Connecting structure for assembly and assembled apparatus using the same

A connecting structure for assembly includes a body, an inserting part, a latching part, and a control part. The body has a plug hole and a guide slot disposed toward the plug hole. The inserting part is detachably plugged into the plug hole correspondingly and has a latching portion. The latching part is slidely connected to and guided by the guide slot; the latching part has a latching body latched to the latching portion correspondingly. The control part is disposed movably in the body and selectively drives the latching part to reciprocate along the guide slot. Therefore, the esthetic effects of covering and hiding each other for assembled plates and the effect of a smooth, labor-saving, and even rotation for the control part are obtained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connection between two adjacent plates and in particular to a connecting structure for assembly and an assembled apparatus using the same.

Description of Prior Art

As for the connection between two adjacent plates of a cabinet or a case (for example, the joining plane of a vertical plate is joined to the joining side of a transversely placed plate through a connecting structure), a traditional connection uses nails which damage the surfaces of the plates. Thus, an additional process for esthetic appearance is required and becomes time-consuming, complicated and expensive.

The current connecting structure abandons the traditional nailed connection; thus, the plate surface will not be damaged and the additional process for esthetic appearance is not required. The current connecting structure comprises the cam lock nut and cam screw; an opening and a plug hole which are communicated with each other are formed on the surface and the joining side of the transversely placed plate, respectively; a throughhole is formed on the joining plane of the vertical plate.

One end of the cam screw is fixed to the throughhole of the vertical plate; the other end of the cam screw has a lock head. The cam lock nut which has a lock groove and an operating portion is embedded in the opening of the transversely placed plate; the operating portion is exposed on the surface of the transversely placed plate.

The connection process is described as follows. The other end of the cam screw is inserted in the plug hole of the transversely placed plate such that the lock head penetrates into the lock groove. Then, a hand tool is applied to rotate the operating portion such that the cam lock nut rotates with respect to the transversely placed plate and the lock head is latched by the rotated lock groove, incapable being separated. As a result, the vertical plate can be joined to the transversely placed plate without nails.

However, three holes in total have to be drilled on these tow plates for the current connecting structure; that is, the above-mentioned opening, plug hole, and throughhole. Only the plug hole and the throughhole are covered and hidden after the two plates are closed joined; the opening will be entirely exposed outside to affect esthetic appearance.

Additionally, in the current connecting structure, the rotation of the cam lock nut is done in the opening of the plate in which the cam lock nut is embedded and the uneven inner wall of the opening is immediately adjacent to the cam lock nut, which results in difficulty in rotating the cam lock nut when a hand tool is used to operate. Sometimes the cam lock nut is just stuck in an uneven position in the opening and cannot be rotated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a connecting structure for assembly and an assembled apparatus using the same, which can cover and hide the holes formed in two plates after assembly of the two plates and have the effect of a smooth, labor-saving, and even rotation for the control part to control and release the latching state without being stuck.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a connecting structure for assembly, which comprises a body, an inserting part, a latching part, and a control part. The body has a plug hole and a guide slot disposed toward and leading to the plug hole. The inserting part is detachably plugged into the plug hole correspondingly and has a latching portion. The latching part is slidely connected to and guided by the guide slot; the latching part has a latching body latched to the latching portion correspondingly. The control part is disposed movably in the body and selectively drives the latching part to reciprocate along the guide slot. When the control part drives the latching part to slide toward the plug hole, the latching body is latched to the latching portion correspondingly; when the control part drives the latching part to slide far away from the plug hole, the latching body is separated from the latching portion to release the latching state.

The present invention also provides an assembled apparatus using the connecting structure for assembly, which comprises a first plate having a joining plane, a second plate having a joining side disposed adjacent to the joining plane, and a connecting structure.

The connecting structure comprises a body, an inserting part, a latching part, and a control part. The body is embedded in the joining plane and has a plug hole and a guide slot disposed toward and leading to the plug hole. The inserting part is fixed on the joining side, is detachably plugged into the plug hole correspondingly, and has a latching portion. The latching part is slidely connected to and guided by the guide slot; the latching part has a latching body latched to the latching portion correspondingly. The control part is disposed movably in the body and selectively drives the latching part to reciprocate along the guide slot.

When the control part drives the latching part to slide toward the plug hole, the latching body is latched to the latching portion correspondingly to join the second plate to the first plate; when the control part drives the latching part to slide far away from the plug hole, the latching body is separated from the latching portion to release the latching state.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following effects. Only two holes are required for two plates to be assembled. The two holes can cover and hide each other after these two plates are assembled, which has the esthetic appearance. Also, the effect of a smooth and labor-saving rotation of the control part totally without being stuck can be obtained.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown inFIGS. 1-4, the present invention provides a connecting structure for assembly and an assembled apparatus using the connecting structure for assembly. The assembled apparatus comprises a first plate800, a second plate900, and at least one connecting structure100joined between the first plate800and the second plate900. The connecting structure100comprises a body1, a latching part2, a control part3, and an inserting part4.

The body1may have any shape and a cylinder is used as an example as shown inFIGS. 1-4. The body1has a first end surface1aand a second end surface1b, both of which are opposite to each other. The body1also defines an axial direction D which is roughly perpendicular to the first end surface1aand the second end surface1b. A plug hole11and a shaft hole13are formed in the body1along the axial direction D; a plug opening111is formed in the plug hole11on the first end surface1a; another opening (not labeled) is formed in the shaft hole13on the first end surface1a. A guide slot12is formed radially in the body1toward and leading to the plug hole11. Preferably, the guide slot12connects between the plug hole11and the shaft hole13such that the plug hole11, the guide slot12, and the shaft hole13together form a U-like shape. Also, the guide slot12communicates with and intersects with the plug hole11and the shaft hole13.

The inserting part4may be any component having a function of insertion and connection; a rod body is used as an example as shown inFIGS. 1-4. The inserting part4has an end which is detachably plugged into the plug hole11and has a latching portion41. The latching portion41may be any structure having a function of being latched; a neck portion formed at an end of the rod body is used as an example as shown inFIGS. 1-4.

The latching part2may be any component having a latching function; a tongue sheet is used as an example as shown inFIGS. 1-4. The latching part2is slidely connected to and guided by the guide slot12; the latching part2has a latching body21latched to the latching portion41correspondingly. The latching body21may be any structure having a latching function. For example, the latching body21may be at least one projecting ear which is formed at an end of the tongue sheet and extends into and latches the neck portion correspondingly as shown inFIGS. 1-4. Preferably, the latching body21comprises two projecting ears disposed in parallel and a cut211is formed between these two projecting ears such that these two projecting ears can extend into and latch the neck portion correspondingly.

The control part3may be any component which has a control function and moves with respect to the body1; as shown inFIGS. 1-4, a shaft is used as an example and is rotationally and axially connected in the shaft hole13to rotate. One end of the shaft is the driving end32which eccentrically drives the latching part2to reciprocate along the guide slot12; the other end of the shaft is the control end31which is exposed out of the above-mentioned another opening to be controlled by the user. Therefore, the shaft can rotate clockwise or counterclockwise to drive the latching part2along the guide slot12to move toward or away from the plug hole11. The so-called “axially connected” means the shaft and the shaft hole13are axially pivoted together such that the shaft can rotate around its own axis.

The driving end32of the control part3can drive the latching part2to slide using any kind of structure; for example, as shown inFIGS. 1-4, a protrusion321eccentrically projecting from the driving end32. A latching slot22is formed on the latching part2at a corresponding position where the protrusion321can be inserted into the latching slot22such that the control part3can use the protrusion321to eccentrically drive the latching part2to slide back and forth.

The control end31of the control part3can be provided with a straight groove or a cross groove for the user to rotate the control part3with respect to the body1with a hand tool such as a slotted screwdriver or a Phillips head screwdriver.

One of the first plate800and the second plate900may be a vertical plate (e.g., the left plate or the right plate); the other may be a transversely placed plate (e.g., the top plate or the bottom plate). The joining side9of the second plate900is joined to the joining plane8of the first plate800.

A buried hole81is formed on the joining plane8; the body1is embedded and fixed in the buried hole81such that the first end surface1ais exposed out of the buried hole81, at most flush with the joining plane8. Thus, the plug hole11and the control end31are both exposed out of the buried hole81. The other end of the inserting part4is inserted in and fixed in the joining side9such that one end of the latching portion41protrudes from the joining side9.

Please refer toFIGS. 4-6together withFIGS. 3 and 7. During the assembly process, the inserting part4is first inserted axially into and connected in the plug hole11such that the area of the joining side9corresponding to the plug opening111coves half of the first end surface1a(refer toFIG. 3 or 1). Then, because the control end31is still exposed out of the other half of the first end surface1a, the user can easily apply the hand tool to rotate the control part3. In this way, the protrusion321eccentrically drives the latching part2to slide radially (toward the plug hole11as shown inFIG. 5). When the latching part2slides to the limit of the guide slot12, the latching body21extends into the latching portion41to be latched (refer toFIG. 6). At this time, the inserting part4cannot be put out such that the joining side9of the second plate900is joined to the joining plane8of the first plate800.

Conversely, during the disassembly process, only the control part3is reversed to eccentrically drive the latching part2to slide out reversely such that the latching body21is separated from the latching portion41to release the latching state. Then, the inserting part4can be removed reversely to detach the second plate900from the first plate800.

As shown inFIGS. 1-3, preferably, a supporting flange14further protrudes from the other half of the first end surface1aof the body1to just carry and support the second plate900, in the gravity direction, as the top plate to significantly enhance the structural strength of the assembled cabinet or case in which the supporting flange14protrudes from the first end surface1a(refer toFIG. 3) and the control end31is further exposed out of the supporting flange14.

As shown inFIG. 8, the second plate900as the bottom plate is pressed against by means of the disposition of the supporting flange14in the anti-gravity direction. Because a foot5is disposed on the bottom side, not close to the edge, of the second plate900as the bottom plate, the first plate800is hung in the air. Further, the weight of the first plate800is applied to the top surface of the second plate900through the supporting flange14. In other words, either the top plate or the bottom plate can be supported or pressed against by the supporting flange14.

In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following effects. Only two holes are required for the first plate800and the second plate900to be assembled. That is, the buried hole81and the hole (not labeled) for the fixing of the inserting part4. Also, the two holes are covered and hidden each other after the first plate800and the second plate900are closed joined together, which provides an esthetic appearance. The control part3in the shaft hole13rotates with respect to the body1instead of the rotation of the body1with respect to the buried hole81; thus, the control part3used to control and release the latching state has the effect of a smooth and labor-saving rotation totally without being stuck in the inner wall of the shaft hole13.

Moreover, the present invention has other effects. By means of the control part3eccentrically driving the latching part2to reciprocate along the guide slot12, a high driving speed is achieved and the user rotates the hand tool for only a half turn to latch or unlatch, which is very fast and convenient for the assembly process. Also, only a small portion of the latching body21is required to achieve the latching and the unlatching and thus only a short course of reciprocation of the latching part2is needed to relatively decrease the inner diameter of the shaft hole13to the minimum size. In this way, the control end31exposed out of the first end surface1aand the inner diameter of the shaft hole13can be decreased to the minimum sizes, which hardly affects the esthetic appearance. Through the supporting flange14, the second plate900as the top plate or the bottom plate can be supported or be pressed against, which greatly enhances the structural strength of the assembled cabinet or case.