9 in an orientation where the pair of engaging pieces 42 of the second outer contact part 40 and the pair of side walls 92 of the second channel member 9 are parallel (see upper section). At this time, the second inner contact part 45 is in a state where its longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel member 9 (in other words, its short direction Y is aligned with the width direction W2 of the second channel member 9), so it can be inserted directly into the interior of the second channel member 9.

[0056] The second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 are positioned above the second channel material 9 due to the biasing force of the intermediate member 6 (specifically, the leaf spring portion 62 as the "biasing portion"). The entire upper-positioned second outer contact portion 40 and second tightening bolt 48 function as a kind of "activation switch" in this embodiment. When the second outer contact portion 40 and second tightening bolt 48, acting as this "activation switch," are pushed against the biasing force of the leaf spring portion 62, the position of the support piece 64 of the intermediate member 6 remains unchanged, while the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the tip of the second tightening bolt 48 penetrates further into the second channel material 9.

[0057] Eventually, when the second inner contact portion 45 descends further below the lower end of the support piece 64, the rotation restriction by the support piece 64 as a reaction force support portion RS is released (see middle section). Then, the reaction force of the rotation biasing member 55 causes the second inner contact portion 45 to rotate, and the second inner contact portion 45 changes from an orientation in which the longitudinal direction X is aligned with the extending direction L2 of the second channel material 9 to an orientation aligned with the width direction W2. In this embodiment, the operation of pushing the entire second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48, which act as an "activation switch," against the biasing force of the leaf spring portion 62 of the intermediate member 6 corresponds to the "release operation".

[0058] After the second inner contact portion 45 changes to a position aligned with the width direction W2, when the pushing operation of the second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 is stopped, the reaction force of the leaf spring portion 62 pushes up the second outer contact portion 40 and the second tightening bolt 48 again. Consequently, the second inner contact portion 45 attached to the end of the second tightening bolt 48 is pushed up while maintaining its position aligned with the width direction W2, and the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the connecting portion 63 of the intermediate member 6 and the second inner contact portion 45 (see lower section). As a result, even with the second tightening bolt 48 loosened, the reaction force of the leaf spring portion 62 allows the pair of lip portions 93 to be sandwiched between the connecting portion 63 and the second inner contact portion 45, temporarily holding the second channel material 9.

[0059] Subsequently, by tightening the second tightening bolt 48 using a tool, the pair of lip portions 93 are sandwiched between the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 via the intermediate member 6, and the second channel material 9 can be easily held by the second holding portion 4. The connecting fitting 1 of this embodiment also significantly improves the ease of installation when connecting the two channel materials 8 and 9.

[0060] [Other Embodiments] (1) In each of the above embodiments, an example was described in which the reaction force support portion RS is composed of a part of the second outer contact portion 40 (bent piece 43) or a part of the intermediate member 6 (support piece 64). However, the configuration is not limited to such an example, and for example, the reaction force support portion RS may be composed separately from the second outer contact portion 40 or the intermediate member 6 and fixed to the second outer contact portion 40 or the intermediate member 6.

[0061] (2) In the first embodiment described above, a configuration in which the elastic member 50 is attached to the second tightening bolt 48 was described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the connecting fitting 1 does not necessarily have to be provided with the elastic member 50.

[0062] (3) In the first embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which a small hole 43a is formed in the bent piece 43 of the second outer contact portion 40, and one end of the rotation biasing member 55 is locked into the small hole 43a. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and one end of the rotation biasing member 55 may simply be locked to, for example, the corner (inner corner) between the outer body 41 and the bent piece 43. In such a configuration, the inner corner corresponds to the "locked portion". Alternatively, one end of the rotation biasing member 55 may be fixed to any part of the second outer contact portion 40 by joining or the like.

[0063] (4) In each of the above embodiments, a configuration in which a torsion coil spring is used as the rotation biasing member 55 has been described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited to such an example, and other means can be used as the rotation biasing member 55 as long as they are arranged across the second outer contact portion 40 and the second inner contact portion 45 and can rotationally bias them to rotate relative to each other. Other examples of the rotation biasing member 55 include tension coil springs, compression coil springs, leaf springs, rod-shaped rubber, stretchable rubber, etc. These are provided such that, with the second inner contact portion 45 supported by the reaction force support portion RS, a reaction force is generated that causes it to rotate with the notched corner portion 46c as the axis, with the second tightening bolt 48 as the axis.

[0064] (5) In each of the above embodiments, a connecting fitting 1 was described as an example that connects two channel members 8 and 9 that are orthogonal to each other on a horizontal plane at their intersection. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration and can be similarly applied when, for example, the second channel member 9 in each of the above embodiments is connected to another channel member arranged vertically in an intersecting manner. Furthermore, it is not limited to connecting two channel members, but can also be similarly applied when, for example, the second channel member 9 in each of the above embodiments is connected to a bolt member (for example, a suspension bolt suspended from a structure) in an intersecting manner. In this case, the bolt member corresponds to the "fixed object". Furthermore, when connecting the second channel member 9 to another elongated "fixed object", it can also be similarly applied when they are connected parallel to each other rather than intersecting. Moreover, it can also be similarly applied when, for example, a hook-shaped support member that supports other members such as cables is fixed to the second channel member 9 in each of the above embodiments. In this case, the hook-shaped support member, which is not an elongated member, corresponds to the "fixed object". The specific configuration of the first holding part 2 can be determined according to the shape of the "fixed object".

[0065] (6) 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, as long as this does 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. Connecting hardware 2 First holding part 4 Second holding part 6 Intermediate members 8. First channel material (fixed object) 9. Second channel material (channel material) 20 First outer contact part 21a Through hole 25 First inner contact part 26a Screw hole 28 First tightening bolt 40 Second outer contact part (outer contact part) 41a Through hole 43 Bent piece 43a Small hole (locked part) 45 Second inner contact part (inner contact part) 46a Screw hole 47 Side wall section 48. Second tightening bolt (tightening bolt) 50 Elastic members 55 Rotation biasing member 62 Leaf spring section 64 Support piece 93 Lip section (Lip section) X Longitudinal direction Y-short direction L2 Extension direction of the second channel material W2 Second channel material width direction D2 Distance between the pair of lip sections of the second channel material RS reaction support section

Claims

1. A retaining member for holding a channel material having a pair of lip portions and a pair of side walls, each having the lip portion formed at its upper end, An outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against a pair of lip portions from the outside, An inner contact portion is formed such that its length along the longitudinal direction is longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and its length along the short direction is shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions, and it has a screw hole and is positioned to abut against the pair of lip portions from the inside, A fastening bolt, which is inserted through the aforementioned through hole and whose tip is screwed into the aforementioned screw hole, A rotational biasing member is arranged across the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion, The system includes a reaction force support portion that restricts the rotation of the inner contact portion while supporting the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, The inner contact portion is formed in a U-shape in cross-section, having a bottom plate portion and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate portion. The reaction force support portion enters the internal space of the inner contact portion, which has a U-shaped cross-section, by passing between the pair of lip portions. A retaining member in which, when a predetermined release operation is performed, the reaction force support portion detaches from the internal space of the inner contact portion, releasing the rotation restriction by the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, and the orientation of the inner contact portion changes due to the reaction force of the rotation biasing member, so that both ends of the inner contact portion in the longitudinal direction come into contact with the inner surfaces of a pair of side walls.

2. The retaining member according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that biases the outer contact portion and the inner contact portion to move closer together.

3. The retaining member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reaction force support portion is a bent piece formed by bending from the end of the outer contact portion toward the inner contact portion so as to abut against at least one of the pair of side wall portions.

4. The retaining member according to claim 3, wherein the bent piece is formed in a flat plate shape having a width slightly narrower than the distance between the pair of side wall portions and a length shorter than the height of the side wall portions, and one end in the width direction is provided to abut against one of the pair of side wall portions.

5. The retaining member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom plate portion is formed in a rectangular shape and has notched corners cut diagonally in a pair of diagonally opposite corners among the four corners.

6. The retaining member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer contact portion has a pair of engaging pieces that engage with a pair of side walls of the channel material from the outer side.

7. A channel material holding method comprising a holding member comprising: an outer contact portion having a through hole and positioned to abut against a pair of lip portions of a channel material from the outside; an inner contact portion having a screw hole and positioned to abut against a pair of lip portions from the inside, with a length along the longitudinal direction longer than the distance between the pair of lip portions and a length along the short direction shorter than the distance between the pair of lip portions; and a tightening bolt inserted through the through hole, with its tip screwed into the screw hole, wherein the channel material is held using the holding member, The inner contact portion, which has a bottom plate and a pair of side wall portions erected from the bottom plate, is rotationally biased to rotate the outer contact portion around the tightening bolt as an axis, and the rotation of the inner contact portion is restricted in a state in which the reaction force of the rotational bias is supported by inserting the reaction force support portion into the internal space of the inner contact portion, which has a U-shaped cross-section, passing between the pair of lip portions, and further, the inner contact portion and the outer contact portion are vertically biased along the tightening bolt so that they are close to each other. By pushing the tightening bolt, which protrudes upward from the outer contact portion, against the vertical biasing force, the reaction force support portion is detached from the internal space of the inner contact portion, thereby releasing the rotation restriction of the inner contact portion. A channel material holding method comprising rotating the inner contact portion within the channel material by the rotational biasing force until both of its longitudinal ends contact the inner surfaces of a pair of side walls of the channel material, and holding the channel material by the vertical biasing force, with the inner contact portion and the outer contact portion sandwiching a pair of lip portions.

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