JP3080009U - Buckle and cage for small animals using it - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To easily and surely attach / detach even if there is a dimensional error. SOLUTION: In a state where a base end portion is rotatably supported by an intermediate horizontal bar member 18 of a wire netting portion 3 of a small animal cage 1, a front end portion is engaged with a buckle receiving portion 26 of a tray portion 4 and these are locked. The buckle 5 to be connected. The buckle 5 is formed into a hairpin shape and is rotatably supported by the intermediate horizontal bar 18. The buckle 5 is engaged with the buckle receiving portion 26 to connect each member. Tip locking portion 3 having claw 45
5 and a base support portion 3 formed by being bent in a crank shape.
3 and an intermediate elastic portion 34 that integrally and elastically supports the distal end locking portion 35. A U-shaped concave portion 41 was provided on the surface of the distal end locking portion 35. The buckle 5 was molded with a polyethylene resin.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

 The present invention relates to a buckle that can be easily and reliably attached and detached to improve the feeling of attachment and detachment, and a small animal cage using the same.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Small animal cages for raising and viewing small animals such as hamsters are generally known. Such a cage mainly connects the ceiling plate that forms the upper part of the cage, the net that forms the middle part of the cage, the tray that forms the lower part of the cage, and the net and tray. And buckle.

[0003] The buckle has a base end rotatably supported by a net portion, and a front end locked by a tray portion to connect the tray portion and the net portion. This buckle is made of a hard plastic or the like. The net is constructed by combining metal wires in a vertical and horizontal manner by welding or the like. The buckle is rotatably supported by the horizontal bar of the net.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

 By the way, high dimensional accuracy is required for the buckle so that it can be securely attached and detached. That is, it is required that the distance between the horizontal bar supporting the base end of the buckle and the locked portion on the tray side to which the tip of the buckle is locked is accurate.

However, in the above cage for small animals, since the net portion is formed by combining metal wires by welding or the like, it is not easy to accurately determine the dimensions of the horizontal bar and the locked portion. .

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a buckle which can be easily and reliably attached and detached to improve a feeling of attachment and detachment, and a small animal cage using the buckle. Aim.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a buckle according to the first invention is configured such that a base end portion is rotatably supported by one member and a distal end portion is locked to the other member to connect these members to each other. In the buckle to be connected, a base end supporting portion formed to be curved in a hairpin shape and rotatably supported by the support shaft of the one member is engaged with the other member by engaging with the other member. A front end locking portion having a locking claw, and a middle elastic portion formed by bending into a crank shape to integrally and elastically support the base end supporting portion and the front end locking portion. It is characterized by.

[0008] With the above configuration, with the base end support portion rotatably supported by the support shaft of one member, the distal end lock portion locks to the other member and connects the members to each other. At this time, since the proximal support portion and the distal locking portion are elastically supported by the intermediate elastic portion bent in a crank shape, the distance between the distal locking portion and the support shaft fluctuates flexibly, and the distal locking portion is changed. The stop portion can be easily locked to the other member, and after the lock, it is securely supported by the elasticity of the intermediate elastic portion. Also at the time of removal, the tip engaging portion can be easily removed from the other member by the elasticity of the intermediate elastic portion. As a result, the buckle can be easily and securely attached, has a clear feeling of attachment, and can be more easily removed. That is, even if the position of the buckle slightly shifts due to a dimensional error of each member, the error can be absorbed and the buckle can be easily and reliably attached to the other member, and the basic function of the buckle can be maintained. The feeling of attachment and detachment can be improved.

The buckle according to the second invention is characterized in that, in the buckle according to the first invention, a U-shaped concave portion is provided on the surface of the distal end locking portion.

With the above configuration, when attaching the buckle, press the hand with a hand in the U-shaped concave portion of the distal end locking portion. Thus, the buckle can be securely attached without slipping.

The buckle according to the third invention is characterized in that, in the buckle according to the first or second invention, the whole is molded of polyethylene resin.

[0012] With the above configuration, the elasticity of the polyethylene resin and the elasticity of the intermediate elastic portion are combined to further improve the feeling of attachment and detachment while maintaining the basic function of the buckle.

A cage for a small animal according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a small animal cage including a wire netting forming a side wall and a tray forming a lower portion, wherein the first wire connecting the wire netting to the tray is provided. The buckle according to any one of the third to third inventions is provided.

With the above configuration, the buckle can be easily and reliably attached and detached, so that the small animal cage can be easily disassembled and assembled.

[0015]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the small animal cage 1 according to the present embodiment includes a ceiling plate 2, a wire netting 3, a tray 4, and a buckle 5.

The ceiling plate 2 is a member constituting the upper part of the small animal cage 1. The ceiling plate 2 is formed in the shape of an inverted rectangular shallow dish. At the center of the ceiling plate 2, there are provided an access port 6 for putting small animals in and out, and an opening / closing lid 7 for opening and closing the access port 6. The periphery of the ceiling plate portion 2 is formed to be curved downward in a spherical shape, and a wire mesh receiving portion 9 is formed on the outermost side. The wire mesh receiving portion 9 is a portion fitted to the upper end of the wire mesh portion 3.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the wire mesh receiving portion 9 includes an upper plate 11, an outer plate 12, an inner plate 13, and a locking projection 14. The upper flat plate 11 is formed to extend horizontally from the entire outermost periphery of the ceiling plate portion 2 to the outside. The outer plate 12 is formed so as to hang downward from the outer peripheral edge of the upper flat plate 11 and cover the outside of the wire netting portion 3. The outer plate 12 is formed over the entire circumference of the upper plate 11. The inner plate 13 hangs downward from the inside of the upper plate 11 and is formed to face the outer plate 12. The inner plate 13 is partially formed and is supported by sandwiching the upper end of the wire netting 3 with the outer plate 12. The locking projection 14 is a projection for supporting the wire netting 3 sandwiched between the outer plate 12 and the inner plate 13. The locking projection 14 is provided on the upper side of the inner side surface of the outer plate 12, and supports the horizontal bar 17 at the upper end of the wire netting portion 3, which will be described later, between the lower side surface of the upper plate 11. . By fitting the horizontal bar 17 at the upper end of the wire mesh portion 3 to the locking projection 14, the ceiling plate portion 2 and the wire mesh portion 3 are fixed to each other.

The wire netting 3 is a member that constitutes an intermediate portion of the small animal cage 1. The wire netting portion 3 is configured as shown in FIGS. That is, vertical rods 16 made of a thin metal wire are vertically arranged in parallel at equal intervals so that the small animals inside can be seen from the outside, and are formed in a square cylindrical shape. Each vertical bar 16 has its upper end and lower end supported by a horizontal bar 17. Further, an intermediate horizontal bar 18 is provided at an intermediate position of the vertical bar 16. The intermediate horizontal bar 18 is a member for reinforcing each vertical bar 16 and for attaching the buckle 5.

The tray section 4 is a member constituting the lower part of the small animal cage 1. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, 9 and 10, the tray portion 4 is formed in the shape of a square dish at a deep bottom. A wire net support 21 is formed at the upper end of the peripheral wall 20 of the tray 4. The wire mesh supporting portion 21 is a portion where the lower end of the wire mesh portion 3 is fitted to support the wire mesh portion 3. The wire net support 21 includes a lower flat plate 22, an outer plate 23, and an inner plate 24. The lower flat plate 22 is formed to extend horizontally outward from the upper end of the peripheral wall 20. The outer plate 23 is formed so as to rise upward from the outer peripheral edge of the lower flat plate 22 and cover the outer side of the wire netting portion 3. The outer plate 23 is formed over the entire circumference of the lower plate 22. The inner plate 24 rises upward from the inside of the lower flat plate 22 and is formed to face the outer plate 23. The inner plate 24 is provided at four positions at the center of each side of the square, and is supported between the outer plate 23 and the lower end of the wire netting 3. The wire mesh supporting portion 21 only supports the lower end of the wire mesh portion 3 and does not fix it. The wire netting portion 3 and the tray portion 4 are fixed by a buckle 5.

A buckle receiving portion 26 is provided on each of opposing walls of the peripheral wall 20 of the tray portion 4 (see FIG. 10). The buckle receiving portion 26 includes a partition wall 27, a horizontal support wall 28, and a vertical wall 29. The partition wall 27 is a member for partitioning the wire mesh support portion 21 and the buckle receiving portion 26. The two partition walls 27 are provided at both sides of the fitted buckle 5. The horizontal support wall 28 is a member for supporting the buckle 5 by abutting on an upper side of a locking plate portion 40 of the buckle 5 described later. This horizontal support wall 28 is configured as an extension of the lower flat plate 22 of the wire mesh support 21. On the lower side surface of the outer end portion of the horizontal support wall 28, a ridge 30 on which a locking claw 45 of the buckle 5 described later is caught is provided. The vertical wall 29 is a member for supporting the buckle 5 by contacting the inner side surface of the support plate portion 39 of the fitted buckle 5. The vertical wall 29 is configured as an extension of the outer plate 23 of the wire mesh support 21. The vertical wall 29 is formed to rise from the outer end of the horizontal support wall 28. The buckle receiving portions 26 are provided on two opposing short sides of the rectangular tray portion 4 so as to face the buckle 5, respectively.

The buckle 5 is a member for fixing the wire netting 3 and the tray 4. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and FIGS. 10 to 16, the buckle 5 includes a base end support portion 33, an intermediate elastic portion 34, and a front end locking portion 35. The buckle 5 is formed of a flexible polyethylene resin.

The base support portion 33 is a member for engaging with the intermediate horizontal bar 18 of the wire netting portion 3 to rotatably support the buckle 5. The base support portion 33 is formed in a hairpin shape so as to be rotatably fitted to the intermediate horizontal bar 18. An entrance 36 and a guide 37 are provided in the base support 33 which is curved in a hairpin shape. The width of the entrance 36 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the intermediate horizontal bar 18 so that the base support portion 33 fitted to the intermediate horizontal bar 18 does not easily come off. The guide portion 37 is formed so as to be curved outward from the position of the entrance 36 so that the intermediate horizontal bar 18 can be easily fitted. Two base support portions 33 are provided on the left and right.

The intermediate elastic portion 34 is a member for elastically connecting the base support portion 33 and the distal end locking portion 35. The intermediate elastic portion 34 is formed by bending in a crank shape, and the bent portion extends and returns to elastically support the base end support portion 33 and the distal end locking portion 35.

The distal end locking portion 35 includes a support plate portion 39 and a locking plate portion 40. The support plate 39 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. A U-shaped recess 41 is formed at the center of the surface of the support plate 39. Thus, when the buckle 5 is pushed in, the hand or finger is put on the concave portion 41 and pushed, so that the buckle 5 is fitted into the buckle receiving portion 26. To remove the buckle 5, put a finger on the back surface of the support plate 39 and pull it.

The locking plate portion 40 includes a locking claw support plate 44, a locking claw 45, and a reinforcing rib 46. The locking claw support plate 44 is a plate material for supporting the locking claw 45 and is formed in a rectangular shape. The locking claw support plate 44 is formed to extend horizontally from the back surface of the support plate portion 39. The locking claw 45 is a member for fixing the buckle 5 to the buckle receiving portion 26 by being hooked on the ridge 30 of the buckle receiving portion 26. The locking claw 45 is formed in a wedge shape, and is provided on the upper surface of the tip of the locking claw support plate 44 so as to cover the entire width thereof. The reinforcing rib 46 is formed so as to bridge between the lower surface of the locking claw support plate 44 and the support plate portion 39, and reinforces the locking claw support plate 44.

The buckle 5 has a base end support portion 33 rotatably attached to the intermediate horizontal bar 18 of the wire netting portion 3.

[Operation] The small animal cage 1 configured as described above is assembled and disassembled as follows.

When assembling, the ceiling plate 2 is placed on the wire mesh 3, and the upper end of the wire mesh 3 is inserted into the wire mesh receiving portion 9. Specifically, the upper end of the wire netting 3 is inserted between the outer plate 12 and the inner plate 13, and the horizontal bar 17 is fitted into the locking projection 14. Thereby, the ceiling plate part 2 and the wire netting part 3 are integrally fitted.

The lower portion of the wire mesh 3 is inserted into the wire mesh support 21 of the tray 4. In the wire mesh supporting portion 21, the lower end of the wire mesh portion 3 is supported by the lower flat plate 22, and both side surfaces are supported by the outer plate 23 and the inner plate 24. In this state, the buckle 5 is rotated toward the buckle receiving portion 26, and the concave portion 41 is lightly pushed by hand and fitted. As a result, the locking plate portion 40 of the buckle 5 enters the lower side of the horizontal support wall 28 of the buckle receiving portion 26. At this time, since the buckle 5 is formed of a polyethylene resin having flexibility, the intermediate elastic portion 34 is appropriately bent due to its elasticity. Further, the curved proximal support portion 33 is also appropriately bent to change its inner diameter. The distal end locking portion 35 also bends to slightly deform the locking plate portion 40. As a result, the distance between the base support portion 33 and the locking plate portion 40 is appropriately changed, and the locking plate portion 40 easily enters the lower side of the horizontal support wall 28. Even if the size of the wire netting 3 varies and the mounting position of the buckle 5 is slightly displaced, the base support 33 and the intermediate elastic part 34 bend and absorb this displacement.

When the support plate portion 39 of the buckle 5 comes into contact with the vertical wall 29 of the buckle receiving portion 26, the locking claw 45 is caught by the ridge 30. The base support portion 33 and the intermediate elastic portion 34 are bent by the elasticity so as to draw the locking plate portion 40 toward the base support portion 33, and the locking claw 45 is securely locked to the ridge 30. I do.

Now, the assembly of the small animal cage 1 is completed.

[0033] Small animals such as hamsters are placed in the assembled small animal cage 1, and bred and viewed. When the small animal cage 1 becomes dirty, the small animal is taken out and the small animal cage 1 is disassembled. Specifically, a finger is put on the back surface of the support plate portion 39 of the buckle 5 and pulled toward the user. As a result, the base support portion 33 and the intermediate elastic portion 34 bend and the distance between the base support portion 33 and the locking claw 45 increases. As a result, the buckle 5 can be removed from the buckle receiving portion 26 with a light force. Even when the mounting position of the buckle 5 is displaced due to variations in dimensions, the buckle 5 can be removed with a light force.

After removing the two buckles 5, the wire netting 3 is lifted upward and removed from the tray 4. Thereby, the inside of the small animal cage 1 is opened, and the inside is cleaned.

After the cleaning is completed, the wire netting portion 3 is put on the tray portion 4 and the buckle 5 is pushed toward the buckle receiving portion 26 and attached.

[Effect] As described above, the buckle 5 is formed into a hairpin shape and is curved, and the base end support portion 33 rotatably supported by the intermediate horizontal bar 18 of the wire netting portion 3 and the tray A distal end locking portion 35 having a locking claw 45 that is locked to the buckle receiving portion 26 of the portion 4 and connected to each other, and a proximal end supporting portion 33 and a distal end locking portion 35 that are formed by bending into a crank shape. Since it is composed of the intermediate elastic portion 34 which is integrally and elastically supported, the distance between the base support portion 33 and the engaging claw 45 fluctuates flexibly. Even if the position is slightly shifted, the error can be absorbed, the buckle 5 can be easily and reliably attached and detached, and the feeling of attachment and detachment can be improved. As a result, it is not necessary to maintain the dimensional accuracy of the wire netting 3 high, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Since the U-shaped concave portion 41 is provided on the surface of the front end locking portion 35 of the buckle 5, when the buckle 5 is attached, pressing the concave portion 41 with a hand can surely prevent the hand from slipping. The buckle 5 can be attached to the.

Since the buckle 5 is molded from a polyethylene resin, the base support portion 33, the intermediate elastic portion 34, and the distal end locking portion 35 are elastically deformed, and the buckle 5 maintains the basic function of the buckle 5. The feeling of attachment and detachment can be improved.

As described above, the small animal cage 1 can be easily disassembled and assembled.

[Modification] In the above embodiment, the case where the buckle 5 is used for the small animal cage 1 has been described as an example. However, the buckle 5 of the present invention is not limited to the small animal cage 1 and needs to be connected to each other. The present invention can be used for certain two members, particularly two members having dimensional variations. In this case, the operation and effect can be obtained in the same manner as the above embodiment.

[0041]

[Effect of the invention]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) A base support portion formed by bending a buckle into a hairpin shape and rotatably supported by the support shaft of the one member, and each member locked by the other member And a middle elastic portion which is formed by bending in a crank shape and integrally and elastically supports the base support portion and the distal end lock portion. , The distance between the base support and the locking claw varies flexibly, and even if the position of the buckle slightly shifts due to dimensional errors of each member, etc., the error is absorbed and the buckle is easily and easily The attachment / detachment can be reliably performed, and the feeling of attachment / detachment can be improved.

Thus, it is not necessary to maintain high dimensional accuracy between the members, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(2) Since the U-shaped concave portion is provided on the surface of the front end locking portion, the buckle can be securely attached without slipping the hand by pushing with the hand attached to the concave portion.

(3) Since the buckle is molded of polyethylene resin, the base support portion, the intermediate elastic portion, and the distal end locking portion are elastically deformed, and are further attached and detached while maintaining the basic function of the buckle. Feeling can be improved.

(4) The small animal cage can be easily disassembled and assembled because the above-mentioned buckle is used for connecting the wire netting portion and the tray portion of the small animal cage.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a main part showing a boundary between a ceiling plate portion and a wire mesh portion of the cage for small animals according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part showing a boundary between a ceiling plate portion and a wire mesh portion of the cage for small animals according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a boundary between the tray portion and the wire mesh portion of the small animal cage according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a boundary between the tray portion and the wire mesh portion of the cage for small animals according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a rear view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a bottom view showing the buckle according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: cage for small animals, 2: ceiling plate, 3: wire mesh, 4:
Tray part, 5: buckle, 6: access opening, 7: opening / closing lid, 8: vertical bar, 9: wire mesh receiving part, 11: upper flat plate, 1
2: outer plate, 13: inner plate, 14: locking projection, 16:
Vertical bar, 17: horizontal bar, 18: intermediate horizontal bar, 20: peripheral wall, 21: wire mesh support, 22: lower flat plate, 23: outer plate, 24: inner plate, 26: buckle receiver, 27 : Partition wall, 28: horizontal support wall 29: vertical wall, 30: ridge, 33:
Base end support part, 34: middle elastic part, 35: front end locking part, 3
6: doorway, 37: guide part, 39: support plate part, 4
0: locking plate portion, 41: concave portion, 44: locking claw support plate, 4
5: locking claw, 46: reinforcing rib.

Claims (4)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. A buckle that connects a member to a member by locking a distal end portion to another member while a base end portion is rotatably supported by one member and is formed in a hairpin shape. A base end support portion rotatably supported on a support shaft of the one member, a front end lock portion having a locking claw that locks to the other member and connects each member to each other, and a crank. A buckle comprising: a middle elastic portion formed integrally and elastically supporting the base end supporting portion and the distal end locking portion integrally. 2. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein a U-shaped recess is provided on a surface of the distal end locking portion. 3. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the whole is molded from polyethylene resin. 4. The cage for a small animal having a wire mesh portion forming a side wall and a tray portion forming a lower portion, wherein the wire mesh portion and the tray portion are connected to each other. A small animal cage comprising a buckle.