Metal enclosure and manufacturing method therefor
AssigneeTokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorSyuichi Dezawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a metal enclosure having a left side wall, a top wall, a right side wall and a bottom wall, at least two adjacent walls among these four walls are formed by folding a single plate as a starting material along predetermined folding lines and closed U-shaped ribs extending substantially perpendicular to said folding lines are formed by folding said walls. Each of said ribs has two rib walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said rib and one of the two rib walls at said front end of each of the two ribs extending toward said folding line is formed longer than the other. One rib wall thus extending longer than the other of said two front ends are fitted together. The connection of said two ribs is accomplished by spot welding said fitted rib walls.
Claims6
A metal enclosure having a left side wall, a top wall, a right side wall, and a bottom wall wherein:
- at least two adjacent walls among said four walls are formed by folding a single plate as a starting material along predetermined folding lines to form substantially a right angle,
- at least one closed U-shaped rib extends inwardly of said metal enclosure from each said wall, said rib being folded along a predetermined rib extending base line, and lying substantially perpendicular to said folding line,
- each said rib has two rib walls which are fixed to each other,
- ribs each formed to walls at both sides of said folding lines are fixed to each other at front ends thereof,
- said front ends of said ribs are so formed that the front end of one of the two rib walls is cut away so that the front end of the other of said two walls protrudes longer in the longitudinal direction of the rib than the the front end of said one of said walls, and the protruded part of said other rib wall of each rib can be fitted with the protruded part of said other rib wall of its paired rib opposite said folding line, and
- the fixing of the front ends of said ribs is accomplished by fixing said protruded and fitted rib walls.
A method for manufacturing a metal enclosure which has a left side wall, a top wall, a right side wall, a bottom wall, wherein at least two adjacent walls among these four walls are formed by folding a single plate as a starting material along predetermined folding lines comprising:
- a first step of forming holes for forming connecting portions on said folding lines of said starting material;
- a second step of forming closed U-shaped ribs which cross said holes for forming connecting portions and which stand upright from said starting material along rib forming lines defined substantially perpendicular to said folding lines, each said rib having two rib walls extending in the longitudinal direction of said ribs, and each of the rib walls having a front end extending longer than the other of said rib walls in the longitudinal direction of said rib due to the formation of said hole for forming the connecting part;
- a third step of folding said starting material along said folding lines so as to form a substantially right angle, the ribs formed at both sides of said folding lines being arranged to oppose each other substantially at right angles and said front ends of said rib walls on opposite sides of said folding lines being overlappingly fitted together;
- and
- a fourth step of fixing said two fitted rib walls, wherein said rib walls are not bent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.