Metal Plate With Tapped Hole, Frame And Method For Manufacturing Metal Plate With Tapped Hole
Abstract:
In the metal plate with a tapped hole,the tapped hole is provided with a cylindrical outer wall section that rises from one surface of the metal plate and a cylindrical inner wall section, which is folded back from the edge of the outer wall section on the inside of the outer wall section. A female screw is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner wall section.
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
c/o NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION 6 1 Marunouchi 2 chome Chiyoda ku Tokyo
1008071
2. MIKAZUKI Yutaka
c/o NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION 6 1 Marunouchi 2 chome Chiyoda ku Tokyo
1008071
3. HAMADA Koichi
c/o NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION 6 1 Marunouchi 2 chome Chiyoda ku Tokyo
1008071
4. SAKURADA Eisaku
c/o NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION 6 1 Marunouchi 2 chome Chiyoda ku Tokyo
1008071
Specification
[Technical Field of the Invcntion]
[OOOl]
The present invention relates to a metal plate with a screw hole, a housing,
and a mcthod of manufacturing the metal plate with a screw hole. More particularly,
the present invention relates to a metal plate with a screw hole that includes screw
holes having excellent fastening force between the screw hole and a male screw and
can prevcnt damage to the screw holes in spite of the reduction of the thickness of the
metal plate, a housing including the metal plate with a screw hole, and a mcthod of
manufacturing the metal plate with a screw hole.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-154105, filed on
July 25,2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[Related Art]
[0002]
Metal plates, which have been formed into various shapes by cutting or
bending, are lrequently used in a housing of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner or a
transformer. Since a screw structure is widely used at a mounting portion between
this kind of metal plate and another metal plate of a housing or an attached component,
therc is a case in which screw holes are formcd in the metal plate.
100031
FIG. 11 is a view schematically showing a conventional screw hole of a metal
plate and is a longitudinal sectional view when viewed in a section including a central
axis of the screw hole. In FIG. 11, a metal plate 5 10 including a screw hole is shown
and a male screw 550 and another metal plate 551 including a through hole 55 la are
shown by an imaginary line for easy understanding of the structure. The metal plate
5 10 shown in FIG. 11 includes a cylindrical vertical wall portion 5 11 serving as a
screw hole (hereinafter, the vertical wall portion 51 1 may be referred to as a screw hole
5 11). One end of the vertical wall portion 5 11 is connected to a body 5 13 of the metal
plate and a female screw 5 11 b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the vertical
wall portion 5 11. When the metal plate 55 1 including a through hole 55 la is
mounted on the metal plate 5 10 so as to overlap the metal plate 510, the male screw
550 is inserted into the through hole 551a and screwed into thc screw hole 511 to join
the metal plate 551 to the metal plate 510. Since the screw hole 51 1 can be , formed in
the metal plate by burring and is most easily formed, the screw hole is widely used
$
if FIGS. 12A and 12B arc longitudinal sectional views schematically showing
j:
'1I examples of steps of forming a conventional screw hole of a metal plate, of which FIG.
12A shows a drilling step, and FIG. 12B shows a burring step. When the screw hole
5 11 is to be formed, a prepared hole is formed first in a metal plate 520 that is a
working object. The forming of the prepared hole can be performed by shcaring or
cutting. When the prepared hole is formed by shearing, for example, a drilling punch
531 and a drilling die 532 shown in FIG. 12A are used. When the punch 531 and the
die 532 approach each other, a part of the metal plate 520 is pushed into a through hole
of the die 532 together with the punch 53 1. As a result, a part of the metal plate 520
is cut out and separated by blades of the punch 531 and thc die 532, so that the
prepared hole is formed.
[0005]
A stretch flange, which forms a vertical wall portion, is formed at the metal
plate 520, in which thc prepared hole has been formed, by burring. As shown in FIG.
12B, a burring punch 533, a burring die 534, and a blank holder 539 are used in
burring. In thc burring, the punch 533, the die 534, and the blank holder 539 are
moved so as to approach one another while the metal plate 520 is clamped by the die
534 and the blank holder 539. Accordingly, a peripheral portion of the prepared hole
of the metal plate 520 is pushed into a recess of the die 534 together with the punch
533. For this reason, while being stretched in a push-in direction of the punch 533,
the peripheral portion of the prcpared hole of the metal plate 520 is increased in a
radial direction. As a result, the cylindrical stretch flange, that is, the vertical wall
portion 5 11 is formed.
[0006]
It is possible to form the screw hole 511 in the metal plate 520 by forming the
female screw 511b on the inner peripheral surfacc of the cylindrical vertical wall
I
I portion 511, which is formed as described above, using, for example, a tap (not shown).
Conventionally, various screw holes have been proposed as a screw hole of a
metal plate as described in, for example, Patent Document 1. Screw holes are formed
in a second metal plate member among components of a housing proposed in Patent
Document 1. The screw hole of the second metal plate member includes a first flat
plate portion and a second flat plate portion that are formed so as to face each other by
the folding-back of an end edge of the metal plate member. Tbc screw hole of the
second metal plate member further includes: a first cylindrical portion that protrudes
from the first flat plate portion in a cyliildrical shape and includes a screw-together
portion on an inner peripheral surface thereof; and a second cylindrical portion that
protrudes from the second flat plate poi-tion in a cylindrical shape, includes a screwtogether
portion on an inner peripheral surface thereof, and is arranged substantially in
series with the first cylindrical portion. According to the second mctal plate member,
the fcmale screws are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the first and second
cylindrical portions as the screw-together portions. Accordingly, it is described that
tightening torque can be ensured by an increase of the axial dimension of a portion of
the female screw coming into contact with a male screw.
[OOOS]
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a structure in which, after a first thin
plate including a first cylindrical portion and a second thin plate including a second
cylindrical portion overlap each other so that the first cylindrical portion is coaxially
fitted into the second cylindrical portion, a tapping screw is screwed together with the
inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion from the second thin plate and
fastens the second thin plate to the first thin plate.
[Prior Art Document]
[Patent Document]
[0009]
[Patent Docun~cnt 11 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First
Publication No. 201 1-214802
[Patent Document 21 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First
Publication No. 2012-241 839
[Disclosure of the Invention]
[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
[OOlO]
In the conventional screw hole of thc metal plate 5 10 shown in FIG. 11, the
female screw 5 11b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the vertical wall portion
(stretch flange) 5 11 formed by burring. A fastening force between the screw hole 51 1,
which is formed by burring as described above, and a male screw is decreased with the
reduction of the thickness of a mctal plate that is used Sor electric home appliances,
automotive components, etc. and required to be reduced in weight. Further, there is
also a case in which the screw threads of the screw hole 51 1 and the screw threads of
the male screw 550 are not engaged with each other due to the deformation of the
screw hole 5 11, that is, the screw hole 5 11 is damaged.
[OOll]
Furthermore, a screw hole, which includes the first and second flat plate
portions disposed so as to face each other and includes the cylindrical portions formed
on the first and second flat plate portions and including the screw-together portions,
has been proposed as the screw hole in Patent Document 1. According to this
structure, it is described that tightening torque can be ensured by an increase olthe
axial dimension of a portion of the lemale screw coming into contact with a male
screw. For the forming of this screw hole, a cylindrical portion needs to be formed by
burring afier a prepared hole is formed in the first flat plate portion, a cylindrical
portion needs to he formed by burring after a prepared hole is formed in the sccond flat
plate portion, the first flat plate portion then needs to be folded back so as to overlap
the second flat plate portion, and a female screw needs to be furthcr formed. Since
worlting requires six steps as described above, the number of times of working is
significantly increased. Moreover, since the ccnters of the two cylindrical portions
need to correspond to each other when the first flat plate portion needs to be folded
hack so as to overlap the second llat plate portion, high bending accuracy is required.
For these reasons, there is a problem in that worlting costs are significantly increased
when the screw hole disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed in a metal plate.
[0012]
In addition, Patent Document 2 intcnds to prevent a relative position deviation
between the first and second thin plates by the elimination of allowance between the
first and second cylindrical portions as in "since the first cylindrical portion is swelled
out in a radial direction and comes into pressure contact with the second cylindrical
portion, the thin plates are firmly fixed to each other by screw members without
looseness" described fn Paragraph No. [0014].
In this structure, when a dimensional difference between the inner diameter of
the second cylindrical portion and the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion is
large, the first cylindrical portion cannot sufficiently come into pressure contact with
the second cylindrical portion even though, for example, the first cylindrical portion is
swelled out in the radial direction. As a result, there is a concern that the abovementioned
effects may not be obtained. Accordingly, it is preferable to reduce the
above-mentioned dimensional difference (clearance) to a certain level to obtain a
sufficient fastening force. However, it is difficult to fit the first cylindrical portion
into the second cylindrical portion in this case, and in some cases, there is also a
concern that a tapping screw may be screwed by mistake even though the firs1
cylindrical portion is not appropriately fitted into the second cylindrical portion. In
this case, naturally, the first and second thin plates cannot be reliably fixed to each
other. Moreover, since this kind of screw hole is generally provided not only at one
position but also at a plurality of positions, it is not possible to deny that the probability
of this operational error is not low. Accordingly, the structure of Patent Document 2
is also not necessarily sufficient in terms of reliably obtaining a sufficient fastening
force.
[0013]
The invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned
circumstances, and an objcct of the invention is to provide a metal plate with a screw
hole which can hold back an increase in working costs and of which the screw holes
arc excellent in a fastening force between the screw hole and a male screw and in
which damage to the screw holes can be prevented in spite ofthe reduction ofthe
thicltness of the metal plate, a housing including the metal plate with a screw hole, and
a method of manufacturing the metal plate with a screw hole.
[Means for Solving the l'roblem]
[0014]
Tn order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the inventors obtained the
following factors (a) to (d) by analyzing the phenomena of the decrease in a fastening
force of thc screw and damage to the screw that are caused by Lhe reduction of the
thicltness of a conventional metal plate described with reference to FIG. 11.
(a) In burring, the thickness of the root portion of the vertical wall portion 51 1
is decreased as the cylindrical vertical wall portion 51 1 is formed. Meanwhile, "the
root portion" means a portion 5 11 a, which is connected to the body 5 13 of the metal
plate, of the vertical wall portion 51 1 as surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 11.
(h) A screw groove is formed to the root portion of which the thickness is
decreased due to the decrease in the thickness of (a), so that a very thin portion is
formed.
(c) The very thin portion is elastically dcformed, so that a fastening force is
decreased. Further, when the male screw 550 is screwed (tightened), there is a case in
which the very thin portion is plastically dcformed and the screw hole 51 1 is damaged
or broken.
(d) When the male screw 550 is screwed, loosened, or the like, there is a case
in which the cylindrical vertical wall portion 511 is plastically deformed in a diameterincreasing
direction and a contact area between the screw threads of the screw hole 51 1
and the screw threads of the male screw 550 is decreased. In this case, there is also a
case in which a fastening force is decreased and the screw hole 5 11 is damaged
[00 151
As a result of earnest investigation based on these phenomena, the inventors
have conceived that a screw hole is formed as a double wall including a cylindrical
outer wall portion rising from a metal plate and a cylindrical inner wall portion folded
back inward from the outer wall portion and a female screw is formed on the inner
peripheral surface of the inner wall portion. Accordingly, even when the thickness of
the metal plate is small, the screw hole is excellent in a fastening force between the
screw hole and a male screw and damage to the screw hole can be prevented.
Further, the inventors have conceived that substantially the same effects are
obtained even when another aspect ofthe screw hole is formed as a double wall
including a cylindrical inner wall portion rising from a metal plate and a cylindrical
outer wall portion folded back outward from the inner wall portion and a female screw
is formed on the inner per~pherals urface of the inner wall portion.
[0016]
The invention has been completely made on the basis of the above-mentioned
knowledge, and the gist thereof will be described below.
[0017]
(1) According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a metal plate
with a screw holc. The screw hole includes a cylindrical outer wall portion that rises
from one surface of the metal plate and a cylindrical inner wall portion that is folded
back to the inside of the outer wall portion from an end cdgc of the outer wall portion,
and a female screw is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the inner wall portion.
(2) In the metal plate with a screw hole according to (I), an end of the inner
wall portion and the other surface of the metal plate may be made flush with each other.
(3) In the metal plate with a scrcw hole according to (I), an outer peripheral
surface of the inner wall portion may be separated from an inner peripheral surface of
the outer wall portion when a male screw is not screwed together with the female
screw of the screw hole, and at least a part of the outer peripheral surface ol the inner
wall portion may come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall
portion when the male screw is screwed together with the female screw of the screw
I
1
I hole.
!
(4) In the case of the metal plate with a screw hole according to (3), an end of
the inner wall portion and the other surface of the metal plate may be made flush with
each other.
[0018]
(5) According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a metal
plate with a screw hole. The screw hole includes a cylindrical inner wall portion that
rises from one surface oS the metal plate and a cylindrical outer wall portion that is
folded back to the outside of the inner wall poition from an end edge of the inner wall
poition, and a female screw is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the inner wall
portion.
[00 191
i (6) According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
housing including: a metal plate with a scrcw hole; a member that includes a through
hole; and a male screw that is screwed into the screw hole whilc being inserted into the
through hole and joins the metal plate to the member including the through hole. The
metal plate is the metal plate with a screw hole acco~dingto any one of (1) to (5).
[0020]
(7) According to still another aspect ofthe invention, there is provided a
method of manufacturing the metal plate with a screw hole according to any one of (1)
to (4). The method includes: a step of forming the outer wall portion and a disc
portion which is connected to an inner portion of the outer wall portion, at the metal
plate; a step of forming a prepared hole at a center of the disc portion; a step of
forming the inner wall portion by bending the disc portion, in which the prepared hole
has been formed, to the inside of the outer wall portion; and a step of forming the
female screw on the inner peripheral surface of the formed inner wall portion.
(8) In the method of manufacturing the metal plate with a screw hole
according to (7), a punch, which has a dimension of a shoulder having a radius R (mm)
satisfying the following expression (a), may be used in the step of forming the outer
wall portion and the disc portion at the metal plate having a thickness t (mm).
0.5ilUticen of
Tables 1 to 3 are as follows:
VG (Very Good) means that "TBlTA21.2" is satisfied.
GD (Good) means that "1.2>TBITA~.IO n is satisfied.
FA (Fair) means that "l.O>TBITA>O.X" is satisfied.
BD (Bad) means that "TB/TA