Cushioning material, packaging apparatus and sound insulation structure

Abstract

To effectively reduce sound generated from the inside of a product without expanding an installation space.SOLUTION: A cushioning material according to this disclosure is provided for a product having a driving apparatus generating operation sound upon driving and a contour member surrounding the driving apparatus upon transporting the product. The cushioning material according to this disclosure comprises a sound absorption part having cushioning properties and sound absorbing properties, and the sound absorption material can be fitted to an inside face of the contour member. A packaging apparatus and a sound insulation structure according to this disclosure comprise the cushioning material configured as above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a buffer material, a packaging device, and a soundproof structure.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of reusing a packaging material for ventilation fan buffering as a soundproof box.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the soundproof box described in Patent Document 1 is installed on the upstream side of the ventilation fan, which is the product of interest, it cannot effectively reduce the sound generated from inside the product. Also, the required installation space is increased by the installation of the soundproof box.

[0005] The present disclosure is for solving the above-described problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a buffer material, a packaging device, and a soundproof structure that can effectively reduce the sound generated from inside the product without expanding the installation space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The buffer material according to the present disclosure is a buffer material provided for a product having a drive device that generates operating sound during driving and an outer member that surrounds the drive device during transportation of the product. The buffer material according to the present disclosure includes a sound absorption portion having buffering properties and sound absorption properties, and is characterized in that the sound absorption portion can be attached to the inner surface of the outer member. The packaging device and the soundproof structure according to the present disclosure include the buffer material configured as described above.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the buffer material, packaging device, and sound insulation structure according to the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively reduce the sound generated from inside the product without expanding the installation space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. Also, in the present disclosure, duplicate descriptions will be appropriately simplified or omitted as necessary. Note that the present disclosure can include any deformation and any combination of the configurations disclosed by the following embodiments without departing from the gist thereof.

[0010] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the sound insulation structure according to Embodiment 1. The sound insulation structure according to the present embodiment is composed of a target product 1 and a packaging device used for packaging the product 1. The packaging device includes, for example, an upper packaging material 10 installed on the upper part of the product 1 during transportation of the product 1, and a band 30 for fixing the upper packaging material 10 to the product. The packaging device may include a lower packaging material 20 installed at the lower part of the product 1.

[0011] Product 1 is box-shaped, such as the outdoor unit of an air conditioner. Note that Product 1 is not limited to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner and may be any arbitrary product, such as various electrical appliances and household appliances. In addition, in the present disclosure, each direction may be defined based on the installation state of Product 1.

[0012] Product 1 has a drive device 2 that generates an operating sound during operation and an outer member 3 that surrounds the drive device 2. The drive device 2 is, for example, a compressor. As an example, the compressor is installed on the bottom surface portion on the right side when viewing Product 1 from the front. The cushioning material, packaging device, and sound insulation structure according to the present disclosure can be particularly suitably used for Product 1 having a drive device 2 with a large driving sound, such as a compressor. The compressor is a device that is a major cause of the operating sound of an air conditioner.

[0013] The outer member 3 is a panel-shaped member that constitutes the outer shell of Product 1. The drive device 2 is installed inside the outer member 3. In addition, the outer member 3 is configured to be detachable.

[0014] The upper packaging material 10 is composed of, for example, an exterior material 11 and a cushioning material 12. The exterior material 11 is formed from, for example, a cardboard sheet or the like. Note that the material of the exterior material 11 is not limited to cardboard and may be any arbitrary material, such as a resin material such as wood or plastic.

[0015] During transportation of the product, a cushioning material 12 is provided between the exterior material 11 and Product 1. Note that at least one cushioning material 12 may be provided. The exterior material 11 covers Product 1 and the cushioning material 12. The band 30 fastens the exterior material 11 and Product 1 with the cushioning material 12 sandwiched therebetween. As an example, the band 30 is applied in two directions, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0016] The cushioning material 12 is a member having cushioning properties. In the present embodiment, the cushioning material 12 includes a sound-absorbing portion 12a having cushioning properties and sound-absorbing properties. The cushioning material 12 is made of, for example, expanded polystyrene. Further, the cushioning material 12 may be formed of, for example, glass wool or urethane, which is a material having excellent sound-absorbing performance. Further, only the sound-absorbing portion 12a of the cushioning material 12 may be formed of a material having excellent sound-absorbing performance, or the entire cushioning material 12 may be formed of a material having excellent sound-absorbing performance. The portion other than the sound-absorbing portion 12a and the sound-absorbing portion 12a of the cushioning material 12 may be formed of the same material or may be formed of different materials from each other.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a structural example of the cushioning material 12 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the cushioning material 12 may have a rectangular groove 12b formed therein. The sound-absorbing portion 12a may be configured to be cut out by hand without using tools along this groove 12b. Note that the structure for making the sound-absorbing portion 12a separable from the surrounding portion of the sound-absorbing portion 12a is not limited to the groove 12b in this example. Further, for example, the sound-absorbing portion 12a may be cut out using a tool such as a cutter. Further, the sound-absorbing portion 12a may be in a state of being separated in advance from the portion other than the sound-absorbing portion 12a.

[0018] The cushioning material 12 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that the sound-absorbing portion 12a can be attached to the inner surface of the outer member 3. After the product 1 is transported, the user separates the sound-absorbing portion 12a from the cushioning material 12. Further, the user removes and reverses the outer member 3, and attaches the sound-absorbing portion 12a to the inner surface of the outer member 3. After the user reassembles the outer member 3 with the sound-absorbing portion 12a attached to the product 1 again, the product 1 is installed and used.

[0019] According to the present embodiment, by attaching the sound-absorbing portion 12a to the inner surface of the outer member 3 of the product 1, it is possible to effectively reduce the sound generated from the drive device 2 inside the product 1 without expanding the installation space. Further, by utilizing a part of the cushioning material 12 used during transportation of the product 1 as a soundproofing material for the product 1, the amount of waste of the cushioning material 12 can be reduced.

[0020] The method of attaching the sound-absorbing portion 12a to the outer member 3 is arbitrary. The sound-absorbing portion 12a can be attached to the outer member 3 by, for example, double-sided tape or an adhesive. Note that the outer member 3 may be provided with a mounting portion 3a to which the sound-absorbing portion 12a can be attached. The mounting portion 3a is composed of, for example, ribs, grooves, or holes that match the shape of the sound-absorbing portion 12a. In addition, the outer member 3 may be marked with a sign or the like indicating the attachment position of the sound-absorbing portion 12a. Also, a plurality of sound-absorbing portions 12a may be attached to the outer member 3.

[0021] In order to effectively obtain the sound insulation effect by the sound-absorbing portion 12a, it is preferable that the sound-absorbing portion 12a be attached at a position close to the drive device 2. Also, the sound-absorbing portion 12a is preferably attached to the front side of the drive device 2. The "front side" means the front side in the state where the product 1 is installed, and usually means the side where the user is located with respect to the product 1. By attaching the sound-absorbing portion 12a to the front side of the drive device 2, the sound that can be heard by the user can be effectively reduced.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the cushioning material 12 and the band 30 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the position where the sound-absorbing portion 12a is formed in the cushioning material 12 is preferably offset from the fastening position of the band 30. By using, as the sound-absorbing portion 12a, a portion of the cushioning material 12 that is not deformed by the fastening force of the band 30, the sound insulation effect can be obtained more reliably.

[0023] It is desirable that the position where the sound-absorbing portion 12a is formed in the buffer material 12 is a position deviated from the position where the load due to the weight of the product 1 is applied during transportation of the product 1. In the present embodiment, a part of the buffer material 12 of the upper packaging material 10 where the load due to the weight of the product 1 is not applied is used as the sound-absorbing portion 12a. By using the portion that is not deformed by the load due to the weight of the product 1 as the sound-absorbing portion 12a, the soundproofing effect can be obtained more reliably. Note that, even if a part of the buffer material 12 where the load due to the weight of the product 1 is not applied, for example, a part of the buffer material 12 provided on the side surface portion of the product 1 is used as the sound-absorbing portion 12a, the same effect can be obtained. Alternatively, among the buffer materials 12 provided at the lower part of the product 1, even if the outer part of the product 1 or a part deviated from the legs or the base of the product 1 is used as the sound-absorbing portion 12a, the same effect can be obtained.

[0024] Further, FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of the positional relationship between the driving device and the sound-absorbing portion according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a top view showing an example of the positional relationship between the driving device and the sound-absorbing portion according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the state where the product 1 is installed, the sound-absorbing portion 12a attached to the inner surface of the outer member 3 and the driving device 2 may have a positional relationship of overlapping in both the height direction and the horizontal direction. Thereby, the driving sound of the driving device 2 can be more reliably reduced by the sound-absorbing portion 12a.

[0025] Hereinafter, various aspects of the present disclosure will be summarized and described as appendices.

[0026] (Appendix 1) A buffer material provided for a product having a driving device that generates an operating sound during driving and an outer member that surrounds the driving device, during transportation of the product, characterized by comprising a sound-absorbing portion having buffering properties and sound-absorbing properties, and the sound-absorbing portion being attachable to the inner surface of the outer member. (Appendix 2) The buffer material according to Appendix 1, wherein the sound-absorbing portion is provided at a position deviated from a position where a load due to the weight of the product is applied during transportation of the product. (Appendix 3) The buffer material according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the driving device is a compressor. (Appendix 4) The buffer material according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, an exterior material covering the product and the buffer material, and a band for fastening the exterior material and the product with the buffer material sandwiched between the exterior material and the product, wherein the sound absorption part is configured to be separable from a part around the sound absorption part, and a packaging device, wherein a position where the sound absorption part is formed is deviated from a fastening position of the band. (Appendix 5) The buffer material according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, the product, and a sound insulation structure, wherein in a state where the product is installed, the sound absorption part attached to an inner surface of the outer member and the driving device are in a positional relationship of overlapping in both the height direction and the horizontal direction. (Appendix 6) The packaging device according to Appendix 4, the product, and a sound insulation structure, wherein in a state where the product is installed, the sound absorption part attached to an inner surface of the outer member and the driving device are in a positional relationship of overlapping in both the height direction and the horizontal direction.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0027] 1 Product, 2 Driving device, 3 Outer member, 3a Mounting part, 10 Upper packaging material, 11 Exterior material, 12 Buffer material, 12a Sound absorption part, 12b Groove, 20 Lower packaging material, 30 Band

Claims

1. A cushioning material provided for a product during transportation, the product having a drive device that generates an operating sound when driven and an outer casing member that surrounds the drive device, A cushioning material comprising a sound absorbing part having cushioning and sound absorbing properties, the sound absorbing part being attachable to an inner surface of the outer casing member.

2. 2. The cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the sound absorbing portion is provided at a position away from a position where a load due to the weight of the product is applied during transportation of the product.

3. 3. The cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is a compressor.

4. The cushioning material according to claim 1 or 2, An exterior material for covering the product and the cushioning material; and a band that fastens the exterior material and the product with the cushioning material sandwiched between the exterior material and the product, The sound absorbing portion is configured to be separable from a surrounding portion of the sound absorbing portion, A packaging device, characterized in that the position where the sound absorbing portion is formed is offset from the fastening position of the band.

5. The cushioning material according to claim 1 or 2, The product, Equipped with A soundproofing structure characterized in that, when the product is installed, the sound-absorbing section attached to the inner surface of the outer casing member and the driving equipment are in a positional relationship in which they overlap both in the vertical and horizontal directions.

6. A packaging device according to claim 4; The product, Equipped with A soundproofing structure characterized in that, when the product is installed, the sound-absorbing section attached to the inner surface of the outer casing member and the driving equipment are in a positional relationship in which they overlap both in the vertical and horizontal directions.

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