Range hood

Abstract

To inhibit falling of an operation part from a range hood and achieve improvement of workability of removal work of the operation part.SOLUTION: A range hood includes an operation part, a ventilation box, a hood having an insertion port for inserting the operation part, and a back member which is fitted in the operation part inserted into the insertion port in the hood and used to fix the operation part with snap fitting. The operation part has a fitting part which fits in the back member and provided with a plurality of recessed parts. The back member has: a fitting port for fitting with the fitting part; a plurality of protruding parts which engage with the recessed parts; and release mechanisms for releasing the recessed parts engaged with the protruding parts by pinching the release mechanisms with fingers. When the operation part and the back member are fitted, the protruding parts and the recessed parts are disposed in a release area formed from a center line of a width of the release mechanism to a length of 2.5 times longer than or equal to a width of the release mechanism in a longitudinal direction of the back member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a range hood. [Background technology]

[0002] A range hood has an airflow generator such as a sirocco fan or turbo fan built in, and takes in indoor air through an opening on the underside of the hood and exhausts it. A filter is attached to the intake port to capture oily smoke and other substances generated during cooking from the intake air.

[0003] An operation unit is provided on the front of the hood, allowing the user of the range hood to input operation operations such as starting and stopping the range hood, adjusting the ventilation volume, etc. An operation unit is known that is inserted into an insertion port provided on the front of the hood and is removably fixed to the range hood inside the hood with an attachment / detachment mechanism such as a screw or a snap fit. In this type of operation unit, the attachment / detachment mechanism for the operation unit is located inside the hood. Therefore, the attachment / detachment mechanism is not exposed to the outside of the hood, improving the aesthetic appearance of the range hood. In addition, adhesion of oil stains and the like to the attachment / detachment mechanism is suppressed, improving the cleanability of the range hood.

[0004] When performing range hood maintenance, the operation unit may need to be removed or attached. In range hoods where the operation unit attachment / detachment mechanism is located inside the hood, workers must access the inside of the hood to attach or detach the operation unit. In typical range hoods, a removable bottom panel is provided on the underside of the hood. By removing the bottom panel, workers can access the inside of the hood.

[0005] The underside of the hood is exposed to oily smoke and is therefore prone to the adhesion of oily stains. If a bottom panel is provided on the underside of the hood, a seam will form on the outer edge of the bottom panel. In range hoods that have a bottom panel, oily stains will adhere to the seams of the bottom panel. Oily stains that adhere to the seams are difficult to clean. For this reason, range hoods that employ seamless hoods on the underside (hereinafter simply referred to as "seamless hoods") to improve the cleanability of range hoods are known.

[0006] In a seamless hood, a removable top panel is provided on the top of the hood. The operator needs to access the inside of the hood from the top side of the hood with the top panel removed. Therefore, the operator had to peer into the top side of the hood with the top panel removed to attach and detach the control part. Therefore, in a range hood that uses a seamless hood, the burden on the operator when attaching and detaching the control part was great.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a transmitter for operating a ventilation fan, which includes a transmitter body that is detachably provided as an operating part for the ventilation fan body. Patent Document 2 discloses an electronic device mounting device that includes a release operation part that can release the engagement between the locking claw and the uneven part by pinching with fingers, in order to facilitate the operation of releasing the engagement between the electronic device and the mounting adapter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-143574 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-324981 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The inventors considered that the ease of removal of the operating part in a range hood employing a seamless hood could be improved by adopting a snap fit as the attachment / detachment mechanism for the operating part described in Patent Document 1, and releasing the snap fit with a release operating part (hereinafter referred to as the "release mechanism") that is pinched with the fingers as described in Patent Document 2. However, a simple combination of the technologies described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 did not sufficiently improve the ease of removal of the operating part in a range hood employing a seamless hood.

[0010] The present inventor analyzed in detail the reason why the operability of the operation of removing the operating unit is not sufficiently improved. As a result, the present inventor found that there is a problem specific to the operation of removing the operating unit in a range hood that employs a seamless hood. Specifically, in order to prevent the operating unit from falling off during cooking, there are multiple engagement points between the convex and concave parts when the operating unit is fixed by snap fitting. When removing the operating unit in a range hood that employs a seamless hood, the worker has to pinch the release mechanism with his / her fingers in an unnatural position while twisting his / her wrist. As a result, there are cases where a sufficient force is not applied to the release mechanism, and the engagement between the convex and concave parts located away from the release mechanism is not released (hereinafter simply referred to as an "unreleased state"). [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A range hood according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an operating unit, a blower box equipped with a fan, a hood attached to the underside of the blower box, the hood having an insertion opening for inserting the operating unit and an opening for taking in air into the blower box, and a backing member inside the hood that engages with the operating unit inserted into the insertion opening and detachably fixes the operating unit by a snap fit, the operating unit having an engagement portion that engages with the backing member, the engagement portion having a plurality of recesses in the longitudinal direction, the backing member having an engagement opening for engaging with the engagement portion, a plurality of protrusions in the longitudinal direction that engage the recesses, and a release mechanism for releasing the engagement of the recesses by the protrusions when pinched with fingers, the protrusions and the recesses being arranged in a plurality of positions in a release region in the longitudinal direction of the backing member when the operating unit and the backing member are engaged, from a center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length of 2.5 times or less of the width of the release mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability of removing the operating part while preventing the operating part from falling off the range hood. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the range hood. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the range hood from below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the range hood from above. [Figure 4] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an operator attaches and detaches the operation unit. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the operating unit is removed from the side surface of the hood. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the back member and the operating portion during removal of the operating portion. FIG. [Figure 8] 11A to 11C are explanatory views showing the state of the backing member and the operating portion during the installation work of the operating portion. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the release region of the backing member and the positions of the protrusions and recesses. FIG. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples of the arrangement positions of the convex portions and the concave portions. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a backing member for evaluation prepared in Example 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a backing member for mass production produced in Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] [Overview of the embodiment of the present invention] Hereinafter, an outline of an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0015] (1) The range hood according to this embodiment is An operation unit; a blower box having a fan; a hood attached to a lower side of the ventilation box, the hood having an insertion opening for inserting the operating unit and an opening for taking in air into the ventilation box; a backing member that fits with the operating part inserted into the insertion opening inside the hood and removably fixes the operating part by snap-fitting; Equipped with The operation portion has a fitting portion that fits with the back member, The fitting portion has a plurality of recesses in a longitudinal direction, The backing material is a fitting opening for fitting with the fitting portion; A plurality of protrusions in a longitudinal direction for engaging the recesses; a release mechanism for releasing the engagement of the protrusion with the recess by pinching with fingers; having When the operating portion and the backing member are engaged, the convex portion and the concave portion are arranged in a release area in the longitudinal direction of the backing member, from the center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length not greater than 2.5 times the width of the release mechanism.

[0016] In the above configuration, when the operating portion and the backing member are fitted together, the operating portion and the backing member are locked by the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses, which prevents the operating portion from falling off the range hood.

[0017] In the above configuration, the protrusion and the recess are disposed in the release area where the locked state of the protrusion and the recess is released even when the release mechanism is not gripped with enough force by the fingers, thereby preventing the occurrence of an unreleased state and improving the operability of removing the operating unit.

[0018] (2) The range hood according to this embodiment is The above food, a seamless underside in which the opening is provided; and a side surface extending upward from an outer edge of the lower surface and having the insertion opening; a top surface having a removable panel for providing access to the interior of the hood; The optical fiber 10 may be configured to have the following configuration.

[0019] According to the above configuration, in a range hood that uses a seamless hood, which has no seams on the underside of the hood, it is possible to prevent the operating part from falling off while improving the operability of removing the operating part.

[0020] (3) In the range hood of this embodiment, the backing member may be configured to have a finger hook portion for applying force with a finger to the center of the short side of the fitting opening when fixing the operating portion and the backing member by snap fitting.

[0021] The inventor discovered that when installing the operating part of a range hood that uses a seamless hood, the worker may fit the backing member into the operating part by feel, which may result in a state in which the convex part of the backing member does not sufficiently engage the concave part of the operating part (hereinafter simply referred to as an "unlocked state").

[0022] In the above configuration, the finger hook for applying force to the center of the short side of the fitting opening allows the operator to apply force efficiently to the backing member when fitting the operating part into the backing member. This reduces the occurrence of an unlatched state and prevents the operating part from falling off the range hood. In addition, the ease of installation of the operating part is improved.

[0023] (4) The range hood according to the present embodiment may be configured so that the finger hook portions are disposed at least on both longitudinal ends of the backing member.

[0024] With the above-mentioned configuration, the occurrence of an unlocked state is further reduced, and the operating part is further prevented from falling off the range hood.

[0025] (5) The range hood according to this embodiment may be configured so that the release mechanisms are arranged in multiple locations that are line-symmetric in the longitudinal direction of the backing member, with the center line of the longitudinal direction of the backing member as a reference.

[0026] With the above configuration, the release mechanisms are arranged in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member. That is, the release regions are arranged in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member. This further reduces the occurrence of an unreleased state, and improves the operability of removing the operating unit.

[0027] In addition, the above-described configuration allows the plurality of protrusions and recesses to be arranged in a well-balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member and the fitting portion, which further prevents the operating part from falling off the range hood.

[0028] (6) The range hood of this embodiment may be configured so that the release area is an area in the longitudinal direction of the backing member that extends from a center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length that is 0.8 times or less the width of the release mechanism.

[0029] With the above-described configuration, the occurrence of an unreleased state is further suppressed, and the workability of removing the operating unit is further improved.

[0030] (7) The range hood according to the present embodiment may be configured so that the total length of the release region in the longitudinal direction of the backing member is 40% or more of the longitudinal length of the backing member.

[0031] With the above-mentioned configuration, the release area is sufficiently secured with respect to the longitudinal length of the backing member, and the plurality of protrusions and recesses can be arranged in a well-balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member and the fitting portion, which further prevents the operating part from falling off the range hood.

[0032] (8) The range hood according to the present embodiment may be configured so that the width of the release mechanism is equal to or greater than 20 mm and equal to or less than 40 mm.

[0033] With the above-described configuration, the ease of removing the operation unit is improved.

[0034] (9) In the range hood according to the present embodiment, the backing member may be configured so that a slit is formed on a surface of each of both longitudinal ends, the slit being open towards the fitting opening.

[0035] With the above-described configuration, the ease of attaching and detaching the operating unit is further improved.

[0036] <Details of the embodiment of the present invention> Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any desired manner.

[0037] [Range hood] Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of range hood 1. Two double-headed arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the height and depth directions of range hood 1, respectively. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of range hood 1 from below. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of range hood 1 from above. Three double-headed arrows in Figs. 2 and 3 indicate the height, width, and depth directions of range hood 1, respectively. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the manner in which an operator OP attaches and detaches operating unit 200.

[0038] The range hood 1 has an airflow box 3 with a built-in fan 4, which is an airflow generator, and a flat box-shaped hood 2 with an open bottom attached to the lower part of the airflow box 3. The bottom surface 2a of the hood 2 has an opening 5 for taking in air into the airflow box 3. A filter 6 is provided in the opening 5. A straightening plate 8 is supported by a hinge portion 7 and a magnetic portion 9 below the bottom surface 2a and upstream of the airflow of the opening 5 so as to cover the opening 5 while being spaced apart from the bottom surface 2a. The straightening plate 8 straightens the flow of air sucked in from the opening 5. The hinge portion 7 supports the straightening plate 8 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction with the rear edge of the straightening plate 8 as a base end.

[0039] In range hood 1, the air in the room where range hood 1 is installed rises due to the airflow generated by fan 4 and hits underside 2a and straightening plate 8, and is sucked into opening 5 through the gap between underside 2a and straightening plate 8. At that time, the air passes through filter 6, which collects oil and dust contained in the air. The air sucked in from opening 5 passes through an opening (not shown) in hood 2 and is taken into blower box 3, and then passes through fan 4 and is exhausted to the outside of the machine.

[0040] The side surface 2b of the hood 2 is configured to extend upward from the outer edge of the lower surface 2a. The lower surface 2a and the side surface 2b are made of enamel containing, for example, iron, cobalt, nickel, etc. The hood 2 is a seamless hood that has no seams on the lower surface 2a. In the range hood 1, the lower surface 2a and the side surface 2b are configured without seams.

[0041] The hood 2 is a flat box type that is horizontal or nearly horizontal when the range hood 1 is installed. The back surface of the hood 2 and the back surface of the air blower box 3 are flush or nearly flush, and the range hood 1 can be installed with its back surface in contact with a wall surface inside the room (wall-mounted type). In the following explanation, it is assumed that the range hood 1 is installed with its back surface mounted to a wall. The range hood 1 may also be installed with its sides mounted to a wall. The range hood 1 may also be installed in contact with a ceiling without being in contact with a wall surface (ceiling-mounted type).

[0042] The range hood 1 has an operating unit 200 on a side surface 2b on the front side of the hood 2. The operating unit 200 is detachably fixed to the side surface 2b by a snap fit, as a fitting portion 210 inserted into an insertion opening IS provided on the side surface 2b (described later) fits into a backing member 100 inside the hood 2.

[0043] As described above, since the hood 2 is a seamless hood, it is not possible to access the inside of the hood 2 from the bottom surface 2a side. For this reason, a top panel 10 that is detachably fixed to the range hood 1 is provided on the top surface 2c of the hood 2. By removing the top panel 10 from the range hood 1, it is possible to access the inside of the hood 2. In other words, the worker OP performing the work of attaching and detaching the operating unit 200 removes the top panel 10 from the range hood 1, and accesses the backing member 100 inside the hood 2 from the upper side of the hood 2.

[0044] The range hood 1 is generally installed at a high position in a room. As described above, since the hood 2 of the range hood 1 is a seamless hood, the inside of the hood 2 cannot be accessed from below the hood 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, an operator OP who performs the work of attaching or detaching the operating unit 200 must perform the work by looking into the upper side of the hood 2 from which the top panel 10 has been removed. In other words, the operator OP performs the work of attaching or detaching the operating unit 200 in an unnatural posture under conditions where it is difficult to see the inside of the hood 2.

[0045] [Backing and operation section] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the operating unit 200 has been removed from the front side surface 2b of the hood 2. Three double-sided arrows in FIG. 5 indicate the longitudinal direction, the transverse direction, and the depth direction of the operating unit 200, respectively. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the back member 100. Three double-sided arrows in FIG. 6 indicate the longitudinal direction, the transverse direction, and the depth direction of the back member 100, respectively. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the back member 100 and the operating unit 200 during the process of removing the operating unit 200. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the back member 100 and the operating unit 200 during the process of attaching the operating unit 200.

[0046] The back member 100 has a release mechanism 110, a finger hook portion 120, a protrusion 130, a slit 140, and a buffer portion 150. The operation portion 200 has a fitting portion 210, a panel portion 220, and a recessed portion 230. The side surface 2b of the hood 2 has an insertion opening IS into which the fitting portion 210 of the operation portion 200 is inserted.

[0047] In a state where the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b, the fitting portion 210 inserted into the insertion opening IS is fitted with the backing member 100 inside the hood 2. A recess 230 is provided on a side surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the fitting portion 210. As shown in FIG. 5, the operating unit 200 has four recesses 230 on one side surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the fitting portion 210. Similarly, four recesses 230 are provided on the other side surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the fitting portion 210 (not shown). The recesses 230 provided on one side surface and the recesses 230 provided on the other side surface are disposed at positions facing each other in the lateral direction of the fitting portion 210.

[0048] The back member 100 has a fitting opening HF into which the fitting portion 210 is fitted. The fitting opening HF is surrounded by two long sides 100a extending in the longitudinal direction of the back member 100 and two short sides 100b extending in the lateral direction of the back member 100, and is formed on the front side of the back member 100. The two long sides 100a face each other in the lateral direction of the back member 100. The two short sides 100b face each other in the longitudinal direction of the back member 100. A rear surface 100c is disposed behind the fitting opening HF. The rear surface 100c is provided with an opening AP for passing wiring (not shown) of the operating portion 200 through.

[0049] The two long sides 100a are provided with protrusions 130 for engaging the recesses 230 when the fitting portion 210 is fitted. As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the two long sides 100a are each provided with four protrusions 130. The protrusions 130 provided on one long side 100a and the protrusions 130 provided on the other long side 100a are disposed at positions facing each other in the short side direction of the backing member 100.

[0050] The convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 are disposed on the backing member 100 and the fitting portion 210, respectively, so that when the fitting portion 210 of the operating portion 200 and the backing member 100 are fitted together, the concave portion 230 is locked by the convex portion 130. By locking the concave portion 230 with the convex portion 130, the fitting portion 210 of the operating portion 200 and the backing member 100 are fixed together by snap fit.

[0051] The back member 100 has two release mechanisms 110 on the rear side. The release mechanism 110 extends to the rear side of the back member 100 and has a pair of gripping parts 110a facing each other in the short-side direction of the back member 100. By pinching the pair of gripping parts 110a of the release mechanism 110 with fingers and applying a force to narrow the short-side distance between the rear ends of the pair of gripping parts 110a (hereinafter, sometimes simply described as "pinching the release mechanism 110 with fingers"), the short-side distance between the sides formed by the two long sides 100a of the fitting opening HF is widened. Therefore, when the operating part 200 and the back member 100 are fixed by snap fit, the engagement of the recess 230 by the protrusion 130 is released by pinching the release mechanism 110 with fingers. This makes it possible to remove the operating part 200 fixed to the side surface 2b of the hood 2. In the back member 100, the pair of gripping portions 110a of the release mechanism 110 are configured such that one gripping portion 110a and the other gripping portion 110a have the same shape.

[0052] The back member 100 has two finger hooks 120 on the rear side. The finger hooks 120 are configured to extend from the rear side of the back member 100 at a position approximately at the center of the short side of the fitting opening HF on the rear surface of the back member 100. When fitting the fitting part 210 inserted into the insertion opening IS to the back member 100, the operator OP can hook his / her fingers on the finger hooks 120 and apply force to pull the back member 100 toward the insertion opening IS. The force applied to the finger hooks 120 is transmitted to approximately the center of the short side of the fitting opening HF. Therefore, the finger hooks 120 can efficiently apply force to the back member 100 when fitting the fitting part 210 into the back member 100. This suppresses the occurrence of an unlatched state, improving the workability of the installation work of the operating part.

[0053] In the back member 100, the finger hooks 120 are disposed on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back member 100. Therefore, when the fitting portion 210 is fitted to the back member 100, the force applied to the finger hooks 120 is transmitted in a balanced manner to both ends of the back member 100. This further suppresses the occurrence of an unlocked state, and further improves the workability of attaching the operating portion 200.

[0054] In the back member 100, a rounded recess for the operator OP to hook his / her finger is provided at the rear end of the finger hook portion 120. This makes it easier for the operator OP to apply force to the finger hook portion 120. As described above, since the hood 2 is a seamless hood, the installation work of the operating unit 200 may be performed under conditions in which it is difficult to visually check the inside of the hood 2. Since the finger hook portion 120 has a recess for hooking a finger, it is easier for the operator OP to check the finger hook portion 120 by touch. This further improves the workability of the installation work of the operating unit 200.

[0055] The short side 100b of the back member 100 has a slit 140 that opens toward the fitting opening HF. In the back member 100, the slit 140 is disposed at a position approximately at the center of the short side of the fitting opening HF. This makes it easier to widen the short side distance at the front side of the long side 100a. This makes it possible to reduce the force required to pinch the release mechanism 110 with fingers, which is necessary to release the fastening of the operating unit 200 and the back member 100 by snap-fitting. In addition, it is possible to reduce the force required to apply to the finger hook portion 120 when fitting the fitting portion 210 to the back member 100. This further improves the ease of attaching and detaching the operating unit 200.

[0056] The back member 100 has a buffer section 150 on the outer side of the fitting opening HF in the short direction and on the outer edge of the longitudinal surface 100a. A buffer material such as sponge or rubber is attached to the front side of the buffer section 150. When the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b, the front side of the buffer section 150 is in contact with the side surface 2b on the inner side of the hood 2 in a pressed state.

[0057] The panel unit 220 is equipped with a touch panel for inputting operation instructions for the range hood 1. The longitudinal and lateral lengths of the panel unit 220 are configured to be longer than the longitudinal and lateral lengths of the fitting unit 210. The fitting unit 210 is disposed substantially in the center of the rear side of the panel unit 220. Therefore, the operating unit 200 has a flange surface 200a on the rear side of the panel unit 220 where the fitting unit 210 is not disposed. When the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b, the flange surface 200a is in contact with the side surface 2b on the outer side of the hood 2 while being pressed against it.

[0058] As described above, when the operating part 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b, the side surface 2b is sandwiched between the buffer part 150 of the back member 100 and the flange surface 200a of the operating part 200. Therefore, the wobbling of the operating part fixed to the side surface 2b is suppressed.

[0059] [Removal and installation work] Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the change in state of the back member 100 and the operating unit 200 during the removal work of the operating unit 200. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the change in state of the back member 100 and the operating unit 200 during the installation work of the operating unit 200. The two double-headed arrows in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 indicate the height direction and the depth direction of the range hood 1, respectively.

[0060] Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 8(c) are both schematic cross-sectional views showing a state in which the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b. Fig. 7(c) and Fig. 8(a) are both schematic cross-sectional views showing a state in which the operating unit 200 is detached from the side surface 2b. In Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 8(c), the recessed portion 230 of the operating unit 200 is engaged by the protruding portion 130 of the backing member 100. That is, the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b by snap-fitting with the backing member 100.

[0061] Fig. 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the locking of the recess 230 of the operating unit 200 by the convex portion 130 of the backing member 100 is released by the operator OP pinching the release mechanism 110 with his / her fingers. As shown in Fig. 7(b), when the operator OP pinches the release mechanism 110 with his / her fingers, the gap in the height direction between the upper convex portion 130 and the lower convex portion 130 is widened. This causes the locking of the recess 230 of the operating unit 200 by the convex portion 130 of the backing member 100 to be released.

[0062] As described above, the hood 2 of the range hood 1 is a seamless hood. Therefore, the worker OP cannot access the inside of the hood 2 from below the hood 2. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7(b), when removing the operating unit 200, the worker OP needs to pinch the release mechanism 110 with his / her fingers in an unnatural position while twisting his / her wrist. Therefore, when removing the range hood 1, the force applied to the release mechanism 110 by the worker OP is likely to be weaker than when removing a range hood where the inside of the hood can be accessed from below.

[0063] The back member 100 has slits 140 on the short side surfaces 100b at both ends in the longitudinal direction. This reduces the force required to pinch the release mechanism 110 with fingers, which is required to release the engagement of the concave portion 230 with the convex portion 130. Furthermore, in the back member 100 and the operating unit 200, the convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 are arranged so as to be located in a release area RA, which will be described later, when the operating unit 200 and the back member 100 are engaged. The release area RA is an area where the engagement of the concave portion 230 with the convex portion 130 can be sufficiently released by pinching the release mechanism 110 with fingers. This reduces the burden on the operator OP in removing the operating unit 200.

[0064] FIG. 8(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operator OP presses the operating unit 200, whose fitting portion 210 is inserted into the insertion opening IS, against the side surface 2b of the hood 2, and places his finger on the finger hook portion 120 of the backing member 100, applying a force to move the backing member 100 forward in the depth direction. As the backing member 100 moves forward in the depth direction, the upper and lower convex portions 130 of the backing member 100 ride on the upper and lower surfaces of the fitting portion 210, respectively. After that, as the backing member 100 moves further forward in the depth direction, the upper and lower convex portions 130 of the backing member 100 fit into the concave portions 230 provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the fitting portion 210, respectively, by elastic force. As a result, the operating unit 200 is fixed to the side surface 2b by snap fit.

[0065] As described above, in the range hood 1 having the seamless hood 2, it may be difficult for the operator OP to visually check the inside of the hood 2. Therefore, the operator OP may not be able to efficiently apply force to the backing member when removing the operating unit, which may result in an unlatched state. The backing member 100 has a finger hook 120 for efficiently applying force to the backing member 100. The backing member 100 also has a slit 140 for reducing the force required to move the backing member 100 forward in the depth direction, which is necessary for fitting the fitting portion 210 into the backing member 100. Therefore, the burden on the operator OP when installing the operating unit 200 is reduced.

[0066] [Release area] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the release area RA of the back member 100 and the arrangement positions of the convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230. FIG. 9(a) is a plan view of the back member 100. The two double-sided arrows in FIG. 9(a) indicate the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the back member 100, respectively. FIG. 9(b) is a front view of the back member 100. The two double-sided arrows in FIG. 9(b) indicate the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the back member 100, respectively. FIG. 9(c) is a plan view of the operating unit 200. The two double-sided arrows in FIG. 9(c) indicate the longitudinal direction and the depth direction of the operating unit 200, respectively.

[0067] In Figure 9, LC indicates the longitudinal center line of the backing member 100 and the operating portion 200. RC indicates the longitudinal width center line of the release mechanism 110. BW indicates the longitudinal width of the backing member 100. RW indicates the width of the release mechanism 110. RD indicates the depth of the release mechanism 110. FW indicates the width of the rear end of the finger hook portion 120. FD indicates the depth of the finger hook portion 120. RA indicates the release area. RCL indicates the length from the center line RC to the outer end of the release area RA. MW indicates the longitudinal width of the fitting portion 210.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 9(a), in the backing member 100, the release mechanism 110 and the finger hook portion 120 are arranged in a position that is symmetrical with respect to the center line LC in the longitudinal direction. This results in a configuration in which the release mechanism 110 is arranged in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100. That is, the release area RA is arranged in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100. This makes it possible to arrange the convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100 and the fitting portion 210. Therefore, when the operating portion 200 and the backing member 100 are fitted together, it is possible to fix the operating portion 200 and the backing member 100 by snap-fitting in a balanced manner. As a result, the falling of the operating portion 200 from the range hood 1 is further suppressed.

[0069] In the back member 100, the finger hooks 120 are disposed on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the back member 100. The release mechanism 110 is disposed on the center line LC side of the finger hooks 120. From the viewpoint of workability in attaching the operation unit 200, it is preferable that the width FW of the finger hooks 120 is 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and the depth FD is 20 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

[0070] 9(b) and 9(c), the width MW of the fitting portion 210 is configured to be approximately the same as the length from one short side 100b to the other short side 100b in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100. This improves the positioning accuracy when fitting the fitting portion 210 into the backing member 100.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 9(b), four convex portions 130 of the back member 100 are arranged in the release area RA. The four convex portions 130 arranged in the release area RA are arranged in pairs at positions facing each other in the short-side direction of the back member 100. The recessed portions 230 of the fitting portion 210 are arranged in positions corresponding to the convex portions 130 so as to be locked by the convex portions 130 when the operation unit 200 and the back member 100 are fitted together. Therefore, four recessed portions 230 of the fitting portion 210 are arranged in positions corresponding to the release area RA when the operation unit 200 and the back member 100 are fitted together. The four recessed portions 230 are arranged in pairs at positions facing each other in the short-side direction of the operation unit 200. That is, four convex portions 130 and four recessed portions 230 are arranged in the release area RA when the operation unit 200 and the back member 100 are fitted together.

[0072] As described above, in the range hood 1 having the seamless hood 2, when the operator OP removes the operating unit 200, he or she must pinch the release mechanism 110 with his or her fingers in an unnatural position while twisting his or her wrist. This may result in a weaker force being applied to the release mechanism 110 by the operator OP. Therefore, if the convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 are disposed outside the release area RA, the frequency of occurrence of an unreleased state increases. In the back member 100 and the operating unit 200, the convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 are disposed so as to be located in the release area RA when the operating unit 200 and the back member 100 are engaged. This prevents the occurrence of an unreleased state, improving the workability of removing the operating unit.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 9(b), in the backing member 100, the convex portions 130 are disposed at both ends of the release area RA. This distributes the engagement positions of the operating part 200 and the backing member 100 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the operating part 200 and the backing member 100 are fixed by snap-fitting in a well-balanced manner. As a result, the operating part 200 is more effectively prevented from falling off the range hood 1.

[0074] As shown in the embodiment described later, the release area RA can be set to a length up to 5 times the width RW. In other words, the length RCL can be set to 2.5 times or less the width RW. The relationship between the release area RA, the width RW, and the length RCL can be expressed by the following formulas (1) and (2). RA ≦ 5 × RW (1) RCL ≦ 2.5 × RW (2)

[0075] In the backing member 100, the length RCL is set to 0.8 times the width RW. As shown in the examples described later, the length RCL is preferably 0.8 times or less the width RW. In other words, the release area RA is preferably 1.6 times or less the width RW. This further suppresses the occurrence of an unreleased state, and improves the workability of removing the operating unit. The relationship between the release area RA, the width RW, and the length RCL in setting a preferable release area RA can be expressed by the following formulas (3) and (4). RA ≦ 1.6 × RW (3) RCL ≦ 0.8 × RW (4)

[0076] The backing member 100 is configured so that the total length of the release area RA is approximately 50% of the width BW. The total length of the release area RA is preferably 40% or more of the width BW. This ensures that the release area RA is sufficiently large relative to the width BW. This allows the multiple protrusions 130 and recesses 230 to be arranged in a balanced manner in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100 and the fitting portion 210. As a result, the operating portion 200 is prevented from falling off the range hood 1.

[0077] The width RW of the release mechanism 110 is preferably 20 mm or more and 40 mm or less. If the width RW is 20 mm or more, a sufficient release area RA for each release mechanism 110 can be ensured. This allows the convex portions 130 and the concave portions 230 to be arranged in a well-balanced manner, preventing the operating unit 200 from falling off the range hood 1. If the width RW is 40 mm or less, the release mechanism 110 can effectively receive the force from the fingers of the operator OP. This further improves the ease of removal of the operating unit.

[0078] The width BW of the backing member 100 is preferably 100 mm or more and 400 mm or less. If the width RW is 100 mm or more, a sufficiently large operating unit 200 can be fixed to the range hood 1 while preventing the operating unit 200 from falling off the range hood 1. If the width RW is 400 mm or less, the two release mechanisms 110 and the two finger hooks 120 can adequately perform the attachment and detachment of the operating unit 200. This improves the ease of attachment and detachment of the operating unit 200.

[0079] The length from the longitudinal surface 100a on which the convex portion 130 is disposed to the apex of the convex portion 130 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "convex portion height") is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 1 mm or less. If the convex portion height is 0.5 mm or more, the locking strength of the concave portion 230 by the convex portion 130 can be ensured. If the convex portion height is 1 mm or less, the workability of removing the operation unit can be ensured. The depth of the concave portion 230 is appropriately set according to the convex portion height to a depth at which the convex portion 130 fits into the concave portion 230.

[0080] The longitudinal width of the convex portion 130 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "convex portion width") is preferably 3 mm or more and 10 mm or less. If the convex portion width is 3 mm or more, the locking strength of the convex portion 130 with the concave portion 230 can be ensured. If the convex portion width is 10 mm or less, the effect of distortion of the release mechanism 110 on the convex portion 130 can be reduced. The longitudinal width of the concave portion 230 is appropriately set to a width that allows the convex portion 130 to fit into the concave portion 230, depending on the convex portion width.

[0081] [Variations] The back member 100 according to this embodiment has two release mechanisms 110, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of release mechanisms 110 arranged on the back member 100 can be changed as appropriate according to the width BW of the back member 100. From the viewpoint of ease of removal of the operating unit 200, the number of release mechanisms 110 arranged on the back member 100 is preferably one or two.

[0082] The back member 100 according to this embodiment has two finger hooks 120, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of finger hooks 120 arranged on the back member 100 can be appropriately changed according to the width BW of the back member 100. From the viewpoint of the workability of the attachment work of the operating unit 200, the number of finger hooks 120 arranged on the back member 100 is preferably one or two.

[0083] The release mechanism 110 according to this embodiment has a pair of knobs 110a of the same shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the width of one knob 110a in the longitudinal direction of the backing member 100 may be configured to be different from the width of the other knob 110a. In this case, it is preferable that the width RW of the release mechanism 110 is based on the narrower width of the knob 110a. This ensures the ease of removal of the operation unit 200.

[0084] The convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 according to the present embodiment are disposed at both ends of the release area RA when the operating unit 200 and the backing member 100 are fitted together, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that a plurality of the convex portions 130 and the concave portions 230 are disposed in the release area RA. From the viewpoint of preventing the operating unit 200 from falling off from the range hood 1, it is preferable that the convex portions 130 and the concave portions 230 are disposed at least at both ends of the release area RA.

[0085] The convex portion 130 and the concave portion 230 according to the embodiment are arranged in pairs at positions facing each other in the short-side direction of the back member 100 and the operating portion 200, respectively, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, one convex portion 130 and the other convex portion 130 may be arranged at positions not facing each other in the short-side direction of the back member 100. In this case, the concave portion 230 is also arranged at a position corresponding to the convex portion 130 and not facing each other in the short-side direction of the fitting portion 210.

[0086] The protrusion 130 and the recess 230 according to the embodiment are arranged at positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to the center line LC when the operating unit 200 and the back member 100 are fitted together, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the protrusion 130 may be arranged at a position that is asymmetrical with respect to the center line LC. In this case, the recess 230 is also arranged at a position that is asymmetrical with respect to the center line LC.

[0087] The back member 100 according to this embodiment has short sides 100b with slits 140 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the back member 100 may be configured without the short sides 100b. From the viewpoint of positioning accuracy in fitting the fitting portion 210 into the back member 100, it is preferable that the back member 100 has the short sides 100b. EXAMPLES

[0088] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0089] Example 1 In order to confirm the relationship between the positions of the release mechanism and the protrusions in the backing member and the release area, a plastic backing member for evaluation was created as shown in Figure 11. The two double-headed arrows in Figure 11 indicate the longitudinal and lateral directions of the backing member for evaluation, respectively.

[0090] The backing member for evaluation has release mechanisms at positions indicated by R1 to R5. Positions R1 to R5 are the centerline positions of the longitudinal width of the corresponding release mechanisms. Also, the backing member has a pair of protrusions at positions indicated by C1 to C11. Positions C1 to C11 are the centerline positions of the longitudinal width of the corresponding protrusions.

[0091] As shown in Fig. 11, the width BW is 231 mm, the interval RS between adjacent release mechanisms is 40 mm, and the interval CS between adjacent protrusions is 20 mm. The release mechanism of the evaluation backing member is 25 mm wide and 30 mm deep. The height of the protrusion is 0.6 mm, and the width of the protrusion is 5 mm.

[0092] The release mechanism at positions R1 to R5 was fixed by applying pressure to a pair of grips in a vice, recreating the state of the release mechanism being pinched by fingers. Before and after fixing in the vice, the distance from the surface on which one convex portion was located to the surface on which the other convex portion was located in the short direction at positions C1 to C11 was measured, and the amount of change was calculated. The measurement results of the distance and the calculation results of the amount of change at positions C1 to C11 before and after fixing are shown in Table 1.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094] From Table 1, it can be seen that when pressure is applied to any of the release mechanisms located at positions R1 to R5, the amount of change from the release mechanism to which pressure is applied to the position of the third convex part is 1.2 mm or more. In other words, it was made clear that in an area within 60 mm from the release mechanism, by pinching the release mechanism with the fingers, a distance of 1.2 mm or more from one convex part to the other convex part can be secured. This suggests that the area from the center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length of 2.5 times or less of the width of the release mechanism can be set as the release region.

[0095] Furthermore, from Table 1, it can be seen that the amount of change in the position of the adjacent convex part of the release mechanism when pressure is applied is 2.4 mm or more. In other words, it was made clear that in an area within 20 mm from the release mechanism, by pinching the release mechanism with the fingers, the distance from one convex part to the other convex part can be secured to 2.4 mm or more. This suggests that the ease of removal of the operating part can be improved by setting the area from the center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length of 0.8 times or less of the width of the release mechanism as the release area.

[0096] Example 2 A plastic mass-production backing member was prepared as shown in Figure 12. The two double-headed arrows in Figure 12 indicate the longitudinal and lateral directions of the mass-production backing member, respectively.

[0097] The back member for mass production has release mechanisms at the positions indicated by R6 and R7. It also has a pair of protrusions at the positions indicated by C12 to C15. M1 to M3 indicate positions obtained by dividing the distance between C13 and C14 in the longitudinal direction into four equal parts.

[0098] 12, the width BW is 187 mm, the interval RS is 120 mm, the interval CS is 40 mm, the length RCL is 20 mm, and the length ML is 20 mm. The width and depth of the release mechanism of the mass-produced backing member, as well as the height and width of the protrusions, were the same as those of the evaluation backing member.

[0099] Measurement of the gap and calculation of the amount of change were performed at positions C12 to C15 and positions M1 to M3 in the same manner as in Example 1. Table 2 shows the results of measuring the gap and the calculation of the amount of change before and after fixing.

[0100] [Table 2]

[0101] From Table 2, it can be seen that the amount of change to position M2 is 1.2 mm or more when pressure is applied to either the release mechanism located at position R6 or R7. It can also be seen that in a region within 20 mm from the release mechanism, the distance from one convex part to the other convex part can be secured to be approximately 2.4 mm or more by pinching the release mechanism with fingers. This suggests that the region from the center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length of 2.5 times or less of the width of the release mechanism can be set as the release region, and by setting the region to a length of 0.8 times or less of the width of the release mechanism as the release region, the operability of removing the operating unit can be further improved.

[0102] [Additional Note] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and includes the meaning equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope thereof. [Industrial Applicability]

[0103] The technology described above for preventing the operating part from falling off the range hood and improving the ease of removing the operating part can be applied to various range hoods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Range hood 2. Food 2a Bottom side 2b side 2c Top surface 3. Blower box 4 Fans 5 Opening 6 Filters 7 Hinge part 8 Rectifier plate 9 Magnetized part 10 Top Panel 100 Backing material 100a Long side 100b short side 100c rear 110 Release mechanism 110a Knob 120 Finger rest 130 Convex 140 Slit 150 Buffer 200 Operation section 200a flange surface 210 Fitting part 220 Panel section 230 Recess BW: Width of backing material in the longitudinal direction HF fitting port IS insertion port LC: Longitudinal center line of backing and operating part RA release area RC Release mechanism longitudinal width centerline RCL: Distance from centerline of width of release mechanism to outer edge of release area RW Release mechanism width

Claims

1. An operation unit; a blower box having a fan; a hood attached to a lower side of the ventilation box, the hood having an insertion opening for inserting the operation unit and an opening for taking in air into the ventilation box; a backing member that fits with the operating part inserted into the insertion opening inside the hood and removably fixes the operating part by snap-fitting; Equipped with The operation portion has a fitting portion that fits with the back member, The fitting portion has a plurality of recesses in a longitudinal direction, The backing member is a fitting opening for fitting with the fitting portion; A plurality of protrusions in a longitudinal direction for engaging the recesses; a release mechanism for releasing the engagement of the protrusion with the recess by pinching with fingers; having A range hood in which, when the operating portion and the backing member are engaged, the convex portion and the concave portion are arranged in multiple locations in a release area in the longitudinal direction of the backing member, the release area extending from the center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length not greater than 2.5 times the width of the release mechanism.

2. The hood is a seamless underside in which an opening is provided; a side surface extending upward from an outer edge of the lower surface and having the insertion opening; a top surface having a removable panel for providing access to the interior of the hood; The range hood of claim 1 , having

3. The range hood according to claim 2 , wherein the backing member has a finger hook portion for applying force with a finger to a center of the short side of the fitting opening when the operating portion and the backing member are fixed by snap fitting.

4. The range hood according to claim 3 , wherein the finger hook portions are disposed at least on both longitudinal ends of the backing member.

5. The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the release mechanisms are arranged at positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to a center line of the backing member in the longitudinal direction.

6. The range hood according to claim 5 , wherein the release region is a region in the longitudinal direction of the backing member from a center line of the width of the release mechanism to a length equal to or less than 0.8 times the width of the release mechanism.

7. The range hood of claim 6, wherein a total length of the release areas in the longitudinal direction of the backing member is 40% or more of a length of the backing member in the longitudinal direction.

8. The range hood according to claim 7, wherein the width of the release mechanism is between 20 mm and 40 mm.

9. The range hood according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the backing member has slits on both longitudinal end surfaces thereof that open towards the fitting opening.

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