JPH03156222A - Screw cover device for air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a screw cover to be easily attached without damaging external appearance or design, by a construction wherein a protruding part is provided in a screw mounting hole, and a screw cover to be detachably embedded in the hole to cover a screw can be rotated on a part thereof making contact with the protruding part. CONSTITUTION:A screw cover device for an air conditioner comprises screw mounting holes 3 provided respectively at both end parts of a lower part of a front panel 2, screws 4 mounted at bottom parts 3a of the holes 3 to fasten a main body 1 of a room unit and the front panel 2 to each other, protruding parts 3c and 3d provided in each of the holes 3, and screw covers 5 detachably embedded in the holes 3 to cover the screws 4, respectively, each of the screw covers 5 being able to be rotated on parts at which a U-shaped groove 5d thereof makes contact with the protruding parts 3c, 3d of the hole 3. The screw cover 5 can be easily fitted by pushing it until the bottom surface of the U-shaped groove 5d thereof makes contact with the protruding parts 3c, 3d of the hole 3. The cover 5 can be detached by pushing an end part of a lid part 5a into the hole 3 to rotate the cover 5 on the parts of contact with the protruding parts 3c, 3d, thereby protruding the other end part of the lid part 5a.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention covers the screws that fix the front panel to the indoor unit body of an air conditioner to improve the external appearance [Prior Art] Conventionally, air conditioners When installing the front panel to the indoor unit body, after fitting the front panel to the top of the indoor unit body, screw the screws into the bottom of the screw mounting holes provided at 2 to 3 locations at the bottom of the front panel. Further, in order to improve the appearance of the screw attachment part, a removable screw cap or the like is often fitted to cover the screw. As a conventional screw cover device for this type of air conditioner, for example, there is a technique published in Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation Publication No. 86-3357, published on March 20, 1986.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a screw cap of a conventional air conditioner, and Fig. 8 is a main part showing the state in which the screw cap of Fig. 7 is attached. Enlarged view,
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of essential parts showing the operation of removing the screw cap of FIG. 7.

In the figure, (1) is the indoor unit body of the air conditioner, (2)
is a front panel that is attached to the front of the above (1) and has an inlet and an outlet. The front panel (2) is usually formed by press molding a steel plate or injection molding a resin, and because it is important in terms of appearance design, it may be made of decorative steel plate, painted, hot stamped, etc. surface treatment to improve the appearance quality. (3) are bottomed screw mounting holes formed at two locations on both left and right ends of the lower portion of the front panel (2). (4) is the screw mounting hole (3
), pass through the hole drilled in the center of the bottom (3a) of the screw attachment hole (3), and screw it into the screw attachment part of the indoor unit main body (1). It is worn.

(5) is fitted into the screw mounting hole (3), and the screw (4) is fitted into the screw mounting hole (3).
) to improve the external design, it has a circular lid part (5a) that matches the shape of the opening surface (3b) of the screw mounting hole (3), and a V-shaped cut in two places on both sides. A cylindrical portion (5b) provided with a notch is integrally formed with a soft resin. In addition, the lid part (5a) of the screw cap (5)
) is large enough to tightly cover the opening surface (3b) of the screw mounting hole (3), so that the step when installing the screw cap (5) is not noticeable when viewed from the front, and
The elastic force of the soft resin presses against the inner wall of the screw mounting hole (3) to prevent it from falling due to vibration or the like. Further, color matching is performed so that the surface color is the same as that of the front panel (2).

Next, the conventional front panel (2) configured as described above.
This section explains how to attach and detach the .

First, attach the periphery of the front panel (2) to the indoor unit main body (1).
After engaging the periphery of the indoor unit body (1), insert the screws (4) into the holes at the bottom (3a) of the two screw mounting holes (3), and
) into the screw mounting part.

Then, fit the screw cap (5) into the screw mounting hole (3).

Next, when removing the front panel (2) for inspection or repair of the interior of the indoor unit main body (1), press the center part of the outer surface of the lid (5a) of the screw cap (5) with your finger. The screw mounting hole (3) is bent outward in a dogleg shape around the line connecting the deepest parts of the left and right notches (5C), and a portion of the periphery protrudes, so place your finger on this end. Screw cap (
5) from the front panel (2). From this point on, the front panel (2) can be removed from the indoor unit main body (1) by performing the reverse operation of attaching the bipedal indoor unit main body (1).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional screw cover device for an air conditioner is configured as described above, when installing the front panel (2), the screw cap (5) is attached to the front panel (2). ) screw mounting hole (3
), the lid part (5a) will bend in the center part in a dogleg shape, so you will have to press down on the bent and protruding peripheral part, or take it out and reattach it. Workability was poor. Further, after repeated attachment and detachment several times, streaks remained at the bent portion of the screw cap (5), which sometimes spoiled the external design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a screw cover device for an air conditioner that can be easily installed without damaging the external design.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A screw cover device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is provided with a screw cover device formed on a front panel, in which a screw is installed inside a screw mounting hole in which a screw for fixing the indoor unit main body and the front panel is installed at the bottom. A protrusion is provided, and a screw cover that is removably embedded in the screw mounting hole and covers the screw is rotatable about a contact portion with the protrusion of the screw mounting hole.

[Operation] In the present invention, by pushing the insertion surface of the screw cover with your finger until it abuts the protrusion inside the screw mounting hole,
Can be easily installed in the screw mounting hole. Also, when removing the screw cover, if you press the edge of this outer surface with your finger, it will rotate around the abutting part with the protrusion inside the screw mounting hole, and the other end will protrude. It can be hung and removed. In this operation, the screw cover is not deformed, so even if it is attached and detached many times, no bend lines remain and the appearance is not impaired.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a screw cover device for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the screw cover shown in FIG. 1 attached, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the operation of removing the screw cover of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 6 to 9 indicate parts that are the same as or correspond to conventional components.

In the figure, (1) is the indoor unit body of the air conditioner, (2)
is a front panel that is attached to the front of the indoor unit main body (1) and has an inlet and an outlet, and is molded from a steel plate or resin. (3) is a screw mounting hole having a bottom portion (3a) formed at two locations on both left and right ends of the lower portion of the front panel (2), and the opening surface (3b) is square-shaped. (3c) and (3d) are protrusions having semicircular opening end portions that protrude inwardly from the center portions of the inner walls on both sides of the screw attachment hole (3). The protrusion (3c), the protrusion (3d)
is integrally molded with the front panel (2) using resin, or is bonded to the front panel (2) using an adhesive or the like.

(4) is a screw attached to the bottom (3a) of the screw attachment hole (3), which passes through the hole drilled in the center of the bottom (3a) of the screw attachment hole (3) and connects to the indoor unit. The front panel (
2) is fixed.

(5) is a screw cover that fits into the screw mounting hole (3) and covers the screw (4) to improve the external design, and has a square shape that matches the shape of the opening surface (3b) of the screw mounting hole (3). A shaped lid (5a) and two protruding plates (5b) and (5C) parallel to the back surface of the lid (5a) are integrally molded from a hard resin. A substantially U-shaped groove (5d) is formed by the protruding plate (5b) and the protruding plate (5C) of the screw cover (5). The screw cover (5) is aligned with the screw mounting hole (3) so that the outer surface of the lid (5a) is flush with the outer surface of the front panel (2) when inserted into the screw mounting hole (3). Each fitting dimension has been adjusted, and the external dimensions of the lid (5a) are made large enough to tightly cover the opening surface (3b) of the screw mounting hole (3) by utilizing the elasticity of the resin. There is.

That is, when the screw cover 5) is attached, the shape of the screw attachment hole (3) and the screw cover (5) is matched so that the difference in level is not noticeable when viewed from the front. Also,
The color of the outer surface of the lid part (5a) is color matched to be the same as that of the front panel (2). In addition, the lid part (5
When painting the outer surface of a), use the screw cover (5).
) is made of hard resin, so various resin materials and paints can be used, and unlike soft resin, there is no risk of bending and causing cracks on the painted surface.

Next, the attachment and detachment of the screw cover device of the air conditioner of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

First, when installing the screw cover (5), attach the screw (4) to the bottom (3) of the screw mounting hole (3) in the same manner as the conventional example.
a), then attach the screw cover (5) to the screw mounting hole (
3) into the opening surface (3b), and the bottom of the U-shaped groove (5d) is the protrusion (3C) of the screw mounting hole (3), the protrusion (3d)
Push it in until it touches the semicircular tip of the At this time, the screw cover (5) has a cover (5a) whose outer diameter is sized to tightly cover the opening surface (3b) of the screw mounting hole (3), and is made of resin. Due to this elastic force,
It is pressed against the inner wall of the screw mounting hole (3) and is stably held without coming off and falling due to vibration or the like. In addition,
The screw cover (5) is located at the protrusion (3c) of the screw mounting hole (3).
, positioning is performed by the outer periphery of the protrusion (3d) and the lid (5a).

Next, when removing the screw cover (5) for inspection, repair, etc., as shown in Figure 4, by pressing the lower part of the lid (5a) of the screw cover (5) with your finger, 3)
protrusion (3c), protrusion (3d) and screw cover (5)
The screw cover (5) rotates in the front-rear direction about the contact portion with the bottom surface of the U-shaped groove (5d), and the upper portion of the lid portion (5a) protrudes outward. So, I put my finger on this and the screw cover (
5) from the front panel (2).

In addition, in the above, the cover part (of the screw cover (5)) is
Although the case in which the lower part of 5a) is pressed is shown, it is clear that it can be removed in the same way even if the upper part is pressed.

In this way, the screw cover device for the air conditioner of the above embodiment has screws (4) formed at both lower ends of the front panel (2) and fixing the indoor unit main body (1) and the front panel (2). A protrusion (3C) and a protrusion (3d) are provided inside the screw mounting hole (3) attached to the bottom (3a), and
A screw cover (5) that is removably embedded in the screw attachment hole (3) and covers the screw (4) is attached to the U-shaped groove (5d), the protrusion (3C) of the screw attachment hole (3), and the protrusion. (3d
) is rotatable around the abutting part.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the bottom surface of the U-shaped groove (5d) of the screw cover (5) is connected to the protrusion (3) of the screw mounting hole (3).
The screw cover (5) can be easily attached by pushing it with your finger until it comes into contact with the screw cover (5) and the protrusion (3d). Also, when removing the screw cover (5), be sure to
5a) with a finger and rotate it around the protrusion (3C) inside the screw mounting hole (3) and the abutting part with the protrusion (3d), thereby protruding the other end; Can be removed. Therefore, the screw cover (5) can be removed without bending, and even if the screw cover (5) is attached and detached many times, there will be no bend lines, and the appearance will be maintained in good condition.

By the way, the protruding plate (5b) and protruding plate (5C) on the back surface of the screw cover (5) in the above embodiment may have a shape as shown in FIG. 5. That is, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a screw cover according to a modified example of the present invention, in which two opposing parts of the screw cover (5) are shown.
The outer surfaces of the protruding plate (5e) and the protruding plate (5f) are tapered. In the case of this modification, the screw mounting hole (5) of the screw cover (5) is guided by this tapered surface.
3) can be easily inserted.

In addition, the protruding plate (5b) and protruding plate (5C) on the back side of the screw cover (5), or the protruding plate (5e) and protruding plate (5f)
) can be eliminated; in short, the screw cover (
The shape of 5) is easy to insert into the screw mounting hole (3), can be rotated around the abutting portions of the screw mounting hole (3) with the protrusions (3c) and (3d), and has the required rigidity. It is sufficient as long as it has the following.

Note that the screw mounting hole (3) and screw cover (5) of the two-legged embodiment are configured to press against the lower part of the lid portion (5a) of the screw cover (5), but the present invention was not implemented. In this case, the structure is not limited to this, and the structure may be such that the upper part or the left and right ends are pressed.

Furthermore, although the screw attachment hole (3) in the above embodiment has two protrusions, the protrusion (3C) and the protrusion (3c), the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, it is also possible to provide three locations either above or below.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the screw cover device for an air conditioner according to the present invention is provided with a screw cover device formed on the front panel, and inside the screw mounting hole in which the screw for fixing the indoor unit main body and the front panel is installed at the bottom. A protrusion is provided, and a screw cover that is removably embedded in the screw mounting hole and covers the screw is rotatable about a contact portion with the protrusion of the screw mounting hole. Therefore, the screw cover can be easily attached by pushing the screw cover with a finger until it contacts the protrusion of the screw attachment hole. In addition, the screw cover can be removed by pushing the end of the cover with your finger and rotating it around the abutting part with the protrusion inside the screw mounting hole, so even if you attach and detach it many times, it will not bend. There are no lines and the appearance is maintained well.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a screw cover device for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the screw cover shown in FIG. 1 attached, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a screw cover of a modified example of the present invention. , Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an indoor unit of a conventional air conditioner, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a screw cap of a conventional air conditioner, and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the state in which the screw cap of Fig. 7 is attached. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the main part showing the operation of removing the screw cap shown in FIG. 7. In the figure, indoor unit main body 3: screw mounting hole 4: screw. In the drawings, the same reference numerals and the same symbols indicate the same or equivalent parts. 2: Front panel 3c, 3d: Protrusion 5: Screw cover

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A screw for fixing a front panel to an indoor unit main body, a screw mounting hole formed in the front panel, into which the screw is attached to the bottom, and having a protrusion inside; A screw cover for an air conditioner, comprising a screw cover that is removably embedded to cover the screw and is rotatable around a contact portion with a protrusion of the screw mounting hole. Device.