Filter structure

Abstract

To improve effectiveness when supporting a fitting strength for a fitting object by a hook-and-loop fastener in a filter structure in which an adhesive layer is laminated on a single side of a filter body and which is used by being bonded to the fitting object by an adhesive force of the adhesive layer.SOLUTION: A filter structure 10 comprises a filter body 11 comprising fibers, and an adhesive layer 12 which is laminated on at least a single side of the filter body 11. The adhesive layer 12 has an adhesive missing part 12d at at least a corner part of the filter body 11. Since positions of a hook-and-loop fastener f attached to four corners of a fitting object and the missing part 12d are coincident, the fibers of the filter body 11 exposed in the missing part 12d are prone to becoming tangled with the hook-and-loop fastener f.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter structure that is attached to a range hood or the like to prevent the adhesion of dirt. [Background technology]

[0002] Range hoods, which are installed above ranges in system kitchens and other appliances for ventilation, are prone to becoming soiled with oil during cooking. Cleaning the openings and interior of the range hoods is particularly time-consuming, and various attempts have been made to prevent this. One such attempt is a filter structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which an adhesive layer is laminated on one side of a filter body made of breathable nonwoven fabric or the like, and the filter structure is attached to a range hood by adhering the adhesive layer.

[0003] With this configuration, the filter body of the filter structure attached to the range hood captures oil stains, etc., making it easy to prevent the range hood from getting dirty. In addition, the filter structure can be easily attached to and detached from the range hood by simply attaching and peeling off the adhesive layer.

[0004] Recently, one type of system kitchen has become known as an open kitchen (counter kitchen). Open kitchens have no partition between the kitchen and the living / dining room, and they are becoming increasingly popular because they give a more open and appealing impression compared to traditional closed kitchens that face a wall.

[0005] In such open kitchens, the attached range hoods are often larger in size than those in conventional closed kitchens in order to improve ventilation efficiency. Therefore, the filter structure attached to the range hood also inevitably becomes larger in size. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-15297 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In this case, the weight of the filter structure increases, but although it can usually be attached without peeling using only the adhesive layer, if the surface of the range hood to which it is to be attached is dirty with oil or other contaminants, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer may not be fully exerted due to such oil or other contaminants. For this reason, it is common to attach hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., male fasteners) to the corners of the outer frame of the range hood opening as an attachment aid, and then entangle (engage) the hook-and-loop fasteners with the fibers of the nonwoven fabric or other material that constitutes the filter body, thereby using the adhesive layer and the attachment aid in combination to improve the attachment strength of the filter structure to the range hood.

[0008] However, if the adhesive layer of the filter structure is located in a position where it overlaps with the hook-and-loop fastener attached to the range hood, such as by being laminated on the corners of the filter body, the adhesive layer may get in the way and prevent the hook-and-loop fastener and the fibers of the filter body from entangling (engaging) properly. Therefore, there is a concern that the hook-and-loop fastener may not be able to sufficiently improve or assist the attachment strength of the filter structure to the range hood.

[0009] The above problem also applies to closed kitchens where the range hood is large, which increases the weight of the filter structure and requires the assistance of a hook-and-loop fastener. This also applies to filter structures attached to vents, air purifiers, air conditioners, etc., when the size of the object to be attached is large and the assistance of hook-and-loop fasteners is required.

[0010] Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to increase the effectiveness of a filter structure, which has an adhesive layer laminated on one side of the filter body and is attached to an object by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer, in assisting the attachment strength to the object by using an attachment aid such as a hook-and-loop fastener. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the filter structure comprises a filter body made of fibers and an adhesive layer laminated on at least one side of the filter body, and the adhesive layer is configured to have adhesive-free portions at least at the corners of the filter body.

[0012] For example, if the filter body is a breathable sheet-like filter body made of fibers such as nonwoven fabric, and a hook-and-loop fastener is used as the attachment aid, typically, when attaching the hook-and-loop fastener to assist in the attachment strength to an object such as a range hood, the hook-and-loop fastener is attached in advance to the corners of the outer frame of the range hood opening, and the filter structure is often sized and shaped to match the outer frame of the range hood opening. In this case, if configured as described above, when the filter structure is attached to the object, the missing parts of the adhesive in the adhesive layer will match the attachment position of the hook-and-loop fastener. In the areas where the adhesive is missing, no adhesive is formed on the filter body and the filter body is exposed, so its fibers are easily entangled with the hook-and-loop fastener, and the filter structure is fixed to the object to be attached not only by the adhesive layer but also by the engagement between the filter body and the hook-and-loop fastener.

[0013] Therefore, when the filter structure is attached to the attachment object, the attachment assistance provided by the attachment aid is not hindered, and the attachment strength to the attachment object is improved. Since there is no adhesive layer facing the hook-and-loop fastener, the engagement between the hook-and-loop fastener and the filter body is not hindered. In other words, since the positions of the adhesive and the attachment aid do not overlap when attaching the filter structure, the adhesive layer and the attachment aid can maximize their respective attachment strengths.

[0014] If the object to be attached is a large item, such as a range hood for an open kitchen, attach one hook-and-loop fastener to each of the four corners of the outer frame of the range hood opening, for a total of four, and first engage the hook-and-loop fasteners at both ends of one side of the outer frame of the range hood opening (usually the side on the front side of the range hood) with one side of the filter body exposed in the missing part of the adhesive, creating a temporary fixed state, so to speak. The adhesive layer is then attached to the range hood while aligning the filter structure with the outer frame of the range hood opening or while slightly pulling and stretching the filter body toward the other side of the outer frame of the range hood opening. Having missing adhesive at least in the corners of the filter body ensures that the hook-and-loop fasteners can assist in the attachment. This ensures that the filter structure is attached in a provisionally fixed state, improving the workability of attaching the filter structure to the other side of the outer frame of the range hood opening.

[0015] Even in the temporarily fixed state described above, there are cases where one side of the filter structure is attached to one side of the range hood opening outer frame while holding both ends of one side of the range hood opening outer frame with your fingers and pulling it slightly to stretch it. In such cases, because the adhesive layer has a greater recovery elasticity than the filter body, the portion of the filter body where the adhesive layer is laminated tends to return to its original state even after it is stretched and attached to the object to be attached (this is called the "restoration shrinkage" of the adhesive layer), and as a result of this recovery shrinkage, the portion of the filter body where the adhesive layer is laminated also tends to shrink. As a result, the filter body may shrink and wrinkle, or may become detached from the range hood due to shrinkage. However, since the filter structure of the present invention does not have an adhesive layer at the corners, these parts are less likely to shrink or return to their original shape even if the filter structure is stretched or deformed to fit the shape of the object to which it is attached. Generally, if a part or corner of a filter structure peels off and becomes raised, the peeling will spread from that point, accelerating the filter structure falling off. However, the configuration of the present invention prevents such a situation and suppresses peeling of the filter structure.

[0016] In the filter structure according to the present invention, it is preferable that the missing portion of the adhesive is rectangular.

[0017] Generally, range hood openings are rectangular and the outer frame of the opening is also a similar rectangular shape with a width of about 1 cm to 10 cm, so the hook-and-loop fastener is often made rectangular in size and shape so that it does not protrude beyond the width of the outer frame. Therefore, with this configuration, it is easy to match the shape of the hook-and-loop fastener, overlapping between the hook-and-loop fastener and the adhesive layer is suppressed, and the effectiveness of the hook-and-loop fastener in assisting installation is further ensured.

[0018] In the filter structure according to the present invention, it is preferable to adopt a configuration further including a release film laminated so as to cover the adhesive layer.

[0019] This configuration prevents the filter structure from unintentionally sticking to the article. Since there are missing areas of adhesive at the corners of the filter structure, the release film is not in contact with the adhesive layer at these corners, making it easier to peel the release film off the filter structure when first using it.

[0020] In the filter structure of the invention, the filter body is rectangular, the adhesive layer is made up of a plurality of identical unit adhesive portions arranged in parallel in the shape of strips in a direction corresponding to the width direction of the object to which the filter body is attached, the filter body has first separation portions where there is no adhesive layer between adjacent unit adhesive portions of the adhesive layer, and the filter body can be cut at the separation portions, and it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which there are also missing portions of adhesive at the corners of the unit adhesive portions.

[0021] By configuring it in this manner, the filter structure can be cut appropriately between the unit adhesive portions with a cutting tool such as scissors to adjust the size according to the size of the object to be attached, so that it can be attached without any excess or deficiency, thereby improving convenience. For example, if the object to be attached is a range hood, the opening width of which varies from 90 cm, 75 cm, and 60 cm, then if the width of one unit of the strip-shaped adhesive part is 15 cm when the width of the filter structure is approximately 90 cm, cutting one unit of the strip-shaped adhesive part will make the width of the filter structure approximately 75 cm, making it possible to adjust the dimensions to suit a 75 cm wide range hood. Similarly, if two units are cut, the width of the filter structure will be approximately 60 cm, making it possible to adjust the dimensions to suit a 60 cm wide range hood.

[0022] The filter body also has a first separation section between adjacent strip-shaped adhesive units that is free of adhesive layers or adhesive, and this section is where the filter is cut. Because there is no adhesive in the separation section, which is where the filter is cut, the adhesive will not adhere to cutting tools such as scissors. Furthermore, by having missing adhesive at the corners of the unit adhesive portions, even when the filter structure is cut in the width direction, missing adhesive will appear at the corners of the filter body of the cut filter structure, thereby effectively providing the auxiliary effect of the hook-and-loop fastener in increasing the attachment strength.

[0023] Furthermore, whether the filter structure is cut or not according to the dimensions of the object to be attached, when the filter body of the filter structure includes multiple unit adhesive portions arranged in parallel in the shape of strips, the missing portions of adhesive at the corners of the unit adhesive portions are not provided at the corners of the filter body, but also in the middle part of one side of the filter body (or sometimes called the intermediate part), which also has the following effect. As mentioned above, even when the filter structure is temporarily fixed, it may be necessary to hold both ends of one side of the range hood opening outer frame with your fingers and slightly pull and stretch it while attaching one side of the filter structure to one side of the range hood opening outer frame. In such cases, the adhesive layer has a greater elasticity of recovery than the filter body, so that even after the adhesive layer is stretched and attached to the object to be attached, the stretched adhesive layer will attempt to return to its original state (restoration contraction of the adhesive layer), and as a result of this restoration contraction, the part of the filter body where the adhesive layer is laminated will also tend to shrink. However, in the present invention, a missing portion is also provided in the middle part of one side of the filter body, making this missing portion less susceptible to recovery shrinkage due to the adhesive layer.Even if the filter structure is stretched or deformed to fit the shape of the object to which it is attached, the filter body in the missing portion is less likely to shrink or recover, making it possible to more reliably prevent the filter structure from peeling off or falling off due to recovery shrinkage of the adhesive layer.

[0024] In the filter structure of the invention, it is preferable that each unit adhesive portion of the adhesive layer is composed of parallel U-shaped portions made of adhesive in a direction corresponding to the depth direction of the object to which the filter body is attached, and that the filter body has a second separation portion between adjacent U-shaped portions where there is no adhesive layer, and is cuttable at the second separation portion.

[0025] By configuring it in this manner, the filter structure can be adjusted to fit objects of various depth dimensions by cutting it appropriately between the adhesive portions with a cutting tool such as scissors, and it can be attached without any excess or deficiency, thereby improving convenience. For example, if the object to be attached is a range hood, which comes in various widths with depth dimensions of 84 cm, 75 cm, and 64 cm, and the depth (depth length) of the filter structure is approximately 84 cm, if the depth length of the first U-shaped part made of adhesive is set to approximately 9 cm and the depth of the second U-shaped part is set to approximately 11 cm, then when the adhesive part of the first U-shaped part is cut, the depth of the filter structure will be approximately 75 cm, and it will be possible to adjust the dimensions to suit a range hood with a depth dimension of 75 cm. Similarly, if the adhesive part of the second U-shape is cut, the depth of the filter structure becomes approximately 64 cm, and it can be adjusted to a size suitable for a range hood with a depth of 64 cm.

[0026] The filter body also has a second separation section between adjacent U-shaped sections where there is no adhesive layer, and this section is where the filter is cut. Because there is no adhesive in the cutting section, the adhesive will not adhere to cutting tools such as scissors. The U-shaped portion is an adhesive layer that is formed in a U-shape by forming adhesive on three sides of the imaginary quadrangle (virtual quadrangle) formed by the U-shaped portion and having no adhesive on the remaining side.Since there is no adhesive on the inside of the U-shaped portion (the side of the virtual quadrangle mentioned above that has no adhesive), the extensibility of the filter body is not restricted on that side that has no adhesive, and it can be stretched or deformed to fit the shape of the object when attached to it, improving workability.

[0027] In the filter structure according to the present invention, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the corners of the U-shaped portion have portions where the adhesive is missing.

[0028] By configuring it in this way, even if the filter structure is cut between the U-shaped portions to adjust the depth dimension, missing areas of adhesive will appear at the corners, so the hook-and-loop fastener can effectively supplement the attachment strength.

[0029] In the filter structure of the invention, a configuration can be adopted in which the inside of the U-shaped portion of the unit adhesive portion has a decorative portion made of adhesive that can be seen as a pattern that appears when dirt adheres to the filter body.

[0030] When configured in this manner, when the filter structure is attached to the object to be attached, the adhesive of the decorative part also contributes to the attachment of the filter body, and after oil stains adhere to the filter body, the decorative part can be seen to stand out as a white raised pattern, and can also function as a pattern indicating when it is time to replace it.

[0031] In the filter structure of the invention, the filter body may be in the form of a sheet made of fibers, and may be attached to the corners of an object to be attached, and may further include a hook-and-loop fastener in which the fibers of the filter body can become entangled.

[0032] By including the hook-and-loop fastener in the set in this way, there is no need to prepare a separate hook-and-loop fastener, which improves convenience and also ensures that the auxiliary effect of increasing the attachment strength of the filter structure can be achieved.

[0033] In the filter structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the object to be attached is a range hood of an open kitchen, and that the filter structure be configured to be attached to the range hood of an open kitchen.

[0034] When configured in this manner, the range hoods in open kitchens are generally large in size, which increases the weight of the filter structure, but in such filter structures the effect of the missing adhesive portions can be particularly effective.

[0035] In the filter structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the filter body is rectangular, the length in the depth direction of the range hood is 60 cm to 85 cm, and the length in the width direction of the range hood is 60 cm to 95 cm.

[0036] With this configuration, one filter structure can be sized to fit into the opening of a range hood in a typical open kitchen without excess or deficiency. If the depth and width of the filter body are less than 60 cm, the filter body will be smaller than the typical dimensions of an open kitchen range hood, and there is a risk that a single filter structure will not be able to fully cover the range hood opening. If the depth of the filter body exceeds 85 cm and the width exceeds 95 cm, it will be too large compared to the typical dimensions of a range hood for an open kitchen, and it may be difficult to handle as a single filter structure and difficult to install by one person.

[0037] In the filter structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the missing portion of the adhesive layer is rectangular, has a length in the depth direction of the range hood of 3 mm to 10 mm, and has a length in the width direction of the range hood of 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0038] By configuring it in this way, the missing adhesive portion does not overlap with the hook-and-loop fastener, which is an attachment aid attached to the corners of the opening outer frame of the range hood, which is the object to be attached, and the shape and size can be such that the adhesive layer and the hook-and-loop fastener can maximize their respective attachment strengths. If the depth length of the missing adhesive part is less than 3 mm and the width length is less than 10 mm, it will be smaller than the general dimensions of a hook-and-loop fastener that can be attached to the corners of the outer frame of the range hood opening, which is the object to be attached, and part of the adhesive part may overlap with the hook-and-loop fastener, which may not be able to fully exert its auxiliary effect in improving the attachment strength of the hook-and-loop fastener. If the depth length of the missing adhesive part exceeds 10 mm and the width length exceeds 20 mm, it will be too large compared to the general dimensions of a hook-and-loop fastener that can be attached to the corners of the outer frame of the opening of the range hood, which is the object to be attached.Even if the effect of supplementing the attachment strength of the hook-and-loop fastener is obtained, the attachment strength of the adhesive layer itself may be reduced as a result of the missing part being too large. [Effects of the Invention]

[0039] The filter structure according to the present invention is configured as described above, and therefore it is possible to improve the effectiveness of the hook-and-loop fastener in assisting the attachment strength to the attachment object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the filter structure is attached to a range hood. [Figure 2] Plan view of the filter structure [Figure 3] (a) is an enlarged plan view of the filter structure showing the missing adhesive area, and (b) is an enlarged plan view showing the positional relationship between the missing adhesive area and the hook-and-loop fastener. [Figure 4] A perspective view showing the filter structure being attached to the range hood. [Figure 5] A perspective view showing the filter structure being attached to the range hood. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of a main part showing another example of a filter structure; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The filter structure 10 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 is attached to the range hood R of an open kitchen (more specifically, to the outer frame of the opening that is a ventilation hole formed in the range hood R), as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and prevents the range hood R from becoming dirty with oily smoke, oil droplets, etc.

[0042] 1 to 3, the filter structure 10 of the embodiment is rectangular in plan view and has a three-layer structure in the thickness direction, which is made up of a filter body 11, an adhesive layer 12, and a release film 13. Note that the release film 13 is transparent, so the adhesive layer 12 can be seen through it in Figures 2 and 3. In Figure 1, the release film 13 has been peeled off from the filter structure 10 and the filter structure 10 is attached to a range hood R. When in use, the filter is attached so that the adhesive layer 12 faces the range hood R and the filter body 11 faces the opposite side (the range side in an open kitchen) as shown in FIG.

[0043] The length and width of the filter structure 10 are not particularly limited, but examples of lengths that match the dimensions of a range hood R in a typical open kitchen include a depth of 60 cm to 85 cm and a width of 60 cm to 95 cm. If the dimensions are too large, it will be inconvenient to handle and may be difficult for a single person to install on the range hood R, and if the dimensions are too small, there will be exposed areas on the range hood R, and one filter structure 10 will not be able to adequately prevent the area from becoming dirty.

[0044] 1 to 3 is a flexible sheet made of fibers. The filter body 11 is breathable, and when air containing oily smoke from the range passes through it, the oily smoke adheres to and is captured. The material of the filter body 11 is not particularly limited, and examples include woven fabric and nonwoven fabric, but nonwoven fabric is preferred as it has excellent dirt trapping performance and is inexpensive. The material of the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples include known synthetic fibers and natural fibers such as polyester fibers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide fibers, polyolefin fibers such as polypropylene, and acrylic fibers including modacrylic, but as a filter to be attached to the range hood R, a nonwoven fabric made of polyester fibers is preferred as it has excellent oil stain trapping properties and can be manufactured inexpensively. In addition, to impart flame retardancy to the nonwoven fabric, a flame retardant treatment may be applied, such as by blending a flame retardant material into the fibers or by attaching a flame retardant material to the surface of the nonwoven fabric. The method for producing the nonwoven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a thermal bond method, a chemical bond method, and a spun bond method.

[0045] The thickness of the filter body 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 30 mm, and more preferably in the range of 1 to 20 mm. The basis weight is also not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 20 g / m 2 to 400 g / m 2 and a more preferable range is 30 g / m 2 to 300g / m 2 is. Within these ranges, the filter body 11 has an excellent ability to capture oily and dusty dirt, and does not adversely affect the ventilation performance of the range hood R.

[0046] The adhesive layer 12 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is formed by laminating an adhesive agent arranged in a predetermined pattern in a plan view on the filter body 11. There are no particular limitations on the adhesive that forms the adhesive layer 12, and examples that can be used include two-component adhesives containing a base agent and a curing agent, such as two-component polyurethane adhesives, and hot-melt adhesives, such as acrylic hot-melt adhesives. If necessary, the adhesive may contain additives such as tackifiers that improve adhesion, ultraviolet absorbers, fillers, colorants, antioxidants, antifoaming agents, and light stabilizers, as well as various additives that suppress a decrease in adhesive strength at low temperatures and adhesive residue. As shown in the figure, the adhesive layer 12 is configured with identical strip-shaped unit adhesive portions 12a arranged in parallel in a direction corresponding to the width direction of the range hood R. In the figure, the unit adhesive portions 12a are arranged in parallel in six rows. Between adjacent adhesive units 12a, there are first separated portions 12f where no adhesive is present, and the filter body 11 is exposed. By cutting this first separation portion 12f in a direction corresponding to the depth direction of the range hood R with a cutting tool such as scissors, the adhesive does not adhere to the cutting tool and the width of the filter structure 10 can be adjusted to match the width of the range hood. In addition, perforations or half cuts can be made in the relevant portion as appropriate to make cutting easier. The width of the unit adhesive portion 12a is not particularly limited, but can be exemplified as 14 cm to 15 cm. If the width of the unit adhesive portion 12a is too wide, it becomes difficult to finely adjust the width of the filter structure 10, and if the width is too narrow, the proportion of the adhesive layer 12 in the filter body 10 becomes too high, which inhibits the breathability of the filter body 11, and as a result, there is a risk of adversely affecting the ventilation performance of the range hood R.

[0047] 2 and 3, each adhesive unit 12a is made up of a plurality of U-shaped portions 12b arranged in parallel in a direction corresponding to the depth direction of the range hood R. The U-shaped portions 12b are made of adhesive. In the figures, four U-shaped portions 12b are arranged in parallel. The three U-shaped portions 12b at the back in the depth direction of the range hood R are oriented so that the U-shape opens toward the front, and the one at the front in the depth direction is inverted so that the U-shape opens toward the back. The openings of the U-shaped portion 12b at the front in the depth direction and the U-shaped portion 12b one step further back are opposite each other. The three U-shaped portions 12b at the farthest depth of the range hood R have different lengths in the depth direction, with the farthest U-shaped portion 12b having the shortest length in the depth direction and the nearest U-shaped portion 12b having the longest length in the depth direction. Each of the four parallel U-shaped portions 12b, except for the middle U-shaped portion 12b of the three farthest U-shaped portions 12b in the depth direction, has a triangular protrusion 12c attached to it that protrudes in the direction corresponding to the width of the range hood. The protrusions 12c butt against each other between adjacent U-shaped portions 12b in the width direction.

[0048] No adhesive exists between adjacent U-shaped portions 12b except for protrusions 12c, and the filter body 11 is exposed to form second separation portions 12g. By cutting this second separation portion 12g in a direction corresponding to the width direction of the range hood R with a cutting tool such as scissors, the adhesive hardly adheres to the cutting tool, and the width of the filter structure 10 can be adjusted to match the width of the range hood. In addition, perforations or half cuts can be made in the relevant portion as appropriate to make cutting easier.

[0049] At the corners of each U-shaped portion 12b (where the vertical line portion and the horizontal line portion intersect), adhesive missing portions 12d are formed. As a result, even when the adhesive layer 12 is viewed as a whole, the corners (four corners) thereof become adhesive-free portions 12d. Furthermore, when the adhesive unit 12a is viewed as a whole, the corners (four corners) thereof are adhesive-free portions 12d. Therefore, whether the filter structure 10 is used as a whole or cut in the width or depth direction, there will always be missing adhesive portions 12d at the four corners of the adhesive layer 12. Therefore, when hook-and-loop fasteners f are placed at the four corners of the range hood R, missing adhesive portions 12d are located at the corresponding four corners of the filter structure 10, so that when the filter structure 10 is attached to the range hood R, the hook-and-loop fasteners f and the adhesive of the adhesive layer do not overlap.

[0050] As shown in the figure, the missing portion 12d is a rectangle that is longer in the direction corresponding to the width direction of the range hood R and shorter in the direction corresponding to the depth direction, and its shape roughly corresponds to the rectangular hook-and-loop fasteners f placed at the four corners of the range hood R. The size of the cutout 12d is not particularly limited, but can be exemplified as a length of 3 mm to 10 mm in the depth direction of the range hood R and a length of 10 mm to 20 mm in the width direction. If the missing portion 12d is too small, it may overlap with the hook-and-loop fastener f, and if the missing portion 12d is too large, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 12 as a whole may decrease.

[0051] Heart-shaped decorative portions 12e are scattered inside the U-shaped portions 12b. The heart-shaped decorative portions 12e are arranged in a row, two in the left-right direction of the range hood R, at the U-shaped portion 12b corresponding to the deepest side of the range hood R, three in a triangular formation at the next U-shaped portion 12b, and five rows of three decorative portions 12e in a triangular formation at the next U-shaped portion 12b, for a total of 15 decorative portions. The same groups of three decorative portions 12e are arranged in two rows of the depth direction at the front U-shaped portion 12b, for a total of six decorative portions. The decorative portions 12e are made of the same adhesive as the adhesive layer 12, but may instead be laminated with a welding film. As a result, after oil stains and dust stains adhere to the filter body 11 of the filter structure 10 and discolor to black or brown, the decorative part 12e is not breathable and therefore oil stains and dust stains do not adhere to it and it does not discolor much, so the heart-shaped pattern appears to stand out and also functions as a pattern indicating the time for replacement. The shape of the decorative portion 12e is not limited to a heart shape, and may be any shape that functions as an exchange indicator, such as a circle, a clover, a spade, a diamond, or any other polygonal shape or letter. In addition, since the adhesive layer 12 itself also functions as an exchange indicator, the decorative portion 12e may be omitted. The color of the adhesive is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the adhesive be colorless and transparent, as this has a greater visual effect as a replacement indicator after use of the filter structure 10 if the pattern of the decorative portion 12e is not visible before the filter structure 10 becomes soiled (i.e., before the filter structure 10 is used).

[0052] As with the missing portion 12d, the first separated portion 12f, and the second separated portion 12g, no adhesive is present inside the U-shaped portion 12b except for the decorative portion 12e. In the area of the filter body 11 where the adhesive layer 12 is laminated, not only is breathability hindered, but the area is also restrained by the adhesive, making it difficult for the filter body 11 to stretch or deform. In contrast, there is no adhesive in areas other than the missing portion 12d and the decorative portion 12e inside the U-shaped portion 12b, so the filter body 11 is able to exhibit its inherent extensibility and deformability.

[0053] The type of adhesive constituting the adhesive layer 12 is not particularly limited, but as mentioned above, examples include urethane-based adhesives and acrylic-based adhesives, and those that have excellent removability and do not leave adhesive residue when peeled are preferred. It is also preferred to impart flame retardancy to the adhesive by adding a flame-retardant component. In the present invention, a hot-melt adhesive such as an acrylic hot-melt adhesive is used. The proportion of the area of the adhesive layer 12 relative to the entire surface of the filter structure 10 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 10% to 80%, more preferably 20% to 60%. Within these ranges, it is possible to prevent the area ratio from being too small, resulting in insufficient adhesive strength, or from being too large, resulting in high costs and impairing the breathability of the filter body 11. The coating amount (dry weight) of the adhesive layer 12 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 g / m 2 More than 50g / m 2 The following can be given as examples. Within these ranges, problems such as insufficient adhesive strength due to a thickness that is too small, or leaving an adhesive layer as adhesive residue when peeled off due to a thickness that is too large, and increased costs can be prevented. The method for forming the adhesive layer 12 is not particularly limited, but examples include pattern printing and spray coating. In the case of spray coating, a filter body 11 can be used in which fine adhesive is scattered over the entire surface or desired areas, but even in this case, by providing missing portions 12d of the adhesive layer 12 at least in the corners of the filter body 11, the adhesive and the mounting aid will not overlap when the filter structure is mounted. Therefore, when attaching the filter structure 10 to the range hood R, which is the object to be attached, the attachment assistance provided by the hook-and-loop fastener f, which is an attachment aid, is not hindered, and the adhesive layer 12 and the hook-and-loop fastener f can exert their respective attachment strengths to the maximum.

[0054] 2 and 3 is made of a synthetic resin film, but it may also be a film made of a sheet of paper with a release coating. The release film 13 protects the adhesive layer 12 of the filter structure 10 and prevents the adhesive layer 12 from accidentally sticking to an article or becoming dirty with dust during the distribution or packaging stages before use. The material of the release film is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene, but PET film is preferable because it is inexpensive and highly versatile. Furthermore, the release film 13 may be made flame-retardant.

[0055] The thickness of the release film 13 is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 10 μm to 75 μm, and more preferably in the range of 12 μm to 25 μm. Within these ranges, there will be no problems such as release film 13 being too thin and tearing, or too thick and making it impossible to fold filter structure 10 during packaging. Furthermore, since there are missing adhesive portions 12d at the corners of the filter structure 12, the release film 13 is not in contact with the adhesive layer 12 at these corners, and therefore the filter body 11 and the release film 13 are not adhered together, making it easy to peel the release film 13 from the filter structure 10 at the start of use.

[0056] 2, a slit 13a is formed in the release film 13, dividing the film into two parts in the depth direction of the range hood R. The slit 13a extends along a second separation portion 12g formed between the opposing openings of the U-shaped portion 12b on the front side in the depth direction and the U-shaped portion 12b one step further back. When attaching the filter structure 10 to the range hood R, first, only the release film 13 on the front side in the depth direction is peeled off, and the adhesive layer 12 on the exposed portion is stuck by running the hand from the front side of the range hood R toward the back, and then the release film 13 on the back side in the depth direction is peeled off, and the adhesive layer 12 on that portion is stuck to the range hood, thereby allowing the filter structure 10 to be attached neatly by following the proper procedure.

[0057] The filter structure 10 of the embodiment has the above-described configuration. Next, a method of using the filter structure 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in Fig. 4, before attaching the filter structure 10, rectangular hook-and-loop fasteners f are attached to the four corners of the range hood R, and then the release film 13 on the front side in the depth direction of the range hood R is peeled off and the adhesive layer 12 on the front side is attached to the range hood R. Note that the range hood R shown in Fig. 4 is a range hood with a straightening plate, and a straightening plate is installed on the inside side of the opening of the range hood R, but multiple hook-and-loop fasteners f may also be attached to this straightening plate in advance to assist with attachment.

[0058] At this time, the adhesive layer 12 has missing portions 12d so that the adhesive does not overlap with the hook-and-loop fasteners f attached to the two corners on the front side of the range hood R. Then, the fibers of the filter body 11 exposed at that location become entangled with the hook-and-loop fastener f, and half of the filter structure 10 is supported on the range hood R by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 12 as well as the engagement force between the hook-and-loop fastener f and the filter body 11. As described above, the adhesive and the hook-and-loop fastener f are not positioned to overlap each other, so the engagement of the hook-and-loop fastener f with the filter body 11 is not hindered by the adhesive. As a result, the hook-and-loop fasteners f at both ends of one side of the outer frame of the opening of the range hood R and one side of the filter body 11 exposed in the missing portion of the adhesive layer 12 are engaged with each other, resulting in a temporary fixed state.

[0059] Next, the release film 13 on the rear side of the filter structure 10 in the depth direction of the range hood R is peeled off, and the adhesive layer 12 on that rear side is attached to the range hood R. When attaching the filter structure 10, the adhesive layer 12 is attached to the range hood R while aligning the filter structure 10 with the outer frame of the opening of the range hood R or while slightly pulling and stretching the filter body 11 toward the other side of the outer frame of the opening of the range hood R. In this case, by having missing portions 12d of the adhesive layer 12 at least at the corners of the filter body 11, the attachment assistance provided by the hook-and-loop fastener f is not hindered, so the filter structure can be attached reliably in a temporarily fixed state, improving the workability of subsequently attaching the filter structure to the other side of the range hood opening outer frame.

[0060] Even in the case of the temporary fixing state described above, one side of the filter structure 10 may be attached to one side of the outer frame of the range hood R opening by holding both ends of one side of the outer frame of the range hood R opening with your fingers and pulling and stretching it slightly. In such a case, since the adhesive layer 12 has a greater restoring elasticity than the filter body 11, the portion of the filter body 11 where the adhesive layer 12 is laminated undergoes restoration contraction as the stretched adhesive layer 12 attempts to return to its original state even after being stretched and attached to the range hood R, and as a result of this restoration contraction, the portion of the filter body 11 where the adhesive layer 12 is laminated also tends to shrink. As a result, the filter body 11 may wrinkle due to shrinkage or become more likely to peel off from the range hood R. However, since the filter structure 10 of the embodiment does not have adhesive layers 12 at the corners, these corners are less likely to shrink or return to their original shape even if the filter structure 10 is stretched or deformed to fit the shape of the opening of the range hood R. Furthermore, if a part or corner of the filter structure 10 peels off and becomes raised, the peeling will spread from that point, accelerating the filter structure 10 falling off, etc. However, by using a configuration such as that of the embodiment, such a situation can be prevented and peeling of the filter structure 10 can be suppressed.

[0061] Similarly, the adhesive layer 12 has the missing portions 12d, so that the adhesive does not overlap with the hook-and-loop fasteners f attached to the two corners at the far side of the range hood R. The fibers of the filter body 11 exposed at that location become entangled with the hook-and-loop fastener f, and the remaining half of the filter structure 10 is also supported on the range hood R by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 12 as well as the engagement force between the hook-and-loop fastener f and the filter body 11.

[0062] Since no adhesive is present inside the missing portion 12d and the U-shaped portion 12b of the adhesive layer 12, the filter body 11 is not restrained by the adhesive and is therefore easily stretched and deformed. Therefore, the cutout portion 12d can be appropriately stretched and deformed to fit the outer surface of the range hood R, and the adhesion of the filter structure 10 to the range hood R can be improved. If the dimensions of the range hood R and the filter structure 10 do not match, the dimensions of the filter structure 10 are adjusted by cutting the adhesive layer 12 between the unit adhesive portions 12a or between the U-shaped portions 12b. In this case, too, the cutout portions 12d are always located at the corners of the filter structure 10.

[0063] As time passes, as dirt accumulates on the filter body 11 of the filter structure 10, the heart-shaped decorative portion 12e and the U-shaped portion 12b appear to be raised, thereby indicating that it is time to replace the filter structure 10. In this case, the filter structure 10 is peeled off from the range hood R as shown in Figure 5. Since the corners of the filter structure 10 are missing adhesive, it is easy to insert your fingers into them as shown in Figure 5(b), making the peeling process easy.

[0064] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations within that scope and in a meaning equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0065] In the embodiment, an open kitchen range hood is exemplified as an object to which the filter structure 10 can be attached, but this is not limited to this, and it can also be configured to be attached to a closed kitchen range hood, vent, air purifier, air conditioner, etc.

[0066] The shape of the adhesive layer 12 is not limited to that of the embodiment as long as it has notches 12d at the corners, and for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusions 12c may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10 Filter Structure 11 Filter body 12 Adhesive layer 12a Unit adhesive part 12b U-shaped section 12c protrusion 12d Missing part 12e Decoration section 12f First isolation section 12g Second standoff 13 Release film 13a Slit R Range Hood f hook and loop fastener

Claims

1. A filter structure that is attached to an object to be attached and prevents adhesion of dirt to the object to be attached while ensuring gas circulation between the inside and outside of the object to be attached, A filter body made of fibers; an adhesive layer laminated on at least one surface of the filter body, A filter structure, wherein the adhesive layer has adhesive-free portions at least at corner portions of the filter body.

2. The filter structure according to claim 1 , wherein the missing portion of the adhesive layer is rectangular.

3. The filter structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a release film laminated to cover the adhesive layer.

4. The filter body is rectangular; the adhesive layer is formed by arranging a plurality of unit adhesive portions of the same shape in parallel in a strip-like manner in a direction corresponding to the width direction of the object to which the filter body is attached, the filter body has a first separation portion where no adhesive layer is present between adjacent unit adhesive portions of the adhesive layer, and is cuttable at the first separation portion; The filter structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adhesive unit also has missing portions at corners thereof.

5. Each unit adhesive portion of the adhesive layer is formed of parallel U-shaped portions made of an adhesive in a direction corresponding to a depth direction of the object to which the filter body is attached, 5. The filter structure according to claim 4, wherein the filter body has a second separation portion between the adjacent U-shaped portions where no adhesive layer is present, and the filter body can be cut at the second separation portion.

6. The filter structure according to claim 5, wherein the corners of the U-shaped portion have missing portions of adhesive.

7. On the inside of the U-shaped portion of the unit adhesive portion, 6. The filter structure according to claim 5, further comprising a decorative portion made of an adhesive that can be visually recognized as a pattern that stands out after dirt adheres to the filter body.

8. The filter structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter body is in the form of a sheet made of fibers, and further comprises a hook-and-loop fastener that can be attached to a corner of the object to which the filter body is attached and into which the fibers of the filter body can become entangled.

9. The object to be attached is a range hood in an open kitchen.

3. The filter structure according to claim 1 or 2, which is to be attached to a range hood of an open kitchen.

10. The filter body is rectangular; The depth of the range hood is 60 cm to 85 cm, 8. The filter structure according to claim 7, wherein the range hood has a width of 60 cm to 95 cm.

11. The missing portion of the adhesive layer is rectangular, The depth of the range hood is 3 mm to 10 mm, 8. The filter structure according to claim 7, wherein the range hood has a width of 10 mm to 20 mm.

Images