JP7348765B2 - Exterior body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an exterior body .

The exterior body is used to protect a wire harness installed in a vehicle or the like, as proposed in Patent Document 1, for example. It is undesirable for such an exterior body to be deformed due to the weight or vibration of the object to be protected, or for the object to be protected inside to be exposed, and therefore, appropriate strength is desired. The exterior body described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the outer periphery of a wire harness, and its cross section is a rectangle closed on all sides. In addition to this, the cross section of the exterior body may be rectangular with one side open or L-shaped. The exterior body is constructed by, for example, bending a foam plate. The foamed plate of the exterior body can appropriately protect the object to be protected by having an appropriate thickness and appropriate rigidity.

JP 2019-13106 Publication

In order to increase the strength of the exterior body in order to more reliably protect the object, it is desirable to further increase the thickness and rigidity of the plates that constitute the exterior body. However, if the thickness of the plate is increased, bending becomes difficult, and there is a concern that excessive bending stress will be generated at the bent portion, causing cracks. Furthermore, when the thickness of the plate is increased, even if the bent portion is once set at a predetermined angle, it may change over time to return to the flat state, and it is particularly difficult to maintain the angle in the case of an exterior body with an L-shaped cross section.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an exterior body whose shape is easy to form and maintain, and which has high strength, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objects, an exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention includes an inner plate on the side facing the object to be protected, and an outer case outward from the inner plate with respect to the object to be protected. an outer plate provided, wherein the inner plate and the outer plate each include a first plate, a second plate forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first plate, and the first plate and the second plate. one or more bent portions formed between the inner plate and the outer plate that are convex to the outside; the inner plate and the outer plate are joined with the first plates in contact with each other, and the second plates are in contact with each other; It is characterized by being joined by

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the inner plate and the outer plate have an open cross-sectional shape forming an opening between both ends of the first plate and the second plate, respectively. do.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a cover body that covers the opening.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate has a closed cross-sectional shape.

In the exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention, one of the inner plate and the outer plate having a closed cross-sectional shape has an N-gon shape, and the other member is located at each of (N-3) or more corner portions. It is characterized by the fact that it is provided.

In the exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention, the inner plate and the outer plate each include two or more bent portions provided between the first plate and the second plate, and two or more bent portions. and an intermediate plate formed between them, and the intermediate plates are bonded to each other in contact with each other.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that an outer convex portion of the bent portion of the inner plate is aligned with an inner recessed portion of the bent portion of the outer plate.

In the exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention, the inner plate includes the first plate and the second plate forming the predetermined angle through two bent parts, and the outer plate includes the first plate and the second plate forming the predetermined angle. and the second plate form the predetermined angle through one bent portion.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate has an elongated shape in an extending direction of the bent portion.

In the exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention, one of the inner plate and the outer plate is one, and the other is a plurality of plates, which are provided spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the bent portion. It is characterized by

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate is formed of a foam plate.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the inner plate and the outer plate are non-flexible bodies having a solid structure.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined angle is a right angle.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a groove is formed in at least one of the bent portions.

The exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a wire harness is disposed in a region covered in at least two directions by the inner plate, and the wire harness is protected.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a method for manufacturing an exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention includes bending an inner plate and bending the inner plate at a predetermined angle or angle with respect to a first plate and the first plate. an inner plate bending step of forming a second plate forming an approximate angle thereto; and an inner plate bending step of bending an outer plate to form a second plate forming the predetermined angle or an approximate angle thereof with respect to the first plate and the first plate. A plate bending step, a first plate joining step of contacting and joining the first plate of the inner plate and the first plate of the outer plate, and performed simultaneously or after the first plate joining step, a second plate joining step of bringing the second plate of the inner plate and the second plate of the outer plate into contact with each other and joining them together; The method is characterized in that the first plate and the second plate form the predetermined angle.

In the method for manufacturing an exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention, an inner plate groove is formed in advance in a bent portion formed between the first plate and the second plate in the inner plate bending step. and an outer plate groove forming step of forming a groove in advance in a bent portion formed between the first plate and the second plate in the outer plate bending step. shall be.

The method for manufacturing an exterior body according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the inner plate and the outer plate are non-flexible bodies having a solid structure.

The exterior body according to the present invention is easy to form and maintain in shape, and has high strength. According to the method for manufacturing an exterior body according to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture an exterior body whose shape is easy to form and maintain, and which has high strength.

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional perspective view showing an exterior body according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an exterior body according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the work contents of a plurality of steps for manufacturing the exterior body. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of stress distribution generated in the exterior body, (a) is a schematic diagram of stress distribution in the exterior body according to a comparative example, and (b) is a schematic diagram of stress distribution in the exterior body according to the embodiment. be. FIG. 5 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of the exterior body according to the first modification, and (b) is a side view of the exterior body according to the second modification. , (c) is a side view of the exterior body according to the third modification, (d) is a side view of the exterior body according to the fourth modification, and (e) is a side view of the exterior body according to the fifth modification. It is a side view of an exterior body, (f) is a side view of the exterior body concerning a 6th modification. FIG. 6 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of the exterior body according to the seventh modification, and (b) is a side view of the exterior body according to the eighth modification. , (c) are side views of the exterior body according to the ninth modification. FIG. 7 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of the exterior body according to the eleventh modification, and (b) is a side view of the exterior body according to the twelfth modification. .

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of the exterior body and its manufacturing method concerning this invention is described in detail based on drawing. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing an exterior body 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The exterior body 10 is fixed so as to cover a corner 12 between a wall 12a and a floor 12b, and protects an object to be protected 14 routed along the corner 12, for example. That is, the exterior body 10 acts as a protector. The exterior body 10 may be fixed, for example, to a floor 12b instead of the corner 12, and the object to be protected 14 may be placed in a triangular area formed by the floor 12b and the exterior body 10. The object to be protected 14 is, for example, a wire harness installed in a vehicle or the like. Wire harnesses are conventionally known and are comprised of one or more electrical wires (including optical fibers, etc.). The exterior body 10 only needs to cover at least a portion of the object to be protected 14 depending on the purpose. In the present application, the side of the exterior body 10 facing the protected object 14 is defined as the inside, and the opposite side thereof is defined as the outside.

The exterior body 10 includes an inner plate 16i on the inside, and an outer plate 16o provided outside the inner plate 16i with respect to the object to be protected 14, and has an L-shaped end surface and a cross section. In the following description, elements related to the inner plate 16i are identified by adding an "i" to the reference numeral, and elements related to the outer plate 16o are identified by adding an "o" to the reference numeral. However, these subscripts are for convenience to facilitate understanding and do not limit the invention.

The inner plate 16i has a first plate 18i and a second plate 20i forming a prescribed angle (predetermined angle) θ with respect to the first plate 18i. The object to be protected 14 is protected by being placed in a region covered in two directions by the first plate 18i and the second plate 20i of the inner plate 16i. The outer plate 16o has a first plate 18o and a second plate 20o forming an angle θ with respect to the first plate 18o. The angles θ formed by the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are the same angle, and in this case are right angles. Inner plate 16i and outer plate 16o have an open cross-sectional shape that forms an opening between both ends of first plates 18i, 18o and second plates 20i, 20o. Although the first plates 18i, 18o and the second plates 20i, 20o have different names for identification, in this case they are the same.

The bent portions 22i and 22o have an outwardly convex shape and an inwardly concave shape, and the angle θ is an inner angle (hereinafter also referred to as an inner angle). The direction in which the first plates 18i, 18o extend with respect to the bent portions 22i, 22o is defined as the Y1 direction, and the direction in which the second plates 20i, 20o extend is defined as the Y2 direction. The direction perpendicular to the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction is defined as the X direction. The exterior body 10 is elongated in the X direction. Here, being long in the X direction means that the dimension in the X direction is longer than the dimension in the Y1 direction and the dimension in the Y2 direction. Although the exterior body 10 has the same dimension in the Y1 direction and the same dimension in the Y2 direction, the dimensions may be different depending on conditions. The X direction is basically the direction in which the bent portions 22i and 22o extend, and the direction in which the object to be protected 14 extends. Depending on design conditions, the bent portions 22i and 22o are not limited to linear shapes, but may be curved lines, polygonal lines, or a combination thereof.

Grooves 24i and 24o are formed in the bent portions 22i and 22o along the X direction. Depending on design conditions, only one of the grooves 24i and 24o may be provided, or both may be omitted.

The outer convex portion of the bent portion 22i fits into the inner recessed portion of the bent portion 22o with almost no gap. The outer surface of the first plate 18i and the inner surface of the first plate 18o are joined in surface contact. The outer surface of the second plate 20i and the inner surface of the second plate 20o are joined in surface contact.

The first plates 18i, 18o and the second plates 20i, 20o are joined by a plurality of joints 26. The joint portion 26 is a contact trace of a welding tool by ultrasonic welding, and the welding tool contacts and welds the outer surface of the outer plate 16o. The plurality of joints 26 are spaced apart from each other and arranged in a well-balanced manner. The welding tool can be easily worked by contacting the outer surface of the outer plate 16o, but depending on the conditions, the welding tool may be brought into contact with the inner surface of the inner plate 16i for welding. The joining of the first plates 18i, 18o and the joining of the second plates 20i, 20o are not limited to welding, but may be any means that can bring their surfaces into contact and join them, such as adhesive, double-sided tape, rivets, or pressure bonding.

Note that in the present application, "plates" such as the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are rigid bodies that each have a certain degree of strength on their own, and are distinguished from flexible bodies that are flexible and have low strength. The flexible body is, for example, paper or a membrane.

In this application, the term "rigid body" is not an antonym for an elastic body in a strict physical sense, but rather means the opposite to a flexible body (it can also be called an inflexible body). For example, flexible materials such as paper and thread are extremely flexible and can be bent and flexed, but they also maintain their bent state almost as they are, have little elasticity to return to their original state, and have low strength. be.

On the other hand, a rigid body in the present application is a material that requires an external force of a certain level or more to bend and flex, and that undergoes elastic deformation and plastic deformation depending on the amount of deformation. Furthermore, in the present application, a rigid body has a substantially solid structure (excluding minute air bubbles) and has an appropriate surface hardness. Due to these characteristics, the rigid body in the present application has appropriate strength and hardness depending on the thickness, and is suitable as a material for the exterior body.

The inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are obtained by bending a rigid plate at bent portions 22i and 22o. In addition, each of the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o has a thickness sufficient to provide a certain degree of strength even with just one piece, and prevents cracks from occurring due to excessive bending stress in the bent portions 22i and 22o. Moderately thin.

In order to reliably protect the protected object 14 to be housed and ensure durability and environmental resistance, the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o have a certain level of mechanical strength (static and dynamic), surface hardness, It is preferable to have waterproofness, dustproofness, and chemical stability. Further, it is preferable that the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are lightweight and easy to process.

Although various rigid bodies can be used as such materials for the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o, it is preferable that at least one of them is formed of a foam plate. Of course, both the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o may be foam plates. Examples of foamed plates include thermoplastic resin foamed plates. The type of resin for the thermoplastic resin foam plate is not particularly limited as long as it is a thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polycarbonate resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polyamide resin, polyphenylene sulfide resin, polystyrene. Examples include resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polyvinyl acetate resins, polytetrafluoroethylene resins, acrylic resins, and the like.

The density of the thermoplastic resin foam plate is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 200 kg/m ³ or more and 1000 kg/m ³ or less, since anisotropy in mechanical properties is prevented and the degree of freedom in designing the exterior body 10 is improved. It is preferably 300 kg/m ³ or more and 600 kg/m 3 or less, and more preferably 350 kg/m ³ or more and 550 kg/m ^{3 or} less from the viewpoint of further improving the balance between lightness and mechanical strength. It is particularly preferable that there be.

The thermoplastic resin foam plate may have a non-foamed layer on both sides or one side. That is, the thermoplastic resin foam plate may have a structure including a foam layer and a non-foam layer formed on the foam layer. By forming the non-foamed layer on the surface of the thermoplastic resin foam plate, the bending elasticity of the exterior body 10 is improved, and the protection performance of the protected object 14 to be accommodated is further improved. In order to further improve the bending elasticity of the exterior body 10, a three-layer structure having non-foamed layers on both sides of the thermoplastic resin foam plate is preferred. The thickness of the non-foamed layer formed on the thermoplastic resin foamed plate is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

The cell number density of the foam layer of the thermoplastic resin foam plate is not particularly limited, but its lower limit is, for example, 800 cells/mm ³ or more in order to more reliably prevent anisotropy of mechanical properties. is preferable, and particularly preferably 1000 pieces/mm ³ or more. On the other hand, the upper limit of the bubble number density is preferably 10 ¹⁰ cells/mm ³ or less, for example, from the viewpoint of obtaining excellent mechanical strength.

The thickness of the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of further improving the balance between ease of bending and mechanical strength, it is preferably 0.50 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, for example. More preferably, it is .0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less.

Next, a method for manufacturing the exterior body 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing the exterior body 10. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the work contents of a plurality of steps for manufacturing the exterior body 10.

In step S1 (inner plate groove forming step) in FIG. 2, grooves 24i are formed in the base material of the inner plate 16i (see FIG. 3(a)).

In step S2 (outer plate groove forming step), grooves 24o are formed in the base material of the outer plate 16o (see FIG. 3(a)). The grooves 24i and 24o are formed along the X direction at portions that will become the bent portions 22i and 22o, respectively, and at locations that will become the outer convex portion or the inner recess. Step S1 and step S2 may be performed either first or simultaneously. One or both of step S1 and step S2 may be omitted, and at least one of the grooves 24i and 24o may be omitted. At this stage, the base material of the inner plate 16i and the member of the outer plate 16o are made into a single piece that is continuous in the X direction, and after forming one groove corresponding to the grooves 24i and 24o, it may be divided into two or more pieces. good.

In step S3 (inner plate bending step), the inner plate 16i is bent to form a first plate 18i and a second plate 20i forming an angle θ or an approximate angle thereof with respect to the first plate 18i.

In step S4 (outer plate bending step), the outer plate 16o is bent to form a first plate 18o and a second plate 20o forming an angle θ or an approximate angle thereto with respect to the first plate 18o.

Either step S3 or step S4 may be performed first. Further, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o may be bent at the same time. In this case, for example, the first plate 18i and the first plate 18o are stacked and fixed by a fixture 30, and the second plates 20i and 20o are bent to form bent portions 22i and 22o.

Note that at this point, the inside angle does not need to exactly match the angle θ of the final product, and may be an approximate angle. For example, the inner angle may be bent to an angle larger than the final angle θ in anticipation of the bent portions 22i, 22o returning to their original states to some extent. Furthermore, at this point, the inner angle of the inner plate 16i and the inner angle of the outer plate 16o may be slightly different. Some kind of treatment (for example, heat treatment or chemical treatment) may be performed on the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o to facilitate bending during or before or after performing the steps S3 and S4.

In step S5 (first plate joining step), the first plate 18i of the inner plate 16i and the first plate 18i of the outer plate 16o are brought into contact and joined. At this time, the bent portion 22i and the bent portion 22o are positioned at a position where they match.

In the final step S6 (second plate joining step), the second plate 20i of the inner plate 16i and the second plate 20o of the outer plate 16o are brought into contact and joined. At this time, the inside angle is set to form a predetermined angle θ. If there is an error in the inner angle, the angle correction tools 32 and 34 are used to adjust the angle θ to the correct angle. The angle corrector 32 is arranged inside the inner plate 16i in a block having an angle of θ, for example, and the angle corrector 34 is arranged outside the outer plate 16o in a block with an angle of (360°-θ), for example. The angle correctors 32 and 34 may be used from step S5. In the exterior body 10 manufactured in this way, the angle θ is maintained even if the angle correctors 32 and 34 are removed. Each joining process in steps S5 and S6 is performed by a joining tool 36 such as an ultrasonic welder. Step S5 and step S6 may be performed either first or simultaneously.

The steps in the method for manufacturing the exterior body 10 are not limited to the order shown in FIG. 2; for example, the first plate 18i and the first plate 18o are joined (step S5), and then the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are bent ( After steps S3 and S4), the second plate 20i and the second plate 20o may be joined (step S6).

The exterior body 10 manufactured by such a manufacturing method has a laminated structure of an inner plate 16i and an outer plate 16o, which are rigid bodies, and has a suitably large total thickness W (see FIG. 1) and high strength, and is suitable for protecting objects. The object 14 can be protected even more reliably. The thickness of each of the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o is, for example, about half of the total thickness W, which makes it easy to form the shape by bending, and prevents excessive bending stress from occurring at the bent portions 22i and 22o, and cracks. The occurrence of is suppressed.

Even if the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are slightly deviated from the angle θ in the bending process of steps S3 and S4, the inner plate angle is corrected in the subsequent steps S5 and S6, and the completed exterior body 10 is correct. The angle is θ. In addition, in the completed exterior body 10, the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are joined to each other by the first plates 18i and 18o, and further joined to each other by the second plates 20i and 20o, so that mutual deformation is restricted. and the inner angle is maintained at angle θ. The exterior body 10 does not require members such as braces for maintaining the angle θ, and has a simple shape.

Since the grooves 24i are formed in the base material of the inner plate 16i and the grooves 24o are formed in the base material of the outer plate 16o, it is easy to bend them accurately along the X direction.

The outer convex portion of the bent portion 22i is aligned with the inner recessed portion of the bent portion 22o, so that the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are stable in the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction.

The base materials of the inner plate 16i and outer plate 16o that form the exterior body 10 can be made of general-purpose plates, and can be easily formed by bending and joining. Therefore, a special molding process or the like is not required, and the degree of dimensional freedom in the X direction, Y1 direction, and Y2 direction is high, and it is applicable to, for example, applications in which a wide variety of products are produced in small quantities.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of stress distribution generated in the exterior body, (a) is a schematic diagram of stress distribution in the exterior body 500 according to the comparative example, and (b) is a schematic diagram of stress distribution in the exterior body 10 according to the embodiment. It is a diagram. The exterior body 10 and the exterior body 500 are made of the same material and have the same total thickness W. In FIG. 4, cross hatching indicates the range in which compressive stress occurs, and single hatching indicates the range in which tensile stress occurs.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), in the exterior body 500 according to the comparative example, since the base material having the thickness W is bent, the amount of deformation due to bending is large, so the compressive stress range generated inside the bent portion 502 60 is quite wide, and the reaction force F1 that attempts to restore the compression against compression is large. Further, the tensile stress range 62 generated on the outside of the bent portion 502 is considerably wide, and the reaction force F2 that attempts to restore the tension against the tension is large. The two large reaction forces F1 and F2 act synergistically to open the first plate 500a and the second plate 500b. Furthermore, in the exterior body 500, as the first plate 500a and the second plate 500b deform and restore in the opening direction, the stress is gradually relaxed, making it difficult to maintain the angle θ of the bent portion 502. .

As shown in FIG. 4(b), in the exterior body 10, each of the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o has a thickness of W/2. This is thinner than the thickness W of the exterior body 500. Therefore, the amount of deformation due to bending is small in the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o, and the compressive stress ranges 60i, 60o generated inside the bent portions 22i, 22o are considerably narrow, and the reaction force F1i, which attempts to restore the compression against compression, F1o is small. Further, the tensile stress ranges 62i, 62o generated on the outside of the bent portions 22i, 22o are considerably small, and the reaction forces F2i, F2o that try to restore the tension against the tension are small.

Here, the first plate 18i and the first plate 18i18o are completely fixed, and furthermore, the second plate 20i and the second plate 20o are completely fixed, so that it is suppressed that the inner angles of each other are about to change. do.

In addition, in the exterior body 10, when the first plates 18i, 18o and the second plates 20i, 20o are deformed in the opening direction, the tensile forces Ft in the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction are applied to the inner first plate 18i and the second plate 20i. Furthermore, compressive forces Fp in the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction are generated in the first plate 18o and the second plate 20o located further outside. Since a reaction force is generated against the tensile force Ft and the compressive force Fp, deformation is suppressed. In other words, in the case 500 according to the comparative example, the stress is gradually relieved as the deformation occurs in the opening direction, whereas in the case 10 according to the present example, the stress gradually increases as the deformation occurs in the opening direction, so that the opposite effect occurs. Therefore, deformation can be suppressed.

The reaction force of the tensile force Ft and the reaction force of the compressive force Fp act in the direction of preventing deformation even if only one of them acts alone, but they act synergistically to suppress the change and maintain the angle θ. . Thereby, the angle θ is easily maintained even though the exterior body 10 has an open cross-sectional shape. Note that due to this action, the exterior body 10 is not easily deformed in the closing direction as well. This is an ideal state for maintaining the inner angle. In order to fix the inner angle, the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o are brought into contact and fixed, thereby ensuring that the angle is maintained.

Next, exterior bodies 10A to 10K, which are modified examples of the exterior body 10, will be described. In the exterior bodies 10A to 10K, the same components as those in the above-mentioned exterior body 10 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of an exterior body 10A according to a first modification, and (b) is a side view of an exterior body 10B according to a second modification. (c) is a side view of the exterior body 10C according to the third modification, (d) is a side view of the exterior body 10D according to the fourth modification, and (e) is a side view of the exterior body 10D according to the fourth modification. It is a side view of exterior body 10E concerning a modification, and (f) is a side view of exterior body 10F concerning a 6th modification. Each modification shown in FIG. 5 has a shape in which the region in which the object to be protected 14 is accommodated is open in either direction.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the exterior body 10A, the angle θ is an obtuse angle. Further, as shown by a virtual line, the angle θ of the exterior body 10A may be an acute angle. The angle θ can be set within a range of more than 0° and less than 180°.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), in the exterior body 10B, the inner plate 16i is thicker than the outer plate 16o. The outer plate 16o may be thicker than the inner plate 16i.

As shown in FIG. 5C, in addition to the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o, an auxiliary plate 16a having a bent portion 22a is added to the exterior body 10C. For example, the same material as the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o can be used for the auxiliary plate 16a. In other words, the exterior body 10C is made up of three similar plate members stacked one on top of the other, and the different names are just for identification. The exterior body C may include four or more similar plate members stacked together. However, if the number of plate members is large, the process of laminating and joining them becomes complicated, and the total thickness W becomes excessive. For this reason, it is appropriate that the number of plate members be five or less.

As shown in FIG. 5(d), in the inner plate 16i of the exterior body 10D, the first plate 18i and the second plate 20i form an angle θ via two bent portions 22i ₁ and 22i ₂ . The bent portions 22i ₁ and 22i ₂ replace the bent portion 22i described above. The outer plate 16o forms one bent portion 22o as described above. In the exterior body 10D, a triangular region is formed with three bent portions 22i ₁ , 22i ₂ , and 22o as vertices. This region is, for example, a right isosceles triangle. The intermediate plate 21i forming between the two bent portions 22i ₁ and 22i ₂ acts like a beam, and the exterior body 10D has high strength. As shown by imaginary lines, two bent portions 22o ₁ and 22o ₂ may be formed in the outer plate 16o, and the bent portions 22o ₁ and 22o 2 may be joined to the bent portions _{22i 1 and} 22i ₂ .

As shown in FIG. 5(e), the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o in the exterior body 10E have bent portions 22i ₁ and 22o 1 and bent portions between the first plates 18i and 18o and the second plates 20i _and 20o. 22i ₂ and 22o ₂ . An intermediate plate 40i is formed between the bent portion 22i ₁ and the bent portion 22i ₂ in the inner plate 16i, and an intermediate plate 40o is formed between the bent portion 22o ₁ and the bent portion 22o ₂ in the outer plate 16o. There is. The intermediate plate 40i and the intermediate plate 40o are connected to each other in contact with each other.

The exterior body 10E is substantially the same as the two exterior bodies 10 described above (see FIG. 1) that are symmetrically assembled. That is, an angle θ is formed between the first plates 18i, 18o and the intermediate plates 40i, 40o, and an angle θ is also formed between the second plates 20i, 20o and the intermediate plates 40i, 40o. Regarding the names of the elements in the exterior body 10E, for example, the intermediate plates 40i and 40o are defined as "first plates", and the first plates 18i and 18o and the second plates 20i and 20o are respectively defined as "second plates". You can also.

The angle θ can be set between 0° and 180° as long as the first plates 18i, 18o and the second plates 20i, 20o do not interfere with each other. Such an exterior body 10E can cover both left and right sides and one of the upper and lower sides of the object to be protected 14. The outer plate 16o in the exterior body E may be divided into two members with the dividing line 41 as a border. In this case, the outer plates 16o, which are provided in two parts, may be in contact with each other in the Y direction at the dividing line 41, or may be separated from each other. The same applies to the dividing lines 41 shown in each figure in FIG. The exterior body 10E is provided with two bent portions, and can be regarded as a modification of the case shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5(d).

As shown in FIG. 5(f), the exterior body 10F is provided with three bent portions. Inner plate 16i and outer plate 16o in exterior body 10F have bent portions 22i ₁ , 22o ₁ , bent portions 22i ₂ , 22o ₂ and bent portion 22i ₃ between first plates 18i, 18o and second plates 20i, 20o. , 22o ₃ . An intermediate plate 40i is formed between the bent portion 22i ₁ and the bent portion 22i ₂ of the inner plate 16i, and an intermediate plate 42i is formed between the bent portion 22i ₂ and the bent portion 22i ₃ . An intermediate plate 40o is formed between the bent portion 22o ₁ and the bent portion 22o ₂ in the outer plate 16o, and an intermediate plate 42o is formed between the bent portion 22o ₂ and the bent portion 22o ₃ . The number of bent portions in the exterior body may be four or more.

FIG. 6 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of an exterior body 10G according to a seventh modification, and (b) is a side view of an exterior body 10H according to an eighth modification. (c) is a side view of an exterior body 10I according to a ninth modification. In each modification shown in FIG. 6, the region in which the protected object 14 is accommodated has a closed shape in directions other than the X direction, that is, in the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the inner plate 16i in the exterior body 10G includes a lid plate 44 that is bent from the end of the second plate 20i and further extends, and a lid plate 44 that is bent from the end of the first plate 18i. A further extending lid plate 46 is provided. The lid plate 44 and the lid plate 46 are joined with a portion overlapping each other. In the exterior body 10G, the inner plate 16i forms a closed rectangular area, and the protected object 14 is accommodated in this area, but the lid plate 44 and the lid plate 46 are in an openable format (for example, hook type). When fastened, it is easy to store and take out the protected object 14. The outer plate 16o is the same as that of the above-described exterior body 10E, and is joined to the inner plate 16i at predetermined locations.

The exterior body 10G can cover all sides of the object to be protected 14. In such an exterior body 10G, the inner plate 16i has a closed quadrangular cross-sectional shape, and two of the four corners are reinforced with the outer plate 18o. In the exterior body 10G, since the inner plate 16i covers all sides of the protected object 14 and has a closed shape, the shape is easily maintained compared to each of the open-shaped modified examples shown in FIG. However, if there is no reinforcement, there is a risk that it will deform like a link mechanism, so it is preferable to reinforce it with the outer plate 16o.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the dimension of the outer plate 18o in the exterior body 10H in the Y1 direction is approximately half that of the outer plate 18o in the exterior body 10E. The inner plate 18i in the exterior body 10H is the same as that in the exterior body 10E.

A cover body 48 is provided on the exterior body 10H. The cover body 48 covers the opening of the exterior body 10H on the side facing the intermediate plate 40i. In other words, the cover body 48 covers an opening having both ends of the first plate 18i and the second plate 20i. The cover body 48 may cover, for example, an opening in the exterior body 10E (see FIG. 5(e)) that has both ends of the first plates 18i, 18o and the second plates 20i, 20o.

The cover body 48 and the inner plate 16i form a closed rectangular area. The cover body 48 includes bent edges 48a and 48b extending in the Y1 direction from the left and right ends in the Y direction. One bent edge 48a and the first plate 18o complementarily cover the first plate 18i of the inner plate 16i. The other bent edge 48b and the second plate 20o complementarily cover the second plate 20i of the inner plate 16i.

The bent edges 48a and 48b of the cover body 48 are joined to the first plate 18i and the second plate 20i in contact with each other, but may be held so as to be openable. If the same member is used for the cover body 48 and the outer plate 16o in the exterior body 10H, the number of types of parts can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 6(c), the second plates 20i and 20o in the exterior body 10I have a dimension in the Y1 direction that is approximately half that of the second plates 20i and 20o in the exterior body 10E.

The inner plate 16i in the exterior body 10I includes a lid plate 44a that is bent and further extends from the end of the second plate 20i, and a lid plate 44b that is bent and further extended from the end of the lid plate 44a. . The end of the lid plate 44b is joined to or releasably fastened to the upper end of the first inner plate 16i.

The exterior body 10I can cover all sides of the object to be protected 14. In such an exterior body 10I, the inner plate 16i has a closed pentagonal cross-sectional shape, and two of the five corners are reinforced with the outer plate 18o. Expanding further, when the cross-sectional shape of the area closed by the inner plate 16i is N-gon, if the outer plate 16o is provided and reinforced at each corner (N-3) or more, at least an excessive external force can be applied. The shape of the closed area can be maintained if no additional force is applied. Further, although not shown, the closed area is not limited to the inner plate 16i, but may be formed by the outer plate 16o. In this case, each of (N-3) or more corner portions may be reinforced with an inner plate 16i.

FIG. 7 shows an exterior body according to a modification, in which (a) is a side view of an exterior body 10J according to an eleventh modification, and (b) is a side view of an exterior body 10K according to a twelfth modification. It is.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the dimension of the first plate 18o of the outer plate 16o in the exterior body 10J in the Y1 direction is approximately half that of the first plate 18i of the inner plate 18i. Similarly, the size of the second plate 20o of the outer plate 16o in the Y2 direction is approximately half that of the second plate 20i of the inner plate 18i. In this case, the inner plate 16i can be considered as the main material, and the outer plate 16o can be considered as the auxiliary material.

In the exterior body 10J, since at least the bent portion 22i and its vicinity are reinforced with the outer plate 16o with respect to the inner plate 16i, the angle θ can be maintained and a suitable strength can be obtained as a whole. Furthermore, since the outer plate 16o is small, the weight can be reduced.

As shown by the imaginary line, a member 50 similar to the outer plate 16o may be provided inside the inner plate 16i. In this case, the outer plate 16o can be omitted, the member 50 corresponds to the inner plate, and the inner plate 16i corresponds to the outer plate. In this case, the outer inner plate 16i can be considered as the main material, and the inner member 50 can be considered as the auxiliary material. Generally, in each of the above-mentioned exterior bodies, either the outer member or the inner member may be the main material, and either may be the auxiliary material. Further, there is no need to distinguish between the main material and the sub-material.

As shown in FIG. 7(b), in the exterior body 10K, there is one inner plate 16i, but a plurality of outer plates 16o are provided spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in the X direction. That is, depending on the design conditions, the inner plate 16i and the outer plate 16o do not need to overlap over the entire length in the X direction. In the exterior body 10K, since the plurality of outer plates 16o reinforce the bent portion 22i of the inner plate 16i at appropriate intervals, the angle θ can be generally maintained, and appropriate strength can be obtained as a whole. It will be done. Furthermore, since the total dimension of the outer plate 16o in the X direction is small, weight reduction can be achieved.

Although the plurality of outer plates 16o are illustrated as having approximately half the dimensions of the inner plates 16i in the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction, they may have the same dimensions as shown by imaginary lines. In the exterior body 10K, one outer plate 16o is shorter than the inner plate 16i in the X direction, but the size ratio does not matter. Providing a plurality of outer plates 16o provides the exterior body 10K with appropriate strength, but depending on conditions, only one outer plate 16o may be provided. Of the plurality of outer plates 16o, those at both ends in the X direction may have their end surfaces coincident with the end surfaces of the inner plate 16i in the X direction. This strengthens the end face of the exterior body 10K. The outer plate 16o may be one long piece in the X direction, and a plurality of shorter inner plates 16i may be provided spaced apart from each other in the X direction.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10I, 10J, 10K, Exterior body 14 Protected object 16i Inner plate 16o Outer plate 18i, 18o First plate 20i, 20o Second plate 21i, 40, i, 40o, 42i, 42o Intermediate plate 22i, 22i ₁ , 22i ₂ , 22o, 22o ₁ , 22o ₂ , 22o ₃ Bent portion 24i, 24o Groove 26 Joint portion 41 Parting line 48 Cover body θ Angle (predetermined angle)

Claims (13)

an inner plate on the side facing the object to be protected;
an outer plate provided outside the inner plate with respect to the object to be protected;
Equipped with
The inner plate and the outer plate each include
a first plate;
a second plate forming a predetermined angle with respect to the first plate;
one or more outwardly convex bent portions formed between the first plate and the second plate;
has
The first plates of the inner plate and the outer plate are connected to each other by contacting each other, and the second plates are connected to each other by contacting each other,
In the inner plate, the first plate and the second plate form the predetermined angle through two bent parts,
The outer plate is an exterior body, wherein the first plate and the second plate form the predetermined angle through one bent part. The exterior body according to claim 1, wherein the inner plate and the outer plate have an open cross-sectional shape forming an opening between both ends of the first plate and the second plate, respectively. The exterior body according to claim 2, further comprising a cover body that covers the opening. The exterior body according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate has a closed cross-sectional shape. One of the inner plate and the outer plate having a closed cross-sectional shape is a square or more N-gon shape, and the other member is provided at each of (N-3) or more corners. The exterior body according to claim 4. The inner plate and the outer plate each include
two or more of the bent portions provided between the first plate and the second plate;
an intermediate plate formed between the two bent portions;
Equipped with
The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the intermediate plates are bonded to each other in contact with each other. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate has an elongated shape in the extending direction of the bent portion. 8. One of the inner plate and the outer plate is one, and the other is a plurality of plates, which are provided spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the bent portion. The exterior body according to any one of the items. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein at least one of the inner plate and the outer plate is formed of a foam plate. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the inner plate and the outer plate are solid, non-flexible bodies. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the predetermined angle is a right angle. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein a groove is formed in at least one of the bent portions. The exterior body according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , characterized in that a wire harness is disposed in a region covered in at least two directions by the inner plate to protect the wire harness.

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